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.
  • Home
  • 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
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

August 28, 2017 by Julie 2 Comments

Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast

Centrally located 45-minutes east of Orlando, this is a place where sandy beaches meet rocket launches. In this article, I list the top 5 things to do on Florida’s Space Coast. It is a place where nature provides the ultimate backdrop for visitors to enjoy idyllic year-round temperatures.

Atlantic Coast Beach and Sea Oats

Water, Water Everywhere

It is the Space COAST, right? With over 72 miles of coastline, there are many amazing beaches to enjoy including Cape Canaveral National Seashore, Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, and Sebastian Inlet State Park just to name a few.

If you like your water a little calmer, look no farther than Indian River Lagoon or the Banana River. The Space Coast boasts over 20,000 acres of freshwater rivers and lakes bordered by approximately 170,000 acres of wetlands to explore by foot or boat.

Kennedy Space Center

It is called the SPACE coast for a reason! If you have never been, I highly recommend a visit. And if you haven’t been since they opened the Space Shuttle Atlantis Building, you really need to go back to experience it. This place is so amazing that I have an entire article dedicated just to it. You can read it here. Finally, don’t forget that if you are staying anywhere on the Space Coast, keep an eye on the rocket launch schedule.

Warbirds Museum

Plane in hangar at Warbirds MuseumAs Air Force veterans, if there is an air or space museum around, you’d best believe its on our radar! The Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum has a continually growing collection of over 45 historic warbirds from the beginnings of aviation to the present day. Included in the price of admission is a guided tour from one the volunteer docents.

Brevard Zoo

This small zoo has such a thoughtful layout and many additional activities. There is so much shade, I didn’t really mind the heat when I visited in August. The zoo is a 75 acres not-for-profit facility and is home to more than 650 animals representing more than 165 species from Florida, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Giraffe Family at Brevard Zoo
Macaw at Brevard Zoo
Boardwalk at Brevard Zoo

In addition to traditional zoo admission, you can purchase an Adventure Package to take your visit to the next level. It includes a tree top course over the zoo, zip lines, animal feedings, a train ride, and a kayak tour. Obviously, I purchased the full package. I’m out here for adventure, and I’m doing all the activities I was too afraid to try when I was younger.

Bioluminescent Kayaking

I know I already talked about water, but this activity deserves its own entry. It was the HIGHLIGHT of my trip. In the warm and dark lagoon waters on the Space Coast of Florida lies a natural phenomenon called bioluminescence. During the summer, billions of plankton called dinoflagellates emit a blueish-white glow underwater when they are disturbed. That means that every paddle of a kayak creates a wave of glowing light. You can also drag your hand through the water and it will glow for a few seconds after. We kayaked over to the mangrove marshes to see the chain reaction caused by the mullet as they provided their own light show. I wish I had pictures or video. Unfortunately, our camera could only capture the light of our glow bracelets that we affixed to the kayaks. If you want to take a guided tour we highly recommend Cocoa Kayaking. They provided everything from dry bags and cell phone dry cases to bug spray and water.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Florida, Kayaking, Museums, Space Coast, USA

June 10, 2017 by Julie Leave a Comment

Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)

Lost Dutchman State Park

Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona is named after a legendary lost gold mine, and borders Tonto National Forest. It is especially beautiful in the spring when you are treated to a carpet of desert wildflowers. Lost Dutchman State Park offers plenty of opportunities to hike, bike, and simply enjoy the epic views of the Superstition Mountains.

Hiking

Lost Dutchman State Park Tonto Border

Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. They range from the ¼ mile, flat Native Plant Trail to the challenging Siphon Draw Trail (5.8 miles roundtrip) up to the top of the Flatiron.

Lost Dutchman State Park

One of the more popular trails is Flatiron which tops out at 4861 feet elevation with some serious gain over the last mile or so. This hike is no easy stroll! It is a pretty even uphill to the Basin, after that it was some serious rock scrambling. The trail is marked on rocks in these places. This is a very popular hike, and the heat can get pretty brutal in the afternoons, so start early! Make it to the top and you will be rewarded with amazing views and if you’re like me, a pretty good sense of accomplishment.

Biking

Around the outer edge of the park is a 4-mile single track mountain bike loop. The trail is pretty smooth and flat in most places, but also has a few good ups and down through the various washes. It was never too crowded, but always a nice diversion.

Scenic Drive

Also close, the Apache Trail offers a nice drive on an old stagecoach trail. What starts as a calm drive through a sea of Saguaro, becomes an adventurous drive though one of the most amazing canyons via the historic Apache Trail, aka State Route 88. The original narrow, rugged trail was converted to transport heavy equipment and supplies a distance of nearly 60 miles from the town of Mesa to the Theodore Roosevelt Dam site. Today the Apache Trail itself is just less than 50 miles. The northern 22 miles of it are unpaved. Because the road is well maintained and graded, 4-wheel-drive is not a requirement for this drive. However, there are several switchbacks over sheer cliffs, so it is not for the faint of heart.

Campground Info

The Lost Dutchman campground offers 134 campsites. Half of the sites provide electric and water. There are also paved non-hookup site pads that can be used for tents or RVs. Every campsite has a picnic table, barbecue grill, and a fire pit. There are no size restrictions on RVs and pets are welcome. There is also a small bathhouse and a dump station.

Other nearby options include Usery Regional Recreation Area, McDowell Mountain, and a slew of commercial parks filled to the brim with snowbirds each year.

Click here to make reservations now!

Check out this terrific state park near Phoenix Arizona. Lost Dutchman State Park is the perfect place to take your family camping or even just on a day trip. Hiking, biking, and much more await you in this beautiful desert setting. Enjoy it on your USA road trip.

Filed Under: Activities, Arizona, Biking, Hiking, Kayaking, Lost Dutchman State Park, USA Tagged With: Lost Dutchmen State Park, Mesa, Phoenix

March 19, 2017 by Julie 21 Comments

What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River

Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee RiverI learned some valuable lessons during my kayaking trip down the Weeki Wachee River today. First let me just say that this is a nice calm ride. You can practically just float downstream, and just use your oar to steer periodically. Still, folks who know me will not be surprised to learn than I managed to flip my kayak. This was about 10 minutes after posting a Facebook Live video teasing my husband for having to work, while I was out having fun. I guess you could say it was Karma. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Activities, Florida, Kayaking, USA, Weeki Wachee Tagged With: Kayaking, Weeki Wachee River

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »
Full-time RV Finance is a program designed to help you find the means to the live the life of your dreams.
Learn how to start a blog for free. This simple course will walk you through the steps you need to make money anywhere.
Learn how to camp for free at over 2500 locations worldwide.

Signup to receive weekly updates and exclusive free content only available to subscribers!

Privacy Policy

Travel Schedule

Recently
Cape Henlopen State Park, DE

Currently
Front Royal, VA

Next Stops
See our RV show schedule

Notice

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

top rv blogs
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email