Plan a weekend escape or an extended getaway to see autumn’s peak foliage
There might be a lot of people out there who are not ready for summer to end but it’s not all bad news. It’s time for sweater weather, hot apple cider, and best of all, seeing the leaves change from the lush greens of summer to the bright golds, oranges, and reds of autumn so we’ve rounded up the best places to see fall foliage around the country.
Over the next few months, each state will experience its unique view of fall. While many people associate watching the leaves change with weekend getaways to the Northeast, there are plenty of places to see the stunning seasonal views throughout the country. Classic leafy views in New Hampshire and Vermont are always a great go-to but you can also find amazing leaf-changing action in states like Virginia and Georgia.
Oak, ash, maple, and hickory trees transform before your very eyes all over the United States. And every landscape looks like a perfect postcard.
Nature lovers can revel in some wonderful scenery and even better activities throughout the fall in national parks and state parks. As the weather gets colder, leaf peepers can enjoy places like the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Smoky Mountains, and the White Mountains even more.
The crisp fall winds are already starting to blow, so it’s no wonder people are itching to get in their cars for some scenic driving. Luckily, peak leaf-peeping season is coming sooner than you might think.
The White Mountains of New Hampshire are probably the Granite State’s most famous spot for viewing fall foliage—for good reason. The scenic drive along the Kancamagus Highway is among the country’s most gorgeous areas for admiring blankets of bright orange, golden yellow, and fiery red leaves in autumn.
With stunning views from land and water, you will definitely need your camera when you visit Whitehall. Located just outside of the Adirondacks, Whitehall sits on the southern end of Lake Champlain. Its strategic location on the New York-Vermont border allowed the town to become the “birthplace of the US Navy”. Take a trip up to The Skene Manor, affectionately known as “Whitehall’s Castle on the Mountain.” This symbol of turn-of-the-century wealth overlooks the harbor and offers additional views of the region that can be missed at lower elevations.
The name, Wetumpka, is a Creek Indian word meaning “rumbling waters” describing the sound of the nearby Coosa River. The Coosa River flows through the middle of the city dividing the historic business district from its residential counterpart. Bibb Graves Bridge, a focal point of the City was built in 1937. Proceed across the Bridge to the largely residential west side and discover a number of historic and beautiful homes and churches within a five-block area mainly on Tuskeena Street. On the largely historic business district east side, the Wind Creek Casino overlooks the beautiful Coosa River.
This winding road covers almost 470 miles to connect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. While you drive, you’ll pass split-rail fences, old farmsteads, mountain meadows, and scenic overlooks. Stop along the way at the numerous hiking trails in either a national park or visit a local farm to grab some autumnal produce.
Fall foliage in Saratoga County is a spectacular sight to see as the trees come alive with vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. This season is the ideal time of year to take a relaxing drive down country roads and to impressive overlooks and colorful forests.
Saratoga National Historical Park has public hiking trails and a Driving Tour Road that will take you to unique historic sites and scenic overlooks with wide-sweeping views of the fall foliage.
Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia, Charlottesville offers spectacular scenery that’s perfect for viewing fall’s vivid hues. Mid-to-late October is when you’ll usually see the most dazzling red, orange, and yellow leaves but the colors can linger into early November depending on the weather. Some of the best viewing spots with scenic overlooks are along the neighboring Blue Ridge Parkway and the connecting Skyline Drive in nearby Shenandoah National Park.
Cades Cove is one of the most popular spots in the Smoky Mountains National Park and it’s not hard to see why. Visitors can explore hiking trails, historic sites, and an auto tour. During the fall season, Cades Cove comes alive with gorgeous colors and becomes an even more magical place to visit. But be aware that the traffic is often bumper-to-bumper, especially on weekends. Late October into November is when the gorgeous fall foliage can best be seen in Cades Cove. Be sure to bring your camera when you visit—there are plenty of picture-perfect opportunities throughout Cades Cove!
Brian Head-Panguitch Lake Scenic Byway climbs up Parowan Canyon’s white, gold, red, and yellow rock pillars and cliffs traveling between its two town anchors, Parowan and Panguitch. As you travel this rolling route through varying elevations, note the distinctive combination of colorful scenery and ancient history. For a relaxed afternoon, go fishing in Panguitch Lake from which the byway gets half of its name.
As you continue along your way, a section of the route brushes the top of Cedar Breaks National Monument, an amphitheater canyon eroded out of the western edge of the Markagaunt Plateau. Dixie National Forest is home to Brian Head Peak, which reaches 11,315 feet and gives the byway the other half of its namesake.
Fall colors in the Southern Willamette Valley are a special kind of show when the leaves of maples, magnolias, and oaks turn vivid shades of yellow and red, contrasting against Oregon’s signature evergreens. Use Eugene or Medford as a home base—both are home to quirky shops, restaurants, and stays. Enjoy the foliage with a climb up Spencer Butte, just a quick trip from downtown Eugene, or on a drive to explore the 20 covered bridges in Lane County. Better yet, pay a visit to one of the valley’s wineries—the vines also turn when the weather cools.
Experience Jacksonville, dubbed “One of America’s Top 10 Coolest Small Towns” by Frommers.
A short drive from Medford, life slows a pace or two in quaint, historic Jville. Steeped in history, the entire town is designated a National Historic Landmark. Explore the roots of the area from the days of the 1850s gold rush to now through a variety of historical tour options including a self-guided walking tour as well as trolley, haunted history tours, walking tours, and more! A quintessential western town, you’ll find yourself enthralled in how things used to be!
Surrounded by the beauty of the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway runs 40 miles from Blairsville to Brasstown Bald, the state’s highest peak, and access points along the Appalachian Trail. This national byway winds through the valleys and mountain gaps of the southern Appalachians. From the vistas atop Brasstown Bald to the cooling mists of waterfalls, scenic wonders fill this region. Hike the Appalachian Trail or fish in a cool mountain stream. Enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and piedmont. Several scenic overlooks and interpretive signs are features of this route.
Worth Pondering…
I love the fall season. I love all the reds, gold, and browns, the slight chill in the air, and watching the geese fly south in a V.
If you’re dreaming of where to travel to experience it all, here are my picks for the best places to RV in October
I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention…To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.
—Henry Rollins
To iconic punk artist Henry Rollins being stagnant and unimaginative is among the biggest transgressions one can make in life. From his time as the frontman for the pioneering hard-core band Black Flag to his work as a vocal advocate for social change, Rollins is constantly challenging himself and others to break the mold. As a musician, poet, radio host, and actor, he is known for his passion, intensity, and refusal to stop creating. With these words from his 1997 collection of writing, The Portable Henry Rollins, Rollins challenges us to travel down life’s unbeaten paths, do things our way, and embrace the qualities that make us unique.
Going down the path less traveled or choosing to go off the beaten path involves taking risks, choosing a different journey, and pushing your comfort zone.
Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in August and September. Also, check out my recommendations for October 2021 and November 2021.
A century ago it started as a flood management project, but today San Antonio’s Riverwalk is a flourishing urban waterway and one of the most cherished attractions in Texas. Visitors can drift underneath cypress trees by hopping on board one of the iconic riverboat tours that ply the nearly 15 miles of waterway. The banks of the river come alive all day (and all night) with musical performers, endless shops and boutiques, and numerous dining options. Plan your visit during the week of July 4th to experience the Bud Light Stars, Stripes, & Light exhibition when one thousand American flags will line the banks of the river.
Canyonlands invites you to explore a wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves. These areas share a primitive desert atmosphere but each offers different opportunities for sightseeing and adventure.
Canyonlands National Park preserves one of the last, relatively undisturbed areas of the Colorado Plateau, a geological province that encompasses much of the Colorado River and its tributaries. Carved out of vast sedimentary rock deposits this landscape of canyons, mesas, and deep river gorges possess remarkable natural features that are part of a unique desert ecosystem. With elevations ranging from 3,700 to 7,200 feet Canyonlands experiences very hot summers, cold winters, and less than ten inches of rain each year. Even daily temperatures may fluctuate as much as 50 degrees.
Located on the outskirts of Medford in southern Oregon, Jacksonville is both a scenic small town and a National Historic Landmark. Gold deposits brought prosperity and settlers before Oregon officially became a state, but today, Jacksonville is better known for its yearly Britt Music & Arts Festival and a plethora of antique shops. The Jacksonville Trolley provides a 45-minute tour of the area’s unique history and architecture in the summer months. Or, come in October and get the haunted version.
