Good news everybody! I just read a Facebook post from Caldonia State Park. They stated that while usually campers are able to reserve 11 months in advance, they will not be taking reservations for next year because they will be renovating their shower houses and bathrooms, and are unsure when the work will be done!!!
If you read my last blog, you will get the idea as to how badly needed this upgrade is! Apparently, someone, somewhere is listening! This is much needed and will make a great destination even better! I personally can't wait to check them out when work is done!!
18 June 2015
31 May 2015
A Limited Guide to PA State Park Bathrooms
A post like this is a necessity. Somewhere, there should exist, for every place imaginable, a rating of restroom facilities. People need to know, when they book a vacation, exactly what they should expect from their toilet/shower experience.
My take is limited to the PA State Parks in which I have spent time. I cannot vouch for bathrooms I have not seen. My ratings are based on things like cleanliness, modern convenience, updates to the buildings/facilities, appearance, water temperature, availability of water....
Some of the parks have "rustic" facilities that do not provide running water. Some of those are better than others. Some parks, depending upon which loop or area you stay in, have some "modern" and some "rustic" restrooms. Some parks have what my family calls "The Million Dollar Bathroom" (but we will get to that.
I am rating on a scale of 1-5 1 being the worst, 5 being the best. Some parks will have more than one rating, and an explanation of which bathrooms are located where, and which are better.
Cherry Springs- (which is where I am writing this particular blog)- Rustic facilities. "Drop Pots". No running water in the restroom itself. This rating only applies to the campground, and not the astronomy field. However...the facility itself is surprisingly clean, with no distinctive drop pot smell. Sanitizer and towels are provided. There is a cold water spigot right outside the restroom for clean drinking water. The building itself looks fairly new.. I'm actually going to give this one a 3 the simple fact that it is taken care of and doesn't smell. Running water be damned, I can scrub my hands with sanitizer....or boil water and scald the germs off later!
Trough Creek- Ugh. For a beautiful park and a really nice campground, these toilets stink. Literally. They've got the drop pot smell and the institutional look. They are sorely in need of an upgrade. I am okay with rustic, but these were way way way past rustic. They had a twinge of POW camp happening. 1.
Lyman Run- Two sets of restrooms here, in two different camping areas. Both are quite nice. The lower area has a composting toilet system that is a green way of getting rid of human waste. The upper campground has a regular bathroom with flushing toilets and sinks. The showers are a good temperature, even later in the morning. Both were updated, clean, and cared for. Nice on the outsides as well, with landscaping all around (blueberries if I remember correctly). Both areas get a 4.
Ole Bull- This tiny little park, nestled in the Kettle Creek valley in Potter County has one of the nicest bathrooms of any of the parks I have been in. Modern, clean, plenty of hot water, good water pressure. This bathroom looks like it is fairly newly remodelled. They provide squeegees so that you can remove excess water from the floors after your shower, which is a very nice touch. It makes it very nice for the next person. We love Ole Bull in general, we have some wonderful memories of that little park, and to this day, my husband will call it "that one with the nice bathrooms". It is a solid 5. This applies to the bathroom in camping area 1, nearest the beach.
Hickory Run- I'm going to start by saying that we stayed in an electric loop, so we had the luxury of "modern" (running water-flush toilet) bathrooms. Other loops do not have these same facilities. Boo for them. However, our shower house/ restroom was really nice. It could have been cleaner, but it wasn't terrible. It was updated, with tile on the walls and floors, which was nice. Similar in appearance to Ole Bull really, but not as clean....however, there were more people using the restroom at Hickory Run as well, so factor that in. 4.5. I'd imagine that had I gone in right after cleaning, it would likely be a 5.
Ricketts Glen- modern. Similar in appearance to Hickory Run on the inside. Rustic looking on the outside. Hot water dependent on which shower stall you use. If you hate cold water, avoid number 3. Could be cleaner. It is cleaned once per day, and needs to be done more, as one bathroom serves a very busy campground. (There is another facility for the pet friendly sites.). With the high volume of people at this campground, it also needs to be larger. It is also cleaned around 9 am, which is an extremely inconvenient time. There is always a line outside waiting for cleaning to finish. 3. I'd love to go higher, but I'd also like to not see TP on the floor when I go pee. And that cold shower thing!!!
