BBQ in Raleigh North Carolina April 10th

I just wanted to give a quick update to all our readers in Raleigh North Carolina. There is an event called “Bluegrass & Barbeque” on Saturday, April 10 from 7 to 10pm, at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. This could be a good opportunity to get some good BBQ and meet some great people; and if you have kids then hey a Science Museum BBQ what could be better? The event will also have an auction, and it’s all there to raise money for a good cause;, the Educators of Excellence Fund. This fund helps educators in the state receive further education. They do things like take teachers on trips to Yellowstone National Park, Belize, and Ecuador, so educators can learn more about our natural world first hand and then bestow that knowledge onto their students. It makes me want to apply to become a science teacher in North Carolina. Tickets are $30 per person advance and cover food and drink. You can get tickets by calling the Museum at 919-733-7450 x212 or visit naturalsciences.org, or $35 at the door. If anyone goes post a comment and let us know how it went.

It's Getting Warmer, So Here is How to Go Camping on the Beach

Do we go to the beach, or do we go camping? This is a dilemma that confounds families each year. Well, why not do both? This remedy has the benefits of both ideas without many of the drawbacks. For instance, going to the beach can be expensive; a beach house with a view can cost a fortune. For most people nowadays that’s a vacation killer right there. But many State Parks can offer beach camping for well under $100 a night. You can watch the sunrise over the water if you’re at Myrtle Beach State Park, in South Carolina. Or, you can watch the sunset if you’re at Asilomar State Beach in California.

Sounds perfect, so let’s plan a trip:

First you need to make sure that the State Park or beach allows camping on or at least near the beach. I mentioned Myrtle Beach State Park above but I don’t think they allow you to camp on the beach, but Edisto Park does. For all of South Carolina’s State beach info try here http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/waves-water/beaches.aspx
A lot of the packing will be similar to camping in the forest. Bring your grill, sunscreen, etc. The only diffrence is that you need to make sure that you also camp for beach activities like a boogey board or whatever you like doing. Plus you need to bring a warm set of clothes so you can keep in your tent because it can get cool at night, but you don’t want to bring a sweater along with you while you’re walking the beach on a hot summer day.
Make sure you put you tent far enough away from the shore that it will not get wet when high tide comes through. You might want to camp close to a structure or something that can block the wind because sand can be a pain if the wind is kicking up a dust storm.
A very important rule is to bring a lot of WATER. This is something you should always do while camping or going to the beach, but if you’re staying over night it is important because you might not have any water when you get there. Or if you have been on some board walks like me you are stopped in your tracks when you see that they charge up to $5 for a bottle of water. So bring your own bulk supply. A sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade is good to bring along too, but you should still bring water.
Make sure that you can park for free or at least a reasonable price overnight anywhere near your campsite. There may be more camping and beach equipment then you need, so you will have to pack some of this in your car. Camping and beach activates can be exhausting, and you don’t want your car to be too far away if you need something.
Last but definitely not least; your grill. Bring your grill or camping stove with a well stocked cooler makes for a great camping experience. A smaller portable grill will work better than one that needs a tripod and again grilling near a structure like camping near a sturcute is important to keeping flying sand from getting in your food. For a list of grills and camping equipment check us out at the Grillopia Store.

Camping Fees Rise in Ventura County and Around the Country

Prices are going up everywhere, as wages go down and unemployment rises. I think the unemployment rate has actually leveled off but much of that is due to the increase in part-time jobs. The prices for visiting County and State parks are no different. Many States and counties are trying to cover monster deficits by jacking up prices to services. Keeping with the national trend the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to raise camping fees by a few dollars at some of their county parks.  The county has a $3 million budget but still finds itself with an $80,000 deficit. Steckel Park will now go from $20 to $22, and Faria Beach Park will go from $45 to $50. The changes which take effect immediately are similar to what is happening nation-wide.

However, I do not think this should keep people from camping. Let’s look at the facts; Ventura has 17 parks, 4 of which are on the beach. Steckel Park is known for it beautiful trails and Hudson Park has RV and tent camping right on the beach, $30 for tent and $45 for RV’s. Compare that to any hotel on the beach or in the middle of nowhere for that matter. I assure you those hotels will not have the same access to BBQ pits, hiking trails and the absolute feeling of well-being and comradely that camping brings. So happily pay few more dollars to go camping. The alternative is that Parks Departments all over the country will have to start shutting down parks. What will pop up in there place? More hotels, strip malls? I like staying at hotels and I have gotten exactly what I needed at plenty of strip malls before; but there are plenty of those and they will always be around. Our parks need to be protected and I don’t know if the hike in prices will suddenly save these natural resources but every little bit helps.

Let me know what you think.

