Lake Palestine Resort

Premier Camping and Fishing Destination in East Texas

8900 Ruby Lane — PO Box 1074 — Frankston, Texas 75763 — 888.398.5253 or 903.876.2253 - Email Us

Home Remedies for Sunburn

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sunburn treatmentPart of the joy in camping is getting some long awaited time outdoors, in the sunshine and fresh air. This can lead to over-exposure, however, and you may find yourself with a sunburn. The sun is really a natural method to obtain Vitamin D, but long exposures to the Ultra violet rays causes sunburns. Severe sunburns can trigger skin problems for example freckles,  flaking, scarring, and irregular pigmentation among other issues.

Sunburn might be itchy and painful, treating burns can be done naturally by reducing your time in the direct sunlight and utilizing home cures known to be gentle on your skin. Here are some of the simplest yet very successful natural home remedies you can use to treat your sunburns.

Witch Hazel – It is known to have excellent properties that assist in healing and rejuvenating damaged skin. Dab the witch hazel on the affected skin. It will also reduce the redness and promote fast healing.

Plain Yogurt – Its content has healthy enzymes and probiotics that really work wonders on the skin. Just take plain, unflavored yogurt and put it to use on the sunburned skin. Allow it to soak in for about a quarter-hour before washing it off gently with clean water and applying a light cover to the area.

Aloe-vera – It is known to be an efficient solution for sunburn and kitchen burns as well. Aloe-Vera has glycoproteins that promote quick healing as well as eliminating pain and swelling.

Coconut milk – This remedy will sooth the skin and moisturize to reduce the chances of pealing. You can substitute with coconut oil, or coconut butter if that is what you have on hand.

Choosing the Best Sleeping Bags

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sleeping bagsSleeping bags are the staple of the camping and RVing community. There are many choices available and your needs will differ, depending on where you are camping and what you are camping in.

You can find sleeping bags in all weights and fabrics. They can be drab green or colored and shaped like cartoon characters. Some will fit a tall person and others will fit a toddler. As your needs change you will find yourself purchasing new sleeping bags so these are a few things to look for.

Make sure the sleeping bag is durable and will hold up to whatever abuse you can dish out. You’ll be using it for more things than just sleep. You’ll find yourself pulling out a sleeping bag to cover laps around the campfire on a cool night, or laying one down for people to sit on picnic-style. The sleeping bag will be crammed into closets and stuffed into trunks so make sure it is one that will last.

It has to be comfortable. If it crinkles each time you move or makes you sweat because it doesn’t breathe you will not be happy with your purchase. There are all kinds of fabrics available these days so choose accordingly.  Do you need a fat, downy one or a thin one that can be rolled and clipped on a backpack as you hike. Decide what you will be using it for and shop for the best one in that category that you can find.

Whether you are camping in a tent or in a motorhome you will find plenty of uses for your sleeping bags. We hope yours offers you a great night’s sleep and a feeling of being refreshed in the morning.

Food Safety While RVing

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Food Safety while RVingSharing meals with friends and family is one of the cornerstones of camping and RVing. There is something about the time spent outdoors that brings people together and when people come together, they bring food.

Summer temperatures can increase the risk of food-borne illnesses so extra care should be taken during these times. There are three primary times in which to practice caution with food. We’ll share some guidelines for transporting, preparing, and serving those delicious summer dishes.

Transporting
Cold food must stay cold. It is recommended that you keep food temperature below 40°F. Use ice or freezer packs to keep food at the correct temperature.

Keep the cooler closed and pack it accordingly. Packing a separate cooler for drinks will reduce the number of times the lid is opened because each time this happens the air inside the cooler becomes warmer.

Raw meat should be wrapped and fruits & veggies washed. Keep raw meats from contaminating other foods by making sure they are securely wrapped before putting them in the cooler. Give fruits & veggies a good scrub before you pack them too.

Preparing

Marinate Foods in the Refrigerator. Keeping meats cool until the time you plan to cook them is key. Marinade intended for dipping sauce should be from a separate batch, not from the marinade you kept the meat in.

Hot food must stay hot. Keep food on the warming side of the grill or use crock pots and warming trays to keep food from cooling down.

Serving
Cold food should be below 40°F and warm food should remain above 140°F in order to be safe to eat. This means those cold salads should not stay out more than two hours once served and placing them on a tray of ice is recommended. Hot food can be enclosed in a heat sealing container and should not be left out more than two hours as well.

