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8 Great Ways to Celebrate April

Magic pink rhododendron flowers on summer mountain.

Everything seems to be a little bit brighter come April – flowers are in bloom, weather across the country is warmer, and the sun stays around longer each day. This April, get out and camp and celebrate some of April’s special days, like Garlic Day, Pretzel Day, and more.

Library Day falls on April 6 and National Librarian Day falls on April 16. Check out some of these beautiful libraries while camping with us. Pacific Dunes is a great camping spot to check out the library at Hearst Castle in nearby San Simeon. In addition to the 4,000+ book collection, the library also houses a collection of ancient Greek vases, dating back 2,000 years. Another spectacular California library can be found in San Diego (camp with us at Thousand Trails Pio Pico) on the campus of the University of San Diego. The Geisel Library, named for Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Suess, was completed in 1970 and is an example of Brutalist architecture. Originally named the Central Library, it was renamed in honor of Geisel in 1995 and has a special section with over 8,000 items produced by Dr. Seuss.

Pacific Dunes

Want to celebrate garlic? Garlic Day is April 19 and a great place to celebrate this day is in Gilroy, California – considered the “Garlic Capital of the World.” Visit Garlic World to pick up garlic-related essentials from garlic braids to pickled and dried garlic. Gilroy Gardens Theme Park offers plenty of family fun from the Garlic Twirl ride to the beautiful gardens and the unique Circus Trees. Historic downtown Gilroy has shops and restaurants to enjoy. Book a stay at Thousand Trails Morgan Hill and you’re less than 20 minutes (and close enough to smell the raw garlic in the spring) from all the garlicky good fun.

The first commercial pretzel bakery in America can be found in Lititz, Pennsylvania, which is about 10 miles from Thousand Trails Circle M. Book a stay at Circle M and head to Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery to celebrate National Pretzel Day (April 26). National Pretzel Day became a reality in 2003 when then-Governor Ed Rendell declared the day to “acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state’s history and economy.” Visitors to the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery can take a tour and see the original bakery and get a hands-on lesson in pretzel twisting (visit juliansturgis.com for more info).

Titanic Museum - Pigeon Forge, TN
Titanic Museum – Pigeon Forge, TN

The Titanic sunk 111 years on April 15, 1912, and fittingly, April 15 is Titanic Remembrance Day. Consider a camping trip to Tennessee’s Pigeon Forge Landing and visit the Titanic Museum (titanicpigeonforge.com) in the town of Pigeon Forge. The museum, which is shaped like the RMS Titanic and built half-scale to the size of the original ill-fated ocean liner, has 20 galleries and more than 400 personal and private artifacts.

Other fun April special day options can include:

  • A visit to the Hall of Superheroes Museum in Elkhart, Indiana (camp at Twin Mills Campground in nearby Howe) to celebrate National Superhero Day (April 28)
  • A visit to the beautiful Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida (camp with us at nearby Thousand Trails Three Flags) to see the more than 6,000 orchids on display in honor of National Orchid Day (April 16)
  • A camping stay at Thousand Trails Harbor View puts you a little over an hour’s drive to Monticello, the estate of Thomas Jefferson (TJ is celebrated on April 13 which is National Thomas Jefferson Day)
  • In honor of National Independent Bookstore Day (April 29), visit Powell’s Bookstore, the largest independent bookstore in the world, located in Portland (camp at Portland Fairview)
Thousand Trails Three Flags campground
Three Flags

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