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To show its appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. Military, on May 19 – Armed Forces Day – the National Park Service will begin issuing an annual pass offering free entrance to all 397 national parks for active duty military members and their dependents.

Military personnel must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. More information is available at www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.

This military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass also permits free entrance to sites managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service. The pass is also available at these locations.

“Through the years, military members, especially those far from home in times of conflict, have found inspiration in America’s patriotic icons and majestic landscapes, places like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon that are cared for by the National Park Service and symbolize the nation that their sacrifices protect,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “This new pass is a way to thank military members and their families for their service and their sacrifices.”

National parks and the military have strong ties going back to the establishment of Yellowstone as the world’s first national park in 1872. The U.S. Cavalry watched over America’s national parks and did double duty, serving as the first park rangers until the National Park Service was created 44 years later. During World War II, many parks were set aside for the training and care of military personnel. Today, dozens of national parks commemorate military battles and achievements.

AUSTIN, Minn. — Kris Wilson and her husband, Brad, are looking forward to end of the school year as much as her 9-year-old son, Jeffrey. That’s when the Wilsons will temporarily relocate from their home in Austin, Minn., to their 36-foot travel trailer at the

, which will be their summer home.

“Come June 4th, we’re there,” said Wilson with a smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Last summer was the first time the Wilsons relocating to Jellystone Park for their summer jobs even though the park is only seven miles away from their home. They hired their 15-year-old niece to babysit their son while they were working.

The kids spent their days swimming, fishing and riding bicycles. “My son loves the swimming pool and the slides. He also likes to play in the river,” Wilson said. And when the kids weren’t doing outdoor activities on their own, they were taking part in organized activities at the campground.

When the Wilsons got back to the RV after work, they’d roast marshmallows by the campfire and spend quality family time together. They had so much fun, in fact, that the Wilson’s adult children would frequently join them for dinner.

“We had so much fun and enjoyed it so much that we did not come home until October 17th,” Kris Wilson said.

Her niece, Lauren, enjoyed the experience so much that she was asking her in November if she could babysit Jeffrey and spend another summer at the Beaver Trails Jellystone Park this year.

The kids are already getting excited about the summer’s activity lineup, which includes a Christmas in July weekend, July 13th to 15th, with a campsite decorating contest, Christmas themed activities, including snow skating and a snowball toss; Cindy Bear’s Chocolate Weekend July 27th to 29th, when park guests and staff plunge into chocolate pudding wresting and other chocolate themed events; a Mardi Gras weekend Aug. 10th to 12th, when guests dress up in costumes and decorate their golf carts, bicycles and homemade floats for the Mardis Gras Mambo Parade. The park is also having a Halloween themed weekend with a crafts and activities and a dress up contest and trick or treating Aug. 24th to 26th with fall festivals scheduled in September and October.

“The park is fun for people of all ages,” Wilson said, adding that spending the summer in a campground is a welcome respite from the cabin fever she gets in the winter months.

“I do not like the winter,” she said. “I’m not a snow girl at all. So I really enjoy the summer.”

When people think of small campgrounds, it’s tempting to think of quiet places with limited amenities.

But such preconceived notions quickly fall apart when one visits Johnson Creek RV Resort in Ingram, TX . That explains why Johnson Creek RV Resort won the  “Small Park of the Year” Award from the Texas Association of Campgrounds last week for the second year in a row.

In addition to offering 100-foot long pull through sites with free wireless Internet and cable television service, Johnson Creek offers a variety of elaborate facilities for weddings, rallies and other special events.

Built amid a former pecan orchard on a scenic bluff overlooking Johnson Creek, the 50-acre park has a house on site with formal dining rooms and kitchen facilities as well as an outdoor dining and reception area that is shaded by a massive oak tree.

While the parks serenity is a big draw it is perfectly situated just 10 minutes from Kerrville and only 30 minutes from Fredericksburg,

The park also has a Western-themed chapel that looks like it was built in the late 1800s, complete with wood floors and pews, which is frequently used for Sunday services as well as wedding ceremonies.

The park also has a Western-themed rally hall and saloon, which is used for weddings, rallies and other special events with large groups of people. The interior of the rally hall is lined with fake furnished storefronts, which make it appear if you have stepped back into the days of the Old West.

Park co-owner Lisa Cauthen says the Western-themed décor is very popular with her guests, particularly those who come from out of state and want to savor the look and feel of the Old West while visiting her Hill County resort.

Lisa Cauthen and her husband, Tom, started building Johnson Creek RV Resort in 2005. The Cauthens had previously spent more than 20 years running various businesses, including a scuba diving store, a health club and a mobile home park in Huntsville, Texas when Lisa started asking Tom about some of his fondest memories.

“He told me how much he loved camping with his uncle when he was growing up,” said Lisa, who had similarly fond memories of camping growing up with her own family.

But after visiting the Texas Hill Country, the Cauthens found the area too much to resist. So they sold their Huntsville businesses and built Johnson Creek RV Resort, which they opened in October 2005.

In addition to receiving the small Park of the Year award from the Texas Association of Campground Owners, Johnson Creek has also received two 5W ratings from the Woodall’s North American Campground Directory for having top quality RV and recreational facilities. The 5W rating, which Johnson Creek first received in 2006, is the highest rating given by the Woodall’s directory.

The Cauthens live and work at the RV resort with their daughter, Delanie, who helps with tours, works in the office, waitresses during catered dinners and helps out with game nights.

For more information on Johnson Creek RV Resort & Park, please contact Lisa Cauthen at (800) 933-6578 and visit www.johnsoncreekrvresort.com.

Johnson Creek RV Resort & Park is a member of the Texas Association of Campground Operators, which publishes and distributes the Texas RV Travel & Camping Guide each year in addition to organizing awards competitions for its affiliated parks using outside judges. For more information about the 2012 directory or for statistics involving the latest camping trends in Texas and New Mexico parks, please contact Brian Schaeffer at (817) 307-0129 or visit www.texascampgrounds.com and www.texascabinrentals.net.