Posts from the ‘State Parks’ Category

Apr 13

Slack Season

Once again we find ourselves in Park City, Utah during slack season – that elusive window between the end of ski season and Memorial Day weekend.

In many ways the town is turning over – winding down most, but not all ski runs, while simultaneously beginning to look ahead towards spring.

It’s an odd time to visit a resort town I suppose. It’s kind of like when you visit a restaurant late in the morning, after it has run out of most breakfast menu items, but isn’t yet fully ready for the lunch crowds.

Similarly, the cadence here feels a bit out of rhythm. A decent number of business are temporarily closed, the mountain still holds lots of snow but no one is skiing, and tourist crowds are less than expected. The whole place has a feeling of being in between last week and next week while overlooking the present.

Nevertheless, we still seem to enjoy visiting this area during slack and in particular the largely vacant Jordanelle State Park campground.

Feb 2

Sedona’s Overlooked Neighbor

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Deservingly so, mountain bikers regularly flock to Sedona, Arizona. Well known as a mountain biking playground, there is no denying the allure of the famous red dirt and stunning mesas. Include me among the many that will always jump at the chance to ride the area.

But, those in the know are well aware of the awesome, but less known trails overlooking the nearby town of Cottonwood. Offering a slightly different riding experience, Cottonwood doesn’t bring the vast scale of trail networks one will find in neighboring Sedona, but don’t let that fool you. I’ve been riding here the past few days and have been pleasantly surprised with the variety of riding conditions, lack of crowds, and immediate access from the Dead Horse Ranch State Park campsites.

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Jan 15

Escaping Las Vegas

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In a move that can only be described as being highly uncharacteristic, last week Kelly and I made a snap decision to leave the soothing vast emptiness of Death Valley National Park and visit its evil twin – Las Vegas – for a few days.

We made the decision knowing that during the stay I would have a chance to meet-up with former colleagues attending a conference while also making time to visit family. Coupled with a few other to-do’s while in the area, these “up-sides” became justifications Kel and I anchored to as we ventured into the city known for showcasing much of the urban trappings we otherwise loath.

And yes … we did spend an evening on the strip dining and walking – not gambling – through casinos.

Valley of Fire State Park is located about an hour from the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip, but scenically the park may as well sit atop another planet. This being our second visit to VOF we knew what to expect. The park is not particiually large and ambitious hikers can easily traverse most of the trails in two or three days.

As an escape from the Vegas circus this place is just about perfect … even more so if you camp in the (cheaper) non-hook-up sites.

Sep 30

Campground Showers: Big Sioux Recreation Center

As a full-time RVer I’ve seen my share of state park campground showers.
Sadly, most are old, dirty, and in desperate need of repair.

South Dakota’s #bigsiouxrecreationarea is a nice exception to the trend. While it won’t displace Utah’s Kodachrome State Park from its solid hold atop my #bestcampgroundshower ranking, it’s nice to see Big Sioux campground bring its A-game.