Month: September 2023

The Best RV Camping October 2023

Explore the guide to find some of the best in October camping across America

Where should you park yourself and your RV this month? With so many options, you may be overwhelmed with the number of locales calling your name.

Maybe you’re an experienced RV enthusiast, or maybe you’ve never been in one—regardless, these RV parks are worth your attention. After finding the perfect campground, you can look into RV prices, and the different types of RVs, and learn how to plan a road trip. Who knows, maybe you’ll love it so much you’ll convert to full-time RV living.

I didn’t just choose these RV parks by throwing a dart at a map. As an RVer with more than 25 years of experience traveling the highways and byways of America and Western Canada—learning about camping and exploring some of the best hiking trails along the way—I can say with confidence that I know what makes a great RV campground. From stunning views and accommodating amenities to friendly staff and clean facilities, the little things add up when you’re RV camping. And these campgrounds are truly the cream of the crop.

Here are 10 of the top RV parks and campgrounds to explore in October: one of these parks might be just what you’re looking for. So, sit back, relax, and get ready for your next adventure at one of these incredible RV parks!

RVing with Rex selected this list of parks from those personally visited.

Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly RV park recommendations for the best places to camp in August and September. Also, check out my recommendations from October 2022 and November 2022.

Roosevelt State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

1. Roosevelt State Park, Morton, Mississippi

Conveniently located between Meridian and Jackson, Mississippi, Roosevelt State Park offers an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities in a picturesque setting. A variety of recreational activities and facilities are available at Roosevelt State Park including a visitor center, game room, performing arts and media center, picnic area, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, disc golf, softball field, swimming pool, and water slide, tennis courts, and nature trails. Fishing, boating, and water skiing are available on Shadow Lake, a 150-acre fresh water lake.

The park offers 109 RV campsites, primitive tent sites, 15 vacation cabins, a motel, and a group camp facility. These facilities are located in wooded areas with views of Shadow Lake. The RV sites feature a picnic table and grill. 27 campsites include electricity and water hook-ups. 82 sites have electricity, water, and sewer hookups. Many campsites feature views of Shadow Lake and some feature waterfront access. Campground roads and RV pads are paved. All of the RV pads are within easy access to a dump station and a bathhouse with hot showers.

Vogel State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

2. Vogel State Park, Georgia

Camp along Wolf Creek and enjoy the babble of tumbling waters lulling you to sleep at night after exploring North Georgia’s beloved mountain playground at Vogel State Park in Blairsville. With 34 cottages; 90 tent, trailer, and RV campsites; and primitive backpacking sites, visitors have a range of overnight accommodations. Swim, boat, and fish in Lake Trahlyta and explore hiking trails to waterfalls, playing miniature golf, and stepping back into history at the Civilian Conservation Corps museum.

Seven Feathers Casino RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

3. Seven Feathers Casino RV Resort, Canyonville, Oregon

With twenty-three acres of lush lawn, enjoying the outdoors has never been easier. Enjoy a heated pool and hot tub, 24-hour grocery, deli, and ice cream, and make some fun friends and memories at the Seven Feathers Casino. Rent a yurt or RV site, or, if you want more space, stay in a comfortable cabin and purchase luxury packages for enhanced leisure.

Buckhorn Lake RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

4. Buckhorn Lake RV Resort, Kerrville, Texas

This upscale resort makes for a perfect home base to explore the Texas Hill Country. All sites are paved, have a paved patio, and offer satellite TV, Wi-Fi, and instant-on phone. Relax around the two heated swimming pools/spas. Tennis courts. Adult fitness center overlooking the creek.

While staying in the park, make it a point to see the “Club” section, a unique approach to the RV lifestyle. You’ll want to make this resort a repeat stop on your RVing agenda. On I-10, Exit 501 (Highway 1338), turn left, and scoot down a few hundred yards to the park on the left.

Deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country where the stars are big and bright, you’ll find Buckhorn Lake Resort. Located in Kerrville, the resort is your perfect jumping-off point for the charming towns and festivals that dot the region—and only about an hour from historic San Antonio. On-site, mosey up to the premier amenities including pickleball and tennis courts, a fully equipped fitness center, pools and spas, and a 9-hole putting green.

Whispering Hills RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

5. Whispering Hills RV Park, Georgetown, Kentucky

Whispering Hills RV Park is nestled in the heart of horse country in Georgetown, north of Lexington. The park is located approximately 2.5 miles off I-75 at Exit 129. Whispering Hills offers 230 full-service sites including nine new premium pull-through sites in the 70-90 foot range.

Amenities include a swimming pool, basketball court, laundry facility, book exchange, fishing pond, bathhouses, picnic tables, and fire rings at most sites. Our pull-through site was in the 60-foot range. Most back-in sites tend to be considerably shorter and slope downward. Interior roads and sites are gravel.

Poche’s RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

6. Poche’s RV Park, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

Poche’s RV Park is a Cajun campground located approximately 5 miles north of Breaux Bridge.  Poche’s sits on 93 beautiful acres and has 85 full concrete slab RV sites with full hookups which include electricity (30 and 50 amps at each site), water, sewer, and Wi-Fi. Most sites back up to a pond to where you can walk out of your RV and start fishing within a few feet.

Poche’s also has five different-sized cabins for rent to accommodate any size family. Located throughout the property are five different fishing ponds which total roughly 51 acres of water. Within the ponds, you can catch largemouth bass, bream, white perch, and several different types of catfish. You can also rent a paddle boat or single and tandem kayak to explore the ponds or bring your own.

The clubhouse is a 5,000-square-foot recreation building with a complete wrap-around porch over the water on Pond 3. 

Two River Landing RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

7. Two Rivers Landing RV Resort, Sevierville, Tennessee

Two Rivers Landing RV Resort is a luxury RV Resort nestled along the banks of the beautiful French Broad River. A 5-star resort with 25 riverfront (drive-in sites) and 30 river views (back-in sites), Two Rivers Landing offers 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV conveniently located centrally.

Interior roads are paved; individual sites are concrete, 70 feet in length, and 22 feet wide. All sites are surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Our drive-in site faced the river. Wi-Fi worked well. A beautiful sunset looking out our front window. This is resort living at its best.

Shenandoah River State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

8. Shenandoah River State Park, Bentonville, Virginia

Just 15 minutes from the town of Front Royal awaits a state park that can only be described as lovely. This 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 riverfrontage, 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. Ten 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.

Blake Ranch RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

9. Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel, Kingman, Arizona

Easy-on easy-off (I-40, Exit 151), Blake Ranch RV Park is a convenient location to overnight and for a longer stay to explore the area. The RV park offers long and wide and level pull-through and back-in sites with 30/50 electric, water, sewer, cable TV, and Wi-Fi.

Amenities include a park store, private showers and bathrooms, laundry facilities, a dog run, a recreation room, and a horse motel. There’s plenty to do and see in the area. The park is 12 miles east of Kingman and Historic Route 66 and the ghost towns of Chloride and Oatman are easy day trips.

The Lakes RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

10. The Lakes RV and Golf Resort, Chowchilla, California

Big-rig friendly, The Lakes RV and Golf Resort is a well-maintained facility with 87 sites including 18 pull-throughs and 19 lakeside (drive-in), paved streets, and concrete sites and patios. Our pull-through site (#46) approaches 80 feet with ample room to park the toad/tow vehicle at either the front or rear of the site. 50/30/20-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located with the electric/water/cable back of the center and sewer front of the center.

This 5-star resort is an ownership park that is part of a larger complex that includes a Par 72 Championship Pheasant Run Golf Club. Other amenities include a clubhouse, heated pool, spa, pet area, and 24/7 security gates.

Worth Pondering…

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

—John Ruskin

National Coffee Day:  September 29

Whether getting one to go or lingering over a second cup be sure to observe National Coffee Day on September 29

You can put whatever you want on a to-do list; there are no rules. I put wake up and drink coffee on mine, and, well… guess who already got two things done today… and it’s not even 10 am…. god I’m good.

—Caitie Delaney

Ah, the perfect cup of java. According to an expert cupper (a professional coffee taster), there are four components of a perfect cup: aroma, body, acidity, and flavor.

From the moment the average coffee lover opens a fresh bag of coffee beans, the aroma beckons, percolating the senses. Even those who don’t drink coffee tend to enjoy the fragrance of roasted beans.

Growing, roasting, and brewing

When determining the body of a coffee, the bean, the roast, and the brew are all factors. The bean affects the texture of the coffee whether it’s silky, creamy, thick, or thin on the tongue and throat. However, the darker the roast and how we brew it will alter the feel of a coffee’s body, too. Grandpa’s motor oil blend versus the coffee shop around the corner’s silky smooth, well-practiced grind have entirely different bodies.

Where a coffee bean grows determines its acidity. The higher the elevation the coffee grows, the higher the quality and the acidity. These coffees are considered brighter, dryer, and even sparkling by cuppers.

When it comes down to it, coffee lovers cherish the flavor as well as the caffeinated boost this roasted bean gives morning or night, black or with cream and/or sugar. Hot or cold it provides enjoyment even when decaffeinated!

Coffee is available at this Welcome Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The history of coffee

No one knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered though there are many legends about its origin.

Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans. The story goes that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night. 

Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread.

As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula it began a journey that would bring these beans across the globe.

Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. By the 15th century coffee was being grown in the Yemeni district of Arabia and by the 16th century it was known in Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.

Coffee was not only enjoyed in homes but also the many public coffee houses—called qahveh khaneh—which began to appear in cities across the Near East. The popularity of the coffee houses was unequaled and people frequented them for all kinds of social activity. 

Wake up to the aroma of coffee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Not only did the patrons drink coffee and engage in conversation but they also listened to music, watched performers, played chess, and kept current on the news. Coffee houses quickly became such an important center for the exchange of information that they were often referred to as Schools of the Wise.

With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the world, knowledge of this wine of Araby began to spread. 

European travelers to the Near East brought back stories of an unusual dark black beverage. By the 17th century coffee had made its way to Europe and was becoming popular across the continent. 

Some people reacted to this new beverage with suspicion or fear calling it the bitter invention of Satan. The local clergy condemned coffee when it came to Venice in 1615. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He decided to taste the beverage for himself before making a decision and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval.

Louisiana-based Community Coffee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Despite such controversy, coffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. In England, penny universities sprang up so called because for the price of a penny, one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation.  

Coffee began to replace the common breakfast drink beverages of the time—beer and wine. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol began the day alert and energized and not surprisingly the quality of their work was greatly improved. (I like to think of this as a precursor to the modern office coffee service.)

By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffee houses in London, many of which attracted like-minded patrons including merchants, shippers, brokers, and artists.

Many businesses grew out of these specialized coffee houses. Lloyd’s of London, for example, came into existence as the Edward Lloyd’s Coffee House.

In the mid-1600s coffee was brought to New Amsterdam later called New York by the British.

Though coffee houses rapidly began to appear tea continued to be the favored drink in the New World until 1773 when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by King George III. The revolt known as the Boston Tea Party would forever change the American drinking preference to coffee. 

As demand for the beverage continued to spread there was fierce competition to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia. The Dutch got seedlings in the latter half of the 17th century. Their first attempts to plant them in India failed but they were successful with their efforts in Batavia on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia. The plants thrived and soon the Dutch had a productive and growing trade in coffee. They then expanded the cultivation of coffee trees to the islands of Sumatra and Celebes.

The famed Brazilian coffee owes its existence to Francisco de Mello Palheta who was sent by the emperor to French Guiana to get coffee seedlings. The French were not willing to share but the French Governor’s wife captivated by his good looks gave him a large bouquet before he left— buried inside were enough coffee seeds to begin what is today a billion-dollar industry.

Missionaries and travelers, traders, and colonists continued to carry coffee seeds to new lands, and coffee trees were planted worldwide. Plantations were established in magnificent tropical forests and on rugged mountain highlands. Some crops flourished while others were short-lived. New nations were established on coffee economies. Fortunes were made and lost. By the end of the 18th century, coffee had become one of the world’s most profitable export crops.

While Brazil produces more coffee than any other country, Colombia closely follows. Also, more than 50 countries around the world grow coffee, too. As a result, we choose from a bountiful selection of flavors for the indulgence of steamy cups of the black drink for connoisseurs to consume.

Wake up to the aroma of coffee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The espresso machine is invented

In 1822, a Frenchman named Louis Bernard Babaut developed a prototype of the first espresso machine. The machine was commercialized in 1843. In 1855, the Paris Exhibition included a coffee display. The machine made 1,000 cups of coffee per hour. It wasn’t until 1901 that a commercial espresso machine became available.

The automatic drip coffee maker is invented

The drip-brew method of brewing coffee with a coffee maker is a newer concept than other brewing methods especially the Turkish brewing style. 

Before automatic coffee brewers and electricity people had to rely on other methods to brew their coffee. Many people simply boiled water and put their coffee beans in which usually resulted in bitter, acidic coffee. However, the Turks started brewing their coffee with a unique system around the 16th century that is still practiced today.

Turkish brewing involves hot sand and small containers called a cezve or ibrik which creates a unique flavor profile. The hot sand helps regulate temperature and is the traditional method but Turkish coffee is also doable without sand. The result is a cup of bold coffee that has a strong flavor and bitter taste with lots of oils but traditional recipes call for sugar to bring the flavors together.

The first known inventor of drip-style brewing of coffee was Sir Benjamin Thompson, an accomplished inventor who created both the first drip brewer and a coffee percolator in the 1780s while tasked with taking care of the Bavarian Army’s soldiers. Although he did start the idea of drip-brewing coffee his percolator invention is what he’s most famous for in the coffee world.

However, it wasn’t until a few centuries later that the concept of a drip coffee maker came to full circle. Invented in 1908, Melitta Bentz created the first disposable coffee filter using blotting paper as a filter. She then put the disposable filter in a tin can with holes in the bottom to brew her coffee creating the first filtering coffee maker. While Thompson started the idea, Bentz is often credited as the inventor because of her disposable filter and can setup that led to the rise of coffee makers.

Waking up to the aroma of coffee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

French Press

Another revolutionary coffee brewer that changed the taste and body of coffee, the first attempt at a coffee pressing device might be from France or Italy. The first patent official patent of a pressing device for coffee was filed in 1852 but the first official French Press was patented in 1924 by Marcel-Pierre Paquet dit Jolbert.

Although it does have a little more work than a coffee maker, the French Press is still a popular method of brewing coffee. It tastes different than drip-brewed coffee in that it lowers the acidity and raises the body so it’s perfect for darker roasts and iced coffee. The French Press may not be as popular as the coffee maker but it’s still an important brewing device and created its niche in coffee brewers.

For many people, coffee is their reason for getting out of bed in the morning! It’s a morning treat, an afternoon pick me up, or even an evening drink to help stay awake. National Coffee Day pays heed to all of these and everything in between.

Worth Pondering…

Coffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world.

—Thomas Jefferson

10 Amazing Places to RV in October 2023

If you’re dreaming of where to travel to experience it all, here are my picks for the best places to RV in October

You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.

—Abraham Maslow

American psychologist Abraham Maslow is best known for his theory of the Hierarchy of Needs which outlined the basic human needs that must be met before one can seek social or spiritual fulfillment. Feeling that psychology didn’t take into account human creativity or potential, Maslow defined the concept of self-actualization as a process in which humans continually strive to reach our best selves. Choice played a prominent part in his theories: Here, he reminds us that our progress in life is up to us, if we have the courage to move forward into the unknown.

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 from October 2022 and November 2022.

Helen © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

1. Alpine Helen’s Oktoberfest

Nestled in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the town of Helen was overlooked by tourists for years. They’d stop to top off their tanks on the way to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Brasstown Bald, or Georgia’s beloved Vogel State Park.

Then in 1969, a business owner had enough. He noted the region’s similarity to Bavaria where he’d been stationed while in the Army so he made a proposal: Transform sleepy Helen into an alpine village that appeared to be plucked right out of a German forest.

Slowly, the town changed its face adding half-timber facades, cobblestone alleys, and delicate gingerbread latticework and hand-carved details to eaves and rooflines. Soon after it became Alpine Helen; this year-round bit of Bavaria not too far north of Atlanta held its first Oktoberfest celebration.

Alpine Helen’s Oktoberfest has entertained festival-goers for more than 50 years. Nowadays, more than 500,000 visitors attend the two-month event. The Oktoberfest Parade kicked things off on September 7 and continues daily from September 28-October 20, 2023.

German-style bands from across the U.S. and Germany, more than 30 beers from local breweries and German brewmeisters, authentic Bavarian cuisine, traditional Alpenhorn instruments and plenty of folks in festive costumes make Helen’s Oktoberfest a memorable event.

White Sands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

2. A White Oasis

White Sands National Park is one of the most jaw-dropping and surreal places in all of America. Until 2019, White Sands was a National Monument but officially changed to a National Park. What’s the difference? National Parks are protected because of their scenic, recreational, and educational value whereas a National Monument may have objects of cultural, historical, or even scientific interest.

It’s the biggest gypsum dune field in the world. The sand is so perfectly white because it’s made of gypsum whereas most sand is made of silica. Gypsum is very rare in sand form because it is a mineral that dissolves in water. That’s right—it starts to dissolve everytime it rains. But just how much of a big deal is this? White Sands covers 275 square miles of dune fields while the second largest in the world is a whopping 8 square miles in Mexico.

>> Get more tips for visiting White Sands National Park

Crowley © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

3. Where Life is Rice & Easy

At the crossroads of LA 13 and U.S. Highway 90 lies the city of Crowley.

Rice is the bedrock of the region’s celebrated Cajun cuisine and no other Louisiana community is as intimately tied to the crop as Crowley. The swallow ponds and level prairies surrounding the city produce lots of crawfish too, but it was the turn-of-the-century rice mills that gave Crowley its identity and made possible today’s impressive collection of historic structures.

Many historic buildings still play prominent roles in the city’s life. One such example is Miller Stadium, a 1940s-era ballpark and the Grand Opera House of the South that first opened in 1901 and was recently revived as an elegant space for world-class performers. Visitors can relive regional music history at the J.D. Miller Recording Studio Museum downtown or get a taste of prairie life at the Crystal Rice Heritage Farm.

Next door to the opera house, the Crowley City Hall, housed inside a restored 1920 Ford Motor Company building has been restored and features a museum on the city’s history.

