Camping in Antarctica

TROLL STATION, Antarctica (Reuters) - If you think a "sunseeker" is someone who likes lounging on Caribbean or Mediterranean beaches, meet Joern Dybdahl.

In the southern summer, the 46-year old Norwegian works in Antarctica as a technician at a research station. The rest of the year he is on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen -- so he almost always lives in the land of the midnight sun.

The Arizona Camping Trip

This corner of Arizona serves up two diverse landscapes for the price of one getaway. You can slalom through arroyos in scorching cactus desert, then climb up into the cool, mile-high evergreen heights of the Dragoon and Chiricahua mountains — two of the region’s renowned “sky islands.” There, shady campsites offer easy access to ridgeline hikes, fishing holes and some serious relaxation.

State agencies criticize Malibu's plan to ban camping

The City of Malibu's proposal to ban overnight camping in public parks was the topic of discussion at state agency meetings in two different counties last week. In Thousands Oaks, the board of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, a sister organization of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, voted to support the SMMC's plan to override the city's prohibition proposal. Meanwhile, in the city of Los Angeles, California Coastal Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas reiterated a statement he made last month in an interview with The Malibu Times that the city's plan is "a waste of public resources and funds" because it violates the Coastal Act.

Camping costs on rise

ALBANY - While camping at Lake Snowden will be reinstated April 1, park users will be paying higher fees to cover the maintenance of the park, Hocking College officials announced at a meeting Wednesday.

While fees are not set in stone and have to be reviewed by Hocking College President John Light, the seasonal camping fee of $875 is planned to increase to $1,300.

A packed house of community members, park users and local officials turned out at Wednesday night's meeting held at the park, which is owned by the colle

Beach camping offers waves of enjoyment

We were new to beach camping, so the throng caught us by surprise. That "just me and the trees" feeling you often can achieve even in busy forest campgrounds was out of reach here. We were packed in like sardines.

The campsite was basically an extra-wide parking spot with a piece of dirt behind it. Nearly all our neighbors were housed in RVs, which seemed the better way to go. We had to move the picnic table to squeeze in our two small tents. At night when we roasted marshmallows, I kept a watchful eye for sparks that could potentially ignite our night's accommodations. One tent was mostly uphill and those of us who drew the short straws got to sleep with our heads closer to the train tracks.

Another view on Malibu camping

Her opening sentence refers to the Malibu City Council’s vote to “ban camping on many public lands. . .” In fact, only three sites were at issue: Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy land in Corral Canyon, where the most recent fire started, Ramirez Canyon, and Charmlee Wilderness Park, which is owned by the City of Malibu and not the Conservancy. She adds, rather breezily, that as far as she knew it was “the first official measure the city has taken to prevent future fires.” In fact, the City has had a fire prevention program in conjunction the LA County Fire Department almost since Malibu became a city. It combines educational programs with brush-clearing efforts in inhabited areas.