Touring America

Florida's Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway

Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway is a 50-mile stretch of US 41 between Naples and Miami in southern Florida. As you travel this scenic byway, you'll experience one of the largest remaining tropical wildernesses in the United States, the Florida Everglades. You'll also come across the smallest Post Office in the United States. It's in Ochopee and serves a few hundred people that live along the trail. Many tourists will stop at the Post Office to mail a postcard so that it gets stamped with the Ochopee postmark.

Near the byway's western terminus is 6,423-acre Collier-Seminole State Park. Byway visitors may want to spend some time here to ride a bicycle, do some boating or fishing, or simply enjoy a picnic. There are two camping areas in the park. One has 19 sites in a wooded area and is popular with tent, van, and pop-up campers. The other has 118 sites more suitable for RVers but also has tent sites.

Most of the byway passes through Big Cypress National Preserve, home to an abundance of wildlife including alligators. On occasion, travelers have had to brake for alligators crossing the road. Big Cypress gets its name not from the size of trees but a million-acre forest that is dark, foreboding and beautiful. Be sure to stop by the National Preserve's visitor center to learn more about this beautiful area. There's also a National Park Service campground if you're interested in staying awhile.

Other areas of interest surrounding the byway include Everglades National Park, which is just east of the byway. There's also the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, where you'll find an abundance of wildlife. It's a good place to be for spotting manatees, alligators, bald eagles, osprey, loggerhead sea turtles, and dolphins. You might also consider spending some time in Everglades City where you'll find some good restaurants, lodging, and boating tours.

America's Scenic Drives

Want to learn more about scenic byways in America? Go to our web site for free information and maps of more than 200 nationally designated scenic byways.

Off the Beaten Path

Oregon

Frazier Farmstead Museum

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this site features an 1892 home that contains a collection of antique furnishings. Also on site is a barn, carriage house and several other buildings that were an integral part of a turn-of-the-century working farm.

Leach Botanical Garden

This 15-acre site is located in a woodland hollow carved by Johnson Creek in southeast Portland. Features a self-guided tour that winds around the Manor House and along Johnson Creek.

Mission Mill Village and the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill

This site interprets the vibrant red structures of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill and the simple white frame houses of devout Methodist missionaries, the founders of Salem.

Texas

Buffalo Gap Historic Village

This site preserves and presents the history and heritage of the Texas frontier. It contains more than a dozen original buildings, including a two-room school house. Visitors can participate in special events or simply enjoy the demonstrations presented by living history interpreters.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

This barbeque joint in Llano is famous for "the Big Chop," a 2-inch thick center cut pork chop smoked "cowboy style" over mesquite wood embers. Mmm-mmm! They also serve brisket, pork ribs, chicken, and pork sausage. You can also order their barbeque on the web site and have it shipped in vacuum-sealed, frozen containers.

The Dove's Nest Restaurant

This family-owned restaurant is on the historic town square of Waxahachie. Texas Monthly magazine voted the Dove's Nest one of the top ten best small town restaurants in Texas.

Star of the Republic Museum

Located at the site where 59 delegates gathered on March 2, 1836 to declare Texas' independence from Mexico, this museum depicts the colorful saga of the Texas Republic.

RV Dump Station Locator

Need to find a dump station to empty your RV's holding tanks? Take a look at www.rvdumps.com for free information about places like rest areas, travel centers, city parks, and more. Over one hundred locations have been added to the web site since the last issue of this newsletter!

Discovering Your Public Lands

National Park Service

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved legislation creating the National Park Service, a new federal bureau within the Department of Interior. Although 35 national parks and monuments had already been designated, there was no official government agency responsible for managing them. Today the National Park Service manages nearly 400 areas covering more than 84 million acres in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions.

National Park Service areas include national parks, battlefields, seashores, monuments, and historic sites nationwide. These areas offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation and educational experiences. Although the National Park Service is best known for its great scenic parks, more than half the areas preserve places that commemorate persons, events, and activities important in our nation's history. These range from archeological sites associated with prehistoric Indian civilizations to sites related to the lives of modern Americans.

