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When our daughter Seneca was in preschool, her favorite weekend activities were camping and hiking. By the time she was in kindergarten, she could hike 4 miles. I can still see her joy as she discovered a bluejay feather or roasted a marshmallow over an open fire.

Now Seneca is nine years old. Her love of nature has had a tremendous influence on her life. Besides being the most accomplished frog catcher among her friends, she has learned a sense of unlimited freedom and self-confidence. "Nature has so much to teach kids," says Cindy Ross, a coauthor of Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation (Mountaineers), "and children's minds are so ready and willing to absorb." Here's how to have a great experience on your next family trip to the great outdoors.

What's in It for the Kids?
Hiking with kids enables them to get up-close-and-personal with fascinating natural wonders: A child can stop to touch a smooth patch of moss or to examine an interesting rock. Parents should encourage such discovery as a way for kids to learn about the environment. Of course, be sure to teach kids to respect and keep their distance from all wild animals.

How can you make the most of your child's hike? For your first trek, plan to walk about a half mile, and be prepared to carry her part of the way, advises Ross. Next time, make the outing longer. Don't set a prescribed route; instead, leave time for spontaneous adventures. To help motivate your child to complete his journey, plan hikes that have a specific point of interest—a waterfall, say—at the end of the trail. Don't forget to bring along healthy treats, such as trail mix, fresh fruit, and carrots. Also keep plenty of water on hand.

What about camping with preschoolers? If you're going to camp out for a weekend or longer, call state and national parks for information about child-oriented facilities and activities. Some parks feature guided nature-trail walks and arts-and-crafts programs. Keep in mind, too, that some national parks are less crowded than others but just as beautiful, such as Great Basin in Nevada (702-234-7331), the North Cascades Complex in Washington State (360-856-5700), and Cumberland Gap in Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee (606-248- 2817).

"While a cabin offers creature comforts, like indoor bathrooms, camping has more kid-pleasing advantages, such as campfires, star gazing, and sleeping outdoors," says Steve Gilbert, recreation programs supervisor of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin, Kentucky. Preschoolers can help collect wood for a camp-fire, but should not be allowed to actually help build the fire.

If you want to camp out in a tent with your preschooler, don't be overly ambitious the first time out. A child might get homesick or frightened sleeping outdoors, so conduct a trial run at home. Pitch a tent in the backyard, and see how your child adjusts to the novelty.

The Pitfalls
Wherever you hike or camp, consult the forest rangers about dangers, places to avoid, and the location of a nearby hospital, advises Cindy Ross. Bring along a complete first-aid kit. Always hike on marked trails, and don't allow kids to run too far ahead. Be able to identify poison ivy and poison oak. And of course, activities like kayaking, white-water rafting, and rock climbing are not appropriate for preschoolers.

So, are you ready to go out and have a wild time? Just plan, prepare, and have fun.

Eric Goodman writes frequently for Sesame Street Parents.

The cooler is packed with food and drinks, and your first aid kit is stocked. Everything is accounted for, and you're ready to go. If only it were that simple. There are lots of things that we can't predict when we go camping, but there's no reason why we can't be prepared for uncertain circumstances. What they don't tell you about camping need not come as a surprise. The first time you go camping, be prepared.

Why does camping seem like work?Camping has its share of chores, but it also has its rewards. First you have to pick out a level campsite. Then you have to unpack all your gear, clear a tent site, set up the tent, make your bed, start a fire, cook a meal, and clean up after yourself.Sounds like the same routine you might follow at home, so it can't be that much work. A few of the rewards include having a picnic, communing with nature, and sleeping under the stars.

If you're outdoors, there are going to be bugs. Some are nasty and some are not, but there is plenty you can do to keep them from bothering you.First and foremost keep a clean campsite. Bees are attracted to soda cans, and ants are attracted to food scraps. Gather trash and dispose of it daily, don't eat in your tent, and don't leave food sitting out.Flying insects are attracted to fragrances. Don't wear makeup or cologne when camping, and use unscented deodorant.

Bright lights attract mosquitoes, gnats, and noseeums. When you use a lantern, set it away from the sitting area. To help repel biting flies and mosquitoes, use an appropriate insect repellant. Citronella candles help too.

Why is everything wet in the morning?

It didn't rain, but everything is soaked. That's because dew invaded the campsite. Warm weather with high humidity are ideal conditions for morning dew. As objects radiate heat during the night they become cool enough to drop below the dew point and cause water to evaporate on the surfaces of objects close to the ground. Dew is a fact of nature and it's unavoidable. Before retiring for the night, be sure to take any clothes down off the clothes line, put a tarp over things you don't want wet, or put them in the car for the night.

Where can I get more ice?

