Camping with your dog -- a new experience for us

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

Our husky/lab mix, Layla, likes camping and camp chairs

Until this year, we had never camped with a dog before. We didn't have a dog, so that was an easy choice. In February, we rescued our sweet girl, Layla, through the wonderful services of Lollypop Farm. She's young, about a year and a half, and full of energy. So far, she hasn't spent much quality time with other dogs.

On our first camping outing with our dog, we were worried. We stayed close to home at KOA Canandaigua, a place we've stayed at many times before. We weren't sure what to expect. Would she bark the whole time? Whine all night? Would she even be willing to sleep in the camper?

That first trip, we brought her food but forgot her dishes. We did remember to bring a short cable tie-out, one short enough to keep her safely on our site. I bought her a brand new rawhide bone to keep her happily occupied. We even brought an extra camp chair just for Layla.

Turns out, we needn't have worried so much. After a tour of the resort, with a chance for our dog to make a few friends, we took her to a run-free area provided by the campground and let her loose for a bit. She tired of that soon enough, and was perfectly happy to return to our campsite.

We have a cupboard full of old pans, so the no-dishes problem was easily solved. She did bark loudly and predictably whenever another camper strolled by with dog in-tow. But she also calmed down on command and eventually got used to having walk-by visitors. She loved the hiking/biking trails, too.

she didn't like the well water there

Nighttime brought the ultimate test. I had visions of tethering her outside, where she'd sleep in her new favorite "cave" -- under the camper. Our camper's pretty small, but it turned out she really liked sleeping inside with us. Luckily, there's another "cave" in there, right under our queen-size bed. Though she was up and ready to go out fairly early (7 am!), she passed the night calmly, sleeping.

We've had two more trips since that first time. Once for five days at Spruce Row Campground (she didn't like the well water there), and a return trip this past weekend to the KOA. She still barks at passing dogs, and she doesn't like it much when I leave on an errand. Otherwise, camping with our dog has worked out just fine.

I'm very glad that Layla likes camping. Now that we've done it, I can't imagine going away without her. The thought of boarding her while we're off camping doesn't appeal one bit. She's good company, and faithfully guards our campsite the whole time. Funny, though -- she's always happy to hop back in the truck and cruise on home when we're done camping.
_______________________________________________
 How about you? Do you camp with your dog(s)? Have you had any weird experiences doing that, or have any great advice to share?

Signs, Signs -- Why can't highway signs work better?

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

Image from a great sign article at Writing for Designers, Geo Mason U

Why are highway signs so often barely adequate? Anyone who drives a big Class A motorhome or pulls a trailer far from home knows exactly what I mean. When expressways divide or have complicated exits, why aren't the signs better? Why don't we get better warnings for major lane changes?

We don't all use GPS. Some of us just print out the MapQuest directions, or --heaven forbid!-- use ordinary paper road maps. Maybe we don't like that metallic voice yakking in our ears like a back seat mother-in-law. So we need good signs. We need advance notice.

Those are the drivers you see in panic mode

Add my truck and camper together and I've got a 10,000-pound train that's over 40 feet long. You don't want me to have to make a sudden lane change right in front of you. Ever seen a camping trailer on its side in the median? I have, and it's not pretty.

from Jacksonville.com article

If you give me "JCT 490W/490E 1/4 MI" (a real sign) in four lanes of heavy traffic, that's only about 400 yards to work with. City through-loops and by-passes are notorious for doing this to drivers. Sure, the locals know they have to cross over three lanes --quick!-- and be in the far right lane to hit the Exit Only ramp in time. But for out-of-towners? Those are the drivers you see in panic mode. Now add a trailer or 5th wheel into the equation and bad things can happen in a hurry.

When you're driving or towing a large RV, the need to make sudden short-notice lane changes can be deadly. You have to trust your mirrors and the drivers around you. Nobody wants to get stuck behind you, so they pass you any way they can. What if it's pouring rain? Pray, or play it safe and miss your exit.

from another cool sign article!

It's an easy problem to fix. I've seen those rare places where the DOT got it right. They pick a handy overpass about a mile ahead of a major split, and they draw you a giant picture. You don't have to read little signs with numbers; just follow the big arrows. "OK, so the two left lanes keep going, but the right one goes north and next one in goes south." How simple was that?

And it's the "mile in advance" that really matters.

When drivers have plenty of time to work their way into the correct lane there's room for courtesy to work its magic. You can change lanes at speed, instead of forcing drivers behind you to hit the brakes. With room to react, most drivers are happy to let big rigs get where they need to go. Nobody wants to get crunched!

I'll bet rescue workers and the automobile insurance companies are with me on this rant. Let's do some math, in this fictional (but realistic) accounting:

• One badly-damaged full-size pick-up: $15,000
• One destroyed travel trailer: $21,000
• Value of possessions ruined in crash: $1,800
• Two other vehicles damaged by collision: $12,000
• Hospital stay for one injured motorist: $31,000
• Deployment cost for three police cars, two fire trucks, ambulance, critical care response unit, and a dozen or more first-responders -- ?? Certainly $2,000 or more.
•  TOTAL: at least $80,000

I don't know how the math works for those totally cool giant-picture road signs, but I'm willing to wager that $80,000 will buy more than one. (Pennsylvania's DOT spent about $60,000 for thirty big road signs in this story from 2009.)  And if better signage can save just ONE life, what's that worth? 

_______________________________________________
How about you? Do you have any pictures of almost-worthless highway signage? Send me you photo and I'll publish it here. You can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page.

Review of Spruce Row Campground in Ithaca, NY -- We'll likely return to stay again

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

Jim and Nick enjoy a quiet game of Gin at Spruce Row Campground

After 6 years of trailer camping all around our region, we decided to try a new camping resort, sight unseen. My wife wanted to see more of the Ithaca region, so I made last-minute reservations at Spruce Row Campground by phone and the pleasant voice on the other end of the line assured me we'd have a fine site, with plenty of room, grass and shade. She was right, and we're all glad we went.

By the third day at Spruce Row, we'd toured most of the roads and trails on foot. We'd also piled all four of us (Layla included) in the truck and had a whirlwind tour of Ithaca (very busy), the Cornell University Campus, and a fine hike along the Taughannock Falls Gorge. When we finally checked out on Friday under a blistering sun, we were sorry to say good-bye, especially to the awesome pool!

