Website Domain Purchased!

We purchased our website domain, now we're researching!

We started this blog knowing that it was going to have to turn into a website.  Some wise words from my sister recently (saying don't let your blog get too big before turning into a website) prompted my husband and I to do just that...purchase our website domain. 

I have so many ideas in my head for posts and I am so excited to share, but honestly right now I am spending my energy researching about the website world.  Please stay tuned....eventually we'll get our website built and what you see on this blog will be just the beginning!

Our hope is this website will be your one stop shop for getting going on your next family adventure whether it be hiking, car-camping, bicycling, kayaking, geocaching and more!  Lots of fun!

Where To Go

How do you decide where to go on your adventures?

This is a question we ask ourselves every time we say we want to go somewhere for the weekend.  Where should we go? 

Recently, we have been using an Iowa state map and the Iowa's County Conservation System Guide to Outdoor Adventure to help us.



A Fun Way to Use Your Map

• Cut out the state (use a free DOT map - not guilt!)
• Place it on your table.




Our Iowa map on our table protected by clear vinyl.


• Cover it with a thick clear vinyl cover
• Makes for great conversation starters such as...
• "Mom, look, there's a little blue dot here" (Mariposa Lake...we didn't know existed until then)

• "I didn't know that was there." - Husband
• "Which route are we going to take?" - Me
• Can also be done with a map of the USA...even more fun!
• Wait...side-tracked...back to the topic at hand!



A circle drawn on the vinyl for our chosen travel time.



What To Do

• Figure out how far you want to drive (1 hour, 3 hours, etc.)
• Tie a string approximately equal to that length to a whiteboard crayon
• Draw a big circle with the string.
• This is the area you can go.
• Begin to research fun things to do and places to stay inside that circle.

An up-close view of our travel "boundary."

Using the map this way has helped us find our more recent adventure destinations: Mariposa Lake Park, Bankston County Park and Colwell County Park.  I wonder where it will take us next...

How does your family figure out where to go and what to do? 

Cast Iron - Getting Started

A friend of mine was recently gifted a brand new, pre-seasoned Dutch Oven.   She contacted me in a panic, shouting over the phone, "WHAT DO I DO WITH IT?"  I responded to her in my normal, relaxed way, "USE IT!"  Still terrified and panicked, she shouted back, "BUT HOW?"

Ok, so this post is for you my dear friend, and others like you!



Getting Started With Your New Pre-Seasoned Dutch Oven

*Note: this information is for pots and pans that are already seasoned.





1.  Wash your cast iron with HOT water.



1.  WASH your new dutch oven.

• Use only hot water and a scrubber pad. 
• Do NOT use soap. 
• Soap can remove something called seasoning (more on that term in another post) and could leave behind a soapy taste in the iron of the pan.






2.  Dry thoroughly with a towel.





 2.  DRY your new dutch oven.

•  Cast iron is iron and will rust, so always dry your cast iron pans well.



3.  Oil your pan.



3.  OIL your pan.

• Put a very thin coat of oil all over your pan. 
• THIN is key.  Make it just look "wet." 
• Using a heavier coat can leave a sticky residue behind which I find annoying to remove.



4.  Store your pan.



4.  STORE your new dutch oven until ready to use.

• Place a couple thickness of paper towels between the lid and the pan. 
• This keeps it from banging around while driving AND prevents moisture from being trapped inside the pan.

5.  USE your new dutch oven.

• To get started, make a recipe that you and your family really like at home. 
• Leave the fancy or new-to-you recipes until after you have used your new "toy" a bit.
• A dutch oven is dual purpose: it can be used for cooking or baking!

6.  CLEAN your newly used dutch oven.

• Scrape out as much leftover food as you can with a spoon or spatula.
• Then use hot water and your scrubby to wash it more thoroughly.
• Wash your pan after your pan has cooled down.
• Don't wait to clean your pan until the next morning.
• Waiting could cause your seasoning to wear off sooner and rust spots to appear.

7.  DRY, OIL, and STORE.

• Follow the instructions from above!

