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Making a more Homey, Home Away from Home

I personally love the way that many of the RV’s are decorated anymore but there is still part of me that wants to make my own unique, to give it a bit of flare that makes it stand apart from the rest. I have come up with some easy and handy decorating tips that will make your home away from home feel more like….. well home.

vinylletteringI love the idea of vinyl lettering on the interior walls. These can say anything from your last name to a personal saying or quotation. I love how these really can change the look and decor of the room without adding any bulkiness to your already precious space. Plus they can let you express yourself and your family.

You can also add your own touches to the decor by adding eye catching throw pillows or blankets to the sofa. Or you spice up the bathroom by adding a fun shower curtain. Throw rugs also add a pop of color and come in handy when you are trying to keep the carpets clean.

For a more permanent decor overhaul you can paint the walls a vibrant shade. I like the idea of having an accent wall that you paint, I made mine the wall that the bed is against to draw your eyes to the open space. I have also seen where people will paint their counter tops in their RV’s especially if they are chipped or an outdated style.

We’d love to see any new or inspiring decor that you have added to your RV!

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Not that we need another reason to Hate Mosquitos

I know everyone has seen the reports talking about the dangers and illnesses brought on by the West Nile virus. And while often times we can chalk it up to media scare tactics this one deserves a little more consideration. Since 1999 more than 30,000 people have reported getting sick with the West Nile. And as of August of this year 11 people have been mosquito1killed by the mosquito carried virus. It seems as if no specific area is safe, it has spread over 43 states but over half of the cases are in Texas this year.

So even though there is a rational fear associated with West Nile that’s no reason to lock yourself in the house and miss out on all the outdoor fun. There are steps you can take to keep you and your family safe while enjoying the fall camping season. This resolution might sound obvious but the best way to avoid West Nile is to avoid getting bit by a mosquito, simple enough right?

The CDC recommends using an EPA-registered active ingredient like DEET in your insect repellents. Make sure to apply this each time you plan on being outside. Also eliminate any standing water that might attract mosquitoes. This means even rain puddles, kiddie pools, or ditches. Keep in mind that the most prominent time for mosquitoes to be out is at dawn and at dusk so take extra protection during these times. An added bonus of following these preventative measures is that it also helps protect against all insect borne diseases such as lime disease and encephalitis.

Remember the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure” and get out and enjoy all the beauty that comes with fall camping!

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RV Romance

We’ve got a babysitter!!! Is there a four word term that evokes more joy in most couples? But then the question arises, what are we going to do? You could always book dinner reservations, drive down to the restaurant, have a few glasses of overpriced wine, nibble on your “fancy” food, try to make small talk with your all too disinterested waiter, and campfirethen realize you could have fed your family of four for a month on what you paid for your evening meal.

OR……

you could head down to your local campground with your fully stocked RV just the two of you! Think about it, how often do you get to experience the camping atmosphere as a couple? It is bursting with romance if you just look around. With fall in full swing you can start by enjoying the beautiful surroundings and take a walk around the pond or through a trail. You could maybe even pack a little picnic basket with some cheese and champagne to enjoy along the way. Once you get back to your campsite you can sit around roasting marshmallows and basking in the glow of the campfire. Then star gaze before jumping into your cozy RV for a sappy movie and some well deserved, uninterrupted sleep. In the morning you can pat yourself on the back for a successful date night for a tenth of what you usually spend and that’s if you spring for a good bottle of champagne!

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The Backbone of Society

I think from the title alone most people would have guessed that this post is about family. I truly believe that family is indeed the backbone of society and the motivation for nearly everything that I do. All too often we get wrapped up in our day to day lives that we simply breeze past one another at the front door as if we were strangers on a city street. And the rare times that families get together for dinnertime it’s as if we could eat by the glow of our family-campingcell phones, tablets, hand held video games, or the blaring TV that we all have planted firmly in front of our face. It is certainly a sign of the times but one that I admittedly don’t much care for. Did you know that according to A.C. Nielsen Co. the average parent spends 38.5 minute a week in meaningful conversation with their child. A WEEK!!! I have committed to not becoming part of that statistic and I believe that I have found the perfect way to integrate fun, family time, conversation, and adventure all in one. Want to know my secret?

