Fabulous Gifts for the Camping Enthusiasts in your Life!

We've scoured the Net to find you some Unusual and of course Classic last minute Gifts for the Camping Aficionados in your life!

Fantastic & Unusual Gifts for Campers & RV'ers

Cast Iron Cookware, excellent for cooking over the fire or on a propane stove top. Quality for $30

Bird Identification Book Bird Watchers Bible

Redneck Beer or Pop Camo Holster

Mystical Flames Turn your Campfire into a Color Show!

GPS - about $80 Click here for a well-rated GPS

Play & Freeze Ice Cream Maker ;o)

First Aid Kit Who can't use one of these?

Camping Journal Great Memories!

Snipe Hunt 2010 Game of the Year 

Propane Fire Pit Usable during Burn Bans

Coleman Lantern Decorative String Lights

Emergency Cell Phone Charger Radio & Flashlight

Space Saving Kindle

Enameled Dining Set Tried & True

Gift Certificate to the Pine Near ;o)

Please share more great ideas for last minute Gifts with us!

Decorate your RV or Travel Trailer for Christmas! Ho Ho on the Go!

Here are some hints and tips I picked up on various sites on Christmas decorating in RV's and Trailers. Check them out and let us know if you have any to add!

• Use your holiday decorations. No sense in them sitting in storage collecting dust. And those pretty candles - light them, smell the cinnamon, that's what they're for!
• Bake Gingerbread and other festive smelling treats.  They will make your RV smell great! You don't have to eat them, gift them!
• Look beyond an item's intended purpose. Give your pet an adorable stuffed reindeer toy for the Christmas season. 
• Keep tradition. Hang stockings and small versions of whatever you did previous to your RV life. Pin stocking to the curtains. Or, screw  small cup hooks to the underside of the overhead cabinets and hang your stockings in a row.
• Have a focal point, like a small Tree or Christmas Quilt.
• Use tree ornaments as wall hangings. 
• Use free decorations. A basket of evergreen branches (trimmings picked up at a tree lot) or pine cones from the park,  tied with a red ribbon looks festive on the counter. Nice scent too!
• Decorate with things meant to disappear, like seasonal fruit, nuts and candies.
• Hang a wreath from your grill.
• Embellish the outside of your RV with sparkly Christmas lights. Let everyone enjoy your Christmas Cheer.
• Drape your Dish Network or Direct TV tripod with your old Christmas Tree Skirt! (I love that one!)
• Create a mood. Play seasonal music - carols, fun childhood favorites, and new renditions by artists. Answer the phone with, "Merry Christmas!" And sometimes, in the dark of evening,  just watch the twinkling of tiny lights on your Christmas tree and think about why it is that we celebrate Christmas in the first place. 
• ...And don't forget the Candy Canes :o)

Check out these decorating ideas:

Hunting in Winthrop, Twisp - Methow Valley Wildlife Area, WA

The Methow Valley Wilderness is heavily populated with Mule Deer and also White and Black Tailed.  If you are considering Camping in the Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp or Carlton area the Pine Near RV Park and Campground is a great choice!  Centrally located in Winthrop - just one block above Main Street - walk downtown, have a couple beer, swap stories with other hunters and get back safely to your Camp!  We have Full Hook-up sites complete with running water, sewer, and your choice of 20/30/50 amp power. Free Wireless Internet, Hot Coin-Op Showers  and an on-site Laundromat. There is plenty of room for tenting, whether it's a one man pup tent or 12 man Outfitters Cabin Tent.  Camp with our Modern Conveniences and still cook on the fire!  Wood for sale here.  No hunting in town, of course.  Click here for reservations: http://www.pinenearpark.com/rates/

Check out the below information from http://wdfw.wa.gov.

The Methow Wildlife Area is 31,000 acres in seven units located in the Methow River watershed in the western half of Okanogan County. Acquisitions began in 1941 to relieve mule deer damage to local farmland by creating preferred habitat. Maintaining migration corridors and habitat for the Methow Valley’s migratory mule deer herds is the primary goal of most units, but other wildlife from songbirds to salmon also benefit. Many of the units border U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land. The wildlife area also provides access for wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, cross country skiing and other recreation.

How to Get Here

For driving directions and more information on this Wildlife Area's units, please click on the links below:

Big Buck Big Valley Early Winters Golden Doe Methow Rendezvous Texas Creek

Wildlife Area Map

Modern Firearm General Deer Seasons
Black-tailed Deer	Oct. 13-31	407, 418, 426, 448, 450, 454, 460, 466, 501–520, 506a, 524–556, 530ad, 560, 568, 572, 574, 601–633, 638–653, 658–673, 684	Any buck
		GMUs 410, 564a, Deer Areas 4013, 4926, 6014, and 6020	Any deer
		578	3 pt. min.
		437, 636, 654, 681	2 pt. min.
White-tailed Deer*	Oct. 13-26	101, 105, 108, 111, 113, 124	Any buck
		373	Any deer
		117, 121	4 pt. min.
	Oct. 13-21	203–284, 328, 330–368, 372	Any buck
		127–154, 162–186	3 pt. min.
		379d, 381	Any deer
Mule Deer*	Oct. 13-26	373d, 382, 388	3 pt. min.
	Oct. 13-21	101–154, 162–186, 203–284, 328, 330–368, 372, 379d, 381	3 pt. min.
Late Modern Firearm General Deer Seasons
Black-tailed Deer	Nov. 15-18	407, 454 , 466, 501–520, 506a, 524–560, 530ad, 568, 572, 601–633, 638–653, 658–673, 684 and 699d	Any buck
		636, 654, 681	2 pt. min.
		GMUs 410, 564a, Deer Areas 4013, 4926, 6014, 6020	Any deer
White-tailed Deer	Nov. 10-19	105, 108, 111, 113, 124	Any buck
		117, 121	4 pt. min.
Hunters 65 and Over, Disabled, or Youth Modern Firearm General Deer Seasons
White-tailed Deer	Oct. 18-21	101, 105, 108, 111, 113	Any deer
		117, 121	4 pt. min. or antlerless
	Oct. 13-26	124	Any deer
	Oct. 13-21	127–142, 145, 154, Deer Area 1010, and 172–178	3 pt. min. or antlerless
	Nov. 10-19	Deer Area 1050	Any deer
		Deer Areas 1060, 1070, and 1080	Anterless

