These are not good times for the economy. The price of everything – especially gas – seems to be rising every single day and salaries aren’t going anywhere. In fact, there are jobs being lost every day. Yet families need to take vacations. Here are 5 tips for planning a cheap summer vacation destination.

1. Eat in

The cost of the vacation isn’t simply doing things, seeing things, and staying overnight places. Often the majority of the money you spend is spent at restaurants. So you can dramatically cut your costs by making your own food. It can be as simple as buying a loaf of bread along with peanut butter and jelly and a bag of chips. Every meal you make yourself will save you a lot of money.

2. Go to built-in fun

Another great tip for planning a summer vacation spots is to go to places where you don’t have to pay to have fun. Go to the mountains where you can hike, camp, and swim. Go to the ocean where you can spend your days on the beach and swimming. This will save you lots of money.

3. Explore close to home

With the price of gas, this is a really great tip. Before you drive or fly across the country, explore the great things that are closer to home. If you do a little research on the Internet you’ll be surprised by the great things you find. Try to keep your travel to under 250 miles if at all possible.

4. Go at non-peak

Everything is more expensive at peak times. So places that are built for tourists will jack their prices up when they know they’ll be packed with guests. But that doesn’t mean the summer vacation destinations aren’t fun at non-peak times. In fact, they can be even more fun. So try to plan your trip when it’s cheapest.

5. Look into rentals

Instead of spending a lot of money to stay at a hotel or motel look into renting a place for a week. You may be able to find a nice little cabin. Or you could rent a huge house and take a vacation with friends and family members. You will save a lot of money in the long run.

The family that plays together stays together. Therefore, it’s important to take a family vacation. However, it can be very expensive. 5 tips for planning a cheap family vacation are to eat in, go to built-in fun, explore close to home, go at non-peak, and look into rentals.

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Starcadia Entertainment Park Offers Hours of Family Fun. Starcadia Entertainment Park located near Macon, Georgia is the only amusement park of its kind in historic heartland Georgia and provides a diverse range of fun-filled activities for the entire family. A wonderful part of Georgia vacation.

This six acre amusement park is located just off I-75 and includes many attractions for children of all ages. Adults will enjoy what the park has to offer as well. There is a miniature golf course and a fully featured indoor video game arcade that has the most difficult games available today and will keep the video game enthusiast happy for hours.

For the more athletic and adventurous, challenge the rock climbing walls and test your climbing talents and fitness abilities as you make your way up a difficult rock climbing course that is safe and supervised. Speed enthusiasts will find their thrills at the Speed Racer Go-Kart course where they can challenge others around a racing track in fully functional Go-Karts. Smaller children have a separate rookie track so they are not left out of the racing action.

Starcadia has a children’s park that is designed to thrill younger children. Families can relax with a ride in the bumper boats, which assures you will end up wet after bouncing and bumping into other boaters on this fun-filled ride.

Starcadia has a picnic location and full catering facilities for events and can accommodate large groups for parties or corporate events. For more information on Starcadia Entertainment Park call (478) 475-9880.

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What To Eat While Camping

Cooking is generally done over a fire or on a grill. You should bring foods that are easy to store and keep fresh. You should include snacks for the trail as well as foods to prepare for each meal. Perishable items should be stored in a refrigerator or in a cooler on ice.

Breakfast

Slice up some mushrooms, onions, bacon and potatoes and grill in a skillet over the fire until done. Mix eggs with a little milk and pour over the mixture to heat until the eggs are fully cooked. This is a great skillet meal that is easy to prepare and clean up. Another easy meal to prepare is a breakfast taco. Cook some eggs and place inside a tortilla with cheese and picante sauce. If you feel a bit more adventurous, try a breakfast pizza using pre made crusts and eggs. You can cook the eggs any way you like them and add bacon, potatoes or sausage. Heat the pizza crusts over the fire and top with your egg mixture and cheese.

Lunch

Sandwiches are a great lunchtime treat using easy to store and prepare foods. Sliced lunch meats with vegetables on bread make the perfect pick me up. For a hot side dish to accompany the sandwiches take some frozen French fries, chili and cheese sauce; combine them in foil, wrapping it tightly. Throw the package on the fire and cook until the fries are cooked through and then enjoy your gooey chili cheese fries.