Located on the easternmost fringes of the Florida-Georgia line, the city of St. Marys is perhaps best-known as the launching point for those visiting Cumberland Island, the largest of Georgia’s idyllic seaside isles. Though Cumberland’s sprawling sandy beaches and centuries-old ruins are truly a sight to behold, St. Marys is fully capable of holding its own as a fascinating destination packed full of historic landmarks, museums, wild horses, and dining venues.
The St. Marys Seafood Festival returns on October 1. The festival brings a full day of family fun in St. Marys including a 5K and 10K run, a themed 10:00 a.m. parade featuring floats, fire trucks, tractors, golf carts, and, of course, seafood concessionaires. You’ll also find entertainment, demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, and more
A favorite part of the day will be the food! The restaurants will be offering seafood festival specials and there will be food trucks and vendors with sensational seafood fare.
The festival is on the waterfront in St. Marys historic district and offers visitors a relaxing small-town feel. Cumberland Island National Seashore celebrates 50 years this month.
Located across from Reynosa, Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley, Hidalgo has a rich, multicultural history and a vibrant community. It has two of the largest annual events in South Texas: the music, culture, and heritage festival Borderfest (early April) and the holiday show Festival of Lights in December. Also, it is home to the day trip-worthy Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum & World Birding Center.
But in terms of the town’s enduring symbolism, it is hard to beat the 2,000-pound Killer Bee statue that inhabits the entrance to Hidalgo’s City Hall. How did this large insect sculpture come to stand in Hidalgo? And perhaps more importantly, why?
The buzz started in 1990 when the first colony of “Africanized” killer bees was found to have reached the United States via Brazil—the outcome, literally, of a scientific experiment gone wrong. The bees decided to settle just outside of Hidalgo upon arrival where news of the event provoked widespread panic among many.
The Killer Bee of Hidalgo or “The World’s Largest Killer Bee” as it’s advertised was commissioned by the City of Hidalgo. The black and yellow sculpture reaches to about 10 feet tall and 20 feet long, not including its ominous antennae.
Astonishing biodiversity exists in South Carolina’s Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees. Prehistoric foragers hunted the area and fished its waters.
Attempts to make the land suitable for planting as well as grazing continued through 1860. The floodplain’s minor changes in elevation and consequent flooding stifled agricultural activity but the intermittent flooding allowed for soil nutrient renewal and enabled the area’s trees to thrive.
Bald Cypress, in particular, became a target for logging. By 1905, the Santee River Cypress Lumber Company owned by Francis Beidler had acquired much of the land. Poor accessibility by land confined logging to tracts near waterways so that logs could be floated down the river. In the perpetual dampness, though, many of the cut trees remained too green to float. Operations were suspended within ten years leaving the floodplain untouched.
The Boardwalk Loop is a must when visiting Congaree. It is 2.4 miles right through the swamps and jungle-like forests.
Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World-renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park. Feel the cool spray of a waterfall. Camp under the stars. Explore a historic grist mill. There’s plenty to see and do in the park!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park preserves a rich cultural tapestry of Southern Appalachian history. The mountains have had a long human history spanning thousands of years from the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early European settlement in the 1800s to loggers and Civilian Conservation Corps in the 20th century. The park strives to protect the historic structures, landscapes, and artifacts that tell the varied stories of people who once called these mountains home.
Biological diversity is the hallmark of Great Smoky Mountains National Park which encompasses over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. No other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the park’s amazing diversity of plants and animals. Over 17,000 species have been documented in the park: Scientists believe an additional 30,000-80,000 species may live here. Why such wondrous diversity? Mountains, glaciers, and weather are the big reasons.
The park is the largest federally protected upland landmass east of the Mississippi River. Dominated by plant-covered, gently contoured mountains the crest of the Great Smokies forms the boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina bisecting the park from northeast to southwest in an unbroken chain that rises more than 5,000 feet for over 36 miles. Elevations in the park range from 875 to 6,643 feet. This range in altitude mimics the latitudinal changes you would experience driving north or south across the eastern United States say from Georgia to Maine. Plants and animals common in the southern United States thrive in the lowlands of the Smokies while species common in the northern states find suitable habitats at the higher elevations.
The Great Smoky Mountains are among the oldest mountains in the world formed perhaps 200-300 million years ago. They are unique in their northeast to southwest orientation, which allowed species to migrate along their slopes during climatic changes such as the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. The glaciers of the last ice age affected the Smoky Mountains without invading them. During that time glaciers scoured much of North America but did not quite reach as far south as the Smokies. Consequently, these mountains became a refuge for many species of plants and animals that were disrupted from their northern homes. The Smokies have been relatively undisturbed by glaciers or ocean inundation for over a million years allowing species eons to diversify.
Against its backdrop of wooded hills, the Vermont State House is one of the most picturesque statehouses in the country. This State House is Vermont’s third and was built in 1859 on the same site as the second. It was reconstructed with a similar plan but on a larger scale and with a distinctly different ornamental scheme reflecting the Renaissance Revival style popular at the time. The State House was rebuilt in two and a half years and cost $150,000. It remains one of the nation’s oldest and best-preserved state capitols still in use. On the front portico which is the only remaining portion of the earlier Greek Revival, State House of the 1830s stands a statue of Ethan Allen, fabled leader of the Green Mountain Boys.
Just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is your escape to recreation and re-creation. Cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, quiet wooded hollows—take a hike, meander along Skyline Drive, or picnic with the family. 200,000 acres of protected lands are a haven to deer, songbirds, the night sky…and you.
The best way to experience Shenandoah is on Skyline Drive. It’s one of the most incredible drives in America. When you enter from the north, you start by descending into an old-growth forest and then climb the ridge with its sweeping curves that feature scenic vistas of rolling, forests, and mountains on either side of the road. When you reach the end of the road, you’ll want to hook up with the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby to keep the great views rolling. Plan a Shenandoah escape today!
Whether it’s an ocean, river, or lake, water is the break everyone needs from the hot Arizona sun. Patagonia Lake State Park is an escape offering shade, water, boating activities, camping, picnic tables, and grills for summer barbecuing. The park has fully equipped cabin reservations available but these sell out fast. If you’re late to the reservation game, check out their boat-in campsites or pick from 105 of their developed campsites.
Worth Pondering…
October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace!
A manufacturer recall can create a safety risk if not repaired
Your recreational vehicle may be involved in a safety recall and may create a safety risk for you or your passengers. Safety defects must be repaired by a certified dealer at no cost to you. However, if left unrepaired, a potential safety defect in your vehicle could lead to injury or even death.
What is a recall?
When a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a recreational vehicle or item of RV equipment creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards, the manufacturer is required to fix that vehicle or equipment at no cost to the consumer.
NHTSA releases its most recent list of recalls each Monday.
It should be noted that RV recalls are related to vehicle safety and not product quality. NHTSA has no interest in an air conditioner failing to cool or slide out failing to extend or retract—unless they can be directly attributed to product safety.
NHTSA announced 13 recall notices in September 2022. These recalls involved 8 recreational vehicle manufacturers—Forest River (3 recalls), Jayco (3 recalls), Winnebago (2 recalls), DRV (1 recall), Wayfarer (1 recall), Roadtrek (1 recall), REV (1 recall), and Keystone (1 recall).
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2023 Rockwood and Flagstaff fifth wheels. The Federal Placard states an axle rating of 5,200 lbs when the correct axle rating is 5,000 lbs.
Dealers will replace the Federal Placards, free of charge. Dealers were notified on August 26, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-642-8943. Forest River’s number for this recall is 10-1549.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Forest River Inc. Impression Fifth Wheel recreational vehicles. These vehicles were manufactured without a secondary emergency exit.
Dealers will inspect and install an egress window, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 12, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-4995. Forest River’s number for this recall is 83-1554.
Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Coachmen Freelander, Leprechaun, and 2023 Coachmen Prism motorhomes. The auxiliary LPG quick disconnect may be improperly tightened, causing a gas leak.
Dealers will inspect the quick disconnect, and tighten it if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 26, 2022. Owners may contact Forest River customer service at 1-574-825-8602. Forest River’s number for this recall is 210-1556.
Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Entegra Qwest, Jayco Melbourne, and Melbourne Prestige motorhomes. The shim on the torsion bar was incorrectly installed between the nut and the torsion bar, rather than between the ball stud and the torsion bar.
Dealers will replace the torsion bar linkage and correct the position of the shim, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 3, 2022. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-283-8267. Jayco’s number for this recall is MB 22V-131.
Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Entegra Anthem, Aspire, Cornerstone, Reatta, Reatta XL, and Jayco Embark motorhomes. The engine air intake box may not have a water drain installed, which can cause water to build up inside the air intake box.
Dealers will inspect and install a drain if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 3, 2022. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-283-8267. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9903580.
