Category: Comfort at Camp
Harvest Salmon Chowder for Chilly Winter Days
January 13, 2012 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
If you travel and camp throughout the chillier months of the year, then you might find yourself craving foods such as chili, stew, soups and chowder. Last fall, I created a round of recipes for the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association. Their consumer website, Bristol Bay Sockeye, features numerous salmon recipes. One of the recipes I tested, tweaked, and photographed was Harvest Salmon Chowder. The recipe comes from Rose Fisher who is married to a Bristol Bay fisherman and lives in Dillingham, Alaska. When Rose gave me the recipe she quietly told me that the secret to the recipe was…canned salmon and all the juices!! She told me that she had made it with cooked salmon, but it just wasn’t the same. Aha! I am not afraid to use canned salmon, so I was pleased to try the recipe. Indeed, it is a simple awesome recipe that is satisfying and warming. I think this recipe is particularly relevant for our Woodall’s readers because it uses many basic pantry items,... [Read more...]
A Really Nasty Bug
December 28, 2011 by Professor95 · 6 Comments
A winter-night’s dream finds me walking through the middle of a tall grassy field ablaze with warm sunshine, songbirds singing, and butterflies darting about. Nearby is a brook overflowing with large rainbow trout hungry for the fly on the end of my line. As the sun sets, we will dine on trout cooked over glowing campfire embers. . My dream excludes the reality of chiggers, ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, wasps, spiders, and biting flies also enjoying the habitat and dining on me as I reach out for my dream. Like it or not, we share the world with bugs and their presence can make our real life experiences a lot less pleasant if control measures are not taken. Adult EAB with wings open One insect, or bug, that has recently changed the landscape of at least fifteen eastern states and parts of Canada is the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire – an exotic beetle that was first discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. By exotic, I mean... [Read more...]
Get ‘em While You Can!
December 9, 2011 by Professor95 · 4 Comments
My guess is you are probably not associating the holiday decorating items displayed on merchant shelves with your summer camping adventures. STOP! Think about this a minute – many desirable items will not be as inexpensive or available later on as they are right now. Most all of us enjoy putting “patio lights” on our awning, screen room or around our campers during the summer. They not only give off a welcome light on a dark night but also give our camp site a distinct personality. What better lights to use than colorful LED strings of Christmas tree lighting? LED lighting is not only energy efficient but it is also cool to the touch and less likely to “burn out” than conventional incandescent light strings. Decorative lights are also available as rope lights in clear, red, blue, or mixed colors. These store away easily and are extremely durable – not to mention waterproof. Those fancy ice-sickle lights with LEDs that chase up and down are great camping lights. Who... [Read more...]
‘Twas the Feast of St. Nick…
December 1, 2011 by Diane Berry · 5 Comments
I published a post last year about this time, talking about St. Nick ideas for the avid RVer. My focus last year was on items new on the market. As it is that time of year again, I want to, again, focus on St. Nick ideas, but will be addressing a combination of both the old and the new; some items upon which you rely, most likely need to be replaced and this is a good excuse to trade up for a few of them. We always have a need for a new flashlight and those other items that we use everyday but seldom give much thought to. This year, my husband is in sore need of two items, both of which have been improved since we last purchased them, so these will be my first two suggestions: Our "new addition" 1. To replace our old generic flashlight from 15 years back, he is getting a new Maglite model that will provide a high intensity light beam. The light has two settings and a krypton bulb and is able to provide either a spot light or a flood light with the flick of a switch. Also,... [Read more...]
Valdez is for Campers, RVers, and Adventurers!
November 30, 2011 by Melissa A. Trainer · 2 Comments
Photo by Michael De Young/ATIA Are you planning a road trip to Alaska? Are you thinking of traveling to and camping in America’s Last Frontier next summer? If so, then I would like to suggest adding Valdez to the itinerary. I must admit that I haven’t been there myself, but it was on my “to do” list when we lived in Anchorage about five years ago. Unfortunately, we got sidetracked with other destinations that summer, but when I was at the Alaska Media Road Show in Santa Barbara about a month ago, I was fortunate to meet with Colleen Stephens while I was there. Colleen is from the Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau. She seemed to know exactly what I was interested in! Colleen explained that Valdez caters to campers! I was really happy to hear this because camping in Alaska can take a fair amount of initiative and organization. I know this because I’ve done it many times myself! Colleen explained that Valdez has many RV sites around town and that many... [Read more...]
Patti’s Saga of an RV Rookie: Does he/she want an iPad or bear spray for Christmas? And your wallet says what about that?
