from the "avoiding mold archives book": ******* Lisa Petrison Of the places that I've been, here are some spots that I think would be reliably good for a mold avoidance sabbatical in addition to Death Valley. * Mercey Hot Springs This is about two hours from the Bay Area, totally off the grid in the California desert. They have tent camping, RV spots and cabins (including a house). The buildings seem fine to me (except the one with indoor tubs). The only downside is that they don't offer food and so you have to bring your own. However, if you brought your own refrigerator and used their electricity for it, I think that would work out okay. * Ghost Ranch (Abiqui), NM This has been one of my favorite places for decades, and it still felt exceptionally good to me recently. It is a retreat center run by the Presbyterian Church, with seminars, camping and nightly room rentals. I'm not sure about all the buildings, but the air is great. They serve food and there are restaurants in town. I'm going to go back and spend time there myself. A large public campground near Abiqui Lake is also nearby, and that feels good too. * Black Hills, SD. I've not been here for a couple of years and so am not absolutely sure that fire retardants haven't ruined it. But it felt very good in the past, and has a lot of available camping, restaurants and attractions. (Not much organic food though -- there is one small healthy food store in Rapid City.) A possibly good place for the summer months. * Palm Springs/Joshua Tree. There is one park in Desert Hot Springs that allows tent camping. The Joshua Tree area is not as warm, but also is a possibility. I wrote a while back, called "Things to Do in Palm Springs (and Environs)." * Death Valley I wrote a summary about "Camping in Death Valley." * St. George, Utah This is the warmest part of Utah. The state park, Snow Canyon, always has felt good to me. It is just a short drive to town, which has some health food stores and a variety of restaurants. ("Snow" is someone's name, not a weather descriptor. Winter camping is possible, though a bit chilly at night.) Forebearance also identified some resorts that felt good to her near St. George, and I think commented on them on the Locations Effect board at one point. For warmer months, much of Utah feels terrific. * Las Vegas, Nevada There is a park just outside Las Vegas called Red Rocks, with campground. No electricity or showers. The upside here is that it is a short drive from the Yuppie part of Las Vegas, with a variety of restaurants and stores. As always, I suggest that people looking for good locations check out the Locations Effect board in advance, and then share their experiences on it later on. ******* For more locations, check out: http://locationseffect.proboards.com
