Author Archives: dougpanfalone

Camping Tip of the Day: Try the Local Brew

by

2

Yesterday’s Camping Tip of the Day encouraged campers to try the local coffee when camping. Today,we piggy back on that tip and expand that to the local beers. Anybody who knows me personally knows I enjoy a good beer every now and then (or every day LOL). As Amy and I travel and camp in many parts of the U.S. we try to support local businesses by visiting local breweries and trying the microbrews of that region. We have come across some great beers. And nothing is better than sitting around a campfire with a cold beer in hand. Or taking a break from the campground and touring the local brewery. Here some places and brews that we loved and plan to visit again….

Appalachian Brewing Co. in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

1. When we visited Gettysburg we stopped in a place called Appalachian Brewing Company. I highly recommend the pizza and trying the beer sampler. Check out the place at http://www.abcbrew.com/brewpubs/gettysburg-battlefield/Amy highly recommends the Happy Trails IPA.

wpid-IMAG1653.jpg
2.In Nashville we tried their local brew called Yazoo (Pale Ale).

wpid-IMAG1395.jpg

3. In Savannah, Georgia we visited the Moon River Brewing Company (http://www.moonriverbrewing.com/). The Captain’s Porter is excellent!

wpid-IMAG1289.jpg

4. While in Holland, Michigan we visited the New Holland Brewing Company (http://newhollandbrew.com/) and tried this delicious sampler.

wpid-IMAG0297.jpg

5. When we camped at the Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, we stopped by an Irish pub called Duffy’s in Utica (http://www.duffystavernandgrill.com/). We had a Guinness with a clover 🙂

So, long story short, go out and try the local brew (coffee and beer) wherever and whenever you camp.

Cheers!  HAPPY CAMPING!!!

Camping Tip of the Day: Try the Local Coffee

by

1

They say that a dog is  man’s best friend and as a dog owner I could not agree more. However, on a cool spring (or fall) morning, camping in the woods, coffee is my best friend. It’s the only way to start the day. Amy and I are avid coffee drinkers and start every camping morning off with a strong brew. Today’s Camping Tip consists of two parts. First, we look at the practical side of things.

If you tent camp (packing your stuff in the trunk) or you have a popup camper like we do (limited storage) this one is for you. We stow our coffee maker in a soft-sided, insulated cooler. This was a large lunch-type bag that was given to us as a gift and we never used it. So, why not use it as our storage container for our coffee maker? It fits snug in the cooler and the insulated inside provides padding for the bumpy ride. The cooler fits underneath the dining room table of the popup.

cooler

When Amy and I visit different places, we try to buy a bag of the local coffee and use it at our campsite. We have come across some pretty good brews. One of the best brews we had actually came from a campground near our home. Go figure.  Winton Woods is a park/campground run by Hamilton County (Cincinnati, Ohio). Their campstore had a bag of coffee (pecan flavor) so we decided to try it. It was excellent. As we have traveled to places like Door County, Wisconsin, Traverse City, Michigan or Chattanooga, Tennessee, we make an effort to try their local coffee. It’s one way to broaden your camping/traveling experience and contribute to the local tourist economy.

Tomorrow, our Camping Tip of the Day will discuss other local things we try when traveling….( another use for that soft-side cooler!)     😉

HAPPY CAMPING!

Camping Tip of the Day: Keep a Journal

by

0

Ok, gentlemen, don’t freak out when I say journal. I did not say diary  LOL:) A journal is a great way to keep track of your camping adventures. It also helps you remember which campgrounds and specifically, which campsites you like. Often, you will find campgrounds that you would like to revisit in the future. Many of RV stores, like Camping World, have hardbound camping journals you can buy. Or you can just use a standard composition book. Heck, it’s 2014 and we are in the Age of Technology. Use your computer or tablet to maintain a journal.

camp-journal-bookmark

Here are some things to consider when completing your journal:

1. Name/address/phone number of the campground.

2. Name(s) of the friendly staff members you dealt with. If you decided to return to that campground you can ask for them by name.

3. List things you liked about the campground.

4. List the things you did not like.

5. List the campsite number you were at. Amy and I make it a habit to drive around the campground before we leave. We write down all the sites we would like to try the next time and the ones we want to avoid.

6. List names of restaurants you enjoyed while camping there (if you ate out).

7. List the names of places (i.e. parks, museums, etc.) you visited or activities you enjoyed.

8. If you made any new camping friends, write down their names/numbers/e-mail addresses. Who knows, maybe you can meet up in the future….

Here at Crazy4camping, we would love to hear your reviews of the various campgrounds you have visited. Please send us an e-mail at crazy4camping1@gmail.com

HAPPY CAMPING!!!