Crowley © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The Crowley City Hall, Historic Ford Building is comprised of four interesting museums—Rice Iterpretive Center, the History of Crowley, J.D.Miller Music Recording Studio, and Ford Automotive Museum. Built in 1920 at the cost of $40,000 the Crowley Motor Co. was the city’s Ford Motor Model T dealership. Designed by an architect for the Ford Motor Co, it was one of 1,000 similar Ford dealerships constructed in the U.S.

Plan a visit for the International Rice Festival (86th annual; October 19-22, 2023) and stay to explore the area. The International Rice Festival, held annually every third full weekend in October, is one of Louisiana’s oldest and largest agricultural festivals.

>> Get more tips for visiting Crowley

Vanderbilt Estate National Historic Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

4. This house belonged to the Most Powerful Family in America

By any standard, past or present, this property with a magnificent view of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains would be considered prime real estate. A series of fine homes has stood on the tract since about 1764 and in 1847 the estate was called “one of the finest specimens of the modern style of Landscape Gardening in America.”

Such superlatives attracted the attention of Frederick Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Commodore Vanderbilt who had built a fortune from shipping, ferries, and the New York Central Railroad. One of Frederick’s brothers, George Washington Vanderbilt, is perhaps best-known for his Biltmore estate near Ashville, North Carolina. Collectively the Vanderbilts were known as both the richest and the most powerful family in America in the late 1800s.

Take in the unique colors of fall framing the impressing Vanderbilt Mansion from the Vanderbilt Riverfront Trail and Bard Rock picnic area as well as the formal gardens.

Vanderbilt Mansion is in the Hudson River Valley in Dutchess County, New York, about 90 miles north of New York City and 70 miles south of Albany. 

Saratoga National Historic Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

5. Get your history fix at Saratoga National Historical Park

The Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, New York holds activities and attractions for travelers during any season. The significance of the property dates back to the Battle of Saratoga. During a fall evening in the 1770s, American forces defeated the British army forcing them to surrender and locking in crucial foreign support.

Although the park is known for its rich history including the Schuyler House, Saratoga Monument, and Victory Woods, it’s also a popular destination for cycling at any level. Serious hikers and bikers can take part in the 100-mile challenge in the park. All you need to do is log your miles (walking, hiking, or biking) in the park and once you hit that magic number you’ll earn a special reward and some serious bragging rights. 

For some spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley, climb the 188 steps to the 155-foot stone Saratoga Monument; on a clear day visitors can see for miles. The park is especially beautiful during autumn. 

Joshua Tree National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

6. Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival

Venture to Southern California to marvel at the stars and planets at Joshua Tree National Park which as the International Dark Sky Association notes is the “nearest convenient place to go stargazing under a relatively dark sky” for the 18 million people who live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Joshua Tree became an official dark sky park in 2017 and each year it hosts a night sky festival in the fall. As luck would have it, this year’s dates overlap with the ring of fire solar eclipse. From Joshua Tree, the moon will appear to obscure between 70 and 80 percent of the sun.

The 2023 Night Sky Festival is scheduled for October 13-14. This event is sponsored and organized by non-profit organizations Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience (JTREE) and Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park and supported by the City of Twentynine Palms.

The annual Night Sky Festival is a ticketed event with limited capacity held primarily at Sky’s the Limit Nature Center and Observatory located just outside the park’s north entrance.

Cherohala Skyway © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

7. Cherohala Skyway

Retreat to the serenity of the Cherohala Skyway, a picturesque byway that crosses the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests. The drive will take people from the Tellico Plains of Tennessee all the way to North Carolina’s Robbinsville. Through this gorgeous route, travelers will ascend to elevations of more than 5,000 feet where they can see the stunning scenery of the mountains and valleys in the area. Tourists will be mesmerized by the breathtaking sights, flowing waterfalls, and lush vegetation as they travel. Visitors can also discover the hiking trails leading to secluded attractions like Bald River Falls and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, home to eons-old, soaring trees. Every turn of the Cherohala Skyway brings tranquility and magnificent surroundings.

>> Get more tips for driving the Cherohala Skyway

Fredericksburg © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

8. Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest celebrates Fredericksburg’s German heritage with four stages of continuous oompah music, arts, crafts, shopping, a children’s area, 50 varieties of American, Texas and imported beers, Texas Wine Country selections, great food and fun all weekend long! 

Oktoberfest takes place at Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg, Texas the first weekend of October. The festival typically runs from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 for adults while children 7-12 are $1 and children six and under are free. A two-day pass can be purchased for $15 and a three-day pass is $20. 

In 2023, Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg will be October 6-8, 2023. Future dates for Fredericksburg Oktoberfest include October 4-6, 2024 and October 3-5, 2025.

If you can’t make it to town for Oktoberfest weekend, any time during the fall is a great time to visit the Texas Hill Country.

Julian © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

9. Apple Central

Fall is here and that means it’s time for apple picking in Julian, California! September and October are prime apple picking months so it’s an ideal time to be outdoors and plan a fun family outing.

And nothing is better than gathering up your own apples and taking them home to your RV for eating, cooking, and baking. So, let’s head to the mountains of Julian for these wholesome fall treats and maybe try some of the famous Julian apple pies.

Julian is at its most charming―and busiest―during the fall when leaves change color and local apples ripen. Stop by an apple orchard to sample local varieties not found elsewhere, pick up some of your favorites, or pick your own.

>> Get more tips for visiting Julian in October

Stowe © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

10. Vermont in fall says it all

Stowe packs a big punch when it comes to outdoor pursuits—and fall is when the tiny town of 5,000 truly comes alive. In autumn, the abundance of sugar maple trees surrounding this popular northern Vermont ski area put on a spectacular color show. Visitors can enjoy it all while hiking up Elmore Mountain or Stowe Pinnacle, taking a scenic drive along the backcountry roads or venturing out into the Waterbury Reservoir on a private boat cruise. In Stowe, the best time for fall foliage viewing starts in early September and runs through late October.

Worth Pondering…

We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.

—Henry Rollins

70 Degree Road Trip #1: The Coastal Adventure

A clever climatologist routed a 70 degree road trip around the U.S. where you can enjoy 70-degree weather all year long

In 2015, a climatologist named Brian B. created a 70 degree Road Trip map that has been shared over 10 million times over various platforms. That map was a hypothetical trip through the U.S. with the route tracking where the normal daily high temperature was approximately 70 degrees Fehrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). 

The map was based on the 1981-2010 climate normals produced by the National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI). Every 10 years, new climate normals are produced. In May 2021, the 1991-2020 normals were released by NCEI.

It might surprise people that the shift in 70-degree temperatures between 1981-2010 and 1991-2020 was very slight. Instead of updating the map to reflect temperature changes he came up with new routes. The original route was interesting but it left out a lot of options. This time around, there are multiple routes to choose from.

The map consists of three different routes that chase 70-degree weather all year long. You can now choose a Coastal Route, Interior Route, or United States and Canada Route. 

In this article, I will focus on what Brian B. calls the Coastal Route. I’ll cover the other two routes in upcoming articles.

Keep in mind you don’t have to do this entire route. You can simply use it as a guide to plan trips using segments at different times of the year. But, if you have the time and resources, it sure would be an epic journey to do the entire route!

Route 1: The Coastal Adventure

The coastal route starts in Tampa, Florida, and ends in San Diego, California. It’s an extraordinary 7,468-mile journey through diverse landscapes and coastal views.

Brian calls it the coastal route because it takes you along the east coast follows the shores of some of the great lakes and finishes off on the southern coast of sunny California. However, this route may be better designated as the exterior or perimeter route.

It has a long stretch across the northern states and a detour inland once you get out west. That’s what is required to stay within the 69-71 degree window.

But, even though it doesn’t take you entirely down the Oregon and California coastline, you’ll still see amazing landscapes every mile of the journey.

I’ll walk you through the journey and link to helpful articles to help you plan your trip.

Myakka River State Park, Florida © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

January

Set off from Tampa, Florida, and make your way east toward Orlando. Enjoy the warm weather, sandy beaches, and vibrant attractions including theme parks, shopping, and dining experiences. 

Mileage: 151 miles

Mount Dora, Florida © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

February

Head up the east coast of Florida to Jacksonville taking in the pristine coastal views and visiting historic landmarks such as the Fort Caroline National Memorial. 

Mileage: 81 miles

Savannah, Georgia © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

March

Continue northward along I-95, stopping by the charming cities of Savannah and Charleston. Reach the North Carolina border where delicious Carolina BBQ awaits. 

Mileage: 341 miles

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

April

Continue traveling up the I-95 corridor to explore the vibrant cities of Richmond, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia while soaking in the East Coast’s rich history. 

There are so many museums and historical sites in this part of the country. It’s worth looking for reciprocal memberships to use at museums, botanical gardens, zoos, and more.

Mileage: 447 miles

Boston © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

May

Take in the scenic beauty of the northeast as you drive from Philadelphia through New York City and all the way to Boston. Revel in the flourishing spring atmosphere as you explore cosmopolitan cities and quaint towns. 

