Camping In Style

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...

After the Summer guests have gone, the smoke has cleared from local fires and before it gets too cold, our daughter and I set up a tent-less room on our deck to stargaze and sleep in the cool evenings. Extra comfy using our indoor linens A sheet to cover during the day Every morning we take a big sheet to cover our bed during the hot day to protect it from leaves or even the dog should he sneak onto the deck and decide to take a nap. So far so good. Bravo sleeps with his ball   She sleeps with a doll GREAT bonding time Yesterday our daughter woke up at 6am, still dark and said "Mom hurry come out the stars are so pretty" I was awake in the house only to rush out, snuggle and star gaze with her. We saw a shooting star and it felt so awesome to share this moment with her. I highly recommend it! Eco Friendly Inexpensive Fun Easy Memorable Doesn't Require Scheduling  

In this awesome town of ours (Nevada City) there are many places that make it the wonderful destination it is. The Outside Inn  issuch a place. Image of Outside Inn Room Porch The motel features unique themed rooms under tall pines and is just a short walk to bookstores, cappuccino, shopping, entertainment and restaurants. Nevada City is located in California's Gold Country and has managed to maintain a lot of its charm and history.   Image of Outside Inn Hotel The hotel staff will set up bike rentals or a kayak lesson, on  flat or moving water and recommend  mountain bike trails. They can also suggest a rafting company to take you down the North Yuba or the South Fork of the American Rivers.  The point I'm making is if your in Nevada City and love the outdoors or want a unique non commercial place to stay check out The Outside Inn . It's AWESOME! Plan ahead and check out Erin's Blogg " Inn...

Wild for the Yuba SYRCL’s 2nd Annual Wild for the Yuba , a Wild & Scenic event, featuring two dozen hand-picked wineries and breweries will delight your taste buds with their finest selections, along with scrumptious food by Emily’s Catering and Cakes on Saturday, April 21 at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Hall. Stroll the hall listening to the toe tapping sounds of Ragged But Right while bidding on the silent auction items such as getaways & adventures, feasting, art, garden goodies and practical items. Date: April 21, 2012 6-9pm Location: Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Hall 255 S. Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945 For more information:  530-265-5961 ext. 201 Tickets Advance: $30 members; $35 general and $20 for designated drivers At Door: $35 members; $40 general, and $20 for designated drivers Tickets available at the SYRCL Office, or buy using our online form

A simple hike with friend takes us to a full view of Nevada City If you can find it, it's sweet and simple Nevada City, California Click here to learn more about Sugar Loaf Mountain

Yesterday I stopped into our local Hills Flat Lumber and was completely sidetracked by all the cookware, I thought to myself "self, I said, what do you need to stock up on for camping this Summer" Located in Grass Valley, California   I think they had every size of dutch oven, even one the size you could bath in Cast iron, what's not to love A huge selection of tarps as well The one thing that caught my attention the most was the "Cooking with The Donner Party" cookbook Click here to find outside of Nevada County, California

Photo by Erin Thiem @ The Outside Inn Where else can you tour a castle, ride a gondola, drink wine and spend the night looking at the stars?  Looking for a fun way to experience the wine country?  Try camping in Calistoga.  The cute little town provides the best of the amazing award winning wineries, plus shops, hot springs and dining.  If you want to park right in town try the Calistoga RV park , but a more rustic option would be the Bothe Napa State Park , less then 5 minutes from downtown Calistoga. Photo by Erin Thiem @ The Outside Inn Our family enjoyed a tour at the Castello di Amorosa Winery , we thought we had left California and gone to Italy for the weekend.  Our 6 year old’s favorite stop at the Castle was the weapons room, whereas we both enjoyed the wine tasting and particularly the Pinot Noir. Photo by Erin Thiem @ The Outside Inn For the younger member of the family we rode the gondola up to Sterling Winery and took in ...

Last week we went to The Folsom Zoo with my daughters Expeditionary Learning School. I have never been fond of zoos. However this zoo has the healthiest rescue animals who are the happiest animals I have ever seen. All the animals are fed organic food, the deer come up to be pet and the animals are loved by the staff. Check it out if your ever in the area. 

My neighbors always seem to catch our local bear. On this night he or she was in pursuit of a meal.