Camping In Style

My daughter whom is 5 yrs old is enrolled into an Expeditionary Learning School.  Definition: Lots of field trips to make learning fun. Between the two K-1 classes there are about 46 kids 6 and under and all the parents and adults that go with them.  This Thursday were all headed out for our first school camp trip at a local campground to learn about the "Water Shed" is that two words or one? Apparently I love to camp but will this be fun or will it be absolutely too much for the Camping In Style 45 year old Mom who likes her glass of red at the end of the day in peace and quiet.  We shall see wont we.............................. post to fallow with how it all turned out. SEE CAMPING WITH CHILDREN  SEE NATURE LOVING KID STUFF  SEE TEENS AND CAMPING

I remember hiking a simple hike in Yosemite. I stopped to take a rest and a drink of water. Up came an enthusiastic man who was probably newly married to the woman behind him who was dragging her young (10yr old) daughter behind her who was complaining that she didn't want to hike anymore, she was tiered etc.... The woman belted out to her daughter "your going to hike and your going to like it!" I sat front row of this display and thought so many thoughts. First being that it was a sure thing that that girl was not going to "like" it and probably not her new stepfather either for that matter. Children though naturals to the outdoors are not always into the hiking in the same "get it done" manor that we adults can be. A pic nic, magnifying glass and shorter hikes may be all they are up to? So stop and smell the roses and remember to read your child's body language. Incorporate other activities, make the journey shorter or the destination fun and ...

When I saw this I almost hit myself for not thinking of it first. Then I tried it and it worked SOOOOOO DAM GOOD that I did hit myself. While camping at D.L. Bliss in Lake Tahoe, California,  I couldn't help but scope out the campers a few spaces down from me. Everything was so tidy, their gear was job specific and well designed and then "THE BEAR BOX COVER" like a beacon it stood out . Barb. told me she has cut down on ice consumption considerably. That the material she uses can be found as foil insulation at a place like Low's or OSH and other hardware stores. If you frequent a campground you can pre-make one of these covers (most campgrounds offer the bear box size or you can call) or just bring duct tape and scissors and create one on the spot. I found that making it so that the piece that covers the doors works great if it can fold up and rest on the bear box doors when it opens. I used my car insulation just to give it a try and it w...

Emerald Bay Lake Tahoe California D.L. Bliss Campground - Not all campsites are equal - Scroll down to see BEST sites 9881 HWY 89 Tahoma CA 96142 Click Here For State Park Link Entrance of D.L. Bliss by Gary O'Toole Location – Directions 17 miles south of Tahoe City on Highway 89, a couple of miles north of Emerald Bay Tahoma Latitude/Longitude: 38.9851 / -120.1304 Phone: 530-525-7277 Reservations: 800-444-7275 Click Here Even though this park gets a 10 rating from most of the camping books, many campsites are on slops that are rocky or are small. I would rate this place a 5 or a 10 depending on where you’re parking your tent. I love the beach access at this park and a few nice sites sit facing the water. You pay extra for that though and no dogs on beach here, not even on leash. However early rise and sunset ball throw worked for us just fine. The beach is BEAUTIFUL and it’s the beach that makes this campground great. If you want to book a good si...

Is the WondaWedge Wonda Full?   PRODUCT: WondaWedge CONTACT: wondawedge.com PRICE: $24 SIZE: 1.3 lbs and about the size of two pillows together PROS: Perfect size, not too big or small, easy to pack, comfortable with angle options, not expensive and I like my orange color. When deflated packs small. CONS: Blow up is easy but you will need to blow it up OVERALL: So I just came back from a beach camping trip. Every day we went to the beach and I was very happy to take the WondaWedge instead of a chair. It was so comfortable and I liked being able to rotate it to find the back support I wanted. I also used it in the tent to read in bed - totally FAB. If less is more is your style then taking a WondaWedge will be the perfect gear for you. SEE TENT SIZE AND GREAT SLEEP SEE 12 THINGS TO CONSIDER CAMPING W/ KIDS So much more to come, click here to see images

Picture from camp trip to Sugar Pine 2010 Keeping a camping blog during summer is like trying to read on the tread mill. I'm sure it can be done but were so darn busy with camping, gardening, swimming, packing, unpacking that well it's like being on a tread mill. Happy Summer Camping, Ruth

Lake Tahoe A five day trip feels like your unpacking for longer than the trip. Especially when it's hot outside. My daughter and I waring matching cloths, she's making a "FACE" Laundry DONE Dishes DONE Piles Separated DONE Coolers Rinsed DONE My new coffee pot from REI, excellent! Now I need to put it all back together in the bins, in a neat pile in the garage ready for camp trip number three for the year. That may not happen till just before my next trip in a few weeks. Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay No need to sort through photos, I lost them all somehow! The Pict's I have here are from some of the 30 people who camped with us. I'm opening bottles for our wine tasting Early morning hair drying