Category Archives: Camping/Hiking/Outdoors

Adventure Travel, Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Outdoors Adventures, Summer Vacations, travel gear, Uncategorized

Gearing Up for Summer Travel

July 2, 2024 krubin723

*Hiking in Death Valley National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Whether you are adventuring or beach going, cycling or sightseeing, travelers need gear that is flexible, light, durable, portable, packable and as much as possible, versatile and multi-purpose. The right gear can make such a difference in a safe, memorable travel experience.

Here are some that have come to my attention, some of which I was able to sample:

Travel in Comfort

Coalatree’s Trailhead Pants ($99, Affiliated with ShareASale/Skimlinks, Impact, AvantLink, Amazon). I really liked Coalatree’s waterproof, tear-resistant and antimicrobial Trailhead Pants. Versatile and flattering, you can wear them whether you are hiking, exploring the city, or on the plane. Coalatree strives to use sustainable materials throughout the production process – even recycled coffee grounds.

Core Tee by Forme ($178, ShareASale/Skimlinks) Avoid neck and back pain from slumping over in those low-quality seats in Economy. The eco-friendly made Core Tee by Forme® is an FDA-registered patented posture activewear thatimproves your alignment and effectively rehabs neck, back, and shoulder pain commonly associated with poor posture and spinal disorders. Made from eco-friendly Tencel fabric, the Core Tee is constructed of different materials and thin layers that are stitched together. The Forme tech inner layer is fused across the shoulder blades, creating an elastic-band sensation.When you put the Core tee on, the fused section wants to remain tight no matter how broad you are across the shoulders. This makes your shoulders pull back to their natural position, teaching your body and diaphragm to open.

CEO Active (Racer Back Top: $30, Flare Legging: $45): If you are looking for a travel day outfit that is more trendy and comfy, check out CEO Active’s Artemis Set which combines functionality and style. The Artemis Flare Legging in green is a tribute to the goddess of the hunt and wild nature.

COR Surf – Huakai Travel Jacket ($99.99):I always travel with an extra layer and COR Surf, maker of outdoor gear and accessories, has designed a jacket that is comfortable, functional, great in almost any weather condition and very packable in my backpack. It is constructed with lightweight, 10K, PFC-free DWR water-resistant microstretch fabric that gives you freedom of movement and comfort; great for layering in cold and warm weather; has hidden pockets on the sleeve for credit cards; has a large hidden pocket on the back for passport or money (this pocket is velcro so that it will be louder and harder to access for a pick-pocket); two inside chest pockets that are designed to fit a cell phone; and exterior chest pocket that easily holds a large cell phone with a water-resistant zipper. It also comes with a carrying pouch.

NEW Ankle Guard Socks by Forme ($35, ShareASale/Skimlinks) Reduce strain, tension, and pressure on your ankle joints from long flights with the new Ankle Guard Socks by Forme®. These patent-pending high socks just launched on January 12th and are made with biofeedback technology designed to align and stabilize the ankle and foot muscles for reduced pain and inflammation.

Protalus – Green T-100 Elite ($64.95/pair, Amazon): Protalus insoles are designed to promote proper whole-body alignment when traveling for long periods of time. The T-100 Elite is constructed with patented rebound foam & patented alignment technology. This insole provides superior relief by allowing your body to distribute pressure properly by keeping your ankle aligned and in a safe range of motion.

TheraICE *NEW* Sleep Mask + Cooling Gel ($29.95,Amazon): Great for the plane ride, block out sunlight and overhead reading lights with TheraICE’s new Sleep Mask with a 3D bucket blindfold design. It is made to provide both cooling relief and comforting warmth and weighted to provide a gentle, soothing pressure that aids in faster sleep induction and better sleep quality. Made with premium materials, it provides a plush, soft rest for your eyes, ensuring maximum comfort throughout your rest period.

Hiking, Camping, Outdoors

Deckers X Lab’s ENDURO MAX ($199-$249, Avantlink / Skimlinks / Viglink): Deckers X Lab’s ENDURO MAX is engineered for speed, comfort and fluidity on the trail. Featuring a V-shaped carbon plate, a Vibram® Litebase outsole, a nitro-infused shell, and a heel-to-toe rocker, the ENDURO MAX offers durability and agility to excel on rugged terrain and light enough to turn a hike into a trail run.

Nocs Provisions Standard Issue Binoculars ($95, Avantlink / Skimlinks / Viglink): Nocs Provision’s Standard Issue 8×25 Waterproof Binoculars offers 8x magnification a completely waterproof seal and compact design for easy and lightweight transport. The high-impact rubber grip and the fog-proof, nitrogen-filled internal chambers are optimal for when the weather turns and it’s time to eye alternative routes.

Knog Bilby 400 Headlamp ($64.95, Avantlink / Skimlinks / Viglink) is designed from for serious outdoor adventure and is powerfully bright, tough, and intuitive, casting a powerful beam up to 100 meters and a boost mode.

Mission Workshop Speedwell ($335, Avantlink / Skimlinks / Viglink) The fully weatherproof Mission Workshop Speedwell is a versatile backpack utilizes the same breathable floating harness system used on the MW hydration packs to provide generous airflow, stability and comfort in the most adverse conditions and features the ASP pocket system for efficient storage and ease of use.

Tees

ARTILECT Sprint Tee ($85, ARTILECT) is made with Nuyarn 115gsm Speed-Lite, one of the world’s lightest-weight merino fabrics. This fabric features superfine 18-micron merino wool with a high-performance nylon filament carrier for performance and comfort. With reflective tape embedded in the side seams, the Sprint offers a level of safety for early morning and evening workouts.

Odlo -X-Alp Performance Wool 115 trail running t-shirt – Men’s and Women’s ($75): Natural performance made for the mountains. Lighter, stronger and faster drying than traditional merino, the ODLO X-Alp Performance Wool 115 trail running t-shirt is a modern, high performance merino that’s unlike any other. Crafted from Performance Wool powered by Nuyarn® – a wool blend that closely mimics wool’s natural performance characteristics – this tee is naturally temperature regulating (keeps you cool when it’s hot and warm when it’s cool) and naturally antimicrobial (which cuts down on scents). Sourced from non-mulesed merino wool, the fabric dries 5 times faster, perfect on long runs in the mountains. Features a stylish micro-stripe.

ORNOT Men’s Merino Tech Shirt ($72, Avantlink / Skimlinks / Viglink): A mix of Australian RWS-certified Merino Wool and provides a soft hand that keeps you cool while drying quickly. The contoured back panel for coverage while in a riding position. Superior temperature regulation and odor control. Stretchy and soft against the skin. Made in California using renewable fibers and Certified with the Responsible Wool Standard, pre-shrunk, 42.5% 19 Micron Merino Wool 42.5% Tencel 10% Nylon 5% Elastane.

Black Diamond – Women’s Rhythm T-Shirt ($90): Built for freedom and mobility, the Rhythm tee features Nuyarn merino wool technology making it significantly lighter than other wool shirts, while increasing performance, dries five times faster than standard merino, while providing 35% more stretch. Certified non-mulesed Australian Merino Wool. Machine washable. Slim. 95g.

KUIU -Active Merino 105 SS Crew-T ($69): This high-performance active tee leverages Nuyarn® Merino Wool for unmatched stretch, rapid recovery, fast wicking, quick drying, and odor resistance. Reflective print logo. Raglan sleeve for unrestricted mobility and comfort. Flat-lock sleeves for no chaffing. Nuyarn Merino Wool (55% merino wool / 35 % Polyester / 10% Nylon).

Trew – Men’s Lightweight Nuyarn Merino Basic T ($69): Nuyarn enhances the natural benefits of merino by innovating the construction of the yarn, allowing Trew to build garments that are stronger, lighter, warmer, stretchier and quicker to dry.120 gsm Nuyarn Merino Wool. 70% merino wool / 30% nylon (core filament). 100% certified non-mulesed wool. Open range sheep shorn annually. Spun in Bluesign and Oeko-tek 100 certified facilities.

Socks are really important no matter what kind of travel pursuit you pursue – hiking, running, endurance, skiing, biking, hunting, work and lifestyle. Our favorites: Bombas (https://bombas.com/) and Darn Tough (www.darntough.com).

Shades

Hiking Shades from adidas Sport eyewear: No hiking outfit is complete without a pair of performance sunglasses. offers Engineered to withstand the rigors of the trail, adidas Sport eyewear offer durability and protection against the elements. The sleek design ensures a comfortable fit, while the high-performance lenses provide exceptional clarity, so you can see with enhanced contrast and vividness:

adidas Sport ACTV SP0083 ($65.38, Eyeons): The adidas Sport ACTV SP0083 is a squared injected sunglasses with a dynamic, sporty design. This easy-to-wear style has functional elements to optimize comfort and performance, including a ventilation system on the front and temples and maximum grip temple tips. Safety and fit are combined with great protection guaranteed by the option of mirrored or polarized lenses.

adidas Sport eyewear CMPT Ultralight Shield, SP0077 ($99, REI.com): The adidas Sport CMPT Ultralight Shield is a rimless shape with a bold line and sophisticated design. This versatile, easy-to-wear sunglass is characterized by exceptional lightness and a large transparent lens. Contoured temples feature the adidas Sport logo and rubber tips improve comfort and grip.

Skincare

Visor Skincare ($19) – I confess I am pretty bad about putting on sunscreen, but I really love Visor – it may be the only 100% clear sunscreen that is oil-free, alcohol-free and fragrance-free.It goes on so easily and feels light and cool. Visor has 80 minutes of sun protection compared to Goop’s 40 minute; Is a fraction of the cost ($19 compared to $38 with Goop); Infused with anti-aging and skin-brightening ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C; Is actually clear (Goop’s is cloudy) making it inclusive to all skin tones.The tube is also packable, at under the 3oz limit for air travel.

Wholesome Hippy – Lemon-Aid Whipped Wonder Balm with Limonene 2oz ($16.99) No need to pack a multitude of creams and ointments in your first aid kit. This wonder balm is a versatile remedy for sunburns to real burns. This 2oz wonder balm ingredients include Lemon Essential Oil, Lime Peel Oil, Soybean Oil, and Medium Chain Triglycerides, creating a nourishing foundation for skin health.

Reveka Skincare’s Tea Tree + Peppermint Body Bar ( 4 Pack/$38.97, Available on Amazon) This3-in-1 body bar has a rich lather and can be used as shampoo, soap, and shaving cream. It’s made with tea tree, peppermint and shea butter to best hydrate your skin. Made with Magnesium Chloride from the Ancient Zechstein Seabed, Reveka’s soap is one of the best topical magnesiums to promote new tissue growth; soothe the skin and makes it glow; and alleviate common skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis & acne. Reveka is a new woman and veteran-owned business. Their products are crafted with clean ingredients with no preservatives or dyes and are 100% made in the U.S. The soap bar is a bit hefty and would be ideal to stock your vacation home or cabin.

Timeless Glow Bundle by Sun Chlorella ($92.99,Available on Amazon and Walmart): After an airline trip, your skin can feel really dry. Revitalize with Sun Chlorella’s Astarella Primetime Skin Cream. It contains Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), an ingredient that helps to even out skin tone. Sun Chlorella Cream combines CGF with other ingredients like clove and grapefruit seed extract to promote healthy-looking skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and retain moisture. TimelessGlow bundle comes with 2 bottles of their Astarella Primetime Skin Cream so you can leave one at home and bring the other while you travel, and a complimentary compact mirror.

NOMATIC’s Toiletry Bag 2.0 ($39.99):Hold all of these toiletries in NOMATIC’s hanging toiletry bag.Madewith durable, water-resistant materials and zippers to ensure there are no leaks and your toiletries stay protected. An optional hanging strap and dedicated toothbrush pocket are a few of the many features that make these the most functional toiletry bags ever.

One-Stop Shopping

*Camping in Watkins Glen State Park, New York © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

I love REI for all things active and outdoors – I am a member of the coop and constantly get great offers (you join once and are a member for life), discount coupons. REI offers excellent quality, selection for all the activities you want; in-store service is superb and so is their online customer service. You can purchase in the store or online and have a whole year to return. Returns and exchanges have been excellent. Love my tent , my hiking boots, my headlamp; and the outfits I purchased for my Incan Trail hike. I like to search in their sales and outlet listings. I find it easy to purchase from the catalog and online, but also at their retail store which is nearby. REI also has an amazing catalog of adventure travel trips. (REI.com)

I love LL Bean for the quality and selection (they also tend to have a great selection of petite sizes which is rare) for all things active. I tend to shop online with them because they do not have an outlet near me, but I have been happy with everything they have, especially the hiking pants purchased. They have excellent quality but tend to be a bit pricey, so I take advantage of sales and end-of-season promotions. (llbean.com)

For brands that I like, great selection, decent prices and good promotional deals and sales: Academy Sports + Outdoors (academy.com, chat; free shipping available).

Also: Sun & Ski, sunandski.com, 866-786-3869; Eastern Mountain Sports, 888-463-6367, ems.com; Tennis Express (TennisExpress.com), Bass Pro Shops, www.basspro.com; Patagonia (Patagonia.com); Paragon Sports (paragonsports.com).

Photo gear: What trip doesn’t involve photos! B&H consistently has best inventory, prices and specials, efficient delivery, excellent customer service, delivery and return policies on all sorts of camera and video gear and electronics,especially if specialty gear is needed (like waterproof camera for that snorkeling trip): www.bhphotovideo.com, 800.606.6969, 212.444.6615).

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Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Summer Vacations

Summer Travel: Explore Your Wild Side

June 24, 2024 krubin723

*Explore your wild side in Letchworth State Park. New York State parks are celebrating 100^th anniversary with a Centennial Challenge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Edited by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Summer family vacation travel is defined by being active outdoors. Here are some ideas:

A Bakers’ Dozen of Best Campsites in New York State

*Camping at Letchworth State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New York State offers some of the most incredible camping experiences anywhere in the country. Marta Zielinska, the Managing Editor of ILOVENY.com, has provided this list of a dozen of her favorites across the state, to which I would add Watkins Glen State Park:

Scaroon Manor Campground & Day Use Area (Adirondacks): Once an upscale summer resort for the big city’s high society and a filming location for 1957’s Marjorie Morningstar starring Gene Kelly and Natalie Wood, this tranquil campground on the banks of Schroon Lake now makes for a more down to earth Adirondacks retreat. Hike, lounge on the beach, rent a canoe or kayak, go fishing (lake trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, bullhead, and pickerel. Nearby visit Natural Stone Bridge and Caves Park, the largest marble cave entrance in the eastern U.S.; 30 minutes away Gore Mountain offers scenic gondola rides, hiking, and mountain biking. Scaroon Manor offers 60 sites (two with tent platforms) at $25/night.

Moreau Lake (Capital-Saratoga): Woodsy campgrounds that have both tent and trailer sites. nature trails, a boat launch, fishing holes, and a sandy swimming beach on the tranquil lake. Saratoga Springs, located just 20 minutes away, offers cultural attractions, mineral waters at Saratoga Spa State Park, horseracing and museum at Saratoga Race Course. Moreau Lake offers 145 campsites from $18 to $22 a night. Cabins and cottages are also available starting at $300 per week.

*Camping in Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Kenneth L. Wilson Campground & Day Use Area, Mt. Tremper (Catskills) offers hiking, mountain biking, fishing and paddling about the scenic lake in a canoe or kayak. Venture off-site to explore the quaint villages of Woodstock and Phoenicia, where there’s golfing, shopping, and great eating to be had (a trip to Phoenicia Diner is a must!) and the historic city of Kingston, New York’s first capital, is 30 minutes away. Kenneth L. Wilson offers 76 tent and trailer sites at $22/night.

Verona Beach (Central New York): Located on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake, with 11 sites boasting views of the water, Verona Beach State is where you can hike the wondrous “Woods and Wetland” nature trail. The lake, Black Creek, cattail marshes, and bottomland hardwood swamps also give Verona Beach one of the most diverse aquatic habitats in the area. Just 30 minutes away, marvel at nature’s beauty as you gaze upon a 167-foot waterfall that formed 10,000 years ago at the 194-acre Chittenango Falls State Park. Verona Beach offers 46 campsites ranging from $18-$43 a night.

Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground (Central New York): Camp on 20 acres surrounded by mountains and farmland in the home of baseball. On-site is a fully-stocked three-acre catch and release fishing pond, heated pool, arcade, rec center, general store and weekly activities. Visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Farmers’ Museum, Brewery Ommegang, the Fenimore Art Museum. Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground offers tent sites ranging from $40 to $50 ($60 during Baseball Hall of Fame Induction), with cabins, cottages, and trailers available at varying rates.

