Tag: Tall Chief RV Campground

Great Fall Getaways

Toss the summer bucket list (hopefully, everything’s been crossed off), grab a pen and paper and start your Fall Bucket List which should include the following must-do fall activities.

Tailgate or College Town Visit

There’s something about a college campus in the fall that makes anybody feel young again. Whatever it is, why not check out some of these great college towns near our glamping accommodations.

Yurt at Tall Chief Campground
Yurt at Tall Chief Campground

University of Washington – a couple cool things to check out here. First off, the beautiful campus trees ablaze with fall color and also the Brockman Memorial Tree Tour, a virtual tour that identifies roughly 60 of the 480 trees found on this wooded campus. Information for the tour, which is dedicated to the memory of former UW Professor Frank Brockman, can be found at depts.washington.edu/treetour. Another fun thing – instead of tailgating, fans of the UW Huskies football team “sailgate” in nearby Union Bay’s Husky Harbor. It’s really a sight to see and most likely, one-of-a-kind when it comes to college football fun. (Rent a yurt at Tall Chief to visit UW).

University of Wisconsin – Again foliage and football are the draw here. Badger football is basically a religion in Madison. On gameday when the Badgers are at home, the Badger Bash, a family friendly event for more than 50 years, has live music, a performance by the UW-Madison Marching Band, plus food and drink. The trees on Bascom Hill are worth a look and there’s also a self-guided tour of the trees on Bascom Hill as well those on Observatory Hill. The Memorial Union, with its views of picturesque Lake Mendota is another photo-worthy spot. (Rent a cabin or cottage at Yukon Trails for Badger fun.)

Fall Festivals

Pumpkins, oom-pah bands, and the best of the best Oktoberfests should be part of your fall to-do list.

Leavenworth, Washington, hosts one of the most authentic Oktoberfests, according to travelmag.org. Book a tiny house at Leavenworth Tiny House Village to experience this bash complete with imported German beer, live entertainment, oom-pah and polka music, contests (try your luck at the stein holding contest!) and don’t miss the Keg Tapping Ceremony on Saturdays. Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest will be held over three weekends (September 30-October 1; October 7-8; and October 14-15.)

Another noteworthy Oktoberfest is the one held in Fredericksburg, Texas. The 42nd Oktoberfest is set for September 30-October 2 this year and highlights will include the Hauptstrasse Chicken Dance featuring 400 dancers, the Family Dirndle and Lederhosen Contest, and a Yodel Contest. Come celebrate Fredericksburg’s German heritage with plenty of German food and drink. Don’t miss this one – book a cozy cabin at Medina Lake.

The Pumpkin Village at the Dallas Arboretum displays more than 90,000 colorful pumpkins and other assorted gourds to create a color show of its own. The special event, Autumn at the Arboretum, runs from September 17-October 31 and has a fairy tale theme this year. A Fall Fairytale will of course feature Cinderella’s Carriage as well as pumpkin houses and other favorite fairy tales brought to life through gourd displays. Book a cabin at nearby Bay Landing while enjoying the Pumpkin Village.

Cabins at Yosemite Lakes
Cabins at Yosemite Lakes

Fall Hikes

Fall hikes are not only great for your health, but also provide you the opportunity to bask in the fall colors as you take care of your body and mind. Some notable trails include the Cook’s Meadow Loop in Yosemite National Park (book a yurt at Yosemite Lakes), a great flat trail that offers views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome; Pennsylvania’s Bushkill Falls (near Robin Hill with cottage and cabin rentals) promises a great color show as the leaves begin to turn in early October and last through November. Plus, there are eight waterfalls to see along the 2-mile trail. If you’re visiting Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge Landing, you can explore the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and get a two-fer when it comes to fall colors. You can drive the 5.5-mile auto tour portion through the forest or opt to hike the 2.5-mile scenic trail to Grotto Falls.

