Travel
United States Forest Service
This federal agency maintains some of the greatest places in the country.
If you have watched episodes of the “Lassie” television series from the 1960s, you are probably very familiar with the United States Forest Service (USFS). In partnership with the USFS, in 1964 the show’s plots began to emphasize conservation and were even filmed on national rangeland. Today the agency administers 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, adding up to 193 million acres of public land. USFS is the largest forestry research organization in the world and aids state and private forestry agencies.
RV owners will be especially interested to note that the agency also oversees 4,300 campgrounds, many of them with RV sites. We selected a handful of parks to mention here. Each one listed has more detailed information available through the “Find a Forest” feature on the USFS website (www.fs.usda.gov). Once you reach your selected park’s website, click on “Recreation,” then “Camping and Cabins,” and finally “RV Camping.” Note that RV owners should always check on RV size limitations in Forest Service campgrounds. RVs have become much larger since most of these facilities were built.
White River National Forest
Located in northwest Colorado, this national forest is the most visited in the United States and contains over 2 million acres of land. Considered to be one of the most scenic places in Colorado, White River National Forest has 2,500 miles of trails, 1,900 miles of forest service roads, 12 ski resorts, and white-water activity areas.
Coronado National Forest
Coronado National Forest
Located in Arizona, 1.7 million acres of land within Coronado National Forest are filled with deserts, pine trees, and canyons. It features an incredibly diverse landscape. In this national forest, visitors will find equestrian facilities, a ski area, mountain bike trails, and lakes for fishing and boating.
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests And Thunder Basin National Grassland
Boasting over 2.9 million acres, this forest and grassland extend from Colorado to Wyoming. There are many recreational opportunities to consider, among them hiking, hunting, and fishing.
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests And Thunder Basin National Grassland
If you are interested in searching for locations based on specific information, such as accessibility, campsites, hiking, biking, and more, be sure to check out the USFS interactive map: www.fs.fed.us/ivm/index.html.
Food
National Barbecue Month
Break out your favorite recipes and join the celebration.
May is National Barbecue Month.
When someone says “barbecue,” what initially comes to mind? The sauce? Summertime? Brisket? Barbecue is more than just a way of cooking; it is a subculture with huge regional variety.
A cultural staple since the Colonial era, barbecue has been in the United States for generations. In 1963, the Barbecue Council founded National Barbecue Month to encourage outdoor cooking. In the United States, four main styles exist: Texas, Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas City.
Texas has four main barbecuing styles — east (slow cooked), central (dry rub), west (direct heat), and south (barbacoa) — and all of them are unique. The Carolinas are known for their slow-roasted pork, typically served pulled, shredded, chopped, or sliced and accompanied by either vinegar- or ketchup-based sauces, depending on the region. Memphis favors hardwood charcoal cooking, and ribs are either served dry or are brushed with sauce before and after cooking. Kansas City is famous for creating burnt ends and typically has a tomato-and-molasses-based sauce served on the table. Canadian barbecue is heavily influenced by the United States, Britain, central Europe, and the Mediterranean regions.
The United States and Canada are home to many famous barbecue restaurants, some you might have heard of from TV or the news. Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Missouri, located in a former gas station, cooks “low and slow.” Central BBQ in Memphis, Tennessee, was featured on “Pitmaster,” “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and “BBQ with Bobby Flay.” Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, North Carolina, was opened by Pete Jones at the age of 17 and has an “American Classics” award from the James Beard Foundation. Toronto’s Smoque N’ Bones is a Southern-style restaurant with slow-cooked meats and traditional sides.
Another large part of barbecue culture are the events that take place throughout the year. Memphis in May’s World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (May 11 to 14) has barbecue lovers competing for over $140,000 in prize money. In Chicago, the Windy City Smokeout (August 4 to 7) features a BBQ brunch, live bands, and two happy hours. Kansas City’s American Royal Series of Barbecue (September 28 through October 2) is billed as the world’s largest barbecue competition and has a backyard BBQ and steak cook-off, rub and sauce contests, and other fun events.
Campground Spotlight
Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park, Newfoundland
The Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park in Newfoundland offers large campsites, including some dotted by trees and close to the river.
Moose, sharks, and hummingbirds — oh my! Believe it or not, one could encounter all three of these animals at the same campsite. Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park is located in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is roughly 24 miles (40 kilometers) from the Port aux Basques ferry terminal and close to the Trans-Canada Highway. The park overlooks the Grand Codroy River and is hugged by mountains, making for incredible scenery.
This little gem has been welcoming campers for over 50 years. The area was originally owned by the Downey family and was donated to the Newfoundland government in 1966 to be developed and maintained as a provincial park. Much later, in 1997, the Downey family was given the opportunity to enter the process as the provincial park was being privatized. Nowadays, the park is owned and operated by the Downey and Keeping families.
The campground offers 70 RV sites: 38 with full hookups and 32 with water and electric only. Amenities include a dump station, a laundromat, and comfort stations with free hot showers and toilets. The facility also offers a gathering shelter; the Country Craft shop, with products made locally; and a walking trail. Complimentary firewood and Wi-Fi (in some parts of the park) are provided, along with a plethora of information about Newfoundland and Labrador — all with a welcoming atmosphere.
This bird’s-eye view of Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park gives a glimpse of the campground’s layout and the beauty that surrounds it.
Make sure to have your binoculars ready — this area is a hot spot for birders. Recommended by the Keepings, Birding by Season Tours with Janice Flynn are available nearby as a half-day or single-day outing, or a series of up to five days. You can find sandpipers, great blue herons, Blackburnian warblers, boreal chickadees, common terns, owls, ruby-throated hummingbirds, flocks of gulls, and much more.
If fishing is more to your liking, the Keepings recommend Chris’ fish and scenic boat tours. When in season, Chris leads cod-jigging tours where you can catch a fresh, tasty meal right out of the ocean.
Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park boasts proximity to many places worth visiting, making it a great hub for road trips. Heading east, you can drive to the Rose Blanche lighthouse, a historical landmark made from granite. Going north on the Trans-Canada Highway, you will find Table Mountain; this ridge is considered great for novice hikers. West of the town of Stephenville is the Port au Port Peninsula, where you can find the Gravels, a narrow isthmus that is also the starting point of a walking trail.
Relax, watch the sunset by a warm campfire, enjoy the beautiful night sky, and try to spot constellations. And on rare occasions, you can even see the northern lights — an amazing sight to behold.
Details
Grand Codroy RV/Tent Camping Park, C8541 *
5 Doyles Station Road
Doyles, NL A0N 1J0
Canada
www.grandcodroy.com
(877) 955-2520
* FMCA Commercial Member