FALL 2025 COAST MAGAZINE
HISTORIC CHARLESTON PHOENIX: ESCAPE THE CITY NATURALLY
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
FAVORITE AMERICAN FALL FESTIVALS
TOY HAULERS HAVE MATURED
RESORT UPDATES
WOODHAVEN LAKES Sublette, Illinois
INDIAN COVE RESORT Virginia Beach, Virginia
HAM LAKE RESORT Ham Lake, Minnesota
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2025 | 1
CONTENTS
TRAVEL 10 HISTORIC CHARLESTON Story by Richard Varr
Chairman of Camping World Holdings Marcus Lemonis Chief Operating Officer Matthew Wagner Executive Vice President Good Sam
Enterprises Will Colling Editorial Director Dee Whited Graphic Designer Meg Quille Business Manager Christina Din Marketing Director Kristin Moser Coast Coordinator Farrah Jobling
Coast Member Services 64 Inverness Drive East Englewood, Colorado 80112 800-368-5721 info@coastresorts.com Coast to Coast Website CoastResorts.com Coast Facebook Page Facebook.com/CoastResorts
Volume 44, Number 4. Coast to Coast (ISSN 1093-3581) is published quarterly for $14 per year as part of annual membership fees, by Coast to Coast Resorts, 64 Inverness Drive E., Englewood, Colorado 80112. Coast to Coast Resorts assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manu scripts or artwork. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any method without prior written consent of the publisher. ©2025 Camp Coast to Coast, LLC. Coast wing logo is a registered trademark of Camp Coast to Coast, LLC. The GOOD SAM ICON, and Dream. Plan. Go. are registered trademarks of Good Sam Enterprises, LLC and used with permission. Unauthorized use of Coast’s or Good Sam’s trademarks is expressly prohibited. All rights reserved. PRINTED IN THE USA. Cover Photo: Pineapple Fountain at Waterfront Park, credit Richard Varr CTC66101 - 0925
15 ESCAPE THE CITY NATURALLY Story by Dixie Dee Whited 22 GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK Story by Emily Fagan 27 FAVORITE AMERICAN FALL FESTIVALS Story by Dave G. Houser
DEPARTMENTS
RESORT PROFILES
33 RV REVIEW
04 RESORT UPDATES 06 WOODHAVEN LAKES Sublette, Illinois 07 INDIAN COVE RESORT Virginia Beach, Virginia 08 HAM LAKE RESORT Ham Lake, Minnesota
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New Ways to Travel, Coast to Coast Your membership connects you to exclusive travel deals and benefits, making it easier to visit your favorite spots and explore new destinations more often, and for less. As a member, you can enjoy up to 60% off* 600,000+ hotels worldwide , plus find great savings on car rentals, and cruises. Hotels Travel near or far with hotel discounts up to 60% off *
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RESORT UPDATES The 2025 Coast to Coast Resort Directory is your ultimate guide to exploring the Coast to Coast Resorts and Good Neighbor Parks network. To ensure you stay informed, each issue of Coast Magazine features the latest updates and changes from the previous edition.
RESORT TYPE CHANGES
NEW GOOD NEIGHBOR PARKS
NORTH CAROLINA Camp Hatteras, Rodanthe (page 143), now a Good Neighbor Park (formerly Classic) WYOMING Wind River View Campground, Boulder (page 169), now a Deluxe resort (formerly Classic) BRITISH COLUMBIA Holiday Park Resort, Kelowna (page 172), now a Good Neighbor Park (formerly Classic)
ARKANSAS Blue Springs RV Park 20230 Blue Springs Rd, Springdale, AR 72764 479.487.2997
info@bluespringsrvpark.com www.bluespingsrvpark.com
RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Tax 9.75%. Season: Year-round
RESORT UPDATES
Denton Ferry RV Park & Cabin Rental 740 Denton Ferry Rd Cotter, AR 72626 870.425.3333
Wolf River RV Resort, Pass-Christian (page 136), new name and new resort ID 2695 (formerly TLC Wolf River Resort and ID 509).
