Category: Campgrounds & RV Parks
Top Pet Friendly Campgrounds & RV Parks
December 15, 2012 by Good Sam Team · Leave a Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Sullaway Content Editor Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory 805-667-4194 jsullaway@goodsamfamily.com Top Pet Friendly Parks Chosen by the Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory An estimated 60 percent of RVers bring their pets along with them on their travel adventures, according to recent studies. And when it comes to selecting a campground, these travelers seek out RV parks that offer a wide range of pet-friendly amenities, from dog runs to trails for dog walking to flexible rules that allow their particular breed of dog. To help pet owners find the RV parks that open their arms to canines and other travel companions, the editors and consultants of the Good Sam RV Travel guide and Campground Directory have compiled a list of the Top Pet Friendly Parks of 2013. Featuring RV parks from across North America, the list is tailored for RV travelers seeking facilities that welcome pet owners with open arms. “Dog owners appreciate... [Read more...]
IT’S FINALLY HERE! (The 2013 Good Sam RV Travel Guide & Camp Ground Directory)
December 12, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
The brown box dropped on my doorstep was a surprise. I thought, “What in the world is this, I’m not expecting a package?” I cut open the box. Inside was my new copy of the 2013 Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory. I have been extremely anxious to see what this new book looked like. You see, it is not just a new publication; it is a brand new product. For years, I have purchased both the Trailer Life Campground Directory and the Woodall’s Campground Directory. While they were similar, they were not identical. I would find that one guide would have listings or information that the other lacked. Of course, I was somewhat partial to the Woodall’s Directory – after all, for the past three years my blogs have been published under the Woodall’s marquee. So, how is it that both the former Trailer Life and Woodall’s directories came to be combined? Well, both Trailer Life and Woodall’s are owned by the same parent company – and have been for many years. ... [Read more...]
Some Days Are Diamond: Florida Man Finds 1.95 ct. Brown Diamond
December 9, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
The second-largest diamond found so far this year at Crater of Diamonds State Park was certified on the afternoon of November 28. Doug Lay holds his newly found 1.95-carat dark brown diamond. (Credit: Crater of Diamonds State Park) The 1.95-carat dark brown gem is about the size of an English pea, with a round shape and a pitted surface. 40-year-old Doug Lay, a certified nursing assistant from Hernando, Florida, discovered the coffee-colored gem around 1:00 p.m. while wet sifting in the East Drain, a trench along the east side of the park’s 37 ½-acre diamond search area. Lay is no stranger to diamond finds; he has found more than 30 over the past four years, but this is his largest find yet! Lay first learned about Crater of Diamonds State Park from his father, one of the park’s longtime diamond miners. “Dad’s been coming to the Crater of Diamonds off and on for about 17 years. Whenever I’m on vacation, I like coming to Arkansas to spend time with him, and we enjoy searching... [Read more...]
National Parks – A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks, Monuments, and Landmarks
December 7, 2012 by Canadianladybug · 1 Comment
National Parks – A Kid’s Guide to America’s Parks, Monuments, and Landmarks By Erin McHugh Published at Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers About the book “During National Parks Week, we reaffirm our need to maintain connections to the natural world.” —President Barack Obama President Obama has shared his views that it’s important for all of our country’s citizens to acknowledge the value of the natural world around us. National Parks helps families explore that world—the diversity, beauty, and history found in our national park system. Arranged alphabetically by state, this fun-filled book tours more than 75 U.S. parks, monuments, and landmarks, from the rocky shores of Maine’s Acadia National Park to the ancient redwood groves of Northern California. Also included is a removable, fold-out collector map to house the 56 America the Beautiful commemorative quarters! Through fascinating text and hundreds of vintage-style illustrations and photographs, ranging from digitally... [Read more...]
Sight Seeing in the Texas Hill Country
December 3, 2012 by Guest Blogger · Leave a Comment
RVer’s stay at Parkview Riverside RV Park, in Concan Texas, for a variety of different reasons. For example; they may be attending a local festival, tubing the river, golfing or attending a music or athletic event. All good reasons. But some folks stay here just to kick back, relax and take in the local scenery. Parkview is the perfect place to get away from the rat race. The Texas Hill Country has some of the most spectacular scenic drives in the entire state. You can drive the rural roads or venture out on to the winding passes. There are at least 2 popular loops near Parkview. The Three Sisters and the Dragon’s Back. Both drives take between 2 to 4 hours to complete. There are pull-offs along the way to rest, take pictures or get food and fuel. The Three Sisters is one of the Top 5 destination rides for motorcycles in the United States! Why? Because of the hundreds of turns, switchbacks, and ascending and descending hills. Start out in Leakey on Highway 337... [Read more...]