Mileage: 300 miles

Custer State Park, South Dakota © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

June

Buckle up and get ready to cover a lot of ground this month. In this stretch, you go all the way from Boston, Massachusetts to central Montana. This long stretch rewards you with natural wonders such as Niagara Falls and the vast wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 

While 2,388 miles seems like a lot, that’s only 80 miles a day. So, you can still spend time seeing plenty of sights along the way.

Mileage: 2,388 miles

Mount St. Helens, Washington © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

July

Traverse through the stunning terrain of western Montana, Idaho, and Washington on I-90. End your month in the lush surroundings of coastal Washington. 

Mileage: 965 miles

Applegate River Valley, Oregon © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

August

Journey south along breathtaking coastal highways making your way to Newport, Oregon. Marvel at the Pacific Ocean’s rugged beauty and discover charming coastal towns. 

Mileage: 289 miles

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

September

Thread your way through eastern Oregon on lesser-traveled mountain highways. Conquer I-84 in Idaho and I-15 in Utah, soaking in the picturesque landscapes. 

Mileage: 962 miles

White Sands National Park, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

October

Explore the enchanting rural highways of the Southwest, driving southeast from Utah to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Immerse yourself in the region’s rich culture and natural splendors. 

Mileage: 546 miles

Sedona, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

November

Venture west on I-40 from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, then head south on I-17 to Sedona and Phoenix. Witness the mesmerizing Arizona landscape including the iconic Grand Canyon.

Mileage: 467 miles

Coachella Valley Preserve, California © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

December

Conclude your coastal adventure taking I-10 from Phoenix to Los Angeles, followed by I-5 to San Diego. Celebrate your journey’s end while basking in the warmth of California’s sun-kissed beaches. 

Mileage: 531 miles

Make It Round-Trip!

As you see, this 70-degree road trip takes you three-quarters of the way around the United States. You can continue your road trip through the southern states to complete your loop around the United States.

You’ll lose your 70-degree weather but you won’t have to deal with the Southern heat as it’ll be December or January when you start heading back to Florida.

And don’t forget, I’ll be back with two more routes that chase 70-degree weather through the interior United States and all the way through the U.S. and Canada.

Worth Pondering…

Shoot for the moon, Even if you miss it you will land among the stars.

—Les Brown

National Pancake Day: A Brief History of Pancakes

The sweet or savory flat cakes have long been a culinary staple

Defined simply as flat cakes prepared from starch-based batter, pancakes—or at least rudimentary versions of them—were one of humanity’s earliest, most important foodstuffs.

Mardi Gras © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Are there two National Pancake Days?

A day so nice they made it twice—February 28 was the year’s first National Pancake Day. People love pancakes so much that there are two National Pancake Days each year. As discussed in an earlier post, IHOP restaurants celebrate their holiday devoted to pancakes. IHOP’s National Pancake Day 2023 took place on February 28.

September 26 is the year’s second National Pancake Day. That day was first called Lumberjack Day. The creators of the holiday changed the name to honor pancakes.

And we also have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, also referred to as Fat Tuesday. Lent marks a time to eat simpler food and give up things like sweet, rich, and dairy ingredients. The day before the season started was therefore the ideal time to make pancakes as a means to use up leftover eggs, milk, and sugar.

Ambrosia Bakery (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) during Mardi Gras © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Early pancake history

In 2022, researchers excavating the Shanidar Cave site, 500 miles north of Baghdad in the Zagros Mountains, unearthed the charred remains of some of the world’s oldest cooked leftovers. As Ceren Kabukcu, an archaeobotanical scientist at the University of Liverpool and the lead author of a paper on the discovery says in an email, “It looked like the seeds were soaked before they were cooked. You can tell if it’s soaked or cracked before it’s mashed into a patty. From this, we suggested the food underwent something like a flat preparation.” The 70,000-year-old culinary treat was, in other words, a pancake.

While previous research suggested cooking emerged during the Neolithic era (roughly 7000 BC to 1700 BC) when prehistoric people transitioned to larger, more structured communities and began to domesticate crops and animals, more recent findings indicate otherwise. Kabukcu cites evidence of “cooking with different plants (tubers, nuts, seeds) much earlier than the Neolithic.” Some 30,000 years ago, for instance, Stone Age people made flour out of cattails and ferns likely combining the powder with water and baking the mixture on a hot rock to create a flat cake.

Today, the pancake remains one of the easiest foods to cook. Simply take a starch, be it wheat, barley, spelt, or another flour, then add water, milk, perhaps an egg or two, and—if hoping to make a thick, fluffy pancake—a raising agent. Combine, then pour or scoop the mixture onto a hot surface, flipping the patty once bubbles appear to produce a perfectly golden-brown cake.

While the base pancake recipe is largely the same around the world, different countries have found ways to make the food their own. In the United States, pancakes come slathered with maple syrup and butter; in France, thin crepes are made from wheat flour or buckwheat without a raising agent like baking powder or soda.

Kolaches are popular in Central Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Other global varieties include:

  • Ethiopian injera (sourdough flatbread)
  • Korean kimchi buchimgae (savory pancakes)
  • Chinese jianbing (savory crisp-fried crêpes)
  • North Indian cheela (crispy, soft pancake)
  • Venezuelan cachapas (savory-sweet corn pancakes)
  • South Indian dosa (crispy, savory pancakes)
  • Dutch babies (baked in the oven, rather than being fried)
  • Moroccan msemen (flat, square-shaped Moroccan pancakes)

What links pancakes from different ingredients and different cultures is their flat shape which helps them cook through quickly. They’re relatively simple and their smallish size makes them easy to eat.

The first written records of pancakes come from the ancient Greeks and Romans. Around 500 BC, Athenian poet Cratinus described them as “hot and shedding morning dew.” Some 600 years later in the late second century BC, Greek physician Galen included a recipe in his On the Properties of Foodstuffs that’s similar to how Russian blinis or Canadian griddlecakes are prepared today. Galen noted that these sweet treats were often enjoyed with honey.

To the east, in what is now Xinjiang, a region in northwest China excavations at the Subeixi Cemeteries have uncovered millet pancakes dating to between 500 and 300 BC making them roughly contemporary to Cratinus.

These early examples might fall under the modern definition of pancake. But they weren’t referred to as such at the time. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word pancake, derived from the Middle English pancake or ponkake only came into use during the medieval era. One text, Thomas Austin’s Two 15th-Century Cookery Books advised readers to set a pan over the fire, pour in the batter, and let it spread to makyst a pancake.

Kolaches are popular in Central Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

A food of the people

With its limited ingredients and short preparation time, the pancake has historically been a working-class food. “One of the great points about leavened pancakes and all the tribe of griddle cakes,” wrote Elizabeth David in the 1977 compendium English Bread and Yeast Cookery, “was that they provided a means of using flours such as barley, buckwheat, oatmeal, which were not suitable for bread proper.” Pancakes have an essential composition that’s more liquid than flour with a runny batter replacing dough which requires kneading.

The pancake’s status as a food of the people stretches back centuries. In the 1750 cookbook Country Housewife’s Family Companion, author William Ellis praised pancakes as “one of the cheapest and more serviceable dishes of a farmer’s family in particular because all the ingredients of the common ones are of his produce are ready at hand.”

When Prussia besieged Paris for four months in 1870 and 1871, bread grew scarce, particularly for the lower classes. Many Parisians turned to crepes which had long been considered “lowly fare for ordinary people,” writes Ken Albala in Pancake: A Global History. By the end of the year, however, it was virtually impossible to find flour.

Miners, lumberjacks, cowboys, and urban workers are all associated with pancakes. In homes where meat and fish were too expensive to procure, pancakes served as culinary staples that could be eaten on the go or taken back to work.

While pancakes were especially popular with the working class, they weren’t limited to this audience. In February 1619, English noblewoman Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke, and Montgomery wrote a diary entry detailing how she made “pancakes with my women in the great chamber.”

Almost 300 years later, during the late Victorian era, English citizens occasionally ate caviar pancakes as part of the savory course, a small salty or piquant dish served at the end of the meal after pudding (better known to Americans as dessert) but before fruit and nuts.

Potter Country Store, Schulenburg, Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Pancakes around the world

Pancakes are celebratory, a festive food considered by many to be a symbol of life perhaps because “the bread-pancake made of unleavened flour and water was the staff of life” (or a dietary staple) in numerous ancient civilizations, the New York Times wrote in 1990. Eaten in Ethiopia, Eritrea, and some parts of Somalia, injera (made of teff flour) is served at weddings, birthday parties, and family gatherings. Traditionally, injera is enjoyed communally with two or three people eating from the same plate. In North India, chilla, a pancake made with chickpea-based gram flour is commonly served at weddings.

Literary classics also reference pancakes’ role in revelry. In John Steinbeck’s seminal 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family eats pancakes topped with syrup and sugar after Al announces his engagement to Agnes Wainwright. Even Shakespeare knew that pancakes were for merrymaking: In Pericles, a fisherman says, “Come, thou shalt go home, and we’ll have flesh for holidays, fish for fasting days, and puddings and flapjacks, and thou shalt be welcome.”

In much of the Western world, pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the start of Lent and its 40 days of austerity. The holiday’s name is derived from shrive, an archaic verb meaning to confess or give penance (the original purpose of Shrove Tuesday).

Also known as Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday’s association with the flat cakes probably came about pragmatically. Early Lenten rules banned dairy and meat so Christians had to use up their eggs and milk before fasting began.