Allegany State Park (Chautauqua-Allegheny): With over 65,000 acres of primitive forested valleys, Allegany State Park is the largest state park in New York State. It offers two sandy beaches, miles of paved bikeways, picnic areas, fishing piers, lakes, and two museums, Camp at Red House and Quaker. The park is only 40 minutes from the National Comedy Center and Rock City Park. Allegany State Park offers more than 300 campsites ranging from $18 to $31 per night (cabin and cottage rates vary).

Keuka Lake State Park (Finger Lakes): Located in the heart of Finger Lakes wine country with breathtaking views of vineyard-covered slopes, glimmering water, and clear blue sky, the campground offers swimming at the beach, boating, fishing, and hiking, Explore the six family-owned wineries along the Keuka Lake Wine Trail, visit the Finger Lakes Boating Museum and Glenn H. Curtiss Museum. Keuka Lake State Park offers 153 tent and trailer sites from $18 to $30 a night.

Green Lakes (Finger Lakes): Two glacial lakes surrounded by upland forest make up this picturesque state park where you can set up camp on grassy and wooded sites before heading to the lakeshore for fishing and swimming in crystal-clear water. Kayak and rowboat rentals are available. Play golf on the park’s scenic 18-hole golf course. Located just 15 minutes from Syracuse, where you can visit Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Museum of Science and Technology (MOST), Destiny USA. Plan your trip around the Great New York State Fair (August 21-September 2) for food, fun, rides, and great live entertainment. Green Lakes has 135 campsites ranging from $18 to $37 a night; seven cabins also available for booking.

*Letchworth State Park is nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East” © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Letchworth State Park (Finger Lakes): The Genesee River roars through the gorge over three major waterfalls between cliffs as high as 600 feet in some places surrounded by lush forest, earning it the nickname, the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Experience it whitewater rafting through the canyon or go for a real splurge with a hot air balloon ride (shared basket: $425/person; private flight: $2,150/couple). With 66 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, a special one-mile loop Autism Nature Trail, a nature center, museum, swimming pool, and guided walks, you’ll never want to leave. Sit down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the historic Glen Iris Inn and soak in the views of the Middle Falls. Letchworth offers 257 campsites ranging from $27 to $30 a night, plus cabins $132-$568 per week.

Watkins Glen State Park (Finger Lakes) Walking the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park in New York’s Finger Lakes is, in a word, spellbinding. The centerpiece of the 778-acre Watkins Glen State Park is a 400-foot deep, narrow gorge cut by the Glen Creek that was left “hanging” when glaciers of the last continental glaciation, some 12,000 years ago, deepened the Seneca valley, creating rapids and waterfalls through layers of hard rock. Six Nations Campground is set amid beautiful trees, excellent restroom facilities, and affords access to a glorious Olympic-sized pool.(276 campsites, 9 cabins).

One of our favorite places in New York State for a summer family adventure is Watkins Glen State Park. New York State is celebrating the centennial of the park system with a Centennial Challenge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Four Mile Creek (Greater Niagara) is special for offering 10 coveted waterfront sites with spectacular panoramic views of Lake Ontario, hiking trails that wind along densely wooded bluffs, and a marsh that’s home to great blue herons and white-tailed deer, plus biking and fishing. It is just 15 minutes north of the mighty Niagara Falls, and offers discounted tickets to the Maid of the Mist boat tours and Cave of the Winds. Other nearby attractions include a two-hour cruise past historic sights and the five original Lockport Locks, historical reenactments at Old Fort Niagara, and racing at Ransomville Speedway. Hop aboard the Discover Niagara Shuttle to catch a free ride from Four Mile Creek to Old Fort Niagara, Niagara Falls, and several points in between (available Friday-Sunday)! Four Mile Creek offers 260 campsites with prices ranging from $23 to $36 a night. Brand new yurts are also available starting at $83.75 per day.

Cranberry Lake Campground & Day Use Area (Thousand Islands-Seaway) is located in the Adirondack Mountains in one of the largest remote areas in all of New York State with thousands of acres of unbroken forest nearby. It offers a sandy beach, hiking trails with scenic vistas, fishing spots, and access to miles of unencumbered scenic waters to explore. About 40 minutes away in Tupper Lake, experience the beauty and wonder of the night sky at The Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory and the Wild Center where you can walk along the treetops on the Wild Walk, a unique elevated trail that includes a four-story treehouse, swinging bridges, and a giant bald eagle’s nest offering a rare view of the Adirondack forest. Cranberry Lake offers 165 campsites at $20/night.

Wildwood State Park (Long Island): Swim and fish on two miles of beachfront along the Long Island Sound, hike along 12 miles of marked trails; at night activities include watching movies under the stars and square and line dancing. With 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest terminating on a high bluff overlooking the Sound, it’s also the perfect setting to take in a stunning sunset. Explore Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard and Long Island Aquarium. Wildwood offers 314 campsites for $18-$35 a night, plus 10 cottages starting at $175/night.

New York State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation’s campsites can be booked through ReserveAmerica.com. New York State also has a multitude of privately-owned campgrounds perfect for all your camping needs.

More info on New York State tourism at iloveny.com.

Under Canvas, Backroads Adventure Experiences in National Parks

After first establishing a relationship with trips in Montana’s West Yellowstone and glamping tours in Tennessee and South Dakota, Under Canvas and Backroads are expanding to offer 185 scheduled trips through 2025. The expanded line-up this year includes an all-new, glamping-only itinerary in Southwestern Utah with stays at Under Canvas Bryce Canyon and Under Canvas Zion. From the scenic beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota to the dramatic red rock and hoodoo vistas of Southwest Utah, to the ancient Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, guests enjoy a Backroads active adventure by day and immerse themselves in nature with Under Canvas’ upscale glamping retreats by night.

Backroads trips staying at Under Canvas properties in 2024 include:

Utah’s Bryce & Zion Glamping Multi-Adventure Tour for Couples, Friends, and Solos, featuring accommodations at Under Canvas Bryce Canyon and Under Canvas Zion.

Badlands, South Dakota © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Black Hills & Badlands National Park Multi-Adventure Tour for Couples, Friends, Solos, and Families with Teens and Kids (aged 9+), featuring accommodations at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore.

Great Smoky Mountains Multi-Adventure Tour for Families with Teens and Kids (aged 9+), featuring accommodations at Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains.

Yellowstone, Tetons & Big Sky Multi-Adventure Tour for Couples, Friends, Solos, Families with Teens and Kids (aged 9+) and Families with Older Teens and 20-somethings, featuring accommodations at Bar N Ranch with access to Under Canvas complimentary programming.

For more information, visit backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.

Campspot: Surprising Camping Destinations on the Rise

Campspot looked into trending camping destinations that have seen the most significant year-over-year increase in reservations, some of which are pretty surprising:

Filer, Idaho is a small town that offers campers access to the famous attractions of the Magic Valley area, including the nearby Shoshone Falls (known as the “Niagara of the West”), Snake River, and the majestic Sawtooth Mountains. Hiking trails offer views of the Snake River Canyon, Perrine Bridge, Pillar Falls, and Shoshone Falls. Twin Falls 93 RV Park, five miles from Twin Falls, offers comfortable accommodations and proximity to attractions like Shoshone Falls, the Perrine Bridge, and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, you can be confident in your choice of camping near Filer, ID.

*Twin Falls 93 RV Park in Idaho, one of the camping destinations rising in popularity for Fourth of July, is near to Craters of the Moon National Monument © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Watertown, South Dakota is home to the Redlin Art Center, which houses the original paintings of wildlife and Americana by renowned artist Terry Redlin. Watertown’s Bramble Park Zoo spans 15 acres and has around 500 animals. The scenic shores of Lake Kampeska offer fishing, boating, and water sports. Memorial Park Campground stretches over 90 acres on the northwest shores of Lake Kampeska with . tent sites and RV spots, , a large picnic area with a playground, horseshoes, swimming, boat launch, and hiking trails.

Cuddebackville, New York offers a peaceful retreat on the Neversink Reservoir with opportunities for fishing and boating, while the Neversink Gorge Trail provides stunning views of waterfalls and rugged terrain. History enthusiasts can explore the D&H Canal Historical Society and Museum. Neversink River Resort is an award-winning campground bordering the Neversink River, with amenities including open playing fields, a pool, a swing set, a jumping pillow and cruiser bikes.

High Point, North Carolina—known as the “Furniture Capital of the World”—offers cultural heritage, outdoor recreation, and vibrant community life. At the High Point Museum, exhibits detail the region’s history, from its early settlement to its prominence in the furniture industry. Head to High Point City Lake Park for hiking, kayaking, paddle boating, mini golf, and pontoon boating. Oak Hollow Campgroundis open year-round within the 1,550-acre Oak Hollow Park in High Point, with 100 RV sites and 13 tent sites bordering the lake for serene views. Amenities include the camp store, fishing, pool, and playground.

Bergton, Virginia in the heart of Shenandoah Valley where campers can hike the scenic trails of the nearby George Washington National Forest, go fishing or tubing down the Shenandoah River, explore Lost River State Park, and enjoy the bike trails, golf course, beaches, and more at Bryce Resort, a sports and recreation resort. River’s Edge Campground offers RV sites, tent sites, glamping tents, and cabins with views of the magnificent mountain ranges and access to two miles of the North Fork Shenandoah River, Capon Run stream, and a two-acre private pond for more fishing.

Exeter, New Hampshire is nestled along the banks of the Squamscott River. Explore the town’s rich colonial heritage at the American Independent and nearby coast. Enjoy kayaking or paddleboarding along the Squamscott River, hiking the trails of Gilman Park and Swasey Parkway, touring the Squamscott River. Winding River Campground offers RV sites, cozy cabins, or primitive tent camping. The park hosts activities, games, live music, and special events; amenities include waterslide, hot tub, playgrounds, arcade, and restaurant.

*Glamping in Montana © Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Hungry Horse, Montana’s proximity to one of the top national parks and other outdoor excursions secures its spot on our list of trending camping destinations. Surrounded by the spectacular mountains of Western Montana, Hungry Horse is close to Glacier National Park and located on the edge of Hungry Horse Reservoir and Hungry Horse Dam, Montana’s highest dam and the 11th largest concrete dam in the U.S.Columbia Falls RV Park, five miles from the town of Columbia Falls, is 15 minutes from Glacier National Park. It offers year-round RV sites near multiple local restaurants and attractions (like Big Sky Water Park, Meadow Life Golf Resort, and Glacier Ziplines.

Saint Helen, Michigan, located in the heart of Michigan’s picturesque northern region, offers hiking, biking, and horseback riding along the trails of the nearby Huron National Forest, fishing and canoeing down the Au Sable River. Beaver Trail Campground, in Ogemaw County, offers riding off-road vehicles (ORV), snowmobiling, hunting, and fishing. Choose a tent or RV site and relax on the beach, play in the playground, swim, kayak, or paddle.

Tillamook, Oregon will have you experiencing the best of the Oregon Coast. One of the city’s main draws is the Tillamook Creamery, where visitors can tour the cheese-making facilities and taste its cheeses and ice cream. It offers natural beauty, of the coastal wetlands at Sitka Sedge State Park, the Three Capes Scenic Route, the shop, and Rockaway Beach. Kelly’s Brighton Marina is in Nehalem Bay, a beautiful crabbing bay in Tillamook County. If you’re looking for fun and adventure, set up camp and jump straight into learning how to crab.

More ideas at https://www.campspot.com/.

Another excellent source to find campgrounds and camping resorts is KOA, https://koa.com/

Experience the Great Age of Sail on Historic Maine Windjammer Cruise

A Maine windjammer cruise is as much about experiencing the thrill of the Great Age of Sail, when these mighty schooners sailed with the wind and waves to bring the timber, building stones and raw materials that built the nation – literally engines of the economy – as it is about reconnecting with the joys of simple pleasures as basic as conversation and song. It’s just a tad rustic – the equivalent of camping on the water – only adding to the delight of the experience.

Maine Windjammers Great Schooner Race. Maine has the largest concentration of historic sailing ships in North America, seven of which are members of the Maine Windjammer Association © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Maine has the largest concentration of these historic sailing ships in North America, seven of which are members of the Maine Windjammer Association, sailing out of Rockland and Camden. Each has its own story, its own character. And each sailing is different, even on the same ship – the product of the serendipity and alchemy of people (passengers as well as captain and crew), weather (which often provides the drama, whether because of fog or squall), and where you wind up anchoring. There is no fixed itinerary. The captain sets course following the wind, weather and whimsy. While every windjammer cruise is different, there are certain constants – the feeling of being transported back into this Golden Age of Sail and the traditional lobster dinner that will spoil you from having lobster anywhere else.

The Maine Windjammer Association fleet: Windjammer Angelique, Schooner American Eagle, Schooner Grace Bailey, Schooner Heritage, Schooner J. & E. Riggin, Schooner Ladona, Schooner Lewis R. French, Schooner Mary Day, Schooner Stephen Taber

Maine Windjammer Association, P.O. Box 1083, Rockland, Maine 04841, 1-800-807-9463, www.sailmainecoast.com.

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Camping/Glamping/RVs, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Driveable adventures, Festivals and Events, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures

Summer Vacation Travel in NYS: Come for the Fireworks, Stay for So Much More

June 18, 2024 krubin723

*Be spellbound as you walk the two-mile trail through Watkins Glen gorge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Edited by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

New York State offers some of the best destinations for summer family vacations, with Independence Day festivities providing an added spark:

If a staycation is your cup of tea, enjoy the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks (New York City) over the Hudson River starting at 8pm or Jones Beach State Park, where, after a day enjoying the beach, boardwalk, surfing, fishing, miniature golf, and adventure center, stay for 9:30 pm The Jovia Financial Credit Union Fireworks Spectacular at Jones Beach when 8,000 fireworks blaze through the sky accompanied by patriotic songs.

But there is so much to explore in New York State this summer:

Capital-Saratoga

Albany’s 4th of July Celebration : Celebrate the holiday with 20,000 other revelers at Empire State Plaza . The 4th of July Celebration takes place from 5-10 pm with live performances, food and fireworks. Watch the sky over The Egg, the New York State Capitol, and Corning Tower.

Saratoga Springs is famous for horse racing, where you can visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Wake up early and you might see the horses being worked out © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Saratoga Springs exudes small town character and charm and is near where the famous Battles of Saratoga took place in 1777, marking the turning point of the Revolutionary War in favor of American Independence. Commemorate America’s independence in Saratoga Springs with annual events including the 18^th annual Firecracker4 Road Race, the longest and largest Independence Day race in the Northeast. Stay: Saratoga Arms Hotel, a historic 31-room boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs. Originally built in 1870, Saratoga Arms is a classic, Second Empire-style building that evokes old-world charm with a grand wraparound porch.

While in Saratoga: Saratoga Race Course offers summer race days, from watching the thrilling horse races to exploring the historic facilities and grounds which date to 1863 (you can get to the rail early and watch workouts and there is an outstanding Racing Hall of Fame). The summer season officially runs July 11–September 2 with popular races like Travers Day on August 24. Saratoga Spa State Park is the place to go for swimming, golfing, hiking, biking, and fishing. The park is also home to a resort and spa, performing arts center, as well as a museum dedicated to automobiles.

Hudson Valley

LEGOLAND New York Resort in Goshen is a theme park destination for kids ages 2–12, with 50 rides, shows, and attractions on 150 acres it’s the largest LEGOLAND theme park in the world, is hosting Red, White & BOOM at LEGOLAND (included with the cost of regular admission). Also in the area: hike the trails along the waterfalls of Neversink Gorge.

*Walkway Over the Hudson,* *one of the longest pedestrian/cycling bridges in the world, is an ideal platform for viewing the City of Poughkeepsie’s fireworks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Walkway Over the Hudson’s Fireworks Spectacular: Walkway Over the Hudson, one of the longest pedestrian/cycling bridges in the world, is an ideal platform for viewing the City of Poughkeepsie’s fireworks. The New York State historic park will hold a ticketed event 6:30-10 PM (fireworks begin after 9 PM). See website for tickets.

4th of July in Dutchess County: Head to the home of the minor league baseball team, the Hudson Valley Renegades. Fireworks displays will take place at Dutchess Stadium for three nights (July 4-6) after their games against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Enjoy the Hyde Park Independence Day Parade.

Catskills

4th of July at Windham Mountain: The annual parade at Windham Mountain begins at 7 PM on Route 296, through Main Street, followed by fireworks beginning at dusk.

The Catskills also affords a new experience: camp at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on days when you attend concerts. (Bethel Woods was the site of the legendary Woodstock music festival). For the 2024 summer concert season (May-October), concert-goers can pitch their own tent, glamp in style, or roll into Best Road Campground with an RV.

