Category: Family Camping
Camping Goals for 2013!
December 30, 2012 by Diane Berry · 4 Comments
It’s that time of year again; time to lay out our goals for the New Year. As many of you know, every year my family and I look back at our accomplishments of the year past, then focus forward and set some goals for the New Year. As I sit here at my computer, I am looking out and watching the snow fall, covering the ground with its glistening white magic. Even our little camper is covered, which brings me to some of the goals we have not met for the year. As I do every year, in this post, I would like to set some camping and RVing goals for the new year to give use something to “shoot for”, as it were. Our “Big Move” Last year, as some of you may know, our goals included selling our home in Wisconsin, closing the mental health clinic we have run for more than ten years and moving ourselves and all of our worldly good to the home we purchased in New Mexico. Another goal was to continue teaching college classes online at Kaplan University. I am happy to say, we accomplished... [Read more...]
Cruisin’ the beach in style…
December 29, 2012 by Dana Ticknor · 1 Comment
Right before Christmas, we spent 10 days out on Padre Island (Texas Gulf Coast). We dry camped out in the National Park campground on the island, and had a great time! We try to spend 2 weeks there every year – it is one of our very favorite places. Every year we try to make sure to do our ‘traditions’ – our favorite things that we have to do every visit, like driving down the beach, hunting ghost crabs, and riding the ferry at Aransas Pass. Every year we try to find some new experiences to do also. One of the things that we did this year was to drive to nearby Port Aransas and rent Beach Carts! I will admit that I was a little nervous about renting a beach cart – well, you know us, we had to rent 2, both 6 seaters! LOL! First, would the cart owner freak when we pulled in and 10 kids piled out of our van? And, beach carts, even if you are just using them on the beach, are subject to the same laws that govern vehicles (meaning seat belts…), so what... [Read more...]
Start the New Year Off on the Right Foot with a First Day Hike
December 27, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
With New Year’s Day just around the corner, people everywhere are zeroing in on their new year’s resolutions for 2013. Some will vow to add more exercise into their routines, and others will promise not to stay indoors as much. You can start the New Year off on the right foot, the left foot, or any foot by tackling both those resolutions at once and at the same time create a new family tradition by participating in a “First Day Hike” at a park near you, and together start off your year in a new direction. America’s State Parks announces that all 50 state park systems will sponsor guided First Day Hike Programs on New Year’s Day 2013. First Day Hikes originated over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park in Milton, Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and year round recreation at state parks. State involvement has grown to the point where, for the first time in 2012, all 50 state park systems joined... [Read more...]
May you all have a Blessed Christmas, no matter where the season finds you…
December 24, 2012 by Dana Ticknor · 8 Comments
This year will be our fourth year celebrating Christmas in an RV; the 3rd in this particular 5er. And we couldn’t be happier about it. While we no longer have the 8′ tree, or the strings of lights outlining the rooftop, or the fancy Christmas dinner with a dozen sides like in the sticks n’ bricks, Christmas still holds the same wonder. Sure, we have had to make some changes in how we celebrate, due to our compact abode, but we are finding that we prefer many of our altered traditions. In the RV, we don’t go all out decorating, mostly because we don’t have room to haul decorations around with us (we still love to look at other RVer’s lights!), but we do have a small tree that the kids decorate, and we trim the slides with garland and small colorful balls. We don’t buy gifts based so much on money and number anymore as we do size, and we now prefer ‘experiences’ over physical stuff. We no longer cook on the same scale as we did in our... [Read more...]
The Lighting of Ledoux
December 23, 2012 by Diane Berry · 3 Comments
In July of this year I wrote and published a post about Taos, New Mexico’s historic Ledoux Street. Named after one of the area’s first French trappers, Paul Ledoux, the street houses the oldest galleries, shops and studios in Taos. A treat to visit in the summer months, when camping in the Taos area, Ledoux Street is even more of a treat to visit during the holidays if you can get yourself to this small southwestern community. Farolitos lining Ledoux Street The Lighting of Ledoux occurs the first Saturday in December every year. The street is illuminated with thousands of farolitos, small paper bags containing sand and a lighted votive candle. Father Winter, aka Santa, in an antique fire truck, leads the townspeople in a parade down Ledoux Street, preceded by a trumpeter playing Christmas carols. He proceeds to the Harwood Museum at the very end of Ledoux Street, where he gives each child who confides their holiday wish a small gift. In addition, the shops and galleries build bonfires,... [Read more...]
Christmas Ideas for the Outdoors Lover in Your Life!