During the Middle Ages, Shrove Tuesday took on a more raucous air with English peasants spending the day gorging themselves on sugary and buttery richness. In many towns, a shriving bell was rung to call villagers to confession. Pancake: A Global History notes that a local legend tells of a housewife who “was still busy cooking pancakes one morning when a particularly zealous vicar rang the bell rather early. Still in her apron, she took off, pan in hand, flipping as she went so as not to spoil the efforts of her labor.” To commemorate the woman’s dedication some English towns host pancake-flipping contests and races the oldest of which is still held annually in Olney, Buckinghamshire.

Food writer Felicity Cloake who spent many hours investigating the perfect pancake recipe for the Guardian, says, “The Shrove Tuesday variety of pancake, wafer thin and rich with the butter and eggs we’re supposed to be forsaking for the next 40 days, is now largely confined to Pancake Day itself.”

Pecans © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Pancakes play a central role in Judaism, too, with Jewish people eating latkes to commemorate the Hannukah miracle. Today, latkes are often made of potatoes (either shredded or pureed) and fried in oil like a Ukrainian kartoflani platske. Potatoes arrived in Europe from the New World during the 16th century but were only widely farmed in Eastern Europe some 200 years later. Before potatoes became widely available, Jewish peoples ate latkes made of buckwheat flour or cheese, building on an earlier Italian Jewish tradition.

Part of the appeal of the pancake rests in its endless customizability. Add-ins run the gamut from blueberries to chocolate chips, lemon, sugar, candied ginger, ham, and tomatoes. In Indonesia, serabi kuah pancakes sport a bright green color thanks to their inclusion of coconut milk and pandan flavoring.

In the Netherlands, pannenkoeken are eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner much like buchimgae in Korea. Farinata, a flat cake made with chickpea flour, is enjoyed as an appetizer in Liguria, Italy, and known in France as socca. According to legend, farinata was an accidental invention. Buckling under thrashing waves, the contents of a boat’s galley—including jars of pureed chickpeas—were tossed about during a storm around the year 1200. The chickpea mass congealed and cooked in the next day’s sun, yielding round, brown discs that were quickly eaten by the surviving sailors.

Every culture has its own version of the pancake—and with it a story.

Worth Pondering…

The laziest man I ever met put popcorn in his pancakes so they would turn over by themselves.

—W. C. Fields

The Most Filmed Locations in Every State

A pop culture road trip

Cinema was born in France but it grew up in Hollywood. Filmmakers of vision and ambition capitalized on the Californian outdoors and built a city of studios that could double for any place on Earth—or beyond. But as cameras got portable and audiences demanded greater story variety, America’s filmmakers branched out or sprouted up in every state.

Some states were chosen for their particular flavor (Minnesota for Fargo) or history (Mississippi for In the Heat of the Night). Others are cast just because they are not Big American Movie States: think of the horror movies of Anytown, USA. But altogether, this huge variety of cultures and landscapes has made American cinema a candy box for global audiences to pick from. Today, the U.S. movie industry makes more money than any other (although notably, India makes the most films, and China sells the most cinema tickets).

Sonoran Desert © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

But despite America’s diverse cast of locations, California and New York continue to dominate the U.S. cinematic landscape. While California remains best known for its studio productions, you’d probably guess that New York’s most filmed location is Central Park—and as the new study proves, you’d be right. But what are the most filmed locations in the other states? And what does the cinematic landscape look like when broken down by genre or location type?  

Recent data analysis by HawaiianIslands.com identified the U.S. locations with the most film credits not including movie studios. They categorized the top locations by state, type, and genre to rank the most filmed locations in each category.

>> Related article: Most Iconic RVs from the Movies

Key findings include:

  • Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California is the most filmed location with 399 credits
  • Pearl Harbor is Hawaii’s top film location with 17 credits
  • Union Station in LA has more credits than the White House, the Golden Gate Bridge, or Grand Central Station—but it rarely plays itself
UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

From the desert to the university, America’s landscape of top locations covers every part of U.S. life—and history. The Sonoran Desert is Arizona’s most filmed landscape with a blazing 268 film credits. A desert is a versatile location: in addition to westerns such as McLintock! (1963), the Sonoran’s history of UFO activity makes it an apt sci-fi setting (A Fire in the Sky, 1978). And it even stands in for the Al-Hajarah desert in Iraq for Three Kings (1999).

Hawaii offers two stand-out attractions for filmmakers: the history around Pearl Harbor such as the classic From Here to Eternity (1963) and the good times in paradise portrayed in pictures such as Blue Hawaii (1961). The latter is a classic musical romance starring Elvis Presley who filmed scenes in locations such as Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Mount Tantalus, and Hanauma Bay. But Pearl Harbor emerges as the top location with 17 credits including Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) and the Michael Bay blockbuster Pearl Harbor (2001).

Movie crew at Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Next, the study identified the most uniquely filmed U.S. location for every top genre—which is to say, the location that is used for a particular genre at a higher rate than others. So, for example, Arizona’s Paiute Wilderness has fewer Western credits than the Sonoran—but the Sonoran’s prominence as a Western location is watered-down by the science-fiction and other genres that are filmed there. The Paiute is America’s most uniquely filmed western location. The 87,900-acre Paiute Wilderness is a remote area in the northwestern corner of Arizona with limited access.

>> Related article: 11 Must Watch Films Shot on Route 66

Hawaii’s top movie location, Pearl Harbor, is also the U.S. location most dedicated to the war genre. Most genres have a top location in California or New York but the adventure genre is another exception. Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah is the top location for that genre. Remember when Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) gets a self-destructing call-to-action in Mission Impossible II (2000)? That’s Dead Horse.

Grand Canyon, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Grand Canyon and Yosemite stand out as the most filmed National Parks in the U.S. with Yellowstone trailing not too far behind. The latter stood in for the Planet Vulcan in the first Star Trek movie (1979). The crew made extensive use of the park’s otherworldly Minerva Hot Springs but mixed imagery with model shots to create Spock’s home planet.

Montana’s Glacier National Park offers a greener and meltier landscape. The national park with the fifth-most film credits, Glacier, has offered a picturesque backdrop in films ranging from the epic box office bomb Heaven’s Gate (1980) to the family dog picture Beethoven’s 2nd (1993).

The beach: What better backdrop to “play out the liquid politics of time in an attempt to find new temporal realities beyond the horizon of representation”? The most filmed beaches are all in California offering stars a chance to show off their bodies while giving their characters an air of vulnerability. And then there’s Adrenochrome (2017), about “a gang of Venice Beach psychos who are killing people to extract a psychedelic compound from their victim’s adrenal glands.”

Daytona Beach © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Venice Beach has the most credits of all beaches but a special mention goes to 10th-placed Dockweiler Beach. As well as trashy titles like Time Trackers (1989) this stretch can count crime movies like Starsky & Hutch (2004), Point Break (1991), and Lethal Weapon (1987) amongst its modest filmography—and eagle-eyed viewers will even catch a glimpse of it at the start of Moon (2009).

A sports stadium comes with its drama baked in—dizzying heights and memories of nail-biting games, the buzz of the crowd. Perfect for the scene in Space Jam (1996) when alien Nerdlucks check out an NBA game at Madison Square Garden and drain some familiar stars of their talent. Madison Square Garden is the most filmed sports stadium in America.

>> Related article: 10 Iconic Road Trip Movies

Fantastic storylines and sports stadiums seem to go together; perhaps it is the sense of spectacle. Angels in the Outfield (1951) one-ups Space Jam by having its invaders come from Heaven itself. Paul Douglas plays Aloysius X. ‘Guffy’ McGovern, an obnoxious and down-on-his-luck baseball coach who is visited by an angel with the task of making McGovern a better coach and human. The Pittsburgh Pirates were the team with scenes shot at the neighboring Wrigley Field stadium, home of rivals the Chicago Cubs. 

Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, Tennessee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The nice, orderly museum you got there. Shame if it was to get… messy. Museums in movies are used to contrast calm with the potential for disruption. The template was set at the fifth-placed American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan with Bringing Up Baby (1938) in which Cary Grant’s staid paleontologist has his life (and his museum) turned upside down by Katharine Hepburn and her pet leopard. Night at the Museum (2006) would later add supernatural surrealism to the mix at the same location.

In Manhattan (1979), the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) comes to represent Manhattan itself as well as the best and worst of the gallery experience. On the one hand, Woody Allen’s character is quick to point out pretentiousness and boredom; on the other, the scenes at MOMA put the characters’ lives in perspective and give them a chance to know each other and look twice at the world around them. MOMA is the 10th-most filmed museum in U.S. cinema. 

America’s most filmed buildings are mostly an iconic bunch of big-name structures that convey an immediate sense of place and grandeur. No building catches this essence more succinctly and recognizably than the White House which has 91 movie credits. The president-with-a-gun Jack Ryan franchise makes regular use of the building’s exteriors although only documentary crews get to film inside.

Art Deco in the old train station in Chattanooga, Tennessee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Despite the big star names among the top buildings, it is a lesser-known character actor that takes first place. The cavernous Art Deco Union Station in LA is America’s most filmed usually doubling as a different building altogether; a futuristic police station in Blade Runner (1982), a fictional movie studio in Hail, Caesar! (2016), and Demi Moore’s evil lair in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003) feature among its 97 roles.

