Category: Entertaining Kids at Camp
OUR DIAMOND MINING EXPERIENCE – Crater of Diamonds, Arkansas
March 1, 2012 by Professor95 · 3 Comments
You have probably read or heard about the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Stories abound about great diamond finds. These stories have a tendency to make one think that there is a volcanic crater filled with shiny bean size diamonds just waiting for visitors to pick them up and keep with little or no effort. The truth is diamond searching is a difficult and dirty adventure. The odds of finding a significant diamond are perhaps about as good as hitting the Million Dollar Jackpot on a Las Vegas casino slot machine. Still, some visitors do make significant gem finds. But – despite all of the above, it is fun. We met some great people while digging in the mud. Folks from all over the country were out exploring our true national treasures of openness and freedom. Many families with children were present as well as their pets. Oscar went with us but soon became tired climbing the furrows and wanted to be carried. Plowed trenches in the search field Nancy... [Read more...]
WE FOUND A PHOTO OF PRESIDENT CLINTON NUDE!
February 24, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
Hanging out around a library wasn’t exactly one of the most exciting items on my list of things to do Monday. But, it was President’s Day and we were not that far from the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. Besides, admission is free on President’s Day and I have never been one to pass up free admission to anything. In case you may have forgotten, Bill Clinton was our 42nd President serving two terms between 1992 and 2000. While he may be best remembered for his shenanigans with a young White House aide, it was during his presidency that we reversed a climbing federal budget deficit and created nearly twenty-three million new American jobs. No prior administration had overseen the creation of so many new jobs, or at such a rapid pace. Entrance to the Clinton Library The Clinton Presidential Library is situated in a new 30-acre city park located right on the edge of the Arkansas River in the revitalized River Market area of Little Rock. ... [Read more...]
Spring is coming…
February 13, 2012 by Canadianladybug · 1 Comment
This week-end I caught my husband counting the weeks on his iPhone. I was wondering what he was doing and then I realized he was counting the number of weeks before we can go up to our RV at the campground. Total is fourteen weeks. Fourteen weeks before we can drive to our RV and open it up for the season. Let me tell you that the weeks are not passing by fast enough according to the kids. My four years old keep asking when we will go and remind us that we need to bring her pink blanket with us when we do. She recently told us that we should not forget our plastic containers with the clothes when we go. Too funny! You can sense her passion for camping and fishing as well. So slowly we are wrapping up our homeschool. The kids still have about eleven weeks to complete their mathematics. My oldest as finished his English writing curriculum. English grammar is almost completed as well. Bottom line we are doing good even though the French lessons won’t... [Read more...]
Celebrate Local With Regional Events…
February 11, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Do you hunt down local food festivals and events when you are camping, RVing, and traveling? They are a great way to get a true taste of the region. Festivals are often annual events that celebrate a seasonal or local food. And, they often raise money for local causes, such as the chamber of commerce or a civic project. I have found that regional festivals and community dinners have given me some delicious fodder for writing as well as for munching! The “experts” are always around and they are often more than happy to tell me about the specialty products at hand. Over the years, we have attended the Ballard Seafood Festival and the Fishermen’s Festival here in Seattle. Obviously, both of these events feature awesome regional seafood products. If I was down on the Oregon Coast today, I would attend the 27th Annual Charleston Crab Feed held in the Old Charleston School House. Each year more than 1000 people attend and indulge in a fabulous Dungeness Crab Dinner. ... [Read more...]
GO TO A HAMFEST – A RV or Camper’s Goldmine Awaits.
February 10, 2012 by Professor95 · 9 Comments
Lot’s of campers and RV’ers, are HAMS! No, I’m not talking about the ones that like acting as if they were in a play or movie. I’m not making a derogatory reference to those that have a tendency to overeat, either. I’m talking about a different kind of HAM. This kind of HAM can actually be anyone of any size and their ages may range from middle school to the most senior of Senior Citizens. The thumbnail picture to the left is a joke to get your attention – these Hams have little to do with pigs unless it is enjoying sausage links at breakfast. The HAM I am referring to is formally known as a Licensed Amateur Radio Operator. Hams must pass a test to show their knowledge of radio communications and operating rules, and as a result have been issued a license by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate radio transmitters and possibly communicate with other “Hams” all over the world. Rows of small parts boxes await buyer inspection. NO, IT IS NOT CITIZEN... [Read more...]
What is Your Travel Planning Style?
