July's Tidbits

It seems like every month I stumble across some intriguing little tidbits of news – none of which are worth a full blog post but all of which I find interesting, so I thought this format would be a good way to share them with you.  Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way.  I’m not affiliated with, recommending or receiving payment from any of the companies or organizations mentioned.  I’m just sharing what I consider to be delightful or useful bits of news with you – just the kind of stuff that might come up during an evening around the campfire.

For those of you who don’t already know, I find cloud formations mesmerizing.  It always amazes me how fluid (and gorgeous!) they are and how quickly they seem to disappear and reinvent themselves.  Since I don’t have any photos appropriate to the Tidbits included in this post, please enjoy some of my favorite cloud formations, even though they have nothing whatsoever to do with the items below.  A fair warning though - these probably won’t be the last photos of clouds you’ll ever see here.  (I did take a bunch of photos of the inside features of a dozen travel trailers at the Hershey RV Show a couple of years ago but, somehow, I just knew you wouldn’t find them fascinating.)  So, let’s move on to July’s tidbits . . .

National Parks Trip #2 - The Adventure Begins

Welcome to Reflections Around the Campfire!  This post represents the first installment in the series detailing the second of our three cross country National Parks camping trips with kids and travel trailer in tow.

“What About Now?”  That song title, one of the country music group Lonestar’s popular songs from a number of years ago, pretty much summed up Alan’s philosophy and mine during our working years.  As young adults, we were pretty serious and goal-oriented, but we had agreed early on that saving for the future and planning for retirement would never get in the way of living life to its fullest.  Since Alan had been working for a single company since his college days, he had built up an enviable vacation allotment of six weeks per year.  While I can’t say that his request for four solid weeks of vacation was met with enthusiasm, it was approved and our family of four set out on the second of three cross country National Parks camping trips in the summer of 2010.  Our son Ryan was 16; our daughter Kyra was 11.  By this time, they were both seasoned travelers, each with at least one cross continent trip to Alaska (two for Ryan) and one cross country camping trip under their belts.

To have a four week block of time in which to vacation is a blessing.  To fit everything you want to see and do in that four week block of time is impossible.  We had already decided that this trip would focus on the National Parks of the southwest, but a decision needed to be made early on:  Should we pick just one or two Parks and do them up right or should we visit more Parks, but spend less time in each?  The dream of four wonderful weeks on the road was quickly replaced with the realization that, no matter what we decided, the choice would be an imperfect one and opportunities would be both gained and lost along the way.

RV Blessed? You Bet!

I have good news to share - only because I know you were all so worried about me (wink, wink).  Gander Outdoors re-stocked their supply of bear spray, and I was able to purchase a can a couple of days ago.  Just in time, as far as I'm concerned, since we had yet another bear sighting in the neighborhood.  They're only black bears but, still, I figure it's best not to take any chances, especially since there are a couple of cubs out and about.  So, I'm all set.  Thank you for your concern.

Over the course of the past six months or so, I’ve recounted our family’s travels during the first of three cross country National Parks camping trips with our kids and travel trailer in tow.  Our second trip (in the summer of 2010) was to the “Grand Circle” in the southwest and future posts will cover the tale of this epic journey.  Suffice it to say for now that this trip included 9 National Parks - 2 in Colorado, 1 in Arizona and 6 in Utah - and at least 2 State Parks.  In preparation for those upcoming posts, I pulled out our itinerary and have been scrolling through our photos, opening the floodgates to a whole host of memories.

Tidbits and Tips - June

Over the past month, I’ve been collecting a few (hopefully useful) tips and I’ve come across some intriguing little tidbits of news – none of which are worth a full blog post but all of which I thought might be of interest to you, and I decided that this format would be a good way to share them.  Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way.  I’m not affiliated with, recommending or receiving payment from any of the companies or organizations mentioned.  I’m just sharing what I consider to be delightful or useful bits of news with you – you know, the kind of stuff you might talk about when you get in a discussion about camping with your friends around a campfire.  First, the tips . . .

My Love-Hate Relationship with Walmart

Let me preface this post by saying that the effectiveness of my bear spray expired on June 30^th according to the label on the can.  Now you and I know that this is simply an arbitrary date chosen by the manufacturer and, chances are, the spray will still be effective for at least a short time thereafter.  I am particularly hopeful that this is true as I carry it when I go for my daily walks down a quiet road in a forested area and I haven’t been able to pick up a new container yet.  I found out that this product can no longer be shipped to the state in which I live and the nearest outfitter doesn’t have any in stock right now.  However, since we have had three bear sightings within the past two weeks or so and one included a mama with two teeny tiny cubs, I thought it best to point out my situation to you in the event that, well, just in case I become as expired as my bear spray.