Caledonia- Yet another wonderful park with less than savoury bathrooms!! Shower houses are green in color. Inside they have concrete block walls and concrete floors. Shower houses have both toilets and showers. Showers are hot enough, but getting water is awkward. You've go to hold a metal knob in the open position to get enough of it to actually take a shower. If the knob isn't held open, the water just shuts off. My sister rigged up some sort of string thing to tie into the exposed pipes and hold the knob open. I'm all about conserving water, but come on! The dishwashing areas outback looked as though they'd seen better days as well! Toilet buildings (sinks and toilets only) are a yellowish tan color, and are of about the same mold as the shower houses. I had to set a few crickets free from the bathrooms, just so the spiders wouldn't get them! Cleaning crews are around daily, and I'm sure they do the best they can given the circumstances. As dated as these facilities are, cleaning them would be a hard job. 2. And it really is a shame because this is a great park and a great campground.
Ohiopyle- modern facilities, flush toilets. Showers were nice and warm, and had good water pressure. The bathrooms were kept clean, but not as clean as some of the others I have visited. These ones had a healthy population of spiders. Not much remarkable about these ones really. Could probably use updating, but it isn't as necessary here as at other locations. 3.5
Keystone- Newly updated. Tile floors and walls, with flush toilets, and nice showers. Clean. Similar to other parks with newer restrooms, like Hickory Run and Ole Bull. 4.5. It seems to me that some of the nicer shower houses are at medium sized parks, and this one is no exception. The bathrooms and changing houses on the beach side of the lake are also clean and modern, and also deserve a 4.5 rating.
Clear Creek- Another medium sized park with exceedingly nice bathrooms. There are two bathrooms here, and both are nice. Both are modern, with flush toilets, hot showers, tile floors and tile walls. The bathrooms with the tile seem to be cleaner than those without, however I am sure they are easier to clean as well. The bathroom nearest the cabins probably gets the most traffic, as it serves the cabins and a portion of the campground. This is the first bathroom/shower house you see when you enter the campground area. Due to higher use, it seems to be the less clean of the two. More dirt on the floors...this one could probably be cleaned more than once a day, as it does seem to be quite busy. I will give it a 4.5. The second bathroom is near the riverside campsites in the back part of the campground. It is nearly identical to the front bathroom/shower house. This one gets less use and is the cleaner of the two. Showers here are also nice and warm, and kept clean. This one gets a 5.
Cook Forest- This park is sort of a home away from home for my husband and I. We both grew up coming here. Unfortunately, the bathrooms haven't changed much since 1980-something, except that back then, they were green and now they are off white. Floors are concrete, making it hard to tell how clean they actually are. There are shower curtains outside the showers, but not between the shower and the hooks to put your clothes. The shower curtains have a very institutional feel, as they are a stiffer plastic, and actually gap a bit on the edges. No doors on the shower stalls. Also, depending upon the weekend (we visit yearly on the 4th of July) and the time of day, you will either freeze to death or be scalded by the water in the showers. Oddly enough, or perhaps not, the off peak months, April, May, September, and October, have the most comfortable shower temperatures. Bathrooms are cleaned once per day, and again, should be cleaned more often, as this is a busy park with a lot of sites. This review applies to all 4 shower houses in th Ridge Campground. The state is spending a considerable sum putting in full hookup sites around the campground, but if you ask me (and they didn't....) they should have put that money into updating all the shower houses in this park! All four shower houses get a 3.
Parker Dam- There are 3 bathroom/shower houses in the park. Two of them are older facilities. These two have hot showers and flush toilets. They have block walls and concrete floors, and benches in the middle of the floor for your stuff, which is a nice touch. The showers here have doors, but there are no curtains between the water and the hooks for your stuff. I guess you use the benches for things that you'd like to stay dry. These have an older, almost locker room feel to them, and are in need of updating. They are however, kept clean by the park staff. We use them for going to the bathroom or brushing teeth, but not usually for showering. Both of these older shower houses get a 3. The newer shower house, which has been affectionately dubbed by my family as "The Million Dollar Bathroom" is wonderful. This bathroom is perhaps the nicest we have seen in PA. It is likely the newest. Tile floors and walls, flush toilets, and fully handicap accessable. According to a friend who's husband worked at the park at one time, the floors have in floor heat. I'm not sure if it is true, but this shower house seems generally warmer than the others. Easily a 5. Also note that the shower house and restroom near the beach is very nice. The inside is tile floors and walls. While it could be cleaner, it bears remembering that this restroom does serve the beach area and sand is bound to get tracked in. It rates a 4.5.
