There’s something about the outdoors that calls for good food. Indeed, many of my friends have told me that one of the best parts of all the outdoors experiences in their youth is the food they ate. Whether it’s simply marshmallows toasting on a branch or metal skewer, Mom’s hamburgers sizzling on the back of the RV’s grill or the snap of firewood you gathered yourself burning up in a barbecue pit, picnic recipes are one essential part of the camping experience.

So how does one make the best of eating outdoors? We’ve come a long way from hotdogs and tinned sardines. Today’s camper knows that eating good food is not limited to a gourmet restaurant uptown. Here are some of our trusted picnic recipes/ideas that are sure to be part of you and your companions’ favorite memories:

Sandwiches—sandwiches are the easiest, no-fuss picnic food out there. You can premake the filling at home, refrigerate in a cooler, and just bring out the bread and condiments. Everyone gets to customize what they like, especially finicky children, and adults don’t have to slave away over a hot fire.

Try making: tuna, chicken, seafood, roast beef, smoked cheese, olives and other gourmet fillings with various breads like sourdough, baguettes, whole grain breads, pita and even bagels. Yum!

Rotisserie chicken- many groceries now offer freshly roasted chicken for busy consumers. I love getting a roast chicken or two since it’s precooked, healthy and tasty. This can form the main course of your meal saving you lots of time on the campsite. You can also take a roasted chicken, and modify it with sauces or other recipes to suit your taste. We like the timesaving component best of all.

Salads- some people prefer low carb meals and salads are a perfect way to enjoy easy, fresh and tasty meals on a picnic. The dressing can be store bought or premade, and all you need to do is toss it all together before eating.

Try making: classic Caesar salad, Thai-style salad with mango and ginger sauce, seafood salads (prawn, & raw tuna go well with hefty greens) or a simple potato salad.

Most of the recipes we suggest are meant to be prepared beforehand. This ensures that you spend more time enjoying than cooking while on your nature trip. And while you’re planning your perfect nature picnic in the outdoors, don’t forget the drinks to accompany the simple and yummy food you’re bringing. If it’s just you and your partner, bring along a champagne bottle or hearty red wine to go with your steak sandwich. With kids? Bring non soda alternatives like fresh lemon juice with honey, sparkling juice, cider, ginger beer or the essential picnic favorite, iced tea.

Ahh Nature. The wild outdoors. The beautiful landscapes unspoiled in their majesty and splendor. These thoughts are common to our daydreams as we contemplate leaving our (mostly) urban enclaves behind and going back to where man and woman was truly designed to be…

This return to the outdoors can take many forms. Some people like to plan long, rustic vacations and some day trippers prefer to take hikes. In this post, we’ll look at the shortest form of commitment we think is accessible to city dwellers who want to take a quick break, the nature hike.

Nature hikes are fun, easy to do (just walk… no special athletic skills needed) and have a low equipment investment. Most people repurpose a good sturdy backpack and their water bottle from the gym on short nature hikes. Yet just like our primitive ancestors who left the safety of the cave or hut, nature hikes do carry some risks to the hiker. Here are some tips for you to help you get the most out of your nature hike.

Tip #1: The first of course is the risk of getting lost. Park specialists have addressed this situation by creating trails specifically designed for beginners. Paths are well marked, nature stops, signs and other prominent features are posted and levels of difficulty are spelled out for you to determine which trail to hike on. If you are bringing children old enough to walk, you will also need to orient them on safety rules to ensure a pleasant nature hike experience for all.

Tip #2: Know how long the trail is. Get estimates on the time it will take to do a round trip and allot extra hours for you and your companions in case one of you would like to linger on spectacular scenery or in case you need more rest stops.

Tip#3: Your nature hike will reap more dividends if you do your homework and read the guidebook that usually accompanies nature or hiking trails. Guidebooks help you distinguish why certain trees grow in a part of the park, any special history, local legends or trivia associated with it and contain other information like security, some first aid tips and how to call for help.

With these easy hiking tips, now is the best time to check out the nearest park to you and escape the concrete metropolis in favor of some good old fashioned soil and living greenery.

Sacred Rocks RV Park is your Southern California campground for recreational vehicles, tents, and our comfy bunkhouse.

The Sacred Rocks Reserve Retreat is some place very special. Please take a look.

Please visit our website: http://www.sacredrocksreserve.com/rvpark/index.html

Twenty years ago, cash was king. Businesses looked to maximize their income at any cost, and many resorted to environmentally unfriendly tactics to get there. We’ve seen numerous green disasters over the years, and at Sacred Rocks Reserve we’re proud to say we’ve never been involved.

You see, we take a green approach to our natural reserve. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see so-called “natural” sites that are really resource-hogs, cranking through energy and failing to recycle even the simplest materials. We don’t believe in that – we want to run a natural reserve that’s 100% green and very earth-friendly.

That’s why we recycled over 850 abandoned tires in 2003. It’s why we removed over 80 tons of trash from our land upon purpose. It’s why we heat our pool using a solar blanket, and it’s why we’ve placed recycling containers throughout the park. We don’t just want to be green by ourselves – we want you to help.

Beyond using energy-friendly options for our facilities and park, we take green approaches to everything from drinking water to recycled firewood. An effort to conservation and the environment doesn’t end with efficient lighting and recycling, it requires an understanding of the earth.

We’ve made hundreds of efforts to be green, and we’re proud of it. If you’re tired of the city’s noise, hustle, and bustle, our green nature reserve could be the natural retreat you need. Just 70 miles from San Diego, we’re the most convenient green retreat you’ll find for a weekend getaway or long-term RV trip.

Sacred Rocks RV Park is the greenest and most restful of San Diego RV parks. Locals and out-of-state visitors alike enjoy the best San Diego camping on 163 acres of countryside, with lots of shade trees, native wildlife and chaparral.

