I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of searching for Georgia gold. Prior to the 1849 California Gold rush, Georgia had its own starting in the early 1830’s. While the Georgia gold boom was short lived, it’s still known today as having the purest gold ever found. My search started with a tour of the Consolidated Gold mine, traveling nearly 900 feet underground. From there, the journey continued to the Dahlonega Gold Museum located in the restored 1836 Lumpkin Country Courthouse, one of the oldest courthouse buildings in Georgia. We continued our walk around the old Dahlonega town square taking in the sites and few other interesting artifacts along the way.

Consolidated Gold Mine

Consolidated Gold Mine hasn’t operated in over 100 years, but tours are offered every day into the largest hard rock gold mine east of the Mississippi. We had a great tour guide who offered not only the history of the mine, but life in general for the miners who worked the rich quartz veins for Georgia gold. The tour took us deep underground into the mine shafts where gold was mined, where gold deposits still exist, to the tools used and even how dynamite (without the boom!) blasted tons of rock to expose rich deposits of gold.

Leaving the mine, there is an amazing display of gem stones taken from around the mine and surrounding area along with beautiful jewelry created by the amazing artisans who work at Consolidated today. And adding to the fun, we finished our tour panning for gold. Dredge is brought from the bottom of the Chestatee River and my pan delivered 3 small nuggets. Maybe I didn’t strike it rich, but I had a ton of fun!

Dahlonega Gold Museum

Our next stop was in the heart of the downtown square. The location of the restored 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse now houses the Dahlonega Gold Museum. The beautifully restored building is made of brick from the surrounding area and is said to contain gold in each brick. Fitting now that the old Court House is home to the gold museum. The lower floor contains a number of historical elements from large gold nuggets, some weighing over 5 ounces, to an amazing collection of extremely rare gold coins minted at the Dahlonega Mint up to the beginning of the Civil War.

The upstairs offers an excellent video of the origins of the Georgia gold rush along with a view of life for the many miners and families during the late 1880s until the beginning of World War II when mining operations stopped.

Downtown Dahlonega

Our search for gold didn’t stop at the mines or the museum. Our walk along the square and side streets offered more history into mining. Many of the building built during this period still stand. Large scale mining implements are on display on the side streets.

Dahlonega offers a wide variety of shops, great dining options along with a number of tasting rooms from many of the fine vineyards located in the area.

I didn’t yell “there’s gold in them thar’ hills” but, I panned for a little gold, discovered a wealth of information and experienced a ton of fun while searching for Georgia gold in Dahlonega.

Additional information:

Consolidated Gold Mine – https://consolidatedgoldmine.com/
Dahlonega Gold Museum – https://gastateparks.org/DahlonegaGoldMuseum
Dahlonega, GA – http://dahlonega.org/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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If you’ve ever been to Helen, GA, then you know it’s one of those special places. Joan and I first visited Helen in the mid 80’s. Much has changed since then, but the town hasn’t lost the quaintness that has made this Bavarian inspired town so special. Helen is best known for its Oktoberfest. It’s huge! Tens of thousands come on the weekends for the events, music, vendors, food and of course, the beer gardens. This was our first summer trip and the scene was much more laid back, but just as fun.

Helen, GA Fun

There’s much to do in Helen proper. Great tubing, zip lines, a large water park, shops and more shops of all things German, food, fudge, jewelry – I could go on and on. Plus just minutes outside of Helen is Georgia’s growing wine region with excellent award winning vineyards. We were not going to shop, at least that what I thought, but Joan had other goals in mind. Of all things, she found a Navajo Indian jewelry store and I purchased an early anniversary gift. Ok, not German, but still fun. For a small sample of the shop fun, just watch the video.

Great German Food

German food? Of course, there are all forms from giant pretzels to amazing restaurants. We stopped in Bodensee located on 64 Munich Strasse just across the bridge. Simply….go! Small, quaint atmosphere, great service and equally great food. Joan and I had the sampler platter for two with sauerbraten, schweinebraten, beef roll, sausage, smoke pork chop, spaetzel, sauerkraut, red cabbage, German potato salad, great German beers, goodness this place was incredible.

Eating more than I thought was humanly possible, shopping with Joan, which is close to a full contact sport, we settle for a while in one of the tavern gardens for live music. It wasn’t Oktoberfest, but we found summers in Helen, GA are just as fun.

More Helen and North Georgia

HELEN, GA
Office guide to Helen, GA – https://www.cityofhelen.org/

VINEYARDS
Cavender Creek Vineyards – http://ilovervlife.com/cavender-creek-vineyards/
CeNita Vineyards – http://ilovervlife.com/cenita-vineyards-cleveland-ga/
Cottage Vineyard – http://ilovervlife.com/cottage-vineyard-and-winery/
Frogtown Cellars – http://ilovervlife.com/frogtown-cellars-dahlonega-ga/
Kaya Vineyard – http://ilovervlife.com/kaya-vineyard-and-winery/
Serenity Vineyard – http://ilovervlife.com/serenity-vineyard-and-winery/
Three Sisters Vineyards – http://ilovervlife.com/three-sisters-vineyards/
Yohnah Vineyards – http://ilovervlife.com/yohnah-vineyards-and-winery/

HIKING
Tallulah Gorge – http://ilovervlife.com/hiking-tallulah-gorge/
Panther Creek Falls – http://ilovervlife.com/hiking-panther-creek-falls/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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We were a few miles south of Blairsville, GA and took the afternoon to see some of the beautiful North Georgia waterfalls in the area. All along Highway 19, we started at Vogel State Park, next on to Helton Creek Falls and finished the day at DeSoto Falls. All are located along a 5 mile drive with easy access to each. We also stopped at a few spots along the way. A favorite is the Walasi-Yi Center and Mountain Store found at the top of Neel Gap located along the Appalachian Trail.

Vogel State Park and Campground

Our first stop was Vogel State Park and Campground. This is a jewel of a park located on the edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest. The park covers 233 acres with a large lake, rustic log cabins, cottages, lake with beach, multiple playgrounds, and so much more. We didn’t stay at the campground, but we drove through and the video below shows the many of the campers and loops. For the length of our 5th wheel, it’s just too tight to attempt a stay, but if your RV is in the low 30 foot range, there are ample camping spots that are perfect for up to a 14 day stay.

But we came for the waterfall. At the north end of the Park, the lake spills into a fantastic waterfall. An easy walk along a short trail from the dam and you are treated to a stunning site. There’s no access to walk near the water, but an observation deck is located near the bottom of the falls. This spot is perfect for pictures or just sit and take in the scene without risking a tumble along the rocks.

Helton Creek Falls

Helton Creek Falls is located a few miles south of Vogel State Park. The drive to the falls is part of the adventure itself. The road from Highway 19 starts as paved and quickly becomes a very narrow and very bumpy two mile drive. Driving a dually ton truck added to the challenge with single lanes around curves and limited pull-overs for passing traffic. This shouldn’t detour you from going to the falls. Everyone we met along the drive understood the challenge and met us with a smile – just take your time, be careful and enjoy the view.

Arriving at Helton Creek Falls, we were greeted by the sounds of falling water from the road. A very easy and short walk took us to the base of the two waterfalls. For the middle of a summer week, there were a number of people enjoying the water, sliding along the rocks and swimming in the natural pools. It’s easy to walk to the base of the lower falls, wade in the creek and take pictures. The upper falls are several hundred feet tall with a substantial water flow providing a stunning show down the rocks. The upper falls has a large natural pool at the bottom and we found about a dozen folks swimming and enjoying the ledges along the falls.

Walasi-Yi Center and Mountain Store

Continuing south along Highway 19, we stopped at the top of the mountain range at Neel Gap. Located on the top is the Walasi-Yi Center and Mountain Store with the Appalachian Trail running through the middle of the Center. This is a nice stop along the waterfall tour to see the beautiful mountains from the observation deck and maybe even talk to a few hikers who started the 4 day AT trek from Springer Mountain.

DeSoto Falls Recreation Area

DeSoto Falls was our last stop of the day. Located 5 miles from Vogel State Park, the area offers picnic sites, camping, and hiking to the two falls. I you plan to camp, you’ll need to be in a tent or a smaller self-contained camper. The sites offer no power or dump station, a couple pit toilets are available, and water is provided by centrally located faucets in the campground. If equipped for this style of camping, the area is very nice, heavily wooded with sites along the creek. A great place to escape to during the hot summer months.

