About 900 miles from Denver, and not far from where my parents retired is Cooper Lake State Park located in Delta and Hopkins County in northeast Texas. A real gem of an Rving winter destination in the little known recreational area of northeastern Texas. Residing in the common reference of “the bottoms”, the man-made lake lies in the rolling hills or North Texas, and has some of the best fishing anywhere in the country.
The lake itself is approximately 19,300 acres and is surrounded by over 3,000 acres of parks and wildlife areas - in two park units around the lake, Doctors Creek Park and South Sulphur Park. The parks are open year around and offer many RVing, dry camping, equestrian camping and recreational activities. (It’s rare to find RVing destinations that are also accommodating to horse riders, with old style hitching posts at each equestrian RV site, and a multitude of equestrian trails – horse lovers RVing sites - $18 per night.) Download maps of Doctors Creek and South Sulphur using the following links.
The Doctors Creek Park, on the north side of the lake, boasts a pristine sandy beach, two playgrounds, nature trails and limited use cabins along with 42 RV sites with electric and water hook-up sites. The larger of the two surrounding parks,
South Sulphur Park, provides 14 fully furnished cabins, tent camping sites, lighted fishing piers and 87 RV sites with electrical and water hook-up sites – both sides offering a minimum of 55 foot pads for parking. With 100 person group pavilions, multiple private picnic areas, an educational amphitheatre, equestrian trails, beaches and nature walk trail, the parks offer many attractions for a day at the lake or a long term stay. Check out all the RVing adventure parks in Texas, through the Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Off season RV’ers pay $10 a night for a site (Nov-Feb), and $14 a night for the remainder of the year. There is a $3 a day day-use fee for each vehicle entering the park. A gem of a price for one of the best RVing destinations in Texas. Each site is off the beaten path, very secluded and impeccably kept. In my tour around both parks, it was impressive how clean, tidy and well manicured the rangers keep these parks. Each site provides a picnic table, BBQ and fire rings, and lantern posts, with back in and pull-throughs. In addition to the fishing possibilities, wildlife sightings are abundant. Fox, bobcat, deer and armadillos to name a few. The temperature runs an average of 90-95 in the hot and humid months of summer, but the fall and winter months offer very mild temperatures. This part of the country does have the chance for heavy rain or ice in the winter months, but snow is a rare happening. Consider Cooper Lake for an extended stay, or as a stop off on your way south for the winter.
10/12/2009
TOP TEN WONDERS OF THE WESTERN U.S.
As soon as summer is over, we start thinking about where we’d like to go in our next season of RV travel. . . . the next time we can break free and hit the RVing road again. A few weeks ago we watched a documentary on the Travel Channel entitled Travel Channels Top Ten Wonders of the West. This program, which highlighted the majesty of several nature wonders in the western U.S, and was inspiring. With each commentary –we knew we had to visit these places. And there isn’t a better way to see the country than to pack up some food, hitch up the trailer and take to the road on a new RV adventure.
Denver is in the heart of the West, and realistically, if you took them one by one, all of these parks are within one to three days drive from our home base. But when we dream, we dream big, and can imagine hitting several of these locations in one trip. Planning and early reservations requests will be necessary. For example, my initial discovery of traveling to the Grand Canyon, camping reservations must be made at least six months in advance – and there is only one RV park near the Canyon with full-hooks up. If the Grand Canyon is one of our stops next year, we’ll need to clear time on the calendars and start laying out the trip now. Reservations will need to be made before the end of the year. We’ll explore all the options – and share all the results. We’ll take you through the whole adventure with us - one step at a time – and look forward to sharing our RV travels to each destination. Join us for the Top Ten!!
Here’s the list of the Ten Wonders of the West, with mileage from Denver.
Arches National Park, Utah (349 miles
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico (584 miles)
Channel Islands National Park, California (1,079 miles)
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (1,212 miles)
Death Valley, California (869 miles)
Mount Hood, Oregon (1,209 miles)
Redwoods National Park (1,230 miles) and Yosemite National Park, California(1,585 miles)
The Grand Canyon, Arizona and Nevada (677 to 856 miles, depending upon North or South Rim)
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (593 miles)
One of the recommended first steps for any RV adventure across several states . . . get all the info you can in advance. A great source of information about traveling in any state, is the Department of Tourism. Request the States’ tourism packages and guides, and sign up on their websites to receive event information and travel updates. These publications are free and the information extremely valuable. Many States offer coupons to major attractions and detailed maps. Follow the link and order the FREE State Tourism packages for each State.