This is a question you need to ask when you first arrive at the campground. Summertime heat and frequent use of your cooler can cause ice to melt pretty fast. Don't let all your ice melt without knowing where to get more. Some campgrounds sell ice, but sometimes the closest store is not so close.

How should I dispose of waste?

It's amazing how much trash can build up at the campsite. Be sure to take along some plastic garbage bags. Don't burn trash in the campfire, and don't clean fish at the campsite. Dispose of trash daily in the campground's designated disposal area.

Why can't I get a good night's sleep?

A good night's sleep can be difficult when not sleeping in the comfort of your bed. Many new campers make the mistake of not getting a sleeping pad. Even in warm weather, the temperature difference between the ground and our bodies can get quite chilly. Sleeping pads are relatively cheap and they add a layer of insulation between you and the ground. They also add some cushioning, which helps make sleeping outdoors more comfortable.

What got into the cooler last night?

Don't wake up to your food missing or scattered all over the campsite. Depending on where you camp, there could be various critters that live in the vicinity of the campground. If there's the possibility that you have campground neighbors like skunks, raccoons, squirrels, ravens, crows, or seagulls, to name a few, then you better be prepared. Such animals frequent campgrounds for their food source. Never leave food unprotected. Secure your coolers at night, and put dry foods in your car.

Why can't I use wood around the campsite to build a campfire?

This downed timber is essential to replenishing the nutrients in the ground for the other plants. If everyone who went camping stripped wood from the forest for their campfire, there would soon be no forest.

What does it mean when a campground has quiet hours?

Campgrounds usually designate quiet hours so that campers can enjoy a good night's sleep. Show respect for other campers and keep your talking to a whisper during quiet hours. If you're an RVer, refrain from running your generator. Try to arrive at the campground early enough to set up camp before it gets dark.

Why shouldn't you choose a campsite next to the bathroom?

This is a common mistake of new campers. Bathrooms are high traffic areas and have lots of lights. For a quieter night, choose a campsite away from bathrooms.

In spite of all the discomforts and inconveniences that we may endure while camping, these outdoor experiences will be looked back upon as cherished memories.

Article by  David Sweet

Fuel prices are "frustrating," said Jim Williams, who recalled paying about $285 the last time he filled the 100-gallon diesel tank of his 38-foot Dutch Star motor home in December.

Still, they'd have to get a lot worse before the 66-year-old Michigan man and his wife would stop coming to Southwest Florida for the winter, and taking other trips to such far-flung places as New England, Texas and Seattle.

"If it got to be $4 a gallon, that might make me reconsider my plans," said Williams, who spends six months or less in their home in Jackson, Mich.

"I like going to different locations, as opposed to having a permanent second residence," Williams said.

Financially comfortable retirees like the Williamses are a big reason why dealer expectations are high for the 21st annual Fort Myers RV show, which begins Thursday.

"The people who buy the big rigs are people who've earned the money. Now they want to live that lifestyle," said Jerry Byers, sales manager for North Trail RV Center in east Fort Myers. He represents one of about 20 dealerships planning to participate in the local RV show at Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers.

Organizers say it will be the biggest ever with more than 1,000 RVs on display and more than 90 camping supply vendors. The RVs will range from $3,000 "pop-up" tent campers to motor coaches with price tags of $500,000 or more.

In Lee County, the average price of a gallon of regular grade gasoline hit an all-time high of $3.033 on Sept. 6. The average price fell below $2.20 in late 2005, but has been climbing again in 2006. On Monday, the average price was $2.446, according to AAA. A year ago, that same gallon cost $1.94.

The price of a gallon of diesel in Lee County reached a record of $3.362 on Oct. 10. On Monday, the average cost was $2.631.

The pain at the pump appeared to be taking a toll in the first quarter of 2005, when deliveries of new motor homes to dealers fell 13.6 percent nationally compared with the same quarter in 2004.

Closer to year-end, however, the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association predicted RV shipments would reach 376,700, which would be a 1.8 percent increase over 2004, and the highest level since 1978.

The RVIA tends to dismiss fuel prices as a sales deterrent in any year, but RVIA spokesman Ken Sommer noted that, "in 2005 the lightweight trailers were really popular."

At North Trail RV Center, Byers said " '05 was a terrific year — the best we've had — even with (higher) gas prices."

With a big crop of affluent early retirees here for at least part of the year, local RV dealers are sitting pretty, according to Byers: "If the economy slows across the nation, we slow last — and we gear up first."

And, when fuel prices rise, RV owners often find ways to economize without giving up their homes on wheels.

"A lot of the older folks who have Class A (motor homes) are trading down to get better mileage," said Danny Wise, whose family owns American Van & Camper Center in south Fort Myers.

