For millennia, people have been drawn to fire for its warmth, security and usefulness.  Today, camp fires are often synonymous with camping.  Whether it’s a cooking fire to roast your favorite camp meal or roasting marshmallows over an evening campfire with family and friends, it can often be the highlight of a day at camp.

To get the most enjoyment out of your fire, it is important to do a little preparation up front.  The last thing a camper wants is to see someone get hurt or their personal belonging get burned through carelessness or accident.  Luckily, with a little forethought, you can prevent most fire incidents.

Here we can take a tip from the Boy Scouts of America who have an “outdoor Code” which says, in part, “… BE CAREFUL WITH FIRE— I will prevent wildfire. I will build my fire in a safe place and be sure it is out before I leave.”

The first step is to familiarize yourself of the policies for any open flame on the campground and be aware of any postings or warnings about high winds or high risk of fires each day.

Always know the emergency numbers to call in case of an out-of-control fire, including any after hours procedures.  Sometimes this might be a call to 911 but in other cases the campground has more immediate resources to handle an emergency so it’s important to ask the camp office ahead of time.

Prepare the spot so it can’t spread, won’t catch on clotheslines, won’t disturb your neighbors with either the heat or smoke. Camp chairs can melt or burn if left unattended near the fire as embers can fly 10 to 15 feet away.  Awnings, outdoor rugs, picnic table and anything flammable should be at least 15 to 20 feet away from the fire area.

Only use the fire pit provided be or allowed by your resort or campground.  Makeshift fire pits can be very dangerous.  The pits and areas provided by the campground are chosen specifically for safety.  IF you have any question about the fire area, types of fires allowed, ask the camp office.

Before you build a fire in the fire pit, make sure that it is clean and free from garbage or rocks.  Stones and rocks can shatter when super-heated as moisture trapped inside tries to expand and eventually bursts the stone apart.

Whenever possible, cover the fire pit with a metal grate.  If possible, a second grate can be placed on top of the first at a right angle to it so that it forms a grid that will stop more sparks and embers from flying out of the fire pit.

Always have enough water nearby to dowse the fire.  You should have at least 3 to 5 gallons of clean water within arm’s reach at ALL TIMES.  This water can be used for emergencies but also to soak the pit when you are leaving the fire area for any length of time.

Always have a pair of canvas or leather work gloves available to protect your hands if you need to put out a flame or ember.

Children are especially drawn to fire.  It can be mesmerizing and tempting to play with.  Make sure that you take the time to explain to any children at your site how to keep safe near the fire.  Children should NEVER be left alone near open fires.

If you are cooking with oil or fats have a container of baking soda (do NOT use flour) or sand as water will actually make an oil fire spread.  Ideally, a Class B Dry Chemical fire extinguisher near enough to grab easily, but not so close that it gets noticeably warm from the campfire.  

If a pan or griddle does flare up with a grease fire, your first step should be to simply cover it with a metal lid to suffocate the flames.  Do not use glass as it can shatter.  If that fails you can pour baking soda on it, but only if it is small enough.  It will take a good amount of baking soda to extinguish a large grease fire.  When applying the soda, try to pour it on the pan itself, not the top of the flames.

Only use the fire extinguisher as a last resort as it will contaminate any food in the area.

If you are using a gas grill or propane burner, take extra precaution and actually read those labels that are plastered on them- they really are there to save your life (and your possessions).  If a fire gets out of control and is near a propane tank, gas tank, or any highly flammable material, get away and get help immediately.  If ignited, propane tanks can easily shoot flames over 20 feet into the air, hot enough to melt the siding off a building 30 feet away!  When in doubt, call for help.

Never go to bed with a hot fire pit.  You should completely douse the fire and coals with water, stirring the water in so that the hot coals at the bottom of the pit get soaked.  This only takes a few minutes but will let you sleep well knowing that a stray ember or falling leaves or debris will not flare up unattended.

If you are leaving your site and will want a fire again when you return, it is best to fully extinguish the fire and restart it when you return.  One of the biggest reasons for out-of-control fires in campgrounds is from someone leaving “just for a few minutes”.  It only takes one spark to ruin the day.  If you must leave, ask a neighbor to stay watch by the fire until you return.

With a little planning, a campfire can be a wonderful addition to any day.  Be safe, have fun and enjoy!

Happy Holidays! ‘Tis the season for giving, laughing, loving, and eating — lots of eating. We’re eating at restaurants, cooking old family recipes, spending time together in the kitchen, making memories all season long. But what are we eating?