Here's our round-up, all on a scale of 1 to 10, with "10" for Awesome:

Spruce Row Campground

2271 Kraft Road

Ithaca, NY  14850

Phone (607) 387-9225

Online: Spruce Row website

Location and Ease of Access:  9

Between State Routes 89 and 96, between Trumansburg and Ithaca above Cayuga Lake

Nearby Attractions: 9

THREE State Parks, swimming and hiking, wineries, the lake, museums, shopping, and the whole city of Ithaca

First Impressions:  8

Nice entry, homey store/office, pool and mini-golf up front. Pleasant staff.

Site Layout, Roads, Grass and Trees:  9

Lots of shade, grass, doggie trails. Roads designed to reduce through traffic.

Campsites: Size, variety, maintenance, hook-ups, tables and fire rings:  8

Plenty of site choices, spacious, easy to pull-thru. Tables and fire rings need upgrading.

Resort amenities: Store, pool, games and activities:  8

Pretty basic store, delightful pool, an OK mini-golf course, minimal activities and game room. Tons of green space for outdoor fun and games.

Spruce Row store (website photo)

Rules and Reg's: reasonable or intrusive?  7

Hate the speed-bumps, pool and dog rules are fine. Seasonal sites a bit unkempt.

Over-all Rating:  8.5

We'd stay there again, and recommend Spruce Row to our camping friends.

_______________________________________________

 How about you? Do you have a campground review you'd like to share? If you'd like to submit your review for posting, you can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page.

Our rotted camper floor: New tile to the rescue!

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

Porcelain tile fixes rotten floor in our 1980 Shasta camp trailer 

This isn't my usual place for writing about tile, but my recent experience with some serious rot in our camper's floor makes the exception. I wanted a durable, rock-solid new floor and porcelain floor tile seemed like a fine fit for that. Doesn't hurt that tile is almost always pretty, too.

When we bought our 1980 Shasta camper about 6 years ago, the floor just inside our door and into the bathroom had a "soft spot." I fixed that by doing some plywood patching, by adding floating laminate flooring in the main area, and by overlaying linoleum in the bathroom. Until last month, that was good enough.

When Lin and I went camping earlier in June, we discovered that the "soft spot" had returned with a vengeance. Afterward, I parked the camper in our driveway turn-around and set up shop. We had another camping trip coming right up, so I had to hustle. First I had to fix the steel fold-out step, which was very springy (that was a clue for me for what was to follow).

The extent of the rot made me sick

The floor problems began right inside the door, the single highest-traffic part of our camper. I knew some serious fixing was in order, so I put a new blade in my cordless sawz-all and started what I'd hoped would be a strategic surgery. No such luck.

The damage was horrendous: wet-rotted frame members, plywood so soft I could crush it in my hands. The extent of the rot made me sick. It went under the entry closet, over to the oven cabinet, and all the way to the bathtub. In all, I had to remove everything down to the protective metal under-skin for a total of over 15 square feet.

Even the wooden 2 by 2 framing was ruined, and that's what held everything together.

Talk about needing a Plan B! I had to search my shop for suitable materials and start improvising right away. Had to cut out the bottoms of the closet and the vanity, just to get access. I laid in strips of 5/8" floor decking to span the dead space over the black water tank. Had to locate the metal cross-members and screw that down to firm it up.

The right trim and finish fixes everything

Next came a layer of 1 by 6 pine at right angles to the floor plywood, to tie things together and gain some strength (since I couldn't plywood the whole floor in one shot). Trouble was, the 1 by 6 material was too thick to go under the existing floor plywood--the old and new floors had to "interlock." So I had to switch to 7/16" plywood, slip it under the old floor where it was still good, then infill with 1/4" lauan plywood.

Doesn't that sound like fun? Took me an entire Saturday to do all that.

I used up all my 'scrap' material, two tubes of Liquid Nails, and had to make another run to Lowe's for more plywood. Ran out of screws; ran out of underlayment staples. Ran out of daylight, too.

It all worked out in the end, though. The floor was oddly-built and ugly, but felt really solid underfoot. With another full day available to me, I set-up for tile cutting, grabbed two boxes of left-overs from the garage, and spent a few hours cutting and laying new 12 by 12 porcelain tiles. Trust me, there were some tricky cuts!

The right trim and finish fixes everything. I scrounged through all of my left-over shoe moldings, some newly-acquired scribe moldings that matched perfectly, and caulked all the grout joints with tile-industry caulk that would stay permanently flexible. I figured grout would just crumble and fall out once I got back on the road.

You be the judge. Take a close look at the picture above. It's nothing fancy, really; but I'm hoping this floor will last until we're ready to give up on our 30-year-old camping trailer. It survived our week-long camping trip very nicely.
 _______________________________________________
 How about you? Have you ever had to do some emergency surgery on your camper? It's not fun, is it?

While camping at Spruce Row Campground -- We hike the Taughannock Gorge Trail

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

Trail length:  .75 miles
Trail rating:  Easy
Scenery rating:  10 out of 10

Jim, Nick and Layla pose on the Overlook, Falls behind them.

They say "Ithaca is Gorges!" Since we were camping just a few miles away, we had to visit one of the coolest gorges in the region: Taughannock Falls Gorge (pronounced "tuh GAN uck"). This soft gravel trail follows the water's path from the falls to Taughannock Falls State Park on Cayuga Lake. It's wide and shady with very little grade change along the way.

Nick, Jim and Layla along the creek bed. Trail behind Nick.

The trail crosses a fairly new bridge and terminates just a few dozen yards from the spectacular falls. It's fun to start at the Overlook, see the people down below, then go there yourself afterward. That's exactly what we did. We'll let the pictures tell the story.

View from the Gorge Trail, down the creek bed.

Jim and Layla under the bridge to Taughannock Falls.

Jim, Lin and Layla near the trail's end at the Falls.

Taughannock Falls from trail's end. Gorgeous, huh?

_______________________________________________
How about you? Do you have a trail hike review you'd like to share? If you'd like to submit your review for posting, you can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page.

Day Three at Spruce Row Campground -- We hit a few roadbumps and make a big splash

Tweet
by Jim Bessey

The Cement Pond at Spruce Row (website photograph)

We've spent two nights at Spruce Row Campground and RV Park, just north of Ithaca, NY. Both nights have been gorgeous. The first morning didn't go so well, though.

Make no mistake: this is a lovely campground. It's big and green, has a dandy pool (more on that in a minute), and enough shade to dodge the harshest sun. Oh, but the showers--not so good.