As we explore more places, I will be sure to make note of the restrooms and do a second round of Bathrroom/Shower ratings.
My take is limited to the PA State Parks in which I have spent time. I cannot vouch for bathrooms I have not seen. My ratings are based on things like cleanliness, modern convenience, updates to the buildings/facilities, appearance, water temperature, availability of water....
Some of the parks have "rustic" facilities that do not provide running water. Some of those are better than others. Some parks, depending upon which loop or area you stay in, have some "modern" and some "rustic" restrooms. Some parks have what my family calls "The Million Dollar Bathroom" (but we will get to that.
I am rating on a scale of 1-5 1 being the worst, 5 being the best. Some parks will have more than one rating, and an explanation of which bathrooms are located where, and which are better.
Cherry Springs- (which is where I am writing this particular blog)- Rustic facilities. "Drop Pots". No running water in the restroom itself. This rating only applies to the campground, and not the astronomy field. However...the facility itself is surprisingly clean, with no distinctive drop pot smell. Sanitizer and towels are provided. There is a cold water spigot right outside the restroom for clean drinking water. The building itself looks fairly new.. I'm actually going to give this one a 3 the simple fact that it is taken care of and doesn't smell. Running water be damned, I can scrub my hands with sanitizer....or boil water and scald the germs off later!
Trough Creek- Ugh. For a beautiful park and a really nice campground, these toilets stink. Literally. They've got the drop pot smell and the institutional look. They are sorely in need of an upgrade. I am okay with rustic, but these were way way way past rustic. They had a twinge of POW camp happening. 1.
Lyman Run- Two sets of restrooms here, in two different camping areas. Both are quite nice. The lower area has a composting toilet system that is a green way of getting rid of human waste. The upper campground has a regular bathroom with flushing toilets and sinks. The showers are a good temperature, even later in the morning. Both were updated, clean, and cared for. Nice on the outsides as well, with landscaping all around (blueberries if I remember correctly). Both areas get a 4.
Ole Bull- This tiny little park, nestled in the Kettle Creek valley in Potter County has one of the nicest bathrooms of any of the parks I have been in. Modern, clean, plenty of hot water, good water pressure. This bathroom looks like it is fairly newly remodelled. They provide squeegees so that you can remove excess water from the floors after your shower, which is a very nice touch. It makes it very nice for the next person. We love Ole Bull in general, we have some wonderful memories of that little park, and to this day, my husband will call it "that one with the nice bathrooms". It is a solid 5. This applies to the bathroom in camping area 1, nearest the beach.
Hickory Run- I'm going to start by saying that we stayed in an electric loop, so we had the luxury of "modern" (running water-flush toilet) bathrooms. Other loops do not have these same facilities. Boo for them. However, our shower house/ restroom was really nice. It could have been cleaner, but it wasn't terrible. It was updated, with tile on the walls and floors, which was nice. Similar in appearance to Ole Bull really, but not as clean....however, there were more people using the restroom at Hickory Run as well, so factor that in. 4.5. I'd imagine that had I gone in right after cleaning, it would likely be a 5.
Ricketts Glen- modern. Similar in appearance to Hickory Run on the inside. Rustic looking on the outside. Hot water dependent on which shower stall you use. If you hate cold water, avoid number 3. Could be cleaner. It is cleaned once per day, and needs to be done more, as one bathroom serves a very busy campground. (There is another facility for the pet friendly sites.). With the high volume of people at this campground, it also needs to be larger. It is also cleaned around 9 am, which is an extremely inconvenient time. There is always a line outside waiting for cleaning to finish. 3. I'd love to go higher, but I'd also like to not see TP on the floor when I go pee. And that cold shower thing!!!
Caledonia- Yet another wonderful park with less than savoury bathrooms!! Shower houses are green in color. Inside they have concrete block walls and concrete floors. Shower houses have both toilets and showers. Showers are hot enough, but getting water is awkward. You've go to hold a metal knob in the open position to get enough of it to actually take a shower. If the knob isn't held open, the water just shuts off. My sister rigged up some sort of string thing to tie into the exposed pipes and hold the knob open. I'm all about conserving water, but come on! The dishwashing areas outback looked as though they'd seen better days as well! Toilet buildings (sinks and toilets only) are a yellowish tan color, and are of about the same mold as the shower houses. I had to set a few crickets free from the bathrooms, just so the spiders wouldn't get them! Cleaning crews are around daily, and I'm sure they do the best they can given the circumstances. As dated as these facilities are, cleaning them would be a hard job. 2. And it really is a shame because this is a great park and a great campground.
