Call of the Parks Let's Go Exploring

01/20/2025

When we are visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park we always stay at Sand Dunes Recreation. As you enter the San Luis Valley and the little town of Hooper you come across a "Pool" sign in the middle of nowhere sandwiched between the massive Colorado mountains and in the middle of the dessert. At Sand Dunes Recreation there is a large family friendly geothermal pool with spectacular views of the mountains and an adult greenhouse area with five different hot springs. The water is pumped in to the pools from 100 to 106°. The waters are full of minerals and for ages have been healing traveler's ailments. The amazing thing about this small RV park is on-site there are two restaurants including a tapas counter built from an old shipping container. For my foodie friends .... it has items like fresh Chilean Seabass, seared Ahi Tuna, and Bone Broth marinated Tenderloin. There is also a container bar with local beer and wine! The RV park is small with only 10 sites that have full hook ups and the water coming into your RV is from the Hot Springs so there is no need to worry about pipes freezing in January! There are also dry sites available and a couple modest Airbnb rentals onsite. This is the perfect place to stay after hiking in the area. Be sure to check out Zapata Falls which we visited last January and did a post on if you look back. This trip we tried another really cool place Colorado Gator Farm that is an animal rescue and fish farm in the middle of the dessert. The gators, fish, and other reptiles and amphibians LOVE their hot spring's habitats. They even have the Gator there from the movie Happy Gilmore! This is an awesome educational experience for the kids and fun for the whole family. The San Luis Valley gets better and better every year and we basically have it to ourselves in January! Be sure to check out the kids You Tube video at Colorado Gators https://youtu.be/9Yu1Ik1neuI?si=2-4XTKX9j0tUui4g

01/18/2025

We love Great Sand Dunes National Park . . . this was our third time visiting the dunes. At each visit there is always something different to do because the areas within the park are so unique and just outside the park there are also so many recreational activities in the Sangre De Cristo Wilderness. This trip we focused on really climbing to the top of the dunes. . . which is soooo exhausting but the views are spectacular! We quickly learned that next time we need to rent "sand" sleds as snow sleds just aren't fast enough! The cool thing about this park is after you are sweating and exhausted from climbing the dry dunes you can literally walk across the street and once you hit the Montville Nature area you are in a wet snow covered winter wonderful! These trails wrap through the mountains over creeks and past the most beautiful rocks and pinion pines. To see the beauty live don't forget to click on the kid's You Tube video below on the park and subscribe to keep up with our adventures ....

https://youtu.be/e8wiQbrauT0?si=pOLhb93Gz170UGHh

01/05/2025

2025 marks our 5th January trip cross country! This year we we brought Liam's best friend Jake along for part of the ride! Every year when we hit the road I'm reminded of how horrible aspects of Covid were at both work and home, but then I'm reminded that it was Covid that pushed us to make our first trek out West and pushed us to homeschool the kids. ❤️ I am eternally grateful for these experiences and this time together! Our first stop this year was the Ozarks. We camped on a lake at Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas and it was extraordinary. Of course we had to start off with an easy 5 miles 🥴 on Seven Hollows Trail that afforded amazing views and The Grotto. After the hike we checked out Mather Lodge and ate in the historic adirondack inspired dining room built by the CCC from all locally harvested materials with an amazing view of the plateau. Everyone calls the area the "Ozark mountains" but we learned they are actually a plateau. We also explored the petroglyphs at Bear Cave, hiked to the Natural Bridge double arch, and did the Cedar Falls Trail which had the largest and most powerful waterfall. These pictures do NOT do the falls justice so be sure to check out the kid's videos on their You Tube channel "Call of the Parks" . . . and subscribe to follow along with our advertures! https://www.youtube.com/
So, if you are heading West from the East Coast this crew highly recommends a stop over in the Ozarks!

06/12/2024

Hey Call of the Parkers'… We have so missed y'all… We have been busy with our "normal" life but today we are getting back to nature in the Blue Ridge!

