Touring America

South Carolina's Ashley River Road

Just outside the city of Charleston is historic Ashley River Road. This scenic route of 11 miles travels alongside Ashley River through a forest of cedars, cypress, magnolias, pines, and oaks. The National Scenic Byway follows SC 61 between Charleston and Summerville. Along the byway you'll see stately historic mansions and magnificent gardens. Much of the river is not seen from the byway but opportunities exist for leaving the route to get a closer look.

Your first stop for learning more about this scenic byway should be the Ashley River Historic District web site. The site has a lot of information about the history of the river and the route. Next, head on over to the National Scenic Byways web site for a map of the byway and some more information.

History surrounds this scenic byway. First take a look at Drayton Hall, the oldest preserved plantation house in America that is open to the public. Next, check out beautiful Magnolia Plantation and Its Gardens. They offer a 45-minute, four-mile tram ride through the wildlife refuge on the outskirts of the plantation's 500 acres. Finally, check out Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark. It was the home of four important generations of Middletons, beginning with Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American Minister to Russia; and Williams, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession.

While there may not be any campgrounds along the scenic byway, camping is available in the surrounding area. Check out James Island County Park for information about their campground. They also have ten cottages available for rent. You can also find state park information at South Carolina's official tourism web site.

If you would like to spend some time in Charleston, be sure to visit the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau web site for ideas on things to see and do. At the official web site for the City of Charleston you'll find a current calendar of events as well as other information about the city. Near the scenic byway's northern end is the city of Summerville. Take a look at their site for information about restaurants, shopping, lodging, and things to see and do.

America's Scenic Drives

Free information and maps for more than 200 scenic byways can be found at www.roadnotes.com/scenicdrives/index.htm

Off the Beaten Path

Kansas

• Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center
  
  A U.S. space artifact collection second only to the National Air and Space Museum with the largest collection of Russian space artifacts found outside of Moscow.
• Louisburg Cider Mill
  
  Country store and cider mill on 80 acres. Crafts, gifts, and farm fresh food and apple cider made with fresh ingredients and old-fashioned pride.
• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
  
  This area preserves a large expanse of native tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. It also contains an 11-room, three-story ranch house, a one-room schoolhouse, and a huge barn, all of which are made from limestone.

Mississippi

• Camp Shelby Armed Forces Museum
  
  Honors the service and sacrifices of Mississippi's servicemen and women. State-of-the-art exhibits tell personal stories of the heroes and heroines of our Republic. Admission is free.
• Landrum's Country Homestead and Village
  
  Known as a "walking tour of the past" where history comes to life with over 40 buildings and displays. Landrum's Watermill Gristmill from 1871 is just one of the many working historical pieces you'll see.
• Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory
  
  Find the perfect gourmet treat with a touch of southern charm.

Wyoming

• Museum of the Mountain Man
  
  Features exhibits on the fur trade, western exploration, and early settlement of western Wyoming. The museum stands as a monument to the men and commerce that opened the West.
• Old Trail Town
  
  Interprets the American West and Wyoming's colorful western past with 26 buildings, which date from 1879 to 1901, and an extensive collection of memorabilia reflecting life on the Wyoming Frontier.
• South Pass City State Historic Site
  
  One of the most authentic and complete historic sites in the country. When the town boomed in the 1860s nearly 300 buildings were erected. Today you can see the 30 historic log, frame and stone buildings that remain on the 39-acre area.

RV Dump Station Locator

Free information! Find more than a thousand locations across the U.S.A. where you can empty your RV's holding tanks. To learn more, visit www.rvdumps.com

Discovering Your Public Lands

U.S. Forest Service

Every year millions of people visit public lands managed by the Forest Service. They come for the secluded campgrounds surrounded by lush forests and towering mountains. They come to backpack through wilderness areas where no motorized vehicle is permitted. They come to watch wildlife, fish for trout in a cold mountain stream, or raft down a raging river. And they come to escape the noise and furious pace of cities; to experience the peace provided by nature.

