RV Travels

Getting Ready

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:50:32 +0000

A quick test. We're moving to Wordpress. At that time you'll need to change your subscriptions to the new directory. I'll let you know what that will be soon.

Autumn in Canyon de Chelly

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:39:02 +0000

Canyon De Chelly may be one of Arizona's best kept secrets.

Arizona is a beautiful state, in a dry, geological kind of way. Famous for the Grand Canyon, Phoenix,and, well, rocks, there are just absolutely incredible formations around the state. Another great, if not grand, canyon is Canyon De Chelly (pronounced de shay) up in the less famous northeast corner of the state.

This could be because it's on Navajo land. The native Americans live at the top of the canyon in the winter, then migrate down to the cooler canyon in the summer. Rich in culture, I met young men that didn't seem to speak English, or were at least more comfortable speaking Navajo. Navajo speakers have become famous as code talkers in WWII, putting together an unbreakable code to pass messages.

There's a nice visitors center at the entrance just east of Chinle, where the road forks to the north and the south. The gentleman at the visitors recommended I take the south fork to get the best late day photos. And they were indeed great.

The canyon walls are sheer, I'm not sure how deep but I crept up to the edge and looked down. It's a long way. The red rock has been shaped by the years into different formations, many of which have names given them by the Navajo.

There are pull-outs that take any length vehicle. At each one there's usually a few Navajo selling gifts, hand carved, sometimes while they wait patiently for tourists.

One took me to a good spot and pointed out the rocks and their names, giving me a glimpse into the Navajo folklore.

There's no fee at the park and they have a first come, first serve rv park. There's a commercial park along the south rim. If you don't have your motorhomes with you, there's also the Thunderbird Lodge at the park entrance and several motels just a few miles away in Chinle.

Some areas require a Navajo guide to go into, there's one trail that doesn't. Check at the visitor's station for the latest.

Now that Autumn seems to be in the air, I was thinking of the late Autumn I visited and snapped this photo of the cottonwoods at the bottom of the canyon. Wishful thinking, it's still quite warm here. One day I'll be on the road again.

Autumn in Canyon de Chelly

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:38:40 +0000

Canyon De Chelly may be one of Arizona's best kept secrets.

There are pull-outs that take any length vehicle. At each one there's usually a few Navajo selling gifts, hand carved, sometimes while they wait patiently for tourists.

One took me to a good spot and pointed out the rocks and their names, giving me a glimpse into the Navajo folklore.

Some areas require a Navajo guide to go into, there's one trail that doesn't. Check at the visitor's station for the latest.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:46:39 +0000

Grauman's Chinese Theatre is usually near the top of the list for visitors planning a trip to Los Angeles. The foot and hand prints are famous the world over. But coming to Grauman's Chinese Theater is more than just going to the building you see in the photo. Hollywood Blvd, or Hollyweird Blvd as locals call it is a place where you really never know what you're going to see.

Struggling actors and street performers dress up in a variety of costumes in hopes of applause and a large tip. You can walk the sidewalk seeing the stars of the stars embedded in the concrete. Just down the street Scientologists plague the sidewalk offering to take your blood pressure so that they have a captive audience to pitch their religion to.

Head up into the hills and you'll see the Hollywood sign. No, you can't get to it and it has surveillance cameras on it 24 hours a day with horns that blast if you get too close. Griffith Park, or what's left of it after the fires, has great hiking, and of course there's the famous 'Batcave' from the 1960s television show.

The theatre's grand opening was on May 18, 1927. It was owned by Sid Grauman, Howard Schenck, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Names well known to film buffs. Premiering that night was Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings".

It's still a popular place for movie premieres and brings out some of the biggest names in movies on these nights. During the day you can see the latest movies. Tickets are available online.

It's hard to find a good RV spot in the area. I usually stayed at one of the parks up in Valencia. Up there you'll find a less crowded area to stay with a local reservoir and pull-thru's for large motorhomes.

I drove down from there though traffic down the I-5 can be bad. You could take the metro also.

It's well worth the day. Other local attractions include the La Brea Tar Pits, Universal Studios, and the Hollywood Bowl. My favorite is to hop over a block and take Sunset Blvd. down to the Pacific Ocean. It's a beautiful drive, just make sure you time it to miss rush hour traffic.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Park

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:35:55 +0000

We always seem to be in such a hurry here in the US. Perhaps with no real sense of history we have no sense of time, or that there is plenty more of it available.

Yellowstone is a lot like the Grand Canyon but goes the other way. While in the Grand Canyon a small river wore away rock over time to create a great canyon, in Yellowstone you can see how a small drip of water, laden with minerals, slowly builds up incredible foundations over the millennia.

Here we see a small sample from Mammoth Hot Springs. Steam rising from below the surface brings a variety of pigmented minerals which flow out clinging to their brothers to create a chiaroscuro of shades in the mound.

I was there during elk bugling season. I'm still kicking myself for not bringing my video camera. The transmission in my RV had gone out and was being replaced by a very generous policy from Good Sams. While it was in the garage I grabbed an overnight bag, my camera, and a rental car. There's easy parking for an RV around the park but I might not have gone that far east if it weren't for the required repairs.

I was there on a chilly October morning and the park was a backdrop to the wraps and swirls of the vented steam. Perfect for the video camera, especially as it can't pick up the associated sulfurous smell.

My goal one day is to go back during the winter. You can pick up your snowmobile from the motel parking lot and ride into the park to explore it's many natural wonders. Best thing about going in winter? No bears.

Gaviota Hot Springs

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:52:30 +0000

A magical spot with rising mists and colored leaves. It's not Terabithia, it's Gaviota Hot Springs. Unlike Nojoqui, there's a nice state campground, in fact several, just south of here. I'd gotten my RV stuck there, but that's another story.

This area was home to many volcanoes, is part of the Pacific rim, is active geologically, and is the site of many earthquakes and hot springs up and down the coast.

South of Gaviota pass in Santa Barbara County, California is a rest stop, and the first exit on the north side says something like Lompoc. Take that, but head east to the dead end, not west to the town. There's a nice little parking area and a trail up into the hills. On cold days you can see steam rising in the hills from a couple of sites.

The first stop is this little pond. Don't go if you're easily embarrassed, it's not unusual to see naked people taking an impromptu dip. Otherwise, feel free to join in. Just look out for the sudden appearance of magical creatures.

This is a fun area to explore. See the Santa Barbara section of my site for more.

Nojoqui Falls, California

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:50:23 +0000

It's easy to miss the turn-off to Santa Barbara County's Nojoqui Falls in California. The turnoffs are out in the middle of nowhere off of Highway 101 or as you drive into Solvang. Bring a map, it's a great day park and worth the effort.

There's plenty of picnicking, play areas, and when I was there a small amateur horse arena.

What Nojoqui is really known for is the falls. They say you should go there late Winter to early Spring to see the water flow. I like to watch the trickle come down the large rock wall moving under the moss.

I see the name Nojoqui has become the name for a type of wall mounted fountain. The back of the fountain is a piece of slate, perhaps those who know more about geology can tell me what the rock of the waterfalls is. Is it slate? I don't know, but the colors are beautiful.

Sh-sh-sh-shasta Lake

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:38:37 +0000

It just seems like Winter is coming later every year. That Fall was a glorious Indian Summer in Northern California. On a whim I made a couple of stops at Shasta Lake. The first was at the visitors center, which convinced me to stop by the lake and the caverns.

The dam is immense, with over 6 million cubic yards of concrete. Remember that number.