We hiked to the north falls, the larger of the two around two miles from the entrance. The trail is mostly level with a few spots offering minor hills that are not too strenuous. The trail follows the creek from the falls and offers great views along the way. For this hike, the mountain laurel was still in bloom. Although late in the season, the blooms were falling, but there flora still decorated the sides of the trails. One note, in the spring of 2018, a substantial storm struck the North Georgia Mountains. As a result, there is still visible damage seen along the trails and the falls. Great efforts have been made to restore the observation deck, make the trails accessible, but many of the fallen trees can still be seen. This in no way should deter a day hiker from enjoying the trails or the falls.

These are but a few of the many beautiful North Georgia waterfalls located in this area. Vogel State Park, Helton Creek Falls and DeSoto Falls maybe the easiest to access, all three offering a great way to spend part of the day experiencing these wonderful North Georgia sites.

Places we visited

Vogel State Park and Campground – https://gastateparks.org/Vogel

Walasi-Yi Center and Mountain Store – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walasi-Yi_Interpretive_Center

DeSoto Falls Recreation Area – https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=10524&actid=29

Helton Creek Falls – https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/conf/recarea/?recid=10546

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Having fun in the Smoky Mountains is exactly what Joan and I experienced spending a fun week with the kids, grandkids running around the Smoky Mountain National Park, Bryson City, Cherokee and camping in the community of Deep Creek, NC. This is our first return to this area after 2 years and we discovered so many things to experience that we missed from our last visit.

The Road to Nowhere

Yes, the Road to Nowhere does exist. And as the name implies, it really doesn’t go anywhere. Intrigued with the name, we took the entire group to explore. The road is located on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The US Government promised to build Lakeview Drive to connect Bryson City to the City of Fontana after hundreds of family gave up their home for the building of Fontana Dam. Construction began, creating 6 miles of road and an extensive tunnel through a mountain, then World War II halted construction. After the war, the effort fell into cost and environmental issues and the road was never completed. Today, you can walk the road up through the tunnel with a well-developed trailhead at the beginning of the Noland Creek Trail and continues for over 11 miles.

The walk from the parking area to the end of the tunnel offered a moderate incline and was fun to see the beautiful mountain surroundings while the kids had so much fun running along the trail and tunnel.

Elk Viewing in the Smoky Mountain National Park

Driving to the edge of the Smoky Mountain National Park just outside Cherokee, NC, we arrived at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Around 8:00PM this evening, we had the treat of watching several dozen elk graze in the open field next to the Center. The elk population was reintroduced to the Great Smoky Mountains in the early 2000’s after they were overhunted and eliminated from the area in the min-1800’s.

Viewing the elk was a tremendous site. The whole crew didn’t want to leave. A fun experience for the entire family to see these beautiful animals in their natural habitat.

Tubing Deep Creek

When we think about fun in the Smoky Mountains, it’s tubing in Deep Creek. We camped 50 yards from the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in the community of Deep Creek, NC. The National Park service has opened a one-mile section of Deep Creek through the park and it continues to campgrounds located outside the park entrance. For our group, our RVs were parked on the edge of the creek and we could complete our tubing experience walking up the bank to our camping spot.

For our tubing, water flow was moderate and we were able to experience a bouncy ride from the upper section through the calmer section at the lower part of the Park. Watch the video. Smiles abound as the crew took multiple tubing rides every day.

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Joan and I took the afternoon and drove to Cherokee, NC to visit the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Joan’s great grandmother was Cherokee and she has a great interest in learning more about her Indian heritage. The museum exhibits were amazing dating back over 13,000 years from the Paleo-Indian period to the tragic Trail of Tears. The museum provided a wide range of priceless artifacts, displays, interactive presentations along with documentation of their life in this area from the past to present.

Darnell Farms

We took an afternoon and ventured to Darnell Farms, located on the edge of Bryson City. This family owned farm, while operating as a large commercial produce farm, has not lost its roots of friendliness and supporting the local community. During our visit, the kids enjoyed the playground along the side of the river while the adults enjoyed to cool breezes and mountain scenery.

The market was stocked with fresh produce and fruit. And yes, we loaded up for the week. All grown in the local farm, the strawberries and vine-ripened tomatoes were everyone’s favorite. The Farm also offers a frozen fruit treat that was amazing. What a fun place to visit along with the wonderful, fresh produce.

We experienced so much fun in the Smoky Mountains with our return visit to the North Carolina Mountains and so enjoyed the experiences and seeing the sites of Bryson City, Cherokee and Deep Creek NC.

Additional information about this area:

Smoky Mountain Campground – http://ilovervlife.com/smoky-mountain-campground/

The Road to Nowhere – https://www.greatsmokies.com/road-nowhere/

Elk View at The Smoky Mountain National Park – https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/elk.htm

Tubing Deep Creek – https://www.greatsmokies.com/tubing/

Museum of the Cherokee Indian – https://www.cherokeemuseum.org/

Darnell Farms – http://darnellfarms.com/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Smoky Mountain Campground is located in Deep Creek, NC just minutes outside of Bryson City, NC. The campground is less than 100 feet from the Deep Creek entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The Deep Creek, NC area is well know of tubing the creek from the Smoky Mountain National Park to the camgrounds scatted along West Deep Creek Rd. But, there is so much to see and do in this area and we just scratched the surface with the tubing.

This is our second trip to the Bryson City, NC area and we wanted to make the best of our time at Smoky Mountain Campground. Hiking the Park, hunting waterfalls, site of Cherokee, NC just minutes away, downtown Bryson City with shops, delicious farm to table restaurants, craft breweries, Smoky Mountain Railroad into the mountains, kayaking….I could go on and on.

This is a great place to spend a summer camping trip with tubing along Deep Creek, great hiking trails and wonderful opportunities to video and photograph the creeks, waterfalls and scenes along the way. We had a great time with the kids spending almost a week in the campground with side trips into Bryson City and Cherokee, NC.

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For more information Smoky Mountain Campground, visit their website at
Smoky Mountain Campground – http://smokymtncampground.com/

Bryson City, NC – https://www.greatsmokies.com/

Cherokee, NC – http://visitcherokeenc.com/#home

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Joan and I always look forward to discovering new vineyards and wineries in our RV travels. While staying in Mt. Airy, NC we discovered there were over 30 vineyards within a 30 minute drive from our location at Mayberry Campground. We took an afternoon to explore the area and settled in Yadkin County, just on the edge of Elkin, NC. We found two North Carolina wineries of interest – Shelton Vineyards and Grassy Creek Vineyards, and had a great time touring and tasting a number of exceptional wines.

North Carolina Wineries of Yadkin County

In Yadkin County, there are over a dozen commercial wine producers. From small boutique farms to larger commercial operations, each has a distinctive presence along with variation in their wine making to create some great vintages from this area. In addition to wines, several vineyards have restaurants or cafes, bed and breakfast, wedding venues and special events throughout the year. Visit this link to learn more about the Yadkin Valley Wine Country.

Shelton Vineyards

Shelton Vineyards was our first stop. We had the fortunate experience to meet the vineyard manager and he offer to take us on a tour of the winery. It was amazing to see and hear about Shelton Vineyards wine making process, where the grapes are crush and processed to the many barrels of aging wine. Our tasting and the sample of the wines capped off our visit. My favorites were the Cabernet Franc, Merlot and an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. Joan was very fond of the Estate Chardonnay and their Riesling.

The grounds at Shelton Vineyards are picturesque. Rolling hills, acres upon acres of grape vines, along with the beautiful tasting room made the visual experience of Shelton Vineyards complete. Joan and I had a great visit along with great wines.

Grassy Creek Vineyards

Our next stop, Grassy Creek Vineyards where we meet owner and winemaker, Jim Douthit. What a treat to talk with Jim and learn about his vineyard along with his wine making philosophy. Equally fun was the group at the winery – a mix of locals and tasters like Joan and I, and we so enjoyed to homey atmosphere and the feeling we belonged.

The wines were fantastic. Sometimes you visit a winery and you taste a few good wines and others that may not meet expectations. Not the case at Grassy Creek, Jim’s wines were superb. I’m not a fan of a steel cast Chardonnay, but Jim had the most amazing bottle I’ve ever tasted. Equally delicious were the Chambourcin (my favorite), the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Joan, a fan of the sweeter wines, fell head over heels for the Perfect Pear, a Traminette and Sémillon wine infused with pear juice.

What a wonderful day visiting these North Carolina wineries, seeing the beautiful rolling hills and vineyards around Yadkin Valley. We look forward to returning soon and experiencing more of this great region.

