Birding Hotspot: Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, NM
September 1, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
UFO sightings may have put Roswell, New Mexico, on the map, but at nearby Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, strange creatures are more than visitors. They inhabit odd sinkholes, playa lakes, seeps, and gypsum springs fed by an underground river. Straddling the Pecos River the Refuge consists of an assortment of water habitats. Numerous seeps and [...]
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 The Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA) and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation are also spreading the word about one of the seasons’ biggest — [...]
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.” 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. [...]
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) A comparatively little-known canyon, Canyon de Chelly has sheer [...]
A Hike Not to Be Repeated–Part 1
August 12, 2012 by Diane Berry · 2 Comments
In the mood for a hike one hot summer day in the vicinity of Taos, NM, we decided to head up to the Taos Ski Valley to see what we could find. We had already done the hike to Williams Lake twice in the past two months, so were looking for something a bit different. [...]
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 [...]
Reaching the Top of Devisadero Peak
June 9, 2012 by Diane Berry · 2 Comments
You may recall in my last post Terry, Meghan and I had decided to hike to the top of Devisadero Peak near Taos, NM. At the end of the last post, we had rounded a corner and encountered a very steep incline. Meghan intially refused to go on. We hiked on a few steps further, [...]
Bear Attack Reported at Arizona Campground
June 1, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 2 Comments
An Arizona woman was injured this morning (May 1) when a bear ripped a hole in the tent where she, her husband, and their dog had been sleeping at Ponderosa Campground in Tonto National Forest, just off Highway 260 about 10 miles east of Payson. The attack occurred around 4:30 a.m. After tearing open the [...]
Road trip!
May 24, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 1 Comment
It’s the Memorial Day long weekend—the unofficial start of summer—and for many travel-wise Americans that means one thing: Road trip! The tradition of taking a road trip dates back about 3,000 years. The first road trip likely occurred in ancient Egypt around 1200 B.C., when Ramses II hit the road in his chariot. Similar ventures—using [...]
Top 10 things Campers Should Know about Ticks
May 20, 2012 by Rex Vogel · 3 Comments
There ARE more ticks in more places than ever before. Tick encounter rates are soaring, and experts are predicting 2012 to be one of the worst years for Lyme disease transmission due to higher than normal deer tick infection rates. Deer ticks also are known as blacklegged ticks in the U.S., sheep ticks in Europe, [...]
