Things to Do
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Exploring the Famous and Historic Mark Twain Cave
Mark Twain Cave is a national landmark located just outside of historic Hannibal, Missouri. Discovered in 1820 by accident when a man was trying to locate his dog. It became a local attraction of unexplored passageways that sparked the imagination of children and adults. Samuel Clemens, under his pen name Mark Twain made this cave famous when he wrote about it his stories, notably, the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Although Mark Twain’s books have come under scrutiny in recent years because of their controversial text, don’t let that stop you from visiting this natural wonder. The cave itself is a mysterious labyrinth of twist and turns ready to…
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Take this Epic Hike at Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park
Take an epic hike down into the mysterious sinkhole at Devil’s Millhopper State Park in Gainesville, Florida. This journey into past is the perfect day trip if you are camping nearby or just visiting the area. The Legend of Devil’s Millhopper This is the legend as written in the park brochure. All credit given to Florida State Parks. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Indian princess who lived in a village near the location of the present day Devil’s Millhopper. The Devil wanted to marry the princess, but she wanted nothing to do with him. One day he decided to kidnap her. He grabbed the Indian princess and…
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Slightly Scary Stories To Tell Around the Campfire
Telling spooky, scary stories around the campfire is a long-honored tradition. Here are a couple of stories that are just spooky enough to send chills down your spine but not so scary to traumatize the kids. So gather the kids around a roaring campfire and begin a night of storytelling of spooky camping tales. The Whistler In the Woods Written By: N.M. Fellows A group of boys were sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories at night, hours after the adults had gone to bed in their tents. An older boy had just finished a scary story that left the boys on edge when they heard a whistle coming…
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How to View Manatees at Three Sisters Springs by Water or Land
On our last camping trip at Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort we visited Three Sisters Springs by canoe and by the boardwalk. Both had spectacular views of the springs, but it was amazing to be so close to the manatees in the canoe. Three Sisters Springs Three Sisters Springs is located in Kings Bay in Crystal River, Florida. It is part of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. This beautiful natural habitat is the wintering ground for hundreds of manatees. During the winter months the manatees flock to this area because of the naturally warm springs. Manatees can be seen in large numbers in and around the springs during the…
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The Summer Mix-Up, A Kid’s Drink Celebrating the End of Summer
Have kids celebrate the end of summer by combining the tastes of summer into a fun drink of their own creation. What is a Summer Mix-Up? The Summer Mix-Up was my youngest son’s idea to celebrate the end of the season on our last summer campout at Anastasia State Park. Instead of having one type of drink he decided it would be more fun to create his own. So I bought a combination of drinks that remind us of the lazy days of summer. Types of drinks to buy: Lemonade Sport Drinks Orange Soda White Soda Colas Fruit Juices Grenadine Syrup Garnishes Sliced Limes and Lemons Maraschino Cherries I set…
