When we started this full-time journey over two years ago, we did what any family looking to go full-time would do. We started scouring the internet for resources. We read countless articles, joined every Facebook group we could find that had full-time RV in the title and we started interacting with those “like us”. Here we are two years (and three months), 31,802 RV miles and 44 states later and I’ve come to the realization that we aren’t like most full-time RV families. We don’t fit the mold and here’s why. I love reading people’s stories - why did they choose (or not choose) to start living full-time in an RV? I recently posed this question in a Facebook group and got the spectrum of responses. Some people went full-time to slow down, some to create new life experiences, others to rid themselves of stuff. And of course there were also the stories of people who didn’t choose this lifestyle but were forced into it due to a lost job, change in housing, or a multitude of other personal challenges. One thing was certain - we were not the norm. Did we consider all of those advantages (and disadvantages) when making the decision to go full-time? Absolutely. Were we living many of them as our primary objective? Nope. So why did we decide to go full-time? It’s kind of a long story (that happened in a relatively short time frame) but what it boiled down to was that we were doing it for our business. We started a custom motorcycle gear business in September 2018 as a side hustle. We wanted to make a buck while spending time with our motorcycle community trackside. We also saw a need for high quality, inexpensive custom motorcycle suits at a reasonable price point. By early 2019, it was clear that our business was growing quickly and we would need to hire someone to help run the business (while we kept our busy, corporate executive-level day jobs). When both of our jobs took sort of dramatic turns in the summer of 2019, we decided it might be time for one of us to focus full-time on the business. We started downsizing our monthly expenses to make this transition - the first of which was buying the RV and selling the house (although we ended up keeping and renting the house for the first year and a half before finally deciding to sell it in April 2021). After a couple of unexpected turns of events, both myself and Rob found ourselves unemployed and focusing full-time on the business by September 2019. During our strategic planning session for the 2020 season, we realized the RV life lended well to growing our business geographically by being trackside at as many tracks as possible in as many states as possible. The vision for what we’re doing today was born. When I started reflecting on our first two years on the road, it was clear to me that we were blazing a very different path than the rest of the community. We started traveling to build our business. We were arriving at the race track on Thursday or Friday, spending all weekend networking with riders and growing our business, and packing up on Sunday evening or Monday morning and starting the trek to the next race track. Sometimes that was a two hour drive and sometimes that was a twelve hour drive (or, in the case of our west coast road trip, 20+ hours for a couple of the events). Depending on the length of the travel in between weekends, we may or may not have time to do anything fun in between. Before we knew it, we would be set up at our next race track and ready to work through the weekend. While our community counterparts were set up at nice RV parks, we were either boondocking trackside or in a Planet Fitness or Cracker Barrel parking lot or set up trackside with only power (or maybe generator power only for the weekend). Only one race track we attended in 2021 had full hookups - boy were we spoiled! On the rare weekend off or week without two or three days of travel, we would find an RV park to set up at. However, we often found ourselves held up in the RV for two or three full days just trying to catch up on work. I distinctly remember one time when we were in St. Augustine, Florida at a beautiful RV resort (fancy name for fancy parks) just staring at the pool from the RV windows while we worked. In fact we were in Florida three times this year and never even went to a beach! If we were lucky (or smart), we would stop working around 2 or 3 o’clock in the afternoon and find somewhere to go or something to do for the last few hours of the day. Of course this ruled out most museums since most of them close at 5 or 6 pm. We often found ourselves just exploring the sights or grabbing dinner somewhere with (hopefully) a view. The kids were often so sick of traveling that they just wanted to stay in the RV. We fought them on this most of the time but, every once in a while, we gave in and let them stay while Rob and I grabbed a date night out on the town (much needed when you live in 400 square feet with two children). We’ve traveled almost 40,000 miles in the RV in the past two years. We’ve visited 44 states - coast to coast. We’ve seen almost every major landmark in each state or at least something notable in each state. But we never spent substantial time in any one place. We were at Mount Rushmore for less than an hour. We bought a seven day pass to Crater Lake in Utah (which is unbelievably beautiful, btw) and we only spent a few hours there. We were constantly jumping from place to place to take it all in and then back on the road we went. Thankfully for us, our kids would get bored easily. An hour or two at each place was more than enough for them. They were grateful to see it, leave and then move on to the next thing (or spend the next few days held up in the RV while we traveled). The other day I sat down to really think about how we could grow our social media channel and why we weren’t picking up steam like other channels and I came to the realization that we may be trying to speak to the wrong audience. We aren’t like other full-time RV families. We live at the race track most weekends, not nice RV parks. We don’t work less now that we’re full-time. If anything, we work more. We see a lot of the country but we don’t get to spend much time in any one place. If you’re looking for a traditional full-time RV family, that’s not us. If you want to follow our unique adventures as we attempt to balance full-time RV living, build a business and homeschool our children on the road, we would love to have you follow along! If you have a passion for motorsports, you may also want to follow along. We visit race tracks across the country and are able to answer any questions you may have prior to visiting each track. Whatever your reason for being here, we’re happy you’re here - and look forward to connecting with you in person one of these days! (We aren’t those weirdos that don’t want people to talk to them either - no offense, weirdos.)
