Category: Holidays on the Road
Tick-Borne Diseases Are No Walk in the Park
August 24, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Several months ago I posted an article on ticks and Lyme disease based on information from the non-profit Rhode Island TickEncounter Resource Center: Top 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Ticks…And Stay Disease-Free Stages of the life cycle of a deer tick. (Credit: canlyme.com) The Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA) and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation are also spreading the word about one of the seasons’ biggest — but rarely mentioned dangers — the Deer or Blacklegged tick that transmits Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. People become infected with the Lyme disease bacteria when they are bitten by an infected blacklegged tick. Immature ticks (larvae and nymphs) are so small that they can be difficult to see. However, all stages of ticks need to feed on blood to continue on to the next stage—therefore these tiny ticks can be an important threat. Campers and hikers and others engaging in outdoor activities should be aware that ticks... [Read more...]
50 Things To See or Do See in Your RV Before You Die
August 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
You might have read it or flipped through it or seen it on a shelf and thought, “I should pick that up.” The first thing many visitors notice about the Alamo is its small size, especially when compared with the buildings of the surrounding city. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved It’s the national bestseller, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” The list, which includes everything from Asian sailing excursions to African horseback riding sites, might be mouthwatering to the wannabe world traveler. For most, however, the financial ability to travel the world simply isn’t there. But have no fear. Sometimes the best adventures are those in your own backyard. Here, in alphabetical order, are 50 things to do or see in your RV before you die: Acadia National Park, Maine People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Thanks to the robber barons that used the park as a private playground in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the... [Read more...]
Top 10 National Parks: Is Your List Better Than Mine?
August 14, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
People like lists. No, check that, they love them. Particularly when they disagree with them and think they have a better list. So, here’s my personal Top 10 list of national parks. How does it match up with yours? 10. Canyon de Chelly National Monument (Arizona) Spider Rock, the unofficial symbol of Canyon de Chelly, is a sandstone obelisk that rises more than 800 feet from the canyon floor at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved A comparatively little-known canyon, Canyon de Chelly has sheer sandstone walls rising up to 1,000 feet, scenic overlooks, well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and an insight into the present day life of the Navajo, who still inhabit and cultivate the valley floor. The northernmost and southernmost edges are accessible from paved roads—the North and South Rim drives. The South Rim Drive offers the most dramatic vistas, ending at the most spectacular viewpoint, the overlook of Spider Rocks—twin 800 foot towers... [Read more...]
Utah: The Ultimate Road Trip
July 17, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
Utah is a place of unfathomable natural beauty—with its unique natural formations, colorful history, and culture, and exciting recreation opportunities—it is a state that contains the best elements of the great Mountain West and the Desert Southwest, from red rock splendor to mountain peaks with The Greatest Snow on Earth®, Utah is a four-season world-class travel destination. Hiking and photography are two favorite activities at Zion National Park. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Home to five national parks, Utah is the perfect place for your next family road trip. Utah’s five spectacular national parks stretch across the southern half of the state. Each park offers the traveler unique, world-class scenic vistas, and geological phenomena. In fact, Utah’s National Parks feature some of the most astonishing landscapes in the world. Each park shows off a completely different scenic view of the state’s natural beauty. These national parks are perfect for camping, mountain... [Read more...]
RCMP Musical Ride
July 12, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
The image of the red-coated Mountie in broad-brimmed Stetson hat is associated with Canada round the world. But there is more to the Mounties than just a romantic image. RCMP Musical Ride performance at Edmonton, Alberta (Amberlea Meadows Equestrian Centre), July 23, 2010 © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved From the beginning of its history, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has served Canada and its people by establishing law and order in the frontier reaches of this vast nation. Representing a colorful tradition and ceremony through the horse and the scarlet uniform, the RCMP created a spectacle known around the world as the Musical Ride. The Origin The Musical Ride originated from the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) as they made the Great March West across Canada in 1874. Although the original NWMP were scattered in small groups over tens of thousands of miles of unsettled prairies, they routinely practiced both mounted and foot drills. In this time, Sergeant Major Robert Belcher... [Read more...]
Patti’s Saga of a Former RV Rookie :Give a Mother’s Day gift she’ll really like: an iPad docking station.
