Dear Ranger Rick - camping experiences

Ranger Rick, March, 1999

Last August, I asked my Rangers if they ever went hiking and camping. You all had some really wild stories to tell. Here are just a few.

CAMPING AT THE ZOO?

My family and I camped at the zoo! All the animals were up and walking around. We saw the zookeepers feed a polar bear and some giraffes. At night we heard lions, flamingos, jaguars, monkeys, and more! Jason Patel; Folsom, CA

Cool! I've heard that many zoos offer sleepovers. Maybe some of my other Rangers would like to try this too. They could call their local zoo and see what's available. R.R.

OUTBACK OUTDOORS

My family and I are Americans living in Australia. We live in Alice Springs in the Outback (right in the middle of the continent). We've been camping at a number of places in the Outback. I climbed about halfway up Ayers Rock with my dad. Charissa Petree Alice Springs, NT, Australia That's a pretty impressive climb, Charissa! R.R.

GREAT CAMPER

My family likes to camp at North/South Lake, Haines Falls, New York. My favorite thing to do while camping is to go fishing. We also really like to sleep in the tent. At night we can hear the bullfrogs calling from the lake. Sometimes they are so loud that we can't sleep!

Peter Kinney Johnson City, NY

BEST AND WORST

We go camping at a state park in Missouri. We swim in the lake and also go fishing. The best part is roasting marshmallows. The worst part is the mosquitoes! Kim Josten; St. Peters, MO

NO PHONE

I go camping every year in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California with my friend and her family. It makes me feel weird when someone mentions that we're miles away from a telephone! I have to get used to a lot of things, like having cold water dumped over my head when I wash my hair, going to the bathroom outside, and hiking a long way every day with a pack on my back. I like seeing pretty trees and waterfalls and mountains. Sarah Norton-Bryant Oakland, CA

WHATCHA THINK?

On pages 2 to 10, you can see some pretty weird noses. Hey, what if your nose looked like one of those? What would be the advantage of having one of those weird noses? Tell us which one you would choose, and why. Write to: Ranger Rick, Dept. WN;8925 Leesburg Pike; Vienna, VA 22184. e-mail: rick@nwf.org We enjoy reading everyone's letters. Too bad there's not room to print them all!

MOVING SOON?

If so, Ranger Rick needs to know! Ask a grownup to check out the "Change of address" info in the column at right. Thanks!

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