Table of contents for Issue 7 in RV Destinations Magazine

RVDESTINATIONSMAGAZINE.COM CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE The fourth-largest city in Tennessee, the rivertown of Chattanooga sits along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, Chattanooga comes from the Muskogean word meaning “rock” and the Creek Indian word Chat-to-to-noog-gee, which translates to “rock rising to a point.” That point the Creek Indians were referring to was most likely Lookout Mountain, which sits 1,850 feet above sea level and provides a stunning vantage point of all of Chattanooga. This vantage point played a crucial role during the Battle of Lookout Mountain during the Civil War. There, on November 24, 1863, Union forces defeated and drove out Confederate forces. This event eventually led to an opening to the Deep South (Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Ala- bama). Today visitors can visit…

High atop Lookout Mountain and sprawling across 700 acres is Fairyland, a residential neighborhood, golf course and Rock City Gardens. In 1924, entrepreneur Garnet Carter had the vision to create Fairyland, a community that played to the geological formations and large rocks on Lookout Mountain. Freida, Carter’s wife, loved European folklore, and this, coupled with the whimsical Fairyland Clubhouse and ten cottages, played perfectly to the land and name. Part of the 700 acres encompassed what is today known as Rock City Gardens, a pet project of Freida’s. She mapped out the large boulder formations with a ball of twine then collected wildflowers, plants and shrubbery to replant along the 4,100-foot-long trail. Freida added statues of gnomes and famous fairy tale characters imported from Germany to add the beautiful greenery…

Chattanooga is rich in civil war history, fascinating geological features and home to the Chattanooga Choo Choo. It’s proximity to Georgia, state parks, national forests and waterways make this a great city and nature get-away. There is no shortage of eateries, museums, outdoor activities, attractions, and things to do. Considered one of the most haunted cities due to the floods, Civil War battles and Trail of Tears, Chattanooga also offers haunted city tours. While not as nostalgic as a haunted tour through a historical city like Savannah, tour guide Jason Tinney was informative and entertaining. We didn’t see any ghosts or goblins, but we did see an original limestone wall of the city, the Mountain City Club built in 1904, and the famous Read House Hotel. In this hotel, Annalisa…

As international borders re-open after lengthy Covid-related travel restrictions, and intrepid RV travelers look eagerly to our Northern neighbor for destination inspiration, Canada’s world-renowned Icefields Parkway deserves serious consideration! In fact, National Geographic has deemed this 145-mile stretch of road through the Canadian Rockies between Lake Louise and Jasper as a “drive-of-a-lifetime and one of the world’s most spectacular driving tours.” The Icefields Parkway is the prettiest and most untamed section of Highway 93 north of the Trans-Canada Highway, paralleling the Continental Divide. Around every corner is a new and surprising view of amazing mountain ranges, waterfalls, glaciers, brightly colored lakes, picnic spots and so much more. Many of these sights are easily enjoyed by simply gazing out the window as you journey along; others require only a short walk…

The glass doors on the elevator slide shut as it quickly descends 260 feet deep into Lookout Mountain, 1,120 feet below the summit. The view through the doors on the way down is hundreds of feet of seemingly impenetrable limestone walls. The elevator stops at the bottom; the doors slide open and damp, cool, 60-degree air greets you along with a low, rocky ceiling that seems to be constantly dripping. One foot makes its way in front of the other along the almost-mile-long carved path that weaves its way through the heart of the mountain, passing breathtaking cave formations, pools and underground streams. Along the way, some of the original passageway is still visible, making it difficult to imagine how Leo Lambert and his crew of four squeezed their way…

Having grown up in Smith County, Tennessee, I was recently shocked to find out a new piece of knowledge. One of the best campgrounds in the country is quite literally right out my back door, along the banks of Cordell Hull Lake and the Cumberland River. It’s amazing how life-long locals can go blind to the amazing sights right in front of their faces, wherever “local” is for them. When I first moved to the D.C. area in 2008, after having grown up in a small town, I was shocked by the number of people living there, both transplants and area natives alike, who rarely, if ever, went into the District or took advantage of the nearby museums and events. How could anyone live so close to world-class museums, historic…