dentonferryrv@gmail.com www.dentonferryrv.com
CLASSIC RESORT TERMINATION
RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Tax 11.5%. Season: Year-round
Spring Lake RV Resort, Halstead, KS (page 126)
DELUXE RESORT TERMINATION
Albuquerque Tijeras Mountain RV Resort, Tijeras, NM (page 138) Harmony Lakeside RV Park & Deluxe Cabins, Silver Creek, WA (page 168)
North Fork Resort, Front Royal, VA (page 159)
Pine Island RV Resort, Jay, OK (page 148)
PREMIER RESORT TERMINATION
Grand Haven Resort – Outdoor Adventures, Grand Haven, MI (page 129) Lake of the North Resort – Outdoor Adventures, West Branch, MI (page 132)
Blue Springs RV Park - Springdale, AR
RESORT PROFILES
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GEORGIA Red Gate Farms - RV Resort 136 Red Gate Farms Trail Savannah, GA 31405 912.272.8028 registration@hawkinspointe.com www.redgatecampground.com
NEW GOOD NEIGHBOR PARKS
ARKANSAS Red River RV Park
416 CW Road, Judsonia, AR 501.729.0937
info@rrrvpark.com www.rrrvpark.com RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site. Additional charge: tax 9 %. Season: Year-round Riverfront RV Resort 1707 Riverfront Drive Fort Smith, AR 72901 479.300.8100 manager@fortsmithriverfrontrvresort.com www.fortsmithriverfrontrvresort.com RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site. Additional charge: Tax 14%. Season: Year-round
RV Notations: Coast discount 10% not available in March and April. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Add’l vehicle $5, Tax 7%. Season: Year-round
INDIANA Caboose Lake Campground 3657 West US Hwy 24 Remington, IN 47977 219.261.3828 camp@cabooselake.com www.cabooselake.com
RV Notations: Coast discount 10% not available during holiday weekends. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Add’l adult $8, Tax 7%. Season: Year-round
FLORIDA Splash! RV Resort 8500 Welcome Church Rd Milton, FL 32583 850.600.8500 info@splashrvresort.com www.splashrvresort.com
KENTUCKY Cave Country RV Campground 216 Gaunce Dr Cave City, KY 42127 270.773.4678
office@cavecountryrv.com www.cavecountryrv.com RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site. Additional charges: Tax 6%. Season: Year-round
RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Tax 6.5%. Season: Year-round
SOUTH CAROLINA Hill’s Landing & RV Park 728 Hills Landing Rd Cross, SC 29436 843.753.2731 office@cavecountryrv.com www.hillslanding.com
RV Notations: Coast discount 10%. Rate includes 2 adults per site, full hook-ups. Additional charges: Third pet $2/ day, tax 11%. Season: Year-round
Splash! RV Resort - Milton, FL
RESORT UPDATES
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RESORT TYPE: Classic LOCATION: Sublette, Illinois SEASON: Year-round WEBSITE: woodhavenassociation.com
Woodhaven Lakes Woodland resort with year-round activities
A glance at the resort’s Calendar of Events assures you that there’s plenty to do on more than 1,700 acres of woodlands, lakes, and prairies at Woodhaven Lakes in Sublette, Illinois. Lakes, plural, include Woodhaven Lake, Bass Lake, Sunset Lake, Black Oak Lake, Pine Lake, Hidden Lake, and Blue Gill Lake. With all those lakes, know that rowboats, canoes, paddleboats, and sailboats are the best modes of transportation. Paddleboat, canoe, kayak, and rowboat rentals are available at the Family Center. The Woodhaven Lakes Aquatics Department operates with a registration process for all three of the swimming facilities: Pool One, Pool Two, and the Beach. These all provide a great way for families to relax and cool off during the hot summer months. Want to make your own fun? You can start your own game on any of the sports courts. Don’t have equipment? You can rent sports equipment from the Rec Plex or Family Center. If you’re more interested in indoor fun, visit The Q! Here you can play in the arcade or grab some ice cream. And the fun is for all ages. Day Camp provides supervised fun during the summer on the Rec Plex with after
swimming at Pool 1. There are craft projects, special guest appearances, sports, and games. Go golfing onsite at the Forged Rock Adventure Mini Golf course, which has 18 holes of competitive fun. You can also play 18-hole disc golf on the new course. Offsite, just a few miles from Woodhaven’s gate, is Shady Oaks Country Club, which is open to the public and even offers discounts to Woodhaven’s property owners. Woodhaven also helps you get creative at the Creation Station. There are tons of supplies and crafts from which to choose. All are listed on the Arts & Crafts section of the calendar of events. Take a hike. The trails are an excellent way to take in the natural sights and sounds of Woodhaven. There are 15 miles of trails that traverse through stands of pines, along lakes and creeks, and through wetlands and prairies. Trails can be used for biking, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. Many of the trails are constructed of gravel composite while others are mowed natural trails.
RESORT PROFILES
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deluxe
RESORT TYPE: Deluxe LOCATION: Virginia Beach, Virginia SEASON: Year-round WEBSITE: indian-cove.com
Indian Cove Resort Hundreds of sites within 3 miles of the ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is a huge reason to visit Indian Cove Resort in Virginia Beach, Virginia. But there’s a lot more than the ocean that awaits visitors when staying at the large resort where the hundreds of RV sites all include full hookups. For recreation, the resort has three swimming pools, horseshoe pits, two playgrounds, and a boat ramp. Among its other amenities are four restroom facilities with showers, five picnic pavilions, a clubhouse, as well as a recreation room with TVs, a pool table, etc. The camp store sells groceries, beer, fishing bait, and much more. The activities department makes sure to include planned events for every taste. This includes live music and food trucks. The channel that abuts the resort is also a huge source of recreation for visitors to Indian Cove Resort. In addition to fishing, there’s kayaking, paddleboats, and canoes and these can be “borrowed” from the resort free of charge. Indian Cove Resort has the best of both worlds— two minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and bordering a freshwater channel that leads to the wildlife refuge at Back Bay. The bay is famous for its largemouth bass, speckled
perch, and channel catfish. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 to provide habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Its unique geographic location along the Atlantic Coast provides overlapping ranges for both northern and southern species of birds. To help guests access the bay, Indian Cove Resort offers boat rentals and a boat ramp. Spanning 5 miles of sand dunes, sea oats, and sparking shoreline, nearby Sandbridge offers all the seclusion of a beach hideaway just 15 miles south of Virginia Beach’s bustling resort area. Sandbridge welcomes you to relax, unwind, and explore its peaceful seaside community at your own pace. If you choose to travel without your RV, you have your choice of four rentals. These include rentals with one queen bed and bunk beds, with a bench seat that converts to a bed. There’s onsite parking for golf carts that include a ramp. More parking for utility trailers, plus boat parking and temporary camper storage.