We’re dedicating this post to holiday recipes to help you in deciding what to cook for your family this season. They’re simple, easy, and delicious — plus, we link to each detailed recipe so you know exactly what to buy, how to prep, and how to cook. Easy peasy so you can spend more time enjoying the holidays with your family and friends, and you have all the tools you need to make a wonderful holiday meal!

Check out some of our favorite holiday recipes below!

DINNERS:

• Nothing says holidays like a citrus glazed ham, are we right? This ham recipe is a little tangy, a little sweet, and a little savory — such a great choice for your family dinner. Click here for the recipe.
• Hello roast beef! It may sound fancy but this recipe makes it just so simple! The perfect main dish to adorn your dinner table. Click here for the recipe.

DESSERTS:

• They’re the obvious choice but they’re also so good. Enter a fan favorite holiday dessert: gingerbread cookies! You can include the whole family in on this one. Click here for the recipe.
• Red velvet…reminds us of Santa’s festive suit! This red velvet cake recipe is just what the doctor ordered. Yuuum!! Click here for the recipe.

DRINKS:

• Your favorite dessert with a little kick — here is the pumpkin pie martini! Drink responsibly. Click here for the recipe.
• Is it even the holidays if you don’t have eggnog? Yea, we agree — that’s why we’re adding in this delish homemade eggnog recipe. Serve as-is for the kids and for those not drinking alcohol, or add your favorite spirit to spice things up! Click here for the recipe.

What are YOU making this holiday season? Let us know and share your pictures with us — we want to see all the family fun you’re having! Happy Holidays to all of our wonderful camping families!

Hello, November! Halloween was amazing — it is always is! And not only because it’s spooktacular, fun, and brings out the kid in everyone. It is also the start of the joyous, festive holiday season. It may be the “off-season” in the camping world, but it’s a wonderful season to celebrate with family and friends!

The last couple of months of the year always seem to fly by, don’t they? We want the train to slow down a bit because there are so many holiday parties, family time, and togetherness that we’re really looking forward to.

This month we celebrate Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving means different things to different people, but I think we can all agree that it’s a wonderful time to just BE THANKFUL. So, we’re dedicating this blog post to that exact topic!

WE ARE THANKFUL FOR (in no particular order!)….

–    Our Staff: Everyone who keeps our resort up, running, and awesome. Everyone who spends their time and energy making our resort the place to be! WE ARE THANKFUL!
–    Our Resort: The amenities, accomodations, activities, serene landscape, and so much more. Some people’s fondest memories are born at our resort. WE ARE THANKFUL!
–    Our Camping Families: Every single person that comes to stay with us is special to us. Our camping families are a part of our camping family. WE ARE THANKFUL!
–    Our Health: The fact that we can wake up and spend each day together. WE ARE THANKFUL!
–    Our Friends & Family: All of their love and support is truly amazing. WE ARE THANKFUL!

We want to know: What does Thanksgiving mean to you? What are your Thanksgiving plans? What are you thankful for? Happy Holidays from all of us to all of you!

Happy Happy Halloween! We have been having so much fun around our resort — have you been here taking part in all of the spooktacular fun and games? We hope so!

Since the big day is right around the corner, we’re popping in with some fun Halloween-themed activities to help you celebrate long before the holiday even starts.

• Plan a spooky scavenger hunt. Make your way around the resort looking for specific Halloween-themed items — like a witches hat or a carved pumpkin. Set a timer and try to find everything on your list; the person with the most check marks at the end wins!
• Decorate your RV, camper, or cabin. The spookier, the better!
• DRESS UP! Click here to see this year’s most popular Halloween costume! Is it your pick??
• Carve pumpkins. Here are some carving ideas and templates that you can use.
  • Don’t throw out the seeds! Scoop, rinse, and dry all of those pumpkin seeds! Toss in a little olive oil or butter and salt. Then, roast at 350*F for 20-30 minutes. The whole family can enjoy this nutritious, delicious snack!
    • Here’s a tip: sweeten up your seeds by adding cinnamon and sugar while roasting!
• Bake Halloween treats. Whip up some sinfully sweet desserts that every ghoul and goblin will enjoy!
• Trick-or-Treat…and then have a candy sorting party. What is the most popular Halloween candy in our neck of the woods (literally), you ask? Check it out here.
• Dance to some Halloween tunes. Check out this playlist from Spotify — Thriller & Monster Mash are a must!
• Watch a Halloween movie. We know the new Halloween is already out in theaters (and we’re too scared to go see it!), but you can play some oldies but goodies at home. The original Halloween — or any of the sequels, Hocus Pocus, and The Haunted Mansion are just a few to get you started.

