Starling Travel

October 31, 2015

Five Extremely Creepy and Haunted Forests

Filed under: Camping,Places To Visit — Laura Moncur @ 8:39 am

In honor of Halloween, I found this video about haunted forests. The next time you’re thinking of camping, here are some suggestions for an particularly interesting excursion.

The Five Places are here:

Old House Woods, Matthews County, VA, USA

Cannoock Chase Woods, Staffordshire, UK

Dering Wood near Pluckley, Kent, UK

  • Wikipedia – Pluckley: Pluckley had an entry in the 1989 Guinness Book of Records for being “the most haunted village in Britain”, with 12 different ghosts reported.

Hoia Baciu Forest, Romania

Aokigahara Forest, Japan

After watching this, I think I’ll just go camping is in nice, brightly lit parking lot next to Walmart. How about you?

October 30, 2015

Most Haunted Campgrounds

Filed under: Camping,Places To Visit — Laura Moncur @ 5:00 am

This article from CampsitePhotos.com gives us a collection of the most haunted campgrounds in America.

I love that all of these campgrounds are in the States, so I can visit them with my own camper. In fact, they’re all in the west, so I could visit them all easily:

  • Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park / Northern California
  • Holcomb Valley Campground / Big Bear, California
  • Beaver Creek Campground / West Yellowstone, Montana
  • Crystal Lake Recreation Area – Crystal Lake Campground / Southern California
  • Silver Strand State Beach / Coronado Island – San Diego, California
  • Humboldt Redwoods State Park / Northern California

The next time you’re in the mood for a scare, why don’t you plan a trip to one of these campgrounds and spend the night. Even if there are no ghosts there, you’ll be guaranteed a night of a little extra vigilance.

September 22, 2015

Shoe Organizer in a Tent Trailer

Filed under: Camping,Motorhomes and Campers,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers — Laura Moncur @ 7:13 am

I saw this image on Pinterst and it looked like a really good idea:

Shoe organizer in a tent camper from Starling Travel

I don’t have a full bed like what is shown there, but there are only three of us, so I thought I could do something like that in the Tangerine Turtle. It worked out really well.

Shoe organizer in a tent camper from Starling Travel

I cut the shoe organizer, just like the picture showed, but the edges were a little frayed. I then took a lighter and singed the edges so they wouldn’t fray anymore. I screwed it into the wall with small screws on all four corners. It worked really well for us.

Here is how it looks from a little further away.

Shoe organizer in a tent camper from Starling Travel

Our camper is so small that we were tripping over the pile of shoes in it. There really was no place to put our shoes except “in the way.” This organizer really helped keep things tidy and less tripping. If you have a tiny tent trailer, try this and see if it helps. It sure helped us.

September 18, 2015

Campground Etiquette: Walking Through Campsites

Filed under: Camping — Laura Moncur @ 7:03 am

I learned a long time ago that walking through people’s campsites is rude. I learned it from an angry man with a diesel pusher in Quartzsite who screamed at me for walking through his campsite on the way to the bathroom. The campground had no pathways to get to the bathroom. The only way to get there from my site was a quarter mile walk around the campground. It was a choice of .25 miles or ten feet through his site. I chose the logical route and the diesel pusher was quite angry with me.

If you check various websites, it IS considered rude to walk through other people’s campsites.

If you read blogs, there are plenty of people willing to expound on how RUDE it is to walk through people’s campsites.

The thing is, all of that is entitled baloney.

There are some campgrounds where the ONLY way to get to the bathroom is to walk through someone’s campsite. There are some campgrounds that are so cramped and crammed full of tents and campers that there is no way to tell where someone’s campsite ends and another begins. There are some campgrounds that are so massive that the only way to walk to the bathroom is a quarter mile detour. Sometimes, people set up so much junk in their campsite that they are infringing on your area or even the walkway between sites.

You do NOT own the land you paid for. We are all sharing the campground and like it or not, you’re in the open. Your items are not secure. People WILL walk through your campsite and you insisting that you own that swath of land is the rude behavior, not people trying to get to the bathroom after a long and cold night.

Last June, we stayed at a wonderful campground in Moab that was BEYOND crowded.

Crowded Camground in Moab from Starling Travel

What you can’t see from this picture is the campers on the other side of us and almost abutting the picnic table. What you can’t see are the band of hippies washing their dishes right behind me in the bathroom facility. While we camped there, people walked through our campsite all day and night. You can see how cramped it was. The people in the cabins walked between our car and my boy’s bunk end all day and night. The only way to walk to the bathroom without going through someone’s site was to go all the way around, which was at least 50 yards.

Did I scold every person walking through my site? Did I set up all my cute turtles, table cloth, camping chairs and tables? Did I seethe with anger every time someone “trespassed” on my site? Did I fume about how RUDE people are and don’t they know that I “own” this property and they should go around?

No.

I had a fun vacation. I talked with the hippies. I said a nice hello to everyone walking past. I tried to calm my fears whenever I heard someone walking right past my bunk end in the middle of the night.

The simple fact remains that sometimes we are all camping in a very cramped campground. Learning to accept that people will be walking through your site will make your camping experience more enjoyable. Insisting that people are trespassing on your property will make it miserable for you. You can’t control other people. ACCEPT that fact and your camping experiences will be much more pleasant.