Ohiopyle- modern facilities, flush toilets. Showers were nice and warm, and had good water pressure. The bathrooms were kept clean, but not as clean as some of the others I have visited. These ones had a healthy population of spiders. Not much remarkable about these ones really. Could probably use updating, but it isn't as necessary here as at other locations. 3.5
Keystone- Newly updated. Tile floors and walls, with flush toilets, and nice showers. Clean. Similar to other parks with newer restrooms, like Hickory Run and Ole Bull. 4.5. It seems to me that some of the nicer shower houses are at medium sized parks, and this one is no exception. The bathrooms and changing houses on the beach side of the lake are also clean and modern, and also deserve a 4.5 rating.
Clear Creek- Another medium sized park with exceedingly nice bathrooms. There are two bathrooms here, and both are nice. Both are modern, with flush toilets, hot showers, tile floors and tile walls. The bathrooms with the tile seem to be cleaner than those without, however I am sure they are easier to clean as well. The bathroom nearest the cabins probably gets the most traffic, as it serves the cabins and a portion of the campground. This is the first bathroom/shower house you see when you enter the campground area. Due to higher use, it seems to be the less clean of the two. More dirt on the floors...this one could probably be cleaned more than once a day, as it does seem to be quite busy. I will give it a 4.5. The second bathroom is near the riverside campsites in the back part of the campground. It is nearly identical to the front bathroom/shower house. This one gets less use and is the cleaner of the two. Showers here are also nice and warm, and kept clean. This one gets a 5.
Cook Forest- This park is sort of a home away from home for my husband and I. We both grew up coming here. Unfortunately, the bathrooms haven't changed much since 1980-something, except that back then, they were green and now they are off white. Floors are concrete, making it hard to tell how clean they actually are. There are shower curtains outside the showers, but not between the shower and the hooks to put your clothes. The shower curtains have a very institutional feel, as they are a stiffer plastic, and actually gap a bit on the edges. No doors on the shower stalls. Also, depending upon the weekend (we visit yearly on the 4th of July) and the time of day, you will either freeze to death or be scalded by the water in the showers. Oddly enough, or perhaps not, the off peak months, April, May, September, and October, have the most comfortable shower temperatures. Bathrooms are cleaned once per day, and again, should be cleaned more often, as this is a busy park with a lot of sites. This review applies to all 4 shower houses in th Ridge Campground. The state is spending a considerable sum putting in full hookup sites around the campground, but if you ask me (and they didn't....) they should have put that money into updating all the shower houses in this park! All four shower houses get a 3.
Parker Dam- There are 3 bathroom/shower houses in the park. Two of them are older facilities. These two have hot showers and flush toilets. They have block walls and concrete floors, and benches in the middle of the floor for your stuff, which is a nice touch. The showers here have doors, but there are no curtains between the water and the hooks for your stuff. I guess you use the benches for things that you'd like to stay dry. These have an older, almost locker room feel to them, and are in need of updating. They are however, kept clean by the park staff. We use them for going to the bathroom or brushing teeth, but not usually for showering. Both of these older shower houses get a 3. The newer shower house, which has been affectionately dubbed by my family as "The Million Dollar Bathroom" is wonderful. This bathroom is perhaps the nicest we have seen in PA. It is likely the newest. Tile floors and walls, flush toilets, and fully handicap accessable. According to a friend who's husband worked at the park at one time, the floors have in floor heat. I'm not sure if it is true, but this shower house seems generally warmer than the others. Easily a 5. Also note that the shower house and restroom near the beach is very nice. The inside is tile floors and walls. While it could be cleaner, it bears remembering that this restroom does serve the beach area and sand is bound to get tracked in. It rates a 4.5.
As we explore more places, I will be sure to make note of the restrooms and do a second round of Bathrroom/Shower ratings.
21 July 2014
A few quick shots at Keystone State Park
Sunday we decided to explore Keystone State Park, near New Alexandria PA. While it is a small park, it is a pretty one. We had a nice hike on the Davis Run Trail and McCune Run Trail. The trails start on opposite sides of a small bridge. We started on Davis Run and hiked until we intersected with McCune Run Trail. It was a nice hike for butterflies, as we saw a lot of them. Unfortunately, none of them would sit still long enough for me to get a shot. I did manage to get a shot of a pretty moth and a dragonfly.