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Happy Monday, family, friends, and fellow campers! I am writing to you from a small town outside beautiful Virginia Beach, Virginia following a fun, family-filled weekend. I'm reflecting on the weekend we had with a bit of angst about the time we took away from work. I'm trying to put in perspective the work-life balance we've created through this lifestyle for our readers. I think it's easy for people to see all of the amazing places we've traveled and things we've done over the past year and think that all we're doing is having fun. That couldn't be farther from the truth so let me try to explain.
We took a small detour from our strategic, race track-focused travel schedule last week as we made our way from Summit Point Motorsports Park in Summit Point, West Virginia to Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is the first time we've moved our Thor Outlaw motorhome without heading in the direction of another race track since we left Dallas at the beginning of June. Since we decided not to take the RV to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington this coming weekend, we found ourselves with a three-week gap between events. Because we were on the east coast and all of Rob's family (on his dad's side) lives on the east coast, we decided this was the perfect opportunity to have some family time.
This past weekend was the first weekend since my birthday on May 29th that we did not find ourselves at a race track all weekend. We met up with Rob's sister, Erica, and her family to slow down for a bit and enjoy time away from the track. We hadn't seen Erica and her family for two and a half years, since she and her husband moved from Fort Worth, Texas to Virginia Beach on assignment from the Navy. The last time we saw them was at Carter's eleventh birthday party at Elevation Trampoline Park. Erica, her husband, Donald, and their son, Jason, had driven from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City for Carter's party shortly before they packed up and headed back to the east coast.
On Friday night we reconnected at Donald and Erica's house for pizza and to meet our newest niece, Kira, for the first time. She recently celebrated her first birthday and we hadn't had the opportunity to meet her yet.
On Saturday we visited the Norfolk Naval Station and saw many incredible ships. We can't tell you about them, though, because then we'd have to kill you! LOL. According to military.com, "Naval Station Norfolk is the world's largest naval station, supporting 75 ships and 134 aircraft alongside 14 piers and 11 aircraft hangars. The base houses the largest concentration of U.S. Navy forces. Air Operations conducts an average of 275 flights per day or one every six minutes. It is the hub for Navy logistics going to the European and Central Command theaters of operations, and to the Caribbean." Following our visit to the Norfolk Naval Station, we drove to Virginia Beach and went on a driving tour of the boardwalk. The weather wasn't ideal for a beach day so we opted to just tour the area by car instead.
Saturday night, Donald and Erica offered to watch the kids so Rob and I could have a date night for the first time in months. Since game three of the Oklahoma City Thunder/Houston Rockets NBA playoff series was on TV and we've barely been able to see the first two games because of our less than stellar internet connection, we opted to visit a local restaurant called Jose Tequilas Mexican Grill and Bar to grab a couple of margaritas, some chips, and queso and watch the game at the bar. If you ever visit a Jose Tequilas Mexican Grill and Bar, I highly recommend their avocado margarita and cowboy queso with steak, applewood smoked bacon, and fresh hot peppers. It was very good but also very hot! To top off the evening, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled out the win in overtime to avoid being swept in the first round of the playoffs. (Here's to hoping they can even the series up tonight!)