The showers are old, and weren't high budget to begin with. But, for me, as long as there's some hot water I'm okay. A little water pressure never hurts, either. Unfortunately, these facilities have neither force nor heat. Have to admit, that's a risk you take when you go camping. We found a fix for that...

The pool! I read one disparaging review of that pool online, before we arrived. Let me just offer my opinion to the contrary, loud and clear. It's a great pool.

They call it The Cement Pond, like in the Beverly Hillbillies. Turns out, it really is a cement pond. The owners dug a hole the right size and shape and poured concrete to fit. It takes you a minute or two to get used to the idea, but it works very well.

All four sides of the "pond" are step-tapered into the water. The shallow end goes from zero inches to about two feet, and the deep end bottoms out at seven feet. You can perch a lawn chair at the edge and let your feet trail into the water, all the way around.

The water itself was just plain perfect, maybe 80 degrees. It was heavenly. We'd swim a bit, then lounge on one of the sloped sides, then plunge back in again. Loved every minute of it, and I'm headed back soon to cool off again. (We still have temps in the low 90s today.)

As for the bumps...well. I understand about Slow Down and Speed Limit 5 mph. Every campground has trouble with drivers in a hurry. But this place has some serious speed bumps. Even carefully easing the truck and camper over these rattles things loose inside both vehicles. Some are about 8 inches tall; I measured. Ouch!

So that's where we're at. A couple small complaints, and one great big Oh Yeah! for the pool. Anyone for water polo?
_______________________________________________

How about you? Do you have a campground review you'd like to share? If you'd like to submit your review for posting, you can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page.

Day One at Spruce Row Campground, Ithaca, NY -- our first time here, so far so good!

Tweet by Jim Bessey

Nick and I have a game of Gin at our Spruce Row campsite

My wife decided it was time to try a new campground, and she wanted to tour the Ithaca region a bit this year. I did a Google search for "campgrounds near Ithaca NY" and here we are. First impressions: it's big and shady and not too shabby at all.

Of course I checked a few user reviews first, but they ranged from "love this place" to "never again." We just had to see for ourselves. We waited to make reservations until late last week. It's the 4th of July holiday week, so we could've been shut out. Instead, we have a pretty nice site. Grassy, shady, and big enough for truck and camper and us.

The layout is typical. All the services and amenities greet you on arrival, with campsites laid out in a series of roads farther back. Decent roads, too, mostly good gravel. Registration was fast, friendly and easy. Good little store inside. The whole place is just filled with trees of all sorts. I love trees!

So far we're settled in nicely. Our new camp doggie, Layla, has had a fine walk on a maze of grassy trails marked for her use. The campers around us are courteous, though one did have his music cranked a little too loud for a while.

We'll check out the showers and pool today, our first morning here. Take a longer walk around the whole place--it's quite a spread, with over 200 sites both seasonal and transient. Then we'll become Ithaca tourists and have a look around this beautiful Finger Lakes destination. I see a whole batch of wineries, restaurants, and state parks scattered all around us. Should be fun! 
_______________________________________________
How about you? Do you have a campground review you'd like to share? If you'd like to submit your review for posting, you can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page. ~Jim

Music and Camping: What can we do about Radio Spam?

Tweet

When I go camping, I've just gotta have some music!

photo by Andrew Taylor

by Jim Bessey

When we go camping we leave the TV behind. It's one of our little rules. I still, however, need some background noise. Assuming, that is, the campers next to us don't have their stereo cranked up. (Yup, it happens.) So we have a sweet little battery-powered radio that plays softly near the picnic table. 

I like to listen to Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 on Sunday mornings. Sometimes I can catch a Saturday night NASCAR race on Big Dog Country 1035. My wife likes hot-pop and dance music, stuff she can dance to in the dark by the campfire. We prefer radio because it also gives us weather updates, just in case. I think it's smart to stay in touch with the news and weather, even when we're taking it easy outdoors.

Bags of coins (worth millions?), hair tonics (Guaranteed!!)

There's one big fat drawback to our music plan: RADIO SPAM. Can you hear the growl in my voice when I say that? Radio ads repeat on a near-hourly basis, so it's bad enough listening to the same come-ons from our local car dealers. Those, I can handle. But the SPAM -- mostly national-level crap -- makes my blood boil.

My dad used to get the Legion Magazine, because he was a Korean War Vet. There was a whole page of jokes and political cartoons near the back, which I liked. Right behind them, though, were the advertisements. Remember those? Bags of coins (worth millions?), hair tonics (Guaranteed!!), and carburetors that would get you 100 mpg -- it was all there every month. NOW that same garbage is all on the radio, for heaven's sake.

A few years back, a big media company that rhymes with "mEntercom" bought a half-dozen of our local, previously independent, radio stations. Now this batch of call-letters forms a fine conglomerate that apparently offers the national advertisers JUST what they wanted. If you hear one of these Spam ads on one station, you know you'll hear it on all of them. Swell. What kind of advertisements am I complaining about, you ask?

How about the amazing secret stash of gold coins recently discovered in a Swiss vault? These RARE and extremely valuable treasures can be yours when you order the free DVD that explains this incredible opportunity in detail. Oh boy!

That one's not so bad. But do we have to listen to Fantastic Offers for Male Enhancement?? Do we really? These are carefully worded so as not to offend. Well, not much anyway. Yuk

One of the regulars, limited to JUST ONE trail offer per household, promises wonderful weight loss for fat women over the age of 23, all in a simple pill. No diets, no exercise, just one pill. The bubbly girl who testifies about this pill's power went from a size 14 to a size 4 in just six weeks!! Sure she did.

These ads are SPAM, nothing less. They're come-ons, they're baloney, and they never stop playing -- despite exclamations of severe time limits on these Amazing Offers. Frankly, I'm sick of them all. I can't believe having this junk played every day is the price we have to pay for music, weather, and news. Should we simply give up and switch to an MP3 player? (It would plug right into the back of our camp radio.) Should we play CD albums instead? What do you think?
_______________________________________________
Your comments and feedback are always welcome!

Saturday's scary storm stops short of SutterCreek Campground in Sterling NY

Tweet 

Jim and the boys, by the fire at SutterCreek Campground

by Jim Bessey   editor

STERLING NY:  After nearly 40 days of Perfect Camping Nights, we finally had the chance to enjoy a couple of them. As it turns out, we were damned lucky. On Saturday August 13 at 7:17 pm the National Weather Service issued the first of several Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for Monroe, Ontario, and later Wayne Counties. This ominous line of storm cells plodded through the townships along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. We found out later that property damage along the storm path was both sporadic and alarming, with losses estimated in the tens of thousands. Despite the ferocity of the storms, no serious injuries were reported.