McCune Run Trail passes through some wetlands and an old beaver dam. It is a really pretty area. The trail is built up nicely so it isn't mucky and muddy. There were some lovely flowers and plants growing in the area, and one busy little bee enjoying a pretty purple plant. I was happy to see quite a few bees around the park. For those who don't know, a lot of honey bees are disappearing due to "colony collapse disorder". It is a scary thing, as we need our bees for pollination and for honey! I spotted not only the bee pictured on the purple flowers, but a lot more in a big patch of clover. No pictures of the clover bees though. Sorry.
The park is centered around a beautiful lake, with a beach, picnic areas, and boat rental on one side, and the camping areas, a visitor center, and another picnic on the other. There is a fairly level trail that surrounds the entire lake, the Lake Side Trail, that is open to hikers or bicycles.
Husband and I both agreed that we would like to camp here, do a little more hiking, and float the kayak around the lake. When we do, I will definitely post about it here.
20 July 2014
Camp Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob
A summer favorite in our house is always fresh, locally grown corn on the cob. We are lucky enough to have many local farmers who grow and sell fresh sweet corn just in time for summer camping season. It is absolutely delicious!
For years, I have shucked and boiled the corn, mainly because this is how my parents and my grandparents prepared their corn on the cob. On our annual fourth of July camping trip, I was searching for a different preparation for my corn, so I tried grilling it. Wow! I will never go back to boiling my corn ever again!
First, you will want to husk your corn and soak it in water for 5-10 minutes. During this time, you can preheat your grill. You'll want to cook your corn using indirect heat so that your corn doesn't burn, so if you are cooking with charcoal, you will need to prepare your grill for this.
After soaking your corn, shake off the excess water and place each ear on a square of foil. Brush the ear with olive oil, and if you use salt, pepper or other seasonings, apply them now. (We will butter the corn after cooking, so you can hold off on that for now). We use NorthWoods Seasoning from Penzeys Spices. It is delicious. If you have never tried it, please do. If there is anything in the world that can make corn on the cob better, it is NorthWoods Seasoning. After seasoning your corn, you can roll it up in the foil and place it on your grill over indirect heat.
Keep an eye on your corn. You'll want to spin it every five minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. It takes about 18-20 minutes to be cooked all the way through. Kernels will be soft but not mushy. Don't over cook your corn or it will get mushy, and no one likes mushy corn on the cob. Remove from the grill and unwrap. This is where you'll add your butter if you'd like.
I served my grilled corn on the cob with organic BBQ chicken thighs. I prefer thighs to other parts of the chicken when grilling because thighs tend to take marinades better, and they stay nice and juicy. You can serve your grilled corn on the cob with anything you'd like!
Enjoy!
For years, I have shucked and boiled the corn, mainly because this is how my parents and my grandparents prepared their corn on the cob. On our annual fourth of July camping trip, I was searching for a different preparation for my corn, so I tried grilling it. Wow! I will never go back to boiling my corn ever again!
First, you will want to husk your corn and soak it in water for 5-10 minutes. During this time, you can preheat your grill. You'll want to cook your corn using indirect heat so that your corn doesn't burn, so if you are cooking with charcoal, you will need to prepare your grill for this.
After soaking your corn, shake off the excess water and place each ear on a square of foil. Brush the ear with olive oil, and if you use salt, pepper or other seasonings, apply them now. (We will butter the corn after cooking, so you can hold off on that for now). We use NorthWoods Seasoning from Penzeys Spices. It is delicious. If you have never tried it, please do. If there is anything in the world that can make corn on the cob better, it is NorthWoods Seasoning. After seasoning your corn, you can roll it up in the foil and place it on your grill over indirect heat.
I served my grilled corn on the cob with organic BBQ chicken thighs. I prefer thighs to other parts of the chicken when grilling because thighs tend to take marinades better, and they stay nice and juicy. You can serve your grilled corn on the cob with anything you'd like!
Enjoy!
15 July 2014
Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures
We have all heard to "Leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures". Yet, for a lot of people, this doesn't seem to sink in. Honestly, it is frustrating. You go to an awesome natural place, looking to discover something new, but when you find what you were looking for, you find it awesome, awe inspiring and covered in graffiti.
