Whispering Pines in Tyler to join up with Jellystone

Whispering Pines RV and Cabin Resort will become the fifth Texas campground to join the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort network of family focused campgrounds. The official start date is Jan. 1.

The 30-year-old park has 133 RV sites and 18 park model cabins. Don and Jan Tardy acquired it in May. “I like the concept of Jellystone Park and I want to emphasize the fact that we are a park that caters to families,” said Don Tardy.

Jellystone Parks are known for offering family activities that include crafts, games, “hey rides,” birthday parties, and daily appearances by cartoon character Yogi Bear.

The Tardys run the park with their adult children Colt and Bree Perrin. They already have a head start on the family activities and amenities, including two salt water swimming pools and a fishing pond stocked with perch, bass and brim. And they have other plans.

“We’re about to add five more cabins and we have plans for other activities, including laser tag and a zip line,” Don Tardy said. “We will also put in a beach around our pond and add paddle boats, which we hope to have done by summertime. We also hope to eventually have a train.”

Whispering Pines also has four large meeting rooms with separate kitchens to accommodate large groups. Other amenities include basketball, horseshoe, ping pong, shuffleboard and volleyball courts, a camp store and a poolside cafe.

New trails at Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Last month, Palo Duro Canyon State Park inaugurated a new Cliffside trail that climbs 600 feet and offers breathtaking views of one of Texas’ most beautiful parks. The opening brings Palo Duro’s total to about 40 miles of hike, bike and equestrian trails throughout the 30,000-acre Park south of Amarillo. The park's campground has water and electric hookups.

Send for free Texas travel guide

The state of Texas will send you its 2012 official state travel guide, just for asking. Actually, you'll need to visit the Travel Tex website. If you would prefer to read the guide immediately online, you can do that, too. It includes 100 percent of the same information but zero percent of the paper. Either, way, you'll need to click here.

Guadalupe River RV Resort honored as best park

KERRVILLE, Texas, May 15, 2012 – Ever since Don Temple and a group of investors purchased Guadalupe River RV Resort seven years ago, they have constantly worked to improve the park, investing more than $1 million in improvements. Their efforts are paying off.

Last week, the riverfront resort won the “Park of the Year” award in the large park category from the Texas Association of Campground Owners for the third year in a row. It has also won top ratings from the nation’s leading campground directories.

The park borders the Guadalupe River with 212 RV sites including pull throughs with 30 and 50 amp service, as well as wireless Internet and cable television service. It also has 46 park models, 17 cabins, three swimming pools (including an indoor heated pool during the winter), hot tub, dry heat sauna, steam sauna, exercise room, laundry rooms and two large recreation halls, plus an attractive onsite bar with indoor and outdoor seating.

“We’re still the only RV park in Texas with a liquor license,” Temple said, adding that the onsite bar is a popular amenity for RVers who like to enjoy their drinks without having to worry about getting back on the road. Temple also has barbecues on weekends, which are always well attended.

The bar has also become a favored hangout for active and retired law enforcement officers, from Texas Rangers to U.S. Marshals, which helps ensure that Temple never has any problems with his bar patrons. “On any given night, there are at least five badges in the crowd,” he said. Temple is currently expanding the bar to include a new outdoor stage and dance floor.

But while the improvements and amenities and fine customer service ensure repeat business for his park, Temple said the ratings and awards help put Guadalupe River RV Resort on the map. “People pay attention to ratings,” he said.

For more information on Guadalupe River RV Resort visit the resort's website.

Some Texas campgrounds still have space for Memorial Day weekend

CROWLEY, Texas, May 14, 2012 – It’s not too late to book a campsite, cabin or cottage for Memorial Day weekend. At least 11 Texas campgrounds and RV parks still had availability for the holiday weekend as of Friday.