RV Camping Tips
By Tony Marin

Camping in an RV can sure be comfortable, even if you enjoy tent camping having your own kitchen, family room, bedroom and bathroom on wheels can be quite nice.

There’s all kinds of good information, free camping tips and ideas of things you should take with you in your RV. On one Internet site there’s a checklist of over 55 items you can take with you in your RV to make your life a little bit easier. One thing to remember is that carrying all of these items is going to make your RV use more gas.

That’s all well and good but even if you had a checklist with over 100 items on it there still always seems to be one or two things and you say, “Why didn’t we bring that?”

On the other end of the spectrum there are RV campers who stock about as much as you can fit into a backpack. It’s the minimalist approach and it can be quite exciting especially when you have to use a screwdriver as a can opener.

With both of those scenarios in mind here is a simple but important checklist of items that will be important when you go RV camping:

1.) Bring necessary tools for minor repairs to your RV.

2.) Let a family member, or friend know your RV camping itinerary and route in case you exceed your timetable for returning.

3.) Bring a spare gas can.

4.) Stock your RV with basic camping needs; snake bite kit, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, lip balm.

5.) Books and maps of the area you will be staying in.

6.) Any prescription medications, with extra pills in case you extend a day or two.

7.) Lanterns, candles and fuel (bring these even if you have a generator.

San Diego Camping, RV Park and beautiful resort is what Sacred Rocks Retreat and Resort is all about. California’s largest labyrinth, tent camping, swimming pool and bunkhouse are all right here. Full campground RV hookups, WiFi and pets are welcome. You can hike our nature trails, watch the night sky at our Stargazing Plateau or dance in our Drum Circle.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Marin

http://EzineArticles.com/?RV-Camping-Tips&id=3965809

Many people today are keen on recapturing the ultimate summer experience, and nothing says ‘Summer!’ like camping out in a tent. To make the most out of your tent camping experience, here are some tips to remember in the wild outdoors. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll have more ‘oohs’ from your tent camping trip than ‘arghs’.

1.) Plan to arrive while there’s a lot of daylight to set up camp; the closer to sunrise the better. Remember, you are replicating your own residence (roughly speaking) in the campsite you’re going to, and this means you’ll be doing an accelerated version of constructing a dwelling with kitchen (campfire), sleeping quarters (your tent), restroom facilities (depends on how rustic your tent campsite is) and garden/recreation area. While you may have a rough idea of how things will be set up, remember that the lay of the tent camping site will include trees, rocks, dips in the terrain and other considerations that you need to account for only when you get there. Part of the fun of tent camping is the flexibility roughing it demands of you.

2.) Make sure you have figured out how to assemble your tent before you arrive at the campsite. This means setting up the tent overnight in your own backyard and leaving it overnight to make sure it still stands in the morning. Setting up your tent before you go on vacation leaves you lots of room to figure out the best way to start assembling it, and lessens the stress on you, since the time you actually need it will be the second (and familiar!) time you put it up on the campsite.

Most people will tell you the how-tos of camping but as a seasoned camper, I still rely on these two rules I’ve shared since they are the best way to eliminate stress from the tent camping vacation. As you get older and look forward to more peace and quiet which nature provides, allowing yourself enough time to set up camp is a godsend to your sanity as well as those who came with you.

Sacred Rocks RV Park is your Southern California campground for recreational vehicles, tents, and our comfy bunkhouse.
Please visit our website: http://www.sacredrocksreserve.com/rvpark/index.html

South California isn’t exactly renowned for its harsh winter climate, but the cooler nighttime do act as an occasional reason to stay inside and cut down on family camping trips. Now that temperatures are improving and the heat is being cranked back up to a maximum, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors that made South California famous.

For many San Diego residents, that could mean a trip to one of the many great beaches that make our area famous. It could mean a run through the park and a day outside the city. For those that are looking for an alternative to South California’s famous coastline, a trip inland to the Sacred Rocks Reserve could be a good option.

A weekend in the city can be a frustrating experience. There’s the noise, the sometimes relentless heat, and the distinct lack of natural relief. Sure, there are parks, but they’re merely a small oasis – a tiny escape from the city noise and frustrating urgency of a big city. Sacred Rocks Reserve offers real relief from city stresses – a mountain reserve and remote natural playground, just 70 miles from central San Diego.

So what’s it going to be? Another routine weekend in the middle of the city, or an exciting escape to a stunningly beautiful natural reserve? Sacred Rocks Reserve isn’t an every-weekend getaway, but it is a great location for the occasional stress-free weekend. Even better, it’s just over an hour away from the office.

Sacred Rocks is one of the nicest San Diego RV Parks in Southern California. We have Camping, an RV Park and wonderful Tent Camping. Please visit our website for photo’s and more information.
http://www.sacredrocksreserve.com/

Campers enjoy a campfire at the close of another beautiful day at Sacred Rocks RV Park

We are grateful for anyone you refer, as a new Sacred Rocks RV Park camper to us, for camping, tenting, or retreats and we are offering a referral fee in the way of thanks.

For the first stay only, if you refer someone who stays a night or two at regular rates, we will give you $3 in cash or credit.

If they stay a week ($225) we will give you $10 cash or credit.

If they stay a month ($675) we will give you $50 cash or credit.

Share the joy of restful Southern California camping in the beautiful surroundings of Sacred Rocks Reserve!

Adventurous souls joined us for a delightful trek through the Boulevard, California desert around Anza Borrego State Park on Saturday 6 February 2010.

trekking through the Southern California desert

Sacred Rocks Reserve was featured in a nice article in Life After 50 magazine: “Sacred Rocks Reserve: Nature Takes Center Stage at Boulevard Reserve” (downloadable PDF).