The advertisement was intended to catch an RV reader’s eye.  It caught mine.  Being an avid soda drinker, I inquired about this “RV luxury;” a soda maker.  Named the Edition 1 by Soda Club USA, Inc., this extremely light weight plastic canister type gadget is remarkable.    The Soda Club located in New Jersey has served up a way to enhance the soda lover’s experience.  Starter kits include the Fountain Jet or Edition 1 soda maker along with two to four Alco2Jet Carbonators and a specified number of syrups (your choice of flavors) along with storage bottles and caps specially designed to maintain a biting fizz!  Soda Club has introduced the flavored syrups specially designed with Splenda which enables each serving to contain only 2 – 37 calories per serving, depending upon the type of flavored drink you’ve made (sugar free or reduced calorie).  Willy Wonka’s fizzy lifting drink experiment in the Chocolate Factory doesn’t compare to the Soda Club’s Edition 1!  (www.sodaclub.com).  

Costing $100 - $150 per kit, dependent upon your choice, these soda makers eliminate the build-up of unsightly soda cans and the unending recycling dilemma.  Each bottle of flavored syrup makes twelve liters of refreshing soda.  For those of you who are die hard fans of the popular Coca Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Mr. Pibb, Seven-Up, Sprite, or A & W Rootbeer brand drinks, this may not be your luxury gadget.  For the rest of us who like soda that fizzes and any flavor is great except the taste of water, this is one handy machine.  No use of electricity, batteries, or motors, the Edition 1 is activated by pressing a release button which activates the CO2 dispenser carbonating your one liter bottle of very cold water!  Viola’!  Just a few presses on the carbonator and one capful of flavored syrup gives you a liter of your choice rootbeer, cola, vanilla cola, cherry cola, grape, orange, orange-mango, fountain mist, ginger-ale,  and lemon-lime, just to name a few!

OK, ok, so you are wondering where does the RV luxury come into play.   The Edition 1 stands just at 18 inches tall and is 6 inches wide.  With each bottle of flavoring making twelve liters of soda, it doesn’t take but a few to prepare for the road trip.  This seems a better way to quench your soda thirst, than loading in cases of drinks in cans or bulky two and three liter bottles.  Just another way to make your RV life a little easier!   The only drawbacks I see to this charming soda maker is the yearning for the “real thing” periodically and getting use to following the procedures for a liter of soda.  Manipulating the bottles, CO2 canister, and Edition 1 body, takes a little practice.  Once conquered, within three minutes you’re sitting down with a cold glass of “fizzy lifting drink.”  Oh, yes, if you don’t already own a class A or C motor home, I suggest you purchase one to go along with the Edition 1.  After all it is an RV luxury!

For April here are a few suggestions on RV Rallies and reservations:

San Antonio Fiesta Rally – April 17 – April 23, 2005  “Wildflowers blooming in Texas High Country at this 21st anniversary of Creative World Rallies and Caravans.”  For more information including rally reservation and fee source go to                                                            website www.rv-fun.com .

Elkhart Indiana an RV Capital II Rally site where living is leisurely and simple.  Rally dates begin on April 22-24, 2005.  For information about this super event go to website www.rv.net .

Go where the cherries grow!  Follow the DC Cherry Blossom Festival Rally, April 5 – 12.  Tours are scheduled to visit the highlights of the DC area in the midst of 6,000 blossoming cherry trees! 

Before you head out on one of these exciting road trips, be sure and check out the Soda Club Edition 1 soda maker.  Who knows you could be the life of the rally with your portable “soda bar!”  Happy traveling!  (photos courtesy of Soda Club; Elkhart, Indiana Office of Tourism, Washington DC Office of Tourism).