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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We continue our tour of the North Georgia Wine country and discovered Cavender Creek Vineyards in Dahlonega, GA. We were fortunate to meet Claire Livingston, the owner of Cavender Creek and we immediately felt like we had come home. We are especially fond of vineyards and wineries where you are part of the farm and the wine making. We were able to talk to Claire’s wine maker and took a brief tour where the grapes are pressed and the wine is made. Must admit, that was a special treat.

We really enjoyed the Cavender wines. A wide variety to interest both my and Joan’s varied tastes. Especially interesting is the vineyard’s abundance of Norton grapes. This American grape dates back to it’s early 1800’s origins. The Cavender wines made with this grape were full bodied and simply delicious. You’ll enjoy this quaint wine tasting room where information about the wines and vineyards are shared.

We also had the unexpected opportunity to visit a 200 year old cabin where you can rent for short term stays. The cabin was disassembled in East Tennessee and brought to the vineyards. It really is an amazing cabin containing a living space, two bedrooms and a second floor porch with amazing views of the vineyard.

There’s also a venue for weddings and special events overlooking the vineyard.

Cavender Creek Vineyards was a such a fun place with good wine, new found friends and beautiful views. This has become one of our special places in North Georgia where Joan and I plan to return often.

Cavender Creek Vineyards – https://cavendercreekvineyards.com/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Joan and I were looking for a fun place to visit in the upper part of North Carolina. We found Mayberry Campground located in Mt. Airy, NC. Mayberry Campground is located minutes from the interchange of I-77 and I-74 a few miles from the Virginia State line. We found the campground to be big rig friendly with easy access to enter the campground as well as the multitude of camping sites.

Things to do

The campground in minutes from all of the sites around Mt. Airy including the Andy Griffith Museum (learn more here) and all the fun things offered throughout downtown. The campground is also centrally located to visit the nearly 30 wineries and vineyards most within a 30 minute or less drive. Stone Mountain State Park is nearby, a 600-foot granite face landmark mountain, offering great hiking and the restored Hutchinson Homestead, a mid-19th century mountain farm.

Camground amenities

Mayberry Campground is the perfect destination campground when Joan and I are looking to tour an area. Long, pull-through campsites with ample space for the 5th wheel and our F-350 ton truck along with all the amenities to make the stay convenient including 50 amp electric, water, sewer, cable and WiFi. The campground offers a coin laundry, a number of group pavilions, playgrounds for the kids and is pet friendly.

Learn more about Mayberry Campground at http://www.mayberrycampground.com/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Joan and I are huge Andy Griffith fans. We watch the old reruns with Andy, Barney, Opie and the rest of the gang on a regular basis. We were looking for some summer time in the North Carolina Mountains and found a number of nice campgrounds near Mt. Airy, NC – the town used as the model for the Andy Griffith’s Show’s Mayberry. Staying nearby at MayBerry Campground, we spent the day visiting the Andy Griffith Museum and the town of Mt. Airy.

Andy Griffith Museum

When we think of Mayberry, front is center is Andy Griffith filling the role as Andy Taylor. The Andy Griffith Museum has a large collection of memorabilia about Andy growing up in Mt. Airy along with artifacts from the Andy Griffith show and later his work from Matlock. The collection is extensive with props for Andy, Barney, and Goober plus the desk and surroundings from the program’s courthouse, wardrobe, scripts, pictures, and so much more. The curators did a great job honoring Andy Griffith’s legacy and his contributions to TV and film.

Eng and Chang Bunker

Don’t leave the museum area without taking the steps down to the Eng and Chang Bunker museum located on the lower level of the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Eng and Chang, known as the famous Siamese Twins, migrated to Mt. Airy in 1830’s. Marrying sisters, Adelaide and Sarah Yate, the two families produced 22 children. The twins making their fortune touring the world, now became successful Surry County, NC landowners and farmers. The museum provides a good view of their life and the large family of Bunker’s that followed.

Downtown Mt. Airy

But our visit didn’t stop at the museum. Downtown Mt. Airy is a beautiful town with great period architecture and everything Mayberry. The downtown area offers a large number of restaurants from basic diner to the more elaborate fare. We enjoyed visiting one of the many soda fountains, a flashback to the 50’s and 60’s. And if you need Mayberry souvenirs, no problem. Gifts shops galore can be found with everything and I mean everything Mayberry!

Visit a little bit of Mayberry

As we left downtown Mt. Airy, we stumbled upon a tourist spot that was created to look like a small part of Mayberry from the TV show. We found the courthouse (with Joan locked up in Otis’ cell), the Mayberry Hotel, and of course, Wally’s Service Station. This is a great stop to pick up one more Mayberry trinket, plus see the reproduction of a piece of the TV town. And if you want the full Mayberry experience, ride through Mt. Airy in one of the replica sheriff cars. Just too much fun.

The Mt. Airy and Mayberry experience was so much fun. Just one of those great opportunities why Joan and love RV life.

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Joan and I are fond of state and federal parks. Sometimes we’re looking for a quiet place to escape where others are located in areas that feed our tour desires. Lake Hartwell State Park gave us one of those great places to escape. A beautiful campground found in South Carolina just minutes from the Georgia State line.

Camp Sites

Lake Hartwell State Park is located on the edge of a massive 56,000 acre lake spanning across two states. The Park provides two types of camping styles from the hideaway in the woods to lake side lots. A wide range of activities are supported for boating, fishing, hiking or just casual relaxation.

We found a wide variety of camping supported by 115 sites. There was a variety of back-ins and pull-throughs for the smallest pop-up to large Class A’s. Our 40 foot 5th wheel and long bed dually F-350 fit our wooded camp site with ease. Many of the pull-through sites were at least 75 in length. One added benefit was all roads and campgrounds were paved with many having nice graveled areas for common space, the picnic table and fire ring.

Budget Friendly

At the time of this blog, the cost per evening was $24 a day. We found that to be a bargain. All sites offered 30 amps of electric and water with 2 dump stations as you exit the campground. Our 5th wheel is equipment with a residential refrigerator, two air conditions and a microwave, plus Joan will primp with a 1500 watt hair dryer. Attempting to use two of any of these high-power electric appliances at the same time while connected to a 30 amp connection, just won’t work and will trip the outside breaker every time. Just being conscious of what appliance needs to be used, caused no issues with power and really wasn’t an inconvenience.

Campground Amenities

What impressed us most was all of the amenities offered by the campground – great common space at the park office with free Wi-Fi, a camping store, $1 washer and dryers, boat ramp, fishing pier, lake side picnic areas and an abundance of clean bathhouses close to the campsites.

Lake Hartwell State Park was a great find for camping – family friendly, easy on the budget, with all the lake activities for a fun weekend or week long escape.

For more information about Lake Hartwell State, visit: https://southcarolinaparks.com/lake-hartwell 

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

We get questions all of the time: “Where do you buy those camping lights”? They weren’t purchased, we made them! So easy, just minutes to make, a short piece of recycled 4×4 post, a couple of hand tools, an inexpensive outdoor solar powered outdoor light and a couple of deck screws. For time sake, the video shows the actual construction taking about 7 to 8 minutes, but real time it took less than 15 minutes from start to finish. Here’s how to make your own camping lights.

You’ll need 27 inches of 4×4 post to make the base. This can be purchased at a local home improvement store or if you can find a short piece to recycle, all the better. For our project, we located a piece of 4×4 that had been thrown away. It was perfect, weathered, but not rotten or full or insects. If recycled, ensuring the lack of insects is very important to not introduce into your camper storage area. You will also need a solar powered, outdoor LED light. These can be purchased at the big box home improvements stores or Walmart for less than $7.

Tools and parts required for the project:

1. Saw, hand or powered
2. Drill with screw driver attachment
3. 1/2-inch drill bit to create countersink holes halfway through the posts
4. 7/8-inch drill bit to create a hole for the light base
5. Measuring tape
6. 4 -3 inch deck screws
7. 27-inches of 4×4 post
8. Solar powered, outdoor LED light

Construction:

• Cut the posts into three pieces – a 12”, 9” and a 6”. We didn’t want our light base too tall to prevent gusty weather from blowing over.
• Countersink holes half way thru the 9” and 6” post approximately 2” from the top and bottom.
• Place the 12” post on a flat surface. Lay the 9” post on top with the countersunk holes facing up. Make sure the bottoms of the two posts are even. Now screw the 9” post to the 12” post using two deck screws.
• Lay the screwed 12” and 9” post flat. Place the 6” post on top of the 12” post with the countersunk holes facing up. Using the remaining 2 deck screws to attached the post. Again, ensure the base of the 6” post is even with the bottom of the two other posts.
• Set 3 attached posts upright. Drill a 7/8-inch whole into the top of the 12 inch post. This hole could vary depending in the size of the solar LED light base post. Depth of the hole should be around 2 to 3 inches.
• Remove the tubular post from the solar powered LED light, exposing the short base. Insert into the newly drilled 7/8-inch hole and that’s it.