Our campsite was on the eastern bank of Sterling Creek, in the lovely SutterCreek Campground. This was our first stay there, after vowing for years to camp very close to the Sterling Renaissance Faire so we could enjoy a long, tiring day at the festival. We spent most of the day Saturday enjoying great performances, delicious food, festive crowds and near-perfect weather. That idyllic weather changed fast just minutes after we returned to our campsite.

"thunderstorms on the way -- 60-mile-an-hour winds and hail!"

I've signed up for Weather Alerts with WROC News 8 in Rochester; they come in as text messages on my cell phone. When that first alarm for Monroe County arrived  just past 7 pm, I read the note and tucked the phone away with the thought "glad we're not home, getting soaked!" As the western sky grew darker, we pulled out camp chairs, set-up the portable grill, and my wife put together a dandy campfire. My boys and I tossed the Frisbee around and kept a wary eye on the looming clouds to the northwest. We heard faint thunder in the distance.

Minutes later, campground owner Dave Sutterby raced along our group of campsites, stopping at each one to warn us of "thunderstorms on the way -- 60-mile-an-hour winds and hail!" All around us our fellow campers began to batten down the hatches -- er, awnings.


The storm arrives...

We four all love a good thunderstorm. Love to watch the sky change colors and light up in flashes. Then we count the seconds 'til we hear the thunder. Divide the seconds by 5 to get "miles away" (it's close enough, if not perfectly accurate). The western bank of Sterling Creek, opposite our campsite, is one big forested hillside. It was very pretty, but also hid most of the western sky and made it difficult to judge incoming storm weather. When we first saw lightning, the strikes were at least three miles distant.

Man, it was one slow and scary storm! As we squared-away and generally locked-down our own site, the purplish clouds thickened and the flashes intensified. The thunder grew in depth and volume, reverberating in our bones. After one particularly vivid technicolor display, followed by a basso-profundo chorus, we decided to retreat to beneath our lowered awning. At that point, the three beautiful shade trees that canopied our site didn't look quite so sweet. Across the creek, the rising wind rustled all the forest's leaves.

We kept watching and counting seconds, huddled there under our awning. I was ready to grab my family and jump into our truck for safety if things got too spooky. It never happened. The storm's center never quite made it to SutterCreek Campground, though it hovered nearby for nearly an hour. A soft rain began to fall as the twilight deepened, but it never poured. The threatened winds stayed well to the west of us, apparently. We were more than happy to report no signs of hail at all.

When the storm passed (or broke up?), we raised the canvas back up, dragged the chairs back to creekside by the still-glowing fire, and enjoyed a cooler but very pleasant evening. In all the excitement I left two perfectly good hamburgers under the lid of the grill; those were the only casualties we suffered.

Our drive home Sunday afternoon showed us "what might have been" if the thunderstorms had kept on coming. As we passed Ontario Center along the western edges of Wayne Country we began to see the damage -- here and there at first, and then more common as we got closer to Monroe County. Whole trees, mostly willows or spruces, had been toppled with their root-balls now displayed like satellite dishes. Other, stronger trees had suffered major damage, with giant branches snapped off like little twigs. We saw wrecked porches and sheds and side yards filled with tangled debris.

Home safe on Sunday evening, we watched news reports of serious property damage elsewhere along the storms' path. One homeowner, interviewed near his devastated back yard, mentioned that he had relatives visiting who had wanted to camp behind the house. Fortunately, they stayed inside, or that interview would have been a sad one indeed.

I shiver to think of how our 30-year-old tin camper would have weathered high winds, heavy rains and hail. I couldn't help but picture one or more of those towering shade trees crashing through our fragile walls and roof. We're all thankful the storm settled in off-shore, where it stayed just west of us and nearby Fair Haven State Park (with hundreds more campers, many in tents).

Sometimes you simply have to count on luck and the fickle whims of Ma Nature.
_______________________________________________
Have you ever been caught in a storm while camping? If you have a storm story you'd like to share, please use the Comments link below.

Let's claim the record: July is a Perfect Camping MONTH!

Poolside 4th of July weekend at Cheerful Valley Campground (jcb)

by Jim Bessey  editor 

Tonight will set the record.

With one more night over over-60 degrees and negligible rain, we'll have a Perfect Camping MONTH for July 2011. Thirty-one days of mostly sun, mere sprinkles of rain, and temps over seventy--the weather camping lovers pray for but rarely enjoy.

Campers south of the Mason-Dixon line or west of the Mississippi will only smile and nod at these conditions. They camp under blazing sun for weeks at a time, and worry about the lack of summer rain year after year. Not so in Upstate New York.

We expect rain, thunderstorms, sudden wind, plummeting temperatures and sundry unsettled weather. We carry umbrellas and tarps and duct tape for fixing leaks. We pack jeans, sweatshirts and spring jackets all summer long.We just don't get camping conditions like this.

Until now.

Whoever heard of a Perfect Camping Month in NY? We celebrate Perfect Camping Nights--and hope for just one or two on any given excursion. News 8 Meteorologist Stacey Pensgen says we've just had the second-driest July here in Weather History. We nearly set a new mark for consecutive days over-80 degrees. (One day that stopped at 79 broke the string.) It wouldn't be hyperbole to call this month a spectacular one for camping.

Of course, our fields and gardens and lawns have suffered. We've watered like never before. Our golf courses are bristly billiard tables. But how can we complain? We're New Yorkers and we don't get weeks like this, much less months.

"We wrapped ourselves in blankets around the campfire."

Because my wife used to have the first full week of July as mandatory vacation, we've always paid close attention to the way the weather dice rolled for our July camping trips.

There was the time, about six years back, when we camped at Holiday Hill near Springwater--our favorite. On the second night we had 45 degrees by midnight. We wrapped ourselves in blankets around the campfire. When my family came up for a visit the next morning, we played kickball in sweatshirts and jackets.

The bad old days:

Three years ago we trekked to the delightful Jellystone of Western NY near North Java. Day one was lovely. Days two through six it rained; the temperature never broke seventy. Good thing our trailer's awning only leaked a little.

Another year at Holiday Hill it rained so hard overnight that one of my son's new-found friends had to abandon his tent at two am and seek shelter in another friend's camper. Just last year, on our annual big-group trip to Jellystone of Mexico, just before the giant fireworks in Oswego, the heavens opened up in a deluge worthy of Noah. We learned that even our First-Up shade shelter wasn't waterproof.

