Monty's Musings

A spring vacation in Kansas offers more than you may think. In fact, any time from spring through to fall is the ideal time to visit these Midwestern plains. Historical sites and lovely vistas await you as well as numerous festivals throughout the summer. You should also allow time to explore the area’s many museums.

Shunganunga Boulder and Lawrence, Kansas City Hall

For this trip, start out in Lawrence, Kansas. RV camping is plentiful. If you have kids, you may want to try Kansas City Jellystone Park, with Yogi the Bear in fine form. Adults only may prefer RV camping in Clinton State Park, with plenty of campsites with electrical hookups and up to 50 amps. Once you are settled in, you can begin to explore the sights in Lawrence before moving along our route to Topeka.

The KU Natural History Museum is nationally recognized with many exhibits showing the diversity of the Great Plains. Folks of all ages enjoy the living exhibits, with a fabulous working beehive and the snakes and fish from around the state. If you love bugs, you’ll love “Bugtown” with its interactive exhibits. If you don’t love bugs, you may like this special display anyway.

Following up the Natural History Museum you will want to go for the real thing. At Prairie Park Nature Center you can walk the trails to see the real live birds and other wildlife so abundant here. Perhaps you will spot a beaver gnawing on a tree or building his dam. You may spot a bobcat or a deer wandering in the woodlands. You have 80 acres to enjoy of forested lands, prairie and wetlands. You can also fish on Mary’s Lake.

Another great park to visit in Lawrence is Clinton State Park. Drive the park roadways to view the wildlife and feel the grace of the prairie grasses bending softly in the breeze. Spring is the ideal time to see the wildflowers blooming, too. Listen for the quiet cries of the waterfowl and the musical notes of the songbirds. A wonderful place for an escape from the big city.

Lawrence Parks & Trails offer a wide variety of recreation. For instance, at Broken Arrow Park in town you can play traditional horseshoes at the horseshoe courts. Neighborhood parks include Water Tower Park, Chaparral Park, Deerfield Park and Parnell Park. There are many others. As well, there are preserve areas which give you a real taste of pure nature, and other spots where you can relax such as Japanese Friendship Garden or Sesquicentennial Point.

Take Highway 24 towards Topeka but detour four miles north on Highway 237 to Perry State Park where hiking and biking is at its best. Ride on horseback over twenty-five miles of trails. The rolling hills make for exciting exploration of the upland forest. Then there is Lake Perry where you can cast a line and hook some channel catfish. RV camping here is also great! All the sites are first-come, first-served.

You will finally reach Topeka, Kansas after a wonderful drive. With so many attractions here, you won’t have a lack of anything to do. You may choose as your first stop the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site where southern and national history was made. Admission is free and you will get the opportunity to see how legal segregation was finally ended in public schools and the role this Supreme Court decision had in the Civil Rights Movement. This historic event was more than some parents suing to get their daughter into an all-white school. Learn all about it.

Whether kids are along for your spring RV vacation or not, you will want to visit the Gage Park Mini-Train & Carousel on Gage Blvd. in Topeka. The carousel was built in 1908 and is a beauty to behold. The mini-train will take you on a mile-long scenic ride through the park which thrills young and old alike.

Before you even think about leaving and heading home, be sure to stop at Heartland Park Topeka for some exciting motor sports racing. One of the best in the nation, this race track boasts many races throughout the year with happy crowds yelling with joy as the winners come down the track to the finish line.

This Kansas getaway will be one of the top on your RV vacation list. So many different sights and so many friendly people! The whole family will be talking about it for years to come.

Picture credits: The picture of the Shunganunga Boulder and Lawrence, Kansas City Hall is from the Wikimedia Commons. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Linville Gorge in the Pisgah National Forest.

Spring in the Appalachian Mountains has no compare. What a thrill to spend a spring vacation in this gorgeous area! The Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina offers so much for those who want to get away from it all and bask in the beauty of nature. Towering peaks, sparkling waterfalls and dense forests all provide the inspiration you have needed all year. Hiking, fishing, biking or horseback riding provide only some of the outdoor fun you’ll find here. RV camping is plentiful too. Stay at the Black Mountain Campground where you will have lovely campsites with tables and fire rings with grills. Although there are no hookups, you will have showers and restrooms with flush toilets handy.

