Carefree Add a Room

Carefree makes an Add A Room (AAR) you can attach to your awning for extra living space while camping. It gives you an enclosed room you can enjoy all day long. I highly recommend this for people camping with kids or pets. It takes us about 25 minutes to set up and we find it well worth the extra time when staying somewhere for at least 3 nights. We opted for the LTD room which has heavier vinyl panels and zippered privacy panels. There is also a hard screen door you can buy and use in place of the zippered screen door. We’ve used both. The hard door option is very nice. No more bending over and zipping and unzipping every time you want to enter. It makes it feel more like a real “room”. It does require more storage space though. The AAR comes in 2 bags already and then the door folds in half for storage so it can be tricky to bring with you to the campground. We only bring the hard door when we are staying more than a week at a campground. It also adds about 20 minutes to your set up and take down time. There are 4 panels with the AAR. The long one attaches to the awning. This side has the door which zips up and down for entry. Then there are two side panels which attach to the RV with snaps or optional snapless kit. The 4th panel attaches to the bottom of your RV to complete the room. If shade is your main goal and you aren’t worried about keeping pets inside or bugs out, you can skip the 4th panel and just leave that side open. We used... Read more

Fun Camping Games

Just let them PLAY ! Sometimes the best way to keep kids busy at a campground is it just let them play.  They don’t always need to be entertained by us.  Some of my kids favorite activities are: ~ Ghost in the Graveyard.  This game is part tag and part hide and seek.  It’s best played at dusk when it is starting to get dark.  You can play at night too with flashlights.  One person is the hider and the seekers all chant “ghost in the graveyard slowly 5 times” while that person is hiding.  Then the seekers start looking for the hider.  The hider jumps out and scares them and chases them all until he catches everyone.  Last person caught is the new hider. ~ Flashlight Tag.  This is a game you play in the dark.  You need a field or an open place for the kids to play without bothering other campers.  Each kid gets their own flashlight.  One person covers their eyes and counts to a certain number (my kids like 50).  Everyone else uses their flashlights to find a place to hide.  Then they turn off their flashlights so the seeker doesn’t see them.  The seeker yells “Ready or not, here I come” and turns on their flashlight and goes off to find the other kids.  Last one found is the new seeker.  We set boundaries ahead of time of where the kids are allowed to go, and where is off limits.  We also make the little kids partner up with the older ones so no one gets lost. ~ Telling funny stories around the campfire.  This one is... Read more

Port Huron KOA

Camping may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to spending time with you mom on Mother’s Day, but it sure can be fun. This weekend we spent our second Mother’s Day in a row at the Port Huron KOA here in Michigan.  My mom and I had campsites on opposite corners, and my sisters each rented a full service cabin right across the street from our campsites. There were 8 adults and 8 kids in our group.  This KOA offers many activities for the kids.  Batting cages, mini golf, go-carts, bike rentals, basketball courts, sand volleyball, outside in-line skate rink, family movies in their own little theater, and planned activities on the weekends.  There is also a pool and bumper boats in season. Read more  Read More →

Rving with Kids – Mommmmmm…she’s touching me!

  It’s inevitable that staying is such small quarters in going to lead to sibling arguing eventually.  My darling daughters are at that teen and pre-teen stage where they are either best friends or bickering about everything.  Unfortunately for us, most of their bickering happens while we are on the road and privacy is limited ! These are a few things we’ve tried to do to help with the arguing- ~ Let them take turns bringing a friend.  For some reason, the girls get along much better when one of them has a friend along.  They usually become a threesome and wander the campground together leaving me to enjoy some peace and quiet at the campsite.  Not always, but usually. ~ Pitch a tent.  When the campsite is big enough, we put up a tent next to the motorhome.  The girls can stay in there together (so this way at least I don’t have to listen to the bickering as much).  Or one of them will stay out there with their younger brother and the other will stay inside with us.  Read more  Read More →

Cedar Point- Camper Village

If you love roller coasters, thrill rides and camping…..Cedar Point is for you ! Cedar Point bills itself as the roller coaster capital of the world. There are 17 roller coasters, thrill rides, water rides, kiddie rides and even plenty of the spinning rides that make your stomach drop. Whatever type of ride you enjoy, chances are you will find it here. In the fall there are Halloweekends. The park is decorated for Halloween and offers special haunted houses and attractions. Family friendly monsters, fun parades, and haunted houses that will scare most adults. Cedar Point is also home to Soak City. Here you will find plenty of water activities to keep everyone in the family happy. From water slides to splash zones, they have it all. Read more  Read More →