The Catskills inspired America’s first native school of art, the Hudson River School, and artists like Frederic Edwin Church who built Olana. *His 250 acre estate is one of the most intact artist-created landscapes in America, and one of the most intact artist residences of its age in the world* © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Finger Lakes

Genesee Country Village & Museum Independence Day Celebration: This family-friendly daytime celebration will feature games, picnics, a pie-eating contest, patriotic tunes, and a swearing-in of new U.S. citizens. The Genesee Country Village & Museum is hosting its grand 19th-century style parade and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. July 4, $23 for adults, $20 for senior citizens, $20 for students 13-18, free for children 12 and younger.

Cortland County Independence Day Spectacular has a day-long celebration at Dwyer Memorial Park in Preble with live music (starting at 2 pm), food vendors, and a beer and wine garden, and fireworks from 9-10 PM. July 6, free, $5 parking per car starting at 8PM.

A stellar Finger Lakes destination is Watkins Glen State Park where you are kept spellbound as you walk the two miles trail along the stream that descends 400 feet passing 200-foot cliffs, creating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge. The park is a sensational place for camping (Olympic-size pool, tours the gorge), or stay in the charming village, on Seneca Lake. (To book NYS Park campsites, https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/)

Got a need for speed? Head to Watkins Glen International, the famous auto race track where you can experience world-class racing and events throughout the season. You can even drive your own car around the track on Drive the Glen days. Visit Sunset View Creamery, 10 minutes from Watkins Glen, for refreshing ice cream and some “cow cuddling,” a 30-minute experience that recognizes the calming influence of these docile creatures. Unwind with a Captain Bill’s cruise on Seneca Lake. Head northeast to Taughannock Falls, one of the highest falls east of the Rockies, where the water drops 215 feet and you can swim, camp, and picnic.

On the western edge of the Finger Lakes, campers looking for adventure can seek out the scenically magnificent Letchworth State Park, nicknamed “the Grand Canyon of the East,” for its massive gorge with three major waterfalls between cliffs as high as 600 feet. Letchworth also offers 66 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, a special one-mile loop Autism Nature Trail, nature center, museum, swimming pool and guided walks. There is whitewater rafting through the canyon as well as hot air balloon rides (shared basket: $425/person; private flight: $2,150/couple). Sit down for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the historic Glen Iris Inn and soak in the views of the Middle Falls. Letchworth offers 257 campsites ranging from $27 to $30 a night, plus cabins $132-$568 per week. (https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/)

Chautauqua-Allegheny

Mayville July 4th Celebration: The village of Mayville’s festivities include a Grand Parade, live music and entertainment including magic, comedy, variety and stunt shows, finishing with a fireworks display. July 4, free.

Panoramic Parks Scenic Park lets you experience 15 acres of the Paleozoic ocean floor at this scenic park established in 1885. Natural attractions to explore include towering rocks 60 feet high and cavernous dens. You can hike the trails around the rocks and navigate through the nooks, crevices, and caves, and the park includes informational signs that explain the geology, as well as an educational treasure hunt for the kids, and picnic tables for lunch.

A short drive away, the famous Chautauqua Institution, a preeminent exemplar of lifelong learning, is where for nine weeks each summer you can experience a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, programs, classes and community events for all ages, within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village (tickets and accommodations.chq.org, 800-836-2787)

Greater Niagara

Independence Night Celebration at the Ballpark: The Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Red Wings face off at Sahlen Field. After the game, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will entertain, followed by the largest fireworks show of the season Game starts at 6:05 PM. Tickets cost $30.10 each

Thousand Islands-Seaway

Fireworks over Boldt Castle: Alexandria Bay’s Independence Day celebration uses the stunning backdrop of the St. Lawrence River and Boldt Castle for its fireworks display. Picnic along the shoreline or rent a boat to view from the water. The fireworks begin at dusk, this far north estimated at 9:45 pm.

Adirondacks

Best 4th in the North 2024 Celebration: This festival taking place from July 1-4 at Bicentennial Park in Ticonderoga is jam-packed with a grand fireworks display, parade, live music, craft and food vendors, kid’s activities, a reading of the Declaration of Independence. July 1-4, free.

Ticonderoga 250^th: Throughout 2024, Fort Ticonderoga commemorates 250 years since the battle for independence. The region along the Lake Champlain shoreline, at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, was critical to American victory in the Revolution.

4th of July in Lake Placid: You can begin the day at the Lake Placid Horse Show starting at 8am ($10), swim at the Lake Placid Public Beach, stroll around Mirror Lake, browse the shops, enjoy live music from 1-4 pm. At 5 pm, a July 4 gala parade will feature Olympic athletes and special guests, floats, classic cars and the fireworks extravaganza over Mirror Lake starts at 9:30 pm.

Great place to stay: High Peak Resort’s summer family package features family-friendly activities like face painting Fridays, educational wildlife experiences Saturdays, water aerobics Tuesdays and Thursdays, evening live music on Thursday, guided nature explorations on Saturdays (www.highpeaksresort.com/packages/adirondack-experience).

More to do: bike the first 10 miles of the new Adirondack Rail Trail connecting Lake Placid to Saranac Lake (when finished, the trail will stretch 34 miles between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake, see Bike Adirondacks for updates).

Meanwhile, The Adirondack Experience Museum on Blue Mountain Lake is celebrating the centennial of the 138-mile long Northville-Placid Trail (oldest in the state) with a new exhibit about the history of the trail and the team who built it. There are guided overnight hikes (via Adirondack Hamlets to Huts). (www.npt100.com)

*High Falls Gorge offers an exciting, accessible adventure in Wilmington, just outside Lake Placid, NY © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For more natural awe, visit High Falls Gorge, 22-acre nature park features waterfalls, hiking/walking trails and glass-floor walkways (4761 NY-86, Wilmington, NY 12997, www.highfallsgorge.com) and the awesome Ausable Chasm, where you walk along the Cliffside trail, do mountain biking and river rafting (2144 US-9, Ausable Chasm, NY 12911, 518-834-7454, www.ausablechasm.com).

*Ausable Chasm in the Adirondacks offers exciting hikes along the cliffs, river rafting and mountain biking © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For a great all-day outdoor experience, head to Tupper Lake and the 115-acre Wild Center & Wild Walk to explore trails, take guided canoe trips on the river, and meet staff ready to show you around and answer questions about the wild world of the region. The star of the Center’s outdoor experience is Wild Walk, with more than 1,000 feet of bridges and platforms rising over the top of an Adirondack forest, a four-story treehouse, swinging bridges, a spider’s web where people can hang out, and a giant-sized bald eagle’s nest for a rare point of view of the Adirondacks.

New York State’s Challenge

*Hiking Chimney Mountain, in the Adirondacks. New York State is celebrating the centennial of its parks system with a Challenge © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New York State is in the middle of a year-long challenge which began January 1, 2024, celebrating the centennial of the state’s park system. The New York State Parks Centennial Challenge includes 100 missions that can be completed at various state parks and historic sites – the challenge is to complete 24 missions of them during the course of the year. (More information on the New York State Park Centennial, visit https://www.parks.ny.gov/100/challenge.)

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which saw a record 84 million visits in 2023. For more information, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call 518-474-0456.

More information on New York State travel at www.iloveny.com

July 4^th Festivities Around the USA

The Jefferson DC, Washington, D.C. Festivities: There may be no more iconic city to celebrate the 4^th of July than Washington, D.C. The National Mall is the most popular place to watch the fireworks display with the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial among the scenic spots to celebrate. Stay: A jewel among historic hotels in Washington, D.C., The Jefferson DC started life as a luxury apartment block in 1923. The 99-room hotel enjoys one of D.C.’s most prestigious and strategic locations, just four blocks from the White House and within a short walk of museums, monuments and embassies. Take advantage of walking tours crafted by in-house historian Susan Barnes and be sure to check out the historical memorabilia that decorates the hotel, echoing the patriotism of the holiday.

The Newbury Boston, Boston, MA Festivities: It doesn’t get much more Americana than Boston, which not only played an integral role in the American Revolution, but was also one of the first cities to light fireworks on the 4^th of July, dating back to 1777. Not to mention, the state of Massachusetts was the first state to recognize the 4^th of July as a holiday. Unsurprisingly, Boston puts on one of the country’s largest celebrations with an annual Boston Harborfest Celebration. Taking place July 1-4, 2024, the family-friendly event includes historical reenactments, live music, parades, and a fireworks display over Boston Harbor. Stay: Situated directly across from The Public Garden in Back Bay, The Newbury Boston is conveniently located close enough to the action – within 2 miles of the Harborfest and Fireworks Spectacular – but is a calm and comfortable sanctuary to retreat back to following the fun. The hotel is ideal for families with special kids amenities and pet-friendly accommodations.

Hilton San Diego Bayfront, San Diego, CA: Festivities: One of the best spots to see the spectacular Big Bay Boom Fireworks show is Hilton San Diego Bayfront from its Bayfront Park lawn or Hudson & Nash waterfront kitchen during the 7:30 p.m. seating (to make a reservation, visit OpenTable). Stay: Rising above San Diego Bay and steps from Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, and Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Hilton San Diego Bayfront is the signature SoCal resort.

Backland Luxury Camping, Williams, AZ: Festivities: Celebrate 4^th of July with a spectacular patriotic parade and fireworks in Williams and Flagstaff, Arizona, touted as a “Top 10 Small Town Fourth of July Celebrations.” Stay: Backland Luxury Camping a luxury eco resort featuring 10 glamping tents, on-site dining and a wellness focused spa tent.

Hotel 1000, Seattle, WA: Festivities: Don’t miss the 75^th annual Seafair 4th of July – one of the best ways to celebrate Independence Day in the Pacific Northwest – featuring a choreographed fireworks display set to music over Lake Union, family-friendly activities, food vendors, live music, a glow-in-the-dark dance party, and more. Catch the spectacular fireworks show with concert-quality sound from Gas Works Park at the north end of Lake Union or South Lake Union Park. Stay: The 120-room Hotel 1000, LXR Hotels & Resorts is a luxurious gem walking distance of Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Residential-like guest rooms and suites are well-appointed with plush Frette linens, pedestal bathtubs in every room, and oversized windows to take in the stunning city views. Over Independence Day weekend, sports fans can also catch a Seattle Mariners game at T-Mobile Park just one mile from Hotel 1000.

*July 4^th Fireworks in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho*

Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, ID: Festivities: 4^th of July kicks off in downtown Coeur d’Alene with the American Heroes Parade. This year’s theme is America the Beautiful where the town will commemorate the bravery and dedication of veterans and active-duty service members. Following the parade, venture to Coeur d’Alene Resort for the 4th Fest, a family-friendly event that includes dinner buffet. After dinner, enjoy live entertainment followed by a spectacular fireworks display on the Front Lawn to top off the night. Stay: The famed Coeur d’Alene Resort offers families a premier lakefront vacation, with a spa and restaurant remodel, and resort pool updates. The newer One Lakeside offers quintessential Northwestern charm with stunning views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and proximity to rivers, mountains, trails, and lakes for exploration.

The Valley Hotel, Homewood Birmingham, AL: Festivities: Vulcan Park hosts its annual “Thunder on the Mountain” fireworks show on July 4^th. Located less than a mile from The Valley Hotel, the fireworks utilize the Vulcan statue as the backdrop, which is visible from Ironwood’s patio, the second floor Terrace Bar patio, as well as outside the hotel’s front entrance. Stay: The Valley Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton™, is a 129-room hotel in Homewood, a bucolic neighborhood known for its picturesque tree-filled landscape, charming shops, restaurants, bars and galleries.

NEW YORK’S WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK IS SPELLBINDING

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Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, New York State travel, Outdoors Adventures, Star Gazing

Best Viewing Spots in New York State for Total Solar Eclipse April 8 – Plan Now

January 21, 2024 krubin723

A gigantic swath of New York State will be in the path of totality of the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse. Miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience when the moon completely covers the sun, turning day into night and sparking all sorts of eerie reactions and you’ll have to wait 400 years for the next total solar eclipse in New York State. (Map: I LOVE NY/NYS Dept. of Economic Development)

Edited by Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

A gigantic swath of New York State will be in the path of totality of the April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse. The total solar eclipse will begin around 3:20 pm (the time will differ depending what part of the state you are in), and last up to 3 minutes and 38 seconds depending on your vantage point, with about an hour before and after totality when you see the moon begin to cover and then recede.

The regions, cities, towns and villages where the viewing is most ideal – a 124-mile wide path stretching from Chautauqua-Allegheny to the majestic Niagara Falls in Greater Niagara, over the pristine Finger Lakes, mighty Adirondacks, and magical Thousand Islands-Seaway are taking on a festival atmosphere, and attractions, from the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory to the Rochester Museum & Science Center are hosting events even days before.

(See Part1: NYS WILL BE IN PATH OF TOTALITY: BEST PLACES TO VIEW SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8)

Grab your eclipse glasses and head to upstate New York State for the best viewing of the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. Many places are hosting three-day festivals. Plan early and book now. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in Greater Niagara

Curated by Emma Frisbie, Digital Content Coordinator for ILOVENY.com

Imagine viewing the total solar eclipse while overlooking the roaring waters of Niagara Falls, surrounded by the 14,000-acre “Grand Canyon of the East,” or enjoying all kinds of festivities leading up to lively celebrations on the big day. At most of these sites, trained staff will be on site with proper equipment for safe viewing including telescopes with specialized filters and eclipse glasses.

Niagara Falls: Elevate your total solar eclipse viewing experience from one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, Niagara Falls State Park. The park itselfhas 400 acres of stunning landscapes, so you’re sure to find a prime location for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Prospect Point and Goat Island offer waterfall vistas with unobstructed skies. Not only will Niagara Falls prove to be an exceptional vantage point, but whenthe eclipse is viewed through the perpetual rainbow that lingers just above the falls, the color of the light will change from rainbow to monochromatic pink. About a 10-minute drive north is Whirlpool State Park where you can watch the event alongside the roaring Niagara River Rapids. On the days leading up to the eclipse, NASA will be providing free public programming and exhibits throughout the area, including Niagara Falls Public Libraries, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the Aquarium of Niagara, the Niagara Power Vista, the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, and Niagara Falls State Park.

Beaver Meadow Nature Center: Watch the eclipse surrounded by the natural beauty of the Beaver Meadow Nature Center with 324 acres of meadows, ponds formed by glaciers, boardwalk trails and wooded forests. Significantly, this spot is known for its breathtaking clear skies, ideal for viewing our galaxy at night throughout the year so is sure to be an amazing spot for the bigday-turned-to-night event. The center will also be hosting a family-friendly viewing event so everyone can safely admire this celestial phenomenon. Book a stay at the rustic and cozy Beaver Meadow Cabin on-site for a more secluded experience. For the days leading up to theevent, check out the Buffalo Astronomical Association Observatory’s schedule for monthly public nights where you can learn more about the eclipse, take a tour of the solar system, and pick up solar eclipse viewing glasses for a $2 donation.

Fort Niagara State Park offers unobstructed skies combined with waterside views of the Lower Niagara River and Lake Ontario. The 504-acre park is home to gorgeous scenery, woodland hiking trails, year-round living-history programs and the historic Old Fort Niagara, which controlled access to the Great Lakes during monumental wars. Check out the museum and 18th-century military architecture including the oldest building in the Great Lakes area: the French Castle. (Parking: $8/car.)

Buffalo Harbor State Park, 10 minutes from Downtown Buffalo, offers gorgeous viewing spots from sandy beachside vistas of Lake Erie to the outdoor patio at Charlie’s Boatyard restaurant. Also, the 264-acre Tifft Nature Preserve is next door with five miles of hiking trails, boardwalks, and hands-on exhibits.

Genesee County, with its sprawling rural landscapes and low light pollution, makes for an ideal eclipse viewing experience, plunging the county into a deep twilight revealing stars, planets, and a level of darkness larger metropolises won’t be able to rival. Plan to spend the weekend for four days of eclipse festivities throughout the county. The Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel is planning an eclipse-themed party complete with on-site hotel packages, themed menus, live music, gaming promotions and giveaways and viewing glasses to watch the eclipse from the infield race track. The Genesee County Park, Forest, & Interpretive Center will be presenting informational videos, self-guided activities, crafts and activities for the kids, and a telescope with a solar filter special for eclipse viewing.

Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium at Buffalo State College, which has been holding public programs focusing on the eclipse’s main players – the sun, moon, and earth, and the mythology, history, and safety behind it all – is hosting a watch party complete with special viewing glasses.

At the 14,000-acre Letchworth State Park, known as the “Grand Canyon of the East, you can revel at totality alongside one of the three magnificent waterfalls, named Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls. Scenic views are accessible by bike or car throughout the park and on 66 miles of hiking trails.Make it an eclipse weekend and stay at one of Letchworth’s 19 cabins and cottages, which can be booked now at ReserveAmerica.com. The Glen Iris Inn is also within the park and provides a special viewing experience next to Middle Falls where it might even get a little misty. (NOTE: While Letchworth State Park will be open for public viewing, space will be limited. For public health and safety, no new visitors will be admitted once capacity is reached.)

