Best Texas Waterfront Campsites for your RV - Lakefront Edition

Full Disclosure: I haven’t been to all of these to test them out myself. This list is compiled from a Texas Camping Facebook group’s list of favorites.

Texas Waterfront Camping - Lakefront edition

If you’re anything like me, you love water (and trees). That tree part is probably a whole other list of campsites, but for the purposes of this blog post, let’s focus on water for today. What kind of water you ask? Does it matter? I love them all. I’ll take any RV camping spot as long as it’s on a lake, ocean, bay, river, or even a pond. There’s just something about adding water that takes camping to a different level for me. But for today, let’s just go with lakes because the list I got was overwhelmingly lakes.

When I saw a few different Facebook posts asking for waterfront campsite suggestions anywhere in Texas, I thought this would make the perfect blog post. Here’s what actual Texas campers shared with the group.

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Texas Lakefront Campsites

Lake Mineral Wells State Park - Specifically Site 66 mentioned

100 Park Road 71
Mineral Wells, TX 76067

I know site 66 was mentioned, but this is 65 and it seems to have a better water view… if that’s your thing.

Wind Point Park on Lake Tawakoni

6553 St Park Road 55
Lone Oak, TX 75453

Wind Point Park

Lake Livingston State Park (Specifically Piney Shores loop Sites 53-71 mentioned)

300 Park Road 65
Livingston, TX 77351

Campsite at Lake Livingston

Airport Park, Lake Waco

4600 Skeet Eason Rd. Waco, TX 76708

Airport Park Campsite 022

View from the campsite

Speegleville Park

3400 Over Flow Rd, Waco, TX 76712

Walleye RV Park on Lake Cypress Springs

County Rd SE 3122, Mt Vernon, TX 75457

Inks Lake State Park

3630 Park Road 4 West
Burnet, TX 78611

From behind our campsite

Launched this boat from the campsite

view of our campsite. Site 43. We only sort of fit in this site. Our 5th wheel is 39 ish feet.

Lake Corpus Christi State Park

23194 Park Rd. 25
Mathis, TX 78368

Tyler State Park

The Boulders at lake Tyler

16822 McElroy Rd., Whitehouse, Texas

On the Lake RV Park in Onalaska

15152 US Hwy 190 West Onalaska, TX 77360

Hickory Creek on Lake Lewisville

1201 Point Vista Rd, Hickory Creek, TX

Martin Dies, Jr. State Park

634 Park Road 48 South
Jasper, TX 75951

Mill Creek Park, Sam Rayburn

Mill Creek Park Rd, Brookeland, TX 75931

The Vineyard in Grapevine

1501 N. Dooley Street, Grapevine, TX 76051

Pilot knoll Park, Lake Lewisville

218A Orchid Hill Rd.
Argyle, TX 76226

Brushy Creek campground, Lake O’ the Pines

2669 FM 726, Jefferson, TX 75657

Powell Park Resort and Marina, Lake Sam Rayburn

971 County Rd 459, Broaddus, TX 75929

Possum Kingdom State Park

3901 State Park Rd. 33
Caddo, TX 76429

Rockaway RV Park on Inks Lake

201 Co Rd 301, Burnet, TX 78611

Loyd Park

3401 Ragland Rd, Grand Prairie, TX 75052

Wolf Creek, Lake Livingston

21 Wolf Crk Pk Rd, Coldspring, TX 77331

Lake Bastrop South Shore Park

375 S Shore Rd, Bastrop, TX 78602

Community Park area in camping loop

view from trail at back of campsite

Looking back towards camp from the water

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Didn’t see your favorite Texas lakefront campground?

Share it in the comments for others to see. I know there are many more than what I have listed here.

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Another blog post you might enjoy / find helpful

Houston Zoo with Kids

The Houston Zoo has been on my list for a good while, ever since we made a stop at Hermann Park on the way home from Galveston for Saida to play when she was about a year and a half old. We could see the zoo entrance from where we played and it looked like a pretty legit zoo. Fast forward over 7 years and her 4th grade class took a class trip to Johnson Space Center and we decided to make a weekend out of it, which of course would include the zoo, but just barely because it rained most of the weekend.

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Galapagos Exhibit

We happened to show up on day 1 of the Galapagos Exhibit and it was nothing short of incredible. When we exited the exhibit, the kids thought we were done with the zoo because it was just that good and how could there possibly be more things for us to see. That one exhibit is worth the price of admission. It was kind of like we got to do the zoo and an aquarium in one stop.

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Elephant Exhibit

The elephant exhibit was another favorite. I love the way they have this set up. Admittedly my zoo experience is limited, but I felt like Houston Zoo did a really good job of getting you in there and close to the elephants and providing fun/educational photo ops. You could even go into a building that has a window into a stall where you can see the zoo workers caring for the elephants.

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Big Cats

I’m a sucker for big cats. This tiger put on a show for us while we were there. He paced back and forth giving me all the photo opportunities and he was nothing short of stunning. I think he enjoyed the attention though he tried to play a little hard to get. Typical cat.

The lions were quite literally a snooze fest. Get it?

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Ape House (Chimpanzees and Gorillas)

I feel like every part of this was my favorite part, but I grew up a lover of Monkeys and Apes. Jane Goodall was my hero for at least a year in elementary school. My monkey and ape stuffed animal collection was pretty impressive and I’m pretty sure I checked out every book in the library on the topic. When I walked into the Ape House and could have reached out and touched chimps and gorillas if it wasn’t for a plexiglass, I was basically 8 years old again.

Once you come out of the Ape House, you’ll find another little area where you can get a view from lower down in the enclosure. That was 100% my favorite moment of the entire zoo. Henry the Gorilla was a great sport and I think he enjoyed playing along for some photos.

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More Moments from the Houston Zoo

Houston Zoo

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Where we Stayed

We were tempted to bring the camper for this trip, but opted to just get a hotel room for a couple nights. I had remembered the Medical Center area being pretty decent and it’s close to the zoo so we opted to stay in a brand new Hyatt Place between the medical center and NRG Stadium. It’s not super fancy, but it was clean and nice and the rooftop pool was heated. The kids love a good free continental breakfast too.

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Mia’s Table

The kids’ favorite restaurant in Houston was Mia’s Table. Look, I know Houston is full of culinary goodness and we could have literally had any type of food at it’s finest. This place is just ok. There’s something for everyone and you get free soft serve. I wouldn’t choose to eat here without kids, but it’s a great little family spot that’ll make everyone happy when you have picky eaters.

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I’ll leave you with this

Get the picture. This is literally the worst quality photo we’ve ever gotten, but I’m still glad we got it. I paid a stupid amount of money just so we could add this to our annual year book come the end of the year. No regrets.

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National Play Outside Day - Amazon Favorites

April 1st is National Play Outside Day…

I mean it’s also April Fools Day, but I’m not kidding when I tell you these are some of our favorite outdoor products from Amazon.

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for the yard

• At the new house, the kids were scared of getting scorpions in their shoes if they left them in the grass. In comes the trampoline shoe bag. Problem solved. This isn’t the exact one we have (it was out of stock), but it’s the same idea.

• And the saucer tree swing… that one was really for me. It’s been a dream of mine for years to have a yard with a tree big enough to put a swing in. Better late than never.

3 Pouch Design Trampoline Shoes bag Buy on Amazon

Sorbus Saucer Tree Swing- Kids Outdoor Disc Round Swing - 40" Heavy Duty 220lbs Seat- Easy Install Flying Saucer Web Circle Swing- Perfect for Gift,Playground, Birthday, Xmas, IndoorOutdoor Tire Swing Buy on Amazon

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For the pool/beach

• If I’m being honest, I’m not really sure how the quality of these microfiber towels compare to others. They’re my only experience so far with microfiber towels, but I will say that I fully appreciate the ability to pack 4 towels in the same amount of space one regular bulky beach towel took up.

• This RTIC Soft Cooler gets used more than our regular Yeti. It’s just so easy and convenient. The secret to these things is the zipper lube. Use it and use it often. We broke the zipper on our first one due to not properly maintaining the zipper.

Your Choice Microfiber Beach Towels Set, Sand Free Beach Towels Oversized Clearance, Beach Towels for Adults Quick Dry Travel Towel - Set of 4 Pack - Light Blue, Green, Rose Red, Gray - 67x35 Inch Buy on Amazon

RTIC Soft Cooler 20 Can, Insulated Bag Portable Ice Chest Box for Lunch, Beach, Drink, Beverage, Travel, Camping, Picnic, Car, Trips, Floating Cooler Leak-Proof with Zipper, Tan Buy on Amazon

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Sports

• Zebco rod and reels are the perfect next step up from that princess or super hero fishing pole your kid has been using and they’re still super affordable.

• My mom did all the research on a tee for Corbin when he started playing baseball and I didn’t realize it was something we’d be using long after tee ball just to practice our swing. This one has held up.

• We actually have the Walmart version of the practice net, but I think I’d go with the one below if I had to do it again. We really enjoy the GoSports brand of weighted practice balls.

Zebco 33 Spincast Reel and Telescopic Fishing Rod Combo, Extendable 22.5-Inch to 6-Foot E-Glass Fishing Pole, Size 30 Reel, Quickset Anti-Reverse Fishing Reel with Bite Alert, Silver/Black Buy on Amazon

TANNER TEE the Original Batting Tee Premium Pro-Style Baseball/Softball Tee, Adjustable Height: 26 to 43 inches, Patented Hand-Rolled Flextop, Adjustable Height: 26 to 43 inches Buy on Amazon

GoSports 7 ft x 7 ft Baseball & Softball Practice Hitting & Pitching Net with Bow Frame, Carry Bag and Bonus Strike Zone, Great for All Skill Levels Buy on Amazon

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Hiking/Camping

• You can’t go wrong with affordable binoculars for the kids. Our exact ones aren’t available anymore, but these are more or less the same. I’ve even caught myself using them to bird watch on camping trips.

• Smores are always a good idea. They just are and I love that these marshmallow roasting sticks have a bag and that they retract for easy storage.

THINKPEAK Binoculars for Kids - Easter Basket Stuffers - Kids Binoculars - Binoculars for Kids 8-12 - Easter Gifts - Birthday Presents for Kids, Kids Binoculars for 3-12 Years Boys and Girls, Green Buy on Amazon

MalloMe Marshmallow Roasting Sticks - Smores Skewers for Fire Pit Kit - Hot Dog Camping Accessories Campfire Marshmellow 32 Inch Long Fork - 5 Pack Buy on Amazon

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Get outside and play. I think it’s actually supposed to be a lovely day. We’re celebrating with a baseball game and a motorcycle ride. Give me all the vitamin D today.

Feel free to share your outdoor Amazon favorites in the comments.

We went back to Lake Bastrop South Shore

If you know me at all, you know Lake Bastrop South Shore is our go to campground for when we want to getaway, but we don’t have that much time. It’s just far enough and different enough to feel like you’re somewhere else and if you wake up early enough on the right morning, you get to see this view. It’s like 50% of why we go there.

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Here is a link to my original Lake Bastrop South Shore post from the very first time we went there. Give it a click. My kids have grown A LOT.

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Where did we stay?

Lake Bastrop South Shore Park (an LCRA Park), but not in one of our regular sites. We stayed in 16 this time with family all around us in the adjacent sites and it was the perfect set up for us. I have a feeling this crew will be booking these sites again in the future. Here is a view from our campsite.

view from our campsite (Site 16) / Nikon Z6, ISO 400, Lensbaby Edge 35, 1/400 sec

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What did we do?

Just the normal camping stuff plus some mini golf. I think this was our 4th or 5th time there, but the first time we’ve ever done mini golf. We’ve rented kayaks before, but it was a little cold on the water for that this go around. It’s always a gamble to book a mid January camping trip, but there’s always a 3 day weekend and a birthday so we do it anyway.

mini golf

It’s cool because you don’t even have to leave the park to play mini golf. Just stop by the office for a putter and a ball and head over to the main day use area.

Hiking

We did the absolute minimum in hiking this trip. I love the Loblolly trails, but we didn’t even make it over there given I’m currently dealing with some chronic foot pain that needs worked out this summer. We did take one short little hike though.

Had a Party

Corbin turned 7 while we were camping so I hit up the H-E-B for a cookie cake and made burgers for dinner.

Found this sign down at another campsite. It was technically the day before his birthday.

I’ll take a giant cookie over an actual cake any day.

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Lake bastrop south shore Photo Dump

The rest was just chill camping. We just enjoyed each other’s company and the scenery. Photo dump below.

My dad heading out for some early morning fishing. Nikon Z6, ISO 200, Lensbaby Edge 35, 1/400 sec

I don’t know those people, but I love this picture. Nikon Z6, ISO 100, 35MM, F/4.5, 1/2500 sec

I love this common area in the camping loop sooooo much! Nikon Z6, ISO 200, Lensbaby Edge 35, 1/640 sec

Mack (the dog) loves to camp too.

Last night as a 6 year old

Learning from mom

He’s 7!

Me and my baby boy.

Even Po the hamster went camping this time. Don’t get judgy, this cage was just for car rides. We had his big one too.

Camping at Big Chief RV Resort and Other Things

This one time (just this Fall) we decided to go see an off market house with land real quick before leaving to go camping and then put an offer in on it and had it accepted and then we decided we’d rent our old house instead of selling it and that I’d get a job after 6 years of being a stay at home mom (because 2 mortgages) all in the same 60 days. It was wild.

I didn’t take a ton of pictures on that camping trip, but the ones I did take were definitely calm moments I took just for me. I remember being at peace and trusting that whatever was about to happen, was what was supposed to happen. We waited that entire trip to hear back about whether our not our offer was accepted. I’m currently typing all of this in my new office, which has a front porch view of the tree swing I’ve always wanted.

Buchanan Dam just around the corner from Big Chief RV Resort

looking out onto the lake from Big Chief RV Resort

Saida and her cousin doing a little exploring/probably trespassing. My nephew thanked me for taking them on this adventure.

inseparable cousins

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Where did we camp?

Big Chief RV Resort Now referred to as lake buchanan rv resort

Well, we tried to get into Inks Lake State Park, but we were a little late to the game. We ended up at Big Chief RV Resort on Lake Buchanan instead. We were actually pretty excited about it though because Facebook says good things.

Would I recommend it?

