For instance, want to see an old 1950s style diner?Dot’s Diner and Shady Dell

Dot’s Diner is just the experience you’ll want to have. The red and white exterior nestled next to the Shady Dell Trailer Park is a real step back in time!

Dot's Diner - a real original

Admittedly, the prices are not circa 1950, but the menu is a short, but evocative, diner menu.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese and shakes, malteds, and floats are your lunch fare.

Breakfast, with options that had patrons chowing down at lunchtime, had pancakes and egg offerings.  Want the “good stuff” – real maple syrup?  That’s extra, but authentic.  The menu listings had fun names like, “Two chicks on a raft” (eggs on English muffins) and “Allison on a Raft.”  What’s Allison on a raft? – We just had to ask.  It seems that a local celebrity is vegetarian and the tofu scramble is named after her.

Dot's Diner - small, but fun

The patrons in the 10-seat diner (all seats are at the counter) were really enjoying themselves.  The small place is also conducive to conversations.  We asked about Bisbee and another customer, as well as Charlene, our waitress, was glad to provide information.

Dot retired a few years back, but the diner is in good hands, as Charlene is a welcoming, friendly presence.  The diner was originally located in Los Angeles, but, in 1996, was trucked to its current location next door to the Shady Dell Trailer Park, another retro experience.

Shady Dell offers visitors the chance to stay in an authentic 1940s-1950s trailer, like a 1949 Airstream with décor reflecting that era.  Possibly like stepping back into an old “I Love Lucy” episode, you almost expect someone to show up in a poodle skirt.

Shady Dell Trailer Park - an old-fashioned experience - see the old trailer to the left

Since all of the 11 vintage trailers were occupied, we had to console ourselves with just seeing the office, with its vintage Coca Cola machine and other collector’s items.

Shady Dell office and some of the memorabilia

Dot’s Diner is open for breakfast and lunch only on Fridays through Tuesdays.

http://www.theshadydell.com/Dots_Diner.html

Bisbee Breakfast Club

Renovated from an old Rexall Drug Store and a Waters Department Store, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is located in a small commercial area just past the mine and around the bend.  Not exclusive, since anyone can eat there, but definitely a foodie experience worth having since the atmosphere is focused on good food.  No one should leave hungry!

With a very large menu, but also only open for breakfast and lunch, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is another great choice in Bisbee.  Prices are very reasonable and the food is served in voluminous quantities.

Bisbee Breakfast Club

The place was hopping on a Sunday at noon. Since it was so busy, we did have to wait a few minutes to be seated and to receive our food, but the five or so staffers who provided the food to the wait staff were amazing to watch.  So, finally we were seated at the counter and got great entertainment value. We watched the orchestration of the grill’s speedy service.

I kept eyeing my neighbors’ plates, which included the lunch special of a steak with onion sauce and other fixings.  I ordered the Sonoran burger (burger with guacamole, chilis, and melted Swiss) with fries  – lots and lots of fries.  It was messy, but I finished every mouthful!  My husband had another burger version.  We traded onion rings – really good and crispy onion rings – and thought about how we would need to walk off the calories – but oh, so good!  Prices were very reasonable, too.  I don’t think anything was over $8 on the menu.

They also are closed in the middle of the week, but open Monday 7-3 for breakfast and lunch, Thursday-Sunday 7-2 for breakfast with lunch starting at 11 AM.

Join the Club!

http://www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com/

Come back later this week for our stay in the Copper Queen Hotel – is it haunted?

By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw

Photos by George Bradshaw

I can’t decide if I have a favorite RV park or not. There are many that I like because of different reasons. Most RV Parks and campgrounds have their own Web sites, complete with pictures for viewing.

One of my favorite parks is the Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD, not only for its location but for its beauty and amenities. It is the closest RV Park to Washington, DC, and tour buses leave daily for tours of the DC area and bring you back.The park itself is tree-lined with great interior roads and parking spaces, and has a spacious clubhouse with a pool, and a deli with great and inexpensive food. The general store is well stocked with things you might need for your rig and souvenirs to take home.

The Rocky Top Campground in Kingsport, TN is built in the woods on a mountainside; however, the parking spaces are easily accessible to park your rig. We were there in August and it was cool. The general store is very quaint looking but is well stocked, and the owner is very personable and makes you feel welcome. They also have cabins for rent.

