Spring Blooms: Driving the Great Plains, the Deserts and the Rockies

The Great Plains is great for RVing. The sites are beautiful and everyday you will see beautiful fields of prairie and wildlife. Many states make-up the Great Plains including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming and even parts of Canada. The Great Plains lies east of the Appalachian Plateau. The High Plains area consists of eastern New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, western Kansas, Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming. The Great Plains is sparsely populated in areas and there are over six thousand ghost towns in Kansas alone. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1920s and 1930s was the main cause for the Great Plains losing its population. There are also many great RVing sites and historical sites to see in these states. Today, these states are still thriving while parts of them may seem barren.

Colorado is best known for the state great skiing areas and the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains contain many famous peaks including Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, Mount Evans, and the Spanish Peaks. Colorado also contains the Continental Divide on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. To the west of the Continental Divide lies the Western Slope. Colorado is known for great ski resorts but these resorts are also very beautiful in the spring and offer many springtime outdoors activities such as fishing, camping, hiking, biking, hunting and horseback riding.

Kansas features numerous national parks and historic sites including the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, Kansas. Located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, the Tallgrass Prairie preserves over 10,849 acres of land. The land was purchased by the National Park Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The park features five maintained hiking trails in the preserve that allow visitors to access the prairie. In the summer months there are narrated bus tours. Kansas is also home to the Pony Express Historical Trail. The Pony Express was the fastest mail service in North America from April 1860 until November 1861. Today, they are holding reenactments of the Pony Express. Young and orphaned boys on horseback relayed mail. The route in Kansas follows what is now US 36 from St. Joseph, Kansas to Marysville, Kansas. The Oregon Trail played a very important part in Americaâ€™s history. This route was traveled by many pioneers who migrated to the Oregon Territory. The trail began in Independence, Kansas and followed the Santa Fe Trail south of the Kansas River. At Topeka, the trail crossed the river and headed towards Nebraska. Fort Leavenworth, Kansas was also another starting point for the Oregon Trail.

Tourism is a huge part of Montana's economy and the best time to visit is in the spring so that you avoid the heavy snowfall of Montana. Glacier National Park is one of the most famous parks in Montana and includes 2 mountain ranges, 130 named lakes, 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals. There are famous roads and landmarks in the park including the Going to the Sun Road. The road crosses the heart of the ark, the Continental Divide and allows visitors awesome views of the Lewis and Livingston Mountains. There are several dense forests, alpine tundra, waterfalls and lakes. There are also five historic hotels and Chalets along the road. Yellowstone National Park is another favorite park amongst the RV community. In fact, Yellowstone is usually at the top of the list for new RVers as well. Yellowstone is located in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The park has famous geysers, hot springs and geothermal hotspots. The park is also home to grizzly bears, bison, elk and wolves. The most famous geyser is named Old Faithful. Montana is also known for the Battle of Little Bighorn. This battle is famous as Custer's Last Stand. At this battle the Native Americans persevered and annihilated the army of L. Col. George Armstrong Custard. This is a great historical site to visit as an RVer.

Nebraska was once considered the Great American Desert. Morrill County, Nebraska is famous for Chimney Rock. The rock rises 300 feet above the North Platte River Valley. The rock served as a landmark for the Oregon Trail, the California Trail and the Mormon Trail. The California Trail was also a major emigrant route for farmers and gold-seekers. The trail was developed during the gold rush to California. Nebraska features another rock formation that was also vital in the Oregon and Mormon Trails. This rock is located in Scotts Bluff County. The Scotts Bluff National Monument consists of five rock formations. These rock formations are Crown Rock, Dome Rock, Eagle Rock, Saddle Rock and Sentinel Rock. There are many trails in this area and the monument is located off Nebraska State Highway 92.

There are numerous tourism areas in New Mexico. Santa Fe, Taos, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, White Sands National Monument, Albuquerque, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Gila Cliff Dwellings, The Pinos Altos (Ghost town), Roswell and Fort Sumner are among the most toured cities. Among the most interesting is The Pinos Altos near Silver City. Locals claim that there are several haunted places in the town including a house and bar. There has also been an obscure floating light in the area but it is no longer seen due the traffic and new housing projects that are nearby. The ghost town was a gold mining town during the 1800-1900s. Roswell is also popular as it is believed to have been an UFO landing site and the government performs many top-secret activities there. Roswell is a very popular RVing community. Santa Fe and Taos are both popular art communities and Taos is a large ski resort area.

There are several festivals and events that are held in North Dakota annually. These include the North Dakota State Fair, the Big Iron Farm Show, and the North Dakota winter Show. There are also several art museums located throughout Fargo, North Dakota. The Enchanted Highway is an interesting site that consists of large metal sculptures including The Tin Family, Teddy Rides Again, Geese in Flight and Deer Crossing. Other various attractions include Lawrence Welk Homestead and the North Dakota Horse Park.

South Dakota is famous for the Badlands National Park. This area is a preserve of 242,756 acres of various rock structures and grasses. The wilderness area is dedicated to the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. The Oglala Sioux Indians co-manage The Stronghold Unit and includes sites of ghost dances and the former United States Air Force bomb.

Oklahoma has often been referred to as America's Heartland. Oklahoma is a great place for spring RV trips. You will find numerous lakes that are excellent for RVing. Grand Lake is located in Grove, Oklahoma. This lake is known for great bass fishing, beautiful RV resorts and beautiful lakeside houses. The town is small and very much centered around the lake lifestyle. There are several resorts that also have nationwide membership programs so that you can save on various other campgrounds across the country. There are several other lakes that are popular for boating, swimming and camping including Oologah Lake, Skiatook Lake, Lake Eufaula, and Keystone Lake. These lakes are located in the Green Country portion of Oklahoma. There are numerous lakes and rivers in this area as well as the states only national forests. The Arkansas River is the state's largest river. Most of the Arkansas River in the Tulsa area is not safe for swimming and boating due to quicksand, however, there are different parts of the river that are used for whitewater rafting. There are also several small lakes that are also great for secluded camping and fishing.

Texas is the largest state and there is so much to visit here. The Chisos Mountains Lodge is located in the Big Bend National Park. The Chisos Mountains are located along the big bend in the Rio Grand River on the Texas/Mexico border. It is a place where the desert and the river meets, making it a beautiful place to visit. The Chisos Mountains are the only complete mountain range within a national park in the United States. The best way to see the Chisos Mountains is to explore it by hiking or biking. There are also other services available at Big Bend National Park such as river rafting, camping and wildlife watching. The Guadalupe Mountains are located 110 miles from El Paso. They can be entered from El Paso, Texas or Carlsbad, New Mexico. The mountains have a long history dating back to Native Americans from over 10,000 years ago. They offer camping, backpacking, wildlife viewing and a look at culture over 10,000 years old. The Palo Duro Canyon is The Grand Canyon of Texas. The canyon has an abundance of juniper and mesquite trees. The canyon was opened in the 1934 and the Civilian Conservation Corporation built most of the buildings and roads still used in the canyon today. The canyon is a great place to bring the family for Texas camping under the West Texas stars or for the summer nightly showings of Texas in the outdoor amphitheater.

Wyoming features several mountain ranges including the Rocky Mountains, the Snowy Range, the Wind River Range and the Big Horn Mountains. The Teton Range is the most impressive range in the state and features Grand Teton Peak and the Grand Teton National Park.

Exploring the western part of the country is exciting and awe inspiring. There is so much to do and explore in these states that you will never run out of exciting destinations and places to explore------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you are a business owner get listed at Best Travel Site, part of Localwin Network.