Trust me, we appreciate this amazing month of Perfect Camping Days. We are pleasantly impressed the even in NY we can have fantastic weather for extended camping trips. We're secretly proud that we've had to squander hundreds of gallons of water to keep our yards alive. It just doesn't happen that way here.

For the sake of our struggling economy, I hope the dozens of campgrounds in our region have all set records of their own. This year we camped on the 4th of July weekend at the lovely Cheerful Valley Campground near Phelps (see photo, above). Owner Carl Carlson (a high school classmate of mine) said he would've been 100% booked if he'd had water and electric on his overflow tent-sites.

We checked with our other favorite campgrounds, too. Without exception, every one reported "no sites available." We've lost a lot of good jobs here, like so many old-industrial areas have. We've all taken hits of one sort or another from this interminable recession. But for at least this one splendid month of July, New York's tourism trade has shined under the big yellow ball. Our lakes are full of boaters and our campgrounds pleasantly crowded with RV's and tents. Long stretches of sunny days are very good for business.

Now our summer is officially half-over. Whaddaya say, August, can you keep the good times rolling? Could we end up with a Perfect Camping Summer? Hey, it could happen!
_______________________________________________
What have you seen so far this year at Upstate NY campgrounds? Plenty to room? No vacancies? Too crowded? I'd like to hear from campers and campground owners. Leave your Comments right here. ~Jim

Camping: It's moments like these...

by Jim  Bessey

Two boys just hangin' out at our campsite (Holiday Hill Camping Resort)

Sometimes I wonder why we go camping at all. It's no cheaper, anymore, than staying at a local motel. At $4 per gallon and 10 MPG when I'm towing, we can't really afford the long excursions we'd once planned. So we end up camping less than an hour from home. We eat cheap food and drink bland coffee. Feels like we spend almost half of our vacation time hooking up, driving, then setting up camp.

So why bother going camping?

For moments like these. This was fall of '09. My wife was working. Me an' the boys headed out for an impromptu trip to one of our all-time favorite campgrounds, Holiday Hill near Springwater NY. We didn't have reservations and our preferred sites were already taken. After having a look at what was available, we decided to take a shady, stony campsite back in the woods.

The weather was mild for August--hot in the sunshine but chilly overnight. The campground was fairly quiet, until the DJ showed up on Saturday afternoon. For some reason, none of us felt like swimming. We spent most of our time there just hangin' out together. We played Frisbee® games, listened to music, and read our books.

Meals were camp-simple: hot dogs, burgers, PB&J, or cereal. We left the TV at home. I'm not even sure if we bothered to bring the laptop. Though we probably hiked a bit, we didn't join any volleyball games or spend any time fishing in the ponds. We just hung out.

It was wonderful, and seeing that picture cycle-up on my laptop screen-saver brought it all back in an instant. My kids are nearly grown. One just finished his freshman year at St. John Fisher College. The younger one is becoming an excellent driver. They both have sports and friends and MP3 players and Facebook pages. But when we go camping, all of that goes by the wayside. It's just us, tossing a Frisbee and talking about stuff.

We sat by the campfire that Saturday night, slightly annoyed by the music from the nearby pavilion. We listened to the breeze in the trees, heard the crickets and bullfrogs around us, and fetched jackets as the temps fell after sunset. I finished the book I'd brought with me and grabbed another from the "take one" bookshelf at the camp store. I laughed when I realized it was one I'd read before.

And I remember looking around me with a smile, as time stood still there for awhile. We would be packing up Sunday morning to head home; but for those few hours the rest of the world didn't matter much. For a whole evening, our world was just the three of us comfortable in our camp chairs and happy just to be together. Those are the moments...
_______________________________________________
Why do you go camping? Do you really save any money? Or is it all about something deeper? If you have any special moments from your camping trips, you can share them here. I'll be outside getting our camper ready for the new season, almost here now.

Snowstorm in eastern NY, the real April Fool's joke, means you need to know all about Winter Camping!

Editor's note - Raymond, a staunch Canadian outdoorsman, writes from experience. Winter Camping conditions, even in southern Canada, can last well into May. As Friday's Eastern Seaboard snowstorm so clearly showed, it's important to know the ins and outs of cold weather camping in our capricious springtime. Read on...

by Raymond Alexander Kukkee, guest writer

Winter Camping, Part I: Essentials and Equipment

our Shasta camper trailer, deep in the snow

Just mention Camping, and visions of warm sunshine, idyllic summer days and quality family time instantly appear in the minds of most camping enthusiasts. Warm-weather campers may consider winter camping impossible, too dangerous or a specialized, extreme sport best left to experts resting half-way up  Mount Everest in a blizzard .

It is, however, reasonable and quite possible to camp in winter simply for the love of camping.  Fresh air is offered by Mother Nature year round.   Camping in the snow can be done quite comfortably, even when temperatures dip far below zero, if one is suitably equipped and necessary precautions are taken.  Camping on wheels or not, consider  these tips for comfort,  fun,  and safety. Let’s go winter camping ! 

Equipment and other considerations:

•    If you normally go summer camping on wheels, ensure your camper is equipped  appropriately with a heater or  propane furnace. Carry an adequate supply of propane and test the furnace before heading out. Test to ensure pilot lights,  regulators and ventilation systems are all in excellent operating condition.

•    Avoid the temptation of using that convenient camper plumbing system if sub-zero conditions are expected.  Such systems are at risk in winter.  Potable water and  gray-water tanks can freeze quickly in severe cold,  seriously damaging uninsulated  pipes and even the tanks themselves. Below freezing, even the simplest drain  hoses and valves can become problematic as ice gradually  builds up in them. Use a dry chemical toilet for those calls to nature instead .

•    For  tenting, double-walled or insulated tents are available. Snow is cold but it is also an insulator. Clear away snow and install a ground sheet or plastic canvas on the tent location, and bank up snow around the base of the tent.  If snow conditions are suitable,  you may  even try building an emergency quinzy (quinzhee)  or an igloo for fun. Northern peoples have lived in such structures for centuries.

•    Use cold-weather Arctic-rated sleeping bags with thick foam ground pads (rated R-4-6) which will be warmer than sleeping on an air mattress.

•    Use thermal underwear or “sweats” with hood  to sleep in. Keep this clothing dry!

•    Wear appropriate winter clothing and bring changes of clothing. 

