NEW YORK, August 21, 2000 - GORP.com, the leading Internet site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel, is chronicling the travels of the quirky duo of Fred and Suzi Dow as they survey the state of campgrounds found in our country's recreation areas. This husband and wife team has committed themselves to visiting every U.S. national forest in an effort to provide a one-of-a-kind resource of factual information about America's campgrounds.

Since 1995, this persistent couple has documented more than 1,200 campgrounds in 98 national forests and compiled their extensive research to produce the U.S. National Forest Campground Guide. GORP hosts the guide online (www.gorp.com/dow) and often uses the Dows' knowledge and images for its coverage of national forests.

Currently, the Dows are on a six-month journey to review campgrounds in ten more forests high in the Rockies. The couple is host to an ongoing forum about their travels, allowing users the opportunity to ask questions and seek advice. The forum, active through the end of October, is available at www.gorp.com/gorp/interact/guests/dows.htm.

"We've supported the Dows since the beginning of this project," said Bill Greer, co-founder and editor-in-chief of GORP.com. "Preservation of our national parks and forests is crucial for the mental, spiritual and financial health of our country. The Dows are doing their part by establishing the benchmark, reviewing the conditions and reporting their findings."

The Dows have worked hard to build a connection between humanity and the natural world. The respect and reverence they have for these places is evident in the dedication to and high quality of their work. Fred is a retired manager for office automation in the federal government. Suzi teaches communication and English composition courses at a community college near their home in Bisbee, Arizona.

"National forests preserve so much of our national heritage," says Suzi Dow. "They provide quality environment, watershed protection, wildlife habitat. It's where people go to stand and wonder underneath the tall trees. They give people an opportunity to gain perspective and a sense of belonging - two qualities Americans crave right now."

GORP (a.k.a. Great Outdoor Recreation Pages) is the largest and most trafficked Web site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel. With more than 100,000 pages of content, GORP offers a complete package of authoritative, award-winning content; a large, active community of outdoor enthusiasts; and a full-range of e-commerce offerings drawing nearly 14 million page views per month. Started in 1995, GORP offers a full-service adventure travel booking feature with more than 4,000 trips, accessible via the Web or telephone, in addition to a gear store with 180 brands of clothing, footwear and equipment. GORP has been cited by Yahoo!, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many others, as the leader in this category and a "Best of the Web" site.

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