A good friend of mine lives in the great State of Utah and is an outdoor adventurer as well. If you are into RVing and ATV riding, check out Utah ATV Trails for a complete list of ATV trail reviews in Utah.
RV Adventurers, please email us at rvweekenderreview@gmail.com/"; we’d love to hear your comments/suggestions for any of the “Top Ten” you have visited.
Denver is in the heart of the West, and realistically, if you took them one by one, all of these parks are within one to three days drive from our home base. But when we dream, we dream big, and can imagine hitting several of these locations in one trip. Planning and early reservations requests will be necessary. For example, my initial discovery of traveling to the Grand Canyon, camping reservations must be made at least six months in advance – and there is only one RV park near the Canyon with full-hooks up. If the Grand Canyon is one of our stops next year, we’ll need to clear time on the calendars and start laying out the trip now. Reservations will need to be made before the end of the year. We’ll explore all the options – and share all the results. We’ll take you through the whole adventure with us - one step at a time – and look forward to sharing our RV travels to each destination. Join us for the Top Ten!!
Here’s the list of the Ten Wonders of the West, with mileage from Denver.
Arches National Park, Utah (349 miles
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico (584 miles)
Channel Islands National Park, California (1,079 miles)
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (1,212 miles)
Death Valley, California (869 miles)
Mount Hood, Oregon (1,209 miles)
Redwoods National Park (1,230 miles) and Yosemite National Park, California(1,585 miles)
The Grand Canyon, Arizona and Nevada (677 to 856 miles, depending upon North or South Rim)
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (593 miles)
One of the recommended first steps for any RV adventure across several states . . . get all the info you can in advance. A great source of information about traveling in any state, is the Department of Tourism. Request the States’ tourism packages and guides, and sign up on their websites to receive event information and travel updates. These publications are free and the information extremely valuable. Many States offer coupons to major attractions and detailed maps. Follow the link and order the FREE State Tourism packages for each State.
A good friend of mine lives in the great State of Utah and is an outdoor adventurer as well. If you are into RVing and ATV riding, check out Utah ATV Trails for a complete list of ATV trail reviews in Utah.
RV Adventurers, please email us at rvweekenderreview@gmail.com/"; we’d love to hear your comments/suggestions for any of the “Top Ten” you have visited.
9/20/2009
TIME TO WINTERIZE !!
It’s Cooling off in Colorado . . . Snow expected above 7,000 feet
Our winterizing weekend is just around the corner. Here’s the list we use at the end of each season and again after we’ve decided on a nice weekend - spontaneous winter getaway trip to our favorite local State Park. Because we park and store our RV at our home in an uncovered and unheated area, we must do a complete winterization on the rig. Your winterization list will vary depending on where you are able to store your RV.
• Give your rig a good washing. This gives you the chance to check all window seals, seams, vents and siding. Roll out the awning and give it a good cleaning and check-up too. Wait until your awning is completely dry (top and bottom) before you roll it up. Take this time to also clean the screens and windows from the inside. A good vacuuming is a must. You never know what might be lurking under the cushions or in and around the mattress. I once found a half-eaten PB&J left by one of the grandkids. A nice winter snack for passerby pests. Even the smallest of cracker crumbs can be a feast for a family of ants. I vacuum everything – top to bottom – all cupboards and storage areas.
• The sun is intense at 5,280 . . . close your window shades while in storage – it prevents sun fade on the interior. (We also keep our shades closed whenever the rig is parked during our RVing season. Another tip: Keep the shades up when bouncing down the road; this will reduce shade and cord wear, and keeps the shades from banging on and scratching at the screens and rubber seals.)
• Check out what you have in your exterior (and interior) storage areas/compartments and clean out (as necessary) items that can’t weather the weather. Any oils, fluids or cans should be removed – you don’t want anything freezing and exploding.
• Tire care: inflate them to the maximum stated cold pressure level – this will avoid flat spots next year. No matter where you store your vehicle, it’s a good idea to put planks under your tires and all wheels should be chocked. Since we’ve had such a cool summer this year, I’ve noticed we’ve been inundated more than normal with bugs, spiders and mice around the exterior of our house than during our very warm summers. Since we store our RV here at home – I’m going to try the dryer sheet trick this year. The pests don’t like the smell. Place a few dryer sheets next to your tires between the chocks, and also shove a dryer sheet into any open area, hole, crease, etc.; on the underside of your trailer . . helps keep the rig pest free.
