Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
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  • Campground Reviews
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Navy UDT-SEAL Museum – Fort Pierce, Florida
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • Internet Solution(s) for Full-Time RVers
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
      • Florida RV SuperShow 2018
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • Videos
  • About Us
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January 7, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

Avoid These RV Travel Mistakes

Traveling in an RV can be a remarkable experience. But, unlike getting a room for rent in a hotel or AirBnB, it requires a little more planning. With RV travel, you’ll need to plan for several details from preparing meals to making sleeping arrangements and planning your destination and navigation. The responsibility of creating an enjoyable trip rests squarely on your shoulders.

A photo of a Winnebago View parked on a paved RV site pad with its awning and slides out. The site is mostly dirt with a picnic table and shrubs and deciduous trees around it. The bright blues of Lake Mead and the sky are in the background with some mountains off in the distance.

 If you want an RV trip that is memorable for all the right reasons, you need to avoid some common mistakes. Here are some suggestions to make your next trip a success.

Choosing the Wrong RV

Any veteran RV traveler will quickly tell you to take your time when picking the RV. They know that selecting the wrong one can ruin an otherwise perfect trip. Unless you want to suffer this fate, be sure to choose an RV carefully.

One of your most significant considerations when choosing an RV should be the vehicle size. Obviously you need to consider how many people will be accompanying you in the RV, but if you are purchasing one, ask yourself how many people will be traveling with me REGULARLY. This is a lesson we learned the hard way. We got a much too large RV that limited our ability to camp in National Parks thinking our young adult sons would be joining us on our adventures. It happened so rarely, we could have saved money by purchasing a small RV and just renting a cabin on those occasions.

We created an 8-page guide on RV purchasing tips that discusses the different types of RVs and their pros and cons. This guide is helpful whether you are looking to buy or even rent an RV.

You’ll also want to consider specific amenities that vary by RVs. For instance, do you need a full-sized refrigerator and television in your vehicle, or are you satisfied with any vehicle that has sleeping space for your crew? Thinking about how you will use your RV will make it easier for you to make your final selection.

Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel being towed by a black Chevrolet truck. Background is a grassy hill with snow at the top on the right and evergreen trees on the left, blue sky above.

Before you settle on a specific vehicle, it helps to conduct thorough research of your options. Visit your local RV shop, or attend several RV shows to get some insight into the kind of RV that will best suit your needs. Join online RV forums to expand your knowledge of these vehicles. Consider renting an RV or two to get a feel of what’s best for you.

Failing to Secure Reservations

So you might be asking yourself how spontaneous can your RV travels be? Can you just hop in your RV and go wherever the mood takes you? Maybe, but be aware that more people are traveling by RV now than ever. This means that you will be competing for space in campgrounds and even boondocking spots.

We have a simple 3-step process for finding the best campgrounds. It includes considering the time of year you want to visit. If it’s high season you may need reservations, if it’s off season you may not. If you’re thinking of a state park in Florida, any time of year is high season.

While you can’t make reservations for boondocking sites, you can get a feel for availability by reading review on sites like Campendium. It’s also a good idea to have 2-3 sites pre-selected in case there is no room (or you just don’t get a good vibe) at your first choice.

Overlooking RV Navigation Limitations

When planning an RV road trip, you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress by planning an appropriate route. RVs are bigger and heavier than standard vehicles. Due to this, you may need to take alternate routes to get to your preferred destination.

For instance, your RV may be too high to fit under low bridges. You may also need guidance to pass through narrow tunnels, or your vehicle may be too big to pass through such tunnels. Rather than find out about such limitations when you meet them, it is better to plan your route ahead of time. That way, you can pick a path that will not pose a problem when traveling with your RV. An RV GPS can really help with navigating you away from hazards. They even work offline so you can still navigate without service.

And remember, even when using a GPS or map app, things happen. Roads are closed or detours are enacted. Make sure you have a general idea of the area in which you are traveling. Better yet, always have a backup plan like a good, old-fashioned paper atlas, of how you will find your bearings if you get lost. This could save you a lot of anguish and worry during your trip.

Traveling Too Far, Too Fast

If there is one thing that can ruin an RV trip, it is spending too many hours behind the steering wheel trying to reach your preferred destination. You and your family will likely get tired and cranky.

 All in all, you are unlikely to enjoy your trip if you are haggard and distressed. To avoid this, pick a reasonably close destination. That way, you will spend more time enjoying your destination than worrying about driving.

If you are traveling far from home, consider taking a longer amount of time to get there and breaking up your trip with a destination along the way. So many times we have our eyes on the bucket list destinations like Yellowstone or Yosemite, and fail to appreciate all the other fabulous locales around this beautiful country. Some of our favorite places have been this hidden gems.

Over or Under Packing

If you’re not a full-time RVer, then packing for an RV trip can be understandably tricky. You may be tempted to bring too much along for the ride since you have so much room. Alternatively, you may decide under-pack in a bid to travel light.  Both over and under packing can ruin your trip.

