Funky Texas Traveler

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May 02 2018

5 Reasons to visit Big Bend National Park

 

If you have not visited  Big Bend National Park, I’m going to give you five compelling reasons to pick a date and go.  These reasons drove my son and me over 600 miles across the state of Texas to experience an incredible adventure in this isolated wedge of the US.  You can skip ahead to that story here.Whether you are a native, transplanted or temporary Texan, the true west still waits for you at Big Bend National Park
5-reasons-to-see-Big-Bend-National-Park-1-690x400 5 Reasons to visit Big Bend National Park

#1 Big Bend National Park is large and lonely.

Whether you find Big Bend National Park hauntingly beautiful or beautifully frightening depends on how enamored you are with neighbors and nearby conveniences.  This isolated area about the size of Rhode Island is one of the largest, most remote, and least-visited national parks in the lower forty-eight United States.    [Read more…]

signature 5 Reasons to visit Big Bend National Park

Filed Under: Big Bend Area, Home Top, National Parks, Places, Texas · Tagged: cajun country

Feb 15 2018

Camping in Texas – Tent to Trailer Adventures!

POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS- READ DISCLOSURE FOR INFO.

Camping-in-Texas-2-trips-that-will-inspire-you-690x400 Camping in Texas - Tent to Trailer Adventures!One of my Jazzercise instructors loves to make fun of me because I like to camp.  Just wait until she hears that last weekend, my husband took me camping in Texas for Valentine’s.   So sad she hasn’t discovered this vital escape technique.   The more hectic your life and the world is, the more you need to go camping.  It gives you breathing room essential to revive you.  And in my experience, absolutely no other vacation every does it so thoroughly.

It doesn’t matter whether you camp in a tent or a trailer or whether it has been decades between your camping moments or you go every month.  Sleeping and eating in nature will unplug you in a way that luxury hotels or cruises can’t deliver.  Just be open to the moment,  like my friend Joyce Doyle.  Read about her recent and long-ago camp experiences, and I guarantee that you will be on the Texas Parks and Wildlife site this weekend.

Tent camping with daughter

“Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom.”  Through my barely awake stupor, I tried unsuccessfully to stifle a groan.

“Are you sure you can’t wait?” I whispered. After hearing the response I knew was coming, I began to move out of the comfort of the warm sleeping bag and reached for a flashlight. We found shoes and threw a jacket over our pajamas, trying not to wake the rest of the family. Slipping out of the tent, I noticed that the night was cool but not too unpleasant. [Read more…]

signature Camping in Texas - Tent to Trailer Adventures!

Filed Under: Camping, Central Texas, National Parks, Places, South Texas, state parks, Texas, West Texas · Tagged: Chihuahuan Desert, Choke Canyon Camping, Green Jays, West Texas Starry Skies

Aug 17 2017

Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park

rsz_how_to_choose_best_place_for_you_-_yellowstone_or_yosemite_national_park-4 Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park
By Usman Rajput (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park – how do you choose which one is right for you? That was a question from Sharon on my post about getting your money-saving National Park senior pass.  

To get the very best answer, I turned to some friends who would know.  Jackie and Dewey are teachers who spend over a month each summer camping and exploring the west. They have visited both of these parks multiple times and put together some questions to help you make the right decision.

How long is your vacation?

This questions goes a long way to deciding if you visit Yosemite or Yellowstone.  

Choose Yosemite if you have a week or less.  

This national park  is easier to access from a major city.  Yosemite is about 150 – 170 miles from San Francisco, San Jose or Sacramento.  US News & World Reports writes that “Yosemite is one of the most accessible and convenient national parks in the country.”  

Jackie says you can fly in, pick up a rent car and and pack a lot of adventure into a few days.  Even getting to the park can be exciting.  Your last hour or so of the drive from San Francisco into the park is on hairpin curves and can be thrilling or scary, with amazing views from the highway.



While Yosemite covers an area almost 1200 square miles, most of the best loved landmarks – Half Dome and El Capital – are within the 7-square mile Yosemite Valley.

Choose Yellowstone if you have at least a week or more.  

If you fly to the park, you can land at Jackson Hole  (JAC) or Bozeman (BZN) and rent a car. You’ll need your own vehicle to get around in the park.   Unlike Yosemite, there is no public transportation.