Dinner

Dinner consisting of a hearty stew is a great option. Using canned vegetables, mix equal parts of your favorites in a heavy pot. These can include corn, peas and beans. Also add a can of chunk chicken and pre made barbecue pork. Add two cans of tomato sauce and two cans of chopped tomatoes and simmer slowly over an open fire for a filling stew. If you went fishing and were lucky enough to make a catch, fry it for dinner. After cleaning the fish, cut it into fillets. Combine one can of beer with two eggs until thoroughly mixed. To that add twelve ounces of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder and salt and pepper to taste. Dip the fish in cornstarch then the batter. Place it in hot oil and fry until the batter puffs. This is a great way to enjoy the efforts put forth after a day of fishing.

Trail Snacks

No camping trip is complete without snacks to prepare and bring while you are out on a nature hike. Walking and hiking is hard work so you should bring some foods that will help boost your energy. Popcorn popped over an open flame is a fun way to prepare the next day’s snack. Trail mix is a traditional option and is limited to only your imagination. Use a combination of hearty ingredients with sweets. Combine granola, raisins, chocolate chips, M & M’s, cereal, dried fruits and nuts. Use whatever combinations you like.

My favorite camping meals though, are made with pudgie pie makers (also called pie irons). They are made of cast iron or metal and have long handles. Our family uses pudgie pie makers to meal delicious treats for lunch and dinner. Bread is the staple ingredient in making a pudgie pie. My favorite is grilled cheese. To make one, butter two slices of bread. Place the buttered side down in the pudgie pie maker. This will prevent the bread from sticking. Place a cheese slice on top of each slice of bread. Close the pudgie pie maker. Place in the coals of your campfire. It will only take a few minutes for the pie to cook. Turn the pie maker after about a minute. Watch your sandwich closely. Depending on how hot your fire is, the sandwich will cook very quickly. Ham and tomato are also very good additions to your cheese sandwich.

Pizza pudgie pies are popular with our family too. Again, butter two slices of bread and place the buttered side down in the pudgie pie maker. Add your favorite pizza toppings (ours are canned pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese). Close the pudgie pie maker and place in the coals of your campfire to cook. Be careful when removing pudgie pies from your pudgie pie maker. Both the pudgie pie maker and your sandwich will be very hot.

Another favorite type of pudgie pie that our family enjoys are dessert ones. Butter your two slices of bread and place the buttered sides down in the pudgie pie maker. Spoon in some of your favorite prepared pie filling. Cook in the fire and enjoy.

And of course, no camping trip is complete without making smores. They’re also very easy to make. Start by roasting a marshmallow over your fire. Once your marshmallow is warm and gooey, stick it on top of a graham cracker and a piece of a chocolate bar, and then top with another graham cracker.

Cooking while camping can really be a lot of fun. Preparing foods should be easy and require little clean up and use few pots and pans. At the end of the night, though, no camping trip would be complete without toasting marshmallows. Cut some branches and skewer large marshmallows. Hold each stick over the flame until brown and toasty. It makes a great, gooey dessert and an ideal end to your day.

Read more about camping food and camping recipes.

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Good Camping Recipes

Meals are one of the most memorable aspects of any camping trip and if one meal is a disaster you will never hear the end of it. I will show you how to avoid spending half the day in the kitchen and still deliver a meal that will knock their socks off. Pre planning and pre prep are a great way to buy more time for doing what you came for “Camping”. Later I will share a recipe that includes a great way to pre cook pasta. There are two methods for meal planning, the ration method and the recipe method. Today I will focus on the recipe method. I will go into depth on the ration method in a later issue. A small group in a camp setting will find the recipe method much easier to implement. If you have a very large group or need to be mobile the ration method is desirable.

Choosing your best camping recipe.