Camping Tip of the Day: Visit the Campground Before Making the Reservation

by

0

IMG_1781Winter is a depressing time for campers like us. Though Amy and I have done winter camping, this winter has been brutal. Camping in 30 degree weather is one thing. Camping in -5 weather is something completely different. So, we sit and wait….and wait….and wait….
The nice thing about the winter and downtime is it gives us an opportunity to plan the upcoming camping season. Many state parks host festivals or hold activities that are posted on their website. For example, Shawnee State Park (Southeast Ohio) is hosting a weekend activity called Morel Mushrooming Mania. My wife, who is an artist/photographer, would love to attend this. Shawnee has a great campground (so we have heard) and hiking trails. So we printed out some blank calendars and began planning out the places and events we would like to attend this spring.

hate winter
Another benefit of this downtime is that we can go and visit these campgrounds and decide whether we like the campground and if so, which sites would be the best. This is today’s Camping Tip of the Day: Visit the campground before making the reservation. Now, if you plan to camp more than a few hours away, traveling ahead of time just to check out the campground and select a site may not be advantageous economically. I get it. However, if you have some free time on the weekend, extra cash, and a sense of adventure, check out some potential campgrounds, especially if they are less than two hours away.
But Doug, why spend the time and money in doing so? Trust me. Nothing is worse than looking at camping brochures and having an “idea” of what the place is like, only to get there later and be totally disappointed. One time last winter, Amy and I visited a campground within an hour and half from our house. The brochures painted a glamorous picture of the place. When we got there we realized the place was a dump. Clearly, it was not the place we hoped it would be. Fortunately, this has not happened to us too many times. This is usually because we do the following:
1. We visit the campground and drive around. As we drive by sites we like, we write the site # down in a journal. In addition, sites we really do not like, we are sure to include the journal as well. FYI- Some campgrounds are not open in the winter. Call ahead so you don’t make a wasted trip.
2. We read as many online reviews as we can about the campground.
3. We love going to campground websites that include a map of the campground and pictures of the actual sites online. Now, actually going there is better than a picture online, however, it saves a trip. Kentucky and Tennessee state parks usually include a picture of each site on their reservation website. This can be a very useful tool.
In the end, if you can take the time and gas to visit the campground ahead of time, we highly recommend it. Just last week, Amy and I visited an Ohio State Park that was an hour away (Stonelick State Park). We liked the country-setting type of campground. We drove around and wrote down sites we liked and ones we want to stay away from. When the snow melts (hopefully soon), we plan to visit Stonelick and we know where in the campground we want to be.
HAPPY CAMPING!

Product Review: Propane Tank Covers

by

0

propane

One childhood life lesson that was engrained in my brain by my father was, “if you want anything to last you have to take good care of it.” Amy and I have had our popup camper for over a year. We have been blessed to travel to many campgrounds during this time. The constant traveling is beginning to wear on parts of our camper. It doesn’t look like the brand new camper we bought last December.

 

One thing that is beginning to weather is our set of propane tanks. So, as I am looking forward to some spring camping soon, I decided I want to make some investments to help maintain our camper. The first thing would be to buy this product. Camping World (part of Good Sam) offers thousands of RV products at www.campingworld.com If you are like me and a little hesitant to order over the Internet, you can call them toll free.

I bought a twin propane cover made by ADCO. The cover has an elastic bottom so it fits snug around your propane tanks. There is a zipper at the top to allow easy access to gauges. Included is a piece of thin plywood to place on top of the tanks so that it creates a form for the cover. However, getting the piece of wood inside the cover was a small hassle.

Either way, we are happy with our $17.79 investment. The cover keeps our propane tanks protected from the elements. The polar white color “brightens” up the front end of the camper, helping the camper look “new”.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/30-lb-twin-gas-bottle-cover-polar-white/19074

No worries if you only have a single propane tank. They have covers for that as well. We originally only had one as well but had our RV dealer add another one as we like to camp in early spring, late fall, and sometimes during the winter. Having an extra tank allows us to run our furnace for longer periods of time.

HAPPY CAMPING!

 

 

 

Camping Tip of the Day: Making Use of Dryer Lint

by

0

We have all been told how important it is to empty out our dryer lint traps. Not only does a lint buildup cause poor air circulation and cause our dryer to be less efficient, it is a major risk for fire. “According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 15,000 fires are sparked every year by clothes dryers. Lint and other debris can build up in your dryer vent, reducing air flow to the dryer, backing up dryer exhaust gases, creating a fire hazard. “Read more: http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/money/angies_list/thousands-of-fires-are-sparked-each-year-by-clogged-dryer-vents#ixzz2rQPP05iK

So, let’s make something good out of a bad situation. You should empty your dryer vents every time you use it. Take the lint and store it in a Ziploc bag. You’ll be amazed how much you will accumulate over the period of a month. When you are camping, you can use the dryer lint as a fire starter. Simply take the lint of the bag, spray it with Pam or any other vegetable oil spray, and wrap it with one layer of newspaper. Place it in the fire pit, building up a “teepee” of kindling wood around it. Light the newspaper and watch your fire burn!

HAPPY CAMPING!