Sunday morning we met Erica, Erica's mom, and the kids for a morning at the beach. Since they are beach regulars, they came prepared with beach chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards. It was a beautiful, relaxing day of beach fun topped off by seeing several dolphins just off the shore! Following the beach, we headed to Donald's parent's house for burgers, hot dogs, and pool time. Carter enjoyed playing basketball with Jason while Edith enjoyed pushing Kira around the pool in the baby pool float. Rob and Donald joined the two teenage boys for a rowdy game of basketball in the pool. If you would have seen this game, you would have thought they were all teenagers - except the men eventually came to terms with their ages and ran out of energy.
The weekend was great! We really enjoyed family time - but it also felt a bit weird being away from the track and work. We feel a bit guilty taking time for ourselves, away from our business. I think that's the part that people don't see through our social media. Rob and I typically spend seven days per week fighting as hard as possible to build our business as fast as we can. We work all kinds of crazy hours, including well into the morning most nights as we communicate with suppliers in other time zones. It's what we have to do to build the life we want and we're both willing to put in the hard work to make it happen. The beautiful part of this full-time RV lifestyle is that we can be so close to our children even when we're putting in those hours to build our business. (Don't forget the fact that we're trying to build multiple businesses simultaneously.) But it's not like we spend a ton of quality time together every day. Rob and I are usually both working while the kids are doing school work and playing video games or watching YouTube. That's the part you don't see on social media. Just like any family, we have to make a conscious effort to have uninterrupted family time. And it doesn't happen as often as we would like! We just find ourselves somewhere cool and different when it does happen!
A couple days ago we posted our Oregon Trail blog, in which I related everyday RV challenges to the hardships faced by our distant kin as they made their way across the frontier. If you haven’t read it yet, please check it out HERE! Naturally it was written with some tongue-in-cheek embellishment; however I simply can’t help but see the parallels during every day of our journey! Case in point: Today.
If you’ve been following our journey on social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram) you likely know that we’ve had ongoing issues with our power generator. Today we dropped our beloved home off at the Onan/Cummins dealer in Manassas, Virginia. As they went to work diagnosing the issue, we made an impromptu trip to Washington, D.C. (skipping our religious Wednesday laundry day) for some family time. It was great!
We love D.C. Carter had only been here when he was about 2 years old, so it was awesome seeing his and Edith’s reactions. The wild part about this trip compared to my past experiences with D.C. is there were no people! The COVID lockdown meant everything was shuttered. No Smithsonian museums, no food vendors. Minimal auto and foot traffic. The bad news: We couldn’t get into one of my favorite buildings in the US: The Air and Space Museum. The good news: We didn’t have that much time anyway, and the lack of traffic made for a great day of sightseeing from the truck, just driving around.
After several hours of sightseeing we still hadn’t heard from the Onan dealer with a diagnosis on the genny. We had originally planned to get the RV back the same day, whether it meant the generator was pulled out or we picked it up completely fixed and healthy (super-optimist-mode engaged!). A quick phone call to check in with the service guy, and any optimism turned to frustration. Not only was the genny unrepaired, it wasn’t even diagnosed. They hadn’t even pulled it from the RV.
We returned to the shop and packed a suitcase, sorted out the quote for diagnosis (UUUUUUUGH), then we left our home at a repair facility for the first time during this journey. Everyone was beside themselves. Edith didn’t want to leave her bunny. Carter didn’t want to leave his bed. Tosha didn’t want to leave AT ALL.
The biggest issue with all of this - besides leaving our home and all of our belongings (including our pet) in a strange place - is that we were supposed to be at a racetrack for work this evening! Instead we are now at the mercy of the warranty company and the repair shop. We lost a day! Just as in the game, unforeseen circumstances come up weekly during our travels and sometimes result in a lost day… or two. Here’s to hoping it’s no more than one! Stay tuned and see how bad this one hurts us, and how we overcome this latest challenge!