Brochures are available for each National Park Service area but the best place to begin exploring is at the official web site. You'll find a lot of information for planning a trip to any National Park Service area.

In the Spotlight

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona

http://www.nps.gov/orpi/

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is in southern Arizona about 140 miles south of Phoenix and 22 miles south of Why. It protects over 330,000 acres of Sonoran Desert wildlife and landscape. The monument exhibits an extraordinary collection of plants, including the organ pipe cactus, a large cactus rarely found in the United States. An entrance fee of $5 per vehicle is charged.

Those interested in camping will find two campgrounds in the monument. Alamo Campground is a primitive area with only four sites for tents, pickup trucks with a camper, or vans. Twin Peaks Campground has 208 sites for RVers and tent campers. The cost per night is $10. No hookups for RVs are available but there is a dump station at the campground.

Exploring State Parks

California

California state parks make up the most diverse natural and cultural park system in the nation. The state has nearly 280 parks, covering more than 1.3 million acres. There are underwater preserves, beaches, wildlife areas, ghost towns, historic sites, recreation areas, off-highway vehicle parks, museums, and a lot more. You can obtain a brochure that has information about each state park by calling 1-800-777-0369. You can also visit the official web site for detailed information. Another web site that has information is the California State Parks Foundation. The official guide to California state parks, California Escapes, is also available in a PDF format that you can download.

Camping in California's state parks is so popular that busy parks may be full if you arrive without reservations, especially during summer. Many coastal parks remain busy all year, especially on weekends. Your best bet is to make reservations if you know what state park you'll be visiting. Reservations can be made up to seven months in advance by going to www.parks.ca.gov/camping or by calling Reserve America at 800-444-7275.

In the Spotlight

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=546

This state park is near Felton about six miles north of Santa Cruz. It has a campground and about 20 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. The park is divided into two units: a northern unit consisting of 2,390 acres, and a southern that is about 1,750 acres. The southern unit is where you'll find the large, old-growth redwoods. The tallest tree in the park is about 285 feet high and 16 feet wide. Next to the state park is Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad, a one hour steam-powered train ride through the redwood forest to the summit of Bear Mountain.

Georgia

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages 63 state parks. Most have campgrounds for RVers and tent campers and some offer cottages for rent or hotel-style lodging. A free guide is available that has information on all of the parks, including prices for camping, cottage rental, and more. You can request a free copy of the printed "Guide to State Parks & Historic Sites" by calling 1-800-864-7275 or 770-389-7275 during regular business hours. You can also visit www.gastateparks.org for detailed information online.

In the Spotlight

High Falls State Park

http://www.gastateparks.org/info.asp?id=31

High Falls State Park is in central Georgia about 40 miles southeast of Atlanta. In the early 1800s, the site was a prosperous industrial town with several stores, a grist mill, cotton gin, blacksmith shop, shoe factory, and hotel. High Falls became a ghost town in the 1880s when a major railroad bypassed it. Today, park visitors can enjoy the scenic waterfall on the Towaliga River and hike to the remaining grist mill foundation. The park's campground has 112 sites for RVers and tent campers.

Gadgets and Gizmos

Prevent Dead Batteries

Have you ever drained your vehicle's battery because you left the lights on? That won't happen with Priority Start, a device that easily attaches to the battery. It maintains starting power by disconnecting the battery when power is low and reconnects when you turn the ignition on. There are three models available: one for automobiles, one for boats, and one for RVs. Prices range from $69 to $89.

Removable Pillow Tops

If your RV's bed isn't quite as comfortable as you'd like it to be, take a look at Cozy Tyme's removable pillow top. The 3-inch-thick pillow tops are held in place by corner straps and provide that extra level of comfort often missing in RV beds. Cozy Tyme can also custom-build a pillow top for non-standard sizes, at no extra charge. They also make standard sizes that fit the bed in your home.

