camping – Don't make me turn this van around! RV Edition

Is the park ranger a psychopath? A new kind of ‘shower scene’ in the Smokies.

August 9, 2020

Great Smoky Mountain National Park has become one of our favorite places to camp. When we planned our third visit this summer, Monica picked out a site at the Cataloochee Campground on the North Carolina side of the park. Great Smoky Mountain National Park is dotted with former settlements from the days before the park … More Is the park ranger a psychopath? A new kind of ‘shower scene’ in the Smokies.

Campsite Tetris and Cold Showers

August 2, 2020

Booking a campsite is sort of like booking a hotel. In 1994. This was never more evident then when the campground we booked in the Smokies failed to reopen as scheduled due to the pandemic, and we found ourselves scrambling to fill three or four nights outside of Asheville, North Carolina. There are a few … More Campsite Tetris and Cold Showers

Don’t Make Me Turn This… RV? Around

June 21, 2020

If you follow our Instagram account, you might have noticed a slight – okay – major change in our method of road tripping. Yes indeed, it’s the third summer of Don’t Make Me Turn This Van Around and we’re hitting the road in our third vehicle. This time, it’s not a van at all. We … More Don’t Make Me Turn This… RV? Around

What is this? Xanadu?

September 15, 2019

I grew up in California and my family’s idea of summer vacation was camping in the Sierras. In fact, in my early (and not so early) years, I believed that “vacation” meant camping in the Sierra. When a kid at school said they went on vacation, I’d ask if they caught any fish. And they’d … More What is this? Xanadu?

Summer ’19: Part 8, A Right Turn to Charlottesville

August 18, 2019

Coming out of Shenandoah Valley National Park, we had a couple of days to kill before visiting a friend in Raleigh. It offered our second chance on the trip to pop over to Richmond and extend the summer’s Civil War theme. (Did you know that Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, is only about 100 … More Summer ’19: Part 8, A Right Turn to Charlottesville

Summer ’19: Part 6, Raiding Harper’s Ferry – but NOT the KOA

August 4, 2019

Leaving Ocean City, it had been a week since we last camped, so we were itching to build a campfire and let the kids run around in the woods. With fresh motor oil, new headlight bulbs, and a middle row of seats in the Westy, we looked for someplace a little less urban. We skirted … More Summer ’19: Part 6, Raiding Harper’s Ferry – but NOT the KOA

Spring Break Professionals

April 7, 2019

Our 2019 Spring Break trip was a highly anticipated opportunity to put everything we learned on the road last summer to the test. We would pack lighter and smarter. We would camp with finesse. We’d make it look easy – like those pretty people on Instagram who live in a utopia with no dirty laundry … More Spring Break Professionals

Spring Training

February 19, 2019

Spring Training has come to our house. A year ago, Monica was just toying with the idea of running a marathon. Today, she’s got her eyes set on getting competitive. She doesn’t think she’s going to the Olympics or anything, but she’s loves getting faster. She’s working with a group of seasoned marathoners and a … More Spring Training

Happy Van-iversary

November 25, 2018

On Thanksgiving 2017 we received a call back from a nice couple who was selling a sweeeeet van. We’d already looked at the vehicle, but it was promised to a buyer coming in from out of town. Alas, that party backed out and the van was ours. November 25 is our Van-iversary. Initially I was … More Happy Van-iversary

Beating the crowds in Yellowstone – not literally

August 9, 2018

It’s hard to write about Yellowstone. Do you want me to tell you about grizzly bears? Didn’t see one. You want to hear about Old Faithful? Didn’t see it either. How about its majestic lodge? Sorry. If this had been the first stop on our trip, we probably would have done it all. But at … More Beating the crowds in Yellowstone – not literally

Don't make me turn this van around! RV Edition

One family. A difficult diagnosis. An RV. And a new lease on life.

Tag: camping