USING YOUR Dutch Oven,  a brief tutorial

• Cooking - heat placed UNDER your pan.
•  If you are using it like you would your stove top at home (sauteeing, searing, boiling, stir-fry, etc.), place your coals under your dutch oven. 
• Baking  - some heat on the bottom, most of your heat ON TOP of the lid
• If you are baking with it, you want most of your heat on the top of your lid, with a few coals on the bottom.   
• Food cooking or baking too slow:  add more coals. 
• Food cooking or baking too fast: remove some of the coals.

There you have it: easy!  I use cast iron at home as well as at camp.  Once you get over the fear of using cast, you won't know how you got along without it!  More cast iron tips coming....

Mariposa Lake, Jasper County, Iowa

Mariposa Lake, Jasper County



Mariposa Lake Campground



Website: Mariposa Lake Park, Jasper County

GPS: N41 46.580 W92 57.664

What We Liked

• Cute fishing lake
• Scenic
• Drinking water
• Pit Toilets
• A couple of flat camping sites
• Very friendly park ranger
• Low cost ($7.00/night)
• Quite a bit to see and do in the area

Things To Consider

• At times can attract rowdier campers
• A family could desire a little more to do than what this park itself offers

We stayed at Jasper County's Mariposa Lake campground, August 10-12, 2012.  It was a beautiful camping weekend and we really enjoyed this little campground.

About the Campground

The campground is on the north end of a cute little fishing lake.  There are two areas to the campground.  The north part of the campground loop has several areas for camping, drinking water and a pit toilet.  The south part of the campground is closest to the lake and can only be used for those in tents since it was a walk-in area.  The north part of the loop was a little more open from the trees and foliage affording you a great view of the stars where-as the south part was more tree covered.

Observing the bison at Mariposa Lake County Park

About the Park

The park has playground equipment, a butterfly garden and a picnic shelter.  We had fun walking through the garden and playing on the playground.  The lake is for fishing from the shore only (no boats) and had a cute little island in the middle along with a hiking trail around it.  There is another section of the park towards the west which is a prairie area with a few bison. 

About the Area

Not far from Mariposa Park is Rock Creek State Park which contains a rather large no-wake lake (great for kayaking).  For biking, there are several paved bike trails in the area and are a delight to pedal.  A little further away from Mariposa Park lies the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, another fantastic place to visit. 

About Our Experience

We arrived on Friday evening, set up camp, made a fire for s'mores and then watched the stars come out.  It was perfect as we were the only ones in the north part of the loop!  In the middle of the night we were awakened by the sounds of coyotes not far from our tent.  My big, strong and very brave husband clapped his hands a few times and they didn't return. 

Exploring the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

We played at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge for a better part of the day on Saturday and upon returning to camp found that another couple had set up their pop-up camper in the site next to us.  We eventually befriended them and discovered they like to camp for the same reasons we do: quiet and solitude!  Even though they were next to us (because it was the second best spot), there was still plenty of space between our two camps. 

 Besides being a fun little park to explore, the other thing that we really appreciated about our Mariposa adventure was the frequency with which the park ranger checked up on us campers.  We saw him once Friday night and then at least twice on Saturday.  We appreciate parks that employ people that committed to creating a safe and enjoyable camping experience for all. 

Bottom line: this is a park that we will definitely visit again!

(A little side story: I'm a former Spanish teacher so I have been teaching my daughter Spanish since she was a baby.  One of the words she knows and uses routinely in place of English is 'mariposa'.  Mariposa [pronounced mah-ree-poh-sah] means butterfly.  When we found this tiny blue dot on the Iowa state map called Mariposa Lake, we just knew we had to visit.  That is how we found this little park and campground!)

Entertaining Your Kids While Camping

How to "entertain" your young children while camping....

IDEAS

• Take along an Activity Tote
• Games
• Crafts
• Hikes/Walks
• Bike
• Explore streams and shores
• Swim
• Cook
• Make an aquarium or a terrarium for observing newly caught creatures
• Visit nature centers or other area attractions
• Go geocaching

Young children are easy to entertain in the wild.  My daughter is four so it doesn't take much to keep her occupied.   