Please share your spooktacular time with us! Visit our Facebook page, upload some pictures, and tag us in your Halloween fun. We can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes, favorite candy, and big smiling faces (even if we can’t recognize you behind your mask)!

Happy Halloween! Be Safe & Have Fun!

Hellllllo, Fall! We can’t believe that it’s already October. This year is just flying by — but we’re still so happy that autumn is here because we love all things fall. {You know that if you read our last blog post!}

It’s a fun, festive time and a lot of people are laughing, skipping, and playing at our resort, enjoying the beautiful camping season. We want to help you make it an October to Remember. Here are a few ways that you can help, give back, and celebrate this month!

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. In fact, one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Awareness, prevention, and early detection are three very important factors in giving every woman the greatest chance for a healthy, happy life. Talk to your doctor, visit them for routine checkups and screenings, and schedule a mammogram today!

• Adopt a Shelter Dog Month: You’ve heard the phrase, “Adopt. Don’t shop.” You can make the difference in a sweet, innocent dog’s life by choosing to adopt! If you’re not ready to take on the responsibility of a new pet, and it’s a BIG, long-lasting responsibility, consider fundraising or donating to your local ASPCA chapter or shelter. You can donate your time, money, food, or supplies. There are so many ways to help out and get involved!

• National Pizza Month: Raise your hand if you celebrate National Pizza Month EVERY month!! {*Raises hand*} In fact, statistics show that over 90% of Americans eat pizza AT LEAST once a month. It’s inexpensive, easy to get, and DELICIOUS to eat! The only question we have is: cheese, pepperoni, or meat lover’s — which one are you voting for??

We hope you’re having an awesome October. Happy Camping!

Sources:
National Breast Cancer Foundation
ASPCA
Pizza.com

Can you believe it? It may not feel like it yet, but fall is in the air! Fall camping is AWESOME — we celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, we eat and drink Pumpkin spice everything, and we enjoy the cooler temps and changing colors.

Here’s our take on FALL:

F is for FESTIVE! Halloween, Thanksgiving, colorful leaves, root veggies…we love it all. Take part and decorate your site or simply enjoy the autumn decor around the resort. It’s about giving thanks and being grateful, dressing up and being a kid again, eating everything that makes your belly smile! F is for festive!
A is for AUTUMN! When you think of the word autumn, what comes to mind? Campfires, hot drinks, big, delicious meals with family & friends, colorful trees, falling leaves, crisp air, themed activities, and Halloween night. This season is full of so many wonderful things. A is for autumn!
L is for LEAVES! DID YOU KNOW? Leaves make their own food. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color.  In the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.* L is for leaves!
L is for LANTERN! As in Jack-O-Lantern!
Carving silly, scary, or spooky faces into a pumpkin is part of the Halloween experience — and is a fun activity for the whole family. As a
bonus: scoop up, clean, and roast those pumpkin seeds for a delicious (and
nutritious!) snack. L is for (Jack-O-) Lantern!

We love FALL — and we know it’s a fun, exciting time for our camping families, too.
Tell us: What is YOUR favorite thing about camping in the fall?

WHAT IS LABOR DAY? Labor Day is a very important American holiday. Yes, we spend it “closing out” the summer, spending time with family and friends, BBQing, swimming, and having fun. But it’s about more than that. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. Now, Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday of September; it is a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE? Family picnics, community parades, and festive get-togethers are all great ways to celebrate this special holiday.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT AN AWESOME HOLIDAY? Make your Labor Day Weekend a CAMPING ADVENTURE! Grab your family and friends and spend the holiday at our resort.

DID YOU KNOW? Here’s a fun fact: Americans worked A LOT in the 19th century — 12-hour days every day of the week! Thank goodness for the Adamson Act, which was passed in September of 1916, which established a more reasonable eight-hour work day.

CAN YOU WEAR WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY? We say, why not??

WHAT CAN YOU COOK? Well, anything, really! But we found some recipes that we felt like we just had to share!
–    These Dijon Chicken Wings are sure to pack a big punch!
–    These Philly Cheesesteak Foil Packets can be cooked almost anywhere — BBQ, open fire, oven…so easy to make and so yummy to eat!
–    Best is in the title so these must really be the Best Campfire Baked Beans; perfect for any occasion!
–    Make a festive cocktail — or 10! You deserve it!

We hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend with family & friends — at our resort! Happy Camping!

