Campfire Cooking! It’s What’s for Dinner!

Maybe people love campfires because it reconnects them to nature. Or maybe it’s because it reminds them of the hardships the settlers must have faced when forging a new country. Whatever the reason, campers still love their campfires and cooking over them!

As campers ourselves for over 30 years, we’ve had many a meal over the campfire. Our boy’s favorites were always pizza mountain pies. We often followed those with mountain desert pies (blueberry, cherry, or apple) complete with powdered sugar topping!

But today’s pie irons and cookware offer so much more! If you haven’t tried a dutch oven pot roast cooked over the fire, or home-made chili, or pineapple upside down cakes, campfire pizza pie, or kabobs you need to try them! These are affordable meals for your family and are also simple, easy, and delicious!

At Meadville KOA, we know that campfires aren’t just one of the things people love about camping; it’s one of the biggest things people love about camping! We carry a full line of cookware to accommodate our campfire cooks! We have cast iron Panini Sandwich Makers, Waffle Irons, Brat Cookers, Bread Makers, Sore Thumb Makers, Campfire Pizza Racks, Pie Iron storage bags, and more!

More importantly, we carry books filled with great recipes and campfire cooking tips! You’ll learn things you didn’t know, and before you know it; your whole family will be enjoying cooking their own, customized meals!

It’s never been so easy to cook breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening snacks over the campfire! It’s affordable, nutritious, and the kids will love it! It’s quality family time together! And, by the way, they’ll tell you that it tastes awesome!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251 or at robyn@MeadvilleKOA.com

Why Did We Join KOA?

We were offered lots of congratulations when we announced in late April that Brookdale Family Campground was the newest campground in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. People congratulated us, because they know KOA’s reputation as high quality franchise system. Many also know that it will bring even more visitors to other local businesses.

Our campground has a 33 year history of serving campers in the area. We have a well established reputation and great ratings. RVing directories like Woodalls & Trailer Life rate us a 9 park, and our customers rate us as A- to B+ park with Guest Reviews!

Since that’s the case, we’ve had several campers ask us why we joined KOA and what it will doing for them. So, I thought it might be a great idea to do a blog about it.

The answer is that their national brand is second to none. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada. We’re proud to be new members of this 475 park organization. They distribute directories across the USA that literally places us in the hands of hundreds of thousands of potential new customers. Wow that’s big. No, that’s really, really big!

Even though our campground has that 33 year history, not everyone has heard of us. Each year we bring hundreds of new, first time campers to our park through their friends, Google, camping directories, and RV Shows, to name but a few. We’re hoping that becoming a KOA will open us up to camping families who only camp at KOA. And yes, we are getting reservations from some of those families already.

So the question is, why would people only camp at KOA’s? Well first, because of the brand. A Big Mac is a Big Mac, anywhere you go. A KOA is a KOA. It’s the same thing. There’s a certain level of expectation there, and KOA meets it.

KOA’s online service provides real-time reservations. Kampers can make a reservation at any time of the day or night! The other really significant thing about that is that when you include your email address on your reservation, you also get an immediate email confirmation. You’ll know what your total costs were, what your deposit was, and what is due upon arrival.

KOA Kampers who purchase a $24.00 Value Kard get a 10% discount and accumulate points every time they stay at a KOA. So, not only do they save dollars while kamping, the can redeem their points for discounts and free stays! That makes KOA a good value too! KOA Value Kards can be purchased at any KOA or online at: http://koa.com/.

The second most asked question has been, “Does this mean that your rates are going up?” The answer is simply no, we have not raised our rates since becoming a KOA. Our rates were set in January with the publication of our brochure and they have not changed. Did they go up from last year? Yes, we had a modest increase. Our rates go up when our operating costs increase. That said, even if they do go up a little, buy a value kard and get your 10% discount. The savings makes it a great value for a 9 rated campground!

KOA also offers the kampers the KOA Kompass (http://koakompass.com/). An electronic (email) newsletter, that runs contests, recipes, comics, and much, much more! It’s a fun way to hear about KOA programs, and more!

And of course, KOA is on Facebook and Twitter! Which, by the way, we are too! Come join the conversations with us at Meadville KOA! We hope you’ll come kamp with us at Meadville KOA and see why Meadville KOA is NWPA’s Family Fun Camping Zone!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson Own and Operate Meadville KOA. You can contact Robyn at 814-789-3251.

