The Best of Burning Man 2009 - The Man

This is part of a series of posts about Burning Man 2009 submitted to us by a friend who attended the event...

"The Man" at Burning Man 2009 consisted of irregular wooden triangles surrounding The Man; no two triangles were alike. It was supported by a central tree, with a beribboned double helix. The structure changed appearance unexpectedly during the week, time of day, weather and finally the burn.

The Man at Sunrise

The Man Early Evening

The Man at Night

Also see:

• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - Black Rock Brews
• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - The Technology of Burning Man
  
• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - The Creativity of Burning Man
  
• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - Sunrise on the Playa

RV Camping Inside Yellowstone National Park

With numerous campgrounds operated within the Park itself, and a wide variety of private RV campgrounds nearby, finding a place to park your RV rental isn't difficult. Here are some basic guidelines for finding an RV campsite within the Park:

• The twelve campgrounds within Yellowstone are operated by a private firm, and several are on a first-come-first-served basis for campsites.
• RV campers not planning to stay another night must check out by 10 a.m. at these campgrounds. Arm yourself with a plan for which campgrounds interest you and be there to claim your site.
• Here is a wonderful website with comprehensive information about all Yellowstone campgrounds, as well as many RV campgrounds outside the Park. You can also use this site to find how to reserve campsites in campgrounds that take reservations.
• Camping along roadways or in undeveloped areas isn't allowed at Yellowstone. One more important rule to plan for: generators aren't allowed after 8 p.m. at most campgrounds.
• Yellowstone is a wild and wooly place! Bears, wolves, bison and coyotes are only a few of the species roaming the park. Food, cooking utensils, coolers and anything that might attract animals must be stored inside your RV unless being used.
• Yellowstone is enormous! More than two million acres, spread across Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, make this Park the perfect place to camp for a week, or two. It also makes drive times outside the norm. It's common for campgrounds to be twenty or thirty miles beyond the closest entrance, so plan your arrival times accordingly.
• Your RV is a comfortable way to view the remarkable beauty of Yellowstone. Grand Loop Road takes you around the Park to most of the major attractions. Plan several hours to traverse this one hundred forty two mile series of figure eights, designed way back in 1883!

RVing to the Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival

Need a quick, late autumn RV camping vacation that includes music, hot air balloons and worthy causes? The Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival is held each year in late November in Yuma, Arizona. Located in the far southwest corner of the state, a stone's throw from both California and Mexico, Yuma hosts this fabulous festival that raises money for local charities.

Here are the five top reasons RV campers will love this Balloon Festival.

1. Great Location!
   The Colorado River runs through Yuma, and the Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival is set against its wild beauty. Imagine waking up to dozens of balloons rising on the riverbank, with picturesque mountains as a backdrop! Three different venues in this Sonoran Desert city set the stage for the three day invitational Festival.


2. Great Events!
   One of the things that make this Balloon Festival unique is the variety of venues for Festival events. A special Media Flight lifts off from the grounds of a local school, and mass ascensions each day are based at a scenic park. The crowning event of the weekend, a sundown tethered balloon "glow" set to music, takes place at Desert Sun Stadium. You won't have time to be bored on this RV camping trip. There are colorful, thrilling events occurring everywhere you turn!


3. Great Balloons!
   Did we mention this is an invitational Balloon Festival? That means that only about three dozen top-notch balloonists from around the world are invited to take part in the three-day Festival. You'll be amazed at their expertise is piloting their balloons during the weekend.


4. Great People!
   The City of Yuma, civic-minded corporations and an organization called the Caballeros de Yuma go all out to make this annual invitational Festival a family event. Not only do the Caballeros raise money for scholarships and charities by operating the event, there are also connections to kids throughout the Festival. One very special annual tradition is the Tissue Balloon Launch featuring miniature hot air balloons created by area children. Another great Balloon Festival community tradition—breakfast made by local law enforcement during the early morning ascensions!


5. Great RV Camping!
   Pick up your luxurious RV rental at our Phoenix RV Rentals office and head south to Yuma for a weekend of Balloon Festival fun. While in Yuma, plan to stay at Shangri-La RV Resort, a large, full-service RV resort and campground. With all the amenities you could possibly need right there in the neighborhood, your Balloon Festival RV camping adventure will be memorable.
   
   Just twelve miles west of Yuma, you can also experience desert camping with full hookups at Gold Rock Ranch RV Campground in Winterhaven, California. If you've never experienced the Southern California desert by RV, this is the place to do it!
   
   There's still time to plan a fabulous Balloon Festival weekend in Yuma. Grab the kids, pack your casual clothes and make your RV reservation today! What better way to spend a November weekend than immersed in music, hot air balloons and RV camping fun?

