Camping Club members can take advantage of up to 50% off nightly rates at RV Parks and campgrounds across North America. Just show your membership card at the time of check in and recieve a discount off your stay!
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May 2009
29 May 2009
27 May 2009
Color your Camp
Choose your best crayons and start coloring! This Campsite needs you to some colors to liven it up! Print several sheets and give them to your friends!
26 May 2009
GCI Trail Sling Chair
The Trail-Sling™ Ultralight's patented collapsible frame makes it a portable genius! When packed down in its handy sack, the Trail-Sling™ Ultralight is as small as a water bottle! In addition to its amazing compactability, the Trail-Sling™ Ultralight unfolds to create a remarkably comfortable off-the-ground seat with back support, ideal after a long day of outdoor activities. The Trail-Sling™ Ultralight's small size is ideal for backpacking but it's so comfortable you'll use it for all your outdoor activities!
Submitted By: Sam Tiblow of Tulsa, OK
Q: How often do you go backpacking or camping per year?
A: We usually go about 5-6 times per year
Q: How many times have you used your Trail-Sling Ultralight during the test period?
A: We used the chair 3 times during this period.
Q: Did you find the chair easy to assemble?
A: The first time it took a little longer than the rest. But once we got the hang of it, it was so easy!
Q: Did you read the instructions to assemble the chair and did you find it helped with the assembling?
A: The first time we assembled it, we had to refer to the instructions. They were very helpful and easy to read. The pictures were helpful as well.
Q: Was the chair comfortable after set-up?
A: The chair was fairly comfortable. It would be great on the shoreline.
Q: Was the handy sack useful for carrying the item?
A: The handy sack was perfect for the chair. It’s easy to pack away and very convenient for carrying.
Q: Was your back supported properly?
A: Yes, it reclined enough to be comfortable.
Q: Did you find the padded headrest useful?
A: I didn’t really use the headrest that much. But when I did, it provided comfort.
Q: Was the Trail-Sling Chair easy to store away?
A: it’s small enough to store just about anywhere. It’s pretty impressive that theirs a chair in that little sack that it comes in.
Q: What was the Trail-Sling’s best feature?
A: The size when it’s assembled and the size when it’s packed up. It’s great for hiking and it isn’t heavy!
Q: Do you think this is an essential piece of equipment to take with you while backpacking or during an outdoor trip?
A: Yes, this is a must have for the great outdoors!
Q: Would you recommend this product to fellow backpackers? Why?
A: Yes, it’s small enough to fit in a backpack or throw over your shoulder. Plus, it’s comfortable! You don’t see too many chairs like this around.
25 May 2009
Lake Kissimmee State Park, FL
Where Florida’s Heritage Comes Alive.
The Setting
From floodplain marshes to flatwoods and shady hammocks, the park has 12 distinct natural communities that hold more than 30 listed species of flora and fauna. The park’s botanical bounty includes delicate mosses, butterfly orchids, sawgrass, cutthroat grass, fetterbush and gallberry with expansive, colorful fields of lotus and pickerelweed that stretch towards the sun.
The pine and scrubby flatwoods found in the park are host to long leaf pines, scrub oaks, Florida scrub jays, Sherman fox squirrels, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer, turkeys, bobcats and the gray fox. In fact, Lake Kissimmee State Park hosts more than two hundred species of birds, making it one of the best birding areas in central Florida. Some of the more notable species are the bald eagle, snail kite, sandhill crane and crested caracara.
Europeans arrived in Florida in the 1500s, but their presence was not felt until the 1800s. During the Third Seminole War, Fort Gardiner was built nearby as a temporary fortification; after the war the area was widely used for timber and turpentine operations.
During the Civil War the area was used for raising cattle that were shipped to the Confederate Army or traded with Cuba for supplies. After the war, cattle became the main industry and this continues to the present day.
In 1969, the state of Florida purchased 5,030 acres of land from the William Zipperer estate for use as a state park. Lake Kissimmee State Park was opened to the public in August 1977. An additional 900 acres was purchased in 1997 and added to the park’s western boundary.
The Facility
Lake Kissimmee State Park’s full-facility campground features 60 sites with electric and water hookups for RVs and tents. A communal dump station is available at no extra charge. Hot water showers are available. Two primitive campsites for backpackers are available for those seeking a wilderness experience. A youth camping area can accommodate up to 50 people.
Camping Tips
• Hours are 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year.
• Pets are permitted in designated areas only. Pets must be kept on a hand-held leash no longer than 6 feet and be well behaved at all times.
• Florida’s state parks are committed to providing equal access to all facilities and programs. Should you need assistance to enable your participation, please contact the ranger station.
Park Features
Lake Kissimmee State Park has something for every visitor including access to Florida’s third largest lake, shaded camping and picnic facilities; excellent wildlife viewing opportunities; beautiful nature trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding; and a genuine 1876 “Cow Camp.”
Florida’s cowboy heritage comes alive with living history demonstrations of the early Florida “cow hunters” in an 1876-era cow camp, open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., holidays and every Saturday and Sunday from October 1 to May 1.
The pine and scrubby flatwoods found in the park host: long leaf pines, scrub oaks, Florida scrub jay’s, Sherman fox squirrels, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, turkeys, bobcats and the grey fox.