Up Coming Events in June honor Chocolate, Dad’s, and the Civil War!

June is a great time of year to get outdoors and go camping! The meadows are alive with buttercups, wild phlox, fawns, and the smell of honeysuckle fills the air! Not only are all of those things true at Meadville KOA, but we also have a schedule that honors chocolate, Dads, and the sesquicentennial of the Civil War!

Let’s first look at Chocolate. You might say that honoring chocolate is silly. And true, we work hard at Meadville KOA to make it silly. But don’t underestimate the importance of this Latin American bean. The Maya people used it as currency. Only the very rich drank it. What would they think of us today? By 1907, Milton Hershey's factory was spitting out 33 million kisses per day. And so it is, that we celebrate this rich Pennsylvania history with our own wacky version of an event to honor chocolate named, “Death By Chocolate Weekend”.

On June 10 & 11, we start our day with a free craft for the kids. And yes, it’s an edible craft involving nothing other than chocolate! We later play candy bar BINGO. You buy a card with a full size candy bar, and we play BINGO. If you win, you win candy bars! We of course have specials and give away… yep, you guessed it – BIG Hershey bars! The kids love it, and so do the “bigger kids” (aka parents), who play too! Then in the afternoon we have a free ice cream sundae social! You get to make your own sundae! YUM! And last, but certainly not least, we end our day with an after dark flashlight hunt that looks from the highway like huge lightening bugs flittering all around the field where the candy was hidden! If all of that isn’t enough, we have the pool (weather permitting), fishing, the kiddie train ride, wagon ride, and more.

Our Father’s Day Weekend (June 17 & 18) is the perfect opportunity to take dad camping and let him spend the day relaxing and fishing! That’s right, dad’s can do catch and release fishing and he doesn’t even have to have a license at the Meadville KOA. We pay a fee so you don’t need a license. But that’s not all. We have dad & child bean bag toss tournament, dad’s day picnic dinner (we provide hotdogs, and you provide the side dishes), and we have the dad’s day Brookdale 500 Car Race. An honored event at Meadville KOA. No RV? No problem! We have deluxe lake front lodges, kitchenette cottages, and camping cabins at the Meadville KOA. So bring dad camping and give him some quality time with the family, and relaxing by a campfire. It makes a great gift. Don’t forget that we also sell gift certificates!

On June 24 & 25, we’re celebrating the Civil War sesquicentennial! You can camp and experience living history. You can see how they lived during the period, what they ate, what they wore, and more! Our 70 reenacters are sure to delight you with their candlelight tour of their encampment. This is the biggest reenactment we’ve ever had, and you won’t want to miss it! If you haven’t experienced camping and the Civil War Reenactment at Meadville KOA, we invite you to do so! Your whole family will be talking about it all summer long. It may even spark your interest in traveling to Gettysburg for their celebrations and reenactments this summer!

We hope to see you this month and we hope you’ll join us to honor chocolate, your dad, or the Civil War Reenactment! Whatever you do, get outdoors and enjoy the wonderful state of Pennsylvania and especially all that Western PA and the Meadville KOA has to offer your family!

And if you want to save money on gas, ask about leaving your RV here during the week!

We wish you happy Kamping to you and your family, no matter where your travels take you!

By Robyn Chilson
Tim & Robyn Chilson own and operate Meadville KOA in Meadville, PA. Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251. Become a fan at http://Facebook.com/MeadvilleKOA

KOA Directory gets Microsoft Tags!

KOA’s Campground Directory for 2011 includes Microsoft Tags! If you’re not up on “techie stuff”, you might ask, “What’s a Microsoft Tag?”

A Microsoft tag is a pseudo-bar code, which when scanned by a smart phone, will take you to the website of the product or business the tag appears on. In the case of the KOA Directory, it takes you right to the Campground’s Website.

To use a Microsoft Tag, you need a smart phone and the software that you can download to your phone, which will allow your phone to read the tag and take you to the website, coupons, and more! In the case of KOA, the tags turn your “smart phone” into an online camping directory! You can now locate and book that campsite right from your smart phone while traveling!