National forests are America's great outdoors. Established in 1905 by an Act of Congress, they encompass 191 million acres of land, an area equivalent to the size of Texas. Divided into nine geographic regions, the Forest Service consists of 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service is often assumed to be the same as the National Park Service, but this isn't so. You can learn more about the Forest Service by visiting their web site at www.fs.fed.us

In the Spotlight

New Mexico's Gila National Forest

www.fs.fed.us/r3/gila/content.htm

Gila National Forest lies in southwestern New Mexico. Covering some 3.3 million acres, the national forest has spectacular scenery ranging from mountains covered with aspen and fir to semi-arid lowlands with juniper, oak, and cactus. Visitors to this national forest will discover rugged mountains, deep canyons, and wide-open meadows. There's also a large variety of wildlife inhabiting the area including black bear, mountain lion, elk, deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, and wild turkey.

Gila National Forest offers an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities. In summer there's camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. With winter comes opportunities for some cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Three wilderness areas attract those interested in backpacking or riding horseback into areas where seclusion is king.

Located within the national forest is the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a National Park Service area. The site offers a glimpse into the homes and lives of the Mongollon culture that lived in the area in the late 13th century.

Exploring State Parks

Alabama

Alabama's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) manages 24 state parks. A wide range of accommodations are available including luxurious resorts with golf courses, rustic cabins and cottages, developed campgrounds for RVers and tent campers, and primitive camping for the more adventuresome. Free brochures are available for each of Alabama's state parks by calling 1-800-252-7275. You'll also find detailed information at their web site. You can also request a free Alabama Visitor's Guide by calling 1-800-252-2262 or going to www.touralabama.org. The guide includes information about each state park as well as general information about visiting Alabama.

In the Spotlight

Cheaha State Park

www.dcnr.state.al.us/parks/cheaha_1a.html

Cheaha State Park is situated on top of Cheaha Mountain, Alabama's highest point, along the Talladega Scenic Drive. The 2,799-acre mountaintop retreat offers beautiful scenery year-round and opportunities for camping, hiking, and much more. Surrounding the state park is Talladega National Forest, which also offers camping, hiking, and other activities.

If you're interested in camping, the state park's campground has over 70 sites. All of the campsites have water, electric, and sewage hookups. A fee of $15 per night is charged. The state park also has five chalets and ten stone cabins available that can accommodate two to four people. The fee for chalets range from $95 to $100. Cabin rental rates vary from $76 to $125. A 30-room resort lodge is also within the state park. Rates vary from $55 to $85 per night. A restaurant, open year-round, is across from the lodge. There's also a gift shop, banquet facilities, and a swimming pool.

Utah

Utah's Division of Parks and Recreation manages 43 state parks. Most of them have camping facilities that range from primitive to fully developed. A total of 1,800 campsites are available and most are open all year. A 36-page spiral-bound booklet that describes each state park is available. It shows where the state parks are located and what facilities they offer. There's also a pull-out chart that provides detailed information about each state park. You can request a copy by calling 801-538-7220 or visit their web site for all the details. You can also request a copy of Utah's travel guide that provides general information about state parks, public lands, and general information about visiting the state. To request a copy, call 1-800-200-1160. You can also go to Utah's Travel Council web site for good information about visiting the state. The web site also provides information about public and private campgrounds.

In the Spotlight

Utah Lake State Park

www.stateparks.utah.gov/park_pages/parkpage.php?id=ulsp

Utah Lake State Park is on the shore of the state's largest fresh-water lake, 96,600-acre Utah Lake. The lake is popular with fishermen in search of channel catfish, walleye, white bass, black bass, and several species of panfish. The state park provides access to the lake for those interested in boating, sailing, or canoeing. Utah Lake State Park is just a few miles west of Provo off Interstate 15 Exit 268.

Utah Lake State Park is open year-round for day-use activities. The campground is open from April through October. Reservations are accepted from mid-April to mid-October. The campground has a total of 54 sites that can accommodate RVs up to 40-feet long but doesn't have any sites with hookups. There are restrooms with showers available and a dump station is nearby. The camping fee is $17 per night.

Northeast of the state park is Timpanogos Cave National Monument, a National Park Service area. To the east of Provo is Uinta National Forest, where you'll find more opportunities for camping and other outdoor recreation.

