Iron Ridge Campground

Holiday weekends are always a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, it is hard to not take advantage of an extra day of hiking and camping. On the other hand, everyone else with a camper or tent has the same idea. We were even rather late this year in booking. At the end of July we were in Colorado with spotty internet, but I found an open campsite on the app and quickly booked it without knowing much about the region. It seemed the camping gods were on our side because we found not just a relatively quiet and beautiful campground, but I think we may have had the best spot in the campground! Continue reading “Iron Ridge Campground” →

Colorado Bound

There are times in life when you are watching a documentary on the Rocky Mountains and you decide you absolutely have to visit. So you pull out your calendars and begin to discuss when might be the best time to take a couple weeks off and head out with the trailer and the dog.

And sometimes, when you are doing this, you realize the absolute best time is now; despite a freshly-spayed dog, despite a few personal and work obligations, despite a trailer that is waiting on parts for both warranty work and Memorial Day body damage, despite having no itinerary and no reservations, and despite being rear-ended in a hit-and-run while parked. So you start packing everything you can think of and 96 hours later, you are on the road, heading west! (Thanks in no small part to the help of great friends, family, co-workers and neighbors!) Continue reading “Colorado Bound” →

What We Eat

It is a little shocking that I have maintained this blog for over two years and this is the first time I have posted on food. Food is so integral to our camping experience and I maintain dozens of Pinterest boards, Excel spreadsheets, and recipe folders on the subject.

It is hard to begin to organize my thoughts on food and menu planning because it has become so automatic. But generally our meals fall into one of five categories. Continue reading “What We Eat” →

Blue Heron Campground

Many campers have a love-hate relationship with Memorial Day weekend. On the one hand, it is a treat to spend three nights in a row – two full days of hiking! On the other hand, everyone with a tent and a sleeping bag descends on our favorite parks. Our normally tranquil hikes and haunts become clogged with hordes of families.

A couple years ago we lucked into the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. We enjoyed the trails and the campground. We found plenty of seclusion for a holiday weekend. Such a big contrast with our trek to Abrams Falls! So when we procrastinated a bit on making this year’s reservations, we were thrilled to find two adjacent sites a couple months out in such a beautiful area. Continue reading “Blue Heron Campground” →

The Best Camping Souvenir Ever – Bringing Home Blue

Blue Heron Campground will be memorable for lots of reasons, not the least of which because we seem to have gained a new member of our camping family.

Sunday evening, we were preparing our dinner when a ghostly creature emerged from the woods. It was a emaciated, scarred dog who circled our campsite before trotting away. Later in the evening, we learned there were, in fact, a brother-sister pair of dogs when some kids on bikes were feeding the female. We sacrificed our hot dogs and the next morning’s turkey bacon to the ravenous beast who begged with the saddest of blue eyes. But we also soon found this girl to be sweet and well-tempered. She adored the attention of the campground kids and exposed her tick-encrusted belly to anyone willing to giver her the least bit of attention. Continue reading “The Best Camping Souvenir Ever – Bringing Home Blue” →

Hocking Hills: A Tale of Two Campgrounds

Our previous trips to Hocking Hills have been some of our favorite weekends. We love the hiking and camping in sites 152-163. We had never before camped in the full hook-up side, so we were very excited to spend a couple nights in a beautiful place with full water and sewer. I can’t remember a time we have been so disappointed in a place we had previously enjoyed.

Some of the issues with these sites included: Continue reading “Hocking Hills: A Tale of Two Campgrounds” →

Maumee Bay State Park

I will never forget our first time at Maumee Bay State Park, four years ago. I booked a weekend as a Christmas present so we could participate in the Biggest Week in American Birding. We were new birders, and had little idea of what to expect other than the high praise heaped by more experienced birders. As we exited off the highway and wound through industrial Toledo, my skepticism increased. The miles remaining on my navigation app continued to decrease but we still drove past and through mills and factories. No way was this going to the wild, nature weekend I had hoped. Yet we enjoyed the weekend enough to return ever year. In fact, it has become one of our favorite parks in the state. Continue reading “Maumee Bay State Park” →

A Less-In-Tents Life

Camping and Hiking Adventures in Ohio, Kentucky, and Beyond

Tag: Camping