What a weekend

We had a great Father's Day Weekend!!!

One of the nice things about having a camper is the lack of cleanup you have to do when you get home for the weekend. 

I mean lets really think about this, if you have all your kitchen gadgets and supplies that stay in you camper, as well as bathroom needs and bedding, you literally only have to bring in your dirty clothes and any excess food from your trip. 

Make sure when you get home you air out your camper. You will need to let your awning air out for a couple days to ensure there is absolutely no moisture on it, this can cause a moldy mess if you put it away wet. Let those windows stay cracked for a day or two, just to let your camper air out from the campfire smell.

A great tip is to restock you camper after your trip if needed. Don't wait until your next trip because this can sometimes lead to forgetting it, especially if it isn't something normally on your packing list. This is an absolute great habit to get into, and you will find yourself not stressing out when it comes to packing for a trip, because its less things you have to run through in your head.  

Lake Myers

So while we are out and about today, talking to our friendly camping neighbors we have learned of a new campground that's close to home. Its absolutely crazy how close you can live to somewhere and never hear of it.

We were told that this place is an absolute must visit campground. Conveniently located close to home, so we can make a weekend trip out of it, much like the same reasons we like camping at Dan Nicholas. 

Lake Myers has a beautiful lake to fish on, spacious sites, and plenty to do for the kids including mini golf, bumper boats, a playground and  an arcade/game room. The even have live band nights. 

Like I said in a previous post, you need to be a friendly camper, because you learn of these places and what people really think of them. Definitely gonna check this one out.

Lake Myers RV Resort

25 Camping Hacks That Are Truly Genius

Check out the video below for some great pointers when camping.

Have you ever tried a roasted starburst??? This guy swears by it....sounds like something I will put on my to do list this weekend. 

 

Getting ready for another weekend away

We pulled the camper out this evening to get everything ready for a fun filled weekend away......whoot whoooooot

We are headed out to Dan Nicholas again this weekend. I know it isn't far from home but it makes the perfect weekend getaway. Especially if you only have a day or two, you obviously cant spend a day of that traveling.

In the enjoyment of getting ready for our trip we pulled open the awning tonight and noticed that it was very dirty underneath, this is most likely from getting moisture inside the awning when it was rolled up, whether it wasn't completely dry when it was put away......or the water has seeped its way in while it was closed up.....either way it needed to be cleaned. 

Something that works really well for cleaning the awning is an old mop or a soft bristled scrub-brush with an extending pole, this makes it easy to reach and the mop or soft scrub-brush inst to harsh on the material. This mixed with a little greased lightning and cold water.....cleaned it right up!!

5 Cool Camping Tips & Tricks

Check out this video....it's pretty neat!!!

Be a Friendly Camper

One thing everyone should know about campers is that they are friendly. If you aren't used to talking to strangers you better get used to it. 

When you go camping you need to bring your bubbly personality with you. After all you are neighbors and friends for the weekend or week, however long the duration of your trip. 

Camper neighbors can help you with things like fun things to do, recommended campgrounds, equipment, and even help you with hooking up if you need. Feel free to ask people all sorts of things. 

Honestly, these are some of the most enjoyable people you will ever meet. 

I am a reserved person and don't come out and speak to random people in public, but when I am camping i feel like there are no strangers. 

Be a friendly camper!!!

Guest Post

I want to thank Ashley for her post below!

Be sure to check out her blog: My Favorite Past Times

New Camper Owner

My husband and I recently decided to make the jump and buy a pull behind camper.  Camping is a passion we both share, considering we grew up spending our weekends on the campgrounds.  Reminiscing on our favorite childhood memories, it always led to what fun times we had with our families camping on the weekend,  Being that we have two boys, ages 7 and 11, we wanted to start making our own memories with them in hopes that someday they will look back on these trips as we do now as adults.  

I know what you are thinking......did you at least try tent camping before you went out and bought a camper?!  Yes, yes we did, and it was definitely a challenge.  Who knew there were so many things you needed to go pitch a tent in the woods for a night or two?!  After a few trips that seemed like it took more time to pack and then unpack than you did actually camping, we decided to start the hunt for a bull behind camper.

