Blog
Camping with History – Ghost Fires and Orange Hats at French Creek State Park
We picked this Pennsylvania park purely for its location and the fact that it had some trails we could hike. As we neared the entrance, I saw a sign for a national historical site and thought maybe we could make time to visit after we left. But it turned out that the...
Tiki Review
The fictitious world of tiki became my paradise at young age. Some of my earliest happy memories involve thatched umbrellas waving in a warm breeze, colored lights flickering on cocktail tables in a darkened room, and lots of maraschino cherries on a fanciful plastic...
Lizard Man: The Metal-Chomping Legend Who Rose from Scape Ore Swamp to Form a Country Band
Years ago, he terrorized teenagers and vandalized cars. Now he hangs out in the swamp, playing scales on the washtar and stomping to the beat. Or so the story goes. I’m talking about the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp. Depending on who you talk to, he’s either the...
Camping with History: The Road to Hell is Paved with Waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park
The beginning of our stay at Rickett’s Glen State Park was underwhelming . It rained steadily all day. Our campground looked like the parking lot of a strip mall. The nearest trail led to a collection of ash dumping cans at the edge of a muddy lake. We expected to...
Camping with History: Don’t Get Cookie Crumbs in Your Eye and Other Lessons Learned from Historical Encampments
History geeks like me tend to look for interesting bits of information about the past in every place we visit, so it’s fun to camp in areas with displays that share that information. But some of us with a history obsession also like to take things a step further on...
Pink Moons are Usually the Reason Easter Falls on a Different Day Every Year
While I’m disappointed that last night’s pink moon did not feature any special colors, I’m not surprised. Blue moons aren’t blue either, so the naming of moons is a highly suspect practice in my opinion. Despite my disappointment, I had to find out why it’s called a...
Camping with History: Reminders of Some of the Worst and Best Moments in Our Nation’s History at Hillsborough River State Park
When we arrived at Hillsborough River State Park outside Tampa, we were looking forward to hiking some beautiful trails and canoeing with alligators and blue herons. What happened instead was that we discovered a fundraising drive that was doomed to fail. Many of the...
Camping with History: Way Down Upon the Suwanee …
“Camptown ladies never sang all the doo dah day…” --Ghost of Stephen Foster by the Squirrel Nut Zippers We’re here at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park on the banks of the Suwannee River in northern Florida and while the camping is pretty nice, the...
Timanfaya: The Fire Mountain That Brought Water to Lanzarote
During the 1600s, poor farmers in the Alps prayed desperately for relief as slow-moving rocks made of ice--more commonly referred to as glaciers—overran their villages. Decades later, poor farmers on the western outskirts of Europe would similarly watch in horror as...
Why Do We Make Noise and Drop Things on New Year’s?
It’s after 10 p.m. now, and the first few test fireworks have already been shot off. People all over our time zone are getting ready to ring in the new year by making lots of noise or watching someone drop something large from one point up high to another point not...