Thursday, January 19, 2012

Camping part two

Welcome back! Today I’d like to continue my series on camping even though you might be under a foot of snow right now. Still you might consider camping later in the year or if you’re brave go soon! I’m giving you my tips and tricks, recipes and activity ideas on camping.



 First things first.. time and location. You don’t need a week of vacation to do this just a weekend get-a-way is perfect! Do some research on nearby places such as State Parks and local camp sites. We prefer to camp at little out of the way places. It is much more authentic I guess you could say and quiet.



If you are camping in an RV make sure there are water, electric and sewer hook ups. And that the pad sites are large enough for your RV. If you are spending your night in a tent don’t expect the stars and crickets chirping to lull you into dreamy bliss if you are placed too close to an RV using a generator. Most places have separate sites for RV and tent campers, double check to make sure. We stayed somewhere before that did not offer electric/ water for the RV’s and it was loud all night with the generator they used!


Ask! Ask friends, co-workers or family if they have ideas of where to stay. Majority of the time this is where you will find a perfect spot. Use google to search places in your area. Look through pictures and check prices many require you to make reservations. Here is a good site which lets you search all over the United States and Canada http://www.accesscamping.com/. Choose a state and search a listing of cities and campgrounds. Click on the campground name and it takes you to an interactive map of the campground. It will list all the amenities, activities, restaurants and local attractions.


Not up for a night of camping? How about a day trip to a nearby State Park? A local day trip for us would be Cleburne State Park its close and offers a swimming area with picnic tables, restrooms and a playground. For a small day time fee you can spend the day relaxing on a blanket watching the kids splash around.
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, TX will take you into a whole other world. See an actual dinosaur track still in the river bed. If the water is low enough you can walk into the river bed and even step right in a track! They have a small learning center with fossils and skeletons of dinosaurs. Picnic and campsites are also available. Along with several hiking and bike trails.



One year we made the long trip to Graceland in Memphis, TN. I packed a cooler with drinks, snacks and lunch items. We stopped at a roadside rest area in Louisiana for lunch before continuing on to Memphis. Seriously I have never seen trees so tall like I did in Louisiana! After spending the night and the next morning touring Graceland we left Memphis for the trip back. We stayed at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Louisiana. The next morning we dug for diamonds, but found some pretty rocks instead! Haha! But still it was the neatest thing for my son who loves digging for anything. And people have found large diamonds at this location so you might get lucky! The picnic area was absolutely beautiful! Moss covered the ground like carpet and the trees were so tall!



Many State Parks have a natural theme surrounding them. Such as Enchanted Rock State Park just north of Fredericksburg, TX. It was huge! And you could hike up to the very top! The views were amazing!


You can see people at the top.. We had a long ways to go!


Made it! Absolutely beautiful views!




 I love places like this. I can learn so much about the history of a certain area! Yes, I am a history geek!
In a time where every penny counts look back on how family vacations or trips were. Back when our grandparents took our parents out to see the Grand Canyon. So want to go there someday! But as I said every penny counts and gas sure takes up a lot of those pennies. Search into local or nearby places. You might be surprised at what you find!

Next week- Camp organization and supplies..stay tuned!

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