Articles
The U.S. National Forest Campgrounds Guide web pages are loaded with tons of information about some 2,400 developed Forest Service campgrounds but there is more to experience than just the trees. The following articles provided here cover a little of what isn’t said. Most of the articles answer questions asked and fall into broad categories. These articles are intended to make the best of your time in a national forest and grassland memorable, safe, and great.
Please check back on a periodic basis as new articles will be added periodically (to the top of the list).
Enjoy!
Categories
- camping with children
- Notable Campground
- Skills and knowledge
- Things to do
- Things to experience
- Things to see
- Tips and Tricks
Five Reasons you should go camping
Here are five reasons to go camping You’ll be totally unplugged. There’s no such thing as cell phone towers in the middle of nowhere. Research suggests too much technology may lead to increased feeling of anxiety and poor sleep. Responding to the beep or blinking light of technology crowds out real connections with our fellows. Read More >>
Morning has broken
As the temperatures stay in the “chilly” range and the weatherman is predicting snow, my thoughts return to the time we spent researching the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico and all the beautiful places there. Originally posted 1/19/15. In my opinion, few places on Puerto Rico are as beautiful as the shoreline of Read More >>
Essential equipment
There are some items I consider to be essential equipment when camping. Things like: a fan (the old-fashion wave-by-hand as well as electric fans), a stick of Afterbite (Fred and I must have be the main course for a wide variety of bugs), and a wide brim hat, to name just three. But on the Read More >>
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid
Often overlooked, the iconic Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera leucophaea) hides in plain sight. With a fondness for moist places, the showy orchid can be found in ditches along roadway. This means drivers fly by on the road near Lisbon in the Sheyenne National Grassland and won’t even notice the treasure in the ditch. This Read More >>
Novice campers – Buying a tent
This year more novice campers will discover the joys of camping and the wonders of national forests. This is a good thing but camping can be scary. Especially to novice campers. If you have never build a campfire, slept under the stars, or spent time in the woods, there is a lot to learn. Camping isn’t Read More >>
No Ash trees in our national forests? Say it ain’t possible
A tree with many uses Black ash, a dominant tree species of forested wetlands in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, serves several purposes. It provides multiple ecosystem services. It is a valuable resource for Native American basket-makers. Now the ash tree’s existence is threatened by the emerald ash borer (EAB). It is killing virtually all ash Read More >>
Looking for Signs of Spring
Okay, the end of January may be a little early to be looking for any signs of springs but I am so ready! There are two signs of Spring I look for each year and they generally happen within a week of each other: lazy circling turkey vultures over the canyon; and, manzanita blooming on Read More >>
Earth-friendly BYOBag
I have been advocate of BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) for decades. Last year I did a blog on making your own grocery bags. I hope people have found it useful but I found an even easier, more earth-friendly BYOBag. I don’t know about other men, but my Fred is hard on his clothes, particularly Read More >>
Winter Camping in your Recreation Vehicle (RV)
Summer time camping is great fun but winter camping in your recreation vehicle is sublime. There are no trees to clutter your views, hoards of children, or swarms of bugs. The air is crisp, the views endless, and, with luck, fresh snow blankets the surrounding mountains. There is a quiet serene feeling you might experience early Read More >>
I love broccoli
I love broccoli! Did you know broccoli is a member of the cabbage family and was introduced to America by the Italians in the 1920s? Let’s thank those Italians. Unfortunately Fred’s and my mother’s method of cooking any vegetable was boiling it beyond recognition so neither Fred nor I grew up with a dislike of Read More >>