The Appalachian Ranger District of the forest is one of the best areas to visit. This region stretches from the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Tennessee. Some of the best trails to hike or bike here are the Bear Pen Trail, with cascading waterfalls and lots of camera-ready sights, and the Staire Creek Trail, taking you through some lush forests with streams and more waterfalls.

Near the Tennessee state line in the Appalachian Ranger District you can reach Max Patch, an incredible view from 4,629 feet up. This is an ideal place to fish, hike or view all the wildlife in this area. Wildflowers will be in bloom this time of year, too. Picnic, gaze out at Mount Mitchell and the Great Smoky Mountains. Views like you won’t believe!

In the Pisgah Ranger District, the Lake Powhatan Recreation Area offers great fishing. There are thirteen man-made lakes and ponds into which you can cast a line. Hike the loop trails or take the more challenging trails for added excitement. When you take the Shut-In Trail, you will get to hike through a black bear sanctuary and get an experience like you’ve never had before. If you love fishing, catch some rainbow or brown trout in Bent Creek or the French Broad River. Lake Powhatan has plenty of great places to fish along the shore or from the fishing pier by the dam.

Make your way to the North Carolina Arboretum, a lovely area with gardens, hiking trails and exhibits of plants, including a fine bonsai collection. There are 434 acres of inspiring beauty where you can collect your thoughts and prepare yourself for even more adventures to come.

Of course, perhaps the greatest adventure is traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway. The scenic vistas will take your breath away. Originally built to connect Great Smoky Mountain National Park with Shenandoah National Park, this byway is a drive you will never forget – 469 miles of nature at its best.

Another place to stop and explore is the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Day hiking is a favorite here on the Cold Knob Connector Trail, Chestnut Cove Trail or Boyd Branch Trail. You can also fish, ride horses or just settle in for a delicious picnic at a quiet spot.

Yes, nothing like a trip to Pisgah National Forest for an inspiring spring RV vacation!

Aerial View of Branson Missouri

Taking an RV vacation to Branson, Missouri raises the bar on vacations. It is all about music and entertainment, outdoor recreation and wildlife in the Ozark Mountains. Besides all that, you can enjoy spas, shops, boutiques and galleries. The opportunities for fun are limitless. You can find plenty of RV camping so you will have a base to operate from. Oak Grove RV Park may be the ideal choice of RV campgrounds in Branson. Here you will be close to many local attractions as well as discover amenities galore, including full hookups, dump station and laundry facilities.

One of the top attractions in Branson is Talking Rocks Cavern. Touring caves in the Ozarks really has no compare. People have been exploring caves around these hills for decades. Another place to enjoy is Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure where you can walk among thousands of butterflies. See the film about the Monarch migration and experience the Living Rainforest Science Center.

There are all sorts of unique sights in the town. For instance, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! offers some amazing out-of-this-world facts that can almost overwhelm you with their strangeness. You don’t, after all, have to travel to Hollywood to see these incredible exhibits. Then there is the World’s Largest Toy Museum. It doesn’t matter if you have kids with you or not. Certainly many of these toys will bring back memories. You will discover more than a million toys, including Barbie dolls, NASCAR toys, Disney toys and so many more. View the old lunch boxes that kids scrambled for at the start of a school year.

Time to see some wildlife! You don’t have to venture out into the wilderness either! The National Tiger Sanctuary has many exotic and domestic animals. You will love the wonderful lions and tigers that have been rescued from certain death. After seeing this attraction, head over to the Promised Land Zoo: Branson. There are actually two parks, one where you can take a foot safari and another that is a drive-through adventure.

No one wants to miss their chance to see some ghosts. You have that opportunity at Branson Ghost and Legends in downtown Branson. This nighttime tour has been an on-going affair for many years. Many have a ghostly experience along the way, while down some dark alley. Learn all about Branson’s spooky past.

One of the best ways to see the area is on Branson Scenic Railway. This 40-mile trip takes you through the Ozarks like no other mode of transportation. The greatest part of the journey is crossing bridges and spotting wildlife from the train as you pass. You will also hear much of the history of the region and actually feel like you have stepped back in time to experience rail travel from long ago.

