The hubby has been working on a huge project as I have discussed before. This has limited our trips to 2-3 day trips. Last weekend we drove three hours to Eastern Washington and tried out Sun Lakes State Park, which happens to be right beside Sun Lakes Resort. It really doesn't matter which side you stay on as you can utilize both areas equally. We choose to stay in the State Park** which is nestled down in a deep valley.
I would not recommend tent camping in the State park as it is really nothing more than tent after tent on the dirt. One is not allowed to put a tent up on the grassy areas (I suppose to keep the grass as lush and green as it is?), so essentially you are camped in a parking lot.
The rv sites however are a different story! There is plenty of room no matter which site you are in, although the ones along the back area of the park (sites 75-83 in particular) have nice spacious side yards on each side and back up onto fields that are grassy and unused. In the early evening, be prepared for a wildlife show! We had a flock of quail and wild turkeys come through our camp in the early evening, as well as a couple of whitetail doe's with their fawns come through at dusk!
In late August it is still warm, but the breeze keeps you from getting hot and uncomfortable. The downside to this time of year is that there is usually a burn ban due to the preceding months of lack of rain, and so a campfire is a big no no. Which means no s'mores. But another rv camper had a gas fire pit and we actually walked over to their camp to let them know that there is a huge fine for having a fire this time of year - it looked so real! (Yes, we will be getting one!).
There are bathrooms and showers (50 cents for a 3 minute shower!) that are very clean. A sign on the main door to the bathrooms warns you of the wildlife around "Please close the door to keep out snakes, bats, raccoons and other animals". Gotta love camping in nature!
There are plenty of hiking trails to explore, along with several lakes that one can swim and fish at. A short 4-5 minute walk away is the Sun Lakes Resort. Here one can rent peddle boats ($10 for an hour!), kayaks, and aqua bikes. If you forget some item or other you can go to the general store located at the resort and be prepared for NO sticker shock! Quite reasonable (prices comparable to any big grocery store!) and stocked with a wide variety of items. There is a gift shop (again, reasonable priced. Hubby packed ONE shirt - don't ask! and so we went here and were able to get three shirts for $25), and a little cantina - again, not expensive and a very large menu - that serves ice cream, soda, Italian soda, and burger and fry type menu items. There is also a mini golf ($4 a person) on the resort and it is a fun and cheap way to entertain the kids. Just make sure to go in the morning or early evening on as there is no shade and gets quite hot midday (when we decided to go!).
If you choose to tent camp or rv at the resort, it is wall to wall with very little space (practically non existent in the RV areas) between campers. I highly recommend rv'ing at the State park and using the amenities of the resort!
We LOVED this park! Weather was perfect and there were so many activities to choose from. It was also fun to just sit at the site in our camp chairs and enjoy the panoramic views that the valley walls provided. At night, the moon seemed to be magic. Because the valley walls tower above you, the moon is not there one minute and BOOM, there the next (as it rises up over the walls). Quite a sight to behold! We loved this park so much that we are booking our site for 9 days next summer! It is close enough to home that the trip there is not endless, and far enough away that we really feel like we are on vacation. The balmy weather (warm with a warm yet cooling breeze) makes you feel like you just might have parked your rv in a tropical locale!
We had adopted a kitten just a few weeks before this trip (which had been booked for months) and we did not want to leave him with the other two cats on his own just yet. So we took him. Camping. In the rv. He LOVED it and our dog did so much better with a camping buddy that we are now going to make the cat a part of our trips, just as we do our dog (yorkie). Nothing makes an rv really feel like 'home' like having your kids and a couple of pets! Since we've been home, I have found a cat scratching 'post' that hangs on a door knob instead of being free standing - which makes it a perfect space saver! I have also found a very compact, covered (with a swinging door!) litter box, also a very space friendly size. So don't ever doubt that you can accommodate a pet in an rv. All it takes is a little mad shopping skills to find space friendly items, and pets that will actually enjoy the drive and the rv and are able to make the rv their second home (keep in mind, some pets do NOT like vehicle rides. If your pet doesn't like to go 20 minutes to the groomers in your car, they will not be impressed with a three hour trip in a vehicle and then being put into the rv environment).
This will be the first park that I give a full five RV's to! So many good things about it...
Happy Camping!
