The annual joke in Moab is “How do you know when Spring is here?” The answer is “When all the license plates turn green.”

Yep, it’s that time of year again in Colorado. Most of our ski areas have shut down for the season. The still-cold nights are balanced by some lusciously warm afternoons. It’s the beginning of Mud Season - ur, I mean Springtime - and all us mountain folk are jonesing for the dry, warm, welcoming desert. For many of us, that means just one thing - a road trip to Moab, Utah.

Fisher Towers Hike

I declared my own personal Spring last weekend with a camping and hiking expedition to the Fisher Towers area near Castle Valley, about 20 miles east of Moab proper. Where stunning red rock formations stand majestically against the deep blue sky, you can immerse yourself in scenery that’s truly straight out of several classic westerns. This alone is worth the trip.

The hike is a moderate out and back trail with a enough rock scrambling thrown in to keep it very interesting. You may travel about 4 miles until the trail peters out on a ridge overlooking the amphitheater that contains the towers. The highlight of my trip was keeping an eye on the progress of a dozen people completing a rock climbing rite of passage by standing atop a precarious looking red tower at least 1000 feet above where I walked.

You may camp at the very base of Fisher Towers or about a mile away along the river at Lower Onion Creek. There’s shade and the Colorado River at Onion Creek, but the scenery at Fisher Towers is unparalleled. There are perhaps a dozen other campgrounds along the Colorado River Scenic Byway, as well. At the other end of the spectrum is a luxury resort. There are also numerous options for less primitive camping and hotel and motel lodging within Moab.

The National Parks in the area, Arches and Canyonlands, rightfully attract visitors from around the globe, but don’t let the apparent crowds keep you away. Everyone’s happy to be in the warm sunshine in an incredible place and they disperse quickly when they leave town and head out on hikes of their own.

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Outer Banks fishing is legendary. The barrier islands stick so far out into the Atlantic that the Gulf Stream is very close to the shore. The sea and the sound mix here, allowing anglers to land both saltwater and freshwater species. You have to be a very unlucky fisher person to go home empty handed on the Outer Banks.

While headboats or private charters can leave you with an experience you’ll long remember, pier fishing is the way to go if you have children or newbies in your group. No sea sickness, no slippery decks, restrooms instead of heads and you can leave when they’ve had enough.

In the area around Nags Head, NC. there are five of these fun family fishing venues, with the 750 foot long Nags Head Fishing Pier being a long time favorite. During the summer months, you can try to catch spanish mackeral, small blues, croaker, cobia, flounder, spot and pompano. Enjoy the entire day and night on the pier for just $10. They’re open 24 hours a day and the night fishing can be both relaxing and productive. There’s a full service bait and tackle shop and a restaurant right on the pier to keep you well-provisioned. You may rent gear if you didn’t bring your own.

Imagine catching a king mackeral or a cobia that’s so big you have to drag it down the pier into the restaurant to have it cooked? Yes, You Hook ‘Em - We Cook ‘Em is the motto of the famous Nags Head Pier Restaurant. That’s right, catch a fish or two and the cooks will transform them into a scrumptious Carolina style meal by frying, broiling, grilling or blackening it - fisherman’s choice - and serving it up with the traditional seacoast sides of cole slaw, french fries and hushpuppies. What a kick for the kids!

Jockey’s Ridge, adjacent to the town of Nag’s Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, is the tallest natural sand dune on the East Coast. Continually shifting, it moves an average of 3-6 feet each year and now sits 1500 feet southwest of where it did 25 years ago. The height of its 3 peaks also changes. The tallest was 110 feet in 1974 and shrunk to 87 feet in 1995. To preserve this phenomenon for all of us to enjoy, it became Jockey’s Ridge State Park in 1975.

A big sand dune, you say. Ho-hum. NOT! It’s the equivalent of a mountain at the beach and you can do a lot of things here that typically are done on mountains, like hang gliding and sandboarding, which is very much like snowboarding only in sand, of course.

There are also plenty of opportunities to explore the ecosystem of these golden sand dunes, with self-guided hiking trails and ranger-led bird walks, crabbing expeditions, nature hikes and a daily Sunset on the Ridge program - all free and all sure to be a hit with the kids.

from Bethany L King

Americans have been vacationing at Nags Head North Carolina since the 1830’s and with very good reason - the beach! The barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks, of which Nags Head is a part, have some of the best beaches in the country.

While walking beside the ocean, you get the feeling that the thin strand of sand goes on forever. (It really stretches 100 miles.) There’s the soothing rhythm of breaking waves on one side and tall sand dunes dotted with sea oats on the other.

The beaches are generally uncrowded and, unlike some coastal areas, they are very accessible as well. As an added bonus, this is one of the few shore communities I’ve visited where you can actually enjoy a bonfire on the beach. (You do need a permit, though.) All in all, the Outer Banks promise a classic beach experience and a family vacation that all ages will enjoy.

There aren’t many hotels in the area, but most folks prefer to enjoy a Nags Head vacation rental , anyway. A beach house or cottage will let the family spread out, enjoy all the comforts and feel at quite at home. While many resorts demand week long rentals, it’s also possible to rent a place in Nags Head for a shorter getaway. The southern end of town, aptly called South Nags Head, tends to be quieter and less dense than the northern Kill Devil Hills area, where most of the action can be found.

Check out these Outer Banks webcams to see what’s in store for your vacation in Nags Head.

I love vacation rentals.  I have a husband, 2 kids - and a couple dogs - so when we vacation it’s a moving department store/zoological park.  We are dragging around the favorite bunny for sleeping, the special pillow, extra pup treats and the video games.  That’s a bunch of junk to cram in your run-of-the-mill hotel room.  Vacation Rentals are the perfect alternative - there’s plenty of room, you can cook breakfast (or throw donuts at everyone, including the dogs) so you dont have to get up at 7am while you’re on VACATION.  Bonus points - they usually have a washer and dryer - and more than one TV.  It’s like being at home - but you’re not!  A vacation rental at the beach is a necessity - here’s why:

• Beaches mean sand, and sand gets EVERYWHERE.  Being able to wash off and throw the sandy beach stuff in the washing machine is priceless.

• More and more vacation rentals are pet-friendly.  Many more so than hotels.  It’s a bonus when every member of the family can enjoy the vacation.  If you need to, you can even throw the dog in the tub!

• Shells are everywhere - and believe it or not - even the dead ones stink.  LUckily in a vacation rental - you probably have room to bleach them BEFORE you cram them in your suitcase for a day of traveling - leaving your clothing and other things smelling decidedly “funky”

• Privacy and convenience are important when we’re on vacation.  I love having a little beach cottage we can sit on the back deck and the kids can run on the beach til they pass out.  Hotels usually involve a lengthy gathering of junk and hauling it down to the beach - and lots of “back and forthing” to restroom, eat, etc.  If you’re staying ON the beach - you’re right there - no need to travel far to soak your feet.

Westie photo courtesy RandySonofRobert
Beach House photo courtesy The Wolf