Category: State Parks
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Leaf Peeping
We’ve been on a quest the last couple of weeks, searching out fall color before the trees go bare. We heard that Virginia’s Douthat State Park, about an hour southwest of our home, was a pretty park to explore. After a quick call to the office we learned that the color had peaked a few…
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The Most Sublime
Before becoming a popular tourist attraction for 18th and 19th century European settlers, Natural Bridge was a sacred place for the Native American Monacan Tribe. It is alleged that George Washington, as a young surveyor, visited the site in 1750. Today, tour guides suggest that his initials “G.W.” are carved on the wall of the…
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Travel Surprises Are The Best
We made our reservations last winter. Planning ahead is a necessity when hoping to camp along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Fortunately, our start date coincided with a blazing hot heatwave that settled over the Rogue Valley. Our first two nights were spent at Tugman State Park on the Oregon Coast where we walked…
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Trapped On Cape Blanco
Our plan was to take a Sunday drive from our Cape Blanco State Park campsite, north to the coastal town of Bandon, for a breakfast out treat. Mother Nature had other ideas. Our expectation was a small patch of water covering a short stretch of road. We led the way while another guest, hoping to…
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Sisters Rock State Park
With spring just around the corner, we hitched up the trailer looking forward to a short trip along the Oregon Coast. Although the long range weather forecast wasn’t looking good, we managed to enjoy three days of sunshine near Coos Bay before traveling south for a week long stay at Cape Blanco State Park. A…
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Wedding Rings and Sweat Rings
Summer came barging in early today, thrusting unseasonably hot temperatures in our northerly path to Canada. The past few days were spent in Charleston, West Virginia, helping son Chris and his bride-to-be Gail set up for their wedding. Weather forecasts had been somewhat hostile, threatening to hit the mid-nineties on the big day. Fortunately, milder…
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Mounds of History
Indiana’s Mounds State Park happened to be in the right place at the right time for a 2-night stay as we traveled east. We’ve continued to be pleasantly surprised with our somewhat random park choices. While many have been fairly rustic, this park was beautifully manicured with miles of hiking trails, but the 10 ancient…
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Cicada Songfest
Confused, Reg rolled down his truck window. “What is that noise?” An ear-piercing whine filled the truck cab. “Are those Cicadas?” We arrived at Illini State Park in Illinois just in time to experience the sights and sounds of this year’s history-making invasion of these little winged creatures. Fortunately, their season was drawing to an…
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Where Are The Rocks?
Before settling into our drive south, we had one, quick detour to make. It was time to wage war against mosquitoes and more ammunition was needed. We dashed into the local Walmart and left with a bag full of paraphernalia guaranteed to repel the most persistent of the little bloodsuckers. That should do it! I…