There's fishing, boating, a recreational vehicle area, and caverns to explore. There's 365 miles of shoreline and 22 campgrounds, including boat-in campgrounds. Water contact is allowed, sometime rare in water deprived California, which means swimming and water skiing. There's hiking, wake boarding, picnicking, hiking, and just relaxing.

The temperatures were just right for touring the lake. I stopped further north and took the boat over to tour the caverns. These are privately owned so it's a bit expensive, but well worth it with the excellent narrative you get.

Now remember that 6 million cubic yards of concrete? The second most ridiculous assertion of Department of Homeland Insecurity I've ever seen occurs here. The first is stopping visitors from walking outside at the bottom of the Hoover Dam. The second silliest is the restrictions for visitors of the Dam tour. Surrounded by tons of concrete, " Please leave behind the following restricted items: cell phones and pagers, cameras, purses or bags of any kind, weapons of any kind (including pocket knives). " was visible on signs at the start of the tour. No cameras? Drivers across the dam to the recreational vehicle area have to pre-apply at least 72 hours prior for a pass to get across and must pass a background check.

I asked a security guard if they were afraid someone would sabotage the spillway gates. From his answer it was obvious they weren't. Maybe a stray signal from a hand held cell phone would be used to help terrorists find the dam. Yeah, right.

So go, enjoy, be careful of the summer heat. Just be afraid. Very, very, afraid. The Department of Homeland Security is doing its job.

Vermillion Cliffs and Smoke Signals

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:54:31 +0000

A vivid red to reddish orange. Also called Chinese red , cinnabar .

american heritage dictionary

I had been driving east from the North Rim entrance to the Grand Canyon to wrap around to Flagstaff, AZ. It was a steep hill and my brakes were smoking like a 5 alarm fire. I saw a pull-out and pulled out, far enough away from the gift stands to not suffocate anyone. Native American women were haggling with some anglos over jewelry and other native art items.

Getting out, I was struck by the incredible beauty of the scenery in front of me. The west offers brilliant surprise after surprise. But this was beauty on a grand scale.

I'd like to go back and hike back into these rocks in the exotic locales like Paria Canyon and Coyote Buttes. You have to reserve a day, but the photography on the web is incredible.

To apologize for the smoke inhalation I bought some jewelry which made me a big hit with the women at the Christmas gift exchange. For me, the wonder of the moment was a very precious gift indeed.

The Aahh Factor of Elephant Seals

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:54:24 +0000

One of my favorite things to do during the winter on the California Central Coast is head over to the strip of beach just south of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse where the elephant seals come to give birth and mate.

The young, tiring earlier from the winter storms, come to the beaches first. Then the adolescents, or sub-adults (4 - 9 year olds), start arriving. As brash and boisterous as all teenagers, you can see the males mock fighting and just messing with each other.

Then the pregnant females arrive. Carrying their baby since they left around a year ago, they can suspend the growth of the fetus so that birth won't occur until the annual migration back to this beach. Other than here, they never see a male.

About a week after landing the spasms start and the mother gets ready. Birth is very easy once it does happen, the mother lifts her tail and the baby pup slips out. Fittingly, this starts right around Christmas.

The babies have black skin and are hard to see on the left in this photo. The mother is front and center with her large round eyes. Hunting deep underwater, her eyes dilate widely to allow the little light at those depths to be seen. Dilated eyes is also the cue we pick-up from our own babies that make us turn warm inside and make us go 'aahhh'.

If you get a chance to go before Valentines Day it's well worth it. If not, CSU Monterey has a radio linked webcam from another gathering spot up north.

The Cross of the Hghway

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:53:41 +0000

I'm not sure if I heard it or saw it first. I guess at 190 feet tall and visible from 20 miles away on a good day I probably saw it first. But the tall arms catch the wind of the Texas plains and there's a whistle that's unmistakable once you know the source.

You can see my motor home at the base of the cross, along with some of the statuary that make up the stations of the cross. With nothing east of Amarillo or across most of Oklahoma it's become a popular rest stop along Interstate 40. If you go, it's well worth spending some time to admire the art and read the story.

Mt Airy Rock Quarry

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 23:57:58 +0000

They call it 'The Rock'. And a big, granite rock it is. So large that the North Carolina Granite Company has been mining it for centuries, since 1743 to be exact.

Another unusual fact about it's location is that it's in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. Or Mayberry RFD to you fans of the Andy Griffith comedy form the 1960s.

I spent the afternoon walking the streets of Mt. Airy past Floyd's Barber Shop and the Snappy Lunch. There are several touristy gift shops as well as a nice museum that shows the history of the area. Even some buildings constructed from the granite.

You can also drive out to see the birth home of local celebrity Andy Griffith.

On the way out of town I stopped by the quarry. There was a nice viewing area at the top. There has been talk of it closing, so I'm not sure what the latest availability is. They have a web site you might try.

Jefferson Memorial

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:03:07 +0000

I've always admired Thomas Jefferson. Known as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he was a philosopher trained in many disciplines. He was also a strong supporter of wine in the New World.

Maybe most importantly he was very cynical of large federal government and the money people that supported it.

"[If] the King can model the constitution at will... his government is a pure despotism. The question then arising is, whether a pure despotism in a single head, or one which is divided among a king, nobles, priesthood, and numerous magistracy, is the least bad. I should be puzzled to decide." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788. ME 7:96

"Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, trial by jury, habeas corpus, and a representative legislature... I consider as the essentials constituting free government, and... the organization of the executive is interesting as it may insure wisdom and integrity in the first place, but next as it may favor or endanger the preservation of these fundamentals." --Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours, 1815. ME 14:255

The Memorial is often the site of celebrations like the Cherry Blossom Festival. There's a statue of Jefferson in the rotunda and a walkway with a museum underneath. The walkway can be a welcome shelter from the extreme weather found in the Washington Tidal Basin.

Just across the inlet bridge is the Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial. A walk around the Tidal Basin visiting the various memorials and statuary is a pleasant way to spend the day.

Death Valley Blooms

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 20:44:26 +0000

It was a hot day on the east coast today. The actual temperatures were in the 100's in some places, and with the humidity the heat index could get over 110, of course reminding me of Death Valley. If you look at heat indices, there wasn't much difference between Devil's Golf Course and Fayetteville, NC. In fact it was probably cooler at Scotty's Castle.

This photo was taken near Ashford Mill on CA 178 running up the middle of Death Valley. It was that miraculous Spring of 2005 which followed the second wettest winter on record.

There were no rental cars to be had, so I was zooming around the washboard roads in my 34' motor home. I found parking spots in most places, and the height of the RV and roof ladder let me take a couple of 360° vr shots.

I'd like to go back and get to some of the mountain areas, but I think I'll wait until winter.

Waves at Piedras Blancas

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:50:34 +0000

It was one of those warm winter days on the Central Coast of California. The temperature was in the high 60's, the sky was blue, even the gulls seemed like they were just chilling. A storm some where out in the Pacific Ocean was sending large waves at us so we could enjoy the show without the storm that started it.

I was just south of the Piedras Blancas lighthouse photographing the Elephant Seals. They were in for their annual birthing and mating ritual. But I soon lost interest in the confusion on the beach and became interested in the waves.

This rock is probably 18' - 20' high. Which made the explosions of white water behind them seem monumental. Not the largest waves I've ever seen, but certainly dramatic.

Enjoy.

Lumber River State Park

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:53:22 +0000

It gets hot in the South. Not Arizona kind of hot, it's humid, sticky, can't breath hot where the water vapor seeps into every pore of your body and knocks the legs right out from under you hot. I can't imagine life in the Old South, when they used to wear high collared shirts with ties and jackets and petticoats and cover everything clothes.

