Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Best known for globally significant Late Triassic fossils, the park attracts geologists, paleontologists, archaeologists, historians, and biologists, just to name a few. The park is also haven for those searching for scenic vistas, wilderness, hiking, dark skies, and beautiful, vast landscapes. Discover your own passion at Petrified Forest!

Travel through the park is by private vehicle, bicycle, motorcycle, or commercial tour only. The park road, parking lots, and pull outs are suitable for large recreation vehicles, including those towing smaller vehicles. Off road vehicle travel is not allowed within the park, including mountain bikes. Travel time through the park is at least 45 minutes, though an average visit is 2-3 hours with stops at viewpoints or trails along the park road.

Petrified Forest has much to offer all visitors; limitless views, a fascinating geologic story, some of the cleanest air in the United States, and an enthralling human history. The park also features rugged terrain and historic buildings that may offer challenges to visitors with disabilities.

Outdoor park activities include sightseeing, walking trails with your pet on a leash, photography, hiking, EarthCaching, horseback riding, backpacking, photography, and wildlife and bird watching. The park also has over 52,000 acres of designated wilderness you can explore.

Did you know that Petrified Forest is the only national park that protects a section of Route 66 within its boundaries? Historically Route 66 brought visitors along the rim of the scenic Painted Desert.

Petrified Forest National Park EarthCache Program! This National Park Service-sponsored recreational activity leads you to some of the park's significant geological resources. Using your own Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and a set of clues obtained from this website and hidden along the journey, you can guide yourself to a series of sites in the park.

What is Geocaching?
Geocaching is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking treasure. A geocacher can place a geocache in the world, pinpoint its location using GPS technology and then share the geocache's existence and location online. Anyone with a GPS device can then try to locate the geocache.

What is an EarthCache?
An EarthCache is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. EarthCaches include a set of educational notes and the details about where to find the location (latitude and longitude). There is no physical (traditional) geocache involved in an EarthCache! Visitors to EarthCaches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth.

Painted Desert Visitor Center provides information, book sales, exhibits, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A restaurant, gift shop, gas station, and convenience store are adjacent to the visitor center.

Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, located at Kachina Point, once served as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. From the inn, you may view distant vistas and exhibits while touring this historic building.

Rainbow Forest Museum provides exhibits of petrified wood, fossils, and displays of prehistoric animals as well as information, book sales, and restrooms. Timeless Impressions, a free orientation film about the park, is shown every half hour. A gift shop and a seasonal snack bar are located nearby.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Experience Full Service

Need to travel on business or leisure, Rawhide Travel and Tours will make it happen. We will arrange your flights, rail, hotel and car rentals. Let us assist you in planning your upcoming business trip. We're also available to help you plan that exciting vacation.

Want a small hotel or a luxury resort? Let Rawhide Travel and Tours customize the perfect spot just for you! We have many choices.  Let Us Help You Get Lost.

Call us at (602) 843-5100. Check out our website: rawhidetravel.com or email us at flythis@rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

In the News: New Water-Park Attractions for 2014

This winter's polar vortex, arctic blast, and Deep South snow have us yearning for days of summer. But until swimsuit season arrives, we can look forward to new water parks and attractions coming in 2014. These mild to wild additions include everything from a sublime float-through oasis, to highly themed indoor and outdoor resorts, to a high-speed drop taller than Niagara Falls.

Verrückt Meg-a-Blaster, Schlitterbahn Kansas City, Kansas
The most anticipated new water attraction of the year is 17 stories high, taller than Niagara Falls, and steeper than any ski slope. Riders plummet at speeds of 65 mph in a four-person raft with a multistory uphill "water coaster" blast after the initial plunge. The creators of this speed slide acknowledge how crazy the concept is — the name Verrückt is German for insane. Yes, seat belts are required. Opening day is May 23.

Schlitterbahn Beach Country, Corpus Christi, Texas
Elsewhere, the Schlitterbahn family of water parks, which feature some of the most extreme slides on the planet, will open its fifth park on Padre Island in Corpus Christi this summer. Centerpiece attractions of the 65-acre park include a Torrent Tidal Wave River (nothing lazy about it), a Boogie Bahn surfing ride, and a fast, high-splash ride called Shoot the Chute.

Roa's Aviary, SeaWorld Aquatica San Antonio
Get back to nature and float through a sanctuary with 300 birds of 50 different species in the serene Roa's Aviary addition to SeaWorld San Antonio's Aquatica water park. Guests can float, wade or walk among the tropical birds, some of which are threatened or endangered species.

