Author: RVLife

Brad Saum is retired and living and traveling the United States fulltime in his RV pursuing his passion of experiencing the extraordinary natural and cultural history around the country, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and the National Park Service, while enjoying his multitude of hobbies which include writing, photography, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, blogging and many more.

  • National Park Volunteer

    A multitude of volunteer opportunities exist in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and there are National Park Service volunteers serving at parks throughout the country. The majority of volunteers live...

    By Smokies

  • Brad Saum and Smoky Mountain Bears

    Hands On With Smoky Mountain Bears

    Black bears are an iconic symbol of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Smoky Mountain bears are wild animals and thrive on a diet of nuts, berries, insects and animal carrion....

    By Smokies

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park view from Newfound Gap

    RV Maintenance

    Despite all the distractions of the Smoky Mountains, it is time for some RV maintenance. As I approach nearly a year of living and traveling full-time in my RV, there...

    By RV Life, Smokies

  • Brad Saum volunteering in Smokies

    Volunteering in the Smokies

    After nearly a year of living and traveling full-time in my RV, change is in the air. I am settling down – but only for two months! I am volunteering...

    By Smokies

  • full-time rv living

    Perils of Fulltime RV Living

    I’m headed north out of Ft. Myers, Florida and decided to stop in St. Petersburg and see a friend I had worked with in Washington, D.C. back in 1990. Should...

    By Florida

  • Brad Saum with wetsuit on

    Swim with Manatees

    Jump right into the river and swim alongside manatees! Never mind the alligators and snakes lurking in the Florida rivers. Snorkeling with manatees just a few feet away is an...

    By Florida

  • Habitat for Humanity in Florida

    Habitat RV Care-A-Vanners

    Never underestimate the power of a committed volunteer. Mary Vandeveld, volunteer Program Manager for the RV Care-A-Vanners, shared that thought as we gathered 150 RV’s for the 30th Anniversary of...

    By Uncategorized

  • Great Blue Heron

    Florida Wildlife

    The Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa, Florida is a showcase for Florida’s wildlife. I spent the day indulging in one of my favorite hobbies – photography. Here’s a...

    By Florida

  • Brad Saum at the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains, Georgia.

    39 from Plains

    It was a small unknown town before, and a small albeit famous town after. The little community of Plains, Georgia witnessed one of its citizens, James Earl Carter, Jr. become...

    By Georgia

  • United States Flag at Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia.

    Andersonville

    In stark contrast to this beautiful spring day, the 26-acre field I meandered through once served as a prison camp where nearly 13,000 Civil War soldiers died, mostly from disease...

    By Georgia