Camping With Jan

This is a very versatile recipe. You may use most any meat - just be sure to allow enough time for it to cook thoroughly. I have used ground beef, round steak, and chicken.

Bottle Sweet and Sour Sauce

Pineapple chunks

Bell Pepper cut into thin slices - onions cut into bite sized pieces

Rice or pasta

Brown the chosen meat in veggie oil. I cut the meat into bite-sized portions ( smallish meatballs from the ground meat). Drain most of the oil. Place the meat, pineapple, bell peppers, and onions into Dutch oven and pour the sweet and sour sauce over all. The cooking time will differ, depending on the type of meat you have chosen. You may either place over the cooler part of a fire or on a camping stove set at a low fire. The longer you can let this simmer, the better it will be. Stir often to prevent sticking. Cook the rice or pasta according to directions. Place the meat on top of rice or pasta and enjoy.

Great Salt Plains Lake is located at the park. It covers 8,690 surface acres and has forty one miles of shoreline. It is a shallow, salty lake - about 1/3 to 1/2 as salty as the ocean. Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the park and  is the only place in the world where crystal enthusiasts can dig for “hourglass selenite” crystals. These are a rare and fragile form of selenite - a form of gypsum. You may dig for these crystals from April 1 though October 15. You can fish the lake for catfish, saugeye, sandbass and hybrid striper. You can use a boat on the lake but using personal watercraft is not recommended.

There is RV camping, equestrial trails with campsites, and regular campsites. The comfort stations have showers. There are also cabins for rent. The park restrooms are very clean and the personnel are very nice.  The park is located in the north central part of Oklahoma. Consequently, it is still pretty cool at night. You will need at least a three-season tent and warm sleeping bags. Even so, you can avoid the rush this time of year. The park and refuge is a great place to visit and spend a few days.

The Eureka High Camp tent is an advanced four-season tent designed to handle the most extreme conditions. It was designed and tested by one of the world’s premiere mountaineering expedition leaders, Eric Simonson and his staff at the International Mountain Guides. The High Camp features a roomy interior for two, yet has a narrow footprint for use in rugged high altitudes. Lightweight and durable, the shock corded and free standing frame is constructed of DAC aluminum with post and grommet assembly. Fly rod creates head space high in the vestibules to insure dry entry and provide functional vestibule space for storage. The vestibules have bottom venting, and couples with patented High/Low door venting system  and interior mesh to create air flow throughout the tent. The High Camp measures 7′9″ x 4′10″ x 3′8″ high. It weighs nine pounds - eight ounces. If you like the extreme type of camping, this is the tent for you!

This park is the home of a 3/4-mile cavern formed of alabaster, a form of gypsum. It is the largest natural gypsum cave in the world open to the public. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, there are specific nature programs. There are interpretive tours of the cavern daily. The cavern is a constant 50 degrees and include selenite formations, which are rare colors of alabaster. And of course, there are bats from five different species. This state park also has hiking trails consisting of trails suitable of all ages and some that are more difficult. The Freedom Trail at the bottom of the canyon is the best one to discover the flora and fauna.

There are modern campsites with electricity and water to primitive campsites available. If you are like my family, we would much rather camp when the weather is cooler and the nights cold enough for a fire and warm sleeping bags. Besides the fact that we enjoy cooler as opposed to warmer weather, the insects and reptiles are not in attendance. For most of us, the fifty degrees is pretty cool. A warm sweatshirt or light jacket will keep you warm. At night, that three-season tent and warm sleeping bag will keep you warm and toasty. This state park should be on your “Places to see” list!

If you have a large family and are looking for the perfect camping tent, The Eureka Condo is the tent for you! This is a three-room tent larger than many master bedrooms. The Condo has a 10′-6″ x 20′ footprint and has three doors and ten windows. It sleeps eight to twelve people. The massive windows fill three fourths of the 12′ walls and has the patented High/Low venting doors and zippered mesh ceiling panels maximize air flow for maximum three-season comfort.  Rain curtain with clear window panels zip into the fly for total weather protection. With a center height of 8′-6″, all but the tallest among us will be able to stand up straight! This is the luxury tent for large groups of people who like to camp together.  The Eureka Condo has the patented easy set up of Eureka and has all the quality you have come to expect from Eureka.