Ihu's Breakaway Falls, SeaWorld Aquatica Orlando
The tallest, steepest and only multislide ride of its kind in Florida's theme park mecca will be found at SeaWorld's Aquatica in Orlando. Ihu's Breakaway Falls will top 105 feet and cause riders to gasp when a trap door opens beneath their feet dropping them into a thrilling high-speed plunge.

Legends of Chima Water Park, Legoland California, Carlsbad, CA
This summer, a highly themed Lego "Legends of Chima" water park expansion comes to Legoland California with a floating "Mount Cavora" in the Lion Temple Wave Pool as well as a splash ground equipped with slides, water cannons, and "Eglor's Build-A-Boat" where kids can create and race their own Lego crafts.

Great Wolf Lodge New England, Fitchburg, MA
The Northwoods themed all-suite, indoor water park resort will open its first property in New England, coming to the Boston area in June. Water park highlights include a wave pool, splash ground climbing structure with obligatory dump bucket, and eight different water slides including a six-story "Howling Tornado" funnel, and "Wolf Tail" trap-door drop slide with a 360 degree loop.

Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA
The Atlanta area Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park will complete the largest expansion in its history when the Hurricane Harbor water park opens. The all-new park will include a Hurricane Bay wave pool, Paradise Island children's area, as well as Tsunami Slide and Bonsai Pipeline multislide towers. Admission to Hurricane Harbor is included with admission to Six Flags.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

 Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Off the Beaten Track: Coral Castle, Homestead, Florida

If you had visited Coral Castle in the 1940s you would have been greeted enthusiastically by a man weighing a mere 100 pounds and standing just over 5 feet tall. He would have asked you for ten cents admission and introduced you to his fantasy world.

As you moved around his sculpture garden in stone, and the significance of each piece was explained, you would have been witness to the great pride Ed Leedskalnin took in his work. 

Since it is documented that no one ever witnessed Ed’s labor in building his beloved Coral Castle, some have said he had supernatural powers. Ed would only say that he knew the secrets used to build the ancient pyramids and if he could learn them, you could too.

Today, you can tour the Coral Castle using our audio stands, with narration available in English, Spanish, French or German. We also have knowledgeable guides available to conduct tours. Features of the Coral Castle Museum include a 9-ton gate that moves with just a touch of the finger, a Polaris telescope and functioning rocking chairs – all made entirely of stone.

We wonder what was the inspiration that could cause a man to spend 28 years to carve a Coral Castle from the ground up using nothing but home made tools. An homage to unrequited love? Perhaps to illustrate ancient sciences that defy gravity? Or maybe just sheer, raw human determination? The Coral Castle is an everlasting mystery to those who explore it.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Culinary Travel: France

Three things sum up Normandy: Camembert, cider and cows. Spread along the Channel coastline between Brittany and the far reaches of northeast France, Normandy is where the green, pleasant French countryside smacks hard into the rolling waves of La Manche (the Channel). It’s a place of churned butter and soft runny cheese, where broad fields and dry-stone farmhouses perch on the edge of chalk-white cliffs, and the salty tang of the sea is in the air.

Normandy is an enticing blend of old and new. Fishing boats jostle with designer yachts in the harbour of Honfleur; contemporary restaurants and chic boutiques sit alongside half-timbered houses and Gothic churches in Rouen; and the reconstructed centre of Caen is a short drive away from the cobblestones of Bayeux. Whether it’s browsing the Normandy fish market, mixing with the high-rollers at Deauville and Trouville, or strolling the D-Day beaches north of  Bayeux, this is one part of France that will stay with you long after you leave for home.

Normandy, the land of Camembert, calvados, cider, romantic villages and picture-perfect rolling hills, is among the richest and most beautiful regions in all of France. With miles of coastline bordering the English Channel, Norman cuisine abounds with treasures from this rich and diverse area.

Fricassee is a classic French stew of chicken and vegetables, cooked in white wine and finished with a touch of cream. The light tarragon-infused sauce begs to be sopped up with crusty bread.

By the general description of frying and then braising in liquid, there are recipes for fricassee as far back as the earliest version of the medieval French cookbook Le Viandier, circa 1300. In 1490, it is first referred to specifically as "friquassee" in the print edition of Le Viandier.

