My family loves spaghetti and meatballs, but to take it camping just seemed like such a hassle. Between boiling the pasta and cooking the sauce and meatballs – it was just too much work for camping (and too many dishes to clean!) Until I discovered that you can do it all in one skillet! I […]
National Geographic is Giving Away Free Topos
Here at Trek Southwest, we love free stuff. Camping and hiking gear is expensive, so whenever we find something that doesn’t drain the bank account, we take full advantage. National Geographic is now allowing you to download and print free USGS Topographic Quads covering virtually every inch of the United States, right off of their website. One […]
Pole Knoll Recreation Area – Greer, Arizona
My family recently went on a week-long camping trip in the Greer, Arizona area and absolutely fell in love. The Greer area was one of the hardest hit places when the Wallow Fire burned in 2011. The area is recovering nicely though and there is a ton of regrowth. While we were camping – we […]
Dutch Oven Campfire Biscuits
I really love biscuits, but I’ve always been a little too intimidated to try them from scratch while camping. I usually just grab some of those canned ones and haul those along in the cooler. But now that I’ve got a dutch oven – I decided it was finally time to give them a go. […]
Homer Wilson Blue Creek Ranch – Big Bend National Park
The Homer Wilson Blue Creek Ranch Trail is a short hike off of Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive in Big Bend National Park down to a small ranch house in the Blue Creek Valley. The small ranch house that you’ll find here wasn’t the main house for the Homer Wilson Ranch, but only a secondary house for […]
Courthouse Butte Loop Trail – Sedona, Arizona
The Courthouse Butte Loop Trail in Sedona, Arizona is a lovely, family-friendly moderate 4.2 mile long hike that wraps around both Courthouse Butte and nearby Bell Rock. Bell Rock is one of the vortex sites in Sedona. This is a heavily used trail with easy access from two different parking lots. The day we visited […]
The Dorgan-Sublett Trail – Big Bend National Park
The Dorgan-Sublett Trail is one of the newest trails in Big Bend National Park, being turned into an official trail in 2008. The National Parks Service had to turn this area into an official trail since the ruins of the old ranch could be seen by passersby on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. People would see the ruins, […]
Dutch Oven Vegetarian Lasagna
While a dutch oven might not be ideal for a backpacking trip – if you’re going car camping – dutch ovens are one of the most versatile pieces of cookware you can bring along. I’m new to using dutch ovens outside my oven (cooking with charcoal or fire sounded more intimidating than my nice temperature […]
Swedish Torch Test – The Good and the Bad
I’ve always been curious about using a Swedish Torch for a small campfire since I keep seeing them on Pinterest and Facebook. The only problem with those kind of posts is they have a tendency to tell you how awesome this new DIY idea is and really don’t tell you the bad parts. Who would […]
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail – Big Bend National Park
The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail in Big Bend National Park isn’t the most exciting trail you’ll hike while you’re there, but its probably the best first trail for you to take when you get to the park. Especially if you’re not that familiar with the Chihuahuan Desert. This short trail starts out at Dugout Wells, a […]