Yellowstone covers over 3,000 square miles with major attractions spread across five regions: Mammoth Country, Geyser Country, Lake Country, Canyon Country and Roosevelt Country.   There is no central attraction area as with Yosemite.   Driving distances between the major landmarks are far so plan to see less each day  than in the relatively more condensed set up of Yosemite.yellowstone-2494789_640 Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park

How do you feel about crowds?

Yosemite is definitely more crowded

Because of its accessibility and the concentrated location of its favorite landmarks, expect to see more people at Yosemite.  That said, Jackie praised the extensive free shuttle service that gets you around the park and out of your car.  Parking is difficult at Yosemite so she highly encourages taking public transportation.  Also if you leave the driving to someone else, you’ll get to sight-see more! 

To deal with the crowds, US News & World reports makes this suggestion. “Visit the valley, but camp far away from the traffic to immerse yourself in the great outdoors.”  My camping-loving friends agree.  The other reason to stay in the park is that many of the good ranger activities happen in the evening.  If you’re not a camper, book your rooms in the park as soon as possible – up to 366 days in advance.  

Crowds are not a problem at Yellowstone.  

 

Yellowstone-National-Park-May-Entrances Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park
By Ryan Holliday (Wrh2) (Own work) [ODbL , GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons
This national park is remote and spread out, so while the park gets over 3 million visitors a year, you won’t see many of them.  Yellowstone has five entry points open in the summer but only one open in the winter.  That characteristic also thins out the crowds you are likely to encounter.  Just make sure your nearest park entry is open at the time you visit.

You can rough it , which isn’t so rough with many campgrounds equipped with showers, flushing toilets and even laundry facilities.  Like in Yosemite, lodging in and around Yellowstone books up far in advance, though Jackie caught a last minute room in Gardiner that provided a great base for this year’s Yellowstone vacation.



  

Fitness level of your group

Yosemite is the best choice for vacationers with kids, seniors or with people who aren’t regular exercisers.  

This park ranked #1 for best hikes by US News & Word Reports.  While you can make it an endurance sport, Jackie says that Yosemite had amazing trails with amazing views that all members of your group can enjoy without backpacking.  Many hikes are easy to do from a car.

Yellowstone wins the toss for true adventure hiking and trailblazing.  

Remote, isolated, and  equally breathtaking and varied, Yellowstone will feed the “Jeremiah Johnson” in you.  Just make sure you don’t feed yourself to the permanent residents of Yellowstone.

And for a good read, when you get home from either park, Jackie recommends a great book called  Yellowstone Has Teethir?t=funkytexastra-20&l=am2&o=1&a=1606390635 Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park.  Enjoy!

Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park – Learn More

While it is great to talk to someone with firsthand knowledge, these two sites were incredibly helpful for familiarizing you with all aspects of each park:  MyYellowstonepark.com and MyYosemitepark.com.   Also check out US News & World Reports Travel Guides.   

Happy adventuring and let me know about your trips!

 

signature Yosemite or Yellowstone National Park

Filed Under: California, California, Featured Post, Montana, National Parks, Not Texas, Utah, Utah, Wyoming · Tagged: Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Parks

Aug 09 2017

Lifetime of fun at National Parks

rsz_1national_parks_90 Lifetime of fun at National Parks

Attention, seasoned (62 and over) campers! Do not let this deal get away. Until August 28, the lifetime National Park senior pass will cost $10. After that, this lifetime pass increases to $80!

If you are not 62 yet but travel with a favorite grandparent or other qualifying family member, drive them to the nearest national forest, park or wildlife reserve to grab their pass. You benefit too because their companions can also enter for the parks for free when the per vehicle fee is waved.

If it is a park that charges per person, this National Park senior pass will get the pass owner and three adults get in free.  Since kids under 16 are always free, this is an incredible amount of fun for not much money.

Free lifetime entry with National Park senior pass

Even at $80, the lifetime National Park senior  pass is sweet. We’re talking free day entrance and sometimes even discounted camping fee to great national park areas all across the USA.  Grand Canyon – free! Denali National Park in Alaska – free! Alcatraz, Sequoia National Park, Everglades National Park, Mount Rushmore, Zion National Park and more – all entrance fee free! [Read more…]

signature Lifetime of fun at National Parks

Filed Under: Attitude, Featured Post, National Parks, Outlook, Popular Post, Recommendations · Tagged: LBJ Ranch, National Park Senior Pass, National Parks

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Just visiting someplace is boring – I dig around and roll in it. The people, the peculiarities and the hidden history that gives any destination its own unique story. Come excavate with me and let me know places I should go!

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