50. Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu California
49. Henry Woods State Park, Point Arena California
48. Navajo National Monument, Black Mesa Arizona
47. Isle Royale National Park, Houghton Michigan
46. Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Arizona
45. Everglades National Park, Miami Florida
44. City of Rocks National Reserve, Almo Idaho
43. Sherwin Creek, Mammoth Ranger District California
42. Waters Creek Campground, Dahlonega Georgia
41. Lake Blue Ridge Campground, Blue Ridge Georgia
40. Frank Gross Campground, Morganton Georgia
39. Desoto Falls Campground, Cleveland Georgia
38. Camp Dick Campground, Boulder Range District Colorado
37. Upper Pines Campground, Yosemite Valley California
36. Cherry Hill Recreation Area, Mountain Rest South Carolina
35. Lakeview RV Park, Bluff City Tennessee
34. Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast, Clark Fork Idaho
33. North Fork Recreation Area (Hammond Mill), West Plains Missouri
32. San-Lee Park, Sanford North Carolina
31. Richard B. Russell Dam and Lake, Elberton Georgia
30. Porcupine Mountains State Park, Silver City Michigan
29. Platte River State Forest Campground, Honor Michigan
28. Okatibbee Lake, Meridian Mississippi
27. Natalie State Forest Campground, Newberry Michigan
26. Indian Lake State Park, Lakeview Ohio
25. Big Bear Lake State Forest Campground, Vienna Corners Michigan
24. Lake Sherwood Recreation Area, Neola West Virginia
23. Beaver Creek, Coconino National Forest Arizona
22. Hancock, Lincoln New Hampshire
21. Westport-Union Landing State Beach, Leggett California
20. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire Michigan
19. Fort Mountain State Park, Chatsworth Georgia
18. Four Oaks Lodging and RV Resort, Four Oaks North Carolina
17. Double Lake Recreation Area, Cleveland Texas
16. Wolf Creek Dam Lake Cumberland, Somerset Kentucky
15. Ossineke State Forest Campground, Ossineke Michigan
14. Newaygo State Park, Newaygo Michigan
13. Ludington State Park, Ludington Michigan
12. Big Knob State Forest Campground, Naubiway Michigan
11. Luna-White Deer Lake Campground, Eagle River Wisconsin
10. Kaibab Lake Campground, Williams Arizona
9. Yosemite National Park, Mariposa California
8. Mieller State Park, Divide Colorado
7. Cheoah Point, Fontana Village North Carolina
6. Hardin Ridge Recreation Area, Bloomington Indiana
5. Hocking Hills State Park, Laurelville Ohio
4. Ocean Pond, Olustee Florida
3. Carolina Hemlocks, Burnsville North Carolina
2. Loon Lake Lodge and RV Resort, Reedsport Oregon
1. Brookville Lake, Brookville Indiana

There you have it campers, those are the Top 100 Campgrounds in the United States! Like I have mentioned before, in the weeks ahead I will be researching as many of the campgrounds on this list as possible and I will try to fill you in on what these terrific camping destinations have to offer. Stay tuned!

Until next time, this is SJ from Lakeshore RV Center signing off!

Ingredients you will need:

1 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbs. honey
1/8 cup lime juice
4 cups shredded purple or red cabbage
1 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup fresh chopped cilantro (with an additional 1/2 cup chopped cilantro set aside for the fish)
Paprika
Olive oil
Package of taco sized soft flour tortilla shells
2 lb (1 lb makes 5-6 tacos, 2 lb makes 10-12) fresh or IQF frozen tilapia fillets, thawed

Preparing the slaw:

• Combine shredded cabbage and chopped onions in a large mixing bowl.
• Add mayonnaise and sour cream to vegetable mixture. If you want a creamier consistency to the slaw, add another 1/8 to 1/4 cup of sour cream.
• Add honey and lime juice to mixture. For a sweeter taste, add an additional 1/2 to full tablespoon of honey.
• Add chopped cilantro. If you are a cilantro fan like me, feel free to add cilantro to taste.
• Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly blended, place in your refrigerator and chill.