Remember the video game Oregon Trail? If you’re between the ages of say, 20 and 50, chances are you played some iteration of the educational Apple video game in grade school. For those robbed of this wonderful schoolhood privilege, here’s a brief synopsis: You are the leader of a family making the trek across the Oregon Trail. You must keep the rest of the family healthy and, well… alive. Oh, and the oxen. Gotta keep them healthy and living as well, otherwise your trip stops and the family dies. You begin the game by selecting the supplies you think you might need along the way: food, ammo, clothing, water, medicine and spare parts. The numerous challenges faced by those on the Oregon Trail are there to greet you in digital form via the video game and in many cases they lead to the sudden loss of life - especially if you aren’t equipped with the proper supplies. Because you name your family at the start of the journey, you feel a little tinge of emotion every time the game displays a little digital tombstone complete with the family member’s name and cause of death.
The truth is, Oregon Trail is a perfect game in the sense that it puts into perspective the hardships faced by those travelers while teaching the player about the importance of planning ahead, being prepared, and dealing with sudden hardships. These days you can get Oregon Trail on emulators and online, but there is also a card game version. In fact, we carry the card game on board the RV during our travels! I’d recommend checking either game out, both are a lot of fun but most importantly they make you realize just how easy we’ve got it these days. As a full-time RVer the Oregon Trail games hit a little closer to home. Let’s walk through the parallels of driving a motorhome across the US in 2020 and driving a digital wagon across the US in the Oregon Trail game.
Supplies
In the Oregon Trail video game, supplies are limited due to weight and space. In RV life, loading the rig up with all the necessities while staying under the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is truly a balancing act. Our Class A coach has an overall GVWR of 30,000 lbs. When we are full of fresh water and fuel and towing the Ranger, we weigh in at about 29,700 lbs! Talk about cutting it close. And that’s after we unloaded about 500 lbs of weight during our last stop in Oklahoma City. In the Oregon Trail games, if a hardship arises and you don’t have the supplies to handle the situation, your entire party can perish in just a few turns. Wagon axle breaks and no spare parts? You’re stranded and everyone starves. While the consequences are not typically that dire, RV life is pretty similar. Balancing our on-board water for instance (@ 8.3 lbs per gallon) with a large load of groceries might mean we dump 30 gallons of fresh water in a WalMart parking lot. Speaking of food, we can only bring so much since our fridge and cabinets are in no way “residential grade”. As the primary driver of the coach, I am responsible for repairing and maintaining our “wagon”. When something breaks or needs general attention, I better be prepared. Some items that have proved their weight in gold: tire plug kit; tool kit(s); electrical connectors and tools; fuses; spare oil and other fluids; tire pressure monitors; electric impact wrench; RTV silicone sealant; silicone lubricant; rubber roof patch tape and the Dremel tool. Obviously that’s a lot of stuff but, really, I’ve used all those items more than once in the past year. Some, weekly. What’s the tradeoff? All those things take up space and add weight to the vehicle. For me, the pros of being able to diagnose and repair in the field outweighs the cons of space and weight. Beyond the needs of maintaining the RV, truck, generator and motorcycles, Tosha and I also need to consider that little thing where we keep the kids comfortable and alive. Food, drinks, entertainment, clothing, learning tools and medicine are all crucial. Again, lots of things there but all are necessary. Carter in particular has Type 1 diabetes, which means we always have insulin on board which must be refrigerated. If we lose power, we better have propane on board to run the fridge. No power and no propane? We’re in trouble. By the way, we have to work out logistics for ordering and restocking these meds as we travel across the country! Keeping tabs on propane, gasoline, oil level, fresh water, medication, spare parts, food, ammo (yes ammo is a necessity), waste on board, generator/coach maintenance and 10 different tire pressures can feel like a full-time job in and of itself. Losing tabs on any one of these things can put us in a predicament that sends our stress level skyrocketing.
Calamities
In the Oregon Trail games, those predicaments are referred to as calamities. Sure that sounds dramatic, but I can relate. Over the past few months we’ve experienced a flat tire, an exploded electrical system thanks to a short in our power hook-up cord and various generator issues. In fact we’re currently living without mobile power since our generator completely went out last week… but that’s a story worthy of it’s own blog. The key is being as prepared as possible for any foreseeable issue while not overloading the RV. Non-tangible things that can still bail you out of a sticky situation include roadside assistance plans, vehicle/RV extended warranties, and the best insurance you can afford. These don’t add weight or take up space, but they do provide protection and peace-of-mind.
