Florida’s 140-plus State Parks feature diverse arrays of topography, wildlife, activities, and outdoor adventures. There are waterfall parks, sand pine forest parks, beach parks, and wildlife parks, most of which permit–even encourage–overnight camping. The options are dizzying, and the choices can be overwhelming to those unfamiliar with the area. Many online reference tools only add to the confusion, since they only list park hours, and camping fees.

Free, Intelligent Guide to Florida’s National Parks

Enter a handy, free, government website for Florida state parks. Sponsored by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, www.floridastateparks.com is a very useful tool for finding the perfect park. This website is full of photographs of the different parks, and features excellent individual thumbnail descriptions. They also list those which are pet-friendly, and have a sort feature based on activities.

Once you …


Continue Reading

Cross-country skiing and heading south are good alternatives; however, staying inside only leads to frustration and cabin fever.  There is no reason to stop hiking because of the weather.  In fact, some of the best backpacking can be done when snow magically covers the landscape.  Here are seven reasons to keep hiking.

  1. Unlimited source of water – One of the biggest dilemmas in backpacking is a source of water.  Survival experts tell us we can go days without food, but not even one without water.  Snow provides an unlimited supply of water.  Melt the snow and in minutes the canteen is full.
  2. Winter is more beautiful – There is something haunting about the scenery when the trees are fringed with snow.  Think of a  painting done by a competent painter of a scene in the

Continue Reading

Camping in Florida allows for entire families–pets included–to enjoy a great holiday together. Some of the most beautiful landscapes, beaches, and state, federal, national, and privately owned camping parks are located in the Sunshine State. Florida boasts nearly 150 state parks alone, many of which feature beaches, and are pet friendly.

Campgrounds: One Word, Many Meanings

The sheer variety of campgrounds in Florida can be more than a little overwhelming. State Parks feature areas for camping, as do some National Forests. There are public campgrounds, private campgrounds, rv sites, and even luxury rv resorts. The terminology alone can leave a vacation planner’s head spinning.

The term “campground” can mean anything from a plot of earth to a fully developed, resort-like park, complete with swimming pools and tennis courts. In general, public campgrounds are those run …


Continue Reading

 

Best Camping Sites Near Chicago, Illinois - Thrillist

Memorial Day has almost arrived and the weather forecast is absolutely perfect for the Chicago area. Temperatures in the mid 70s will make for ideal camping conditions. Here are five parks within two hours of Chicago for great family camping.

Illinois Beach State Park – Illinois Beach State Park is only 60 miles away with a huge lakefront area along Lake Michigan. Swimming is the main recreation area here, but the park also has great hiking, birding, boating, and biking.

Starved Rock State Park – Starved Rock is two hours away from Chicago near the I-80 and I-39 junctions along the Illinois River. Several canyons and waterfalls are easily accessible through the park trails. There is also great fishing, boating, birding, and horse riding opportunities in the park. Matthiessen State Park is only a …


Continue Reading

Who would have known that broadband internet access and RV satellite Tv would one day be available on a rig. One can literally experience same amenities and frills in their recreational vehicles as they can in their permanent homes. Now you have no excuse to fall behind on your favorite programs even if you go on an extended vacation to the Rocky Mountains.

Many of us like the feeling of home even when we go on vacation. This is why a number of hotel chains use taglines that evoke feelings of home and security. Let’s face it-television helps most of us feel at home and still serves as the number one form of entertainment in the country. With today’s technology, we can enjoy Mother Nature’s many gifts during the day, and retire to our RVs …


Continue Reading

Such a variety of places to camp and types of camping that only general rules for camping safety can be outlined.  For some people, camping is staying anyplace less than the Ritz-Carlton.  For others, camping only takes place in a tent.  Those who really enjoy roughing it will think that a tent is for weaklings.  They will only camp if they can build their own shelter from what is available in nature.

Obviously, each of these scenarios has its own set of potential hazards and safety needs. Given that most camping takes place outdoors in less-than-perfect places, some safety precautions need to be taken regardless of the type or location of the camp site. Use a tie out stake to keep your dog from running away and getting lost.

Always have a first-aid kit available.


Continue Reading

Family camping can range from braving the elements in a tent you pitched yourself to a comfortable two bedroom tent with heater and stove. You can arrange family camping trips through a travel agent, by yourself, or with the assistance of the staff at an outdoor adventure or sporting facility. The staff of an outdoor adventure company will probably have the best available information about camping areas or facilities nearby.

Family Camping Options

Camping can be an adventure in and of itself, or it can provide you with a place to sleep at night while you spend your days off having even wilder adventures. If you like the idea of lying out at night under the stars, or sitting around a campfire and telling stories and making s’mores, but don’t particularly relish the idea of …


Continue Reading

One of the most easiest way to earn money in Second Life is by camping. Now, what is camping in Second Life. When we say camping in Second Life it’s not about going to the wilderness and setting up camp and singing songs by the fire. It’s when an avatar or a resident stays at parcel of land for a period of time which then raises the land’s traffic numbers. The longer an avatar stays on that land the higher the traffic the land will get from him. That is why, land owners are paying residents or avatars to camp on their land to increase it’s traffic.

Camping devices like dance pads, camping chairs, zone campers and others have been created to aid land owners in their camping needs. This devices can be configured to …


Continue Reading

Compact Dishwashers clean like full-size models you have in your house, but take up less than half the space. You can operate these dishwashers on your kitchen countertop or build a small cabinet to put it in. Compact dishwashers have incredibly modern and efficient systems-using efficient re-circulation of hot water and detergent, it uses just 3.4 gallons of water for a normal cycle, but circulates over 10 gallons per minute for the dishes.

If you decide to go on the road for an extended period of time, chances are you will need to do laundry. Other RV appliances worth looking into are washers and dryers. Life on the road means clothes get dirty, especially if you are venturing out into the wilderness. These days you can find good, water-conserving, efficient RV washers and dryers for …


Continue Reading

Unfortunately, when we go on vacation, the weather does not always cooperate, which is why pop-up owners should own pop-up camper covers. The rain, the sun, the pollution, the wind, and all the other elements gradually degrade your rig’s exterior which can lead to leaks and other forms of damage, affecting the rigs value and longevity. Make a pre-emptive move and look into buying pop-up camper covers.

A good pop-up cover provides incredible resistance to humidity, rainfall, and UV rays. These three things can be the death of your pop-up trailer resulting in mold, mildew, and a smell that may never go away. The better cover are also easy to apply and remove and store easily when not in use.

Pop-up Camper Covers Protect Your Home Away from Home

The smallest and lightest of the …


Continue Reading