Now is the time to get outdoors for some recreation. At Dogwood Canyon Nature Park you can get out there in the wilderness and explore Native American Indian trails. Ride horseback or take a Segway around and about. However, book early as these activities get filled up quickly. You can also try a lake cruise at Main Street Lake Cruises. A sightseeing tour around the lake is something to do for a really great time. Bird watchers will see eagles, wildlife lovers will view animals on the shore, and those who just want to enjoy nature will get a full serving on one of these cruises.

Next be sure to Ride The Ducks, a unique and exciting tour of the scenic forests and waterways in the Ozarks. You get music, fun and history, and maybe a little wet too! It is a 70-minute boat ride you will never forget. If your children are with you on this RV adventure, you certainly won’t want to neglect to take them on a duck tour.

After a long day of excitement and fun, you may want to enjoy some musical shows. Branson is well known for entertainment and live music extravaganzas. For example, May is a big month in this town. Tribute Theatre is holding a tribute to the Eagles during May, which is a great way to spend an evening after adventuring outdoors all day. At God and Country Theatre in Branson, you can enjoy some great gospel, country or rock and roll and wonderfully funny comedy shows that will have you singing and laughing all the way home.

Branson, Missouri is always a popular destination in the spring. The opportunities seem never-ending for a lot of amusement and entertainment. Don’t miss your chance for an RV vacation to remember in the Ozarks.

San Francisco, CA

Begin a real RV adventure from the west coast of California and travel into the Sierra Nevada Mountains to experience some beauty and history like you wouldn’t believe. Starting out in San Francisco, you will take Interstate 80 all the way. But before embarking on your journey, be sure to enjoy the City by the Bay to the max. You can visit the zoo, wander the Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens and attend a symphony in the evening.

One of the best ways to see all San Francisco has to offer is to take the historic Barbary Coast Trail. This walking tour will bring you to all of the city’s most famous sights, including Fisherman’s Wharf, Telegraph Hill, Union Square, Chinatown and much more. You will also get to see the Coit Tower and Ghirardelli Square, where you can buy exquisite chocolates.

California’s State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA

Okay, ready or not, we begin our trip. Drive to Sacramento, our wonderful California State Capital. A tour is in order before you browse the shops, eat in a fine restaurant or view Gold Rush attractions. Don’t miss Old Town, where history prevails and friendly people wander happily taking it all in.

While in Sacramento, stop at the Sacramento Zoo, a great place to take the kids but a wonderful experience for adults too! All sorts of animals, reptiles and birds! Certainly you will have fun watching the giraffes watching you. Another treat is to see the new Sumatran tiger cub that was just born in March. You will only see this baby if you are here in June, though. But the recently born Wolf’s Guenon is on exhibit now with its mom and dad.

Now head into the foothills and make your next stop Auburn, California. This is one place you won’t want to miss on your trip over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A true Gold Rush town, Auburn offers an intriguing Saturday morning Farmer’s Market where you can stock up on some fresh fruits and veggies. Camp out at the Auburn Gold Country RV Park. The air is fresh in this foothills town and there is a lot to see. You simply must drive over the Foresthill Bridge on the east side of town. This is reportedly the tallest bridge in California. See wonderful views of the American River.

Now as you head east on Interstate 80, you will go higher and higher into the Sierra Nevada, overcome with the spectacular views as you go over Donner Pass. Then you will come to Donner Memorial State Park. Stop here and have a picnic by the lake, and bask in the sunshine while you watch the boats and water skiers. Check out the museum for some fascinating historical facts about this region.

Finally you will reach exciting Reno, with its amazing nightlife, entertainment and gambling. Festivals happen all during the year and you are bound to find one going when you arrive. Even if you don’t, there is plenty to do to keep you busy. What a great trip! San Francisco to Reno! You’ll have to do it again sometime.

Picture credits: the picture of San Francisco is from the Wikimedia Commons. The picture of California’s State Capitol Building is from the Wikimedia Commons. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. It is in the public domain. The picture of the Reno sign is from the Wikimedia Commons. It is in the public domain.