November 14, 2011 by Patti F. · 3 Comments
I hope that heavy feeling in your chest doesn’t portend heart trouble, but rather, is the resultant pressure that comes from knowing December is around the corner. Yes, “tis the season of “What am I going to get him (her, them) for Christmas?” which can carry its own weight. Sometimes the expectations of Christmas feel like a worrisome burden; of course, that misses the whole point of a holiday established around an event filled with grace, love, and forgiveness. But that’s another blog… For now, let’s look at Christmas gift ideas for RVing, and in general: Categories: Costs an arm and a leg and Doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Costs an Arm and a Leg: #1 Ipad: they’re shockingly cool to have in your RV (or anywhere) and can do everything short of conceive children for you. Soon, I bet they’ll have an App for that. The iPad includes its own e reader; I love reading in bed with the back light (that my Nook doesn’t have). #2 Nook, Kindle or some other great e-reader.... [Read more...]
ARRGGGGH!!!!!! (Finding a digital TV signal)
October 13, 2011 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
It was around five o’clock before we finally pulled off the highway into a nice, cozy little campground away from the traffic noise of the Interstate. Once on our site I pushed some buttons to lower the leveling jacks, run out the slides and open the awning. Both water and power were right at the side of the RV where it was easy to hook-up. Boy, I love this push-button automatic stuff – it makes setting up so much easier than the old way. This campground offers no cable hook-up and the canopy of huge trees overhead renders the satellite dish useless. I want to catch the six o’clock news and then the National News that follows. I have about 30 minutes to get the TV tuned in. My only choice is to find the terrestrial stations in the area. So, I crank up the “Batwing” TV antenna with the Wingman attachment and turn on the TV. Since all of the TV stations are now digital, as is the TV, before I can even think about positioning the antenna I have to hit menu on the remote,... [Read more...]
HOW TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE
September 29, 2011 by Professor95 · 9 Comments
The air smells magnificently crisp and clean. There is no trace of the usual smog or exhaust fumes. When I take a deep breath and fill my lungs full, I feel refreshed and stronger. The sky is dark blue. Only a few cumulus clouds move across the horizon. The temperature is a perfect 78 degrees and the sun gently warms my exposed skin. There is no noise – no cars, no trucks, no boom boxes, or sirens. The only sounds I hear are the ocean waves breaking onto the sand in front of me. No, wait – that was a seagull calling out as it flew overhead. Moments ago, I was kicking the light brown sand with my toes as I walked to my reclining chair next to a small tidal pool. I brought a cold drink with me. It sits at my right so a smooth movement brings the cool amber liquid to my lips. My doggie, Oscar, is digging in the sand to my left – his leash in my lap. Nancy is further to my right enjoying a book downloaded to her Kindle. The book I have in front of me is thrilling. ... [Read more...]
Trailer Mod — Dinette Becomes Couch — Shazam!
September 28, 2011 by Traveler8343 · Leave a Comment
Our Cabin On Wheels - The Fun Finder X 189FBR Some folks asked me to describe a modification that I made to our trailer. After a few trips, it became clear (to me) that our floorplan wasn’t optimal for our use. The pictures below, from another Fun Finder 189 FBR, with the “endless red” color plan, illustrate the standard setup. Although DW accused me of wanting to “tear our new trailer apart,” my goal was more constructive. The floorplan for the 189 FBR included a dinette with benches facing each other across a foldable table that can be dropped into a lower position to create a 30″ wide bed. When set up as a dinette, very little space was left between the edge of the table and the front of the kitchen sink; our “hallway.” It was a squeeze for the two of us to pass by. The other problem with the factory setup is that there is nowhere to relax and watch the TV that is mounted above the rear end closet. You have to either lie on the bed or sit... [Read more...]
When you’re too chicken to paint…
September 15, 2011 by Dana Ticknor · 2 Comments
One of the things that I have wanted to do since going fulltime 2 years ago, has been to decorate the rv. Now, I’m really not opposed to the neutral color scheme that each of our rvs has come with, but to leave them totally unaltered has seemed somewhat impersonal for our ‘home’. I know lots of other families on the road that have been brave enough to paint their rvs, and while I have loved every color scheme that I have watched unfold on their blogs, it just has never given me enough courage to take the plunge and pick up the brush. I love the trendy colors that I have been seeing, and even having the process laid out for me in pictures hasn’t overcome the fear that I will regret starting the never-ending ‘updating’ painting in our rig. So, being a more timid interior decorator when it comes to our rv, we have gone the safe route… and have loved every bit of it! When it comes to decorating that goes a bit beyond the towels and rug that... [Read more...]
