By Patti Schmidt

People with CFIDS (PWCs) are hard to please when it comes to travel. We usually don't do well flying on airplanes, sleeping in strange beds or eating unusual foods. Sightseeing is difficult because we tire too easily. Frequent symptoms often make us "armchair travelers"; we find it easier to watch travel programs on TV or read travel magazines than to actually take a trip. And heightened safety concerns due to the world's war against terrorism have many people looking for less vulnerable ways to vacation.

But after traveling frequently over the past 15 years, I've found a way that works better for me than planes, trains or automobiles: recreational vehicles (RVs). No matter what kind of RV I've ever used - mobile home, trailer or even pop-up tent - it's been a pleasant experience.

First, the benefits: You have your bed right there with you. You can bring food you're comfortable with, and you'll usually have a microwave, an oven and a gas cook top. Your meds are within easy reach. You can stop and rest any time. You can stay in most campgrounds for as little as $4 per day with a full hookup (water, sewer and electric). You can "boondock" (stop anywhere with no hookups) for absolutely nothing, at turnpike rest stops or a pretty spot next to a river. Wal-Mart and Cracker Barrel Restaurants let RVs park over-night for free. Some of our most memorable RV experiences were boondocking near the sea, the mountains or looking out over a lake.

You have many choices when you bring your home with you. My husband and I recently visited good friends who live near Norfolk, Va., boondocking in their driveway for two nights (we cheated a little, plugging in an extension cord to an outlet in their garage so we had electricity). Since our RV had everything we needed to go about our daily business, we were able to sleep comfortably, take showers and make coffee and fruit salad for breakfast and salads for lunch while our hosts were at work.

We took our friends and their son to dinner in the rig, a big hit. Later that evening, Sean's college friends stopped by to see it - many people haven't seen the inside of an RV, and are curious. By the end of the evening, the kids were diligently trying to figure out how they could afford to rent one like ours to go on a coed camping trip. Last I heard, they were headed west.

After our visit, we stopped at nearby Yorktown Battlefield. Our day was a good example of the value of traveling in an RV for PWCs.

We left our friends' home in early morning; Yorktown was a mere 15 minutes away. After taking stock of my energy level, I tried to decide how much I wanted to do that morning. I could choose any or all of the following: go to the visitor's center and see a 16-minute film describing the battles; stop in the store which offers books, trinkets and assorted touristy knick-knacks; drive around the battlefields; or take an hour-and-a-half bus tour with an experienced guide.

Since we had our own more comfortable way to drive around, I ruled out the bus tour. We parked in the parking lot, and I decided to see the film and visit the bookstore. After that, we drove through the small roads surrounding the battlefields, armed with a map of the site and a bit more knowledge about what we were looking at garnered from the reading we did at the bookstore. Laying on the sofa and sipping coffee, I enjoyed the spectacular views through the RV's large windows.

Then I took a 2-hour nap while my husband drove toward the next campsite, a beautiful beachside campground at Camp Lejeune, N.C. (My husband is retired military, so we're allowed to camp there). When I woke up, we stopped for lunch, getting some extra barbecue and coleslaw to put in the refrigerator for another meal.

After lunch, we had just three hours to go. We reached our destination about 4:30 p.m., so we had time to visit the base exchange, the military-run department store on post, and the commissary, the military-run grocery store. With plenty of pantry and refrigerator space, and a small freezer, we bought food that was easy to cook and store. By the time we arrived at our campsite at about 6:15 p.m., I was ready to sit down, eat and take it easy. We ate ham, salad and coleslaw for dinner.

After washing the dishes in the double sink, I took a shower and changed into comfy pajamas to watch the 16-inch television. I turned in at 11 p.m. to the queen-sized bed in the RV's back bedroom. David stayed up a little later to watch a movie on the VCR, so I closed the pocket door. The mattress was as comfortable as mine at home, and I drifted off to the sound of the sea.

For more information on RV travel, visit http://www.rvia.org/, the Web site of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA). This site offers general information about RVs, guides for buyers and renters, a listing of RV shows around the country and free videos, newsletters and publications. Their mailing address is PO Box 2999, Reston, VA, 20195-0999.

Other Web sites include http://www.woodalls.com, which offers a broad range of information related to the RV life; http://www.rvzone.com/, an all-purpose site which includes information about RV rentals and sales, campgrounds and resorts and clubs; and http://www.rvsearch.com/, a Web site devoted to selling new and used trailers and RVs.

Patti Schmidt is a member of the Board of Directors of The CFIDS Association of America.