Archive for the ‘Mystery Mondays’ Category

If there’s one thing I love, it’s adding new products to the EatStayPlay.com Shop. And this week I’m not just promoting one new product but TWO!

Payson Recreation Guide

The first is Payson Recreation Guide. This guide is another of the free eGuides that focuses on outdoor recreation for an Arizona city. Payson is the “Heart of Arizona.” Visitors who arrive at this north-central Arizona town during any of the area’s four distinct seasons will find a multitude of choices for outdoor recreation from hiking, fishing, hunting, and camping to exploring wilderness areas

Payson, Arizona also offers a wide variety of trails for hiking, mountain biking or riding horses.  Plus, Payson is surrounded by THREE National Forests for endless outdoor recreation fun.

Get the Payson Recreation Guide today! Free!

Camp Cooking with Joanne Fitterer

Mrs. Fitterer is a personal friend of mine and I’ve known her for nearly 20 years. (Not sure if that makes me old or not!)

She is a retired culinary arts teacher from Chino Valley High School and we’ve teamed up to bring you an exclusive cookbook filled with great outdoor cooking recipes.

“Camp Cooking with Joanne Fitterer” has great recipes like Campfire Pepperoni Pizza, Hotdog Kabobs with Sweet and Sour Sauce, Cinnamon French Toast, Easy Cheese Drop Biscuits, and more! Sections include Breckfast, Main Meals, Side Dishes, Desserts, and 4 great Extras.

Download Camp Cooking with Joanne Fitterer today. Only $1.99.

Don’t you love it when you look around and find a

HUGE GLARING HOLE?

Well that’s what happened to me about two weeks ago.

I’m always so proud of EatStayPlay.com being a one-stop website for all your public land needs: National Forest Service, State Parks, National Parks, Campgrounds, Lakes, etc.

And then… There’s Utah.

For some reason unknown to me, poor Utah got loaded to the EatStayPlay.com database AND live to the website without a single, solitary, lonely state park. Oh dear. Well, I didn’t realize this until, like I said, about two weeks ago.

Now, Sandy & I are taking steps to fix it. So, in a few days, I’ll start adding state park information to poor lonely Utah.

Wish us luck!

Who’s Sandy? She’s working this summer at ESP Boss’ tax office doing some accounting work. But she’s in between projects at the moment so she’s helping me out with some EatStayPlay.com work. Yeah for Sandy!

Happy 4th of July! Take the day off and celebrate America!

Just in time for FREE TUESDAY!

That’s right, the Grand Canyon National Park will be waiving it’s entry fees tomorrow, Tuesday June 21, 2011. You’ll not only save the $25-per-vehicle entry fee on Tuesday–you can also attend a free stargazing party, with astronomers on hand to demystify the night sky.

You can get your FREE guide to the Grand Canyon: North & South Rims from EatStayPlay.com.

The Grand Canyon Recreation Guide is an instant-download e-book. It has over 45 pages of information and covers both rims. The Grand Canyon Recreation Guide is the ONLY recreation guide to do that!

And, the best news? It’s FREE!

Your eGuide is a 48 page printable Adobe .pdf book. It is Mac and PC compatible and you can print it all, a selection of pages, or save it to your laptop computer to take with you.

Do you own a Grand Canyon business? Would you like to promote it in the Guide? Contact Kim at Info@EatStayPlay.com Pricing starts at just $50 for an ad that will be seen by THOUSANDS of visitors.

Star Party
Free stargazing events are scheduled each night at the park through June 25.

On Tuesday, the 21st Grand Canyon Star Party event will start at 8:10 p.m. on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim with a slide show inside the visitor center, followed by telescope viewing. Volunteers from amateur astronomer clubs help visitors pick out Saturn and other stars and galaxies, according to the park’s website.

On the North Rim, telescopes are set up on the porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge.

I’m back from the maiden voyage of Skippy the Tent Trailer! For our “shake down cruise,” a friend & I decided to stick pretty close to home by heading to Williams. We stayed at White Horse Lake Campground which is the largest campground in the Williams area.

