We’re in Paynes Creek Campground, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-built park in Hartwell, Ga. And one thing is clear: Those army engineers know how to build and maintain a campground.

And I reckon that come tomorrow morning, it’ll make a pretty good virtual office, too.

The sites are big, spacious and relatively secluded, and almost all have a view of the rather diminished Lake Hartwell (though we seem to have brought with us to Georgia four days of intermittent rain it hasn’t put a dent in the long-time drought the Peachtree State has suffered).

Since it’s a corps park, that means reservations are handled by the U.S. Park Service’s Reservations.gov tool. If you plan to camp, remember this site.

After five whirlwind days on the road, we’ve decided to settle in for two nights. That will make Friday a “casual Friday” for Home Office Highway. I’m actually looking forward to a morning of work, and an afternoon of exploration in this secluded place. Read More »

When it comes wireless phones and my choice of hearing devices,this home office worker tends toward the dysfunctional. I’m a fan of Bluetooth and the wireless functionality and freedom it delivers.

But I like the clarity and simple effectiveness of wired headsets. Hence my confusion (my wife would argue that it doesn’t end there, but that’s another story).

Headsets are important — and sometimes legal must-haves — accessories for wireless phones. As you’re tooling around town or exploring the Final Frontier in an RV with better things to focus on than answering your wireless phone, they free your hands for note-taking or driving (helping avoid costly traffic tickets in those markets where hands-free cellular phone use is the law – see list below). Read More »

Are you a power broker? You have your laptop and broadband wireless card that provide access to the connected world. You may even have a back-up laptop battery in case your first does during the middle of a major project or especially thoughtful missive.

But what about the power that empowers you? Whether you’re in an RV or a hotel room, the stuff we use — our laptops, portable printers, iPods and cell phones — invariably require more power than some measly little two-plug wall outlet will provide.

So, power up.

I’m using a variety of tools that bring power to peak performance. My Targus Travel Power Outlets with Surge Protection ($19.99) turns one outlet into four, and includes a reset button should a power surge knock it out. What’s really cool is spacing between outlets and the butt-end outlet ensure my oversized power bricks won’t block one another from finding a home.  Plus, it’s small (5.5 inches with an 8-inch cable) and light enough (5.6 oz) to fit in your laptop back. Also pretty cool, its plug fits into one of its outlets — making for a tidy, secure device. It even has its own Velcro cable tie (and we all know how I feel about Velcro). Read More »

Where does my stuff go? That one statement has expressed the bane and misery of this occasional road warrior’s travels from the first time I loaded a laptop bag and headed out of the home office and hit the road.

Sure, laptop bags have a place for the namesake product. But what about the rest of the stuff that invariably comes along? Even the power cable and transformer have to find a make-shift home, tucked in some side pocket or stuffed in a Zip-Lock baggie to avoid entanglement.

Then there’s the portable mouse, the USB adapters, and all the other accessories. Where do these orphans go — neatly  — so that they’re accessible and don’t end us as a tangled mess on the bottom of the bag? Read More »

Think an RV is no space to set up an office? Put on your thinking cap and envision your ideal workspace from the road. For those accustomed to road-trippin’, moving the SOHO into a recreational vehicle isn’t impossible. It just requires a bit of thought, planning, preparation, ability to hit the curveballs, and a healthy spirit of adventure.

Check out this video. Envision this as your home office. Can you do it?

What do you think?