It’s a nice RV park. I would recommend it if you don’t have kids. I would NOT recommend it if you have kids who even considered having any kind of fun in a pool ever. A simple “No Fun Allowed” sign probably would have made more sense because every time a kid so much as smiled, the staff was there on the golf cart correcting the behavior. And honestly, we have good kids. They’re not the kids you’re thinking of when you think of terrors at the community pool so the whole thing just felt a little over the top. We watched the staff target all campsites with children. On the plus side, they didn’t have an issue with my super well behaved dog being off leash, but maybe that’s because they were too focused on my well behaved kids to even notice the dog.

So yeah, I’ll just leave that there and then encourage you to book early enough to get into the state park instead.

Around Camp

The men smoked meat all day.

Tracks we found while exploring one morning.

Texas/OU weekend. We finally installed that TV mount in the pass through.

The kids watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid at one of our camp sites and learning about the cheese touch.

These birds were brave.

Smiling at their own risk. I’m sure the fun police showed up within minutes after this.

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What else did we do?

The Pottery Ranch

We visited their Marble Falls location while on an outing with the ladies. It was a great place to kill some time and enjoy each other’s company. Outside is covered in an abundance of pottery and inside is everything from leather purses to Mexican vanilla. I bought the big bottle and joked with Tyler about buying this sign (which I believe was $200). I didn’t though. Don’t forget to show them the free pot coupon on their website.

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Wedding oak winery

After the Pottery Ranch, us ladies stopped by a local winery for a tasting at the recommendation of a neighbor friend of mine. The building was very cool with a fun history and us dry red wine lovers loved our tasting. The others weren’t as keen on it as the sweeter wines were apparently a little over the top in sweetness. Of course we still enjoyed each other’s company and the overpriced cheese plates. My suggestion is get lunch before you go.

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Longhorn Cavern state park

Longhorn Cavern is just a few miles from Inks lake State Park and maybe 20 minutes from where we camped. We’d been there before when the kids were younger, but thought this might be a fun activity for the extended cousins. It takes about 90 minutes to complete the guided tour and the kids actually loved it. Corbin and one of his cousins he’d only just met were great entertainment as they had approximately 100 ridiculous questions for the guide and claimed things like having been to the moon. I just loved that they had a great time and didn’t make our lives miserable in place where there was no escape for 90 minutes. I take my wins where I can get them. It’s a great cave tour, especially on a hot day. I highly recommend.

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Okay so now about that move…

So basically we’ve been looking for our next house since we bought the last one. We knew it wasn’t our forever house, but it was the house we needed at the time.

When we saw the previous owners of our new house post about it on the Nextdoor app, we decided to go see it simply because the price was right. The pictures were terrible and I honestly thought we were going to have another walk in, be underwhelmed, walk out type situation. We walked in the front door for our showing and I was immediately kinda stunned. Did it need some updating? Yes!!! Did it have high ceilings and loads of potential with fantastic trees? Also YES! I turned to my fabulous realtor and told her we were buying this house. We continued to walk it waiting for the deal breaker to show up and it never did. It felt too good to be true.

Turns out the owners just wanted it to go to a family who they thought would value the home and give it what it needed. It belonged to his mother who had passed over the summer and they just live a few minutes away in the same neighborhood. They liked us and we liked them. We were incredibly lucky. It’s already received a ton of love from us in the form of lots of gallons of paint, lots of hours on the chainsaw, among other things. Did I mention it’s 2 acres? Our previous house was less than 1/4 acre.

Our lender also held our hands as we explored the idea of keeping our old home to rent it out. It was a chore, but I just received payment for the second month’s rent from our renters (who also seem to be really awesome people and we’re thrilled to have them living in our house).

This has definitely been one of the most challenging and terrifying experiences of our lives, but one that we knew would pay off years from now if we saw it through. Wish us luck!

By the way, here’s that tree swing I was referring to.

Family Vacation in Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole

Don’t worry, I’m going to tell you where/when to find that herd of Bison somewhere in this blog post. It’s kind of unreal.

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Here’s a super quick run down of our trip itinerary

Monday: Fly out of Austin to Bozeman, rent a car, hit up Walmart, drive to Canyon Village in Yellowstone via the West Yellowstone Entrance because flooded took out the North Entrance, check in and eat dinner with the extended fam.

Tuesday: Back toward the west side of the park to see Old Faithful and and everything in between Old Faithful and Canyon Village that caught our attention, ate dinner as an extended family again.

Wednesday: North from Canyon Village around the Grand Loop to Mammoth Hot Springs and everywhere in between, out to West Yellowstone for decent food and ice cream, and back to Canyon Village and a little beyond where we finally found those Bison.

Thursday: Grand Canyon of Yellowstone South Rim, Drive to the Lake, Wildlife, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone North Rim, and our last dinner in the park and the first somewhat decent food in the park.

Friday: Drive to Jackson Hole from Yellowstone, go whitewater rafting, eat at two Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives restaurants, explore the square.

Saturday: Jackson Hole back to Bozeman via Idaho, fly back to Austin, but not without plane issues.

Sunday: Drive home from Austin airport. There wasn’t supposed to be a Sunday.

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Austin > Denver > Bozeman

Our flights are always way too early. I actually booked a decent flight, but it got cancelled and we got moved to an earlier one so we had the kids up and ready to leave the house at 4AM. Sorry kids, it’s worth it, I promise.

Austin Airport

The Austin Airport is decent by comparison from what I can tell. I love how our eateries are set up. It’s so Austin (in a good way) and it just seems like more of an experience than other airports. The downside is when you leave that early, not a lot of things are open. You can always count on Salt Lick at that time for breakfast tacos though.

TSA has a bad reputation in Austin for taking way too much time, but we got through security pretty quick so I personally can’t complain about that.

Denver Airport

Our view of nothing in Denver

Only one of my children has ever done a layover and she wasn’t even 1 year old yet so she doesn’t remember. This was kind of their first. Luckily it was just enough time to do lunch, play a few games on Kindles and then we were on our way again. The sucky thing is we had a view of flat land from our gate. I was hoping for something a little more Colorado-ish. We could have been anywhere based on the view. We stayed in the same terminal, but I hear it’s kind of a pain to get around if you have to switch. Our terminal seemed nice other than the view.

The Flight from Denver to Bozeman

I prefer the window seat for trips like this, but for the sake of happy children (which is priority number 1 when flying) I didn’t have it. Saida did and once we started seeing some things, she was impressed. We flew over Yellowstone at one point. I pointed out the lake and the Grand Tetons off in the distance. I had no idea we’d see this so well from the plane. She hugged me and thanked me for bringing here there before we could even get back on land. This was the perfect hype flight. I may or may not have been holding back big emotions.

The Bozeman airport is small, but beautiful. It’s got a lodge feel complete with a beautiful gas fire pit. The view didn’t suck either. It’s so small that there are only about 3 options for food. I want to say it’s 14 gates and Southwest only has 2 of them. Things seem to run a little behind here in general, but our baggage claim experience and rental car experience were some of the smoothest we’ve ever had.

Rental Car Tip

Costco. I love Costco for all of the things, but 9 times out of 10 they are my best deal on a rental car. Also be super kind to the counter person so you can casually ask what your options are on cars. They had 3 in our category and we got to choose which one we wanted.

Here’s our rental car at the top of Mount Washburn

How we did Food and Groceries

So the thing about staying at a hotel in Yellowstone National Park is the refrigerator fits almost nothing and there is no microwave. You’re prohibited from cooking anything so as you might imagine, things can get pretty expensive in terms of food, if you let it.

Tips

• Check a cooler (or rent one when you get there, but that’s expensive and checking my RTIC soft side {affiliate link} was free on Southwest)

• Hit up Walmart or another grocery store before getting to Yellowstone

• Buy mostly things that don’t require refrigeration

We weren’t the healthiest on this trip. I’m sure we could have done better, but it’s vacation and we embraced it. I intermittent fast so my lack of breakfast and lunch wasn’t effected.

Also, is that not the nicest looking Walmart you’ve ever seen? It just blends right in with the mountains.

Breakfast: Premade muffins and donut holes from the Walmart Bakery

Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and room temp spaghettios out of the can

Snacks: Chips, beef jerky, squeeze apple sauce and yogurts, mandarin oranges, granola bars, nuts

Other things: Water, wine, wine opener because the screw top red wines were a higher price point and the opener was less than dollar, Gatorade packets, plastic cups, plastic cutlery, ziplock bags, paper towels, trash bags, and other things of that nature.

Dinner: We ate all dinners out.

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Bozeman > Yellowstone

Ok, so that once in 500 year flood happened less than 2 months before our trip. Typically when you fly into Bozeman and you’re staying in Canyon Village, you would enter the park via the North Entrance. It was a no go. The road along the Yellowstone River at the North Entrance was destroyed and likely can’t be rebuilt in the same place due to the river now having moved as part of this whole flood process. I have a feeling it’ll be years before that entrance is right.

This meant we would enter though the West Entrance in West Yellowstone and honestly I was excited for the drive. A little research told me we’d be taking Hwy 191 along the Gallatin River through a canyon where the movie A River Runs Through It was filmed. It’s considered a scenic highway and I’m always down for a canyon drive along a beautiful river dotted with fly fisherman and whitewater rafts. It didn’t disappoint. The kids however were exhausted and missed all my favorite parts along the way. I don’t remember exactly how long it took us to get to Canyon Village from Bozeman, but I would say somewhere between 2 and 2 and a half hours. Not bad.

Basically your route is Bozeman to Big Sky to West Yellowstone and then on in to the National Park. I bought our entrance pass for Yellowstone online before we entered the canyon because cell/internet service is pretty spotty once you leave Bozeman. I also saved the pass to my photos because it’s not a whole lot better at the entrance to Yellowstone.

They didn’t even make it out of Bozeman. I guess that’s what happens when you wake up at 4AM.

Gallatin River somewhere along the way

We may have technically been in a corner of Yellowstone at this point

Favorite picture from day one. Somewhere between the West Entrance and Canyon Village.

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Yellowstone National Park

I’m not sure how to break this down in a way that makes the most sense. I think I’ll go day by day and tell you which direction we went from Canyon Village and what we saw. Keep in mind we only had 3 full days so we hit some highlights and felt like we saw what we needed to see, but we could have spent way more time. Let’s start with Canyon Village info first though.

Canyon Village

We stayed in Canyon Village. It’s the largest of all the lodging areas in all of Yellowstone. The lodges we stayed in were built in 2016 so semi new. There is also a campground across the street from where we stayed, a gas station at the corner, and a dining/shopping area adjacent.

Canyon Lodge and Cabins

We booked a Deluxe Porch New Lodge Room. It’s not as fancy as it sounds, trust me, but it did come with a price tag to match the title. It’s not cheap to stay here, but you are in the park. Everything seemed clean, but we slept terrible because there is no A/C. Also as previously mentioned there is no microwave and the mini fridge really is the tiniest kind of mini fridge. There is also no TV, if that’s your thing, but I didn’t miss it. As long as you’re prepared, the only thing that is really an issue is that lack of A/C at night.

In front of Moran Lodge (our lodge)

From our porch

Canyon Carl in front of Hayden Lodge

Watch out for Canyon Carl. He’s a bison that likes to hang out along the path over to the shopping/dining area and also seems to prefer chilling in the shade of Hayden Lodge in the afternoons.

Let’s talk about the Shopping/Dining situation at Canyon Village. There are a few gift shops, a couple restaurants, a general store, and outdoor store, a visitor center, and a hut for renting bear spray. It’s a great little area. The problem is the food isn’t great.

Canyon Eatery

Let me preface this by saying we were in the park shortly after the flood and they did have supply issues. Canyon Eatery sucks. They have some grab and go options that are just okay and then two different lines you can stand in for food. The first night I had a chili dog which I’m convinced is the best thing on their menu. It’s just hard to mess up a chili dog. Everyone else was super put off by their meal. They next day we tried the other line which leans more Asian in flavors and it was just lacking in flavor and most had beef that was tough and hard to chew. We weren’t expected amazing food in the park, but this one was just not good at all. If you don’t have to eat here, I wouldn’t.

Canyon Fountain and Grill

We would have eaten here every night, but they close at 5pm and we only made it back to Canyon Village on time one night. They have burgers and typical American food including a bison burger. It was actually decent. Turns out it’s ran by a different company than the other and it’s obvious. You won’t be blown away, but you won’t feel like you totally wasted your money and your calories either.

Shops

Each area has it’s own General Store and gift shops. Most of the stuff is the same, but there is a slight variation at each one. I think we went to most of them while we were there.

Day 1 Things including old faithful and grand prismatic spring

Full day number 1 felt like a good day to get in the things we most wanted/felt like we needed to see when in Yellowstone. Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring are pretty close to each other on the west side of the park so we woke up and headed back west for the day.

We felt so lucky to see our first bison of the trip as we got closer to Old Faithful. He was just chilling on the side of the road and little did I know this would not be the highlight of my bison seeing. Not even close. More on where to find the herds later.

Old Faithful

We learned that Yellowstone has over 500 geysers in the park (that’s more than half of the geysers in the entire world), however only 6 of them are predictable. Old Faithful got it’s name because they can predict this one down to about 10 minutes based on stats from the previous eruption. Who knew? There’s a visitor’s center / museum at Old Faithful that gives some interactive information and lets you know when to expect the next eruption. You just walk out the back door of the visitor’s center and there she is. People line the boardwalk surrounding the geyser as the predicted time get closer and then they all ooh and awe as it starts to do it’s thing. It’s weird. I find the entire thermal feature aspect of Yellowstone to just be very weird. I guess that’s what happens when you’re standing on a super volcano.

Midway Geyser Basin and Grand Prismatic Spring

How is this place even real? Grand Prismatic Spring just doesn’t seem natural at all. In that first picture you can even see the aqua colored steam rising up. It’s nuts. The best part is watching the light change. As the sun gets brighter, the colors get more vibrant and saturated. Grand Prismatic Spring is a bit mind blowing.

There’s a parking lot on the Old Faithful side of Grand Prismatic Spring. That’s is where you take the trail for the overlook, if you’re wanting to do the overlook. We just did the boardwalk along Grand Prismatic Spring.

Looking across the Firehole River up towards Midway Geyser Basin. You can see aqua colored steam rising from Grand Prismatic Spring.

Grand Prismatic Spring

Opal Pool. This one is actually an unfaithful geyser. Not sure when it last erupted though.

Fountain Paint Pots and Norris Geyser Basin

If we were to start a list of things I never need to see again in Yellowstone, put both Norris Geyser Basin and the Fountain Paint Pots on it. For real. You got this place that’s amazingly beautiful and then there’s this spot (or couple of spots) that just kind of looks like the end of the world. I tried to take some cool pictures of the things that did catch my eye, but basically unless you’re into bubbling pits of mud, it’s just a no. I’m not upset I saw it, I just didn’t need to hang out for more than a quick look.