December 16, 2012 by Diane Berry · 2 Comments
As a follow up to my Stocking Stuffers post a few weeks ago, each year I like to write a blog to share some Christmas gift ideas for those in your life who enjoy the outdoors…or maybe for yourself! I like to try to come up with ideas that may not occur to you, to stimulate your imagination and perhaps lead to that one gift that will be enjoyed year round. As with the St. Nick’s ideas, couple of traditional favorites include a new calendar to help plan trips in the New Year and the newest edition of Woodall’s Guide for the same reason. But every year I also like to add a few new ideas that may simply not have occurred to the typical Santa. Here are my ideas for this year: Terry’s New Butter Fleece Jacket…shhhh 1) A new Butter Fleece to wear as a top layer on cooler spring or fall days and under an outer layer during winter. My family cannot get enough of this fleece; we each have several and wear them throughout the year. While many of them are the ¼ zip variety,... [Read more...]
Holiday Rambler Marks 60th Anniversary
December 16, 2012 by Rex Vogel · Leave a Comment
Lisle, Illinois-based Navistar RV, a subsidiary of Navistar International Corp., marked the 60th anniversary of its Holiday Rambler brand at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) 50th annual National RV Trade Show, November 27-29 at the Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, Kentucky. The company will also introduce three model-year 2014 vehicles. The new Presidential will reestablish Holiday Rambler’s presence in the luxury fifth-wheel category while the company will continue to build and sell motorhomes with the reintroduction of its Augusta Class C B-plus style coach and the new Vacationer, an entry-level class A gas coach, according to a news release. “We are very pleased to mark the 60th anniversary of Holiday Rambler, a preeminent brand in the history of recreational vehicles,” said Bill Osborne, president, Navistar RV. “Throughout its long life, Holiday Rambler’s success has been fueled by its pioneering spirit, including countless innovations that helped create... [Read more...]
PassPorter’s Walt Disney World
December 15, 2012 by Canadianladybug · Leave a Comment
PassPorter’s Walt Disney World – The unique travel guide, planner, organizer, journal, and keepsake! One of our dream as parents is to bring our kids to Florida in vacation. Not for a week or two but more in the line of a whole month of fun visiting various theme parks including Walt Disney World. Last time my husband and I went it was our honeymoon and let me tell you that by what I am discovering these days via videos Science of Disney Imagineering and the book I am presenting you today, a lot have changed since then! So you want to plan a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. But you feel a bit overwhelmed with all the possibilities and fun things to do. No problem. Introducing the PassPorter’s Walt Disney World which is a travel guide that will help you plan and organize your discovery of this famous theme park. I know from experience that we enjoy our trips better when I plan in advance. Not everyone are like this but let me remind you that in the case of Walt Disney World, you... [Read more...]
IT’S FINALLY HERE! (The 2013 Good Sam RV Travel Guide & Camp Ground Directory)
December 12, 2012 by Professor95 · Leave a Comment
The brown box dropped on my doorstep was a surprise. I thought, “What in the world is this, I’m not expecting a package?” I cut open the box. Inside was my new copy of the 2013 Good Sam RV Travel Guide and Campground Directory. I have been extremely anxious to see what this new book looked like. You see, it is not just a new publication; it is a brand new product. For years, I have purchased both the Trailer Life Campground Directory and the Woodall’s Campground Directory. While they were similar, they were not identical. I would find that one guide would have listings or information that the other lacked. Of course, I was somewhat partial to the Woodall’s Directory – after all, for the past three years my blogs have been published under the Woodall’s marquee. So, how is it that both the former Trailer Life and Woodall’s directories came to be combined? Well, both Trailer Life and Woodall’s are owned by the same parent company – and have been for many years. ... [Read more...]
Our Camper Saved the Day!
December 9, 2012 by Diane Berry · Leave a Comment
As many of you know, during the past year we moved our home and family across the country from Wisconsin to New Mexico. For the most part the move went smoothly, but due to this major disruption in the stability of our lives, we did not have the time or energy to plan and take our typical two-three week camping vacation this summer, but reconciled ourselves to day trips. When Terry finally joined me in New Mexico in July, after hauling the last of our things across the country in the camper, we parked our Trail Lite in its new home near our house and, for the most part, forgot about it for the rest of the summer and fall. However, last weekend, it became a crucial part of our existence. When we bought our home in New Mexico, it was about six years old. Built in 2004, the home came with appliances, all Amana, which the previous owner had purchased as she was moving into her new abode, so all are still less than ten years old. Last Saturday evening Terry and I went to bed about 10 pm as usual,... [Read more...]