If you bring too much stuff along for the ride, you will likely surpass your vehicle’s weight limit. This makes driving a bit more challenging, and you may struggle to find balance or brake in good time. This is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Under-packing, on the other hand, poses the risk of suffering discomfort or having to spend more money during your trip. Failure to bring appropriate clothing for changing weather will take the joy out of any trip. Forgetting the camping chairs may make your time by the campfire less comfortable.

When packing for your RV vacation, the rule of thumb is to pack the essentials and leave everything else. Be sure to write a list of the things you intend to carry and cross them off as you pack them. Better yet, use our free fillable packing worksheets to create your list. That way, you will not forget a critical item only to remember it when you are hundreds of miles away from home.

Failure to Follow Campground Etiquette

One of the worst mistakes you can make as an RV traveler is failing to follow camping etiquette. It makes you a bad neighbor, and you make other people uncomfortable.

Much of campground etiquette is common courtesy. Avoid blaring out loud music at night during your stay at an RV campground, even if there is no designated quiet hours, and your neighbors will appreciate you for it. Don’t leave food lying around to avoid attracting wild animals to the site. Failure to pick up after yourself and your dog is the most common complaint we hear from other campers. Another one is failing to control your dogs or leaving them chained up outside without supervision. By doing these simple things, you will have made life easier for yourself and those around you.

Conclusion

 Traveling in an RV can be fun, but only if you plan appropriately for it. Fortunately, this doesn’t demand a lot of effort on your part. Start by choosing the right vehicle for the trip. Please do thorough research before you settle on a vehicle to ensure that it’s the right option for you.

 Start by picking a good destination and planning a route before setting out. Pack the essentials and leave everything else at home. During your stay at the camping site, try your best to be a good neighbor. If you do all this, you are bound to enjoy your RV trip tremendously.

Filed Under: RV Resources Tagged With: RV mistakes to avoid, RV travel mistakes

January 6, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

Top 9 Legit Ways to Make Money Online

Life is a wonderful journey, and you need to be prepared for different phases in life. You could be living in a house this month and traveling full-time the following month. One thing that can ease that transition is a viable source of income from the road.

This changing dynamic in the workforce is truly helpful for those who want to travel full-time or on an extended basis. Because you’ll still have expenses whether you are wanting to travel in an RV and pay for campgrounds, or are staying in AirBnB’s or hotels, you’ll always need some money to fulfill your wanderlust. 

After the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, many companies had to change the traditional way of doing business. It was a wake-up call that things can change; the good thing is that most people were able to continue working, just online instead of in the office.

But what will you do if after the pandemic, your company discontinues remote work? Hopefully this article will help give you some ideas to transfer your skills and experience to something new. Below is a breakdown of reliable ways to make money online: 

1. Translation Services

Can you read and write in a second language? You can use those skills to earn money. Translation is well suited to remote work and it is very flexible. Often, rather than working traditional hours, you make money per assignment. It is dependent on the speed of delivery; the faster you clear, the faster and more money you will earn. Numerous online platforms can help deliver services such as Upwork and Freelancer. After delivery, you can quickly get paid via Paypal. 

2. Graphic Design & Illustration 

Graphic design is a fabulous way to make money while traveling full-time. If you have the skills and a good internet connection, you can do this work anywhere.

Are you a fan of crafting creative designs? It is an excellent opportunity to create graphics for different companies. Graphic design is a craft where professionals create visual content to communicate messages. This can be anything from small projects like logos or presentation templates to website and application interface design. You can start small and use freelancing platforms to create a portfolio. Once you’ve established a body of work, you can start sourcing for clients and dictating your rate of payment. If funds are tight when you are starting out, you can use free tools like Gimp and Canva. After you have steady income, you can upgrade and use the paid ones such as Photoshop. 

3. Video Editing

If you enjoy editing, you can earn from that skill. You can start building your portfolio with your own travels. As you visit amazing sites, spare some time to take great videos and upload them to a YouTube channel like ours. You can eventually earn an income stream from that while building a portfolio to display your work. Then you can use that opportunity to work for others and earn more money. In fact, many large YouTube channels outsource their work.

4. Online Courses and Teaching

The best way to share what you know is by creating pre-recorded online lessons that will help others learn something new. You can create a course about anything you are an expert on including baking, budgeting, or photography. Sean & I combined our passion for personal finance and full-time travel in our course, Full-Time RV Finance.

Teaching English online is another way that many full-time travelers earn an income.

If you are looking for regular pay related to online teaching, you can teach English to students who are based in China and are between the ages of 4-12 through a company called VIPKid. All classes are held one-on-one and conducted online through their portal (very similar to Skype or Facetime). To apply, all you need is a Bachelor’s degree and some experience teaching or tutoring kids (even Sunday School is relevant).

