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| Cube all ingredients.Place in a foil pack, make sure that it is sealed tightly. Cook on hot coals for approx. 1/2 hour turning every 15 min.(APPLES GIVE MOISTURE TO THE RECIPE INSTEAD OF BUTTER AND MAKES A GOOD DESSERT) |
Serves 1-2 Prep time 1-30 min
Don’t drink the water from ponds or streams unless you treat it first by boiling, filtering or using purification tablets.
Michigan’s landscape offer so much to choose from: beaches; forest; hundreds of islands; isolated peninsulas. The diversity sets the state apart in so many ways.
Sleeping bear dunes: A national lakeshore anchored in one of the upper midwest’s premier playgrounds, Sleeping Bear Dunes is a pastoral, 24, mile drive west from Traverse City.
Palms Book State Park
You need to visit Kitch-iti-kipi, or Big Spring, 11 miles northwest of Manistique on the Upper peninsula. The spring is 288-acre Palms Book State Park on Indian Lake. Visit michigan.org/parklands
Visit our website and check out all of Eureka tents on Sale. Just in time for camping season. www.countrycampingfun.com
Visit marvac.org or call 800-422-6478 to order a free copy of RVand Campsite.
By the grace of geology, the earth has provided its inhabitants with natural hot springs in scattered locations around the world. Naturally, the most prolific hot spots are near geothermal zones, and most in the United States are in the West. A number of hot springs occur east of the Mississippi, but they are, for the most part, highly developed resorts far from the natural water source and often rather expensive – not exactly what we would call “camper friendly.” The springs we’ve included are places where you can blend your camping activities with a relaxing soak!
Mystic Hot Springs, Utah
At Mystic the water comes out of the ground at a steaming 168 degrees F. It cools as it travels down a channel and runs into eight personal soaking tubs and two pools. As the hot mineral water purifies your body, the view overlooking the Sevier Valley purifies your mind.
Mystic Hot Springs: 435/527-3286; /mystichotsprings.com/.
Agua Caliente Hot Springs, California
Located near the south end of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California, this is an ideal destination for winter recreation. At Agua Caliente, there are two hot spring pools. One is a large outdoor pool that is kept at a natural 90 degrees F. The other pool (102 degrees F) is protected inside a glass-walled building and features whirlpool jets. If it’s solitude you’re looking for, be forewarned that from September to May this is one of San Diego County’s most popular parks. The Anza-Borrego desert is prime four-wheeling country, with numerous canyons for exploration afoot, on ATV, dirt bikes, or off-road SUVs You’ll find ancient pictographs 1.5 miles off the Great Overland Stagecoach Route of 1849. In the springtime, desert wildflowers put on a show.
Agua Caliente Hot Springs: 858/565-3600; /co.san-diego.ca.us/parks/camping/agua_caliente.html/.
Summer Lake Hot Springs, Oregon
In the Oregon high desert, at the base of the Winter Ridge Mountains, lies Summer Lake Hot Springs. Fields of waving grass stretch before you, undulating as they meet the sky at the horizon. This isolated location is the perfect place to toss your cares into the wind and soak in the springs’ rejuvenating waters. Four hot springs are on the Summer Lake property, and the spring filling the main soaking area pumps 25 gallons a minute of 113-degree-F water into the 15×30-foot pool. The pool and bathhouse were constructed in 1927, and are still used today. In the early days of the springhouse, town residents used the pool for bathing, shaving, doing laundry and soaking aching joints. Prior to the discovery of the springs by white settlers in 1843, Native Americans recognized the healing qualities of the springs – they called them Medicine Springs.
Summer Lake Hot Springs: 541/943-3931; /summerlakehotsprings.com/.
Miracle Hot Springs, Idaho
Agriculture has made its mark on the edge of the vast southern Idaho desert. But long before settlers came to this area, hot mineral springs bubbled to the surface. Today, one of those has been developed into Miracle Hot Springs, a small, rustic resort near the mouth of Salmon Falls Creek. There are 19 private soaking pools and two outdoor swimming pools. All private pools are drained, cleaned and refilled with fresh water between every use. The temperature of the private pools is user adjustable. The larger outdoor pool is kept warm. The other outdoor pool is partially covered and has a temperature of about 105 degrees.
Miracle Hot Springs: 208/543-6002; /mhsprings.com/.
Hot Springs Resort and Spa, North Carolina
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, along the tranquil banks of Spring Creek and the French Broad River, you’ll find the Hot Springs Resort and Spa. A 100-acre resort with 12 modern whirlpool-style hot tubs, Hot Springs is the only natural geothermal spring in North Carolina. The tubs are supplied with a continuous flow of 104-degree natural mineral water.
Springs Resort & Spa: 828/622-7676; /nchotsprings.com/.