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Top U.S. Tours to Take

When it comes to seeing what any location you visit has to offer, certainly the local Visitor’s Guide and suggestions from friends and family who have visited the area can work for creating a great itinerary. But why not let someone else do the heavy lifting and sign up for a tour experience with a local provider. There are all kinds of tours ranging from history and architectural to sampling local foods and bevvies or getting your scare on with a spooky ghost tour. Consider the tours we’ve listed here next time you’re in the area! 

There are plenty of Jeep tours around the U.S. that give visitors an off-road experience like no other. Planning a tiny house stay at Verde Valley in Sedona or a cabin rental at Las Vegas and consider booking a trip with pinkadventuretours.com and let the cool Pink Jeeps be your guide. An open-air red Jeep and Joshua Tree National Park combine for a one-of-a-kind experience if you’re visiting Palm Springs and want to see the rugged desert landscape surrounding the area. Visit red-jeep.com for tour info. Planning a trip to Bend, Oregon? Try a yurt or cabin rental at Bend-Sunriver and then check out Bend Jeep® Tours for a great way to see Deschutes National Forest.

Foodie tours are a great way to get to know the history and culture of a city and there are several that stand out. Book a tiny house or cabin stay at Natchez Trace and take in Nashville’s culinary experience. Bites and Sites is a walking tour that combines attractions and food on a walking tour while Nashville Food Adventures are driving tours that offer food and drink experiences. Both are offered through nashvillefoodtours.com. According to Tripadvisor, the food and cultural walking tour of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is one of the most booked food tours in the U.S. Rent a yurt at nearby Tall Chief and head into Seattle to experience this 100-year-plus historic market that is considered “the soul of Seattle.” Visit savorseattletours.com for tour details.

Arrowhead RV Campground
Arrowhead RV Campground

Did you ever ride a duck? What about touring the waters of your vacation destination on a duck? We’re not talking about the waterfowl here but instead the unique amphibious tour bus. If you want to experience the original duck tour rent a cabin at Arrowhead in the Wisconsin Dells where the duck tours originated in 1946 using the decommissioned amphibious trucks introduced in WWII. Since the original duck tour was quite popular with visitors, others began to pop up around the U.S. and similar duck tours can now be found in Boston (book a cottage Gateway to Cape Cod); South Beach and Miami (stay with us at the Miami Everglades RV Resort); and Seattle (Tall Chief is a great location to stay for a Seattle duck adventure).

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Last Minute Trips for Your 2021 Bucket List

It’s been awhile, but think back to early January 2021. What resolutions did you make then? What about that 2021 Bucket List? Is everything crossed off? If not, we’ve got a few ideas on how to clear the slate to get ready for your 2022 list. 

  1. See a National Landmark: In a list of the Top 10 National Landmarks compiled by flightcentre.com, two are nearby to our locations that enjoy year-round visitors. Those include Hoover Dam (less than 35 miles from cozy cabins at our Las Vegas location); and the iconic Space Needle in Seattle (less than 30 miles from the yurts and cabins at Tall Chief RV & Camping Resort). Another must-see landmark is the historic Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas, which is less than an hour from the cabins at Medina Lake.

2. Drive an Iconic Highway: A drive on the 100-mile-plus engineering marvel known as Florida’s Overseas Highway will take you from the southern tip of Florida down to the Florida Keys with the beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico all around you. Choose to stay two hours north of the road’s starting point in a cabin at our Miami Everglades Resort or stay at one of our Keys locations, Sunshine Key or Fiesta Key. Enjoy a glamping experience in a cottage or glamping tent at California’s Marina Dunes and enjoy an equally glamorous experience along the 17-Mile Drive that includes charming towns, woodlands, and ocean views along the Monterey Peninsula. 

3. Learn a new skill: ‘Tis the season to don a pair of snowshoes and tackle this winter sport. Consider a stay in a snow covered cabin at Tahoe Valley in California’s Lake Tahoe area and learn how to traverse and glissade with the best of them. Stalk the striper and try your hand at catching hybrid striper bass in the winter waters of Texas’ Lake Conroe. Book a stay in a cabin at Lake Conroe RV & Camping Resort in Willis and see what you can catch. How about hopping on a “fat bike” and tooling around the snowy trails available near Leavenworth, Washington. Book a tiny house at Leavenworth Tiny House Village to go along with your fat bike experience!

