Welcome to my Camping Blog!

I wanted to start a blog about something that I LOVE and that is TRAVEL! I love all means of travel, but I especially love getting in the truck, hooking up the RV and taking to the open road! I ALWAYS have an itinerary, but am open to making tweaks here and there when something cool or interesting crosses our path. So here we go!

First... I started off this journey with a Jeep, so the towing capability was maxed out at 3500 pounds. That includes EVERYTHING! The trailer, the stuff... ALL of it! That's not much! So I purchased a brand new Forest River Pop Up for $18K from a nearby dealer. I was in HEAVEN!

BUT... I quickly discovered that Pop Up life was NOT my life! I am not a stay-at-a-campsite-for-several-days kind of person. I'm more the stay-here-for-one-night-on-my-way-somewhere kind of person. AND I quickly discovered that I am NOT 20 years old anymore after popping and un-popping that puppy ELEVEN TIMES on a trip to Michigan and back.

So... I did a thing and upgraded to a hard side camper. It was TINY! But I could tow it with the Jeep as long as I kept the 'stuff' under control. I purchased an R Pod 178 locally from a previous owner for $20K and took it on a maiden voyage to nearby Canyon Lake. I had a great time! Long weekend. No plan. Just living life on a whim and it was fabulous! Except that the bathroom is so small that you have to pee with the door open. Well, the Jeep pulled it, but it struggled. It struggled enough that I just didn't see putting that kind of stress and strain on the vehicle. Not to mention the size issues I was having that were really keeping me from being completely comfortable... So I upgraded the Tow Vehicle to a brand new (VERY SEXY) blacked-out Chevy Silverado I named Black Betty (Bam Ba Lam)!

Well... you KNOW what comes next... NOW I have the power to tow something BIGGER! So bigger it is! I don't want to go too big, so after a LOT of research and some perfect finagling, I purchased a NEW 2022 R Pod 202 for $30K. I pretty much STOLE this thing! I just went by one cold, rainy, miserable December day to actually walk through the camper and see if it really checked all the boxes. Well... it did! So of the course the salesman is trying to make a sale and tells me that it is last years model (It's the end of 2022 and they already have 2023's on the lot) and it's been there for a bit and they may be willing to take less that the $36K they are asking for it. So I offer $30K, which is honestly as far as I wanted to go on a new camper, but knew I would realistically need to go higher. But why not? I wasn't looking to buy the thing today anyway, so why not just ask for what I want. He goes and asks the Sales Manager and what do you know? He agrees to take $30K for it. WHAT?!?! SHIT! I just bought a new camper! He showed me the original invoice. They paid $30,700 for the camper. They made $700 off me! SCORE!!!!

I didn't trade in the 178 because I knew I could get more for it by selling it privately. What a joke! I listed it in February and dropped the price 3 times. I had ONE serious buyer, but the things I didn't like about it were the exact same things they didn't like about it. Don't blame them. So in April, I decide I'm tired of weeding through the scammers and no-shows and I'm going to sell it to a dealer. They offer me $16K pending inspection. No problem! Everything works and there are no issues. WRONG! They call me and tell me that the roof seals have failed it's taken on water. $6K for a new roof plus several other little things and they still need to repair some water damage from the water intrusion. UGH!!! So NOW... $10K. The dealer has a guy who purchsases used campers and repairs them to resell and he hooked me up with them. He said I may be able to get $11K from him. Long store short... I sell it to the 'guy' for $10,500. I took a HUGE hit on that!

Moving forward... I'm combining the 178 loss with the 202 win and settling with a WASH. I broke even and am moving on and enjoying my new 202 and looking forward to all my future adventures!

And be sure to check out my CAMPSITE MAP at the top of this page for a link to my interactive Google Map that exactly pin points each campsite. Not just the campground, but the SITE!

Montana here I come!!!

