• Adventures

    In Which We Visit Yellowstone…

    In Which We Visit Yellowstone and Take Very Few Pictures! I'm working on compiling a list of museums, national parks, and other points of interest we have visited as a family. As I was working on my list I realized that a few important places were missing from my blog. For example, I knew we had visited Yellowstone. I couldn't…

  • Literary Pursuits

    Preserving Camping Memories

    Our first camping trip of the season this year was on Mother’s Day weekend. We decided, kinda on the spur of the moment, to go to Yakima (about 3.5 hours away) and connect with our niece and her family who live over there. Yakima is in the high desert part of Washington State, known for its orchards and wineries, but…

  • Adventures

    Fall Camping Trip

    We wrapped up our 2018 camping season earlier this month. Where: Yaak River Campground between Bonners Ferry, Idaho and Troy, Montana. When: Friday evening, October 12 through Sunday afternoon, October 14. Who: Lyle and Karla, Rebecca, Cookie-the-Dog Weather: Lovely for fall. Some sunshine. Some rain. Menus: Friday supper: hot dogs, chips and salsa, pork’n’beans After-supper snack both nights: Campfire popcorn…

  • How to Build a Campfire
    Adventures

    How to Build a Campfire

    Last June I wrote a series of articles on Camping for Beginners. As I watched Lyle building the fire on our last camping trip I thought a campfire tutorial might be good to add to the series. Lyle starts with several sheets of newspaper which he wads into balls. I didn’t get a picture of that stage of the process,…

  • camping
    Adventures

    Spring Camping Trip

    The 2018 camping season has begun! We were excited to take our trailer out for the first time this past weekend. Where: Farragut State Park: Snowberry Campground When: Friday evening, May 18 through Sunday afternoon, May 20. Who: Lyle and Karla, Rebecca, Cookie-the-Dog Weather: Pleasant, partly cloudy. Activities: Historic drive around Farragut State Park, along Lake Pend Oreille, and nearby…

  • Adventures

    Glamping in Montana

    When we bought our new trailer a few weeks ago I told Lyle that I hoped we could mix in some “glamping” weekends along with the forest camping we enjoy. “What’s the difference?” you might ask. Well, regular camping, for us, is forest service campgrounds. They are usually in remote wilderness areas. The amenities typically include a fire pit and…

  • Adventures

    Camping with Kids

    In this week's camping series I've been featuring pages from a fun vintage Little Golden Book, Smokey Bear and the Campers, that I found at a thrift store last summer. The story is about Ernest Swift and his sister, Mary. Yes, those are the children's names. The book was first published in 1961.

  • Adventures

    Camp Cooking

    Camp cooking is definitely different than how we do it at home, but that’s part of the fun of camping. I especially like it because in our family any outdoor cooking seems to have evolved into Lyle’s job! I’m not sure why that is, but I’m not complaining. In addition to cooking, managing food storage can be a challenge when…

  • Adventures

    Camping Menu Plan

    Today’s installment for my camping mini-series covers our typical camping menu. Our camp meals are simple to prepare but they always taste so good. Something about cooking over a fire and dining outdoors adds to the flavor. This is a plan for camping four days. I have two different breakfasts and two lunches that we rotate, with a different cooked…

  • Adventures

    What to Pack for Camping

    Continuing this week’s mini-series on camping, today I’m sharing my “annotated” packing list. I first compiled this list years ago when we were primarily tent campers. I’m sure your list will differ from mine, but hopefully this will give you a starting point. I would highly recommend customizing it for your family’s needs. Some of the equipment is redundant and some…