Not pictured: coffee mug
Changing my Blog from Movable Type to WordPress was both frustrating and enjoyable. In the coming weeks, I’ll share some of my experiences in setting up a new Blog and working with WordPress.
Creating a WordPress Blog
Win a Garmin Summit HC GPS Receiver
Just in time for Christmas, I am celebrating the grand opening of CampingBlogger with a contest for a brand new eTrex Summit® HC, from Garminâ„¢. The Summit is one of the best handheld GPS receivers for hiking, backpacking and general outdoor use. It has a high-sensitivity GPS engine, which allows the Summit to track the GPS signal under some pretty harsh conditions, like thick tree canopy or deep canyons. In addtion, the GPS engine can also process the WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) signal, which increases the accuracy of the GPS receiver. And as if that wasn’t enough, the Summit has an integrated barometric altimeter, which provides better elevation accuracy than the GPS position, and an electronic compass for picking an azimuth even when stationary. It’s a great little handheld and you can learn more about this $229.99 beauty on the Summit HC product page.
Why Family Camping?
Splurging with a rib dinner at 9,000-feet in the Sierra Mountains
We began looking at camping trailers in 2005. I was the sales manager for a computer manufacturer with a focus on the defense industry, so much of time during the week was spent on the eastern coast of the United States; a work-schedule that was cutting into the time I could spend with my family. Camping would be a way to stay connected with my family, without the distractions of our modern lifestyle getting in the way. Looking back on it now, I wish we would have grabbed a tent and some sleeping bags and just started! As it was, my time as a Paratrooper in the Infantry had soured me on “roughing it,†which is why we were looking at trailers. I figured if we could be warm, dry and have a refrigerator, the rest would take care of itself. We had no idea what we were looking for, though, and we knew even less about what our family vehicle at the time, a 2002 Dodge Durango SUV, was capable of towing. We spent almost a year searching for the perfect trailer, which ended up being a 26-foot model with bunk beds for the kids and a slide-out queen bed for mom and dad. At the same time, we also traded-in the Durango on a vehicle capable of towing our dream trailer. It took nearly a year, but we finally had our camper!
Kids Have a Ball, Camping with Ice Cream
The Play & Freeze™ ice cream maker, from Industrial Revolution in Redmond, Washington just might be the greatest camping gadget ever invented – at least if you frequently camp with kids. You might have seen these before and wondered if they were just some cheap gimmick, or if they actually make good ice cream. Let me assure you, there is no difference between the ice cream that comes out of the Play & Freeze and the ice cream that comes out of any regular ice cream maker.
Camping Next Year? Start Planning Now
Plan ahead, to secure the best campsites next year
If you thought the campgrounds were crowded this year, you haven’t seen anything yet! With a slow economy and expensive airfares, more families are planning on camping vacations next year than ever before. Here is how you can get a jump on the competition for those lucrative campsites, or avoid the crowds altogether, while still enjoying some of the best camping around.
Competition for campsites will be fiercest around holidays, so realize that the crowds and noise will be at their worst around Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.