You can learn more about it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BtyGJe_dA&feature=player_embedded

By Robyn Chilson
Robyn & her husband Tim, Own and operate Meadville KOA (Formally Brookdale Family Campground) in Meadville, PA. She can be reached at 814-789-3251.

Brookdale Family Campground To Celebrate Grand Opening as Meadville KOA!

MEADVILLE, PA (May 17, 2011) – The Meadville KOA, formally Brookdale Family Campground, will be celebrating It’s Grand Opening as a member of Kampgrounds of America!

Meadville KOA is the newest park in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada.

This well-known and highly rated campground has been renamed the Meadville KOA. The campground has a 33-year history of serving camping families. Current owners Tim and Robyn Chilson, have owned and operated the campground since purchasing it in October of 1999.

“Our Grand Opening will celebrate becoming a KOA member campground on May 21st! It is complete with a parade and ribbon cutting,” Tim Chilson said. “Campers who stay as paying guests on May 20 will receive May 21st free for camping with us on our Grand Opening Weekend! Kids can participate in our free crafts and ride their bikes in the parade through the campground! We’ll have a float for the younger tikes to ride on, we’ll have the Meadville High School marching band performing, and of course the East Mead Fire Company will be participating in our campground parade! And we’re having scrap booking and Family Game Night where families play to win a version of the games! It will be a fun packed weekend and the weather is supposed to be good! It’s a great weekend to get your RV out and come camping and help us welcome KOA to Meadville!”
For more information about the Meadville KOA Campground or to make your reservations, go to www.Meadville KOA.com or call 814-789-3251.

Brookdale Family Campground Joins Kampgrounds of America

MEADVILLE, PA (April 20, 2011) – The Brookdale Family Campground is the latest campground in Pennsylvania to be invited to join the 475-park Kampgrounds of America system. KOA is the largest and most recognized camping franchise in the world, with campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada.

This well-known and highly rated campground has been renamed the Meadville KOA. The campground has a 33-year history of serving camping families, and also has a rich area heritage.

The McClemens family, who originally purchased the land from the Holland Land Company in 1893, built a homestead and barn at the site in 1914, in an area known at that time as McClemen’s Flats.

In 1945, the Roae family purchased the property and turned the farm into an auction barn and built ponds for a fish hatchery, where they raised and sold flathead minnows for fishing in Pymatuning Lake. In 1978, they turned the auction barn and farm into Brookdale 1914 Campground, taking the name directly from the date on the old red barn and the brook that runs through the center of the property.

According to current owners Tim and Robyn Chilson, people still ask if there used to be a big barn with roller skating in the top of it at the campground. The barn served as the main building complex for the campground until it burned in 1984. The campers helped rebuild the main building, which now serves the campers and local community with a seasonal mini-mart store. The building also houses a recreation hall, game room, restrooms and showers, and a laundry facility for campers.

The Chilsons purchased the campground in October 1999. The Chilsons have continued to expand the campground, adding ten additional 50-amp pull-through campsites, a camping cabin, two lake-front deluxe rental cabins, a mini golf course, a new playground, a jumping pillow, pedal karts, and WiFi to the park. “As the technology changes and RVing changes, we have to expand our infrastructure to not only meet our customer’s expectations, but to exceed them,” said owner Tim Chilson. “We’re honored to have been invited by KOA to join their organization, which is known for being on the cutting edge of bringing the very best to campers and RVers on an international level.”

According to Chilson, the campground is highly rated nationally. “We’ve worked hard to achieve high ratings from both industry directories and our customers through their reviews of our park over the past 11 years,” he said. “Partnering with KOA will open our campground to new campers and allows us the honor of serving them with the same great service and family fun that we provided as Brookdale Family Campground and they expect from KOA.”

In addition, Chilson added that the interest in seasonal camping has increased for 2011. “Seasonal campers,” Chilson explained, “are people who park their RV at the campground for the entire summer. When camping seasonally, they can drive more economical vehicles to the campground instead of towing, and save money on fuel. That way, they get the maximum use of their RV for minimal costs.”