Hunting when times get tough
When you run out of food on the Oregon Trail, it’s time to load the gun and go hunting. Assuming that you have ammo on board of course! In real life I would equate this to hustling for a few extra bucks. This can be done remotely depending on your primary sources of income (and again, assuming you have wifi reception!), but you can also forage for some extra income via a workcamping gig or using your toad vehicle as an Uber. When times get tough, rolling your sleeves up and hunting for those extra dollars can really save the day!
The oxen
Like oxen, the RV is one of the most important things to monitor during your travels. Without a healthy yoke of oxen you are stranded, and you better hope you’ve got roadside assistance. The thing about RV’s is there are SO MANY THINGS to tend to! Of course you have the running gear; engine, transmission, tires, axles, brakes, suspension, steering and cooling system. But you also need to remember the coach elements; plumbing, electrical, structural, air conditioners, appliances, generator and exterior sealant! Neglect any one of these items and a small inconvenience could quickly become a big big problem. I use a couple different apps to keep me on schedule with all the RV maintenance needs. A logbook works as well. Oh, and don’t neglect your toad vehicle!
Camping overnight in strange places
Just as on the Oregon Trail, you sometimes find yourself in a strange place with no other choice but to stay overnight. We generally try and scout our surroundings ahead of time using various crime mapping websites, but even that isn’t foolproof. Only a few times have we been truly sketched out, but we can take a little solace in the fact that we have home protection on board. When parked in less than desirable areas we simply pull the shades down, lock all doors and compartments, and we all sleep in the mid/loft area of the RV away from entry doors. Again, it doesn’t happen often but you do need a plan and protection for the times it does.
Arriving at the next checkpoint and resupplying
When you’re low on supplies or have an ongoing calamity in the Oregon Trail game, seeing the next sign of civilization on the horizon is a huge relief. In the Oregon Trail game, it’s a fort or a town. In RV life - for us anyway - the equivalent “sigh of relief” moment would be an RV park with full hookups. Electricity without the restrictions of our generator size! Water without worry of running out! And draining our showers and toilets without worry of overflowing the holding tanks! Living in an RV, you quickly start coveting things you once took for granted. As I mentioned earlier, we’re currently grappling with generator issues. For the past 24 hours we have done a delicate balancing act of conserving every watt of energy while still making food, running the water pump, etc… We also completely filled our waste tanks which meant dirty dishes stacking up, and no one being allowed to use the toilet. This morning Carter woke up with high blood sugar (again, diabetic), and unfortunately he was sick and throwing up. We ran out of water flushing. Worse, we had no water for him to drink in order to reduce his sugar levels! Finally, at noon today we rolled into an RV park for the first time in over four days. We plugged in 50 amp electric and the sewer dump as soon as we arrived, we put the slides out, kicked the AC units on and emptied the waste tanks. Let me tell you, it was nice. It truly felt like we were back in a house. Just as comforting: Leaving the RV park with full batteries, empty waste tanks, full water reserves, and - if I’m lucky to find the time - a freshly-washed rig! RV parks truly are an RV’ers equivalent of civilization on the Oregon Trail.
Fording a river
I debated putting this one in, but it’s relatable. In Oregon Trail, when you come across a river you have a few options presented to you: You can ford the river, attempt to float the wagon across, or at times pay a ferry. The RV equivalent? Low clearance things like bridges, power lines, trees, etc., or a dead end road that you can’t turn around on. Maybe a steep incline that could cause you to rip the entire rear cap off your rig. In these instances you have to make quick, sometimes stressful decisions. I’ve attempted to clear low bridges and crushed my roof elements, and I’ve been stuck in dead ends that made for time-consuming turn arounds. It’s not fun and it can cause everyone in the wagon (RV) to hurl stress-induced comments at one another. Essentially, when navigating an RV you have quick decisions to make around every turn. Assuming you’re going to clear that low bridge without knowing your actual height? Better have the budget for a new satellite dome! But hey, most of the time you’ll only make a mistake once. That being said, I’ve repaired our satellite dome three times now. Take better mental notes than me.