Fountain Paint Pots Trail Head

Norris Geyser Basin

Day 2 Things including Mount Washburn, Tower Fall, Mammoth Hot Spring. and West Yellowstone

Canyon Village to Mount Washburn

From Canyon Village we headed north on day two. We reached the highest drivable elevation in all of Yellowstone and saw a totally different side of the park (literally and figuratively). The drive north in the early morning light was quite breathtaking. You don’t make it real far before you find awe inspiring overlooks and you kind of want to stop for every single one between Canyon Village and Mount Washburn. I think we stopped at most.

Just a few minutes up the road from Canyon Village

Overlook between Canyon Village and Mount Washburn

Overlook between Canyon Village and Mount Washburn

Overlook between Canyon Village and Mount Washburn

Mount Washburn

Tower Fall

Tower Fall flows into the Yellowstone River. The trail from the fall says there is no river access, but what they really mean is the trail is not maintained all the way to the river. You can absolutely get down there and we did. The walk to the Tower Fall overlook is very accessible. The walk down to the river is steep and a bit more challenging.

The Petrified Tree

I did not photograph this. In fact I was pretty unimpressed with this stop and it was quick because nobody in our group was that interested. We didn’t even get out of the car. After this though, Saida asked me what petrified means. I gave her a quick explanation that was probably terrible and we agreed to look up more information about this tree when we had internet access again. We had lots of time in Las Vegas on the way home due to one of our planes engines experiencing some issues so we looked it up. I learned that this tree was entombed over 50 million years ago. 50 MILLION YEARS! I had a little more respect for that damn tree after reading that. Makes 37 years seem quite small.

Mammoth Hot Springs

The town of Mammoth Hot Springs is interesting. Next to it is an old Army fort which now is used as staff housing and then there are more private residences mixed in with the Mammoth Hot Springs parking areas. I’m pretty sure I’d be pissed if I ended up with the house next to the bathroom parking lot, but that’s just me.

The hot springs themselves have different terraces and we kind of wished we started walking from the upper terrace parking area instead of from down below. We were more interested in the areas where water currently flows and we less impressed with the cooled areas where water flowed in the past.

The kids hit up the General store and gift shop when we were done for some ice cream and on our way we went.

West Yellowstone

THE FOOD IN THE PARK IS TERRIBLE! At this point we felt we were far enough away from Canyon Village and close enough to West Yellowstone (just outside the park) that maybe we could get a decent dinner. West Yellowstone has it’s own section after day 3 things so skip ahead if you want that now or just wait.

Back to Canyon Village and Where we Found That Bison Herd

Our hope on the way back from West Yellowstone was that it would be late enough in the day for wildlife to be moving around a bit more. We stopped for a couple wildlife sightings between West Yellowstone and Canyon Village including this (now unimpressive) Elk sighting turned adorable duck family sighting.

Hayden Valley

From there we made it all the way back to Canyon Village with no wildlife sightings. How disappointing. It was starting to get dark, but we got a tip that if we head south towards the lake a little bit, people often see elk and bison in Hayden Valley. This tip did not disappoint. Actually Hayden Valley needs it’s own section of blog post for all the bison pictures I ended up getting there over the remainder of the trip. But here are a couple from that night until you get there.

Day 3 Things including Yellowstone Lake, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and the Upper and Lower Falls

If you skipped ahead to West Yellowstone then you know we paid to see bears in captivity on day 2. Turns out you just have to pay to see bears in order to actually see one in the wild. Almost as soon as we left our hotel on day three we spotted this little bear on the side of the road. It’s actually a black bear even though it’s not black. They refer to them as cinnamon bears and I think that’s adorable.

I actually had a better angle set up for this shot, but some really horrible man stepped in front of me nearly knocking my camera out of my hands to steal my shot. He was a real gem of a guy. Probably the same kind of dude you’d see blocking himself from danger using a child.

South Rim Upper Falls View

South Rim Artist Point

It’s hard to believe these next two pictures are at the same location at the same time of day, but they are. Look one way and you get the first photo. Look the other way and you get the second. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is gorgeous.

There’s also a trail at Artist Point that goes to Ribbon Lake, but we only walked it for a few minutes. Our agenda for the day felt big and it was time to move on.

Mud Volcano

Add Mud Volcano to the list of places I also never need to see or smell again. The one good thing that came from there was this interesting picture of something beautiful just beyond the awfulness that is Mud Volcano.

Elk Sighting at Bridge Bay Marina

We found two bull elks at a Marina off of Bridge Bay. I got a little adventurous for this shot meaning I got closer than I probably should have, but he’s a beauty.

Lunch at Steamboat Point Picnic Area on Yellowstone Lake

Hell of a picnic spot, don’t you think? This is off of East Entrance Road and it was beautiful. We stopped here for lunch and then headed back to explore the North Rim .

North Rim Brink of Upper Falls

North Rim Lookout Point to Inspiration Point

Wildlife Drive

We did a little more driving around to try to find wildlife after dinner on day three and it was mostly disappointing. Just before we got back to Canyon Village though I got what is probably a once in a lifetime shot of not only one, but two bull elk on top of a hill. We held up traffic and I shot these from the car. At first I only saw the one and the moment Tyler told me there were two and I got them in my frame, I nearly died. I won’t ever forget that moment.

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West Yellowstone

I’m really not kidding when I say the food really is terrible in the park. We kind of wanted to do West Yellowstone during the planning phase, but it wasn’t an absolute must. At this point we were like let’s go see if we can find some decent food and maybe guarantee a bear sighting by seeing them in captivity. Also we had a birthday just before vacation and one just after so West Yellowstone was kind of our celebration moment.

Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center

My mother in law really wanted to take the kids to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. It’s pretty small, but nice and they’re currently working on a new bear enclosure. I’m hoping this means future guests will get to see more bears. Currently their bears take turns in the bear enclosure. We had a ton of fun watching them play and maybe one of my favorite things was the ground squirrels. They’re so full of energy and personality and they’re super cute.

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is pretty much at the park entrance. Once you hit the light heading out of the park, it’s just to your left. I would definitely recommend it for young kids.

Three Bear Restaurant

Honestly I think I probably ordered the wrong thing, but it wasn’t bad. Everyone seemed to like their meal, but at this point it didn’t take much to improve upon what we’d had for the two nights prior.

My favorite thing is when there is a decent kids menu because I can enjoy almost anything as long as those kids are happy. They were happy. One had the Bison Burger and the other had been dying for pasta that didn’t come out of a can.

Espresso West (Coffee and Ice Cream)

Espresso West is a little coffee and ice cream trailer we found walking around West Yellowstone. The ice cream looked legit and the prices were more than reasonable (probably nearly half the price compared to what they sell if for in the park and it’s the same ice cream). They serve Wilcoxson’s Ice Cream and as someone who is partial to Bluebell, I really really liked it. I’d buy it, if they sold it in Texas next to Bluebell. My Texan card might get suspended for this review actually.

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Hayden Valley

The not so secret secret spot we found the bison herd. Turns out the bison come to Hayden Valley for mating season so I think I read that’s July through September maybe. That one bison is definitely putting out the vibe in the first picture. Hayden Valley used to actually be part of the Yellowstone Lake forever ago, but now it’s just prime wildlife viewing ground and I think we were the only ones who didn’t know. Photographers and tourists are lined up at each pull out taking photos and getting entirely too close to the largest native mammal in all of North America. I now understand how all of the bison attacks happen every year. This place is wild.

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Jackson Hole

This was not part of our original plan. When Yellowstone flooded we started to get a little more creative with how we wanted to do things. My brother in law and sister in law really wanted to go white water rafting and we kinda did too. We decided to nix our last night in Yellowstone in exchange for a night in Jackson Hole with a little white water rafting and a couple of Diners, Drive-in’s, and Dives restaurants because, let’s face it, we needed some good food.

Where we stayed

The Parkway Inn is just a few blocks from the square in Jackson Hole. It’s was quaint and adorable and I’d definitely stay there again. It’s not cheap, but nothing is in Jackson Hole and it was only a few more dollars than what we were paying in the park. We just had a standard room and my only complaint was the bathroom is a bit small and awkward.

Jackson Hole White Water

Honestly we chose Jackson Hole White Water because we didn’t have to pay adult price for the kids and the rafts were big enough that they wouldn’t have to row. We had a great experience. Our Guide was Eric and he was entertaining and, more importantly, knowledgeable about rafting.

We did the 8 Mile Whitewater trip on the Snake River and we’d definitely do it again. The kids LOVED it.

And let’s take a moment to appreciate the moment we’ll NEVER stop talking about. I don’t know those people, but man I’m so glad there were photographers on the side of the river to capture that one rapid. Thank you Snake River Photo.

Where we ate

From what I can tell Guy Fieri is a big fan of Jackson Hole and we’re kind of fans of Guy Fieri and the Food Network in general. The kids think it’s cool to eat at some of the places they’ve seen on TV and so do I. We did two different Diners, Drive-in’s, and Dives Restaurants while in Jackson Hole.

Pinky G’s Pizzeria

Pinky G’s is near the square so it was a super quick walk from our hotel. It has a super cool garage vibe going on and you just kind of feel cool while you’re there. Guy had The Funky Chicken and even created his own pie during the recording of the show. We stuck with The Funky Chicken since we’re not blue cheese fans though. It was a solid pizza. I can’t complain, but I will say it’s not the best pizza I’ve ever had.

Sidewinders

Sidewinders was super convenient because it was directly across the street from my in-law’s hotel and next-door to where we got on the bus for white water rafting. Guy ate the French onion soup, chicken pot pie, and a pretzel. I ate the chicken pot pie. It was good. Again, maybe not the best pot pie I’ve ever had, but solid.

My Brother-in-law had the pizza at Sidewinders. He’s a pizza guy. He preferred the pizza at Sidewinders to the pizza he had at Pinky G’s.

On the square

I’m guessing no trip to Jackson Hole is complete without a little stroll around the square. We ate, we shopped, and then we stopped for ice cream. We wanted to get ice cream at Moo’s Gourmet Ice Cream, but the line was out the door and we were pushing it on getting the kids to bed. We just did the Haagen Dazs instead. Corbin found a bison he could actually touch and hug (because we kept thinking those poor misunderstood bison could probably use a hug). It was a great evening and the perfect way to end out trip.

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Jackson Hole > Bozeman

I’m not real sure actually, but I think that’s Jackson Hole down there in this first picture. Driving back to Bozeman from Jackson Hole to catch a plane isn’t ideal (I mean it’s 4 hours in addition to your airport/plane time), but I don’t regret this decision. We didn’t drive back through the park. We opted to go the Idaho route instead. It’s faster and we were curious.

Idaho is a mixed bag though. It’s like one minute it just looks like Wyoming or Montana and the next minute you are fairly certain the Teletubbies are popping out around the next bend.

We never saw any Teletubbies, but I’m pretty sure that show was based on Idaho.

We also drove through a town called Driggs and it really got us thinking about what people do for a living there. I still don’t know the answer to that question, but we looked at the MLS and I was ready to move (but I don’t have enough money). Anyway, if you’re bored and want to go down a rabbit hole of looking at random properties for sale in a place you are never buying a house, look at Driggs, Idaho. It’s impressive.

Rehashing the rest of the trip probably isn’t helpful to anyone really so I’ll gloss over it.

Bozeman > Vegas > Austin

Bozeman to Vegas was fine. Got to see Salt Lake and The Strip. I’ve never been to Las Vegas so I didn’t know The Strip and the Airport are basically on top of each other. Unfortunately our next plane had engine issues that we found out about before we took off so we were de-boarded… eventually… and then caught a different plane back home. That part was a bit stressful, but the kids handled it well.

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Takeaways from this trip

• It’s worth taking

• My kids’ ages are good ages for Yellowstone and Jackson Hole (Ages 6 and nearly 9)

• Rent/Bring a cooler

• Rent a big enough car to carry that cooler, luggage, and groceries

• Don’t forget a wine opener

• Definitely do Hayden Valley

• July is a good time to go whitewater rafting

• Buy the whitewater rafting photo because it’s hilarious

• The restaurants Guy goes to on Diner Drive-ins, and Dives are good, but maybe not as good as you think

• Definitely borrow your friend’s long lens if you don’t have one

• Eat ice cream every chance you get

• Try not to eat at Canyon Eatery if you don’t have to

• Always try local beer

• Don’t pet (or hug) the fluffy cows

• Let you kid have the window seat

Sedona (and the Grand Canyon) with the Family

I’m back blogging, if that’s a thing. We took this trip in October 2021 and it’s currently May 2022. Also the pic above is the view from part way up Bell Rock just in case you need that info.

So we’d actually decided we were going to wait a few years to take the kids to Sedona so they could do some more legit hiking without complaining, but plans changed. We had bought another one of those damn timeshare things where they give you a place to stay if you show up to one of those presentations.

I think we decided we’ll just pay for our vacations from here on out because we’re officially tired of wasting prime vacation time on presentations when it’s clear we’re NEVER buying a timeshare. It’s funny because they have us pegged pretty much as soon a we walk in. They know we’re a waste of their time. Look, here’s a picture of how I bring my kids to those presentations. We find it generally helps speed along the process.

So back to where I was going with this. We were going to wait to take the kids, but we had to choose somewhere to take this vacation and Saida had been dying to see red rocks of some sort because she watches YouTube families that live in Utah and she appreciates the landscape. We figured, why the hell not? We’ll just do Sedona again because it’s on the list. Close enough. Plus what kid doesn’t want to see the Grand Canyon too and we could totally make that drive while we were there.

Spoiler Alert: It’s Corbin. Corbin doesn’t want to see the Grand Canyon. We joke that we now know why Joe Dirt’s parents left him there.

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How’d We Get There

Ok so the truth is the other reason we chose Sedona is because Phoenix is pretty affordable to fly into. I just wasn’t really willing to pay the airfare to the other destination options because I’m generally pretty cheap. I also kind of love airports. It’s literally the best people watching and the kids are always excited to fly. We’re doing Yellowstone in July so that’ll be their biggest flight yet. Bozeman on the other hand is… not cheap, but I didn’t pick the destination.

Because it’s been 7 months since we actually took this trip, I’m blown away by how tiny my kids look in these pictures. It’s been an insane year for growth for both of them, hence the reason we’ve added an endocrinologist to the list of specialists for Corbin.

