Behind the wheel of a recreational vehicle, leading the family on a summertime cross-country tour of America -- most people would consider that a vacation. Brad Herzog calls it his job.

Herzog was originally a children's book writer from Chicago. His initial memoir about RV travel led to steady summer work when he and his wife and kids were invited to be a spokesfamily for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. For the past 11 summers, they've crisscrossed the country taking in the sites, observing the nation's diverse cultures and participating in it all.

"At first, RVing was a means to an end, a way to get from point A to point B," said Herzog. "But we found the RV was key to the experience. It allowed us to immerse ourselves in wherever we went. We fell in love with the RV experience."

Herzog documents his family's adventures on his GoRVing.com blog, "You Are Here." This year's RV journey doubles as a promotional tour for his new book "Turn Left at the Trojan Horse: A Would-be Hero's American Odyssey" (Citadel Press). Two stops in the Pittsburgh area -- 7 p.m. July 12-13, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, South Side; 6 p.m. July 13, Butler Public Library -- will accommodate a mini-family reunion when the Herzogs visit local kin and attend Brad's father's 70th birthday party.

"I could go on and on about [RVing] being an underrated, environmentally friendly pursuit, as opposed to a jet vacation and hotels," said Herzog. "And the affordability factor of money saved from not eating out three meals a day, renting a car and getting rooms."

But mostly, he said, RVing is about travelers creating their own itineraries.

"It's like a big, huge windshield movie of American unfolding in front of you, and anytime you want you can stop the film and enter the picture," he said.

In "Trojan Horse," Herzog wryly parodies Homer's epic 'Odyssey," relating travelogue stories that include the family's adventures and relatives' "heroic" exploits in Pittsburgh, Butler, New Castle and, keeping in theme, Apollo.

Keep up with the Herzogs at bradherzog.com.

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