Category: RV Campgrounds
Jackson Rancheria RV Park is gateway to Amador County’s Shenandoah Wine Country
February 3, 2012 by Guest Blogger · Leave a Comment
Why endure the crowds and costs of the Napa/Sonoma Wine Country when you explore the historic Shenandoah Valley Wine area of Amador County where most wineries are small, family-owned and the person conducting your wine tasting experience may well be the owner or wine maker. From Jackson Rancheria RV Park you are an easy drive to this wonderful wine area. Some three dozen wineries are nestled along scenic back roads in some of California’s most picturesque rural settings and offer gracious, unpretentious hospitality. You can sip Amador’s award-winning wines, including the famed old-vine zinfandels, while gazing at the beautiful, snow-capped Sierras or picnicking under grand old oak trees surrounded by vines. Complimentary wine tasting is available year around, but if you’re looking for something extra, plan to attend one of the two big events produced each year by the Amador Vintners Association. You can take a peek “Behind the Cellar Door” for a weekend of wine, food and fun,... [Read more...]
What is Your Travel Planning Style?
January 16, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 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...]
SHINGLES, CHRISTMAS 2011 and HAPPY 2012 CAMPING
January 8, 2012 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
WOW – Christmas came and went so fast it is hard to realize it was ever here! It’s not like it was when I was a kid and the days, hours and minutes crept by slower than molasses dripping out of a jar on a cold day. Now, time just flies by – you know, ZAP! One day you are 20 and before you know it 40 is here. Then, blink your eyes and 65 appears. Don’t believe me? Just wait and see (which I hope you will ). A lot of gifts were given and received. I gave Nancy a new Kindle Fire to replace the old (but still neat) B&W plain Kindle along with a big Amazon gift card so she can download plenty of new books. She is having a ball learning about the new features and of course, playing Angry Birds. Me? Well, I got everybody to stop giving me ties, shirts and socks years ago. Now, they know to give me tools, electronic gadgets, or gift cards to Camping World or Tractor Supply. I love them all! Oh, BTW – if you are a member of the Good Sam Club you are now... [Read more...]
Valdez is for Campers, RVers, and Adventurers!
November 30, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
Photo by Michael De Young/ATIA Are you planning a road trip to Alaska? Are you thinking of traveling to and camping in America’s Last Frontier next summer? If so, then I would like to suggest adding Valdez to the itinerary. I must admit that I haven’t been there myself, but it was on my “to do” list when we lived in Anchorage about five years ago. Unfortunately, we got sidetracked with other destinations that summer, but when I was at the Alaska Media Road Show in Santa Barbara about a month ago, I was fortunate to meet with Colleen Stephens while I was there. Colleen is from the Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau. She seemed to know exactly what I was interested in! Colleen explained that Valdez caters to campers! I was really happy to hear this because camping in Alaska can take a fair amount of initiative and organization. I know this because I’ve done it many times myself! Colleen explained that Valdez has many RV sites around town and that many... [Read more...]
It Doesn’t Get Much Better than This
November 14, 2011 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
This has been an absolutely fabulous camping week! We left Virginia last Sunday (November 6th) and meandered down I-95 and 301 into North Carolina, crossed the border into South Carolina just outside of Tabor City, and parked the RV at Willow Tree RV Resort in Longs, SC. Longs is relatively close to Myrtle Beach – by close I mean you can drive there in 20 minutes or so but it is still far enough away that you can enjoy a low traffic, relaxed atmosphere. The off-season rates at Willow Tree are extremely reasonable and the beauty of the turning trees, reflections on the 40 acre lake, Swans and Canada Geese swimming gracefully across the water, warm daytime temperatures and the fellowship of friends belonging to the Cedar Creek RV Owner’s Club all come together to make everything feel perfect. We were part of about 30 Cedar Creek RV owners assembled at Willow Tree for our end-of-season annual rally. This is a great group of folks with Christian values and fellowship dedicated... [Read more...]
