Recent concerns and problems with invasive species causing damage to forests in some parts of the United States has resulted in some states restricting or banning the transportation of firewood because it can harbor invasive pests.

Wisconsin won’t allow any out of state firewood in their state parks because of problems with the Emerald Ash Borer and only allows in-state firewood that has been transported 50 miles or less. If you don’t live in Wisconsin and are planning on staying at a Wisconsin state park, leave your firewood at home and purchase it locally. If you live in Wisconsin and live more than 50 miles from the state campground you’re going to stay at, you also need to leave your firewood at home and purchase it locally. There is plenty of firewood for sale near the campgrounds and also inside the campgrounds. Wisconsin has a firewood hotline set up that offers more information: 1-877-303-WOOD (9663).

Maryland also has firewood restrictions in place because of Emerald Ash Borer damage and concerns of further infestation. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has prohibited the importation of all personal firewood into DNR owned and managed properties. If someone inadventently brings firewood to a DNR property they will be required to immediately burn it. DNR approved firewood is available locally.

Minnesota is asking people to leave their firewood at home and purchase it locally although, at the time I’m writing this, I’m not aware of any regulations requiring people to follow the guideline in Minnesota unlike in Maryland or Wisconsin where the regulation is in effect and is being enforced.

In addition, although no national bann is in effect, the Union of Concerned Scientists is asking people to sign a pledge online and not transport firewood in an effort to protect our forests and woodlands from non native pests and species so that everyone can continue to enjoy them and not see them destroyed.

So, don’t worry about finding room in your vehicle or RV storage area for firewood. Use that space for something else and buy your firewood when you get to your desination.

Chili is one of those great things to have on cool days so with the fall football season in full swing (and baseball playoffs just around the corner) I’m sharing my favorite chili recipe. It’s pretty easy to throw together. I’ve done it several ways for camping: I’ve made it ahead of time, took it along, and heated it up in a slow cooker; I’ve prepared on my camp stove at the campground; and a friend of mine who is good at dutch oven cooking has made it over our campfire in their dutch oven.

This recipe doesn’t have pasta in it which is one of the great debates in our family (we’re pretty evenly divided over how we feel about it - my son says it’s chili soup if there are noodles in it and not “real” chili). I make a chili with noodles in it and like that one too so I don’t get too involved in the debate. But I like this “pasta free” chili for camping because it can be reheated without worrying about the pasta getting overcooked and mushy.

GAME DAY CHILI
Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1, 16 ounce package thick sliced smoked bacon cut into 1-inch strips
2 large onions, chopped
3 large green peppers, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 six ounce can tomato paste (roasted garlic flavor if it’s available; otherwise plain is fine)
2 cans “Brooks Just for Chili” diced tomatoes
2 cans “Brooks Chili Hot” spicy beans (get mild ones if you don’t like spicy chili)
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 cup beer (whatever your favorite is but avoid “light” beer)
½ cup chili powder (this isn’t a typo but if you don’t like spicy chili start with a ¼ cup and add more if desired)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon red pepper (less if you want a mild chili)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, sour cream, and saltine crackers are good accompanients.

Think that just because summer is over that camping season has come to an end for the year?

Well, think again. I’ve got ten reasons for you why fall is the best time of the year to go camping.

1) Campgrounds are Less Crowded (and less noisy) - especially during the week. During the summer campgrounds can be really crowded with beaches that are so full of people there’s not enough room to walk, trails that resemble busy city streets, concession stands with long lines, nearby towns that swell to several times their normal size, and so much night-time people noise that it drowns out the sounds of nature.

In Fall that all changes. You may only meet one or two people while hiking a three mile trail and often you don’t meet anyone at all. There are very few people camping during the week because the kids are in school. Weekdays in the Fall are a great time for adults to enjoy camping with lots of peace and quiet. And while the campground concession stands may be closed and some of the stores in town may have shut down for the season, the businesses that are open are enjoying a much leisurely pace of life and have time to chat with their customers and maybe share a story or two. For example, during my camping trip last Fall the lady who ran a chocolate store in a lakeside town we were camping near told us waterspouts are a common occurrence in the Fall and that townspeople often sat in front of her store to watch them. We kept an eye turned to the sky the next couple of days and were lucky enough to catch one on film. If we had been at her store during the busy summer months she wouldn’t have had time to chat with us.

2) Less Bugs and Creepy Crawlies - I’m a girl who is seriously allergic to insects so summer camping isn’t much fun for me. But in the fall after the first hard frost, the bugs are gone and camping is a joy. There are no more mosquitoes biting, no more flies and bees buzzing around the food, and no ants or other creepy bugs crawling up legs or getting inside the tent or camper. Best of all, there are no bugs flying into a person’s mouth as they are riding their bike on a campground trail.

3) Autumn Campfires - Campfires are one of best parts of camping but during the months of July and August it is often too hot to sit around a campfire and really enjoy it. But, during the cooler nights of fall, a crackling campfire is extra cozy and comforting. Plus, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a morning cup of coffee or hot chocolate while watching a campfire or cuddling around the fire with someone special in the evening and enjoying a mug of hot mulled wine or cider.

4) Cooking Soups, Stews, and Cobblers in a Dutch Oven - To me, hearty Dutch oven beef stew, thick chunky chili, and luscious warm fruit cobblers taste best when cooked and eaten outside when there’s a little bit of a chill in the air. The food smells so good while it’s cooking that it’s hard to wait until it’s done!

5) The Changing of the Leaves - Fall is hands down the most gorgeous time of the year. It’s when nature puts on a dazzling color show with the rich colors of yellow, oranges, and reds set against a backdrop of bright blue skies. Driving down a tree lined road that is a canopy of color, hiking a trail while leaves flutter down off trees, watching squirrels scamper and play amid a forest floor of colorful leaves, or just gathering a bunch of leaves up into a pile and jumping into them are wonderful things that can only happen in the Fall of the year.

6) Indian Summer - The weather during Fall camping trips is often much nicer than camping trips in May or June. Those beautiful Indian summer days that are the last warm and sunny days of the year have the bonus of fall colors, little to no bugs, and the crisp earthy smell of Autumn.

7) Fall Produce - While I love the bountiful produce available during the summer the abundant fall produce of brilliant orange pumpkins, plump fall raspberries, crisp juicy apples, hearty potatoes, crunchy carrots, dazzling varieties and colors of squash, and the last of ripe red tomatoes.

8.) Spooky Hikes - Many campgrounds have haunted hikes throughout the month of October. They typically consist of a night-time walk down a Halloween decorated trail that is lit by torches or luminaries. Sometimes the hike is preceded by pumpkin carving. The hikes are usually family friendly and not scary at all. Some hikes are educational in nature with stations that discuss the “animals of the night.”

9) Cooler Weather - While the heat of the summer is enjoyable to many people the hot humid days can drain a person’s strength and energy and make them want to do nothing more than lie in the shade.
Camping in the Fall means waking up to refreshing brisk morning air and hurrying to pull on a sweatshirt before starting a warming fire to cook breakfast. By mid-morning it’s getting warmer and is perfect weather for a long hike or bike ride that lasts until mid-afternoon. When the cooler evenings and earlier darkness set in it’s the perfect time to enjoy one of those Autumn campfires with the sounds of nature serenading you.

10) Wildlife Comes Out of Hiding - Fall is mating season for some mammals like deer, moose, elk, and antelope. My husband and I live where whitetail deer are abundant and we see a lot more deer during Fall hikes in the woods than during any other time of year. Small mammals, such as squirrels seem to be much more active in the Fall too which makes sense since they are busily gathering provisions to get them through the long winter.