Jayco, Inc. (Jayco) is recalling certain 2022-2023 White Hawk travel trailers. The refrigerator LP gas line may have been improperly routed and concealed in the underbelly of the trailer.
Dealers will reroute the refrigerator LP gas line, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on September 30, 2022. Owners may contact Jayco customer service at 1-800-283-8267. Jayco’s number for this recall is 9901579.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. (Winnebago) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Winnebago View, Era, and Itasca Navion motorhomes. The retractable awning may extend unintentionally during transit.
The remedy is currently under development. Owners’ notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 11, 2022. Owners may contact Winnebago customer service at 1-641-585-6939 or 1-800-537-1885.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. (Winnebago) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Winnebago Travato motorhomes. The retractable awning may extend unintentionally during transit.
The remedy is currently under development. Owners’ notification letters are expected to be mailed on November 11, 2022. Owners may contact Winnebago customer service at 1-641-585-6939 or 1-800-537-1885.
DRV Suites (DRV) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Mobile Suites’ fifth wheels. The tail, stop, and turn lights may have been incorrectly placed, with the top portion of the lights above 72 inches high. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, “Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.”
Dealers will inspect the light heights, and install additional lights as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 26, 2022. Owners may contact DRV customer service at 1-260-562-3500.
Wayfarer (Wayfarer) is recalling certain 2017-2020 Tiffin Wayfarer motorhomes. During the recall repair for recall number 21V-514, the wheel lug nuts may not have been properly tightened, which can cause the wheels to come loose.
Dealers will check the lugs, and tighten them to specification, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Wayfarer customer service at 1-256-356-8661. Wayfarer’s number for this recall is WAY-104.
Roadtrek Inc. (Roadtrek) is recalling certain 2022 Zion, Zion SRT, Chase, and Zion Slumber motorhomes. The front seat mounting bolts may be improperly tightened. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 207, “Seating Systems.”
Dealers will inspect the bolts, and tighten them if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on September 6, 2022. Owners may contact Roadtrek customer service at 1-888-762-3873. Roadtrek’s number for this recall is 2022-05.
REV Recreation Group (REV) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Fleetwood Jamboree, 2020-2023 Fleetwood Southwind, Bounder, Flair, Fortis, Holiday Rambler Admiral, Invicta, Vacationer, 2021-2023 Fleetwood Discovery, Discovery LXE, Holiday Rambler Navigator, Armada, Nautica, 2023 Fleetwood Flex, Holiday Rambler Eclipse, 2021 Fleetwood Pace Arrow LXE, 2018 Holiday Rambler Vesta, 2022-2023 Fleetwood Frontier, 2021-2022 Fleetwood Pace Arrow, Holiday Rambler Endeavor, and 2019 Holiday Rambler Augusta motorhomes. The hydraulic lines may have been improperly routed, secured, or protected, which can result in a hydraulic fluid leak.
Dealers will inspect the hydraulic hoses for chafing or heat damage, and install hose protection, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 28, 2022. Owners may contact REV customer service at 1-800-509-3417.
Keystone RV Company (Keystone) is recalling certain 2023 Dutchmen Aspen Trail, Coleman, and Kodiak travel trailers. The switch for the electric stabilizer jacks may not be waterproof from the back side of the switch, which can result in an electrical short.
Dealers will replace the jack switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Keystone customer service at 1-866-425-4369. Keystone’s number for this recall is 22-435.
Cool, hidden, and unusual things to do in the Bluegrass State
I know what you’re thinking: Kentucky is all about bourbon and horses, right? There’s no denying that many memorable days do start with these storied activities but there are so many more reasons to visit Kentucky.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Kentucky. It isn’t all horse racing, bourbon distilleries, and bluegrass music—although it’s got all three in abundance. Kentucky’s incredibly diverse array of geological features and ecosystems means it offers opportunities for all your favorite outdoor activities, too.
Lexington is known as the “Horse Capital of the World.” Situated deep in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Country, Lexington has several main attractions including the Kentucky Horse Park, The Red Mile, and Keeneland race courses. Outside of the equestrian scene, the city is known for Rupp Arena, Transylvania University, and the University of Kentucky.
Lexington has imposed a unique urban growth boundary to protect the miles of pastures where horses are kept. This means that large swaths of green fields can be found throughout Lexington. In the heart of the city, visitors will find plenty of intriguing places to explore, including the Aviation Museum of Kentucky, Kentucky Theatre, the Mary-Todd Lincoln House, and Martin Castle.
This famous and historic horseracing arena attracts visitors year round. Even when races are not in session, Keeneland’s significance and extensive history make it a popular Lexington destination. Horses began racing at Keeneland, one of the top Lexington attractions in 1936 and since then, annual races have become a traditional event.
Keeneland is also host to practice meets for jockeys and horses preparing for the Kentucky Derby as well as a series of horse auctions throughout the year. Visitors to Keeneland are able to view the racecourse, visit the indoor facility, and tour the sales complex. Keeneland’s website offers a calendar of upcoming events and ticket purchasing options.
Keeneland is located at 4201 Versailles Road, Lexington.
If Kentucky can be described as the state of horses and bourbon its capital Frankfort is at the heart of it all. Located on the banks of the Kentucky River, it is a quintessential river community with small-town charm, rich history, and typical Southern hospitality. Stroll through the city to admire its fabulous architecture, especially the new and old capitol buildings as well as the new and old governor mansions which are open to the public. Get a sense of 200 years of city history at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and learn about the way of life in old Kentucky at the Liberty Hall Historic Site.
The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History is a 167,000-square-foot modern research facility and a museum. It also serves as the headquarters of the Kentucky Historical Society. The center has a range of permanent and temporary exhibitions and an extensive research library. The main permanent exhibit is called “A Kentucky Journey” and it provides insight into Kentucky and its inhabitants from prehistoric times to today. The Martin F. Schmidt Research Library is a history and genealogy research library.
The Center offers resources such as manuscripts, books, oral histories, and graphic collections about the places and people that made Kentucky what it is today. The library is popular among family historians who are trying to trace their genealogy. The center also has the Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery which hosts various temporary exhibitions and a collection of Lincoln memorabilia.
The Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History is located at 100 W Broadway Street, Frankfort.
Completed in 1910 in the Beaux-Arts style the beautiful, stately building of today’s Kentucky Capitol is the fourth building to be the home of the Kentucky government since 1792. Its predecessor still stands in downtown Frankfort. The building, designed by architect Frank Mills Andrews has an elegant façade covered with Vermont granite and Indiana limestone.
The interior is decorated with brilliant white Georgia marble, dark green Italian marble, and gray Tennessee marble. The Capitol’s State Reception Room is used as a place for ceremonies and has hand-painted walls with murals and scagliola created to look like Gobelin tapestries. There is a huge amount of art displayed throughout the building. One of the most popular pieces is the Lincoln statue in the rotunda. There is also an interesting collection of dolls that belonged to various First Ladies.
The Kentucky Capitol Building is located at 700 Capital Avenue, Frankfort.
On the grounds of the state capitol in Frankfort stands the beautiful Floral Clock. Its face stretches 34 feet across and is covered by flowers exclusively grown in the state of Kentucky. Beneath the clock is a pool of water that is often used as a wishing well and the coins thrown into the well are used to fund scholarships. The Floral Clock is one of the most-visited attractions in Frankfort and is open to the public every day from dawn until dusk.
The Floral Clock is located at 700 Capital Avenue, Frankfort.
A national historic landmark and home of the world’s most award-winning bourbon, Buffalo Trace Distillery is a true Kentucky Landmark. The state’s native spirit has been distilled and aged at Buffalo Trace for over 150 years. The distillery offers five different tours from behind the scenes of the whiskey making process to a tour of the barrels used to store and age the product.
All tours are free and include a sample of Buffalo Trace’s award-winning bourbon at the end. The distillery is open every day except for major holidays. Groups of over 25 people are required to reserve the tour in advance.
Buffalo Trace Distillery is located at 113 Great Buffalo Trace, Frankfort.
Two former schoolteachers, Ruth Booe and Rebecca Gooch, started Rebecca Ruth Candies in 1919. Their business has survived fires, family tragedies, two world wars, and the Great Depression and it is now a Kentucky institution.
Rebecca Ruth’s is home of the famous “bourbon balls,” a treat that mixes chocolate with Kentucky’s best-known liquor. The candy factory and museum is open for tours Monday-Saturday for a $5.00 admission fee. Children 5 and under get in free. After the tour, guests can purchase these sweet treats to take home with them at the company store.
Rebecca Ruth is located at 116 East Second Street, Frankfort.