• Defrost, clean and wipe down your fridge and freezer. Don’t forget to blow out the drain lines for the fridge to prevent the line from freezing and future refrigerator issues. Keep an open box of baking soda in both the fridge and freezer. You don’t want the fridge smelling like an old cooler next year. It works very well – just as it does for the fridge in the house.
• Be sure to cover your air conditioning unit and TV antenna with a covers designed to fit and protect. Critical!
• Pipes and Tanks: Here’s the fun part and the MOST IMPORTANT of all your winterizing chores. Drain and flush the black and grey tanks first. Then drain the fresh water system, and utilize an air compressor to blow out the lines – keeping all faucets (hot and cold) wide open during this process. Someone should watch from inside to confirm there isn’t a single drop of water left coming out of the faucets. Be sure to open up tub and shower lines too. Next, be sure to remove drain plugs from your water heater, refrigerator and ice maker (if you have one). Last year we completely missed blowing out the little plastic inlet line in the toilet. Big mistake. The small amount of water left in the inlet to the toilet froze and split, and cost us a waterless weekend on our first trip of the year (our shakedown cruise). . and then another $200 at the RV store to buy a replacement john!
• After you are sure all of the water has been flushed and blown out of the lines, it’s time to finalize the process with a good RV antifreeze product. Pour a little down your sinks and in the shower. This will protect any water left in the P-traps from freezing. We also pump antifreeze into the black, grey and fresh water tanks to keep any puddles left on the bottom of these tanks from freezing.
• The best way to protect our trailer batteries is to unhook them and store in an area that won’t freeze. Be sure your battery fluids are topped off before storing. For the propane tanks, make sure the main valve on the tanks are shut off.
• And the finishing touch . . . bring in the slide-outs and cover your unit, leaving one of the vents open just a bit for a little air flow.
A good winterizing ensures our first RVing adventure next year will go smoothly. We’re serious about our RVing and serious about protecting our investment. We want to be on the road as much as possible and good upkeep on the unit it worth every minute of time and every dollar spent. Happy RVing!!!
Our winterizing weekend is just around the corner. Here’s the list we use at the end of each season and again after we’ve decided on a nice weekend - spontaneous winter getaway trip to our favorite local State Park. Because we park and store our RV at our home in an uncovered and unheated area, we must do a complete winterization on the rig. Your winterization list will vary depending on where you are able to store your RV.
• Give your rig a good washing. This gives you the chance to check all window seals, seams, vents and siding. Roll out the awning and give it a good cleaning and check-up too. Wait until your awning is completely dry (top and bottom) before you roll it up. Take this time to also clean the screens and windows from the inside. A good vacuuming is a must. You never know what might be lurking under the cushions or in and around the mattress. I once found a half-eaten PB&J left by one of the grandkids. A nice winter snack for passerby pests. Even the smallest of cracker crumbs can be a feast for a family of ants. I vacuum everything – top to bottom – all cupboards and storage areas.
• The sun is intense at 5,280 . . . close your window shades while in storage – it prevents sun fade on the interior. (We also keep our shades closed whenever the rig is parked during our RVing season. Another tip: Keep the shades up when bouncing down the road; this will reduce shade and cord wear, and keeps the shades from banging on and scratching at the screens and rubber seals.)
• Check out what you have in your exterior (and interior) storage areas/compartments and clean out (as necessary) items that can’t weather the weather. Any oils, fluids or cans should be removed – you don’t want anything freezing and exploding.
• Tire care: inflate them to the maximum stated cold pressure level – this will avoid flat spots next year. No matter where you store your vehicle, it’s a good idea to put planks under your tires and all wheels should be chocked. Since we’ve had such a cool summer this year, I’ve noticed we’ve been inundated more than normal with bugs, spiders and mice around the exterior of our house than during our very warm summers. Since we store our RV here at home – I’m going to try the dryer sheet trick this year. The pests don’t like the smell. Place a few dryer sheets next to your tires between the chocks, and also shove a dryer sheet into any open area, hole, crease, etc.; on the underside of your trailer . . helps keep the rig pest free.
• Defrost, clean and wipe down your fridge and freezer. Don’t forget to blow out the drain lines for the fridge to prevent the line from freezing and future refrigerator issues. Keep an open box of baking soda in both the fridge and freezer. You don’t want the fridge smelling like an old cooler next year. It works very well – just as it does for the fridge in the house.