You can also view the Eclipse at: Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel, Genesee County Park, Forest & Interpretive Center, Lakeside State Park, Orleans County Marine Park

Campgrounds such as Four Mile Creek State Park with 50 campsites and Golden Hill State Park with 25 campsites make for great eclipse stays that can be booked now on ReserveAmerica.com.

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-greater-niagara/

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in Chautauqua-Allegheny

Curated by Marta Zielinska, Managing Editor of ILOVENY.com

Chautauqua-Allegheny region offers the chance to experience solar eclipse totality amid enchanting mountains, tranquil lakes and bountiful vineyards.

Many of the best solar eclipse viewing sites are in New York State parks which have campgrounds, like Letchworth State Park, adding to adventure to the experience © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Allegany State Park Red House and Quaker areas: Allegany State Park offers 65,000 acres of primitive forested valleys, two sandy beaches, pristine lakes, miles of hiking trails, and picnic spots under the open sky for viewing the celestial spectacle. With 165 campsites, cabins and cottages open for booking, you can turn your eclipse adventure into an extraordinary eclipse getaway, giving you more time to experience the park’s natural beauty and its two museums and restaurant.

Griffis Sculpture Park, one of America’s oldest and largest sculpture parks, features 250 enormous structures of steel and other materials that set in the woods, fields, and even ponds of this sprawling 450-acre art wonderland, creating a spellbinding setting to witness the cosmic dance of the sun and moon. Typically open from May through October, the park will welcome visitors for this rare celestial spectacle.

The 360-acre Long Point State Park, a moraine left long ago by a retreating glacier, juts peninsula-like into Chautauqua Lake and is popular for fishing, hiking, and picnics. Head over to the marina or beach on April 8, 2024 for the park’s best views of the total solar eclipse over Chautauqua Lake. After the main event, explore the quaint shops, restaurants, and charm of the lakefront village of Bemus Point.

Jamestown Riverwalk: Jamestown, the hometown of the iconic comedienne Lucille Ball, is the first city in New York State to achieve totality on April 8, 2024, happening justseconds shy of 3:18 pm. Experience the cosmic phenomenon from a bridge or bench on the Jamestown Riverwalk, a five-mile urban trail system that winds its way through downtown along the Chadakoin River. The trail connects to the National Comedy Center and is an easy walk to the Lucy Desi Museum.

Views from Lake Erie: The 355-acre Lake Erie State Park in Brocton is located on a high bluff that offers breathtaking views of the sky and water. Evangola State Park’s beautiful arc-shaped shoreline and natural sand beach lined with low cliffs of Angola shale makes for another great spot for eclipse and Lake Erie views; the park has 25 campsites that can be reserved for eclipse weekend. The historic Dunkirk Lighthouse has some of the most stunning views of Lake Erie. Pick up lunch from the Boardwalk Market in Dunkirk Harbor and settle in for an eclipse watching picnic in the park grounds surrounding the 60-foot tower.

Scenic Vineyards in Lake Erie Wine Country: The oldest and largest Concord-grape-growing region in the world, is where you can raise your glass as you raise your gaze to the skies at any of the more than 20 wineries nestled along the southern shore of beautiful Lake Erie. Toast to the total solar eclipse at any of these fine choices including Johnson Estate Winery, Sparkling Ponds, and Noble Winery, which delivers stunning panoramic views of Lake Erie from its expansive porch.

Audubon Community Nature Center, a 600-acre wildlife sanctuary, has five miles of easy hiking trails that wind through fields, woods, and wetlands with observation towers and an accessible overlook offering ideal views of the natural landscape and spectacular celestial show.

You can also view the eclipse at: Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, Chautauqua Lake Rest Area, Dunkirk Harbor, Point Gratiot Park and Lighthouse, Barcelona Lighthouse State Park

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-chautauqua-allegheny/

Best Eclipse Viewing Spots in the Thousand Islands-Seaway

Curated by Emma Frisbie, Digital Content Coordinator for ILOVENY.com

That spot on the right is the International Space Station passing by the sun as the moon finishes its eclipse, during the Great American Eclipse, August 21, 2017 © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Thousand Islands-Seaway offers awe-inspiring lighthouses, historic battlegrounds, and celebratory atmosphere in which to experience this once-in-a-lifetime cosmic phenomenon on April 8, 2024. Here are some of the best places to view the total solar eclipse from the Thousand Islands-Seaway.

Historic Thompson Park in Watertown. has a Total Eclipse of the Park weekend of festivities starting April 5 with the grand finale viewing event on April 8. The park is 574 acres and sits atop a hill that overlooks the city of Watertown which means you’ll be able to look up and look out across the city (www.watertownnewyorkeclipse.com).

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse: Frame your eclipse experience at the point where the sparkling St. Lawrence River meets the powerful Lake Ontario at the Tibbetts Point lighthouse in Cape Vincent. Get a closer look at the lake and river through the telescope or explore the historic lighthouse which was built in 1827 and features the only working fresnel lens on Lake Ontario.

Witness this star-studded celestial occasion from the star-shaped fort dating back to the 1840s at Fort Ontario State Historic Site. This clear sky viewing spot is right on Lake Ontario and offers 36-acres of open air and waterside views. The fort was the site of many monumental battles from the French and Indian War and War of 1812, as well as a WWII US Army base. Take a guided tour where you’ll get to see officer quarters, the Enlisted Men’s Barracks, and the Storehouse. (Admission: $4/adults, $3/seniors 62+ and students, free for children under 12 and active military.)

Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site, 70 acres of open fields and lookouts of Lake Ontario makes for excellent eclipse viewing. Afterward, follow the Battlefield Historic Trail through Centennial Grove and the Navy Yard, with sweeping views of Black River Bay. For more history, follow the trail to the village’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Trail connection for a six-mile circuit.

Robert G. Wehle State Park offers 17,000-feet of Lake Ontario shoreline from which to view the eclipse. The 1,100-acre parkfeatures unobstructed skies and waterfront views, some visible from 80-foot limestone cliffs overlooking the lake. Once the estate of Robert G. Wehle, who was an avid conservationist, sculptor, and lover of English pointers (hence the canine sculptures you’ll find throughout the park), you can explore the Wehle residential compound and even make a reservation for up to eight people to stay at the cottage overnight for the ultimate secluded eclipse weekend.

Peer up at this cosmic event while you peer out at the sparkling waters of the St. Lawrence River at Wellesley Island State Park, with 2,600 acres boasting sandy beaches, miles of scenic hiking trails, and breathtaking Thousand Islands views. Plan an eclipse weekend at the campground with 21 cabins and cottages (book your reservation now at R eserveAmerica.com). Stop by the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, one of the largest nature centers in the NYS park system.

You can also view the eclipse at Fort de La Présentation/AbbéPicquet Trail.

See the full blogpost: https://www.iloveny.com/blog/post/best-2024-total-solar-eclipse-viewing-spots-in-the-thousand-islands-seaway/

More information at iloveny.com

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© 2024 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Adventure Travel, Attractions, Benefits of travel', Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Gift of Travel, Gifts for Travelers

Give the Gift of Travel to Spark that Wanderlust, Check Off that Bucket List, Have a Life-Enhancing Experience and Memory to Last Lifetime

November 24, 2023 krubin723

Looking through the giant clock at Musée d’Orsay to Montmartre. A great gift for a traveler headed to Paris: the Paris Pass (parispass.com), which bundles admissions to this extraordinary city’s major attractions including the Musée d’Orsay, an Eiffel Tower tour, a scenic cruise down the Seine, at up to 50 percent savings, and you skip the walk-up ticket line © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin,Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

What could be a better gift than giving a part of the world, some memorable, life-enhancing, life-changing experience, something from their bucket-list, perhaps? Give the gift of travel.

The gift of travel can be everything from the trip itself (even create a registry so that lots of friends and family can contribute), to pre-arranging some experience or activity to enhance a trip: a dining experience; a spa visit; admission to a museum, attraction or cultural event; a cooking, baking or jewelry making class; a hot-air balloon ride; rock-climbing adventure; walking tour; bike rental, to purchasing a gift-card or gift certificate that can be applied to the bigger-ticket items and give flexibility for when. And what trip doesn’t require some special gear? And if you time it right, you might also be able to benefit from holiday savings, even on the more open-ended gift cards or certificates.

Gift cards can open up doors to travel, or take the sting out of the pinch to a traveler’s, couple’s or family’s wallet. Gift cards can be that extra spark that gets your loved one to finally depart on their bucket-list experience. And more and more travel companies – hotels and accommodations, cruises, tours, theme parks, sightseeing, spa visits, restaurants and dining, and even transportation companies from airlines to Amtrak to Uber to a Maine Windjammer Cruise – now offer gift cards. The beauty is you can give the amount that works best for you and the recipient can choose the date. (And check if you can apply Black Friday/Cyber Monday discounts.)

Here are some examples:

Globus family of brands Gift Certificates, redeemable for tours and cruises, come in denominations of $50, $200 & $500. Gift Certificates may be used in conjunction with any promotion offered at time of booking and they are transferable (https://www.globusjourneys.com/tour-gift-certificate/).

Tauck Tours eGift Cards, available in any amount, are valid for any Tauck land journey, river or small ship cruise and Tauck Bridges family adventures. They can be redeemed by phone or online at Tauck.com. https://www.tauck.com/guest-travel/egiftcard.

Contiki’s gift card can be used on any Contiki trip; the voucher certificates include a personalized message, can be sent electronically or printed, and do not expire. https://www.contiki.com/en-us/resources/travel-gift-card 866-266 8454.

Historic Hotels of Europe, an exclusive collection of independent and unique hotels, castles, palaces, country houses and other properties handpicked for historic importance, quality and unique story, throughout Europe, offers a gift voucher, valid for five years, in amounts from 50-1500 Euros ([email protected], https://historichotelsofeurope.com/gift-voucher).

Rarely do you find a historic hotel that played such an integral role in a nation’s history as the Sofitel Legend Grand Hotel Amsterdam, a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

You can purchase gift cards for stays or amenities at Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, Beyond Green and Preferred Hotels & Resorts (all brands of Preferred Hotels & Resorts), through the iprefer.com. Gift Cards can be used for services, experiences, and stays at participating hotels and resorts in hundreds of destinations around the world. Gift cards do not expire. Purchase online at giftcards.iprefer.com.

Noble House Hotels & Resorts gift cards may be used at its collection of hotels, resorts, spas, restaurants, marinas and adventures across North America, among them, the Jekyll Island Club Resort, Jekyll Island, Georgia. (https://www.noblehousehotels.com/gift-card/)

*Jekyll Island Club, Jekyll Island, Georgia, one of the Noble House Hotels & Resorts © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Small Luxury Hotels, with over 500 hotels in more than 90 countries, makes it simple to send an SLH Gift Card – just choose the occasion, select the amount, and finish with a personalized message. https://slh.com/about-slh/gift-cards

New England Inns & Resorts Association gift cards can be redeemed at 300 lodging properties all over New England and can be purchased in any amount you choose. The cards never expire. Make a reservation directly with the property of your choice and let them know you will be using a New England Inns & Resort Gift Card. Present the card at check-in. https://www.newenglandinnsandresorts.com/gift-cards

Independent Collection Hotels & Resorts, a division of HHM which manages 240 properties across North America, offers gift cards for its portfolio of independent Luxury and Lifestyle, Resorts, Premium Branded and Branded Select. Among them: The Rittenhouse, Whiteface Lodge in lake Placid, MacArthur Place, Sonoma, https://www.independentcollection.com/gift-cards

With a Gift Card from Historic Inns of Savannah, choose from six award-winning boutique hotels in Savannah’s famed historic district https://www.historicinnsofsavannah.com/

*Loved my stay at the Hotel Hannong, ideally situated walking distance to everything in Strasbourg, France, booked on hotels.com *© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*.*

Hotels.com (an Expedia company) gift cards unlock hundreds of thousands of places to stay worldwide, including major hotel chains. The gift cards are available in denominations from $10 to $2,000 and there are no expiration dates or fees. Also, Hotels.com also has a secure gift registry where friends and family can contribute toward a Hotels.com eGift Card – great for honeymoons, babymoons, graduation, or any other group-gifting occasion. Here’s fine print: Usable up to balance only for new hotel bookings at www.hotels.com/gc. Only one gift card can be redeemed per online booking, but multiple gift cards may be combined into one gift card with a maximum value of $2000 by visiting the balance transfer tab found at www.hotels.com/gcbalance. Not redeemable at hotel locations or if you choose the Pay at Hotel option online. Not redeemable toward existing bookings or Packages. https://www.hotels.com/lp/b/giftcards (For balance or information, visit www.hotels.com/gcbalance or call US Toll Free 1-888-999-4468.)

*Use a NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation gift card to book a campsite at Watkins Glen State Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

New York State’s Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation gift card is usable at 8,500 campsites, 850 cabins, 135 cottages and 18 golf courses throughout the state. Use for fees associated with camping walk-ups, golf reservations and greens fees, camping supplies, boat rentals provided by NYS Parks (not for vehicle entrance fee, concessionaires, or Department of Environmental Conservation facilities). Purchase online at https://shop.parks.ny.gov/store/gift-cards/ for any dollar amount and have no expiration date. They can be used with the NYS camping reservation system (Reserve America), https://www.reserveamerica.com, 800-456-2267.

Cruiselines also make it easy to purchase gift cards, and even gift registries so that family and friends can contribute to purchasing the cruise:

*Major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean make it easy to purchase gift cards © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Royal Caribbean pre-paid gift card is similar to a gift certificate. These digital funds can be used for Royal Caribbean International or Celebrity Cruises cruise bookings and redeemed by booking online. The gift card will be sent to the recipient via email on the delivery date you choose. For same-day delivery, most gift cards are sent within an hour of your purchase. Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com/programs/gift-cards, 866-562-7625)

Norwegian Cruise Line makes it possible to gift onboard credit, wine, gourmet treats, spa visits, or create a registry so that bunches of family and friends can contribute toward a cruise (https://www.ncl.com/onboard-gifts).

Also: Disney Cruise Lines (https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/featured/holiday-gift-cruise/); Carnival Cruise Lines (https://carnival.ourgiftcards.com/); Princess Cruises (princess.com/giftcard); Holland America (https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/plan-a-cruise/giftcard)

*Maine Windjammer Association provides e-gift certificates that will be honored by any member of the fleet © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Maine Windjammer Association provides e-gift certificates that can be ordered in any denomination, and will be honored by any vessel in its fleet. The gift certificates never expire and can be customized with a special message. Order online. You can have your e-certificate sent immediately or schedule it for a future day. ([email protected],800-807-9463; https://www.sailmainecoast.com/windjammer-sailing-gift-certificates/)

Gift of Experience

Give experiences that turn a trip into a wonder that lasts a lifetime.

*See more of Prague with the Prague Cool Pass © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You can pre-purchase a city-sightseeing pass that provides admissions to the most popular sights in cities like Prague (PragueCoolPass.com); Amsterdam; Berlin; Dresden; Paris (parispass.com); New York City; Philadelphia. Wilmington, Delaware & the Brandywine Valley’s 2024 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport provides access to 12 of Greater Wilmington’s top cultural attractions. Check out Go City, which sells passes in over 30 destinations from major metropolises like London and New York to oceanfront oases like Sydney and Oahu – 1,500 attractions, tours, and activities worldwide, saving money over purchasing individual tickets, connected on your smart phone (GoCity.com, 800 887 9103).

Gift certificates from Broadway.com can be redeemed for tickets to any Broadway or Off-Broadway show currently playing in New York City (https://www.broadway.com/gift-certificates/).

Drive an exotic car, learn to fly, rock climb, skydive, bungee jump, take a hot-air balloon ride. Virgin Experience lists some 5000 different experiences in 122 regions from 600 “best in class” partners that their gift card can be applied to: Go to Food & Wine Gifts, Adventures Experiences and other listings. Easy return, no expiration, free exchange (https://www.virginexperiencegifts.com/action-and-adventure, https://www.virginexperiencegifts.com/ (for Black Friday, use GIFT20 for 20% off).

*Context offers walking tours with experts of dozens of destinations including Athens © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Context Travel offers personal walking tours with experts in 60 cities across 6 continents. Skip the line and off-hours access to popular sites in the world’s cultural and historical capitals. Tours range from half-day to 7-days plus. Context Travel also offers the “gift of learning” – virtual and in-person sessions with top experts– you can explore the Colosseum with an archaeologist, uncover masterpieces of the Louvre with an art historian, or explore the palaces of Istanbul with an architect — from home, or in person. Gift cards are redeemable for 100s of tours and experiences in any city, can be e-delivered immediately or at a future date and can be personalized with your message (https://www.contexttravel.com/gift-cards).