**We choose to stay in the State Park because it is free for us (If you have someone in your family who has been determined by their doctor to be 'permanently' disabled, you are able to stay in areas managed by The Forest Service, the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation for free). Although, even if we were not eligible for the Access Pass, we would stay in State Parks. Who wouldn't want to support their States parks and recreational areas?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Fifteen years...
When my husband and I met we had each been married and divorced and each of us had children. I had two, he had one. It was a rare occasion for us to have a dinner out alone, or a weekend to ourselves. Once we were married and had children together, it became even more difficult. Thanks to our 14 year old daughters Godparents, we actually had an overnight at a hotel in Seattle. Dinner, drinks, a nice night with just the two of us. That was 15 years ago and was our one and only get away without the kids. You read that right, 15 years. It doesn't help that hubby was Navy and stationed thousands of miles away from home - neither of us had any family around. Hence, 15 years.
Tomorrow, our last two 'babies' are headed to a one week sleep away summer camp! We have them all packed and ready to go and our RV is already ensconced at our favourite local park. The hubby has started a huge project at work and could not get the time off so I figured there was no point in me wasting MY holiday time, so we will both be working all week. But at the end of the day we will be happily sitting by a bonfire, eating a grilled dinner, and enjoying some long awaited 'us' time.
I sure hope it isn't another 15 years before we get a vacation together alone.
Happy Camping!
Jaye
Tomorrow, our last two 'babies' are headed to a one week sleep away summer camp! We have them all packed and ready to go and our RV is already ensconced at our favourite local park. The hubby has started a huge project at work and could not get the time off so I figured there was no point in me wasting MY holiday time, so we will both be working all week. But at the end of the day we will be happily sitting by a bonfire, eating a grilled dinner, and enjoying some long awaited 'us' time.
I sure hope it isn't another 15 years before we get a vacation together alone.
Happy Camping!
Jaye
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Rating Systems and first rated park - Kitsap Memorial State Park
I have been trying to think of a way to design a rating system that will be fairly objective. What MY family may find useful at a site may not be what YOUR family needs. So I am going to simply list what is available at each site along with the unique quirks (each place has them!) both good and bad. I thought it would be kitschy to use a one to five 'rv' rating! I am not a tech person, but I will try to find a way to get a graphic where I can colour in RV's to match the rating. We'll see! In the meantime, I will rate Kitsap Memorial State Park. We spent two full weekends along with the better part of the week in between (we worked during the day remember, so we didn't spend full days there during the week!).
All rv sites have: water and electricity, individual septic (except sites one through three), a fire ring complete with an attached grill, and a picnic table. Each site also has a nice little grassy area, and the rv's sit on a nice pea gravel lot - so there isn't a lot of dirt and dust that is tracked in. There is a very large grassy field for playing on that also has horseshoe pits and a really nice playground for the kiddo's. If you don't have an RV, there are yurts, and of course tent camping sites. The beach access is easy, and is also wheelchair accessible. Keep updated on the fishing regulations for the time of year you are there and you will be able to enjoy some great fishing, or simply sit on the beach and enjoy all that the beach has to offer. We were there for the Fourth of July and took our chairs down to the beach and were able to have the MOST gorgeous fireworks show - FREE! :)
HOWEVER.....in spite of all the 'good' of this park, the sites are very close to each other. They also are not set up very smartly - your neighbors water and sewer hook up will be in your grassy yard area - the water hook up can actually be touched when you are sitting at your picnic table - so there isn't a lot of privacy!
Also, the water pressure is pretty bad. When showering each morning we had to put up with our water often times going from full pressure to almost non existent. First world problems right?
So....weighing all the good, and subtracting points for the not so convenient (and I REALLY dislike how up close and personal the sites are with one another!) I gave this park a 3 RV rating (out of five).
Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts!
Happy Camping!
Jaye
All rv sites have: water and electricity, individual septic (except sites one through three), a fire ring complete with an attached grill, and a picnic table. Each site also has a nice little grassy area, and the rv's sit on a nice pea gravel lot - so there isn't a lot of dirt and dust that is tracked in. There is a very large grassy field for playing on that also has horseshoe pits and a really nice playground for the kiddo's. If you don't have an RV, there are yurts, and of course tent camping sites. The beach access is easy, and is also wheelchair accessible. Keep updated on the fishing regulations for the time of year you are there and you will be able to enjoy some great fishing, or simply sit on the beach and enjoy all that the beach has to offer. We were there for the Fourth of July and took our chairs down to the beach and were able to have the MOST gorgeous fireworks show - FREE! :)
HOWEVER.....in spite of all the 'good' of this park, the sites are very close to each other. They also are not set up very smartly - your neighbors water and sewer hook up will be in your grassy yard area - the water hook up can actually be touched when you are sitting at your picnic table - so there isn't a lot of privacy!