An efficient and fun way to plan your menu is to gather up all your favorite recipes and make a daily menu centered around your planned activities not worrying about space or supply restrictions. For example if you are planning some hiking, sandwiches will do the trick. If you plan to stay close to the site you can afford some more elaborate meals. I try to plan for a variety of situations. This allows you to be fixable once you hit the site. You don’t have to follow your menu to the tee. Mix it up, be spontaneous and have fun.

Once you have your menu, figure out what supplies you will need, then depending on your space and weight requirements adjust your menu and/or your equipment accordingly. Otherwise just creating the menu can be a real challenge. Our goal here is to have fun. This method for meal planning is an easy way to figure out what supplies you will need without a lot of size and weight calculations. There are plenty of complicated formulas you can use for meal planning and in some circumstance like backpacking or extended trips these are essential, but for the average campsite certainty not necessary.

When planning your menu include plenty of fresh water, high-energy snacks and trail foods like fresh fruit, beef jerky and granola. Stay away from things like chips, soda and cookies unless you plan on sitting around the campsite wishing you had a TV to watch.

Outdoor activities require a lot of energy and burn a lot of calories. The best way to plan healthy meals is to use the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid. Keep in mind appetites will be up so plan accordingly. Click on the link above to visit the USDA’s site. Do as much pre planning and pre prep as possible. (Say that 5 times fast) I use a lot of zip lock bags, cutting up and cooking as much as I can before I get to the site. Use a cooler to keep your perishables like milk, condiments and fresh vegetables. I use powdered milk in all my camp recipes because it is convenient to carry and easy to convert your recipe to fresh milk if you have it. I usually use fresh milk for the first few days then go to the powdered milk after we have run out. At least that is the plan. My daughter loves to drink milk and always throws a fit whenever we run out of fresh. I often find myself reentering society in exchange for a little peace and quiet.

The nice thing about the recipe menu planning method is most home recipes can be converted to outdoor recipes with very little effort. This next recipe is a perfect example of something that is equally delicious at home or out on the campsite. Note the pre planning tips that make this a quick fix without compromising on taste.

Campsite Pasta Italiano

7 to 8 oz pasta 4 Tbsp olive or peanut oil 1 lb Italian sausage cut into ½ inch pieces 1 28 oz can Italian Style crushed tomatoes (do not substitute with regular crushed tomatoes) 1 tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper Parmesan cheese

Do Ahead Tip: Cut sausage before hand and store in a zip lock bag.

Do Ahead Tip: Cook the pasta at home as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl add pasta and 2 Tbsp oil. Toss until evenly coated, seal in a zip lock bag and store in cooler until needed.

Do Ahead Tip: Plan several pasta dishes and cook all the pasta at once. Store each portion in a separate bag. Use a permanent marker to write the name of the recipe each bag is intended for.

Before you prepare your meal remove the appropriate pasta bag from the cooler and let it reach room temperature.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add sausage and brown evenly until cooked through. Drain grease; add crushed tomatoes and garlic powder. Stirring constantly bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until thickened about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add pasta. Mix well. If your skillet is too small to add the pasta you can mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. The heat of the sauce will reheat the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with parmesan Cheese.

Whala! A simple delicious meal whipped up in a flash. Guaranteed to stick to the ribs after a hard days play. Don’t forget to leave some room for the S’mores. I am an avid camper with a passion for the simple life.

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High school summer camps

When summer draws nearer, children have the choice of traveling, getting a job, relaxing or a summer camp. Many choose the camp option which has become one of the most beneficial choices of their life.

Choosing high school summer camps can be beneficial a lot for your children in many ways. This will give them a chance to make some of their own rules and help them decide how to spend their own time.

As children are free from their regular school curriculum, they have a choice in the wide range of subjects which are on offer. This becomes a great time of independence and freedom for those children who attend high school summer camps.

Factors Responsible for Choosing a Camp

As high school summer camps vary in cost that plays a huge factor for students which one to choose. There are scholarships available for those who have special financial needs. One can benefit from this option too.

Students are advised to ask the staff and alumni for specific details and the main features of the summer camp they aspire to choose.

A broad range of options for choosing various subjects give freedom of choice. If you kids are taking interests in the technology based summer camp featuring computer games, animation and programming then look for related computer camp options.