• Be sure to cover your air conditioning unit and TV antenna with a covers designed to fit and protect. Critical!
• Pipes and Tanks: Here’s the fun part and the MOST IMPORTANT of all your winterizing chores. Drain and flush the black and grey tanks first. Then drain the fresh water system, and utilize an air compressor to blow out the lines – keeping all faucets (hot and cold) wide open during this process. Someone should watch from inside to confirm there isn’t a single drop of water left coming out of the faucets. Be sure to open up tub and shower lines too. Next, be sure to remove drain plugs from your water heater, refrigerator and ice maker (if you have one). Last year we completely missed blowing out the little plastic inlet line in the toilet. Big mistake. The small amount of water left in the inlet to the toilet froze and split, and cost us a waterless weekend on our first trip of the year (our shakedown cruise). . and then another $200 at the RV store to buy a replacement john!
• After you are sure all of the water has been flushed and blown out of the lines, it’s time to finalize the process with a good RV antifreeze product. Pour a little down your sinks and in the shower. This will protect any water left in the P-traps from freezing. We also pump antifreeze into the black, grey and fresh water tanks to keep any puddles left on the bottom of these tanks from freezing.
• The best way to protect our trailer batteries is to unhook them and store in an area that won’t freeze. Be sure your battery fluids are topped off before storing. For the propane tanks, make sure the main valve on the tanks are shut off.
• And the finishing touch . . . bring in the slide-outs and cover your unit, leaving one of the vents open just a bit for a little air flow.
A good winterizing ensures our first RVing adventure next year will go smoothly. We’re serious about our RVing and serious about protecting our investment. We want to be on the road as much as possible and good upkeep on the unit it worth every minute of time and every dollar spent. Happy RVing!!!
9/15/2009
CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK - COLORADO
CHERRY CREEK STATE PARK, DENVER, COLORADO
One of our favorite “just gotta getaway” spots, Cherry Creek State Park is located just off of I-225 and Parker Road in south Metro Denver, very close to our home base. Operated by the State of Colorado and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Cherry Creek State Park is a dam and water storage facility.
We like Cherry Creek because of its proximity to the house, but also because of the beach areas and the camping loops. It a favorite place to take the grandkids for just an afternoon or for the weekend. There are approximately 150 sites at Cherry Creek, full hookups for trailers, and multiple tents and group camping spots, ranging in price from $11 to $22.50 for full hook ups. Because it is so close to the city, grocery stores and supply stops are only minutes away. Sites and camping loops are secluded, some are wooded, all are close to the water and are very quiet . . . we also find that Cherry Creek is very well kept and clean. Because of the easy access from anywhere in the Metro area, Cherry Creek is a hot spot for bicyclers, hikers, water craft and of course, fishing. Last year my son caught a 5 pound rainbow trout in the lake. Yummy!
We’ll get back to Cherry Creek at least once if not twice before the season is over. Colorado’s spectacular State Parks system, as well as our abundancy of national parks forest land, the Colorado Rockies and all our 14ers make great camping and visiting spots – year around!!!
One of our favorite “just gotta getaway” spots, Cherry Creek State Park is located just off of I-225 and Parker Road in south Metro Denver, very close to our home base. Operated by the State of Colorado and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Cherry Creek State Park is a dam and water storage facility.
We like Cherry Creek because of its proximity to the house, but also because of the beach areas and the camping loops. It a favorite place to take the grandkids for just an afternoon or for the weekend. There are approximately 150 sites at Cherry Creek, full hookups for trailers, and multiple tents and group camping spots, ranging in price from $11 to $22.50 for full hook ups. Because it is so close to the city, grocery stores and supply stops are only minutes away. Sites and camping loops are secluded, some are wooded, all are close to the water and are very quiet . . . we also find that Cherry Creek is very well kept and clean. Because of the easy access from anywhere in the Metro area, Cherry Creek is a hot spot for bicyclers, hikers, water craft and of course, fishing. Last year my son caught a 5 pound rainbow trout in the lake. Yummy!
We’ll get back to Cherry Creek at least once if not twice before the season is over. Colorado’s spectacular State Parks system, as well as our abundancy of national parks forest land, the Colorado Rockies and all our 14ers make great camping and visiting spots – year around!!!
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