Car Camping: A Social Function

Need a summer fun idea that doesn’t break the bank?

Car Camping!

Car camping means you camp in a tent next to your car on a campground. No need to haul everything in a backpack like we did in Grand Teton! Google the nearest state park or national park with campground around your area and decide what’s best for your comfort level.

Most parks we have visited have showers (with hot water) and bathrooms at campsite. Some even have power outlet, which we rarely use. We see our car camping activity as a social occasion, a chance to catch up with friends in a different setting…in nature, open space…with fresh air!

We have gone car camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Van Buren State Park, located on Lake Michigan (west Michigan). The two parks offer pristine beaches. Another park we went to for car camping was Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin where we enjoyed its amazing hiking trail.

Here are my few tips:

1)      Go with loved ones

2)      Bring delicious food

As a cooking enthusiast, I also make use of this get together as a chance to grill. Jeff would bring his portable grill to the campground and make food preparation and enjoyment to be part of the activity. Both of us are meat eaters. We love lamb and chicken satay seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper powder. We would freeze the meat inside of ziplock bags the night before, pack them inside of a cooler filled with ice packs, and store inside the car until meal time. I have also done turkey burger mixed with onions and jalapeno with a pinch of salt. Or my favorite: grilled chicken wings, boiled the night before with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, salt, red pepper powder, and galangal. Grill corn, red and green bell peppers, and asparagus to accompany the meat. Having real and delicious food at your own campsite is possible.

Note: Hotdogs and burgers will also work. And there are always the nearest restaurants too 🙂

3) (Invest in) and bring good recreational equipments

Planning and having the right gears are crucial for activities such as camping. Being outdoors requires a little comfort level adjustment. (We will talk about total comfort abandon, well…almost,… in another article about backpacking and backcountry camping). So in order to stay dry, comfortable, and content, PLEASE plan ahead.

IMG_7083

IMG_0922

4) Have fun!

IMG_7088Sitting around by the camp fire

IMG_0937

Photos property of The Traveling Chili Pepper

Harini Riana2 Comments

Circling the Devil’s Lake

The gap between the rocks on West Bluff trail, on the north entrance, seems to get bigger each time I try to step forward. I can feel my heart pounding hard like an engine trying to boost me up about 500 feet to the top of the steep hill. The trees sway with the breeze while protecting Jeff and me from the blazing sun. It’s only nine in the morning but the temperature has gone up close to the high 80s and the air feels a bit too damp. We just started hiking with our backpacks at the Ice Age Trail at Devil’s Lake and I am already drenched. I drop my backpack and climb my way up to the first scenic overlook to take a breather. This is my first try at hiking on a steep and rocky slope trail. On the top of the bluff I see the quiet lake that offers an ancient tale of being a good provider to life around it. Above the water, blue sky becomes the backdrop for three eagles who are flying like they are in some sort of an air show. The beauty restores my energy.

I got up to the sound of birds chirping outside of our tent that morning. Jeff was already up. The smell of coffee invited me to crawl out of my sleeping bag and tent. The weather was still cool and the rest of the campground was still asleep. We were so excited to test our new camping and hiking gears. We wanted to find a hiking trail around the Chicagoland for the weekend. The search took us to a portion of the Ice Age Trail on the 1.6 billion year old rocky Baraboo Hills, Wisconsin, surrounding the Devil’s Lake. 

The clear blue lake seems peaceful and friendly, despite the name. It seems to be inviting so many people to celebrate its existence.  Little children with the biggest smile on their faces shriek happily when their little feet touch the water. Some cry, like their hearts are broken, when their mothers ask them to get out of the water for lunch. Families bring their big coolers filled with food and drinks. People say hello as we pass through the park on the way to the next steep hike on the Balanced Rock Trail. The sweet aroma of barbecue fills up the air around the park as we sit and enjoy our sandwiches.

The rocky and steep Balanced Rock Trail on the south part of the east bluff is pretty narrow. But since this is our second climb on this trip, I feel a lot more prepared. Still, the 0.4 miles with another 500 feet of elevation gets me to slow down once in a while to catch my breath. This is definitely a good cardio exercise! I hold on to the stones as I go up, trying to absorb the strength that they have demonstrated for the past billion years. We get to the top of the hill and see the Balanced Rock. The rock is wider on the top and narrow on the bottom standing tall on the top of another rock with a flat surface high above the ground. Literally, well balanced! We continue hiking through the woods of the scenic East Bluff Trail where the breeze feels cooler and butterflies roam free. We have circled the lake and still have a couple of miles until we reach our campground. Only this time the hike feels a lot easier.

Photos property of The Travelling Chili Pepper

Harini Riana5 Comments

Hugged by the Sleeping Bear

“Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but eventually the cubs tried and lagged behind. Mother bear reached the shore and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. Too tired to continue, the cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the faithful mother bear”. (Chippewa Indian legend)http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/pssleepingbearduneoverlook.htm

 

The sky turned pink as the sun gently descended and kissed Lake Michigan’s horizon. Bonfire gave out a perfect wood-burning scent at the secluded Peterson Road Beach in Honor, MI. Sitting on the beach with my friends, I saw Venus hanging not too far above the horizon on one side and the Sleeping Bear Point and Empire Bluff resting on the lake on the other side. The soothing sound of small waves crashing was perfect to be recorded and played before bedtime. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, hoping to absorb everything. When I opened my eyes I saw Farah busy preparing the smores, Fifi spraying everyone with mosquito repellant, Theo looking deeply into his camera to capture the moments, and Jeff pointing the video camera at me and said, “Hey, Birthday Girl!” Then the dark sky brought out thousands of stars. Everyone sank into their own beach chairs, buried their feet deep in the playful sand while sipping their drinks. My senses were babied by nature’s beauty and my heart was full.

It was my 30th birthday. I wanted to do something different for my birthday celebration. So I said, “Let’s go camping!” Jeff, an outdoor enthusiast, found a campground by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.  He booked it in January for my birthday in… May. He called up some of our closest friends and three were able to join. So we packed up our camping gears, food, and drinks and drove northwest.

I think the location was perfect for good friends to celebrate beautiful summer days. The weekend was filled with great cookouts, conversations, and plenty of laughter with nature’s sounds in the background. Deer would lift up their heads to catch a glimpse of who’s passing by and who’s calling them “Bambi.” The breathtaking views from the scenic drive along  the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive or the Old Mission wineries, the easy breeze, the smooth sand, and the cool water definitely forced everyone to slow down and be playful.

I would definitely come back to hug the Sleeping Bear.

Photos property of The Traveling Chili Pepper

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Harini Riana8 Comments