Spafinder, a compendium of resorts, wellness centers and day spas, makes it easy to purchase giftcards. Take 25% off $200+ with promo code VIP25; get $20 off $80, Spafinder.com

Theme parks can be a very, very pricey vacation for families. Gift cards can put the vacation in reach or enhance the experience. Disney’s gift cards can be purchased in denominations of $25 to $500 and used for “practically” all things Disney – theme park tickets, resort stays, merchandise, dining and experiences at Disney destinations. Redeemable at shopDisney.com, Disney Store locations in the U.S., participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California, Disney Cruise Line®, and Adventures by Disney®. https://www.disneygiftcard.com/.

Also consider gifting some of the really special experiences, like Zookeeper for a Day at Busch Gardens (www.buschgardens.com), or sleepover “Night in the Museum” experiences at places like National Air and Space Museum, International Spy Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Cincinnati Museum Center, California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

*A great gift is purchasing admission to a major attraction like Harry Potter: The Exhibition, now on view in New York City © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Also think about pre-purchasing tickets to museums and attractions, like Harry Potter™: The Exhibition (50 W. 34^th St., www.harrypotterexhibition.com); The Museum of Broadway(145 West 45th St., www.themuseumofbroadway.com, “Billy Joel- My Life, A Piano Man’s Journey” exhibit at Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, www.TheBillyJoelExhibit.com).

For the skier/snowboarder, consider purchasing lift tickets, lessons, rentals, perhaps even a multi-day, regional or local pass (EpicPass.com, IKONPass.com, snow.com, ski.com). Get Ski Tickets is an online marketplace to purchase date-specific discounted lift tickets, lessons, rentals, group lift tickets and season passes (https://www.getskitickets.com/, 970-233-7040, [email protected]) and gift certificates (https://www.getskitickets.com/gift-certificates/).

Fantasy Camp!

There are any number of fantasy camps to satisfy, well, every fantasy. If you can fantasize it, there is likely a fantasy camp to realize it.

Want to play baseball like a major leaguer? There are baseball fantasy camps with teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Atlanta Braves (mlb.com). Basketball: 76ers Fantasy Camp is the inaugural NBA fantasy camp, www.76ersfantasycamps.com).

Hockey goal, Jim Craig’s goalie stick and equipment from the 1980 Olympic gold-winning ‘Miracle on Ice’ on display at the Olympic Museum in Lake Placid, NY. In the Miracle On Ice Fantasy Camp, join players from the gold medal winning 1980 USA Hockey Team and skate and compete in the 1980 Rink © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Join players from the gold medal winning 1980 USA Hockey Team for this annual Miracle On Ice Fantasy Camp, in magnificent Lake Placid, NY – host city of the historic 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Skate and compete in the 1980 Rink – Herb Brooks Arena where USA conquered the Russians and shocked the sports and political world. (https://lakeplacidolympiccenter.com/todo/miracle-on-ice-fantasy-camp/)

Space Camp, an educational camp on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, provides residential and educational programs for children and adults on themes such as space exploration, aviation and robotics (www.rocketcenter.com/SpaceCamp, [email protected], 800-637-7223).

Also: Broadway theater (Broadway Fantasy Camp, broadwayfancamp.com), Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, an interactive musical event that takes place in various locations worldwide involving various Rock Stars on various dates.(rockcamp.com; gift cards available, (https://gift-cards.rockcampevents.com/)

For many, being able to participate in important science research is also a fantasy. Earthwatch makes it possible to support research that responds to global challenges – from climate change to human-wildlife coexistence to sustainability – while engaging local communities, and offers more than 40 field research expeditions around the world, with opportunities for teens and adults and no prior experience needed (Earthwatch.org, [email protected]).

Getting There or Coming Here

*Several airlines, such as Southwest Airlines, have gift certificate programs © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

You can purchase gift cards on many airlines: the Delta Gift Card is redeemable for any Delta Air Lines flight worldwide and for any Delta Vacations package that includes airfare, no expiration date (https://www.delta.com/us/en/gift-cards/overview) and Southwest Airlines (no expiration date, fully transferrable,usable for passenger travel,https://www.southwest.com/gift-card/).

Prefer riding the rails to boarding flights? Amtrak gift cards are available in an amount up to $500. No fees. Never expires. Have it emailed or sent through the mail. Redeem for travel online, in the app, by phone or in staffed stations. (May not be used for onboard purchases) https://www.amtrak.com/giftcards

Memberships Have Benefits

Gifting family memberships in a favorite museum, zoo, aquarium, preserve, historic site or attraction gives a sense of “ownership” and encourages multiple or multi-day visits as well as giving access to benefits – from special access to events and openings, discounts and promotions, magazines.

Think about gifting membership in such stellar institutions as the American Museum of Natural History that transport near and far, back in time and into the future, and ignite a love of travel © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Support important institutions – and find unique gifts – from the American Museum of Natural History (members enjoy free admission, special access and previews of new exhibitions, and discounts on purchases with member ID (get $20 off membership with code MEM22); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chicago Museum of Art, any and every important museum, hall of fame, attraction, zoo such as the Wildlife Conservation Society which operates the Bronx Zoo among others (www.wcs.org).

Smithsonian Institution, not only has an excellent store and catalog of excellent expeditionary trips (Smithsonianstore.com), but I treasure the Smithsonian Magazine, which also provides membership benefits, access to gifts; subscribe to the magazine and get gift subscriptions to share with someone else, smithsonianmag.com).

Also check out the memberships and gift possibilities at: Sierra Club (produces an excellent catalog of trips, sierraclub.org); Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (also check out the trail shop for gear like jerseys, trail guides and such, railstotrails.org), Parks & Trails NY (which hosts the annual Cycle the Erie 8-day, 400-mile camping/biking trip, pkny.org); Audubon Society; Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation; World Wildlife Federation).

Not able to visit? Many of the great museums, iconic institutions and organizations offer some of the most interesting, innovative and creative items in their gift shops and you can support their mission by shopping online or through catalogs (check out holiday specials, discounts). It can be the way you bring home a real NASA astronaut’s outfit from Kennedy Space Center (www.kennedyspacecenter.com).

Travel Gear

Also appreciated: the gear, special clothing, photo equipment that a trip (expedition, voyage, journey) entails, but may feel guilty about purchasing or simply tapped out.

Our favorite go-to places (especially when you catch holiday deals, sales and closeouts): REI (top trending gifts, gifts by activity, by price, www.rei.com/s/gifts-for-travelers, 800-426-4840); LL Bean, 888-610-2326, llbean.com; Sun & Ski, sunandski.com, 866-786-3869 (gift cards available); Eastern Mountain Sports, 888-463-6367, ems.com; Tennis Express (gift guide online, TennisExpress.com), Bass Pro Shops, www.basspro.com; Patagonia (Patagonia.com); Paragon Sports (paragonsports.com). And of course, luggage – one great site Luggageonline.com (Save 15%, 888-958-4424).

*A bucket-list, once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos is all the more memorable with the gift of a waterproof camera © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

What trip doesn’t involve photos! B&H consistently has best inventory, prices and holiday specials, efficient delivery, excellent customer service, delivery and return policies, www.bhphotovideo.com, 800.606.6969, 212.444.6615).

Great stocking stuffers so appreciated by travelers are socks for hiking, running, endurance, skiing, biking, hunting, work and lifestyle: Bombas (get 20% off, https://bombas.com/) and Darn Tough (www.darntough.com).

A subscription to a travel magazine like Travel & Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com) is also a great gift to inspire and inform. National Geographic; there is also a National Geo Kids edition. (https://ngmdomsubs.nationalgeographic.com/).

IT’S THE BEST TIME OF YEAR – FOR SNATCHING SAVINGS ON VACATION TRAVEL IN 2024

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© 2023 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Visit goingplacesfarandnear.com, www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, and travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Visit instagram.com/going_places_far_and_near and instagram.com/bigbackpacktraveler/ Send comments or questions to [email protected]. Tweet @TravelFeatures. ‘Like’ us at facebook.com/KarenBRubin

Adventure Travel, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Outdoors Adventures, Road Trip

New Brunswick Roadtrip: Discovering Fundy Trail Parkway, Fundy National Park, Cape Enrage

September 20, 2023 krubin723

*Walking the enchanting trail to Dickson Falls in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Dave E. Leiberman, Laini Miranda & Eric Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, www.goingplacesfarandnear.com

We set out from Saint John for the 45-minute drive from Saint John to St. Martins. St. Martins, a quaint and charming little village on the Bay of Fundy, is a slow-paced and picturesque community known for sea cliffs, sea caves, two covered bridges and natural beauty. The coastline that starts in St. Martins is one of the last areas of pure coastal wilderness on the eastern seaboard of North America. It’s a popular place to come for cycling, hiking, bird watching, nature walks, rock hounding and sea kayaking.

*St. Martins is one of the picturesque communities on the Bay of Fundy with “two faces” depending upon whether the tide is high or low © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

“Communities on the Bay of Fundy are places with two faces because they have much different looks depending on whether it’s high or low tide,” Neil Hodge of New Brunswick Tourism has advised. “A trip along the Fundy Coastal Drive is an opportunity to get a feel for ‘The People of the Tides’. The tides impact people’s lives – what they can do when.’’

*The coastline that starts in St. Martins is one of the last areas of pure coastal wilderness on the eastern seaboard of North America © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We are scheduled for a 2 ½ hour sea kayaking tour with Bay of Fundy Adventures (415 Main Street in St. Martins, 506-833-2231, bayoffundyadventures.com) and excited to paddle out of this quaint fishing harbor down the rugged coastline next to sea cliffs and sea caves through two UNESCO World Heritage Sites– the Fundy Biosphere Reserve and the Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark. Alas, the company has to cancel because of wind and waves are too great (but we have another sea kayaking experience scheduled, at Hopewell Rocks). We hang out awhile in a small coffee place where some of the “People of the Tides” have also gathered for their morning coffee, even inviting us to come by their house for a better photo of the cliffs.

We walk the beach, already seeing how the tide flows in so swiftly – not tsunami-like as you might expect before actually seeing it – but pretty much swamping the trail before you realize it.

Had we had our kayaking adventure, we would have stopped for lunch at The Caves Restaurant (82 Big Salmon River Road, St. Martins) and had dessert at Octopus Ice Cream (404 Main Street in St. Martins).

We set out on the Fundy Trail Parkway, a slow cliffside drive, from gate to gate, that offers numerous beautiful views of the Bay of Fundy and its long, rocky coastline (great for biking). All along this magnificent route there are delightful pull-ins, lookouts, picnic areas, rest areas, hiking trails. We pack a picnic lunch with us (no restaurants on the Fundy Trail Parkway),

The Fundy Trail Parkway, 19-miles long from gate to gate, is a coastal, multi-use park with has five beaches, four waterfalls, 22 miles of hiking trails, 21 scenic lookouts and 16 observation decks.

*Spectacular views of the Bay of Fundy await along the newly completed Fundy Trail Parkway, a 19-mile long multi-use park that hugs the coastal wilderness © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We learn that the Fundy Escarpment is a 2 km-wide corridor (one km of land and one km into the Bay of Fundy), stretching from Fownes Beach in St. Martins (where we start) to the western boundary of Fundy National Park. The 1 km width is essential because most of the ecosystem dynamics of the Bay of Fundy exist within the area, including the nutrient-rich salt marshes, tidal flats and the dramatic Fundy tides. The Fundy Escarpment is one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas between Florida and Labrador.

*Taking the cable ladder to Fuller Falls, one of the highlights of the Fundy Trail Parkway © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Traveling from west to east: we stop often to take in the views (there is so much to see and do, thankfully, Hodge at New Brunswick Tourism has given us a list of recommendations): Fox Rock Lookout and Melvin Beach Lookout. We stop to really enjoy Fuller Falls (not to be missed) – this is a gorgeous waterfall that you reach by walking down a cable ladder to a lower deck for the best eye-level view, where David, Laini and Eric are inspired to do yoga.

*Inspired to do yoga at Fuller Falls, on the Fundy Trail Parkway, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We continue on to Pangburn Beach Lookout, Black Point Lookout, and drive in to see The Cookhouse (a lumberjack camp 100 years ago, the workers needed to eat 8,000 calories per day to do the job), but has not yet open for the season. There is also the Big Salmon River Interpretive Centre, where you learn about the logging and shipbuilding history of this once thriving community in the 1840s-early 1900s. (Also not yet open for the season when we visit).

*The Suspension Footbridge on the Fundy Trail Parkway, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

From here, we go to Parking Lot 8 (P8) and take the five-minute walk along the river to the 84m Suspension Footbridge. It’s a great view there as you explore the banks of Big Salmon River (once a popular salmon fishing site, the salmon are now protected). From here, we can visit the lookouts at Long Beach (From 2010 until the Parkway opening in 2016, this lookout was the farthest you could drive in the park; the beach showcases a “horizontal tide”, extending 1640 feet at low tide) and Tufts Plateau, and then continue on to Martin Head Lookout and Seeley Beach Lookout, stopping for our picnic lunch with a stunning view.

*Enjoying a picnic with a spectacular view on the Fundy Trail Parkway, New Brunswick, Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We take an easy 1.5-mile hike from the parking lot through the woods to a viewing platform to see Walton Glen Gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of New Brunswick, and the star attraction of the Fundy Trail Parkway. The Gorge is 1,000 feet across, 525 feet deep and 550 million years old, carved during the most recent Ice Age – you can see the path the glacier took to the sea as it melted, and see waterfalls coming down the rock face on the other side of the gorge.

*Walton Glen Gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of New Brunswick, is a star attraction of the Fundy Trail Parkway © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It is astonishing to learn that The Fundy Trail Parkway actually was only completed in 2020, during the pandemic, after taking 25 years and $100 million to build. It is operated by a non-profit, The Fundy Trail Development Authority Inc., (admission is $11.50/A, $10/S, $6.50/5-18, $36/family, $40/up to 7 people. Open mid-May to mid-October).

Fundy Trail Parkway, 1-506-833-2019 1-866-386-3987, [email protected], www.fundytrailparkway.com

*The Parkway to Alma, New Brunswick Canada © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Leaving the parking lot at Walton Glen Gorge, we follow the sign that says Sussex and five minutes later exit the Fundy Trail Parkway. A little further ahead, we turn right at the sign to Alma and then follow this road which takes us on a scenic 45-minute drive through Fundy National Park to Alma, where we will have two-nights stay to explore Fundy National Park and environs, and have a cozy stay at the Parkland Village Inn in Alma (8601 Main Street, 506-887-2313).

Alma, a charming fishing village, is home to Molly Kool, who made history as the first female sea captain in North America. Kool is the nautical equivalent of Amelia Earhart, the American who was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Molly Kool also broke ground for women at a time when females weren’t allowed to be sea captain. (I regret we didn’t have time to stop into the Molly Kool — Albert County Museum & RB Bennett Centre.)

*It is a bizarre sight at the Alma wharf at low tide to see boats sitting on the ocean floor © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We explore Alma, and quickly realize what Hodge meant when he said these are “communities with two faces.” It is a bizarre sight at the wharf at low tide to see boats sitting on the ocean floor.

*Getting a taste of Alma at the Alma Lobster Shop floor © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We immediately get to taste Alma – lobster rolls and the best, freshest mussels ever at the Alma Lobster Shop (36 Shore Lane); a delightful dinner at Tipsy Tales Restaurant (8607 Main Street), and the hip ambiance of Holy Whale Brewery/ Buddha Bear Coffee Roasters, housed in a former church.

*Holy Whale Brewery is housed in a former church in Alma © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Cape Enrage

We set out in the morning to drive 20 minutes along a lovely coastal country road to Cape Enrage, an iconic destination with a historic lighthouse on the Bay of Fundy where you can best appreciate the coastline. Wherever we go along the Bay of Fundy, we have to be mindful of the time, because the tides determine what we can see and do.

We arrive at Cape Enrage, at 9:30 am. This place is famous for its historic lighthouse, which was supposed to be knocked down and replaced by a metal pole. Dennis Tate, a local high school physics teacher (the son of a lighthouse keeper who used to visit by boat as a boy), was so upset, he raised funds to take over the lighthouse, restore it, and turn Cape Enrage into an “interpretive center.” I think it is more accurately an adventure center, offering truly special experiences: taking a fossil tour on its rocky beach, ziplining and rappelling down its 140-foot high cliffs back down to the beach.

We start our visit on the rocky beach with two geology students who are interning here, who show us a literal field of fossils – plant, insect, tree fossils 320 million years old.

*“The rocks on cliffs erode and fall away, like turning a page in a book, exposing fossils,” Evelyn, our Cape Enrage guide says © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It is astonishing how plentiful the fossils are, just about everywhere we walk we spot one. It’s why Cape Enrage is one of the sites within the UNESCO-designated Fundy Biosphere Reserve (www.fundy-biosphere.ca). We find fossils of vascular plants that pre-dated trees even before dinosaurs. “There wasn’t grass when dinosaurs lived, grass is relatively recent, our guide, Evelyn, a second-year geology student, tells us. “The rocks on cliffs erode and fall away, like turning a page in a book, exposing fossils.” (This beach fossil tour is included in the admission price, but a more in-depth, two-hour fossil tour on a nearby beach is also available).