Important things about Phoenix

1. They now have Whataburger. Seriously, this is a big deal. My kids are Whatadivas, if there is a such a thing. When Tyler and I went 4 years ago, there wasn’t a single Whataburger in all of Arizona so when Corbin requested a Whataburger upon exiting the plane, we were surprised we could deliver and deliver pretty quickly after getting in the rental car.

2. Saguaros. I don’t know why I still think those things are hilarious. They’re real and they’re huge.

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Sedona

Where We Stayed

We stayed in the Arabella Hotel. I didn’t really pick it because of the whole timeshare thing, but I also don’t really have any legitimate complaints. They have two pools. Only one of them was heated though and this was in October so we stuck with the smaller of the two which was pretty convenient from our room anyway. They also do a pretty legit continental breakfast however we had kids and a two hour time change so you could find us on morning one hitting up the Circle K next door for stale powdered donuts and gas station breakfast sandwiches. I was subjected to none of this because of intermittent fasting, but the others seemed good with it. There’s a trail at the back of the hotel property which is pretty cool and they also have complimentary bikes available to take into town, which isn’t a long bike ride at all. Overall it was a good stay and I’d stay there again.

The smaller of the two pools at Arabella, but it was heated. The sunset didn’t suck either.

Stale powdered donut breakfast.

The sweet parking lot view with red tocks I joked about.

Tyler and I have kind of a running joke on these timeshare presentation vacations regarding the view we get. In all fairness, we had a great view in Tennessee, but our first one of these was to Sedona without the kids for our 10th anniversary. They put us a room number followed by a P. We had a lovely view of… the parking lot. The P clearly stood for parking lot. We got another sweet parking lot view this time, but at least there were some red rocks, lol. I’m joking obviously. We’re pretty good at making the best out of these situations and you’re doing it wrong if you spend all your time in the room anyway.

What We Hiked

Tyler and I hiked Cathedral Rock several years ago when we were in Sedona and we really thought the kids would love it. Unfortunately the were in the middle of a rescue situation at Cathedral Rock so we headed a little further down to Bell Rock. The kids loved it. Bell Rock is still their favorite part of the entire trip. Our obligatory vacation Christmas ornament is a Bell Rock ornament and we snagged Bell Rock magnets for the teachers. Every time we passed it they would say, “There’s Bell Rock!” Hike wise, it was pretty similar to Cathedral Rock, if my memory is correct. It’s challenging, but not crazy long and the views are well worth it. The picture at the top of this blog post is the view from part way up Bell Rock.

I think this is the only picture with all four of us from the entire trip at the top ish of Bell Rock. Not our best selfie ever.

The other hike we took with the kids was a combination of trails recommended by the lady at the hotel desk. She says it’s where she takes her daughter and where the locals go. It was cool, but I still wish we would have done something in the Oak Creek Canyon area instead. If you take Valley Verde School Road until it pretty much ends, you can follow the trail up the creek to Cathedral Rock. This was a combination of Baldwin Trail, Red Rock Crossing Trail, and Templeton Trail. We didn’t go as far as we’d planned because the kids were pretty worn out, but if you’re up for it, you could totally incorporate Cathedral Rock into this hike.

Where We Ate (Food can totally make or break a vacation)

Miley’s Cafe

Miley’s was a favorite of ours the last time we were in Sedona so we knew we had to go back. It’s got a hole in the wall and homey kind of feel. It’s just good cookin’. They’re currently only open for breakfast and lunch and even though we were not in my eating window, I made an exception for Miley’s. The kids had lunch and Tyler and I had breakfast. I’m not sure there is a single bad option on the entire menu and the service is great. If you want great food that’s not fussy, this is it. Everyone is happy at Miley’s and they’ve got a great kid’s menu.

Rocky Road Ice Cream Co.

Saida and I outside Rocky Road Ice Cream Co.

Once you finish up at Miley’s, head next door to Rocky Road Ice Cream Co. Or just go there after nearly every meal. We might be guilty of this and it might be my favorite ice cream place ever. Just trust me on this one.

Rotten Johnny’s Wood Fired Pizza

So we actually ended up at Rotten Johnny’s because we didn’t know Miley’s was closed for dinner. Rotten Johnny’s is in the same shopping center. I have zero complaints. My pizza and wine were delicious and again, it’s not fussy. It’s another great place for the family.

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The Grand Canyon and Flagstaff

We managed to get both the Grand Canyon and a little bit of Flagstaff into a day. It’s doable with an early enough start, but I’m always wishing we had more time in Flagstaff. Maybe one day. We also just barely missed snow on the way back to Sedona. It actually ended up snowing just 20 minutes up the road from Sedona that night.

The Drive From Sedona to The Grand Canyon

In my opinion 89A through Oak Creek Canyon and the switchbacks is the only way to get to Flagstaff. I wondered if I’d still be in awe the way I was the first time and I was. My kids have actually gotten to the point now where they make fun of me for wanting to be in the trees. I think that’s why I love this drive. Once you get to the top of the switchbacks there is a scenic view area called Oak Creek Vista. It’s worth a stop and both times we have been there has been a native market set up selling jewelry and other Native American accessories. It’s a great place to grab a souvenir and a quick picture. From there, it’s pretty quick to Flagstaff and then on to The Grand Canyon from there. Now the drive from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon looks very different from the first part of the drive. I’m always baffled that you’re just driving through high desert and The Grand Canyon isn’t even that far away and you can’t see it. It’s like it’s not there at all until you walk through some trees at he National Park and you’re like, “Well what do you know, it’s the Grand Freaking Canyon.”

The Grand Canyon

So seriously, it’ll trip you up when you go from high desert to forest to a giant hole in the ground in what doesn’t seem like near enough space for that transition. Arizona is wild. We didn’t spend a ton of time at the Grand Canyon, but we started our walk from the area behind the visitor’s center and walked all the way down to the geology museum and back. I like to try to remember it fondly, but that one kid wasn’t too happy to be at the Grand Canyon and when that one kid isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Being 5 years old is hard apparently.

Saida loved the geology museum. I had no idea she’d find it that interesting and I kind of love that she did. I think she would have stayed there longer.

Overall I don’t regret taking they them to the Grand Canyon. They actually will both tell you they liked it now even though it did not seem that way at the time. Photo evidence or Corbin’s attitude below.

Proof he didn’t hate the whole thing.

How Corbin felt about the Grand Canyon and the reason Joe Dirt’s parents left him there.

Saida in the geology museum.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff was basically our dinner/dessert stop on the way back to Sedona. We ate at Lumberyard Brewing Co. (mainly because Tyler and I needed something on tap, stat) which is right in the heart of town. The kids loved watching the trains go by, the food was pretty decent, and I very much enjoyed my beer. I had the Santa Fe burger. I’d recommend it.

Just a couple blocks away was The Sweet Shoppe Candy Store which also sold gelato so naturally that was our next stop because that’s how we do vacation even when it’s nearly freezing outside with snow on the way. The store itself was adorable and the gelato was worth it. Saida had mint chocolate chip at every ice cream place we tried and I believe this was her personal favorite.

I honestly don’t even know what all there is to do in Flagstaff, but every time we’re there I always want to stay longer because it just seems cool. Unfortunately weather was moving in so our time was up, if we wanted to make it through the canyon without snow. It’s my understanding that early October is a little early for snow in town, but they got it anyway shortly after we left.

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Back Home We Go, but not without seeing the saguaros

Did you even go to Arizona, if you didn’t stop for a saguaro? We made a quick stop (and I mean really quick) at the Black Canyon City Trailhead on the way back to Phoenix. It was a pretty easy place to stop and got us off the road so it worked. Both kids enjoyed this stop. It was the little bit of exploration we needed before hanging in the airport for longer than anticipated. We actually questioned whether or not we’d make it home. This was right in the middle of Southwest blaming delays on weather (cough, couch, mandates, cough) when there was none. Our flight was pretty delayed, but we made it back to Texas eventually.

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official Sedona Photo Session with the Kids

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Tennessee with Kids (Nashville & Gatlinburg)

I always thought I was a beach girl. That's what I knew because my parents are definitely beach people. Turns out I’m a “I’ll take a cabin in the mountains with a hot tub because I don’t like cold” kind of girl. I just need some tall trees and a view and maybe a little two bedroom A frame, but I’m not picky. I’ll take a stream or something too though because I’m still drawn to the water no matter where I go.

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Nashville

Corbin’s first ever flight

Okay so Nashville isn’t exactly the obvious choice to fly into when you’re making a trip to Gatlinburg, but we’re kind of die hard Southwest Airlines people and they don’t do Knoxville. The moment they do though, we’re in trouble. I will give them all of my money to keep taking me back to the mountains.

Nashville is a good 4 hour drive and one time change away from Gatlinburg, but I loved the drive. We were only in Nashville for one night before making the drive east.

Where we stayed

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown. The location was super convenient to the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was on my list, the pedestrian bridge, and Broadway. I’m finally finishing this post two years after visiting so I can only speak to the hotel during October 2020. It was perfect for our needs. Continental breakfast is always a win with kids and it was clean. I would consider staying here again on my next trip, if I was in the market for an affordable stay in downtown Nashville.

What we did

We weren’t in Nashville for long and the kids were tired after getting up early. We started with just finding out hotel, taking a minute to pull ourselves back together, and then heading out for lunch. We found a little pizza joint next to our hotel with the coolest vibe and outdoor eating area that was perfect for lunch. Unfortunately it has since closed, but it made for my favorite Nashville photo. I kinda hope this ordering window still exists. It’s at 311 3rd Avenue, if you want to see for yourself. It’s basically at the bottom of the Hyatt Place.

Country Music Hall of Fame

After lunch we walked to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I wore the wrong shoes and the kids were just at the right age and tiredness for not appreciating the walk one bit. It’s really not far. It was cool. I think this kids would appreciate it more now than they did then, but they were honestly just tired and not into it. It finally won Saida over at the end when she found the Kasey Musgraves exhibit. She couldn’t get enough of the dresses even though she had no clue who Kasey Musgraves was. We spent the 4 hour drive to Gatlinburg (and back) getting a little Kasey Musgraves education via Amazon music and we’re still fans (even if the latest album isn’t really our jam). I have no pictures from the museum and I regret it.

Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge

The pedestrian bridge takes you from downtown over the Cumberland River to Nissan Stadium (where the Titans play). I find pedestrian bridges to be cool so I knew I wanted the kids to be able to run around here and just be kids. They were still all sorts of moody though so it didn’t last long. It’s a great photo op though if you want the city in behind you. This was our pre dinner adventure and they did warm up to it eventually, but as per usual Corbin was hungry and ready to eat. Shocking, I know.

Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant

We ate dinner at yet another restaurant that no longer exists. It’s too bad because I think we all enjoyed it and it was actually my second time there. Tyler and I stopped in for a beer on a previous trip. It was on Broadway across from Hard Rock Cafe. Saida loved it because she could watch all the girls in fancy outfits walking down Broadway. I googled it and apparently it had been there for 25 years before shutting down. RIP Rock Bottom Brewery. There’s an obvious joke here, but it sucks when people go out of business so I’ll leave it alone.

This concluded the Nashville portion of our trip. Off to Gatlinburg.

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Gatlinburg

I love Gatlinburg. We’re going back one day and hopefully more than once. I’ll also do Asheville or something, but that part of the country is where it’s at for me.

Getting there

Getting to Gatlinburg from Nashville takes about 4 hours via car. It wasn’t ideal and the weather was iffy some of the way, but my kids are pretty decent at 4 hour drives so it wasn’t too bad. It was Texas/OU weekend so I pretty much just watched the game on my phone the whole way and enjoyed the scenery. You’re basically just on I-40 the majority of the way until you’re to a new time zone, through Knoxville, and then you head south through Sevierville and on to Gatlinburg either through Pigeon Forge or you can go a little further and come around Gatlinburg on the other side and miss the Pigeon Forge traffic. We came in the opposite side from Pigeon Forge because that’s where we were staying. Unfortunately (or fortunately) our room wasn’t ready so we had to find something to do for a little bit before we could check in.

Where we stayed

We stayed at Bent Creek Golf Village in Pittman Center (birthplace of the one and only Dolly Parton). It was part of a timeshare thing where we were supposed to sit through a timeshare presentation while we were there, but they decided they weren’t getting our business pretty quick (I brought my kids with me and set a timer for the amount of time we promised) and decided to let us just get on with vacation. We were back in our room 30 minutes from the time we left it, attended the presentation, and then walked back to our room. We had a one bedroom condo basically with a full kitchen and a balcony overlooking the golf course. It was perfect for our needs and it took about 20 minutes to get to downtown Gatlinburg. Unfortunately the traffic in town was awful so I’d recommend staying in town, if you don’t want to deal with the driving. I don’t have a picture to share, but it totally looks like the pictures on the web link.

What we did

Roaring Fork Motor Trail

I’m going to start with the first thing we did and my absolute favorite part of the trip. Roaring Fork Motor Trail! This is a one way motor trail through a portion of the National Park. There are places to pull over along the way so you can get out and explore or even go on a legit hike. We explored several stops along the way and it was my heaven. I think everything I ever though I wanted changed along that trail. I wanted to be in those tall trees with those streams and all the moss and ferns. The kids loved it too. No crazy hikes, just quick in and outs of the car with fun things to explore along the way.

The urge to go back there is strong. I think the only thing keeping me from moving is there’s no H-E-B (iykyk) and/or decent Tex-Mex.

Clingman’s Dome

Don’t be like us and go when it’s cloudy. That’s hard though because they’re called the Smoky Mountains for a reason, am I right? They say you can see for 100 miles on a clear day at the top of Clingman’s Dome. We saw this far…

I don’t regret the trip up there because the drive was intriguing in such crazy fog. Photographing things in fog was totally on my bucket list and this next picture is one that just blows my mind every time I see it again. We’ll just have to try again one day. I’ve got lots of excuses to go back. Plus we added another state to the list because Clingmans’s Dome is actually in North Carolina.

Newfound Gap

We stopped at Newfound Gap on the way back down from Clingman’s Dome. The view is everything you think of when you think of the Smoky Mountains. We walked the Appalachian trail for a little bit and then headed back to the car.

Downtown Gatlinburg & Nantahala outdoor center

I mean you gotta do it right? My honest opinion is that most of the shops in Downtown Gatlinburg aren’t worth your effort. We found an old school candy store on the main drag though which was how we bribed the children to not whine though that fiasco. The place we found and fell in love with was Nantahala Outdoor Center. That’s where you go for actual nice souvenirs, t-shirts, and outdoor gear. I’d love to go in that place again someday. I inadvertently ended up throwing away a vinyl sticker that I bought there and I’d like to get another one and also sign up for white water rafting.