These are all first world problems
In the end, everything aforementioned - aside from keeping medication stocked and refrigerated - is not a big, life-threatening deal. These are truly “first world problems”. In the grand scheme of things, whether you live in a big sticks-and-bricks home or a little travel trailer, a day or two without electricity or water is nothing compared to what our forefathers endured. More importantly, it’s nothing compared to what others experience even in these times. We must remind ourselves of this. Perspective is very important. Hopefully if you’re new to RVing or considering it, this blog opens your eyes to some of the everyday challenges you may face. For those of you already familiar with all the things I described above, my hope is you got a smile from this and you’ve been reminded to keep your cool when times get tough. But regardless of how you relate, reading it all the way through means you’re now rewarded with this: A fully playable web-based version of the original Oregon Trail game! Have fun, good luck and… make those supply choices wisely!
Life on the road can be exciting and rewarding. It can also be exhausting. Sometimes you just need to take a break. Take one.
Don't travel those extra miles.
Don't force yourself to go see more sights just because you feel like you should be making the most of your time. Don't go visit friends if you need a day or night at home.
Listen to your body and take the break when it's needed. If you don't, you'll find yourself feeling burnt out and resentful to life on the road.
When we started planning our 2020 tour of the United States, there were several stops that were high on our list of places we wanted to visit. Wisconsin wasn't one of them. However, after spending the past six weeks in Wisconsin (with a little bit of time in northern Illinois), we've added Wisconsin to the list of places we want to return and here's why.
First and foremost, the weather in Wisconsin during the summer is amazing! Sure, it does get hot here during the day and, yeah, it was even a little humid but it's nothing like Oklahoma summers. The average high temperature during the summer (June, July, August) in Wisconsin ranges from 76 to 80 degrees. Meanwhile, the morning and evening temperatures settle in between 54 to 59 degrees. Compare those to our home state of Oklahoma where summer high temperatures range from 88 to 95 degrees with lows ranging from 65 to 69 degrees. The humidity in Wisconsin is a little higher than Oklahoma but the temperature and cloud coverage helps balance that out during the day and nights make up for any extra humidity. Nights in Wisconsin are magical - until the mosquitoes come out at dark!
If you look for a bustling city to visit on your vacations, Wisconsin has plenty of cities with a lot of great places to visit. Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and offers all of the amenities of a large city, including dining, shopping, museums and other entertainment venues. If you're a history buff, Madison may be the perfect city for you. The Wisconsin State Capitol building is located in Madison along with the Wisconsin Historical Museum, Madison Children's Museum, Olbrich Botanical Gardens and several notable Frank Lloyd Wright architectures. We personally visited Bassett Street Brunch Club in Madison and the food was phenomenal! We highly recommend it if you're in the area. Meanwhile, even if you're not a Packers fan, Green Bay offers several other must visit destinations. Green Bay is home to the National Railroad Museum, Bay Beach Amusement Park and Green Bay Botanical Gardens just to name a few. Unfortunately, COVID-19 left us pretty restricted during our visit to Wisconsin so we didn't get to visit many of these amazing places but we definitely plan to return when we can experience them fully.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Wisconsin to us were the beautiful, clear lakes. We're used to the man-made lakes in Oklahoma full of mud and clay (among other, not so pretty things). Wisconsin is home to more than 15,000 lakes throughout the state, many of which are beautiful and clear. We personally visited Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, Lake Winnebago near Fond du Lac and Elkhart Lake. Lake Michigan gave us great views, an incredible rainbow after a short stint of rain near North Point Park, a painted rock hunt in the old Lottie Cooper ship wreckage and a magical walk on the water towards the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse. We made a quick visit to Lake Winnebago after a walk through the Menominee Park and Zoo (which was free, btw). Lastly, exploring Elkhart Lake was a key part of our trip to Road America (and Wisconsin in general). Having grown up around racing, both Road America and Elkhart Lake were places we had always wanted to visit. Elkhart Lake did not disappoint with incredible views, great food and drinks at The Tiki Bar, ice cream on the beach water and exploring all of the cool, historical road racing signs throughout Elkhart Lake.
