Old West New West Magazine – Your Travel & History Guide for Western Adventures. Enjoy Travel Tips, Discounts, Specials, Restaurant Reviews, National Park Information and Much More… http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/travel/tips-guides/ Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:46:47 +0000 Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Management en-us http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20100316355/travel/tips-guides/northern-californias-yosemite-mountain-sugar-pine-railroad-readies-for-april-1-opening.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20100316355/travel/tips-guides/northern-californias-yosemite-mountain-sugar-pine-railroad-readies-for-april-1-opening.html Despite unusually heavy winter rains and snow, the owner of the historic Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad said the line will open April 1, 2010 and begin its 44th year as one of northern California's favorite visitor attractions.

"We have had a lot of snow up there this year," said Max Stauffer, owner of the railroad. "One storm in particular dropped a lot of very wet, and as a result, heavy, snow. It brought a lot of trees down over the lines that we are now clearing up."
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20100120330/travel/tips-guides/winter-road-survival-in-the-west-starts-from-the-ground-up.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20100120330/travel/tips-guides/winter-road-survival-in-the-west-starts-from-the-ground-up.html The West offers drivers a variety of winter conditions, from the ice and slush found in such cities as Denver, St. Louis and Minneapolis to the rain and mud that heavy storms bring throughout much of the Southwest.

With that in mind, OldWestNewWest.com Travel & History Magazine asked the experts at Tire Rack, America's largest independent tire tester and consumer-direct source for tires, to share some driving tips and tire information for our readers, starting with using tires dedicated for winter conditions.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:52:44 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090715240/travel/tips-guides/plan-to-hike-the-grand-canyon-here-are-a-few-tips-to-help-keep-you-safe.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090715240/travel/tips-guides/plan-to-hike-the-grand-canyon-here-are-a-few-tips-to-help-keep-you-safe.html About 5 million visitors each year go see the wonders of Grand Canyon National Park, and many take the time to do some form of hiking.

Whether you're planning a day hike, or something more ambitious such as overnight hiking, the National Park Services encourages visitors to do some planning even before your feet touch the ground, and once you get started, use some common sense guidelines.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:58:57 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090406208/travel/tips-guides/san-franciscos-aquarium-of-the-bay-celebrates-3-new-exhibits.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090406208/travel/tips-guides/san-franciscos-aquarium-of-the-bay-celebrates-3-new-exhibits.html Saying it's a focus on the animals that visitors most want to see, San Francisco's Aquarium of the Bay unveiled three new exhibits on April 4, 2009 featuring jellies, octopus - and what's this? Land animals?

"This marks the first time that Aquarium of the Bay has featured land animals," stated CEO John Frawley. "While our overall focus remains on the marine animals of the San Francisco Bay and nearby waters, we feel the addition of these new terrestrial species will spark visitors' awareness of the growing environmental challenges that are impacting all types of wildlife across the globe."
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:36:10 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090302193/travel/tips-guides/cave-without-a-name-in-texas-given-landmark-status.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090302193/travel/tips-guides/cave-without-a-name-in-texas-given-landmark-status.html Cave Without a Name, the sixth longest cave in Texas, has been named a National Natural Landmark.

The landmark status was given to the Texas natural wonder, along with a rare ecosystem in Pennsylvania, and major fossil sites in Kentucky, New York, and Vermont.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:22:36 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090104176/travel/tips-guides/bob-livingston-talks-about-some-great-places-for-you-to-visit-in-2009.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20090104176/travel/tips-guides/bob-livingston-talks-about-some-great-places-for-you-to-visit-in-2009.html If there's anyone who can offer our readers some great vacation ideas and favorite places to visit in the West in 2009, it's Bob Livingston, senior vice president of  Affinity Media, and publisher of Trailer Life and MotorHome magazines, and the Good Sam Club's member magazine Highways.

So, I asked Bob, an avid RVer, to share with you some of his preferred getaway destinations, places that might be a little less visited and might be even thought of as a secret spot of his.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:39:33 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081130162/travel/tips-guides/texas-offering-holiday-food-fun-a-festivities.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081130162/travel/tips-guides/texas-offering-holiday-food-fun-a-festivities.html Texas is presenting a variety of distinctive holiday events, many of them available through Jan. 4, 2009, and they range from tree lighting festivals to historic home tours, markets and parades.

One thing is for sure: No snow boots or parkas are required to enjoy festivities around the Lone Star State during the holiday season.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:05:18 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081129159/travel/tips-guides/hiker-rescued-from-yosemites-high-country.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081129159/travel/tips-guides/hiker-rescued-from-yosemites-high-country.html A stranded hiker snow-bound in California's Yosemite National Park for 12 days is alive today because of some smart decisions he made after he got stuck - and a little good luck.

Rangers said park visitor Steve Frazier was rescued Nov. 12 after being trapped for nearly two weeks in two feet of snow. Searchers spotted the missing hiker and his camp from the air on their very first pass over the area after seeing an "SOS" that he had stomped out in the snow.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:46:33 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081109147/travel/tips-guides/colorado-has-christmas-holiday-events-packages.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20081109147/travel/tips-guides/colorado-has-christmas-holiday-events-packages.html Train rides to the North Pole, horse-drawn sleigh rides through snowy forests, Charles Dickens, the aroma of cookies and cocoa in mountain villages. This is another side of Colorado's winter season. Now through the New Year, travelers can take advantage of a variety of Christmas holiday-inspired packages and events.

Following are a few ways to celebrate the holidays in Colorado. For a complete list of vacation values and more, visit www.colorado.com.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:28:29 +0000 http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/2008082966/travel/tips-guides/west-claims-seven-most-visited-national-parks-in07.html http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/2008082966/travel/tips-guides/west-claims-seven-most-visited-national-parks-in07.html Seven of the 10 most visited National Parks in 2007 were in the West, according to the National Park Service, and those seven parks hosted 22.2 million visitors.

Of the 10 most visited national parks in 2007, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, straddling the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, saw the greatest number of visits at 9.37 million.
]]> Mikeharris@oldwestnewwest.com (Mike Harris) Tips & Guides Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:53:00 +0000