PJ good for you! I won a prize for archery too! But it was my 2nd year trying it - I remember that like I remember beginning this sentence...no really. I remember because my first year, I had absolutely the lowest score of all the boys, and I cried like a baby. The next year, I must have had a counselor who was a better coach. Or maybe God just gave me a steadier hand a year later, because I practically split the rear ends of my earlier arrows shot into the bull's eye with my later shots! (My big disappointment that 2nd year was looking and looking around among the boys, and not seeing another one crying like I did the year before! I knew there were a few that 2nd year who shot as poorly or worse than I did my 1st year. So I was mad that they either didn't care as much as I did, or they were better at hiding their pain. Those are the sorts of things that go through boys' minds, that cause them to grow while at camp.) Of course I was totally kidding around about camps not being for girls. But still! A "love smitten teenage boy trailing after you (instructor)"??!!! That's STALKING! I wouldn't send my girl to camp to learn how to handle THAT. Not even if I knew that boy and his parents beforehand and we had pre-arranged for him and my daughter to marry! I'd make sure she was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do before we sent her there. And I'd insist that she sleep wearing night vision goggles and a Bowie knife or a Taser (or two) strapped on. The only thing I can say, PJ, if you're gonna tell DW on me, is, she knows it ain't gonna do no good to make me sleep out in the heat, because I AM THE HEAT! I AM THE DEVIL, HAHAAAAAAAA!!!

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

I wish I'd seen this thread before posting mine! Yes, you can use a pressure cooker on the propane stove. I had a pressure cooker in my RV (and plan to put it in the camping equipment for this summer's trip). I have also used it on the white-gas stove (older Coleman model), when we were renovating the kitchen at home. We looked at those 12-volt refrigerators. My husband was annoyed that he got rid of his after leaving the trucking industry. Well, how could we know! Thanks for the tips on the newer ones. As far as camping reservations go: from experience, the national park campgrounds fill fast. Many of them are on the reservation system, and others (like in Arches) will require you to start trolling through the CG at daybreak, looking for departing campers. Our trip is about the same length as yours, though we are staying in motels and with friends and family instead of tent-camping. From experience with long trip tent camping, though, you'll want to get a motel room or find a truck stop with reasonably priced showers (bring shower shoes) every 3-4 days. Your trip sounds like a lot of fun -- we're heading from CA to ME via Orlando, FL, and back through MO (daughter, son-IL and new granddaughter live there). So we're going opposite of you, grin. I've placed a link to a great resource for road-trip planners. It's one of my favorite Internet sites. Donna Here is a link that might be useful: Road Trip America

Looks like a great place to camp. I like camping in the rustic places, but we make sure we aren't too far from the bathrooms! I hope the evenings are cool. Those tents can get very hot inside!!! Jammer and I always took cards and dominoes and would play games by candle light at night. The boys took those lighted Nerf footballs and would have lots of fun with them at night. Hope you have lots of fun!!!