Camping In Style

Rock Art: Draw a line or spiral with a long stick and collect rocks and pine cones - place on the line in a pattern. Show them a picture of “The spiral Jetty” by Robert Smithson.   Camp Kitchen: Collect cooking gear from the thrift store, see if you can find items on small scale, find a flat rock, log or camp bench and draw in chalk a stove top (two circles with an “X”) Fill a pitcher of water and tell them to go to town making mud pies and cooking them. (keep mud away from where people walk). Rock & Stick Art: Hunt for sticks and rocks then paint with washable tempera   Pine Cone Critters: Glue small rocks, sticks onto pine cones to make different figures. Tacky glue works best.   Hide & Seek an old stand by.   Bug Hunt with a bug jar.   Hopscotch: Use a long sticks to make squares in dirt & small rocks to throw.   Beading: $1 store good for this, I like using a tray or baking sheet to contain every...

Fall is a GREAT time to Wash sleeping bags and bedding. Store in plastic bags or bins with lids to keep dust free. Tidy up loose gear scattered in the garage or in the house from Summer.  Look for sales on replacement gear.  Put a jar aside to save money for next years gear purchase.  Make a wish list for a Holiday Gift.  Research locations for next years trips.

Meal plan for dinner for two days . As always my goal is to have a high quality meal with less effort at the camp site so I can enjoy myself and deal with any issues with having small kids that might make cooking, cleaning and meal making a drag. The best way I know to do this is to pre cook as much as I can at home.  DAY 1 MEXICAN APPETIZER NIGHT Bake quesadillas on 350 in oven till cheese is soft, they can finish cooking at camp, you only need them to stick together. Pre grilled chicken marinated in ranch dressing and cilantro herbs. Cut up and heated on site. Pre cooked quesadilla in small corn tortillas, wrapped in foil and reheated to perfection. Can of black beans . Pico de gallo pre-made from grocery store. Avocados Sour cream Chips and salsa Margaritas DAY 2 MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI Mix with seasoning, bake on 400 to brown then turn down to 350 till fully cooked, then freeze. They will continue to cook when added to sauce at campsite. A slo...

For a great family friendly activity, pack up the kids, the vintage camping trailer and head north of Nevada City, through the picturesque town of Downieville and Sierra City and turn left at the general store of Bassetts and follow the winding road up past the amazing look out to the Sierra Buttes to the Lakes Basin Campground. The campground is centrally located for hikes, fishing and adventures on any one of the neighboring lakes.  We brought along an inflatable kayak and took turns paddling around Gold Lake.  The fish were hoping every which way, so the boys enjoyed the opportunity to practice the sport of fishing. If water sports aren't what you're interested, try one of the many hikes in the area, options for all levels.   For a great morning activity hike out the Grassy Lake Trail up to the Long Lake Trail and reward yourself with a refreshing dip at the end. When you pack your camping goodies, don't forget your local ...

Bear Country Precautions ●    Keep a close watch on children and teach them what to do if they encounter a bear. ●    While hiking, make noise to avoid a surprise encounter with a bear. ●    Never keep food, gum, wet wipes etc...  in your tent. ●    Store food and toiletries in bear-proof containers or in an airtight container in the trunk of your vehicle. ONLY IF there is no bear box. Bears WILL break into cars.  ●    Keep a clean camp by cleaning up and storing food and garbage immediately after meals. ●    Use bear-proof garbage cans whenever possible or store your garbage in a secure location with your food. ●    Don't bury or burn excess food; bears will still be attracted to the residual smell. ●    Garbage should be packed out of camp if no trash receptacles are available. ●    Never approach a bear or pic...

DO NOT PANIC THIS IS ONLY CAMPING THIS LIST SHOULD BE CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR CAMPING NEEDS Camp Kitchen Cook stove and fuel Boiling pot, fryer, saucepan, lids Spatula, tongs, wooden spoon Colander/strainer if your boiling pasta etc. Eating utensils plates, cups, bowls per person Salt/pepper/spices Plastic wrap/tin foil/plastic zipper bags Coolers Ice Food in plastic bins Paper towels Trash bags, plastic grocery bags Corkscrew - bottle opener 2-gallon water with spigot Or 5-gallon water carrier filled with drinking water Coffee pot Dishpan or restaurant bus tub Biodegradable dish soap Sponge, scraper instead of scouring pad Can opener opt. Extra table opt. Coffee mug, thermos cup opt. Thermos to keep coffee hot opt Sleeping and Comfort Airbed, pump or camp pad Sleeping bags or blankets, sheets Don’t forget an extra blanket Pillows Clothing - see list Milk crate sideways for nightstand opt. Hammocks opt. Whisk broom an...

Just a friendly reminder that today is the day to begin booking your campsites for the month of Ju ne through Reserve America   The early bird catches the worm for premium sites SEE BEST CAMPSITES SEE CAMPING WITH DOGS SEE LOCATION LOCATION 

Flying by the seat of my camping shorts on this trip. Last minute non plan. Super easy all around Kid friendly Adult passable meals Little or no cooking  Camping at Scotts Flat in Grass Valley, CA for three nights with two other families on two sites. Bring the small tent, blow up kyak and assorted cloths "whatever!" Don't forget the ball for the dog............. oh dog food too In all the trip went well. In fact I didn't forget anything that someone else didn't have.  Our meal plan was the best, though not gourmet it went over quite well. Meal Plan For 3 Days 1ST NIGHT Pre-made cheese quesadillas to reheat Can of black beans Chips & Salsa Guacamole Margaritas 2ND DAY NIGHT Cereal, yogurt, berries Cheese, crackers, salami, grapes Order OUT 5 Mile house for dinner Red Wine     3RD DAY NIGHT Cereal, yogurt, berries GREAT sandwiches from The Harmony Ridge Market Mack & Cheese, Adelle's pre...

