This years record rain has left devastation in its path, but for the rivers in southern Missouri it has made for some great floating. Many of the rivers start running low this time of year and continue to drop through the summer causing some parts to be to shallow for floating. This years rain has left the rivers in great shape and many outfitters say they should be in good shape for the entire summer season.

We have a trip planned to Alley Springs the first week of July. We made this trip later in July last year and found the Jacks Fork to be very shallow and difficult to float. You can read about that trip in the archives. Again this year we will be using the Sea Eagle 9 raft for the float along with tubes and will float from Alley Springs to Eminence. The reports from the outfitters sound promising and I hope for a much easier float this year.

Family camping games are a great way bring everyone together for some friendly competitions while camping. Choosing the right games to play depend on the abilities of the group. If you have small children playing, you need to take this into consideration when choosing the game. Here is the first game in our top 4 camping games.

Cornhole

Cornhole is the new bean bag toss. It is played with bags filled with corn, sand or beans. The bags are tossed at a platform that is typically 4′ by 2′, the board has one hole and the holes are placed 33′ apart. Scoring is as follows - 3 points for a bag in the hole and 1 point for a bag on the board. The great thing about this game is that anyone can play and the rules can be changed to suit the players. If you have little one(like us), just move the platforms closer together. Cornhole is also very popular with tailgaters since it can be played on any surface and is easily transported. Many people customize there platforms with cornhole decals that match there favorite sports team. You may also hear the game called corn toss, baggo, Indiana horseshoes, bean bag toss and many other names.

You have spent weeks planning and packing for a great camping trip, just to arrive and find the campground packed full! You should have checked ahead if time and made a reservation. Seasoned campers are already aware of this and plan ahead. But, if you are new to camping or just camp once in a while, you should be aware that many campgrounds can fill up quickly.

We have our favorite campground and have a favorite campsite, problem is that it seems to be a favorite of many campers. Knowing this we try to plan ahead and make reservations as far in advance as possible. Having reservations avoids the hassle of driving around and around trying to find a suitable spot to setup camp. If you are going to a new campground try and research as much as possible to find a good site.

The following are some tips we use for making reservations:

• Plan as far in advance as possible
• Check on line for site photos and campground maps to help find the perfect site
• If you frequent the same campground get a map and make a list of sites you like, this helps avoid surprises
• Visit camping forums and ask what campsites are good and what campsites to avoid
• Scout ahead if possible