Brown’s Ranch is one of my favorite places to hike in the greater Phoenix area. It’s located in the North Area of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Chock full of beautiful views, ample trails, and gorgeous vegetation – it’s well worth the short drive to get there. Plus it has a really nice trailhead with parking, […]
Cast Iron Dutch Oven Chili
Now that it’s getting cold outside (we’re in West Texas, so it’s just now starting to get cold), I figured it’s time to break out the cast iron dutch oven chili recipe to warm things up. It’s hard to beat a good bowl of chili when the temperature starts to drop. I also rarely pass up […]
Campfire Etiquette – Don’t Be That Guy
When we went up to Colorado for our honeymoon, we found an amazing little spot on some Forest Service land that didn’t have throngs of visitors. It was one of those places that you don’t want to tell anybody about because you know that once word gets out, it’ll end up being overcrowded, and eventually destroyed […]
16 Things To Do on a Long Road Trip
Sometimes getting to the great outdoors requires a drive…and in a lot of areas it requires a LONG one! But who says that can’t be part of the fun of your great outdoor adventure? I’ve spent MANY hours in the car as both a child and an adult on road trips. As long as you […]
Luna’s Jacal – Big Bend National Park
When travelling down Old Maverick Road in Big Bend, you’ll notice a low stone building sitting at the base of a small mountain (Pena Mountain), about six miles south of the Study Butte Entrance Station on the West side of Big Bend National Park (29.2154981, -103.5349391). This small 3-4 foot high building is Gilberto Luna’s Jacal […]
Creamy Chicken Surprise – Foil Packet Cooking
Foil packet meals are so much fun to make! They are excellent over a campfire, a BBQ grill, or a backyard fire pit. And you can cook them with propane, charcoal, or wood. They’re easy to prep ahead of time for camping trips when you have your full kitchen at your disposal. And they’re easy […]
Quartz Trail, McDowell Sonoran Preserve – Scottsdale, Arizona
Now that the weather has gotten cooler here in the Valley of the Sun, the many local outdoor destinations have been calling my name. As much as I love getting out of town to do some hiking or camping in Northern Arizona, I absolutely adore the desert landscapes right here in Phoenix. One of my […]
Cast Iron Dutch Oven Accessories
Cast iron dutch ovens have been a staple of outdoor cooking for hundreds of years, and for good reason. With this simple black pot, you can cook almost anything in the wild that you can in your oven at home (with a little practice at least). You don’t need all of the expensive racks and […]
Best DIY Firestarters
The secret to getting a good fire going without dousing it with lighter fluid has to do with two things – how you build your fire and your firestarter. Firestarters can make or break whether or not your fire is an easy one… or a frustrating one. So I’ve come up with the very best […]
How to Build a Campfire
Nothing says camping like an awesome roaring campfire right? I know I love a good campfire – especially when it’s cold! Okay, if I’m being honest – I love one pretty much anytime as long as it involves marshmallows. The smell of a campfire means the smell of camping – which I love. Learning how […]