So You Wanna Go Camping?
This week, I’m reminiscing on one of my favorite trips I’ve taken within North Carolina, which hardly cost a dime! As I mentioned last week, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Traveling along the parkway and hiking through the woods always feels like I am returning home.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are magic. They’re old, spiritual, and powerful. That’s why this past summer, after missing them for a while, I planned a trip with one of my good friends Claudia to tackle the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. We knew we wanted to take this road trip slow, with plenty of stops for hikes, picnics, and pictures along the way. We also knew we were VERY broke and didn’t have the funds to make this a boujee or “comfortable” vacation by some people’s standards. If you're interested in getting outside but aren't sure how, read on for some tips on how to plan an outdoor vacation that doesn’t break the bank.
Getting Started
Getting into camping and spending more time outside takes careful planning. Step 1 is to research the area you’re traveling to if you’re unfamiliar so that you don’t encounter an emergency. Some gear you should 100% bring for your safety includes a flashlight, pocketknife, water filtration device, and a satellite phone if you’ll be leaving service (don’t forget TP!) Here’s a list of the rest of what you’ll need to go camping from REI’s website!
Gear
Gear is expensive and amassing the camping stuff necessary to have a comfortable and safe time is going to be the most expensive part of your trip. Luckily, there are ways to get around this without spending a fortune! REI, along with other outdoor companies offer gear rentals if you want to try out camping before committing to buying a tent or sleeping bag. Additionally, UNC-Chapel Hill students can rent gear for cheap from Campus Rec! Once you have your car packed and ready to go, make sure to hit the grocery store to get lots of non-perishable food you can easily cook at the campsite! I highly recommend this camping stove; it is affordable and makes it super easy to heat up meals. Keep your eye out for another blog from me about my go-to camping meals!
Campsites
As far as campsites go, depending on where in the state you are, there may be plenty of BLM and public land where you can camp for free! I recommend using freecampsites.net to search for free campsites near you. The downside with free campsites, however, is that they
often don’t have the amenities that more established sites have, like running water and bathrooms. On this trip, Claudia and I opted for inexpensive paid campsites so that we didn’t have to worry about running out of drinking water or using the bathroom in the woods. If you’re searching for a more established campground along the Parkway, check out the National Park website to see availability and book!
Ball on a budget
Save money along the way by eating out minimally and instead enjoying picnics. Take advantage of all the free swimming and hiking along the parkway, I’ve listed some of my very favorites to the left. Now that I’ve shared how to get out in the Blue Ridge in the first place, enjoy a peek into some of my favorite moments from my road trip with Claudia. We started at the very bottom of the Great Smoky Mountains and ended up at the top in Shenandoah National Park.
Descriptions from left to right-
The end of the Parkway! We went backward so it was the beginning for us. I was so excited to start this trip and see more of the Parkway than the part I’m most familiar with near Boone.
I love this picture because it really shows where these lovely mountains get their name from :)
I couldn’t help but splurge on White Duck Tacos when we were in Asheville- it is one of my favorite restaurants! I got bang-bang shrimp and Greek tacos, and they were amazing.
Snapped a picture of this couple watching the sun go down together at one of my favorite overlooks near Boone, NC. I thought they looked so sweet together.
The highest point on the Parkway!
I love these yellow wildflowers with the blue and green backdrop (this is currently my laptop background).
Claudia admiring the view! We were nearing the Asheville area in this picture.
Picnic break! This couscous salad is my favorite lunch to bring camping in the summer!
If you made it this far, I hope that I was able to inspire you to consider trying out a trip like this yourself! Check back later this week for some camping meal inspiration!
Cheers,
Katie Magnolia
