October 2007

from www.family-fun-camping.com

Issue # 4
October 2007

In this issue

1. Choosing A good Travel Club
2. Roadside safety
3. Map Suggestions
4. How to make a road trip memorable

Bonus: Article on Family Camping

Welcome to the Forth issue of around the campfire we are will be doing more with this monthly feature so please be patient, for now we are trying to get the basics done while providing you some Relevant information!

Please feel free to visit the site and use the contact us forms located on many pages to make a suggestion or comment.

Imagine you are traveling at night in a dark and desolate part of state you have never visited and your vehicle stall’s and won’t start; now what you have no idea where you are or were to find help. Well a simple phone call could change all that if you have a membership to a good car club like AAA or Good Sam’s, these two companies are excellent at helping people no matter the time or location.

The value of planning ahead really can not have a dollar value. Let’s face it your family’s safety is priceless. I have been lucky when traveling I have never broken down. The problem is you can not predict a roadside emergency or accident. Choosing a good partner to travel with can ensure you are ready for any situation. My personal favorite is Good Sam’s club. This club offers several different products to meet a variety of needs. You will find that their services are geared towards RV owners or people who travel large distances. Those families that require something less I suggest AAA.

I would like to point out some key services you can get from Good Sam’s Club, Low rates on Rv roadside assistance, A ten percent discount on over seven-teen hundred Rv parks across the United States and A myriad of befits available through a exclusive member only website.

The things you should look for in any travel or car club are fixed yearly rates, clearly defined deduct able(s) and national coverage. I would beware of the companies that only give brief descriptions of services or fees. Should you choose a budget company you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place if you break down and have to pay almost the whole bill?

The value of being prepared for an emergency while traveling is priceless, you will find how ever a lot of people seem to forget all about safety when a situation arises. I would like you to think about how many times you have passed a person changing flat on the side of the highway just acting without caution for the busy road?

The fact of the matter is you have to remain calm and in control no matter what has happened. I find just stopping and thinking things over for a minute help’s quite a lot, loosing your cool or just doing anything will only makes things worse. I have found in most families there’s always on person who can remain calm no matter what, make sure you let this person have input right away to help resolve the emergency quickly.

Sign up for Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service Today! and avoid the hassle of being stranded without a way to get to safety. A key to keeping safe while traveling is having a kit in your car with the necessary tools to handle the common problems like flat tires, over heating and general maintained items. You are going to need the check and make sure you have a working jack, Roadside flares, lug wrench and a flashlight for starters. Some other handy item(s) may include a blanket, work gloves, hammer, and pliers. I would consider the following optional items a can of fix a flat, spare drive belt, simple tool kit (wrenches, ratchets, sockets ect.) and a cell phone.

Section: 3 Map Suggestions

I would have to venture a guess and say most people have at least looked at a map before, how ever this does not mean every one knows how to really read the details most maps offer. When we travel I usually get the job of navigating, over the years I have learned some tricks that may be of use on your next vacation. First let us look at some basics, you should always find the key and legend for the map this will give the scale for distance and explain all the symbols on the map. You will find it handy to know ahead of time if a highway is a toll road or not, you can also find fuel, lodging and most other travel needs just by the symbols. - I find it handy to transfer the scale of miles to edge of an envelope so I can place it on the map and get a rough estimate of distance. The details oriented people will also find it nice to keep a travel log detailing the time and distance between way points along the way. Having a travel log is nice because it lets you form a time frame for planning when you’re going to arrive at your home/vacation destination and back.

When you are looking at a map make sure you fold it so you’re only looking at the section you’re currently traveling in, this allows you more room to move and ensures the map does not block the drivers view of the road. Please also remember reading a map and driving simultaneously is very dangerous just pull over and take a minute to get your self back on track.

The reason most families travel is to create good memories and enjoy time as a family; I suggest you keep this in mind when you’re planning the next family vacation. Depending on the age of your children remember to keep plans realistic and not over plan. Children do not like being drag all over the country to see forty places in two weeks they would rather see more of fewer places. To really create some memories plan a surprise designation or arrange a family reunion with cousins they have not seen for awhile.

