Camping Tip of the Day: Push Yourself Beyond Your Limits

February 1, 2014 by amypanfalone

Of course there are a thousand reasons that one could come up with not to camp: it’s too cold, it’s too hot, it takes too much work, the kids will be bored, I like my comfortable bed, etc. etc. But the fact that you are visiting this blog means you are at least somewhat interested in trying your hand at camping, or looking to share in the experiences of others. What I can tell you from experience is simply this – JUST TRY IT. Just as there are many excuses not to camp there are a thousand reasons why you should, and an equal number of cheesy clichés about pushing yourself to experience life to the fullest. After all, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

All joking aside, camping has been a great experience for my husband and me, and I feel it has really strengthened our marriage. Enjoying a hobby together, experiencing new places together, and even overcoming obstacles along the way, creates a strong and enduring relationship. That is not to say we, by any means, are “hard-core” in our camping. There have been several times this winter we would have liked to get out and camped, but decided against it do to frigid temperatures. Needless to say, when we received the following from my adventuresome brother, Spencer, we were more than a bit disappointed in our own lack of will in the face of his unbridled enthusiasm for the great outdoors:

Here a few highlights from Pictured Rocks. The trip was as challenging as it was beautiful. 3 days, 3 nights. Highs in the 20s, lows in the single digits. On the last morning it was -3 in my tent!

We started with 11 people, though three people left early due to the frigid temps. It was a learning experience for everyone. For me staying warm wasn’t the toughest challenge, rather it was breaking trail through deep snow and making sure everyone’s well-being was accounted for. I probably overestimated how much distance we would be able to comfortably cover in one day, but I wanted to make sure we reached campsites where fires are permitted. At the end, we all made it out with all our fingers and toes, I’d call that a success. Big smiles had by all.

The trails were deep with soft snow, several feet in most places, and meandered through pine forest and past frozen waterfalls. The trail along the lakeshore was on a steep bluff, so there were expansive views of an icy Superior. At one point the trail lowered to the beach, there the winds were very intense and sent shivers up and down your spine.

While cold was constant, the winds were variable, gusting as times, then calm. It would snow, then it would be sunny. At night we were treated to an amazing night sky complete with an eerie moonrise through the trees. We half expected wolves to begin howling, but they were probably in their warm dens. We would wake up with almost a half-foot of fresh snow on the ground.

There were animal tracks everywhere, though we only saw a few ravens. Sometimes it was so quiet the only sound you could hear was the wind in the pines and your own beating heart.

Camping Tip of the Day: Keep Track of Where You Travel….Visually

January 31, 2014 by dougpanfalone

The other day I wrote about how keeping a journal is a great part of the camping experience. The journal is a convenient way to keep track of your favorite campgrounds and more specifically, your favorite camp sites. Your camping journal allows you to relive that great moment later. Today’s tip goes along these same lines…

My wife, Amy, is a junior high school art teacher. She is very creative and has a great talent with art. As you can see in the pictures, Amy took a creative approach to tracking our camping experiences, based on a DIY project she found on the internet. First, she traced the state of Ohio (including counties) by using corkboard and a Sharpie. Then she created name tags for the various places in Ohio we’ve camped (tiny strips of paper) and used push pins to peg them on the map. Applying the same concept, Amy created a much larger version of the United States. Just like the Ohio map, this map shows the various places we have camped in the United States. As you can see, we have ALOT more to explore in America. On this map, she included a “legend” where we could peg our “want list”. In other words, places we hope to camp in the future. In the final picture, you see a state magnet board. Every time we visit a new state (together) for the first time, we buy a magnet and add it the board. We look forward to adding more and more magnets this summer.

I have all three of these hanging in my office at home. It’s a good motivator when I have had a rough week at work. It’s nice to reminisce about the places we have visited and the experiences we had. It’s cool to daydream about places we hope to camp someday. Maybe you can track places you have traveled or camped visually too….

HAPPY CAMPING!!!

Camping Tip of the Day: Try the Local Brew

January 29, 2014 by dougpanfalone

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.

2.In Nashville we tried their local brew called Yazoo (Pale Ale).

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

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

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: Keep a Journal

January 27, 2014 by dougpanfalone

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.

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

January 26, 2014 by dougpanfalone

Winter 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.

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!

crazy4camping

Finding rest and relaxation in the great outdoors.

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