Tag: camping

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May 22 – 135 Things to Do on a Rainy Day in a Camper

Diamond Art, photo from https://img.staticdj.com/0853734d0ffc66143b35281000e6c478.jpg

I came across a fascinating Facebook post this week on one of my camping groups. A Girl Camper member stated she needed a rainy day hobby and invited others to share what they enjoyed doing. There are currently 687 responses, but for a rainy day wish, the feedback was phenomenal. I wanted to share the ideas that were posted as a list post today. I won’t name people, since the group is private, but these ideas are completely credited to the girl campers of the world, who are a creative and adventurous bunch!

  1. read
  2. crochet
  3. knit
  4. sew
  5. plan the next camping trip
  6. macro photography
  7. watercolours
  8. embroidery
  9. draw
  10. journal
  11. listen to the wind
  12. listen to music
  13. listen to audiobooks
  14. diamond painting
  15. nap
  16. make leather items
  17. play video games
  18. adult coloring books
  19. play the ukelele
  20. color with gel pens
  21. paint rocks to leave for the next camper
  22. scrapbooking
  23. sudoku
  24. crossword
  25. dot painting on rocks
  26. color by number
  27. paint by number
  28. quilting
  29. canning
  30. people watching
  31. jigsaw puzzles
  32. cross stitch
  33. make jewelry
  34. watch old movies
  35. plastic canvas stitching
  36. make knit hats to sell
  37. write your life story
  38. loom knit
  39. make wind/sun catchers
  40. sew towel golf cart seat covers
  41. Play Yahtzee, Uno, Scrabble Go
  42. Play guitar
  43. paint notecards
  44. needlepoint
  45. board games
  46. card games
  47. fish
  48. drink and collect wine corks
  49. word finds
  50. Chuzzle on my phone
  51. bedazzle my clothes
  52. paint scenes where we are camped
  53. Bead Christmas ornaments
  54. make car air fresheners
  55. make cups, tshirts, wooden signs
  56. singing
  57. study bird identification books
  58. study flower identification books
  59. study foreign language on Duolingo
  60. play solitaire
  61. plan menus
  62. reorganize the camper, clean cabinets
  63. make mosaics with old costume jewelry
  64. listen to podcasts
  65. work on Lego sets
  66. play cribbage
  67. watch a Netflix series
  68. make a camper or log cabin from wine corks
  69. shop at local thrift stores
  70. try new makeupn techniques
  71. plein air painting
  72. cook something new
  73. meditate
  74. yoga
  75. latch hook
  76. dance
  77. walk in the rain
  78. fire writing (pyrography)
  79. go out to eat
  80. make knee blankets to donate to the nursing home
  81. zentangling
  82. neurographic art to destress from andrea.nelson.art on TikTok
  83. play indoor bowling
  84. write letters to friends
  85. whittle/woodcarve
  86. organize digital photos
  87. spinning wheels (wool) with travel spinner
  88. train the dog
  89. macrame
  90. paper crafts (origami)
  91. make gel prints from leaves and flowers
  92. go to a local winery
  93. make cotton loop pot holders to give away to fellow campers
  94. catch up on work
  95. geocaching in the drizzle
  96. wire wrap stones
  97. make tinctures with essential oils
  98. Bible Study
  99. daydream
  100. pray
  101. song writing
  102. poetry writing
  103. surf the web
  104. work on Geneaolgy
  105. look for a dog to rescue
  106. English Paper Piecing
  107. Pedicure
  108. Manicure
  109. Facial
  110. stained glass
  111. make doll clothes
  112. make buntings
  113. bullet journaling
  114. rug matting
  115. clean a cupboard
  116. brush the cat or dog
  117. Tjhoko painting
  118. make tags with rubber stamps
  119. mandala painting on garden bricks
  120. update your blog
  121. visit a museum
  122. listen to the rain
  123. look at magazines
  124. crochet a temperature blanket
  125. make paper beads
  126. punch needle rugs
  127. put a wood model together
  128. brew a big pot of coffee and drink it
  129. weaving loom
  130. art abandonment – something for the next camper left behind
  131. make decals on the Silhouette machine
  132. press flowers
  133. make bookmarks
  134. call someone to talk
  135. text people to say you’re thinking of them

There’s simply no way to be bored when you’re camping in the rain!