Let’s face it.  There is probably nothing I can say about Walmart that hasn’t already been said by someone, somewhere.  But that’s not going to stop me from sharing my personal feelings with you.  Please note that I’m not affiliated with Walmart in any way other than as a customer.  I am neither encouraging you to do business with them nor discouraging you from it.  I’m not being compensated in any way for this post; I’m simply sharing my opinion.

A Blog Roll, Please!

Just to let you know . . . I’ve added some random photos from our Father’s Day boating adventure that have absolutely nothing to do with the following post.  I didn’t want to plagiarize any pics from the blogs mentioned below but, since I always appreciate some color in the posts I read on other blogs, I decided to provide you with at least a little something to break up the text.  In case you’re wondering what boating has to do with camping, well, that’s a perfect topic for a future post!

One of the benefits of retirement that I’ve enjoyed and appreciated is the gift of more time to read.  I’ve always gotten up earlier than any other members of our family and savored that quiet time with the first cup of morning coffee accompanied by a good book or blog, or the latest issue of a favorite magazine.  And then I would go off to work having started my day on a pleasant and even keel.  Once I escaped from the workforce two years ago, I stretched one cup of coffee into two and began spending my early morning time exploring blogs of different topics, especially those written by other RV travelers.

I always get great pleasure out of digging up intriguing and useful information about the travel destinations on our vacation itineraries whether through reading about those destinations in guide books or on web sites, or by talking with people who had visited them.  And I found out that poking around on the blogs of fellow RV travelers is pretty much a combination of all three.  I started discovering wonderful new destinations, tips on how to enjoy places we planned to visit and helpful facts about shopping, dining and campgrounds.

Blog authors, just like book authors, have different writing styles and formats, and I soon found that I was drawn to blogs that were well written and had at least a smattering of photos with excellent landscape photography being a plus.  And I was particularly attracted to authors whose warm personality and sense of humor was evident in both their blog posts and their relationships with their readers.

The blogs I read generally fall into one of several categories – finances and investing (you can take the banker out of the bank but . . . ), retirement (two years in and it’s awesome!) and, of course, the camping lifestyle (it goes without saying, right?).  I’m thinking that those of you who read this blog may enjoy some of the same things that I do so, in the interest of sharing some great finds with like-minded people, I decided to add a Blog Roll to the right hand column of Reflections Around the Campfire.  But, just like when I add a web site to “my favorite places,” I’d like you to know why I’m adding each particular blog to my Blog Roll so that you can decide whether or not it would be of interest to you.  Let us begin!

I Can't Go Camping, So . . .

I thought I’d have a little fun today.  In a previous post, I had mentioned that my husband, Alan, has a major construction project going on at a rental property we own.  If all goes according to plan, the project should be finished by the end of this summer.  Meanwhile, he spends as much time as possible on site, working out of our older travel trailer, since the property is about three hours from our home.  I help him whenever schedules, projects and the task of running a household are under control at home.  When working on site, we usually end up filthy and exhausted - so much so that we’re both out like a light before 8:00 p.m. most nights.  (Don’t laugh at us or we just might put you to work, too.)  Last summer, we enjoyed almost six weeks on the road touring the National Parks along the west coast.  This summer . . . nothing.  (There is no emoji on earth that could convey the amount of sadness I feel right now, so I won’t even try.)  That being said, this is a really important project that will make a huge difference in the maintenance of the property and should increase its value substantially.  And, if all goes well, Alan and I will get out this fall to explore and enjoy.  So, I’m on board with it 100% - really.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not envious of all the RVers I pass on the road and all of those whose RV travel blogs I follow.  But, rather than wallow in self-pity, I figured I’d do something that would be fun and constructive with the little bit of spare time that I have, so please do come along and play with me.