Chicken Fricassee with Tarragon

Serves: 4

Total Time: 50 min

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs  bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
1/4 tsp    salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 T     all-purpose flour
1 T     extra-virgin olive oil
5 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 C dry white wine
1 1/2 C  reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lb button mushrooms, wiped clean and halved or quartered
4 sprig(s) fresh tarragon, plus 4 teaspoons chopped (see Substitution Note)
1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/4 C   reduced-fat sour cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add chicken; cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add shallots to the pan; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.

Add broth; bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan; add carrot, mushrooms and tarragon sprigs. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender and no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm. Discard tarragon sprigs. Increase heat to medium-high. Simmer the cooking liquid for 2 to 3 minutes to intensify flavor. Add cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in sour cream, mustard and chopped tarragon. Serve immediately.

Tips & Techniques
Substitution note: You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon instead of fresh. Add it all at once in Step 3.

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

 Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Big enough to be overwhelming, still intimate enough to feel the pulse of time, Black Canyon of the Gunnison exposes you to some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America. With two million years to work, the Gunnison River, along with the forces of weathering, has sculpted this vertical wilderness of rock, water, and sky.

Prepare yourself for 2,000 foot tall, narrow canyon walls dropping almost vertically to the Gunnison River.

The Black Canyon is known for crumbling rock, dizzying heights, and a lack of places to place protective equipment. Rock climbing is a challenge limited to highly experienced, expert climbers only.

There are no maintained or marked trails into the inner canyon. Routes are difficult to follow, and only individuals in excellent physical condition should attempt these hikes.

Scenic Drives

South Rim Road
The South Rim Drive is 7 miles from Tomichi Point to High Point, and has 12 overlooks. Most are reached by walking a short trail. Allow 2-3 hours to view several overlooks. Those with limited time should consider stopping at Gunnison Point, Chasm View, Painted Wall and Sunset View.

The South Rim Visitor Center, which features exhibits on the canyon, is located at Gunnison Point. The visitor center is open daily throughout the summer, and most days of the week the rest of the year. The South Rim Road beyond Gunnison Point is closed to vehicles in winter.

North Rim Road
The North Rim is reached by taking a gravel road from the east end of Crawford State Park. The North Rim Road provides access to 6 overlooks. The canyon walls on the North Rim are almost vertical, offering some of the most impressive views found in the national park. Allow 2-3 hours for a leisurely tour.

Information is available at the North Rim Ranger Station, open intermittently in summer. The North Rim Road is closed in winter.


East Portal Road
Those wishing to drive to the Gunnison River may do so by taking the East Portal Road. This provides access into Curecanti National Recreation Area where camping, picnicking and fishing are available. East Portal Road is closed in winter.

The road is extremely steep (16% grades) with hairpin curves. Vehicles with an overall length (including trailer) greater than 22 feet are prohibited on the East Portal Road. Trailers may be left unhitched and left at a parking area at the campground entrance. 

Another access, located at Cimarron (18 miles east via Highway 50), provides an alternative drive to the Gunnison River and Curecanti National Recreation Area.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona 85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com

Update: Rawhide Travel and Tours Holiday Tree

Our little tree is back in the Valley of the Sun, leaving behind the cold weather of New Hampshire. He is looking forward to celebrating St Patricks Day.

Did You Know?

One of the longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parades in North America occurs each year in Montreal, whose city flag includes a shamrock in its lower-right quadrant. The parades have been held continually since 1824.

Chicago is known for its modern day miracle occuring each year as part of the St. Patricks Day Parade celebration when the Chicago River turns an incredible shade of Irish green. For over 40 years, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers turn the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick's Day Parade celebration.

The very first St. Patrick’s Day parade was not in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737.

Over 100 US cities hold a parade every year. Some of the other biggest St. Patrick’s Day parades are in Chicago, Illinois and Savannah, Georgia.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, 110 million people will celebrate the day by wearing green, making an Irish-inspired meal, or going out to celebrate.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Make sure you stop by the the blog frequently as we will feature the tree every month. Better yet, stop by Rawhide Travel and Tours' office at 6008 West Bell Road and visit our tree in person and make sure you say hi to Ron, Diana and Debbie. You will be more than welcome.

Call Rawhide Travel and Tours and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

Presented By:
Rawhide Travel and Tours Inc
6008 West Bell Road # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
rawhidetravel.com