So what do southerners do to put some comfort in their day? They hit the rivers. They spend the day floating down those rivers. And the Lumber River State Park near Wagram, North Carolina has 115 miles of water to enjoy.

It's also a blackwater river, the color from tannins leached as slow water moves through forests. Think peat moss.

What that means is a dark reflecting surface that mirrors the bright greens of the vegetation above it. I'm ready to go.

Chiricahua National Monument

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 11:33:01 +0000

Rising to more than a mile out of the southeastern desert, Chiricahua National Monument is a welcome change to visitors. Cool breezes and pine trees are vastly different from the tumbleweeds at the bottom.

The visitors center is at 5,400' altitude and the park rises to Massai Point at 6,870'. Once you get there there is a fascinating display of wind and weather sculptured rock with strange names like Hoodos. There are several trails that take you on a tour through these unique gardens that will fascinate and entertain.

You can come up as a day visitor or stay longer and camp. While in the area there are plenty of other places to visit like Cochise Stronghold Canyon and mining ghost towns.

Beware of the altitude. Signs of altitude sickness include headache, nausea, shortness of breath, and tiredness.

Salt Lake City - Mormon Temple

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 11:53:10 +0000

With Mitt Romney running for president there is interest in all things Mormon. Besides young missionaries in short sleeve white shirts bicycling around town, the Mormons, or Church of the Latter Day Saints, are known for two things. The temples and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

In this photo you see a sample of both. While the Salt Lake Temple is front and center, you can see the Tabernacle back right being re-roofed. In the photo men are scaling down the rounded and slippery slopes.

You can't go into the Temple unless you're a member of LDS. If you're interested there are plenty of eager young missionaries all around the square to help you join. But they won't approach you and you can simply nod your head and continue you're touring if you're not interested.

Friday Night Mystery Photo

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 19:26:13 +0000

A mystery tonight. I think probably every Friday night, I'll post an image from somewhere. Guess where.

You'll have to be a pretty well traveled person to know this one.

The rugged mountains look out over the city below, where you can see a pretty typical street. The only other clue being how dry and barren the hills are.

Have you figured it out? Answers next Friday.

Crater Lake National Park

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:48:14 +0000

Crater Lake in Oregon is just that, a lake in a volcanic crater. Fed by rainwater and at a high altitude, the blues are deep and vivid. In the photo you can see the slope falling away into the water.

I was there in late October and it was the last day the concessions were open. But Fall seems to last longer each year and the weather was wonderful.

A road runs around the lip of the crater with pull-outs for everything from small cars to long RVs. The maps say the back part is more challenging and I didn't try going in my motorhome, but I didn't have any problems where ever I went.

Gators

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:34:28 +0000

In the dry months, which are winter and spring in Florida, alligators are forced to the deeper canals along the Tamiami Trail. When Hwy 41 was built, the construction crew had to raise the road to keep it out of the Everglades. So they scooped rock along the side of the road, leaving these canals. They're only a few feet deep, but they have lots of fish and attract a variety of wildlife.

The wettest season is the hurricane season in late summer and fall. At least usually. As waters dry up the canals become the local hangout.

While driving along the road, in certain stretches you'll see alligators sunning themselves on the other side of the water. Well, at least I didn't see any near the road. There's even a roadside park with a ranger that gives hourly talks on the local wildlife. The ranger that spoke to us was great and it was well worth the wait for the talk to start.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:05:42 +0000

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah.

This is an amazing site, and of course with the winds shifting the sand all traces of other people disappear in minutes.

Old Faithful

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:31:42 +0000

Okay, while we're waiting for me to get Wordpress up and running (easy) and all of the old articles moved (not so easy), here are some of my favorite photos from my trips.

That aside, I hope you enjoy. I have a huge back load of articles ready when things are running again.

-Don-

Some News

Sat, 23 Jun 2007 20:50:25 +0000

It's been too long since I've been here. Last summer was pretty boring, spent in classes and without a car.
This summer looks like it will be full of adventures, traveling the mid-atlantic and the south.

The bad news, I'm going to have to move this blog to a new program. There's no more support for blogMachine and I need comment approval to stop the spammers.
The good news is I have photos of lots of places I've visited, including the 400th anniversary of Jamestown.

In addition, I've created a new web site covering just the wineries of South and North Carolina. If you're in the southeast stop by Great Carolina Wines as I head out to visit the 60 some wineries in the area. The Wine Tourism has been a godsend to farmers who no longer make money selling cotton or tobacco. You'll find much more than just wines. There are gift shops, restaurants, bed & breakfasts, wedding ceremonies, concerts and story telling.

The wines aren't just the famous (or to some, infamous) muscadines. They're growing cabernet, chardonnay, shiraz, and many of the noble grapes. The only grape they can't seem to raise is pinot noir, which is just to delicate for the hot and humid southern summers.

This isn't just normal travel though. Today, my doctor told me that despite high triglycerides I should continue drinking a glass a day. Even doctors are starting to believe the reports about wine and health and the muscadine wines have higher than normal levels of resveratrol, one of many anti-oxidants found in wine.

So cheers, and I'll see you on the roads around the US this summer. Happy travels.
Don

North Carolina Winery Tour

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:50:27 +0000

Since going east there are two things I miss about California. The first is the weather, which you just won't find anywhere else in North America. The other is good wineries.

Call me silly, but there's nothing quite like a Saturday afternoon spent on a winery patio, sipping local wine and listening to easy music while a fresh breeze wafts through the vineyards.

But during my travels on the east coast I've found a new industry with the vigor of entrepreneurship and the age old familiarity of a great glass of wine.

Wine started on the east coast when Thomas Jefferson decided to enlighten the new world by exposing them to the delights of this ancient drink.

Making wine is easy. Grapes have the right amount of sugar, acidity, amount of water, yeast naturally clings to its stems and skins, and natural tannins act as preservative.

Unfortunately, making good wine is a lot harder. Wine had a speckled past until Robert Mondavi started treating it like a science and brought technical improvements and marketing strategies to the wine industry in Napa Valley.

While Virginia was swept up in this market years ago, North Carolina has only recently started taking wine seriously. Known for hot weather and muscadine grapes, no one thought that good wine would come out of this state.

But starting in the 1990's and into 2000, a new crop had to be found to replace dwindling cotton and tobacco demand. Since kona coffee wasn't a choice, many farmers started turning to wine, the new health food. With many health studies recommending a glass of two or wine a day, the only direction for vineyards was up. American Scots, with large farms and low overhead and without the obedience to local Baptists, started going into the grape business.

North Carolina also has an emerging yuppy class out of Charlotte and the Triad, composed of Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Durham. There's also some old money in the Winston-Salem area that is coincidentally the gateway to the Burgundy like Yadkin Valley.

Wineries like Grapefull Sisters and Iron Gate understand destination touring like Napa and the Central Coast of California. Other wineries like Glen Marie and Duplin focus on production.

There are over 60 wineries in North Carolina and I've visited 10 of them, I hope to get in another four soon. While it's winter and not the best time of year for photographs on the east coast, I'll visit several of these over the next few weeks.

You can also visit my North Carolina Wine guide or my new wine review blog, Cheap Wine.blog. Till then, cheers.

My California Central Coast Top 10

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:06:41 +0000

My top 10 list of my favorite places to visit on the Central Coast

10 Hwy 46 wineries

9 Santa Barbara

8 Boulder Creek

7 Hearst Castle

6 Port San Luis Lighthouse

5 Gaviota Hot Springs

4 Monterey Bay Aquarium

3 Cambria

2 Solvang

1 Coons Creek Trail, Montana de Oro

What's yours?