IDEAS FOR OLDER KIDS
How do you entertain your older children while camping?  Write a comment and let us know!

Adventure Packs

Create an Adventure Pack for even more fun with your kids!

What it is

• A small backpack our daughter can wear filled with tools for exploring.

The contents of our daughter's Adventure Pack.

What's In It

• Notebook
• Crayons as well as pencils
• Compass
• Whistle
• Magnifying Glass
• Small clear, plastic critter jar
• Binoculars
• Thermometer
• Snacks
• Water bottle
• Kleenex
• Sunscreen

Earlier this summer, I wanted to purchase what I would call a kids adventure pack for our daughter.  I was hoping to find a pack for her age that would help her notice and explore the world around her a little more.  I was able to find several versions for older kids (which will be fun to get someday) but none that I thought a child who could not read yet would be interested in using.  So, we created our own!

Our daughter wearing her Adventure Pack

Note: she LOVES wearing her own little Adventure Pack.  She insists on wearing it when we're hiking or riding a bike.  That is pretty cool to me (and I'm hoping that it will get her ready for a new type of adventure: backpacking).

About the items in the pack:

Notebook - to record thoughts about where we've been, to make leaf rubbings, or draw pictures of the flower we just saw.

Crayons - pencils are good for drawing and writing, but crayons work best for making leaf or bark rubbings.

Compass - it's never too early to start little ones in learning their directions and using an old fashioned compass is a pretty fun way to introduce this skill.

Whistle - this is a safety thing.  We taught our daughter that if she couldn't find us, to just sit down, blow her whistle a lot and wait.

Magnifying Glass - for looking at things up close.  This is one of her favorites from the bag since it's so cool to look at flower stems or bugs that are really big.

Critter Jar - you just never know when you might want to capture that beetle so you can research it when you get back to your base point.  Small peanut butter jars or spice jars are little enough for the pack and are clear.

Thermometer - Kids like to measure things and measuring the temperature of the air or the puddle of water is pretty neat.  Record your findings in the notebook.

Binoculars - for those times you wish you could see that pretty bird better that's at the top of the tree.

Snacks and water bottle - helps the little ones stay hydrated and full of energy.

Sunscreen - this is one item we always forget and since our daughter is so fair skinned, she burns too easy to leave it behind. 

Kleenex - not just for noses, tissues are quite handy for wiping all sorts of body parts in the great outdoors!

Eventually I want to add a camera to her pack.  I would add one now, but the cute little kid cameras really take terrible pictures.  If I purchased one today, it would be a quick point and shoot that was waterproof and had digital zoom only (so that one did not need to worry about a retractable zoom lense).  We have a Fuji waterproof camera that would be perfect but for now, it stays with dad.  

(Extra Story - I attended a conference recently and one of the workshops I listened to validated the use of an adventure pack.  It was titled the "Quiet Schooling of Nature" and the speaker encouraged the audience to buy a notebook, grab some colored pencils and go exploring with the kids.  She said the next level up would be to get your kids a magnifying glass for some serious observation.  Wow...I had already done that!  Talk about validation!)

Have you created an adventure pack for your kids?  What would you put in one for your kids?  Let us know!

First Aid Kits



Our first aid kit



Safety is important.  Be prepared and carry a first aid kit with you.

 

About Our Kit

• A purchased basic first aid kit

 

How We Customized It

• Added more band-aids
• Antibiotic ointment
• Ibprofen and acetaminophen
• Antihistamine
• Moleskin



What we added to our kit.



 



We always carry a first aid kit with us on all of our family adventures because accidents will happen.  Many people customize their kits depending on where they are going, what they are doing, and their level of first aid skills.  As a result, you will find all kinds of recommendations for what should be in your kit. 

 

Our recommendation: JUST GET A KIT and TAKE IT WITH YOU! 

 



At the very least, put several band-aids in a ziploc bag and carry them in your pocket.