>> Related article: 12 Movies You Didn’t Know Were Filmed in Arizona

Whether it’s a cinephile’s pilgrimage or a longing for a glamorous destination that motivates you, visiting America’s most-seen real-life movie locations makes for a high-octane trip—with epic selfies guaranteed.

Better yet? Combine multiple movie locations with exquisite beaches, great golfing, and a sunset spectacle that eclipses Hollywood’s most breathtaking scenes. 

Worth Pondering…

I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians.

—Francis Ford Coppola

The Science behind the Oldest Trees on Earth

How experts have determined that bristlecone pines, sequoias, and baobabs have stood for thousands of years

What and where are the oldest known trees on the planet?

If you include plants that can regenerate, the upper age limit could be ten thousand years or more. Such superorganisms including the famous quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove nicknamed Pando are made up of genetically identical trunks connected through a single root system that sends up new shoots over time. These clonal colonies are impossible to date with precision because the oldest decomposed long ago.

Aspen clove in Fishlake National Forest © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Known as the Trembling Giant, Pando is located about 40 miles southeast of Richfield, Utah, the nearest town. Widely considered the world’s largest tree with one vast root system, the aspen clone is also one of the largest living organisms on the planet. Spanning roughly 106 acres within Fishlake National Forest, a sprawling patch of greenery situated in the High Plateaus of south-central Utah, Pando weighs more than 6,600 tons and contains approximately 47,000 genetically identical stems (or branches), experts say.

Pando which in Latin translates to I spread is so massive that satellite imagery shows the outline of the clone in stark contrast with the rest of the surrounding national forest; its complex network of roots is so vast that it tunnels beneath Utah State Route 25, a winding two-lane highway that slices through Pando’s center.

No one knows Pando’s exact age with some estimates dating it to the end of the last ice age or about 25,000 years ago and others going as far back as 80,000 years.

The Big Tree © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The Big Tree, as it’s usually known, is one of the best known live oak trees in the United States. In its more than 1,000 years, the Big Tree has survived hurricanes, fires, and even an 1864 Civil War battle that razed the rest of the town, Lamar, Texas, to the ground. With a height of 44 feet, trunk circumference of 35 feet, and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017).

Many lists of oldest trees stick to single-trunked plants that produce annual growth rings. These kinds of trees are easier to date. Scientists called dendrochronologists focus on assigning calendar years to tree rings and interpreting data within those rings. By using a hand-cranked tool called an increment borer they extract core samples without depriving the tree of strength and vigor.

Giant cypress in Congaree National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

As a rule, gymnosperms—flowerless plants with naked seeds—grow slower and live longer than angiosperms, flowering plants with fruits. Gymnosperms include ginkgo and every kind of conifer—including yews, pines, firs, spruces, cedars, redwoods, podocarps, araucarias and cypresses. Roughly 25 gymnosperm species can live 1,000 years or longer. The cypress family contains the most millennials but the longest-lived species is a pine with an effective age limit of five millennia. By contrast, eight centuries is extremely old for an oak, an angiosperm. And only one kind of flowering plant, a baobab, has been positively dated beyond one millennium.

During research for his book Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees, Jared Farmer learned a lot about the world’s oldest growers. Here are some of the most exceptional specimens.

The longest-lived gymnosperms

Bristlecone pine at Grand Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, ≥4,900 years

Until 1964, the oldest tree ever known grew in a cirque on Wheeler Peak in Nevada’s Snake Range in what is now Great Basin National Park. After a graduate student researcher tried and failed to extract a complete core sample, he decided to produce a stump. This scientific desecration haunted him the rest of his career even though he cut it down with permission of a forest ranger. Originally labeled WPN-114 this pine was posthumously renamed Prometheus.

The oldest survivor with a name is Methuselah which grows in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California. This pine was originally cored by tree-ring scientist Edmund Schulman who made bristlecones famous through his 1958 article in National Geographic. The innermost rings on Schulman’s core samples are extremely suppressed and partly eroded making dating difficult. The oldest extracted ring from Methuselah might be from 2490 or 2555 BC. In any case this tree is well over 4,500 years old today.

Methuselah’s location is no longer marked by the U.S. Forest Service but anyone who hikes the trail will be close to it and many other living beings as old as the pyramids of Giza. In the same population an unnamed bristlecone even older than Methuselah grows and it is known only to an inner circle of dendrochronologists. Secrecy provides protection from vandals who would carve names on it, relic hunters who would take cones from it, and photographers who would inadvertently damage the fragile soil.

In a deeper sense, the identity of the true oldest living bristlecone is simply unknowable. That’s not just because no one has the time—or the funding or the imperative—to do an exhaustive search throughout the Great Basin. The effort would be futile. On most ancient bristlecones, the oldest wood has long ago been ablated, speck by speck, by desert winds.

Giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, ≥3,266 years

As soon as Anglo-Americans encountered giant sequoia in the midst of the California gold rush, they acted in paradoxical ways: protecting them while also cutting down trophy specimens for traveling exhibits. By counting rings on stumps, people knew in the 1850s that sequoias can live for thousands of years.

After the Civil War, two of the largest protected sequoias became known as the General Grant and the General Sherman. A rivalry ensued between Fresno County, home of the Grant and Tulare County, home of the Sherman. In 1931, the California Chamber of Commerce announced an unscientific verdict: Although Sherman was—and still is—the world’s largest tree, Grant would count as the world’s oldest. Confusingly, tourists routinely referred to another monumental tree, Yosemite National Park’s Grizzly Giant as the age champion based on its incomparably gnarled appearance.

Sherman Tree © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

In the 1990s, a forest ecologist created a mathematical formula for estimating a sequoia’s age based on the volume of its bole or the trunk below the crown. He tested his formula on hundreds of stumps in Converse Basin, the one large grove of big trees that had been devastated by industrial logging. Here, many trimillennials including the oldest ever known at 3,266 years or more had been leveled to make grape stakes and shingles. The ecologist disproved for good the old assumption that biggest means oldest. By his estimation, the General Sherman was only 2,150 years old and the Grizzly Giant was a shocking 1,790 years young.

The most senior of these trees probably lacks a name because of its relative smallness. And it may be newly dead. In 2020 and 2021, megafires devastated the southern Sierra, killing up to 20 percent of all mature sequoias.

Worth Pondering…

In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws… to represent themselves. Nothing is holier nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.

—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962)

What Every RVer Needs in Their Basic Tool Kit

25 tools you need on hand for your RV

For the most part, a basic RV tool kit is what every RVer needs. And when I say basic, I really do mean BASIC—the parts and tools you’ll most likely actually USE at some point.

Why You Need an RV Tool Kit?

Driving an RV down the road is frequently compared to owning a home that goes through a continuous earthquake and hurricane at the same time. Because of this, things frequently go wrong and need to be repaired. Whether you are handy or not (and I’m not), you will find it helpful to have a set of tools for simple fixes or even major repairs. Often a problem can at least be patched up to prevent further damage until a proper fix can be made.

What is an RV Tool Kit?

An RV tool kit is a collection of standard tools and items to assist with RV repairs and maintenance. Different situations call for various tools, so having an array of commonly used items can be handy.

Your RV set-up may require certain tools © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Tool Kit Basics

Ready to hit the road? Not so fast! Let’s take a moment to inventory that tool kit of yours. I’ve rounded up a list of tools you want in your tool kit before you hit the road. Unnecessary tools waste space and add weight to your RV. You don’t want to carry around tools you’ll never use–and you certainly don’t want to be without the right tools when you need them most! Let’s look at some tools I think anyone should have in their RV tool kit. Cheers to a fun (and prepared) RV adventure!

Heavy-duty work gloves

Your hands can take a beating while RVing. A pair of heavy-duty work gloves can protect your hands when working on odd jobs or doing repairs. They can also add grip when needed. 

Multi-tool

Put fixing power in your pocket with multi-tools including pull-out knives, screwdrivers, scissors, bottle opener, and pliers from top brands like Leatherman, Victorinox, Gerber, and Outbound. Multi-tools come in handy in all situations so it’s never a bad idea to have one—even just to open a bottle of wine in a pinch.

Sewer hose and connection to sewer outlet © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Set of screwdrivers

Your RV is going to have all different shapes and sizes of screws. If you could pick just one tool to have, it’s a screwdriver. But, you’ll need to make sure you’ve either got a range of screwdrivers or a multi-bit screwdriver to save space. From vehicle-related issues to cosmetic things like decorating or adjusting your finishings, a range of screwdrivers will come in handy.

Silicone spray lubricant

Silicone spray stops squeaks but does not attract dirt.

Channellocks

These will come in handy if you ever find yourself having to change the hitch ball on your tow hitch. In combination with the right socket wrench set, they can also help you make adjustments to other hitch equipment that needs to be tightened to the right specs for safe towing.

Hex Key Allen wrench set

Hexagonal screws are used in all sorts of products including tables and bicycles. To loosen or tighten these screws, you’ll need a special type of wrench called an Allen wrench or hex wrench. These wrenches usually come in a set with several sizes and feature different arm lengths, end types, and storage cases.