Here are some of the things we learned:

1. Pull-through campsites mean you don’t have to *gasp* back up the trailer!
2. You’ll always forget something you need (bow saw, syrup for pancakes, Lily’s tick medicine.)
3. Leave early (Thursdays are good) to get a pull-though campsite.
4. Stop and snap pics of the sheep.
5. White Horse Lake Campground doesn’t have a single pull-through campsite.
6. There is a perfect speed that makes dirt roads less bumpy.
7. You’ll always follow somebody who doesn’t know this and drives so slow your teeth rattle out of your head.
8. No matter how fast or slow you drive, everything will be covered in dust!
9. S’mores are the best when the chocolate is a little bit melted.
10. The Forest Ranger will always come to your camp to invite you to their evening talk RIGHT as you are burning dinner.
11. Get dirty.
12. After twenty minutes of trying to back the tent trailer into the campsite RIGHT WHERE IT IS NOW is good enough.
13. Oatmeal Stout beer and s’mores go together surprisingly well.
14. Bring more trash bags and paper towels than you think you’ll need.
15. Dogs are bed hogs.
16. No matter how short you cut your fingernails, they WILL get dirty.
17. When your friend tells you you’re over-packing, ignore him. He’ll appreciate all the “extra” things you bring.
18. Always bring sweatpants to sleep in.
19. Take plenty of pictures!
20. Put extra sunscreen on your nose. You’ll regret it later if you don’t!
21. When you just can’t get the tent trailer to come down, find another tent trailer owner and beg for help.
22. Keep an extra beer on hand to offer to said tent-trailer helper.
23. It takes Lily 24 hours to get into the groove of camping.
24. Three days without a shower is my limit.
25. When your dog jumps out of the kayak, be thankful you not only put her in her life vest, you attached it to the kayak!
26. Meals taste better outside.
27. Sleep in at least one morning.
28. Have the first meal of the trip already cooked so all you have to do it heat it up.
29. When you’re saying “Yes dear!” while gritting your teeth, it’s time to stop trying to back up the trailer and time to start heating dinner!
30. Bring plenty of snack food.
31. Buy enough wood to have a fire and then collect more to keep it going.
32. No matter what you do, cooking corn over the campfire will get you filthy!

I know you’re probably tired of hearing about my series of eGuides for popular summer recreation areas across Arizona’s High Country. But trust me, each is jam-packed with information about the best camping, fishing, hiking, and public lands that the city has to offer.

Plus special offers from businesses!

The newest title to join the cart is the Williams Recreation Guide!

This e-book is the must-have, insider’s knowledge of where to go in Williams for the best in summer recreation. It’s filled with over 40 pages of information, updated for the 2011 summer season.

And, the best news? You get it INSTANTLY as a downloadable, fully printable eGuide, FREE from the outdoor recreation experts at EatStayPlay.com.

• Lakes in Williams
• Historic Downtown including Route 66
• Williams Visitor Center and Museum
• White Horse Lake Recreation Area
• Kaibab Lake
• Maps, GPS Coordinates and Driving Directions
• Camping near Williams
• Selected hikes
• Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing
• And more!

Your eGuide is a 40 page printable Adobe .pdf book. It is Mac and PC compatible and you can print it all, a selection of pages, or save it to your laptop computer to take with you.

Do you own a Williams business? Would you like to promote it in the Guide? Contact Kim at Info@EatStayPlay.com Pricing starts at just $50 for an ad that will be seen by THOUSANDS of Williams visitors.

If you haven’t downloaded an eGuide yet then get busy! I am working on eGuides for popular summer recreation areas across Arizona’s High Country.

Each eGuide is a compilation of the best camping, fishing, hiking, and public lands that the city has to offer.

Go get the Flagstaff Recreation Guide!

This e-book is the must-have, insider’s knowledge of where to go in Flagstaff for the best in summer recreation. It’s jam-packed with over 50 pages of information, updated for the 2011 summer season.

And, the best news? You get it INSTANTLY as a downloadable, fully printable eGuide, FREE from the outdoor recreation experts at EatStayPlay.com.

• 3 National Monuments
• 2 State Parks
• Arboretum at Flagstaff
• Upper & Lower Lake Mary
• Volcanoes and Ruins Scenic Drive
• 7 Flagstaff Campgrounds
• Selected hikes
• Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing
• And more!