Also, the water pressure is pretty bad. When showering each morning we had to put up with our water often times going from full pressure to almost non existent. First world problems right?
So....weighing all the good, and subtracting points for the not so convenient (and I REALLY dislike how up close and personal the sites are with one another!) I gave this park a 3 RV rating (out of five).
Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts!
Happy Camping!
Jaye
Monday, July 8, 2013
Seven Degrees of Firewood....
We have found that a local park is the ideal solution to two busy work schedules. We spent yet more time at Kitsap Memorial State Park (review to come!) as it is fairly close to both of our jobs. Because we are in an RV we have all the amenities of home (shower, kitchen, etc) so that we are able to go from camping to work with ease. Hubby has a job that is fairly stressful and sometimes he gets assigned to a project that entails long days (think 12 hour days, 7 days a week, for months at a time!). I have watched this man come 'home' from a 12 hour day and as he gets close to the campsite, I can see him visibly unwind. Yup, camping can do that to a person!
Anyway, I digress. Finding a local park is a great way for a family to get a lot more time in their RV. When 'heading for home' means a 20 minute drive, you can get a lot more time into a weekend than when you head further afield. Closer to home also means you can camp for more than a weekend. We are blessed that our two youngest (the last 2 at home....we have 5 remember!) are old enough, and responsible enough, that we can leave them at the rv while we work during the day. They have bikes, skateboards and movies (a fun feature of an rv!) to keep them busy.
Because we live locally, we are able to bring firewood from our own property for campfires (in WA state you cannot bring firewood into a park from more than 50 miles away, this is to prevent any cross contamination from any fungi, bugs, or other such nastiness). As we own 2 1/2 acres right against state forest land, we have a LOT of trees, several of which need to come down every fall or spring dependent upon the weather. This translates into a lot of firewood, which we use in bonfires on our property on chilly autumn evenings (and at our annual New Years Eve Burning of the Tree party!). For this trip we had brought a lot more firewood than we ended up using, leaving us with a nice firewood pile left over on the day we were ready to leave. We have found that in the RV/camping world, there is a whole sense of 'community' much like bikers hold their left hands out and down when they pass another biker. So as we were ready to leave, the hubs went from camp to camp asking if anyone was camping longer and needed firewood - if so, come and get our pile. Two lovely Scotsmen took him up on his offer and came with a dolly and gathered up our pile. It was a win for us as we didn't have to take the pile home, and a win for them as they didn't have to buy wood (remember the more than 50 mile rule. I think Scotland is a tad more than 50 miles....just sayin...).
As we were almost ready to leave I felt a hand on one shoulder. I turned around and one of the gentlemen had one arm on my shoulder and with his other hand passed me a bottle of sparkling Pinot (who knew such a thing existed?).
So there you have it, wood for wine. Seven degrees? Maybe not.....but in the end it all worked out.....they got free firewood, and I got a bottle of wine. Hubs was the only one who really lost out as he was the one who chopped down the tree, cut it up, stacked it, eventually loaded it up on his truck, unloaded it at the campsite, made the campfires, and walked around the campsite asking if anyone needed firewood. Well ok, seven steps from tree to free firewood.
Whatever, I still ended up with free wine.
Happy Camping....
Jaye
Anyway, I digress. Finding a local park is a great way for a family to get a lot more time in their RV. When 'heading for home' means a 20 minute drive, you can get a lot more time into a weekend than when you head further afield. Closer to home also means you can camp for more than a weekend. We are blessed that our two youngest (the last 2 at home....we have 5 remember!) are old enough, and responsible enough, that we can leave them at the rv while we work during the day. They have bikes, skateboards and movies (a fun feature of an rv!) to keep them busy.