Chickasaw National Recreation Area combines cool water, mineral springs, cool breezes, shade and wildlife to give the visitor an experience that sets it apart from the surrounding environment. This region of Oklahoma is different from the land around it. It is characterized by complex geology. The intensive faulting, folding and deformation associated with major uplift and later, erosion, has combined to create an area of rolling hills full of streams and springs. The recreation area includes the Lake of the Arbuckles. It includes flora and fauna from both the deciduous forest and the plains. Although the summers are hot and humid, the spring temperatures are very comfortable.

There are six public campgrounds with varying ammenities. Unless there is a fire ban, ground fires are allowed the the fire rings provided. At this time of the year, the daytime temperatures are very pleasant. The nights can be cool, so a good three-season tent and warm sleeping bags are a great asset. The miles of trails make for good hiking opportunities. This is an area worth a visit or two!

Eureka has come up with a tent big enough for five or six people that can be set up by one person in a very short time. The Eureka Headquarters Tent is a home away from home. There is a removable zippered divider which offers the option of making this a two-room tent. The divider does not come all the way to the floor, but offers privacy enough for changing. This is a four-pole rectangular tent with an umbrella hub and is easy enough for one person to erect the tent quickly. It has a freestanding shockcorded aluminum frame that is stable, long lasting, and non-corrosive. There are two hooded exterior doors which allow access to both rooms and are hooded to allow vents top and bottom even in rainy weather. Brims over the wall sized side windows provide superior protection from the rain, plus excellent ventilation and a panoramic view. They can be zipped up to provide privacy. Even a tall person is able to stand up straight in all parts of the tent. This is truly a camping home away from home. It is easily packed up again when you are ready to move on to the next beautiful campsite. As aways, the Eureka name means quality in all ways.

Enchanted Rock SNA is a very historical and facinating place to visit. In normal camping and hiking season, this park fills up very early in the day. The area has been inhabiltated since Indian times. The Tonkawa Indians lived near and believed the rock was “enchanted”. Enchanted Rock rises 425 feet above the gound and is one of the largest batholiths in the United States. It is a huge pink granite dome which has been uncovered by erosion. You can enjoy primitive backpacking, camping, hiking, and of course, rock climbing. All rock climbers are required to report in to the park rangers.

Remember that, at this natural area, all plant and animal life, geological features and artifacts are protected by law. You must bring your own firewood if you want to have a campfire, which this time of the year, will feel really good at night! Whether you camp in the camping areas or backpack into a primitive area (there are three unique areas for this), having a good camping stove on which to fix a good hot breakfast for the beginning of the day and a warming Dutch oven of stew or chili at the end of the day is an important piece of camping equipment to have with you. As I said, this is a busy place during the height of the camping and hiking season. Now is a great time for a visit!

There are several really good ways to cook fish that are fairly quick and simple.

Fish fillet or steak

Picante Sauce

Can crab meat

Can or fresh shrimp

Place fish in Dutch oven. Salt and pepper, if you desire. Mix the picante sauce, crab, and shrimp. Place this mix on top of the fish. Place Dutch oven just over coals with coals on top, or place on cooking stove. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of piece of fish. Do not overcook. You may eat it as it is or place it on a bed of rice or noodles. Enjoy.

Colorado Bend State Park is located west of Lampasas. It covers a little over 5000 acres.The park has 15.8 miles of hiking trails and offers primitive camping in two backpack areas. If you make use of these areas, you must pack in everything you need and pack out everything you do not use. There are camping facilities that offer fire rings, composting toilets, lantern posts, picnic tables, and cooking grills. If you like to fish, there is good fishing at certain times of the year and there are boat ramps and fish-cleaning facilities. You may also go biking, birding, and swimming.

The busy time of the year for this park is when the White Bass run. There are guided tours of several caves and to Gorman Falls. There are hiking trails to the falls that are self-guided. The park is not large, but has a lot to offer. The camping facilities are nice. Even this time of the year, with a good three-season tent and warm sleeping bags, you can enjoy the quieter, less populated time of the camping season. There are even river bank camping sites, and now, the insects are not such a problem as in the summer. The spring is a pretty time of the year here. The many species of birds are in full mating and nest-building season.