January 16, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
Seward, Alaska, 2011 Do you have a method for planning your road trips or vacations? Do you dutifully sit down in January and target where and when you will go to specific destinations? Or, do you just “wing it” once the official camping season kicks off in the spring? I have to admit that I have waffled between both methods over the years. I am, in fact, still waffling! When we first started camping and our children were very young, I was pretty strict about planning in advance, pinpointing destinations, and then making reservations. I have vivid recollections of often doing this ten months in advance. Back then, it was a system that I needed to have in place. Packing food, kids, cars, and gear can be a monumental task. I knew I didn’t want to take the spontaneous route only to find out that the car was loaded and the campgrounds were too! Traveling and camping with young children can be challenging. I needed the certainty of knowing that we had a good campsite... [Read more...]
Grandpa’s FireFork Is A Nifty Stocking Stuffer
December 4, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · Leave a Comment
Are you looking for a nifty stocking stuff for the outdoor enthusiast on your list? If so, then maybe you should check out Grandpa’s FireFork made by Light My Fire. A compact nifty gadget, the FireFork is a simple solution for cooking marshmallows, hot dogs and even fresh fish over an open flame. Large skewers can be awkward and cumbersome to store and carry. On the other hand, the compact Fire Fork, which was inspired by an innovative grandpa, easily fits into a backpack or even a coat pocket. Once the protective plastic cover is removed from the fork’s prongs, the two wire springs expand. By pressing the two prongs towards each other, the rings align and a stick can be shoved through. Hot dogs and marshmallows are then easily put in place on the prongs and held over the campfire. Another advantage of the forks is that, unlike randomly scavenged sticks, the prongs can be cleaned between uses. Priced at about $10 for a pack of four of Amazon, the FireForks would... [Read more...]
Let There Be Light!
December 1, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 1 Comment
Head lamps. Flashlights. Lanterns. Campfires. What is your favorite way to light up a dark night when you are out in the great outdoors? Do you have a favorite flashlight that you depend on? We have used all of these items and our preference for them really depends on the situation. Sitting around a campfire on a summer’s night is great fun. When the kids start dashing around the campground or the park after dark, they definitely need a good flashlight in hand. For tent camping, a lantern is essential. And, head lamps are critically important in remote areas as well. When I was shopping with my teenage daughter last week, I stopped by REI to see what was new. I didn’t spend a lot of time there, but I did peruse the flashlight and head lamp section. I thought the Photon Micro Light II looked very good and well priced. This personal safety flashlight has an ultra bright LED light that is visible over one mile. And, the light is built to survive serious use! I think this... [Read more...]
THE LOST KEY (From the archives of the “Fiero Fiction Series”)
October 21, 2011 by Professor95 · 1 Comment
The Lost Key is one of twenty stories I wrote back in the late 90’s. Many of these stories were published as part of the Fiero Fiction Series. They appeared in both the Pontiac Fiero Connection magazine and the Fiero Owner, a magazine published quarterly by the Fiero Owner’s Association of America. My affection for the little 2-seat, mid engine, composite body car that was only built from 1984 to 1988 still continues – but I am now down to three cars (I once owned seven). I share this story to readers of my Woodall’s Family Camping blog simply because I consider it “Fun”. You see, camping and sitting around the campfire without stories is like forgetting the marshmallows. In this story, Jimmy Moore is typical of anyone opening the lost ark contained within the center console and floor hugging seats in any Fiero. What he finds, and what he does, could easily happen to any of us. Like other stories in the Fiero Fiction Series, this one is based on a true story –... [Read more...]
Unforgettable Trips — Franconia Notch, NH
September 28, 2011 by Traveler8343 · 2 Comments
Dateline October, 1979 One of our favorite destinations in New England is the Franconia Notch State Park area of New Hampshire; the White Mountains. There are lots everything we enjoy: mountains, deep dark woods, pure, ice cold streams racing over rock strewn, water-carved flumes and small New England villages. It was easy to visualize the ghosts of courageous 17th and 18th century fur trappers and Native American hunting parties prowling through the woods. My children and I would create stories about “The Last of the Mohicans.” We imagined the last chief of the mighty Mohicans, Chingachgook, along with his BFF, Natty Bumppo, called “Hawkeye” by his native friends, creeping silently along the forest game trails on moccasined feet, tracking a regal 15-point elk with flintlock and bow, while their renegade Huron arch-enemy, “The Wily Fox,” Magua, creeps up behind them, ready to add their scalps to his already hirsute belt… What? Yes, yes, I know that Fenimore’s... [Read more...]
