Category: Historic Places & Landmarks
Mount Mitchell Drive Receives Scenic Byway Designation
January 30, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
The Mount Mitchell Scenic Drive is the latest route to receive an official “scenic byway” designation from the state of North Carolina. Recognized for its outstanding beauty and unique cultural features, this 52-mile drive begins atop 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi and traverses a national forest, state park, and National Park Service land. Welcome to Mount Mitchell State Park. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved “It’s a beautiful corridor for a number of reasons,” says Jeff Lackey, manager of scenic byways for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). ”It has scenic quality, and also a tremendous amount of cultural and historical aspects, which is rare in a byway experience.” “When you go around every curve, you’ll find something new and interesting,” says Wanda Proffitt, a local DOT board member and advocate of the route. The route begins on N.C. 128 in Yancey County atop Mount... [Read more...]
Congaree National Park: A Hidden Gem Expands
January 29, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
Congaree National Park is a relatively unknown park—a hidden jewel in the national park system. Congaree National Park provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place for you to walk and relax in a tranquil wilderness setting amidst giant hardwoods and towering pines. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved The National Park Service, Trust for Public Land, and Friends of Congaree Swamp, and others recently celebrated Congaree National Park’s 35-year history and the park’s acquisition of 1,840 acres of Riverstone property, The Times and Democrat reported. “The Riverstone property, which connects the eastern and western sections of the park, was Congaree National Park’s highest priority for acquisition. We are pleased to be celebrating this latest addition to the park during our 35th anniversary year,” said Tracy Swartout, Park Superintendent. In June 2011, the final 434 acres of the Riverstone property were protected, completing... [Read more...]
Tuzigoot National Monument and Jerome, AZ…
January 28, 2012 by Dana Ticknor · 4 Comments
We recently spent a week and a half near Cottonwood, AZ (which is located between Sedona and Prescott). Because of it’s elevation of 3300 feet, the nights were chilly, some of them getting below freezing enough that we would have to unhook our water overnight. Despite it being cooler than I had anticipated, we still enjoyed our visit very much, and the days warmed enough that, during a few of them, the kids wore out the rope swing hanging temptingly out over the creek that bordered the park, and the kids spent many afternoons at the basketball court and playground. We had such a fun time meeting a few other fulltime traveling families, and we had the opportunity to spend a morning with my aunt and uncle that live in Prescott. We also took a few days to check out the surrounding area; and found that Cottonwood boasts quite a lot to do within a short distance! One of the first places in the Verde Valley that we went to was Tuzigoot National Monument. Tuzigoot is a 110 room pueblo... [Read more...]
5 Tips When Visiting Texas
January 20, 2012 by Guest Blogger · 3 Comments
Texas: the Lone Star State. The only state to have been its own country first. Everything is bigger in Texas – from the towns and the open prairies, to the pine woods and the bayou country. Texas is so large and diverse, so where do you start? Here are five tips when to keep in mind while visiting Texas. Visit during the Spring or Fall – Summer in Texas is blistering. The panhandle breezes gust over sandy plains and tumbleweeds decorate the streets. The west side of Texas climbs to impressive temperatures on the mesas and the southern part boasts impressive humidity. Winters are mild, but drizzly, not exactly a perfect setting. However, spring in Texas is amazing. Around the hill country of Austin, bluebonnets (the state flower) propagate in wild blankets of blue-violet. Wildflowers beautify every inch of land. Spring approaches early in the southern portion of the state, so April and May are leading months to see the wildflowers. Fall doesn’t automatically mean changing of colors.... [Read more...]
What is Your Travel Planning Style?
January 16, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Seward, Alaska, 2011 Do you have a method for planning your road trips or vacations? Do you dutifully sit down in January and target where and when you will go to specific destinations? Or, do you just “wing it” once the official camping season kicks off in the spring? I have to admit that I have waffled between both methods over the years. I am, in fact, still waffling! When we first started camping and our children were very young, I was pretty strict about planning in advance, pinpointing destinations, and then making reservations. I have vivid recollections of often doing this ten months in advance. Back then, it was a system that I needed to have in place. Packing food, kids, cars, and gear can be a monumental task. I knew I didn’t want to take the spontaneous route only to find out that the car was loaded and the campgrounds were too! Traveling and camping with young children can be challenging. I needed the certainty of knowing that we had a good campsite... [Read more...]