Anakeesta

We were tired the day we did Anakeesta. It was our last day before driving back to Nashville to catch a plane home. I’d never been on a lift before so the trip up the mountain to the park was exciting for me. It’s kind of the part I was looking most forward to and the suspension bridges through the trees.

We paid extra for the kids to do panning for gems and arrowheads and they thought that was pretty cool. They also would have spent most of their time on the playground because it’s awesome.

We were confused about the Rail Runner coaster and so we didn’t get signed up in enough time to actually do it. If that’s something want to do while you’re there, I suggest checking into that first. We were just so tired and ready to move on.

We did eat lunch at Anakeesta (burgers) and my honest opinion is that it was just okay. Definitely not worth a trip to the top for the food, but it’s good if you’re already up there and need a meal. Now the view can’t be beat.

No way jose’s Mexican cantina

This restaurant is right in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg right near the aquarium. We weren’t super impressed with any meal we ate in Gatlinburg, but it was good. I’d probably eat there again.

Three Jimmy’s Good Time Eatery

This place was supposed to be where all the locals eat. It had wonderful reviews and I was pretty excited about going there. It really just wasn’t good. We had a hard time saying one good thing about the food. We just weren’t impressed at all. I wish I had positive recommendations for anyone going to Gatlinburg, but unfortunately I have to say don’t waste your time here.

I guess some places just aren’t known for their food. There are entire vacations you could plan around good food. East Tennessee is just not one of those places.

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takeaways from this trip

• I am now a mountain girl. Please take me back.

• Kasey Musgraves is cool

• Don’t expect amazing food in East Tennessee

• Do the good eating in Nashville

• Sign up early for the Rail Runner thing at Anakeesta

• Roaring Fork Motor Trail is my happy place

• Bring your kids and set a timer at Timeshare presentations (trust me on this)

Mother Neff State Park

We aren’t the “thou shalt not poop in the camper” kind of people (I mean, I didn’t pay what I did for a second home on wheels to not poop in my own toilet), but even I was curious about these bathrooms at Mother Neff State Park that every Texas camper on social media was raving about. Apparently they’re basically the Buc-ee’s of State Park bathrooms and you can find them southwest of Waco, Texas just outside a little town called McGregor.

Side Note: If you’re not from here and you don’t know what a Buc-ee’s is, may I suggest you stop at one if you ever come to Texas. It’s a gas station, yes, but it’s so much more than that. It’s one of those things you really can’t prepare someone for. They just have to experience it for themselves. A pee break will cost a minimum of $40 so just be prepared to be distracted by all the things and to go home with some of it.

So we decided to make Mother Neff State Park our January camping trip. I swear we didn’t choose it for the bathrooms, but rather for the availability, nice concrete parking pads, and full hookups. It’s also technically only 2 hours from the house, but in reality with traffic, weather, and bathroom breaks, it took us about 4 hours to get there. It may have been more actually, but I’m trying to forget that particular experience. It’s just lovely when you’re stuck in rush hour traffic on I35 in downtown Austin and your kid announces they really need to go to the bathroom.

Sorry y’all, but all this bathroom talk has me thinking it’s the perfect time to share what might be my favorite photo from the whole trip.

So were the bathrooms everything the internet promised?

It wasn’t until after we were hooked back up and ready to go home that I actually went in them and I’ve got to say, they are most definitely the nicest Texas State Park Bathrooms I have ever seen.

Would I still wear flip flops in the shower?

Yes, absolutely. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Did I take any pics?

No. That’s weird.

Mother Neff in a Nutshell

Clean, small, partially closed due to flooding, very nice campsites, full hookups, very easy to approaching moderate trails, great playgrounds, and overall just very kid friendly. There’s also a dog. Nobody lost him so don’t try to find his owner. He’s friendly and basically their mascot now.

Site Info

We stayed in site 15. It’s pretty private and backs up to those really nice bathrooms I was talking about. There’s a spacious crushed granite area with a picnic table and firepit and the parking pad was extra wide. I’d stay in that spot again, but I think we also want to try site 12 in the future. 12 is a really long pull through site that also looked pretty private. All sites have full hookups but some definitely seem more exposed than others. The in-laws stayed in 16 and I’d also recommend that one and site 14 as well.

Site 16

Site 16

Site 15. Firepit is just out of frame over to the left and you can kind of see the bathrooms through the trees.

The Trails

Let’s just be really real for a sec. This isn’t the kind of park we’re used to when it comes to scenery. The “scenic overlooks” were pretty anticlimactic (we legit had to look at the map to make sure we’d actually made it to the scenic overlook), but the upside is that the trails were super easy. The kids (age 4 and 6) had zero issues getting around and the only complaints while on the trails were regarding hunger (from Corbin obviously) and when we were going to get to the playground (both kids). About half the trails are pretty exposed and the other half are through treed areas.

The Playgrounds

We don’t go camping for the playgrounds, but I’ve got to admit, we love having them at parks. Mother Neff had two that were equally awesome in very different ways. The first was a Nature Playscape near the camping loop. I loved this concept which included a slide built into the hill, tic tac toe from wood, logs for climbing, and things of that nature. Get it? Nature, lol. The second was a regular ole old school playground which was just a couple minute walk from the other. This was my favorite for photographing the kids and is where most of my favorite photos from this trip came from.

What’s that noise?

It’s SpaceX. You can read about it over by the bathrooms, but I guess they do engine testing there. We actually didn’t experience anything other than a couple not so crazy booms, but it’s my understanding that if you’re not aware SpaceX is just right down the road, the booms can sometimes be quite alarming. It’s not like they’re keeping you up all night so it’s really not much of a bother, but something worth noting.

Other Pics From Our Stay

Have any questions about our experience at the park? Let me know.

-Monica

A Week At Padre Balli RV Park in Corpus Christi Texas

I cannot express to you how good it actually felt to be in our camper again. It had definitely been way too long since we’d made a trip (3 months). I let it slide though because I knew we’d be staying for a week this time and I have a certain amount of nights I insist we spend in the camper each year to make paying the price worth our while.

This wasn’t really a traditional camping trip for us. It was one of those situations where the camper is basically a condo on wheels and an affordable way for us spend an entire week at the beach. We showered regularly, went souvenir shopping, ate some dinners out at restraunts, and civilization was at our doorstep… or close enough (Thank goodness because we needed it to be on Thursday night).

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Why We Chose Padre Balli Park For This Trip

Morning walk on the beach before the crowds showed up

The main reason we chose Padre Balli Park was for the proximity to people we were going to the beach with. Yes there are nicer RV parks within 30 minutes of where we stayed, but those parks weren’t a 5 minute car ride to the family we were spending time with at the beach. Also we knew we weren’t going to spend a lot of time at the park so paying a higher price for one of those other nicer parks just didn’t make any sense. My parents ended up tagging on to the end of this vacation so we did end up driving 15-20 minutes each way to hang at the beach in front of their beach rental too, but we still weren’t hanging out at the RV Park so paying the price for a “nicer” one just didn’t make sense. In this way Padre Balli Park definitely seemed like a good choice.

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My Thoughts on Padre Balli Park

Pros:

• Park is on the Beach

• There is a restaurant and gift shop on the fishing pier at the park

• Easy drive to Dollar General, Gas Stations, and Restaurants

• 50 Amp area is new

• Shower Houses and Laundry onsite

• Full Hookups in 50 AMP area

• Concrete pads in new section

• Friendly staff

• Affordable (we paid $275 for an entire week in the 50 AMP area with full hookups and it’s on the beach. The 30 AMP area is $150 a week and doesn’t have sewer. There is a dump station.)

Cons:

• No pool

• Basic sites (not too close together, but not too far and zero landscaping)

• Quiet hours not enforced and people like to party. Thank goodness for AC units being so loud.

• Old 30 AMP area is run down and cramped (pot hole parking lot with hookups)

• The beach at the park is very crowded

• Lots of trash left behind on beach and at the campsites and the park doesn’t seem to prioritize cleaning it up.

Notes:

They do things a little differently than most. They don’t actually take any payments from you until you show up. When you call to book, you get a reservation confirmation number and that’s basically it. Write it down and hang on to it. You don’t hear from them again until about a week before your trip when they call to confirm your stay. It was my first time experiencing this and it honestly made me a little nervous that we might not have somewhere to stay when it was time to show up. Fortunately that wasn’t the case. They seemed to have it together in this department.

Would I stay at Padre Balli Park again?

Yes, absolutely. We definitely want to try out Gulf Waters sometime in the future too, but we want to do that when we plan to stay there and not rush off each day to go see other people staying in other places. When we pay the price to stay at Gulf Waters, we want to take advantage of their scenery, pool, and easy access to a beach that’s clean and beautiful. Padre Balli Park is absolutely a great go to for situations similar to this trip we just had. And honestly, if you’re not a little beach spoiled like me and you want to save a few dollars, Padre Balli Park is really a great choice even if you plan on taking advantage of the beach without driving elsewhere.

The highlighted site is site 16 which is the site we stayed in.

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What I Learned on This Trip

More than I was prepared to learn, that’s what. But seriously though, Tyler had to go back to work for a couple days so we spent night 2 with just me and the kids in the camper. I was laying in bed about 10 PM that night thinking it had all gone so smoothly without him when the power goes out in the camper. It’s July in Texas and I like AC. Saida is already passed out and Corbin is making every excuse to stay up just a little longer, but I finally have him laying down in Tyler’s spot in my bed when this all goes down. I check to make sure we didn’t trip the breaker, but the entire Park is out. Turns out a transformer blew and the estimated time of restoration is 3 AM. YES 3 AM. If we don’t get the generator going, we’re going to be hot as hell and lose the food in the fridge and we’re one of the lucky ones with a generator. Unfortunately there isn’t any gas in it so that means I’m hauling kids out of bed at 10:30 at night to go buy gas cans and gas so we can get through these next few hours in comfort. All of these things were new for me, but a momma’s gotta do what a momma’s got to do and I wanted AC for my kids and to save the milk I just bought for them that evening.

Once the transformer was fixed, they blew another one and the new estimated time of restoration was 5 AM. I didn’t buy that much gas so I dropped us down to 1 of 3 ACs and everyone still managed to sleep comfortably. Power was back on by 3 AM anyway and we still had enough gas to get us through another power outage (this time for the entire island) that happend a couple days later.

We’re buying a nice gas can and taking some with us on every trip going forward for situations like this. The other option is our camper does have a fuel station and we could keep some gas in there with a stabilizer to make it last a little longer. And I’m happy to say I now know how to start the generator and keep things going when things don’t go as expected.

I really hate to wake sleeping kids, but they did an awesome job hanging with me and holding the flashlight while I filled the generator.

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Places We Ate

Snoopy’s

13313 South Padre Island Drive

Corpus Christi, TX78418

A family favorite on Padre Island at the JFK Causeway. We’ve been going here for years and fish is always fried to perfection and the view is great. The secret is out though so go early or be prepared to wait in line to order.

A La Mode Gelateria

14254 S Padre Island Dr Ste 101

Corpus Christi, Texas 78418

Our friends introduced us to this place. It’s also on Padre Island and Saida and Tyler are obsessed with the banana pudding gelato. The staff is super friendly and welcoming and it’s definitely a new tradition for us.

La Playa Mexican grille

222 Beach Ave.

Port Aransas, TX 78373

Cash only in Port Aransas and this one isn’t a secret anymore either. The restaurant itself is super tiny so there is almost always a wait and then we show up with 16 people. I love it here because they actually know how to make a fish taco. I love cheese, but you don’t put cheese on fish tacos, you don’t put fruit salsa on fish tacos (IMO), and you don’t use flour tortillas on fish tacos. They do none of those things, thank goodness.

Brooklyn Pie Co.

15326 S Padre Island

Corpus Christi, TX 78418

We were first timers here. I wanted to just walk over to Mikel Mays on the pier at Padre Balli Park the night it was just me and the kids, but Saida insisted on Pizza and we had seen this place just up the road at the next stop light. We ordered their large cheese pizza, went and roamed around at ACE Hardware for about 15 minutes and then came back to pick up our pizza to go. The kids loved it and it came with one of those little plastic barbie tables… I mean pizza savers… which the kids have never seen before and Saida is excited to use it as a barbie table (as it was obviously meant to be).

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Favorite Camping Hack of the Trip

I stole this hack idea from one of the RV Camping Facebook pages I’m on. As soon as I saw it I was on Amazon ordering these suction cup hooks to hang our beach towels and swimsuits on the outside of the camper. It was a great solution for not having to bring our wet and sandy towels into the camper.

Disclaimer: The link to Amazon below is an affiliate link. If you purhase from Amazon after clicking this link, I will receive a super teeny tiny commission at no additional cost to you. Also if you purchase these after clicking this link, THANK YOU! You doing this allows me to keep creating quality content for my readers and I think that’s pretty awesome.

Buy on Amazon

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Drink of the Trip

Overall this trip was a family success, just not without drama because who would even know what that looks like. Lots of margaritas were had; spicy grapefruit ones. Click below to see the recipe I found on Pinterest. They were delicious. and I used lime juice from a bottle, HEB’s Rio Red Grapefruit juice, Espolon Silver tequila, and didn’t bother with garnish because we were taking it out to the beach.

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Pictures From Our Trip Because I’m a Photographer

On Mustang Island near my parents’ beach rental

Mustang Island

Mustang Island near my parents’ beach rental

That’s how I feel about ice cream too. Shout out HEB.

Iphone Picture edited with Lightroom Mobile @ Padre Balli Park

Iphone photo unedited @ Port Aransas, Texas

Iphone Photo edited with Lightroom Mobile @ DQ in Pleasanton on the way home

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Share with Me

As usual I have no idea how to wrap all of this up. That was all kind of random, but that’s just kind of our life right now so… it is what it is.

Feel free to share your favorite restaurants in the area in the comments, tell me where you’ve found fish tacos that don’t suck, or let me know if you tried that margarita recipe. Seriously they are so delicious, especially if you’re into spicy alcoholic beverages.

Happy Camping,

Monica

60+ RV Parks & Resorts on the Texas Coast

My three favorite things currently are camping with my family, Texas, and the beach… and coffee… and wine… and tacos (not necessarily in that order).