RESORT PROFILES
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deluxe
RESORT TYPE: Deluxe LOCATION: Ham Lake, Minnesota SEASON: May 1 to October 18 WEBSITE:travelresorts.com
Ham Lake Resort There’s more than a lake, also ponds
The lake and ponds in and around Ham Lake Resort in Ham Lake, Minnesota, means there’s lots of water fun to be had. A boat dock and a fishing pier provide access to Ham Lake, which is 154 acres in area. According to the Department of Natural Resources, largemouth bass bring most anglers to Ham Lake. Bluegills are abundant, but plan on them being small to average sized. Dive into the swimming lake, try fishing, or relax on the beach. It’s also a great lake to take a peaceful boat ride. All ages have an opportunity for recreation under the auspices of an organized activities department. Your kids or grandkids will enjoy the playground. All members of the family will love watching the penned animals: goats, alpacas, horses, mules, and peacocks. The Ham Lake Resort has also made careful arrangements for your four- legged pet at the dedicated dog play area. Other activities include many outdoor games including Frisbee golf. Go on a hike is a good thing and there are many options. Amenities at the resort include modern shower houses and laundry facilities. If you’ve traveled without your rig, rent one of the four cabins.
Offsite, there are so many things to do and see near Ham Lake Resort. Go horseback riding, visit the beautiful state parks, take the kids to Bunker Beach water park, or spend the day sipping wine at Willow Tree Winery. Enjoy nearby attractions such as Majestic Oaks Golf. Go shopping at the Mall of America, try not to get lost. If you need more animals, check out Como Zoo and Conservatory. In addition to animals there are tons of rides, places to eat, water wars and more. Stroll through the Minnesota Sculpture Garden. Ham Lake Resort is just a 30-minute drive from Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. It’s also within an hour’s drive from downtown Minneapolis, St. Paul, Anoka, and Blaine. Nearby attractions such as the National Sports Center and the Anoka County Historical Society provide easy access to local amenities and cultural sites that are convenient for exploring the area’s attractions during your stay.
RESORT PROFILES
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RESORT UPDATES HISTORIC CHARLESTON A Legacy of Architecture and Southern Charm
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2025 | 10 St. Michael’s Church
Historic Charleston A Legacy of Architecture and Southern Charm Story and photos by Richard Varr
“He was here to party,” quips Ford, who’s leading us on a local Bulldog History Tour. “They also drank 40 toasts in his honor.” Below the building, the thick brick walls of the dark Provost Dungeon originally stored traders’ merchandise including rice, tea, and even gunpowder. Tours today highlight how the British turned it into a prison during the American Revolution. Another stop takes us to the High Battery along East Battery Street with sweeping views of Charleston Harbor. From its seawall and promenade, we look out to Fort Sumter and the outer islands. “There’s an old saying that Charleston lies on the point of land where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean—at least, that’s Charleston’s viewpoint,” Ford jokes. “Back in the 18th- and 19th- century, you would have seen the tall ships with their masts that anchored here.” The shoreline skirts a cluster of antebellum homes painted in cool colors, many once owned by planter families growing rice—Carolina Gold as it’s called— with their wealth built from slave labor. Walking north,
It only takes a short walk-through leafy parks and quaint neighborhoods to capture the essence of historic Charleston. A skyline with the multi-tiered steeples of St. Michael’s and St. Philip’s churches tower over clusters of colonial and antebellum homes with their muted pastel-hued facades. Palm trees sway in soft breezes juxtaposed by the branches of sturdy live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. Historic markers detail the dramatic moments endured by this 355-year-old port city. As I walk through some of the remaining cobbled streets, I can only imagine what happened here— pirate raids led by the infamous Blackbeard and shackled enslaved Africans stepping onto the shores of a new continent for the first time; British soldiers storming the city during the American Revolution; and Confederate gunners pummeling Fort Sumter in 1861 to kick off the Civil War. You might say this port city has a comprehensive representation of American history. Like Old City Philadelphia and what’s seen along Boston’s Freedom Trail, for example, many of Charleston’s colonial and antebellum sites remain today—forts, places of worship, restored houses and even old jails, to name a few. And not surprisingly, George Washington slept here too. In fact, one of the city’s most historic sites has a President Washington highlight of its own. The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, a stately Georgian Palladian-style building opened in 1771 to host public meetings, markets, elegant events, and, sadly, even slave auctions. Its spacious Great Hall trimmed with temple-style colonnades is where South Carolina delegates ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788. “But even after all of that history, everyone’s favorite story is about President Washington attending a ball in his honor in the Great Hall in 1791,” explains tour guide Zach Ford. “According to the President’s journal, he danced with 253 of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. And he also described that he wore out a pair of slippers dancing the minuet.”