Take, for example, the natural wonder that is the Balanced Rock at Trough Creek State Park in Pennsylvania. This place is just cool. A massive boulder teeters on the edge of a steep cliff. To get to it, you hike past a waterfall and up stone steps and a narrow, well worn trail. Continuing down the same trail, you will come to a stream and a rock named Raven's Rock, where, legend has it, Edgar Allen Poe was inspired to write his classic poem The Raven. This is a special place. It is quiet. It is hidden away on a country road, in a valley with no cellular phone service. The road dead ends in the park, near Raystown Lake. It is a peaceful, quiet place with some unique geological features.
I fell in love almost instantly with this unique, quiet place. Imagine my surprise then, when, after hiking past the waterfall, and up the stone steps to see the balanced rock, I saw not only an amazing piece of the natural world, but also the graffiti of countless other visitors.
Why? What is the point? No one, outside of the moron with the spray paint, actually cares that "Joe was here" or "ND+HR=Luv 1994" or that the "Class of 2008 is awesome". We don't come to places like Trough Creek to see your message. We come to see the natural beauty. If you want to prove you were here, take a picture. If you want everyone else to know you were there, post your picture to Facebook, or Instagram, or your blog.
You can see the same sort of thing in the boulder field at Hickory Run.
You can see worse at Seneca Point in Cook Forest, where, over the years, determined graffiti artists have actually carved their names into the ancient rocks. I don't just mean surface scratches. I mean deep, not going anywhere, going to take thousands of years to erode away, gouges in the rocks. While you can't see them in the picture, you an see some spray paint. But, you also get an idea of the beauty of the place that has been sullied by graffiti.
Who brings spray paint on a hike??? Who actually sits around and makes plans to spray paint things on rocks, in places of beauty? Things like this don't happen on a whim. People actually planned to do this. Premeditated. They actually planned to come to these special places with spray paint, or chisels and do what they did. It is sad. It is also sad that they did it and either no one saw them or that no one stopped them. Maybe I was raised to respect property that I personally do not own. Maybe I find it blasphemous to deface beauty. Maybe I just have the good sense to leave nature be nature, unspoiled by man. I just don't see the point in painting or chiseling my name on a rock, or carving up a beautiful beech tree with my initials and the current year.
If I want to remember a place, I take a picture or buy the T-shirt. I strongly urge all of you to do the same. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures.
Take, for example, the natural wonder that is the Balanced Rock at Trough Creek State Park in Pennsylvania. This place is just cool. A massive boulder teeters on the edge of a steep cliff. To get to it, you hike past a waterfall and up stone steps and a narrow, well worn trail. Continuing down the same trail, you will come to a stream and a rock named Raven's Rock, where, legend has it, Edgar Allen Poe was inspired to write his classic poem The Raven. This is a special place. It is quiet. It is hidden away on a country road, in a valley with no cellular phone service. The road dead ends in the park, near Raystown Lake. It is a peaceful, quiet place with some unique geological features.
I fell in love almost instantly with this unique, quiet place. Imagine my surprise then, when, after hiking past the waterfall, and up the stone steps to see the balanced rock, I saw not only an amazing piece of the natural world, but also the graffiti of countless other visitors.
You can see the same sort of thing in the boulder field at Hickory Run.
If I want to remember a place, I take a picture or buy the T-shirt. I strongly urge all of you to do the same. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures.
14 July 2014
Camp Recipe: Grillin' Potatoes
This recipe is my one of my husband's favorite foods to eat while camping. They are simple to make, require very little clean up, and taste great! We carry a tabletop propane grill with us when we camp, but these potatoes could easily be made on an open fire or on a charcoal grill as well.
Needs:
Potatoes, any variety. I use the small redskin potatoes.
Green Onions
Bacon Bits, we use real Bacon bits, not the artificial ones
Cheddar Cheese (we use Mild Cheddar)
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Foil
Non-stick cooking spray
Cut a big enough piece of foil to hold all of the potatoes you will be cutting. Spray the foil with non-stick spray. Slice the butter thinly and place slices on the sprayed foil.
Wash and cut potatoes into chunks. Try to keep the pieces fairly uniform so that they cook evenly.
Place potatoes on to the foil.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Shred your cheddar cheese. Use enough cheese to completely cover the potatoes. We never use extra sharp cheddar cheese for this because it is too much sharpness. I recommend the mild cheddar, but the sharp cheddar, or a blend of the two cheeses will work as well.
Slice the green onions. Use both the white part and the green part. Use as many as you'd like, to taste. I like a lot of onions, some of you don't. It's okay. Sprinkle the onions on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle you bacon bits over the cheese.