Because we live locally, we are able to bring firewood from our own property for campfires (in WA state you cannot bring firewood into a park from more than 50 miles away, this is to prevent any cross contamination from any fungi, bugs, or other such nastiness). As we own 2 1/2 acres right against state forest land, we have a LOT of trees, several of which need to come down every fall or spring dependent upon the weather. This translates into a lot of firewood, which we use in bonfires on our property on chilly autumn evenings (and at our annual New Years Eve Burning of the Tree party!). For this trip we had brought a lot more firewood than we ended up using, leaving us with a nice firewood pile left over on the day we were ready to leave. We have found that in the RV/camping world, there is a whole sense of 'community' much like bikers hold their left hands out and down when they pass another biker. So as we were ready to leave, the hubs went from camp to camp asking if anyone was camping longer and needed firewood - if so, come and get our pile. Two lovely Scotsmen took him up on his offer and came with a dolly and gathered up our pile. It was a win for us as we didn't have to take the pile home, and a win for them as they didn't have to buy wood (remember the more than 50 mile rule. I think Scotland is a tad more than 50 miles....just sayin...).
As we were almost ready to leave I felt a hand on one shoulder. I turned around and one of the gentlemen had one arm on my shoulder and with his other hand passed me a bottle of sparkling Pinot (who knew such a thing existed?).
So there you have it, wood for wine. Seven degrees? Maybe not.....but in the end it all worked out.....they got free firewood, and I got a bottle of wine. Hubs was the only one who really lost out as he was the one who chopped down the tree, cut it up, stacked it, eventually loaded it up on his truck, unloaded it at the campsite, made the campfires, and walked around the campsite asking if anyone needed firewood. Well ok, seven steps from tree to free firewood.
Whatever, I still ended up with free wine.
Happy Camping....
Jaye
Friday, June 28, 2013
You never know who you are going to meet....
We brought the Camping Castle to Kitsap Memorial State Park last weekend (we are still here, but more on that later!). When we first pulled in, the people 'next door' were just unloading their truck having previously unhitched their trailer. When the 'guy' saw us he apologized for having his truck in the way and I said 'no big deal! We are camping! No rush!'. A little kindness on both parties turned out to go a long way!
So he got their stuff all unpacked from the back of their truck (cannot camp with kids without bikes!) and parked his truck in their parking space so that we could then get our rig settled in. Took the hubs about 2 minutes to get it parked ( we have often commented on how easy it is to park a 37 foot trailer compared to our 18 foot trailer. If you have thoughts, please post!), and then another 10 or so to get us leveled, hooked up to water and electric and ready to go. While I am a very independent woman, I really do play dumb when it comes to unhooking/hooking up the rv. I'd just rather not, instead saving my energy for the cooking and relaxing part of rv'ing, which for me is one and the same thing.
It didn't take long once we were all set up to meet the neighbors. They had three children, two of whom were almost the identical ages of our two, which was great...and uhhh....maybe not great? Their son was a year older than our 14 year old daughter (YIKES!) and their daughter was the same age as our 11 year old son - oh dear lord, this could be a looooong weekend! Mom and dad were so very friendly and we all hit it off right away. We talked for an hour or so, and I realized at some point that I hadn't got the hubs to light the grill. No fear! My new found friend had made a lasagna the night before (smart ass!) and kindly invited us to dinner. While she provided a lasagna and salad, I provided raw veggies and dip and chips and our families feasted.
While we were here for pure relaxation, they were here for a softball tournament for their youngest. That meant that on Saturday while we lazed around (ok, hubs worked overtime Saturday...I lazed around) they spent the day in the hot sun watching game after game. I had a few errands to run, so I ran home quickly and grabbed some salmon and prawns out of our freezer (all caught by our family this past season) to spoil them a bit when they got home.
Dinner that night consisted of grilled salmon, peri peri prawns - a traditional South African marinade I learned to make when I was there years ago - caesar salad, garlic pull apart bread, and a lovely salad that the neighbor brought over, along with delicious steaks they grilled. Just before we served dinner she came over a little sheepishly and said quietly to me "I am SO sorry. Some of the other baseball families have shown up. I am SO sorry. What should we do?". Not a problem for a foodie AND a 'who gives a care' person like me! I said 'No problem! We have a ton of food, and if we run out? I have bread and peanut butter! Bring it on!". It turned out to be an amazing evening full of fantastic food, amazing new friends, and expensive tequila.