•    Freeze-dried foods can be prepared quickly with a minimum of fuss on small burners, and  insulated containers keep water-bottles and grocery supplies from freezing in all but the most extreme conditions.  The use of paper plates eliminates the necessity of washing dishes.

•    Include extra candles, flashlights and spare batteries, matches and fire starters. A single candle burning provides an amazing amount of emergency heat in a tent.
 
•    To enjoy  campfires, it may be necessary to bring dry wood with you. Depending on temperature and snow conditions, dry usable fire wood may not be easily collected in the wild.  Don’t forget the axe and small bow saw.

•    Maintain your cell phone for emergencies.  In extreme cold, keep the phone  warm in an inside pocket.

•    Remember to pack a first aid kit,  cameras, snowshoes, skis, and other equipment desired,  including ice fishing gear and permits if planning some  “hard-water fishing” in your area. 

•    Ensure your vehicle is in top condition. Bring along a fully-charged spare battery for your vehicle, gas line antifreeze, some basic tools and jumper cables just in case.
 
Winter camping can be challenging, but there are  benefits--including cold fresh air, no biting  insects, and fewer noisy boom-boxes. There is the element of personal satisfaction at having done something few people will ever experience.   You may even find there are  special “off-season” rates available at savvy all-season campgrounds that offer plug-ins and other conveniences. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Posted by permission from Raymond Alexander Kukkee. Read Raymonds's profile at Helium.com  
_______________________________________________
Raymond is a good friend, fellow freelance writer, and hosts Incoming Bytes with his own brand of biting insight. When the two of us correspond, we generally sign off with our familiar "we like camping better." This Winter Camping article is exclusive to JCO (thanks, Raymond!); Part II will be posted later this week.

If you've done some serious sub-zero camping, we'd love to hear about your experience. Just leave a comment right here. ~Jim

Finally--we take the Class A RV plunge!

by Jim Bessey, editor  

 After 5 years of towing our lovingly restored 19-foot 1980 Shasta trailer, we have at last made the big move to Class A!

here's how our new Class A motorhome looked at the Dome

Back in January, my wife Lin and I spent a bitter winter day at the big Dome Arena RV SuperShow, wandering the displays, oohing and ahing, and taking pictures. At the time, in fact, I promised to return with pictures. I'll stop back with more of those in a later post.

What we didn't tell you then, and can reveal now, is that we were deep in negotiations with a local RV sales center to purchase a new Class A Motorhome. This was no small move, and didn't happen that day. There were details to hash out and arrangements to be made. One of those involves selling our dear friend, the Shasta camper--a tearful event, to be sure.

The deal is done now, friends. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are. Actually, I don't have time to tell you much more about this tonight. We're closing the deal and taking possesion Saturday morning. Once our name's on the registration, I'll come back with more details and some pictures taken outdoors.

See you then! 
_______________________________________________
Did you make a big camping gear move over the loooong winter? Do you think we're crazy--would you much rather go camping in a tent, instead?

Rochester's Dome Arena RV SuperShow brings a hint of Spring to the Camping World - Free Admission!

by Jim Bessey, editor

PRESS RELEASE: 15th Annual Dome RV SuperShow runs Saturday, Jan 21 to Sun, Jan 30 -- two full weekends of camping fun!

15th Annual Dome RV Show

Some say that Spring is just around the corner, and the show to prove it is just down the road in Henrietta, NY. The Outdoor Store by Camping World hosts the big event, held in the renovated Dome Arena. Admission and parking are both free. There are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and accommodations nearby for those who want to make it an all-day event.

About 200 new and used RVs will be on display, and available with deep pre-season discounts. Several area dealers will be represented. Low-rate financing is featured, and dealers claim they'll take "almost anything" in trade -- motorcycles, boats, cars, even used RVs! When we visited on Saturday, we saw quite a few deals in progress; always a good sign.

You'll see the complete range of campers, from Class-A motorhomes and fifth-wheels in the big dome to the newest innovations in pop-up and trailer technology in Minett Hall. Starcraft is promoting a couple-sized travel trailer for under $10K, or less than $90 a month (long-term financing). You can also register to win this model. The Thor brand shows a 23' 2011 Class-C Four Winds camper for about $50K, an often-difficult price-point to find in new RVs of that type. Outside in the cold, rows and rows of used rigs of all types await you.

Come for a leisurely stroll, or an intensive buying excursion. Bring your camera and/or your checkbook. The RV industry is cautiously recovering from the disastrous Great Recession (it ain't over yet), and there will be big bargains. Haggling welcomed, even encouraged. Refreshments available on-site.

For directions and lists of nearby accommodations, see the Dome's website.  Hours are Mon-Sat 10 am to 8 pm, Sunday 10 to 5 pm. On-site parking is much improved from previous years, and there's a nifty new Wegman's supermarket right next door, too.

  THE DOME CENTER 
  2695 E. Henrietta Road
  Henrietta, NY  14467
      888-873-4418

Hope to see you there!
_______________________________________________
We stopped over midday Saturday, and took some pictures to share later. The Dome's just down the road from home, and is also the site for WBEE's twice-yearly Guitars and Stars Shows, which we love. We aren't in the market this year, but we sure do love to look at all the shiny new RVs. Nice that admission is free, too. It's cold and snowy here in Rochester, but nice and toasty inside the Dome. Great show!

Better Camping requests for 2011: 10 improvements campers need for the New Year

by Jim Bessey, editor

Good thing this air mattress is...   from keith011764

Raymond Alexander Kukkee and I agree -- "we like camping better." But camping isn't perfect; some things could be better. The New Year is here, it's 2011; time to consider improvements we'd like to see for a better camping experience.