Along the High Battery promenade on East Battery Street
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Inside the Edmonston-Alston House
East Battery turns into East Bay Street where 13 row houses streaked in Caribbean blue, yellow, green, and pink hues make up Rainbow Row, one of, if not the city’s most photographed sites. The simple Georgian-style homes primarily from the late 1700s are a testament to the city’s enduring architectural heritage. Along the Battery, the Edmonston-Alston House built in 1825 by shipping merchant Charles Edmonston was sold just 13 years later to the second owner, rice planter Charles Alston. He embellished the late Federal-style home by adding Greek revival Corinthian columns and the cast iron balconies we see today. It’s from where Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard was said to have watched the bombing of Fort Sumter at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861. Inside, the family’s silver servers, paintings, fine furniture, and other items remain today. Our tour continues with a stop at another historic home, the Nathaniel Russell House on Meeting Street, a National Historic Landmark and most noted for its cantilevered free-flying, spiraling staircase. “It goes up three floors without any support from the wall itself. It’s an architectural marvel,” notes Ford. Completed in 1808, the home’s neoclassical design
features a unique second floor oval drawing room with plaster molding covered in 24-karat gold leaf. Nathaniel Russell was a successful merchant and trader of enslaved people. In the afternoon, I stroll along King Street, another main thoroughfare with its many high-end designer shops, boutiques and restaurants. Charleston menus feature such local and typically Southern favorites as shrimp and grits, creamy she-crab soup including crabmeat and sherry, crab cakes, shrimp, and sausage Frogmore stew, and sesame seed Benne wafer cookies for dessert. Instead, I order a burger topped with smoked Gouda and locally made onion fig jam at the Rusty Bull Brewing Co, a home-grown brewery that’s housed in what was once a horse carriage stall with bricked archways. ”It’s always fun to get to tell people that they’re walking through a space that’s been around since the late 1800s,” says chef and general manager Mark Adams. But when it comes to shopping or even picking up a few souvenirs, I head to the Charleston City Market. There’s something for everyone it seems as I pass vivid paintings of the High Battery waterfront or the
HISTORIC CHARLESTON
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colorful homes of Rainbow Row. T-shirts and hats, cup holders, belts, knickknacks, and tacky souvenirs that overflow from vendor stalls with a Charleston logo. Opened in 1841, the market’s covered sheds stretch four blocks. Dominating the market stalls, however, are locally made sweetgrass baskets, hand-woven using marsh grasses in distinctive patterns by native Gullah crafts people. It’s an African tradition stretching back for generations. As one artisan explained, they weave sweetgrass with the darker and courser bulrush, tied together with thin strips cut from palm leaves. The baskets have an organic grassy scent. “It’s the tradition from my great grandmama, my grandmama, my mom, and aunt. I have seven children, and I taught them how to weave the baskets, so we make the ones you see here now,” says artisan Ruth Wright. “My family’s been making them for over 300 years. We came from West Africa and found that Charleston had the same material.” If you’re an expert haggler, it might get you only a slight discount when purchasing one of these baskets which can range from maybe $30 for a very small basket to several hundred dollars for some of the bigger works of craftsmanship. The painstakingly slow weaving process and the increasing scarcity of local sweetgrass contribute to the surging prices. Opened in June 2023 and built along the very same shoreline where slave ships once docked, Charleston’s International African American Museum showcases the horrors of the Transatlantic slave trade as well
as the resilience of those forced into enslavement. Through artworks, artifacts, photographs and interactive digital exhibits, the museum traces the origins of the slave trade with deportations from West and West Central Africa from about 1501-1866. One exhibit reveals the staggering numbers: 12.5 million enslaved and transported overseas on voyages called the Middle Passage, with 1.8 million who didn’t survive the journeys. Another exhibit highlights how African names like Guntar, Congoo, and Quay were changed to such names as Moses, Nancy, and Sallie when reaching the Americas. The museum shares the truth of how Charleston was the most active North American port in the slave trade, landing about 40 percent of all those deported here. Most of those who stayed locally labored on rice plantations. Exhibits continue with oral histories, first person accounts and other documentation revealing plantation life and how the enslaved persevered and developed their own cultural traditions over time. The museum’s journey continues through emancipation, civil rights, and other modern day contributions and successes. The Old Slave Mart Museum adds to the sad chapter of Charleston’s slavery history, as it’s housed in an actual building that was part of the city’s last auction site. When a city ordinance stopped outdoor auctions in 1856, the process was moved indoors behind these walls and continued for seven more years. “There was a lot of disruption when the city had street sales, and that’s why the city eventually banned them,” says museum docent John Young. “This was the point of having indoor auction sites. You’re keeping the public out.” Inside the museum, displays reveal how the site was used to trade enslaved African Americans who were already here. Potential buyers could actually speak to them and assess skills and family connections. “You would find people here either selling or buying people,” adds Young. “Sadly, it was like what you might typically think of auctions. A lot of it was chasing where the next cotton boom was going to be.” As a history buff, I visit another must see attraction, the Confederate-manned submarine H.L. Hunley , the first sub to ever sink an enemy ship. The 40-foot-long vessel with its fragile outer shell now sits submerged in a holding tank north of the city center. Powered by eight crewmembers hand-cranking a propeller, the sub planted a spar torpedo onto the hull of the Union
Inside the International African American Museum
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Shem Creek Park with boardwalks over typical Low Country marsh grasses
warship Housatonic on February 17, 1864. Researchers suggest the force of the subsequent blast most likely killed or incapacitated the crew, or they simply ran out of air, thus ending the historic voyage. The vessel was found in 1995 about four miles offshore of Sullivan’s Island and was raised five years later. “The sub was completely filled with sand and silt.” says Kellen Butler, Executive Director of Friends of The Hunley . “The crew was still at their stations, very close together. There obviously wasn’t a lot of wiggle room in there,” she adds of the sub’s cramped four- foot by three-foot height and width. The museum housing the vessel has the crew members’ facial reconstructions and a display case with commanding officer Lt. George Dixon’s good luck charm: a bent gold piece he carried that was struck by a bullet, saving his life at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh. Daily tours for Fort Sumter depart daily by boat from the Fort Sumter Visitor Center along the city’s eastern shoreline. A national monument, the fort still stands on a small island at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Its ramparts were in ruins after the Civil War but were rebuilt and remain today along a grassy interior with some original era cannons. Tours last about two hours and include boat rides there and back and about an hour on the island with a brief ranger talk. At night, ghost tours might scare you but are nonetheless very entertaining. During my first stay in Charleston in 2007, I felt a ghostly encounter at the upscale Mills House Hotel, one of the few antebellum hotels that remain in the city. It’s where Confederate
Gen. Robert E. Lee stayed and, from the balcony, watched the Great Fire of 1861 consume the city.
