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Category: RV Fun

  • RV Dinosaur Hunts — Part Two: Walking with Dinosaurs

    Do you have a child who can give you details about what seems like every dinosaur that ever lived — a Mesozoic genius in jammies? Or was that you so many decades ago?

    Maybe it secretly still is.

    In your RV, you and the kids can rediscover that wonder in real sand and stone. Let’s continue on in Colorado, where the largest dinosaur tracksites in the world are there to wander and wonder.

    Dinosaur Hill 

    This is a mildly strenuous hike, but it’s definitely worth it. Start with the overlook which provides panoramic views of the Grand Valley and the Colorado River. There are picnic sites and a large parking area for RVs. Signs along the trail show what fossils have been found there including the 1901 Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus (we’re not touching that controversy).

    You can learn how dinosaur fossils are recovered. On your wanderings, you can view the quarry site and bone reproductions during your visit.

    Most of this one-mile trail has been designed to include opportunities for hikers with visual impairments through tactile signs and a guide system.

    To find RV campsites and parks, check with the Grand Junction Visitor’s guide here.

    Dinosaur Ridge

    Some of the most easily accessible and dynamic dinosaur tracks in North America can be found just outside of Denver in Morrison, CO.  Dinosaur Ridge has been designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service and is located in the beautiful red rocks about ten miles west of Denver

    Morrison is the town where Stegosaurus was first discovered in 1877 and also the namesake of the famous Morrison Formation, the particular layer of rock that was laid down in the western United States during the late Jurassic period roughly 150 million years ago.   The formation has yielded a tremendous amount of dinosaur fossils, including species such as Allosaurus, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Camarasaurus, Brachiosaurus, and many more. 

    This park can be viewed in so many ways:

    • Guided Bus Tours

    • Self-Guided Walk

    • Tour the Exhibit Hall

    • Walk with a Geologist

    • Guided Walking Tours

    For the ultimate Dino experience, go for the Morrison Dino Pass. This includes the Guided Dinosaur Ridge Bus Tour and Exhibit Hall, plus a pass to the Morrison Natural History Museum.

    Dino Ridge is Available from sun up to sun down. Parking is free at the Main Visitor Center during open hours, and roadside before, during, and after center hours. You’ll want to take advantage of every minute!

    For places to cam in the Denver area, check out https://www.denver.org/places-to-stay/by-type/campgrounds-cabins-and-rv-parks/. There are a wide selection of 5-Star RV campsites to head back to after your Dino Adventure!

    The post RV Dinosaur Hunts — Part Two: Walking with Dinosaurs appeared first on Poulsbo RV.

  • RV Dinosaur Hunts — Part One: Utahraptor State Park

    Do you have a child who can give you details about what seems like every dinosaur that ever lived — a Mesozoic genius in jammies? Or was that you so many decades ago?

    Maybe it secretly still is.

    In your RV, you and the kids can rediscover that wonder in real sand and stone. Let’s start this journey in the red rock formations of Utah, at the Utahraptor State Park.

    Utah’s favorite dinosaur now has a state park. Utahraptor State Park is recognized for more than it’s red rock formations — it has pre-historic remains lying underneath its surface.

    Utahraptor State Park includes popular recreation spots such as the Dalton Wells and Willow Springs site, with one of the largest dinosaur bone beds in North America. Over 5,500 bones representing more than 10 dinosaur species have been recovered during the site’s 45-year history of excavation and discovery. Species found include the Utahraptor, the armored Gastonia and the long-necked sauropod Moabosaurus. Paleontologists believe more than 100,000 bones may await discovery.

    The unique geologic story of Arches National Park is integral to the dinosaur fossils found in the Dalton Wells area. Due to the subsidence that formed Arches 146 million years ago, Utahraptor State Park has unique exposures to the older Cretaceous layers in North America. Raptors found within this area are the oldest on the planet.

    If walking with dinosaurs is something you’d love to try too, there are plenty of places nearby to visit:

    • Copper Ridge Dinosaur Trackways
    • Willow Springs Dinosaur Tracks
    • Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite
    • Hells Revenge Tracksite
    • Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
    • Bull Canyon Overlook and Dinosaur Track Site

    All of these and more are all available to let you step side-by-side with ancient giants.

    Utahraptor Features

    Camping

    The park also offers ATV, hiking and mountain biking trails in addition to all those dinosaurs.

    For quick, somewhat primitive camping, there are $15/night, first-come first-served. Individuals can pay fees via the iron ranger locations found upon entering the park or online by scanning the QR code featured on park signage.

    To find more extensive nearby RV camping closer to Moab, try https://www.discovermoab.com/stay/campgrounds/commercial-campgrounds/.  Camping sites range from remote places nestled in redrock alcoves to luxurious glamping resorts.

    To learn more, download this handy guide here: utah2024-travel-guide-v1 (PDF)

    Then start dreaming with your family about the most Dinotastic vacation ever!

    The post RV Dinosaur Hunts — Part One: Utahraptor State Park appeared first on Poulsbo RV.

  • The Stella Vita: the Future of Solar RVs

    Sometimes we just have to tell you about an RV that we won’t be carrying, selling, or even seeing in the future. And when we say the future, we mean the next decade. Hopefully.

    A team of 22 Dutch students from Eindhoven University of Technology, known as Solar Team Eindhoven, has been engineering a number of proof-of-concept solar vehicles, starting with the Stella, the world’s first solar powered family car.

    Then they created the Stella Lux, the first energy positive family car that produces more energy than it consumes.

    You can probably see where this is going.

    They created the Stella Vie: the first street-legal solar family car, then the Stella Era: a self-driving solar car. They made the Stella Terra: the world’s first off-road solar car.

    And now, they’ve engineered the world’s first solar-powered camper van, named the Stella Vita. The Stella Vita is a mobile home wherein you can live and work while travelling on the energy of the sun. Stella Vita generates energy through its solar panels on the roof and uses this energy for both driving and living. Stella Vita generates enough solar energy to drive, shower, watch TV, charge your laptop and make coffee. The on a full solar charge the Stella Vita can travel up to 730 kilometers (approximately 450 miles) within 24 hours and reach speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph).

    The Stella Vita
    The Stella Vita

    We admit, it’s not exactly Poulsbo RV material. In fact, while the prototype was certified street-legal in the EU, Washington State would probably no let us sell an RV so light that it needs a roll cage to earn certification.

    But this is the future. We’re cheering on the Eindhoven team for doing the hard work creating the technology that our trusted RV Producers can study, license, and one day build into an RV that we can take on our own adventures.

    Someday. Someday soon.

    The post The Stella Vita: the Future of Solar RVs appeared first on Poulsbo RV.