Cheerful Valley Campground

Come Camping in New York’s Finger Lakes Region

1412 Route 14, Phelps, NY 14532, 315.781.1222    Email Us

Camping Tips for RV Beginners

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Camping season will be back before you know it and you can enjoy an amazing camping experience with the following RV camping tips. Unlike many years ago, now you can drive your RV to a beautiful camping ground like Cheerful Valley Campground and enjoy the convenience of fresh water, sewer hookups, electricity and much more. Here’s what you need to know about RV camping as a beginner.

• For easy storage, you should use plastic containers to load your belongings and gear into the RV. Most rented RVs will not come with these containers so you should be prepared. It is one of the best ways to de-clutter your RV and improve your camping trip.

• Most RVs come equipped with a fridge, freezer, and microwave. You can prepare food at home and bring it with you or make it right here at the campground. Most people do a combination of both. They cut up the veggies and place the meat in a marinade while still at home. Later, at the campground, they finish the other items needed for their meals.

• Bring trash bags for collecting waste and disposing of it properly. They are also useful for wet bathing suits and towels when you’re headed to the laundry.

• You’ll want to have games and rainy day activities for the kids, just in case. Bring books and puzzles for quiet times inside the RV when you’re getting settled down for the night.

Most of all, relax and enjoy yourself. You’ve waited a long time for this vacation and we want you to be able to enjoy yourself and your family.

With these RV camping tips, your next trip should be memorable.

Camping With Pets

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Pets at the campgroundCamping with Pets is an enjoyable experience and we are seeing more of it all the time. You little fur-kids make the whole trip a joy when you’ve planned ahead and for the unexpected.

Be sure to carry a copy of their vaccination records with you. If something comes up and you have to take them to a Vet while traveling, you won’t have to rely on your memory and your pet can get the care it needs in a hurry.

Bring plenty of their medications. Try to stock extra, just in case. You never know when that road less traveled will call you to take a side trip and you don’t want to run out of their meds in an unfamiliar place.

Some people find it helpful to put a sign on their RV that there is a pet in residence. Campgrounds are a friendly place and that can be intimidating for a shy pet. It’s helpful to warn others there is a pet inside your rig so they don’t accidentally open the door and let your little one escape.

We know you love your pets and we love that you bring them with you. We are looking forward to seeing you walking around the campground this year.

 

Growing an RV Herb Garden

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RV herb gardenIf you have managed to master the skills needed to cook in your RV, why not incorporate fresh flavors into your meals with your own herbs grown inside your RV. Herb gardens are compact and very easy to maintain and care for which makes them an ideal option for just about any type of mobile home.

Choosing Your Herbs

Avoid the types of herbs that may grow too large to keep in small containers. Some of the preferred smaller options will include marjoram, basil, chives, thyme, oregano and rosemary.

Planting

Choose deeper pots that come with drainage holes situated at the bottom so that any excess water can easily drain away. Use a thin layer of tiny pebbles at the bottom and then add a good quality potting soil. From seeds to the point that they are ready to use in meals, growing herbs in your RV can take as little as 3 to 4 weeks.

You must make sure that you give your herbs enough water and that they are able to receive adequate sunlight in order to enhance the growing processes. From time to time you can consider organic fertilizer to make sure the herbs are receiving all the nutrients that they need for growth.

Pruning

When you regularly prune the herbs you are growing you offer the plant with the best way to grow vigorously into hardy specimens. Remember that the more that you are able to prune the more your herbs will grow.

To enjoy the most out of your herb garden make sure you frequently check on the soil and to ensure it does not dry out. Also try to ensure that your herbs are exposed to a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight every day.

One of the benefits of a RV herb garden is that it can easily be transported between your normal residence and the RV home between camping trips. Fresh herbs are a fantastic way to enhance your cooking skills especially when you are away from home.

Clothing to Protect You From the Sun

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sun protection clothing at campClothing is the very “first line” of defense against harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun that protects our bodies from blocking or absorbing this radiation. When outdoors on a camping trip the more you are able to cover your skin the better.

What Is UPF?

UPF is short for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and is an indication of the fraction of the UV rays is able to penetrate a fabric. For example, a shirt that has a UPF of 50 will allow only 1/50th of UV radiation from the sun to absorb into the skin.

Fabric Factors

Even when you wear clothing that covers every inch of the body, if the sun is able to get through, the clothing is not very useful. The fabrics are designed with many tiny fibers that are knitted or woven together. When looking through a microscope there are spaces between these fiber and this is where the UV rays can pass through the holes and reach your skin. The tighter weaves and knits mean smaller holes which mean less UV is able to pass through. The twill used in making denim or tweeds is examples of tightly woven fabrics.