Family Trip at Thousand Trails Lake Conroe Campground
Family Trip at Lake Conroe Camping & RV Resort

4. Girls’ Trip, Guys’ Trip, Family Trip, Couples’ Trip: Whichever one remains on your list unchecked, Petite Retreats has locations that can satisfy any of them (or all if you’ve got the time). Perfect family trip locations can include Orlando and all the theme park fun (book a stay in a colorful cottage at Tropical Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida) or Yosemite National Park in winter with all its activities (try a yurt at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort in Groveland, California); California’s wine country and a girl’s trip are a perfect match and a cabin or cottage accommodation at Russian River is the perfect wine country girl’s getaway home base. Nashville is great for girls, guys, and family fun depending on the activities you choose – there are bars and honky tonks, historic sites, museums, and outdoor adventure to be found here – and any of the rental cabins at nearby Natchez Trace work for all of these groups. Guys trip options could include the casinos and nightlife of Las Vegas (stay in a cabin or cottage at our Las Vegas location) or deep-sea fishing charters in the Florida Keys (Sunshine Key Tiny House Village is a great option as they run charters from the resort). Looking for romance? Check out the tiny house and cabin accommodations at Verde Valley in Arizona’s scenic and transformative Red Rocks country or a cozy cabin at Rancho Oso RV & Camping Resort in Santa Barbara and explore this charming California oceanside town with its wineries, architectural tours, and romantic sunsets. 

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Sense-ible Glamping

Of course, glamping is good for the soul as it provides the opportunity to disconnect from everything and reconnect with nature. It’s good for the body too as it lowers stress levels and provides plenty of opportunity for exercise in the great outdoors. Glamping is also good for the senses – and we found some locations that will delight all five of them. Next time you’re planning a trip, keep these sense-sational spots in mind.

Touch: Sand – gritty, soft or silky. Tree bark – rough, smooth, notched. Snow – cold and wet. There are so many tactile experiences to be had while glamping. See how the beach feels beneath your feet when you stay Oregon’s beach town location of Pacific City or the cold snow falling on your face when you stay in a tiny house at Leavenworth Tiny House Village in winter. How about a healing touch? The vortexes of Sedona are said to provide just that. Book a cabin or tiny house stay at Verde Valley and see if you experience this unique touch of healing energy.

Sight:  What can be more picturesque than field upon field of blooming tulips? Check out the Skagit Valley come spring and stay at La Conner. Or, catch the spectacular views from Yosemite National Park any time of year. Plan to stay in a yurt or cabin at Yosemite Lakes and see just how beautiful every inch of this treasure is. The Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys made the list of the “50 Most Beautiful Places in the U.S. You Can’t Afford to Miss” (according to attractionsofamerica.com), so book a colorful cottage stay at Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina and find out why after a short drive along the Overseas Highway.

Sound: Rolling waves hitting the sand; wildlife sounds in the night, the clip clop of horseshoes, the rustle of the trees – can you hear these sounds? Most definitely if you glamp with us at California’s Rancho Oso where guided horseback rides are available. Or, rent a tiny house at the Sunshine Key Tiny House Village and let the sounds of the ocean relax you – it’ll be right outside your window. So many of our locations are nestled in the woods or in the quiet wilderness. What about the sounds of camp-side laughter? Wherever you’re glamping, gather your crew at dusk and recap the day, tell jokes, and play games to evoke this always-pleasing sound.