*Walk the rocky beach at Cape Enrage to find 350-million year old fossils of early plants and trees © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The activities depend on tide and weather – we have to wait for a lightning storm to pass before Eric and David try ziplining. Then we have to wait for the tide to pull back from the cliffs before we can rappel – it is stunning to walk back toward the beach we had just been walking on, to see it submerged.

We wait out the weather enjoying a delightful early lunch in the Cape House Restaurant, with lovely views of the bay (in clear weather, we would see Nova Scotia). Meanwhile, zipliners swing past the window, so we know the weather has passed.

David and Eric get to do ziplining – a huge thrill and so fun to sail over the water at high tide to a tower next to the lighthouse. They get three runs, with the guides suggesting different techniques each time (excellent preparation for rappelling, as it turns out).

*Ziplining at Cape Enrage © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Next up: rappelling off 140-foot high cliffs back down to the beach.

None of us have done rappelling before. (David and Laini do rock climbing, and ziplining, especially when Eric and David step off backwards, is excellent preparation.)

Our experience starts with training in how to rappel. We are in the hands of gentle, masterful guides, Morgan and Isaac, who manage to alleviate any anxiety whatsoever (I am really, really surprised at myself, but it helped that earlier, I had watched a couple from Indiana rappelling effortlessly).It is that first step backwards off the platform that is the hardest (that leap of faith that seems to crop up often in life). They talk us through, all the way down.

*No fear as we try rappelling off the 140-feet high cliffs at Cape Enrage © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

When we get passed a ledge, we dangle and just let the rope pass through our fingers to lower ourselves down to the beach. You get two-hours, including the training, to rappel as many times as you like. It starts to rain heavily during our second try, but we are now so confident, the rain doesn’t faze.

This whole activity center was started in order to save the Cape Enrage Lighthouse. First built in 1838 (the light came on in 1840 and the keeper only got half pay because he only had a foghorn), the lighthouse was replaced in 1870 and then again in 1902, which is the one that stands today. When the wooden lighthouse was to be demolished, Dennis Tate and his wife, both school teachers, made a deal to take over the lighthouse, and clearly found ways to sustain it. (The Coast Guard still operates the light and foghorn. It’s been foggy and rainy and sure enough, the foghorn sounds.)

*What a difference! The Cape Enrage beach at low tide…. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The province owns the park, but Cape Enrage is operated by a nonprofit, Cape Enrage Interpretive Center Inc., and employs 12 paid student interns and volunteers. Jim Campbell (who retired from managing a trucking company), became general manager in 2020.

We wind up staying 6 hours, from 9:30 am-3:30 pm – long enough to see an entire change of the “highest tides in the world”.

*… The Cape Enrage beach at high tide© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Admission to Cape Enrage is $7.50A, $25/family which includes the guided fossil tour on the beach. You can buy separate tickets for one hour of ziplining (3 runs per person, $53.90, single run, $26.95), and two hours of rappelling (which can be three or four times plus the training, $99.95), or combination tickets that bundle zipline and rappel ($139.95). In addition, there is a separate two-hour fossil tour, Logjam, along a different beach ($19.50). (Prices are in Canadian dollars, which at this writing was about 25% less than the US dollar.)

Cape Enrage, 888-423-5454, www.capeenrange.ca.

Fundy National Park

Back in Alma, we go to explore Fundy National Park. This beautiful area has 25 waterfalls, 25 hiking trails, the world’s oldest red spruce tree (400 years old), several campgrounds, rivers, and lakes. This park, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, is part of the Fundy Biosphere Reserve — an area of 1,062,553 acres that is protected by UNESCO. (https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/nb/fundy).

Fundy National Park is huge and it would take a few days to really see it. We get a small taste of it this afternoon:

*Point Wolfe Covered Bridge, Fundy National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Driving along Point Wolfe Road bring us to the picturesque Point Wolfe Covered Bridge. “There are 141 covered bridges in Canada and 58 of them are in New Brunswick. Covered bridges are part of our historical and cultural identity. We refer to them as Kissing Bridges because back in the days of horse and wagon young couples would stop in the middle of the bridge to kiss in privacy,” Neil Hodge of New Brunswick Tourism said.

*An enchanting trail leads to Dickson Falls in Fundy National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Just a five minute drive back toward Alma from the bridge we pull into a parking area for one of the true must-see, must-do highlights of the park: Dickson Falls, the most photographed waterfalls in Fundy National Park (for good reason). It’s an enchanting walk on an easy trail through the lush forest with splashes of neon green, then on across a wooden boardwalk and bridges along a gurgling brook. It takes less than an hour to do the trail, and it is so beautiful, that instead of finishing the loop, we back track to do the trail through the forest again in reverse.

*Dickson Falls, a highlight of Fundy National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For our second night in Alma, we thoroughly enjoy The Alma Boathouse (8588 Main Street) which graciously stays open for us. (Restaurants close early in Alma.)

Fundy National Park, the Fundy Parkway Trail, Cape Enrage and Hopewell Rocks are all located within the UNESCO-designated Fundy Biosphere Reserve (www.fundy-biosphere.ca).

Travel planning assistance from Tourism New Brunswick, 800-561-0123, www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca.

Next: New Brunswick Roadtrip: Hopewell Rocks

NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA ROADTRIP: SAINT JOHN, CITY OF FIRSTS, OLDESTS, AMAZEMENTS

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Adventure Travel, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, National Parks, Outdoors Adventures, Places of History, US Destinations

Utah Adventure Day 8: Arches National Park, a Geologic Wonderland

March 17, 2023 krubin723

*Sunrise on the Landscape Arch, Devils Garden Trail, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Arches National Park is a fantastical place, a geologic wonderland, and being able to wake up before the sun in the Devils Garden Campground and stroll along the Devils Garden Trail as the formations come alive with color, is extraordinary.

Arches’ sprawling landscape of 2,000 natural stone arches – the highest concentration of arches on the planet – plus hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, giant balanced rocks, coupled with its accessibility and ease of getting around (well, except for traffic and difficulty finding parking) and access (through Moab) draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, making it one of the most popular national parks. Indeed, Arches is so popular (and crowded) that it requires advance purchase, timed entry reservations just to enter, between April 1 and October 31.

*Arches National Park is a geologic wonderland © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We are lucky because Laini has cleverly booked two nights at the Devils Garden campground months before our trip. The campsite reservation acts as the entry ticket and for this reason but especially because of being immersed in the landscape, this is the absolute best way to experience Arches National Park. (Devils Garden Campground is pen year-round, with 52 sites, reservations for individual sites can be made up to six months in advance; for group sites can be reserved up to year in advance, www.nps.gov/arch)

Arches is the most touristic of all the places we have visited this trip and offers such a contrast with the wild camping and communion with ancient spirits (Bears Ears), the remote unmarked hikes (Grand Staircase-Escalante), the long meandering hikes (Capitol Reef) and our search through muck and mud to find archaeological sites (Glen Canyon).

Here, we go sightseeing for the dazzling arches that give the park its name, like the amazing Double Arch, the Windows, Landscape Arch and Delicate Arch, accessed along paved paths from parking lots, with restroom facilities.

*A formation in Arches National Park that looks like Croesus had just been turned to rock © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Throughout Arches, there are formations – eroded monoliths – that inspire names, like Parade of Elephants, Petrified Dunes, Tower of Babel and Fiery Furnace, also trigger imagination. Some look so much like mudmen, we name them (we rechristen Balanced Rock “E.T.”, the Gossips we rename “The Suffragists,” and formations that look to me as if Nefertiti and Croesus had just been turned to rock.

*The formation once known as “The Gossips” we re-name “The Suffragists” Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The source of what we see is a salt bed, thousands of feet thick in places, that was deposited across the Colorado Plateau 300 million years ago when a sea flowed into the region and eventually evaporated, according to the Arches National Park notes. The salt bed was unstable and unable to hold the weight of the thick cover of rock formed from compressed debris. It shifted, buckled, liquefied and repositioned, thrusting rock layers upward as domes, while whole sections fell into cavities.

*Doesn’t this rock formation look like* *Nefertiti? Imaginations run wild in Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Faults make the surface even more unstable. From the visitor center, you can see the result of a 2,500-foot displacement, the Moab Fault. The faults caused vertical cracks and wind and water over 100 million years of erosion and weathering, ultimately formed the arches of salmon-colored Entrada Sandstone and buff-colored Navajo Sandstone.

The process is ongoing – new features are being formed as old ones are transformed.

Sometimes the changes happen suddenly, violently. That was the case at the Skyline Arch, just next door to Devils Garden, where a massive boulder tumbled down in the 1940s, expanding the arch.

*Waking before sunrise with the moon in Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The most ambitious hikes in Arches National Park are to the Double O Arch (4.1 miles); the Primitive trail (2.1 miles one way, considered most difficult), and if you would do the whole Devils Garden Trail (7.8 miles, that goes to the Landscape Arch, Double O Arch, Dark Angel along a primitive trail, with narrow ledges, rock scrambling and few trail markers; be sure to take enough water— 1 liter of water per person, per hour).

We do none of these, holding out for our most ambitious hike, to Delicate Arch, for sunset but I already have my trepidations.

And, in addition to the outstanding Devils Garden trail, from the campground (which feels luxurious to us for its restrooms and running water), you can hikethe Broken Arch Loop Trail which runs past Tapestry Arch and Broken Arch, then swings south towards Sand Dune Arch and back up passed Skyline Arch before returning to the campground. (Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that hike. Next time!)

*Sunrise in Devils Garden, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

For my sunrise hike, I do the easy, paved trail, rushing to get to a good position for photos, and then continue on to do more of it, going to where I see the famous Landscape Arch. After my walk through the easy part of the Devils Garden Trail (it is surprising how fast the sun comes up, washing out the colors), I go back to the campsite where we have breakfast.

(Actually, we have to move from one campsite to another for our second night and Dave and Laini figure out to just put the tent with the sleeping bags and stuff on top of the Jeep and drive it over, which we do by check-out time.)

*Landscape Arch, Devils Garden, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We then set out to explore Arches.

We only have one full day at Arches National Park, and it’s the end of our hiking/camping adventure, so we kind of go with the flow. We drive to the different sites, and do short hikes up to the various formations, basically doing the tourist thing.

*An easy trail takes you to the Skyline Arch, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We follow a route, starting with the Skyline Arch adjacent to Devils Garden. Dave climbs to the top of that humongous boulder that fell down (scary to contemplate). The Skyline Arch Trail is short and easy, less than a half-mile roundtrip hike from the parking lot and back. The arch itself is one of the more popular landmarks in Arches. It makes for spectacular photographs, owing to its position, literally, on the skyline. And its proximity to the Devils Garden Campground makes it a perfect hike if you arrive late in the afternoon. (We arrived too late.)

*Dave climbs atop of a boulder that came off the Skyline Arch © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We go next to the observation area that overlooks The Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. (Hiking the Fiery Furnace requires agility and a permit, or a ticket for a ranger-led hike that must be reserved in advance through Recreation.gov; one route is marked, but getting lost is still possible.)

*The Fiery Furnace, contrasted against snow-capped peaks, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Next, we drive to one of the famous highlights of Arches (there are many, but this one is tops for me): the Double Arch Viewpoint and Trail. The tallest arch in the park at 122 ft., there seems to be this intricate dance between the two arches. An easy gravel path leads to the base of the two huge, arching spans. Of course Dave and Alli climb up to the arches, while Laini draws.

*There seems to be an intricate dance between the two arches of the Double Arch, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Balanced Rock is another signature landmark and just about everyone (who can get a parking space) walks the short hike around the base for up-close perspectives. We re-name Balanced Rock E. T. because from a certain angle, it’s a dead ringer for the endearing character.

*“Balanced Rock”is a dead-ringer for the beloved E.T., Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

(The Arches National Park newsletter guide is invaluable – it recommends how much water to take, and gives excellent information about distance and time and difficulty for each of the hikes.)

Dinosaurs, Indians!

Arches National Park (believe it or not), has no food or lodging (that is, beyond the sensational Devils Garden campground) – so we drive out of the park into the delightful, hopping town of Moab for lunch at the food truck park, and a bit of shopping.

From here, we drive a short distance to where Laini promises we will encounter both dinosaurs and Indians.

*Tracks made by three-toed meat-eating dinosaurs can be seen at the Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracksite and Rock Art Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We drive along Utah Scenic Byway 279 to the trailhead of the Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracksite and Rock Art Trail. It’s a quarter-mile walk up a steep, crumbly trail up a rocky hillside to two rock slabs where tracks made by three-toed meat-eating dinosaurs can be seen, as well as a wall with a good collection of petroglyphs.

This area was once a vast sand dune sea, known as an erg. These tracks would have been found along the edge of a lake between dunes. As the wind would blow across the dunes these tracks would have been gently buried in shifting sand and preserved. The preserved tracks were unearthed when the slabs fell from the sandstone cliffs above.

The trail switchbacks up the hill before coming alongside the petroglyph wall and then descends back to the parking lot. (Use caution: though short, there are a few steep areas and the trail can be hard to follow.)

(From this trailhead you can also connect to the Longbow Arch hiking trail that goes into a canyon to an arch, 2.4 miles roundtrip.)

*The astonishing Utah Highway 279 Rock Art Site, where a huge rock wall face has the most amazing sets of petroglyphs and pictographs, Moab © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

A short distance along Potash Road is the Utah Highway 279 Rock Art Site, where a huge rock wall face has the most amazing sets of petroglyphs and pictographs. It looks like a museum exhibit, except this is where they were made and it is astonishing to contemplate that this is where people so very long ago stood here and carved and painted them.

Archaeologists believe most of the rock art found here was created during the Archaic (6,000 – 1,000 B.C.) and Fremont (450-1300 A.D.) cultural periods. The art consists of pictographs (painted images) and petroglyphs (pecked, incised or chiseled images). The majority of the rock art features anthropomorphic (human forms) and zoomorphic (animal forms) but there are also curvilean lines, zigzags, wavy lines, concentric circles and abstract symbols. Sometimes both Archaic and Fremont petroglyphs can be found on the same rock art panel.

Some of the rock art panels depict religious rituals and are considered sacred sites. Some depict migration routes, fertility, hunting, ceremonies, and cosmic events.

These petroglyphs were exposed when the road was widened, and it is a surreal experience to see these magnificent, huge murals just along the road – especially because it is beside a section popular with rock climbers (one was prosecuted for rock climbing where the protected petroglyphs are).

Fremont rock art often depicts trapezoidal anthropomorphs with horns, bighorn sheep, dogs, hunting scenes with weapons, and abstract objects – and sure enough, we see plenty of examples – there are horned anthropomorphs holding shields and paper doll-like cut-outs; at the southern end of the panel, we see a large bear with a hunter at its nose and another hunter over its back. The notes say this art is 3000 to 8000 years old.

*The ancient rock-art panels are next to a popular rock climbing place © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At the northern end of the panel, round holes carved into the sandstone underneath the left side would have once held roof poles of a structure which was excavated by archaeologists before the road construction. The rock panels extend 125 feet along Potash Road.

Sunset and Star-Gazing

We return to Arches National Park for sunset (there is still a long line of cars getting in with their timed admission tickets, but because we are camping, we breeze right in).

Laini suggests we hike the 3 miles roundtrip to Delicate Arch for the sunset, but I’m actually dreading it (my feet are actually bleeding from yesterday’s 11-mile Kane Gulch hike – the folly of hiking in boots that haven’t been broken in).

My trepidation comes from the description of the hike: The Delicate Arch hike is ranked difficult – the trail climbs 480 feet up a steep slickrock slope, and just before you get to Delicate Arch, follows a narrow rock ledge for about 200 yards). I am especially nervous about hiking the 1.5 miles back in the dark.

Laini, who has done the hike on their previous trip, admits she also has been dreading it but only wanted to do it for me, because I would have been disappointed not to see the iconic rock formation that Utah uses for its state symbol.

We set out and I ask what exactly we will see and she pulls up the photo she took on a previous trip. I suggest we not bother, but rather go to The Windows where I’ve been told is a popular place for sunset.

But before we leave the trail to the Delicate Arch, we explore the Wolfe Ranch historic site and walk a little further along a path to see an excellent example of historic Ute rock art – a huge bonus to coming here.

*Historic Ute rock art at the Wolfe Ranch site, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The panel depicts a stylized horse and rider surrounded by bighorn sheep and dog-like animals which are typical of Ute rock art. The petroglyphs were carved sometime between 1660-1860.