Travel Advisery - Passports into the US

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 11:53:20 +0000

It looks like this only applies to air travel, with nothing set for land and sea until at least January 1 of 2008. I've been carrying my passport to Mexico and Canada for years anyway. Even with that, I get a cross examination through customs. Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC November 22, 2006 Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007 The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced today that the requirement for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere will begin on January 23, 2007. This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, which Congress subsequently passed into law in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. These new travel document requirements make up the Departments' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). In order to obtain national security benefits as quickly as possible, and to expedite the processing of arriving passengers, the plan will be implemented in two phases. The first phase involves travel by air and requires all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States from within the Western Hemisphere. The final rule for the air phase of the WHTI rule will be published in the Federal Register on November 24, where it can be viewed at www.regulations.gov . That rule is also available on the Department's consular web site, travel.state.gov and on the Department of Homeland Security's web site, www.dhs.gov . A separate proposed rule addressing land and sea travel will be published at a later date proposing specific requirements for travelers entering the United States through land and sea border crossings. As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea could be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. The Department has dedicated additional resources and personnel to meet the increased demand for passports generated by these requirements. In Fiscal Year 2006, the Department issued a record 12.1 million passports to American citizens, and anticipates issuing 16 million passports in Fiscal Year 2007. U.S. citizens can find information about how to apply for a passport at travel.state.gov or by calling 1-877-487-2778. 2006/1066

Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:24:17 +0000

For more on this trip see the full site at The DC Tourist

It might be a bit late, but I wanted to share some photos of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC. And of course, there's always next year. In fact, looking at the web cam the blossoms have left for the year.

In 1885 Ms. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore first recommended planting the cherry trees she'd admired so much in Japan. There was a plan to reclaim some land along the Potomac waterfront and she thought they'd be a wonderful addition. Like every good idea in Washington, it was immediately rejected. :^)

By 1909 either they were tired of hearing from her or they couldn't stop her new partner in the campaign, First Lady Helen Taft.

The trees were eventually planted, and today there are 3,750 trees of 16 varieties planted on parks land, and many private plantings as well.

The festival has grown into a two week festival with fireworks, a parade, and a street festival.

Activities:
There are a variety of activities around the Tidal Basin during the two weeks of the festival. There are performances near the Jefferson Memorial, a parade, a beauty pageant, and of course just walking around the Tidal Basin.

Area Attractions:
Washington DC is a city full of art, gardens, memorials, and government facilities with displays and that welcome visitors. See our attractions page on The DC Tourist for more ideas.

Local Accommodations:
Washington, Alexandria , Arlington , Centreville , Chantilly , Dulles , Dumfries , Fairfax , Falls Church , Herndon , Lorton , Manassas , Mclean , Reston , Rosslyn , Springfield , Sterling , Triangle , Vienna , Woodbridge

D ..

Lake Shasta Caverns, California

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:50:36 +0000

For more on this trip see the full site at The California Tourist.

There's something timeless about touring an active cavern. A trickle, a drip, a plop at a time the minerals in a cavern grow the incredible formations that we like to ohh and ahhh at as we go through in a geologic instant.

The Lake Shasta Caverns aren't a simple walk through a mountain. The tour includes both boat and bus rides as well as an hour guided tour through the caverns themselves.

There are a wide variety of different formations and the tour guides have used their imaginations (or some other type of mind altering experience) to find familiar scenes in the twists and turns of stalactites and stalagmites.

Activities:
There are classroom activities that are organized separately.
There's a sluice where you can buy a sack for dirt and take your chance at finding riches. Obviously the sacks are salted for success, but it's a great way to get an idea of what it was like for early panners.

The gift store is nice.

You have to stay with staff on the tour, so coming and going is scheduled. There's a note about boating up to the shore to take the tour, see the official web site for more.

Area Attractions:
Shasta Lake Dam, Redding, Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area, Shasta State Historical Park.

Local Accommodations:
Anderson , Redding
Directions:
Located 15 miles North of Redding off I-5 at Shasta Caverns Rd.
(exit # 695)

Camping & RV:
There are plenty of RV Parks in the area. The commercial parks are centered around Redding to the south, though there are some like Lakehead Campground & RV Park near Lakehead just north of the caverns.
There are also numerous campsites in the Shasta-Trinity Recreation Area, but as usual the Forest Service and National Parks Service web sites were a mess when I checked.

Problems with the NPS Web Site

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 13:53:17 +0000
I'm not sure what the problems are, but the National Parks Service web site www.nps.gov seems to be having a lot of problems. I've discovered a number of bad links. For instance, if you go to the home page and then to the 'View All Park A-Z' page, for the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial it sends you to www.nps.gov/frdm/index.htm It should send you to http://www.nps.gov/fdrm/ since his name is Franklin D Roosevelt, not Franklin R Delano. Here's a bad link to the Julian Price Memorial Campground found off of Google. www.nps.gov/blri/conepric.htm So both old and new links are bad, since Google tends to record links once a month. I tried to email the webmaster, but after filling out their form all I get is "Service Unavailable". They have great information when you can find it. But for now, you may or may not be able to find it.

Washington, D.C. Cherry Festival

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:01:11 +0000
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I'll keep this short because I just got back. But for those on the East Coast, this weekend (April 1-2, 2006) is all about the Cherry Festival in Washington, D.C..

There are over 3,500 cherry trees around the Tidal Basin on the Potomac River. The trees are in full bloom and the festival goes on until April 9th. But the trees are peaking this weekend.

Traffic in Washington is terrible on a good day, so I recommend either taking the metro or signing up for a tour and let the bus driver do all of the work. I found some parking in the marina area, but ended up walking a 1/2 hour to the park.

There are a variety of events going on. Check papers or the Cherry Festival web site for more.

I've got some photos up at The DC Tourist and will post more as I get it. But if you can get there, I really recommend going. I overheard one gentleman say he'd lived there over 50 years and had never gone before and really regretted it.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk & RV Roadtrips

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 19:00:54 +0000
This just in from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Big Kahuna Club newsletter. "I thought you might find the following news of interest... Tonight's "John Ratzenberger's Made In America" TV program on the Travel Channel will be about the history of the Ferris Wheel and the Eli Bridge Company. The program will include some footage of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Watch it tonight, Tuesday March 14 at 9 PM/Eastern and Pacific on the Travel Channel. This Sunday afternoon, March 19, a crew from a new TV program "RV Roadtrips" is scheduled to film at the Boardwalk. "RV Roadtrips" will eventually air in high-definition on the Do-it-Yourself Network. Each episode is devoted to one family and one campground and the family's activities while on vacation. A family will be visiting the Boardwalk this Sunday with a small TV crew. (If it rains, they plan to visit the arcades.) Brigid Fuller Big Kahuna Coordinator"

Poached Salmon and Sauces

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 13:33:45 +0000

Salmon is a favorite sport fish as well as a delicious main course or cold snack. And with the news about omega-3 fatty acids salmon is a healthy addition to your diet.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

½ cup white wine

½ cup fish stock

1 small carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, cut into quarters, leaves left on

1 small onion, sliced

1 salmon, 5 to8 pounds, cleaned, gutted and scaled

Lemon slices, fresh dill, and fresh parsley, for garnish

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the dill, wine, fish stock, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Ifyou area using a poacher, combine ingredients as above and pour the liquid in. Place the salmon on a double thickness of cheesecloth, twist the ends to form handles, then place the fish in the hot liquid. Cover the poacher and simmer, without boiling, about 10 minutes per inch thickness of the fish (about 25 to30 minutes for a 5 pound fish).

