How is the information on EatStayPlay.com organized?

EatStayPlay.com organizes our information by state and then by population center. Within each population center is a list of activities and attractions that are available in that area.

A population center is a hub of recreational activities and it is how we have organized the information in our states. Most of the time, a population center is also a city, but in rare cases, a population center is an area that has a lot of activities to offer visitors.

What is an attraction?

Attractions are the information that EatStayPlay.com provides on the website. They are the places of interest in a population center or specific location. Many times, the attraction is run by a branch of government (either city, state, or national agencies) such as the National Forest Service or National Park Service, State Park Service, etc. However, EatStayPlay.com strives to include all outdoor activities, some of which may be for profit.

Museums, historic sites, and landmarks are also considered attractions, even though they are not necessarily related to outdoor recreation.

What types of attractions does EatStayPlay.com offer?

EatStayPlay.com focuses primarily on outdoor recreation. We offer information about the following (broad) categories:

What are the parts of an attraction?

EatStayPlay.com strives to provide all the information you need in order to decide if you want to visit an attraction or not. This information includes:

• The attraction name
• A general description of the attraction.
• Activity icons for at-a-glance decision making
• What facilities are available at the attraction. We define facilities as: food/water, restrooms, lodging, and gas so the Facilities tag will tell you if these things are available at the attraction.
• If you will need reservations to visit the attraction. We tell you if they are accepted, needed, or required.
• When is the best time to visit the attraction. This information includes the hours of operation and the time of year that the attraction is open.
• If there are any fees. To keep our information as current as possible, we don't list the amount charged, only if there is an entrance, participate, parking or other type of fee associated with that activity.
• If the area is handicapped accessible and to what extent.
• Driving directions to the attraction
• And all the contact information for the attraction: the address, phone and FAX numbers, and links to the website and email, if available.

What are Activity Icons?

Activity icons are the little green boxes you see on attractions. They give you a quick idea of what the attraction has to offer. For example, when you're looking at a list of campgrounds, you can see at a glance which campgrounds have an RV dump and which don't.

The Activity Icons make it easy for you to quickly find the type of attraction you're looking for -- based on what's available.

There is an amphitheatre	ATVs are permitted
There is bird watching	There is a boat launch
Cabins are available	Campfires are permitted
There is cross country skiing	There is a day use area
There is an RV dump	Fees are charged
Fishing is permitted	Gasoline is available
Hiking is permitted	The area is handicap accessible
Horses are permitted	There is a host for the area
Interpretive signs are provided	Jeeps are permitted
Lake or body of water	Leashed pets are permitted
Mountain bikes are permitted	There is no trash service available
Parking area	There is a public phone
Picnic ramadas	Picnic tables
Propane is available	RVs are permitted
There are showers	Snowmobiles are permitted
There is a store	Swimming is permitted
Tents are permitted	There are toilets
Trash service	Scenic viewpoint
Visitor center	Drinking (potable) water
Wi-Fi Internet available	Wildlife viewing

What is a population center?

A population center is a hub of recreational activities and it is how we have organized the information in our states. Most of the time, a population center is also a city, but in rare cases, a population center is an area that has a lot of activities to offer visitors.

How do I access an attraction's website?

What is an external link and how does it work?

An external link is a link to an attraction or organization's website. You will leave EatStayPlay.com and go to the organization's website, which will open in a new Internet browser window.

External links include:

• Attraction websites
• Organization's website
• Merchant's websites
• Links to chamber of commerce, tourism boards, newspapers etc found on the population center page

How does EatStayPlay.com get photos?

We get our images in a variety of ways:

• We travel to the attraction and take the photos ourselves. While we're there, we take time to PLAY and to verify our information, of course! This image will say: 'Courtesy of EatStayPlay.com' for the photo caption.
• The attraction provides the image. In the photo caption, we always give credit to the owner of the photo.
• A member sends us a photo. Again, we always give credit to the photographer!

How do I submit a photo?

How do I submit an attraction that you missed?

How do I submit a correction?

How do I navigate the website?

From the home page, you can either click on the name of a state or click on a state on the map. This will take you to the state page.

From the state page you can either click on the name of a population center or click a region on the map.

If you clicked on a region, you will be taken to the region page. You must click on the name of a population center to go to the population center page.

Once you are at a population center, you can navigate the list of categories on the left, clicking the activity are interested in. You will get a list of attractions with a small description about each one.

Clicking on an attraction name will take you to the page of information about that attraction. Some attractions will have a box of links called "See Related Attractions." The attractions listed in this box are other attractions that are geographically related to the attraction you are currently looking at.

I can't find what I'm looking for, what do I do?

If you can't find the attraction that you are looking for, think about what you DO at that location. For example, if you are looking for Lakeview Trail and you know that you can hike the trail, try looking under hiking.

We're adding new attractions all the time. Tell us what you want to see more of (more campgrounds, trails, bird watching, fishing, etc) and we'll do our best to provide it to you.

How do I print?

All attraction and organization pages have a Print button just below the EatStayPlay banner at the top of the page. Click on this button to print the page.

To conserve your ink, we do not print the any photos that appear on the page. In addition, we replace website and email links with the actual website url and email address. This way, you get all the information that you need on your trip or vacation!

How do I email?

Not all attractions have provided us with an email address for them but, if an attraction has a link to 'EMAIL' in the contact information, clicking on that link will launch your email program. If you use an Internet based email like Hotmail, Yahoo, or Gmail, copy the email address and paste it into your email client.

Most photo captions have an email addresses in them, if you want to email the owner of the photo.

How do I tell my friends about EatStayPlay.com?

If you follow this link you will be able to send your friend an email, inviting them to join EatStayPlay.com. Target=email form page to send an email to a friend. Instead of sending an attraction, we'll send info about membership to EatStayPlay.com.

How, why, and when was EatStayPlay.com started?

Are there any job openings available at EatStayPlay.com?