I am embarking on a fantastic journey to Montana! I have done a lot of research and have chosen 13 different BEAUTIFUL (ok, they aren't ALL beautiful, but most of them are!) campsites. I have literally spent HOURS researching campsites, places of interest, gas stations and restaurants/places to eat on the road. I have calculated the drive times and how far I can go before I need to refuel. I've added in stops at points of interest. After this trip, I will only have 2 states l

devinzmom97

Mar 41 min read

3.11.23 south llano river state park

I stayed at site 26. The site has water and electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, table, restrooms, pet friendly and hiking. No discounts, so the site rate was $30/night. LOVED hiking at this State Park! The sites are back in, but plenty of room at the site to manage it myself. It was long enough to stay hitched - BONUS! The park is pretty busy for this early in the season. LOTS of kids! And they were LOUD! Guess you get that at campgrounds

devinzmom97

May 27, 20231 min read

3.10.23 Mountain View rv park

I stayed at site 20. The site has water and electric hook up, shade, level, easy access, cable, cell service, restrooms, and laundry. No discounts, so the site rate was $38/night. This was one of the worst campsites. I was VERY disappointed. The best sites with the best views are occupied by full-timers. It was super easy to get to. Right off the interstate with pull through sites. I didn't even disconnect. So that was helpful. But in terms of atmosphere, it was meh. LONG dri

devinzmom97

May 27, 20231 min read

3.7.23 Apache flats at ft huachuca

I stayed at site 49. The site has water and electric hook up, sewer, level, WiFi, easy access, cell service, table, restrooms, security, laundry, pet friendly hiking and a mountain view. No discounts, so the site rate was $30/night. Definitely got one of the best sites. The only better ones would be the actual end. I was second from the end. I LOVED the German Cafe, spending time with family and sightseeing in the area!

devinzmom97

May 27, 20231 min read

3.6.23 rockhound state park

I stayed at site 29. The site has water and electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, clean showers, restrooms, security, pet friendly, hiking and mountain views. No discounts, so the site rate was $18/night. Absolutely beautiful setting! The only thing that could make this better would be a perimeter site, but there isn't anyone across the street from me and it is quiet and DARK! LOVE it! This is hands down my favorite campsite

devinzmom97

May 27, 20231 min read

3.5.23 hilltop rv park

I stayed at site 17. The site has water and electric hook up, level, WiFi, easy access, cell service, table, clean showers, restrooms, pool, pet friendly and hilltop views. Property owner gave Good Sam discount, so our site rate was $36/night instead of $40. What an amazing location for sunsets! I picked the right side of the park. The other side, where the sunrise would be visible, is where the town is, so this side of the park is much more picturesque. I almost missed the b

devinzmom97

May 27, 20231 min read

10.18.22 Cranes Mill park

First outing with the new hard side camper... R Pod 178! I stayed at site 27. The site has water and electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, restrooms, security, pet friendly and water access. PP discount, so the site rate was $15/night. 10/18/21 I couldn't check in until 3pm, so I took my time getting up and getting organized. Quick little 2 hour drive with the camper. HUGE site. Easy to back into. I went to get some

devinzmom97

May 26, 20232 min read

9.16.21 lake Catherine state park

I stayed at site 480. The site has water and electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, dock, and water access. No discounts, so the site rate was $25.31/night. Today was mostly a day of driving. I stopped for fried pies and gas on my way to the Hot Springs area. I stopped at a cool mill in Little Rock and also some cool bridges. I was craving Chinese food, but the place I found was downtown without good parking, especially for the camper, so I h

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.15.21 gun creek campground

I stayed at site 048. The site has electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly, hiking and water access. PP discount, so the site rate was $9/night. Today's first stop (after McD's) was the Hard Rock in Gary Indiana for a pin. From there, I headed south toward the campsite in Whittington, IL. I stopped at the CUTEST little town that consisted of several murals in the 'downtown' area of

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.14.21 Indiana dunes state park

