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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      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
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      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
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      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
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      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
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      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
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      • 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)
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      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
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      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
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      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
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      • 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)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
    • 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
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      • RV SnapPads Product Review
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      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
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      • 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
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • 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
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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
    • 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
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      • 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 Costs of RV Ownership
      • 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
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December 5, 2018 by Guest Post 10 Comments

Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review

We spent all of 2018 traveling the United States in our Fifth Wheel RV. We hope you enjoy this month-by-month review of our travels with links to all the campgrounds we enjoyed.

Click here to learn how we find the best campgrounds along our travels. These tips apply to RV resorts, RV parks, rustic campgrounds, and even boondocking spots.

January – Cocoa Beach, Florida

We stayed at the campground on Patrick Air Force Base for all of Nov, Dec & Jan. Donovan, Richie, and Agata came to visit while we were there. We spent a lot of time at the beach and Julie & the kids also enjoyed Disney and Universal Studios.

If you're looking for a wonderful military campground, check out these Waterfront RV sites at Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, Florida.  Magic Kingdom entrance photo

February – Rainbow Springs & Pensacola Florida

We were blown away by the crystal clear waters of Rainbow Springs! In Pensacola, we were able to stay at a Navy base campground right on the bay, the Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area.

Rainbow Springs State Park Florida sunset at Perdido Key Florida

March – Fredericksburg, Texas

We attended a conference for RV entrepreneurs and Julie presented a blogging workshop with her business partners. We stayed the whole month and enjoyed our time in the Texas Hill Country. We highly recommend the Texas Wine Country Jellystone campground.

Enchanted Rock State Park Texas couple at Enchanted Rock State Park Texas

April – San Antonio, Texas

Justin & his girlfriend, Kayla moved into a new apartment with Donovan in San Antonio.  So of course, we visited San Antonio twice this year. The first visit was in April and the Texas Bluebonnets were in bloom! When visiting the area, we always stay at the Alsatian RV Resort in Castroville, just west of town.

San Antonio Riverwalk Texas Bluebonnets

May – Wellington, Texas

We went to a tiny little town in Texas to be filmed for a documentary (more on this in Oct).

RV Nomads documentary filming Wellington Texas twon square

June – Alexandria, Virginia

We drove for days after the movie filming to get to Virginia for our oldest son’s wedding and to be able to spend time with all the family that came in! We are so happy to Agata in our family!

The wedding was amazing and we got to celebrate with so many loved ones. While in the northern Virginia and DC area, we stayed at our favorite military campground: Fort Belvoir Travel Camp.

wedding couple walking down the aisle Ft Belvoir Travel Camp  in Alexandria Virginia is a terrific military campground on the Potomac River.

July – Cookeville, Tennessee

We stopped in Cookeville to visit Julie’s parents and discovered a lot of wonderful hiking spots. That is Julie on the ledge of one of the many waterfalls in the area. We loved staying at the Crossville KOA.

KOA Campfire Ozone Falls in Sparta TN

August – Tampa, Florida

Back to Tampa to get some work done on the RV and visit Sean’s parents. We spent time at two different campgrounds in the area: MacDill Air Force Base FamCamp and Lazy Days RV Resort.

St Pete Beach Selfie  Honeymoon Island State Park Florida

September – Montgomery, Alabama & Hot Springs, Arkansas

We made our way back to Texas at a more leisurely pace and stopped for a week at each of these locations. While in Montgomery, we loved our first Corps of Engineer Campground, Gunter Hill. Next we stayed three nights at Downtown Riverside RV Park in Little Rock, Arkansas. Then we were absolutely blown away Catherine’s Landing, a true RV Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Hot Springs Arkansas Hot Springs Campfire

October – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma & Wellington, Texas

If you’ve never been to the Oklahoma City Memorial at the site of the federal building bombing, we highly recommend you go. It is very moving. We stayed at the Oklahoma City East KOA just outside of the city. It was a nice quiet place to rest a bit before heading back to Wellington for the premiere of the documentary film, RV Nomads: The Movie. It was very cool to see ourselves on the big screen. Don’t worry, we didn’t let the 2 minutes of fame go to our heads.

OKC Memorial NoXadFest in Wellington TX

November – San Antonio, Texas

Back to San Antonio to visit Donovan, Justin, and Kayla for Thanksgiving!

San Antonio hiking San Antonio Riverwalk Christmas Lights

December – Lajitas, Texas (Big Bend National Park) & Tucson, Arizona

By far our favorite location of the year was Lajitas, Texas. It is nestled between Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park. Both parks have amazing scenery and a wide range of hiking opportunities. While there we stayed at Maverick Ranch RV Park.

Top of Lost Mine trail in Big Bend National Park in Texas Big Bend National Park in Texas

We stopped for one night at the Las Cruces KOA in New Mexico on our way  Tucson, Arizona to finish out the year. The Tucson Lazy Days KOA is a an amazing resort!

RV-less Travel

We also traveled a few places without the RV including Chicago, IL; Manteca, CA; Des Moines, IA; Niagara Falls, NY; and Springfield, VA. This year we have slept in 13 different states, 18 campgrounds and 5 hotels.

What’s next?