Preparing the fish:

• Preheat your grill or your campfire’s grill.
• Lay tilapia fillets out and brush olive oil onto the bottom side of the fish fillets.
• Once heated and cleaned off, brush grill rack with olive oil as well.
• Lay tilapia fillets onto the grill, oiled side down.
• Sprinkle paprika and then cilantro on top side of the fish to taste.
• Lower heat and cover your grill, cook the fish for about 5-6 minutes (without turning) until fish is white and flaky.

To serve, place a tilapia fillet onto your flour tortilla and place a heaping spoonful of the cabbage slaw over the fish. Fold tortilla and enjoy!

For best results, I strongly recommend pairing fish tacos with your favorite tortilla chips, guacamole recipe and a favorite soft drink or local micro brew. We hope you enjoyed this recipe, check back in to Campground Cooking next week as we will keep the seafood theme going and feature a Shrimp Boil recipe brought to you by SJ from Lakeshore RV Center.

So without further adieu, this week I’m excited to share the campgrounds that placed 100 through 51 on the Top 100 List:

100. Edgewater RV Resort and Marina, Sweet Home Oregon
99. Hermit Island Campground, Phippsburg Maine
98. Outwest Camping and RV Park, Rocky Mountain House
97. Timbered Meadows, Goodwine Illinois
96. Parry Peak, Leadville Colorado
95. Horse Heaven Ranch, Talihina Oklahoma
94. Cinder Hill, Bend Oregon
93. Davidson River, Brevard North Carolina
92. Black Mountain Campground, Burnsville North Carolina
91. Van Hook Glad, Highland North Carolina
90. Standing Indian, Franklin North Carolina
89. Elephant Rock Campground, Red River New Mexico
88. Leith Run Recreation Area, Marietta Ohio
87. Hearts Content Recreation Area, Warren Pennsylvania
86. McCormack Lake, Winona Missouri
85. Council Bluff Recreation Area, Potosi Missouri
84. William H. Harsha Lake, Batavia Ohio
83. Tygart Lake, Grafton West Virginia
82. Turtle River State Park, Arvilla North Dakota
81. Somerville Lake, Somerville Texas
80. Shenago River Lake, Sharpsville Pennsylvania
79. Oak Grove Campground
78. Navarro Mills Lake, Corsicana Texas
77. Milwood Lake, Texarkana Arkansas
76. Leverentz Lake State Forest Campground, Baldwin Michigan
75. Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir, Warren Pennsylvania
74. King Lake State Forest Campground, Michigamme Michigan
73. Grenada Lake, Grenada Mississippi
72. Green River Lake, Campellsville Kentucky
71. Green Ridge State Forest, Flintstone Maryland
70. Elk Neck State Park, North East Maryland
69. Dorena Lake, Cottage Grove Oregon
68. Dead Horse Point State Park, Moab Utah
67. Chippokes Plantation State Park, Surry Virginia
66. Chickamauga Lake, Chattanooga Tennessee
65  Carrieville State Forest Campground, Luther Michigan
64. Burnsville Lake, Burnsville West Virginia
63. Buckhorn Lake, Hazard Kentucky
62. Boundary Dam, Metaline Falls, Washington
61. Bear Creek Lake, Morrison Colorado
60. Arkabutla Lake, Hernando Mississippi
59. Big Bend Campground, Petersburg West Virginia
58. Franklin Lake Campground, Eagle River Wisconsin
57. Seedhouse Campground, Steamboat Springs Colorado
56. Richland Creek Pelsor Arkansas
55. Whetstone Horse Camp, Walhalla South Carolina
54. Lick Fork Lake Recreation Area, Edgefield South Carolina
53. Philipsburg Bay Campground, Philipsburg/Georgetown Lake Montana
52. Blackberry Crossing, Conway New Hampshire
51. Morro Bay State Park, San Luis Obispo California

Stay tuned, as this week I will dive into begin to provide rundowns of the top campgrounds on the list. And next week, I’ll share campgrounds #50 through #1 on the list. Until next time, this is SJ from Lakeshore RV Center!