Big Stuff:

1. Low-price Late Check-out fees ~ Why should your final day at a campground be spent frantically packing? For weekend campers, this means Sunday morning is not for relaxing, but for breaking camp. If there isn't anyone coming in to take your site that day, why not a simple $5 late check-out fee? Hell, even $10 would be fine. Just let us relax a little before we head home.
2. Kinder, gentler pool-use policies ~ Yeah, yeah; we know it's all about the Insurance Companies. We get it. But "Two adults must be present, not IN the pool, for any swimming"? When my son and I camped during the week last year, this meant that we had to FIND HELP in order for either one of us to take a dip. There has to be a better way.
3. Much better use of photography for campgrounds ~ Let's face it: most campground websites' photo galleries just plain stink. Why don't you guys take some new pictures? Why aren't there decent aerial views of most campgrounds? What happened to the promise of hi-tech "virtual tours" for travel destinations? Maybe some of the big-budget RV parks are doing it, but I haven't seen any progress here in upstate NY yet. We want to know what we're getting into before we get there, okay?
4. Better miniature golf course maintenance ~ Our gang always plays mini-golf when we go camping. It's one of our things. Even at the nicest campgrounds, those little golf courses are generally crummy. Why? They made the space, put some money into it in the beginning, and then walked away? I know they aren't huge money-makers for campgrounds, but it matters to us. If the windmill is supposed to turn, it should, dammit! And how about some fresh "turf" every few years? Is that too much to ask?
5. More patio pull-thru sites for big rigs ~ What a great idea: Add a simple concrete or paver pad next to the pull-thru driveway for Class-A motorhomes. Maybe a nice picnic grill, too. I've seen this here and there. Most places insist on "no carpets" and fight with campers about infractions all the time. This nice, thoughtful improvement makes the campground look good and solves the dead-grass issue perfectly.

Little stuff:

1. Reasonable prices for firewood on-site ~ We're a captive audience, and most parks have those annoying signs urging us not to bring in "contaminated" firewood from outside the area. They don't want us to burn construction debris, either (not that I pay any attention -- I save all sorts of lovely hardwood and softwood cut-offs all year long for burning). So, if they want us to buy their firewood, keep the price down. They'll sell more firewood, and their customers will appreciate the courtesy.
2. Dependable Wi-Fi ~ How many times have you lost the signal when you access the Web while camping? If a campground is going to offer internet service, then make it good. Buy a decent router and install a strong repeater system. Campers will talk about the great signal strength among their friends. It's just plain good for business.
3. Good, hot, drinkable coffee at camp stores ~ Why is campground coffee so bad? Is there a secret rule somewhere? Clean the pot. Buy some decent coffee. Use a coffee service, even. We campers love our coffee, and we don't suffer bad coffee quietly. Pretty please?
4. Simple, easy, quiet air mattress inflation ~ There must be a way. I'm serious. Are you listening out there, Inventive Geniuses? Those annoying, whiny, slooow DC-powered mattress pumps are so old-tech. There must be something out there similar to the way a life-raft inflates, something affordable that would fill up a queen-size bed in 20 seconds. I'd buy it!
5. Improved tent-flap zippers ~ Needs no explanation. We've all been there.

So that's my list, large and small. Some pet peeves, and some wishful thinking. I'm not asking for cleaner restrooms, or actual hot water in the showers, or big discounts for repeat customers. Just some give and take to make our collective camping experience better for 2011. I don't think I'm being unreasonable, do you?
_______________________________________________
What are your ideas for Better Camping? What drives you crazy when you're camping? What nifty invention would make your next camp outing cooler? If you're a campground owner, I'd especially love to hear from you. Happy New Year!

If you had to, could you live in your camper? Think about it...

by Jim Bessey

It's when you're safe at home that you wish you were having an adventure. When you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home. ~Thornton Wilder

Camping pool-side at Holiday Hill

What if you lost your house? Could you move into your camper as a fall-back? As we enter Year Two of The Great Recession, this isn't just an idle, round-the-campfire question. When my wife was laid-off last Christmas, we wondered how we would ever pay our $1,000+ monthly mortgage. After all, we'd been spending both of our incomes; how would we get by without her half? What if we had to move out of our home?

Were we only joking when we said, "well, we can always live in our camper"?

First, let me be clear -- this ain't no Class A Motorhome. We have a 30-year-old Shasta trailer, bought used for less than a grand and lovingly restored by all four of us. It's about 19 feet long -- counting the hitch!. Compared to our 2,000 square-foot house, it's a closet. When we're camping, it's quite comfy; but could we live in it full-time?

We do, however, have a kitchen, dining area, living room/pull-out bedroom, and a teeny tiny bathroom with a "bathtub." 

Let's talk about space.

As modern camping trailers go, ours is at the "cramped quarters" end of the spectrum. The actual floor space measures 15' by 7 1/2' for a total of just over 100 square feet. For comparison, our one-car garage is three times that size. (The trailers that FEMA supplies to disaster victims are about twice as big as ours.) We do, however, have a kitchen, dining area, living room/pull-out bedroom, and a teeny tiny bathroom with a "bathtub." We have a lot of cabinet space, considering, but only one closet. My wife would have to "adjust" to that one!

We're talking a distinct lack of amenities here.

We don't have any air-conditioning, though we do have a toasty gas furnace. We boast neither built-in radio nor flat-screen TV; we don't subscribe to Satellite TV. Our only counter space is created by covering the 4-burner stove with a Formica slab. While we do have a booth and a couch, we have no chairs inside at all. Our chairs fold up and slide into canvas bags. When we hang out, it's generally under out camper's roll-out awning, or by the campfire.

No way we could stay here in upstate NY over the winter...

And there are some serious practical considerations, too.

We can't park our rig just anywhere. We replaced our original dual-power fridge (DOA) with an electric one from Home Depot. We've never used our holding-tank water supply. We need hook-ups! That leaves out Free Parking at Wal-Mart. If we wanted to bum around, camping in our friends' or relatives' driveways, most places prohibit that, except for a weekend stay. So much for that idea.

fall evening by the campfire, at KOA

We could have a lovely summer staying at our favorite campground, for about $1,200 (seasonal rate). But that only covers about one third of the year. No way we could stay here in upstate NY over the winter, heater or not. We'd have to move South. As long as at least one of us has a job, that would make getting to work a tad inconvenient.

So what's the real answer?

We'd wake up with the sun, and go to bed earlier.

I think we could do it, for a few months -- and not in winter. We'd save a ton of money, and just have to put up with the tight quarters and lack of luxuries. As long as the weather was decent, we'd spend most of our free time outdoors. We'd have campfires all the time! (Would I get tired of them? Hope not.)

We would spend more time talking to each other, listening to the radio, and reading books. Unless, of course, we decided to spring for a dish. Most campgrounds we like have Wi-Fi, so we could stay in touch with our online friends. We'd wake up with the sun, and go to bed earlier.

I know, I know...sounds sort of idyllic, doesn't it? I'm sure we'd get on each others' nerves long about Week 2. It'd probably rain even more than it usually does. But we'd have a roof over our heads.   There's no place like home...
_______________________________________________
 Have you ever tried living in your camper? I'm sure some of you big-rig owners do it for a few months out of the year. Anybody else? Could you, if you had to?

