We had our first-ever camping encounter back in the late 1970’s, when a friend introduced us to the notion on an overnight trip to Prince William Forest Park. I remember we bought a Montgomery Ward’s pup tent for the occasion, and that breakfast came from a Dunkin’ Donuts in Triangle. After that, we took quite a few car-camping trips, and even a few backbacking excursions, but once the kids came along, we could never get them all that interested in spending unplugged time with their parents in the woods. Our camping equipment sat on a basement shelf for over a decade, but this year (after a couple of good experiences camping at bluegrass festivals), we decided to dust off the gear and give camping another try with a simple overnight trip back to PWFP.

The park is lovely: 15,000 forested acres, with a bicycle-friendly scenic drive of over 20 miles, and 37 miles of well-maintained hiking trails. And it’s incredibly close to home, just a 45 min. trip up the interstate, perfect for an overnight trip.

Scenic drive through the park:

Stop at the Visitor Center to pick up your parking pass ($5) and check out the displays on the park’s history:

The campground is tucked at the very back of the park, about 5 miles from the Visitor Center at the park’s entrance. There are 100 pristine campsites, some close to the small paved loop road, some farther back. Of the three sections, one is reserved for tents only, and while RV’s are allowed in two sections, there are no hook-ups and no generators allowed, which keeps things pretty quiet (well, except for the occasional barking dog or squealing child). We had such a good time that we took three overnight trips this fall, all in the space of one month, and had wonderful experiences each time.

One of the campsites on the C loop:

The more we camped, the easier it got. I tweaked the packing list, we kept most of the little stuff all together in a large plastic bin, ready to go at a moment’s notice, and we fine-tuned our menu. Because we’re retired, we were able to go without much prior planning (just a check of the weather to make sure there was no rain in the forecast), and to go on weekdays, when the park is quietest. We figured out which tent-sites were our favorites (back from the road, with fire rings rather than grills), and got practiced enough that we could erect our tent in about five minutes.

Our campsite, tucked back in the woods:

Our trip in early October was so much fun that we went back a few weeks later, and then did a third trip just last week, when we had the park almost to ourselves. Our routine was pretty much the same on all three trips: set up camp, hike for an hour or two, eat lunch, and then spend the rest of the afternoon tending our campfire, reading, playing a little backgammon, cooking dinner over the fire, toasting a few marshmallows, and then trying very hard to stay up to an hour late enough that it could, by some stretch of the imagination, be called bedtime.

A hike down to Quantico Creek…

followed by an afternoon of reading by the fire (coincidentally, I’m reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris).

We’ve perfected the campfire dinner: sausages on the grill, some homemade potato salad, good beer.

We found the whole experience to be very soothing, almost meditative. I suspect it’s a combination of being outdoors in a serene natural environment, and being completely cut off from technology. No TV to watch, no email to write, no Facebook to check. And a phone too dumb to help me out with any of it. Plus there’s something about tending a fire, with the rhythmic movement of the flames, the smoky smell, the crackles and pops, that I found addicting. The fall is the perfect time for camping, with relatively few bugs, and temperatures cool enough to enjoy a fire.

This week, the tents-only section closed down for the winter and won’t reopen until April 15, although the other two sections remain open through the year. But I think we’ll stow the gear away for awhile, and look forward to our next trip in the spring.

We had our first-ever camping encounter back in the late 1970’s, when a friend introduced us to the notion on an overnight trip to Prince William Forest Park. I remember we bought a Montgomery Ward’s pup tent for the occasion, and that breakfast ca…

During the fall time of year, I begin searching for Apple Butter and Pumpkin Butter at the grocery stores. These crisp autumn days make me think of recipes using one or both of those wonderful butters! On a recent trip to the store, I also noticed and …

A nice refreshing autumn treat. Serve up this low-point Pumpkin Smoothie with your Thanksgiving meal or after, as a dessert. The kids will love it!Pumpkin SmoothieIngredients:- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter- 1/2 cup 1% milk- 1/2 cup crushed ice- 6 oz. Dannon …

The College Terrace Neighborhood Association will be meetingat 7 PM, wednesday, December 1st.We will be getting progress reports on the botanical garden and the dog park.Specifically we will be addressing a request for artificial lighting at the dog pa…

This is the site that created the “Axis of Just as Evil” joke which was copied by dozens, if not hundreds, of others. Some of their old stuff was amazingly prophetical too. It’s great to see them back.

I found some baby sweet potatoes at Whole Foods the other day, problem is I really haven’t cooked with sweet potatoes very much so I don’t have a good recipe handy.
Saveur.com to the rescue, they really have a wealth of great recipes. In fact most of my tried and true Thanksgiving recipes come from the pages of Saveur. This one is Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges w/ Yogurt Dipping Sauce.
In any case this one looks easy and yummy and I am going to make it. I think a nice Pinot Gris from Alsace would make a good pairing. They tend to be a little richer and riper than the typical offerings. My choice is the Klement Klur 2006 Pinot Gris, $26.99.

I found some baby sweet potatoes at Whole Foods the other day, problem is I really haven’t cooked with sweet potatoes very much so I don’t have a good recipe handy.
Saveur.com to the rescue, they really have a wealth of great recipes. In fact most of my tried and true Thanksgiving recipes come from the pages of Saveur. This one is Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges w/ Yogurt Dipping Sauce.
In any case this one looks easy and yummy and I am going to make it. I think a nice Pinot Gris from Alsace would make a good pairing. They tend to be a little richer and riper than the typical offerings. My choice is the Klement Klur 2006 Pinot Gris, $26.99.

A Connecticut case caught my attention today. David Weaving was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison for striking and killing a 14-year-old bicyclist. That’s an incredibly sad case, and my heart goes out to the family of the victim, Matthew Kenney. But the media is being despicable in the recent civil […]

I came across this while browsing around on some of my favorite foodie blogs for Thanksgiving recipes/ideas. Just the pictures alone had me very nearly drooling…all oozing with rich grapiness atop a tender, lightly sweet & yeasty baked dough. (sigh)

Bread and grapes…I have a marked weakness for both. They are comfort foods, whispering of autumn and warmth. While my own grapes will not be ready to harvest for a couple of years, I believe Wegman’s had some beautiful wine grapes in about this time last year – you can bet I will be checking. This could be a delicious alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.

I think this will be superb with a New World-style red blend from Tuscany, such as the Perazetta Erio Rosso.