Lessons learned? Always be patient when you are rv'ing. If someone is blocking your way, sit back and have a drink or peruse the camp site. Make friends. Don't be afraid to cook something beyond burgers, and ALWAYS have the ingredients for filling standbys! Below you will find a recipe for the garlic pull apart bread that I always have the ingredients on hand for in the rv - it is easy and feeds a crowd! If this isn't something you would make or your family would like, that is ok! Just find SOMETHING that is easy and feeds a crowd that you can always have on hand. It really can make a difference on those 'company just popped over for the campfire' evenings.
Garlic Pull Apart Bread
one can of biscuits ( doesn't matter the brand, just NOT 'flaky')
fresh chopped garlic (we are garlic whores! I use 6 or 7 cloves. Adjust to your families tastes!)
some sort of Italian spice (oregano, basil...whatever you enjoy)
Parmesan cheese (about a 1/4 cup)
another type of cheese (I usually use cheddar or monterrey jack, about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup butter.
Bundt cake pan.
Heat your oven to 350.
Melt the butter in the pan.
In the meantime, cut each biscuit into fourths, add chopped garlic, grated cheeses, and spices in a bowl and mix till all biscuit pieces are coated with all the good things....
take pan out of oven and add the biscuit/spicy/cheesy mix to pan.
Bake till golden.
Take out of oven and turn upside down on a plate. Serve. I will guarantee you this will be DEVOURED by anyone who tries it.
As you have noticed, I cook with 'as you like' or 'adjust to families taste' measurements. This is how my Grandmother Reva cooked. This is how I have always cooked. If you ever need 'true' measurements, just comment or email me and I shall 'try' to oblige! :) And if you want the recipe for peri peri, also leave a comment. Always happy to share good food finds!
As stated earlier, when you rv you need one or two 'go to' recipes with ingredients you always have on hand. The rv life is just simply the kind of life where you will make friends. Some for the duration of your trip. Some for a long while. Just feed them. Feed them well. And most importantly, always be gracious.
Kitsap Memorial State Park overview:
Gorgeous state park on the sea. Sites are quite close together but we have found after being here for almost ten days in a row that this park is not busy or full to capacity. This time of year (end of June, beginning of July) it is extremely hard to find a site anywhere in WA state. So this is our go to spot for several reasons....it is usually always open for a site or two and it is local ( so we can camp AND go to work).
There is fishing from a nice dock/beach area. Check your fishing regulations for what you can catch and when. There is good fishing on the north side of the hood canal bridge which is but a 5 minute drive from this park.
There is a gorgeous park with play-site for kids. This park is unique in that it specializes as a wedding venue! It has an AMAZING lodge for receptions. The lodge will cost you $856 Friday to Sunday (total fee, registration etc) and the beach, park, or spacious cleared forest area is fantastic for a ceremony. This makes it not only a very affordable wedding but a really gorgeous place for pictures. If you are looking for a really nice feel for a wedding, this is a great spot!
Fair winds....
Jaye
So he got their stuff all unpacked from the back of their truck (cannot camp with kids without bikes!) and parked his truck in their parking space so that we could then get our rig settled in. Took the hubs about 2 minutes to get it parked ( we have often commented on how easy it is to park a 37 foot trailer compared to our 18 foot trailer. If you have thoughts, please post!), and then another 10 or so to get us leveled, hooked up to water and electric and ready to go. While I am a very independent woman, I really do play dumb when it comes to unhooking/hooking up the rv. I'd just rather not, instead saving my energy for the cooking and relaxing part of rv'ing, which for me is one and the same thing.
It didn't take long once we were all set up to meet the neighbors. They had three children, two of whom were almost the identical ages of our two, which was great...and uhhh....maybe not great? Their son was a year older than our 14 year old daughter (YIKES!) and their daughter was the same age as our 11 year old son - oh dear lord, this could be a looooong weekend! Mom and dad were so very friendly and we all hit it off right away. We talked for an hour or so, and I realized at some point that I hadn't got the hubs to light the grill. No fear! My new found friend had made a lasagna the night before (smart ass!) and kindly invited us to dinner. While she provided a lasagna and salad, I provided raw veggies and dip and chips and our families feasted.
While we were here for pure relaxation, they were here for a softball tournament for their youngest. That meant that on Saturday while we lazed around (ok, hubs worked overtime Saturday...I lazed around) they spent the day in the hot sun watching game after game. I had a few errands to run, so I ran home quickly and grabbed some salmon and prawns out of our freezer (all caught by our family this past season) to spoil them a bit when they got home.