Gadgets and Gizmos

Pit-2-Go

One of the more enjoyable aspects of camping is sitting around a campfire. With the Pit-2-Go you can enjoy a campfire just about anywhere you go. You can burn wood or pressed wood logs up to 16" long. It also doubles as a barbecue grill and comes with a charcoal grate and cooking grate. You can also insert a 12" or smaller dutch oven into the Pit-2-Go. When your camping experience comes to an end, simply fold up the Pit-2-Go, put it in the storage bag, and pack it away in your car or RV.

The unit is made of 13-, 14- and 16-gauge steel for the sidewalls and interior firebox. All hinges and rivets are made of stainless steel to prevent rusting. The Pit-2-Go is a bit hefty, weighing in at a total of 42 pounds. It comes with a 5-year warranty. You can learn more about the Pit-2-Go at the company's web site. Pit-2-Go is also available at Camping World for around $130.

Hot Water Anywhere

Most RVers enjoy the luxury (or necessity) of having water heaters for taking hot showers, washing dishes, or fixing hot beverages. But what if you're a tent camper or own a pop up trailer that doesn't have a water heater? It is with these travelers in mind that the following products were developed for.

The first is Zodi Outdoor Gear's Hot Tap Traveler, a completely self-contained water heater and hot shower system. Just add batteries to the water pump, attach a 16.4 ounce cylinder of propane to the heating element, and fill the plastic carrying case with four gallons of water. Within seconds hot water sprays from the shower head. The Hot Tap Traveler sells for about $140. Zodi also makes a high-performance model that uses two cylinders of propane.

Coleman offers a similar system with their Hot Water On Demand product. Connect the unit to the included five gallon water container, adjust the temperature, and in seconds you'll have hot water. The water pump is powered by a rechargeable battery. Hot Water On Demand will heat 40 gallons of water on one 16.4 ounce propane bottle and a battery charge. A shower spray adapter is sold separately. The unit sells for about $180.

Adventures from the Past

Nestled in the midst of the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northeast New Mexico is Elizabethtown, once a thriving community but now a ghost town. At one time, this community boasted over 7,000 residents during New Mexico's gold rush era of the late 1800s. Today it is hard to imagine Elizabethtown as it once was, as the hauntingly beautiful remains of the once-bustling boom camp look silently upon the Moreno Valley and the face of imposing Baldy Mountain.

Elizabethtown has a rich history of gold seekers, entrepreneurs, outlaws, "painted ladies" and every other sort of character attracted to settlements of the "boom and bust" era. Its history includes frequent visitors from Clay Allison, Black Jack Ketchum, a stage robber by the name of "Coal Oil Jimmy," and at its very worst, a serial killer who was hanged by a local vigilante group.

Over the years, the area produced over five million dollars in gold. But when the gold mines played out so did Elizabethtown, though it managed to survive for almost 50 years. Today there are many remains in the old ghost town, including several buildings and the beautiful ruins of an old stone hotel. Although the site is privately owned, it is open to visitors every day in summer and by appointment after Labor Day.

To learn more about this fascinating ghost town, visit www.LegendsOfAmerica.com.

Roundabout RoundUp

Treasure Hunting

Treasure hunting can be an enjoyable and exciting hobby. Using a metal detector you can comb the beach or search through the campground for hidden treasure. Some treasure hunters have found rare coins worth thousands of dollars. Take a look at www.whitesmetaldetectors.com to learn about numerous models available. You can also request a free catalog.

Unique Pop Up Campers and Truck Campers

Columbia Northwest Inc. is a manufacturer of unique hard-sided pop up campers and truck campers. The ultra-lightweight pop up campers can be towed easily by nearly any vehicle, including compact cars and trucks. And for trucker owners, the company makes a pop up truck camper that weighs only 500 pounds. To learn more about these unique RVs, go to www.aliner.com.

Traveling With Your Dog

If you travel with your dog, you may want to consider subscribing to the DogGone Newsletter. It's a 16-page newsletter published bi-monthly that features places to go and things to do with your dog. You'll also find travel tips, book and product reviews, a calendar of events, and tips for training and grooming. Go to www.doggonefun.com for more information.

Texas and New Mexico Campgrounds

If you would like to learn about private campgrounds in Texas and New Mexico, take a look at Texas Association of Campground Owners. The site contains information on over 350 RV parks, campgrounds, and RV resorts.