Without a poacher, wrap the salmon in a double thickness of buttered aluminum foil. Pour the poaching liquid over the salmon and wrap it loosely. Seal by crimping the edges together all around. Poach in a preheated 300°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let salmon sit in liquid for about 20 minutes. Save the liquid to use as stock for an additional sauce.

Transfer fish to a serving plate and carefully remove the skin. Cut the fish along the backbone, and when top side is eaten, turn over to serve the remaining half. Be careful of the bones, too many people end up in the emergency room from swallowing a bone.

Garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of fresh dill and parsley.

Serve cold with one or more of these sauces.

Dill Sauce:

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. flour

3 egg yolks

½ c. whipping cream

2-3 tsp. chopped fresh dill preferably or 1 tsp. dried dillweed

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the flour to make a white roux. Gradually stir in strained fish stock and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce.

Pour sauce into a bowl, set over hot water. Add egg yolks and stir until sauce thickens. Gradually add the remaining butter, the cream and the chopped dill and keep warm without letting it boil. Place fish on a platter, remove skin, garnish with lemon wedges and fresh dill and serve sauce. Serves 6.

White Butter Sauce:

6 tbsp. chopped shallots or onions

1 ½ c. dry white wine

12 tbsp. butter

Salt & pepper

Combine shallots and wine in saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the wine cook down to 1/3 cup and continue cooking over high heat, stirring continuously and add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves: 2.

Cucumber-Dill Sauce:

3/4 pt. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded & grated

2 tbsp. grated onion

1 tbsp. white horseradish (optional)

1 tbsp. fresh parsley (minced)

Dash of white pepper

1 tbsp. fresh dill (minced) or 2 tsp. dry dill

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, longer is better. Serve over poached salmon or as a sauce for other fish dishes.

Note: If you're having trouble with characters in the list, ½ = 1/2

Beef in Guiness for St. Patricks Day

Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:05:11 +0000

To celebrate St. Patricks Day, I thought I'd feature a different Irish recipe each day this coming week.

Guiness Beer is not only a local favorite, but often recommended for iron deficiency. There might even be some other health benefits, as long as you can stop at one or two. There's no doubt it's popular.

Guiness has a different texture because it uses a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide to pressurize the liquid. The nitrogen results in smaller bubbles than most beers, which only use the carbon dioxide naturally released during fermentation.

The beer is used to help break down the traditionally tough Shin of Beef, but here in the US regular stewing meat will work fine.

2-½ lb Shin of Beef or other stewing meat or braising Steak

2 Large Onions, sliced

6 Carrots, sliced

2 tbsp Seasoned Flour

A little beef dripping or oil

8fl.oz. Guiness

8fl.oz. Beef Stock

2 Bay Leaves

2 sprigs Fresh Thyme

1 tbsp Freshly chopped Parsley

Instructions

Cut the beef into chunks and toss in the flour to coat on all sides.

Melt the dripping or oil in a large saucepan until very hot, add the beef and seal quickly on all sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat the fat again until hot then add the onions and fry gently until soft and transparent.

Return the beef to the pan together with the carrots, bay leaves, thyme, stock and Guinness. Mix well, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1-½ hours, stirring from time to time.

To serve - transfer to a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Serves four

A Weekend in Cambria

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 16:39:37 +0000
This is one of many trips from the Central Coast and around the nation featured on my RV Travels Blog.

For more on this trip see the full site at Central Coast Tourist

Before you go, stop by the Hearst Castle site and make reservations for one or a couple of the tours, especially if you're traveling in the summer. Tickets are available at the ticket booth on a walk-up basis, but they can go quickly during peak periods.

Friday Night
Cambria is oriented towards two groups, artists and travelers. Artists love the peace and quiet of the area. The beautiful coast and other natural wonders of this area that calls artists also attract a lot of tourists. Whether it's the beach, Hearst Castle, or area wineries, there's plenty to do here for a weekend.

Travelers come and go and most of the area businesses offer travel related services.

Finding a place to stay. Whether it's one of the bed and breakfasts, a lodge, or a motel on Moonstone Beach, there's a good variety available.

You can find less expensive locations just south of Cambria in Cayucos, but my favorite is one of the motels along Moonstone Beach across Hwy 1 that are right on the beach.

After checking in you'll find plenty of places to go, but we recommend starting by looking in to performances at the Pewter Playhouse.

Saturday
Wherever you stay, you might have trouble getting up early on Saturday. About the only thing you'll hear is either the wind rustling through the trees inland, or the waves crashing on the beach in Moonstone Beach. Both are very relaxing after the sounds of the city.

Wander up to Main St and you'll find plenty of cafes and coffee houses in town.

After breakfast in town I like to head down to the beach while waiting for the fog to burn off. There's a nice trail along Moonstone Beach, there's the East/West Ranch trail south of there in the housing area, or Lefingwell Park on the north edge of town.

Enjoy a quick lunch then head out to Hearst Castle. The last time I was there you could sign up for one of five tours, and it's possible to take a couple in a day. There are seasonal tours, with the Christmas time tour the most popular. This special event features actors that dress in period costume and entertain you as you walk through this kingly estate.

If you have time you can also try and get in on the Piedras Blancas lighthouse tour or stop by the elephant seal beach just south of the lighthouse. Late December into February this beach is full of thousands of seals as they gather to give birth and breed before heading back out to sea.

For dinner Brambles Dinner House or Robin's are special treats, but there's a large variety of excellent restaurants in town. Or head north to San Simeon for dinner and Karaoke with Rick Martel at the San Simeon Beach Bar & Grill. Rick is a local celebrity and sure to entertain.

Sunday
Up and at,er, boy this bed is comfortable. By now the relaxed pace of SLO (San Luis Obispo) county should be seeping in.

If you just must get up and do something and you're staying at the San Simeon Pines Seaside Resort, you can play around of 9 on their golf course.

In town, you might want to walk through the shops. Along the way you can see the original Piedras Blancas Lighthouse lens and the lawn bowlers.

There are plenty of shops to go through, with a variety from art and sculpture to magic to antiques.

The North Carolina Tourist.

Summary: You can't miss the Big Pinnacle of Pilot Mountain State Park as you travel along US 52. In fact, if you're driving north on 52 there's a pull-out along the road so you can stop and get some photos.
Once you get to the park drive to the top of the park and you'll find the trailhead to Jomeokee Trail. This trail leads around the base of the top and you can take photos looking up. It's a great beacon for the local area. The park is broken into two parts. Near Big Pinnacle is the Ranger Station, the family camping area, trails, and a road to a parking area near Big Pinnacle.

The other part is on the Yadkin River, but since it's still closed photos of that area will have to wait

Activities:
Camping, canoeing, hiking, fishing, picnicking, hiking, and rock climbing.
Note: rock climbing isn't allowed on the Big Pinnacle. I like the comment, unroped climbing is discouraged. Yeah, go ahead. Kill yourself, but we don't encourage it cause we don't want to be in the Darwin Awards.
Area Attractions:
Mount Airy (Mayberry RFD), Blue Ridge Parkway, Hanging Rock State Park, Horne Creek Historic Farm , and wineries.
Directions:

Pilot Mountain State Park is located in Surry and Yadkin counties, 24 miles north of Winston-Salem and 14 miles south of Mount Airy. From US 52, take the Pilot Mountain State Park exit and travel west into the mountain section of the park, where the park office is located.

The north River Section (Surry County) is 10 miles from the mountain section of the park. From US 52, take the Pinnacle exit and follow the signs to Horne Creek Farm. The park entrance is approximately .4 miles past the farm.