 “We sent out an email blast to over 350 of our affiliated campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in Texas and 11 responded right away to tell us they still had vacancies for Memorial Day weekend,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

Most of the parks that still have campsites, cabins or cottages available can be booked through TexasCampgrounds.com or TexasCabinRentals.net. But the association is also providing phone numbers and individual websites for these parks as well. They include:


Austin Lone Star RV Resort, a Carefree RV Resort in Austin, (512) 444-6322 or  www.carefreervresorts.com


Bay RV Park in San Leon, (713) 298-7088 or bayrvpark.com


Chimney Park RV Resort in Mission, (956) 585-5061 or chimneyparkresort.com


Fig Tree RV Resort in Harlingen, (956) 423-6699 or figtreervresort.com


Hill Country RV Resort & Cottage Rentals in New Braunfels: (830) 625-1919 or hillcountryrvresortnb.com


Mockingbird Hill RV Park in Burleson, (817) 295-3011 or mockingbirdrvpark.com


Sandy Lake RV Resort, a Carefree RV Resort in Carrollton, (972) 242-6808 or  carefreervresorts.com


Tejas Valley RV Park in San Antonio, (210) 679-7715 or tejasvalleyrvpark.com

Travelers World RV Resort, a Carefree RV Resort in San Antonio, (210) 532-8310 or carefreervresorts.com


Treetops RV Resort, a Carefree RV Resort in Arlington, (800) 747-0787 or carefreervresorts.com


Valley Gateway RV Park in Edinburg, (956) 381-1883 or valleygatewayrvpark.com

The Texas Association of Campground Operators publishes and distributes the Texas RV Travel & Camping Guide to Texas each year. For more information about the 2012 directory or for statistics involving the latest camping trends in Texas and New Mexico parks, please contact Brian Schaeffer at (817) 307-0129 or visit www.texascampgrounds.com and www.texascabinrentals.net.

Best way to keep Texas State Parks open? Visit them!

Visiting Texas State Parks with family and friends is one of the most important ways to help keep them open. Entrance and usage fees, overnight fees and state parks pass sales all go directly to fund park operations.

Texas State Parks are unique and beautiful places. From rugged mountains in far West Texas, to the legendary canyons of the Panhandle and countless miles of shoreline along lakes, rivers and beaches, they offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation while also conserving these natural and cultural resources for future generations. They're also affordable and family-friendly. In fact, children 12 and under get in free.

As of April 15 almost $2 million has been raised in support of the Texas State Parks system, which started 2012 facing a $4.5 million budget gap because of last year’s record drought, heat and wildfires. A total of $1,915,415 has been donated since Texas State Parks Department leaders appealed for help last December. In March alone, $521,853.91 arrived. Leaders say the most important thing Texans can do to help this spring is to visit state parks, since visitor fees pay about half the cost to operate the system. For information about visiting parks or to make a donation go to www.texasstateparks.org. --Jim Caruthers

Amarillo hosts free RV museum

Amarillo now stakes claim to being the home of the newest RV museum in the country. Jack Sisemore's Traveland RV Museum opened earlier this month and offers visitors a trip through RV time at no charge.

Included on the museum's 7,000 square foot show floor is the 1948 Flxible Clipper bus famous in the Robin Williams film, RV. You may recall the big red conversion bus known as "Happy Max" tailing the unfortunate family that Williams headed up on film.

Sisesmore hasn't limited his museum to just the Flyer. A visit to this website at www.rvmuseum.net reveals no less than 15 different rigs from the 1930's right into the 1970's, including what must have been one of the first commercially produced pop-up trailers.

The museum is open 8:30 to 6:00 weekdays, and 8:30 to 5:00 Saturdays, located at 4341 Canyon Drive, Amarillo, Texas.

photo: 1937 Kozy Kamp

New free online magazine debuts for Texas anglers

Just in time for spring fishing, Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine has launched its first-ever online-only digital extra, “Texas Fishing 2012.”

The 40-page digital publication features a 2012 fishing forecast by TPWD staffer and long-time outdoor writer Steve Lightfoot as well as a figurative tackle box full of topical articles aimed at making a fishing trip enjoyable and productive.

According to the publishers, readers will get "the same full, rich content and breathtaking photography you expect from Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine with lots of interactivity, including instructional videos and links to helpful agency information on all kinds of fishing topics."

The magazine can be viewed with a computer, tablet or smart phone. Read it.

The birding is good in Texas

While most animals and people find ways to cope with winter weather, an oasis awaits in the south for birds (and travelers) willing to make the trek, Encore RV Resorts reports.

Before winter arrives, hundreds of species of birds travel south each year in search of sustainable food, warmer climates and increased daylight hours. Two of the four major flyways in North America converge in south Texas, creating one of the nation’s premier hotspots for bird watching, said Greg Duncan, a company spokesperson.


RV snowbirds also find winter homes in south Texas. "Bird watching is a natural fit for RV campers and many plan their winter vacations to follow the birds’ paths," said Duncan. "Traveling south like the flocks they chase, bird watching enthusiasts use RVs as a home base allowing for mobility and comfort."

