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What: “Camping! Washington” by Ron C. Judd.

Publisher: Sasquatch Books, (206) 467-4300.

Price: $16.95.

The trouble with camping is, it’s not as peaceful as the postcard.

Not when bivouacking with author Ron C. Judd on a late May weekend in central Oregon with a devilish, refrigerated wind slapping our cheeks until they looked like uncooked tenderloin.

Judd had advertised an excursion at Bend, Ore., two years ago as a high-altitude frolic, skiing Mt. Bachelor’s icy slopes, as well as a heavy attitude romp, mountain biking the pine-covered hillsides along the Deschutes River.

But with uncooperative weather, these spirited outdoor promises got hopelessly lost to a weekend of obstreperous, ostentatious camping. Camping as politically incorrect as Bill Maher. Instead of embracing the wet, dank elements, we fled them. We visited a brewery. We visited an outlet mall, of all the God-forsaken places to go on a camping trip.

But I have to give Judd his due. He deserves the meltdowns away from his rigorous job as Seattle Times columnist, Outside magazine contributor and, fortunately for the uninitiated, guidebook author.

His second in a series on his beloved apple-growing state, “Camping! Washington,” arrives just in time for those planning a summer safari to the Pacific Northwest.

Dust off the blue tarp. The Dave Barry of outdoor writing takes readers on a colorful journey through the Evergreen State from Square 1. As a sequel to “Inside-Out: Washington,” “Camping! Washington” not only is the holy writ for the RV and tent set, but a valuable escort for anyone wanting to taste the Northwest’s outdoor wonders.

As an added bonus, the guidebook is as entertaining as it is informative. Avoiding the stilted language (read: boring) of many such endeavors, Judd uses his folksy prose to prod readers to explore.

Explore the forts on Whidbey Island. Explore the beaches of the San Juans. Explore the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, the Enchantments of the Central Cascades and the Ohanapecosh River of Mt. Rainier National Park.

Judd’s campsite ratings--from a lowly one tree to a grand five trees--admittedly are biased. But after inspecting about 260 camping locales over three decades, one can get a little discriminating.

Just hope your five-tree favorite parcel isn’t in his neighborhood. If it is, you won’t have trouble identifying Judd. He’s the one with the latest techno innovations, from featherweight, waterproof domed tent to Bigfoot-sized Therma-rest sleeping mattresses for 12 of his best friends.

Sleep tight.