Campground Party Dip

Ingredients you will need:
1 10 ½ ounce can condensed bean with bacon soup
¼ cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Blend all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and chill.
• This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups.
• Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or veggies
• Enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients you will need:
2 cups fresh corn kernels or canned corn
4 whole limes, juiced
1 mild green chili pepper seeded and minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
Chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 can 15 oz. prepared black beans rinsed and drained

• Drain your canned corn first. If using fresh corn boil the kernels in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes.  Rinse and drain.
• Place the corn kernels in a glass bowl. Stir in all of the ingredients with the corn except for the black beans.
• Add the beans gently into the salsa at the very end.
• Cover salsa and refrigerate until you are ready to eat your snack!

The salsa can be refrigerated for up to three days.  Serve with tortilla chips, on top of skillet fish, on a baked potato, with a fresh-cooked quesadilla on a freshly grilled chicken breast – whatever you want, the sky is the limit!

If it just so happens that there is leftover salsa after the big game, drain and add your favorite shredded cheese to taste. Cover a tortilla with the mixture and toast in a griddle, skillet or toaster oven for a deliciously yummy snack!

Enjoy the dips and enjoy the game! If you don’t have: A. A good place to watch the big game at your campsite or B. A chef-friendly kitchen that makes preparing party meals easy, it’s time you checked out the 2011 Cougar 327RES rear entertainment fifth wheel or the 2011 Outback 298RE rear entertainment travel trailer.

Until next time, this is SJ from Lakeshore RV Center and I would like to wish you Good Eating and Happy camping!

• Lets begin our project!  On a piece of light green colored paper, draw squares to make a bingo card 5 across and 6 down – you will have a total of 30 spaces.
• Across the top in the first 5 squares across, write the word l-u-c-k-y.
• Pick any random numbers filling in all of the remaining squares on your bingo card using the numbers 1-50.
• Cut out the bingo card getting rid of any excess green paper on the outside.
• On another piece of green colored paper draw squares and number them from 1-50.
• Cut out each individual number and throw them in the bowl you have ready.  These will be the numbers to draw from.

How to play:
Pick a person to draw the numbers from the bowl and when your number is called place a green candy on that number.  Play just like regular bingo or make your own rules. I recommend that at the beginning of the game, decide on a grand prize to make the came more competitive and interesting!

St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hat Chip Bowl

Supplies you will need:
½ gallon round ice cream container (cleaned out of course)
2 or 3 sheets of green construction paper
1 sheet of yellow construction paper
Scissors
Ruler
1 sheet black construction paper
Double stick tape
Pen
Large circular object

• Trace around a large circular object such as a cereal bowl on the green construction paper with the pen.
• Cut out the circle.
• Use the tape to adhere the circle to the bottom of the ½ gallon ice cream container.
• Cut a piece of green construction paper to fit around the sides of the ice-cream container. You may need two pieces of construction paper.
• Use the tape to adhere the construction paper around the container.
• Cut a strip about 2″ wide out of the black construction paper – this will be the hat band.
• Cut a 4″ square out of the gray or yellow construction paper.
• Cut a rectangle in the middle of the gray or yellow construction paper about 1 1/4″ x 2″ and discard the small rectangle you just cut out – this will be the hat’s buckle.
• Check positioning of the black band by laying it around the hat about an inch above the brim. Cut off any excess construction paper where it meets in the back.
• Lay the gray or yellow buckle over the black band. When you get the layout right, tape in place.
• Add green tortilla chips and get ready to enjoy this colorful party decoration!

I hope you and your children had fun creating these crafts and enjoyed playing my St. Patrick’s Day themed bingo game! On behalf of the staff at Lakeshore RV Center, I’d like to wish you a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day! Happy Camping, until next time this is SJ signing off!

9. Create Pre-Trip Checklists:
Pre-trip RV walk-arounds can prevent costly and embarrassing accidents. You’ve seen the YouTube videos of antennas and air conditioning units getting peeled off by low-hanging bridges and drive through roofs. Don’t be on YouTube – make a pre-trip check list and don’t go anywhere before checking everything off.