The historic marker is fascinating because it also shows photos of an Ute on horseback in 1909. “The Utes’ acquisition of horses by the mid-1600s radically changed the way they hunted, worked and traveled.” Another photo depicts a Ute warrior and his bride, circa 1873. Utah’s name is derived from the Ute Indians who moved into this area around 1300 AD.

I’m thrilled we came here, and even more thrilled to go to The Windows for the sunset, which I had read in the park’s newsletter (so helpful!) is one of the great spots to watch the sunset.

*The Windows, a great place to watch the sunset in Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The Windows – just across from the Double Arch where we had been in the morning – is a pleasant half mile walk. We arrive just as the light is turning the rock deep gold, to orange, to red. I find a “comfortable” rock to sit on at the bottom of the arch while Dave, Laini and Alli (of course) climb up into the Windows. Our view looks out to the Turret Arch and a wide open expanse, to where the sun dips below the horizon.

*Watching the sunset from The Windows, Arches National Park © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We drive back to Moab to stop in for a bite and beer flight at Moab Brewery, and then return to the national park to do some stargazing before settling into our campsite.

Arches National Park is a great family park where a short walk brings you to many of the iconic features, and you can even see a lot from a car and the observation areas. Stop at the visitor center for advice, where you can watch an orientation film and see exhibits. A self-guiding audio tour is available. Ranger programs are offered seasonally.

For more information, and to reserve entry tickets and campsites, www.nps.gov/arch; info 435-719-2299; hiking info at https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

*Sunrise from the Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

On our last morning, I awake again before sunrise and scramble up a small hill across the road from our campsite for a different view.

We pack up quickly for our departure which also entails packing up the rental sleeping bags and pads, which we ship back to Moosejaw.com from Moab, pick up breakfast from a delightful cafe, and head out for the drive back to Salt Lake City and our flight home, having had the most marvelous Utah Adventure, a trip of a lifetime for me.

Trip planning tools are available at https://www.visitutah.com/.

Advance Purchase Tickets Required

From April 1 to Oct. 1, 2023, you need to secure in advance a timed entry reservation in order to enter Arches National Park between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Reservations must be secured three months in advance of the anticipated date of visiting Arches. A single booking of a timed entry ticket covers each registered visitor (an individual, couple, group or family). You can enjoy the park all day, entering and re-entering at will with the validated ticket. A $2 processing fee is added nto the standard park entry fee. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov. (It may also be possible to obtain a limited number of tickets through Recreation.gov up to midnight the day before planning to visit the park.).

See:

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 1-2: CAPITOL REEF’S COLORFUL CANYONS

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 3-4: GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE POSES CHALLENGE

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 4-5: DRIVING BURR TRAIL, EXPLORING GLEN CANYON, WILD CAMPING IN ARCH CANYON

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 6: SACRED SITES, SPIRITS OF BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 6-7: HOUSE ON FIRE AMONG HIGHLIGHTS HIKING AMID SACRED SITES, SPIRITS OF BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT

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Adventure Travel, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Cultural travel, Historic Places, National Parks, Outdoors Adventures, See America, US Destinations

Utah Adventure Day 6-7: House on Fire Among Highlights Hiking Amid Sacred Sites, Spirits of Bears Ears National Monument

March 9, 2023 krubin723

*House on Fire is one of the most photographed – and dramatic – archeological sites in Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

What is truly special about Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa – and what draws Laini back time and again, are the remnants, artifacts and structures left by Ancestral Puebloans – ancestors of the Hopi and Zuni – who inhabited these canyons and cliffs between 700 and 2500 years ago. Arrowheads and other artifacts dating back 10,000 years have also been found in this region. Some of these sites are at once accessible yet also feel remote – so you feel you are the first archaeologist to discover, though obviously that can’t be since the BLM Rangers have left laminated info packets in metal cases in some of the dwellings. Still, we can pretend.

Our hikes bring us to these places that seem as if the occupants only recently vacated, leaving behind painted pottery shards, tiny corn husks, stone and bone tools, even their hand-prints, pictographs and petroglyphs that speak to us through time, as if to say, “We were here. We still are.”

Because these lands are sacred, all of us must be respectful of the dwellings and the archaeological artifacts that we come upon. And these sites truly feel sacred – precisely because of the artifacts, the pictographs and petroglyphs, you feel the presence of those who lived here. And because those of us who visit do show proper respect, these mud-and-stick (jacal) constructions delicate pictographs and petroglyphs etched into sandstone and artifacts, though incredibly fragile, are here for us to discover, as if we are among the first.

It’s fairly miraculous these sites have survived Mother Nature, let alone humans.

After hiking to the Arch Canyon Ruins, Laini leads us to a trail to one of the outstanding highlights of the Bears Ears National Monument: the House on Fire, one of the most photographed (spectacular) sites in the region.

*Hiking the Mule Canyon trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

This site features five granaries built into overhanging Cedar Mesa Sandstone with a streaked pattern that, in the early morning light, resembles flames (photo tip: because these dwellings were built to be south-facing, the most dramatic light is around 10-11 am depending upon time of year). (https://bearsearsmonument.org/house-on-fire/)

“As you take in the view, imagine how the ancient Puebloans lived here between 700 and 2,500 years ago,” Matcha writes at the visitutah.com site. “The granaries perched high in the cliffs stored corn, a main source of food. The Puebloans also ground Indian ricegrass into meal to make bread, and they ate abundant prickly pears. The ever-present yucca was invaluable, as its leaves were spun into fiber and woven into baskets, sandals, and bags, as well as ropes that are said to have helped reach some of the higher, less accessible granaries. The Native Americans used the root of the yucca for soap, and they roasted and ate the base of the plant.

“The pinyon pines that you weave around and duck under to reach the ancient sites were a key source of building material, fuel, and food. When burned, the wood created the high temperatures needed for firing pottery, while pine bark served as roofing and padding, and pinon nuts provided much-needed vitamins and protein.” (https://www.visitutah.com/articles/exploring-mule-canyon-house-on-fire-cave-tower)

*You have to really look closely to discover these hand prints in House of Fire, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Laini Miranda/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Matcha further advises to search for rock art located beneath an overhanging boulder in the wash below the House on Fire. And if you continue on the trail, there are several more sites worth seeing. While some sit right off the trail, you either need binoculars to see or have to climb 200 feet to reach them. “Toward the end of the canyon is the spectacular Wall Site, which has several intact rooms built into small caves in the pock-marked cliff. Some of the roofs still have the original roof timbers.”

(South Fork of Mule Canyon trail is 4.3 miles one-way, and elevation gain is 250 feet. Cave Tower Site is 1-1.5 miles round trip, and elevation change is less than 200 feet. Passes are required for day hiking, check with the Bureau of Land Management for the current fee amount. Be prepared with exact change.)

*Coming upon The Tower Ruin, off the beaten path © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

After this spectacular hike, we drive west on Hwy 95 near milepost 103, then drive onto a dirt road for half a mile. We hike in and across the way, we see The Tower Ruin – a rare, two-story structure on the other side of the canyon.

*The Tower Ruin, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At first, it seems too steep a scramble for me, but Dave and Laini go down. Dave makes it look easy. Sure enough, he comes back to guide me to the site (so glad he did!).

This site is so secluded, remote and untouched, it feels as if we discovered it on our own (though I’m sure that’s not true, the feeling is still so exciting).

The tower construction seems to be “modern” – Laini says there is evidence of three different generations having a hand in the construction. There are fabulous pictographs and petrolyphs here. I imagine that one is a symbol for the chief.

Altogether, we have hiked about 9 to 10 miles today – so satisfying.

We drive into the town of Blanding for dinner and supplies, seeing signs along the way for Native American Crafts, Dinosaur Museum, State Edges of the Cedars Native American Museum.

Laini decides to change plans from our original itinerary and instead of leaving here for Canyonlands, we stay an extra night and day in Cedar Mesa.

So glad, because the second day’s hike is one of the best I have ever experienced.

*Catching the last rays of sun driving back to our wild camping site in Arch Canyon from Blanding © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Kane Gulch Trail

Take seriously the need to obtain permits in advance for certain hikes. We changed our plans in order to stay this second day in Cedar Mesa so did not get the necessary permit (limited to just 20 a day) to hike to Moon House – the only day hike that requires a permit instead of just a hiking day pass. We thought we might get away with it because we are here on Easter Sunday, but no such luck (the permit allocations fill up even months before). It is easier to get permits in summer months, which is when Laini and David found themselves the only ones at the site when they last visited (likely because of the heat; when we are here, in early spring, the weather is perfect).

Instead, at the Kane Gulch Visitor Center, the Ranger suggests we hike the Kane Gulch Trail which starts right across the road. We purchase our day hiking passes ($5 pp – my America the Beautiful pass doesn’t count). She suggests what to look for at what distances.

Dave gets out our hot-water maker and we have our breakfast at the picnic table outside the visitor center, then set out. Our plan is to go five miles, to the Stimper Arch, and five miles back.

*Profile of an Indian Chief?* *Hiking the Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

At about a mile in, there is a short slot canyon where we see a formation to me looks like the profile of an Indian chief.

At the two-mile mark, Dave stashes our 5-gallon water jug so we have enough for the return.

*Junction Ruin, Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

It’s four miles to the Junction Ruin which has some fabulous dwellings, pottery shards, and pictographs.Dave and Laini climb up sheer rock to get to an upper level (a defensive watchtower?) and could see remnants of a ladder that would have been used.

*Turkey Pen, Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Another .7 mile and we come to a site known as Turkey Pen. Looking up from the trail, it seems the cliff dwellings are cramped and close to the edge, but when we get up here, it is surprising how much space there actually is.

Here, we see some fabulous examples of mud and stick method of construction (jacal) and some exquisite painted pottery shards, pictographs, even the remnants of the actual turkey pen formed with sticks – so it almost seems you are coming upon a dwelling just after the residents left. You feel you are the archaeologist making the discovery – except for the printed notes left by the National Park Service- but still.

*Cliff dwellings along the Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We also come upon a square kiva (most kivas Laini and Dave have seen are circular, Laini notes).

You wonder about whether the site was designed to defend and who to defend from – people who would take food stored in the granary? One of the pictographs depicts sheep being killed, another of “lizard man.”

As we hike, we keep our eyes peeled on the cliffs above for evidence of dwellings, well off the trail and likely minimally visited. Laini says there were thousands of cliff dwellings here and only a fraction have been discovered (or are still intact, but when you consider they are 1000 years old, and the crumbling rock all around, it is amazing any remain). We spot one and Laini goes off to try to find a way to climb up to it.

We find a pleasant rock overhang to sit and have our picnic lunch, feeling like this would have been exactly what the Puebloans would have done.

We hike a further .3 miles to the Stimper Arch (which is the 5-mile mark), where we turn around.

This hike has everything – it has just the right amount of physical challenge – a section where you scramble a bit and walk a narrow edge – gorgeous greenery, stunning rock formations, water features (but not too watery to hike), but best and most spectacular of all, these cliff dwellings that look like we have just discovered them, with relatively large and stunningly painted pottery shards, stone tools, stunning pictographs (I start thinking they are either indications of how many people lived in the dwelling like a census; markers of whose dwelling it is, like a family name? or just being playful, artful?).

The trail is not specifically marked – so you have to figure your own way using the landscape and intermittently placed cairns.

*The actual turkey pen, Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Even though this is a popular trail, we come upon other people only occasionally (but it kind of reassures us we are going the right way).

The trail actually goes on for miles (days), connecting to other trails. (We meet a group of college students who are making a multi-day backpacking trip and will return on the Fish and Owl trail.)

*Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

We get back to the start at 6:30 pm (we set out around 10 am), having hiked about 11 miles. (It took us 5 hours to get 5 miles (including the time exploring the archaeological sites) and 3 ½ hours to hike back.

*Stimper Arch, Kane Gulch Trail, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

After this full day’s hike, we drive to Arches National Park. It’s a fairly long drive and already sunset by the time we arrive. This is the first time we have to set up camp in the dark and there is a strong wind that makes it difficult to keep the tent from blowing away (especially since I can’t find my tent stakes so we improvise, until they are ultimately found under the footprint.)

Dave makes a fire and we prepare dinner from our supplies.

*It is night by the time we set up camp at the Devils Campground in Arches National Park © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

If You Go….

The Moon House Ruin is one of the best archaeology sites on Cedar Mesa, consists of three separate structures with 49 rooms; well preserved pictographs grace the walls of an interior courtyard and some of the rooms (the hike is 3.2-5.6 miles roundtrip). More of the best hikes in Bears Ears at http://www.hikingwalking.com/index.php/destinations/ut/ut_se/blanding

Day hiking in Bears Ears National Monument requires a day hiking pass. Day hiking passes are unlimited.

Bears Ears National Monument does not charge an entry fee where your America the Beautiful Pass would typically apply. However, activity fees called “Individual Special Recreation Permits” are charged for day hiking and backpacking (typically $2 at the trailhead). Visit the permits page for more information (https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/permits-and-passes/lotteries-and-permit-systems/utah/cedarmesa).

Visitor Centers:

Kane Gulch BLM Ranger Station, UT-261 36 miles west of Blanding. Open: March 1-June 15, September 1-October 31, 8 am-noon daily

Monticello Visitor Center, 216 S Main St., Hours: 9 am-5 pm, closes at 3 pm on Sunday, Phone: 435-587-3401

Blanding Visitor Center, 12 North Grayson Parkway, 9 am-5 p.m., closed Sunday

https://www.blm.gov/visit/bears-ears-national-monument

See:

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 1-2: CAPITOL REEF’S COLORFUL CANYONS

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 3-4: GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE POSES CHALLENGE

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 4-5: DRIVING BURR TRAIL, EXPLORING GLEN CANYON, WILD CAMPING IN ARCH CANYON

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 6: SACRED SITES, SPIRITS OF BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT

______________________

Adventure Travel, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, Cultural travel, Ecotourism, National Parks, Outdoors Adventures, US Destinations

Utah Adventure Day 6: Sacred Sites, Spirits of Bears Ears National Monument

March 4, 2023 krubin723 2 Comments

*Exploring the Arch Canyon ruins, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa is the highlight (out of so many) of our Utah Adventure – hitting on all cylinders of stunning landscape, fascinating cultural heritage, and the opportunity to really explore, adventure and discover for ourselves on some of the most wonderful hikes (Kane Gulch!) anywhere.

*Wild camping in Arch Canyon, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Finally! I get to do wild camping that I have been so intrigued about ever since Dave and Laini spent much of a summer exploring the West in their Subaru Forester which they converted into a campervan.

Dave drives our rental Jeep down a dirt road into Arch Canyon until we find a spot we can claim for our own (it happens to be immediately adjacent to an Indian reservation, with a warning sign posted on a fence, “No trespassing.”). There are many other wild campers in this area in the spring and we get one of the last suitable spots. (But this is still so much more interesting than going further down the road to an actual campground where you need advance reservations for official campgrounds, recreation.gov, information at 435-587-1500 M-F, 8 am-noon. No reservation is required for any BLM land that does not clearly prohibit camping and the custom is to find a site that already has a stone circle for a fire pit.)

Where we set up is just a walk down a path that leads to the Arch Canyon trailhead and the Arch Canyon Ruins, where we get to explore cliff dwellings.

Indeed, Cedar Mesa is a network of canyons that are home to ancient archaeological ruins and rock art panels – the ultimate combination of spectacular scenery and fascinating cultural sites.

Streams carve into the banded yellow-gray and reddish-orange sandstone, creating fabulous formations and arches – Mother Nature’s sculpture. Cliffs are streaked with “desert varnish” – thin deposits of minerals including iron, manganese, magnetite and clay particles, combined with bacteria – which add to the painterly ambiance. And some of these have provided the overhang for dwellings.

*Hiking the trail into Arch Canyon, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

These sites in Bears Ears truly feel sacred – precisely because of the artifacts, the pictographs and petroglyphs, you feel the presence of those who lived here © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Indeed, there are a mind-boggling 100,000 known archaeological sites protected within the Bears Ears National Monument, which spans 1.35 million acres. The buttes and surroundings have long been held as sacred or significant by a number of the region’s Native American tribes.

But it has not been without controversy.

Bears Ears National Monument was established in 2016 by President Barack Obama to preserve thousands of these indigenous cultural and archaeological sites. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, an alliance of five sovereign Tribal nations with ties to Bears Ears (the Hopi, Navajo, Uintah and Ouray Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni Tribe), was the driving force behind its designation and are partners in managing the monument along with the federal Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service.

In their proposal to have Bears Ears designated as a national monument, the Coalition described these canyonlands as ancestral land and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) described the Bears Ears as “the most significant unprotected cultural landscape in the U.S.”