These are just a few food safety tips to make your summer meals safe and enjoyable for everyone. You can learn more about safe food handling at Eating Outdoors, Handling Food Safely

Cast Iron Cooking

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Cast iron cookwareCast Iron is a favorite of campers. It lasts for years and can withstand the heat of cooking with it over a campfire. Dutch Ovens are one of the most common pieces that campers use though large skillets come in handy, too. Cast iron is durable as long as it’s cared for correctly. It must be seasoned after each use with some oil and dried well before being put away,to keep it from rusting and extend the life of the piece. It is heavy but most campers are willing to bring it along because of its usefulness at the campsite.

Cast iron provides an even heat distribution along the bottom and walls of the vessel. This makes cooking much more predictable when you are cooking over a source that cannot be easily controlled. It is naturally non-stick, particularly when you keep them well seasoned. Cast iron is also good for fortifying the food with iron. A small amount of iron gets absorbed into the food as it cooks.

They are a safe departure from some of the coatings that are applied to pots and pans these days. It is less toxic, which is a very good thing. Cast iron is low cost and has been used for thousands of years. We see many campers with cast iron pans they have owned for decades. It also comes in a variety of colors these days and can be quite attractive.

We hope you enjoy all your camping meals and we bet you’d be very happy with cast iron.

Your Camping First Aid Kit

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first aid kitIt’s really important to carry a first aid kit with you and have it stocked for your family, including your pets. You never know when someone will get a bump, a bruise, or have an allergic reaction so being prepared will greatly reduce your stress and get that person back to feeling better faster.

For the humans in your family, you will need the following items:

For bumps, slivers, rashes:
Bandages, gauze pads, ace wraps, adhesive tape, rubbing alcohol, antibacterial cream, sunscreen, aloe, eye wash, Calamine lotion, pain reliever, cough & cold medicine, Benadryl, and something for tooth ache.

Tools you’ll need are:
Latex free gloves, tweezers, magnifying glass, ice packs, small scissors, eye dropper, small flashlight, and thermometer.

For your pet, you’ll need:
Phone number of your regular Vet, vaccination records, and all of the above plus their prescriptions and maybe needle-nose pliers. (if you’re going into porcupine country)

Once you have assembled your first aid kit you will need to be sure and check it regularly. Some of the items will have an expiration date so be sure to replace them as needed. Keeping a dedicated kit with you whenever you travel will provide peace of mind and just may provide exactly what you need when one of your loved ones is hurt or not feeling well.

Checking Your RV for Road Readiness

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RV checklistThere always seems to be a list of things to do and getting your RV ready for a road trip is not exception. They are great to travel in but there are a few things you should check before you leave.

Take a walk around the outside of your rig. Is your awning secured? Check your tires for air pressure and make sure all access doors are locked. How about your hitch? Do all your lights work? Check the levels of your propane, gray water, black water, and fresh water before you pull away. Is the water heater turned off?

You’ll need to stow and secure anything that could shift during your travels. Lock your cabinets, turn off the furnace, and add things to the cab area that you’ll need for the trip. Do you keep a daily log, use maps, follow a campground directory? Make sure they are all within easy access as you are driving.

Be sure your phone is charged and that you have your wallet or purse handy. Then take another walk around inside and out to double check. We want you to have a safe and happy experience while you are on the road so we hope these tips help make that happen.

Repairing Your Camping Gear

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camping gear repair kit 2Most campers are aware that they need to bring a tool kit for their RV in case a slide malfunctions, a tire goes flat, or some other fixable thing goes wrong. They pack hand tools, mechanical tapes and solvents, clips, staples, straps, and things of that nature so they can fix the minor things that have broken.

Some forget to bring a camping gear repair kit. This can be just as important when you consider how much wear and tear your camping gear will get during your packing, unpacking, and use during your camping stay. You may experience a torn camping chair, frayed sleeping bags, punctures in the floor of your dining tent or holes in screens. Having some basic repair items close at hand will have you back up and running in no time.

Be sure to pack several kinds of tape such as duct tape, electrical tape, and clear packing tape. These three variations will cover just about any situation you might run into. Vinyl sealant will be helpful as well as vinyl patches. Bring tarps to protect your gear while you’re working on the problem and try to have everything stored in one place such as a box or bag designated as your repair kit.

Toss in some strong nylon thread and heavy gauge needles, just in case. You might also consider a pair of utility shears as well as a package of grommets, safety pins, and a roll of fine gauge wire. The combination of all these things should address most situations you find you need to do some repair work on and save you from making a trip to the store. After all, you’re on vacation and probably don’t want to spend any more time shopping for supplies than you have to.

