Summertime conjures up memories of cold watermelon slices, fireworks against a night sky and get-togethers with friends and family, all while enjoying the outdoors. Patriotic decorations and events go hand-in-hand with summer camping as people celebrate the Fourth of July (or any beautiful long summer weekend).
The Fourth of July marks the middle of the summer and makes the perfect excuse to throw a party. The aroma of simmering meat on a barbecue or sounds of laughter wafting through a campground provide a familiar summer soundtrack to most people – national holiday or not. Although graduation parties, weddings and summer festivals often take the hat for summer entertainment, campgrounds are often a more affordable option to get away with loved ones.
With the limitations on space and conveniences, taking the family festivities on the road isn’t always the easiest. But with a little additional planning prior to departure, you can celebrate the summertime holidays, campground style.
Here are some helpful tips to minimize the work and maximize your fun!
1 – Plan Your Menu
Everyone knows that July 4th, Labor Day and any other summertime party isn’t complete without food. And we all know that the kitchens in RVs are small… okay, really small. With such tight constraints, it’s essential that you plan the menu beforehand.
One quick and easy way to lighten up the cooking burden is to plan on cooking in the outdoors, whether it’s over an open fire or on your favorite grill. Burgers and hotdogs are always a popular and convenient choice for the main entree. For the side dishes, save time and space by fixing favorites such as potato salad and coleslaw which can be made ahead of time at home and many times actually taste better the next day. Plan to bring along a few bags of potato chips too to ensure that guests get their fill.
Lastly, dessert is something you just can’t skip. An easy and popular choice is ice cream, as long as you have a way to keep it from melting. Some RV have refrigerators with freezers included. If yours doesn’t include this though, portable refrigerators/freezers are also available.
2 – Keep ‘Em Entertained
Whenever hosting a party, you have to think about how to entertain your guests. Some campgrounds offer firework displays for their visitors to enjoy, but these usually don’t take place until well into the evening hours. So for the daylight hours, swimming is always a popular activity, but not all campgrounds have pools. So be sure to bring along fun, portable games just in case. Camping World offers a bean bag toss game, Play-ble Table Sets, which also converts to a table.
3 – Set the Mood With Festive Decor
Part of the fun of campground get-togethers is decorating RVs, campsites and designated event areas at local parks. Camping World offers a variety of patriotic-themed decorations such as a red, white and blue patriotic tablecloth ($6.99), a patriotic bag chair ($14.99) and an Awning Rope Light in red, white and blue ($32.99).
4 – Stay Organized
Every good thing must come to an end. So when the party’s over, make sure you have plastic totes on hand to pack your party decorations and remaining food supplies in. Such totes are available in a variety of sizes and are stackable for easy transport. These are available at most any retail stores, so they can be purchased beforehand or even while on your RV getaway.
No matter what’s on your summer event agenda or where you happen to be staying, if you plan ahead and follow these simple tips, you’re sure to have a fun and enjoyable outdoor celebration!