A Case for Camping

I read a statement coming out of Merryville Tennessee that confused me. WREG in Memphis Tennessee reported that “Park spokesman Bob Miller said the tastes of the camping public have been changing, with an aging demographic”. The story was about how camping in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park has declined by 20% since 2000 which is a trend that is spreading through National Parks all over the country. It confused me because I wrote a post on this blog that companies like Anorak who sale camping supplies are doing very well in this bear economy. You know a bizarre circumstance has spawned when the purchase of camping accessories and supplies are up, but camping itself is down. It was epically strange because the reason camping is down is due to less young people camping but the reason companies like Anorak are doing well is because they are catering to the taste of young people. Bob Miller went on to say "Older people are less prone to maybe rough it and sleep on the ground and tend to be more prosperous," he said. "Now that the kids are raised, they can afford to stay in motels or they can stay in an RV." So older people are in RV’s and young people aren’t camping at all. I camped in an RV a couple times, I had a good time and if that’s your bag thats great and I hope you enjoy camping that way. But I feel bad about this trend; because camping is something I think everyone can benefit from. Our tax dollars pay for our National Parks so you might as well take advantage of a cheep way to vacation. It’s a good investment on our tax dollars too, trust me. Camping can alleviate stress and improve your health if you have the right perspective during your trip. In addition it saves American a lot of money because it is relatively cheaper than other forms of vacationing.


I’ve camped the Great Smokey Mountains National Park when I was 14 or 15 years old with my parents. It was a 2 week trip my family took there as well as Gallatin, Tennessee and Cherokee, North Carolina. It’s beautiful, imagine waking up waking out of your tent and standing hundreds of feet above the ground but only being able to see about 30 due to the smoky looking landscape that region of the Application Mountains are known for. Then seeing a hawk moving the smoke around its wings as he glides directly over it.  Not to mention the freshness of the air and the lack of artificial noise. When I say artificial noise I’m talking especially about that noise you hear when you think things are quiet. When you’re out there you suddenly realize that there is no refrigerator running, there are no cars driving by. The silence is deafening, and it gives you chills. Trust me I’m not saying people should forgo technology; I think technology is our friend. I get to meet a lot of people who I would not normally get to meet in person because of technology, and it brings us other convinces that we don't even think about. But it’s good to take a break, not just from your job and bosses, but to simplify your life. Not every trip I take is a camping trip either but the next time you’re planning a family vacation or wondering what you want to do this weekend. Think about keeping it simple. Think about camping.

Common Grill Mistakes

Have you ever been the cook at a BBQ and something just didn’t seem right? Maybe the meat wasn’t changing to the right color while you were grilling? Or maybe it was when you bit into it? I’ve been there and if you were like me you instantly tried mentally to retrace your steps figure out what you did wrong. Yahoo.com posted an article on the wrong ways to grill by Adam Lang, who has written books like Serious Barbeque, and runs the Daisy May’s BBQ in Manhattan. Does New York deserve him? Don’t worry I’m sure for their they make up for their unworthiness with a complete lack of gratitude. But aaaanyway, Lang goes into 8 mistakes people make while grilling, and how to fix them. He lists them as such

• Using a Flimsy Grill Brush: Make sure it has heavy tines and is sturdy.

• Using Dull Spices: He encourages buying fresh spices. Some people might think this option is expensive if they grill often but if your going on a camping trip, having a BBQ, or any adventure in cooknig for that matter; this is a very good idea.

• Cooking Meat on the Wrong Heat: He makes it simple; Collagen-rich meat should be heated indirectly, marbling or meat with a lot of fat on direct heat, and lean cuts of chicken on moderate heat.

• Not Soaking Wood Chips: A great tip, if you don’t soak your wood chips properly then it’s just like using them as fuel and you don’t get the smoky taste

• Removing Corn From Its Husk: Lang says you should leave the ear in the husk to keep the corn sweet and juicy throughout the process. He also give a good site http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/05/grilled-corn-on-the-cob-recipe-barbecue-grilling.html which has a grate recipe for Grilled Corn on the Cob.

• Improperly Extinguishing Flare-Ups: First rule; don’t panic these things happen and there not as big a deal as people make them out to be. The remedy is to just move your meat to a cooler part of the grill. But what if you’re on a grill that won’t get any cooler and every part of the grill is doing this? For this he  put the meat that needs a break on top of other pieces of meat.

• Forgetting the Post-Grill Marination: Don’t put your meat on a dry cutting board when your done grilling, instead Lang says to place BBQ sauce and other herbs and spices like salt, pepper, drizzle oil on there or whatever. I have a BBQ tomorrow and I’m going to try this.

• Running Out of Fuel: The article give an easy answer, make sure you have more then you think is enough.