Crescent adjustable wrench

No matter how many wrench sizes you already have, an adjustable wrench is a must. Sometimes, it’s simply impossible to find the perfect wrench size for the nut you’re trying to loosen. This is where your adjustable wrench will keep you from damaging the nut or bolt and putting yourself in an even deeper hole.

Electric Management System including surge protection © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

LED flashlights

Flashlights aren’t just great for taking on night hikes but also for peering into your RV’s dark spaces. This tool can provide light when working in cabinets or under your rig. Have one designated to your tools and several others in the different location in the interior of your rig as well as your tow/tow vehicle. Many people like LED headlamps or magnetic LED lights to keep their hands free to work. Naturally, you’ll want a pack of batteries, too.

Assorted fuses

Vehicle fuses can blow at any time so it’s a good idea to keep extras around. We like to travel with a variety of sizes. But remember—something caused it to blow in the first place. Address the original issue as soon as you can. 

Tire pressure gauge

Having a tire pressure gauge is a huge must. Checking tire pressures before each travel day should be an RV checklist items. Not all tire pressure gauges are equal. Be sure to carry a heavy duty tire gauge that works for 120 psi or higher.

Ladder

If you have an especially tall rig, consider a telescoping ladder so it can be easily tucked away. From sorting out issues with your awning to cleaning debris off the roof or checking for issues, it’s never a mistake to have a way to get up high safely.

All the tape

As is the case with any tool kit, you’ve got to have duct tape. From temporarily fixing leaks and other on-the-go repairs, you’ll be so happy you have it. On top of that, you’ll want to pack Rhino tape and electrical tape so you can deal with any issues that arise. Tape could be your best friend in a pinch, so you can never have too many options in your back pocket.

Zip ties

In the same vein, you might find yourself in a pinch and in need of an easy and creative fix. Especially when it comes to RV travel, you want to be sure everything is secured in place. Zip ties (and tape) are some of the best things to keep on hand.

Dawn Dish Soap © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Tape measure

Self-explanatory! We use ours endlessly. You never know when you will need to measure something in the RV. A 25-foot tape measure should be more than long enough for most situations. Knowing if an item will fit before buying it can save you many dollars and headaches.

Bungee cords

There’s a laundry list of applications for which bungee cords will help you: keeping water containers upright in your truck bed, securing heavy tools so they don’t slide around, securing cupboard doors, expanding your carrying capacity by allowing you to strap camping gear to your roof rack. I recommend having a variety of different lengths and thicknesses so that you have the right bungee cord for the job.

First aid kit

No one should leave home without a first aid kit especially when they’re going on an extended adventure. This is why first aid kits are a necessity in every RV. First aid kits include the essentials such as bandaids, antiseptic wipes, gloves, swabs, scissors, iodine pads, and an emergency blanket. Some first aid kits come with a first aid guide.

Reversible mat

Much of the RV experience is spent relaxing outside the rig, perhaps under an awning but certainly on the ground alongside the RV. A mat which can be used to provide some underfoot protection goes a long way toward making the experience that much more comfortable.

Disposable vinyl gloves © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Utility knife

A utility knife is a fantastic tool to have in your tool kit. It cuts with a removable razor blade, so the edge is both incredibly sharp and very disposable. That means this type of knife is ideal for all of the grunt-work cutting jobs that are too difficult for scissors and too dulling and damaging for a nice pocket knife.

Pliars

Any good set of pliers will do but you’ll definitely need them in your RV tool kit. Needle nose pliers are perfect for harder-to-reach applications and great for precisely pinching connectors when finishing electrical repairs.

Vice grips

Another variation of pliers, locking vise grips allow you to maintain a better grip without constantly squeezing with your maximum strength. They’re also useful for holding things in place temporarily.

Hammer

A claw hammer is always good tool to have available. In addition to using it as a hammer, you can use it to bend things back into shape, knock something loose, or use the claw as a crow bar to pry something apart.

Water pressure regulator © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Water pressure regulator

Since water pressures vary depending on where you’re camping, a pressure regulator is a small but vital addition to your RV tool kit for protecting your RV water system.

Folding step stool

Whether you’re 5 feet 2 inches or 6 feet 2 inches, a step stool is a handy accessory to have in your RV. They help you reach higher storage areas and can provide an extra step up into your rig.

Camp chairs

There’s nothing more relaxing than sitting around a campfire in the middle of nowhere but it’s a little hard to do that if you don’t have anything to sit on. Folding camp chairs are compact, comfortable, easily stored. 

Hammock

Not really a tool but hammocks bring some comfiness to the outdoor space. When you arrive at that epic campsite you can set up a cozy reading or napping nook in the trees.

Jack pads © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

What’s in Your RV Tool Kit? 

As you can see, there are many tools that you’ll find helpful in your RV tool kit. Most don’t take up much room but you’ll be glad you have them. Having the appropriate tools can help reduce anxiety and stress, especially in emergencies. 

Conclusion

Whether you’re a weekend RVer, a snowbird, or a full-timer, carrying an RV tool kit is important. But you don’t need to break the bank for the basics. Many of the tools and items noted in this article may be things you have on hand. If you keep them together in a versatile tool kit, you can move them into the RV whenever you travel. Or better yet—simply reach for your RV tool kit when you need to do a project at home.

Worth Pondering…

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

—Benjamin Franklin

Preparing for Sweater Weather

The fall equinox arrives on Saturday, September 23, 2023

Autumn has caught us in our summer wear.
—Philip Larkin, British poet (1922–86)

It’s officially the last day of summer which means that pumpkin spice and sweater weather are basically upon us. Rather than bemoan the end of one season, I’m looking forward to everything autumn brings with it—including crisp morning air and apple cider. Consider today’s post your fall kickoff complete with a leaf-peeping guide and some great road trips for the season.

Saying farewell to the long, warm days of summer can be bittersweet but the sheer majesty of the changing fall foliage makes the transition a little bit easier. As autumn’s cooler temperatures and shorter days set the trees ablaze with color, now is an ideal time to plan a leaf-peeping road trip, hike, or other excursion to take in the views.

It is the summer’s great last heat,
It is the fall’s first chill: They meet.
—Sarah Morgan Bryan Piatt

Blue Ridge Parkway © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The fall season officially begins on Saturday, September 23. This date marks the autumn equinox or the date between the summer and winter solstices when day and night are nearly equal lengths. (We also know it as the first day of the year when you can order a pumpkin spice latte with no shame.)

During an equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the celestial equator—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line.

After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice after which days start to grow longer once again. 

The word equinox comes from Latin aequus, meaning “equal” and nox, the Latin word for “night.” On the equinox, day and night are roughly equal in length.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

But why do leaves change color in the fall?

Autumnal leaves in vibrant hues are a beautiful part of the season but those leaves are also a vital part of keeping trees alive. The trees with leaves that change color in fall are deciduous. (Evergreen trees with needles which stay green to continue the photosynthesis process through the winter are coniferous.) Deciduous trees usually have large, broad leaves.

Most of the year, these leaves are green because of the chlorophyll they use to absorb energy from sunlight during photosynthesis. The leaves convert the energy into sugars to feed the tree.

As the season changes, temperatures drop and days get shorter. Trees receive less direct sunlight and the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down.

The lack of chlorophyll reveals yellow and orange pigments that were already in the leaves but masked during the warmer months. Darker red leaves are the result of a chemical change: Sugars that can get trapped in the leaves produce new pigments (called anthocyanins) that weren’t part of the leaf in the growing season. Some trees like oaks and dogwoods are likely to produce red leaves.

Vermont © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

When do fall leaves change color

Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September through early November. Typically, the second and third weeks of October are the peak times but it shifts depending on your location and your local weather conditions.

Foliage starts to change in the northern-tier states out West and in the Midwest by late September. By October 2, the leaves in some areas will be past their prime. 

Much of New England as well as the Pacific Northwest will be at or near peak fall color by October 9. 

A little further south in the Blue Ridge Mountains, mid-October is your best bet.

Cherohala Skyway, North Carolina/Tennessee © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

See below for times of the year of peak foliage around the country:

  • Oregon: Best viewed while driving along scenic highways from mid-September through mid-October; however, color conditions vary daily based on humidity and fog density. 
  • North Carolina: North Carolina’s leaf patterns move east across the state. The first leaves in the western part of the state begin to peak the week of October 9. By October 23, the entire state should peak and the show will be pretty much over by November 1.
  • Vermont: Optimal viewing from September 18 through October 2 although the leaves will begin to change in early September.
  • New Hampshire: Leaves in New Hampshire will be at their best the last week of September. By October 16 most of the state will have changed.
  • Washington: Washington State leaves normally hit their peak the week of October 9 and past their peak by October 23.
Shenandoah National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Top destinations for viewing fall leaves

Here is a list of my picks for the most idyllic spots in the U.S. for viewing fall leaves. Some are off the beaten path, some are on more popular, scenic routes for you to enjoy whether on foot or by vehicle. I’ve also included the dates for peak foliage viewing for each location.

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Peak Viewing: October 9-28

Virginia’s Skyline Drive is a National Scenic Byway that runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The speed limit is 35 mph with 75 overlooks to pull over and enjoy the sights of the Shenandoah Valley below. Often called one of America’s favorite mountain drives, Skyline Drive is “good for the soul.” 