Super simple. Minutes to build. Using a couple of these makes a great addition, providing patio style camping lights around your site.

Products discussed in this video

Black and Decker Cordless Drill https://amzn.to/2wVlCUX This is a very handy drill for general installations plus those quick fixes – a loose drawer, replacing cabinet screws or just minor maintenance where a good cordless drill is needed.

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

The RV storage area or garage can become one of the more unorganized areas in your RV. Things get piled in, broken items crammed in the back, that place where things haven’t been used in over a year and probably never will be used again. If you’ve owned an RV for at least a year, you know the drill. For those new to the RV lifestyle or maybe a reminder for those who have camped for much longer periods, here are a few tips about packing your RV storage area.

Evaluate

This may seem counter intuitive, but my first tip in packing your RV storage area is to pull everything out and I mean everything. Clean out the trash, throw away any broken items. Then start the evaluation. I lay everything from the garage outside of the RV where it’s easy to view. Eliminate those items where you have two of something and only one is used. Most of use carry things around year after year and have never used and probably never will – stop hauling it around. There may be instances where you may need certain tools or the manual crank for the slides. These are worthwhile emergency items, so determine what is important and what is unused garage clutter.

What’s really needed

Here are a few items that Joan and I use in our RV travels. The list may vary depending on the time of year, but these are the basics.

1. Chairs. Purchase a good quality camping chair, well-made and something that has a slide slant in the back to make sitting comfortable. Also, carry the amount of chairs for those traveling in the RV. For Joan and I, that’s two. We find if visitors come by, we sit at the picnic table or for the evening campfire, everyone brings their favorite chair.
2. A small folding camping side table. We have a both a plastic and aluminum version. The plastic table was retired this year. Just wasn’t used. So out it goes. These folding tables are very easy to store and perfect between the camping chairs for drinks or the place for your noon meal outside.
3. 6 foot folding table. This is our outdoor kitchen. Folds into a 36” by 30” square, but unfolds into a 6’ table with space for the grill and cooking utensils.
4. Two outdoor camping rugs. A large 9’ by 12’ and a smaller 6’ by 9’. These are handy to keep sand and dirt from tracking in the camper plus providing a nice area for the sitting area outside. We have the two sizes to minimize placement in the grassy area of the camping spot.
5. A portable air compressor. This may seem like overkill, but we often travel for several months, moving every week or two. Checking and maintaining proper tire pressure is important for safe and trouble free travel. With truck and 5th wheel, we are 56’ in length and it’s difficult to find a place to air the tires, plus our tires require 110 lbs of pressure. Not something you’ll accomplish at a convenience store and we don’t want to fight the lines at a truck stop just for air.
6. Tools. Everyone’s needs are different, but we carry those items for basic repairs – cordless drill, small socket set, pliers, wire cutters, camping hatchet, screw drivers, etc. We store in a small tool bag where everything fits.
7. Satellite dish and stand. We have a Winegard X2 for our Dish Outdoors service. Takes up a good bit of garage space, it’s lightweight, easy in and out. The RV is our home and we want TV entertainment as we travel.
8. Electrical cords, hoses, cleaning items, disposable gloves, paper towels, etc. These are those miscellaneous list of items that are similar, yet unique to the RV you own and your travel lifestyle. My recommendation is to find a location that’s easy to access, where each item has its place and the item can be hung or stored when not used.

We review the RV garage storage area twice a year. The first effort is the longest trying to determine what you really need for RV travel. The next time, is less and every time thereafter is minutes. In the video below, it took less than an hour to pull everything out, vacuum the space, toss what wasn’t needed and replace in an organized fashion. Now everything fits, it won’t move around and break, and most of all, it will be easy to access we less time to set up and store again as we travel to the next campground.

Products discussed in this video

Core folding camping chair – https://amzn.to/2Xb8Wbv Cozy quilted seat; padded hard arms provide extra support and comfort.

Folding camping table – https://amzn.to/2X8vrxT Made from sturdy aluminum, it doesn’t rust regardless of the weather. We use at our camp site and the beach.

9′ x 12′ Camping Mat – https://amzn.to/2RikxQH This allows us to place 4 chairs and a couple of small camping tables to enjoy the company of our fellow RV travelers.

6 X 9 Camping Mat – https://amzn.to/2IKbi7M This mat is great to use in closer areas near the entry of your camper.

Porter Cable Pancake Air Compressor – https://amzn.to/2IfJklx 120 volt, 150 psi max tank pressure.

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

There are those “must have” items when you head out for a camping trip. Aside from the typical items, food, entertainment, clothing, the dog….it’s those camping essentials to ensure you can connect the campground amenities along with a few items to keep your camper safe. Over the last many years, we have bought a number of items that have worked and those that were a complete waste of money. In the video we share the camping essentials that we believe are must items. None shown are new. They are used every day we camp and we never leave home without them.

Camco RhinoFLEX 15ft RV Sewer Hose Kit

While not the most expensive RV sewer hose, the Camco RhinoFLEX 15ft RV Sewer Hose Kit had severed us well for several years. We’ve used in hot and cold climates and we’ve always had a solid connection. The handy elbow and bayonet adapter provide a tight seal to the campground dump station.

Camco RhinoFLEX 10ft RV Sewer Hose Extension Kit

It never fails. Once or twice a year we go to a campground with full hook-ups where our 15ft RV sewer hose will not reach the campground dump station. This Camco RhinoFLEX 10ft RV Sewer Hose Extension is that perfect addition for those occasions providing a quick fix for our stay.

Valterra 45 Degree Clearview Sewer Adapter

This simple item allows you to monitor your black tank waster to ensure the tank flows clear before you close the release valve. This is helpful if you have a blank tank flush system allowing you to see the black tank outflow until the water becomes clear.

Sewer Hose Donut

We use the sewer hose donut most time in older private owned, state or federal campgrounds where a screw in connection will not work. The donut provides a rubber seal connecting the RV sewer hose for an odor proof connection to dump station.

Heavy Duty Rubber Chocks

These can be bought from Amazon, Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply. Heavy, solid rubber construction providing a stable block to help prevent your RV from rolling forward or backward. I have a set of 4 and place in the front and back of a wheel on each side of the RV. A must to ensure you secure your camper.

RV Drinking Water Hose

This is one of those items you don’t want to purchase on the cheap. This 25ft hose usually run less than $10. We have two for those times when the water spigot is just in the wrong place. For closer distances, we don’t have a bunch of hose and one 25ft works best.

Water Pressure Regulator Valve

We camped in a park recently that had 90 pounds of water pressure at the spigot. Without a water pressure regulator we would have had water leaks all over the 5th wheel or worse yet, blown a water connection in a wall. We’ve tried a number of pressure regulators and this model has served us best. It provides an adjustment to allow you to set your desired pressure (we use 35lbs) and a gauge to ensure the water pressure is safe for your camper.

Surge Guard Power Protection

This unit has saved our electronic appliances on multiple occasions from faulty RV park power to the most violent electrical storms. Simple to use, no special set up. Continuously monitors for voltage and amp draw and reverse polarity (miswired pedestal, elevated ground voltage). These units can be purchased for both 30 amp and 50 amp powered RVs.

Dogbone Electrical Adapter 30 Amp Male to 50 Amp Female

This is adapter converts a 30 amp connection to a 50 amp. Although a connection with much lower amperage, we still are able to visit those beautiful state and federal parks only offering a 30 amp connection.

15 foot 50 Amp or 30 Amp Extension Cord

It never fails, at least a couple of times a year we arrive in a campground where our 30ft power cable will not reach the power pedestal. This 15ft extension cord saves the day and prevents us from having to move the 5th wheel often times, loosing space to park the truck or placing us to close to the campground access road. These can be purchase for 30 amp or 50 amp plugs and recommend extension cords with 10 gauge or large wire.

