Author Archives: Roy Scribner

Share your Wildlife Photos

Outdoor photography can be a fun hobby for the entire family

Outdoor photography can be a fun hobby for the entire family

I’ve never been a big photography-nut, but one of the things that I really enjoy in the outdoors is trying to get pictures of wildlife. My current camera is a Cannon PowerShot A720 IS, which has a bit more zoom (6x) than most cameras in the $250 class. I probably don’t use 10% of this camera’s functionality, which speaks well of its quality because it still gives me good results.

My girls, who are 7 and 8, are just starting to get interested in taking their own pictures on our family camping trips. I think this will be a great way to develop their interest in the outdoors as they grow older.

Continue reading →

Give the Gift of Ansel Adams this Christmas

No, this is not Jeffrey Pine, but it is as close as I could get without violating copywrite laws

No, this is not Jeffrey Pine, but it is as close as I could get without violating copywrite laws

Recently the Ansel Adams Gallery announced the introduction of a series of “Archival Replicas” in sizes ranging from 7×9 to 30×38 inches. Until now, Ansel Adams photographs were only available as original prints, 8×10 inch Yosemite Special Edition photographs, or fine art posters. New advances in image reproduction technology has allowed the Gallery to accurately reproduce the neutral black and white images to their exacting standards, at a reasonable price point for the average enthusiast.

Continue reading →

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Justin P., winner of the Garmin eTrex Summit HC!

Congratulations to Justin P., winner of the Garmin eTrex Summit HC!

Congratulations to Justin P. of Rome, GA for winning the Garmin Summit HC GPS receiver! I had just enough time to notify Justin on Friday, before catching a flight to Las Vegas for a family birthday get-together.

We’ll take a little break here for the holidays, but I’ve already got a good idea for our next contest, which I’ll start in January. There is a chance that we might have more than one prize, for this next giveaway. There was another manufacturer that came in late on our last one, but there just wasn’t enough time left to do them justice.

We’ll run the next one the same way, so if you are already receiving new CampingBlogger posts in your email inbox, you are automatically entered in the drawing.

Thanks to everyone who participated – it was not only a lot of fun for me, but I also got a lot of new subscribers to the blog, which pulls a lot of weight with potential sponsors for future contests.

Learn all about Geocaching at Husky Hiker

Geocaching is a great outdoor family activity

Geocaching is a great outdoor family activity

Jim Bradley over at Husky Hiker started a series yesterday on geocaching. This is a great outdoor activity that the entire family can participate in, and we have some family friends with older kids who say they have a great time doing it.

At 4, 7 and 8, our kids aren’t quite ready to tackle this, but they are probably close. I’m looking forward to teaching them how to terrain associate, which is being able to look at a topographic map and “see” the terrain around you. I’m pretty sure that my kids are much smarter than I was at that age, so it should be a quick lesson!

Geocaching is one of those outdoor activities that can really build a child’s self-confidence, and it incorporates technology (GPS) which is always interesting to kids.

Do you have a childhood memory of family camping?

Sometimes playing in the mud can be a lot more fun than seeing another big tree

Sometimes playing in the mud can be a lot more fun than seeing another big tree

I was reminded this weekend of one of my earliest childhood memories about camping with my family, and it made me curious about how “normal” my experience was, so I’m hoping some of you will share your experiences, also.

Throughout the early and mid-1970’s, we lived in California which, despite the concrete jungles of the cities, offers some of the most interesting and varied landscapes to see in this country. From Death Valley in the southern part of the state, to the great redwood forests bordering Oregon in the North, one could spend a lifetime exploring California without running out of places to see.

I think I was 8 years old, when my parents bought a 1966 Dodge Van and we started exploring California in 1973. I can remember disappointment; hiking to the top of the volcano at Lassen National Park – which ended-up not looking anything like what I thought a volcano should look like, and the ancient bristlecone pines of the Inyo National Forest, which were just (to this child) a bunch of old, twisty trees.

Continue reading →