Home to 30,000 people, Elizabethtown is the 10th largest city in the state of Kentucky. The town was once home to the log cabin where Abraham Lincoln’s daughter Sarah was born in 1807.
Elizabethtown was also the site of a dramatic Civil War battle in 1862. Modern Elizabethtown boasts a variety of cultural and natural attractions. There is a cluster of museums and event centers in the downtown area and for outdoor adventures, visitors can check out the Bourbon Trail and the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. Another popular attraction in town is Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home.
At 15,625 acres, Bernheim boasts the largest protected natural area in Kentucky. Bernheim contains a 600-acre arboretum with over 8,000 unique varieties of trees. Take a scenic drive through the forest on paved roads or bicycle around the Arboretum, a living library of trees.
Over 40 miles of trails with varying degrees of ease and difficulty weave their way through the forest at Bernheim; no matter what level you are looking for, there’s a trail for you. Some are handicap accessible. Hang out on the tree tops in the Canopy Tree Walk. This short boardwalk extends into the forest canopy, suspending visitors an astonishing 75 feet above the forest floor.
Bernheim Arboretum is located 20 miles northeast of Elizabethtown off Clermont Road.
Leaving Shepherdsville and heading southeast to Bardstown your first stop is in Clermont at the home of one of the world’s most noted whiskeys—the Jim Beam American Stillhouse. Although it’s now owned by Japanese mega-conglomerate Suntory, the seven-generation family-owned company’s rich history is still evident. The Jim Beam name dates back to before Kentucky was even a state. Their German immigrant ancestors settled on the land to grow corn that would soon after be used to make their original-recipe whiskey. You would be remiss to pass up one of its most influential brands.
Jim Beam is located 22 miles northeast of Elizabethtown off Clermont Road.
Kentucky’s second-oldest city, Bardstown was first settled in 1780. Nearly 200 buildings in the historic downtown district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places including a 1779 stagecoach stop that today is the Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest bourbon bar in the world.
Bardstown was described by Rand McNally and USA Today as the Most Beautiful Small Town in America and it is hard to argue with that description. The county seat of Nelson County, Bardstown is famous around the world for its bourbon while its eclectic shops are well worth exploring too.
The Bourbon Capital of the World is home to six notable distilleries. Kentucky’s “Official Outdoor Drama,” one of the country’s most highly regarded Civil War museums and one of the most recognized structures in the world is here at Federal Hill, better known as My Old Kentucky Home.
Distillery tours are a good way to get up close and personal with the beloved oak-aged liquor. By staying in Bardstown you’re roughly a half-hour drive from Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, and Four Roses. You’re practically spoiled for choice right in Bardstown, as well: The Barton 1792 distillery is a stone’s throw from downtown while Lux Row (which produces Rebel Yell, Ezra Brooks, and more), Willett, and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center aren’t much farther.
For whiskey lovers, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is a bucket-list trip, full of opportunities to visit distilleries and learn about bourbon—plus, of course, plenty of sampling along the way. Kentucky is the spiritual home of bourbon, an American whiskey made with at least 51 percent corn and aged in charred new American oak barrels. Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries are sprawled across the state with most of them between Louisville and Lexington.
The official Kentucky Bourbon Trail exists under the auspices of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association and it includes 18 distilleries as well as 23 smaller distilleries designated as the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. This official trial doesn’t include every bourbon producer in the state. But it’s still a pretty comprehensive overview and provides a useful way to organize a visit—including a website with plenty of maps and links.
With 11 unique distilleries within 16 miles of Bardstown’s court square, the Bourbon Capital of the World is a logical starting point for the journey.
My Old Kentucky Home State Park consists of many elements including a 39-site campground, an amphitheater, an 18-hole golf course (the Kenny Rapier Golf Course), and wedding and conference space. But what it is most famed for is Federal Hill more lovingly known as My Old Kentucky Home. Visitors can explore the historic mansion that was once owned by US Senator John Rowan.
It was an important site in US politics but was most famously known for its association with Stephen Foster’s ballad which the home inspired. Visitors can explore the mostly-brick structure and its amazing architecture which includes hand-carved windowsills and mantels, a stable, and a garden house. Guides dressed in period costumes who are full of fun facts lead the tours to take visitors back to another time.
My Old Kentucky Home State Park is located at 501 East Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown.
Visit the campus-like setting of the Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto on the banks of Hardin’s Creek. Established in 1805 as a gristmill distillery, Maker’s Mark is the oldest working distillery on its original site—and a National Historic Landmark. The historic charm is not the only reason to visit the Maker’s Mark distillery; the beautifully manicured grounds are a functioning arboretum; hosting more than 275 species of trees and shrubs and making for an ideal picnic spot.
Tours allow guests to experience the entire bourbon-making process first-hand from the processing of the grains to the rotating of the barrels to the purposely inefficient process of hand-dipping every bottle in signature red wax (visitors even get the chance to dip their very own!). Maker’s Mark promises a truly unique, intimate experience that sheds light on the specialness and tradition of making Kentucky bourbon.
Maker’ss Mark is located 20 miles south of Bardstown in Loretto.
The picturesque town of Georgetown is often noted for providing “pure small town charm” within Scott County’s country setting of rolling hills. This charming area offers a diverse assortment of things to do for both visitors and locals alike, both indoors and outdoors. From taking in history and art to getting up close and personal with Thoroughbred horses to sampling some of the best bourbon around, Georgetown and the surrounding Scott County is home to a variety of interesting things to do in the Kentucky horse country.
The Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm is a farm for retired Thoroughbred horses that encompasses nearly 140 acres. The unique home for horses offers an opportunity for guests to get up close to several Thoroughbreds including winners of the Kentucky Derby like War Emblem and Silver Charm and Breeders’ Cup Champions Amazombie and Alphabet Soup as well as stakes winners Ide and Game On Dude. The Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm offers daily public tours for a fee, private tours by appointment, and a visitor center.
Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm is located at 1841 Paynes Depot Road, Georgetown.
The Yuko-En on the Elkhorn is a symbol of friendship between the nation of Japan and Kentucky State. As a four-season garden, travelers and locals alike are welcome to visit the Yuko-En on the Elkhorn all year round. Access to the park is via the Tokugawa Gate along Cincinnati Pike which will lead visitors into the lush 5.5-acre garden.
Yuko-En features gorgeous Bluegrass landscaping that is presented in the style of a Japanese stroll garden. Stroll along the garden’s many pathways to explore Japanese-style bridges, a serene pond, and several other elements that make the Yuko-En a unique and enjoyable recreational destination.
Yuko-En on the Elkhorn is located at 700 Cincinnati Pike, Georgetown.
Located just off the Martha Layne Collins Blue Grass Parkway, the charming town of Versailles in Kentucky is the beating heart of Woodford County. Surrounded by magnificent rolling farmlands and world-renowned bluegrass horse farms, Versailles offers a range of attractions and activities from the impressive Stonewall Farm to the Woodford Reserve which produces one of Kentucky’s finest bourbon whiskeys. Versailles’ beautiful landscapes also offer excellent hiking, horseback riding, and fishing.
The Bluegrass Railroad and Museum is a traveling museum dedicated to the history of the Bluegrass Railroad and the rail transport industry in the region. Based in Woodford County Park, the mobile museum was founded in 1976 by members of the Bluegrass Railroad Club and offers visitors a unique experience that delves into the history of the railroad on an 11-mile round trip excursion. The train journey travels through the beautiful horse farms of Kentucky to Young’s High Bridge in the town of Tyrone where passengers can disembark and soak up spectacular views of the Kentucky River valley area.
Bluegrass Railroad and Museum is located at 175 Beasley Road, Versailles.
Woodford Reserve Distillery is an award-winning distillery that produces a range of whiskeys including limited-edition releases like the Kentucky-only Distillery Series. Established by Elijah Pepper in 1812 the distillery is one of the oldest distilleries in Kentucky and is listed as a National Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Formerly known as the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery and later the Labrot & Graham Distillery, the distillery produces several whiskeys including Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Woodford Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, and Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey. Visitors can enjoy guided tours and tastings at the facility which is eight miles from Versailles.
Woodford Reserve Distillery is located at 7785 McCracken Pike, Versailles
Historic Midway was the first town in Kentucky founded by a railroad. Electricity was introduced in 1911. During the railroad’s heyday, the 1930s, and 40s, up to 30 trains, a day rumbled through the middle of town. Revitalization and rebirth began in the mid-1970s when several antique shops and galleries were established. In 1978, 176 buildings in Midway were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now, Historic Midway once again thrives and enjoys its present reputation as one of Kentucky’s favorite spots for antiques, crafts, gifts, restaurants, and clothing.
The Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky, Berea is ranked among the top art communities in the U. S. Nestled between the Bluegrass region and the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains, Berea offers visitors over 40 arts and crafts shops featuring everything from handmade dulcimers and homemade chocolate to jewelry stores, art galleries, quilt-makers, and glassblowing studios.
Sculptures of mythical beasts, vibrantly painted open hands, and historic architecture are a few of the delights as one wanders the town and college. Berea offers a public art experience on multiple levels. You can enjoy the sculptures, architecture, galleries, and shops, or you can enter the studios of working artists and watch art being created.
Here are my favorite weird and wonderful reasons to RV to Santa Fe
Santa Fe is known as the City Different; within one visit, you will know why. Santa Fe embodies a rich history melding Hispanic, Anglo, and Native American cultures whose influences are apparent in everything from the architecture, the food, and the art.
Santa Fe never goes out of style but with an ever-growing adventure travel scene, a slew of special events, and restaurants and spas that nurture the body and soul it should be on your travel radar.
Authenticity continues to resonate as a hallmark of experiences in Santa Fe from walking trails once trod by the ancestral Pueblo people to the red chile peppers of Chimayo cooked up at James Beard Award-winning Rancho de Chimayó.
Santa Fe has its Native American community to thank for its distinct look. The sun-dried earth and straw homes of the Tanoan peoples proved ingenious, enduring, and hugely influential to the city today. The low-slung architecture—characterized by flat roofs, rounded walls, corner fireplaces, and covered porches—is so integral to Santa Fe’s aesthetic that city law mandates any new construction in historic districts adhere to the style.
Santa Fe is a cultural hub providing visitors the opportunity to learn about and explore Native American culture and New Mexican culture as well as art, entertainment, history, and cuisine. Those factors, combined with an incredible outdoor adventure opportunity have made Santa Fe a repeat destination for many RV travelers who come to visit and fall in love with the area’s rich culture, outdoor activities, and community.
Visitors to the Santa Fe area can not only enjoy the world-class art for which Santa Fe is widely known (designated as a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art as well as a City of Design) but also an incredible immersion into culture with visits to explore ancient pathways to ruins of northern New Mexico’s ancestral Pueblo people—discovering national monuments, national historical parks, and famous landmarks, museums, and trading posts.
As the heart of the city and the place where Santa Fe was founded, the Plaza is the city’s most historic area. Surrounded by museums, historic buildings, restaurants, hotels, galleries, and endless shopping, the Plaza is the place to start understanding Santa Fe.
Just off the plaza, Back at the Ranch is a go-to for hand-crafted cowboy boots in vibrant colors, funky patterns, and high-quality leather. Peruse hundreds of pairs in the shop including boots decorated with songbirds and Dia de Los Muertos imagery.
Around the corner, satisfy your taste for turquoise at Wind River Trading Company, the largest Native American jewelry store in town. The shop biographically lists out the craftsmen who make the goods so you know who you’re supporting. They carry minerals, chunky bracelets, pendants, bolo ties, and money clips.
If your idea of shopping is more culinary, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market hosts more than 150 local farmers who sling wool, goat milk, preserves, produce, organic meat, and herbs. It’s held on Saturdays year-round in the Railyard and on Tuesdays from May through November.
Santa Fe is renowned for its farm-fresh restaurants, tequila-soaked watering holes, and bakeries wafting with aromas of blue corn and chile. Unless you straight-up move there, it’s hard to put a dent in your Santa Fe food bucket list but a few standouts include brisket breakfast burritos from Betterday Coffee, green chile cheeseburgers from Shake Foundation, cheesy enchiladas from old-school Tia Sophia’s, blue corn doughnuts from Whoo’s Donuts, and al pastor tacos from the casual Coyote Cantina rooftop.
Nestled in the heart of La Fonda on the Plaza, La Plazuela offers an innovative approach to Santa Fe dining and New Mexican cuisine cooking up traditional recipes with enticing new twists.
For pastries, Dolina Cafe & Bakery offers New Mexican and Eastern European flavors from crumbly Mexican wedding cookies and apple-walnut strudel to makos Dios, a Hungarian cake made from ground poppy seeds, walnuts, and raspberries.
Home to four world-class museums, as well as the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens, Museum Hill, is a must-experience for any visit to The City Different. Here you can explore The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, The International Folk Art Museum, The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. You’ll need a day or two to partake of the art, history, and culture of the Native American Southwest, the Spanish colonial past, and folk traditions from around the world that Museum Hill offers.
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a premier repository of Native art and material culture and tells the stories of the people of the Southwest from pre-history through contemporary art. The museum serves a diverse, multicultural audience through changing exhibitions, public lectures, field trips, artist residencies, and other educational programs.
The Museum of International Folk Art offers the largest collection of handmade folk art on earth from glasswork to pandemic-inspired face mask creations. The museum holds the largest collection of international folk art in the world numbering more than 130,000 objects from more than 100 countries.
Founded in 1937, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is New Mexico’s oldest non-profit, independent museum. The Wheelwright offers unique exhibitions of contemporary and historic Native American art with a focus on little-known genres and solo shows by living Native American artists. It is the home of the Jim and Lauris Phillips Center for the Study of Southwestern Jewelry, the most comprehensive collection of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry in the world.
The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art exhibits works focused on the Spanish Colonial period of New Mexico’s history. Visitors will find scores of bultos, retablos, paintings, and fiber arts on display—all housed in the Spanish Colonial architecture for which Santa Fe is famous. In the Curtin-Paloheimo Gallery, the display of artwork by Youth Artists in Spanish Market continues include santos, tinwork, straw appliqué, colcha embroidery, precious metals, and pottery by youth artists, ranging in age from seven to eighteen years old.
The Santa Fe Botanical Garden at Museum Hill is a learning landscape of traditional and native plants, sustainable land- and water-use practices, educational activities for all ages, and an outdoor showcase for presenting music, sculpture, and theatrical performances.
The classic Georgia O’Keeffe Museum contains nine galleries and 700 drawings from the woman nicknamed the Mother of American Modernism. Her abstract nature paintings and sweeping desert landscapes are clear love letters to the region that came to define her career.
Santa Fe has more than 250 galleries and has been rated the second largest art market in the country after New York City. Canyon Road is a historic pathway into the mountains and an old neighborhood that has become the city’s center for art with the highest concentration of galleries.
The largest example of non-adobe style architecture in the city, the Romanesque St. Francis Cathedral dominates the downtown cityscape.
Downtown Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors on the plaza is one of the most iconic sites in the city. The oldest continuously inhabited building in the United States, it’s perhaps best known for the Native American market beneath its portal. But inside is a historic gem as well—the New Mexico History Museum which covers centuries of life in Santa Fe and hosts exhibitions related to the tri-culture of the Native Americans, Spanish, and Anglo peoples and cultures of New Mexico.
The visitor is drawn to Loretto Chapel to see the spiral staircase that leads to the choir loft. The staircase—with two 360-degree turns, no visible means of support, and without the benefit of nails—has been called the Miraculous Staircase.
My ever-growing list of Extraordinary Places will help take your road trip planning to the next level. Hand-picked, I promise each one is worth the detour.
While it’s entirely possible that one person’s travel treasure can be another’s trash, sharing insider tips with others is one of the best parts of returning from any road trip. For me, the lure of the road is constant and my travel bucket lists are infinite. Picking favorites is almost impossible but I’ve tried curating a list of Extraordinary Places to enhance your next road trip.
Extraordinary Places are the places that stay with you long after visiting. They are the places that fill you with wonder. They are epic natural wonders, weird roadside attractions, and deeply meaningful locations. Simply put, Extraordinary Places turn a great road trip into an unforgettable adventure.
Here are just some of the places that I love the most—that is, until I hit the road again and discover new favorites. Explore my list and start planning your next road trip today.
The Breakers is a Vanderbilt mansion located on Ochre Point Avenue in Newport along the Atlantic Ocean. It is a National Historic Landmark, a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, and is owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County. The Breakers is the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages” and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad which was a pivotal development in the industrial growth of the nation during the late 19th century.
The Breakers is the most famous of the Gilded Age Newport Mansions for good reason. It’s breathtaking in scope and scale. The design of this grand home was inspired by European palaces and every room is more lavish than the last.
The main attraction in Brenham is the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory which opened in 1907. Visitors can stop by the creamery’s Ice Cream Parlor for a generous scoop, learn about the history from the visitor’s center, shop at the Country Store, and watch the production from the observation deck. Be sure to take a photo with the statue of the brand’s iconic logo, a little girl leading a cow on a rope.