Cover your potatoes completely in foil. Poke some vent holes in the top of the foil for steam to escape.
Cook on indirect heat until the potatoes are soft and the cheese is melted. On our propane grill, this takes about 45 minutes. I usually turn them at least twice during the cooking process. I also check on the potatoes at each turn, both for doneness and to make sure they don't burn.
When the potatoes are soft, remove from heat, open the foil pack and enjoy!
Your finished product should look something like this:
To clean up, throw your foil away! This is the best part of cooking with foil. These potatoes are great with burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, or any other sort of grilled food you'd like.
Enjoy!
Needs:
Potatoes, any variety. I use the small redskin potatoes.
Green Onions
Bacon Bits, we use real Bacon bits, not the artificial ones
Cheddar Cheese (we use Mild Cheddar)
Butter
Salt and Pepper
Foil
Non-stick cooking spray
Cut a big enough piece of foil to hold all of the potatoes you will be cutting. Spray the foil with non-stick spray. Slice the butter thinly and place slices on the sprayed foil.
Wash and cut potatoes into chunks. Try to keep the pieces fairly uniform so that they cook evenly.
Place potatoes on to the foil.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Shred your cheddar cheese. Use enough cheese to completely cover the potatoes. We never use extra sharp cheddar cheese for this because it is too much sharpness. I recommend the mild cheddar, but the sharp cheddar, or a blend of the two cheeses will work as well.
Slice the green onions. Use both the white part and the green part. Use as many as you'd like, to taste. I like a lot of onions, some of you don't. It's okay. Sprinkle the onions on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle you bacon bits over the cheese.
Cover your potatoes completely in foil. Poke some vent holes in the top of the foil for steam to escape.
Cook on indirect heat until the potatoes are soft and the cheese is melted. On our propane grill, this takes about 45 minutes. I usually turn them at least twice during the cooking process. I also check on the potatoes at each turn, both for doneness and to make sure they don't burn.
When the potatoes are soft, remove from heat, open the foil pack and enjoy!
Your finished product should look something like this:
To clean up, throw your foil away! This is the best part of cooking with foil. These potatoes are great with burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, or any other sort of grilled food you'd like.
Enjoy!
07 July 2014
Clear Creek State Park: Hiking, Camping, and Relaxing
Nestled in Northern Jefferson County Pennsylvania a quiet little state park that is very dear to my heart. Clear Creek State Park is a beautiful little park, with great hiking, a riverside campground, and environmental education programs that are second to none.
First, and most importantly, camping. There are a ton of options available at Clear Creek. Many of the electric RV sites are in a fairly open field, which, I will admit is not my favorite way to camp, but there are other, better campsites available. Sites numbered 31-39 are all electric sites, and all sit with an amazing view of the Clarion River. Sites 40 and 41 are also river front, although nonelectric. For those looking for a more woodsy camping experience, sites 46, 47, and 48 are on a little ridge, overlooking the river, but with wooded surroundings. We opted for site 34, and the view from our tent was awesome. I could wake up to this view every morning and be perfectly content!
Clear Creek also has 22 rustic cabins and two yurts. The cabins are near the Clarion River and are available from the second Friday in April until the third Friday in December. There is a modern shower house available for all campers that is among the nicest I have seen in the PA State Park System. (On a related note, I was thinking of doing a post rating PA State Park campground bathrooms, based on the ones that I have been in.....any interest???)
We participated in a hike with the environmental education specialist. This hike was one of several programs in the park over the weekend we were there, with something for everyone. This hike was a bit of a challenge, up a steeper trail, North Ridge Trail. We got the opportunity to explore the Mountain Laurel field on the side of the hill as it was blooming. It was only my husband, myself, and the educational specialist on the hike, so it was quiet, which turned out to be beneficial later in the hike. Before we got to the laurel, we saw and ovenbird, a small bird who makes her nest on the ground. We were able to locate her nest, but there were no eggs or babies inside. We could hear her calling, and hear other birds calling back, so we knew here babies were near, although we never did see them. When we got to the laurel, we were given pipe cleaners and were able to pollinate some of the flowers by hand. Laurel is fascinating and beautiful. If you have a chance to learn more about this plant, do it!
