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Escape the Rat Race to These Top Northeast US Wilderness Campsites

3/31/2014

Guest post written by Darren Davis.

In today’s non-stop, helter-skelter world, it can be difficult to catch a break from the stress to quiet the mind. However, the northeast of the United States offers some great wilderness camping areas where you can escape the rat race and get a little R&R.

Following are several of the top wilderness campsites located in the northeast US.

Lake Parlin Lodge – Maine
An unforgettable wilderness vacation spot awaits you at Lake Parlin Lodge located in the center of the gorgeous western Maine Mountains. The Lodge is situated overlooking tranquil Lake Parlin and contains guest rooms along with a wonderful restaurant. For a bit more seclusion, you might also
choose to stay in one of their newly constructed cabins for rent.

Visitors staying at Lake Parlin Lodge or in its cabins can enjoy the early morning Loon calls and perhaps catch a glimpse of a moose milling about the forested area. The woodland surrounding Lake Parlin consists of hundreds of miles of scenic trails that can be enjoyed on summer hikes or winter
treks. This area also sits in the midst of some of the best snowmobiling country in New England with Interconnected Trail System 87 easily accessible from the Lodge’s direct location on ITS 89.

George Washington Management Areas – Rhode Island
Here is another wilderness camping area that is best suited for those wanting to rough it a bit more than the average Joe. The park consists of 4,000 acres of prime forests, lakes, streams and fields. Those desiring more conveniences such as bathrooms can hook up at one of the 45 campsites or 45 sites designed for RVs only. Shelters also exist throughout the park for groups of up to 20 to camp (reservations required). Park activities include miles of scenic hiking trails, fishing, biking, kayaking and canoeing. The park is open from April through October.

Woodford State Park –Vermont
This park is a favorite for hikers due to its accessibility to both the Green Mountain National Forest and George Aiken Wilderness Area. The 103 multipurpose site campground located in Woodford State Park has a hiking trail 2.7 miles in length that exits the camp and encompasses Adams Reservoir which hosts a variety of fun water sports such as boating, fishing and swimming.

Pine Acres Family Resort - Massachusetts
When you want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life with the entire family, the Pine Acres Family Resort is a top choice. This fun family-owned resort is located in Oakham in central Massachusetts and has everything desirable for a family retreat.

Not only are there plenty of campsites containing fire rings and picnic tables, but the property also hosts showers and restrooms, a miniature golf course, tennis court, volleyball area, pool, spa, dog park and more. Nearby Lake Dean also hosts some excellent boating and fishing opportunities and long,
scenic hikes can be taken on its numerous surrounding trails. Winter getaways are also enjoyable with plenty of space to snow-shoe and cross-country ski.

Darren Davis is a trucking instructor and lover of camping from Tucson, Arizona.

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Zombie ghost tour in Savannah, Georgia-Part 2

3/24/2014

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Second part in the Savannah Georgia post.

Besides for the southern charm in Savannah, there is so much going on in this city that I had no idea about when we first booked our travel to this area. First, did you know that Savannah is considered to be the most haunted city in the USA by many paranormal investigators? This city has been explored and written up as such in many paranormal publications. Well, that would certainly explain the large number of haunted and ghost tours they have. Now, you don't have to go there just to take a ghost tour but, then again, if that sounds like fun, this would be the place.

Now, on to our Ghost tour... We chose the Blue Orb Zombie Tour and our guide was Topher--a very charming and knowledgeable guide. Our tour began at 10 pm and concluded at midnight. The witching hour, I am assuming. The walk to the meeting place was a quick 2 blocks from the Ballestone Inn where we stayed, (you can read about that on our Savannah, Georgia post) and, since it is a city with open container laws, we bought a coffee and Irish cream at the six pence Irish bar next to that location as it was a bit cold out. Yes, we went the last day in February. We knew the walk was a mile long, so we packed good walking shoes and warm jackets with gloves.

If you have read my posts for a while, you know I love these kind of tours and have done many, but this one was a bit different. It was more of a history and fact based tour than just a tell-a-ghost-story-and-scare-people tour. Sometimes facts are scarier anyways and this was certainly the case. A lot of sad history about the dead being buried on the dead and the desecration of tombs and burial lots. We saw a video of an apparition that someone had said they captured on this tour as well as saw a few down right creepy photos of the places as we stood in front of them. We did not catch anything on our photos, which is just fine with me. We had a great time and learned a lot about Savannah.

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Savannah, Georgia- Part One

3/17/2014

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Savannah Georgia is a charming place with so much history. We were excited to check it out. We chose to stay at the Ballastone Inn and boy, did we make the right decision! This place is truly lovely. From the moment we entered and were met by the friendly staff through the end of our stay, we felt welcomed. We arrived at 3:30pm in the afternoon and, after a quick up-the-elevator with our bags, we were given a quick briefing of our room by a young lady at the front desk. We chose the most charming little room called the Gazebo room that had its own fireplace, a four poster bed, antique decor, and comfy sheets to match. ( I will give you the info on these sheets at the end of the post. Yes, I bought some online when I got home).

After settling in, we were invited down for a high tea. Now, I love high tea so I had been looking forward to it on our way to the Ballastone Inn and it did not disappoint. We were served in the location that what would normally be a tea room in a mansion. Right by the front door, next to the front window, where guest would have normally been greeted. I fell in love with this cute room. The curtains blended so well with the wall coverings you could barely tell the difference between the two on the wall. Charming! As for the tea and accompaniments, you chose your tea from a tea box and then gently poured the hot water from the silver water poured spout. Extra points for quaintness. The sandwich was spot on and they had tiny desserts and chocolate covered strawberries. Everything tasted delicious.