So naturally when we got our RV, I wanted to know where all the beach RV parks are in all of my favorite Coastal Texas towns and bonus points if they are family friendly (I mean like not the 55+ parks) and were near tacos. I didn’t really know how to go about figuring all of this out and figured most newbies, like me, are probably a little lost and let’s face it, it’s nice when someone can kind of simplify it for us because… mom life.

With the help of AllStays.com, I was able to put together a pretty extensive list of RV parks in Texas along the Coast. I’m not saying they’re all amazing (some really are fantastic), but they’re here and they range anywhere from “welp, there’s nowhere else to stay and I really want to go to the beach for 4th of July and it’s in 2 weeks” to “This place is freaking awesome and I’m never leaving”. Minimum requirements were water, electricity, and either sewer hookups or a dump station and tacos close by (just kidding about that last one. I’ll just make my own, but if you have a killer recommendation for fish tacos, please leave it in the comments). If it didn’t have those things, it for sure didn’t make the list. I like to camp, but I also like the comforts of home and am totally cool if my camper basically functions as a beach house on wheels when at the coast. I personally don’t need to boondock nor do I yearn to do so. To each their own. Maybe one day when my kids are older we’ll give it a try.

This list includes some basic amenities for each Park/Resort. Some of these places (a lot of them actually) have much more than what is listed here. For example; clubhouses, splash pads, playgrounds, laundry rooms, bath houses, walking trails, restaurants, boat launches, fishing piers, etc.. You’ll be able to click to visit their website for a full list of amenities and of course to book your stay when you find a winner. You’ll find over 60 total RV parks/resorts to choose from in Kemah, Galveston, Freeport, Bolivar, Matagorda, Aransas Pass, Rockport, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island and more (organized from northern most area to southern most area). Yes, this took me a good long while to put together and I’m happy it gets to get used by more than just me. And I’m happy that when you decide you want to go to the coast last minute on a holiday weekend that you’ll have a place to go desperately look for RV parks with availability. You’re welcome.

Side note: Can you even say, read, or type you’re welcome without thinking of Dwayne Johnson? if you could, I probably just ruined it. You’re Welcome.

Kemah RV Resorts

Home to the Kemah Boardwalk and less than 20 minutes to the Space Center. Kemah is on my RV camping bucket list.

Brickhouse RV Resort

1029 Marina Bay Drive
Kemah, Texas 77565
(281) 334-0333

http://brickhouservresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi in Business Center

• Cabins available for rent

Marina Bay RV Resort

925 Marina Bay Drive
Kemah, Texas 77565
(281) 334-9944
http://www.marinabayrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Lake Front

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Walking Areas

• Cabins Available for Rent

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Bolivar Peninsula

Just a short ferry ride from Galveston and you’re only agenda is to relax or maybe pick up a fishing pole or a beer.

Paula’s Vinyard RV

1250 N Crystal Beach Rd
Port Bolivar, TX 77650
(409) 684-9970
https://paulasvineyard.com

• Full Hookups

Lazy Pelican

996 Sea Spray Dr.
P.O. Box 1396
Crystal Beach, TX 77650
409.684.9909
http://lazypelicanrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Short walk to beach

• Wifi

Bolivar RV Resort and Storage

731 Hwy 87
Gilchrist, TX 77617
(409) 974-0064
http://www.bolivarrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Beach Access

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Beach Home Available to Rent

REEL Paradise RV

1123 North Rd.
Crystal Beach, TX 77650
409-502-7909
http://reelparadiservpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Covered RV sites with boat lift

Lazy D&D RV

681 Hwy 87
Crystal Beach, TX 77650
409-684-1900
http://lazydanddrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Satellite TV

• Waterfront Canal Site

Stingaree RV

1295 N. Stingaree Rd
Crystal Beach, Texas 77650
409-684-2731
https://www.stingaree.com/RV-Park

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Canal Sites with Boat Tie Ups

Beach Side RV Park

1280 Hwy. 87
Crystal Beach, TX 77650
409-996-3288
http://www.beachsidervandstorage.com

• Full Hookups

• Short Walk to Beach

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Galveston / Freeport

The place rich in history with a little something for everyone and home of some of the most upscale beach RV resorts along the Texas coast. The beaches aren’t known for their beauty in town, but head west just a little ways and the beaches become quite charming and quaint. This is one of my favorite places in all of Texas.

Visit https://www.galveston.com to see all Galveston has to offer.

Galveston Island State Park

14901 FM 3005
Galveston, TX 77554
(409) 737-1222
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island

• Water/Electric Sites

• Dump Station

• Beach Access

• Bay Access

• Waterfront Sites Available

• Note: Beach side of park is getting ready to undergo a 3 year renovations during which the entire beach side of the park will be closed and only sites on the bay side will be available.

Galveston Island RV Resort

23700 Termini-San Luis Pass Rd
Galveston, TX 77554
(409) 200-2745
https://galvestonrv.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Short Walk/Drive to Beach

• On site cottages

• Dog Park

Jamaica Beach RV

17200 Termini-San Luis Pass Rd
Galveston, Texas 77554
(409)-632-0200
https://www.jbrv.net

• Full Hookups

• Pool with swim up bar / Lazy River

• Beach access across the street

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Park

Stella Mare RV Resort

3418 Stella Mare Ln
Galveston,TX77554
(409) 632-7017
https://www.stellamarervresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool / Tiki Bar

• Beach access across the street

• Dog park

• Homes available to rent

• Wifi

Dellanera RV

10901 Termini San Luis Pass Rd
Galveston, TX 77554
(409) 797-5102
https://www.galvestonbeachinfo.com/Dellanera_RV_Park.asp

• Full Hookups

• On the Beach

Galveston RV Resort and Marina

6310 Heards Lane
Galveston, TX 77551
888-744-2837
http://galvestonrvresortandmarina.com

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access / Marina

• Wifi

Sandpiper RV

201 Seawall
Galveston, Texas 77550
409-765-9431
https://www.sandpiperrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Rooms available to rent

• Beach access at Stewart Beach

• Very close to downtown and all the action

Tiki Toms

333 Jones Lake Rd.
Tiki Island, TX 77554
409-935-5599
http://www.tikitomsrv.com

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Wifi at Clubhouse

• Waterfront sites available

Bluewater Resort

11511 Bluewater Highway
Freeport, TX 77541
(979) 239-4301
https://www.bluewaterrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Beach access across the street

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Cottages available for rent

• Wifi

• Cable

• Waterfront Sites

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Matagorda

Not much happening around here, but that’s kind of the appeal. Another one of those places to just be and soak up some quality family time in the outdoors. It’s also on my RV camping bucket list.

LCRA Matagorda Bay Nature Park Camp

6430 FM 2031
Matagorda, TX 77457
855-392-7638
979-863-2603
https://www.lcra.org/parks/Pages/matagorda-bay-nature-park.aspx

• Full Hookups Sites

• Water/Electric Sites

• Dump Station

• Beach Access

• Colorado River Front Sites

• Airstream Campers Available to Rent

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Port Lavaca

Just a small Texas town along the coast. A perfect place for bird watching and fishing.

KOA Port Lavaca Matagorda Bay

1348 Co Rd 302
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Reserve: 800-562-8635
Info: 361-893-5120
https://koa.com/campgrounds/port-lavaca/

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Front Park

• Wifi

• Dog Walk

Lighthouse Beach and Bird Sactuary RV Park

700 Lighthouse Beach Road
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
361-552-5311or 361-552-1234

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Cable

• Note: I wasn’t actually able to find a website for this park. Info may not be accurate.

Oceanside RV Park

1818 Broadway St
Port Lavaca TX 77979
361-552-4814
http://www.oceansidervparkandpier.org

• Full Hookup Sites

• Water/Electric Sites

• Dump Station

• Cable

Texas Lakeside Resort

2499 West Austin Street
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
361-551-2267
http://www.texaslakesidervresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Cable

• Dog Run

• Waterfront sites available

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Palacios

Where? I’ve lived here all my life and this is kinda what I was thinking when I came across this RV park. Anyway, I’m not going to tell you where to vacation and this is another place perfect for a fishing getaway.

Serendipity Bay Resort RV Park and Marina

1001 Main St
Palacios, TX 77465
361-972-5454
http://www.serendipitybayresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Cable

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Rockport / Fulton

I’m going to personally name this one the RV Capital of the Texas Coast. Holy moly there are a ton of RV parks. There is a ton to do here too; roam the shops, visit their beach (which is on the bay), hit up a museum or the aquarium, or go fishing. I always think of fishing when I think of Rockport simply because that’s what we always did there when I was growing up.

Blue Lagoon RV Resort

717 N Fulton Beach Rd
Fulton, TX 78382
361-729-1100
http://www.bluelagoonsrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi Available at Rec Building

• Cable

Ancient Oaks RV Park

1222 Hwy 35 South
Rockport, Texas 78382
(361) 729-5051
https://ancientoaksrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Run

Anglers RV Retreat

1012 N. Moline Street
Rockport, Texas
361-205-4737
http://www.anglersrvretreat.com

• Full Hookups

• Wifi

Bahia Vista Waterfront RV Park

5801 FM 1781
Rockport TX 78382
(361) 729 - 1226
http://www.bahiavistarv.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access with Peir and Boat Tie Ups

• Wifi

Bay View RV Resort

5451 HWY 35 NORTH
ROCKPORT, TX 78382
(361) 400 6000
RESORT@BAYVIEWROCKPORT.COM
http://www.bayviewrockport.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi at Clubhouse

• Cable at most sites

• Walking Distance to Copano Bay and Aransas Bay Fishing Piers

Goose Island State Park

202 S Palmetto St.
Rockport, TX 78382
(361) 729-2858
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/goose-island

• Water/Electric Sites Only (20/30 amp)

• Dump Station

• Bay Access

• Note: Some parts of park are closed due to Hurricane Harvey damage. Please check for updates before booking.

Beacon RV Park and Marina

301 Fulton Beach Road
Rockport, TX. 78382
(361) 729-3906
http://www.beaconrv.com/
beaconrvpark@gmail.com

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Cable

Circle W RV Ranch

1401 SMOKEHOUSE RD
ROCKPORT, TX 78382
(361) 792-3687
https://circlewrvranch.com
STAY@CIRCLEWRVRANCH.COM

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Cottages available for rent

• Short drive to bay

Coastal Breeze RV Resort

3025 Loop 1781
Rockport, TX 78382
(361) 444-4131
https://coastalbreezervresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Dog Park

• Claims to be newest in Rockport

Copano Bay RV Resort

3101 FM 1781
Rockport, Texas 78382
(361) 790-9373
copanobayrvresort@gmail.com
https://copanobayrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Dog Park

• Cabin Rentals Available

Drifters Resort RV Park

4401 Hwy 35 South
Rockport, TX 78382
(361) 727-9105
info@DriftersResort.com
http://www.driftersresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

• Cabins/Cottages available to rent

Estes RV Park

140 Estes Drive
Rockport, TX 78382
(361) 386-2539
http://estesrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

Hidden Oaks RV Park

221 Palmetto (Lamar)
Rockport, Texas 78382
361-790-8581
LIVE@HiddenOaksRVResort.com
http://www.hiddenoaksrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Wifi in Clubhouse

• Cable in Clubhouse

• Short drive to bay

Lagoons RV Resort

600 Enterprise Boulevard
Rockport, Texas 78382
(361) 729-7834
http://www.lagoonsrv.com

• Full Hookups

• Indoor Pool

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi at Clubhouse

• Cable

• Dog Walking Area

• Cottages available to rent

The Last Resort

4321 Business Hwy 35 S.
Rockport, TX 78382
info@thelastresortrockport.com
361-727-1958
https://www.thelastresortrockport.com

• Full Hookups

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

• Motel rooms, cottages and cabins available to rent

Majestic Oak RV Resort

298 State Hwy 188
Rockport , TX 7838
361.727.0034
info@majesticoakresort.com
https://www.majesticoakresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

• Cabin Rentals Available

Palm Harbor RV

170 Port Ave
Rockport, TX
361-729-0113
http://www.palmharborrv.com

• Full Hookups

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi in Clubhouse

• Dog Walking Area

Rockport Retreat RV Resort

175 Nell Ave
Rockport, TX 78382
361-500-9975
https://rockportrvretreat.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable Available

Route 1069 RV park

606 W. Market
Rockport, TX 78382
(361)790-7600
http://www.rockportrv1069.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Short Drive to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

Saltwater Flats RV Resort

4221 TX Highway 35 South
Rockport TX 78382
361-386-2403
https://www.saltwaterflatsrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Cabin Rentals Available

Sandollar Resort

919 N. Fulton Beach Road
Rockport, TX 78382
361-729-2381
http://www.sandollar-resort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay across the street

• Motel Rooms Available to Rent (currently under renovations and not available)

• Wifi

• Cable

Seaport Villiage RV Park

5340 Hwy 35 North
Rockport, Texas 78382
361-727-0866
http://www.seaportvillagervpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access 750 yards from park

• Wifi

• Satellite available for additional fee

Shady Oaks RV Park

1301 Jims Smokehouse RD
Rockport, TX 78382
361-729-6511
https://rockportshadyoaksrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Cable

Taylor Oaks RV Park

707 S. Pearl St.
Rockport, Tx. 78382
Phone: 361-729-5187
tayloroaksrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Wifi

• Cable

• Short Walk to Downtown and Bay

Wilderness Oaks RV Park

4851 N. Highway 35
Rockport, TX 78382-9603
(361) 729-2307
www.wildernessoaksrv.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Run

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Aransas Pass

Apparently there is a water park in Aransas Pass. Who knew? The dolphin encounters also rank high on Trip Advisor and of course, it’s another fishing town. Take the ferry over to Port Aransas for a beach day, shopping, and restaurants.

Aransas Bay RV Resort

501 North Avenue A
Aransas Pass, Texas 78336
830-423-4322
aransasbayrv@yahoo.com
http://aransasbayrvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Short Drive to Bay

Marshall’s Landing RV Park

2707 Hwy 35 N
Aransas Pass, Texas 78336
817-946-6571
http://www.marshallslandingrvpark.com/index.html

• Full Hookups

• Waterfront Sites

• Wifi
  

Ransom Road RV Park

240 E. Ransom Road
Aransas Pass, TX 78336
361-758-2715
http://www.ransomroadrvparkinc.com/index.php

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access within Minutes

• Wifi

• Cable

RV Haven

922 Mack Road
Aransas Pass, TX 78336
361-230-4440
https://rvhavenrockporttx.com

• Full Hookups

• Wifi

Southern Oaks RV Resort

1850 Texas Highway 35 Bypass
Aransas Pass, Texas 78336
361-758-1249
https://www.sorvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Park

The Palms RV Park

2135 W Wheeler Ave
Aransas Pass, TX 78336
(361) 758-4000
https://www.thepalmsrvpark.com/home.html

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Park

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Portland

Portland is small town on the bay just outside of Corpus Christi. Stay in town or make the quick trip to Corpus and take advantage of all they have to offer.