As we came to the top of the North Ridge Trail, we chose to hike toward the pipeline and down it to the pipeline trail to see if we could spot a doe and her fawn that the Environmental Education Specialist had seen a few times. The hike down the open pipeline was interesting, as we saw sweet ferns and a lot of toads. We also saw an adorable chipmunk sunning herself on a rock, as seen in a previous post. We spotted the doe, but not her fawn. She seemed to be leading us off to the left, so we decided to go right. After being off trail for a bit, we got back on to the pipeline trail, where we were treated to the sight of a bright eyed little fawn, bedded down in the plant life just off the trail. While he had his head up, I was able to snap a quick picture. Shortly after, he was up and running away. How lucky we were to have seen this beautiful little fawn!
After the hike, we relaxed around our fire and watched the river roll by. Sunday morning, on the advice of the Environmental Education Specialist, we hiked up Sawmill Trail, which is accessible from the Clear Creek trail. Sawmill Trail is steep, and not heavily traveled. In spots, the trail is very narrow, and is hard to follow. What we saw at the top of the trail, however, was well worth the tough going. A series of cascades near the top of the hill and a bench in which to sit and enjoy them await the intrepid hiker. After enjoying the beauty, hike the Sawmill Short Loop to Truby Trail, which will return you to the campground.
Clear Creek is great for fishing, picnicking or just relaxing your day away. There is a swimming beach for those who need to take a dip in the icy cold water. There is also a sand volleyball court, and a Frisbee golf course, for those who enjoy those sports. The Clarion River is wonderful for canoeing, kayaking, and tubing.
This park has something for everyone. If you miss its unique beauty and charm, it is your own fault. Clear Creek is, perhaps, one of my favorite places on Earth. Hike the trails and take it all in. It is amazing!
First, and most importantly, camping. There are a ton of options available at Clear Creek. Many of the electric RV sites are in a fairly open field, which, I will admit is not my favorite way to camp, but there are other, better campsites available. Sites numbered 31-39 are all electric sites, and all sit with an amazing view of the Clarion River. Sites 40 and 41 are also river front, although nonelectric. For those looking for a more woodsy camping experience, sites 46, 47, and 48 are on a little ridge, overlooking the river, but with wooded surroundings. We opted for site 34, and the view from our tent was awesome. I could wake up to this view every morning and be perfectly content!
We participated in a hike with the environmental education specialist. This hike was one of several programs in the park over the weekend we were there, with something for everyone. This hike was a bit of a challenge, up a steeper trail, North Ridge Trail. We got the opportunity to explore the Mountain Laurel field on the side of the hill as it was blooming. It was only my husband, myself, and the educational specialist on the hike, so it was quiet, which turned out to be beneficial later in the hike. Before we got to the laurel, we saw and ovenbird, a small bird who makes her nest on the ground. We were able to locate her nest, but there were no eggs or babies inside. We could hear her calling, and hear other birds calling back, so we knew here babies were near, although we never did see them. When we got to the laurel, we were given pipe cleaners and were able to pollinate some of the flowers by hand. Laurel is fascinating and beautiful. If you have a chance to learn more about this plant, do it!
As we came to the top of the North Ridge Trail, we chose to hike toward the pipeline and down it to the pipeline trail to see if we could spot a doe and her fawn that the Environmental Education Specialist had seen a few times. The hike down the open pipeline was interesting, as we saw sweet ferns and a lot of toads. We also saw an adorable chipmunk sunning herself on a rock, as seen in a previous post. We spotted the doe, but not her fawn. She seemed to be leading us off to the left, so we decided to go right. After being off trail for a bit, we got back on to the pipeline trail, where we were treated to the sight of a bright eyed little fawn, bedded down in the plant life just off the trail. While he had his head up, I was able to snap a quick picture. Shortly after, he was up and running away. How lucky we were to have seen this beautiful little fawn!
After the hike, we relaxed around our fire and watched the river roll by. Sunday morning, on the advice of the Environmental Education Specialist, we hiked up Sawmill Trail, which is accessible from the Clear Creek trail. Sawmill Trail is steep, and not heavily traveled. In spots, the trail is very narrow, and is hard to follow. What we saw at the top of the trail, however, was well worth the tough going. A series of cascades near the top of the hill and a bench in which to sit and enjoy them await the intrepid hiker. After enjoying the beauty, hike the Sawmill Short Loop to Truby Trail, which will return you to the campground.
This park has something for everyone. If you miss its unique beauty and charm, it is your own fault. Clear Creek is, perhaps, one of my favorite places on Earth. Hike the trails and take it all in. It is amazing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)