While the ice cream alone is worth the trip, the town is also the main hub of Washington County with a plethora of attractions within in a 12-mile radius. Highlights include the Texas Cotton Gin Museum and Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836, liberating the state from Mexico. Located on the scenic Brazos River, the park includes The Star of the Republic Museum, which details the Texas Republic period, and Barrington Plantation, the home of the last President of the Texas Republic.
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee’s second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the “High Water Mark of the Rebellion”, Gettysburg was the Civil War’s bloodiest battle and was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln’s immortal “Gettysburg Address”.
Gettysburg is the kind of place you could make a quick stop or spend a full day exploring. The battlefield has roads so it’s easy to drive from one monument or site to the next. There’s an audio tour and there is even an app you can download to help add dimension to what you’re seeing and to find the highlights at the park.
It’s especially haunting thinking about the brave and dedicated men who walked into certain death across open fields during battle. It helps to have an appreciation for military history but even families will enjoy a visit. Some recommended reading beforehand: The Red Badge of Courage for background and The Killer Angels.
The term “Painted” comes from the elaborate faux-finished interiors—painted by itinerant artists who advertised in church bulletins and newspapers. Gold-leafed, stone, and polished marble columns and ceilings are (upon closer examination) finely-fitted woodwork. The paint—mixed on site—is still vibrant and bright—even after all these years.
In the mid-1800s, thousands of German and Czech immigrants left Europe due to poverty in search of a new dream and landed in Central Texas. These communities embraced America and the promise of their new future while still preserving the traditional values, culture, food, and faith of their homelands. Each community of ~600 families came together to build their community church—purchasing the statues and donating them to the churches. They decorated the interiors with colors and symbols to remind them of their homelands.
The Painted Churches are in a tight cluster (relatively speaking) in southern Fayette County near Schulenburg. The tour can easily be a day trip from Houston, Austin, or San Antonio.
In Arizona, several villages have been preserved in their original state; however, none are quite as untouched as the beautiful artist colony of Tubac. Located on the Santa Cruz River in Southern Arizona, it was founded in 1752 when the Spanish army built the Presidio of San Ignacio de Tubac, in other words, the Fort of Tubac. It was established to protect the Spanish missions and settlements which were located around the Santa Cruz River Valley. Today, Tubac Presido is a state historic park.
With a population of nearly 1,200, the town has become famous for the Festival of the Arts in February. As an artist colony, Tubac is home to 100 art galleries, home decor shops, jewelers, potters, and artists of all kinds. You can purchase clothing, paintings, sculptures, and many other hand-crafted items which have been made by the locals.
Canyonlands invites you to explore a wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves. These areas share a primitive desert atmosphere but each offers different opportunities for sightseeing and adventure.
Canyonlands National Park preserves one of the last, relatively undisturbed areas of the Colorado Plateau, a geological province that encompasses much of the Colorado River and its tributaries. Carved out of vast sedimentary rock deposits this landscape of canyons, mesas, and deep river gorges possess remarkable natural features that are part of a unique desert ecosystem. With elevations ranging from 3,700 to 7,200 feet Canyonlands experiences very hot summers, cold winters, and less than ten inches of rain each year. Even daily temperatures may fluctuate as much as 50 degrees.
Are you in the mood for a leisurely, legendary drive? If so, head for the Blue Ridge Parkway where the speed limit sits at a comfortable 45 mph, and commercial vehicles are strictly prohibited. Snaking through the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, the 469-mile route connects the Shenandoah and the Great Smoky Mountains national parks. For prime leaf-peeping, visit in autumn when foliage explodes in a brilliant display of crimson, auburn, and golden leaves.
Can’t-miss pit stop: Spend some time at Mount Pisgah in North Carolina, famous for its extensive network of hiking trails and the storied Pisgah Inn which dates back to 1919.
Time slows down in this quaint Florida town filled with unique shops and delicious eateries. Located approximately 45 minutes north of Disney World, Mount Dora is like a real-life Main Street U.S.A. This small town is known for its boutique stores and the downtown area is filled with eateries, and tasty coffee, and ice cream shops. Cruise on Lake Dora, sip on a signature cocktail while enjoying the spectacular sunset, and slow down and take in the relaxing atmosphere.
There’s no experience quite like the untamed beauty of Cumberland Island National Seashore, a barrier island only accessible by boat from the small town of St. Marys. Home to a handful of residents and a whole lot of wildlife, it’s an incredible place to go off-grid. Visitors can hike the miles of trails sharing the space with wild horses, alligators, and birds.
Tours are available of historic Carnegie mansions like Plum Orchard and the ruins of Dungeness. On the northern side of the island, you can see the First African Baptist Church, a historic African-American church where John F. Kennedy Jr. was famously married. To spend the night, choose from the multiple tenting campsites or the luxurious Greyfield Inn set in another Carnegie home with chef-prepared meals and naturalist tours.
Four of the original six Spanish colonial missions built along the San Antonio River make up the park. The missions continue to be used as places of worship by parishioners and can be toured daily by park visitors, Learning about the craftsmanship of the architecture, the extensive acequia system (irrigation canals), and the grist mill built in the 18th century takes visitors beyond the religious aspects and into the past lifestyles of the people who built and lived in these missions. The visitor center at Mission San Jose has museum exhibits and an introductory film about the establishment of the San Antonio missions.
Summer’s end signals the last days of warm weather in most areas. But it also means the return of fall’s dazzling colors in full display as trees begin to turn for the season. You can plan entire trips around leaf peeping whether it’s heading to a national park for unimpeded foliage or planning a drive to take in the dazzling orange, red, and yellow hues that dominate the landscape.
And while the pastime is popular enough to drive crowds to well-known viewing destinations, there are still plenty of under-the-radar options fbluor getting your fix. Read on to see which secret places in the U.S. are the best to see fall foliage.
While Shenandoah National Park is only a 75-mile drive from America’s capital, it’s a world away from the Washington, D.C. metropolis. The Virginia national park is filled with over 100 expansive miles of countryside. And as autumn approaches, the foliage across the landscape turns into stunning red, orange, and yellow hues. The best time to see the stunning sight is from September through October. This national park also has a fall color webcam that shows the changing leaves virtually on a week-to-week basis through the peak of the season.
One of my favorite places in Green Mountain State is the town of Stowe. If you’re driving to Stowe from I-89 you will exit off the Interstate and pass through Waterbury and Waterbury Center. Don’t miss Ben & Jerry’s along the way. A little further up the road in Waterbury Center is the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. You should plan a stop at Cold Hollow for some fresh apple cider and freshly made delicious cider donuts.
Stowe’s Main Street features several small stores, restaurants, and of course the subject of many scenic photos and artwork—the Stowe Community Church.
Make a trip up the Mountain Road to the Trapp Family Lodge, a unique mountain resort featuring Austrian-inspired architecture and European-style accommodations. The Lodge offers stunning mountain views along with activities for every season.
Cherohala Skyway National Scenic Byway, North Carolina and Tennessee
The Skyway offers the cultural heritage of the Cherokees and early settlers in a grand forest environment in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Enjoy mile-high vistas and brilliant fall foliage as well as great hiking opportunities and picnic spots in magnificent and seldom-seen portions of the southern Appalachian National Forests. Popular stops along and near the Skyway include Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Santeetlah Lake, and many Cherokee sites. This byway in particular is known for its fall colors.
The leaves begin changing color as early as late September in the higher elevations and continue through mid-November in lower elevations. The dogwoods, poplars, and sourwoods are some of the first to transform. The red oaks, hickories, and white oaks change later and often hold their leaves until late fall.
In the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg is aglow with gold, green, auburn, and scarlet shades come autumn. Peruse the local boutiques lining Main Street before attending seasonal festivals such as the 42nd Annual Oktoberfest from September 30-October 2, 2022, or the 32nd Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest on October 22. For prime gold, red, green, and copper maple leaf-viewing, visit Lost Maples State Natural Area, about an hour-and-a-half drive southwest of Fredericksburg. After soaking in the scenery, kick back at one of the Hill Country’s RV parks and campgrounds.
Not all fall foliage escapes require getting out into nature—leaf peepers can also head to Boston for a city getaway. The city experiences its peak foliage throughout October with its best colors appearing around Halloween. Visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to where they can see the changing seasons including Boston Common, Back Bay Fens, and tree-lined neighborhoods like the North End and Beacon Hill.
Fish Lake Scenic Byway (SR-25) bookends Fishlake National Forest, an often-missed oasis featuring three mountain ranges broken up by desert canyons. Fishlake National Forest is a paradise known for its beautiful aspen forests, scenic drives, trails, elk hunting, and mackinaw and rainbow trout fishing. Fish Lake, Utah’s largest natural mountain lake lies in a down-faulted valley (technically known as a graben) at an elevation of 8,843 feet. The 5.5-mile-long lake is one of the most popular fishing resorts in the state attracting as many as 7,000 visitors on summer weekends.
