Camping tips and travel reviews from a family of four!
It’s still February, but we’ve been planning our 2021 camping season for several months now! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic still gripping our area, as well as just scheduling conflicts (kids and their activities, amIright?!), we’re somewhat limited geographically in terms of how far we can travel this year.
Continue reading “Where are You Camping in 2021?”
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.
Continue reading “How to be a Good Camping Neighbor”
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.
Continue reading “Camp Site Review: CAMP GULF, Miramar Beach, FL”
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.
Continue reading “How to take your puppy on a hike”
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.
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!
If you are anywhere near the Pisgah National Forest in the western mountains of North Carolina close to Brevard, drive, do not walk, to camp at Davidson River Campground. It’s just about one of my favorite campgrounds of anywhere I’ve visited. We just returned from a family camping weekend there, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you! Continue reading “Camp Site Review: Davidson River Campground, Pisgah, NC”
Truth telling time: I did not grow up camping. Nor did my husband. Sure we each went on the occasional camp outs with our respective families when we were growing up, and I spent most summers attending summer camps in the mountains of North Carolina, where you’d camp out at least once.
Many years into our marriage, and well after we had kids, my husband and I realized how much we liked hiking together. Again, we’d both had some limited experience hiking as kids (with families, with camp), so when our kids got old enough when we could start trekking up hills again, we went for it. We’re lucky we live in the foothills of the North Carolina mountains, so a great hike is just a short drive away.
But camping was a totally new ball game for us. So why did we decide to take the plunge? We started off tent camping with friends, and found we really enjoyed it – the campfires, the s’mores, being outside, listening to music, being away from our electronic devices. But then the rain came. Continue reading “We’re all new campers here (so come on in!)”
When we first started camping in our travel trailer, I scoured Pinterest for all kinds of packing lists to help us get started on our journeys. I’m a planner – always have been and probably always will be – and I wanted to make sure we were completely, 100% prepared for any eventuality.
So I created a packing list for those of us who like to camp for long weekends, who don’t need to pack everything and the kitchen sink. (Some of these items you might even leave in your travel trailer for your next trip). This list would also work well for tent camping, too.
I included this list as a FREE printable below so you can print it out and check it off the next time you’re planning your weekend get away!
Weekend Trip RV & Travel Trailer Camping Packing List
Kitchen
Paper towels
Plates
Utensils
Spatula
Dish soap/hand soap
Cooking spray
Potholder
Tongs
Coffee maker
Aluminum Foil
Outdoor
Camp chairs
Speaker (for tunes)
Campfire starters
S’mores sticks
Firewood
Lighter
Bug spray
Flashlight
Linens
Bath towels/wash cloths
Hand towel
Beach towels (seasonal)
Bedding
Sheets/blankets
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Other
First Aid Kit/Medicines
Deck of cards, games
Rain jackets
Auxillary cord for speaker
Fishing equipment
Hiking boots/sneakers
Small tool box
Rope
Bungee cords
Sunscreen/Hats
Phone chargers
Batteries
Duct tape
Pocket knife
Books
Pack a bag with your clothes and toiletries, and fill your cooler with your food and beverages for the weekend and off you go! I hope you enjoy this pared down weekend packing list for RV, travel trailer and tent camping.
Download the FREE RV Weekend Camping Packing List here!
Or Pin this packing list on Pinterest so you can save it for another time!
We had a chance to visit Misty Mountain Camp Resort near Charlottesville, Virginia over the summer for a long weekend, and it was such a great time!
Misty Mountain is centrally located to all the area’s sites and attractions: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, the University of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiking, tubing, and not to mention the many wineries and breweries. Continue reading “Camp Site Review: Misty Mountain Camp Resort, Charlottesville, VA”
It’s the end of February, which means in just a few short weeks, Bessie the Travel Trailer will be out of storage and hitting the road! As you know, most popular campground and RV camp sites fill up very quickly (seriously, some of these places are harder to get in to than FastPasses at DisneyWorld!), so we’ve already mapped out our travels for the first half of the year.
Here’s where we’ve booked some trips so far this year – have you been to any of these?
Continue reading “Let’s get rollin’: 2018 Travel Trailer Camping Trips”
Happy camping!