What comes to mind when you hear the words “spelunking” and “caving?” Likely you think of young, athletic types with pale white skin decked out in gear from head to toe. They are wearing helmets with headlamps, carry ropes over their shoulders, and sport utility belts to make Batman jealous. Your mental image may also [...]

Let’s face it. Ticks are creepy. Nobody likes them. If you’re introducing someone new to the outdoors, a tick encounter can be a real turn off. And it’s important for health reasons to do all you can to repel ticks. Short of tick repellent clothing or dousing your regular outdoor clothes with chemicals, what can [...]

Few things pair better than a hearty campfire and a guitar. On this particular Campfire Session we were joined by Tyler Royse, a singer songwriter from Monticello, Indiana. He didn’t pick up the guitar until age 19, which a little late by some standards. That said, his drive to create music has taken him all [...]

Here’s a great camping tip! Allow time on every camping outing to spend a day just road tripping. Maybe you pick a final destination, but don’t set a schedule or a route to get there. Just go … and enjoy what comes along the way. The 50 Campfires team did just that on the Field [...]

When you pull into a state park, a forest service campground, or a county recreation area, you’re often confronted with a signpost with arrows pointing down forking roads and different trails. Commonly, you see “Picnic Area,” “Campground,” “Beach,” “Headquarters,” and “Boat Launch.” Another you may encounter says, “Horse Camping.” What lies down that road? Next [...]

When you pull into a state park, a forest service campground, or a county recreation area, you’re often confronted with a signpost with arrows pointing down forking roads and different trails. Commonly, you see “Picnic Area,” “Campground,” “Beach,” “Headquarters,” and “Boat Launch.” Another you may encounter says, “Horse Camping.” What lies down that road? Next [...]

I was recently leaving a campsite in Kentucky when I spotted something troubling: a steady stream of smoke rising up in the forest. We pulled over immediately and found that the campers from the night before had tossed a burning fencepost into the woods. I’m dead serious when I say that right as we walked [...]

We’ve been fortunate to meet some great people while traveling across America. They come from all walks of life – and quite often, we find a common bond in our love for the outdoors. During our time exploring Kentucky, we were able to spend an evening around a campfire with local Louisville musician, Nathan Strange. [...]

I’ve been a bourbon fan for a long time. I find it to be more approachable than most whiskeys, probably due to the sweetness imparted by the corn mash. I’ve also known that Kentucky is popular for bourbon distillers but have never really known why. On a recent trip to Kentucky with 50 Campfires I [...]

Remember going to “camp”? Life is crazy. Too often our definition of camping is mostly about squeezing a quality family activity in between swimming and piano lessons, dance classes and baseball games. Collecting the whole family, piling in the SUV, and heading to a campground for a weekend sometimes seems like an unachievable fantasy for urbanites [...]