“Did we really just go camping?” I asked myself as we pulled up to our house this afternoon and unloaded our clothes and remaining weekend groceries from the trunk. I realized there was no gear to put away; no layers of dirt to wash off our bodies, and I felt rested and energized for Monday. “No,” I realized, “we did not go camping, we went ‘Kamping’!”

Awesome! Fabulous! Wonderful!
These are some of the words that come to mind after such a terrific weekend at California’s Central Coast near Santa Cruz camping …

“Concerns about dirt, crawly critters, outhouses, bears, and bugs top the list of real and imagined outdoor pet peeves.”
If you have been following Outdoor Afro for a while, I am sure you have gathered by now that we are striving to connect people to the outdoors in a variety of ways. But far too often, I hear people say they don’t like to camp, or fear trying because of perceptions about what must be given up in order to experience nature. Concerns about dirt, crawly critters, outhouses, bears, and bugs top …

Our next RV trip will be October 21-23 in Big Sur California!
Following our last Outdoor Afro RV trailer trip to the Sierras this summer, we have been thrilled and grateful for the positive responses from the RV community, and many news outlets that are helping spread the word that African Americans do love the outdoors, and inspiring people to get involved!

For instance, as the result of one recently published article, I received a Saturday morning telephone call from an elderly Atlanta woman who got my number from the print version of the …

Our last stop before turning in our teardrop trailer on Sunday was to check out nearby Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park. It was our intention to learn about gold panning and history of the California Gold Rush.
James W. Marshall discovered gold in 1848 on the South Fork of the American River in the valley known as Cullumah by the Nisenan Indians who lived in the area sustainably and peacefully. But Marshall’s discovery led to the greatest mass movement of people in the Western Hemisphere, and it was the …

It was important that our RV adventure last week include activities to help us explore the surrounding, beautiful Sierra Nevada region. And with the American River in sight of our campground, whitewater rafting made perfect sense.
According to a poll taken in 2010, of the top five activities Outdoor Afros would try if they had the support and resources is white water rafting. For our RV adventure, we were fortunate to arrange a rafting trip on the American River in the Sierra Nevada region of California courtesy of American Whitewater Expeditions.
Within …

It’s been a wonderful summer of travel for Outdoor Afro, but the highlight was our RV Trip to the Sierra Nevada region in California last week! Check out our story…
First off, my family remains filled with gratitude for the support of Camp California, the leader in camping and RV’ing in California. With their partnership, we were able to spread the word far and wide about this fun filled event, and connect with trip sponsors with the shared goal of connecting more Americans to nature through the RV experience. We …

THIS Weekend! – and you get to come too!

On Aug. 12th to 14th I will take Outdoor Afro to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada with my nephew and three children for a three-day camping trip at Ponderosa Resort in Lotus, California!
Camp-California.com and Ponderosa Resort are co-sponsoring my trip along with Auburn-based American River Sales and Rentals, which is supplying a teardrop trailer for our use. They are equally eager to learn of our experiences, and how they can expand their collective efforts to reach out to the African American …

Some of my best friends swear on a stack of <insert sacred item of choice> they hate camping, won’t ever go, and there is nothing I can do about it. But I know they could not possibly hate on the mobility of a car, the comforts of home, and the serenity of nature (from a distance) all rolled into one. Enter the Recreational Vehicle or trailer camping trip, an experience that can transform what most people imagine about camping.
I know some of my traceless camping folks probably want to …

After getting married and starting a family of my own, camping took on a new meaning. For just a short drive and little money, I found camping was one of the most economical ways my new family could take a vacation. During these years I collected essential camping gear, like our first family-sized tent and propane stove from local garage sales and eBay — my family still uses these items today.
But as my family grew, so did the effort of camping. Thus the city of Oakland’s Feather River family camp, …