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OT Camping with dad

Trail Angels

Trail Angels and Trail Magic on Backcountry Hikes This summer when we were hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail in the hot June sun, we came across two trail angels waiting at a spot in the road where the trail crossed Skyline Drive, the road that runs the length of Shenandoah National Park. . …

Longpool

A Love Letter to Longpool

A Love Letter to Longpool, A Beloved Arkansas Campground Dear Longpool, Just the other day I was going through a box of old photos (a winter project suitable for a string of days of sub-zero temperatures). I came across this sweet photo of our three oldest kiddos on our first camping trip to your perfectly …

Starved Rock CampingIMG_20191005_153200

Snapshots of Starved Rock: Camping in Illinois

Camping at Starved Rock State Park We went camping at Starved Rock State Park a couple weeks ago for Simon’s fall break and I remembered that one of my favorite rooms with a view is this tent. It’s true. Seeing the trees RIGHT THERE when my eyes open is one of the surest ways I …

Snapshots of BavariaIMG_9479

Snapshots of Bavaria, Germany

Last spring we went camping for a weekend in Bavaria, Germany. From the moment we told folks we were moving to Germany, people told us we had to go and visit Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein). It was raining when we stopped there on our way to our camping spot, but that was ok, because …

Fishing in Colorado, Art of Escape, Chino House

Learning the Art of Escape from My Daddy

Recently, a fellow writer suggested that I try to dig at the root of what has made me a traveler. Where did I get my love of the outdoors? How did I become a wanderer?  As I have explored these questions through scribbles in notebooks and looked for answers to why I mark the calendar months by …

Chino House Camping Checklist, Download at AlisonChino.com

Chino House Camping Checklist

I hope you are getting to see the leaves change where you live, because it is one of creation’s most spectacular displays. Every year I am newly amazed. How can the death of something be so beautiful? Of course, one of the very best ways to enjoy fall color is to go camping. And while …

Camping on the River Dee, Scotland, Highland Getaway

Highland Getaway

30 Hour Midweek Highland Getaway I can already tell that one of the most wonderful things about living in Scotland is going to be that it takes almost no time at all to get out into the country. Just a few miles outside of the city, the Scottish Highlands are already beckoning to us! While …

Gothic, Aspen To Crested Butte: Day 4, Backpacking, Hiking with Kids, Colorado

Aspen To Crested Butte: Day 4

2 families, 4 days, 3 nights, 15 miles, 3,000 feet of elevation gain. This summer our family hiked from Aspen to Crested Butte with another precious family. Read about our first day on the trail here. And second day here.  Third day here. Aspen To Crested Butte: Day 4 Taido woke us up early with …

camping menus, camp food, camping with kids

Camp Beef Stew

When we’re camping, we usually have our car (or pop up), so we take a grill and I pack my enamel dutch oven so we can make soups and stews. This beef stew makes a regular appearance on our camping trips. The kids love it. We serve it with a big pot of mashed potatoes, …

Camping Trip, Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas State Parks, Camping in Arkansas

Camping Trip

Y’all, this picture was taken ten years ago on a camping trip to Devil’s Den State Park. How is that even possible? For ten years we have been playing with our kids in the woods and streams of Arkansas’ State Parks. Devil’s Den State Park is in Northwest Arkansas, and it is still one of …

camp meals, summer sausage, cheese and crackers, blue tin bowl

Camping Menus

  Last summer, when we went on our annual two week camping trip to Colorado, I really tried to document our Camping Menus. We are always so hungry at camp from hiking and being outside, so the food is one of our favorite parts! This first picture is a standard lunch meal for us: a …