Good News from Texas State Parks: Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon State Park is getting a new group recreation facility, the first of its kind in a Texas State Park. The new stone-clad facility will be 5,200 square feet with meeting and dining hall space, restrooms, and a commercial kitchen perfect for wedding receptions and family reunions. The Lighthouse Rock formation can be reached on a hiking trail. Photo courtesy TPWD A recent groundbreaking ceremony marked the $1 million donation by local businessman Mack Dick, for whom the pavilion is named. It will be used in a public/private partnership to which the state will add $700,000, reported Amarillo.com. Dick has a history with the park, spending time there with his family and friends. “I like the scenery. I like the wildlife. You can see the nice trails,” he said. “The big thing is it’s not crowded. You feel like you’re out in the Wild West.” The Mack Dick Group Pavilion will be a state of the art facility that will have a seating capacity of 150 and have multi-media technology. “In these difficult times we have found very few dollars available for capital development in fact, we have not had capital development dollars in state parks in many many years. Had it not be for the generosity of the private sector and forming these partnerships these types of projects simply would not be possible,” said Brent Leisure, Texas State Park Director. The pavilion will show off local stone and native materials at its location just below... Read more

Digging for Diamonds

Last month I reported than an Arkansas couple had found a flawless 2.44-carat silver white diamond at the Crater of Diamonds. A 3.86 ct. diamond found at Crater of Diamonds State Park. Image courtesy fox16.com The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, has now yielded an even bigger find, a 3.86-carat jewel dubbed the “Heart of Arkansas” for its heart shape. A longtime visitor to the park from Murfreesboro, where the park is located, unearthed the diamond while sifting through the park dirt earlier this month. “It’s the largest diamond in just about a year,” said park guide and educator Waymon Cox. “‘Diamond in the rough’ is a bit of a misnomer. We have many beautiful rough diamonds that can be used in jewelry.” Cox describes the diamond as the size of a piece of candy corn, with a pearly white shine. The local man who found the diamond this week has chosen to remain anonymous. Although the park isn’t sure how much the gem is worth, Cox characterized his find as having the “potential to be substantially more valuable” than a 2-carat diamond found three years ago. That diamond was cut and appraised for $22,000. It’s the largest find at the park since someone dug up an almost 5-carat brown diamond last April. A Gem among Diamond Mines The only one of its kind in the country, Crater of Diamonds is a 37.5-acre state park on the site of an ancient volcanic pipe that, 95 million years ago,... Read more

National Park Week: Start Planning Now

Looking for an affordable place to visit this spring? Look no further than a National Park. From sea to shining sea, the United States has some of the most breath taking national parks and scenic wonderlands. Each national park has very important significance embedded into the landscape and historical heritage. Every year, mountain travelers flock to America’s national parks like Utah’s Canyonlands National Park. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved One of the most budget friendly vacation ideas just got more affordable as national parks that usually charge entrance or day-use fees are waiving them during National Park Week—April 16-24, 2011. About 147 of the 394 parks and historic sites operated by the National Park Service charge admission fees ranging from $3 to $25. National Parks Service has compiled a complete list of the parks that are waiving fees. This list can be accessed by Name and by State. National Park Week is an opportunity to hike, bike, learn, share, and experience the majesty in the nation’s national parks. Visit any of America’s national parks and enjoy free admission all week long! Whether you prefer to hike Zion (Utah),  photograph the wonders of Arches (Utah), wander in the paths of the Anasazi at Aztec Ruins (New Mexico), explore the desert scenery and granite monoliths of Joshua Tree (California), or tour an ancient cave dwelling at Mesa Verde (Colorado) moving outside is good for you and offers a chance to explore these special places. In... Read more