02/09/2024

Today we visited our 26th National Park as a family! The Gateway Arch was probably the most "different" NP we have been too ... there are no open spaces, no unique landforms, no strenuous hikes.... BUT it was so worth the visit. Plus, I'm sure it is the only NP where the closest RV park is at a Casino with an amazing view of the Arch DraftKings at Casino Queen!
The arch is not only a representation of the American Dream and westward expansion, but a true testament to architecture and the men who risked their lives to build this astonishing monument. When visiting I highly recommend getting a ticket for the documentary on the arch's construction. Of course, you must go to the top and see the mighty Mississippi from 630 feet up. Today was extremely windy and we could feel every gust! The arch was constructed to be able to sway up to 18 inches and withstand 150 mph gusts. Plus, the museum onsite makes so many wonderfull connections to Lewis & Clark and "The West." After our visit we headed to The Fountain on Locust for their signature pickle soup, artisan ice-cream, and cool art deco decor!

02/04/2024

We finally made it to Great Basin National Park in Nevada! Due to its location it is one of the least visited parks in the winter so of course we LOVED having the park to ourselves. When visiting be sure to book a tour to explore Leyman Caves with a park ranger. This is one of the only NP caves where you are literally ducking through the formations. It also has some really unique formations like Cave Shields and Turnip formations. It has 504 noted shield formations compared to the 5 found in massive Mamoth Cave NP... making it the most dense and unique place in the world to see the shields. Obviously 13,000 Wheeler Peak scenic drive was closed a few miles up for snow, but this allowed us to hike up some on foot. Of course we couldn't make it to the Bristlecone Pine Grove at the peak, but it was so beautiful to hike through the different ecosystems on the mountain and look out at the basin and the constant snow on Wheeler Peak. After nearly freezing to death we headed down to the Stargazer Inn & Bristlecone General Store . . . the cutest little market with local art, organic provisions, and the best hot chocolate and selection of wines! We chatted with the barista and the owner for awhile and absolutely feel in love with Baker and its funky little artsy vibe in the middle of the most scenic landscape. While in Baker be sure to camp at Whispering Elms Campground. Steps from our campsite we cozied up to the bartop with the 5 other local patrons on a Friday night! The town of Baker only has a population of about 110 people, including the natuonal park employees, but we meet some of the most interesting and welcoming folks over our visit. We leaned all about ranching and surviving in this little town. I almost hate to share this magical little slice of America so it stays less discovered! To get to Baker we traveled Highway 50 which Life Magazine dubbed "The Loneliest Road in America" in the 1980s. I beg to differ ... personally I think it is the most beautiful road in America! We drove it for over 500 miles and the terrain changes from dessert sagebrush to alpine mountains and every corner you turn is picture worthy!

01/30/2024

There are very few "dwellings" we have encountered where you can literally get inside and "feel" where these ancient civilizations lived, worked, and formed their communities. Well, Gila Cliff Dwellings from the 1200's is a completely immersive experience. Bonus ....there are about 4 park rangers per family in January to answer lots of questions! The Mogollon people who were hunters and gathers built these structures within a series of caves and used highly advanced building techniques ... each part of their architecture was closely related to their spiritual beliefs about the land. It was humbling to see their pictographs, fire scores on the ceilings, and their use of "T" shaped doors during our hike through the dwellings. In addition to the Dwellibgs, be sure to check out the Trail of the Ancients as well as spend some time hiking along the Gila River where you'll spot lots of Quail. The river was the life force that brought people to this wilderness and it winds throughout the entire area. Of course, we had to find some Hot Springs in the area to truly experience the land! 😆 After you hike, check out Gila Hot Springs Campground . It is a little rustic campground that also has day use available. There is a honor pay system where you drop in your $8 to soak and there are 4 very beautiful and spiritual hot springs pumped in right off the river. It is run by Auggie, who Liam struck up a conversation with about local rocks and he gave him a beautiful piece of Obsidian he hand chiseled. Auggie had just used the Obsidian to clean the cougar pellet he had hanging next to his bus. After learning about the land and rocks from Auggie, of course our crew had to polar plunge and play in the icy river, but the hot springs sure felt good afterwards!