Next, they had a wine and appetizers at 6 pm and then a port tasting at 7 pm. Did I mention all of this was included in our room price? Well it was, as was a homemade breakfast in the morning. I think this bed and breakfast could have been a great stay if our theme had just been of good food from Georgia, but this time we had set our theme on the ghost tour and history of Savannah, Georgia. Just to wet your appetite, the breakfast was a dusted cinnamon French toast with warmed maple syrup, cooked-to-order eggs, and sausage. The menu changes daily based on the chef, but maybe if you are lucky you can get this same breakfast. It was a perfect start to our day! Hats off to the chef and the always smiling staff.

Next weeks post: The Zombie Tour portion. Not for the easily scared.
As promised the name of those amazing microfiber sheets that we just had to buy from is the Comphy Sheets store online. They are just as Comphy on our own bed!

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An Unexpected Adventure: Wisconsin

3/10/2014

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Guest post written by Kara B. Wilson

For a unique romantic getaway, travel to Wisconsin. Yes, Wisconsin. Lake Superior’s azure waters, the intriguing Apostle Islands, and Bayfield’s small town appeal are sure to surprise you and your significant other. Nature’s vibrant colors can be enjoyed from every angle regardless of how or when you visit this unique area.

Although Bayfield only has about 500 residents, it has a commendable collection of shops and restaurants, which are only steps away from Lake Superior. For a romantic stay, book a room at the highly recommended Old Rittenhouse Inn. It’s an 1890’s Queen Anne Victorian mansion that offers cozy rooms and a gourmet restaurant.

While walking downtown, don’t be surprised if you hear locals greeting each other from across the street. Many will recommend stopping in Big Water Coffee Roasters (freshly roasted coffee and tasty pastries), while others will say you must return during one of their seasonal festivals. October 3-5, 2014 will mark Bayfield’s 53rd annual apple festival, which was named the best festival in the state by
Wisconsin Trails Magazine.

From Bayfield you can visit the 21 Apostle Islands by ferry, cruise or sailboat. To really explore the islands and their alluring sea caves, rent kayaks to admire their vaulted chambers and passageways. The islands can even be seen in the winter with tours of the sparkling ice caves. Madeline Island offers historic tours, which educate visitors about its maritime and Ojibwe history. It also has hiking and cycling trails that wind through emerald vegetation and provide gorgeous views.

Forget the typical trip and prepare for this exceptional experience.

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Beautiful Costa Rica

3/3/2014

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The first time we went to Oahu, Hawaii, I was anxiously staring out the plane window expecting to see a quiet, lush green, and completely tropical jungle-like island. I know, I watch too much TV, but I was surprised by the sparse greenery and plethora of bland buildings I saw as we landed. Obviously, that was simply naivety on my part, but it was a bit disappointing. Yes, there are many places that are green and beautiful in Hawaii with some stunning beaches, but we had to go looking for them on tourist stops or get lucky on off-the-beaten-path exploring to find the jungle greenery that I was seeking. Let me be clear: I love Oahu, Hawaii, the weather, the beaches, and of course the shopping on Oahu is amazing. I just expected it to be more natural.
So, when we decided to go to Costa Rica, my beach-jungle dream expectations were very low. They should not have been though because dense jungles with beautiful beaches is exactly what I finally had found!

Now, to be honest, if you are landing in San Jose, then you will not see the immediate beauty, (much like flying into Oahu and I certainly would not want you feeling disappointed expecting more as I had.) San Jose has a lot of torn down and ghetto areas, so do not plan to stay there, and in both places you have to travel out to find paradise, but there is a lot more untamed beauty in Costa Rica that you can see just driving around.

  Costa Rica has some of the most friendly people, lovely food, and an array of different adventures you can't find many other places. I consider this one of my very favorite places to travel and have the fondest memories of watching kids play soccer in the open fields, watching a nationally-televised soccer game at a local bar and cheering along side the locals, and walking to the beach while watching howler monkeys swing overhead.

  Currently, many airlines fly straight into Costa Rica which is a huge bonus for price and travel time. It use to be very difficult to get there and the cost prohibited many people from visiting. Not only are flights now cheaper, but the cost of staying in Costa Rica, simply put, is a fraction of the cost you will spend in some of the other well-known beach towns. It is not extremely touristy yet, so the food and hotel mark up does not even come close to Hawaii pricing. The locals are, as I said, very friendly and you can feel right at home among them pretty quickly.

  As for things to do, well that list is endless! We started in San Jose and moved pretty quickly out of that area with a private guide. We arranged to hike to a waterfall, spent a day white water rafting, and zip lined over the jungle canopy for our adventure. To relax, we stayed on a ranch one night, hung out at the hot springs at Arenel another day, (Highly recommend this. Probably one of the most beautiful resorts with hot springs I have even been too and a place we should have spent a few more days at) and then we went to Manuel Antonio Beach.  Manuel Antonio Beach is stunning! With dense greenery, beautiful waters, and a fun airplane bar right in town, we spent some lazy time there at the end of our trip. The plane is an old drug smugglers plane that went down that they made into a bar and they serve great food and drinks there.

One of the best things about Costa Rica is that they have a multitude of wildlife all over the place. No need to go to a zoo on your vacation, we were stopped in the road by cattle, ox, and sheep but we also had to stop for occasional monkey crossings and to watch the crocodiles below the bridges. At night in our hotels, we fell asleep to monkeys howling and the local birds chirping to wake us up.

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Travel Ideas!

Escape the Rat Race to These Top Northeast US Wilderness Campsites

Zombie ghost tour in Savannah, Georgia-Part 2

Savannah, Georgia- Part One

An Unexpected Adventure: Wisconsin

Beautiful Costa Rica

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