Products discussed in this video

Camco RhinoFLEX 15ft RV Sewer Hose Kit – https://amzn.to/2XywsMt

Camco RhinoFLEX 10ft RV Sewer Hose Extension Kit – https://amzn.to/2JzsAUK

Valterra 45 Degree Clearview Sewer Adapter – https://amzn.to/2JuFiUO

Sewer Hose Donut – https://amzn.to/2IphSk8

Heavy Duty Rubber Chocks – https://amzn.to/2Iu95gP

Camco 25ft TastePURE Drinking Water Hose – https://amzn.to/2GN5OLG

Water Pressure Regulator Valve – http://amzn.to/2FBDYNw

Surge Guard Power Protection 30 & 50 Amp – http://amzn.to/2HCbqEy

30 Amp to 50 Amp Adapter – http://amzn.to/2sNFupz

15 foot 50 Amp Extension Cord – http://amzn.to/2ufWVDA

15 foot 30 Amp Extension Cord – http://amzn.to/2ufWVDA

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

Managing a black tank is often the most feared task when one starts RV life. Not to worry. It really isn’t a big deal. There are several steps you should always remember – only human waste and RV/marine toilet paper goes into the tank. Give a good flush after use. Never leave the valve gate open on a full hook up site. And lastly and most important, use a quality black tank enzyme to speed the process of breaking down black tank solids. We recently tried RV Digest-It in our RV holding tanks and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

RV Digest-It

RV Digest-It is an eco-friendly, formaldehyde-free enzyme solution specifically designed for RV and marine use. One of the major turn-offs with many blank tank additives is the heavy use of perfumed scents to mask black tank odor. I don’t know which is worse, the perfumes or the black tank, but mixing both together is a very unpleasant smell.

We found RV Digest-It to be odor free, plus it did a great job reducing tank odor between dumps. We have been using the product over the last 6 weeks. Adding only 2 ounce to the black tank after each dump, we found all solids including toilet paper was liquefied. I found this quite amazing with only 2 ounces added to our 36 gallon black tank. Our travels started out in cool shirt sleeve weather, but the last several weeks have been in the mid 90’s. RV Digest-It has performed well minimizing tank odors.

Testing the effectiveness of RV Digest-It

In the video, we conducted a test to see how RV-Digest-It would work attempting to dissolve hard, dry dog food in just a couple of hours. We were amazed with the results. We’ve seen similar dog food left in the rain and days later was still intact. In slightly over 3 hours, the test virtually dissolved the dog food. This was a much tougher test than anything that should be found in RV holding tanks and proves why the product is so effective.

One other maintenance tip

We’ve had a number of viewers contact us recently requesting advice on clogged black tanks due to leaving the tank valve open for days or weeks and one who forgot to dump their black tank after their camping trip last Fall. These can be costly mistakes, fortunately products such as RV Digest-It can remedy quickly. Pour 16 ounces in your black tank followed by a couple of gallons of hot water. Let set for a couple of days and the enzyme in RV Digest-It will dissolve the heavy slug.

RV Digest-It Treatment Guide

We requested the Treatment Guide from Unique Camping and Marine, the manufacturers of RV Digest-It. This guide provides helpful tips on using the product for normal us, dry camping, recommended use by RV holding tank size along with a best practice to minimize black tank odor. Click here to download.

RV Digest-It Costs

Cost is very manageable. I’ve found the treatment running $16.00 to $20.00 for a 32 ounce bottle or 16 treatments. At $16.00 with Amazon prime, that’s $1.00 a treatment per dump for a very effective, environmental friendly and low cost method to maintain your RV black tank.

Below are a list of products discussed in this blog.

https://amzn.to/2IfMrbJ RV Digest-It Tank Treatment 32 oz

https://amzn.to/2WhrkzE RV Digest-It Tank Treatment 1 Gal

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

We are often asked, “How do you find such great campgrounds and places to visit?” After a number of years of RV travel, we have found a number of website and phone apps that are invaluable in our RV trip planning. We break the video into two sections – the first demonstrating the web sites we use and the second showing the phone apps used as we travel from destination to destination.

Website based Google Maps

We start our RV travel planning to determine our stops along the way. We follow the 330 Rule – 330 miles per day or stopping at 3:30 in the afternoon, whichever comes first. Using Google maps, we map out the distance between campgrounds to fit this rule.

Website based ALLSTAYS

What a wonderful website. There is also an accompanying phone app for IOS devices, but we prefer the user experience offered by the website. ALLSTAYS has a feature rich PRO Version of the site and app that is well worth the costs (about the amount for a one night stay in a campground). We show the free parts of the site that is still very helpful in finding a campground based on the location from your Google Map search.

Website TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor also has a phone app version, but we prefer the ease of use offered by the website. We show the trick to finding campground reviews along with the useful information including reviews, sites in the area and restaurants.

Website Passport America

Passport America also has a phone app, but the speed in locating campgrounds and the support information is a breeze from the web. Passport America is membership based, but we found the payback often occurs in the first week of joining. Finding member campgrounds that offer camp sites at a 50% discount is huge and helps us maintain our travel budget.

Gas Buddy Phone App

This app saves us hundreds of dollars on our trips. In seconds you can find the best gas and diesel prices close to your location. You can also use for trip planning looking at the next destination, very helpful where State lines may be crossed and fuel prices jump in cost.

Google Maps Phone App

We give a brief overview of why and how we use Google Maps phone app as an alternative to a standalone GPS. For more information about how use Google Maps as a GPS see our blog at http://ilovervlife.com/google-maps-for-rv-travel/

Rest Stops Phone App

The helpful app show rest stops by state and highway. Easy to use and accurate to the mile marker. Great for those long trips where a leg stretch and bathroom break is needed.

Lowes Connect and Pilot/Flying J Phone App

Fuel getting low? Need to take a break and feed the family? Great apps to check on the next truck stop where the big rig RV will fit. Added benefit with the Pilot/Flying J app showing which truck stops are RV friendly.

Weather Bug Phone App

Great addition to our travel apps to show weather forecast along with maps and alert of potential weather hazards that may lie ahead.

These websites and phone apps have and continue to serve us well as we plan and travel around the US. A great addition to consider for your RV travel planning needs.

Website and apps discussed on this video:

Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps
Allstays: https://www.allstays.com/
Tripadvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/
Passport America: https://passportamerica.com/
Gas Buddy: https://www.gasbuddy.com/App
Google Maps (app):
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&hl=en_US
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps-transit-food/id585027354?mt=8
Rest Stops:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.insofttech.reststops&hl=en_US
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/usa-rest-stops/id528988698?mt=8
Loves Connect:
Andriod: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.loves.finder&hl=en_US
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/loves-connect/id421276073?mt=8
Pilot/Flying J:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pilottravelcenters.mypilot
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pilot-flying-j/id474259675?mt=8
Weather Bug:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aws.android&hl=en_US
iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weatherbug-weather-forecast/id281940292?mt=8

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

See video blog for this gallery

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

As with anything, maintenance issues arise. This applies to a traditional home, your vehicle and your RV as well. Today, we’re dealing with our RV off-air antenna. Ours is the traditional “bat-wing” crank up antenna that’s found on the largest percentage of RVs on the road today. It has served us well over the last 5 years, but for the last year or so, we’ve had failures with the cranking mechanism stripping leaving the antenna in a state where we couldn’t crank up or down. We also had an issue where the plastic parts stripped again and we were unable to turn the antenna. Both instances left us without local TV programming until new parts could be orders and the antenna repaired. Choosing not to make a 3rd repair, we decided it was time to try something different. After some research, we chose the King Jack Antenna Model OA8500.

Purchase considerations

The user reviews of the King Jack Antenna were about what we expected. When we consider purchasing a product online, we use the verified purchaser “9 out of 10 rule”. If there is at least a 90% favorable rating review, we give the product the benefit of a doubt and try it. This antenna is comparable in price to the same bat-wing style as well as other alternatives.

Removing the old antenna

We start with the deconstruction of the old antenna. This wasn’t difficult and I discuss in the video the tools and care in removing the old antenna while protecting the RV roof. The task requires removing the lap sealant around the base of the antenna, screws and coax cable. Removing the old antenna took around an hour.

Installing the King Jack Antenna – outside components

Installation for the King Jack Antenna took about 2 hours. The roof top portion wasn’t difficult, but I took extra time to ensure all directions were followed, testing before everything was screwed in place and following up with a liberal use of lap sealant around all mounting surfaces and the tops of the screws. About the instructions, read them thoroughly. There are some very specific requirements on mounting and cable runs that are recommended. I followed each as specified with very good results.

Installing the King Jack Antenna – inside components

The inside parts were time consuming. Not a fault of the King Jack Antenna, but a fact of the coax cable from the original build not having any slack and not being labeled. I had to verify the 3 coax cables using a volt ohm meter, the power and ground leads prior to attaching to the new power inserter. Not a difficult task, but a few marking from the factory would have been nice. The lack of slack in the coax cables was also a little challenging, but patience prevailed.