It was a painful hunt for a few months, but finally decided to go with the 2015 Apex 288BHS.  It has bunk beds for the boys and we get a queen bed/kind of room to ourselves.  I know owning a camper should seem luxurious enough, but for me I found it is important to make my camper feel like home.

Surprisingly, it just takes a few simple touches and you feel right at home.  Suddenly spending a week out in the woods in 100 degree weather didn't seem so bad since I had the camper feeling like a home away from home.  A few things I added in the camper were the boys' favorite magnets we got in Mexico, and having matching dinnerware and silverware is nice too.  Obviously it is important to bring all utensils you are used to having at home, that way cooking dinner goes smoothly (it's never good when you try to cook eggs without a spatula).  

In my relentless research on what I might need for a camper I found Kristen's Blog "Camping Need To Knows"

The Perfect Camper

When you are looking to purchase your first camper, its hard to get the one that has everything you want.

Not always, but sometimes you will find yourself sacrificing certain things for others. It's okay to do that, and one thing you will notice if you shop around for campers that you never know how you will actually function in it, until you have to.

We found ourselves somewhat strapped to a certain model due to the towing capacity of our Dodge Durango. However, I feel like our choice of the Apex 249RBS was the best one. 

Check out the video below for a tour :)

Activities

Make sure you pack some fun things to do for your camping trip. Especially if you end up having a day stuck in the rain. 

Check out some of the suggestions below:

Playing cards- Cards are always a great thing to bring, because you can play anything from solitaire by yourself to gold fish and old maid with the kids

Ladder Ball - very easy to pack and a fun activity outdoors

Corn hole- easy to pack, if you get smaller boards and fun to place outside

Coloring books - a great activity for the kids, and even the adult sometimes

Board Games - Any kind....from Clue to Yahtzee. A great addition at night under the awning, and especially indoors if you get rained out. 

Don't Get Frustrated

When it comes to camping and being able to go it can get frustrating. Especially when you see your camper sitting next to your house and you feel like you don't use it nearly enough. 

Rightfully so, I can understand, the key is to not look at the negative part of having a camper that you make payments on and you don't use. Instead think about what would be the best place to go next and just go. 

Sometimes scheduling can put a damper on planning a trip. My husband works in retail and therefore works a lot of weekends, so we don't always get the chance to go camping as much as we like. I am always joking with him and telling home that one day he is gonna come home from work and the camper is going to be gone. Not because I'm gonna get rid of it but because me and Gracie are gonna hook up ourselves and roll-out.

It is very important to be organized when it comes to your schedules, because planning requires organization. Camping can be spontaneous, but most of the time you need a plan. I would suggest getting out there and book a couple trips and then request them off from work, don't wait until you happen to have a weekend off from work and call the Friday ahead to make reservations, most of the time they will be all booked up and lead to disappointment.

Home Away From Home

Make your camper your home away from home. People may ask, why would you wanna do that? Well its pretty simple, because it is your home away from home. 

This can be done with just a few simple touches. 

When filling your camper with utensils and things of that nature, you will want to use the same kind you have at home, that way you feel as if you haven't even left yet.

Simple additions will help with this too. We installed a clock, some stickers and magnets, a welcome mat, things of that nature. 

Something that is a lot of fun to do, is start a magnet collection. Every place you visit and camp, by a magnet for your camper refrigerator. As you start to visit lots of places you will watch your fridge fill up fast. Its really neat to see how such a small piece of refrigerator decor can help you reminisce. 

Another great idea, is to keep a little journal in the camper, when you get to your camping destination and its a quiet evening sit and write down you trip so far.  Title the page with the name of the campground and its location. Talk about things like how long the drive was, and things like "sites  are close together" or "very buggy"....this will help down the road when you are deciding whether to go back to a campground. If you start to camp all the time, it can sometimes be hard to remember specific places and your likes and dislikes about them. A journal is a great thing to have.