May 2, 2012 by Patti F. · 4 Comments
You know those moments: “Oh…how nice,” her glazed eyes shifting from side to side because she loves you and loves your gift efforts, but still…really…what were you thinking? If some of your gifts haven’t been hits and your wife/mom/mom-in-law has an iPhone, iPod, or iPad (known from here on as “iGadgets”), the iHome Docking Station iD9 may redeem you for any past busts. My sweetheart, Renato, completely surprised me with an iHome Docking Station iD9 for my birthday this past April, and it’s changed my life. OK, it’s probably more accurate just to say I love it …and I do. If the women in your life (or you) have any iGadgets, a docking station will change the way they use them, especially the iPads with their stinky volume. The only complaint I have about my iPad2 is the never-quite-high-enough-to-hear-the-actors-on-the-movies weak volume. However, the iHome rechargeable speaker system has more than taken care of that. Now, I can watch a movie or listen to a podcast... [Read more...]
6 Reasons to Love Texas Food
April 25, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Texans take their food as seriously as they do their football. Located in a well-worn, roughhewn, two-story establishment, Stingaree stands next to the Intracoastal Canal. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Many Winter Texans and other visitors to the Lone Star State have the good sense to agree with them—that Texan food is that of the gods. 1. Texas Oysters Texas may be best known for beef, but its bay oysters rank second to none. Texas oysters are impeccably fresh—whether served on the half shell with a kiss of salt air and Texas hot sauce or shucked for a sauté or creamy stew. We love Oysters Jubilee from Stingaree Restaurant at Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula, just a short ferry ride from Historic Galveston. As its name suggests, Oyster Jubilee is a celebration of everything oyster. It’s a colossal dish of over 30 oysters prepared in every conceivable way. 2. Tex-Mex Tex-Mex is the product of both Spanish and Mexican recipes coming together with American foods. Tex-Mex is... [Read more...]
What’s to Love about Texas Food
April 15, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
Texans take their food as seriously as they do their football. Black's Barbecue is Texas' oldest and best major barbecue restaurant continuously owned and operated by the same family. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved If you slander their vittles, they’re apt to defend their deep-fried passion as though you personally launched another attack on the Alamo. Necessity has frequently mothered our creations, and early Texans had to make do with meager supplies, which is how they wound up with frugal favorites like chicken-fried steak and fried pies. Such resourcefulness produced foods that bring us endless gratification today. Many Winter Texans and other visitors to the Lone Star State have the good sense to agree with them—that Texan food is that of the gods. Little Known & Great Places to Eat Sure, there are thousands of great places to eat scattered throughout cities and towns all across Texas, and a Main Street Cafe on just about every corner of every berg from Wink to... [Read more...]
Steep Cliffs and Towering Spires: Dead Horse Point State Park
March 30, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Dead Horse Point State Park is perhaps Utah’s most spectacular state park. The park lies on the same broad mesa as The Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. The meandering Colorado River 2,000 feet below Dead Horse Point. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Dead Horse Point is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs about 6,000 feet above sea level. Two thousand feet below, the Colorado River winds its way from the continental divide in Colorado to the Gulf of California, a distance of 1,400 miles. The peninsula is connected to the mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. From the overlook, canyon erosion may be viewed on a grand scale. This erosion process has taken approximately 150 million years. Much of it is caused by the river slicing down into the earth’s crust as land is forced upward. These powerful forces are still sculpting the fantastic shapes of the precipitous bluffs and towering spires. Vegetation and wildlife in this desert environment... [Read more...]
Land of the Sleeping Rainbow: Capitol Reef National Park
March 28, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
Capitol Reef National Park is filled with geological wonders that stagger the imagination. The huge, rounded domes of red Wingate sandstone, capped with pale ivory Navajo sand. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Somewhat remote, and not as well known as the other parks, Capitol Reef is located on the northern edge of the Grand Circle Tour. Capitol Reef encompasses a 100-mile natural upheaval in the earth’s crust known as the Waterpocket Fold. We’ve traveled Utah’s red-rock country from Bryce to Arches and Zion to Monument Valley, but none is more impressive than Capitol Reef. Hundreds of millions of years of geological history are contained within this long, narrow park that stretches about 100 miles from its northern to southern boundary. Time moves very slowly in the ageless world of colorful spires, pinnacles, and domes that form Capitol Reef. Formed by cataclysmic events of eons past, these rock formations have been defined and redefined over past ages as ancient sea waters... [Read more...]