TVA Campgrounds Open This Weekend

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a corporation owned and operated by the United States government. Its purpose is to promote the unified development of the resources of the Tennessee River Basin, an area that includes parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. TVA’s varied activities include water control to prevent floods and improve navigation, production and transmission of electric power, and conservation and recreation programs. TVA operates 30 major dams and a number of smaller ones. Before these dams were built, the Tennessee Valley was periodically ravaged by floods that caused vast property damage. Today floodwater is held in reservoirs behind the dams. The dams on the main stream form a chain of lakes through which commercial vessels may navigate for 650 miles from Paducah, Kentucky, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Millions of people enjoy recreational activities on TVA reservoirs each year. They offer nearly limitless opportunities for fun-filled activities, including water skiing, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, swimming, hiking, nature photography, picnicking, bird watching, and camping. Camping and Recreation Areas Cherokee Dam is on the Holston River in east Tennessee, 52 miles upstream from the point at which the Holston and French Broad Rivers converge to form the Tennessee River. Photo courtesy TVA TVA operates 80 public recreation areas throughout the TVA region, including day-use areas, campgrounds,... Read more

Head for the Arkansas Ozarks

If you plan on just passing through Arkansas on your route north this spring, take a second look. The Ozarks begin its color makeover at the end of September and early October, with several trees implementing brilliant flush tones. Photo courtesy Ozark Mountain Region The true identity of Arkansas lies in the riches Mother Nature has endowed on the region. The self-proclaimed “Natural State,” Arkansas delivers with a real outdoor lovers’ paradise. Flanked by the Ouchita and the Ozark mountain ranges in the west and the Mississippi River to the east, The Natural State also spills with its famed natural hot springs, 600,000 acres of lakes, 9,700 miles of rivers and streams, and 2.4 million acres of national forests. Forests cover about half of the state, and there are about 300 hiking trails. Across Arkansas you’ll find a vast variety of trees including oaks, willows, maples, plums, elms, dogwoods, ashes, wild cherries, hickories, and magnolias. During autumn, the mountains and valleys turn a vivid palette of hues, while wildflowers bring color to the landscape in spring. The name Arkansas means south wind, or land of the downstream people, which was a term used to describe the Quapaws, an early Indian tribe that resided here. Arkansas is sectioned into five main regions: the Ozark Plateau, the Ouachita Mountains, the Arkansas Valley, the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and the West Gulf Coastal Plain. The Ozarks The Ozarks are home to some of the state’s most popular... Read more

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUARTZSITE QUESTIONS

 By Barry & Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers  We’re packing up this morning, but before we head out of Quartzsite to get on the road again, there are some questions posed in last night’s  comments section that I’ll try to answer: “To be happy you must be free; to be free you must be brave.”  This seems like an appropriate occasion to repeat that Norse adage. Some of you are taking this place too seriously.  You can make reservations and you can research everything there is to know about the area and local events, or you can do it like we did.  You drive anywhere within five miles of town, look around, find a place near other RVs parked in the desert and turn off the engine. Your neighbors, who were once as timid as you about the RV experience, will tell you more than you need to know.  It’s that simple. Now, in answer to Chestnuts, the best way to find information about the place, other than putting in “Quartzsite” in your Internet browser, is to call or visit the Chamber of Commerce.  And don’t worry about our landlords, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  They aren’t going to tell you anything that your neighbors can’t. To Drew, who is apprehensive, I refer you to Paragraph 2 above (the one with the italics).  As commenter Thomas said, “It’s truly an experience that should not be missed.”  As for the honey wagon, the service that visits campgrounds to drain the tanks, we’ve heard that it has been available in past years but... Read more

Playing in Mute Harmony: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ

Newcomers to Arizona are often struck by Desert Fever. Desert Fever is caused by the spectacular natural beauty and serenity of the area. Early symptoms include a burning desire to make plans for the next trip “south”. There is no apparent cure for snowbirds. The winds of Organ Pipe Organ pipes in a mixed cactus forest against the backdrop of the Ajo Mountains © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved The organ pipe cactus thrives within the United States primarily in the 516-square-mile Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and International Biosphere Reserve. Located 35 miles south of Ajo on Highway 85, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument preserves a diverse and relatively undisturbed sample of the Sonoran Desert. Mountains surround the park on all sides, some near, some distant, with colors changing from one hour to the next. Ninety-five percent of the monument is designated as wilderness area, which makes this one of the best places to view the Sonoran Desert. The many branches of the organ pipe rise from a base at the ground, instead of growing like a massive trunk of the saguaro. It is a stately plant, with columns rising mostly like, well, the pipes of a church organ. Each desert plant is exploitable to some extent—the organ pipe is no exception. Their pithaya fruit, like a saguaro’s, mature in July, have red pulp and small seeds. Tohono O’odham people have eaten the fruit raw or dried, and have made syrup, jams, and a mild wine from it. Seeds can provide flour and... Read more