Dinner that night consisted of grilled salmon, peri peri prawns - a traditional South African marinade I learned to make when I was there years ago - caesar salad, garlic pull apart bread, and a lovely salad that the neighbor brought over, along with delicious steaks they grilled. Just before we served dinner she came over a little sheepishly and said quietly to me "I am SO sorry. Some of the other baseball families have shown up. I am SO sorry. What should we do?". Not a problem for a foodie AND a 'who gives a care' person like me! I said 'No problem! We have a ton of food, and if we run out? I have bread and peanut butter! Bring it on!". It turned out to be an amazing evening full of fantastic food, amazing new friends, and expensive tequila.
Lessons learned? Always be patient when you are rv'ing. If someone is blocking your way, sit back and have a drink or peruse the camp site. Make friends. Don't be afraid to cook something beyond burgers, and ALWAYS have the ingredients for filling standbys! Below you will find a recipe for the garlic pull apart bread that I always have the ingredients on hand for in the rv - it is easy and feeds a crowd! If this isn't something you would make or your family would like, that is ok! Just find SOMETHING that is easy and feeds a crowd that you can always have on hand. It really can make a difference on those 'company just popped over for the campfire' evenings.
Garlic Pull Apart Bread
one can of biscuits ( doesn't matter the brand, just NOT 'flaky')
fresh chopped garlic (we are garlic whores! I use 6 or 7 cloves. Adjust to your families tastes!)
some sort of Italian spice (oregano, basil...whatever you enjoy)
Parmesan cheese (about a 1/4 cup)
another type of cheese (I usually use cheddar or monterrey jack, about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup butter.
Bundt cake pan.
Heat your oven to 350.
Melt the butter in the pan.
In the meantime, cut each biscuit into fourths, add chopped garlic, grated cheeses, and spices in a bowl and mix till all biscuit pieces are coated with all the good things....
take pan out of oven and add the biscuit/spicy/cheesy mix to pan.
Bake till golden.
Take out of oven and turn upside down on a plate. Serve. I will guarantee you this will be DEVOURED by anyone who tries it.
As you have noticed, I cook with 'as you like' or 'adjust to families taste' measurements. This is how my Grandmother Reva cooked. This is how I have always cooked. If you ever need 'true' measurements, just comment or email me and I shall 'try' to oblige! :) And if you want the recipe for peri peri, also leave a comment. Always happy to share good food finds!
As stated earlier, when you rv you need one or two 'go to' recipes with ingredients you always have on hand. The rv life is just simply the kind of life where you will make friends. Some for the duration of your trip. Some for a long while. Just feed them. Feed them well. And most importantly, always be gracious.
Kitsap Memorial State Park overview:
Gorgeous state park on the sea. Sites are quite close together but we have found after being here for almost ten days in a row that this park is not busy or full to capacity. This time of year (end of June, beginning of July) it is extremely hard to find a site anywhere in WA state. So this is our go to spot for several reasons....it is usually always open for a site or two and it is local ( so we can camp AND go to work).
There is fishing from a nice dock/beach area. Check your fishing regulations for what you can catch and when. There is good fishing on the north side of the hood canal bridge which is but a 5 minute drive from this park.
There is a gorgeous park with play-site for kids. This park is unique in that it specializes as a wedding venue! It has an AMAZING lodge for receptions. The lodge will cost you $856 Friday to Sunday (total fee, registration etc) and the beach, park, or spacious cleared forest area is fantastic for a ceremony. This makes it not only a very affordable wedding but a really gorgeous place for pictures. If you are looking for a really nice feel for a wedding, this is a great spot!
Fair winds....
Jaye
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Start small!
Our first RV was an 18 foot Jayco. Two bunks, a small kitchen, bathroom with small (think small elf infant!) bathtub and shower, and a living/dining area - the kitchen table folded down, the seat cushions spread out and VIOLA - our bed! We were quite smitten with our little travel home and thought we were quite bad ass! Yup, we had given up the tent and gone over to the dark side...a very small dark side, but it was all ours!
At this point in our lives we are a family of four (down from seven!) but even so, doing anything in this RV was a bit of a dance. If I was in the kitchen area cooking, I had to stop and move so the kids could get out of their bunks and get into the bathroom. If the kids woke up early and we wanted to sleep in, we ended up with kids eating at the table aka our bed.