Tuning the King Jack Antenna

Tuning the new antenna is a breeze and so much simpler than the crank up style. Again, the instruction provided the process – turn on power, turn attenuator clockwise, turn antenna until last LED lights, turn attenuator counterclockwise until LED flickers, slightly turn antenna until if stops flickering. Done. Less than a couple of minutes. Go to the RV, scan for channels and that’s it. Comparing the King Jack Antenna to the old bat-wing, every channel was received with the same strength or better.

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the installation and performance of the King Jack Antenna. Plus, the added benefit of not cranking the antenna up or down and the ease of locating viewable off-air TV signals.

Products discussed in this video

KING OA8500 Jack HDTV Directional Over-the-Air Antenna https://amzn.to/2Q4ptIh This is a simple, fast antenna pointing with 360-degree rotation that is up to 70 percent smaller than traditional RV antennas. We especially like the Built-in KING SureLock signal finder making it simple to locate TV stations.

KING MB8200 Antenna Mounting Plate https://amzn.to/2VFM3wX Mounting plate covers existing holes to create a water-tight seal on the RV roof. Essential if replacing an bat-wing antenna.

 
Dicor Self-Leveling Lap Sealant https://amzn.to/2LGSXgF Creates a secure, secondary seal along the roof’s edges, air vents, vent pipes and screw heads. Compatible TPO RV roofs.

 
6-in-1 Painters Tool https://amzn.to/2HlK5ce 6 uses in one tool include gouger, scraper, putty remover, spreader and roller cleaner. Great for removing laps sealant from your RV roof.

 
Black and Decker Cordless Drill https://amzn.to/2wVlCUX This is a very handy drill for general installations plus those quick fixes – a loose drawer, replacing cabinet screws or just minor maintenance where a good cordless drill is needed.

 
Kline 11-in-1 Multi Tool https://amzn.to/2JPLM3x It would be great to have a toolbox filled with every tool I may possibly need. This is one of my favorites. I keep this multi-tool screwdriver in the RV for those times when you just need to tighten something. Well made and a good quality product.

Digital Multimeter https://amzn.to/2M4Js5O Great for troubleshooting electrical problems. I also check the electrical connection before I plug in the RV to make sure voltage is correct and the connection is safe. See more from our blog and video at blog at http://ilovervlife.com/digital-voltmeters-surge-protection-and-rv-travel/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Purchased use of Digital Juice BackTraxx 1 End User License Agreement for Travelin. The Music may be used, altered, or incorporated according to the guidelines described herein into any production (including but not limited to, broadcast, commercial, industrial, educational, and personal).

Working from your RV. For Joan and I, this provides the livelihood needed to finance our travels. In the video we discuss the differences between workcamping and working from your RV. We typically think of workcamping as those temporary jobs requiring some form a physical labor outside of the RV, such as those required of a camp host, in an Amazon fulfillment center, beet harvest and others. Working from you RV often falls within the service industry.

How We Work From An RV

The methods, technology and cloud based services discussed in the video have been derived from a number of years of corporate travel and then updating to best fit the RV lifestyle. In the video we discuss:

1. Types of work
2. Your work space
3. Your work schedule
4. Online services that support working from an RV
5. Technology for the RV work space

Types of Work

One key item discussed in the video are the types of work that lends itself to RV travel. We researched and found a wide range of job types that fit the home base or RV lifestyle. As Internet marketers and web designers, our business and work was found in the top five of the list. Our research focused on the type of work that would have flexible hours, require little face-to-face time with clients and require minimal financial investment for the work environment. Click here or on the picture to the right to download a copy of this list. Here you can research for possible jobs or agencies supporting these in-demand skills.

We also discussed the cloud-based services as well as the technical items needed for your work space. Of those discussed, we use each of these items daily in our RV based business and have provided the list below if you need to add to your RV work environment.

Products Discussed in This Video

https://amzn.to/2Heb35z WD 6TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive Fast data transfers; Formatted NTFS and compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1 or Windows 7; High-capacity add-on storage; Plug-and-play ready for Windows PCs.
 

https://amzn.to/2HaZgVw Brother MFC-J480DW – Wireless Inkjet Color All-in-One Printer Print, copy, scan, and fax with color inkjet technology. 100-sheet paper capacity up to 8.5″x14″ Print directly from your mobile device using AirPrint, Easy-to-setup wireless networking with other devices.

https://amzn.to/2YrawTH Dell Inspiron 2019 Premium Flagship 15 3000 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LCD Display. 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U. Windows 10. 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 1.4, Headphone Microphone Combo Jack

Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/

Google G Suite https://gsuite.google.com/

MyFax https://www.myfax.com/

Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

FDR State Park and Campground is a located in Pine Mountain, GA, just minutes for I-185 and Columbus, GA. The camping area are made up of a number of loops with camp site ranging from spacious wooded lots to those with a great view of Lake Delanor.

Spacious Wood and Lake View Camping

The campground was very clean, lot sizes were reasonable, a number of small play grounds, water craft rentals, and several large bath houses The sites have water and electric with some having both 30 amp and 50 amp hookup. No sewer, but a large dump station is located at the back entrance leaving the campground. The roads are paved and the lots were graveled and level. All sites had picnic tables and fire rings and most had large spaces in between. There were a mix of back-in and pull-through sites and we saw a wide range of campers from tents to large 40 foot or larger 5th wheels and class A’s.

We arrive around 2:30PM on a Sunday with reservations. Good news, with the State of Georgia’s new reservation system, you can view the campground map and reserve your space. Reservations are recommended during the busier vacation periods, with the 100 campground sites filling up quickly.

Hiking, Biking and So Much More

This is a great area to tour and hike. The Pine Mountain Trails are minutes away offering over 40 miles of trails along with primitive camping for those overnight jaunts. The valley views from the Pine Mountain Ridge are fantastic. There’s much to do around the Park. Summer months provide a large swimming pool and picnic area, horseback riding, also within a 10 minute drive is The Little White House in Warm Springs, GA. This is well worth the small fee to tour and history buffs will have a field day. The little town Warm Springs is nearby with shops and a few eateries.

Nearby Pine Mountain, GA

Also 5 minutes east of the campground back entrance lies the town of Pine Mountain. Grocery stores, hardware, Dollar “whatever” were available along with an excellent Mexican restaurant, Oyster House, Fox Pizza (yummy) and others . And a destination into itself, Callaway Gardens offers golf, water recreation, hiking and biking, garden tours, and my favorite, the butterfly house.

This is a great campground to spend a long weekend or just soak up all the area has to offer for an extended 14 day stay.

For more information visit this FDR State Park and Campground Website.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Joan and I have been on a nature kick recently. Usually happens every year with everything in bloom and the desire to experience all Spring has to offer after a cold Winter. We visited Callaway Gardens located in Pine Mountain GA after stopping for a week in nearby FDR State Park and Campground. This is a great place to spend a day enjoying the beautiful gardens, bike and hiking trails and most of all, the butterfly house.

Callaway Gardens is a fun destination.

Joan and I spent this Spring day walking the many trails and gardens. I wish I had brought the bikes. There are miles of paved trails throughout the Gardens that would have made touring even more fun. Aside from enjoying all the outdoor sites, we visited a log cabin, the Discovery Center and the Butterfly Center. There was so much to do, we just ran out of time to see and do many of the activities offered.

Butterfly Center

One of our favorites was the Butterfly Center. We had so much fun walking around the atrium surrounded butterflies of all colors and shapes. I had to laugh at my video. While editing, I sounded like a little kid walking around. Needless to say, we had so much fun!

Other Activities

The Gardens offer year round golf, summer has a large beach and pavilion area, in the winter the Festival of Lights is a treat, along with a full calendar of activities from photography, gardening, fly fishing, and a wide ranges of other classes.

Callaway Gardens is a great destination. Hope you get a change to add to you RV travels.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

One of the great things about RV life is the adventure. When Joan and I plan to visit a new area for the first time, we Google and TripAdvisor to see if there are places of interest we may enjoy. You may find a few pictures or a blog, but sometimes, it’s hard to capture in a picture or words something very special nature has created. Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsten AL was one of those “Oh Wow!”” places.

You can view the Falls walking from the edge of the Park for free or pay a small fee to walk the trails to the base of the Falls and see other items of interest from Noccalula Falls Park. Our cost was $4 for access, a bargain, and we started our tour.

First stop was the Pioneer Village.