Flock to a Birding Festival near You

Flock to a Birding Festival near You There is definitely something majestic about bird watching. RVers are flocking to bird-watching (commonly referred to as birding) as an activity like never before. It’s For the Birds Roseate spoonbill feeding near Port Aransas, Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved Birder, or not, if you’re looking for a great way to spend a day, check out your local birding festival. Most areas have several fairs and festivals going on during the year, and they are an excellent way to enjoy nature, learn something new, and have fun. Birding festivals last from a single day to a full month of outings, activities, and workshops. The most common are over a weekend, and can range from small local events at a nearby park, to large-scale events that bring visitors from around the world, with events spread throughout an entire region. Depending on the specific event, you will have the opportunity to hear knowledgeable speakers, observe live birds up close, take guided walks, get pointers on better wildlife photography, sharpen your identification skills, share experiences with like-minded folks, and even take more exotic outings, such as birding by boat or on horseback. Often there are artists, vendors, children’s activities, and the like. Many birding festivals center on a specific event taking place in the local area, migration being a particular favorite. Another popular theme is the celebration of specific species found locally in a particular abundance,... Read more

Our Grand Circle Tour

The American Southwest is famous for incredible scenery, red rock pinnacles, and formations, brilliant sunsets, and deep canyons. It is uncommon land, for an uncommon experience, and it’s all within a stone’s throw of Utah. Few states can boast of so much! Autumn arrives early at 9,000-foot Fish Lake. © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved We spent the month of October completing our version of the Grand Circle Tour. It was grander than we could ever have imagined. During this time we visited five national parks—Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Mesa Verde; five national monuments—Grand Staircase Escalante, Cedar Breaks, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, and Aztec Ruins; Valley of the Gods, and Monument Valley; and drove Utah Highway 12 Scenic Byway. From Salina, Utah, we drove to Fish Lake at an elevation of over 9,000 feet. The area was an absolutely awesome sight with the golden aspens and the blue skies and lake. The magnificent and ever-changing salmon pink and red colored pinnacles and spires and brilliantly colored hoodoos of Bryce Canyon just may have the most awesome scenery we have seen anywhere! On our fourth visit to Bryce I got my wish—to see Bryce in the snow. When we reached Yovimpa Point at noon the temperature was a chilly 23 degrees with a dusting of snow—over 40 degrees colder than during our first visit just five days earlier. It was even warmer back home in Alberta! One of the most spectacular driving highways in the West, Utah... Read more

In an Enclave of Peace

By the Never-Bored RVers   T’is the season of peace … but, it’s not easy to find peace if your RV is parked in an urban setting.  For two of the past four weeks – ever since leaving Death Valley, California – we have been in Orange County (a.k.a., “The O.C.”), a suburb of 2,000,000 people and all of them crowding the freeways, surface streets and luxurious shopping centers at the same time. Peace is hard to find around these parts. We have landed in O’Neill Regional Park, a serene setting just outside the City of Lake Forest in Southern California.  It’s a beautiful county-owned park sheltered by lots of trees and space between campsites, a far cry from city noises but not far from shopping and attractions.   More on O’Neill in a few moments … Within hiking distance or a short drive from the park is an enclave of peace we enjoy.  It’s up a narrow, very tight winding road that leads to the Ramakrishna Monastery operated by the Vedanta Society.  The monastery sits atop 40 acres of largely undeveloped rolling hills in Trabuco Canyon.   This is absolutely not a place you can reach in a motorhome or pulling a rig, but you can make it in a car. Open to visitors between the hours of 9 and 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. each day, the ­­­­compound has sat isolated from the threat of urban development for almost 80 years, having fought off one intense effort by urbanizers to grab parts of the wilderness surrounding the few modest buildings used for spiritual... Read more

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