But it was a good first time RV. It allowed us to experience the RV lifestyle without having to make a big commitment. And it allowed us to learn what worked and what didn't on a smaller scale.
Having a smaller RV allowed the hubby to get used to pulling a trailer and learn all the ins and outs of how to hook it up to the truck (a jeep at the time!) and how to back it up and park it in a site.
We also were able to make the transition from tent to RV'ing in an easy manner - it wasn't such a huge shock and truly felt decadent.
Until we had a long weekend trip where it rained most of the time. And we were on top of each other for three days. Three. Days. Three. Long. Days.
Yup, we had learned how to tow a trailer, back it up, park it, pack it. Now we realized we needed something bigger so that we could all enjoy our weekend getaways without feeling like we were sitting on each others laps all weekend.
Hence the RV we have now - all 37 glorious feet of it! So go ahead and get that smaller RV. You will learn invaluable lessons that will serve you well when you upgrade, and upgrade you will for one reason or another. You may want more room for the kids to be able to bring friends, or you will want more room so that you can bring other family members, or you may even want to sell all your stuff and commit to a full time RV lifestyle. But whatever the reasons, you will eventually upgrade to a bigger RV and when you do, all the things you learned with your first, small, cozy RV will go with you to your bigger RV.
Fair winds!
Jaye
At this point in our lives we are a family of four (down from seven!) but even so, doing anything in this RV was a bit of a dance. If I was in the kitchen area cooking, I had to stop and move so the kids could get out of their bunks and get into the bathroom. If the kids woke up early and we wanted to sleep in, we ended up with kids eating at the table aka our bed.
But it was a good first time RV. It allowed us to experience the RV lifestyle without having to make a big commitment. And it allowed us to learn what worked and what didn't on a smaller scale.
Having a smaller RV allowed the hubby to get used to pulling a trailer and learn all the ins and outs of how to hook it up to the truck (a jeep at the time!) and how to back it up and park it in a site.
We also were able to make the transition from tent to RV'ing in an easy manner - it wasn't such a huge shock and truly felt decadent.
Until we had a long weekend trip where it rained most of the time. And we were on top of each other for three days. Three. Days. Three. Long. Days.
Yup, we had learned how to tow a trailer, back it up, park it, pack it. Now we realized we needed something bigger so that we could all enjoy our weekend getaways without feeling like we were sitting on each others laps all weekend.
Hence the RV we have now - all 37 glorious feet of it! So go ahead and get that smaller RV. You will learn invaluable lessons that will serve you well when you upgrade, and upgrade you will for one reason or another. You may want more room for the kids to be able to bring friends, or you will want more room so that you can bring other family members, or you may even want to sell all your stuff and commit to a full time RV lifestyle. But whatever the reasons, you will eventually upgrade to a bigger RV and when you do, all the things you learned with your first, small, cozy RV will go with you to your bigger RV.
Fair winds!
Jaye
Saturday, June 15, 2013
How it all began......
17 years ago I was a divorcee with two children. I met a wonderful man who was the father of one. We fell in love and got married and proceeded to have two more children together. One of our great loves (besides each other and our blended family!) was the outdoors! We have always hunted, hiked, fished, and camped. Until last year, we were die hard, hard core tent campers. And to be honest, we were tent camping snobs! We would pass RV's in the campground and say 'THAT is NOT camping! Why not just stay in a hotel?!". Yup, we were snobs!
We slept in sleeping bags on the hard ground of the tent floor, we reveled in every meal being cooked over an open flame or a coleman stove, we took pride in our 'extravagant' kitchen - we had a camp table with hooks for pots and a place for a sink - yup, we had it made! And we didn't wimp out in an RV for the love of God!
But as our family grew, so too did our pile of equipment. It became a huge job just gather up our equipment and food and pack it all into our vehicle. Going for a week long trip was a huge undertaking and a weekend trip? Just as much work for two measly days.