To find the Tom Sawyer’s Mississippi River Park takes a little bit of wandering through the woods on a dirt road, but is worth the effort. Our space was about fifty feet from the Mississippi River and we watched the tugboats hauling barges up and down the river in the evening. You would never know you were right across the river from the big city of Memphis. They have laundry facilities in case you want to stay for a while and watch the river go by.

Cross Creek Camping Resort near Columbus, Ohio

The Cross Creek Camping Resort is right next to the Cross Creek State Park so don’t get the two confused. This is a roomy RV Park with trees and barbeque pits at every site. The general store has everything you could want in it. Most parks have pools and saunas and this one is no exception.

The Shady Pines RV Park in Texarkana, TX comes with its own lake with a fountain in the middle and also has conference facilities in case your RV club wants to hold a rendezvous there. It has paved interior roads and the parking spots are cement. It is out of the way from the interstate, but easy to find.

The Liberty Harbor Marina and RV Park is located in Jersey City, across the river from New York City. You can schedule a tour of the city in the park office and the tour bus will pick you up at the entrance. It is also right next to the ferry landing to NYC in case you want to go into the city. It is the closest park to the city and the Statue of Liberty is easily spotted.

Niagara Falls RV Park

The Niagara Falls Campground and Lodging is located six miles from the falls and is the closest campground to the falls in the U.S. They have large, level and shaded sites with a large pool and picnic tables at each site. Don’t worry about what to do with your rig while you visit the falls as the parking lots in the area of the falls all have designated parking spaces for your RV.

Every RV Park and Campground is unique. They all take reservations, which is the recommended way to go. They all knew we were coming and were ready for us.

Tomorrow – Return tomorrow to visit Mt Vernon, George Washington’s home

By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw

When you are traveling to all of these great places out west, if you want to be economical, you might bring your RV.  Here are some places to stay…

The KOA Campgrounds across the country are usually very nice and well run.  One of the nicest is the one in Las Cruces, NM.  There are trees and a cement pad at every site and most are pull-thru, making it easier to get your rig in and out.   The Las Cruces campground has a wonderful pool and picnic/barbeque area, and a grassy area for those with tents.  The general store and gift shop offers western and native wares for purchase, along with restocking your rig.

In Custer, South Dakota we stayed at the Crazy Horse Campground, situated right down the highway from the Crazy Horse Monument which is in the process of being carved out of the mountain.  The campground is in the middle of the forest and trees abound everywhere.  There were also deer that visited us every day.  Keep your door and windows open so the smell of pine trees can freshen the air inside.

Deer Visitors at Crazy Horse Campground in Custer, WY

The sites within the Rockwell RV Park in Oklahoma City are situated among many big trees which shade the picnic area that is beside each space.  Their swimming pool is located in the interior of the clubhouse so that swimming and relaxing beside the pool are out of the sun.  It looks like it is out in the country but it is close to shopping, including a Campers World and a Wal-Mart.

The KOA Campground in Fredericksburg, Texas is located next to an animal preserve with deer and wild donkeys and also a few gazelles which are the only residents who do not come up to the fence to beg for food.  The park has shaded sites with picnic areas at each one.  They also have cabins that you can rent and spaces for tents.  The management is very friendly and the general store offers western and Texas items.

Greer's Pine Shadows RV Park, Flagstaff, AZ

In Flagstaff, Arizona the Greer’s Pine Shadows campground is a very beautiful spot and you soon forget that you are staying right on the highway through town.  They rent spaces and trailers to many people who spend the summer in Flagstaff, away from the heat of the desert below the mountains.  Great place for pine air.

The Sioux City North RV Park is just across the Iowa state line in South Dakota.  They are located on a frontage road, off of the highway and is a quiet restful park with lots of big trees and grass.

Junction West RV Park in Grand Junction, Co is also located on a side road away from the noise of the interstate.  The staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable about the events and activities going on in the region.  The park has shade trees and a park-like atmosphere.

All RV parks have general stores that sell supplies for your rig, some groceries and most have gift shops specializing in trinkets and knick-knacks representing the surrounding area.  All are fun to stay in and most make you feel like you want to stay there forever.

Looking for doodads and knick knacks?  Take a look at the TravelTipsandAdventures shop for goodies to wear and use.