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Your Camping Equipment

Tons of different items that could be classified as camping equipment. Camping equipment doesn’t have to seem like a chore to get together, but you should still give yourself plenty of time to make sure you have everything that you need. Never bring along equipment that you don’t see yourself using, or don’t expect to use for more than a short period of time.

1. Rustic equipment:

Many campers are against camping equipment and follow the philosophy that they should rough it. Somehow, camping equipment goes against the very point of going camping in the first place - to get away from technology and civilization for a while. Even if you plan to live off the land, make sure you have an adequate supply of food rations on hand. So, outdoor camping tents go a little against the idea.

You will also want to make sure you bring along cooking utensils for over the campfire. You can get several different types of frying pans, skewers, and even bread toasters for over the campfire. If you are particularly fond of coffee in the morning, make sure to have your tin coffee pot and cups handy.

You can get hurt while they are camping, and so a good to include a first aid kit with your camping equipment supplies. Keep some medications handy for any bouts you may end up having with the cold or flu. Just because you are out camping, doesn’t mean you still cant be susceptible to all of the little things you are unprepared for.

Have a nice, warm, sleeping bag ready. A waterproof tent that you can take the top piece off and watch the stars. If you are really handy, you’ll have a radio with batteries in it, and perhaps not for the music itself, but to be informed of severe weather conditions that may be approaching.

The list of what you could use for camping equipment is endless and depends on how long you intend to camp for. Make sure you have an adequate supply of clothing on hand so you don’t have to freeze to death if you fall in the lake accidentally.

2. Stylish equipment:

Even though there is someone always present at public camping sites, it is a good idea to make sure you carry supplies with you in case of an accident. Depending on where you are camping, you could come across situations that would require medical attention. Of course, lets hope this isn’t the case for anyone on your next camping trip. Its just better to be safe than sorry. This is part of the how to camp knowledge.

Unlike rustic camping equipment, where it is a good idea to at have a lantern for night vision, you are pretty well set up with everything you could need to be modern. So all you need to take along are those spare items inside of your house that will make your camping trip more enjoyable. If you like to be at home more than rustic camping, you need to make sure you are prepared to make yourself comfortable.

You should always place being dry and warm as a first priority when camping. You can’t do much of anything, after all, if you are suffering from hypothermia. People have done it for generations and you can do it for a few days too. It’s easy to see why camping is a great activity for the whole family.

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Many people enjoy camping. Many of us are wondering what to do this summer now that the weather is getting warmer.

Camping is a popular activity, and many like to locate good camping sites as early in the year as they can. It’s important to ask a few questions when calling a place to book a site, as not all of these places are good, and each site will have something different to offer. Some sites are just awful, and it is always good to stay away from those. This is something that I learned all to well and I also learned it the hard way.

My husband’s band had a festival that they played each year, and we would get free camping sites so that we did not have to drive back and forth if we decide we didn’t want to. This was good, but the campingsites they offered us were not always great. In fact, there were times when I was sure that they had given us the worst sites on the camping ground. If we had been camping in a camper it might have been okay. But we were in tents, and there was no shade anywhere near our site. This meant that by eight in the morning, we were roasted out of our tent. No chance for me there to get some sleep.

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Camping with your family is a wonderful way to build memorable memories. The secret of successful camping is in the planning of the trip. There are some tips that you need to consider while having camping at some far of place.

Camping can be exhilarating experience but at the same time it can be dangerous. During camping, you do not store any type of food near or in your camp. Many items like tooth brush, breathe mints and lozenges can attract the bears. You should set the kitchen area at least 50 yards away from your tent. You need to preserve your food items properly.

If your car is parked near to the camping area, you can store all these items in to the trunk of the car. Many camp grounds also give you the facility of storing these items in the storage bins. If you do not have access to your car and storage bins, you can hang your food items bag in the tree for night. 

You can also buy proof containers that save your food from bears. You should also need to change your clothes after cooking because the food smells can be absorb into your clothes that attracts animals towards you. You need to keep in minds all these precautions if you have camping near bear country. In this way, camping trip will be safe from any type of dangers.

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