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May 8 – Duckgazer Window

We were camping at Dames Ferry in Georgia this weekend when our 3 Schnoodles became captivated with the ducks flitting about in the waters of Lake Juliette.  The stargazer window over the bed of our Little Guy Max never fails to hold wonder - whether stars or ducks, whether night or morning.  There is always an exciting world to behold outside that window!  

Move Over, Stargazers!

duckgazer window
curious schnoodles camping
flop-eared wonderment
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Slice of Life Challenge – March 25 – Savoring Saturdays in Pine Mountain, Georgia at F.D. Roosevelt State Park

We savored last Saturday, March 18, in Pine Mountain, Georgia on F. D. Roosevelt State Park Campground. Here’s a slice of our day, in pictures.

There’s something amazing about this door. It feels like a time warp. I think it weighs 500 pounds.
Rock buildings in the mountains on a cold morning give me a feeling of belonging.
Here we are!
We were looking for a coffee shop and found history.
Simply a delicious breakfast. The muscadine muffin was off the chain.
The windows overlooked the valley below. Gorgeous spot to start the day.
We took the boys on a short walk down the trail.
They enjoyed all the new smells and looking over ledges.
y’all.
Boo Radley found a slice of sunshine after his long walk.
Ollie sunk down into the comfort of the bed for a nap. We love camping!
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Experience: 2022 Christmas Camping Across 4 State Parks in 5 Days

“Slow travel rejects speed, emphasizes soaking in the local culture, and encourages us to savor the journey, not rush it.” –The Art of Slow Travel, by Bhavana Gesota

Most everyone we told of our Christmas travel plans tried to convince us to rethink our winter camping journey in subzero temperatures.  

"You might want to reconsider," they'd urged, each in their own way.  

"It's going to be dangerously cold.  How will you stay warm in a camper?" 

We'd recently downsized from a 30-foot 4-season Keystone Outback to a 21-foot non-insulated 2022 Little Guy Max Rough Rider.  We were looking forward to seeing what it was made of.....and, perhaps more importantly, what we were made of.  

We weren't wavering on our decision.  The plans were made, and we would set out with two full propane tanks, an indoor-safe propane heater, an indoor electric heater, a supply of firewood, and an electric blanket.  We'd monitored the weather and were keeping close tabs on the conditions of the roads.  

We weren't worried about the extreme temperatures, either. With three radiant-heater dogs (who sleep at our head, hips, and feet) and each other, we were looking forward to all the cozy snuggling and excuses to linger in bed with coffee and read or write or watch Netflix or listen to our favorite seventies bands until the sun came up and warmed the walking trails a half a degree or more. 

With any trip, things happen that we don't anticipate - - like when the bananas freeze and all turn dark brown and ooze goo, and the jar of olive oil freezes solid when we'd planned on searing steaks.  Or when the propane, which converts from a liquid to a gas in the pipelines, freezes and renders that first heating plan completely ineffective, taking us straight to our backup heat.  Those kinds of things.  A few minor setbacks mixed in with some more serious ones.  

So it is in life.  Determination, a plan, a road map, forecasts, obstacles, challenges, a burning desire to experience life ~ even in extreme elements.  It's all part of the journey.  

I'm so glad we stayed the course and savored the moments. It was worth it to experience "slow travel," without a novel-thick itinerary, to "camp our way across states," breaking down the drive into short segments.

Here are the “Slow Travel” savored moments from our week away over the holidays.

First Stop: Burdoc Farms, Crofton, Kentucky. Most memorable moment: goofing off in the snow in our pajamas, taking pictures of the White Christmas winter wonderland as one of our daughters clicked her heels in sunset snow.

Second Stop: Rock Island State Park, Tennessee. Most memorable moment: enjoying the peaceful sounds of the waterfall at the dam.

Third Stop: Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee. Most memorable moment: taking in the beauty and sounds of the frozen waterfalls and cascades.

Waterfall at Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee

Fourth Stop: Harrison Bay State Park, Tennessee. Most Memorable moment: sunrise on the bay.

Fifth Stop: Red Top Mountain State Park, Georgia. Most memorable moment: writing all day on a rainy New Year’s Eve Eve.

Sixth Stop: Lunch with my aunt and uncle at OK Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia. Most memorable moment: sipping coffee at the retro dinette table, celebrating their December birthdays.

Seventh Stop: Home for New Year’s Eve with one of our sons. Most memorable moment: eating collard greens, black eyed peas, and ribs as we watched the Peach Bowl.

Experiencing places + savoring the journey through slow travel = just the right pace!