Dan Nicholas Campground

What a great place to camp......

This place is a great place to go with kids, there is plenty to do and it makes for a fun filled weekend. My husband and I love it here. 

There is fishing, paddle boats, mini golf, and a playground. They even have a gem mine, a petting zoo and an aquarium.

Another great thing about Dan Nicholas is that it is a wooded campground. I don't know about anyone else, but when I go camping I want to have the feeling that we are actually in the woods. The sites here are spacious and the trees in between sites make for perfect privacy. 

One great thing about Dan Nicholas is that it can just be something to do for the day if you don't want to camp. 

If you can check this place out, I highly recommend it, you will not be disappointed

If you have a chance definitely try to visit in October during their annual Autumn Jubilee. This is one event a year where not only are you exposed to the normal park activities, but out side vendor come in a set up for things like pumpkin painting, arts and crafts and even hay rides. This is one of my favorite things to do during the fall. 

Packing food

Don't make this part of your camping experience stressful. This is easy, don't overthink.

I would suggest simple meals, not stuff that requires a ton of ingredients.

Here are some great suggestions.....

Breakfast:
Packaged Donuts - quick and easy to grab in the morning and not wake everyone up
Bacon and Eggs - cook them outside, easy cleanup
Cereal - one of the easiest breakfast solutions of all times (especially with kids)

Lunch/Dinner:
Sandwiches - keep it simple people we are camping....pack bologna and cheese, we don't need to go to the extreme of lettuce and tomatoes
Hot Dogs/Hamburgers - Easy on the grill and a quick easy cleanup, recommend the pre-patty burgers
Spaghetti - So simple....can of sauce and some noodles

A great side item is instant mash potatoes - boil water and mix......too easy

Snacks:
Smores - an absolute must....what's camping without them?
Pringles - easy to keep fresh, and can be used as a side with lunch or as a snack
Jiffy Pop - fun on the fire
Individual snack cans - again easy to keep fresh, and covered from creatures

Again try to pick simple meals, don't try to prepare a 3 course meals for dinner when you are camping...if you are doing that, you barely can pack one day's worth of food in that tiny little fridge.

Get a Toter

For those of you that don't know....a toter is also known as a portable waste container. This can make a long trip so much less stressful.

When you are camping in a place that doesn't support full sewer hookup at your site, you will run into a situation where your black and gray tank are full and you have to empty and have to hookup to go to the dump-station. Who wants to do that??

Can you imagine, being all set up and having to hookup up your camper just to go dump your tanks?? you will probably end up losing about a half a day of your vacation just for this activity,

I highly recommend getting a toter tank. They may seem a little pricey, but definitely worth it.

A toter tank allows you to dump your tanks into it, and then just take the tank up to the dump station. This may be a clunky piece of equipment to carry with you, but you only have to take it when you are going to a place with no sewer hookups on site, most state parks are like this.

Check out Amazon for some different sizes and options, you can save money by buying it through amazon or eBay vs. RV supply stores.

I personally like the Tote-N-Store Brand, because it has the feature where it stands up with the drain house on the bottom, making it easier to empty at the dump station. It also has a compartment at the top where you can store all the parts to the tank.

Caring for your camper

Spring time is a great time to open up those windows and air out your camper from a long winter, even if you camped during early winter. Don't be lazy....this only requires a couple hours out of your afternoon.

Get out there, open any slide outs and windows, make sure everything is working. It's a good idea to run the fridge, TV, radio, microwave, etc. The last thing you want to do is head out for a trip 4 hours away and when you arrive you find you have no radio for the week, or TV for the kids.

Open up the cabinets and make sure everything is still stocked and organized, take inventory and compile a shopping list. This will save time later and cause less stress when packing for a trip. Check things like clocks, and flashlights for batteries. Its the little things we tend to forget. Another good thing to look for is towels and sheets....make sure they made there way back into the camper after you took them in and washed them last season.