Beyond Charleston, Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site is where the first English colonists arrived along the shores of the Ashley River in 1670. It’s a park with history exhibits, hiking trails, gardens, and a replica 17th-century trading ship. Across the wide-spanned Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, boardwalks line the Shem Creek waterfront with its hopping restaurant scene. Wooden walkways crisscross typical Low Country marsh grass-filled wetlands at Shem Creek Park, often bathed in a golden glow at sunset. My takeaway from Charleston—other than its friendly residents, great cuisine and very prominent Southern charm—is its history and architecture. “We have the second strictest preservation laws in the world, second only to Rome, Italy,” I recall Ford telling me. “When you think of giant ancient Rome compared to itty-bitty and relatively modern Charleston, it’s a source of great pride for us.”
MORE INFORMATION charlestoncvb.com bullldogtours.com
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ESCAPE THE CITY NATURALLY Splendid Adventures Near Phoenix
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2025 | 15 One of the recharge ponds at Desert Oasis, credit L. M. Whited
RESORT UPDATES
new normal through our camera lenses. I wouldn’t say we ever got “used” to the summer heat, but we soon discovered when to venture out and found great beauty in the flora and fauna in the natural areas within a few miles of the freeways and the bustling city. The Phoenix area is part of the Sonoran Desert, which is the hottest desert in the United States. Although sizzling hot during the summer months, the Sonoran is quite “lush” compared to most deserts, with a surprisingly diverse ecosystem home to more than 2,000 plant species and more than 350 animal species. Although in the triple digits in the summer, the autumn, winter, and spring are so welcoming. No matter the season, there are ways to escape. The nearest adventure to us was the Veterans Oasis Park , so named to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans. With 113 acres, a beautiful community fishing lake, scenic hiking and horseback riding trails, tranquil pavilions, and an outdoor amphitheater, Veterans Oasis Park hosts plentiful outdoor recreational opportunities. The park is a popular spot to exercise with 4.5-miles of groomed dirt trails or dirt paths. With a 0.4-mile paved path that goes around the lake. The hiking and biking trails afford visitors the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the wetland area.
People have explored the Phoenix area for centuries. It began with the Hohokam people, who created canals that fed a civilization for more than a thousand years. Today, building on what the early Native Americans discovered, you’ll find the nation’s fifth largest city— you’ll discover a thriving community that elevates art, culture, cuisine. No matter what search engine you use, you’ll find hundreds of suggestions about “what to do in Phoenix.” The suggestions are as diverse as the inhabitants of this amazing city. But if you long for a different adventure, take a walk on the natural side just outside the Phoenix city limits. My husband and I moved to the Phoenix area 10 years ago. We both grew up in the green hills (we called them mountains) of Virginia and West Virginia, so the transition was quite drastic. We went from verdant green mountains covered with trees, to rocks and boulders dotted with various types of cacti. It didn’t take us long to go on many adventures capturing our Escape the City Naturally Splendid Adventures Near Phoenix By Dixie Dee Whited
Ocotillo is a magnet for bees and hummingbirds, credit Dee Whited
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of the facility allows the city to put reclaimed water back into the ground for later use. The facility provides a supply of treated wastewater for distribution to the recharge basins in the east area of the park. The basins in turn are used to develop riparian and wetland habitats for educational purposes and to attract wildlife. There are 32 acres of recharge area divided into five basins within the park.
Where: 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, AZ Hours: 6 a.m.-10:30 p.m. daily. Environmental
Education Center hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays (8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays in June, July and August).
Admission: Free. Details: 480-782-2890
www.chandleraz.gov/explore.
