In my “tip of the week” post last week, I suggested using clothespins to attach lights to the awning of your camper. But not everyone has an awning or wants to attach lights to it so I have another suggestion. String clothesline around your campsite, anchoring it to trees, posts, and your camper; and then attach lights to it using clothespins.
When my family and my sister-in-law’s family camp together we try to get double sites or ones that are next to each other. We then string clothesline between our two campsites and hang lights on it. The kids love having a lighted “path” between the two campsites as they run back and forth during the evening hours, plus there were lots of favorable comments from other campers who thought they looked nice.
It’s fun to take a little time to decorate a campsite and lights serve a two-fold purpose; first of all they look nice and second of all they provide a little low level lighting at night to help you see better and not trip over stones and tree stumps in an unfamiliar campsite.
In 2005, Fort De Soto Park in Florida was named America’s number one beach by Dr. Beach (yes, he’s a real person, is really a doctor, and does an annual top 10 list of the best beaches in America - click here to visit his website).
Because beaches are an American favorite for vacationing, because camping is a popular activity, and because many people who camp like to take their dog with them, Fort De Soto is my pick for this week’s “destination of the week.”
In addition to the great beach area, there are 236 camping sites. All sites have water and electrical hookups (35-50 amp service); plus a picnic table and charcoal grill. Eighty-five of the sites are for tents, vans, or popups only; the rest accomodate all types of camping units. Pets are permitted in sites 86-164 (the highlighted area of this map shows where dogs are allowed).
Plus, there is a special Paw Playground for dogs at the park. It is a green fenced area where dogs can roam unleashed and where there are cooling stations with showers and dog level water fountains for them to cool off in. There’s even a prime stretch of beach area where dogs can romp and play. 
Camping reservations can be made 6 months in advance (7 months if you are a Pinellas County Resident) on some of the sites. Not all are reservable. Some are first come, first served. Nightly camping fees range from $33.60 to $39.20. Make sure you want to camp at Fort De Soto before making a reservation though, because they do not give refunds no matter how far in advance you cancel. Instead they issue a credit for a future reservation but that credit is only good for one year. Click here for more information on the cancellation policy and to make reservations. Click here for a .pdf file about the campground area including check in and check out times as well as rules, policies, hours, and informational phone numbers.
Fort Desoto Park
While at the 1,136 acre park, which is 5 interconnected islands, check out the Quartermaster Storehouse Museum and the 12-inch mortar battery that is located at the fort for which the park was named. It is located on the largest of the islands, Mullet Island.
I make a lot of sandwiches over the fire when camping mostly because they taste good and because I like sandwiches, but also because they are portable and don’t require silverware.
Here’s a good sandwich that has the tastes of pepperoni pizza in it.
PIZZA HOAGIE SANDWICH RECIPE
Ingredients Needed:
hoagie buns (or any sub bun)
fresh mozarella cheese
fresh basil
fresh oregano
freshly shaved parmesan cheese (go for the high quality stuff - it has the best flavor)
deli pepperoni slices
jarred banana pepper slices or rings
marinara sauce
butter
Slice hoagie buns open - cutting nearly in half but not separating the halves from each other. Spread with butter. Grill with cut side down until browned. Remove from heat.
Layer buns with slices of fresh mozarella, chopped or torn basil leaves, chopped or town oregano leaves, freshly shaved parmesan cheese, slices of deli pepperoni, and sliced banana peppers. Top with a couple generous tablespoons of marinara sauce (jarred works fine).
Wrap sandwich tightly in foil once and then again with a second piece of foil. Put on cooking grate or directly into the fire to warm the meat and melt the cheese, turning at least once.
Serve with extra marinara sauce that has been heated over the fire or grill in an aluminum foil pouch.
Note about cooking: When I first made these sandwiches, I cooked them on a grate over the fire, turning them several times to make sure they heated through evenly. Then one time when I feeling impatient I just tossed the tightly wrapped sandwiches directly into the fire, turning them once after a minute or two. It worked great. The only downside was having to be extra careful when opening them so we didn’t get ashes that had clung to the foil onto the sandwich (not a tasty addition).
Note about ingredient amounts: You’ve obviously noticed I didn’t put specific amounts for each ingredient. That’s because it varies widely when I make these. I have some family members who love pepperoni and use lots of it but avoid the banana pepper slices like they are going to give them a disease of some sort. Others in my family like extra cheese while one insists she hates basil (she doesn’t believe she’s eaten it plenty of times even though I’ve told her I mix it into sauces and pasta dishes). So I just put all the ingredients out, let everyone make their own sandwich, wrap it with foil, and have them use a black permanent marker to write their name on it so they know which one is theirs when it comes time to retrieve them from the fire.