Your eGuide is a 52 page printable Adobe .pdf book. It is Mac and PC compatible and you can print it all, a selection of pages, or save it to your laptop computer to take with you.

Do you own a Flagstaff business? Would you like to promote it in the Guide? Contact Kim at Info@EatStayPlay.com Pricing starts at just $50 for an ad that will be seen by THOUSANDS of Flagstaff visitors.

I’ve been hard at work lately creating a series of eGuides for cities across Northern Arizona. Each eGuide is a compilation of the best camping, fishing, hiking, and public lands that the city has to offer.

The first eGuide is for Prescott Arizona and is available as a FREE download.

This e-book is the must-have, insider’s knowledge of where to go in Prescott for the best in summer recreation. It’s jam-packed with over 35 pages of information, updated for the 2011 summer season.

And, the best news? You get it INSTANTLY as a downloadable, fully printable eGuide, FREE from the outdoor recreation experts at EatStayPlay.com.  (That’s me!)

• 5 Lakes in Prescott
• Historic Downtown including Whiskey Row
• Sharlot Hall Museum
• Lynx Lake Recreation Area
• Watson Lake
• Thumb Butte
• Camping near Prescott
• Selected hikes
• Kayaking, canoeing, and fishing
• And more!

Not only will you get a detailed description of each attraction in Prescott, the information in the Prescott Recreation Guide also includes: how to get to the area, when it’s open, and if there are any fees or rules you need to know. Most pages also include full-color photos of the area so you can see the area before you visit it!

Do you own a Prescott business? Would you like to promote it in the Guide? Contact Kim at Info@EatStayPlay.com Pricing starts at just $50 for an ad that will be seen by THOUSANDS of Prescott visitors.

This story and others will appear in the eGuide “Campfire Stories: From the Chill to the Giggle” Volume 2 coming June 15, 2011.

The Very Hungry Ghost

A young business man was delayed in his travels one evening and had to spend the night unexpectedly. He went to the only hotel in town and inquired about a room for the evening.

“I’m sorry, sir,” said the desk clerk, “I have only one room left in the whole hotel. But you don’t want it; it’s haunted!”

The young business man assured the desk clerk that he didn’t believe in ghosts and would rent the room. After the young business man had crawled into bed and turned out the light he lay there thinking about the ghost. He reminded himself that he didn’t believe in ghosts and rolled over to go to sleep.

A little after midnight, the young business man heard the bathroom door creak open. Frightened, he closed his eyes tightly. Then he heard someone moving around his room. Terrified, he put his head under the pillow.

The ghost started crying:
“I’m hungry! I’m so hungry!”

Upon hearing this, the young business man screamed, jumped out of bed and ran from the hotel.

A few weeks later a woman arrived at the hotel very late. Again, all the rooms were full except for the haunted room.

“I’m not afraid of ghosts!” the woman announced to the desk clerk and went up the stairs to her room.

Just after she went to bed, the woman heard the bathroom door creak open. The woman froze looking up at the ceiling. Then she heard someone moving around the room. She held her breath.

The ghost started crying:
“I’m hungry! I’m so hungry!”

The woman took one look at the ghost and ran.

The very next night a rock and roll band arrived at the hotel. The band members filled every available room at the hotel until only the haunted room was empty. Long after the rest of the band was asleep, the drummer arrived at the front desk.

Again the desk clerk explained about the haunted room. The drummer said he had no issues with ghosts.

The drummer headed up the stairs to the haunted room and promptly fell asleep. A little after midnight, the bathroom door creaked open. Then the ghost started to move around the room. Finally the ghost started crying: “I’m hungry! I’m so hungry!”

The drummer opened his eyes, took one look at the ghost and said, “Knock it off! Just order room service!”

Now that tax season is over (!!!) I have been itching to get outside for an adventure. It’s been knock-you-down windy here lately so that’s really put a halt to my outdoor plans. But, when ESP Boss invited me to kayak the Lower Salt River on Saturday, I jumped at the chance.

Since we had to be on the road by 5 am, it was a little after 6 when we entered the Valley. And what did I see floating over the I-17? Hot air balloons. Too cool!