Not too far away in Gilbert is the Riparian Preserve . Riparian is the word to describe the habitat formed where a body of fresh water meets the land, such as the banks of a river, stream, or lake. While water is scarce in the desert, Arizona is home to many diverse riparian habitats. The Preserve is organized into various vegetative zones ranging from marshlands to native riparian and upland vegetation areas that represent
Black-necked Stilt, credit Dee Whited
You might think with its small size, there isn’t much to see and do, but you’d be wrong. Each time we went exploring we saw something new. According to the National Audubon Society, more than 135 species of birds have been identified at the park. Visitors can see American coots, black-necked stilts, double-crested cormorants, burrowing owls, and roadrunners. Veterans Oasis Park also is a way station for migrating monarch butterflies attracted by the milkweed that grows there. And the park is home to jackrabbits, coyotes, snakes, and other animals. Park-goers can enjoy seasonal events, and monthly bird walks throughout the park or visit the Chandler Nature Center to view nature displays. Drop your line into this quiet 5-acre lake; it packs a big bite when it comes to fishing for feisty catfish. You’ll enjoy a high-quality angling experience and expect to catch rainbow trout, bluegill, channel catfish, and/or largemouth bass. Nestled in southeast Chandler, 78 acres of the park are designed for groundwater recharge and wetlands, making it the perfect home to an abundance of unique Sonoran Desert flora and wildlife. The recharge part
The Saguaro Cactus can grow to more than 40 feet tall, credit Dee Whited
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the native riparian habitats of Arizona.
Of the 110 acres of the Riparian Preserve, 70 acres make up the seven water recharge basins that are filled on a rotating basis with treated liquid waste and allowed to percolate into the aquifer where it is stored for future use. One of the ponds has a unique distribution stream that mimics the action of an ephemeral desert stream. An additional lake is filled with reclaimed water and is designated as an urban fishing resource through the Arizona Game and Fish Department. More than 4.5 miles of trails weave through the park, and there are interpretive education panels on wildlife and vegetation throughout. Viewing blinds have been established at various locations near the edge of several ponds to further enhance the visitor’s experience. A floating boardwalk crossing the northern end of the lake allows visitors a close view of the fish and ducks on the water. Additional educational areas include an ethnobotanical garden, a paleontology dig site, gardens for pollinators including a hummingbird garden and butterfly garden, plus a state-of-the- art observatory and hilltop outdoor classroom. The preserve also includes restroom facilities, picnic ramadas, and a play area. The Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory houses a 16-inch diameter Meade, modified Richey-Cretien scope, guided by a Paramount ME computer controlled German equatorial mount slaved to The Sky professional computer program. Observatory Ongoing Public Viewing Hours are on Friday and Saturday evenings from sunset to 9:30 p.m. (weather permitting). The Preserve is probably our favorite place to photograph birds. Approximately 298 species of birds have been identified onsite since its development in 1999, and many insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals have found homes there as well. With such abundant flora and fauna, there are always many wildlife photographers to befriend and share tips and stories with. This avian diversity allowed the Gilbert Riparian Preserve to be recognized as a part of the Arizona Important Bird Area Program through Birdlife International and the National Audubon Society. People from around the world travel to see the beautiful and sometimes rare birds. Interpretive signage throughout the park provides guidance for the identification of birds commonly seen.
Phainopepla, credit L. M. Whited
For a more guided experience, Desert Rivers Audubon offers free guided Bird Walks for guests of all ages every third Saturday, October through March, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, at the Dragonfly Ramada. They will loan binoculars and send small groups out with an expert birder for short walks. The Early Birds is a kid’s birding club open to ages 7-13 that meets immediately prior to the Family Bird Walks, at 7:30 a.m. Parents and grandparents are welcome to come along with this group. Where: 2757 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert, AZ Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., trails open dawn to dusk Admission: Free. Details: 480-503-6299 www.gilbertaz.gov If you want to see more of the Sonoran Desert, plug Boyce Thompson Arboretum into your GPS. Your travel will take you higher past the jagged peaks and deep canyons of the Superstition Mountains, which are full of mysteries, legends, and natural wonders. The Arboretum is located near the town of Superior where you’ll enjoy lower temperatures and 343 acres of living beauty. The founder and namesake, Colonel William Boyce Thompson realized nearly 100 years ago that “All Life depends on plants.”
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The arboretum is surrounded by rocky mountains, credit L.M. Whited
To capitalize on this belief, and to add to what Thompson began, the Arboretum now holds collections of desert plants from around the world. The collections include plants from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsula—all told 3,900 taxa and 19,000 plants. Boyce Thompson Arboretum’s (BTA) newest garden, the Wallace Desert Garden, offers expansive views, creekside trails, and hundreds of plants new to BTA. At 13 acres and with more than 5,000 new plantings, the addition of the Wallace collection moves BTA into
the top tier of botanical gardens around the world. The main trail is wheelchair accessible.
My husband and I have visited the Arboretum dozens of times, and we have yet to see it all. Of course, we have some favorites that we visit each time. The Rodica Heinz Pollinator Garden draws us because the seasonal plants attract and nurture hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and birds, which are favorite subjects of our photography. During the hot summers, the Arboretum opens at 6 a.m. and you’ll want to go as early as possible. One way to see more of the garden without hiking in the high temperatures is to explore during an hour-long golf cart tour—only
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available in the summer.
