How to be a Good Camping Neighbor

One of the best things about camping can be that you’re surrounded by lots of other people who enjoy spending time exploring the great outdoors like you. But depending on what type of campsite or RV resort you’re staying, sometimes you can feel like you’re parked right on top of your next door neighbor.

Given how close RVs can be parked together in some places, it helps to know some basic house rules when it comes to being a good neighbor in a campground.

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Camp Site Review: Gatlinburg East-Smoky Mountain KOA

Gatlinburg East-Smoky Mountain KOA

We just got back from a long weekend retreat to the Gatlinburg East-Smoky Mountain KOA campground, and I wanted to pass along our review to you!

We’ve been to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN area before. Last year, we stayed at the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg KOA (see our review of that campground here). So this year, we wanted to try out another property to get a different perspective on the area.

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Quick and Easy Recipes for RV Camping

One of the things I love about traveling in our travel trailer is that you have a little kitchen at your disposal to whip up a quick meal! When you’re traveling, eating out every meal can add up in cost, and be bad for my waist line.

Don’t get me wrong, when we’re traveling in our camper, we’re on vacation. So the last thing I want to do is be stuck in the kitchen. But whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s easy to throw a few simple ingredients together to feed your family, without too much prep or clean up work!

Check out these RV-friendly recipes!

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GREY WOLF 26 DBH Travel Trailer Review (with pictures!)

Grey Wolf 26 DBH

This post is a little belated, but we’re excited to announce we recently traded in our sweet Bessie (a Coachmen Apex Nano 193 bhs) to the new Grey Wolf 26 DBH travel trailer (name TBD – we’re taking suggestions in the comments section below!).

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How to Keep Sand Out of Your RV or Camper

how to keep sand out of your RV

Let’s say you’re lucky enough to find your RV or camper parked right next to some sandy shores, watching the tide roll in. Heavenly, right??

And it IS heavenly, until you realize you’ve tracked so much sand into your rig your space starts to resemble the Sahara Desert.

Frequent sweeping and mopping your floor can certainly help get the sand out once it’s in there, but what if you could keep the sand from tracking in the first place? We just returned from a camping trip to Miramar Beach, FL, and we learned some beach hacks while we were there that were priceless!

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Camp Site Review: CAMP GULF, Miramar Beach, FL

Camp Gulf

We checked another state off the old travel map last week as we hit the road with the kids for Spring Break down to Camp Gulf in Miramar Beach, FL (just a few minutes away from Destin). It was our first time visiting this RV resort, but definitely not our last! Read on for our full review of our stay at Camp Gulf.

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How to take your puppy on a hike

how to take a puppy on a hike

It’s 2019! After what seemed like the rainiest fall and holiday season on record (seriously, we almost had to board the Ark), the sun came out and Mother Nature graced us with a warm, 65-degree day right after the start of the year.

After being cooped up for so long, we couldn’t wait to hit the hiking trails (along with the entirety of Upstate South Carolina, it seemed!). And it was time for us to introduce Rosco, our 6-month-old mini golden doodle puppy, to the wonderful world of hiking.

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Is there such a thing as spontaneous camping anymore?

family camping

I’m a bonafide Type-A planner extraordinaire. Always have been, I’m guessing always will be. I love planning out trips, doing research on places to visit and restaurants to go to – it gives me something to look forward to!

But every once in a blue moon, our family finds ourselves with a long weekend with absolutely no plans – one that would be perfect for hitching up the travel trailer and going on a quick camping trip.

The challenge? Finding a campground that’s not full.

 

It seems that unless you plan your campground visits months and months in advance, there’s “no room at the inn,” so to speak. Which really limits any chance for a spontaneous camping weekend!

Don’t get me wrong, planning ahead often gives me a chance to make sure everything is ready to go – but there’s something to be said about finding that rare last minute camping opportunity.

Where do you go to find last-minute camping trip opportunities? Do you call around to your favorite campgrounds and pray there’s been a cancellation? Do you try your luck at “first come, first serve” campgrounds and hope there’s a spot left for you?

We’d love to hear your tips on how you make spontaneous camping trips work!  Maybe – just maybe – we’ll be able to find a unicorn of a weekend where we could sneak away and go camping at the last minute!

Hiking With Kids: Family Hike Scavenger Hunt

Family Hike Scavenger Hunt

Our family loves to hike. We’re so fortunate to live in Greenville, SC, which is just a stone’s throw from some amazing hiking trails along and near the Foothill Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway.

We started to take our two boys hiking when they were small – I think our youngest was three when we started just exploring some easy mile-long footpaths. We’ve branched out and tackled some bigger ones since then – the longest being a 7.2 mile (roundtrip) to the summit of Table Rock, SC.

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