Easy, Awesome, End-of-Summer Camping Trips

Summer is slowly slipping away, and you're itching for one more vacation aren't you? Just one more get-away before you settle in for Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and then months of bluster and numb fingers. If you're one of those people who has a tropical get-away planned sometime this winter, we don't want to hear it. Seriously. Go away. For the rest of us, why not consider a camping trip?

When I was younger, my family went camping every year. I don't mean park-your-RV-in-a-field camping. Real camping. It's a great end of summer trip; easy to plan, inexpensive and a hell of a lot of fun. After the jump, I've collected a few possible camping trips that I've enjoyed in the past. Pack up the car and hit the road!

If You’re on the Shore Then You’re Sure Not Me-yo.

Last week, Kim filled us in on the joys of having friends with boats. She's right — it is glorious. But it got me thinking about the many other opportunities Central Pennsylvanians have to get out on the water even if they aren't blessed with friends who are blessed with boats. I think sometimes we take the amazing aquatic ecosystems we have here for granted.

The Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers are absolutely gorgeous. So are stretches of the Yellow Breeches and Conodoguinet creeks. Many local state parks include large lakes, and at Codorus State Park's Lake Marburg, you can even rent pontoon boats and party barges. There are a number of local businesses that offer canoe and kayak rentals, and it seems like there are a lot of events — many of them quite affordable — coming down the pike that include some paddling. We've compiled a handy-dandy list after the jump.

Friends with Boat’efits

On a cool, breezy Thursday evening, I stepped aboard a friend’s pontoon boat for its maiden voyage on the Susquehanna. Armed with the ever-popular Polka Dot Riesling, I snagged a seat near the starboard bow and waited for the journey to begin. We made our way down the river as the sun began to settle into the mountains. It’s red and purple rays danced across the water in calming, therapeutic rhythms. Instantly, I felt the escape from my daily grind.

The views of the cityscape, mixed with the contours of each passing bridge were, in two words: truly picturesque. From the deck of the pontoon boat, Harrisburg was a different place. No pompous politicians, no cranky businessmen, just the Capital City scenery in all its glory.  

Ski Roundtop: OHNO, THE OGO!

Imagine yourself crawling into an inflated hamster ball 11-feet in diameter. It's hot. Real hot. Might even beat the back seat of the Dodge caravan baking out in the parking lot. Five gallons of fresh cold water come to the rescue, sloshing around the bottom, but now they're zipping up the hatch. Your nerves are tweaking you. This is it. You and the mountain. It's the culmination of your day. You're inside the H2OGO. And now they're pushing you over.

Top 5 Gut-Busting Climbs in the Greater Harrisburg Area

Central Pennsylvania isn’t a cycling Mecca, but it should be. We have tons of quiet, backcountry roads that wind through green fields as well as Riverfront Park in the City of Harrisburg. It’s here, that on any sunny Sunday afternoon, you can find tons of people out for a nice afternoon ride. Bike riding is a great way of getting the entire family out for some healthy, relaxing fun…if you want it to be.

For those out there who don’t have any interest in relaxing Sunday rides, I have compiled a list of the Top 5 Gut-Busting Climbs in the Greater Harrisburg Area. If you’re a cyclist or someone who fancies him or herself a fitness buff, you owe it to yourself to give these hills a try. They’re challenging, but definitely doable and knowing that you’ve made it to the top on your own lung, leg and heart power is almost as rewarding as the ride down.

Finding That Perfect Tree

Last year, we covered the simple pleasures of cutting your own Christmas tree. Well, once again, while many of you spent Black Friday subtly elbowing other members of a bargainthirsty holiday horde in a mall, outlet center or shopping plaza of your choice, my wife and I trekked out into a field in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Finding the tree and cutting it down was the easy part. Relatively speaking. Getting it into the stand? Not so much. Nothing that a few choice curses, a hack saw and a trip to our local Ace Hardware couldn't fix, though. Really, can't most problems be solved that way? I always buy my Christmas trees at McCurdy's in Dillsburg, but this year, I came across a very handy online resource called the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Map.   Full Article »

Hamster Heaven

Many ski slopes put together summer activities to keep the revenue flowing long after the snow has melted. Locally, Ski Roundtop in particular has made an effort to become a big-time destination for summer fun, and the newest addition to its Mountain Adventures area are some hellish contraptions called IGO Balls. If you've ever wandered what it would feel like to be a hamster in a ball only if that hamster was strapped in place like a fighter pilot, this is your chance. Alright, now try to get that visual out of your head.   Full Article »

Meet a Park: Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area

Central Pennsylvania is a beautiful place, and with all of the other things going on, it can be easy to overlook the nature-related entertainment available to us right here in the Midstate. Why go away if you've never explored something in your own back yard? With summer entering the home stretch, it's time for another installment of our Meet a Park series.

Saturday Afternoon at Hershey Gardens

One of the crummy things about living in an apartment is a lack of outdoor space. Saturday was a hot one, but summer is supposed to be hot, and sitting inside just wasn't an option. So Meg and I took a trip to Hershey Gardens and spent two very enjoyable hours walking the grounds.   Full Article »

Simple Pleasures: Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree

Much like paying to pick your own apples, cutting your own Christmas tree seems kind of silly on the surface. You could always go to one of the 1,000,000 area businesses or roadside stands that sell trees and get one that is just as nice. You also wouldn't spend the next two days picking sap out of your hair.

But people react to Christmas—and by extension Christmas trees—on an emotional level, and there is something satisfying about looking through a field of trees and trying to find the perfect one for you and your family. Plus you get a little jolt of manliness out of cutting something down and dragging it back to civilization. Even if you have a little bit of help from a hay wagon.

If you've never cut your own, I went to McCurdy's Tree Farm in Dillsburg this weekend, and they make the process extremely easy and a lot of fun.   Full Article »