Where: 37615 E. Arboretum Way, Superior, AZ Hours: October through April: Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May: Open daily from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. June through August: Open 6 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Monday, closed on Tuesdays; September: Open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Monday, closed on Tuesdays Admission: Adults and youth (ages 13-17) $16; Child (ages 5-12) $10; Members and children under 5, $0. Details: 520-689-2723 btarboretum.org Think the desert is all dirt and tumbleweed? Think again. Desert Botanical Garden (DGB) is home to thousands of species of cacti, trees, and flowers from all around the world.
Another favorite of ours is the Demonstration Garden, which features a number of beautifully landscaped and water efficient small gardens. Built to illustrate how nature and drought tolerant plants can create lovely gardens in residential and commercial settings. There are lots of shady sitting areas scattered throughout. The many hummingbird feeders are filled and maintained by volunteers, so no matter where you are in the BTA, you’re likely to share the space with beautiful hungry hummers. Other gardens include the Australian Deserts Exhibit, Cactus and Succulents Garden, Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit, Children’s Garden, Heritage Rose Garden, Sonoran Desert Exhibit and Curandero Trail, South American Deserts Exhibit, Taylor Family Desert Legume Garden, Wallace Rose Garden, and Wing Memorial Herb Garden. As birders, Michael and I enjoy BTA’s Important Bird Area status. Boyce Thompson Arboretum and the adjacent Arnett and Queen Creeks are known for spectacular birding opportunities. Some 275 different species have been sighted. Guided bird walks take place between October and May. The Arboretum offers a wide range of guided tours and walks year-round, from plants and wildlife to history and ecology. The walks include Arboretum Discovery Tour, Bird Walk, Butterfly Walk, Edible and Medicinal Plants Tour and Geology Walk. What makes a visit to the gardens even more jaw dropping is its gorgeous setting among and below rugged mountains that include Apache Leap and Picketpost Mountain. Simply look up and you’ll take in the views, but for a closer look, hike Picketpost Mountain Trail. The mountain is known for an oddly placed mailbox at the top of the mountain, which contains the logbooks for the trail. The trail is 3.9 miles with an elevation gain of 2,129 feet and is considered strenuous. The mountain’s name stems from an early military camp established at the base of the mountain by Gen. George Stoneman in 1870. The soldiers nicknamed the mountain “Picket Post” due to its use as a sentinel position to guard their camp from attacks. This military camp eventually grew into the town of Superior.
The Garden is a 140-acre botanical garden founded by the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society in 1937
Cactus Wren, credit L. M. Whited
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and now has more than 50,000 plants in more than 4,000 taxa, one-third of which are native to the area, including 379 species, which are rare, threatened, and endangered. DBG has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride. Not sure exactly how to explore the extensive garden? Take a tour. Tours, led by docents, include Plant Adaptations, Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert, Happiness Tour, and Birds in the Garden. Another way to get to know the garden is by stopping at one of the many Discovery Stations. There, you’ll participate in hands-on activities with volunteers to learn about the animals and plants of the Sonoran Desert. On the Garden trails, you’ll experience the unique and beautiful plants that thrive in some of the hottest and driest parts of the world. A favorite of ours is the Harriet K. Maxwell Desert Wildflower Trail. Stroll along this meandering trail where you’ll encounter brightly colored blooms as well as the pollinators they attract, such as bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Find out how flowers, insects, and birds play an essential role in thriving desert ecosystems. The Garden presents spring and fall open-air acoustic concert series, art exhibitions, and Las Noches de las Luminarias since 1978. The Luminarias Festival became a Southwestern Holiday tradition featuring live music by the flickering lights of 8,000 hand-lit luminaria.
October 2025 through May 2026, DBG will premiere a monumental new art exhibit that is years in the making. “Framerate: Desert Pulse” will take visitors on a journey through a year in the life of the Sonoran Desert. On select Saturdays June through September, beat the heat and experience the magic of the Garden after dark. Wander through the Garden’s trails by flashlight, come face-to-face with fascinating desert creatures and soak in the enchanting nighttime vibes. Discover a whole new side of the Garden and make it a night to remember with family and friends. Where: 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ Hours: The Garden is open daily (except July 4, Thanksgiving Day and December 25) as follows: Oct. through April: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; May through Sept.: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission: General Garden Admission: $15 for
adults, $13.50 for seniors (60+), $7.50 for students (13-18 and college with ID), $5 for children 3-12. Children 2 and younger and Garden members are admitted free. Community day is the second Tuesday of every month free.
Details: 480-941-1225 dbg.org
Queen Butterflies dancing, credit Dee Whited
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GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
America’s Alps
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When my husband and I first saw the spectacular snowcapped mountains that are the heart and soul of Grand Teton National Park, we were mesmerized by the beauty. The snowy peaks shimmered in the sun under a brilliant blue sky, and wondrous alpine landscapes filled our views as we drove south into the Tetons from Yellowstone National Park next door. Little did we know that this would be the first of many return visits and that each time we’d discover yet another layer of hidden jewels and unique ways to enjoy this outdoor lover’s paradise. Overlooks and Viewpoints Grand Teton National Park showcases the breathtaking Teton Mountain Range. It’s a long skinny park that runs north-south, extending for about 50 miles from the north entrance down to Teton Village in the south end. Both the highway on the eastern edge of the park (US-26) and the Teton Park Road, which runs along the base of the mountains, are stunning scenic drives with numerous named pullouts for stopping to savor the extraordinary vistas. The park boasts multiple lakes, hikes, historic landmarks, and a paved path for cycling. The distances are significant, but the scenery makes up for the time spent behind Grand Teton National Park America’s Alps Story by Emily Fagan, photos by Emily and Mark Fagan
Blacktail Ponds Overlook
the wheel.
