“Have we been here before, or did we just see it on TV?” —RV traveler
America is homogenized and the regional differences are gone. Since it is possible to explore the world without entering any unfamiliar territory, why should one have to endure any hardship at all? This is Nowhere spotlights the new breed of traveler who wishes to “camp” in absolute comfort without the messy dirt, fire, outhouses, trees or animals.

The Census Bureau labels the more than 2.8 million people who live in motor homes, campers and trailers as the “affluent homeless,” but they refer to themselves as “full-timers.” They have no fixed address, but tend to live in the lap of luxury. Keeping 80 gallons of gas in the tank as you tour the country requires money. The RVs are loaded with multiple TVs, VCRs, satellite dishes, washers, dryers, marble floors and computers with G.P.S. systems. One behemoth actually doubles in size at the push of the “expand” button.

A popular destination, along with the ubiquitous theme parks, ghost towns, battlefields, and even national parks, are Wal-Mart parking lots. With an ironic nod to National Lampoon’s Vacation, these chain store gypsies refer to themselves as “Wally-Worlders.” Wal-Mart even created a special edition of the Rand McNally Road Atlas with a 23-page list of the addresses, highway exit numbers and services available at every Wal-Mart in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The Wally-Worlders love it, even if they don’t drive to Puerto Rico very often.