We were meeting our friend, Captain Ted, at 7:30 Saturday. The Lower Salt River is in the Tonto National Forest. The area requires a Tonto Pass, a $6 per-day pass that allows access to a variety of day use areas along the Salt. Since we’re not from the area, Captain Ted said he’d pick a pass up for us and also provide a shuttle.

We dropped our Jeep at the take-out spot and then piled our kayaks (and gear!) into the Captain’s truck and headed up river to the launch point.

And I’ll admit, I didn’t do a great job of keeping track of the names of the day-use areas that are the start and end points for the float. But, Code Wolf lives about 20 minutes away from the area so I’ll be back to snap pictures and get more details!

We were on the river by about 8:00. Well before the heat of the day. We also wanted to be on the river early since the Lower Salt River is known as a great place for tubing.

ESP Boss & Captain Ted's wife, Lilly.

I knew next-to-nothing about the 9 mile stretch of the Lower Salt River that we were setting out upon. But one thing I figured out really quickly: Class I Rapids. Lots of them.

Now, before you get all worried about the word “RAPIDS” let me explain. A Class I is the smallest class of rapids. The water would break over the front of the kayak but not a drop actually ended up inside. They’re exciting but not really scary. They look a lot like white caps on a windy day.

I was amazed at the variety of wildlife that we saw. The stretch of the Lower Salt that we were on is less than 10 minutes away from the Valley. (I call EVERYTHING down there ‘Phoenix’ but it’s actually closest to Mesa.)

We saw a ton of herons.

Turkey vultures.

I LOVE the sign he's sitting on! Too bad many river users DON'T pack out their trash.

And I saw my first ever in-the-wild turtle. Pardon the blurry photo but Captain Ted’s wife was coming in for a closer look which scared the bird which scared the turtle and they both took off. So I only got the one snap!

The water in the Lower Salt is crystal clear and icy cold. Which in some ways is unfortunate because I could clearly see all the trash left behind by people. Even though there were trashcans (lots of them) at every access point, the bottom of the river was littered with beer cans, lost towels, clothes, swimsuit pieces, water bottles, and just general trash. Some of it might blow in from the road or be released into the river through the waterflow, but I think most of it was just left behind.

It was really sad. And it made me FURIOUS. The Lower Salt River is a seasonal river that is controlled by having the large lakes upriver release water to create the flow. I’m not really sure how low the water gets during the winter, but I’m already making plans to head out there with trash bags and gloves to take as much trash out of the waterway as possible. I figure I can make a FORTUNE in aluminum can recycling! CITO anybody?

But more about the good things: and there were LOTS of them!

The scenery was stunning. I was a bit worried since the road to the launch point paralleled the river most of the way that I’d have seen everything the Lower Salt had to offer from the truck’s windows. But I was totally wrong!

The first 6 miles or so had a good current and it alternated between Class I rapids and a calm river flowing at a quick pace. It was great to sit back and enjoy.

One of my favorite places was called ‘Mud Cliffs.’ There I saw red winged blackbirds and was dive bombed by swallows. The swallows made their mud nests on the cliff sides.

ESP Boss below the towering Mud Cliffs.

Swallow Nests

The last 3 miles, however, while just a pretty, were FLAT. It’s after the confluence of the Verde and Salt Rivers. The water becomes muddier and the current isn’t as quick. Which means more paddling.

(And less photos!)

The highlight of the trip?

The Bald Eagle that was sitting on river left munching on a catfish! I’ve seen these birds in my travels around the state, but never so close. And I’ve NEVER seen one on the ground.

Captain Ted said that it’s common to see herons, ducks, turkey vultures, bald eagles, and red winged black birds. I’m not really into bird watching, but it was really cool seeing all of them. It’s less common but still possible to see wild mustangs and big horn sheep. (Didn’t spot either!) I did see signs of beaver along the banks as well.

As for fish, there were bass, catfish, carp, and walleye. And speaking of catfish, to the catfish that I ran over with my kayak, I sincerely apologize for the headache I gave you! (Seriously, it was swimming just under the surface of the water and I smacked it with the kayak!)

The whole trip took about 4 hours. Any later in the summer and Captain Ted recommends starting about 5:30 or 6:00. That way, you miss the heat of the day, see more wildlife and miss the tubers!

I’ll be taking Code Wolf on the river this summer as a warm-up for an overnight trip on the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and Willow Beach.