Gemstone Hunting RV Camping Ideas in North Carolina and Georgia

A perennial family favorite in the Eastern US is Gem Mountain in Spruce Mountain, North Carolina. Located along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway in the area known as "Little Switzerland," this family destination offers mine tours and the chance to screen for Crabtree Emeralds and Brushy Creek Aquamarines. Park your RV nearby at the Bear Den in Mount Pisgah National Forest.

For a truly Southern gem prospecting adventure, join the owner of the Hogg Mine near LaGrange, Georgia most Saturday mornings for a day of surface fee mining for aquamarine beryls, tourmaline crystals and literally boulders full of rose quartz!

The Red Rock Balloon Rally

Seven miles east of Gallup, New Mexico, in some truly spectacular surroundings, Red Rock State Park has hosted the Red Rock Balloon Rally for twenty nine years! Our readers love this balloon fest, the second largest in the world, and we wanted to pass along this idea for a great RV camping vacation. Sit back and listen about how these wild canyons are transformed every December near Gallup, New Mexico.

The Destination
Just off I-40, about two hours west of Albuquerque, Red Rock State Park is a photographer's paradise. Smooth red rock bluffs surround the park on three sides, making this six hundred acre park the perfect setting for an international balloon rally.

Besides the vast red rock canyons in the area, the site of the Rally also offers a big taste of Native American culture. The Red Rock Museum features art and cultural displays from the Zuni, Hopi and Navajo cultures, as well as the ancient Anasazi who once inhabited the area. And, one more reason motorhome campers love this Rally - it's free to anyone who wants to come & watch!

The Event
Much more than just a major hot air balloon event, this huge festival raises thousands of dollars each year for area charities. Balloon crews from around the world gather the first week of December for three days of balloon races, mass ascensions and sundown balloon glows that will have your camera snapping.

If you've never attended a balloon rally, this is the perfect place to start! RV campers from all over have been fascinated by exciting events like the balloon races, in which balloon crews move from target to target, dropping their markers. And we can't even describe how awesome it is watching dozens of balloons “light up” in the evening sky against a backdrop of red rock bluffs.

In the midst of all that color and action, Red Rock Balloon Rally takes on its own unique flavor with the added ingredient of Native American culture. Special ceremonial dances, held as official Rally events, allow visitors a glimpse into ancient rituals. Native artisans sell pottery, jewelry and other handcrafted art throughout the Rally, so plan to come away with some wonderful finds.

The RV Camping Possibilities
Ready to roll to Red Rock? Here are some suggestions for making this your best RV camping trip ever! If you don't own a motorhome, call the El Monte RV Albuquerque Rentals office. They'll reserve a luxurious RV and help point you down the road to Red Rock State Park.

There's a very well-equipped RV campground on Route 66, in nearby Gallup. USA RV Park is in a scenic mountain setting and offers all the amenities motorhome campers could hope to find. There's also the large KOA Gallup Kampground within minutes of the Balloon Rally site. It features large pull-thru campsites, wifi, cable and a campground store for your convenience. Either way, your RV camping vacation will be a memorable one, thanks to the great campgrounds available near Red Rock.

We hope this stirs your interest to see the wonder that is Red Rock Balloon Rally! Book your El Monte RV Rentals motorhome now and plan to spend some time at the Rally this December. It could be just the lift your spirits need!

Gemstone Hunting RV Camping Ideas in Nevada

Nevada has been the site of fabulous gemstone finds, and the Garnet Hill Recreation Area near Ely is very popular with prospectors. Search two square miles of public land for likely garnet-containing specimens, and be sure to bring your rock hammer for breaking them! Camp just fifteen miles away at Cave Lake State Park, or really relish this remote region with a visit to Great Basin National Park, sixty miles east at the Utah/Nevada border. Both parks offer RV camping facilities.

In the remote desert of northwest Nevada near Denio, the Virgin Valley offers gem prospectors the opportunity to mine for precious black opal at three fee mining sites. Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine, has yielded gorgeous specimens. The Royal Peacock Opal Mine, has RV camping available onsite, and allows both "tailings digging" or "bank digging," depending on how much you plan to spend. You can also search mine tailings for black opals or "fire opals," at the Bonanza Opal Mine in the Valley. A large, free campsite without hookups can be found at Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge near the Bonanza Mine.

For an RV Rental for your Nevada gem hunting vacation, check out the El Monte RV Las Vegas RV Rentals or Reno RV Rentals locations.

The Best of Burning Man 2009 - Black Rock Brews

This is the 4th in a series of posts about Burning Man 2009 submitted to us by a friend who attended the event...

Black Rock Brews was a theme camp for beer lovers to come and belly up to the bar or relax on the couches enjoying the pour of the day. The day we stumbled on Black Rock Brews they were pouring a hoppy Belgian that was really good.

Black Rock Brews at Burning Man 2009

Also see:

• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - The Technology of Burning Man
  
• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - The Creativity of Burning Man
  
• The Best of Burning Man 2009 - Sunrise on the Playa