8. Take Breaks While Traveling:
Taking the opportunity to stop, get out of the RV and get the blood flowing during long trips goes a long way to preventing burnout before you reach your camping destination. Also, little things like switching drivers, taking naps when you’re fatigued, driving the speed limit, cracking a window as well as light and healthy meals will go a long way to helping you feel your best while traveling.

7. Avoid Traveling in Inclement Weather:
It goes without saying. towing a large RV in good weather is hard enough. Don’t make it more difficult (and dangerous) than it already is by attempting to travel in bad weather. Be smart about when you travel, it makes getting to your destination much easier.

6. Limit Driving Time:
To help you stay alert, Mark Polk recommends you limit your driving time to six hours a day which is the equivalent of 300 to 350 miles. I think back to road trips I’ve done and this seems smart as I think, for me, when I reach the 6 hour or 300-350 mile mark without a break, I’m ready to be done.

5. Drive Defensively:
Remain alert and be continuously aware of what is going on around your RV. Clip-on convex mirrors that attach to your existing rear view mirrors go a long way to improving visibility and eliminating blind spots around your RV. They are inexpensive and are an investment you’ll appreciate.

4. Make Destination Reservations:
Making reservations ensure the accommodations you need will meet your needs – not just for you and your family, but your RV as well. It’s also never fun to reach your destination in the middle of the night, only to be turned away because they don’t have room for you.

3. Know Your RV Plan Options:
Knowing and understanding your RV’s options, model specific service plans, warranty information, etc. is an important part of RV ownership. If you don’t understand the fine print, ask your dealer and don’t sign on the dotted line until you are familiar and understand what you are signing.

2. Protect Your Investment:
RV insurance will help you protect your investment in the event of an emergency. There are many major insurance companies that specialize in RV insurance and offer competitive rates. Dealers like Lakeshore RV Center know and understand RV insurance and can recommend an insurance company. Ask your Lakeshore salesman/woman!

1. Maintain and Store Your RV Properly:
Storing your RV properly when not in use and performing regular scheduled maintenance will extend the life of your RV and help it maintain its value. Exposure to the elements will deteriorate your RV over time and storing your RV properly will help protect it from the elements. The experts in the service department at Lakeshore RV Center can show you what you need to know to properly maintain and store your RV.

I hope you found this list helpful.  If you have any questions about any of the points on the list, talk to your salesman or saleswoman at Lakeshore RV Center – we’re all RV enthusiasts and can help you find the information you need for successful RV ownership.

For the experienced RV crowd, what tips do you recommend to the first time RV’er? Please share in the comment fields below!

You can purchase a properly stocked first aid kit at your local drug store, Walgreens, or even get one at your local Red Cross.  Make sure to check your first aid kit regularly to make sure all items are up to date (not expired) and that the batteries in your flashlight are working.  It does no one any good to have expired items they cannot use or a flashlight whose batteries are dead.  Here are just some items I thought you  should make sure you have stocked inside your first aid kit.

First Aid Kit Essentials:

• Flashlight
• Batteries
• Compress Dressings
• 25-30 adhesive bandages
• 5-10 antiseptic wipe packets
• 5-10 antibiotic ointment packets
• Neosporin
• 2 packets of Aspirin
• 1 large blanket
• 1 breathing barrier (one with a one-way valve)
• 2 pairs non latex gloves
• Scissors
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 cortisone ointment packets
• 1 roller bandage
• 5-10 sterile gauze pads
• 1 oral thermometer
• Tweezers
• 2-5 triangular bandages

Now, should a minor medical emergency happen while you are camping, you will have everything you need to handle the situation.  Of course, a first aid kit should not replace professional medical attention when needed. But for minor things like small cuts and bruises, a properly stocked kit should provide the medical treatment you need.  Hopefully your trip goes just as planned and there is no need for any of this, but it is important to be prepared, because you never know when an emergency could arise.

If I have left anything out, please share first aid kit essentials that are in your kit. This will only help out all of your fellow campers to make sure their kits are properly stocked for safe camping.

Until next time, this is SJ at Lakeshore RV Center, have a wonderful day!