WHAT CLOTHES TO BRING For a two night camp trip in summer it should look something like this minimally 3 Pairs underwear 2 Short sleeve shirts 2 Pants:  1 jeans 1 fleece or sweat pant style 1 Pair of shorts 1 Tank top 2 Long sleeve shirts: one can be for sleeping 1 Swimsuit 1 Beach towel 1 Silky pants for sleeping (water wicking/bike or smooth exercise type work best so your legs don’t stick to your covers and you can put second layer soft pants over then in the morning) 1 Sandals, water shoes or flip flops for beach or shower 1 Ugg type boots or lined clogs for easy on off around campsite 1 Sweat shirt/fleece with hood 1 Light jacket (just in case) 1 Skirt or camp dress opt. 1 Bandanna & sun hat 1 Bath towel, hand towel & washrag 3 socks 1 Pair good of comfortable walking/hiking shoes 1 pair of gloves for cold or handling wood Some sites have laundry facilities if that matters to you THEN take quarters an...

Arrival date First day to make reservations (7 am PT) March 15 through April 14   November 15 April 15 through May 14 December 15 May 15 through June 14 January 15 June 15 through July 14 February 15 July 15 through August 14 March 15 August 15 through September 14 April 15 September 15 through October 14 May 15 October 15 through November 14 June 15 November 15 through December 14 July 15 Wawona Group site only: December 15 through January 14 January 15 through February 14 February 15 through March 14 August 15 September 15 October 15 Yosemite National Park has 13 popular campgrounds , of which up to seven are on a reservation system. From April through September, reservations are essential and even the first-come, first-served campgrounds often fill by noon from May through September. Make a campground reservation Visit  www.recreation.gov (recommended)  877/444-6777 (or 877/833-6777 for ...

Good Morning, this is me.............. uh.. Ruth    I'm tucking in a quick blog post before we take off to Tahoe for our fist Camping In Style trip.  This time I'm trying to go Camping In Style "Light" I'm feeling more organized than usual Maybe because I didn't start packing till yesterday and my mind is clear One tub for beverages/bar Fire wood bin One tub for camp necesities One container for dry food And a cooler One bag for beach goods Along with all the usual stuff stuffed in my car I can't wait to get to this  With Deb after camp set up bye for now!

Image from Fish and Game California California Department of Fish and Game News Release May 5, 2011 DFG Offers Tips on Staying Safe in Bear Country The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds campers, anglers and hikers enjoying the outdoors to take precautions to limit black bear encounters. A key element to safe camping and recreating in bear country is to limit food odors that attract bears. Image from Keep Me Wild “Bears are constantly in search of easily obtainable food sources," said Marc Kenyon, DFG statewide bear program coordinator. "A bear’s fate is almost always sealed once it associates human activity with potential food. It’s always unfortunate when a bear has to be killed because people either haven’t learned how to appropriately store food and trash, or simply don’t care." California’s growing black bear population is now estimated at more than 40,000. Black bears are located in most of the state where sui...

Getting Ready For Summer Camping List of Gear you WANT see RETAIL THERAPY for ideas List of Gear you NEED see list of "Shopping Resources" to right of posts on HOME PAGE OR BLOGGER. R eview your CAMP CHECKLIST and go through your first aid kit to refresh and review what you want to work on till it's time to camp. Take a look at the cloths you have , if you have changed sizes you may need to start replacing SEE CLOTHS  for a list. If you have a kid you will want to consider their size change and needs too. SEE KIDS .  For ideas. Start doing a quick run through of the local thrift stores  for the items on your list. Plan on purchasing what you don't find at the thrift and discount stores the month before your first trip. Or try Lands End , Sierra Traders etc... for some GREAT deals. Play camping in your house to inspire your kids, DOG'S and husbands. Make a RESERVATIONS for a camp site if you haven't already Wipe and wash coolers....

Taken last year in Lake Tahoe of our friends car and very cool trailer Does anyone really go camping on Memorial Day?  I stopped camping during Holidays when I hit my mid 30's. The crowds, traffic and hoo ha's drove me out of the Holiday Camping Crowd. Hey HCC camping! Are you HCC or NOT HCC

Twice this winter we have had several days without power. Over Thanks Giving we went the entire week with the power being restored the day after all of our big plans.  Trying to Camp In Style with "generator toast" Three days into it I'm thinking "Ruth your one girl who loves camping" making the best of it. While watching my friends without power come unglued I remained inspired to Camp In Style. But on that fourth day ................................. I more than came unglued. I won't bore you with all the details of managing a house in the snow you can't drive to, with no power, no phone, one small propane fireplace that keeps a tiny area of the house at 53 tops, with a 5 yr old, a husband out of town and a small generator located around back and down a slope to use for one item at a time.   Our generator I lost my cool, cried, freaked out and then was totally disappointed in myself for being a bad girl scout.     PG&E vehicle to get to remot...