Visitors can enjoy boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing in the upper Kissimmee chain of lakes. Tour the waterways within the park and/or along the shores of Lake Kissimmee, Lake Rosalie and Tiger Lake. View some of the incredible birds and wildlife inhabiting the area known as the “headwaters” to the Everglades.
Park visitors can hike more than 13 miles of trails and observe or study the abundant plant and animal life found within the parks boundary. Over six miles of trails are currently open to equestrians on Buster Island. A large, shaded picnic area with pavilions, bathrooms and playground can be found in the main use area near the boat ramp.
An observation tower is located in the picnic area and provides views of Lake Kissimmee and its marsh lands.
Address
14248 Camp Mack Road
Lake Wales, Florida 33898
22 May 2009
Save at 1-800-FLOWERS
Searching for the perfect gift? 1-800-FLOWERS.com has it all. For gourmet treats, gift baskets, greetings, unique gifts and of course, fresh flowers and plants!
All Camping Club members receive 15% off purchases!
20 May 2009
Test your Memory
Play the memory game on your next camping trip! The object of the game is to find all the matching pairs of cards. You can play the game on your own or with friends! It's up to you! Good luck!
19 May 2009
Insulated Grocery Bag
After planning my meals, I freeze everything I can before packing my cooler; meats, sauces, and liquids like juices or drinking water. I also freeze water in 24 oz. pop bottles. These fit easier than bigger jugs and can be packed so more food comes into contact with the ice. I pack the cooler and then put an insulated plastic shopping bag (from the warehouse stores) on the top of the food before closing the lid. I find that the food keeps much colder and the pop bottle ice lasts much longer.
Submitted By: Sharon Morse
18 May 2009
Jonathon Dickinson State Park, FL
One of Florida’s largest and most diverse state parks.
The Setting
The 11,500-acre park is named for Jonathan Dickinson, a Quaker merchant whose vessel shipwrecked nearby in 1696. His book, God’s Protecting Providence, records the story of his party’s capture by the Jobe (Hoe-Bay) Indians and their release and journey up the coast to St. Augustine. Victims of war and disease, these native people died off shortly thereafter.
During World War II, the land the park now occupies was home to Camp Murphy, a top-secret radar training school with over 6,600 men. The land became a state park in 1950.
Far upriver is the Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site, the restored homestead of a man who came to this area in the 1930s and lived off the land, trapping and selling furs. He became famous as the “Wildman of the Loxahatchee,” opening his “Trapper’s Jungle Gardens and Wildlife Zoo” to the public.
About 20 percent of the park is covered in coastal sand pine scrub, a biological community so rare it has been designated “globally imperiled.” More rare and endangered species, like the Florida scrub-jay, Florida mouse and gopher frog, are found in the scrub than in the rest of the park combined.
The Loxahatchee River winds slowly through the park, passing under a canopy of centuries old cypress trees. This river was designated as Florida’s first “National Wild and Scenic River” in 1985.
Wildlife found in the park includes deer, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, opossums, alligators and otters. Over 140 species of birds have been identified here, making Jonathan Dickinson an excellent birding destination.
The Facility
Jonathan Dickinson State Park features two full-facility campgrounds, one a short distance from the ranger station, the other four miles away, near the Loxahatchee River. Cabins are available for rent from the concessionaire. Each camp site features electric and water hookups for RVs and tents. A communal dump station is available at no extra charge. Hot water showers are available.
Camping Tips
• Hours are 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days a year.
• Pets are permitted in designated areas only. Pets must be kept on a hand-held leash no longer than 6 feet and be well behaved at all times.
• Florida’s state parks are committed to providing equal access to all facilities and programs. Should you need assistance to enable your participation, please contact the ranger station
Park Features
The Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center is open every day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its exhibit hall uses interactive displays and panels to interpret the natural and cultural features of the park. A variety of programs are offered.
Canoes, kayaks and motorboats are available for rent from the concessionaire. . A tour of the Loxahatchee aboard the Loxahatchee Queen II is a popular way to enjoy the park. Call the concessionaire at (561) 746-1466.
A picnic area with four pavilions and a playground borders the Loxahatchee. Three of
the pavilions can be reserved, and the fourth is available first-come, first-served. An old-fashioned “swimming hole” is located along the river, just east of the concession store.
Four nature trails and off-road and paved bicycle trails offer opportunities to experience wild Florida. Horse trails are available for those bringing their own mounts. A network of 9 to 12-mile hiking trails, part of the Florida Trail system, leads to primitive campsites.
The Hobe Mountain Observation Tower offers commanding views of the park, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Hobe Mountain, an ancient sand dune, rises 86 feet above sea level, making it one of the highest points of land in south Florida.
Nature walks and evening campfire programs are offered. In addition, tours are given regularly at the Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site.
Address
16450 S.E. Federal Highway
Hobe Sound, Florida 33455
15 May 2009
Save at Six Flags!
Camping Club members can take advantage off main gate prices at Six Flags! Members can enjoy up to a 58% discount off the entry price.
Join the Camping Club today and start saving!
13 May 2009
Camping Cartoon Fun!
These amusing and fun pages can burst with colors when you grab your crayons and make it as colorful as your last camping trip!
Or spend hours of fun as you create finger puppets or play the memory game!