Sea Breeze RV Community Resort

1026 Seabreeze Lane
Portland, TX 78374
361-643-0744
http://seabreezerv.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Fenced Dog Walk

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Port Aransas

Another one of my favorite beaches from childhood and adulthood. Gulf Waters is arguably the most luxurious and upscale beach RV resort in all of Texas and the town itself is just charming. Lots of good memories made here and it’s also just a hop, skip, and jump to Corpus Christi so you can advantage of all it has to offer as well.

Port A RV Resort

2600 HWY 361
Port Aransas, TX 78373
(361) 416-1405
https://portarvresort.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Wifi

• Cable

• Short Drive to Beach or Bay

Gulf Waters Beach Front RV Resort

5601 State Highway 361
Port Aransas, TX 78373
(361) 749-4978
http://gulfwatersrvresorttx.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Beach Access

• Wifi

• Cable

Pioneer RV

120 Gulfwind Drive
Port Aransas, TX 78373
888-480-3246
https://www.pioneerrvresorts.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Beach Access

• Wifi

• Cable

Mustang Island State Park

9394 State Highway 361
Port Aransas, TX 78373
(361) 749-5246
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/mustang-island

• Water/Electric Sites (50 amp)

• Dump Station

• Beach Access

• Note: Website states it’s only open for day use currently due to Hurricane Harvey Damage.

Surf Side RV and Resort

1820 S 11th St
Port Aransas, TX 78373
(361) 749-2208
http://surfsiderv.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• 2 blocks to beach

• Wifi

• Cable

On The Beach RV Park

907 Beach Access Rd 1A
Port Aransas, TX 78373
361-749-4909
http://onthebeachrvpark.com

• Full Hookups

• Beach Access

• Wifi

• Cable

I.B. Magee Beach Park

1000 Lantana Dr
Port Aransas, TX 78373
361-749-6117
http://nuecesbeachparks.com/ibmageebeachpark.html

• Water/Electric Sites

• Dump Station

• Beach Access

• Note: Currently closed due to Hurricane Harvey. Check website for updates.

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Corpus Christi / North Padre Island

The RV parks in Corpus are less impressive, but there’s so much to do. Corpus is home of the USS Lexington, The Texas State Aquarium, Padre Island National Seashore, and word on the street is there is even a Selena Musuem. We’re getting ready to stay at Padre Balli Park for the first time and I’ll be sure to share our trip when we get back. Look out for that post coming soon.

Padre Balli Park

15820 Park Road 22
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
(361) 429-4191
http://nuecesbeachparks.com/padreballipark.html

• Full Hookups

• Beach Access

Colonia Del Rey RV Park

1717 Waldron Rd
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
(800) 580-2435
(361) 937-2435
https://www.ccrvresorts.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Cable

• Wifi

Padre Palms RV Resort

131 Skipper Ln
Corpus Christi, Texas 78418
(800) 552-6250
(361) 937-2125
https://www.ccrvresorts.com

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Minutes to Bay

• Wifi

• Cable

Laguna Shores Villiage

3828 Laguna Shore Rd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
361-937-6035
https://www.lagunashorevillage.com

• Full Hookups

• Wifi

• Cable

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Port Isabel

Just this side of the causeway from South Padre Island (the southern most and prettiest beach in all of Texas). These two RV locations below seem actually really neat and it’s worth clicking into both of their websites to check it out.

Long Island Villiage

900 South Garcia
Port Isabel TX 78578
(956)943-3131
https://www.longislandvillage.com/default.php

• Full Hookups

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Cable

• Waterfront sites with dock available

Port Isabel Park Center

702 Champion Ave
Port Isabel TX 78578
(956) 943-7340
https://www.portisabelparkcenter.com

• Full Hookups

• Dump Station

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Dog Park

• Wifi and Cable available for stays over 1 week

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South Padre Island

I already said it above, but this is the prettiest beach in all of Texas. By that I mean the water is generally clearer than anywhere else. You can do anything here from dolphin excusions, parasailing, fishing, sunset cruises, and more.

Andy Bowie County Park

7300 State Park Rd 100
South Padre Island, TX 78597
(956) 761-3704
http://www.co.cameron.tx.us/wp/parks-our-parks/parks-coastal-parks/parks-andy-bowie/

• Full Hookups

• Beach Access

Isla Blanca Park

33174 State Park Rd 100,
South Padre Island, TX 78597
(956) 761-5494
http://www.co.cameron.tx.us/wp/parks-our-parks/parks-coastal-parks/parks-isla-blanca/

• Over 600 Full Hookup Sites

• Beach Access

• Bay Access

KOA Campground of South Padre Island

1 Padre Blvd
South Padre Island, TX 78597
800-562-9724
https://koa.com/campgrounds/south-padre/

• Full Hookups

• Pool

• Bay Access

• Wifi

• Cable

• Dog Park

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Any further and we’re in Mexico folks and taking an RV to Mexico sounds like a pretty stupid idea, at least to me. I did finish typing this all out while drinking a spicy margarita though so… there’s that.

Anyway, not really sure how to wrap this thing up so cheers to vacay. Good luck finding a place to park and be sure to let me know in the comments your favorite RV park/resort on the Texas Coast.

-Monica

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24 Rainy Day Camping Activities for Kids

I know I’ve talked about it before, but I’ve got a knack for planning camping trips on rainy or poor weather weekends. My talent for doing this is incredible actually. Just ask my family. You want to know when it’s going to rain? Just ask me for my camping schedule and you’ve got the answer. We’re headed to the coast in July and I’m already planning for hurricane weather because that would be my luck. You can bet I’ll be keeping a real close eye on the forcast during that time.

So since it’s obviously going to be raining for my next camping trip and the one after that and the one after that, here is the big question. What kind of rainy day activities can we do to keep the kids busy in the camper? I mean, we’ve watched every single movie in our camper at least 5 times and we haven’t even been camping for all that long. There are only so many times you can watch Sing or the Minions Movie over and over again. I’ve seen this question asked over and over again on camping forums so I’ve compiled the ultimate list of rainy day camping activities for your young kids.

The Ultimate List of Rainy Day Camping Activities For Your Kids

Markers and coloring books

1. Watch Movies - Yes it’s screen time and that’s not what camping is about, but for me camping is family time so if we’re all enjoying a movie together with a little popcorn, then I’m cool with that. Our camper favorites lately seem to be Sing, Minions, and The Lorax.

2. Play Board Games - Candy Land, Monopoly, Guess Who, Battle Ship, Connect 4, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Trouble, Checkers, or any board game you already have hiding in a closet somewhere will do.

3. Play Card Games - A whole family activiite sure to please. We love Uno and Go Fish. My almost 6 year old daughter would probably play all day. Don’t forget about games like Skip-Bo, Old Maid, War, Apples to Apples, Crazy 8, or Charades for Kids.

4. Color - We prefer a couple of coloring books and some markers that stay in our camper. Both of my kids love to color. Crayons can melt if they get too hot so I wouldn’t suggest keeping them in the camper if it gets hot in storage.

5. Paint - I’ve seen suggestions of painting rocks which looks like a ton of fun. Some people have also mentioned leaving them behind for the next set of campers to discover. I love that idea. Seems like a fun way to put a smile on someone’s face. Also some old school water colors and paper are easy to pack and always a fun activity for kids.

6. Play outside (if it’s safe to do so) - Just make sure you have a couple of kid size ponchos on hand (or swimsuits if it’s warm enough) and pack their rain boots (or crocs) and you’re good to go for a little rainy day outdoor adventure. Of course if there is lightening near by or dangerous wind, don’t do this. Use common sense folks, but have fun.

7. Play-Doh - cheap and easy to bring along.

8. Fort Making in the Bunks - If you have bunks that is and plenty of blankets or sleeping bags, pillows or just anything that can be used for a fort. I haven’t met a kid that didn’t enjoy fort making yet.

9. Learn Origami - Keep a stash of paper around and maybe grab an inexpensive book off Amazon for learning origami.

10. Make Slime - You can buy a slime kit or just have the ingredients you need on hand. There are endless recipes for slime on the internet. Just google it and choose a recipe that looks interesting or easy or whatever you want it to be.

11. Bake Cookies - Our favorite ones to make come from the Magnolia Cookbook. Oddly they’re better after they cool off which is unlike any cookie recipe I’ve ever tried. A premade dough works just fine as well, but from scratch will give you more to do and can be a great family activity for a rainy day.

12. Legos - Bring a tub or just a small set. You’re never too old for legos.

13. Read - Grab some books that your kids can read on their own or bring along some to read to them. I went to college to be an elementary school teacher so I’m a fan of reading to kids anytime, not just when it’s raining.

14. Seek and Find Books - Think Where’s Waldo or the I Spy books. Both of my kids love these.

15. Puzzles - I love that this can also be an individual thing or a family thing. Bring along all kinds of puzzles ranging from 24 pieces all the way to 500 pieces (depending on how rainy it’ll be or on ages and number of participants).

16. Jenga - Because this one also never gets old.

17. Tic-tac-toe - This is our go to at restaurants, but why not on a rainy day in the camper too.

18. Visit Local Indoor Attractions in nearby city- Museums, Children’s Museums, Aquariums, Kid friendly brewery or winery, trampoline parks, bowling, etc. Just google indoor activities for whatever city you are near and get out and explore.

19. Craft Kits - you can create your own kit or buy one ready to go. This can be as simple as beads and string or that super cool dream catcher kit in my Amazon list for rainy day activities.

20. Science Experiments - Honestly even I’d have to just google this one. I wouldn’t know where to start, but I’ve seen it mentioned in forums so I thought I’d include it here.

21. Dominos - I haven’t played dominos in years and would totally have to figure it all out again, but I do remember having fun. Seems like a great game for kids and adults alike.

22. Paper Doll Books - I’ve never done paper dolls with my daughter, but I’d bet if I pulled this out on a rainy day, she’d be in heaven.

23. Joke Books - This is for when you’re desperate and everyone is getting on each other’s last nerve. Hopefully a joke or two will get everyone smiling again.

24. Magnatiles - We don’t have magnatiles, buy I’ve almost invested in them several times. Everyone who has them swears they’ll keep their kids busy creating for hours.

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Just after the sun came back out, looking at birds on the water.

Get everything you need to entertain your kiddos on a rainy day in the RV on Amazon. Click the button below to go to my Rainy Day Shopping List created specifically for this blog post.

This link is an affiliate link and I may receive a small commission for any items purchased by clicking this link. If you choose to click and purchase, Thank you! This is how I can continue to bring you quality content on a regular basis.

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A cold day spent inside at Moody Gardens Rain Forest Pyramid while camping in Galveston.

Do you camp? What are some of your favorite rainy day camping activities? Share them with me in the comments for others to see.

Thanks for reading my post!

-Monica

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Oven S'mores in Under 5 Minutes

Have you ever wondered how you can make s’mores at home in the oven? We have. We technically have 3 months between our last camping trip and our next one and we’re already missing the camping life with over 2 months to go. It’s funny really because the first time we did s’mores with our kids they hated them. I bought the jumbo marshmallows and it was just too much marshmallow (as if there is such a thing) and they didn’t like how messy it was. They’ve since come to love them and we’ve found a way to have them on any ole night at home in under 5 minutes without having to fire up the grill. This is literally the quickest and easiest s’more you ever made and I’d say it’s just as good as the ones we make on the open fire (I’m sure I’m being judged for this statement by campers everywhere and I’m okay with that). Seriously it’ll take you longer to read this blog post than it will to make the actual s’mores.

Now, I know that I’m not generally your recipe girl. I’m only sorta a decent cook. Basically I can follow instruction really well, but cooking really isn’t my thing, but also I’m not sure you can actually call this cooking so I think we’re good there. Plus this is so easy my kids can do it.

What you’re going to need

• a cookie sheet

• foil (optional)

• graham cracker squares (2 for each s’more you plan to make)

• medium size marshmallows (1 per s’more)

• Hershey’s chocolate bar (2 individual pieces per s’more)

“Cooking” Instructions

• set oven to a high broil (our options are high and low, but I think high is 550 degrees).

• cover cookies sheet in foil if you’re like me and like the easy cleanup of just rolling up the foil and throwing it away.

• set one (1) graham cracker square down for each s’more you plan to make.

• add one (1) marshmallow to the top of each cracker.

• Put in oven for 1-2 minutes or until the tops of the marshmallows are at your desired level of burnt (we’re all different so you do you). Just keep a close eye on it because broil can sneak up on you real fast.

• Remove from oven and add 2 individual chocolate square to the top of each marshmallow.

• Add top graham cracker to each s’more and give it a little squish.

• enjoy!!!!

A Dreary Weekend at Lake Bastrop South Shore Park

So first things first, I’m just letting you know that if you’re showing up at Lake Bastrop South Shore Park after 4pm on a Friday with your camper, you need to call ahead and let them know. I’m not always the best at reading the fine print, but fortunately we knew our site number and the park host made sure we were good to go. In my defense, I originally planned on showing up at check in time, but life happens and it didn’t happen.

Where’d we go camping?

Lake Bastrop South Shore Park (an LCRA Park)

Lake Bastrop South Shore Park is one of a collection of parks located along the Colorado River in Texas operated by the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority). We paid $22/night to stay in a water/electric RV site and then paid an entry of $5/day for just the adults. The park does have a dump station and I believe they also have just a few full hook up sites. If you don’t have an RV, cabins are also available for rent and of course you can bring your tent.

Site Number?

Site number 4. We made our reservations kind of late and I wasn’t actually excited about this site at the time of reservation. Turns out it’s (in my opinion) one of the best campsites in the park. It’s super spacious with a sufficient enough pad for our monster of a camper and it has a little trail right down to the water. You can actually see the water from the campsite when you’re looking down the trail. This site would be perfect for anyone planning to bring kayaks along as there is plenty of room and an area perfect for launching kayaks just at the end of the trail.

What did we do there?

