This is a good example as to how not to go over a "waterfall" in a canoe.  Sorry, but I laughed. You can watch the whole thing, but if you are short on time jump to the 1:40 mark in the video.

July is the apex of summer. The month starts out with a bang and ends with kids dreading having to go back to school at the end of August. There is not a better month to enjoy the great outdoors with your family. Pack up the gear, head out on a camping trip this July and enjoy warm nights, lakeside swimming and priceless family memories.

Winter camping requires great skill and lots of gear to stay warm. The best part of camping in July is being able to pack light. The warm summer nights of July allow one to sleep with minimal covers and enjoy fresh crisp evenings. Tents, expensive sleeping bags, and fires are optional. Everyone can camp in July and enjoy it.

From skinny dipping in the local pond to swimming in the city pool, summer time swimming has become a national past time. A great feature of July camping is having the option to swim. The hot weather allows campers to take a dip and cool off. Swimming is fun and provides entertainment close to camp. If you really want to be “adventurous”, take a couple canoes and have swamping wars. Just remember, everybody needs a swimming buddy.

Society today seems to be doing all it can to degrade families. This is why it is important to spend quality time together as a family. July camping can be quality family time. Remember to drink plenty of water, rest in the shade, and use sun screen. A few small things will help summer camping trips to be much more enjoyable and memorable for years to come.

Break away from the television and the rush of everyday life. Spend some quality time with your family this summer. Go camping! Warm summer nights, lakeside swimming, and family memories are awaiting you at a campsite this July.

Day two of our annual Yellowstone Trip took us to the lower loop of Yellowstone. We made sure to stop and get the Firehole River Swimming Area point to add to Backcountry Secrets. It was too cold for us to swim at this time of year, but this is an enjoyable summer dip.

After Firehole River Swimming Area we headed south to the Classic Old Faithful. There are plenty of trails at Old Faithful to walk around on and enjoy hot pots and geysers. Life flight landed and took off while we were at Old Faithful (Just a reminder that the backcountry and wild animals can be dangerous).

After Old Faithful we drove around to Lake. We checked out Fishing Bridge Campground (talk about bumper to bumper trailers), then continued on to Mary's Bay. Just past Mary's Bay there is a beautiful lookout point on top of a mountain that you can drive to. In the distance you can see the Tetons and overlook Yellowstone Lake.

We finished day two off with a nice large campfire (with freshly cut wood) after discovering our neighbors on night two had gathered up the firewood we cut that morning. They must have thought they hit the jackpot.