5. Drop Shipping Ecommerce Business

Drop shipping helps business people who want to operate their business but are scared of huge inventory costs. Drop shipping helps to sell products without having any inventory. It is a great business strategy to make sales; the disadvantage is that you will need upfront starting fees. When done the right way, you will be sure of decent pay. To get started, use an online store like Shopify and get products from Oberlo and AliExpress. Learn more from Shopify’s Ultimate Guide to Drop Shipping.

6. Blogging

Blogging is a great way to earn an income. You can write about something you love, and after gaining more followers, you will make more money. There are several different ways to earn an income through blogging. If you don’t have a blog, you can write for someone else’s. Many companies hired bloggers to write articles for them. If you want to earn money from your own blog, one of the easiest ways is through commissions earned by recommending products you use and trust. Those commissions are also known as affiliate income. Once you have regular traffic to your site, you can also earn money by selling advertising on your site.

Learn more in this FREE online course to help you get started blogging.

7. Become a Social Media Influencer

Many full-time travelers earn money through Instagram and TikTok by recommending products and services they trust.

Did you know you can earn money as an Instagram or TikTok influencer? First you’ll need to build an audience, but it doesn’t have to be huge. Many companies are looking to work with micro influencers that can recommend their products or services. The key to being successful is to also be selective. Only work with companies that you trust and purchase from yourself.

My friend Lauren has written a book sharing her tips for growing your audience: How to Grow To 10K Followers, Become An Influencer, And Start Monetizing Your Account.

8. SEO Services for Small Businesses

One thing that every small business website needs (including bloggers) is help optimizing their sites for search engines. This helps them rank higher on Google, get more website visits, and earn more money. You can learn about SEO techniques online and then offer your services to other online businesses and bloggers. In fact, if you have a blog yourself, it is a great way to market your services and showcase your results. You can offer services from freelance platforms, networking, or cold pitching to new business owners. 

9. Traditional Remote Positions

As previously mentioned, many employers have embrace remote employees. FlexJobs, is a great site for those seeking remote work (also known as telecommuting) positions. Sean used it in his job search after retiring from the Air Force. Don’t worry if you currently have a job that doesn’t seem to lend itself to remote work. Sean worked in a hospital laboratory. Most people would think that can’t be done remotely, but he was able to take the skills and experience he had and find a quality control position that could be performed over the computer.

Other Ideas to Support Full-Time Travel

If you are looking for additional ideas for funding your full-time travel adventures, see this article where I discuss travel and seasonal jobs.

The possibilities are endless. If you can dream it, you can do it!

Filed Under: Full-Time Finance Tagged With: earn money on the road, funding full-time travel, remote work, telework

December 9, 2020 by Julie Chickery 2 Comments

2020 Year in Review

Wow! What a year! 2020 has brought so many ups and downs for us (and you too, I’m sure)! Here’s the run down of what we did and where we traveled in the year of COVID.

January

We kicked off the New Year in Key West, Florida. And what a gorgeous place to enjoy fabulous weather and scenery. We can’t wait to go back!

Two photos: One shows an Arctic Fox 5th wheel with its awning out, parked on grass. Blue sky and deep blue water in the background. The second photo shows a beautiful orange sunset over the water with palm trees in the foreground.

We stayed at Sigsbee Campground on Naval Station Key West. We had waterfront views and were close enough to ride our bikes into Key West whenever we wanted.

February – March

We actually left Key West in mid-January and made our way up to Central Florida near Sean’s parents. In fact, there is a campground directly adjacent to their neighborhood so we were very lucky to spend a lot of time with them.

Zephyrhills, Florida is about 20 miles northeast of Tampa. It boasts wonderful weather without the crowds.

Justin came to visit while we we there and we went to Disney for his birthday in February (before all heck broke lose in the world).

April

In April we made our way up to Virginia. We stopped at campgrounds in Yemassee, South Carolina and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

There are many wonderful campgrounds in both North and South Carolina.

May

In May we bought a house in the northern Shenandoah Valley! After so many years on the road, we knew the time was right. Namely because our first grandchild is due Dec 14th. Our primary requirements were that it was within an hour of Richie & Agata’s house, was on at least 2 acres, and had a place to park the RV. We were fortunate to find something that checked all the boxes within a month of our search.

We bought a house near Front Royal , Virginia.

June – November

For the rest of the year, we’ve divided our time between getting the house the way we want it and going camping & hiking. Our house is close to Shenandoah National Park, the George Washington National Forest, and several state parks.

Virginia has many opportunities for camping and hiking.

Our favorite camping excursion was a trip to Cape Henlopen State Park on the Delaware coast. We loved it so much, we’ve already made reservations for next year.

December

We finished out 2020 as GRANDPARENTS! We are so overjoyed to welcome our grandson, Jax Ryan to the world! And of course, we can’t wait to take him camping.

We're overjoyed at the arrival of our first grandchild.

Filed Under: RV Life Tagged With: 2020 Year in Review, full-time rv

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