Benchmark Atlas offers its maps for each of the U.S. states. These book style maps offer more detail than a conventional paper state road map. I like to use these for planning a trip as well as while on the road, especially when no cell reception is available. With the all-new Landscape Maps section, it’s easy to see, at-a-glance, whether…
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Enhance your camp cooking with the simple art of grilling on this handy, portable Smokey Joe BBQ by Weber. Note there is no ash catcher. I like the containment of ashes kept in the fire bowl, for added fire safety when cooking outdoors. The lid and sides of the bowl have adjustable vents to make your fire hotter or to dampen…
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If you are a shutterbug and prefer a “real” camera to your cell phone, then check out the Panasonic Lumix FZ300! I love how this camera makes me look good as a photographer! It has so many features that I am still learning to use, but my easy default is the iA setting for the camera’s auto “smart” feature. Most of…
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Percolated coffee is a great way to enjoy a good cup of joe while camping out. We used an aluminum pot for years but decided it was better for our health to upgrade to stainless steel. We found the perfect percolator for us in the Coletti Bozeman coffee pot. It has a glass globe for watching the coffee perk to…
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The far-reaching vastness of the California wildfires was staggering as we camped in Northern California this May. Equally amazing was how many homes and ranches were saved by our heroic firefighters, as we drove past burned forests and grasslands, bordering right up to homes, barns, and buildings in remote areas. We saw blackened trees from the Lake Shasta – Redding…
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Wildflowers inspire me with their perseverance. Despite their fragile appearance, these flowers are tough! Wildflowers adapt themselves to periods of drought by banking seeds when rain is scarce. This year California has enjoyed a desperately needed rainy season, and the wildflowers have responded by carpeting barren hills in their rich colors. Survival tool Seed banks are a clever survival tool…
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The Indians Ranch area in Big Sur’s Ventana Wilderness is a great place for dispersed camping. Early spring is a great time to see the blooming wildflowers, majestic rock formations and rushing water in the rivers after the recent rains. Springs were oozing water right out of the rock walls. Recovering from the long drought, you can feel the earth…
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