Hey Rusty! Gas was outrageous to say the least! Most of my driving was through the campground with the exception of a trip to town about once a week! The biggest place I felt the pinch was in filling the boat! The gas price at the marina went up to $4.25! We had to pay for the gas and then pay to have it shipped into our remote area before pumping it out to our customers! Unfortunately, no employee discounts on gas! It's been a hard year or two but I think things are back on track again. So, maybe you'll start hearing from me more often again! Very interesting thought chuckwagonjack. Never really thought about what you are saying and yet I do believe you're right on! I can never understand why people would want to go camping where it's crowded and noisy. When I camp I don't want to see another person! I definitely cannot stand hearing people play their music! So, yes, I think you are right--people feel a sense of security near others or enjoy the social aspect. Even my permanent summer site (I call it "outdoor living" is not in the popular part of the campground but back in the woods and quiet! My real week of camping is when we take off in the boat and go to the water accessible only site where I nearest neighbor is a mile away!

I know I'm kind of late to the party, but this thread continues to be timely, IMHO. Especailly for people who are interested in cutting down on food costs. I eat beans almost every day. Last week I had meat-eating company and my weekly grocery bill was $150.00. This week, no meat, $65.00. Now some of the stuff I bought the week before is lasting until now, but my bill is consistently below 100 bucks when I don't buy meat. (Plus do a whole lot of other cost cutting measures that I won't go into here). And the only meat I did buy was chicken and splurging on scallops, so it doesn't take much. So, for all you folks who are trying to be frugal--at the very least, use meat and fresh vegetables as condiments, and strech your dollars with beans and grains! Frankly I love beans and never miss the meat. However, I don't have a touch tummy and am rarely bothered by bean gas. However, I think my secret is never eat a lot of beans late in the day. Also, keep the dishes light. A late, rich bean dinner scarfed down in a hurry is a recipe for intestinal disaster. Here are some summer bean salads I really enjoy. Marinated Blackeyed Peas (4 servings) 1 can blackeyed peas 1 rib celery - chopped 1TBLSP finely chopped onion (I like red in salads) 1 TBLSP olive oil or other salad oil 1 TBLSP vinegar 1 TBLSP mayo 1/4 tsp. salt (I use lemon pepper here) dash cayenne 1 ripe tomato Drain and rinse peas, add chopped stuff except tomato. Combine dressing ingredients and mix with salad. Chill several hours and serve with tomato on lettuce cups. Can be doubled to serve for a crowd. Can add some green or red pepper, and sub a scallion for the onion. Can add more dressing if it seems bland. Totu "Tuna" and White Bean Salad (This may be from "Vegetarian Times" magazine) 8 servings 2 cups cooked cannellini beans 8 oz. baked marinated tofu, italian style (If you can't get this in your grocery, follow my instructions on the vegan thread, or google how to do it, or search this forum as I've posted instructions before.) 1/3 cup chopped black olives, preferrably cured (I LOVE kalamatta, that's what I use) 1/2 cup sliced red onion 2 large celery stalks (diced) 1/4 cup fresh parsley 2 TBLSP EVOO Juice of 1/2-1 lemon fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste Combine ingredients and allow to marinate for an hour. Can add more dressing if if seems to need it, it's a matter of your taste and diet. Serve over a bed of lettuce. If you absolutely hate tofu, you can sub a can of actual tuna for the tofu. This is a traditional italian/french type dish. You can also make it with garbanzo beans.

mammie, you are 100% correct. Many people do not know this....quite bit of frozen shrimp are farmed in Texas. These shrimp are flash frozen right after they are harvested and come in 20 pound boxes. The quality and taste is very good.......few consumers would find any difference that those that are caught in the wild. These shrimp never have that Iodine taste which can be a problem with wild caught White shrimp. These harvested shrimp will all be uniform in size. In the winter when the wild season is closed, these frozen shrimp appear in Louisiana markets. The frozen shrimp are defrosted and sold. Since the product is always kept on ice and turnover rate is very high......the quality is still very good. I am not sure how much of the wild caught shrimp is flashed frozen. FYI, just this past year some entrepreneurs in my area have taken advantage of these farmed raised flash frozen shrimp. These guys provide a new service to locals. Place an order with them and they arrive at your house with boxed frozen shrimp from Texas. Upon your approval, they defrost the shrimp, de-head them, pack them in containers, and will even put them in your freezer for $4.00 per pound (gross weight). My niece in Baton Rouge swears by this service. Dan

Have you done the Exploratorium? It's a science museum but different from any other I've ever been to. Very hands on and more to do for all ages. We thought we'd spend an hour or two there and ended up spending most of the day. Also, the musee mecanique is an arcade down near one of the piers filled with antique coin-op game machines - many dating to the 1920s and even earlier. It's free to get in - it only costs the quarters that you spend on the machines. My 13 year old loved it -- it was the one thing he asked to go back to. Several times! http://museemecaniquesf.com/