Video Fireplace

The next best thing to real logs burning in a fireplace or campfire ring just might be this video fireplace. It features a real wood-burning fireplace that burns down in real time, from roaring flames to glowing embers. To learn more about this video and many others featuring natural landscapes, waterfalls, and more, visit www.videofireplaces.com

Headband Flashlight

Strap this little baby around your head and go to work looking for that thing you know you left

somewhere in your RV's storage compartment. That's just one way to use the Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp. It's also great for walking around dark campgrounds, reading in bed, or using anywhere you need light but also keep both hands free. The unit is powered by three AAA batteries and has three LED bulbs that provide a bright beam of light. Look for it in sporting goods stores or find a local dealer at the Princeton Tec web site. We purchased one from Buy.com and found it to be an extremely handy product to have.

Tire Step

If you travel with your bikes, skis, or luggage on your vehicle's roof, this is a product you might want to look at. It's a sturdy aluminum step that slides over the top of a tire and has a non-slip surface that allows you to more easily reach the roof of your vehicle. It's lightweight and folds flat for easy storage. The tire step sells for around $40. Visit Top Line Manufacturing for more information.

Micro HiFi Stereo System

Sony makes a micro stereo system that is perfect for RVers that want a stereo system in their rig without sacrificing a lot of space. The CMT-EP313 model features a single CD player, AM/FM stereo tuner, and a single cassette deck with CD Synchro Record. It puts out a total of 20 Watts of power and comes with a remote control. We purchased one at Best Buy for about $100 and found that the system delivers a decent sound in a compact unit. Sony makes seven other micro systems that are more powerful and have more features but, naturally, are more expensive. To learn more about this model, visit Sony's web site. Once there, select "Home Audio/Video" and then "HiFi Systems" and then "MicroSystems."

Adventures from the Past

Colorado's history is rich with stories of outlaws and buried treasure. In the canyons and creeks of Colorado, outlaws would often hide their loot with intentions of recovering it later. But usually an outlaw was captured or shot down before they could retrieve their treasure. Word is that about two dozen places exist where gold has been lost, stolen, or buried that still remains undiscovered. Places like Devil's Head Mountain, Purgatory Canyon, Treasure Mountain, and Dead Man's Cave are said to contain undiscovered buried treasure. You'll find a collection of stories about these places and others at Legends of America.

Roundabout RoundUp

Travel Tips

Tips4Trips (www.1000tips4trips.com) is a web site filled with traveling tips submitted by other travelers. Tips are arranged by category, which include air travel, books, cruises, packing, safety considerations, and many more.

Campgrounds in Georgia

The Georgia Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds has a free brochure that lists campgrounds throughout Georgia. It not only includes private campgrounds but also state parks and Corps of Engineers parks. You can download the brochure at www.garvc.com but be warned, the file is 30 MB and will take some time if you have a dial-up connection. You can also request a copy be sent to you via regular mail.

Traveling Light

OneBag.com is a web site devoted to "the art and science of traveling light." You'll find a wealth of suggestions for what to take, what to take it in, and how to pack it.

ATM Locator

If you find yourself a bit short on cash and need to find an ATM, you can use MasterCard's web site or Visa's web site to search for one by city or ZIP code. To use MasterCard's site, go to www.mastercard.com and select Cardholder Services and then ATM Locator. To use Visa's site, go to www.visa.com and select Shopping & Travel and then ATM Locator.

See Before You Go...

RV Park Hunter is a web site developed for those that would like to see a campground before actually visiting it. The site provides links to RV parks, campgrounds, and resorts that have pictures of their establishment on their web site. It isn't a comprehensive list of all campgrounds across the U.S. but it does allow you to visit individual campgrounds and see what they look like.

CB Lingo

Ever hear folks on the CB radio using codes like 10-20, 10-43, or 10-100? Learn what the 10-codes mean at this web site. You can also learn about slang terms like alligator, boardwalk, pickle park, and many others.