The Field of Dreams

Last summer on our way from Michigan to South Dakota, we decided it would be fun to drive through Iowa to see the Field of Dreams in Dyersville. Some people thought it a little odd to drive through a whole state just for a brief visit in the middle of corn country. I have to admit there wasn’t a lot to see along the way. The road was sometimes slow and a bit rougher than big interstate highways. But we had a great time and we weren’t in a hurry. The Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner has long since been one of my favorite movies. We are a baseball family and all 3 of our kids play spring ball. They too loved the movie and were excited to visit a real movie site. We brought our bats and gloves and took turns hitting, running the bases and walking out from the corn. We arrived about 20 minutes after a heavy rain, so the field was wet…but it didn’t stop us. There are gift shops and some neat trivia about the shooting of the movie. One word of caution…the parking can be tight for larger RV’s. We were in a 36ft motorhome towing a minivan and we barely made the cut to turn around. It may be necessary to unhook the road…it will be worth it though. One nice thing about RVing is that getting there can be half of the fun. Take some time to enjoy the journey. Until next week, ~Shannone  Read More →

Rving with Kids – “Are We There Yet” ??

We spent two very long days on the road coming back from Florida recently. 480 miles one day and 525 the next. Normally we don’t like to drive that many miles in one day, but we had to work within the confines of our school calendar. With two kids in middle school, they aren’t able to miss school like they could when they were younger. Some of the things that work for long driving days with my family are: ~ Books. Sounds simple, but there is nothing like having a good book to keep the kids occupied. My older girls love reading and selected their own books to bring along. My 7 year old son and I picked out a few books for him together. He reads on his own but prefers it when we read together. My husband also likes to bring along audio books on cd. We can borrow them from our local libray. ~ Art supplies. We love the Color Wonders products. The kids can sit at the dinette and create their masterpieces. If the markers slip when we hit a bump it won’t leave marks on the table. By the time we get to our destination we have a whole stack of drawings to pass out. ~ DVDs. Sometimes kids just want to watch tv and be lazy. It’s hard not to feel that way when spending a whole day in the motorhome. I pick up a few movies that they haven’t seen before so they have something new to keep their attention. Sometimes I try to tie it into our location. Last summer we drove through Iowa just to see the Field of Dreams from the Kevin Costner movie of... Read more

Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise- Panama City Beach

This is one family attraction I can highly recommend. It exceeded our expectations and was fun for the whole family.  It is the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise out of Panama City Beach, FL.  Very reasonably priced at $21 for adults and $17.00 for kids under 14.  There are also coupons available on their website.  Reservations are suggested 2-5 days ahead of time. It is a 2 hour sightseeing cruise which takes you through St. Andrews Bay and into the Gulf of Mexico where you are likely to spot dolphins playing in the waves.  The boat is an 85 ft pirate ship with a galley snack shop, bathrooms and a “dungeon”. There also serve beer, rum punch and margaritas for the big pirates on board. The crew are dressed as pirates and give instructions to the kids before we set off on our search for gold.  They are taught pirate terminology and how to use their “sea legs”. The parents are told up front that all they have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride…the crew keeps the kids busy for you !  So grab your rum punch and enjoy the sounds of Jimmy Buffet and other beach music while the kids are having fun. The kids are given pirate tattoos and hats.  They have a water gun fight and then they get to “swab the decks” afterwards to clean up the mess.  They have a sword fight, search for treasure, and play party games like the limbo and Hokey Pokey.  The two hours flew by and we all had a great time. Read more  Read More →

5 people and 2 dogs in a 35 ft motorhome

When we began our camping adventures 2 years ago, we thought a 5th wheel was the way to go.  We had a truck already to tow with and the 5th wheel had so much living space when all 4 slides were out and we were all set up.  3 short camping trips later, we came to the realization that we needed more space while traveling if we were going to make this work. Read more  Read More →

Family Fun in South Dakota, part two

(continued from last week) You can’t go to the Black Hills without seeing Mt. Rushmore.  Honestly, it was probably the one place I was the least excited to see.  It was on the list because I felt like I had to see it.  But once we got there and I was walking down the avenue of flags and got my first glimpse of the presidents, I was overwhelmed with pride and emotion.  Quite a moving experience.  There is a very nice museum on-site with some fun interactive activities for the kids.  If possible, I recommend visiting at least twice.  During the day when the sun is high is a great time for taking close up pictures.  You can even hike around a bit.  In the evening there is a nightly lighting ceremony which we all really enjoyed.  In the end, we ended up visiting or driving by Mt. Rushmore 5 different times that week, and I couldn’t look away each time.  We were there during the 4th of July holiday and seeing the fireworks over the mountain was amazing. Crazy Horse Memorial- this is another must see, in my opinion.  Although nowhere near completion, it is a huge project that one family has dedicated their whole lives to.  You can learn more about it during the short film shown on a loop in the main building.  There is a very nice Indian museum and a gift shop where you can buy locally made pottery.  Every night there is a laser light show set to music which the kids loved.  Well worth the admission/donation price.  There is also a snack shop and ice cream... Read more

Next Page »