A family scouting Prescott looking for a place to live may not appear unusual, however with the Kruse family, the world is watching.

Now a subject for an upcoming reality series, Victor and Lori Kruse along with their children, Anna Marie and Anthony, are on a 10-month trek that launched this past month after Victor’s official retirement, visiting 32 states to find the town that fits, will be here in Prescott until Monday.

Victor’s sister, documentary producer Linda Kruse, is shooting the project called “Kruising America,” which should air in the fall of 2007 on a yet to be determined network.

Originally, the family planned to stop in town for the day, but the cordiality and feel compelled them to stay longer, said Kruse.

Kruse said a company, now dropped from the project, originally pitched the idea for an assembled fake family, but she decided to film her brother’s for the real deal.

Kruse said her brother’s family was living in Egypt, one of four continents they lived in over the past six years, when she called him to ask if his family still was considering retiring and looking for a place to live in the states.

Victor said his family was longing to come home when his sister called. He had served with the military all over the world for 20 years and had never seen much of the U.S.

“We wanted to see the country. I defended it for 20 years and I’d never been west of the Mississippi,” said Victor Kruse, 42.

Victor said that with his retirement money and savings from not spending much while living overseas with the military, and the related tax advantages, he and his wife concluded that it was feasible to take the time off for the road trip, home schooling their children through a North Carolina-based program.

The couple both had family all over the country and were not looking to settle anyplace specific, and that he, the son in a military family, and his wife both moved around a lot in their youth, he said.

“I didn’t really have these long-term ties to draw me back to the same place, and Lori is basically the same way,” he said.

“It is such a blessing, because at this point in your career, you never get to travel much,” said Lori Kruse.

For the family and Victor’s sister/producer, the arrangement seems to be mutually beneficial, Linda Kruse is getting a real story of a family on the road comparing cities to live in and the family definitely is having a unique experience of seeing each town.

“I told him ‘we’re not going to interfere with your life and get into the group dynamics,’” said his sister, adding that sometimes working with her brother’s family “is like herding cats.”

“For them, it’s cost effective, because we’re really going on this trip,” said Victor, whose family is living in a fifth-wheel RV pulled by their pickup truck.

It’s early in the road trip, but Prescott seems to be making an impression.

“Aside from all the hoopla and everything, there’s a genuine feeling to it. A nice hometown feeling,” Victor said.

The family plans to hike during the weekend and attend Prescott’s Oktoberfest.

Follow the Kruse’ adventure at www.KruisingAmerica.com.

Source: By LORIN McLAIN, The Daily Courier, Sunday, October 22, 2006

It was the ride of their lives – a summer road trip from Santa Barbara to New York. Can their friendship last 3,600 miles? Now this is reality television!

After The Oprah Show‘s huge 20th season, what do you do for a summer vacation? How about doing what Oprah says “was one of the craziest things I’ve ever done.”

Time for a road trip!

Oprah says she got the idea from a Chevrolet commercial from her childhood. The ad, with its catchy “See the U.S.A. in a Chevrolet” jingle, always aired right after Lassie. “It was 30 seconds that really stuck with me for several decades,” Oprah says.

Now, years later, Oprah was going to do just what that jingle said – see the U.S.A. in a Chevy Impala. This epic journey would start in Santa Barbara, California, and end 10 days and 3,600 miles later in New York City…just in time for the Tony Awards…

Oprah and Gayle in Sedona, Arizona!

…As Oprah and Gayle get closer to Sedona, Arizona, the breathtaking scenery gives them a second wind. “The best part of this road trip for me was getting a chance to see the beauty of this country,” Oprah says. “It really is incredible. I have to say that after we got to Sedona, it was like a breath of fresh air.”

With the windows rolled down, the smell of pine trees fills the car. They even stop for a “Kodak moment” to take pictures of the mountains. “Now this was worth the trip,” Oprah says…

Arizona Travel says: Oprah and Gayle visited New Frontiers natural foods market in Sedona as well as the Beall’s Outlet. Then they were off to Holbrook, Arizona where they intended to stay in a “motel room in the shape of a tee-pee” at the Wigwam Motel. And even though she’s one of the most famous women in the world, Oprah went unrecognized by the innkeeper!

After deciding not to stay at the Wigwam Motel after all – there just weren’t enough tee-pee wigwams for their large 18-person crew – the Oprah crew was off to continue their road trip. While in Arizona, Oprah attended a pow-wow with the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona.

The Arizona portion of Oprah and Gayle’s road trip aired on KTVK 3 TV Phoenix on September 26, 2006.