Henry Horton S.P., Tennessee
November 30, 2012 by Traveler8343 · 2 Comments
As winter approached and sub-freezing temperatures were just around the corner, I still had some winterizing left to do with my Fun Finder trailer. After flushing the tanks as we left Top Sail RV Park in Santa Rosa, Florida months ago, we ended up having to use the toilet on the way home. When it came time to winterize I was not going to do it if there was any waste in the system. So-o, we needed to find a dump site and clean out the tanks properly. We decided that it was a good time to check Tennessee’s state park system, which is purported to offer full facilities at their campsites. Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill, Tennessee is only 27 miles from our new home. We headed there one cloudy afternoon, planning on an open-ended stay at the campsite (a benefit of retirement) and a thorough cleaning of our black and gray water tanks before we left. Henry Horton is a 1,532-acre state park named after Governor Horton (1927-1933), 36th governor of Tennessee. The park features... [Read more...]
Georgia on My Mind: Cumberland Island Turns 40
November 28, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Cumberland Island National Seashore recently (October 23) celebrated its 40th anniversary. Access to Cumberland Island is by a concession operated passenger ferry, The Cumberland Lady. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved When President Richard Nixon signed federal legislation creating the national seashore off the coast of Georgia in October 1972, it culminated what Park Service officials said was “a long and complex process of obtaining support from various individuals and groups to make Georgia’s largest barrier island one of America’s national parks, reports nationalparkstraveler.com.” Before the National Park Service acquired most of the island for a national seashore, 90 percent of it was the private domain of Lucy and Thomas Carnegie (brother of Andrew) and their descendants. The Carnegies bought the island in the 1880s and built five mansions on it during the next two decades. The most superb house was the opulent 59-room, Queen Anne-style Dungeness on the island’s... [Read more...]
Plowing for Diamonds in Arkansas
November 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
Crater of Diamonds State Park is the world’s only diamond-producing site open to the public. On average, two diamonds are found each day at the park. The state park’s policy is finder-keepers. What park visitors find is theirs to keep. Diamonds come in all colors of the rainbow. The colors found at the Crater of Diamonds are white, brown, and yellow, in that order. The search area at the Crater of Diamonds State Park is a 37 ½-acre plowed field, the eroded surface of the eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit in the world in surface area. Why plow the search field at the diamond mine? The practice of plowing the diamond field goes back to the earliest days of commercial diamond mining, according to Park Interpreter Margi Jenks. In the early 1900s miners used a mule team and farming plow to dig trenches. After tourism began in the 1950s, Millar’s Crater of Diamonds used a road grader to turn over the dirt on what is now the north end of the present diamond search area. Today’s... [Read more...]
Camping in Rose Valley
November 17, 2012 by Cynthia Baum · 2 Comments
Rose Valley has an incredibly easy, short, and beautiful hike to the bottom of the 300-foot high Rose Valley Falls. Go a few days after rainfall and you will experience the falls more full, complete with rushing water at the lower and hopefully upper falls. Just a mile-long round trip, the hike takes you to the bottom of the lower falls, with options for some more extreme hiking to the bottom of the upper falls. During the hike, you have to cross a stream and may have to boulder-hop if the flow is up. Just 15 miles north of lovely Ojai, off Highway 33, Rose Valley is a spectacular section of the Los Padres National Forest. Go for an afternoon hike or for a weekend-long camping trip. At an elevation of 3,450 feet, the Rose Valley Campground consists of a peaceful 9-site single loop of campground sites, serenely shaded by cottonwood trees. The sites are pretty primitive with just fire pits, BBQ grills, and picnic tables. Three small, stocked lakes are nearby as well as the Ojai... [Read more...]
CAMPFIRE STORIES – “Broken Down on the Key Bridge”
November 16, 2012 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
Sitting around a campfire with a group of old friends or new acquaintances inevitably brings out personal stories that speak of the trials, tribulations and adventures we all encounter during our RV travels. Such was the case last week as a group gathered on a cool November night. That’s when Allan shared the unfortunate but somewhat humorous adventure he, his dog and wife endured as they crossed the Frances Scott Key Bridge in Washington, D.C.: We are finally underway to meet our fellow Cedar Creek RV Owners Club friends for our End of Year Rally at Willow Tree Resort in South Carolina. Our Terrier, Duffy, and I really needed this getaway. We had planned getaways earlier this fall but had to cancel them for my hernia operation and my son’s spinal surgery. Then, we were forced to delay our departure for this trip when Hurricane Sandy caused a blackout at our home. The ride from our home in PA to Willow Tree normally takes about 10 hours. I was so looking... [Read more...]
