Suzi’s Blog
The U.S. National Forest Campgrounds Guide website, www.forestcamping.com, is a wealth of information about developed campgrounds in all 176 national forests and grasslands across the country. It is basically an encyclopedia, straight forward and impersonal. Suzi’s Blog adds a little personal touch to the ForestCamping.com website with postings about our experiences, adventures, and discoveries along with other postings related to camping, national forests and grasslands, and family fund.
I am Suzi Dow and I hope you will find something interesting, something helpful, something informative, but mostly something that will help you get out and discover our national forests and grasslands.
Wonderful surprise – Ocean Pond cg
If you live near Jacksonville or Gainsville, FL, are you a lucky person. About a 45 minute drive north from Gainsville and 45 minutes west of Jacksonville is, in my opinion, the sweetest campground in Florida – Osceola NF’s Ocean Pond campground. Who would have thought there would be such a lovely national forest campground Read More >>
A leash for Ralf
I like to knit while Fred drives. Looking for a project recently I realized I had some leftover cotton yarn, a pair of number 7 double pointed knitting needles and Ralf could use a new leash. Cool beans. Here’s what I did: Got a clip hook at a hardware store. I used a bowline knot Read More >>
Birdwatching is work!
One of the highlights of our camping at the Catalina State Park was the birdwatching walk we took with a group of experienced birdwatcher. Now I know the names of a few birds. Here is a Red-Tail Hawk and a Mourning dove. The hawk is easy to id with its Georgia red clay colored tail Read More >>
Alternative uses of everyday things
I try to never pack “single-use” items when we go camping. Here are some uses for a few everyday things that I have found. They might be good for your next camping trip. Use an inverted colander to cover food and keep bugs off. If you have young children, put those “keep-bugs-away” candles inside a Read More >>
360 degree awarenss while hiking
Hiking, or in my case, walking, is a great way to stay healthy. We are fortunate to live near lots of great trails. The San Pedro River’s corridor of trails is a favorite but we are always on the lookout of a new trail. Whether an old familiar trail or brand new one, every trail Read More >>
Why National Forests?
Have you ever noticed how simple questions can lead to the longest answer? We were recently asked “Why National Forests?” Here are a dozen reasons to explain why Fred and I prefer camping in a National Forest and Grasslands: Elbow room to spare There is no need to worry if your neighbor might hear a Read More >>
Simple, quick and easy recipes
The truth is not all cookbook are created equal. This is especially true for cookbooks written for camping. I want super and very simple recipes when I go camping. I keep looking but find each one incomplete and disappointing. A few weeks ago I picked up a copy of The Ultimate RV Cookbook and it Read More >>
Dakota Prairie Grasslands – beautiful
The Dakota Prairie Grasslands combines four different grasslands. Each is unique but all share the traits of vastness and grass. Not as well–known as national parks or even national forests, national grasslands are wonderfully empty of hoards of people. Little Missouri National Grassland (NG) With it miles and miles of Badlands, Little Missouri NGis a Read More >>
It’s a big, beautiful country waiting for you
My November 2018 National Geographic magazine has huge article titled “Battle for the American West.” It is a good read but what I found most interesting, and exciting, was the number of photograph of things Fred and I recognized from out travels. I mean we have seen Bears Ears and explored Comb Ridge, been awed Read More >>
TEN REASON TO PLANT A TREE IN YOUR YARD
A Tree will add beauty and grace to any setting. Trees connect us with nature. Trees provide nutmeats (walnuts, pecans, hickory), fruit (plum, peach, apple, pear) berries for jams and jellies, and sap for maple syrup. Native trees in the United States yield substances used for pharmaceutical and other medical purposes. Example: Taxol, a substance Read More >>
