Artistic Taos, New Mexico
Taos, New Mexico is a gem of a city. This art-filled resort town is steeped in history and surrounded by colorful deserts and wooded mountains. For recreation, the summer provides hiking, biking, and even rafting. In the winter you can ski or float above the town in a hot air balloon. In the evenings, take in the fabulous art, festivals, or enjoy the rich history of the Pueblos in the region.
Located in the northern region of New Mexico, this area was originally home to the Pueblo people. Their rich history is visible everywhere you go. You can even visit Taos Pueblo, which has been continuously inhabited for over one thousand years. Later in history, the Spanish colonized Taos. In the early 1900's Taos became a haven for many of our nation's most revered artists, including Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe. Taos remains, to this day, a thriving artists community.
Art Galleries
If you want to enjoy the art in Taos, visit some of the eighty different galleries within the city. You could also visit one of the town's six museums, which feature both modern and historic art. In addition to the galleries and museums, Taos has great festivals, including music festivals and the performing arts. The rich Pueblo history in the region has fostered the rich collection of native artists.
Summer Activities
When you tire of spending your day viewing the art in Taos, partake in some of the areas amazing recreation. During the summer you can fish, bike, hike, raft, rock climb, or even horseback ride. River rafting in the Taos area is especially good. If you love rock climbing, or even want to try it out for the first time, you can enjoy all levels of climbing here. First time climbers can sign up for guided rock-climbing trips. If you want to try something a little different, you can go on a llama expedition.
Winter Activities
If you dream of visiting a winter wonderland, Taos, New Mexico, is an ideal place to spend your winter vacation. After a few days playing in the snow, you can take a break on a nice hot air balloon ride. From the balloon you will be able to take in the beautiful vistas of Taos from the sky. Everything looks a little bit more amazing and fantastic from the air, especially from the basket of a hot air balloon.
Winter in Taos has just as many exciting recreational adventures as the summer. There are four ski resorts in the Taos area. Skiing and snowboarding are just the beginning of the winter activities to be found in Taos. You can snowshoe, cross country ski, ice fish, ice skate, play hockey, tube, and even go for a sleigh ride.
Each ski resort has something special to offer. Red River's ski area has varied terrain. In addition to skiing and snowboarding, you can also snowmobile or cross country ski on its many trails. At Taos Ski Valley you can take lessons from the nationally acclaimed ski school and enjoy the great snow on the mountain. Angel Fire Resort offers regular ski sports, and it also has all sorts of other snow sports, including ice fishing. Finally, Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort has a multitude of trails and ski-in, ski-out lodging for those who want to spend the maximum amount of time on their skis.
Taos, New Mexico is a fabulous town in which to spend some vacation time. Within the city you will find a rich history and a comfortable atmosphere. The city has great access to all sorts of art, from native and modern to music and other performing arts. Travelers that love to recreate will find many ways to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of northern New Mexico.
Beautiful St. George is a gateway to many of southwestern Utah's natural treasures. The city itself is rich with culture and history and is one of the largest in southern Utah. While on an adventure to St. George, you can visit Zion National Park, partake in many recreational activities, and see the interesting historical sights in the city.
St. George has pleasant weather year round. The weather makes this area a popular destination for snow birds and northerners seeking an escape from winter. If you travel to St. George during your family’s winter vacation, you and your family can enjoy many recreational activities that are unavailable during winter at your home. You will find all sorts of recreational activities around St. George, including camping, hiking, boating, fishing, rock climbing, and golfing.
RVing and camping are popular throughout the St. George area. Within easy distance of St. George, you will find Snow Canyon State Park and Sand Hollow State Park. Snow Canyon State Park is known for its beautiful canyon and its volcanic cones. There are many opportunities to hike and bike within Snow Canyon State Park. Sand Hollow State Park incorporates Sand Mountain and the reservoir called Sand Hollow. At Sand Hollow State Park you can ride your dirt bike or 4-wheeler on the sand dunes, or boat and fish on the waters of the reservoir.
Nearby lies the area's plum attraction, Zion National Park. Zion's greatest draw is its many canyons and elegant hanging gardens. There are many places to hike and bike in the park, as well as plenty of backcountry adventure opportunities. You can enjoy the park by taking the Zion Shuttle or you can take a car tour through certain parts of the park. From St. George, you can also make side trips to see Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
In addition to being a gateway to the areas many parks, the city of St. George has its own attractions. St. George is a city full of history. Brigham Young founded it in 1861. The city has many historic buildings, including the St. George Temple. You can view dinosaur footprints on the edge of town or head to one of the town's eleven golf courses.
This fall and winter, when you are looking for a vacation spot with a mild climate and lots of recreation, plan a visit to St. George, Utah. Here you can enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities ranging from hiking to dirt biking. When you need a break from all your recreational fun you can enjoy some of St. George's entertainment. If you want to make your stay in St. George part of a larger road-trip, you will find both the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas within good road-tripping distance.
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Point Reyes & Inverness Ridge, CA
Just north of San Francisco, California, you will find the Point Reyes National Seashore. The national seashore is a great place to find beauty and adventure. If you love to combine outdoor adventure with the chance to learn about history and nature, the Point Reyes and Inverness Ridge Area of California is a place you should visit on your next trip to the west coast.
Point Reyes National Seashore has a few very popular back-country camping spots. The camping sites at the national seashore are hike or boat-in only, so if you are looking for a car or RV campsite you will have to find one outside the national seashore.