We hope all your camping experiences are good ones and if you do have a split, tear, or puncture in your camping gear, we hope it’s quickly mended and you’re back to enjoying your vacation. We look forward to seeing you around the park.

Grilling Delicious Fish

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grilled fishCamping and RVing isn’t all about burgers and hotdogs. You can cook some mouth watering fish on the grill and your family and guests will rave about your skills.

One of the biggest concerns when grilling fish is the potential for it to stick and break apart. You can avoid this by starting with a very clean grill, well-dryed fish, and medium-high heat.

Wrap the fish in paper towels or a hand towel to absorb any extra moisture. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

Turn the heat on ahead of time. Cover the grates loosely with tin foil as it heats. This will help to burn off any left over particles on the grates and they can be easily removed with a good grill brush. Watch for grill bristles, though, they can be left behind and cause injury if swallowed. Oil the grill with some folded paper towels. This should have you ready to cook.

Add the seasonings you prefer and put the fish skin side down on the grill. It makes for pretty grill marks on the fish and also makes it easier to flip when the time is right. Test the fish gently on the edge to make sure it lifts easily. If it still seems to be sticking give it a few more minutes and try again. Check it every 30 seconds or so. Using two spatulas is a great assist when flipping. Be gentle but firm.

We hope these tips help you in making a memorable grilled fish for your next get-together around the campsite. You can read more at The Right Way to Cook Fish on the Grill.

 

Grilling with Charcoal or Propane

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grilling choicesEvery barbecue aficionado has their preference as to what is better for the flavor of the food they are cooking, charcoal or propane. Others see it as a matter of convenience and choose one over the other for that reason. Either way, most people prefer one to the other. When you’re really talking seriously about flavor then charcoal usually takes the lead.

That does not mean you cannot cook delicious barbecue with propane grills. But, what makes such a significant difference between the two? It has to do with the flavoring and the smokiness that charcoal gives to any grilled food. That is the essence of barbecue anyway.

The latest propane grills have lava rocks or other types of materials underneath the grill which, when juices fall onto, will vaporize. They will also smoke up and add similar flavor to the meat or other food being grilled as charcoal.

Depending on the type of propane grill being used, it may be hard for anyone but an expert to tell the difference if food has been cooked with that propane grill or charcoal. One thing to keep in mind is that if grilling is done with charcoal and that charcoal has been lit with lighter fluid, there can be an unpleasant flavor. That flavor can be slightly reminiscent of a petrochemical.

That is not exactly a delicious flavor to embrace yet it is possible when it comes to grilling with charcoal. If a charcoal chimney-type smoker is used, however, with wood chips the flavor is entirely natural. There is no chemical flavor. There is only a woodsy, natural taste.

The truth is that there are subtle taste differences between propane and charcoal. The flavoring of the finished meal comes mostly from the seasonings. Whatever rubs or sauces are used before the food is placed on a grill has the most to do with enhancing flavor.

There are slight differences between charcoal and propane. Most have to do with seasoning and also personal preferences. How about you? Do you have a favorite method?

The Old Card Games are Still Fun to Play

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card games for campingCamping provides lots of good things to families and time together is one of the most important aspects of it. Suddenly, the clock doesn’t really matter and you can spend more time with each other just having fun. It’s a good time to teach kids how to play some simple card games. They love the challenge of trying to beat you and you get to enjoy the sound of their laughter for an afternoon. It’s a wonderful thing.

Go Fish

In Go Fish, you shuffle the deck and hand out five cards to each person. The goal of the game is to end up with no cards in your hand, and the way to get cards out of your hand is to find a match. So if you have an 8, you ask your opponent (or one of them, if more than two people are playing) if they have any 8s. If they do, they give it to you, and then you lay your 8 and their 8 in the discard pile.

But watch out! If your opponent doesn’t have a match, they say “Go Fish”! This means you have to draw a card from the deck. If it matches a card you have, you may play the match. But your turn is still ended.

War

War is a game similar to Go Fish, in that the goal is to get rid of all your cards. In order to do this, you shuffle the deck and hand each player five cards. You then turn the top card of the deck over, and the first person to play has to play a card of a higher number than the number just put down.

If you don’t have something to beat the card last played, such as if they played a 10 and you don’t have a Jack, Queen, King, or Ace, you draw a card. Many people make a house rule that you have to keep drawing cards until you draw one that can beat the previous card.

These are some easy card games to teach the kids. If you ever need to pass the time, then these games can be great!