We’re officially in love with summer — this is a wonderful season and our resort is full of camping families & friends! Everyone is enjoying this relaxing, amazing time. There’s a lot of eating, drinking, and being merry. So, we figured we’d pop in and share some cool drinks that you can enjoy any time of year, especially when the temps are high!

• If you like coffee AND alcohol (and who doesn’t?!), this Mochatini Cocktail is for you! Perfect for those long, leisurely camping days!
• An Old Fashioned is an oldie but goodie — a classic cocktail that always hits the spot…if you like bourbon! What do you think?
• Margaritas? Yes, please! This Mountain Margarita recipe is easy to make and can be made as a pitcher so there’s enough to share!
• If you’re up for it, what about throwing Tequila into the mix?! A Tequila Sunrise is refreshing and delicious.
• The Mojito is a love it or leave it cocktail. If you love it, check out this delicious camping mojito recipe!

Just for fun, here are a few interesting alcohol facts that you may or may not know:

• Whiskey is made all over the world. The most popular type of American Whiskey is better known as Bourbon!
• A bottle of Champagne contains millions and millions of bubbles.
• Over 60% of countries have a drinking age of 18 or 19 years old. Not the United States — as you probably know, the drinking age is 21!

We want to know — what is YOUR favorite alcoholic or virgin cocktail when sweating it out during those hot summer days?
Also, we want to remind everyone to drink responsibly, be aware of your surroundings and your neighbors, and enjoy yourself!

{Photo credit: Camping for Foodies}

New to RVing? Looking for some light reading? We’re bringing it back to the basics today with a little RV 101. Humor us, read on, and enjoy!

What does RV stand for? The term RV stands for recreational vehicle; RV does NOT stand for relaxing vacation or retro vehicle — although some RVs are pretty retro and are definitely used to relax on vacation! RVs are also called motorhomes, rigs, and campers, just to name a few.

Why should I get an RV? Recreational means relating to an activity done for enjoyment when one is not working. Um, hello?! That is EXACTLY the reason you should get an RV! It’s basically a home on wheels that you can park wherever you please (within reason!) — what an adventure!

It seems like such close quarters. It is, but that’s the beauty of it! Just enough space while you bond with family & friends.
You realize what you really need and what just takes up space.

Is there anything I need to do or does it take care of itself? Much like young kids and pets, an RV does not take care of itself! It’s definitely a responsibility and you must take proper care of your RV with regular maintenance. It’s good to be familiar with all aspects of the RV since it’s a LOT of moving parts (that can break). Plus, moisture and cold can do damage to your RV so you’ll want to properly store/cover it during the winter months if you aren’t using it.

What are some RV must-haves? We found this list of RV accessories that we think you’ll find helpful!

I don’t have an RV and it sounds like I’m missing out on tons of fun! You said it not us….but we agree! Get in on the RV action and get yourself a motorhome.

We hope you’re having an awesome camping season with us. Labor Day is right around the corner — book your next reservation with us NOW!

Happy 4th of July! July 4th is a very special day in our history; it commemorates the day (in 1776) when the 13 original colonies claimed their independence from England — which led to the formation of the United States of America! #themoreyouknow That is definitely something worth celebrating!

So, how do Americans celebrate this special day? BBQs, backyard games, fireworks, baseball games, parades, and picnics are just a few of the ways that we celebrate! Many businesses close and families and friends are able to spend the day together.

Whether you’re at home, on vacation, or camping with us, here are a few things to help you celebrate!

• BE SAFE: If you’re in a place that allows sparklers and fireworks, safety should be your #1 priority. Be smart, follow precautions and read the directions carefully. Keep the kids in a safe spot; after all, we teach them NOT to play with fire! And, remember your pets! Those fireworks could be really scary for cats and dogs.
• MAKE FESTIVE RECIPES: In this article, there are 22 easy recipes that are perfectly red, white, and blue to help you celebrate! You can create a beautiful spread that looks great AND tastes great, too.
• REMEMBER WHAT YOU’RE CELEBRATING: Today is a wonderful day to make memories with family & friends. Just take a moment to remember that you’re celebrating America’s independence so throw in a little history while you’re hanging around today!
• SPEND YOUR TIME OUTDOORS: It is summer – so take advantage and enjoy it. Swimming, and playing, and laughing is the perfect way to celebrate. (Don’t forget to hydrate and use sunscreen!)
• WATCH A MOVIE: After a whole day of fun in the sun, come into the air conditioning and put on a movie! There’s one that comes to mind.

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday with family & friends. Be safe and have fun!

{Photo credit: Woman’s Day}