01/22/2024

This area might be one of the best kept secrets! As part of the Gila National Forest, the Catwalk Recreational Trail through Whitewater Canyon is spectacular. We stayed just out of Silver City Continental Divide RV Park and drove in an hour and a half but there are a few unlisted rv camps just at the base of the canyon. Personally we loved how Continental Divide RV Paek gave us access in every direction. The Catwalk is a series of bridges that connect a trail right through Whitewater Canyon where they mined for silver in the 1800s. After the silver was collected it was transported to the mint in Denver for processing. There are still remnants of the lead pipes all throughout the canyon and lots of cables and metal pieces that really bring the area to
life. Even in winter when the water is low some areas flood and there are a couple stream crossings. From the signage throughout the canyon be sure to always check ahead to avoid flash floods! About 25 miles above the Catwalk you can also visit the old mining "ghost" town of Mogollon. The drive up is not for the faint of heart! As you switchback through the mountains on a one lane road you pass old mine shafts and abandoned homesteads from when this area was booming with miners. I experienced this drive once and never need to do it again; although the scenery was worth the white knuckles! On your way back to Silver City, be sure to stop at Los Angeles Hot Spring Trailhead just off the road on the right about 45 minutes from the Cat Walk. It is an out and back 4.5 mile hike down through the Gila Wilderness past ranch land to natural hot springs in the Gila River. This area is remote, raw, and untouched ... it is almost as if you can still hear the clangs of the old miners!

01/20/2024

After dodging some wild weather we hit Zapata Falls just down the road from Great Sand Dunes National Park. It is located on Bureau of Land Management grounds. After about a 5 mile drive up the mountain you hit a winter wonderland mile and a half hike up snowy rocks into the forest to the falling water. The entrance to the falls is spectacular and the other folks we saw stopped there. However, be sure to wear your crampons because once you turn the bend it is spectacular. Definitely not a winter hike to take if you aren't prepared with the correct gear! Under the frozen waterfall we could see water still running that almost shimmered! If you are feeling extra adventurous you can continue your climb 5 miles up the Zapata Lake Trail to an alpine lake. Definitely a bucket list worthy hike! Be sure to time the end of your hike around sunset because the view from the parking area is incredible as the sun sets on the San Luis Valley.

01/18/2024

Our next stop is one of our all time favorite parks ... Great Sand Dunes National Park. The first time we visited was during Covid so the visitor center and museum were closed and we were only in the RV so we didn't get to fully experience the park. However, this time everything was open and honestly this is a park you really get so much more out of when you have a 4 wheel drive. We drove the 4 by 4 "Point of No Return" dirt road and spent lots of time on Mosca Pass. We also really enjoyed the Montville Nature Trail where an old town used to stand. The diversity of the hot sand dunes compared to the alpine forest shadowed by the snow capped mountains was stunning. We hiked through so many different eco-systems and learned so many fascinating tree facts. Who knew the Native Americans who first inhabited this land stripped the bark from the Ponderosa Pine and ate the inner bark! 🌳 Speaking of eating .... we had our third stay at what I consider one of the best RV parks we have experienced and it is also so inexpensive. We absolutely love Sand Dunes Recreation ... you are driving through the dessert surrounded by mountains in the middle of nowhere and you come up to a "pool" sign. Well, it is not only a geothermal pool, but also an oasis. Of course we were the only RV there but they have 10 sites where you never have to worry about your pipes freezing as the geothermal water runs to your RV! Plus, they have a few tiny home rentals and tent camping spots. In addition to the geothermal pool, there are hot springs full of fish on the grounds, an adult area with different hot spring's tubs, a steel container turned into a bar, and a counter where you can order tapas dishes like ahi tuna, beef medallions in bone broth compound butter, and fresh chilean sea bass. Insider tip ... the sites are only $40 a night to camp here and the hot spring pool is only $8 a person to soak all day if you are a camper! I don't think life gets more better than hiking the dunes by the day and soaking with a sunset mountain view in a geothermal pool by night! I see why people drive miles and miles just to spend their evening soaking in this oasis. Plus, there is an alien watchtower in the area and you can't forget about the Colorado Gator Farm! If only the temperatures didn't turn to -15 degrees with 30 mile hour gust we might have never left!

01/15/2024

Be sure to check out our new video from The Great Sand Dunes National Park on You Tube! Follow the link below to "subscribe" to our "Call of the Parks" You Tube channel! Let's go exploring....

Our next stop on our Cross Country trip … Great Sand Dunes National Park! We visited in 2021 during Covid and hiked the dunes, but this time we had our Jeep ...