Letchworth State Park, “The Grand Canyon of the East,†is located 35 miles south of Rochester, NY and 55 miles east of Buffalo, along the Genesee River that cuts a deep canyon through the park. Recreation is where it’s at in Letchworth, with some 66 miles of hiking trails. Horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing are also allowed in designated areas.
5 Family Camping Abodes for 2009
It’s no secret that the best time to buy camping gear is in the dead of winter and, with Christmas just around the corner, there’s no time like the present to take a look at some of the hottest ways to go camping in 2009.
Mountain Hardwear Casa 4 Tent – $325
The Casa 4 from Mountain Hardwear - www.mountainhardwear.com
When it comes to tents, you truly do get what you pay for, and the $325 Casa 4, from Mountain Hardwear, is no exception. What makes the Casa 4 such a great family camping tent is its unique two-pole support system.
Win a Garmin GPS in Four Weeks
Here it is, a brand-new Garmin eTrex Summit HC - one of the best GPS receivers for hiking and geocaching
December 5th is just four weeks away, so if you are hoping to get (or give!) one of the best GPS receivers for hiking and geocaching available today, then be sure to subscribe to my email updates. If you are reading this post in your favorite email inbox then you are already entered – congratulations!
If you have not entered yet, we have 135 verified entries so far, which means that your odds of winning are a bit better than your state lottery. Entering the contest is a two-step process:
- Enter your email address in the box to the right and click the Subscribe button
- Open your email inbox and look for the subscription verification email (if you don’t see it, check your spam folder). Click the link in the email to activate your subscription, and you are all set!
Of course, if you have any problems you can always let me know via the contact form on the About page. Good luck!
Looking for Campgrounds? Let a Guide Book Point the Way
California Camping, by Tom Stienstra, is our "bible" for camping in California
When we showed-up in California a few years ago, the only thing we knew about campgrounds in California was, well…nothing! One of the first things I did was go onto Amazon.com and look for a California camping guide, and luckily, I stumbled across this book by Tom Stienstra. Now, I know most of you don’t live in California, but there are camping guides that cover other areas of the country – here are a few that I found on Amazon:
- Washington Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping, by Tom Stienstra
- Oregon Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping, by Tom Stienstra
- Colorado Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping, by Sarah Ryan
- Florida Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping, by Marilyn Moore
- Pennsylvania Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping, by Jason Miller
Make Camping Meals at Home to Save Time and Trash
Cook Camping Meals in Slow Cooker Liners for easy clean-up and less trash
One of the challenges when camping, particularly when camping as a family, is minimizing the amount of refuse generated during the trip. In a campground, minimizing garbage means fewer trips to the dumpsters and a cleaner camp. Outside of established campgrounds, minimizing the amount of trash generated is even more important, since there are no garbage cans to dispose of it.
A big source of camping refuse is food packaging. Much of the prepackaged food that serves us so well on camping trips, unfortunately comes with lots of cardboard, foil, aluminum and plastic waste that must be packed home. Clearly, reducing the amount of packaging-related refuse taken to the woods has a positive impact on the environment and is one of those little life lessons that our children are sure to pick up on.