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
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
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    • 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)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • 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)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • 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
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • 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
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • 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
      • 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
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • 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
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • 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
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • 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
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
      • RV Roofs – What You Need to Know
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
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    • 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
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      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • RV Travelers: How to Read Books While Saving Space and Weight in Your RV
    • 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
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • 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 to Save on Food While Camping
    • 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
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Why You Should Attend An RV Show
    • 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
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December 6, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

2021 Year in Review

This has been a terrific year! We spent time with family, got a new dog, and traveled around the mid-Atlantic region.

The Chickery's 2021 year in review

Grandkids Are the BEST!

Grandkids are the best!

The highlight of 2021 was watching our grandson Jax grow! He was born December 14, 2020 so there were so many milestones this year. I was so fortunate to be able to watch him a few days a week while his parents worked and loved every minute of it. He also spent plenty of time at our house and as you’ll see below camping with us too.

Family Time

Photo of a family in Virginia

Since I was watching Jax, we didn’t venture far this year. Luckily, our middle son, Justin came out to visit us this summer. He and our youngest son, Donovan will be here for Christmas. It will be the first time we’ve had all our boys together since Richie & Agata got married in 2018.

We enjoy family camping with our adult children

We did go on several camping trips throughout the year, mainly staying in the mid-Atlantic region. Jax went on his first camping trip with us at 3-months old. Click on the links below to see more photos and details about each trip:

Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware

Shenandoah Valley KOA, Harrisonburg Virginia

Blue Ridge Parkway KOA, Lynchburg Virginia

Luray Caverns KOA, Luray Virginia

Rudd’s Creek Campground, Boydton Virginia

Outer Banks West KOA, Coinjock North Carolina

Hiking

Photos of Shenandoah National Park hiking

When I wasn’t watching Jax, I spent a lot of time hiking. I joined a women’s hiking club and have hiked 631 miles so far in 2021 (Jan – Nov). Most of it was in Shenandoah National Park. I’ve even completed a few hikes with Jax on my back, but he’s getting a little heavy for me. I’m so thankful to Sean who works to support my hiking habit.

We’re excited for what’s next in 2022!

Filed Under: Family, Hiking, Holiday Letter

July 5, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

Tips for RV Travel with Pets

One of the best things about RV travel is that it makes it easy to bring your pets along with you. You can pack all their gear once and not have to worry about finding pet-friendly hotels or even worse, boarding your pets. A recent survey from the RV Industry Association More than 65 percent of RV campers bring a pet on their RV adventures. Dogs are the most common at 93 percent with cats next at 8 percent. The 101 percent total means that some RV owners bring both. 

That is exactly where we were when we started full-time RV travel six years ago. We had two senior dogs and one cat. Along the way we found several strategies and products to make pets safe and happy during RV travel. 

Trip Planning 

As you plan your RV adventures, it is important to keep your pets in mind. Many places nowadays are pet-friendly, but not all. That means you’ll need to do a little advance planning to be sure. And you’re not only looking for pet-friendly activities like hiking trails or pet-friendly patio dining, but also checking to see if the campground has a dog park, breed restrictions, or limits on the number of pets allowed. In fact, you’ll also want to check and see if there is an additional charge for pets as this is becoming more and more common. 

Be sure to check out Go Pet Friendly, the #1 Resource for trip planning for pet-friendly vacations. The owners of the website are full-time RV travelers and have definitely been all around the country finding the best of the best for pet lovers. 

Finally, if you are traveling to a location with a lot of activities that don’t allow pets, you may want to look into doggy daycare in the area. Why should your dog have to sit in the RV alone when you are out having a blast? Treat him or her to a dog spa or day camp with a pool for those hot summers days. 

Buckle Up for Safety 

I think it is pretty standard now for Americans to buckle up for safety in their vehicles whether it is in a motorhome or tow vehicle that is pulling your fifth wheel or travel trailer.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that practice extends to our furry companions. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen people driving down the road with pets in their laps or on the dash. 

The problem with that though is the danger it poses to you and your beloved pet. The primary reason why you’re buckled in is if there’s an accident and you have an abrupt stop but if you have nothing to hold you your body still goes flying and can be ejected

from the vehicle. Well, the same thing can happen with your pets. An unrestrained 10 lb. dog involved in an accident at just 30 mph will exert roughly 300 pounds of force – more than enough to inflict serious harm on itself or a passenger. 

