Entertaining With Other Campers Enhances Your RV Experience

Our family loves our RV experiences when we're venturing solo. We also enjoy RV trips with our friends. We have our annual Doheny State Beach RV trip every April. When the snow flies here in the mountains we count down to our time at the beach with friends.

Most of us are busy prior to the vacation so it's not until we arrive that we catch up on conversations and happenings. After we share our 'you won't believe what happened to me on the way here' stories we start talking plans: surfing, shell collecting, running, bocce and of course food. Occasionally we'll have an immediate meal already planned for our first day of arrival. Still we look forward to menu pooling amongst our friends: creating meals jointly that allow us to try new foods and preparations and keeps us from preparing multiple course meals. Plus, cooking in an RV can be a bit tight especially when limited in cooking appliances: we leave the convection and toaster oven at home. So we know that even though we have grocery shopping nearby, we'll have to be smart about how we create our meals: duck confit may be out, but easy fish tacos are a must as are burgers and even pizza off the grill (delicious!).

We suggest a type of meal for the evening and then each one of us takes on a component of the meal. For example, if we decide burgers is what we're all up for: we'll volunteer the fixings, the condiments and the veggie burgers. Others will jump in with: buns, cheese, side dishes, plates, cutlery, and etcetera. We decide on a time and an outside location and then get to our campers so that we can prepare for the evening. It shortens our preparation time by only having to provide for a portion of a meal and allows us to enjoy the fun part: socializing and enjoying our surroundings.

Sometimes we'll even offer a roundabout potluck schedule: appetizers and Mai Tai's at "Needs a Break", shrimp Caesar at the "Peterson Mobile" and s'mores and fire at "The Lazars". Participating in group meals keeps RV vacation life spontaneous simple and fun. Plus when camping, food always tastes good.

So go ahead and join your neighbors or friends in creating meals at your next RV destination. By keeping the meals plans simple, you'll enjoy the company and introduction to new food preparations and so will they. Bon Appetit!

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String Puppets and Other Fun Things

String puppets or marionettes have been popular for centuries. A Puppeteer is the person who hold the strings. They can make them dance, walk, run, bow and move around a stage. Learning how to maneuver the strings takes time and patience. This is a hobby for some, a profession for others. String puppets are not only used on stage. It is sometimes used in movies. Most of the characters in the movie "Labyrinth" were marionettes. Learning how to perform with a puppet as a hobby could lead to a job in special effects or even make you famous. Jim Henson is probably the most famous puppeteer. He created Kermit the Frog and the other Muppets. When the strings are attached, many things can happen depending on what the puppet is meant to do. They could be in the shape of an animal or a person. Usually, the strings are connected to the head, the back hands and just above the knees of a puppet. The strings are secured to a central rod that the puppeteer holds above the puppet. The rod is sometimes called a control bar. It is with the rod that the puppeteer learns to control and move the puppet. Learning to handle marionettes takes time and practice.

Finger puppets are the easiest kind of puppet to play with. You probably know how they work. A simple puppet sits on one or more of your fingers. They are something like the individual fingers of a glove. They might look like people, animals or birds. Finger puppets are particularly popular for small children. Teachers in pre-school and kindergarten often use them for telling stories and then let the kids play with them. Or they might be used to act out scenes from a book. Another type is the hand or glove puppet. Punch and Judy were hand puppets. The size varies from small to large. It may cover just the hand or there maybe a long part that hangs down and covers the arm. It is easy to learn to use this kind of puppet. The ventriloquist puppet is also called a pull-string puppet. This kind of puppet sits on the ventriloquist's lap. The ventriloquist places a hand into the back of the puppet. Inside the opening are strings that cause the puppet's mouth to move. Another string might be used to wave the puppet's hand. Pull string puppets take a little practice, but they're pretty easy to use. Learning ventriloquism is the hard part.

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