“most guests spend their days exploring the area outside of the resort” Situated at the foothills of the Garden of the Gods Nature Center lies one of RVC Outdoor Destinations’ first properties. “Conveniently located” is an understatement for this park as it boasts easy access to the Garden of the Gods, the historic town of Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs, ample hiking (including the famous Manitou Incline), the Arkansas River, Royal Gorge and stunning views of Pike’s Peak. You won’t find much in the way of Garden of the Gods RV Resort hosted activities for guests at this RVC location. With its convenient location to all that the area has to offer, most guests spend their days exploring the area outside of the resort and use the park…

Austin just may have the hippest food scene in America right now. This Central Texas city is bursting with food trucks, breweries and contemporary restaurants. Traditional Texas barbecue, Mexican dishes and homestyle comfort food fuse with modern flavors to create a cuisine that is uniquely Austin. The number of appealing eateries is truly overwhelming. Here are a few great spots to jumpstart your own Austin food tour. FOOD TRUCKS Austin is an amazing food truck city. In fact, the number of roaming kitchens grew more than 600% between 2010 and 2017 (The Economist). Here are a few first-rate food trucks rolling around Austin: MELLIZOZ TACOS You have to hit up at least one taco truck in Austin, and you can’t go wrong with tacos and queso from these fourth generation…

Located six miles south of Newberg, Oregon, along the Willamette River (pronounced, will• am•it), Champoeg State Park is a large and well-maintained state park built on one of Oregon’s most important historical locations. RVers who want to explore Western Oregon, or dive into Oregon’s unique history, will find this park’s many amenities the perfect location for a base camp. There are two RV loops with water and power in every site, and several of the sites in both loops have sewer connections. Champoeg Park features several yurts, a newly refurbished dump station and an extensive disk golf course, not to mention acres of walking and biking trails that wind through open fields and a stand of massive old oak trees and along the Willamette River. Champoeg’s original township site stakes…

Raccoon Mountain Caverns is home to the beautiful Crystal Palace, a large cavern covered in calcium carbonate that sparkles under the soft glow of the lighting in the cave. Since the public opening of the cavern in 1931, more than 5 miles of caves have been discovered and mapped. Visitors can traverse the first 1/4 mile of the cave on a 50-minute guided tour and learn about cave formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws and cave bacon (while delicious-sounding, not edible). Knowledgeable tour guides provide plenty of opportunities to snap pictures of this beautiful cave while giving information and history on the cave. Cave dwellers can be found throughout the cave as well, and though it would be fun to see Fred and Wilma in this cave, it’s home…

Looking for waterfront camping in Vermont? Or perhaps a wooded site in which to enjoy a quiet weekend reading a book? Or maybe even a campground to serve as a base for multiple day hikes? The Vermont state park camp-grounds in Groton State Forest offer all this and more. Covering more than 26,000 acres, Groton State Forest is a mere 35-minute drive from the small cities of Montpelier, Barre and St. Johnsbury, yet the rugged, undeveloped landscape feels miles from civilization. Like much of the state, this area was once heavily logged. By the mid-1920s, it was nearly bare of trees. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps began reforesting the barren land. Although some logging continues today, the state manages the forest to ensure its future use for generations…

This hidden gem is so beautiful, I almost didn’t want to give away its secrets here. National parks and state parks often get all the glory, but the United States’ national forests keep thousands of gorgeous secrets like Mirror Lake. Tucked away in Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest, this spot is surprisingly quiet, with an abundance of camping, hiking, fishing and sightseeing opportunities. As Colorado becomes more expensive and congested to explore, I’ve found myself discovering many hidden pockets like this, just across the state border. Medicine Bow National Forest extends from northcentral Colorado to central Wyoming. A whopping 1,096,891 acres in size, the forest encompasses portions of many mountain ranges including the Medicine Bow Mountains, Sierra Madre, Gore Range, Flat Tops, Parks Range and Laramie Range. With such a…