There we a number of log buildings moved to the property and restored. Many of these structures were over 190 years old and provided a glimpse into life of earlier settlers from nearby Tennessee. I show a number of these log buildings in the video including living quarters, blacksmith shop, general store and more. We visited the Falls in early spring and we show some of the gardens, the Gilliand- Reese Covered Bridge built in 1899 and other points of interest along the walking paths.

There were a number of venues for kids with the access to the Park including a Petting Zoo, playgrounds, riding the authentic Huntington miniature train and a wide range of picnic areas.

The main attraction is the Falls.

The Falls trails weren’t to difficult to manage. Relatively flat with the exception of some rocky sections near the Falls, we strolled through Black Creek Gorge to the Falls. Arriving at these 90-foot tall falls were something to see. And better yet, the trail took us behind the Falls with a rear view toward the creek. We couldn’t get enough video and pictures of the the rare view.

Heading back to the main Park, we took a short diversion to the Suspension Bridge crossing Black Creek. A bit of a trek, but worth it to see the Spring flowers in bloom, the massive rock out croppings along the gorge to the creek. Crossing the bridge, the trail continues outside of the private park to the public space and a campground area.

Noccalula Falls Park offers a great place to get-away, hike and enjoy nature or a fun destination for the entire family to spend a day.

Visit these site for more information about Noccalula Falls Park.
http://www.noccalulafallspark.com/
https://www.facebook.com/noccalulafalls/

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

A little over a year ago we created a “kitty on-suite” for Mink and Molly. We needed a better place for the kitty litter box that would minimize tracking litter throughout the RV and make sifting the litter box a little easier. In our original video https://youtu.be/kDS3Q-pC1Go we go though the steps we considered for the location and construction of the litter box on-suite.

New access door

After a year plus of travel, we needed to make a few improvements. First was the access door. Originally, we used peg board thinking air flow from the garage area would be needed to ventilate the litter box area. The assumption to ventilate was correct, but the peg board was not a good idea. We found in the spring and fall months with the windows and doors open, this created a draft, drawing odors from the litter box area into our living space. Fortunately, the fix was simple. A trip to a home improvement store and a purchase of a quarter inch thick piece of plexiglass provided a seal around the garage door opening.

Adding a vent fan

But we still had an issue. How to ventilate the area where the litter box is located. Simple, an inexpensive 12 volt computer fan. Since we had an LED light in the area, the fan addition was simple. Drill a whole to fit the circumference of the fan, splice into the 12 volt wire feeding the LED light and face the fan output to pull air out of the box area. Next we had to vent the fan output. We did not want to introduce odors into the garage. A vent typically used for RV battery installations proved to be perfect. Adding a flange to the outside of the box, a little 1 3/4″ flexible tubing and the battery vent drilled and installed into the side of the outside wall now provides the positive air flow needed to vent the litter box area. The fan has very low wattage requirements and is very quite.

If you’re considering this RV project, review the past video listed above and consider these “lessons learned” as you build your own RV kitty litter box.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Part of the challenge of RV life is finding quality Internet service. It’s nonexistent in many campgrounds and where it is found, it’s overtaxed by those camping. Reasons are many, but the good news is there are affordable RV Internet solutions now offered by many of the cellular providers.

Cellular Internet service

At the date of this video, Verizon now offers an unlimited pre-pay cellular Internet service using a MiFi device. There’s nothing uniquely RV Internet about the Verizon plan other than it is very portable. The MiFi is a wireless cellular modem and router combined. Our MiFi supports up to 10 wireless devices which is ample for our work computer, iPad, cell phones and other devices in the RV. To date, we have not run into an area where Verizon was not accessible. We don’t boondock or dry camp and most of the private, state and federal parks were close enough to a Verizon cell tower for service. We did not always have the fastest of service, but have yet to travel without finding downloads at least 4Mb or higher and similar upload speeds.

Joan and I wanted to have some assurance our two kitty travelers were safe while we toured an area. After a scare last year where power was lost for most of the day in a very hot climate, we wanted to have some way to monitor temperatures in the 5th wheel as well as some form of video. With the MiFi as our base, we were well on our way.

WiFi temperature monitor

The first component was the addition of the GoVee WiFi temperature monitor by Minger. This is a standalone device that has built-in WiFi along with temperature and humidity monitors. It is battery operated making installation simple taking minutes to set up with the GoVee App. The big selling point for us was the ability to set a temperature alarm. In the event the temperature increases to the point we set, we receive an alarm and can return to the 5th wheel to make sure Mink and Molly are safe.

WiFi Camera

We also added a WiFi camera. This was the most challenging part of this project. Almost to the point, I feared it wasn’t possible to operated a WiFi camera over a cellular modem. After several attempts, multiple camera models, I settled on the Amazon Cloud Camera. This was a little higher of a price point that we had hoped, but bottom line, it works. Simple set up, very friendly app and additional security features offer that we could use at a later date. Features such as motion detection has to be disable with the movement of Mink and Molly constantly setting off alerts. Simple to disable. Now with the Cloud Cam, we can simply access the app, check on Mink and Molly anytime along with having that extra assurance they are safe in the event we receive a temperature alarm.

One note. Some may ask if the GoVee temperature monitor or Cloud Cam could be operated on campground WiFi. Maybe, but I would not want to risk when needed most and we failed to receive a temperature alarm.

Overall, a fun RV Internet project. A little challenging, but good results.

Products discussed on this video:

WiFi Temperature Monitor – https://amzn.to/2DjIjVS
 
 
 

Amazon Cloud Cam – https://amzn.to/2GC2LEu
 
 
 

Verizon Prepaid Plan – https://www.verizonwireless.com/internet-devices/prepaid/
 

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

We all reach this point in our RV travels where the USB cords and power management are nearing insanity. It doesn’t matter what we are driving from the largest Class A, to the smallest van, to the car pulling a popup, or in our case, the ton truck and a 5th wheel, the dash starts looking like something from a Frankenstein movie. Wires from one end of the dash to the other, every 12 volt power plug used, adapters with multiple USB plugs, then as a last straw, the multi-plug octopus thing that takes the wiring mess to a whole new realm. For our travels, there’s was a simple fix – using a dash cam hardwire kit.

It know this may not be for everyone, but for those who can manage the replacement of a 12 volt auto fuse, this is a simple project that took less than an hour. We are using a 12v-24v DC to 5v DC converter purchased off Amazon found here https://amzn.to/2XrIEPm. The kit had all the parts needed from the converter, 3 different types of fuse wiring adapters (I refer to these as “cheaters” in the video), and fuses for each.

Next was to find a power source. This effort took half of the project time. Here’s the challenge. I wanted a fuse source that only worked when the ignition switch was turned on. If the truck sits for days or longer, I won’t run the risk of draining the battery. I also didn’t want to use a fuse the was in use that may have high current demands. This could create a situation of blowing the fuse with the addition power demands of the kit. Referring to the truck owner’s manual, I found the fuse panels and use of each, then using a digital volt meter or a simple 12 volt test lamp, I verified my fuse power source was on with the ignition on and off with the key removed.

Next is running the wires. It may seem daunting, but a little patience goes a long way. Start at the device, plug in the adapter and gently hide the wires behind the headliner, dash, window, and moldings. Just take your time and use your fingers and something blunt like the end of a throw-away chop stick to push the wires into place.

Lastly, insert the fuses into the fuse wiring adapter, insert the adapter into the fuse panel, gently secure the excess wires behind the panels or glove box, replace all covers and you’re done.

We didn’t add the dash cam kit for all our USB powered devices. We still plug in the cell phones if needed. This project was for those devices used every time we start the truck. How nice it is to not fiddle with all the wires and tangles. For under $30 and a hour of time, this has made a much needed improvement.

 
Below are links if you’re interested in purchasing the products discussed in this video. Please note: Prices and availability of the products mentioned in this video are subject to change.

Dash cam hardwire hit – https://amzn.to/2SYwsat
 
 
 

Other helpful items:

Wire crimper and connectors – https://amzn.to/2XoIl85
 
 
 
 
Digital multimeter – https://amzn.to/2EzPxXD
 
 
 
 
12 volt tester – https://amzn.to/2EzP6fX
 
 
 
 

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

We get so many questions about our RV jack pads. I made these after we experience several extended days of very strong winds while camping in Texas. I used some of the plastic types, but they cracked. I moved to a couple 2×6 boards to stack under the pads to keep the jacks from sinking in soft dirt and add a little extra height. After one of the evening wind storms, I was surprised to see the 2×6 boards had slid and the 5th wheel jacks we close to falling off.