I take my family RV camping as often as our busy schedules allow! It’s like a little switch flips once we hit the wide open road. The kids seem more relaxed, my wife seems happier, and I am on cloud nine. It can be a short little 2 day trip or a week long vacation but with little to pack, no reservations to make, and all the comforts of home our travel trailer is the answer to a stress free get-away. It is during this time that I am able to re-connect with my kids, to find out what is going on in their lives, and if they are in a really good mood, offer them a bit of fatherly advice. While I know I can’t change society or eliminate technology I feel that for those few days we are back in “the good ole days” laughing by the campfire, playing board games, and taking in the beauty that nature has to offer. (Oh and a place with no cell phone service helps a lot too!)

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Campground Etiquette: Beyond the Please and Thank Yous

I’m sure that anyone who has ever brought their RV to a campground has experienced the awful “neighbor”. The guy campground image with logowho thinks that everyone wants to hear “Pour Some Sugar on Me” at 2:30 a.m., or who wants to loudly smash every beer can he has just finished as if to announce some sort of grand achievement. Then there’s the lady who lets her children run rampant through the campgrounds, speeding around on bikes, running in between all of the RV’s, clearly suffering from sugar overload and supervision underload.

And while I’m sure we have all had our moments here are some tips to assure that you never become a habitual bad manners camper. The first is clear and concise, if it’s late keep the noise down. I know everyone is out to have a great time and hang out around the campfire but remember you are not the only ones in the campground. Many people enjoy the peace and quiet of RVing and want to catch up on well needed sleep. The second tip to remember is to never leave anything behind. This includes any and all trash, ropes for hanging lights, or whiny children. It is also considered in very bad manners not to mention very unsafe to speed through the campground. Always make sure that you follow the posted speed limit when entering or leaving the grounds.

I’m sure Fido is the best dog ever and would never bite but not all people are “dog people.” It is important to keep your dogs on leashes and close by whenever you are at a campground. It is also expected that you clean up after your dog so that people like me playing catch with my son don’t “find” your dogs mess and spend the next half hour cleaning my shoes 🙂 While we are on that topic make sure that your sewer connection is secure and no torn hoses. This will help prevent that oh so unpleasant smell from wafting into other people’s area.

The bottom line is treat people how you want to be treated. If you think it’s nice when people leave wood by the fire then leave some for the next person. If you don’t like to be woken up then don’t wake up others. More often then not people return time and time again to the same campground and form a sense of community. Follow these rules and chances are that you will be welcomed back with open arms!

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An Ode to the RV Lifestyle

What do you think is most important to people young and old
is it wealth and fame and riches and how much they’ve bought and sold?

images777Is it fancy cars, bigger houses, or diamonds that shine so bright
or dressing in designer duds and snagging that elite invite?

Or maybe it’s something deeper that people hold near and dear
maybe it’s not about the superficial but about the genuine sincere.

I think when it comes down to it people want more out of life..
they strive for friends and family and to come home to a loving wife

As humans we crave great adventure, we want to be on the open road
We want more to time to be calm and relax, to lessen up our heavy workload.

So what’s the best way to do this, the best way to escape the mundane?
For me I’ve found it’s RV camping in the sprawling wide open terrain.

To have all the luxuries of home to travel with me along the way

It’s the things that dreams are made of, not to sound too cliche.

So whenever you wonder what’s missing, what is it that will make you whole
Know that you just need need an adventure, and of course an RV to pull.

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Singing the Truth

I’m sure many of you have heard the song by country singer George Strait called, “There’s a Different in Living and Living Well.” But the truth is that the same idea can be applied to other parts of life. For example, “there’s a difference to camping and camping well.” No truer words have been uttered. And for those of you who have spent countless hours wrestling with tent stakes only to have a strong breeze blow your abode over, slept on a blow-up manrelaxinginrvmattress on the ground waking up wondering if you can move, or have woken up thinking that someone must have certainly moved you into an oven while you were sleeping because the tent must be a sizzling 150 degrees,then you know what I’m talking about.

Now I’m not here to bash tent camping, I’m sure it can feel rewarding. After all that preparation, hard work of set up, and then tearing it down, I’m sure it does feel like an accomplishment of sorts. But while I’m away for the weekend or on vacation I don’t want to work… in fact that is essentially the whole point. I also don’t want to schlepp to the bathrooms located a solid quarter mile away at 2:00 am. No in fact you might say I’m officially spoiled with my RV camping. Like most people I enjoy sleeping on a soft bed off the ground, getting a reprieve from the heat in our air conditioned unit, and stumbling to my bathroom only steps from my bed. Yes I think this is truly the way to camp, enjoy the surroundings, and relax.

To quote another country song, “I hope the days coming easy and the moments come slow and each road takes you where you want to go.” The pure definition of RV camping!