To date this site has had more than 102,600 views. It's one of six Janet Groene blogs covering travel, camping, RV, boating, and camp/boat cooking. Place your link on all six sites for one year, one low rate. Contact janetgroene@ yahoo.com
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LET'S TRAVEL
Events listed below are not in chronological order. Scroll down to see all dates, all places near and far, sooner and later, now and again.
90-Acre Ohio Bird Sanctuary Now Complete
Construction of the 90-acre Ohio Bird Sanctuary, Mansfield, Ohio, is complete with an intense schedule of displays, demonstrations, programs, special events and interactive activities such as night hikes and hands-on activities for all ages.
Unique facilities include a wheelchair accessible treehouse classroom, a 3,200 square foot songbird aviary birds and habitats, hospital and rehab areas. Give it an entire day more if possible. See the free visitors guide at DestinationMansfield.com/ (800) 642-8282.
VISIT METEOR SHOWER SEASON IN OREGON
August is Perseid meteor shower season at The Cove Palisades State Park, near Bend, Oregon. Make plans now now to be here for the program at 9 p.m. on August 10 to review early showers and learn about the meteor showers displays that will become more numerous as the season progresses. (Www.) oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com/ Call for reservations: 800-452-5687 or for park information, (541) 546-3412.
SEE A LIVING HISTORY FARM IN GEORGIA'S WIREGRASS
Georgia’s 46th Harvest Pioneer Festival comes to General Coffee State Park, Nicholls, Georgia , on November 8. Bring the whole family to see how life was once lived in the Wiregrass Country. Enjoy hands-on fun plus food, games, live music, vendors. See blacksmithing, living history actors, cane grinding, syrup making, quilting and more in an actual farm setting. (912) 384-7082. Admission is $2; parking $5. If you plan to camp in the park's 50-site campground, reserve a site now.
FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD
Do you dream of living and traveling in a complete home on wheels? Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition by Janet Groene & Gordon Groene is a total guide to the full-time life on wheels. Should you sell the house or rent it out? Downsize possessions or put them in storage? Too young to retire? There’s a chapter on ways to make a living anywhere. Kids on board? We cover home schooling and also an exit strategy if and when the time comes to settle down. Order at any book store or let Amazon gift wrap and ship it for you. https://amzn.to/29XFEkq
SUPPORT A WORLD CLASS
MARINE MAMMAL RESCUE
In Islamorada in the Florida Keys, quiet life-and-death dramas are played out every day by dedicated marine rescue specialists. The Protect Center is not only a world class pioneer in marine rescue and rehabilitation, it’s one of the Keys’ most exciting tourist attractions.
The museum and Exploratorium are new and now the Center is building a new intensive care facility. It will have an onsite veterinary laboratory and a 56,000-gallon above-ground saltwater intensive care pool for sick, injured and orphaned dolphins and small whales. If you hurry you can sign up for a hard hat tour of the new construction. Go any time and plan to spend all day to see it all, take a tour and shop the gift shop.
The Center is open daily. See connecttoprotect.org/hospital or call 305-453-4321
ARKANSAS TO GET STATE OF THE ART
MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK
Soon to be the largest lift-served mountain bike park in the world, The Trails at Mena is under construction at Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Mena, Arkansas. Phase One will be a 1,200-foot drop in elevation in a range of trails from beginners to expert jump lines. Raw, technical and steer terrain will challenge advanced riders.
The facility will be open all year and is expected to draw a who’s who of international mountain bike enthusiasts. The park has a stately 40-room lodge with restaurant and a 41-site campground with Class A ,B and C hookups. (479) -394-2863
Country Music Hall of Fame Honors Dolly
Beloved country music icon Dolly Parton is featured in a new exhibit, “Journey of a Seeker”, at the County Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. Running now until September, 2026, the lavish attraction covers Dolly’s 60-year career with hundreds of items including costumes, jewelry, movies, hit records and videos. See her custom built Gibson guitar, hand-painted boots, recordings, films, mementos, awards and much more.
One-day admission is $29.95 adults and $19.95 children. Tickets are for timed entry, so plan your visit carefully. Guided tour tickets are $52.95/$42.95 and family memberships (the best buy) are $125. For information and r tickets go to https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/
Go highbrow at one of the East’s oldest and most elegant vacation areas. August 16 - 17, 2025 are the dates for this year’s annual Saratoga Arts Celebration, hosted on the great lawn of the National Museum of Dance at Saratoga Spa State Park, New York.
Seventy-five selected artists will be on hand. Admission to the prestigious, juried show is free. For general park information call (518) 584-2535.
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See the list of this year's performers at https://www.dumplinvalley-bluegrass.com/artist-lineup-2024. Contact dumplingrass@gmail.com The campground here is open most of the year.
SAVE THE DATE FOR A PREMIER SOUTHERN ART FESTIVAL
The 50th annual Atalaya Art Festival will again be held at Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Dates are September 26-28 so reserve area accommodations ASAP. One of the South’s premier art festivals, the affair attracts more than 100 fine artisans and artists. Local musicians and food services will be on hand. For more information call the park at (843) 237-4440.
