Destinations and Sightseeing

When RVers hit the road, many head to the homes of faraway relatives or visit world-famous theme parks and sightseeing attractions. Here are some fun and intriguing destinations that you may not have considered.

– Take a guided tour of John Wayne’s birthplace and see the covered bridges of Madison County in Winterset, Iowa. See www.johnwaynebirthplace.org or call (515) 462-1044. Also call (800) 298-6119 for a brochure or go to www.madisoncounty.com. The Winterset City Campground is open April 1~November 15. For reservations call (515) 462-3258.

– Visit the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, where murals are created annually from ears of corn attached to the exterior of a huge building with turrets and an onion-shaped dome. Inside the building are a museum and gift shop. Call (605) 996-6223 or visit www.cornpalace.com for a free vacation guide. Other Mitchell attractions include the Enchanted World Doll Museum and a prehistoric Indian village.

– Experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan, May 5~12, 2007. Park your RV at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds and spend the week enjoying plays, dinners, parades, outdoor presentations and street dancers in authentic Dutch costumes. Visit fields of beautiful blooming tulips and a windmill from Holland. Call (800) 822-2770 for a free brochure or go to www.tuliptime.com.

– Branson, Missouri, spells fun from Ride the Ducks sightseeing tours to live entertainment in more than 40 fabulous theaters. It also offers 10 championship golf courses, a theme park, factory outlet shopping, numerous museums and restaurants and more than a dozen campgrounds. Go to www.branson.com or call (800) 785-1550 for discounts.

– Cody, Wyoming, founded by Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, calls out to those who love the Old West. Fun begins at the Irma Restaurant in the Irma Hotel, a meeting place for cattlemen, oilmen and sheepherders. Be sure to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. The parking lot accommodates any size RV. The Ponderosa Campground, (307) 587-9203 or www.codyponderosa.com, is nearby.

– Two of the newer presidential libraries are especially worth seeing. Take in the magnificent view from the mountaintop and walk through Air Force One at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. Side-of-the-road parking for one or two RVs is possible at the two-lane entrance at the top of Presidential Drive. Call (800) 410-8354 or go to www.reaganfoundation.org.

– The spanking-new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in downtown Springfield, Illinois, contains a life-size replica of the famous log cabin, as well as state-of-the-art films and live presentations. A parking garage holds cars and a surface lot accommodates buses and RVs. See www.alplm.org or call (800) 610-2094.

– Walk among cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi Indians in the 13th century at Mesa Verde, Arizona. Learn about their lifestyle and hardships, and climb their steep stairs to the top of the mesa. See www.nps.gov/meve. Stay at a campground in Durango, Colorado; then ride the Narrow Gauge Silverton Train 45 miles up through the San Juan National Forest to the town of Silverton, Colorado, a 19th-century silver-mining town. See www.durangotrain.com.

– Marvel at the captivating blue of pristine Crater Lake, Oregon, on a cloudless day. Circling the lake is 33-mile Rim Drive. In Rim Village, Crater Lake Lodge offers first-class dining and scenic views. Hiking, fishing and boat tours are available. Call (541) 594-3000 or go tohttp://www.nps.gov/cria www.nps.gov/crla. Narrow, winding roads in the park as well as construction and traffic congestion at Rim Village make it advisable to drive a tow vehicle to the lake.

– Washington, DC, offers a cornucopia of attractions from sacred war memorials to the awesome U.S. Capitol Rotunda. Visit a Smithsonian museum or the zoo, and at night gape at the lighted Lincoln Memorial and other famous monuments. Stay at Cherry Hill RV Park, and take advantage of the city buses or a guided Gray Line tour. See www.cherryhillpark.com.

When you plan your next RV trip, open your mind to new possibilities. Then with a little research, you’re sure to find fun and memorable places to add to your itinerary.

END

Bernice Beard is the author of the At Your Own Pace series of RVing books, including 301 Ways to Make RV Travel Safer, Easier, and More Fun.