September 8, 2015

Camping Therapy

Filed under: Camping — Laura Moncur @ 7:46 am

It has been a while. The first weekend of June was the last time I went camping and I’m feeling antsy. I want to get back out there, but I have a whole month to wait until the October Valley of Fire Popup Portal Rally. I can feel the itchiness all around me and then I saw this little advertisement from KOA.

I don't need therapy. I just need to go camping. from Starling Travel

It reads:

I don’t need therapy. I just need to go camping!

And it’s so true. But WHY? Why do I feel this itchiness when it has been too long between camping trips? What I love about camping is setting up camp and sitting outside of the camper under the awning. It’s just sitting. Why can’t I do that at home?

Believe me, I have TRIED to relax and just sit outside in the shade. I have even put up a hammock in my backyard to entice me to do just that.

Relaxing Hammock in My Backyard from Starling Travel

No matter how many beautiful and relaxing spots I have set up in my backyard, I have not been able to recreate the feeling of sitting outside my camper in the shade. I have no idea WHY I feel like that. All I know is that despite my many attempts to just sit outside and enjoy the birds in my backyard, I still feel itchy when I haven’t gone camping in a while. Just a little over a month until I can go again…

August 30, 2015

Dixie’s Camp-R-Tow: Rent A Glamper

Filed under: Camping,Places To Visit,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers,Utah — Laura Moncur @ 12:53 pm

At the Enterprise CornFest yesterday, I saw the cutest campers for rent.

This company is located in Southern Utah, close to Zion’s Park, so you can rent a camper to take into the National Park.

Let me show you Betty and Peggy, two of their vintage campers: (Continue Reading…)

August 29, 2015

Pickup Playhouse

Filed under: Camping,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers — Laura Moncur @ 6:34 am

When I was shopping at the local thrift store back in July, I saw this pickup playhouse that looked awesome.

Pickup Playhouse from Starling Travel

It’s obvious that this little house was made for a different truck with a longer bed. They loved it so much that they kept it with the new truck and left the tailgate down.

Pickup Playhouse from Starling Travel

If you look carefully, you can see a vent on the side, so it must get pretty hot in there, especially since it’s painted black. Good in the winter to keep warm, though.

Pickup Playhouse from Starling Travel

I wonder what they use this playhouse for. I’ve seen the truck several times in town, so they don’t take it off and put it back on for camping. It’s permanent. I like to imagine that they go camping so often that they don’t feel the need to take it off.

Whenever I see campers for thousands and thousands of dollars, I remember little campers like this one. It probably cost less than one thousand dollars to build in full and it has lasted at least two pickups. Next time you think you can’t afford a camper of your own, remember this little pickup playhouse and know that a good camper is within your reach.

August 23, 2015

Coleman Fold Up Shelves

Filed under: Camping,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers — Laura Moncur @ 10:34 am

I love the design of these fold up shelves found on some Coleman popup trailers. Here they are unfolded.

Coleman Fold Up Shelves from Starling Travel

When it’s time to close up the camper, here they are folded up.

Coleman Fold Up Shelves from Starling Travel

The efficiency of these campers is surprising to me. Why don’t all popups have these fold up shelves? They would be so helpful.

August 13, 2015

Deborah Carson’s Grandma: A Glamper Before Her Time

Filed under: Camping,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers — Laura Moncur @ 1:46 pm

I love these photos from Deborah Carson on the Glampers on the Loose Facebook Group.

She posted:

Here is my Grandmother…the Original Glamper… they had a Spartinette

Deborah Carson's Grandma Glamping  from Starling Travel

love these pics…;)) Then later on a Terry..

Deborah Carson's Grandma Glamping  from Starling Travel

I took these from slides and transfered them to disk for my Grandparents Anniversary.

Deborah Carson's Grandma Glamping  from Starling Travel

I adore everything about these photos, especially the orange table in the last two photos. Such great design!

August 11, 2015

Happier Camper: Versatile and Lightweight

Filed under: Camping,Teardrops & Tiny Trailers — Laura Moncur @ 9:05 am

I saw a link of Facebook for this camper. It made my heart leap for a moment.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Easy To Tow

It is a tiny and lightweight (only 1100 lbs.) camper that has modular furniture inside that can be moved, stacked and adjusted for whatever you need. Here is a video showcasing that idea.

The modular furniture can be removed from the camper and used outside as well.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Cube with Cushion

There is storage in the cubes as well.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Cube with Lid

Here is another video showing some of the other features like the cool blind on the window and the lighting.

There is an optional Transcool cooler. They are a 12 volt cooling system that are supposed to work pretty well.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Transcool Cube

The table can be used in a wide variety of spots in the camper.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Table and Cushions

There is a cute and lightweight awning that can give you some more shade.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Lightweight Awning

There is a spot to charge your devices using the 12 volt system.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Charge Your Devices

Now, here comes the part where my heart skipped a beat. Because there is a huge hatch in the back of the camper, you can use it to store your gear. It’s big enough to hold a kayak.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Room For Your Kayak

You can load up your mountain bikes into it.

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Load Your Bike

You can even use it to transport your motorcycle!

Happier Camper from Starling Travel Load Your Motorcycle

There is so much to love about this camper! The pricing starts at $15,950 for the base model, so it is actually cheaper than the base model T@b, which is really cool. If you are looking for a tiny camper, this one has versatility down pat!

Via Happier Camper HC1 | Outside Online

« Previous Entries - Next Page »

Powered by WordPress
(c) 2005-2017 Michael Moncur, Laura Moncur, and Starling Studios