The south River Section (Yadkin County) is 20 miles from the mountain section of the park. Take NC 67 to the town of East Bend. From Main Street, turn rignt on Fairground Road. Turn right on Shady Grove Church Road, turn right on Shoals Road, and follow it to the park.
Note: As of Nov. 14, all facilities on the south side of the Yadkin River (Yadkin County) in the Yadkin River Section of the park will be closed Monday through Friday. Those facilities will resume a normal operating schedule on April 1.

Local Accommodations:
Clemmons , Jonesville , Kernersville , King , Mount Airy , Pilot Mountain , Winston-Salem , Yadkinville

Camping & RV:
There area 49 campsites for tents and trailers in the family camping area near the entrance to the park off of US 52.. Each site has a tent pad, table and grill. While water is available in the park, there aren't any hook-ups. Sites are available on a first come-first serve basis March 15 through November 30. With all of this warm weather it's too bad the camp isn't open, but I noticed that the water fountains were off in February and the cold waves going through have more affect at this altitude.
There are also youth and cano ..

Cacuhma Lake

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 10:28:56 +0000

For more on this trip see the full site at The California Tourist.

After the cool ocean breezes of the coast, Cachuma Lake can be a pleasant change of pace for the weekend reveler. The lake is located in the hills above Santa Barbara along State Road 154, or San Marcos Pass. Even if you're not going to the Lake, taking this shortcut from near Solvang to Santa Barbara over the mountains is a beautiful drive.

The park has full facilities including a gas station, a store and laundry. I found the personnel to be extremely helpful and courteous. They were more than happy to answer all my odd sounding questions.

Since the lake is a water supply there's no body contact (swimming) allowed. The Family Fun Center includes a swimming pool, video games, miniature golf, bike rentals, and snack bar, and is open daily during the summer.

And of course there's the lake. Rent or bring your own boat and you can get even further back into the hills and enjoy some peace and quiet while wetting your hook.

The park boasts over 420 campsites, neatly laid out in small groups around the park. 90 sites have electricity, and yurts are also available.

Activities:
Hiking, fishing, boating, camping, swimming (pool), nature center, playgrounds.

Area Attractions:
Santa Barbara Mission, Los Olivos, Solvang, Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, El Presidio, Michael Jackson's House.

Local Accommodations:
Carpinteria , Goleta , Ojai , Santa Barbara , Solvang , Summerland , Ventura

Directions:
Coming from the south , take the State St. Hwy 154, San Marcos Pass Rd exit off of Hwy 101 and follow north into the mountains. It's approximately 21 miles from Hwy 101.
From the North, take Hwy 154, Los Olivos exit south to the campground entrance.

Camping & RV: Camping or fishing are the two main reasons for going to Cachuma Lake. There are a total of 420 campsites, group sites, and three yurts at the lake.

A note on the main website says that the individual sites are on a first come, first serve basis. Summer of course is the busiest time, but the lake is a good destination year round.

Mount Airy, NC - Home of Mayberry RFD

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:30:15 +0000

For more on this trip see the full site at The North Carolina Tourist. and the Mount Airy Pages.

Summary:
Mounty Airy was made famous by the Andy Griffith show as the model for Mayberry RFD. Those names are obvoiusly similar, as are the names used for the town of Mount Pilot - Pilot Mountain.

Mount Airy is the largest town in Surry County. Walk down Main St. and it certainly has a feel that will remind you of the small town featured in the show, but it's also grown along with the rest of the state. You'll see a modern health food store just a few doors down from Barney's Cafe, attorney's offices mixed with businesses designed to take advantage of its fame.

The most timeless part of the town is the granite quarry and the buildings made from this gray rock. Mount Airy is home to the world's largest open face granite quarry, samples of which are easy to find around town.

Mounty Airy is also a gateway to Virginia and the Blue Ridge Parkway. You'll see quite a few North Carolinians driving past town on the way to Virginia to purchase lottery tickets as they await the start of their own state lottery.

Activities:
Shop on Main St., go to Granite Corp Observation Point, stay overnight in Andy Griffith's childhood home, visit wineries, visit Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, and visit other historic sites.

Area Attractions: Pilot Mountain State Park, BlueRidge Parkway, Shelton Vineyards, Rockford Village, and Stone Mountain State Park.

Local Accommodations:
Jonesville , King , Mount Airy , Pilot Mountain

Directions:
From Hwy. 52 N.: Take Hwy 52 S. to the Hwy. 89 Exit. Turn left onto Pine St./Hwy. 89. Follow Pine to Renfro St., turn left. Follow Renfro just beyond Independence Blvd., turn sharp left onto N. Main St. Mount Airy Visitors Center, 615 N. Main St., is a two-story blue house on the right side of the street.

From I-77: Exit 100 to Hwy. 89 East. Turn left onto Pine St./Hwy. 89. Follow Pine to Renfro St., turn left. Follow Renfro just beyond Independence Blvd., turn sharp left onto N. Main St. Mount Airy Visitors Center, 615 N. Main St., is a two-story blue house on the right side of the street.

From Highway 52 S.: Take Hwy. 52 N. to Business 52. (This road becomes Renfro St.) Follow Renfro just beyond Independence Blvd., turn sharp left onto N. Main St. Mount Airy Visitors Center, 615 N. Main St., is a two-story blue house on the right side of the street.

From I-74: Take Exit 101 to Mount Airy. Take Exit 11 to Hwy. 601. Turn left onto Hwy 52 N. Take the Hwy. 89 Exit. Go straight at stoplight onto Pine Street. Follow Pine to Renfro St., turn left. Follow Renfro just beyond Independence Blvd., turn sharp left onto N. Main St. The Mount Airy Visitors Center, 615 N. Main St., is a two-story blue house on the right side of the street.

Camping & RV:
Several local state parks and commercial campgrounds including Hanging Rock State Park
Jomeokee Campground
The California Tourist.

Summary: Walking through the Capitol Building it can be hard to imagine that one of the largest economies in the world is administered here. Enter the senate chamber and you'll see people standing around, chatting next to antique wooden desks built in the 1860s.

But very real and important work does go on here and every Californian should spend some time in its illustrious halls. While we may not be enthralled with the state of politics today, what happens here has an everyday impact on our lives.

Contact your representative and you may even get an escort onto the assembly floor during session. This is guaranteed to widen the eyes of any student that gets the opportunity, as well as most adults.

The Capitol is houses 40 Senators, 80 Assembly Members, the Governor, and Lieutenant Governor. Both the Senate and Assembly chambers are housed here, offices, and the Governor's offices.

In the basement you can sign up for a guided tour, see exhibits, eat in the cafeteria, and find items in the gift shop.

After touring the three parts of the capitol, take a stroll outside in the gardens. Here trees, plants, and sculptures weave a story of the history of California through the ages.

The gardens have over 450 varieties of plants as well as sculptures, many commissioned as tributes to missionaries, veterans, and firefighters.

Activities:
Wander the Capitol, look at the Cupola, sit in on sessions in the Senate and Assembly, go to the basement and sign up for a tour, wander the gardens, meet your representatives.
After the Capitol, head over to Old Sacramento for shopping and tour the Railroad Museum or Discovery Museum. Then head out and tour Ft Sutter and see what life was like in early Sacramento.

Area Attractions: Old Sacramento, Ft Sutter, The Railroad Museum, the American River, The Governor's Mansion, Wells Fargo Museums, State Indian Museum, Sacramento Discovery Museum

Local Accommodations: Auburn , Davis , Dixon , Elk Grove , Folsom , Galt , Gold River , Mcclellan , North Highland , Rancho Cordova , Rocklin , web site for prices and discounts.