The Chilson family hopes the business will continue to grow by introducing more people to the fun and family-oriented events and activities they provide at the campground. “We do a host of fun events and activities every summer,” Chilson said. “This year, we are joining KOA’s Come Kamp & Care With Us Weekend! Campers who stay as paying guests on Friday, May 13 will receive a free night of camping on Saturday, May 14. We will do fundraisers that weekend and be asking our campers for donations to support the 44 KOA Care Camps for kids with cancer that are located around North America.

“We’ll be hosting a grand opening in honor of becoming a KOA on May 21st, complete with a parade and ribbon cutting,” Chilson said. “And, we’ll offer campers who stay as paying guests on May 20 will receive May 21st free for our Grand Opening Weekend! Kids can participate in our free crafts and ride their bikes in the parade through the campground! We’ll also be running specials and discounts this summer. We’re not just celebrating joining KOA on one weekend. We’ll be celebrating it all summer long!”
For more information about the Meadville KOA Campground or to make your reservations, go to www.Meadville KOA.com or call 814-789-3251.

Kampgrounds of America, founded on the banks of the Yellowstone River in 1962, is now the world’s largest system of open-to-the-public family campgrounds. KOA has 475 locations in the United States and Canada.

Affordable Vacations Despite High Gas Prices!

In May 2007, the gas prices were at about $3.25 per gallon. This year, prices are at about $1.00 more per gallon. But even at a $1.00 more per gallon, what does that mean to your travel budget for camping? If your tow vehicle or motor home gets 10 miles to a gallon of gas or diesel, and you take a 50 mile trip, your total trip cost increase will be only $10.00 more! If your tow vehicle gets better mileage, your cost increases will be even less! (Find current gas prices!)

High gasoline prices historically cause Americans to make modifications to their travel plans but generally won’t cause them to cancel. So, here are some tips on how to still have a great summer and not let the price of gas ruin your vacation.

Cook & eat at the campsite or RV! Cooking over the fire is a favorite of campers and RV’ers, but even if cooking on the fire isn’t your thing, cooking and eating in your RV will help you save enough money on your vacation to pay for the gas price increase and allow you to afford the same vacation you took last year.

Stay in a Cabin! Not owning an RV isn’t the end of your camping experiences especially if tent camping is out of the question for you. Most campgrounds have cabins that provide non-RV owners a fun camping experience at a very affordable rate. The cabins are about the price of a hotel stay, but they have a wide range of amenities. Camping cabins can be very basic (just beds and a table); kitchenette cabins provide the ability to cook indoors; and deluxe full service cabins have multiple rooms, kitchens, and bathroom facilities. You can drive the vehicle that gets the best mileage, cook at the campground over the campfire to save money on meals, and enjoy a fun and affordable vacation with your family.

Take only one vehicle to the campground or on vacation! You may not believe it, but many families don’t travel in one vehicle any more. Coordinate schedules and carpool! It saves you gas and reduces consumption! Reducing consumption makes the price go down. If everyone would lower consumption, our high fuel prices would come down.

Stay Closer to Home. Rethinking your vacation location may pay back big dividends! Save the cost of travel fuel by RVing and camping closer to home. Not only do you save money on gas and wear and tear on your RV but you also spend less time traveling and more time having fun with your family!

Stay Longer once you get there. Instead of making four, 2-day camping trips with the RV this summer, make three (3), 3-day stays. You get an extra day of camping in, and the travel expense for only 3 trips! It saves you money on the gas and again uses less gas, but that’s not all many campgrounds offer lower prices during the week. So not only do you save with less travel but you also save on the stay costs too!

Become a Seasonal for the summer at your favorite campground! To really save money and get the maximum use of your RV this summer, why not park the RV for the whole summer? It’s a great way to think locally and act globally, and it’s a great way for your family to enjoy camping every weekend at the most affordable rate. It maximizes your family’s enjoyment and minimizes the cost. Most families can camp for the whole summer for less then a one-week vacation at Disney or at the seashore!

You don’t have to spend all that money on fuel to still enjoy a great vacation! You can plan a great vacation by utilizing any one or more of these tips! And, there are so many fun things to do and see right here in NW PA, you don’t have to go a long way to get away!

By Robyn S. Chilson
Robyn & Tim Chilson Own and Operate Brookdale Family Campground in Meadville, PA. You can contact her at camp@brookdalecampground.com