Another important part of Wisconsin's tourism is its state park system. Wisconsin is home to 60+ state parks and recreation areas that include lush forests, beautiful lakes and plenty of outdoor activities including hiking, fishing and kayaking. While we tried on several occasions to make time to visit them, it just never worked out for us. However, this is a must do the next time return to this area. Since we did not personally experience any of the state parks ourselves, I am sharing a couple of links to reviews of the Wisconsin state parks for additional insight. Hidden Gems: 12 Wisconsin State Parks Perfect for Exploring Hiking Across Wisconsin: Top 5 State Parks 15 Best State Parks in Wisconsin You Should Visit This Summer
The last but certainly not least reason to visit Wisconsin in the summer is its expansive farmland. Maybe this is my Oklahoma roots showing but I found so much beauty in the farmland throughout Wisconsin. The endless pastures of cattle grazing, the adorable farmhouses and barns and the rolling wheat pastures made for beautiful sights as we traveled from one campsite or race track to another. Breweries, cheese factories, farmer's markets and wineries are high on our list of things to do when we return to this area (and when COVID-19 is no longer a factor). Until we're able to experience the full tours, we'll stick to watching from the windows of our RV as we drive by all of these beautiful places.
The six weeks we spent in Wisconsin were more memorable than we could have ever imagined. We made a ton of memories as a family and experienced a part of the country we never had on our radar. We met a lot of amazing people who opened their homes and lives to us and, for all of those things, we are eternally grateful. We are excited to some day return to Wisconsin to finish exploring all of the areas we were unable to reach on this trip and visit all of our new friends. Thank you, Wisconsin. Until we meet again.
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Living full-time in an RV has a lot of perks.
We get to see a lot of different, beautiful places. Places we may or may not have considered traveling otherwise. For example, this week we are visiting Madison, Wisconsin. I cannot imagine a scenario where we would have traveled to Madison without living this lifestyle, but it is amazing. Today (July 16th) had a high of 81 degrees. There was no wind and no bugs. It was the perfect day to be outdoors
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
We get to spend a lot of quality time together. Some days that quality time is in the RV while we are working and some days, we take a break and explore the area. Today Rob took the kids to the amusement park that is within walking distance of our RV park while I finished up some work at the RV. We all spent the afternoon in the RV park's pond soaking up some rays. The kids played in the water with Rob on the inflatables and I laid on the beach drinking a tequila and soda. After we got cleaned up from the pond, Edith and I took a walk around the RV park. Tonight, Edith and I are watching a movie (while I type up this blog) and Rob and Carter are playing video games.
Road America
We get to meet a lot of new people. Last weekend we spent the weekend at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois. We hung out with what has become our northern racetrack family. We focused on the racing during the day and then turned to social time in the evenings. We grilled out, had a few drinks and even took an evening track walk together. This weekend we're headed back to Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to meet back up with the track family and network for our business.
Marshall, Wisconsin
While I enjoy all of the perks of full-time RV living, my favorite has been getting to know my husband and my children better. Tonight, while Edith and I were hanging out outside of the RV drying off from our time at the pond, I told her that we should take a walk and see if we could meet new friends. If you know me, you know that I am an extreme extrovert. I love connecting with new people. When I said this to her, her face lit up! She jumped up and said, "Let's go meet new friends!" I quickly realized in that moment that she truly is my mini me. She craves human interaction just like I do. In fact, when were over at the bouncy bubble, she practically begged two little boys to come visit us at our RV so they could be friends. It reminded me of all the times I have done something equally as desperate to find friends. I felt like I was watching myself through her eyes.
I genuinely enjoy visiting all the beautiful places, meeting all the new people and spending quality time with my family but experiencing specific moments like tonight with my loved ones has been my favorite part. Those are the moments I will remember as I take my last breath. No amount of time together or experiencing new places will replace the moments you truly connect with another human being. Human connection is not quantifiable by the number of miles we drive or the places we see. Those moments are truly priceless. |
AuthorsRobert & Tosha Lackey are full-time RVers, business owners and parents focused on providing a unique, well-rounded educational experience for their children through real-life learning on the road. Archives
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