The Maryland Office of Tourism offers vacationers a free travel kit to help make a visit to Maryland as much fun as possible.

The basic travel kit includes a travel guide, a map of Maryland, and a calendar of events. The travel guide has sections on paddle sports, fishing and boating, hiking and biking, trails, bird watching and nature observation, camping, and an at a glance chart of the amenities available at the Maryland Parks and Forests.

In addition to receiving the basic travel kit, up to nine other brochures, booklets, or maps can be ordered for free.

A few of the choices include:

- an “African American Heritage Guide” that has a listing of points of interest by region in the state and includes biographical information on some of Maryland’s notable African Americans including Beatrice Gaddy who was known as the Mother Teresa of Baltimore and Josiah Henson whose autobiography was used by Harriet Beecher Stowe as the basis for the character of Uncle Tom in the classic Book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

- a “Golf Guide” with information on Maryland’s 200+ golf courses

- an informative “Underground Railroad” brochure that includes a map of 30 underground railroad sites, some of which are open to the public

- a guide to the Chesapeake Bay Area (don’t forget to have some crab cakes!) that includes a map of the Bay’s lighthouses along with which ones are accessible to the public,

To order your free travel kit and brochures, go to the visitmaryland website. Most of the materials are also available for viewing online if you prefer to be “green” and save the paper.

The free Texas State Park Guide has maps, photos, and information on over 100 Texas State Parks and Historic sites. The 112 page guide is available for free at any Texas State Park, Law enforcement offices, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, TxDOT Travel Information Centers, Texas Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Texas Chambers of Commerce, and Sea Center Texas.

The guide has information on parks and historic sites of interest in the Panhandle Plains Region, Hill Country Region, Big Bend Region, Prairies and Lakes Region, Gulf Coast Region, South Texas Plains Region, and the Pineywoods Region.

It includes a facilities and activities index so you can see at a glance the amenities and activities available at each park, including which ones having campgrounds. Plus the index states what type of campsites are available whether it’s primitive/backpacking sites, walk-in tent sites, tent sites, sites with water and electric, and sites that have water, electric, and sewer.

It can also be downloaded by clicking this link.

Or, if you prefer a printed copy, fill out the request form by clicking here and a free copy will arrive in your mailbox in about 2 weeks.

The Texas State Park system has been in operation for more than 80 years and now has more than 600,000 acres of land to manage.

Balmorhea State Park in West Texas is a big draw for scuba divers and swimmers because of the clarity and depth of the spring waters.

Or, to visit the largest state park in the United States that is within city limits (within the city limits of El Paso), visit Franklin Mountains State Park.

If you are enthralled by the Old West, visit Big Bend Ranch State Park where there is a working ranch and where visitors can participate in horseback trail rides and cattle drives.

Whether you prefer primitive camping, camping with hookups, being near water, or in the woods, where there is hiking, biking, historic sites, or just relaxing and enjoying the view, there is a Texas State Park that is just right.

Get your free copy of the guide today and start choosing your Texas camping destination.

Jiffy mixes. made by Chelsea Baking Company in Chelsea, Michigan, is offering a free recipe book that includes nutritional information and camping recipes. The recipe book has “old favorites and many new recipes.”

Click here to request your free copy.

Just because a person is camping does not mean they have to spend their whole trip at the campground. It is fun to get out and see the surrounding area.

Portland, Oregon is a city filled with fun things to do and see. Plus it is only 45 minutes away from Milo McGiver State Park which has a campground that is open from the middle of March to October 30.

If you are a fan of The Simpsons, then a visit to Portland is almost a must because must because the show’s creator, Matt Groening, is a native of Portland and has named city streets after characters in the show. So a drive down NW Flanders Street will probably remind fans of the show of the character Ned Flanders. There is more about The Simpsons and Portland on page 20 of the Travel Portland magazine.

Some other things found in the 96 page guide:

- a listing of where to eat, what to do, where to shop, and even where to stay if your venture into the city is an overnight one.

- a section of “points of interest” in various sections of the city including Northwest/Nob Hill, North Mississippi, Hollywood District, Belmont & Hawthorne, and Pearl District.

- a list of sites in the city said to be haunted such as Old Town Pizza at 226 N.W. Davis Street where a lady of the evening who was thrown down the building’s elevator shaft is said to still wander the restaurant’s balcony dining area and basement.

- info about the Portland Saturday market which is largest continuously operating open air market for handcrafted goods in the United States. Contrary to the market’s name, it is also open Sundays and is open every weekend from March through December

- a list of side trips to take including a jaunt over to the Oregon coast to watch the gray whales migrating (February to June and again in November through January although area experts say whales can be seen all summer long).

- lots of info about food and shopping, including where to shop green. The picture of pastries from Pearl Bakery on page 52 of the magazine looked so good I was tempted to lick the page.

- where to go to walk on water (it’s the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade 1.5 mile floating walkway and biking passage along the Willamette River between the Hawthorne and Steel bridges)

Request your free copy of the Travel Portland Magazine by visiting the Travel Portland Website. Or, if you want to help the green thinking city of Portland save trees, click here to read the magazine online.

The Maine Campground Owners Association is offering a free Maine Camping Guide. With over 22,000 campsites in Maine, there are lots of places to park a rig or pitch a tent while exploring the beauty Maine has to offer.