Another popular feature is the off-leash dog park. The park is separated into two areas, big and big in heart. While I've never seen a fight at the park, this does stop our shorter friends from getting stepped on by their larger friends.

The park is in a fenced in and isolated part of the park where they can bark, run, and play to their hearts content.

While I was camping at the park, one of the regular jobs of the camp hosts seemed to be keeping cattle out of the botanical gardens. I understand this problem has been solved, which I'm sure is a relief to the group the keeps up the gardens.

The gardens have a variety of local plants as well as plants from similar climates around the world. Here you see a photo of a Hooker's Banksia from Australia. South Africa also seems to a popular choice for plants.

The plants are labeled and you can find many surprises as you walk the short trail.

My favorite at the park is the camping area. Camping is broken into two RV areas with full hook-ups and a primitive area for tents. There are bathrooms with pay-as-you-go showers. You can get something to eat next door at the club house, or cook your own over the grills located at each site.

The primitive camp area is more like an open parking lot, but the RV spots are concealed by trees and brushes. There's a lot of privacy, and the last row has great views of the hills. Camping areas include various length back-in and pull through spots. They don't take reservations unless you're in a group, so try and get there early Friday or on Saturday. Many people just seem to spend one night and then move on.

Stay straight as you go in you'll pass by the baseball diamond, playground, and several group picnic areas. At the end, just past the off-leash parks is the trail head for all the back country trails.Dairy Creek trail is a paved road that leads back in to the hills.

You can usually find trail guides in a box at the start of Dairy Creek Trail. Dairy Creek Trail is relatively flat. About a tenth of mile down the trail you'll find a cut-off for the Eagle Rock trail loop that heads up into the hills with a much more slope. Along this trail you'll see a series of numbered posts that are explained in the brochure. But the real treat is the view you'll find once you get to the top of the hill along Eagle Top Vista. This trail loops and you'll soon find yourself back on the Dairy Creek Trail that heads back to the parking area.

Don't be surprised if you hear gunfire. Camp San Luis Obispo surrounds the north and east part of the park and you'll often hear rifles as the soldiers practice.

If you stay on Dairy Creek it leads to pasture lands at the back of the park. One pasture is fenced and marked with a sign that warns of unexploded ordnance. I used to see a lone cow out in the field and wondered what she did to deserve that. But I haven't see her after that one time.

There's an on going building project that will include a workrooms, library, and multipurpose room, but th ..

Marshall Gold Discovery SHP

Fri, 03 Feb 2006 17:05:23 +0000

For more on this trip see the full site at The California Tourist.

Coloma is the place that made the California Gold Rush a reality. On January 24, 1848, James Marshall found some gold flakes in the stream bed and soon after started a chase for riches that wasn't seen again until the Dot.Com boom.

Today it's a wonderful state park next to the South Fork of the American River. Here you can walk through town, meeting docents dressed in period costume, go to a church service in the local chapel, and see the place where the original gold discovery occured.

Just down the road you can join river rafters for an adventure down the American River. Or just put together a picnic and enjoy the warm sun, clean air, and peace and quiet of this historical community.

There's a strong interpretive program that puts on demonstrations through out the year that allow you to see people replicating the lifestyle that early pioneers discovered here. You can pan for gold, watch sawmill demonstrations, or meet campers living in Coloma for the weekend.

Activities:
There are lots of buildings to explore, river rafting, hiking, picnicking, fishing, and gold panning.

You can participate in gold panning, hike trails, wonder small shops, see demonstrations like the sawmill, picnic, walk through the museum, building, mining equipment, and visit occasional festivals.

Area Attractions:
There are dozens of small towns, parks, and places of historical interest to explore along Hwy 49. Placerville, Nevada City, Volcano, and many more small historic towns are in the area.
Lake Tahoe, Reno, Sacramento, and Folsom Lake Recreation Area are all short drives away.

Local Accommodations:
Auburn , Cameron Park , Folsom , Gold River , Placerville , Pollock Pines , Rocklin

Directions:
The park is located in Coloma on Highway 49 between Placerville and Auburn. If you head up Highway 50 in October you can get stuck in traffic for 20 - 30 minutes. I took the Ponderosa Rd exit, then North Shingle Rd (a quick right on the north side of Hwy 50), a right on Green Valley Rd, and a left on Lotus Rd. Take this all the was to Hwy 49, then a right at the end into the park. There are a couple of parking lots, and some parking along the road. All parking requires a parking fee. If you don't park in a parking lot with an attendant, you're supposed to pay at the museum.
Camping & RV:
While the State Park doesn't operate a camping area in the park, there are plenty in the area. See commercial listings for more.

Day Trippin' - Charles Paddock Zoo Atascadero

Fri, 27 Jan 2006 17:07:27 +0000

For more on this trip see the full description on The Central Coast Tourist.

Any tour of the zoo has to start out with this magnificent sculpture. Look to your left before you get to the admissions window. This grotto is a somewhat peaceful place, disturbed occasionally by the monkeys howling.

Hey, it's a zoo.

Started by Charles Paddock, a ranger with a big heart for injured animals, the zoo has grown to occupy over 5 acres. Filled with interesting animals, like tigers and bears, this is a great place to spend an afternoon.

The zoo is a bit small so you can't get lost. As you walk in, you can choose one of three paths to follow. I usually walk to the right to the tigers and petting areas (not both at the same time), the monkeys are to the left and straight ahead, and a wonderful aviary is to the left

The bird exhibits are wonderful. Open, well planned, and colorful, they're a photographers playground.

Flamingos cavort in the open, emu's watch curiosly, and a visit through the steel door transports you to a new land.

Don't forget to keep an eye open for a Scarlet Ibis. You can't miss this colorful bird.
I almost miss the aviary every time I go to the zoo. But you'll even find zoo employees slipping in here during their breaks to enjoy the magic. Meerkats, monkeys, wallabys and prehensile tailed porcupines are among the other animals the zoo boasts.

Call 805-461-5080 for Zoo hours and information, for Zoological Society information (membership, events, etc.) call 805-461-5083. The zoo received a Fossa last year (one of the few zoos that has one on exhibit ), and has put Burrowing Owls and a Channel Island Fox on exhibit. The Burmese Python will also be going back on exhibit after a couple of years of being off exhibit.

.

Directions: 9305 Pismo Ave just west of Highway 101 in Atascadero. 805 461-5083

Lodging: Atascadero , Avila Beach , Cambria , Morro Bay , Paso Robles , Pismo Beach , San Luis Obispo

Camping: Paso Robles, but you can try one of the better parks nearer the coast like El Chorro Regional Park, San Simeon State Park, Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay State Park

Elephant Seals of Piedras Blancas

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:25:59 +0000

For more on this trip see my California Tourist Site.

It's that time of the year again. Head 4 1/2 miles north of the Hearst Castle on Hwy 1 and by the time you see the lighthouse you'll also see hundreds, if not thousands, of elephant seals lining the beach.

Male and female elephant seals head out to sea in different directions. Only here on this (normally) quiet beach do they come together to mate, give birth, and rest from winter storms.

This gives us peoples a great chance to get a glimpse into their world. In late Fall yearlings, juveniles, and subadults start coming up on the beach. It's fun to watch the subadult males as they learn to posture, squabbling like teenage boys and making as much noise. Here they start to act out territorial fighting, though I've never seen anyone injured.

Starting in November into December the real males start coming ashore and staking out territory, which changes depending on who's coming in day by day. In December pregnant females start arriving. They look like they're sunbathing, but the seals are actually conserving energy because they don't eat the entire time they're on the beach. In fact the opposite is the problem, the heat sometimes seen in December is too warm for these animals that are well insulated with blubber and you'll see them slipping into the water to cool down.