The obvious suggestion hear is make sure you take plenty of photos and video if possible, this is really only the beginning because you can make picture slide shows on the computer and send them to the grand parents and other relatives that live in other parts of the country. Since you will have some cool or interesting pictures you can also make calendars, greeting cards, video post cards or pretty much any special project you imagination can create.

My family is trying to visit different states to expand our knowledge of the United States; the key to your success is doing something the whole family will enjoy and not forcing the kids to do what the adults want.

When your trying to find a way to make some special memories Let me remind you generally they just happen so have the camera ready and enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation.

Bonus: I have my first published article below, it explores why family camping is so great.

The modern Family does not get much free time especially family time , how many times this month has your family actually sat down and eaten a real meal together? This creates a serious problem as a parent, how to find time to spend with your children when every thing else seems to get in the Way? Most families are running to sports practices, school and countless other activities. My family has found a simple, inexpensive activity in which the options are limitless; we have started taking a family camping trip every summer. I think most people would be skeptical about going out into the woods and spending a week living out of a tent, this is only one way of camping a lot of families own their own Recreational Vehicles and travel the country enjoying nature with most of the comforts of home. Camping is as rustic as you want it to be so please do not stick to the old images of canvas tents and simple camping gear, today's camping gear is far more advanced than even twenty years ago with the advent of man made materials and just better construction today's gear is both easy to use and sturdy. My family can set up our site within two hours and be ready for rain and inclement weather very quickly so being afraid of the out doors is not an excuse for forgoing this activity. The point here is not so much where your staying or how you get there it is having some time just be yourselves and enjoy each others company, family camping is a great place to start teaching younger children a solid respect for nature and the environment. Planning a trip is easy and most of the time more cost effective than staying in a hotel or resort, a lot of people camp out near a major theme park or point of interest. With the basics out of the way lets explore the real befits of family camping, children love to explore and camping provides a safe way for them to have some serious fun. This is a great way to introduce hiking and nature walks which can help educate and entertain children with some fun and interesting facts about their surroundings, I love answering all the questions my kids have when we hike in the woods. The confidence children get from being allowed to ride their bikes alone, gather fire wood or help cook a meal is nothing short of amazing. Allowing your kids some more room to move around is going to require you to extend some trust and respect to your children this can be very hard at first, it gets easier trust me. The various campgrounds my family has stayed at have offered some real fun ways of spending our days canoeing, hiking, fishing and tractor rides to name a few, you will find campgrounds are as different as the people running them. This is great news you never have to have the same trip twice just keep staying at different campgrounds and explore the whole country. I would also like to point out no other vacation option allows you to get away from the cell phones,pdas,I-pods and other technology that crowd our normal everyday life. I always look forward to our week away so I don't have to hear a phone or door bell ringing. www.family-fun-camping.com is your source for the answers to all your family camping questions, we take away the confusing jargon and leave you the easy to understand facts. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_David_Stone

Tips and tricks

Everyone is always searching for a way to make their life easier and campers are no different, Let us explore some simple time saving ideas.

We are going to keep this section for every issue so everyone can get some great ideas to use.

When you travel do you find that room in the car is tight? Then I suggest you look at how your packing. Most times when people pack they are rushing so tip number one is Pack Early and take your time time. The next tip is use Every option like inside coolers,pillow cases,under the car seats and anywhere that can safely provide storage space.

When you go on day trips try to take a cooler and fill it with a picnic lunch and plenty of drinks,this can greatly cut down on the cost of your outing and leave a little more budget for fun! I have done this before when we have been on poor vacations, things are getting expensive after all.

One more final thought, when traveling with younger children I suggest allowing a third more travel time for unexpected pit stops, Lets face it kids don't always think ahead and drink three waters or forget to go the restroom when you stop at a rest area.