Bend-Sunriver Yurt
Bend-Sunriver Yurt

Smell: How about the smell of a pine forest – check into a yurt at Bend-Sunriver and check out Deschutes National Forest, which is home to thousands of fragrant Ponderosa pines. The smell of Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a mix of exotic spices, flowers, coffee beans, and more mixing to make it memorable for sure. Add in another yurt experience with a stay at Tall Chief and see how many scents you can identify at one of Seattle’s most visited attractions. What about the plethora of smells emanating from a botanic garden? Plan to stay in a cabin at Bay Landing and head into Dallas to experience the scent-sations of the blooms found at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

Cabin at Miami Everglades
Cabin at Miami Everglades

Taste: How do you taste glamping? Well, for our purposes, you glamp near a unique foodie experience. For example, sample succulent Maine lobster when you stay at our Bar Harbor resorts or try an iconic Door County, Wisconsin, fish boil when you stay in a cozy cabin at Tranquil Timbers in nearby Sturgeon Bay. Enjoy the fruits of the sea when staying at our Pacific Northwest locations and taste seasonal Chinook salmon, Dungeness crab, or Oregon Pink Shrimp or oysters. A stay at Natchez Trace means Nashville’s culinary treats, which include hot chicken (named for the healthy dose of cayenne pepper used), buttery, flaky biscuits, and the oh-so-gooey and sweet Goo Goo clusters. Miami is all about classic Cuban cuisine which can be experienced through a food tour. Check out miamiculinarytours.com when you stay with us in a cabin at Miami Everglades.

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Dog Days of August

Tiny house Riley at Tuxbury Tiny House Village in South Hampton, NH • IG: nishatnguyen

The Dog Days of Summer typically refer to the weather this time of year, but if you ask your furry companion (yes, they have opinions!), they’ll let you know that to them it sounds more like Dog’s Days of Summer, or, in other words, take me with you wherever it is you’re going!

If you’re planning a trip, and also listening to your dog, here are few spots that are super pet friendly.

Sedona, Arizona

Settle into a pet friendly cabin or cottage at Sedona’s Verde Valley RV Campground and then explore the area with Fido in tow. Several trails in the area, including the Bell Rock Pathway and the Boynton Canyon Trail, allow leashed pets along on a hike. Many of the restaurants welcome pets and Creekside even has a special pet menu featuring items like a cheddar omelet with chicken jerky or steak tartare. More attractions for the pup include Sedona Dog Park, which separates off-leash areas into big and small dog areas, and Whiskers Bakery, which sells a wide variety treats and toys if your dog is into shopping. 

Cabin at Verde Valley RV Campground in Cottonwood, AZ

Key West, Florida

If there’s a place called Island Dogs Bar, whereas the name implies dogs are welcome, this has to be a pet-friendly vacation spot. Another pet-friendly attraction on the island is the Key West Aquarium where your leashed pup can tag along and see all the marine life exhibits. Higgs Beach has a dog park were pets can run off-leash. Plan to stay at Sunshine Key RV Resort where two of the vacation trailer rental accommodations are pet friendly and the resort welcomes pets, as well.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Not only can your pup ride the bus in Bar Harbor, they are also welcome at several area restaurants, including the famous Stewman’s Lobster Pound. To work off that fabulous lobster dinner, take a hike around Acadia National Park which has more than 120 trails and all are dog friendly.

View from North Bubble, in Acadia National Park, Maine.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle has a lot to offer in terms of pets – bus rides are offered and the city allows well behaved dogs to ride the bus (accompanied by their owner, of course!). Seattle also has over 10 off-leash dog parks and plenty of hiking trails that are friendly to pets. Check out Snow Lake Trail to get a short (6.4 miles) hike in with your leashed dog. Dogs are also welcome at the Washington Park Arboretum, a beautiful 230-acre public park (think free admission). Tall Chief RV Campground has a pet friendly cottage accommodation and the campground welcomes pets, as well.

Door County, Wisconsin

Fish Creek and Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin.

Everything that Door County is known for – hiking, beaches, and water sports are available to tourists of the four-legged variety, to some degree, as well. Plus, several restaurants allow your dogs, too. There’s even a list of doggy daycare facilities in case you want some time without your furry friend. Whitefish Dunes allows dogs on the beach and Peninsula State Park has pet friendly hiking trails. Finally, the Skyway Drive-In Movie Theater allows pets to take in a movie, provided they are in the car or on a leash. Tranquil Timbers RV Campground in nearby Sturgeon Bay has two pet friendly cabin accommodations and the campground welcomes pets.

Cozy Cabin at Tranquil Timbers RV Campground in Door County, Wisconsin.