Stayed at site 112. The site has electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly, hiking and water access. No discounts, so the site rate was $29.61/night. Today, I got up, hopped in the Jeep and went exploring Holland. I went to Windmill Island Gardens so I could see the windmill which is the only authentic, working Dutch windmill in the US. After that, I photographed the lighthouse near

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.13.21 holland state park

Stayed at site 373. The site has electric hook up, dump station, easy access, cell service, table, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and water access. No discounts, so the site rate was $41/night. It's a good thing that there was some flexibility in my plan today, because there was a lot of extra time in the day that was dedicated to things not planned for. The morning started with packing and up and heading to McDonalds and a laundromat. Washing and drying the clothes t

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.12.21 Mears state park

Stayed at site 153. The site has electric hook up, dump station, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and water access. No discounts, so the site rate was $41/night. I had a list of lighthouses that I wanted to visit today, but I had to take one of the most exciting ones off the list because I just couldn't drive to it through an iron man/marathon in town. Who knew? Still, I had a nice late lunch at a great brewery with a m

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.11.21 traverse city state park

Stayed at site 480. The site has electric hook up, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and water access. No discounts, so the site rate was $45/night. This site ended up being close to a busy road. The road was MUCH busier than I expected it to be. Other than that, it wasn't too bad, although they did not have enough showers to accommodate the need. The day started with an hour long drive to have break

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.10.21 Sterling State Park

Stayed at site 20. The site has electric hook up, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and is on the water. No discounts, so the site rate was $36/night. I arrived at this campsite later than planned. At least it was earlier than when I pulled in last night. Still, it was dark and I didn't get to sit on the beach tonight, which is the reason I chose this campground. The camp is nice. The showers are private rooms with hot w

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.9.21 Alum creek state park

Stayed at site A01. The site has electric hook up, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, restrooms and is pet friendly. No discounts, so the site rate was $34.40/night. Started today relaxing by the water with a coffee and Jesus. Packed up the PUP and left it to head to Mammoth Cave National Park. The tour was scheduled 2 days ago online. I booked the disabled tour to avoid all the stairs... BIG MISTAKE! I did have to purchase a pin and hat and explore the cace e

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.8.21 moutardier campground

Stayed at site D006. The site has water and electric hook ups, dump station, level, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, restrooms, pet friendly and is lake/waterfront. I saved 50% with the PP pass, so the site rate was $12.50/night. I had less stops today than yesterday enroute to the campsite. I stopped in Nashville for a restaurant/brewery for lunch. It was a chain and had a very limited beer menu of 5 beers, which makes creating a 4 flight super easy! The food was really

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.7.21 hernando point

I stayed at site 24. The site has water and electric hook ups, dump station, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and is lake/waterfront. I saved 50% with the PP pass, so the site rate was $12/night. After packing up in the morning, I head to Little Rock where I got TWO National Park stamps! Bill Clinton's childhood home and Little Rock High School. I also got a really good lunch and beer at Lost Forty Brewing. Lucki

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

9.6.21 Clear Spring Campground

On September 6th I started a vacation to Michigan and everyplace in between! I stayed at site B04. The site has water and electric hook ups, dump station, shade, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, grill, restrooms and is lake/waterfront. I saved 50% with the PP pass, so the site rate was $13/night. 9/6/21 The drive was uneventful, which is good! The campsite is AWESOME! I had difficulties finding a resaurant that was open on a Monday AND a holiday. I found 2 brewerie

devinzmom97

May 26, 20231 min read

4.11.21 FIRST CAMPING TRIP!

The first outing is to Crystal Springs Campground in Royal Arkansas for my birthday. I camped at this site from April 11-13, 2021. I stayed at site 35B. The site has water and electric hook ups, level, easy access, cell service, fire pit, table, grill, clean showers, restrooms, pet friendly and is lake/waterfront. I saved 50% with the DV pass, so the site rate was $22/night. This being the first outing... it was NOT without it's obstacles! 4/11/21 For starters, the camper bot

devinzmom97

May 26, 20232 min read