Yuma Named Sunniest Place in America
January 14, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
The sun is out and the weather is great, just like any other day in Yuma, Arizona. The Territorial Prison, also known as "Hell Hole" and "Devil's Island" opened in the Arizona desert on July 1, 1876 when the first 7 inmates entered the prison and they were locked into the new cells they built themselves. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved It should not surprise anyone that US News and World Report again named Yuma as the number one “sunniest place” in America to spend their golden years. Yuma’s wonderfully temperate winter climate also makes this southeastern Arizona city a popular destination for snowbirds escaping their cold winter homes. Arizona’s warmest winter city and the sunniest year-round spot in the U.S., Yuma has an annual average of 4,133 hours of sunshine. Yuma has a classic low desert climate with extremely low relative humidity and very high summer temperatures. Located at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado rivers, Yuma began as a... [Read more...]
Quartzsite, Arizona: What’s the Attraction?
January 9, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
Founded in 1856 as a fort by settler Charles Tyson, Quartzsite, Arizona earned its geological-sounding name during a short-lived mining boom in 1897. Walking the displays at The Main Event. If you can't find it at Quartzsite, then you don't need it. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Every January and February, a dusty Arizona town in the middle of nowhere becomes the largest gathering of recreational vehicles and RVers on the planet. If you’re an RVer who has heard of Quartzsite, but hasn’t attended January’s Sports, Vacation, and RV Show and the ongoing rock and gem shows and flea markets that run throughout the winter, you probably have difficulty grasping the sheer magnitude of the desert spectacle. What Happens in Quartzsite? If you pass through Quartzite in summer, the answer to this question is, “Absolutely nothing.” You will see flat desert, some roadside businesses, tumbleweeds, and that’s about it. But come winter, the answer is quite different. Each winter... [Read more...]
The History of Old Military Road…
January 8, 2012 by Diane Berry · Leave a Comment
In many previous posts I have espoused the picturesque beauty of the northwoods of Wisconsin and extolled the virtues of its plethora of rustic but peaceful camping areas. Anvil, Franklin and Carpenter Lakes have some of the most beautiful unspoiled campgrounds we have ever seen. But the northwoods also has a bit of interesting history attached to it as well: Old Military Road. Originally the Old Superior Trail, a horse path created and used by the Native Americans who first inhabited the area, the road was used by these peoples for hundreds of years before being officially constructed as road between 1864 and 1870. Running from Fort Howard on Green Bay to Fort Wilkens in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, the road provided a route for rapid reinforcement of Fort Wilkins during the Civil War. A sign details the route and history of the Road Though created by the Native Americans, early trappers, travelers and drovers (livestock dealers) used Military Road as well, providing supplies... [Read more...]
Discovering Kazoos
January 6, 2012 by Canadianladybug · 1 Comment
While travelling with the kids, we always try to visit “educational” places like museums and factories where we can tour the place. Our family loves to discover how things are made either via the internet or while visiting places. While being in the area of Niagara Falls, we also crossed the border to visit Buffalo as well as drive to a place called Eden in New York State. In this particular town, you can find the Kazoo Factory, Museum and Gift Shop. As the name suggests you can learn more about the fabrication of Kazoos. To go in the museum and have a tour, you need to go through the gift shop. The visit is worth it as you learn quite a bit about Kazoo. The tour is completely free but it you feel like making you won kazoo – actually putting together parts already prepared for you – you will have to pay a small fee. While you learn more about making Kazoos you discover an item that is still the same after more than 100 years. Kazoos are still made the same... [Read more...]
Tip of Texas
December 29, 2011 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
The Lower Rio Grande Valley rolls out the red carpet for snowbirds. This is Shangri-la, a subtropical paradise, where the average annual T-shirt and shorts temperature is 74 degrees with an average rainfall of only 23.2 inches. The Tip of Texas along the Rio Grande River. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved This area of extreme deep-south Texas is actually more of a delta than a valley. There are no hills and mountains to define it and its southern border forms the present-day wide, sweeping flatlands of the once mighty Rio Grande River. It is rich agricultural land, on which the fertile alluvial soils foster a diverse variety of crops, including 56 types of fruits and vegetables. Most visitors are astonished at this diversity of Valley farm products. Fields of peas, cabbage, spinach, onions, and carrots are easily recognized, but there are less common vegetables too—daikon, kohlrabi, and aloe vera. This is the original area of aloe vera, whose marvelous natural cream has become popular... [Read more...]