When thinking about the clothes to wear for a camping trip keep in mind that synthetic fibers like acrylic, nylon, lycra and polyester are more protective options than lustrous or shiny semi-synthetic fabrics such as rayon or bleached cotton that reflect more of the UV rays than matte fabrics such as linen that absorb. Finally consider the density and weight of the fabric. Sheer and light silk gauze provides a lot less protection when compared to a cotton, heavier denim. Look out for the clothing items that have a minimum of UPF 30 and rather choose items of clothing that cover more of your skin.

Light and Tasty Camping Salads

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summer saladSummer will be back before we know it, so there’s no wonder many people are already planning their camping trips. Having a nice meal in the wilderness is among the favorite activities of most people. Whether you love hamburgers or you’d rather have some hot dogs, a light summer salad is always going to complement your outdoor meals. You can find here, below, two favorites to try on your next camping holiday.

Summertime Strawberry Jello Salad With Walnuts

Ingredients:
1 15 oz pineapple (canned, crushed)
1 pack of strawberry jello
1 small Cool Whip
1/2 cup walnuts (raw, chopped)
16 oz cottage cheese

Drain the crushed pineapple in a colander as much as you can.
Put the cottage cheese in a large bowl and mix it with the jello.
Add the Cool Whip and the pineapple, and mix everything very well.
Add the walnuts, stir some more, and then let the bowl set in the refrigerator for one hour.
You can either put your salad in a covered bowl or in several individual containers. Keep it in a cooler. you can serve this salad as a meal course or as dessert.

 

Ingredients:
1 pack rainbow rotini pasta, cooked as instructed on the label
1 pack broccoli (drained and cooked)
1/4 pound of salami (diced)
1/4 pound of provolone cheese (diced)
1/4 cup black olives (pitted, sliced)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 pack Zesty Italian Dressing, prepared as per the instructions on the pack.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl, and mix them thoroughly. Add the dressing, and stir it in carefully, until you obtain a homogenous mix. You’ll obtain a light and delicious pasta salad that goes very well with any dish.

These are only two summer salad ideas. Try them, you’re going to love them! Your family and friends are going to love you, as well!

You Can Make Your Own Insect Repellent

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make your own mosquito repellentAny outdoors activity will expose you and guests to insects. This includes your camping trips, drinks out on the patio, parties at the beach and barbecues. Most of these insects have germs that can cause illnesses. For this reason, you’ll want to have plenty of insect repellent on hand during your outdoor activities. Most of the over the counter remedies have strong chemicals that aren’t good for your health or your body over the course of time. For this reason, you’ll want to make your own healthier versions of insect repellent. Here you’ll learn some very effective homemade insect repellent recipes.

There are some ideal essential oils out there that are very effective at repelling those vicious insects. Tea tree oil is one that works well against deer flies, ticks, and chiggers. If you’re out to alleviate black flies or mosquitos you’ll want to try some eucalyptus and lemon. Both of these work very well to help eliminate them. Another great remedy is peppermint oil and geranium oil blended together.

Never apply full-strength essential oil on your skin, it may burn your skin and cause a serious allergic reaction. Always mix it with a carrier oil prior to putting it on your skin. It’s far better to use one essential oil at a time as you prepare an insect repellent. If you’re going to mix the scents always choose essential oils that are from the same family. Lemon and lemongrass go well together as do lavender and eucalyptus. Tea tree oil and clove oil should always be used alone.

Another way to use lavender oil is to mix it with rosemary and peppermint oil to form your own version of an insect repellent. These are vital things to remember when you’re preparing your own versions of insect repellent.

Thus, your camping trips, barbecues and your parties on the beach or patio will be far more enjoyable when you employ these techniques to avoid insect bites. You’ll learn to mix and match your own preferred versions of these as you go. Just mix them in a spray bottle for best results.

Dutch Oven Recipes for Easy Camping Meals

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Dutch Oven recipesDutch oven one-pot recipes are the perfect solution for all those who want to enjoy a good meal at home, but don’t have the time or the skills to cook it. When using one-pot recipes, you add all ingredients at once, so you don’t have to do anything else than peeling, chopping, dicing, and then setting the pot on the stove top or in the oven. If you don’t have an oven, the Dutch oven is exactly what you need to slow cook your one-pot meal.