 

Story: Some friends of ours wanted to learn about camping and creating their own family adventures so they joined us for an entire day of fun.  On our short hike their daughter slipped and fell, cutting her knee on a rock about a half mile from our car.  Her dad (a paramedic) began to assess her and realized he needed a few first aid supplies to help her otherwise he was going to have to carry her back to the car.  My husband pulled out our first aid kit from our hiking bag and in a short while, their daughter was running along the trail again.

 

Bottom Line: Injuries will halt any sort of adventure.  Carrying a kit will not prevent an accident, but it can mean the difference between a ruined adventure or one that will continue on after a temporary delay.

Activity Tote

What is an Activity Tote?





Our daughter's Activity Tote


• It's a special tote just for our daughter filled with things to do that is only opened during our camping adventures.

What is in the Activity Tote?

• Net for catching insects or other things
• Bucket
• Shovel
• Bug Box or bug jar (plastic peanut butter containers are GREAT bug jars)
• Outdoor games
• Craft supplies
• Bubbles
• Puzzles
• Board Games
• Beach Ball
• Basically anything that can stay in the garage that we want to make available only during camping

Some of the contents of the Activity Tote

Our daughter this year is four so entertaining her while camping so far is easy.  Her age combined with her love of critters and flowers keeps her busy almost the entire time we are at camp.  However, she still thinks it's fun to open this tote to pull out things to do.  Because it is only opened when we are camping, the items do not get old and boring to her. 

Make space for a tote for your kids and fill it with things they may not normally get to play with at home.  Not only will they entertain themselves, but they may also entertain you with stories of their adventures in catching the water bug or with their squeals of laughter playing with their dad!

What would you in your kid's activity tote?

Tents - Just Get One!

What We Have Learned to Look For In A Tent

• Few poles
• Easy to set up (very important for those times you arrive to your destination in the dark)
• Bathtub floor
• Floor plan with room enough for air mattresses and gear
• Tall enough for my 6 foot husband to stand up straight
• Thick, tarp-like floor that comes up the side of the tent several inches
• Stick to your budget (there are many tents in a wide range of prices, look for one in your budget range only)

What to Consider

• Fancy tents with lots of "rooms" can be more of a challenge to set up
• Big tents require a big flat area when set up
• Highly recommended to have a tarp under your tent if the floor of your tent is thin

I just posted about the tent we are currently using for our car camping adventures.  It's a rather "fancy" tent and technically categorized as a tent-trailer since it's on a trailer.  I wanted to do a follow up post for those of you new to camping...please do not think you HAVE to have a fancy tent trailer to have a successful car camping experience.  You don't!

My husband and I have been camping since we were first married in 2001 (our parents did take us camping as kids, so I guess we have been camping for longer than that) and during that time we have used several different tents.

Our First Tent - a Coleman Dome Tent

Our first tent (and probably my personal favorite) was a Coleman tent purchased from Target.  This was a roomy two-poled dome tent.  My husband had chosen it for our wedding registry because it had what is called a bathtub floor.  The floor of the tent comes up onto the sides of the walls a few inches which helps prevent water from coming into your tent.  This tent worked well for many years keeping us dry even in the middle of downpours.  It was very easy to set up and tear down and served us well until our daughter came along and we wanted more space.

The tent we used one time.

Our second tent was a also a Coleman purchased from Target and was BIG.  In fact, it was one of those fancy-schmancy dome tents with rooms and a  "porch."  We set this tent up one time and decided it was not for us (we still have it though in the garage for "just in case").

Our Third Tent: Eureka Copper Canyon

Our third tent was an Eureka.  This was a great tent as well with the room we were looking for and the ease of set up.  We used it until we discovered our current tent. 

Our Jumping Jack Tent Trailer

Our current tent is a tent-trailer.  View my post about our Jumping Jack Tent Trailer. 