The National Seashore also has great opportunities for nature and birdwatching. You can see the gray whales, especially during their migration from January to April. You can see the seals from the Elephant Seal Overlook near Chimney Rock. The park also has great birdwatching. Near the Pierce Point Ranch there is a large preserve which is home to over 400 tule elk. These elk are often visible from the parking lot; the best time of year to see the elk is late July through November.
Point Reyes National Park has many trails, historic structures and visitor centers that provide great exhibits on the history, ecology and geology in the area. The Bear Valley Visitor Center at the entrance of the park has many ecological and historical exhibits. If you only have a few hours for your visit Bear Valley Visitor Center, this is a good spot to learn about the park.
The Bear Valley Visitor Center also provides access to a few short, but fascinating trails. You can walk to Kule Loklo, a replica of a Coast Miwok Indian village, by taking a short path from the visitor center. Woodpecker Trail, also near the visitor center, has interpretive signs about plants and animals that can be found on the trail. Earthquake Trail is a paved trail near the visitor center. This trail explores the San Andreas Fault Zone and has interpretive signs about the local geology.
The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located about 45 minutes into the park. Drive into the park and stop at the Point Reyes Lighthouse visitor center, where you can view the lighthouse from an observation deck. If you would like to walk down the path to the lighthouse, you will have to visit between Thursday and Monday and then descend the 308 stairs. You can learn about the history of dairy ranching with the interpretive signs and historic structures at the Pierce Point Ranch. The Ken Patrick Visitor Center at Drakes Beach has a great marine exhibit.
In addition to camping, nature and history, Point Reyes also has many opportunities for hiking, biking and horse riding. The park has 150 miles of trails. There are also great beaches and tide pools for exploring along the California coast. You can hike to Mt. Wittenberg from the Bear Valley Visitor Center, a 1300 ft climb that puts you at the highest point in the park.
The Point Reyes National Seashore has many volunteer opportunities, from habitat restoration and repairing trails to educating visitors about wildlife. Or, if you want to escape from nature for a bit, all of the excitement of San Francisco can be found a little over 30 miles away from the Point Reyes National Seashore. You are also situated near the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Point Reyes National Seashore is a great place to experience the coast of California. You can participate in some back-country camping, hiking and kayaking. After you have had your fill of recreation, wildlife viewing and history you can drive down to San Francisco where you can enjoy all that this fabulous California city has to offer.
Lassen Peak Area, California
If you are planning visit to California and are looking for something a little bit different, spend some time in the Lassen Peak area of California. The Lassen Volcanic National Park in the Cascade Range offers amazing volcanic formations and thermal areas. The area also includes nearby Redding, which will be your gateway to the Sacramento River, Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta.
Lassen Peak is the largest volcanic dome within California's Lassen Volcanic National Park. This volcano is the most southern active volcano in the Cascade Range. Its last eruption was in 1915, and this eruption was the most powerful of a series of eruptions in the Cascades between 1914 and 1917. There are 30 volcanoes that have been active in the last 300,000 years located within Lassen Volcanic National Park. Scientists study the geology of the area in order to potentially forecast any future activity. Through this study they can determine approximately when and how certain geologic formations were created.
The best weather in the Lassen Peak area is during the summer and fall. During the summer, the weather is generally mild, although some snow may remain on the highest trails until August. Most of the roads and trails are open during the summer and fall. The Main Park Road is generally open from summer to fall unless conditions prevent it. The winters in the Lassen Peak area are snowy, and the park is usually snowbound until spring. The Main Park Road is mostly closed during the winter and spring.
Lassen Volcanic National Park has many fascinating outdoor activities. There are miles of trails ranging from difficult to easy. Most of the time you can hike up to Lassen Peak, however, the part of the trail leading to the summit is closed until spring of 2010. There are many other trails that you can enjoy while this trail is closed, and you can hike part way up the Lassen Peak Trail. This park also has eight campgrounds. Wilderness enthusiasts can get a permit to go wilderness camping throughout a large part of the park.
Volcanic areas such as this have many very interesting geologic formations. In the Lassen Volcanic National Park you can view many hydrothermal areas. There are steam and volcanic-gas vents, called fumaroles, as well as mud pots, steaming ground and boiling pools. One of the best areas to see the park's hydrothermal areas is at Bumpass Hell. The Bumpass Hell Trail is a three mile round trip where you can see and smell this active thermal area from far away.
In addition to hiking and camping, there are many outdoor water activities you can take part in at the Lassen Volcanic National Park. The park is home to many lakes where you can use non-motorized boats. You can also participate in trout fishing on some of these lakes, but you must remember to have a valid California fishing license.
Before a visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, you should check the weather conditions and make sure you know about any trail and road closures. You should also be aware that due to the remoteness of the park, as well as its alpine location, the weather plays a major role. If you should want to camp in this park you need to be prepared for anything.
Relatively nearby you will find Redding, California. Redding is a wonderful gateway to many of the area's interesting destinations. In Redding you will find yourself near to the Sacramento River as well as Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta. You can walk across the Sundial Bridge, the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Sacramento River, or you can walk the Sacramento River Trail to enjoy the river views and learn about the history of the Redding area. Shasta Lake is a magnificent destination; you can take a guided tour of the lake, which will also take you to the Shasta Lake Caverns. The nearby Shasta Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the United States. From Shasta Dam you can also enjoy spectacular views of Shasta Lake and Mt. Shasta.
The Lassen Volcanic National Park and Redding are great places to see some of the different geology and nature of California. Here you can escape the large cities and urban feel of much of the state. You will find volcanic formations that are unique to this part of California and the Cascade Range.
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Camping Gems
