family vacations
Clothespin Crafts
When the weather is miserable and winter never-ending, I bring out my crafts box. A personal favorite is being creative with clothes pins I’ve long been a fan of clothes line driers and those clip-style clothespins. (Here in Arizona, it is so dry, it seems a shame to use an electric clothes drier but that’s Read More >>
Building a campfire and eating well
For a campfire, you need fuel (dead and down or store-bought wood), an ignition source (matches), and air (all around). Sounds simple but there are some tricks that as a novice camper you might not realize. One thing you’ll want is variety in the size of your kindling. Look around and collect dry grass, twigs Read More >>
Three Types of Camping Adventures
As the camping season gets underway, it seems to me camping adventures will fall into three general categories: change of wallpaper; summer vacation; and, lifetime adventure. Let me clarify and give you examples. A Change of wallpaper adventure would be a mini-vacation, probably a weekend break in routine. The destination, close to home, is simply Read More >>
Novice campers – Buying a tent
This year more novice campers will discover the joys of camping and the wonders of national forests. This is a good thing but camping can be scary. Especially to novice campers. If you have never build a campfire, slept under the stars, or spent time in the woods, there is a lot to learn. Camping isn’t Read More >>
Fried Biscuits and Donut Holes – two breakfast favorites
Cooking from scratch wasn’t my mom’s thing. However, what she could do with a tube of refrigerated biscuits was amazing. Fried biscuits and donut holes are two of my personal favorites. Fried Biscuits Open a tube of refrigerated biscuit and separate each biscuit. Flour a flat surface and your rolling pin. Put a biscuit on Read More >>
Tips for Better Photo Memories
This article was published some eight years ago. The tips given are still valid and might be helpful for your photo taking this time of year. ******************************************************** I was going through several photo albums the other day of my children. It’s hard to believe they have children of their own. The photos bring back a Read More >>
Peppermint Cocoa Mix
There are some things that are essential to all my camping adventures and hot chocolate tops that list. I feared, once diagnosed with a lactose intolerance, I would have to give up this camping essential. But for joy, for joy, there is something about cocoa that allows my body digest milk. Means hot chocolate remains Read More >>
Not a fan
This is a posting I made more than eight years ago and am still waiting for answers. Do you have any insight for me? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Each month Fred and I publish a newsletter. One of the newsletter’s monthly features is a “Notable Campground” article. I’m a little surprised no one has noticed a rarely a Read More >>
AZ Hwy Photo tips
I’m not a professional photographer but do I enjoy trying. That is why one of the Arizona Highway features I read faithfully is The Journal – Photography. In the April 2010 issue was a brief question and answer piece with Bruce D. Taubert. (Not familiar with the name? Take a look at his work and Read More >>
Payne Lake campground – peace & quiet
This posting was first published in 9/30/2009. That’s almost a decade ago!!!! Well, we have a stop scheduled at Payne Lake Campground this summer. It will be interesting to see if there have been many changes, like the fire ants have moved on. As you can read, I thought it was a nice little campground Read More >>