Our Tent

Our Current Car-Camping Tent: Jumping Jack Tent Trailer



PROS

• Off the ground
• EASY to set up
• Carry all of your gear on top of the tent
• Canvas material
• Lots of roomy space

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Expensive
• Since it's on wheels, you are not always allowed to camp in the "tent" areas
• No dealers in the Midwest
• Interesting company to work with



Our Tent Trailer



I'm a tent camper and so is my husband at heart but for several years now he has rumbled about wanting a pop-up camper in order to be off the ground.  I insisted on using the word NO for a multitude of reasons until he showed me something called a tent trailer.  My NO turned into a maybe...let's go look at one.  We looked at one in person in Arizona and were immediately sold.

Tent trailers are literally tents designed to be on a trailer of some sort.  Often you can store your gear below the tent or on top of the tent but your bed and the floor of your tent are off the ground when they are set up.  There are a couple of versions out there, but this particular one seemed to be perfect for us.

We purchased our tent-trailer at the beginning of the camping season of 2011 and do not regret spending some of our savings on the purchase.  In fact, just last weekend while it was raining outside and we were dry inside, my husband said he loves our tent.  Music to my ears!  I have to confess that while backpacking tugs at my heart strings, finding quiet campgrounds and having this tent makes it difficult for me to want to pull out the backpacking gear.

I have a few pictures posted of our Jumping Jack Tent Trailer, but you should also explore their website.  If you're ever in our area, we would be happy to show you ours.

So Excited...our new 2012 County Guide Arrived

We are so excited...our new 2012 Iowa's County Conservation System Guide to Outdoor Adventure book arrived! 

We have about worn the pages through our 2006 guide as it was so useful and handy on many occassions.  There are many things to like about this guide including the maps of every county and the wonderful tables of park attributes to help you find just what you are looking for.

New to this guide book:

• QR codes (my husband loves this as he has the phone that can read these) which will take you directly to the county's specific website. 
• List of the Iowa County Conservation System's Nature Centers.  These are great places for little ones (many hands-on exhibits) as well as us bigger ones.  We love visiting them when they are open.

The cost for the book ($8.00) is minimal and well worth every penny.  To order your copy, visit www.mycountyparks.com.  It is also available to download from this site.

Colwell Park

Colwell Park, Floyd County, Iowa

Website: Colwell Park, Floyd County

GPS: N43 09.348 W92 38.540

What We Liked:

• FREE
• Drinking water available
• Two pit toilets available
• Flat campsites that you can drive right up to
• Pretty area of the state with great hiking and kayaking/canoeing nearby

Our Concerns:

• It's free so it can and does attract loud campers
• Not too much to do in the park itself
• We didn't see a county park person at all (unless they came when we were exploring the area)

 

We stayed at the Colwell Park which is a park and campground in Floyd County August 24 - 26, 2012.  This was a nice little park with several flat campsites. 

About the Park:

There is a little stream on the west side of the park with access to it from a short trail.  The stream was very picturesque and begged to be explored on foot (which we did not do).

The park was divided into a south section and north section with camping available in both areas.  Both sections had several flat campsites.  The north area had a picnic shelter which came in handy when the rain came on Saturday.  The south section had a swing and merry-go-round which our daughter loved.

The park was nicely mowed and had several large oaks, cottonwoods and cedar trees which made for great pictures.

The campsites were wherever the park officials decided to put fire rings and were not even numbered.  We counted approximately 10 fire rings however the conservation guide says there are 20 sites available.

About the camping experience:

This was a fairly quiet campground.  On Friday night we were the only ones camping in the north section and there were only two others camping in the south section.  A gravel road runs north of the park and didn't see much traffic especially after dark.  Occasionally you could hear vehicles on the highway which was about a half mile away to the east. 

On Saturday night the south-side campers had friends join them for a wilder evening.  However, since we were so far away from them, their music and ruckus did not bother us.  The next morning as we left at 10:00am, they still weren't up and judging by the amount of adult beverage cans on the ground next to their fire pits they may not have awoken for quite some time!

All in all, the park and campground was pretty decent.

 

I am trying my hand at creating a blog for others interested in adventuring with their family.



Bankston County Park, Dubuque County, Iowa