Around the week of Christmas the first females will start to give birth. Leading up to the birth you might see spasms moving the large abdomens of expectant mothers. You won't see much during the birth other than the gulls gathering in an area waiting to have at the afterbirth. A female will lift her tail, a pup will pop, and then she'll start cleaning it up.

The pups spend most of their time nursing, trying to gain weight as soon as possible. They have to fatten up quickly, for in 4 - 6 weeks they're left stranded on the beach as mom returns to the ocean to feed. The pups will have to live off that fat as they learn to fish and catch their own dinner.

Once the mothers start weaning the males will start chasing them, getting ready for next year's birth. Then the females return to the ocean to enjoy the freedoms of underwater flight, the embryo dormant and waiting for the cue to start growing in time to join friends in December.

A couple of words of warning. Don't go on the beach. There's a pretty famous story of a man that was carried off the beach face down on a stretcher having been bitten in the butt. He'd waited for the docents to leave, ignoring warnings. March into early April pups who didn't get enough food will start dying on the beach. It's sad to see, as well as an awful smell.

While you're driving to the beach, keep your eyes open for zebras between San Simeon and the Hearst Castle along the right (east) side of the road.

Directions. The beach is about 12 miles north of Cambria along Hwy 1. There's a large parking lot, and the beach is staffed by docents during regular hours. The last time I was there no facilites or water was available.

Camping. There are several state and private campgrounds along Hwy 1, including San Simeon, Morro Strand, and Morro Bay state parks. Camping along Hwy 1 is rarely allowed.

Area Lodging. Cambria, Cayucos, and Morro Bay

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 19:14:12 +0000

Summary:
Looking for lava flows? You'll find a park full at Sunset Crater Volcano. The park has some interesting features which include cinder cones and lava flows. It's hard to get too excited, but unless you want to head up to Craters of the Moon in Idaho you won't find bigger fields anywhere close.

As the newest volcano on the Colorado Plateau, it's fresh and easy to see. Cinder cones can be plainly seen, though one is off limits due to wear. There are pamphlet guided trails that explain different formations, hilltop views of volcanoes across the plains, and a great visitors center with knowledgeable rangers. Having just driven through the northwest and learned much about volcanoes, I did my best to stump him. But he was there with a quick and accurate answer every time, despite being distracted with trying to get a seismograph back on-line.

The road is a loop that goes through the newer Wupatki National Monument. It will take a few hours to hit both, but well worth the time.

Activities:
From the NPS site:
Hike one of the two trails or stop and take in a program given by park rangers. Allow at least 1 hour to stop at the Visitor Center and hike the Lava FLow Trail. To hike the Lenox Crater cinder cone allow an additional 45 minutes.
Lava Flow Trail is a 1-mile (1.6km) loop trail with a .25 mile (500m) accessible loop. It is a self-guided trail exploring a variety of volcanic formations.

The Lenox Crater Trail provides an opportunity to climb a cinder cone. This steep trail is 1-mile (1.6km) round trip and requires about 30 minutes up and 15 minutes down!

Please stay on designated trails. Backcountry hiking is not allowed in order to protect fragile natural resources. Use extreme caution hiking near lava - it is sharp, brittle, and unstable.

Pets must be kept on a leash at all times. They are not allowed in buildings or on park trails.

Directions:
From Flagstaff, take U.S 89 north for 12 miles (19km), turn right on the Sunset Crater - Wupatki Loop road and continue 2 miles (3km) to the visitor center. You can also go up to Wupatki and loop down through the park at the end.
Local Accommodations:
Bellemont , Flagstaff , Sedona

Camping & RV:
There's a nice campground in the park. I didn't see any hook-ups, and water in the park is limited. There was an ice machine with a for sale sign and a camp host site. I saw a fire ring, table, and grill at most sites. There was a mixture of back-in and pull-through sites. Open from late May through mid-October.

You can find plenty of RV parks further south in Flagstaff.

Indian Grinding Stone State Park, California

Sat, 07 Jan 2006 17:01:41 +0000

For more on this area see my article on the Indian Grinding Stone State Park on the California Tourist.

Summary: The day I visited the park, it was full of boy scouts. The facilities here were great for a large group of wild adolescents. A volunteer had stopped by and given a presentation in the museum meeting room on Native Americans, and there's a picnic area where they could meet and lead discussions.

They were probably staying in the U'macha'tam'ma' sites (bark houses to the north). A warm but not hot day, with plenty to do, and the evidence of Native American life pounded into the rock were evidence that this area had a long history.

I enjoyed walking the short trail passing by the reconstructed Miwok village and roundhouse. Indians still gather here for special occasions.

In the local trees birds I've never seen before were busy gathering food as they fattened up for winter. The park page mentions snow, so be prepared for cold winters and hot summers.

But here away from freeways, airports, and the hectic schedule of everyday life, you can get back to the basics of life and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.

Features:
The Chaw'se Regional Indian Museum.
Indian Grinding Stones
Camping
hun'ge (roundhouse)

Camping & RV:
The parks has 23 campsites with paved parking (trailers and motor homes up to 27 feet), tables, food lockers, fire rings, piped water, restrooms with showers (showers will be closed for the months December through February) and flush toilets.

Campsites are available on a first-come, first served basis. The park is open for camping all year but is subject to closure during times of heavy snowfall.

Seven bark houses, each one suitable for up to six people, have been constructed in a secluded area of the park. They can be reserved for a group of up to 44 people. The camping is primitive; therefore you must haul water, supplies and equipment 200 yards or more from the parking area, but your time here will be unforgettable.

Directions:
The park is northeast of Stockton in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Take State Highway 88 East through Jackson to the town of Pine Grove. Take a left turn on the Pine-Grove-Volcano Road, and about a mile and a half later you will enter the Park. The second turnoff is the main entrance (the first road leads to the campground).

Local Accommodations:
Auburn , Cameron Park , Folsom , Gold River , Placerville , Pollock Pines , Rocklin

Disclaimer:
We do our best to insure the accuracy of information provided here. But time, age, and other events can change the applicability o ..

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 18:57:40 +0000

For more on this trip, see the Walnut Canyon section of my Arizona Tourist web site.

Summary:
Ready to take a tour of one of the great cultures of the Southwest. Ready to see early dwellings situated in multiple climates in a small area? Ready to find out what kind of shape you're in?

This is a great tour, but if you're not ready for a straight down, straight up hike, you may want to walk along the rim and peer down into the canyon.

For those that are ready to descend the stairs to walk the canyon walls and look into the past of this area, this is one of the best areas to see cliff dwellings I've been too. There are plenty of dwellings, multiple climate zones, and interpretive signs.

Features:
The Island Trail down into the canyon descends 185 feet and is just under a mile lone. But at an elevation of 6,690 feet coming back up can be a real challenge.

While in the canyon you can view 25 cliff dwellings close up. There are great views of the canyon and interpretive signs that explain life for early Indians, plants and their uses, and animals found in the different climate zones.

The other trail is a nice, even walk and takes you out along the rim, looking into the canyon and at the various cliff dwellings. On your way back you walk by several dwellings that includes a pithouse..

Directions:
Leave I-40 at Exit 204, 7.5 miles (12 km) east of Flagstaff; drive south 3 miles (5 km) to the canyon rim. Warning: Tight turn around for towed vehicles; 40 feet (12 meters) maximum length advisory.

Local Accommodations:
Bellemont , Flagstaff , Sedona

Camping & RV:
Commercial RV Parks at Meteor Crater to the east or in Flagstaff to your west.

Meteor Crater had free wireless Internet when I was there, as well as its own natural attraction.