La Sal Mountain Scenic Loop © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Moab, Utah

Peak viewing: Mid September to mid October

Aside from aspens, cottonwoods, and other deciduous trees making the slow turn to brilliance, the abundant sandstone rocks change colors here, too. Shorter days and angled fall light combine to give Moab’s signature sandstone deeper, more varied colors than usual. Several different leaf-peeping routes include the La Sal Mountain Loop Road Scenic Backway, the Gemini Bridges Trail, the Poison Spider Mesa Trail, and the Moab Rim Trail. Jeeps are required on all routes except the La Sal

Great Smoky Mountains National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Great Smoky Mountain National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Peak viewing: Mid to late October, depending on elevation.

You’d be hard-pressed to find any terrain more perfectly orchestrated for fall color viewing than the Great Smoky Mountains. Lots of sumac adds to the brilliant reds but the Park boasts an amazing diversity of trees and terrain that add to the color spectrum—some 100 species of native trees live in the Smokies. To enjoy them, drive the Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or the Foothills Parkway. 

Mount Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Kancamagus Scenic Highway, Lincoln, New Hampshire

Peak viewing: September 25-October 7

The Kancamagus Scenic Highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire known by the locals as The Kanc provides some of the most spectacular fall foliage viewing in New England. The Kanc’s 35-mile scenic pass that connects Lincoln to Conway (Route 112) has some tricky hairpin turns and no gas stations so be prepared. It does have plenty of places to pull over and enjoy the grandeur of the vistas. 

Julian apples © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Julian, California

Peak viewing: Early to mid-November.

In Julian, autumn is the grandstand season both for apple-pie eating and leaf-peeping. Sample the town’s homemade apple confections then watch black oaks do their color-changing trick at Lake Cuyamaca in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. A scenic 45-minute drive leads to Palomar Mountain State Park where you can put some miles on your feet while you admire bracken ferns and leafy oaks on the Thunder Ridge and Chimney Flat Loop. Or hike the Five Oaks Trail at Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve, home to some of the oldest and largest black oaks in San Diego County. 

Worth Pondering…

It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!

—A. A. Milne

6 National Parks with Fascinating Features

National parks hold some of the most unique geological features in the world

With a diversity of photo-worthy environs including high deserts, rainforests, mountains, beaches, and historical sites, there’s a National Park for everyone.

Here are six of the most striking geological features that you can find in America’s National Parks.

Arches National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

1. Arches National Park

If you’re heading to Utah to check out the Mighty Five, chances are Arches National Park is at the top of your list—along with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. This park was aptly named for its more than 2,000 arches, the largest concentration in the world.

These landmarks formed from millions of years’ worth of seismic activity as the area shifted, wrinkled, and expanded leaving exposed sandstone to spread to the surface. The water eventually began eroding the sandstone into fins or narrow, thin rock faces. Then, water seeped into the cracks of the fins and froze and expanded which caused chunks of sandstone to fall out and form a window. Water and wind continued to erode the window until it became an arch.

Arches National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Among the park’s best-known arches are the Delicate Arch and the Landscape Arch—the largest of them all. Landscape Arch stretches 306 feet across or about the length of a football field. In 1991, hikers heard cracking and popping noises from the arch and suddenly a slab of rock about 60 feet long broke away and crashed to the ground below. A photo and a video of the event were recorded and no one was hurt. 

If you decide to visit, be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and water (there is little shade available) and check for timed ticket entry between April and October. 

>> Get more tips for visiting Arches National Park

Petrified Forest National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

2. Petrified Forest National Park 

Petrified Forest certainly has a startling ring to it. Not to mention, Petrified Forest National Park isn’t actually a forest—at least not anymore. And it’s not necessarily a dangerous place … as long as you don’t attempt to steal the rocks. 

Nearly 200 million years ago, coniferous trees such as pines grew in this lowland area of what is now Arizona though the climate was more tropical at the time. Fallen trees, some 9 feet in diameter and around 200 feet tall were covered in sediments as nearby rivers flooded from storms. Over time, multiple volcanic eruptions layered the area in volcanic ash, rich with silica. 

The burial of these trees happened so quickly (by geological standards) that the wood evaded decay normally caused by insects and oxygen. As the groundwater mixed with the volcanic ash and silica, it layered over the wood and turned the organic material into stone also known as petrification.

Petrified Forest National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The resulting fossils are a beautiful menagerie of reds, yellows, oranges, and whites. They somewhat resemble precious stones which makes them an enticing souvenir. But as with all National Park lands visitors are not allowed to take anything from the site including rocks, plants, and animals. And for good reason, since removing any of these items can harm the local ecosystem or degrade the geological features.

Legend has it that taking a rock from Petrified Forest National Park can bring about miserable luck. The park receives envelopes full of returned rocks each year often with letters begging for forgiveness for fossil theft and hoping their bad luck subsides. Some letters simply state, “You were right!” and some have detailed the years of misfortune that befell the burglar. These correspondences were even turned into a book, Bad Luck, Hot Rocks: Conscience Letters and Photographs from the Petrified Forest.

When visiting Petrified Forest National Park (or any park) remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints.

>> Get more tips for visiting Petrified Forest National Park

Mesa Verde National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

3. Mesa Verde National Park

Designated a national park by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, the park also holds UNESCO World Heritage Site status and has been the site of human inhabitation since approximately 7500 BC. About A.D. 550 some of the people living in the four corners region of the four states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico decided to move onto Mesa Verde; over 700 years these people raised families in communities of stone built into sheltered coves of canyon walls.

Not only did the cliff dwellings offer shelter from potential invaders but also from rain and snow allowing the ruins to be well preserved for more than 1,000 years. Over a generation or two in the late 1200s, these people left their homes and moved away to locations in Arizona and New Mexico.

Mesa Verde National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The spectacular park includes more than 4,500 archaeological sites of which about 600 are cliff dwellings. Located just outside Cortez, Colorado, the main park road is open 24 hours, year-round. Alas, to see some of the most impressive cliff dwellings close up, Balcony House, Cliff Palace, and Long House you must join a ranger-guided tour.

The main park road leads to numerous overlooks offering marvelous views of the cliff dwellings in the early culture. First on our circuit was Spruce Treehouse, perhaps the best-preserved cliff dwelling. Standing on the edge of the rugged canyon and looking down and across to the cliff dwelling gives one the eerie feeling that the residents just departed. Throughout our visit to these early outposts of humanity, one could feel the ghosts of the ancients looking back at us.

>> Get more tips for visiting Mesa Verde National Park

White Sands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

4. White Sands National Park

The largest gypsum dune field in the world is located at White Sands National Park in south-central New Mexico. This region of glistening white dunes is at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert within an internally drained valley called the Tularosa Basin. The park ranges in elevation from 3,890 feet to 4,116 feet above sea level. There are approximately 275 total square miles of dune fields here with 115 square miles (about 40 percent) located within White Sands National Park.

White Sands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

This dune field is very dynamic with the most active dunes moving to the northeast at a rate of up to 30 feet per year while the more stable areas of sand move very little. The pure gypsum (hydrous calcium sulfate) that forms these unusual dunes originates in the western portion of the park from an ephemeral lake or playa with a very high mineral content. As the water evaporates (theoretically as much as 80 inches per year!), the minerals are left behind to form gypsum deposits that eventually are wind-transported to form these white dunes.

Many species of plants and animals have developed very specialized means of surviving in this area of cold winters and hot summers with very little surface water and highly mineralized groundwater.

>> Get more tips for visiting White Sands National Park

Badlands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

5. Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is an otherworldly destination that offers visitors an immersive experience of the natural beauty and geologic uniqueness of the region. The rugged canyons, towering spires, and colorful rock formations create an awe-inspiring landscape that is unlike anything else in the world.

Drive through the park and enjoy the breathtaking scenery that Badlands National Park has to offer. With several scenic drives available including Badlands Loop Road and Sage Creek Rim Road visitors can take in the stunning views and take their time experiencing the park.

Badlands National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Experience the park’s rugged beauty up close by hiking one of its many trails. With more than 60 miles of trails available, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the park on foot and discover breathtaking views, unique rock formations, and diverse wildlife.

Observe the park’s native wildlife including bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorns, coyotes, and prairie dogs. Badlands National Park is home to one of the largest remaining undisturbed mixed-grass prairies in the United States making it an ideal location for wildlife viewing.

>> Get more tips for visiting Badlands National Park

Big Bend National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

6. Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park has it all—vast amounts of open space, rivers, canyons, pictographs, and hot springs. Located in southwest Texas, the park can be wonderfully warm in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer offering year-round access to some of the most beautiful terrain in the state. Big Bend National Park is where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Chisos Mountains and it’s where you’ll find the Santa Elena Canyon, a limestone cliff canyon carved by the Rio Grande.

Big Bend National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

In the center of Big Bend lies the Chisos Mountains, the only mountain range in the United States fully contained within a single national park. Given their relatively high elevation—the summit of Emory Peak stands at 7,835 feet—the Chisos are typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the adjacent desert and home to a wide variety of shady juniper, mesquite, and oak. Within the 20 miles of trails here it’s a fairly easy hike to a beautiful view at the summit of Emory Peak.

>> Get more tips for visiting Big Bend National Park

Worth Pondering…

The national parks in the U.S. are destinations unto themselves with recreation, activities, history, and culture.

—Jimmy Im