If you’re looking for a fall RV vacation destination that might have slightly fewer visitors in September and October, consider the Lakes Region. This area in the central part of the state is home to Lake Winnepesaukee, New Hampshire’s largest body of water. Here you’ll also find scenic Squam Lakes where On Golden Pond was filmed. Whether you’re driving around the lakes, strolling through small towns like Meredith or Wolfeboro, seeking out covered bridges, taking a scenic boat cruise, or hiking in the area’s mountains, you’ll likely be able to enjoy pretty changing leaves.
The 90-mile Heritage Trail Driving Tour winds through Amish Country taking you down rural highways, country lanes, and charming main streets. Stop in Shipshewana to stroll the shop-lined streets where you’ll find handcrafted items, baked goods, and the Midwest’s largest flea market. Enjoy a delightful Amish meal at Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury or Amish Acres in Nappanee.
There’s no wrong time to visit Newport. But perhaps the best time is those magical few weeks at the end of October when the leaves change colors and the Newport Mansions put on their spookiest Halloween shows. While visiting, drive down Ocean Drive, a glorious coastal stretch that will leave you in awe.
When you think of places to see fall foliage, New England destinations probably come to mind but southern parts of the country have colors that are just as beautiful. A road trip through Georgia’s the Blue Ridge Mountains offers stunning foliage without the cold weather you’d find up north.
Start at the Russell Brasstown Scenic Byway in the northern part of the state which takes you through the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Chattahoochee River. Stop in Helen, a mountain town modeled after a quaint Bavarian village, and at Brasstown Bald, the highest natural point in Georgia and the ultimate foliage viewing vantage point.
Make a pit stop in Clayto, an old mountain town with antique shops, galleries, and restaurants. Take a hike in the nearby Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest or visit wineries and vineyards in Georgia Wine Country. Then head east to the Tallulah Gorge State Park where you can explore a 1,000-foot chasm carved over millions of years by the Tallulah River.
Worth Pondering…
Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.
In honor of National Public Lands Day on September 24, entrance to all National Park Service sites will be free
September 24 is one of five days in 2022 when the National Park Service (NPS) offers free admission to visitors—and comes just after the start of fall, a colorful season for a road trip. Schools are back in session, the summer tourism rush has waned, and fall colors are happening.
It’s just a wonderful time of year.
While many visitors will use the free day for recreation, National Public Lands Day is the country’s largest single day of volunteering for parks and public lands. There’s something to be said for planting a tree or doing invasive species removal or a cleanup around a river versus just going to enjoy the sites. It makes you a steward of that space.
And don’t forget: Places you can help out go beyond the 63 national parks. There are also federal public lands, national monuments, wildlife refuges, historic sites, seashores, and recreation areas you can visit without admission.
Instead of competing with the crowds at America’s most famous parks, visit lesser-known options. Here are 10 sites to visit across the country.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia
The New River is the United State’s newest national park but is one of the oldest waterways in the world and the primeval forest gorge it runs through is one of the most breathtaking in the Appalachians. The region is an adventure mecca with world-class white-water runs and challenging single-track trails. Rim and gorge hiking trails offer beautiful views.
Not only is it great for fall foliage but they also have a cool event every year called Bridge Day. Every third Saturday in October (October 15, 2022), Bridge Day brings thousands of spectators to watch BASE jumpers fling themselves off the New River Gorge Bridge. Don’t want to run into those crowds? Skip Bridge Day.
A comparatively little-known canyon, Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “de shay”) has sandstone walls rising to 1,000 feet, scenic overlooks, well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and an insight into the present-day life of the Navajo who still inhabit and cultivate the valley floor.
People have lived in the canyon for more than 5,000 years making it the longest continuously inhabited area on the Colorado Plateau. Ancient ruins are tucked along its cliffs, as are centuries-old pictographs.
The main attraction of this national park is the show cave—the Carlsbad Cavern (and the Big Room in particular). Unlike most caves around the nation, one does not need a guided tour to explore the cave—visitors can walk on their own through the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center.
Visitors can choose between the steep paved trail making its way down into the cave or the elevator directly down to the Big Room Trail. The 1.25-mile long Natural Entrance Trail is steep (it gains or loses) around 750 feet in elevation. This is equivalent to walking up a 75-story building. It takes about an hour to complete. Once down in the caves, the Big Room Trail is leading to the popular Big Room.
Astonishing biodiversity exists in Congaree National Park, the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Waters from the Congaree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain, carrying nutrients and sediments that nourish and rejuvenate this ecosystem and support the growth of national and state champion trees.
More than 700 years after its inhabitants disappeared, Mesa Verde retains an air of mystery. No one knows for sure why the Ancestral Puebloans left their elaborate cliff dwellings in the 1300s. What remains is a wonderland for adventurers of all sizes who can clamber up ladders to carved-out dwellings, see rock art, and delve into the mysteries of ancient America.
The amazing force of water has cut three spectacular natural bridges in White Canyon at Natural Bridges National Monument located 42 miles west of Blanding or 47 miles north of Mexican Hat. These stunning rock bridges have Hopi Indian names: delicate Owachomo means ‘rock mounds’, massive Kachina means ‘dancer’, while Sipapu, the second largest natural bridge in the state, means ‘place of emergence’. A nine-mile scenic drive overlooks the bridges, canyons, and a touch of history with ancient Puebloan ruins.
Pinnacles is named for the towering rock spires that rise abruptly out of the chaparral-covered hills east of Salinas Valley. Its famous formations are the eroded remnants of a long-extinct volcano that originated in present-day southern California before getting sheared in two and moving nearly 200 miles north along the San Andreas Fault.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas
Four of the five surviving Spanish colonial missions in and around San Antonio comprise the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The park and its missions offer visitors a look at the oldest unrestored stone church in the country—Mission Concepción; the “Queen of the Missions” known as Mission San José and the largest of the missions fully restored to its original design in the 1930s; the restored acequias (irrigation canals) of Mission San Juan; and Mission Espada, the first mission built in Texas. The city’s group of five Spanish colonial missions — of which San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is included—is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Cumberland Island is Georgia’s southernmost island and a place where you can truly get away from the modern world. With no bridge to come to Cumberland Island travelers have to use a ferry or private boat to get to this beautiful place which is managed by the national park service. Although Georgia’s Atlantic coastline is only about 100 miles long, the Peach State is home to 30 percent of the barrier islands along the Atlantic Seaboard. And Cumberland is the largest and fairest of them all with the longest expanse of the pristine seashore—18 glorious miles of deserted sand. Truly, this is a bucket list destination.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota is a park for isolation. This is where the Badlands start cutting into the landscape carving sharp rock faces and hoodoos into the countryside. Both the north and south units offer great hiking, expansive vistas, easily accessible wilderness, abundant wildlife, and not many visitors. This is a wonderful park for hiking due to the elevation (or lack thereof) and abundance of trails.
Ready to get your outdoor adventures started? Why not choose one of these awesome state parks, prep the RV, and hit the road? Your wanderlust is sure to thank you!
National parks are some of the very best attractions America has to offer. These beautiful spots are especially wonderful for RVers and outdoorsy people because they provide opportunities to park your rig in gorgeous places, spend time outdoors, and connect with nature.
The problem? The most popular national parks are often extremely crowded, especially during the busy summer travel season.
For some people, these crowds are a real buzzkill and they will simply avoid the parks altogether. Others will choose to spend less time in the more crowded parks or they’ll simply visit during the off-season. No matter which of these options you choose, you will likely be looking for ways to fill those days when the crowds are too heavy to visit a national park but you still want to get out into nature.
This is where state parks come into play. There are hundreds of amazing state parks all over the country and these are often completely overlooked as they are overshadowed by the national parks that everyone knows and loves. Why not avoid the crowds at national parks and take the time to visit some of these amazing state parks instead?
Below I’ve listed some of the most crowded national parks and the best state parks I could find to replace them. In some of these cases I’d even go so far as to say the state park alternative is as good as, or better than, the national park itself, and that’s saying something!
Instead of Zion National Park, try Sand Hollow State Park
Zion National Park is one of Utah’s Mighty Five national parks and (for good reason) many people travel to the state to see its natural wonders but Utah Dixie offers so much more for outdoor enthusiasts. Surrounding St. George are four superb state parks—Quail Creek, Sand Hollow, Gunlock, and Snow Canyon—all offering gorgeous scenery and plenty of ways to enjoy nature including hiking, camping, fishing, boating, photography, cliff diving, and swimming.