People can camp on or near the lakes in Maine or along the Atlantic Ocean coastal area of the state. Or, if water is not your thing, there are plenty of inland camping opportunities whether a person prefers camping in a resort type area or where it is more remote.

For the purposes of the camping guide, Maine is divided into eight regions: Aroostook, Katahdin and Moosehead Highlands, Kennebec Valley and Moose River Valley, Acadia, Sunrise County Downeast, Mid Coast, South Coast, and Western Lakes and Mountains.

Campgrounds are listed by region with contact information plus a list of the amenities each campground has to offer.

To request a free printed copy of the 96 page Maine Camping Guide, click here to go the official request form. If you prefer to view the camping guide online, click here to access an electronic interactive version.

The Oklahoma Department of Tourism offers a free guide to their 50 state parks. The handy table of contents allows users to easily find state parks with lodges or cabins. There is also a location key to find state parks in any area of the state.

The 33 page guide lists each state park, along with a brief description, its location and contact information. Plus the amenities and activities available at each state park is listed.

One thing I really like about the guide is that it also lists attractions near most of the parks that visitors may want to check out.

To get your free copy, click here to go to the official Oklahoma tourism website.

Minnesota, the land of seemingly endless lakes, has lots to offer outdoor enthusiasts. Plus, they offer free literature to help people decide where to go and what to do. The ExploreMinnesota website has a free brochures section where you can order, free of charge, any of the following publications: Spring/Summer Minnesota Explorer, A Guide To Minnesota’s Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota Wildlife, Minnesota Fishing Guide, Minnesota Highway Map, Explore Minnesota Biking, Explore Minnesota Golf, Explore Minnesota Travel Guide, and Explore Minnesota Byways. There’s something for everyone.
While on the Explore Minnesota website, enter their “Summer of Fun Giveaway,” for a chance to win a two year Toyota Hybrid Lease, an Arctic Cat 700 H1 ATV, a Specialized Mountain Bike, or a Minnesota Vacation Giveaway. There are also weekly prizes, so enter every week for more chances to win some fun summer stuff.

The free Maine Camping Guide is available in electronic format or by mail.

Click here to view the electronic version of the Maine Camping Guide.

If you prefer to hold the guide in your hands and take a leisurely look at it while lounging in your favorite easy chair, click here to order the printed version.

The guide breaks the state down into 8 camping regions: South Coast, Western Lakes & Mountians, Kennebec Valley/Moose River Valley, Mid-Coast, Cowneast/Acadia, Sunrise County/Downeast, Aroostook, and Katahdin/Moosehead/Highlands.

There are 225 campgrounds listed in the guide from small campgrounds, to mid-size campgrounds, to large resort campgrounds.

The diveristy in the state’s geography means you can camp near the ocean, in the middle of a forest, or by the mountains.
It’s a handy guide with tips on where to go and what to see while staying in Maine.

The Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners now has the 2008 edition of their Wisconsin Campground Directory available. The 74 page directory lists private campgrounds in Wisconsin that are members of the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners so it is not an all-inclusive list of every campground in the state nor does it include the state or federal campgrounds in Wisconsin; but it is still fairly comprehensive which makes it a good directory to have if you plan to camp in Wisconsin.

The directory also has a good sized pullout map of the state (and it does pull out easily without tearing or ripping apart the rest of the directory - I tested it to be sure).

Another handy feature is the Alphabetical listing of towns with campgrounds that is on pages 5-7.

Best of all the directory is free. All you have to do is request it either by logging onto the association’s website (click here) or call them toll free at 800.843.1821.

If you prefer to download an electronic copy of the directory rather than receive a hard copy in the mail, click here.

When people think of places to visit in Arizona, the Grand Canyon is probably the first place that comes to mind. And, while the Grand Canyon is breathtaking and is something everyone should make an effort to go see at least once (it is one of the seven natural wonders of the world), Arizona has a lot more to offer visitors.

A great way to learn about all the state has to offer is by browsing the official Arizona Visitors Guide. The guide is divided into 5 main sections: Phoenix and Central Arizona, Tucson and Southern Arizona, Northern Arizona, Arizona’s West Coast, North Central Arizona. Within each of those sections, there is a listing of RV parks in the area along with the number of sites available at each one; amenities offered including whether or not there is Internet access; whether or not it is pet friendly; and contact information including a website if there is one.

There’s also a listing of the top events held each year in the state. One of the top events, The Wings over Wilcox Sandhill Crane Celebration, will be held January 17-20, 2008 (call 800.200.2272 for more information or visit their website).

Take your family on a camping trip to Arizona and visit one of the 300 ghost towns. Swansea, north of Parker, Arizona, is one of the state’s best preserved deserted ghost towns (some are still partially inhabited).

Or spend some time learning about the history of the area and about the ancient tribes that once called the area home. White Mountain Scenic Road (one of the National Scenic Byways in the United States) starts in Hon-Dah, Arizona and travels through the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Mount Baldy, which is held sacred by the Apaches, can be seen along the way.

To find out more about Arizona and what it has to offer, request a free copy of the Official Arizona Visitors Guide by clicking here (you can have a hard copy mailed to you; download an electronic verison of it; or receive both).