We’re currently planning to spend most of 2019 in the west: Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. We’ll also be flying to 5 RV shows. Most importantly, we hope to visit more family and friends along the way!

Want to learn more about Full-Time RV Travel? Click here to read about the amazing destinations and terrific campgrounds you can visit. RV travel is for everyone whether you have a motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or even pop up camper!

Filed Under: Holiday Letter Tagged With: year of travel

December 5, 2017 by Julie 6 Comments

RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space

I love decorating for the holidays! Although we don’t have as much space for storing decorations year round, I still find a way to make it work in our RV. Last year I collaborated with 14 other RVers to show you how we decorate for the holidays in a series called “Christmas in the Camper.”  Be sure to scroll down on this page for links to the rest of the articles in the series!

Dollar Tree and a Single Storage Bin

All of my decorations (except the tree) fit in one plastic storage bin. I’m pretty proud of that fact since I had about 10 of those bins when we lived in our traditional sticks & bricks home. I purchase the small things that I replace each year at the Dollar Tree. This includes ribbon for the cabinets and the garland for the tree.

See how I decorate my Fifth Wheel RV for the holidays.

The Tree

Our first two years in the RV, I just had a table top artificial tree. It was only about 2′ tall. This year, I decided to go back to a more traditional tree size. I also got a container of plastic ornaments so I don’t have to worry about them breaking as we move throughout the year.

See how I decorate my Fifth Wheel for the holidays.

Other Festive Ideas

Not only do I love decorating my own space for the holidays, I also enjoy seeing other RVers great ideas! Here are links to a holiday collaboration I’m in with other RVers:

Christmas in the Camper

Facebook

You can also find great RV decorating ideas on Facebook. Two of my favorite groups are: RV Christmas and Holiday Interior Ideas Holiday Edition. Here are some pics of my favorites from them.

Click on individual photos below to see larger image. 

RV Beach Themed Christmas Tree
Photo by: Lisa Booker
RV Beach Themed Christmas Tree Ornaments
Photo by: Lisa Booker
RV Beach Themed Christmas Decor
Photo by: Lisa Booker
RV Class A Christmas Tree
Photo by: Eve Moser
Fifth Wheel RV Christmas Tree
Photo by: Ellie Lewis
Fifth Wheel RV Christmas Decor
Photo by: Ellie Lewis

Great Deals on Christmas Decor

I found these great deals on RV-sized and RV-themed Christmas Decor for you. Please note that these are affiliate links, meaning we will receive a small commission if you purchase a product after clicking the link to it (there’s no extra cost to you).

Sharing is Caring! Please share this image on Pinterest. 

See how you can decorate your RV for the Christmas holidays. Whether you have a motorhome, fifth wheel, travel trailer, or pop up camper, get creative this holiday season and don't be afraid to make your space festive. See my RV Christmas decorations here!

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Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: camper christmas, camper christmas decorations, christmas decorating rv, christmas decorations in RV, Christmas in the camper, christmas rv tour, decorating, decorating our rv for christmas, decorating our rv for christmas rv living, Decorating Our Small Space, full time rv living, fulltimers, motorhome for the holidays, RV, rv chrimstas, RV Christmas, rv christmas decor, rv christmas decorating, rv christmas decorations, rv christmas tree, rv decor ideas, rv holiday decor, RV holiday decorating, RV Holiday Tour, rv lifestyle, rvlife

December 3, 2017 by Julie 1 Comment

Holiday Letter

garland

Dear Family and Friends,

Since we started this website to help everyone keep track of our crazy adventures, we thought we’d add our annual holiday letter too. Here you’ll find a quick recap of our year as well as our hopes for a wonderful holiday season for all of you!

2017 has been a wonderful year for us! We’ve visited Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and now Florida. In fact, with the exception of a 2-week break due to Hurricane Irma (and our 2-week vacation to Las Vegas), we’ve been traveling around Florida in our RV since June. Sean’s been busy working remotely, and I’ve been trying new things like a tree top aerial obstacle course, zip line, stand-up paddle board, and indoor skydiving. I did get most of my antics on video which you can see on our YouTube channel, Chickery’s Travels.

We plan to finish out the year at Patrick Air Force Base just south of Cocoa Beach. We’re excited that we’ll be able to spend Christmas with Sean’s parents who moved down to Florida this year. Also since I’ve really been struggling with missing our kids, I’m so happy that some of them will be visiting us here! Donovan, Alannie, Richie and Agata are all coming to see us over the holidays and we’re looking forward to showing them around! I also decorated my RV for Christmas and even have a full size tree!

Justin and Kayla moved to San Antonio this past summer. They are settling in nicely and really like it there. They only live about 10 minutes away from Donovan and Alannie. We plan to head to Texas after the first of the year and spend a few months near them.

Richie & Agata are still in Northern Virginia. Agata is on her final year of Physician Assistant school. She’ll be doing clinical rotations for the remainder of the program. We can hardly wait until their wedding in June! It will be such a great occasion to get all of the family together!

Click on the photos below to see a larger image. 

Richie and Agata
Richie and Agata
Justin and Kayla
Justin and Kayla
Donovan and Alannie
Donovan and Alannie

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Please leave us a note below and let us know how you’re doing.

Holiday Letter from Sean & Julie of Chickery's Travels

 

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