Along the Texas coast and in the watersheds of the Rio Grand Valley, migratory birds make stopovers on their way to destinations farther south or find winter homes until mid-spring. With such a high concentration of different species in south Texas, RV birders can set up in one spot and still check plenty of birds off their must-see lists.

Encore RV Resorts provides eight premier RV resorts in the prime bird-watching region of south Texas. "Encore offers RV bird watchers safe and friendly campgrounds with resort-style amenities to call home for the season or just the weekend," said Duncan.
Using Encore RV Resorts as a home base, novice and veteran RV birders can find multiple places to observe their favorite birds, he explained.

"The dune meadows and salt marshes of the South Padre Island coast attract many different species of birds, including endangered species such as the piping plover, peregrine falcon and brown pelican," said Duncan. "Further inland, green jays and buff-bellied hummingbirds flitter around the verdant, tropical landscape. Bird watchers may have the opportunity to see rare birds too. The black-vented oriole was recently spotted in the south Texas area."

Beginning RV bird watchers can look for guidance at the World Bird Center. Attracting new bird enthusiasts as well as expert birders, this network of nine different sites offers unique opportunities for viewing birds and other wildlife. Developed in conjunction with the Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and nine Rio Grande Valley communities, the WBC provides prime viewing stations, watching towers, interpretive centers and programs. Besides guided tours, the WBC offers guests hands-on, educational exhibits for the curious birder.

RV birders will also find the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail a desirable setting to find birds, said Duncan. Developed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, this system of trails offers hiking and driving options with boardwalks, parking pullouts and observation platforms. Trails meander through some of the well-known birding sites while also offering more ambitious birders the opportunity to reach more secluded spots.

"Whether just starting out as a bird watcher or are an aspiring ornithologist, south Texas’ location and diverse habitats attract hundreds of species of birds to the area. Encore RV Resorts give RV’ing bird watchers a great place to stay while experiencing this birding paradise," said Duncan.
The following Encore Resorts are located in the heart of Texas' birding country:

• Country Sunshine RV Resort – 1601 S. Airport Road, Weslaco, TX 78596
• Fun N Sun RV Resort – 1400 Zillock Road, San Benito, TX 78586
• Lakewood RV Resort – 4525 Graham Road, Harlingen, TX 78552
• Paradise Park RV Resort – 1201 N. Expressway 77, Harlingen, TX 78552
• Paradise South RV Resort – 9099 N. Mile 2 West Road, Mercedes, TX 78570
• Southern Comfort RV Resort – 1501 S. Airport Drive, Weslaco, TX 78596
• Sunshine RV Resort – 1900 Grace Ave., Harlingen, TX 78550
• Tropic Winds RV Resort – 1501 N. Loop 499, Harlingen, TX 78550

For more information or to make a reservation, call 866.730.0637 or visit www.RVontheGo.com.

Source: Encore RV Resorts. Photo: Black Headed Nightengale Thrush, courtesy City of Pharr, Texas

Texans respond to call for help for state's parks

After facing wildfires, heat, and drought, by year's end a $4.6 million revenue shortfall plagued the Texas State Park system. When officials put out the word that parks needed financial help, the question was, would the public respond? It seems the answer is clear.

More than $335,000 came rolling in after the December call for tax-deductable donations prior to the end of 2011 tax year. "We are tremendously encouraged and very grateful that we’ve received upwards of $335,000 in barely three weeks, with steady donations continuing to come in," said Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director. "That includes a single generous gift of $250,000, and we’re hopeful that with more like that, we will reach our $4.6 million goal. But every donation, no matter the size, is important and appreciated."

From December 6 through 27, people had donated $64,826 online. Another $20,685 had been mailed in, including one check for $10,000. And officials said a steady stream of donations continues to come in each day. To make donations easier, park officials point out ways the public can help:

• Go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/helpparks to make a tax-deductible donation.
• Make a donation when you renew your motor vehicle registration.
• Finally, because visitor fees pay for about half of park system operating costs, visit state parks often with family and friends.

Texas parks are feeling more than just financial relief: All but about 10 of the 94 Texas State Parks have lifted burn bans, a big change since nearly two-thirds of the parks were not allowing ground campfires this fall because of drought and wildfire danger. Check each park’s web page online for the latest information. 



Brazos Bend State Park, Theodore Scott on flickr.com