If you have traveled through the west in the past few years, most likely you have noticed the rusty-colored, dead trees that cover the hillsides – the result of pine beetle infestations. At a recent Future Forests Summit encouraging news was heard – scientists are confident that these beetle-infected forests throughout the west will regenerate. […]
Here’s a statistic that may surprise you: Grandparents now account for one-third of all leisure travelers. Wow. Trip Advisor’s annual family travel survey reported that family travel rose 6 percent in 2011, and 38 percent of families planned multigenerational trips. Today’s baby-boomer grandparents do things differently than our parents and grandparents did. Not only do […]
Not long ago I read about a ranger from Grand Canyon National Park, Lisa Hendy, who was named the recipient of the 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award. This award is the highest honor bestowed on a park ranger, but as I read about this ranger’s skills, I was amazed: “She’s fought structural and […]
The San Francisco Bay is one of the most beautiful locations in the world, and this is a banner year to see it. The Golden Gate Bridge turned 75 on May 27, marking the day in 1937 when “the bridge that couldn’t be built” officially opened to worldwide acclaim. In addition, San Francisco will welcome […]
When you drive through the west, it isn’t uncommon to see large numbers of antelope dotting the countryside. Yellowstone is home to the last remaining northern pronghorn (antelope) herd, numbering around 200, and they are at risk. Disease, harsh winters, harassment from predators, and degraded habitat are all factors. They have survived since the Pleistocene […]
The city of Cody, Wyoming was founded in 1896 and named for Colonel William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody. If you plan to pass through there on your way to or from Yellowstone National Park (it is just 50 miles from the east gate), set aside some time to visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Even […]
Here at Tracks & Trails, green is good! Two of our vendors, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, and Aramark Parks & Resorts, are dedicated to environmental protection, and we are pleased to be able to support their business philosophy. Xanterra is the nation’s largest park concessioner, with its 31 hotels, 55 retail stores, 68 restaurants, […]
The National Park Service has begun renovations aimed at relieving traffic congestion and improving safety at the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, Montana. That’s good news for our clients who pick their RV up in Billings and travel over the Beartooth Highway to Yellowstone. This road is used for those visitors traveling […]
One of the challenges of RV travel for families is to put away the electronics and enjoy being in the great outdoors without these distractions. For some, this is no small task – and not just the kids struggle with this! One blogger wrote, “As I feared, I went through TWS (technology withdrawal syndrome), a […]
Travel on U.S. Highway 93 has become much easier with the completion of the four-lane Hoover Dam Bypass, which also has become something of a tourist attraction. Before the bypass was completed, traffic used the top of Hoover Dam to cross the Colorado River. It was the major commercial corridor between the states of Arizona, […]