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Let’s begin with the 10 Essentials. Whether you’re car camping, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking or biking in the wilderness, these are the most important items to carry with you. If these 10 things are all that you have, you should be able to survive long enough to be rescued or walk your way to safety. Keep a daypack filled with these items in camp or in your backpack when hiking at all times. This list can be supplemented to accommodate your specific needs and desires: Extra Clothing — If you get wet or the weather turns cold, you will need more than just the shirt on your back. Bring at least a change of socks and a weatherproof shell (rain jacket) for comfort and protection. If you typically hike in shorts, a pair of convertible (zip-on legs) pants can be nice when the air chills. There are a number of windproof and waterproof shells and midlayers on the market. It’s also a good idea to keep a spare set of bootlaces in your day pack, too. Extra Food – Physical activity requires nutrient replacement to sustain it. Always carry “energy bars” or trail snacks in your day pack. Dried fruit, trail mix, and jerky are amoung our favorites. Pack one extra meal in addition to what you need for the day’s activities. You should have enough to carry you through an unexpected delay just in case you get lost or injured. Sunglasses — Eyestrain and the associated headaches, as well as permanent eye damage from the sun’s radiation, make “shades” a must-have. The intense glare reflected from snow, ice-covered ground or light, sandy soils can temporarily blind or permanently damage unprotected eyes. But don’t buy in expensive glasses. Spend the money to get top-quality, UV-cutting sunglasses. Also get a keeper for them so they won’t fall off your face and into the creek. Pocketknife — A good, sharp knife is probably the most important survival tool you can have. It can be used for everything from whittling kindling to slicing food to cutting up cloth for bandages. We prefer pocketknives that are not overly complicated — a good single-blade folder or a knife that has just a few tools (can opener, awl, tweezers, etc.) is all you really need. Fire Starter — Under any conditions, but especially in wet, stormy weather, some sort of fire-starting device (either commercially bought or homemade) can be a lifesaver, especially if an overnight stay without shelter is unavoidable, or if hypothermia is a concern. Waterproof Matches or Cigarette Lighter. Waterproof matches can either be picked up at the store or fashion yourself by dipping regular match heads in molten parafin wax, this will light your stove or campfire even in rainy weather. Bring a butane-fueled cigarette lighter, which will dry easily and light consistently, but always bring matches, too. First-Aid Kit — Bring along a first-aid kit that will cover the basic problems you can attend to before contacting emergency medical personnel. Augment the kit’s contents to customize it for your family’s special needs, such as with allergy medications. Flashlight — Always bring a quality flashlight with you. You don’t want some inexpensive one that won’t last through the first night. And don’t forget to bring along a spare set of fresh batteries. Map of the Area — A topographic map of the area you’re hiking or camping in is a vital part of your checklist. Reconnoiter and learn your immediate surroundings soon after making camp. Compass — Get one for everybody in your party, and teach each person how to use it. As soon as you set up camp, use the compass to orient everyone to the bearings of the surroundings. Keep a compass with you whenever you go for a hike! Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers are a modern miracle, but you should not solely rely on them for emergency navigation. They run on batteries that can run out of juice, and most GPS units have compasses that only work when you’re moving at a high speed. MORE THAN ENOUGH My daypack not only includes these 10 Essentials, but it is also filled with six other necessities. Prior to setting out on the trail, I always pack at least a quart of clean water in a food-grade plastic bottle in my daypack. A small bottle of water-purification tablets are tucked away in my first-aid kit, too. I also tote along a “space blanket” to help keep warm and cozy in a pinch. Plus, I always bring a whistle for making noise in an emergency (it keeps me from losing my voice by having to yell to attract attention). A 20-foot coil of rope (you would be surprised how handy this can be) is in there, too. I also have a barbed-wire-style, compact handsaw for cutting up wood. There are several supplementary kits that we suggest you assemble and carry with you on your hikes. You can customize these kits to suit your needs, or invent kits of your own for the activities you participate in. We carry our kits in small, nylon stuff sacks. Foot-Health kit — Since hiking includes lots of fancy footwork, we recommend you keep a small foot-care kit as part of your main first-aid kit. We suggest the following items be included:
Adhesive-backed moleskin for covering hot spots to keep them from becoming blisters, and for protecting blisters from continued inflammation.
Small, folding scissors for cutting moleskin (and bandages and medical tape).
Cotton balls for cleaning skin.
Antiseptic foot powder (a sprinkle in both shoes during a hiking break can help protect, cool and dry your hot, tired feet).
A tiny plastic bottle with a couple of ounces of rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting blisters. First-Aid kit — In my daypack there is also a small medical accessory kit to augment the full-blown first-aid kit I carry on every trip. This first-aid kit includes:
Sunscreen with SPF 35.
Insect repellent with a high concentration of DEET.
Pain-relief ointment for insect stings and bites.
Small tube of antibacterial cream.
Small bottle of ibuprofen tablets (good for head- and muscle aches).
Lip balm with sunscreen.
Disinfectant hand-cleaning gel.
Liquid bandage (a paint-on liquid that dries but remains flexible to seal up minor cuts; especially useful on body parts that bend, such as fingers). GOOD TO HAVE ALONG There are dozens of other items that would not be classified as “essentials” but are really handy to have around. The items on this list will depend on your special needs or activities. Here are a few things that we always bring along for the hike.
Prepackaged moist towelettes (collect them when you go to fast-food restaurants or to your neighborhood BBQ rib joint) for cleaning hands or face without soap and water.
A trekking pole or a good, old-fashioned hiking stick. When hiking over uneven or rocky ground, or when crossing streams, three legs (or four, for that matter) are better than two. Trekking poles that can break down and fit nicely in a small pack are available.
A bandanna to use as a towel to mop up sweat and to dip into a cold creek to use as a back-of-the-neck cooling system. The cooling produced by evaporation can have a restorative effect in the middle of a long hike.
Bird identification book. This is something we make room for in our day-hikes.
Hard, fruit-flavored candies (such as Jolly Ranchers). Something sweet can make your mouth water when it’s dry and hot.
Wristwatch. Knowing the time of day can help you assess how far you have traveled and how much time you have to reach camp before dark. And, heaven forbid, should you forget your compass, you can use an analog watch to guide you. With the hour hand aimed at the sun, the halfway mark between the hour hand and the 12 on the watch will point southward.