The famous Snake River Overlook is where photographer Ansel Adams put his tripod on the roof of his station wagon in 1942 and photographed the bend in the Snake River backed by the towering mountains. His image “The Tetons and the Snake River” is still so valued today that a mural-size print sold for $988,000 at Sotheby’s in 2020. Unfortunately, the view he saw is now obscured by tall trees. However, a similar view can be found at the Oxbow
Mountain Goats at Logan Pass
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Bend Overlook. This pullout is a favorite, and lots of photographers arrive before dawn to catch the soft pastels of sunrise radiating across the mountains and reflecting in the river. Blacktail Ponds offers a different view with a small squiggly stream crossing a valley. Sometimes moose can be spotted in the marshes and far in the distance. One morning when we stopped there, swirls of clouds and mist swept across the valley cloaking the mountains in tantalizing mystery. At Schwabacher Landing, the mountains stand in a regular sawtooth formation and can be caught with a perfect mirrored reflection in the water. As we drove there in pre-dawn darkness, we were surprised by the number of cars on the roads as tourists like us dashed to various vantage points to watch the mountains slowly wake up and greet the day. However, the hustle and bustle of humanity quickly vanished as we tip-toed down to the water’s edge, far from the road. An ethereal quiet and hallowed stillness filled the air at this hour, and the vibrant pink glow of sunrise crept down the mountains from the peaks to the base. A sense of wonder and reverence rose in our hearts.
Schwabacher Landing
Historic Chapels, Barns, Lodges and Good Eats A more traditional sacredness envelops the tiny and charming Chapel of the Transfiguration, which celebrated a century of church services in the Tetons this year. Built with local lodgepole pine logs and pews made of aspen, it was the brainchild of Gertrude Woodward who wanted to attend Sunday services in the 1920s without enduring the bumpy 25- mile horse-drawn wagon ride to and from the town of Jackson. A bell under an arch welcome arriving visitors in front of the chapel. Inside, the centerpiece is a picture window strategically placed behind the altar framing a majestic view of the mountains. Many a fresh-faced bride and groom have exchanged their wedding vows here. Other historic and rustic buildings include the small Chapel of the Sacred Heart, many log cabins around the park and a row of old barns and farmhouses affectionately known as Mormon Row. Originally settled by Mormons as the town of Grovont under the Homestead Act in the late 1800s, Mormon Row was acquired by the U. S. Park Service in the mid-1900s to expand the park. Each of the buildings that remain today is lovingly immortalized in photographs every day. The juxtaposition of the crude wooden buildings and the raw, rugged mountains evokes thoughts of
Chapel of Transfiguration
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the hardscrabble lives the early settlers lived in this inhospitable yet intensely charismatic land.
The 6-mile section next to the Teton Park Road is absolutely exquisite. Whether you ride or walk, the scenery, fresh mountain air, and grins on all the faces of the people you meet will make your heart sing. There are bike stands along the way to lock your bike while exploring on foot. For cyclists who want to go further afield, you can ride the shoulder of Teton Park Road and US-26 to Jackson Lake and the northern portions of the park. At the other end, the paved path extends from the town of Jackson out into Teton County for many miles. Another unusual way to experience the Tetons is by boat. Scenic cruises are available on both Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake and some outings offer dinner and even breakfast as you sail. Lots of people also paddle around in rented kayaks and canoes. We were astonished to find an unexpected and gorgeous beach on Jackson Lake. We had the place to ourselves one morning, and we walked along the pebbly shore admiring the colorful rounded stones submerged in the crystal clear water. Suddenly, a group of kayakers came down to the water’s edge with a guide, and they stood in a circle receiving instructions on kayaking. In no time they were paddling across the lake. A while later we watched them land on a distant shore. Then a
In contrast to the simple antique buildings that dot the park, the Jackson Lake Lodge was constructed in 1955 just after the park first opened in 1950, and built with concrete, glass, and steel in a post-World War II style that embraces modernism. Designed to bring the outside in, one of the most eye-popping views in the whole park is of the Teton Mountain Range through a wall of windows in the gracious lobby. It is well worth a stop just to gaze through those windows or splurge on a meal in the Mural Dining Room, which features another spellbinding view through another wall of windows. Another spot to enjoy a multi-million-dollar view over a meal is on top of a mountain at Jackson Hole resort just outside the park. Panoramic views surrounded us as we rode the Bridger Gondola up the mountain. A beer and burger outside on The Deck at the top capped off a sensational afternoon. Biking, Hiking, and Boating The opportunities for immersion in all this natural beauty are endless. The Grand Teton Pathway is a 21-mile-long paved trail along the base of the mountains between Jackson and Jenny Lake.
Cyclists on the Grand Teton Pathway
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