You can find lots of Dutch oven one-pot recipes online, either on YouTube or on special cooking channels for websites like The New York Times. There are also many bloggers who publish tried and tested recipes. Nonetheless, you should make sure you use popular food blogs, in order to avoid spoiling your meal. There are many small bloggers who don’t have the means to cook all the recipes they publish, so they tend to take some photos from Flickr or Pinterest, and use random ingredients and quantities. This is why you have to stick with the popular ones, as they wouldn’t risk their fame by publishing fake recipes. For instance, The Pioneer Woman, Simply Recipes and David Lebovitz are all famous blogs you can trust. These modern bloggers don’t have a lot of time, so they’ve adjusted their cooking style and their recipes to the hectic life we all live these days. If they can put all ingredients in a pot, add water and spices, and cook it over low heat until all juices and flavors are released, they are surely going to do it. Even better, they are going to blog about it, so you won’t lack inspiration for your own kitchen. Just make sure you do have a Dutch oven, as this is one of the tools you’re going to use a lot.

Staying Cool in Warm Weather

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hot weather campingIt can be a challenge to stay cool when the weather is hot. Too much heat, during warmer weather, can lead to exhaustion, dehydration, heat stress, and even heat stroke. Here are some helpful tips that can be used to help you stay cool when the weather is hot.

Stay Hydrated – Water is essential for staying cool in warm or hot weather. It can help to cool your body and keep your tissues hydrated. Drink water on hot days, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid sugary drinks and soda, as well as alcohol and coffee, because they can have a diuretic effect. Water is best for cooling off on hot days.

Consume Foods That Are Cooling – Foods can help keep you cool. Choose foods like fresh raw vegetables, fruits, and salads. Make an effort to eat smaller meals which can help keep your core temperature down. When you eat a large meal, your body has a hard time breaking it down, which can raise your body temperature. So, eat small means filled with cooling, fresh foods.

Plan Your Time in the Sun – Avoid doing outside activities during the peak time of the mid-day sun. That means you should limit your sun exposure between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm when the weather is warm or hot. If you must be outside at these times, limit your sun exposure, as much as possible. Children, the elderly, and people with sensitive skin should consider staying a cool area and limiting the amount of time they spend in the sun.

Here are some additional tips. Get to know your body and look for signs of overheating or heat exhaustion. Wear light-colored, protective clothes. And, make sure to drink lots of fluids, especially water. Following these tips will help keep your body healthy, happy, and cool, even on the hottest days of the year.

Packing for a Family Camping Trip

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family campingIf you are taking your family camping then you need to know how to pack. There are a lot of items you do not want to forget when you are out and about in the woods or wherever you are camping. You can find out more about how to pack below.

You need to make sure that you pack fishing poles if you plan to go fishing with your family. You should also remember to bring anything else that you want to do while you are out camping, including board games or whatever else you want to do with your children. When you are packing you have to keep in mind that you may not be able to bring everything with you all at once so you may have to make multiple trips back and forth to your vehicle.

Make sure that you pack a first aid kit. If you have children then you know that they get hurt easily when you are not looking or even when you are. You need to have all that you can get in terms of safety gear so that nobody gets hurt and has to deal with an injury not being tended to. You may want to bring your cell phone even if this is a trip you want to take to get away from technology. You can turn the phone off while you are camping but if there is an emergency you can turn it on and get help right away.

These packing tips for family camping should get you started. Make sure you create a checklist and that you add every item that you are going to need. Then, go down the list and you should not run out of whatever you need when you are out camping.

Keeping Ants Out of the RV

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Ants in the RVNo one wants ants crawling around their RV and, with a little prevention, there are a lot of things you can do that will help keep them away.

Make Sure They Don’t Have A Point Of Entry

The harder it is for ants to enter your RV, the less likely it is they’ll show up. Keep an eye out for potential points of entry. If you see an opening, make a point of sealing it off. You should try to seal your windows with caulk. If you do this, it’ll be very difficult for ants to get into your RV.

Use The Right Cleaning Products

If your ants don’t like the way your RV smells, they’re going to stay far away from it. You should try to use lemon-scented cleaning products if you can; ants dislike the smell of lemon. Using a vinegar cleaning product is also a smart idea. You could also try spraying peppermint oil around your RV. It’ll keep ants away, and it will give the RV a fresh minty scent.

 

Place Citrus Peels Around The Areas Ants Appear

If you see ants popping up in the same part of your RV, you should place a few citrus peels there. Citrus peels are toxic to the types of fungus that ants typically dine on.

There are a number of things you can do that will keep ants from entering your RV. If you have an ant problem, act now. You can get rid of the ants you have now and keep more ants from showing up.