Table of contents for Issue 19 in RV Destinations Magazine

Finding an RV destination with spectacular views and various adventures for the family is rare. This one-squaremile town in Central Idaho runs alongside the Salmon River, where Highways 75 and 21 converge between the Sawtooth, White Cloud and Lost River Mountain Ranges. Its proximity to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and the Sawtooth National Forest Recreation Area makes it a favored jumping-off point for many adventurers. Looking south from Stanley, the Sawtooth Mountains appear to erupt from the rangeland, producing a striking contrast visible from almost any place one goes. Unique glacially carved features like U-shaped valleys, steep-sided cirques, sharp ridges and horns are so prominent they appear to be CGI. Mount Thompson illustrates several of these features and, at 10,751 feet above sea level, is the tallest…

PRO TIP I highly recommend the west-to-east route. The West Tennessee Plains lead into the Middle Tennessee Hills, which in turn lead into the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee. The Tennessee Whiskey Trail is your pathway to all the whiskey in the Tennessee Distillers Guild. Any whiskey enthusiast (and anyone who appreciates the process) who loves a road trip wants to take this trail. You can find the complete list—plus maps and sample itineraries—of every distillery and the entire trail on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail website. With more than 30 member distillers, some with multiple locations, road-tripping can be a fun challenge. Here is everything you need to know to plan your journey across the state on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. The trail is a great road trip any time…

Vancouver Island is a 286-mile paradise as far west in Canada as you can go. Many people are familiar with Victoria, BC, a lovely little city at the south end of Vancouver Island. Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, and it's a mecca for tourists worldwide. You may even know about Tofino on the far west coast of the island's sandy beaches. Bordered by lush coastal rainforests on one side and the endless Pacific Ocean on the other, the area's sheer beauty attracts millions of tourists yearly. The most well-known spots on Vancouver Island are beautiful, but if you want to get away from the crowds and connect with nature and the outdoors, you must go to Vancouver Island North. Vancouver Island North offers fantastic opportunities to experience…

What is your favorite winter RV destinations and why? Avila Beach. The weather is typically good, and the ocean views from the RV sites are spectacular. Mark R. Valley Springs, CA Arizona has nice dry heat and lots of BLM land. Ken B. Michigan Voyager RV Resort in Tuscon, Arizona. We stay for three months: January, February and March. This is the first time we've found a resort like this, and we travel a lot. There are many indoor and outdoor activities every day, like bocce, shuffleboard, heated pool swimming, hot tub, concerts every week and dances; too many to list. There is an onsite restaurant, too. Friendships form quickly because there is a meet-and-greet every Monday. Sharon G. South Carolina Mesa, Arizona. Here, we don't spread salt on our…

Perched atop a mesa just 15 minutes south of the heart of Durango lies Durango Ranch RV Resort. Though on the smaller side, this RV park packs a mighty punch with gorgeous, unimpeded views of the mountains, largelevel sites and amenities galore. Durango Ranch RV Resort was opened in 2022 by Tanner and Tori Kroeger to supplement their fifthand sixth- generation farming business. Family ties to Durango and land run deep, as the Kroeger family's ancestors raced for the land in the late 1800s and were some of the original homesteaders in the area. Proudly displayed in the large office are original pieces of antique farming equipment, tack, tools and even the original cash register from the family hardware store. Being RVers themselves, the Kroeger family designed their RV park…

Traveling to the Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina is all about the Southern Appalachian Mountains, rushing waterfalls, outdoor activities and the Cradle of Forestry in America. The 500,000-acre forest—which you can enter from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the north or from Brevard, North Carolina, to the south—has many areas to explore. I began my journey from the south in Transylvania County on Highway 276, the Pisgah Highway. The area is known as the “Land of Waterfalls,” and it has that name for a reason. On my short drive, I spotted three of them. I also stopped at the visitor center and explored the historic Cradle of Forestry in America. Set aside on 6,500 acres, the Cradle of Forestry encompasses the buildings and history of the first forestry…

Animal lover? Aficionado of up-close, interactive learning? Seeker of unique experiences? If any of these descriptions apply, RV'ing at a big-cat wildlife sanctuary may be your ticket to adventure. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is a nonprofit organization that rescues exotic animal trade victims. Most animals are big cats, such as tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. Still, at any given time, they may also have monkeys, black bears, coatimundis and other types of rescued animals—sometimes up to 100 or more in residence. Many people became interested in—and wary of—tiger sanctuaries because of the hit 2020 Netflix documentary Tiger King. However, Turpentine Creek is a member of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and approved by PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, assuring that this is…

YOOPERS The upper peninsula of Michigan is a rugged and remote section of the U.S. that is unique and isolated. Why it's part of Michigan is a mystery to me because it shares a relatively long border with Wisconsin but has no contiguous border with Michigan. It's connected to Michigan only by an expansive bridge between Saint Ignace on the upper peninsula and Mackinaw City on the lower arm. Ferry is the only other way to get from Michigan's lower peninsula to the upper island. Upper Peninsula residents proudly think of themselves as unique from the rest of the residents in Michigan and refer to themselves as Yoopers. Many people I spoke to said they rarely go downstate, meaning they rarely go to the lower peninsula because everything they need…

When the Denver and Rio Grande Railway appeared on a swath of land in Southwestern Colorado in 1880, it quickly established the town of Durango. The town grew up around the railroad, built to service Silverton and the surrounding San Juan mining district. A mere five years later, the town was booming and packed with dance halls, stores, saloons, bakeries, blacksmith shops, hotels and restaurants. During the height of Durango's mining fame, 12 banks operated in this small town, helping manage the wealth flowing through the city's streets. Today, more than mere echoes of Durango's past can be seen, heard and experienced. The Strater Hotel opened in 1887 and operates to this day. Ragtime tunes from the corner saloon, Diamond Belle, still echo into the streets, calling patrons to step…

Asheville, North Carolina, is known for many things, including art, architecture and mountains. But you can't forget the beer. Let's talk about the beer! You could spend weeks, if not months, hitting every brewery in Asheville, aptly named Beer City, USA, four times. There are about 60 breweries, the most per capita in the country. With an unlimited flow of free water said to feature an excellent pH for making beer coming from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville plays host to large producers like New Belgium Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewery and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., as well as many smaller microbreweries. You can go all in with a tour and tasting at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s Mills River campus (100 Sierra Nevada Way) or take a more casual approach…