Don’t Miss Sunday’s Solar Eclipse

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Elaine

Nasa’s Hinode Mission - an international mission to study the sun – captured stunning images of the last annular eclipse on January 6, 2011. The sensitive telescopes are expected to capture even more breathtaking images on Sunday.

I can’t decide whether to check out Sunday’s eclipse from Petroglyph National Monument, just west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, or head over to one Texas’s state parks where there are lots of programs being offered by professional and amateur astronomers alike.(There’s a full list of state park activities on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.)

I’m lucky, because stargazing is one of my favorite pastimes, and I’m within an easy drive of some wide-open skies. On Sunday, May 20, I’ll be watching what’s called an “annular” solar eclipse that will begin in eastern Asia, cross the North Pacific Ocean, and end in the western United States. A partial eclipse will be visible from a much larger geographic area.

This map from Stardate shows the prime eclipse-viewing areas in the Western U.S.

During the annular eclipse the moon will not completely block the sun, but instead will leave a bright “bulls eye” ring of light visible around the edges.

Today, I talked to Claudia Brookshire, a park ranger at Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico, today, and she offered advice for anyone planning to watch the eclipse. “The national parks will be open until sunset,” she said, “so even if the scheduled programs are full, there will be plenty of opportunities to watch the eclipse from the park. Find a place up high on the mesa.” She also cautioned eclipse watchers to protect their eyes by either wearing a pair of solar glasses, using a pinhole projector, or using welder’s glasses with a 14 filter or higher.

Where will you be on Sunday evening when the moon eclipses sun?

~Elaine

To learn even more about the eclipse, check out these links:

The McDonald Observatory in West Texas publishes Stardate. They’re responsible for the great eclipse map above, and have a chart of eclipse times in the U.S.

Nasa offers great eclipse photos, and also safety advice.

The program EarthSky, heard on NPR, created a podcast that includes information about the upcoming eclipse.

Dutch Oven Delightful Peach Cobbler

Posted on May 15, 2012 by RealSparx

Paul Revere is often credited with designing the classic American Dutch oven: a cast iron pot with a flanged lid that holds coals on the top, and three stubby legs that help the pot sit low over a bed of coals on the bottom. If that rumor is true, “Thanks, Paul!”

This cowboy's cooking a Dutch oven stew at an event hosted by The Nature Conservancy in Fort Davis.

Although Dutch oven cooking is commonly associated with cowboys and chuck wagons, I heartily recommend one for anyone who wants to show off a bit at the modern campground. This is your chance to be wildly popular among your friends, family, and nearby campers – unless of course, dinner is late.

I first tried Dutch oven cooking about 17 years ago shortly after attending one of Texas Parks and Wildife’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshops. I bought a Lodge brand oven, made right here in the USA, using the classic Paul Revere design.

If you’ve never cooked with a Dutch oven before, you’re in for a treat, and there are plenty of books that offer great recipes, and that guide you through the process of cleaning and seasoning a new oven. Two of the first books I used were Dutch Oven Cooking with Tony Cano and the World Championship Dutch Oven Cookbook.

One of my own family’s favorite Dutch oven recipes is peach cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream. This is a super-simple recipe if you use canned peaches and yellow cake mix, but for more kudos, you can always make the batter from scratch and use fresh, sliced Fredericksburg peaches.

Here’s the simple version I tried after attending the workshop. Yum!

You’ll need the following:

14” Dutch oven 25 hot charcoal briquettes (use 17 on top and 8 on bottom) 1 box yellow cake mix 4, 16 oz. cans sliced peaches ½ teaspoon Cinnamon

Step by Step:

1. For easy cleanup, line the oven with foil. (But be sure the lid will still fit tightly on the oven. You don’t want to cook with the “oven door” open!)

2. Pour the canned peaches into the oven.

3. Prepare the cake mix and pour over the peaches

4. Sprinkle with cinnamon

5. Cover tightly 6. Arrange 8 briquettes evenly on a fire-proof cooking surface

7. Set the oven over the 8 briquettes and arrange the other 17 briquettes on the top.

8. This should cook in about 30 minutes.

Caution: When you check the cobbler for doneness, be sure to move the lid carefully to avoid brushing ashes from the lid into your yummy cobbler!

Serve this with your own homemade vanilla ice-cream, or bring BlueBell along!

~ Elaine

What are some of your favorite Dutch oven recipes? Care to share?

Weekend Wanderer: Caddo Lake State Park

Posted on May 11, 2012 by RealSparx

I’m a native East Texas girl, some of my favorite memories are of trips my family and I took to Caddo Lake State Park. It’s a great weekend getaway for camping, fishing, or just exploring.

A great blue heron waits for dinner to swim by in one of Caddo's cypress swamps.

On my family’s last visit, we paddled kayaks along Alligator Bayou, floated between cypress trees draped with Spanish moss, ate a picnic on the bank, and watched great blue herons fishing among the water lilies. The landscape was, and remains, basically unchanged from the early 1800s when Caddo Indians skimmed the waters in dugout canoes. The state park itself is situated on Big Cypress Bayou, but Caddo’s complex maze of cypress swamps stretches across 25,400 acres into Louisiana.

Because it’s easy to become disoriented in the swamps, Caddo is probably best explored on short kayak excursions from the park, or on guided tours. The park will provide a list of local tour guides when you check in, but I found one online that looks especially interesting: Caddo Outback Tours. Operated by John and Diane Winn in Karnack, Texas (also the birthplace of Lady Bird Johnson, by the way), they offer flexibility on tour times, and niche tours, from photography to gators. I’m always fascinated when tour guides take us through places such as Old Folks Playground, Red Belly, and Hog Wallow – crazy names that distinguish Caddo’s nooks from its crannies.

Every time we visit Caddo, we make it a point to eat at Big Pines Lodge where they serve awesome fried catfish. I was heartbroken in 2009 when the restaurant burned to the ground, but Kevin Allen and Shell Sanford have rebuilt the lodge, which reopened about six months ago. They’re back and I’m told it’s better than ever!

Now that I’ve made myself homesick, I guess I’d better go plan my next visit to Caddo.

If you’ve been to Caddo Lake State Park, be sure to reply and share your memories!

~ Elaine

P.S.

If you visit Caddo Lake, you’ll need these links:

Reserve your camping spot at Caddo Lake State Park:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/caddo_lake/

Check out the Big Pines Lodge menu:

http://www.bigpineslodge.com/images/Big%20Pines%20Menu/BPL%20Menu%20REV%2019/index.html

Consider a nice meal at nearby River Bend Restaurant. I haven’t been there, but it’s getting great reviews.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RiverBend-Restaurant-on-Caddo-Lake/148418491867158

Book a guided tour: http://caddolaketours.com/

Welcome!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by RealSparx

Welcome to American RV Life, a new blog that explores family, fun, and life on the American Road. We’ll take day trips, visit eclectic roadside attractions, cook up some yummy meals, and discover the people and places that make this country the most amazing place in the world.

Best of all, we’ll reconnect with our family, make new friends, and share stories and smores by the campfire.

We hope you’ll tag along!