Mike's Hard Lemonade "Happy Camper" - Looks Like I'll Have To Do Their Marketing For Them

Today, we celebrate Dads of all shapes and sizes, in all walks of life, with all kinds of kids.  It’s a tough job being a (good) parent, one that our kids won’t truly appreciate until they walk in our shoes.  Special shout outs today to the guys in my life whose responsibilities as fathers have recently taken on new meaning . . . To nephew, Geo, who, having just married his fiancée, Reneé, is celebrating his first Father’s Day as an official stepfather.  To our cousin, Nick, who is celebrating his first Father’s Day as Dad to two children.  He, his wife, Katharine, and their daughter, Hayden, welcomed baby Harrison to the family a little more than a month ago.  And to our friend, Mark, whose only child – his daughter, Katy - just recently became engaged.  He’ll be stepping into “father-in-law shoes” when Katy and her fiancé, Andrew, tie the knot.  Love and best wishes to all these guys!  As for our own special guy, I have no doubt that Alan will be a “Happy Father” today – not only will he be spending the day boating (his passion), but he’ll be able to do that with the two reasons he’s a Happy Father (son, Ryan, and daughter, Kyra), plus a bonus kid – Ryan’s longtime girlfriend, Anya.  You’re the best, Alan!  Enjoy your day!  Here’s hoping that all of you who are Dads (in any variation of the word) have the opportunity to spend the day exactly as you wish and that it turns out to be relaxing, enjoyable and happily memorable!  Now, as for these people at Mike’s Hard Lemonade . . .

Another Favorite Place - Twin Oaks RV Park in Elko, Georgia!

Rather than just provide a complete list of my favorite websites under “Check out my favorite places!,” I decided to add them one at a time and let you know exactly why I like them.  That way, you’ll be able to determine whether or not the site might be of interest to you.  Besides, I believe that these sites do such an awesome job of providing information, opportunities and/or entertainment that it really is a pleasure to bring them to your attention!

Twin Oaks RV Park is located just off Interstate 75 at Exit 127 in Elko, Georgia.  It’s about 30 minutes south of Macon, 2 hours south of Atlanta and 2 hours north of the Florida state line.  Alan and I have never been there.  So, you ask, why is this one of my favorite places?  To answer that question, we’ll need to go back in time almost 10 years.  Here’s the story . . .

Tidbits - May 2018

Over the past month, I’ve come across these interesting little tidbits of news – none of which are worth a full blog post but all of which intrigued me, so I thought this format would be a good way to share them.  Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way.  I’m not affiliated with, recommending or receiving payment from any of the companies or organizations mentioned.  I’m just sharing what I consider to be delightful or useful bits of news with you – you know, the kind of stuff you might talk about around a campfire with fellow travelers.  The photos in this post were taken last summer during our stay at Enchanted Trails RV Park on Historic Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (link HERE).  Without further ado, here are the tidbits from May . . .

Yogi Was Right - "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (National Parks Trip #1)

This post represents the final installment in the series detailing the first of our three cross country National Parks camping trips with travel trailer in tow.

As our family pulled out of the Riverview RV Park in Loveland, Colorado, early one August morning in 2007, we could look back at our itinerary and take great satisfaction knowing that we had achieved our goal of visiting one National Memorial (Mount Rushmore), one National Monument (Devil’s Tower), and five National Parks (Badlands, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Rocky Mountain) on our first cross country trip as a family of four.  Alan and I pretty much re-created our honeymoon of more than 25 years prior, the only differences being that a travel trailer had replaced our two person mountain tent and there were now two kids in the previously empty back seat.  The trip had been full of many “firsts” and tons of fun but, initially, we had been extremely disappointed that we would miss a visit with our friends Mary and Dave who live in Colorado.

If you remember me mentioning our close friends Peg and Bill who live in Virginia, you may be interested to know that Mary is Peg’s sister.  Since Peg and I have been friends since first grade, it follows that Mary and I have known each other for quite some time, as well.  Although Mary is younger by several years, she and her husband Dave had children before Alan and I did.  And I have to say that we have looked upon these two incredibly warm and caring people as role models while tripping our way through the landmines of parenthood.

Mother's Day Reflections - Go Ahead, Ask Me Why I'm Late

As I was putting the finishing touches on this post yesterday, my son and his girlfriend arrived with gifts in hand and canines in tow, so we had an enjoyable visit.  After they left, my daughter and I spent some quality time together soaping up one of her tires with the hope of figuring out why it was losing air.  (Yup, that nail would be the reason.)  So, it’s my kids’ fault that this post is late.  Of course, if they weren’t around, I wouldn’t be writing it.  I am SO happy they’re here!!!