Zion is an amazing place. Unfortunately, it is also extremely crowded. More than a few individuals were frustrated when they discovered that timed entry tickets were required to enter this past summer and I fully expect this to happen again when the busy season rolls back around.
These parks are great alternatives to the busier national park particularly on weekends and during Zion’s high season. Expect low entrance fees, uncrowded trails, plenty of wet and wild water sports, starlit campgrounds, and breathtaking scenery.
Instead of Badlands National Park, try Custer State Park
Even the wide-open Badlands National Park can get overly crowded during peak season. Fortunately, the crowds don’t feel quite so bad here, but if you’re looking for a way to avoid crowds altogether, you can always choose to go to the fabulous Custer State Park instead.
This is easily one of the best state parks in the country and seeing as it’s just a short drive from Badlands, it should be woven into any trip to the area. This is one of the best places for seeing bison, pronghorns, and other local wildlife, and the granite peaks, rolling hills, and clear waters make for some fantastic photos.
Instead of Arches National Park, try Dead Horse Point State Park
Like the state park above, Dead Horse Point is one of the best state parks in the US. This is awesome because it’s located just outside of Arches National Park and near the town of Moab.
Therefore, if you ever find Arches too crowded for your taste, you can just leave and head to this incredible park. Dead Horse Point State Park is stunning. This is one of those unique state parks just as awesome as a national park. Incredible red canyons and high desert woodlands beg to be explored and the vast trail system makes it easy to do just that. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time in this amazing place.
Instead of Saguaro National Park, try Catalina State Park
Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons, and streams invite camping, picnicking, and bird watching—more than 150 species of birds call the park home.
The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails that wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area. This scenic desert park also offers equestrian trails and an equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders with plenty of trailer parking.
Instead of Shenandoah National Park, try Shenandoah River State Park
Shenandoah River State Park is on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and has more than 1,600 acres along 5.2 miles of shoreline. In addition to the meandering river frontage, the park offers scenic views of Massanutten Mountain to the west and Shenandoah National Park to the east. A large riverside picnic area, picnic shelters, trails, river access, and a car-top boat launch make this a popular destination for families, anglers, and canoeists.
With more than 24 miles of trails, the park has plenty of options for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and adventure. Twelve riverfront tent campsites, a developed campground with water and electric sites, cabins, camping cabins, and a group campground are available. The developed campground has 32 sites with water and electric hookups suitable for RVs with sites up to 60 feet. The campground has centrally located restrooms with hot showers.
Instead of Joshua Tree National Park, try Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Like Custer and Dead Horse Point mentioned above, Anza-Borrego is one of the best state parks in America. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas, and many miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of the California Desert.
The park is named for Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word borrego, or bighorn sheep. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti, and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer, and bighorn sheep as well as iguanas, chuckwallas, and the red diamond rattlesnake.
Instead of New River Gorge National Park, try Babcock State Park
The New River Gorge National Park provides incredible outdoor recreation opportunities and stunning landscapes but there are also several nearby West Virginia State Parks waiting to be discovered and explored. These state parks offer accommodations, mountain adventures, and unparalleled scenic views. One such state park is Babcock, home to 4,127 acres of iconic scenery and stunning views.
Babcock State Park is best known for the Glade Creek Grist Mill, a fully functional replica of the original Cooper’s Mill that once ground grain on Glade Creek long before Babcock became a state park. Other attractions include recreational activities like hiking, fishing, and mountain biking. Babcock is home to 28 cozy cabins tucked away in the woods. Babcock also includes a 52-unit campground, and 28 sites with electric hookups.
Worth Pondering…
Take time to listen to the voices of the earth and what they mean…the majestic voice of thunder, the winds, the sound of flowing streams. And the voices of living things: the dawn chorus of the birds, the insects that play little fiddles in the grass.
The Park encompasses more than 1,600 acres of Blue Ridge beauty
Virginia Route 340 between Front Royal and Luray is perhaps one of the more underrated scenic drives in the state. And as more and more RVers and outdoor adventurers are discovering one of the best places to get out of the car and adventure in that scenery is Shenandoah River State Park (also known as Andy Guest State Park).
As many great outdoor spots are, it can be a bit easy to miss. Driving south on 340 from Front Royal, go about eight miles and the park entrance is on your right. Admission for a vehicle is $10.
The Park is on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and has more than 1,600 acres along 5.2 miles of shoreline. The park opened in June 1999. In addition to the meandering river frontage, the park offers scenic views of Massanutten Mountain to the west and Shenandoah National Park to the east.
A large riverside picnic area, picnic shelters, trails, river access, and a car-top boat launch make this a popular destination for families, anglers, and canoeists. Twelve riverfront tent campsites, a campground with water and electric sites, cabins, camping cabins, and a group campground are available. With more than 24 miles of trails, the park has plenty of options for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and adventure. Expansive views of the river and valley can be seen from high points along the trails.
The visitor center features native wildlife and has touch-screens on display to educate about park history and local birds. There is also an aquarium. Outside the visitor center, there are several picnic tables, an overlook, a koi pond, and a nature garden. The center’s gift shop sells snacks and souvenirs.
Wildlife watching opportunities in the park are diverse and range from the herons, waterfowl, and otter on the river to the white-tailed deer, black bear, scarlet tanager, and other neotropical migrants of the forest. Overhead, almost anything might appear from osprey and bald eagle fishing the river to broad-winged hawk and American kestrel. While moving from the river into the forest, search blooming wildflowers for butterflies such as eastern tiger and spicebush swallowtails, hackberry emperor, and a variety of skippers, sulfurs, and whites.
The park offers car-top access in the day-use area located 3.2 miles downstream from the Bentonville access area. The “fish trap” access area near Shelter 3 is suitable for wade fishing. Freshwater fishing is available for those with a Virginia freshwater fishing license. The park does not rent boats. There are three car-top launches and two outfitters within five minutes of the park.
Smallmouth bass fishing especially in spring will give anglers all the action they want. While popular tales of catching “100 fish in a day” are probably a thing of the past, the Shenandoah River is still a very good bass fishery.
Some of the trails lead into deep woods and sightings of wildlife such as deer, turkeys, and the occasional black bear are not at all uncommon. Ask for the trail map where you pay your entry fee to choose from various trail lengths and degrees of difficulty.
Adventure races—such as the Shenandoah Strong where competitors have 12 hours to traverse 50 miles of terrain by foot, bike, and kayak/canoe—lie partially within the park as well as George Washington National Forest.
There are over 24 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails that criss-cross Shenandoah River State Park. You can enjoy both river and mountain views. The trail network offers a wide range of fun, easy and family-friendly trails as well as more moderately difficult routes.
Nearly 20 named hiking trails allow visitors to traipse all across the park. At 5.4 miles, the teal-blazed Bear Bottom Loop Trail is the longest park trail.
It’s a cinch to cobble together a few trails to create a fantastic day hike. It’s also easy to return again and again and not complete the same hike twice.
Camping is available year-round. Shenandoah River’s developed campground has 31 sites with water and 20/30/50-amp electric hookups suitable for tents, popups, and RVs up to 60 feet in length. More than half of the sites have shade. The shaded camp sites are 1-18 while sites 19-31 are in full sun. The campground has centrally located restrooms with hot showers and a coin-operated laundry. Sites have steel fire-rings for cooking and campfires, picnic tables, and lantern holders. Twenty-six sites are back-in, and five are pull-through. Firewood can be purchased on-site for $6 per bundle. The family campground is a short walk from two river access points (for fishing, not for swimming or paddling), as well as the Campground Trail.
In addition to the family campground, there is a primitive campground for tents-only on the north side of the park that has 12 canoe-in or walk-in sites. All camp sites offer shade and require a walk on gravel path from the parking lot. There are wagons at the entrance to help transport gear to your site.
At the back of the Right, River Campground is a group campground that can accommodate up to 30 people.
Reservations can be made on line or by calling 1-800-933-PARK (7275). All sites are specifically reserved.
Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, numerous ranger-led interpretive programs are offered for park visitors. Topics vary widely but include outdoor photography, fishing, butterflies, astronomy, birding, and wetland walks. Shenandoah River State Park also offers a variety of kid-friendly programs including Feeding Time, as well as Skulls, Tracks and Scats. Both ranger-led programs educate about animals found in the park. Most programs are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Shenandoah River State Park is a good central location for the area’s many activities. Caverns and caves such as Shenandoah Caverns and Luray Caverns make good activities for rainy days. Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive are a short distance away making for a great day trip. The area is also famous for its many vineyards.
