Depends on what you call camping, and where you are. basic types to me: 1) RV camping, park in lot with other RV folks, generally drive to places, might day hike into a wilderness area, running water and power 2) car camping, big family size tent in campground 3) back packing, everything is carried by you, wherever you go 4) canoe or kayak camping, you portage your boat and gear on your back I am from the Upper Mid-West and I generally do items 3 and 4. That said: Backpacking that I have enjoyed A) Porcupine Mountains in Western UP of Michigan B) Isle Royale in Lake Superior C) Beartooth Absaroka "Beaten Path" northeast of Yellowstone in Montana D) Adirondacks High Peaks region near Mt Marcy E) Sylvan Lake and Harney Peak area of Black Hills F) Idaho side of Grand Tetons (Teton Creek) G) Newport State Park, Door County Wisconsin H) Devils Lake State Park northwest of Madison Wisconsin Canoe Camping that I have enjoyed A) Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota B) Sylvania Wilderness of Northern Michigan near Watersmeet C) Rock Island State Park, Wisconsin Car camping -Minnesota North Shore -Lake Itasca Minnesota -Door County Wisconsin State Parks -Copper Falls State Park Wisconsin

Good Morning: Dee, DH and I saw Gene Pitney a few years back in a small night club in NH. We went with a bunch of family members and had so much fun singing along to all the oldies! He put on a great show. We also have been to a Hot Air Balloon festival several times (in Gilmanton Iron Works, NH, Suzanne are you familiar with it?) and every time but once they were unable to fly either because the wind conditions or whatever were not right. They did fill them up so you could view them on the ground but it was a little disappointing, so I hope yours goes well. It will be fun to be part of it though. Have a great weekend! Martha's Vineyard was great. BJ, so many questions you asked. We only went for the day. It is about a 2 hour ride from here to the ferry in Falmouth, MA and then about a 45 minute ride on the ferry out to the island. We had a great time. Did a little shopping, ate too much food. There is an Italian restaurant there that we love so ofcourse I had fettucini alfredo, (and I blew off WW this morning). The other couple that came with us have not been to MV in about 25 years, so it was fun to be with them. We are making arrangements to take our boats out there next summer for a week. Suzanne, I'm glad that you are doing well. I am sorry about your DH. What is it about people (and I don't want to say it is just men, because women do it too) that feel they need to kick you when you are down? I laughed out loud on your current reading selection. It is not a book that I am familiar with, but I am sure my sister has read it! DS and fiance have found an apartment and will probably be moving in a couple of weeks. I am very happy for them and I think it is a great idea that they live together before the wedding next year, but my emotions are on a roller coaster right now. I just keep thinking that this is it. My son is leaving and I won't see him first thing in the morning or when he comes home from work. He won't be telling me about his day every day. Am I crazy? But I am also happy because I know it is time for him to be independent and to be a man. It gets stressfull at times here because his DF is here alot and there are alot of adults in the house at one time. Raeanne, I am so happy that your situation worked out the way you intended. I hope that she comes back with some good news for you. Who is Jared Coffin? QOD: No plans. The weeks worth of laundry that I have neglected is waiting for me. It is the last weekend of DH vacation and the weather is supposed to be beautiful, so I don't know what we will do. Probably some boating and fishing. DH went tuna fishing today, so I am taking DS and some of his friends to the beach. Have a great day! Love, Besh

Canned goods were invented for those situations. Today we have the luxury of lighter weight plastic and foil pouches. I see tunafish, oysters, even cooked hamburger in foil pouches. Nuts, dried fruit, dried meat (jerky) you probably already thought of. Potatoes wrap in foil and will cook nice in the coals of a campfire. Dry beans don't weigh much... bean soup cooks fine over a campfire. Traditional travel foods were often pickled, salted, or dried. Ziplock baggie of green olives? A whole fishing pole is not needed... some line and a couple hooks and some lead shot sinkers? Bait is found under rotten logs and layers of leaves. People were spearing fish for thousands of years before line fishing was invented... pin it to the bottom then reach down with your hand to grab it.... does take some practice as light refraction makes the fish somewhere other then where you see it. Pour salt on that leech and it will let go... btw it will make fish bait. When I was young went camping up in the artic circle with not much more then beer and pancake batter... ate fresh caught fish until I was sick of them. The variety of the modern world is such a luxury! Being familiar with edible berries and plants can help give variation... one decent puffball mushroom can change a meal for the whole group. A half handful of wild raspberries flavors a pot of oatmeal. Know what you are eating... all puffballs are edible but that toadstool might give you a trip of another kind. Salt! Don't forget salt... potatoes, beans, and oatmeal are all better with a pinch of salt in the pot. Dried hot peppers are nice because they take little space and pack a huge flavor... black beans and cayenne peppers! So the bannana or apple got mushed... cut it up into the oatmeal in the morning. Part of the adventure is making do and being creative. Dump corn bread batter in the bottom of the cooking pot and set it over the fire... bread!.. got a jalpeno in it and it is good bread. It does not have to slice nice... scoop it out with a spoon and eat it in chunks. A plastic bottle of brandy makes an emergency antiseptic, reduces bug bite itch, and passes well around a campfire.

I can't stand to not be busy! Sitting is something I only do in the evening when I watch tv with oldest DD who lives w/me, and the occasional breaks taken on this darn tablet, like now. lol I have a space in an antique mall which is a lot like having an actual job. I paint vintage furniture and sell items which have a French 'vibe', which makes my space a totally feminine 'shop', with lots of 'pretties'. Every other week I visit youngest dd/dh, and my 2 grands, 9 and 5. GD is 5, and it's all about princesses, castles, barbies, and all the teeny tiny paraphernalia that goes along with it! She also loves watching youtube videos about 'the lives of Barbie and Ken' narrated by a young woman named Sandra~they remind me of infomercials. Say Yes to the Dress is another favorite, but when she visits me, loves to go thru my vintage 'things' or play dress up, wearing my glittery heels. lol Although she's a girlie-girl, she has moments where she can be a total.tomboy. GS will play on his xbox, and is trying to teach me~i'm just not quick enough with the remote 'thingie'. If I can get him away from the technology, he loves games, and legos where he'll sit for hours building a 'village' or shopping mall. I like to add my own silly details and he always says, "grandma, that doesn't go like that". I tell him I'm thinking outside the box. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, even if it's someplace not too faraway. This weekend we(youngest DD/DH, my youngest son, oldest DD, and son-in-law's mom, and myself)are going to Fredricksburg, Tx(about an hour and a half away)for the weekend. It's youngest DD birthday, and she wanted to get away and has a nanny who comes to stay w/the kids. So it's wine, food, and fun...and great shopping!! Sometimes I feel there aren't enough hours in the day for me. ;)