I Can't Go Camping, So . . .

I thought I’d have a little fun today.  In a previous post, I had mentioned that my husband, Alan, has a major construction project going on at a rental property we own.  If all goes according to plan, the project should be finished by the end of this summer.  Meanwhile, he spends as much time as possible on site, working out of our older travel trailer, since the property is about three hours from our home.  I help him whenever schedules, projects and the task of running a household are under control at home.  When working on site, we usually end up filthy and exhausted - so much so that we’re both out like a light before 8:00 p.m. most nights.  (Don’t laugh at us or we just might put you to work, too.)  Last summer, we enjoyed almost six weeks on the road touring the National Parks along the west coast.  This summer . . . nothing.  (There is no emoji on earth that could convey the amount of sadness I feel right now, so I won’t even try.)  That being said, this is a really important project that will make a huge difference in the maintenance of the property and should increase its value substantially.  And, if all goes well, Alan and I will get out this fall to explore and enjoy.  So, I’m on board with it 100% - really.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not envious of all the RVers I pass on the road and all of those whose RV travel blogs I follow.  But, rather than wallow in self-pity, I figured I’d do something that would be fun and constructive with the little bit of spare time that I have, so please do come along and play with me.

Mike's Hard Lemonade "Happy Camper" - Looks Like I'll Have To Do Their Marketing For Them

Today, we celebrate Dads of all shapes and sizes, in all walks of life, with all kinds of kids.  It’s a tough job being a (good) parent, one that our kids won’t truly appreciate until they walk in our shoes.  Special shout outs today to the guys in my life whose responsibilities as fathers have recently taken on new meaning . . . To nephew, Geo, who, having just married his fiancée, Reneé, is celebrating his first Father’s Day as an official stepfather.  To our cousin, Nick, who is celebrating his first Father’s Day as Dad to two children.  He, his wife, Katharine, and their daughter, Hayden, welcomed baby Harrison to the family a little more than a month ago.  And to our friend, Mark, whose only child – his daughter, Katy - just recently became engaged.  He’ll be stepping into “father-in-law shoes” when Katy and her fiancé, Andrew, tie the knot.  Love and best wishes to all these guys!  As for our own special guy, I have no doubt that Alan will be a “Happy Father” today – not only will he be spending the day boating (his passion), but he’ll be able to do that with the two reasons he’s a Happy Father (son, Ryan, and daughter, Kyra), plus a bonus kid – Ryan’s longtime girlfriend, Anya.  You’re the best, Alan!  Enjoy your day!  Here’s hoping that all of you who are Dads (in any variation of the word) have the opportunity to spend the day exactly as you wish and that it turns out to be relaxing, enjoyable and happily memorable!  Now, as for these people at Mike’s Hard Lemonade . . .

Another Favorite Place - Twin Oaks RV Park in Elko, Georgia!

Rather than just provide a complete list of my favorite websites under “Check out my favorite places!,” I decided to add them one at a time and let you know exactly why I like them.  That way, you’ll be able to determine whether or not the site might be of interest to you.  Besides, I believe that these sites do such an awesome job of providing information, opportunities and/or entertainment that it really is a pleasure to bring them to your attention!

Twin Oaks RV Park is located just off Interstate 75 at Exit 127 in Elko, Georgia.  It’s about 30 minutes south of Macon, 2 hours south of Atlanta and 2 hours north of the Florida state line.  Alan and I have never been there.  So, you ask, why is this one of my favorite places?  To answer that question, we’ll need to go back in time almost 10 years.  Here’s the story . . .

Tidbits - May 2018

Over the past month, I’ve come across these interesting little tidbits of news – none of which are worth a full blog post but all of which intrigued me, so I thought this format would be a good way to share them.  Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way.  I’m not affiliated with, recommending or receiving payment from any of the companies or organizations mentioned.  I’m just sharing what I consider to be delightful or useful bits of news with you – you know, the kind of stuff you might talk about around a campfire with fellow travelers.  The photos in this post were taken last summer during our stay at Enchanted Trails RV Park on Historic Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (link HERE).  Without further ado, here are the tidbits from May . . .

Yogi Was Right - "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" (National Parks Trip #1)

This post represents the final installment in the series detailing the first of our three cross country National Parks camping trips with travel trailer in tow.

As our family pulled out of the Riverview RV Park in Loveland, Colorado, early one August morning in 2007, we could look back at our itinerary and take great satisfaction knowing that we had achieved our goal of visiting one National Memorial (Mount Rushmore), one National Monument (Devil’s Tower), and five National Parks (Badlands, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Rocky Mountain) on our first cross country trip as a family of four.  Alan and I pretty much re-created our honeymoon of more than 25 years prior, the only differences being that a travel trailer had replaced our two person mountain tent and there were now two kids in the previously empty back seat.  The trip had been full of many “firsts” and tons of fun but, initially, we had been extremely disappointed that we would miss a visit with our friends Mary and Dave who live in Colorado.

If you remember me mentioning our close friends Peg and Bill who live in Virginia, you may be interested to know that Mary is Peg’s sister.  Since Peg and I have been friends since first grade, it follows that Mary and I have known each other for quite some time, as well.  Although Mary is younger by several years, she and her husband Dave had children before Alan and I did.  And I have to say that we have looked upon these two incredibly warm and caring people as role models while tripping our way through the landmines of parenthood.

Mother's Day Reflections - Go Ahead, Ask Me Why I'm Late

As I was putting the finishing touches on this post yesterday, my son and his girlfriend arrived with gifts in hand and canines in tow, so we had an enjoyable visit.  After they left, my daughter and I spent some quality time together soaping up one of her tires with the hope of figuring out why it was losing air.  (Yup, that nail would be the reason.)  So, it’s my kids’ fault that this post is late.  Of course, if they weren’t around, I wouldn’t be writing it.  I am SO happy they’re here!!!

My Magical Spot in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado (National Parks Trip #1)

This post represents another installment in the series detailing the first of our three cross country National Parks camping trips with travel trailer in tow.

The northwestern corner of Wyoming is grand and glorious country and it was with no small amount of regret that we pulled out of the Colter Bay Village RV Park.  The Teton Range would be in our rearview mirror as we made our way south and east into Colorado.  Our next stop (and final National Park of the trip) would be Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), and our itinerary definitely included a visit to one of the most magical places in the Park.