In the way long ago past of 2011, we may have mentioned that there were some free entry days coming to National Parks across the United states in 2012. Well the future is here—this weekend—so pack up the minivan, Prius, or station wagon and visit your favorite national park on the house.

Uncle Sam is opening the gates to all his parks as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, so it might be a good idea to do something nice—like donating your time or money—rather than just freeloading a free hike. The admission fees are waived January 14-16. ]]> kjb 2012-01-12T09:01:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/22/65148/035

Have you got a spare three or four hours? If you were in Costa Rica right now, those could be spent hiking around a volcano and petting frogs. Sure, everyone knows the giant Arenal volcano towards the center of the Central American country, but Costa Rica has six other active volcanoes, one of which is Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, located in the Guanacaste province and within its own National Park.

Rincón de la Vieja is serious business as far as volcanoes go. Heading up to its top rim and caldera is no longer allowed (too risky!) but local, experienced guides can easily lead you on a several-hour hike to spot fumaroles (steam vents), bubbly muddy water cauldrons, cute froggies and waterfalls so clear and cool you'd think it was Norway instead.]]> JetSetCD 2011-12-22T15:55:47-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/19/64521/895

You better revise your list and ask Santa for one of those stainless steel water bottles, as there’s one place your plastic bottle is no longer welcome.

Initially the head honcho over at the National Park Service wasn’t totally cool with banning plastic bottles at the parks across the land, but now it sounds like things might move forward at places including the Grand Canyon. Parks considering getting ready of plastic need to do a few things first, however, including making a checklist to report how much waste they’ll eliminate, as well as the effect on businesses and other groups that benefit from selling stuff at the park. ]]> kjb 2011-12-19T09:44:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/7/61352/4395

If your ride aboard the commuter rail just isn’t giving you that warm and fuzzy feeling this holiday season, it might be time to look for a different kind of train. The Polar Express is certainly an option, especially the one offered by the Grand Canyon Railway in the days leading up to Christmas.

All your favorite aspects of the children’s book—and none of the creepy ones from the feature film—come alive as you board the train just outside the Grand Canyon in Williams, Arizona. After a customary declaration of “All Aboard,” the train chugs off through the woods and wilderness on its way to the North Pole. Cookies and hot chocolate are served on the train while enjoying a rendition of the classic story, and then the main event arrives when it's time to visit Santa and his reindeer. ]]> kjb 2011-12-07T10:04:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/24/205722/72

The outdoor season might be winding down for 2011—it’s getting chilly—but that just means it’s time to start looking forward to 2012. Sure there’s plenty of stuff to do in the winter, but it won’t take many blizzards or snowpocalypses before we’re dreaming of spring at national parks across the country.

Even better than a visit to a slice of the country’s backyard is a free visit, and thankfully the National Park Service has already released its freebie days for next year. Start planning your trips now, as we’re sure the RVs and pop-up trailers will be swarming the entrance gates. ]]> kjb 2011-10-25T09:21:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/8/19/111056/863

The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes opened in theaters just two weeks ago, but already one of the movie's featured locations has seen an increase in visitors, thanks to the film. The movie didn't actually spend any time filming at the Muir Woods National Monument but producers did use photos to recreate the park for a scene in which the apes run across the Golden Gate Bridge and escape to Muir Woods.

The scene is apparently making quite an impression on audiences since the park is seeing more than 5,000 visitors a day, the most they've had in more than two years.]]> cmb 2011-08-19T12:30:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/8/18/83650/7202

If you’re driving to the Florida Keys from pretty much anywhere else in the Sunshine State, you’re going to navigate the final stretch of US-1 for around two hours. Once you’re outside of Key Largo the turquoise waters start to show their true colors, but with your eye on a final destination at the end of the road you’re usually too focused to stop. However, if you’re going to pull off for a little time to splish and splash we have to recommend Bahia Honda State Park. Just pay attention to the mile markers, because if you blink you just might miss the entrance to the beach.

This state park sits at around mile marker 37 in the Florida Keys, and from what we saw on our recent stop, it might just be the best place to take a break between Key Largo and Key West. The park is open each and every day of the week form 8am until sunset, and admission will set you back $8 per vehicle under the assumption that your car is filled with passengers—it’s just $4 if you’re venturing in all by yourself. ]]> kjb 2011-08-18T15:35:30-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/