I created these using two 24 inch pieces of pressure treated 6×6 and capped each, top and bottom with a 24 inch piece of pressure treated 2×12. All pieces were glued and screwed together. I also added a heavy duty galvanized folding gate handle to one side of each pad to make it easier to pull from the bed of the truck and place on the ground.

These are not light, especially until the pressure treated wood drys so watch the back lugging these things around. Once they dry our after a month or so they are more manageable, but as the name implies, these are heavy duty not just in function, but weight.

Below is picture diagram of the construction of the RV jack pads. If you prefer a printed version, just click on the picture for a printer ready PDF to download.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

As RV travelers, Joan and I really enjoy sharing the places we visit and tour. We have traveled thousands of miles with many more thousands planned. But, with our tours and stops from these travels, we realized something was missing! Our hometown of Macon GA. This is a great place to visit with so much to offer for a couple of days of touring as you move north and south on I-75. Many just stop for the evening as they go back and forth to Florida, but you’re missing a great opportunity to see the remnants of a civilization that lived here over a thousand years ago, beautiful restored homes from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, great camping on the lake, the Allman Brothers Big House, restaurants and so much more.

In this video, we start with a highlight of Lake Tobosofkee Recreation Area. This is minutes off I-475 and offers very reasonably priced camping on a beautiful lake setting. See the entire tour of the campground and recreation are here https://youtu.be/90FO9OQ9sfc

After a long drive and needing a good meal to relax, we take you to our favorite casual dinning restaurant just minutes from the campground at the Zebulon Rd exit, Buffalo’s Cafe. There’s also shopping at many of the popular big box stores along with the areas lower cost gas and diesel.

Plan to stay a night or two and tour Macon. We take you on a walking tour of the Ocumulgee National Monument. A step back in time to 1,000 years ago when the South Appalachian Mississippian people lived hear. We provide a highlight of this rare and amazing location. See the entire tour here. https://youtu.be/yRwzS2bi2j4

Then it’s off to downtown Macon to take a short walking tour. There is so much to see from old homes and museums that it was impossible to fit all into one day. We stopped in a couple of our favorites starting with the amazing and impeccably restored Hay House built in 1855 offering a stunning tour and a glimpse into the life of the three families who lived here from the late 1800’s to 1960. We also show a very small fraction of the old homes in the downtown area. A walking tour around Mulberry St, Bond St, College St, and Orange St, to name just a few can last minutes to hours. We break for lunch at one of our favorite brew pubs, Piedmont Brewery.

Next, we are off to The Big House. This was the home of the Allman Brothers Band during the early 1970’s. The home has been restored and contains an incredible amount of band memorabilia including Layla, Duane Allman’s gold top Gibson guitar, Gregg Allman’s Hammond B3 organ, and Dickey Bett’s custom guitar, with thousands of photos, artwork, and band items to keep your interest for hours. We finish the day on a solemn note with a trip to the historic Rose Hill Cemetery. This cemetery was established in 1840. It is also the final resting place of Duane Allman, Gregg Allman and Berry Oakley. There’s also the interesting grave site of Elizabeth Reed, the inspiration of the iconic Dickey Betts’ song from the Idlewild South Album.

We hope you enjoy the tour and make plans to stop and experience Macon, GA, my hometown.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Thought we’d have a little fun with this video, an RV Tutorial – Speaking Southern. I traveled much during corporate life and always enjoyed listening to all of the wonderful dialects, amazed at the many variations of the English language. Growing up in the southeastern part of the US, we too have our own unique way of speaking. More so, words used may not mean what you think they mean. So to dispel any idea that Joan and I grew up in any other part of the US other than the south, I present 20 of my favorite southern terms. I hope these help as you RV through the South. And as we say often: “Y’all come back now, ya hear!”

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Ever so often in one’s RV travels, you stumble upon a campground that leaves a lasting impression. This was the case with River Country RV Campground located in Gadsden AL. Joan and I were heading south from Nashville and decided to take a new route through Alabama. Looking for a stop along the way, we found River Country a few minutes from I-59 South.

Located on the Coosa River

Wow, this is a beautiful campground located on a point where the Black Creek and the Coosa River join. We had the fortunate luck to have a water view spot overlooking Black Creek with the hill ridges in the background. Just beautiful. In this video we take you on a tour of the campground, showing the quaint little Chapel, a walk around the creek and river point, camping sites along with the many amenities offered by the campground.

Restaurants and Shopping

We also show a couple of the fun restaurants and a trip to that crazy shopping stop – Unclaimed Baggage. Slightly off the path of most RV destinations, River Country RV Campground and the city of Gadsden, AL was a great spot to rejuvenate as we continue our early spring RV travels.

For more information about River Country RV Campground, visit https://www.rivercountrycampground.com/

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

We had the very fortunate opportunity the visit the Hay House located in Macon, GA. We were provided a private tour and were able to visit 7 floors of this amazing house. The Jonston-Felton-Hay House was constructed between 1855 and 1859 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. This 18,000 square foot mansion was built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and had many amenities that were very unique for the mid-1800’s including hot and cold running water, central heat, gas lighting, central heat, in-house kitchen and a state of the art ventilation system.

Our tour started in the basement and proceeded throughout this amazing structure culminating at the very top with a walk around the 7th floor widow’s walk offering amazing views of downtown Macon.

This video is just a highlight of our tour and I hope you have the opportunity to visit Macon and see the amazing home. For more information about the Hay House visit https://www.hayhousemacon.org/.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Nashville

Nashville! What a town. This is one of our favorite places to visit. There’s so much history that we’ve shown from our previous visits from the Carnton House, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage and Belle Meade Plantation. Then there’s the music. Steeped in country music history starting at The Ryman Auditorium, the Mother Church of Country Music, and a trip to Nashville isn’t complete without touring the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On this stop, we’re showing a quick glimpse into Nashville nightlife. We take you on a tour of the night spots on Broadway, an evening at the Grand Ole Opry and a walk though the Johnny Cash Museum. This video is limited to some dialog and pictures with background music. But,we’ve added a two additional videos for a more in-depth view of the music downtown on Broadway and a fun evening at the Opry.

We had a blast and as always, hated to leave this fun town. Just another reason why we love RV life!

Broadway Nightlife Highlights

Grand Ole Opry Highlights

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

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Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw

Music: Atlanta – Jingle Punks https://youtu.be/7UZixNBOd60

Corncob – Country by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…)
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Dirt Road Traveler by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…)
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Music: Local Saloon – Silent Partner https://youtu.be/4-vIXyge6Xg

Music: Rotten Gardenias – Huma-Huma https://youtu.be/gQO-qEQNZH4

Music: Rural Stride – Josh Kirsch, Media Right Productions https://youtu.be/UwX0Xvu-8Jg

We love coming to Nashville TN and have done so since we started RV travel 5 years ago. There is so much to see and do. We’ve tried several campgrounds in the area, but our favorites has been Two Rivers Campground located off Music Valley Dr. Two Rivers is a very nice, well maintained campground offering full hook-up sites up to 50 amp electric, water, sewer, cable and WiFi. Most have a clear shot for satellite TV and very good cellular coverage for all the major carriers. They also have a very nice bath house, a large coin laundry, pool and during the warmer month, a small stage where various music entertainers perform.

Great Nashville Entertainment

One of the benefits of Two Rivers is the close proximity to great Nashville entertainment. You’re minutes from the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Palace, Back Stage at the Opry, dinner theaters and more. The Gaylord Hotel and Opry Mills Mall is minutes away with entertainment, restaurants, shopping, Madame Tussauds, Dave and Busters and so much more.

Downtown Shuttle to Broadway

Another great benefit is the shuttle to downtown. For $10 a person, roughly the cost of parking, the shuttle will pick up at the campground office, drop off one block from the Broadway night life and pick up every hour on the hour until 2AM. Bargain, safe and a great way to go downtown for all the fun and music with none of the hassle.

For more information about Two Rivers Campground, visit their website at https://www.tworiverscampground.com/.

 
Not sure about what RV accessories you need as you start RV travel? Check out our RV Accessories page where we have listed a wide range of products from essential items to those “nice to have” RV products to make RV life more enjoyable. Every item listed is being used or has been used by Joan and I as we’ve traveled across the country in our RV.
 

Receive the latest updates from I Love RV Life! Sign up to receive an email notification as we post new RV travels, RV tips and information about RV life in general. It’s simple. Just enter your name and email address on the right side of the page and click subscribe.

Music by: [No Copyright Music] ON AND ON – Nicolai Heidlas Music – https://youtu.be/Skxx0KnGGHw