Happy Camping Thanksgiving: 9 things I am thankful for

by Jim Bessey, editor

The boys relax at our final fall campsite at KOA Canandaigua

 Sometimes, amid the rush to get the trailer hooked up and hit the road, I forget how lucky we are to be able to take off and enjoy the great outdoors and the company of family and friends. I spent a few minutes today reflecting on our good fortune.

• I'm thankful my wife is willing to go camping with me, and that she inspired the search for our little Shasta camper.
• I'm thankful that my youngest son has been willing to sleep in the "loft" these past few years, with only a minor complaint now and then. What a trooper!
• I'm thankful that my oldest is the greatest high-design campfire builder in the Northeast. His fires are works of art -- and hot, too!
• I'm thankful that God invented all sorts of wonderful trees, so that our campfires might burn with a myriad of delightful colors and scents. I like cherry best.
• I'm thankful that we have friends who like camping just as much as we do.
• I'm thankful that we can still afford the gas to haul our trailer to the campground, even at $3 per gallon. Good thing there are nice camping resorts close to home.
• I'm thankful that some campgrounds have Wi-Fi -- and that some don't.
• I'm grateful to whomever invented the roll-out awning. Shade and shelter in two minutes -- what a concept.
• And finally, I'm thankful to all the wonderful people who spend their summers running campgrounds -- so we have really nice places to go, with clean restrooms and cool game rooms and mini-golf and stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our camping friends and campground hosts. Thank you all!
_______________________________________________
  What have I forgotten? I'd be grateful for your thoughts on Thanksgiving and camping. Anybody having turkey dinner at the table in a motorhome this year?

Which is better camping: Tents or RV's?

by Jim Bessey
 
There are two distinct worlds of camping: tents and RV's. Each is as different from the other as Democrat and Republican. Emotions run strong in both camps, and proponents of one often disdain supporters of the other. "That's not camping!" the tenters say to the lazy, pampered residents of recreational vehicles. "But when it rains it pours," responds the RV lovers.

I've done both, and I'll take a roof over my head every time.

Purists will tell you it isn't camping if you aren't roughing it. Their ideal comes straight from a Coors Lite commercial: pure mountain stream, isolation, Jeep Wrangler in a clearing with a breeze wafting through the towering pines, and fresh-caught trout frying on a white-gas grill. Just you, your sweetheart, a playful Golden Retriever, and a couple thousand dollars worth of fancy gear from Adirondack Outfitters immersed in the pristine beauty of Nature, capital N.

I've lived in that picture, and even felt the condescending distaste for families who claimed they were camping in their luxury Winnebago's. I'm older now, a bit more tolerant, and have learned the wisdom of keeping my wife and children happy during vacations. By the time we'd bought a cavernous tent, screen house, stand-up grill, folding tables and a fleet of camp chairs I realized that we were no longer "roughing it" at all, merely postponing the inevitable. We bought a twenty-foot trailer the next summer.

We travel and camp in relative comfort now, and spend far less time worrying about the weather forecast. We can decide to leave on a few hours' notice, and don't have to venture into the mountains or find a suitable meadow by a babbling brook to achieve vacation success. And we don't have to pee in the bushes anymore.

I love having a bathroom! My wife loves it more. She never accepted the concept of visiting a thicket to attend the call of Nature. I have to admit that stumbling about in the darkness with a feeble flashlight, searching for a proper place to relieve myself has long since lost its original charm. We brush our teeth in a sink now, and use real toilet paper. We can even take a shower in the tiny stall if we want to. Running water is such a fine amenity!

Power was always a problem when we were tenting... keep reading.


See this story as it appears on Helium.com
Reprinted from an earlier column. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________

Would you rather camp in a tent in the wilderness, or in an RV in a campground?

Devil's Stairsteps and more: Great places to visit near Cuchara, Colorado

by J. Gustav guest author

[Editor's note -- J. Gustav is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog .]

Devil's Stairstep image courtesy of The Yellow Pine Ranch website

Cuchara may be the epitome of Colorado. A small town tucked away in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, it features spectacular mountain views, the San Isabel National Forest, and the Cuchara River, which cuts right through town. For those who want to experience nature at its finest, there is plenty to do. Here are some of the top sights in and around Cuchara, as well as places to camp and stay.

Devil's Stairsteps: The Devil's Stairsteps are an amazing rock formation, a series of over 400 dikes that radiate out from the Western Spanish Peak and continue either above or below ground for as much as 25 miles.

Monument Lake: Nestled high amongst the pines, Monument Lake is a gorgeous high altitude lake. The "monument" is a rock formation in the center of the lake that rises 15 feet above water and is said to represent two Indian chiefs. Year-round fishing is offered, as are numerous camping and RV sites around the lake.

The Dakota Wall: The Dakota Wall is a giant formation of Dakota sandstone that runs all across the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The Wall first broke and pushed upwards 65 million years ago, and though much of it has eroded or fallen overtime, a significant chunk of the Dakota Wall remains today.

Profile Rock: Part of The Long Wall, visitors can let their imaginations run wild at Profile Rock. Some see the outlines of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, others say they see Washington's wife Martha. Still others have claimed to see a train on a trestle, a rearing horse (or deer), or a Native American.

Lodge image courtesy of

 The Yellow Pine Ranch website

Yellow Pine Ranch & Livery: Since 1927, guests have enjoyed stays at Yellow Pine Ranch's log cabins. Summer travelers can enjoy horseback rides at the ranch, while year-round Yellow Pine offers breath-taking views of rivers and streams. No televisions or telephones are in the cabins for a true nature experience.

Circle the Wagons RV Park: For those who need more amenities, Circle the Wagons has space for RVs of all sizes, including big rigs. Surrounded by beautiful scenery, the park also has a putting green, free Wi-Fi, a club house, game room, and free movie and book libraries. But with all there is to do around Cuchara, you should never be bored.

_______________________________________________

My wife and I flew to Denver in the fall of '04, for our delayed honeymoon. We stayed in the hotel adjacent to the Denver Broncos' stadium. Since we only had a long weekend, we didn't get to see much beyond the casinos in the mountains. We spent most of our time downtown, enjoying spectacular weather, great food, and a slew of delightful stores.

When we do finally return to Colorado, we're hoping to venture far from the city to see ghost-towns, ranches, mountain parks, and more. It's all much too far from here for us to drag our Shasta camper, so we'll look for a place like the Yellow Pine Ranch.

If you've found a great destination for camping or hiking and would like to share, you can reach me via Comments or by using the link at the top of this page.