A pet safety harness can protect all of you. It also protects your pet from running away in the ensuing chaos if there is an accident or even from slipping away when you stop to refuel.  

I’m sure that many people don’t buckle their pets because they’re afraid their pets are

going to be uncomfortable and it’s going to make an overall miserable travel day for everyone involved. The good news is that there are actually a lot of different styles of pet restraints so you can find the one that works best for your companion. 

We personally like the K&H Pet Products Buckle N’ Go Dog Car Seat because it doubles as a restraint and protector for the seats. You could also just get a simple strap that attaches to your dog’s collar and the seat belt or headrest. There are also soft-sided carriers for both dogs and cats that can be buckled into a seatbelt.

Related: Read Go Pet Friendly’s Article on State Laws that Require Pet Restraints

Pet ID or Microchip 

We all know even with the most vigilant parents, pets can be pretty darn crafty and sometimes get away from you. Can you imagine being on vacation, miles from home, and losing your dog or cat? I think it is one of my greatest fears. 

Obviously, one thing you can do is have your pet microchipped. A microchip is a small, electronic chip enclosed in a glass cylinder that is about the same size as a grain of rice. The microchip itself does not have a battery—it is activated by a scanner that is passed over the area, and the radiowaves put out by the scanner activate the chip. If a lost pet is found, most kennels will scan the animal for a chip which will then transmit the identification number to the scanner. If you have registered your contact information with the microchip, they can contact you. 

But what if someone in a nearby neighborhood or even the campground finds your pet? They won’t have a scanner and they will have to call animal control or take your pet to a vet’s office to have it scanned delaying your reunion. 

That’s where a pet ID tag comes in handy. Now you can obviously buy an inexpensive one that has your phone number on it. We’ve gone a step further and have something called the Pet Hub ID tag.  This tag goes on your pet’s collar or on their harness like the traditional ones, but it has a QR code that can be scanned by a smartphone, a website, and a phone number. It provides three ways an individual can find your contact information. 

The great thing is you can easily update it and put the campground you’re staying at or have both you and your spouse’s phone numbers listed. And if your pet has a medical condition, it can also share that. So say your pet has diabetes and requires insulation. It can have that urgent message on there. Finally, when the code has been scanned it shows you the location on a Google Map. 

The Pet Hub also allows you to digitally store all of your pet’s medical records so that you have them anytime you are traveling. Then you have easy access if you need to pay a visit to the veterinarian. And you get all that for only $27/year for an individual pet. There is a multi-pet discount as well. 

Temperature Monitor

As much as we try to find pet-friendly attractions to visit, there are times we leave our fur babies in the RV while we’re out and about. It has always made me nervous that we’d lose power and the RV would quickly get hot as a car does. That’s why we purchased the Temp Stick™ WiFi-powered smart monitor that sends alerts to your phone or emails the instant an important change in temperature or humidity is triggered. You set the trigger points and alerts. 

Now you might be wondering how we’d have WiFi if the power goes out. That’s simple, we have a hotspot from our cellular service provider. We keep the battery charged and the temperature monitor connected to it. 

We chose this particular brand because it doesn’t require a subscription service. With Temp Stick you just pay for the sensor. The unlimited data logging and 24/7 monitoring and alerts are FREE for the lifetime of the sensor.

See how simple it is in the video below. 

Pet First Aid Kit 

It is also important to make sure to have basic first aid supplies for your pets in the RV. Carefully putting together a well-provisioned first aid kit will make you more ready to deal with a medical emergency if one confronts you for your dog, cat or other pet. Have this kit in the house and fully stocked with supplies at all times, next to the first aid kit for your family. See the Ultimate Pet First Aid Kit or make your own using the checklist below.

Pet First Aid ChecklistDownload

Here’s a special word of caution about being prepared for poison hazards. 

Related: Read our article on RVing with Cats for specific tips and products to help your feline friend enjoy RV travel.  

Filed Under: RV Resources Tagged With: camping with cats, camping with dogs, camping with pets, RV with pets, Tips for RV travel with pets

July 2, 2021 by Julie Chickery Leave a Comment

Internet Solutions for RV Travelers

One thing RV travelers learn quickly is the challenge of getting reliable internet access on the road. If you only need to check the occasional email, you may be able to get by with campground WiFi or a local Starbucks. But if you need regular, reliable internet access, you’ll need a more robust solution. In this article, I’ll share what we have learned after 6 years of full-time RV travel and the equipment we use.