Love Sea Travel? Discover Yacht Yenta Cozy Mysteries
People are dying in Okecoochie County FL, but nobody can guess how the deaths are related. Meet Farley Halladay, a salt-cured sailboat widow who has an online charterboat booking business, dodges a wayward sister, cares for an old Navy SEAL veteran who was her late husband’s mentor and wrangles a large circle of wacky friends. She cooks, copes and solves crimes in this unusual cozy mystery series. Check your favorite e-book seller for all formats or go to Kindle, https://amzn.to/3bB5XPh
VERMONT TO HOLD BLUEGRASS WEEKEND
Save the date! August 14-17, 2025 are the dates for the Green Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Manchester, Vermont. Yes, there will be camping on the grounds. As the date nears, get updates and lists of performers at (www.)greenmountainbluegrass.com/
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Walk to downtown Palm Springs, California restaurants and smart shops from your RV site at the Happy Traveler RV Park. Hike scenic trails in the surrounding mountains. Laze by the shimmering pool. Soak in the spa. Summer is family time. Starting on November 1 the resort is adults only. Bonus points: the night manager speaks most Scandinavian languages. The calendar is packed with parties and special events. Call (760) 325-8518 or email happytrav@hotmail.com/
Where are all the new US and Canada campsites, RV resorts and glampsites? Is your fave campground closing? Reopening under new owners? Adding a swim-up bar? Where to find concerts that allow camping on site?
See fresh, weekly intel gathered from our local sources, then pounce on reservations to get pre-opening rates and earlybird ticket prices. See CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BADNEWS fresh weekly at https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com
Want a private poke when these news reports post? Contact janetgroene@yahoo.com and put NEWS YES in the topic line. Your INFO will never be sold, shared for used by me for another purpose.
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Canned and packaged foods are good travel insurance. Even a day trip can turn into a longer-than-planned, hungry and even life-threatening adventure. For a book on provisioning your camper, boat, cabin or fish camp with familiar, affordable pantry foods from the supermarket see Survival Food Handbook, published by International Marine division of McGraw-Hill. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe
MOONLIGHT MAKES MAGIC AT WATERFALL
In North Georgia, Tallulah State Park’s waterfalls and gorge are a spectacle, especially during monthly, ranger-led Full Moon hikes. You’ll start at twilight to hike to the suspension bridge, then watch the moon rise over the gorge. Dates of the full moon and start times for the hikes vary with the season. Sign-up is required at (706) 754-7981.
Go to https://createagorp.blogspot.com for easy travel snack recipes to carry in your pocket or day bag.
Where in the US and Canada to find a safe, affordable campsite? RV pad WITH FULL HOOKUPS? Glampsite? A furnished cabin in a resort? Lots of activities for kids? The newest Jellystone park or KOA?
See our exclusive weekly reports of new, future, expanding or closing campgrounds and RV parks. Go to https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com and scroll down to CAMPGROUNDS; GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS.
In June Jeopardy, #6 in the Yacht Yenta e-book mystery series, salty widow Farley Halladay finds some possible answers to her husband’s death in a fall from the mainmast of their ketch. Many questions remain, however, as she struggles to manage her online charterboat booking company, care for her husband’s elderly Navy mentor and manage her wacky, wayward sister. https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao
See sweet and savory recipes for homemade travel snacks ( such as gorp and trail mix) for your purse, pocket, backpack, carry-on. Save money when you make a big bagful, then measure and package your gorp in snack bags for freshness and portion control.
https://createagorp.blogspot.com
Do you love sailing stories, sea yarns, cozy mysteries? Travel the Caribbean islands vicariously with widow Farley Halladay in this poignant, funny series of e-books set on sea and shore. Find it on Kindle, Google Play and all other major e-book formats. Start anywhere in the salty , six-book series, January Justice through June Jeopardy. https://amzn.to/3BH4AZK
Bucket List Alert! Hike or bicycle (trail pass required) the 34-mile-long Sparta-Elroy State Trail in Wisconsin winter or summer, when temperatures inside the long, dark, hand-dug tunnels stay the same temperature ( in the 50's and 60's) all year. It’s said to be the oldest rail-trail conversion in the United States. The railroad opened here in 1873. Campgrounds are found in small communities along the way.
Do you need a one-size-fits-all gift for any person, any occasion? Cooking Aboard Your RV features more than 200 travel-tested, shortcut recipes for camping, RV travel, tiny homes and all cooks who love shortcuts. Amazon can wrap and ship it for you. https://amzn.to/3nNndWY
Get the week's CAMPING AND RV news from Janet's insider local sources at https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com This is hard news from local media before it hits the RV headlines. Get a head start on reservations for the coming year and beyond.
Would you like a quick email reminder each week when Janet Groene's two Camping & RV blog/newsletters go live? One is camping recipes and cooking tips. The other is a how-to feature plus weekly reports of late-breaking campground and RV park good/bad news US and Canada. Email janetgroene@yahoo.com and put CAMP Yes in the topic line. We never share nor sell your information.
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