Have you made those mistakes before? I know I have, and I’m asking you in the past tense because I know you will not make the same mistake again. Let me know about your grill disaster, or if you have any other grilling mistakes you would like to let us know about drop me a comment.
You can also check out Yahoo’s Food section The Wrong Ways to Grill—and How to do it Right by Adam Perry Lang at http://food.yahoo.com/blog/edlevineeats/26319/the-wrong-ways-to-grill-and-how-to-do-it-right/

How to Grill a Steak

A friend of mine has put out a challenge for me to grill a steak on my facebook page.  Here are some very simple and concise directions on how to grill a Steak.
1. Marinate a thawed steak, and don’t be shy, really poor it on.
2. Let that steak sit for 30 minutes to half an hour so that marinade can really soak in, and preheat your grill for at least ten minutes during this time.
3. Prepare 2 heat zones on your grill, so you can have one on high heat for the steak and another spot on medium heat if the steaks start to smolder. This is easier on a gas grill but if you have a coal grill just create a pyramid of coals on one side of the grill and place your steak directly over it, and if that begins to burn you can move it to the other side of the grill, and grill the steak indirectly.
4. After you have preheated the grill use a grill brush to brush the grill grate with olive oil (you could use another oil like corn oil if you like.  This prevents the flavor from sticking to the grate.
5. When you place the steak on the grate keep it on the grate for at least 2 minutes without touching it at all so it can get grill marks and does not stick.
6. Use an grill thermometer to tell you when the steak is done.
7. Leave the steak out for 5 minutes so that it can cool and hold in it’s juices
8. Slice the cuts across the grain to diminish their chewiness.
These are brief tips for cooking a steak. If you would like to know more about how to make a steak including how to transport the steak for an overnight drive to a campsite, the best marinade and oils to use, more about direct and indirect grilling, how to see if a steak is done without a thermometer, and much, much more about grilling while camping then go to http://Grillopia.com and get a free e-book The A to Z Guide to Grilling in the Great Outdoors.

How to Fix Your Grill

Yes its still too cold for some people to grill, but for many of us that time is quickly approaching, and there are not too many things are worse than getting excited about grilling for the first time of the year and finding out your grill is broken because it stayed out in your cold garage over the winter.  I just want to go over some quick points about troubleshooting your grill. Sorry I work in IT when I’m not happy. I mean when I’m at work.  OK I need to explore that Freudian slip later. This post will discuss three of the most common problems people experience with their grills, and then why those problems occur, and finally how they can fix them.

Warning: Make sure you turn you grill off and detach it from its fuel source before you repair or clean your grill.

First problem, you get to your campsite your hungry from a long drive and unpacking and while you attempt to start your grill, noting happens. Your grill will not turn on and you have two coolers full of food and a lot of camping to do. Why is this happening to you? Maybe it was stiffing that waiter on a tip at IHOP? Maybe it was it was that guy you cut off on the road? I’m not ruling those things out, but the most probable reason is that there is no gas flow to your grill. Check to make sure there is gas in your Propane Bottle. You should fill your propane tank before you arrive at your campsite, but if this happens late into your camping trip it may be that the bottle is empty. If you think that your tank emptied out early then put some liquid soap around the tank when you refill it and see if it makes any bubbles. If it does then you have a leak where the bubbles are. If the tank is full then make sure it is sealed tight, and use the same soap method to check your hose. Another cause for why your grill will not light is that there is an obstruction somewhere keeping the fuel from reaching the lighter. When this happens you need to clean your grill per the manufacturer’s instructions. Also make sure the regulator is in working order. That is the piece that attaches your tank to your hose. There is a hole in the center of the regulator called a vent hole. You can clean this up by blowing or scraping the gunk out.

Second problem, you’re grilling away when the flame dies out. Most of the time this happens it’s because the flame is already too low. You can remedy this by enhancing the flame with more fuel the next time you turn it on. This advice works for any grill. A further reason for your flame dying out could have to do with wind. For the answer to this go to my last blog Using Your Grill in the Wind.

Third problem happens when you cook you hamburger and hot dogs and the dogs on the left side of your grill are plump and ready to go, and since you started cooking the same food on the right side of the grill at the same time you expect them to be in the same condition but there not, there cold! This will happen more often when you have a bigger grate, and this problem is an asset when you’re doing some indirect grilling. But for the simple staple foods which every good cookout cannot do without; it can be a problem especially if you grilling for a lot of campers. Sometimes this occurs when the grill is uneven. Check the surface your grill is standing on and move it to somewhere more level and stable. If you have problems with this on a coal grill make sure the coals are spread evenly, for a gas grill or camping stove check the burners and you might have to get a new one if the burners are not all working. A portable infrared grill might be a good option if you want to make sure the whole grill burns evenly. Using an infrared grill is good for searing because it can get very hot, and it heats the food directly, not the air around it.