Category: RV Campgrounds
Camping with Pets
January 25, 2013 by Rex Vogel · 5 Comments
With more and more campgrounds accepting pets and offering on-site pet amenities, more pets than ever are being included on camping trips. Camping with Pets Camping with pets can be a very enjoyable experience for both owners and their animals with a little preparation and planning. While camping can be a very affordable vacation option, being able to bring pets eliminates the need for a boarding facility. Owners and pets can enjoy their vacation together, an experience that isn’t always available on other types of vacations, according to a New Hampshire Campground Owners Association news release. Sylvia Leggett, owner of Roberts Knoll Campground in Alton, New Hampshire, and member of the New Hampshire Campground Owners’ Association Board of Directors, has been camping with her three golden retrievers for many years. Leggett has noticed an increase in the number of campgrounds that allow pets, with many adding pet-friendly services. “That’s why many people camp, so they can be outdoors... [Read more...]
3 Snowbird RV Resorts Change Ownership
January 11, 2013 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (ELS) acquired two properties in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas and Palm Creek Golf & RV Resort in Arizona has been sold to Sun Communities. Alamo Palms & Victoria Palms Resort Sold to ELS Alamo Palms ELS acquired two properties, Victoria Palms Resort and Alamo Palms, in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. The two properties contain approximately 1,765 sites on approximately 175 acres for a stated purchase price of $25 million. The company funded the purchase price with available cash. Victoria Palms is an age-restricted, 1,122-site property with 270 manufactured home sites and 853 RV sites. Alamo Palms is an age-restricted, 643-site property with 293 manufactured home sites and 350 RV sites. The acquisition will compliment ELS’ South Texas portfolio of eight properties and 5,100 sites and further strengthen its presence in the market. Palm Creek Resort Sold to Sun Communities Palm Creek Golf & RV Resort, one of the premier operations of its type... [Read more...]
Start the New Year Off on the Right Foot with a First Day Hike
December 27, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
With New Year’s Day just around the corner, people everywhere are zeroing in on their new year’s resolutions for 2013. Some will vow to add more exercise into their routines, and others will promise not to stay indoors as much. You can start the New Year off on the right foot, the left foot, or any foot by tackling both those resolutions at once and at the same time create a new family tradition by participating in a “First Day Hike” at a park near you, and together start off your year in a new direction. America’s State Parks announces that all 50 state park systems will sponsor guided First Day Hike Programs on New Year’s Day 2013. First Day Hikes originated over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park in Milton, Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and year round recreation at state parks. State involvement has grown to the point where, for the first time in 2012, all 50 state park systems joined... [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...]
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...]
Camping with Kids II
November 15, 2012 by Cynthia Baum · Leave a Comment
Petting zoos, swimming pools, water parks, play structures, and so many more amenities are offered at numerous KOA campgrounds across the nation. These Kampgrounds of America (KOA) are the ultimate family-friendly campgrounds that also have unbeatable specials, such as camp one night, get the next night for free. This is an especially common promotion at the local KOA we frequent. One of the local Moms groups I am involved in actually plans their bi-annual camp outs around this exact deal. It turns into a weekend-long play date! With fun teepees to sleep in and lots of other family-friendly options, including an exhilarating zip line, cozy cabins, and some kid-friendly play structures such as climbing walls, parents can look forward to taking their kids camping at such sensational campgrounds. Knowing how important it is for kids to get outdoors with their parents, KOA’s have even been known to offer free camping just for kids for a given weekend. For example, this year for... [Read more...]
Camping with Kids I
November 13, 2012 by Cynthia Baum · 1 Comment
Camping with kids these days? Where do you like to go? Adults with kids living in the home are more likely to go camping than those without kids, according to the 2012 American Camper Report http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/pdf/research.camping.2012.pdf. This makes complete sense to me since having kids of our own; we try to go camping as much as we can each year. We have always loved camping, even before kids we would go at least once a year. But once we had kids, we realized just how important and fun it is to spend time outdoors, camping with our kids. Some of my very best memories as a kid are from the annual camping trips we took with my extended family. Most of the families who went in those days had pop-up tent trailers and many came from LA and even further south so they usually wanted to escape the heat, crowds, and come to the beach; we always met up at Leo Carrillo State Beach (on the beach side). The week we spent camping with the family always ended up being a solid... [Read more...]
50 Things We Love About Texas
October 23, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 5 Comments
1. Texas Hospitality 2. Paso Del Rio, or River Walk, the Jewel of the City (San Antonio) 3. Fresh from the Gulf shrimp and oysters When in the Clear Lake/Galveston area we head for Rose’s in Seabrook for a supply of shrimp. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved 4. Exploring the pine and hardwood forests of the Piney Woods of East Texas 5. Saying howdy 6. The Alamo 7. Texas’ wide open spaces 8. Hiking Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, north of Fredericksburg 9. Tex-Mex, especially in far South Texas 10. The way small-town drivers wave to everyone they pass 11. The timeless beauty of Presidio La Bahía near Goliad, and its rural setting 12. Stopping for lunch at almost any small-town BBQ joint and sitting elbow-to-elbow with folks you have little in common with except that you all love good ‘cue 13. Blue Bell Ice Cream. Wow! 14. The wind-swept, dynamic rippling sandscapes in Monahans Sandhills State Park is one-of-a-kind 15. Stopping for kolaches at a small-town bakery 16. Driving... [Read more...]
“THROWED ROLLS”
October 22, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
Have you ever been in a restaurant where the servers throw huge 5-inch in diameter, hot, yeast raised rolls across the room with hopes that you will catch them? If you answered yes, you have most likely visited one of the three locations where Lambert’s has one of their original “Throwed Rolls” cafes. We stopped at Hinton RV Park just off I-55 in Sikeston, MO. When we checked in, the park attendant handed us a packet of information on local points of interest. The one that caught our eye was for Lambert’s Café. We were told that Lamberts would send a driver to the RV Park to pick us up for dinner and then bring us back to our RV. With an offer like that, how can you refuse? When we arrived at the restaurant our chauffer took us to our table, gave us some preliminary warnings and left us to our server. At that point, a young man in jeans and red suspenders came down the center isle of the restaurant shouting “Throwed Rolls” and then pitching them to anyone that held... [Read more...]