Class A refers to the roomiest of the motorized RVs. The Wise family specializes in smaller motor homes and vans.

Former Cape Coral residents and full-time RVers Marty and Terry Doede said they don't move their motor home as often as they did when gas was cheaper: "You really think about where you travel — and you make it worthwhile when you get there," said Marty Doede, 69.

On Friday, Claude Chausse gassed up his pickup at the Pilot truck stop in east Fort Myers. His new travel trailer was hitched behind.

"I was camping with a tent two years ago, then I got too old," joked Chausse, a 56-year-old dentist from Canada. He spent the last month in south Florida with his parents and his wife — and loves the comfort and economy of the trailer.

"For a month, it will cost $5,000 for all of us — including gas for the truck," Chausse said. "Some friends of ours — just two of them, came by plane, and stayed four weeks in motels. It's costing $5,000 for each of them."

Chausse said gas prices aren't changing his travel habits, although eventually they will prod him into buying a new truck. The V-6 engine on his four-door Nissan Frontier "is too small to haul," Chausse said.

He averages just 9 miles per gallon when towing the trailer; without it, the truck gets about 20 mpg. "The next one will be a diesel, which is more efficient."

January 25, 2006

Ben and Ina Sims have taken extensive trips in their motor home before, but none impacted them quite like their last.

The Salem couple ventured to Mississippi for 6 1/2 weeks and volunteered for a faith-based relief agency that continues to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"We could have put X number of dollars in, but who would we have given it to?" Ben Sims said. "We thought the best thing we could do was to go ourselves, then we'd know exactly where our funds were spent."

Ben managed a supply warehouse for the United Methodist Committee on Relief in the community of Wiggins.

Ina sorted new and used clothing that came into the warehouse, which also distributed bottled water, food and cleaning supplies.

"Anybody who needed them, we got them to them as fast as we could," Ben said.

The Sims, who are both in their 70s, also volunteered in the town of Lakeshore, which is about a mile from the gulf. They parked their motor home on the property where a Baptist church once stood before the hurricane struck.

"It was heartwrenching," Ben said. "There was much more devastation than we had imagined."

"You'd feel helpless," Ina said, "because there was so much to do."

Their church back home, First United Methodist in downtown Salem, collected $774 one Sunday for them to buy blankets for victims. An Iowa man they met in Mississippi chipped in $500 when he heard what the Sims were doing.

They were able to buy 183 blankets, which they handed out to residents of DeLisle.

Ben Sims spent time in Mississippi in the early 1970s, while in the Air Force and stationed at Biloxi. It was shocking for him to see once familiar neighborhoods demolished.

"It was difficult trying to remember what was in a location," he said, "because there was nothing there."

During their stay -- from Oct. 20 to Dec. 7 -- they did witness signs of hope in the rebuilding process.

"Things came back some while we were there," Ina said. "Wal-Mart was built up again, and they did open one mall.

"But there's still a lot that needs to be done."

clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6710

The Cut-off
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

The devil was in the Mississippi River that night. You could feel it with every eddy swirling against the helm of the boat. You could hear it in every jangle of the bell. You could see it in the dim light of the lantern as it tried to pierce the swirling fog. You could sense it in the sound of the chugging engine. The devil was in the river. It was a bad night to be out in a paddleboat. But he had sworn when he set out that nothing could make him turn back.

No other pilot dared brave the Mississippi that night. They were all huddled in the tavern, gossiping. After an evening of listening to their empty boasts, he had made one himself. He knew the Mississippi River so well that he could guide his paddleboat on his run even through the thickness of the night's fog. When the other pilots heard his boast, they laughed and told him he would be back before midnight. He had grown angry at their jeers, and had sworn in front of them all that he would not turn back this night for any reason, should the Devil bar the way!

The paddle wheeler was rocking oddly under the strange eddies of the river. But he knew every turn and guided her along despite the fog. He was almost to Raccourci when he saw shore where no shore had ever been before.

He turned the boat this way and that. It could not be! The river ran straight through on this branch. He had guided his paddleboat through this place a hundred times.

But the devil must have been listening at the tavern and had heard his boast, for the Mississippi had shifted! He swore every curse he knew, and kept searching for a way through. He had vowed to complete his run without turning back and he was determined to carry out his vow. He would never go back. Never! He would stay there until daybreak, and beyond if need be.

Suddenly, the paddleboat gave a massive jerk. The engine stalled. The boat shuddered and overturned. When the fog lifted the next day, they found his paddleboat sunk to the bottom with a gaping hole in its side, and the pilot drowned.

On foggy nights, you can still hear the ring of the bell, the sound of the engine and the curses of the ghost captain trying to complete his run.