So we have a running joke already in our household about my ability to choose camping weekends. This was only our 4th trip, but each trip has come with some kind of weather. The first one was cold and a little rainy, the second one was cold and super duper windy, the third was actually mostly okay, but it was a little cold in comparison to the weekends on either side of it, and this one came with the promise of legit storms, flash flooding, and potential for 2 inch hail. Yep, I sure know how to pick them. That being said we didn’t really get to take too much advantage of our time at the park this go around. I think we watched every movie in the camper at least once.

We spent some time down by the water near our campsite watching fish swim around, listening for and finding frogs, and just playing. We also explored the other community areas of the park which included fishing docks, a playground, boat rentals, and mini golf. Of course with the weather we didn’t get to do all of those things, but we were impressed with the amount of activities available. Hiking of course is also on the list of things you could do. You could even hike all the way to the North Shore of the park to the LCRA park there.

Campsite 4. This was our first night and the best weather and light of the entire trip.

Pre bedtime exploration on night 1. This is the area just at the end of the trail from the campsite that would be great for launching a kayak or canoe.

Messy eater didn’t get cleaned up before setting off to explore.

Do you see the frog? This little guys were hanging out all over near the water. It was so fun to spot them.

Looking for fish swimming around. There was actually a bass just off the shore. Would have been a great fishing spot.

Next time bubba.

My heart.

Fishing pier at the RV loop.

Part of the park playground.

Swimming area. It was a little cold for swimming though.

Love this quiet moment.

More from the swimming area at the main community area where the playground, mini golf, and boat rentals are located just off a large parking lot.

The Clean Explorer Disposable Rain Ponchos with Hood and Drawstring: Extra Thick (4 Pack) Buy on Amazon

After this last photo we headed back to our campsite for lunch and Corbin’s nap. By the end of Corbin’s nap, the weather was starting to approach and any plans we had were out the window. We stayed inside the rest of the time and watched movies and waited on storms to pass.

Leaving the next morning was quite eventful. Check out is noon and all we saw on the radar was one storm after another. We packed up the inside of the camper and waited for a break and weather and then hooked up as fast was we could and hit up the dump station in the rain with thunder off in the distance not all that far away.

Ponchos are a definite must have to have on hand in your camper. If you don’t have them, go to the dollar store or jump on Amazon and order some now.

-Moninca

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Spring Break at Inks Lake State Park

You know what Saida and I fought about just before heading out with the camper to Inks Lake State Park? She didn’t want to go and and kept telling me we should just stay home. Homegirl junior. Not that she cares, but I had to pull the “well mommy and daddy don’t spend too much money a month on this camper to not go anywhere so do you think we should go camping or do you want to sell the camper?”

Obviously we went camping. I won’t say she didn’t cry about it for an hour and half on the way there though because she totally did.

Where’d we go?

Inks Lake State Park (and Longhorn Cavern State Park for a couple hours)

Site number?

West Loop, Site 43. I’d highly recommend this site especially if you like being right on the water and you like having the park store nearby with boat rentals and such. It is very close to the park store though and when they did fishing with a park ranger, there was a lot of foot traffic on the trail between 42 and 43. We didn’t mind, but if you do, consider a different site. And also fair warning, someone did mention to me on the Texas RV Camping Facebook page that they had seen a rattlesnake and some water moccasins in this particular area. We kept and eye out, but never saw anything.

What we did while we were there

Camped, hiked, paddle boated, made memories with family, made s’mores and hamburgers, watched movies in the camper (we’re real people), fished, hit up the park store for ice cream, made a quick trip to Longhorn Cavern State Park to take a cave tour.

Other Things you can do there

They have at least 2 playgrounds, a Kona Ice truck, kayaks, canoes, more hiking trails, swimming in the lake & events depending on the day. Also I had my eye on a winery up Park Road 4 called Perissos Vinyard and Winery, but we didn’t actually go there.

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Around the campsite

Campsite 43. You can see the canoes from the park store behind the camper.

Golden hour behind our campsite looking towards the park store.

From our campsite (43) looking out over the cove.

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Hiking

My kids aren’t exactly experienced hikers so when picking out a hike, we went for something that appeared manageable. We chose Lower and Upper Fisherman’s Trail and essentially made a loop. We ended up on the dark green trail for a few minutes so we walked a little further than originally anticipated, but overall this was a great trail for them. They got to climb a little, see the lake, and it wasn’t too long or challenging for them (ages 3 and 5). Corbin fell a few times, but that’s mainly because he’s a little more clumsy than your average 3 year old.

Upper Fisherman’s Trail

Lower Fisherman’s Trail and they were only climbing because the wanted to. This is actually just above the trail.

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Paddle Boats

Anyone curious what happens when I ask my kids to stand next to each other for a picture? THIS! This is what happens. This is why I don’t ask them to do it. Also the only reason I have this sad image is because we were about to buy ice cream and they weren’t taking a chance of not getting it. Also this was after getting off the paddle boats which ended up being a disaster because everyone was tired and both kids (who couldn’t even really reach the peddles) wanted to be able to peddle at the same time. We didn’t even use our full hour and then when I asked Saida what her favorite part of camping was after we’d been home a few days, she said the paddle boats. Blew my mind. I’m like you mean that thing we did where everyone whined the whole time. They really did have a great camping trip overall though.

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Longhorn Cavern State Park

Longhorn Cavern State Park really wasn’t on our list of things to do on this trip, but when we realized it was literally down the street from Inks Lake State Park, we decided why not. To be honest I really wasn’t sure what we were getting into. I thought we could explore a cave on our own for like 20 minute and then go hit some trails (because from what I can tell they have some super easy and kid friendly trails), but turns out this cavern is much more expansive than I originally thought and it’s only accessible by a 90 minute guided tour. Obviously we took the tour and decided against any hiking trails since we were well into nap time by the time we finished. The kids absolutely loved it. Corbin was a litte over it about an hour in (because it was nap time) but overall he did really well (thank goodness).

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We’re only three camping trips in, but so far we’ve really enjoyed each one. I think the kids are anxious to come back here again sometime soon. My final thought is that it’s a fantastic park for families and next time we look forward to bringing bikes for the kids as well. Maybe I’ll even hit up that winery and report back.

-Monica

Parabo Press For The Win + Free Square Prints + $10 Off

I don’t have quite as much control over things when it comes to Saida anymore. She has her own style, her own likes, wants to decorate her room according to her own taste, and all that good business. I’m hanging on to as much control as I can, but I’m also kind of a believer in letting her explore and letting her take charge of some of those things within reason.

Putting up these super cute (AND FREE because we got the smaller ones which are always free) square prints from Parabo Press is a fun way for me to let her make her own decisions while winning the battle over her room decor. She got to pick each photo she wanted to display. Nevermind that we’re still wearing Christmas pajamas with unbrushed hair (and it’s the afternoon). Scroll down for a coupon code at the bottom of this post for $10 off your first order from Parabo Press. Or if you’d rather, just order the free prints and just pay shipping. Such a fun way to have your kids interact with photographs.

Code for $10 off your first order from Parabo Press: MNEHAE

Galveston Island Camping Trip: More of My Happy

If you’ve known me for more than 5 minutes, you probably know that the beach/bay is the place my soul craves. Our latest camping trip to Galveston Island State Park was gloomy, windy, and cold. I didn’t care. It rained all weekend at home so gloomy, windy, and cold with a bay view seemed just fine to me. The sun came out on our last morning just as it was about time to start packing up. We decided to spend just 30 more minutes exploring before we had to leave and the dunes on the beach side of the island is where we ended up. They called it their mountain. They were in thier own kind of heaven and I can’t even explain to you how overwhelmingly happy and at peace I was in this moment. It’s the kind of happy and peaceful you forget exists until it sneaks up on you. There isn’t a worry or a care in the world because in that moment nothing else matters except being present and completely soaking it in and storing it in a place to keep you content until that feeling sneaks up on you again.

Beachside at Galveston Island State Park

Leaving was the hardest thing. Nobody wanted to go.

More of my favorites from our trip below.

Galveston Island State Park Hiking Trail

Lensbaby detail in the camper

Saki Monkeys inside the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens

Outside Moody Gardens Rainforest Pryramid

Inside Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid

Walkways over the intercoastal at Galveston Island State Park

Hiking at Galveston Island State Park

Camper window light with a lensbaby

We stayed with our RV at Galveston Island State Park on the bayside in site 55. I feel like sites 58-64 would be ideal in terms of a killer view of the bay. That’s my goal for next time. I think I acutally prefer the bayside to the beachside. The bay has a sense of calm that is totally my jam so I think I’d do that again.

We try to keep things simple. This was a quick trip so Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid is the only attraction we spent money on. We did things like drive by port on Saturday while two ships were in and the kids thought that was cool. We didn’t take the ferry this time, but kids also love that and it’s free. Just do it when it’s not crowded. In the past we’ve done the offshore oil rig museum which is pretty cool and affordable and just right there by the cruise ships, just with the wind we skipped it this time. I think Corbin would love it though so I want to take him to do that someday. What I really wanted to do was the oil rig museum at 4pm when the ships left so we could wave to the cruisers on deck as it passed by. That would have been cool, but our go with the flow attitude meant we weren’t around for that. Exploring the park and connecting with nature was priority for me even though we made time for fun in town too.

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The Picture That Sums up Why we Bought a Camper / Our Trip to McKinney Falls State Park

I promised myself I’d start blogging about our camping trips once we actually started taking them. I wasn’t sure what these blog posts would be exactly. I’m pretty sure I was thinking at some point I would become some sort of camping expert and people would flock to my blog to hear about our trips and what cool things I did/cooked that they too need to be doing, but I’m not sure this is where that is going. Big dreams, huh? I feel inspired for like 5 minutes and then it’s gone so…. Also, like, I’m never going to be that person. EVER. I don’t have my shit nearly enough together for that.

This morning I edited a picture from our trip that basically sums up our reason for buying a camper and trying to take a camping trip every month. Do you want to see it? Not that your answer matters because I’m going to show it to you whether you want to or not.

Here it is…

You: But Monica, that’s just a blurry photo of your child swinging on her hammock. How could that possibly sum up your reasons for buying a camper?

Me: Um no, it’s not. That photo right there is a feeling.

But for real, the out of focus element of this image is giving me this out of body experience where time has slowed significantly and I’m just exactly where I’m supposed to be. It’s that thing I was reaching for when we bought our camper. It’s that thing I’ve wasted the past 6 months or so of my life anxiously awaiting. It’s that thing we’ve been missing in this life that doesn’t ever seem to slow down. It just goes faster and faster and faster and we were afraid that before we knew it we’d wake up and our kids would be grown and we would have let the opportunity for these kinds of experiences pass us up.

It’s easy to skip these things over. It’s easy to say, “Well, life is just to damn busy to stop right now.” We live in a world where we have to intentionally schedule time to slow down and so that’s what we’re doing.

Me: You wanna see more of my favorites from this trip to McKinney Falls State Park?

You: Yes, Monica. I can’t think of anything I’d love more.

Where we stayed: McKinney Falls State Park in Austin, Texas

Campsite: 18, (1 of 12 50 amp sites with water and electric). Very large pull through campsite with one site very close by (worked out fine because they never came out of their camper) and next to the bathrooms which turned out to not be a big deal at all. In fact when Corbin pooped in his pull up we were just thankful there was a dumpster nearby.

Think of Someplace Warm

So I love yoga partly because I sometimes get to have these day dreamy moments at the instruction of my yoga teacher and nobody gets to ruin them by asking for fruit snacks or milk. It’s not every time I go, but I hadn’t actually been in over two weeks and my body and mind were screaming for some me time on the mat.

It was 90 degrees yesterday. It’s 45 degrees today so during a pre-class child’s pose Maria (my yoga instructor) asked us to think of someplace warm. 10 times out of 10 when you ask me to think of someplace warm, I’m going to think of my toes in the sand, the sun on my face, and gentle waves slowly lulling me to sleep. It’s my go to. I tried to go there today and you know what? I didn’t want to be there.

Who am I? Why do I not want to be at the beach? What other warm place could I possibly want to go?

And then I had my most favorite day dream of someplace warm to date. It was cold outside in this day dream (much like today), but I was snuggled in close on the couch in our new to us camper in front of the TV and space heater fireplace with the three people who mean the most to me in all the world. Wrapped in blankets we’re happy and warm and just soaking in all the goodness that is family confined to a small space. We’re drinking hot chocolate, the kids are laughing (I can actually hear Corbin laughing in my head and it makes me smile), Tyler and I are beaming with pride for the family we created, and I literally can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.

I can’t wait to start sharing our camping adventures with you. I love that we’re calling them adventures. I was showing Saida all the places we’d go and instead of asking where we’d camp next, she asked me to tell her what the next adventure would be. It was painful actually signing the paperwork for the second most expensive thing we currently own, but hearing her put it that way makes me realize I would have gladly paid even more to make these adventures her reality. These are the moments we were absolutely meant to live together and I’m glad we get to start sooner rather than later.

Stay tuned.

- Monica

Why We Invested In Memories Over Real Estate

There was this brief moment a few weeks ago where Tyler and I seriously considered buying a house. As seriously as we’ve done anything we were planning renovations for each room and really trying to understand the layout and falling in love with the sweet lot the house sat on. We’d only seen it in pictures and it just hit the market and literally every single room was going to need renovations. I’m down for renovations, don’t get me wrong, but there wasn’t going to be any money left for renovations.

That morning we’d been camper shopping so we were thrown for a loop when we saw this property pop up. Our options were camper or house, but not both. We already have a house so it’s not like we don’t have a place to be, but real estate is always a good investment, right? Campers just depreciate over time and all that.

Sooooo, we passed up a super awesome real estate opportunity and decided to buy a camper. It wasn’t quite that simple, but it’s what we did. Here is what it came down to for me.

Real Estate vs. Memories

We got stuck in one of those time share presentations back in April in Sedona. We had no intention of buying, but there we were trying to collect the $100 promised to us for sitting through it. Side note: Don’t ever sit through one of these things for only $100. Ask them for the world before you show up and negotiate something much better than $100. Anyway, they ask you all these questions trying to guilt you into buying a timeshare because if you don’t, you obvioulsy don’t love your kids or your mother-in-law. Legit this is what the dude working for Diamond Resorts more or less told me. I wish I was kidding. The thing that made sense from that presentation was investing in memories. We’re not timeshare people, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to start making the kinds of memories I cherish from my childhood with my own children. So we bought a camper and invested in moments and memories for our family. We can buy an new house with more land later after we handle some more things financially, but I’d prefer to start making the memories now. Each day is a gift and it would sure be a shame if we let these years pass us by with regret. Something tells me we’ll never regret a single day spent with our kiddos exploring nature and making s’mores.