But in 2017, catering to mining, fossil fuel and other extraction industry interests, Donald Trump drastically reduced the size of Bears Ears (by 85 percent) and Grand Staircase-Escalante (by half) – the single largest rollback of public lands protection in history. These changes exposed archaeological and paleontological sites to vandalism, looting and opened the door to drilling and mining. Moreover, Trump’s Interior Department, under Secretary Ryan Zinke (who left in 2019 in disgrace) offered meager plans for managing what remained of the monuments, leaving important cultural sites and wildlife habitat vulnerable.

Various groups brought lawsuits and President Joe Biden (who appointed Deb Haaland Interior Secretary, the first native American to hold the cabinet position and the first to lead the department which historically oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs) restored the territory under protection in October 2021. The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and the federal government officially signed a cooperative agreement, unveiling the first monument boundary sign on June 18, 2022,

*The Bears Ears National Monument is named for a pair of buttes that rise to elevations of 8,900 feet and 9,000 feet © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

The monument is named Bears Ears for a pair of buttes that rise to elevations of 8,900 feet and 9,000 feet – more than 2,000 feet above Utah state routes 95 and 261. The monument includes the area around the Bears Ears formation and adjacent land to the southeast along the Comb Ridge formation, as well as Indian Creek Canyon to the northeast. The monument also includes the Valley of the Gods to the south, the western part of the Manti-La Sal National Forest’s Monticello unit, and the Dark Canyon Wilderness to the north and west.

It’s fairly miraculous these sites have survived Mother Nature, let alone humans.

Indeed, we are able to see artifacts and sites that date back 1000 years, but it is mind-boggling to contemplate that this area has been inhabited since 12,000 BC to 6000 BC by the PaleoIndians; the Archaic (6000-2000 BC); Early Agriculture (2000-500 BC); Basketmaker II (500 BC to 500 AD); Basketmaker III (500-750 AD); Pueblo I (750-900 AD), Pueblo II (900-1150 AD-we see evidence of their kivas, plain gray pottery, black-on-white pottery); Pueblo III (1150-1290 AD, when the Four Corners Area was abandoned).

Arch Canyon Ruins

Each day of our Utah Adventure, which so far has taken us through Capitol Reef National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, has been so different in highlights, experience and even theme. Today’s theme is cultural, as we go in search of cliff dwellings through these canyons.

We wake up in our “wild” campsite and after breakfast, stroll down Arch Canyon Road and soon come to the Arch Canyon Ruin.

Seeing these structures, how they were built high up in the rock overhangs, camouflaged in rock, you wonder whether they were designed for defense: Who or what were they defending against? The fact that the Navajo named the Ancestral Pueblo people who were there before them, Anasazi – “enemy ancestors” (as we learned at the Anasazi State Park Museum in Boulder) suggests that there were conflicts among tribes or clans. Were these groups afraid of being attacked for their food or water? Or were they built so far above the river because of flash floods?

*Arch Canyon ruins, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

A panel provides background about the Puebloan People and these cliff dwellings: Few people lived in Cedar Mesa from 700-1050 AD, but by 1050, there were many Pueblo communities throughout the mesa and its canyons. During this time, Cedar Mesa’s cultural landscapes were interconnected with those of Chaco Canyon to the southeast, Mesa Verde to the east and the kayenta region to the south. Later, smaller groups moved into Cedar Mesa’s canyons to occupy nearly inaccessible but defensible places such as cliff face alcoves and ledges. But by 1280 AD, a combination of social and environmental factors prompted the Puebloan people to migrate again from Cedar Mesa to lands to the south and east. Cedar Mesa’s descendant populations now reside among the Hopi of Arizona, the Zuni and Keres-speaking pueblos of New Mexico and the Tanoan peoples along the Rio Grande.

I note the word “defensible” and wonder about who and what they were defending against.

In one of the structures, we see an innovation: shelves! We climb under boulders and see a pictograph of four hands.

We spend about two hours in this section, and then get the Jeep to go to the next destination. (You can hike between Arch Canyon and House on Fire, via Arch Canyon Road and Mule Canyon trail, 5.7 miles, or two hours, one way.)

We stop for a picnic lunch at Mule Canyon Ruin site along the road (almost a rest stop, complete with two bathrooms).

Laini leads us to a trail to one of the outstanding highlights of the Bears Ears National Monument: the House on Fire, one of the most photographed (spectacular) sites in the region.

If You Go….

Day hiking in Bears Ears National Monument requires a day hiking pass (there is no limit on the number of day hiking passes issued).

Bears Ears National Monument does not charge an entry fee where your America the Beautiful Pass would typically apply. However, activity fees called “Individual Special Recreation Permits” are charged for day hiking and backpacking (typically $2 at the trailhead). Because your America the Beautiful Pass does not cover Individual Special Recreation Permits, it does not apply toward your backpacking permit, Moon House permit, nor day hiking pass. Visit the permits page for more information.

Visitor Centers:

Kane Gulch BLM Ranger Station, UT-261 36 miles west of Blanding. Open: March 1-June 15, September 1-October 31, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 7 days a week

Monticello Visitor Center, 216 S Main St., Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Closes early at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, Phone: 435-587-3401

Blanding Visitor Center, 12 North Grayson Parkway, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., closed Sunday

More information: https://www.blm.gov/visit/bears-ears-national-monument

Next: House on Fire, Kane Gulch Trail

See:

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 1-2: CAPITOL REEF’S COLORFUL CANYONS

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 3-4: GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE POSES CHALLENGE

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 4-5: DRIVING BURR TRAIL, EXPLORING GLEN CANYON, WILD CAMPING IN ARCH CANYON

______________________

Adventure Travel, Camping/Hiking/Outdoors, National Parks, US Destinations

Utah Adventure Day 4-5: Driving Burr Trail, Exploring Glen Canyon, Wild Camping in Arch Canyon

February 27, 2023 krubin723 1 Comment

*In search of Defiance House archaeological site, tucked away in the Forgotten Canyon © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

By Karen Rubin, with Laini Miranda and Dave E. Leiberman

Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

It’s the afternoon when we leave the Grand Staircase-Escalante after having a sensational hike through Big Horn Canyon, and drive through the Dixie National Forest on our way to Glen Canyon Recreation Area.

We stop in Boulder where the Magnolia burrito food truck that Dave and Laini love is based in the parking lot of the Anasazi State Park Museum. I wander into the museum for a quick look – the displays are really wonderful and had I had the time, I would have taken advantage of the interactive exhibits (you can grind corn using a mano and metate, identify seeds with a microscope, make rubbings of pottery designs).

I find it fascinating that “Anasazi” is actually a Navajo word meaning “ancient enemies” or “enemy ancestors” but it is not actually known what these people – Ancestral Pueblo who inhabited the area before the Navajo – called themselves. Still, the name has stuck. They were village-dwelling farmers – that is to say, not nomadic people – who lived in the Four Corners between 1 and 1300 AD, when there is some mystery about why they suddenly left en masse (some suspect it was the drought of historic proportions, only rivaled by our current 20-year drought). Behind the museum you can walk a short trail to the Coombs Site Ruins and a life-size, six-room replica of part of the pueblo as it would have existed 800-900 years ago. Beyond that are several more unexcavated areas. (Anasazi State Park Museum, Boulder, UT, 435-335-7308, www.stateparks.utah.gov)

*Long Canyon on the Burr Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

Just down the road from the museum, we turn onto the Burr Trail Scenic Backway, considered one of the most picturesque drives in Utah. Paved and graded in some sections, gravel and dirt in others, the road extends 66 miles from Boulder, passing the slickrock canyons of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, the Badlands of Capitol Reef National Park, the Waterpocket Fold, and painted rock desert of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, ending at Bullfrog Basin on Lake Powell – our destination on the fourth day of our Utah Adventure.

*Singing Canyon on the Burr Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

I find it interesting to learn that the Burr Trail was originally developed as a cattle trail by stockman John Atlantic Burr (born in 1846 aboard the SS Brooklyn sailing across the Atlantic; his family established Burrville, Utah, in 1876). Burr developed the trail so he could take his herd through the rough, nearly impassable country around the Waterpocket Fold, Burr Canyon and Muley Twist Canyon.

*Dave tries out the acoustics in* *Singing Canyon on the Burr Trail © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

We drive through Long Canyon and soon come to one of the highlights along the route, which accounts for its nickname, Singing Canyon. It looks like a setting for Jurassic Park. We walk in, feeling so small against these gigantic, high cliffs of red rock. Dave gets out his mini-guitar for the occasion and we revel in the acoustics that give the canyon its name (I can imagine proposals and weddings happening here).

*Driving along the Burr Trail, it is eerie to see how such mighty rocks crumble © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

As we drive this rustic highway, we see giant red rock boulders strewn all over, having broken off from these cliffs, so close to road. Some are precariously balanced. We wonder over what period of time they came down (last century, or last week?), and whether more are likely to come down anytime soon.

This is a landscape that seems at once fixed and yet is constantly changing. Burr Trail is like driving through destruction – you see these enormous, massive walls of rock collapsed in heaps and think how fragile it all is, how even the mighty can fall. It is as if it is all falling apart and you wonder how long before these rocks turn to mounds of sand.

*The view from the top of the famous Burr Trail Switchbacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

We next come to the famous Burr Trail Switchbacks. The view from the top to the Henry Mountains and Waterpocket Fold is stunning. The intriguingly named “Waterpocket Fold” is a geologic wonder: a nearly 100-mile long warp in the Earth’s crust. Aclassic monocline – a “step-up” in the rock layers – it formed between 50 and 70 million years ago when a major mountain building event in western North America, the Laramide Orogeny, reactivated an ancient buried fault in this region.

After taking in the view, Dave maneuvers down the series of ridiculously steep, tight turns (scary!) several hundred feet to the valley below.

*Starting the harrowing descent down the Burr Trail Switchbacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

[A note from the Bureau of Land Management: Although in dry weather the Burr Trail is easily accessible to passenger cars, wet weather may make the road impassable even for 4WD vehicles. Check with rangers or local officials for weather and road conditions. Recreational vehicles are not recommended. (https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/cities-and-towns/boulder/burr-trail)

*The harrowing descent down the Burr Trail Switchbacks © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

*The Burr Trail Scenic Backway, considered one of the most picturesque drives in Utah © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

We don’t get to do our wild camping tonight either, but rather have found what seems one of the few motels around, Tikaboo Lodge, and make do with the remaining food supplies we have.

(Note that there are very minimal amenities in the Bullfrog/Ticaboo area during the off-season. There are, however, two helpful outdoor outfitters/gas stations open until 4pm. )

Boating in Glen Canyon, Wild Camping in Arch Canyon

Our destination the next morning is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Spanning 1.25 million acres, it stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah.

Lake Powell is only 13% of the National Recreation Area, but is (or rather was) one of the largest man-made lakes in North America. At full pool (3700′ elevation) it is 186 miles long, has 1,960 miles of shoreline, some 96 major side canyons, and a capacity of 27 million acre-feet (32 million cubic meters). Its maximum depth (at Glen Canyon Dam) is 561 feet.

*Boating on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon Recreation Area in search of cliff dwellings © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

But since 2001, declining water levels (the lake had dropped over 100 feet over a two-year period at the time of our visit) due to climate change and 20 years of drought have reshaped Lake Powell’s shoreline and changed or closed boat ramp access points, on-lake facilities, and dramatically altered the landscape. (Check conditions, www.nps.gov/glca/learn/changing-lake-levels.htm)

*Boating on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon Recreation Area © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

I think that similar conditions must have been what caused the Ancestral Puebloans to leave their communities in 1300 AD after hundreds of years living here, because they also had experienced a 20-year long drought; the drought today is the worst since then.

*The gorgeous formations reveal themselves on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon Recreation Area in search of cliff dwellings © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

Laini has rented a power boat from Bullfrog Boat Rentals (435-684-3010) at the Bullfrog Marina so we can explore the canyons that were flooded when they created the controversial Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. We are in search of signs of cliff dwellings or petroglyphs that may have been exposed with the drop in water level.

We get a map from the boat rental company and try to follow the mile markers on the lake that help us orient.

Compared to our two days of adventuring in Grand Staircase-Escalante, this day is like a resort vacation, with the luxury of a boat allowing us to traverse 20+ miles in one afternoon.

The water level has dropped so much over the past two years that trees are poking out from the bottom.

Dave navigates to Forgotten Canyon where Laini has information that a trail will lead to Defiance House Archaeological Site, an 800-year old cliff dwelling (nps.gov, 800-227-7286).

Because the water level is so low, we come to the edge of the water much earlier than expected, and pull up the boat onto a beach, have a picnic lunch (avocado on bread, peanut butter/jelly) under a rock awning (like the Ancestral Puebloans might have), and then set off on foot in search of the cliff dwelling.

*Exploring Forgotten Canyon © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

This really feels like Indiana Jones, because there is no actual trail. We follow the water – slogging along the deep mud, crisscrossing to avoid deeper water. Dave comes with me as Laini and Alli bound ahead to explore in the limited time we have before we have to get back to the boat.

The site (which is only reachable by boat then foot) is usually just a quarter mile past the end of the water, but with the water level so much lower, it’s now over two miles away and we don’t have the time. Also there is so much overgrowth and prickly thickets that Laini and Alli can’t get through wearing shorts. They turn around and tell us we should make our way back to the boat.

Even with this disappointment, it has been an immensely fun adventure.

As we boat out of the canyon, we see a vulture contemplating eating a dead fish on the shore.

We are close to the time when we need to return the boat, but Dave pilots us into the Lost Eden Canyon. This turns out to be an absolutely magical (overused word but really apt) place – a superb finale to our adventure.

*Lost Eden Canyon, Lake Powell in Glen Canyon Recreation Area in search of cliff dwellings © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

There are golden dapples on the gray rock faces like gold coins shimmering in sunlight. The water is a surreal emerald green under a brilliant blue sky, the rocks are orange, tan and gray, making interesting patterns, as we wind through the narrow canyon.

You can easily imagine how ancient artists were inspired not just by the colors, but the patterns in rock faces.

When we get back to the marina, it takes 30 minutes just to refill the tank ($200!) – which we hadn’t calculated for in getting the boat back in time.

Driving from Lake Powell on our way to our next stop, Bears Ears National Monument-Cedar Mesa, we stop at Outpost Marine Trading Post – as significant today as it must have been for early pioneers. It has a fabulous selection of gear and groceries for camping as well as fantastic sandwiches at incredibly reasonable prices (considering how desperate people can be at this point in their journey) – Reuben, probably best outside of NYC, $8; thick burgers; fresh sliced turkey only $4.99/lb (Dave can’t believe it so buys 2 pounds). Everyone is absolutely delighted as we savor our car dinner when we get back on the road.

We soon see a dead calf on the road and vultures hovering.

We stop at Hite Overlook for spectacular, iconic views of the Western landscape.

The historic marker here relates how in 1883 Navajo Chief Hoskininni led Cass Hite to the Canyon below, where he found gold. He opened a small store and post office, making his fortune off the miners. After World War II, the town’s population “swelled” to more than 200. This time, miners were searching for “hot” rocks (uranium). This mining boom also went bust and Hite returned to its small town existence. But in 1964, the waters of Lake Powell swallowed up Hite, leaving behind the only true treasure: the view.

*Hite Overlook © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

We drive to Bears Ears-Cedar Mesa where we finally get to do the wild camping I have been so excited about (that means no services at all, just wilderness). The sun is descending and we are hoping to set up camp before dark.

Dave finds his way down a dirt road leading to Arch Canyon and we finally find a suitable site literally next door to a sign marking an Indian reservation (no trespassing!).

We set up in time before dark, but the full moon shines like a giant lantern, rising just as the sun sets, making flashlights unnecessary.

*Wild camping in Arch Canyon © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfaranadnear.com*

We sit around the campfire, enjoying the peace and reveling in our adventure. We will finally get to use our winter-rated sleeping bags and pads Dave had rented from Moosejaw (https://www.moosejaw.com/content/gear-rental, 877-666-7352).

Each day of our trip, we are immersed in landscape that manifests different personality, character, color, texture, ambiance, even theme, and provide the contours for our experience.

Tomorrow we will get to meet Bears Ears and the spirits of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, www.nps.gov/glca, 928-608-6200; Bullfrog Visitors Center, 435-684-7423.

See:

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 1-2: CAPITOL REEF’S COLORFUL CANYONS

UTAH ADVENTURE DAY 3-4: GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE POSES CHALLENGE

______________________

Going Places, Far & Near

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Utah Adventure Day 8: Arches National Park, a Geologic Wonderland

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Utah Adventure Day 6-7: House on Fire Among Highlights Hiking Amid Sacred Sites, Spirits of Bears Ears National Monument

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Utah Adventure Day 6: Sacred Sites, Spirits of Bears Ears National Monument

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Utah Adventure Day 4-5: Driving Burr Trail, Exploring Glen Canyon, Wild Camping in Arch Canyon

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Because travel is a life-enhancing, relationship building, world-changing experience

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Because travel is a life-enhancing, relationship building, world-changing experience