RV Etiquette Reminders

RVing is about adventure and fun!  If you own an RV we know you enjoy nature, meeting new people, campfires and making memories with your family and friends.   You want to keep the good times rolling, so check out a few simple etiquette stand-bys so every RV trip is as fun as the first!    
  
Introduce Yourself to the Neighbors- Be friendly with other RV campers! It always pays to be kind.  Here's a few reminders on RV Park Camping.

1. Don’t Trespass- Respect the property of other RVers.  Walk on paths and not your neighbor’s yard.
2. Pet Peeves- Try to restrain your pooch from late night howling serenades to the moon!  Also, be sure you dog or cat doesn’t roam free from your RV area into your neighbors.
3. Clean the Dump Station When You’re Done- Remember, your dump station often faces another RVer’s patio space.  Consider leaving hose stored away until you need to dump.  Be courteous and insure everything is washed down after you do dump.
4. Parking the Rig- Keep all awnings and slide-outs from your RV on your side of the parking rig. 
5. Late Arrivals- Being unobtrusive while pulling in your RV may be a challenge, but keeping setup to a minimum on your late night arrivals is a good gesture toward fellow RVers.
6. Respect Quiet Hours- Keep the noise from your party to a minimum and within your property.  Respect other RV campers going to bed at an earlier hour.
7. RV Caravan- When traveling with other RVers, choose a lead driver, agree on a route and average driving speed before departing.

These tips were taken in part from Explore RV.

Canning Relish in an RV

 We found this blog over at: http://lifeinanarv.blogspot.com/

Today was relish making day in the ol’ RV. Two weeks ago or so, I put up 27 quarts of dill pickles and decided I wanted to give relish making a whirl. Now, I am not a fan of sweet relish. I mean, it’s ok, but it’s not my favorite. I like dill relish. I found a recipe that looked straightforward enough, click HERE for the link. I wanted to add in some more stuff and I decided to monkey around with the spice measurements.
I started out with 6 pounds of pickling cucumbers.And…I’m not sure what in the hell possessed me to want to chop all this up by hand, but I did :/
Chop, chop, chop…
Slice, slice, slice…I even sliced a bit of finger…not too bad, though.
And, finally, after, literally, 3 hours, I came to the end of the damn cukes. I was really starting to hate those things!
See…6 pounds all with my handy-dandy, rummage sale find cleaver…I love that thing!
Six pounds makes a lot!! This pot was the other rummage sale find, it’s a six-quart.
I had obtained some purple bell peppers from the farmers market on Saturday…I chopped them up, too!
Interesting color combo.
These are “Godfather” peppers…at least that’s what I was told from the guy who runs the produce stand where I buy all my cukes from. I chopped them up, too.
3 good-sized onions got chopped up…
and an entire head of garlic. You can never add too much garlic.

I added 1 cup canning salt to the chopped veggies and let it all set for an hour. Then I drained it and rinsed it well in cold running water.
This is my water bath canner aka Godzilla! It takes 2 burners on the stove inside. I forgot to have Bob set up the camp stove this morning before he left for work, so it was do or die!
This is my relish brine…6 cups of white vinegar, 5 teaspoons EACH dill seed, mustard seed and celery seed, 1-1/2 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon tumeric and that whole head of minced garlic…bring it to a boil…
Add the drained and rinsed veggies into the brine and bring it back up to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Sterilized jars waiting to be filled.
Relish is starting to simmer…
Looks good, huh?
I was able to fill 11 pint jars, so I think it’s a safe bet that I will not have to buy relish in the coming year.
I processed the jars for 15 minutes in the water bath. I always flip my jars upside down when they come out. Someone who is far more knowledgeable than I am in the canning department told me to do that, so I do and I’ve never had a jar not seal up for me. I leave them upside down for about 15 minutes. As I am writing this, I can hear PING! PING! PING! I love hearing that sound!

Peace!

Tags: dill relish, relish, water bath canning

Perfect time to Camp in Winthrop!

So.... School is starting just after Labor Day.  Our RV Park and Campground in downtown Winthrop, WA will be much quieter.  Come take advantage of our Warm Sunny Weather.  Relax and enjoy watching the deer and birds meander throughout our park. Visit with us and other campers of you choose ;o).  By the Way... For any of you who don't know... We have joined the Good Sam Club and Passport America.  Good Sam Campground.  We are big rig friendly.  See reviews on our park at Yelp! , RVParkReviews and Trip Advisor.

Convenient and Creative Camp Cooking

All season we've been impressed by the tantalizing smells of our guests camp cooking.  If you are concerned about creating a fabulous camp meal, don't be! Just about anything can be made in your outdoor kitchen.  We've seen Lasagna, Carne Asada, Rice and Vegetable Stir Fry (rice made on the fire!!) and of course, Steak, Chicken, Salmon, etc!

Here is a link you can check out for highly rated camp meals including an entire section devoted to Vegetarian Cooking: Camping Recipes

Experiment with them and no worries... If they don't work out our Campground is just one block away from many fantastic restaurants in downtown Winthrop :o).  Dining in Winthrop