If you can't afford to shack up in one of the swanky Orange County hotels during your travels there, now you have another option: Crystal Cove State Park in the Laguna Beach/Newport Beach area just opened its year-round campground today.

The $15 million Moro Campground offers 60 new campsites. Unfortunately, you won't be on the beach, but you'll have a nice view of it from the hilly area. The park has three miles of Pacific coastline, plus wooded canyons, open bluffs, and offshore waters designated as an underwater park.]]> Jennifer Kester 2011-07-06T08:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/11/1/13618/2706

America's National Parks have been having a pretty good month, publicity-wise. First there was the announcement that master documentarian Ken Burns would be lending his skills and voice to creating tours of some of America's backlands and badlands and now comes news that the world's single biggest marketing jackpot—Oprah Winfrey herself—s getting into the mix.

The talk show host/erstwhile cult leader took a camping trip to California travel destination Yosemite National Park earlier this month, and then featured the experience on her show. The hope from the park service is that the episode and all the associated attention will increase interest in National Parks across the board, but they're especially looking to remedy the disproportionate lack of African-American visitors. ]]> Omri 2010-11-01T13:10:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/25/02618/712

Listed as one of Fall 2010's Travel Essentials by Magellan's, the Biffy Bag is the "world's only personal disposable toilet designed to be used comfortably without a bucket or comode to sit on."

If you found that confusing, no worries. It took us reading the Biffy Bag homepage, the how it works section, and the online FAQ to figure out the mechanics of what was going on here. And we don't mean that in like a giggly "haha people go to the bathroom" kind of way. We mean it in a very technical "what attaches to what and why is that something someone would want" kind of way. We eventually had to watch the instructional video, which we've helpfully embedded below. ]]> Omri 2010-10-27T12:50:09-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/31/153735/930

If you've ever wondered what an up-with-the-sisterhood consciousness raising teach-in was like in the 1970's, the website for the Go Girl Female Urination Device is probably a good approximation. Everything is shaded pink, the site is sprinkled with uplifting reminders like "Go Girls are winners," and there are extensive diagrams on how to safely and properly channel your bodily fluids. You are told that "life's greatest adventure shouldn't be finding a bathroom." They're also there to remind you that if you pee standing up then "you can go anywhere," which you have to admit is a pretty clever pun.

We don't get out to camp as much as we'd like because—ah hem—our sister site is HotelChatter after all, but we looked over the list of women who could benefit by being able to "simply unzip their fly and go to the bathroom" and we remain lukewarm on the GoGirl solution.

Who would use to "GoGirl" on a trip? Find out after the jump]]> Omri 2010-03-31T15:54:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/3/17/153553/963

Less is more when it comes to camping, with every additional pound of gear costing hikers potential miles of trekking. The JakPak, a new all-in-one waterproof jacket, sleeping bag and tent, hopes to appeal to particularly dedicated campers by trading a little bit of comfort for a whole lot of weight.

The basic idea involves wearing the travel gear that will become your sleeping bag and tent. You don the waterproof shirt and walk in it all day while it protects you from the elements. When it's time for sleep, the breathable hard shell fabric opens up to provide some literal breathing room over the head, neck, and shoulders. The rest of the JakPak becomes a sleeping bag that covers the lower half of the body. The tent part is detachable from the sleeping bag part so it's also usable as a pack cover, and the space between can be bridged by see-through insect netting. Done and done.]]> Omri 2010-03-17T16:05:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/1/28/81424/8107

It was pretty cold across much of the country earlier this month, and areas in Florida were seeing temperatures that were truly unusual. Besides the risk to our beloved orange juice supply, wildlife also didn’t do too well in the abnormal temperatures. The recent cold snap actually caused a fish kill in some areas of the state, and the underwater population was especially hard hit in Everglades National Park.

You could consider this just part of the circle of life, but the dead fishing are washing up on shore and causing a smelly situation for campers looking to enjoy the great outdoors. The Flamingo Campground at the park with sites along the water’s edge has become particularly odoriferous. The Long Pine Key Campground might be a better option for the time being. ]]> kjb 2010-01-28T12:45:08-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/4/81316/1996

Traveling over the holidays is definitely expensive, and the prices really start creeping up when you head somewhere warm and popular like Hawaii. However, there’s a way to cut down on your lodging and rental car costs while increasing your vacation adventure quotient—just rent a Volkswagen camper van. Happy Campers Hawaii and GB Adventures are more than willing to hook you up with a vintage—yet restored—VW Westfalia van for all of your explorations around the Big Island.

You’ll be able to wake up in a different location each day and totally take advantage of the island’s parks and campgrounds. Most of the vans come with everything you’ll need including a sink, stove, and running water. Just swing by Costco to stock up on snacks and you’ll be good to go. Just make sure you pick up a blender, because a couple blended beverages are a must for evenings back in the van. ]]> kjb 2009-12-04T11:19:38-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/