You want to make sure you wash your camper as well. Wash it just like a car. I recommend getting a long handling scrub/mop brush. You can find these in any automotive section in most stores. Another great thing to do would be to wax your camper.....if it is fiberglass that is. If you have aluminum sides, then waxing isn't necessary. Waxing your camper helps the fiberglass not get dried out from the sun and start to chip away. You need to wax at least once a season. 

Planning a trip....

Can sometimes be stressful. You have to really think about what you want to do while you are away. For me, I have to find somewhere that has several different things to do locally. If any of you have tried to plan  a camping trip with a 2 year old, you would know exactly why. My advice would be to keep your options open. You need to decide how far you want to go and how long you want to stay. I love to take long weekends, that way I don’t have to use many vacation days from work. My husband and I love the mountains in Tennessee but sometimes that can make for too long of a drive for just a weekend trip.

We are thinking about planning a 4 day weekend up at Bears Den Campground. I have 3 nephews that range in ages from 7 to 11 and I think we would have a blast if we took them up to the caverns for a weekend.

I remember when I was about 10 years old, my family went camping up in Warren, Hampshire. We visited the Polar Caves and had an absolute blast, memories like that can last a lifetime……….

Travel Trailer Essentials

Ok...if you are just starting out, you are going to need some essential camping materials. For starters if you are camping in a travel trailer you will need some things to get your water flowing, as well as dumping out your gray and black tanks.
Here are few thing you may want to consider.....

• White Camper/Boat Hose - make sure you get one long enough, I would recommend  at least 40 ft long
• Wheel Stops/Chocks - You can start with 2 but 4 is best 
• Sewer Hose Kit- These come in several sizes, you should be fine with 15-20 ft because most sites have them close to your hookups 
• Sewer Hose Support Racks - These will help the hose drain when emptying your tanks
• 90 Degree Water Faucet - this will help you gain easy access to water from the outside of your camper with quick and easy turn on/off
• 15/30 AMP Adapter - This will allow you to plug in your RV cord into a normal extension cord. Ideal for packing and unpacking the camper. 

Tip: Most Camper places and outdoor equipment stores can be really expensive. You can find everything you need for very reasonable prices on Amazon and eBay. 

Foothills RV Park

Our first camping trip was at Foothills Campground in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We were looking for somewhere fun to go that had some things to do close by. So we decided to hit up the Pigeon Forge area……we took just a 4 day weekend and had an absolute blast. The campground was close to lots of attractions like Dollywood, Ripley’s Aquarium and downtown Gatlinburg, so fun stuff to do during the day and sit around the campfire making dinner and late night smores. We spent one day at Dollywood and the next downtown Gatlinburg, we even stopped in to make lil Gracie a “Build a Bear”….and of course who could miss out on testing Sugarland Moonshine??

The campground was clean and quiet, lots of friendly camper neighbors and staff. The sites were tight, but that’s mostly how they are in tourist areas. Would definitely go back.

Check out this website: Foothills RV Park

Best times of year to camp....

in my personal opinion the fall is the best time to camp. The weather is usually nice in the day with the cold front sweeping in at night. The cold weather at night makes a fire the perfect touch in the evening. I may be a little biased though, because I personally love the fall. The spring I suppose can be a great time to camp as well. I think sometimes it can be too warm as we move into the summer and sometimes the heat can make for a miserable time.

We try to pick places where there are fun things to do locally, the only reason for that is my 2 year old can only sit at a campsite for so long without getting a little stir crazy. We are thinking about riding up to Asheboro for a weekend camping trip very soon, that way we can take a trip to the zoo and enjoy a weekend away.

Why Blog About Camping??

Hello everyone, my name is Kristen. When I was a kid, my family and I used to camp all the time. As everyone knows you grow up, start a career and potentially a family. If you are lucky you can attempt to spark the same fun for your children as you had when you were a kid. My husband and I bought a travel trailer last fall in hopes to recreate the same fun we had as children camping with our little girl. We thought it would be a great idea to start a journal if you will, of the different places we have been, and how they rate for a fun family filled trip, as well of some of the things we have learned since our big purchase…..