Campground WiFi

Many campgrounds advertise free WiFi, which sounds great! The problem is that it is rarely reliable. Our personal experience is that you cannot rely on it. Most times it is spotty at best. We’ve even been at campgrounds that have posted in their campground rules that you can’t use their WiFi to stream video services like Netflix because it takes up too much bandwidth.

We consider campground WiFi (when we have it) to be a bonus, but not something we plan on. Instead, we use cellular data plans for internet access.

Cellular Data

In addition to being able to make phone calls from cellular signals, you are probably aware that you can use it to access the internet as well. The great thing about this method is that there are more and more cellular towers all across the U.S. We use Verizon as our primary and ATT as our back up. When you are working from the road full-time and need reliable service, having more than one carrier can really make a difference. You can use an app like Coverage (created by full-time RVers) to compare the coverage maps for different carriers across the country.

However, there are drawbacks to using cellular data as well:

  1. It is not cheap. If you are working full-time from the road like we were, you will need a lot of data. This means using not only your cell phones plan, but likely also a backup hotspot (see #2 below for an explanation of why you need this). Verizon calls it a Jetpack. Unlike the built-in mobile hotspot feature in your smartphones and tablets, a hotspot or Jetpack is a separate device that lets you wirelessly share your Verizon network connection with other devices.
  2. It isn’t really unlimited. No matter what people tell you, we’ve learned there is no such thing as UNLIMITED data. Let me clarify that statement. Your cell plan may say you have “unlimited” data. Technically, that is true because all it means is that they will not charge you for how much data you use. However, there is a catch. At a specific point specified by your plan, they may throttle or slow down your access. For me, if I’m having a video call this often meant I could not longer do my job. Big problem! Some cellular providers use other names for this…instead of throttling, they’ll call it ‘network management.’ That isn’t any better in my opinion. Network management also means they slow down your access, but it is based on usage of other users in the area. So if you are near a city, you might get ‘managed’ a lot.
  3. There are places where signal is very low. Low signal means trouble accessing the internet. And forget about using graphics programs or video teleconferencing. To overcome that we use a booster.

Click here to download a FREE Cellular Information Guide from our friends at TechnoRV. They are full-time RVers with a background in training and have guides and videos for all their products.

WiFi and Cellular Signal Boosters

If you need reliable internet on the road, you are going to want to get a booster. There are all different types on the market. Some only boost WiFi and some only boost cellular signals. We choose to go with one that can do both.

We bought the Pepwave Max BR1 MK2 Cat 6 LTE Advanced Modem three years ago and it has been fabulous! As you’ll see if you click the link, it is not inexpensive. To us, however, it is essential and we consider it a cost of working from the road. And to us, that is a price we are willing to pay for location freedom.

We did not get the optional roof-mounted antenna and it has worked perfectly without it. We especially love being able to prioritize which source we want to use first (cell phones, sim cards, or campground wifi).

Here’s a list of the major features:

  • Dual Simcard Slots – Although the Max BR1 MK2 has one cellular modem, it allows you to use 2 SIM cards (cellular plans) in the one modem and switch between the two plans as needed.  This allows for the redundancy often needed to stay connected while on the road.  You can also set limits and rules for when you want to use one cell plan over the other which is a great feature when you are trying to conserve one plan and only use it as a backup.
  • WiFi – The Max BR1 MK2 has WiFi as WAN capabilities which means you can use it to access campground WiFi using 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
  • Supports Carrier Aggregation – Cat 6 routers like the Max BR1 MK2 support Carrier Aggregation (CA) which means they have the ability to connect to 2 cellular bands (from the same plan) at the same time.  By combining more than one cellular band together, it is possible to increase the bandwidth available. Traditional hotspots and phones are usually only able to connect to one cellular band and the tower selects which band you are using. With the Max BR1 MK2 you can choose which primary band you want to use (the tower selects the second) which allows you to avoid the crowded primary band used by phones and hotspots.
  • Works with the Major Cell Carriers in US and Canada

Note: This is our second booster. We previously used the WeBoost, which worked for a year, then broke. The Pepwave has been going strong for 3 years. Read our WeBoost review here.

Sharing is caring! Please feel free to share this article on social media and the image below on Pinterest. 

Getting reliable internet access while traveling is tricky. This article provides reliable internet solutions for RV travelers.

Filed Under: RV Resources Tagged With: campground wifi, cell boosters, cellular data, internet for RV, mobile data, mobile internet solution, pepwave booster, pepwave router

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