An Alaska Travel Roundup
November 5, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Denali National Park/Melissa Trainer I was very fortunate last week because the State of Alaska invited me to attend the Alaska Media Road Show. Held at the luxurious Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, this annual event brings together top travel writers and key players in Alaska’s tourism industry. As many of you know, I write quite a bit about Alaska. I lived there with my family and we traveled extensively throughout the state while we were there. We covered a lot of territory and ventured to many amazing remote locations during that time. We knew that we could be self sufficient with our travel trailer and we utilized our trailer to the max. We knew that amenities were few and far between on many of the remote roads, so we learned to pack accordingly. Our trailer was an absolutely priceless tool for navigating the region. Even though our three children were all under the age of 11 at the time, we were all willing to take the road less traveled.... [Read more...]
Birding Hotspot: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
October 28, 2011 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
As the sun reddens the sky, thousands of snow geese scattered on a big pond begin to waken and disrupt the quiet air with loud honks. The best times to see the birds fly in their massive formations are dawn and dusk. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Visitors perched on embankments, observation decks, or inside parked vehicles see and hear the communication that eventually gets the flock into the air and headed north to fields where they feed all day. The snow geese are soon joined in the sky by flocks of sandhill cranes. Much later in the day near sunset, birders and photographers alike stand under a stream of flyers heading back to the relative safety of the ponds and marshes to roost. It is the rare human who is not stirred to awe and excitement as thousands of birds soar scarcely 20 feet overhead. This vast haven is Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. If you’ve never witnessed—or heard—the morning fly-out and the evening fly-in of thousands of sandhill cranes and snow... [Read more...]
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
October 27, 2011 by Traveler8343 · 1 Comment
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park’s Gregory E. Moore RV Resort is located on the Florida Panhandle’s famous Emerald Coast. It’s in Santa Rosa, Florida on Route 30A South, 1 mile south of Route 98. Topsail is a beautiful park with large, paved sites. The grounds are very nicely landscaped and well maintained. Quality wise, I think that it’s right up there with Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground in Orlando. Amenities include a laundry, a small store, super clean restrooms, an unheated swimming pool, shuffleboard court, playgrounds, amphitheater, and a shuttle tram that runs back and forth between the campsites and its own private Gulf beach. There are ranger-led activities for the children. Check with the front office or their website for more information. The beach has over 3 1/2 miles of pure white sand lapped by beautiful pale green water. There are over 1,600 acres of unique habitats, including coastal dune lakes, cypress domes, and wet prairies. It is... [Read more...]
Chinese Company Copies the SylvanSport GO
October 6, 2011 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
In an earlier post, Meet the GO! by SylvanSport, I reported on the GO, a lightweight, reconfigurable, pop-up trailer manufactured by Brevard, North Carolina-based SylvanSport LLC. Meet the Go! All ready to Go! (Credit: sylvansport.com) SylvanSport has learned that Wuyi Tiandi Motion Apparatus Co. Ltd., a manufacturing company operating out of Zhejiang, China has begun manufacturing and selling counterfeit versions of the popular SylvanSport GO, according to a press release. Designed and manufactured entirely in the U.S., the SylvanSport GO has been widely praised for its innovative design features. The GO “was copied down to the color scheme and even the marketing support materials,” said Tom Dempsey, founder and president of Sylvan Sport. Sylvan Sport said that “this is an unusually blatant example illustrating the increasing problem of many of China’s most accomplished companies achieving their success by pilfering the intellectual property of other industrialized nations.” The... [Read more...]
HOW TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE
September 29, 2011 by Professor95 · 9 Comments
The air smells magnificently crisp and clean. There is no trace of the usual smog or exhaust fumes. When I take a deep breath and fill my lungs full, I feel refreshed and stronger. The sky is dark blue. Only a few cumulus clouds move across the horizon. The temperature is a perfect 78 degrees and the sun gently warms my exposed skin. There is no noise – no cars, no trucks, no boom boxes, or sirens. The only sounds I hear are the ocean waves breaking onto the sand in front of me. No, wait – that was a seagull calling out as it flew overhead. Moments ago, I was kicking the light brown sand with my toes as I walked to my reclining chair next to a small tidal pool. I brought a cold drink with me. It sits at my right so a smooth movement brings the cool amber liquid to my lips. My doggie, Oscar, is digging in the sand to my left – his leash in my lap. Nancy is further to my right enjoying a book downloaded to her Kindle. The book I have in front of me is thrilling. ... [Read more...]