Then my hubby was assigned to a different command in the Navy (he is now a retired Submariner) that kept him away from home for very very very long stretches of time so camping was a no go. Then he retired from his 20 year career with and went to work for the Shipyard. Which meant that he was even busier than before and often weekend trips were all that we could take. So camping of any sort of length of time became non existent for many years and this just did not sit well with us. The solution? A very small rv. I am talking a mere 18 feet. It was 'just' enough to make us not quite THOSE kind of rv'ers.....but allowed us to go camping at a moments notice. We found we could still have campfires and make s'mores. We could still sit outside and listen to nature. Showers were in a tiny space with very limited hot water (just like campground showers!). No oven and a small cook top meant we still had meals cooked on a 'camp stove'. Our bed was the dining room table folded down at night and consisted of a very thin mattress so we still woke up with back aches. PERFECT! Camping without being THOSE people! YAY!
Then we had a three day trip with the kids and it rained the entire time. I subtlety hinted that at some point (in the far future) we may want to 'think' about a bigger rv. Now to know my husband is to know that once he gets a bee in his bonnet it is a done deal. He went to the RV sales site and picked out two rv's. He called me up at work and said to come and take a look and make the final choice.
The long and short of this whole story is we are now the proud owners of a 37 foot rv. Yup, we are now THOSE people. And guess what? We LOVE it! I keep the pantry stocked with all the basics. We have all the bedding/towels/toiletries needed. Pots and pans and cutlery. Soap, shampoo. It is all ready to go. And now, when we know we have but two days, we can CAMP! We have discovered the secret that THOSE people have known for years! You can camp in COMFORT!
SO.....I have started this blog at the behest of several friends who have read my posts on social networking sites about the trips we have taken thus far (12 camping trips in a year!!!!) and have said that I need to let the 'secret' out!
So here goes! Hang onto your seats and hats and butts! And join us as I extoll the virtues of rv life...all the tricks I have learned...all the fun we have.
I will thoroughly review each site we camp at, as well as share all my recipes - because yes, you CAN be a gourmand and still camp!
Welcome to the Elegant RV!
Fair winds,
Jaye
We slept in sleeping bags on the hard ground of the tent floor, we reveled in every meal being cooked over an open flame or a coleman stove, we took pride in our 'extravagant' kitchen - we had a camp table with hooks for pots and a place for a sink - yup, we had it made! And we didn't wimp out in an RV for the love of God!
But as our family grew, so too did our pile of equipment. It became a huge job just gather up our equipment and food and pack it all into our vehicle. Going for a week long trip was a huge undertaking and a weekend trip? Just as much work for two measly days.
Then my hubby was assigned to a different command in the Navy (he is now a retired Submariner) that kept him away from home for very very very long stretches of time so camping was a no go. Then he retired from his 20 year career with and went to work for the Shipyard. Which meant that he was even busier than before and often weekend trips were all that we could take. So camping of any sort of length of time became non existent for many years and this just did not sit well with us. The solution? A very small rv. I am talking a mere 18 feet. It was 'just' enough to make us not quite THOSE kind of rv'ers.....but allowed us to go camping at a moments notice. We found we could still have campfires and make s'mores. We could still sit outside and listen to nature. Showers were in a tiny space with very limited hot water (just like campground showers!). No oven and a small cook top meant we still had meals cooked on a 'camp stove'. Our bed was the dining room table folded down at night and consisted of a very thin mattress so we still woke up with back aches. PERFECT! Camping without being THOSE people! YAY!
Then we had a three day trip with the kids and it rained the entire time. I subtlety hinted that at some point (in the far future) we may want to 'think' about a bigger rv. Now to know my husband is to know that once he gets a bee in his bonnet it is a done deal. He went to the RV sales site and picked out two rv's. He called me up at work and said to come and take a look and make the final choice.
The long and short of this whole story is we are now the proud owners of a 37 foot rv. Yup, we are now THOSE people. And guess what? We LOVE it! I keep the pantry stocked with all the basics. We have all the bedding/towels/toiletries needed. Pots and pans and cutlery. Soap, shampoo. It is all ready to go. And now, when we know we have but two days, we can CAMP! We have discovered the secret that THOSE people have known for years! You can camp in COMFORT!
SO.....I have started this blog at the behest of several friends who have read my posts on social networking sites about the trips we have taken thus far (12 camping trips in a year!!!!) and have said that I need to let the 'secret' out!
So here goes! Hang onto your seats and hats and butts! And join us as I extoll the virtues of rv life...all the tricks I have learned...all the fun we have.
I will thoroughly review each site we camp at, as well as share all my recipes - because yes, you CAN be a gourmand and still camp!
Welcome to the Elegant RV!
Fair winds,
Jaye
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