Travel Camping Trip – A Story Book for Tori

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

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.

4) Have fun!

Photos property of The Traveling Chili Pepper

The river flowed steadily that warm afternoon. The water had the color of a thick hot chocolate, sans the aroma, due to rain the night before. The sun was beating down pretty hard but we had the tall lush trees along the edges of the river as our umbrellas. A couple of turtles hung out on a tree trunk that looked like it had fallen into the water a while ago. Seven ducks swam closely together while checking their surrounding. A friend kept saying, “Watch out for the branches, watch out for the branches!” as Jeff deliberately (and many times) stirred the canoe towards the low-hanging tree branches along the river. I did not hear anything else other than our laughter.

One of my friends was moving to the east coast for a new job this spring. My friends and I asked what he wanted to do to celebrate his accomplishments and he said, “Canoeing on the Grand River.” Hmmm…okay. I had never done canoeing before or imagined to be able to do it on the Grand River. But this summer, my theme is all about keeping an open mind and trying new things. So that Saturday eight friends drove to the Grand Fish, a canoe and kayak rental by one of the river’s access points in Lansing.

We rented two canoes and two kayaks. The owners of the Grand Fish recommended for us to go upstream to the river branch and take a left to the Red Cedar River, towards Potter Park Zoo. “Just paddle for about 10 minutes upstream, then after you get to the Red Cedar, it will be easy.” said one of the owners. Well, what was supposed to be a 10-minute paddling turned into 20 due to the strong current. After trying hard to race each other, we regrouped in the middle of the river, chatting, laughing, and being silly. It felt just like college days.

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Tag: Travel Camping Trip

Car Camping: A Social Function

In the Middle of the River