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
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • 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
      • Complete Guide to Camping at Shenandoah National Park
      • 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
    • 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
      • 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
    • 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

January 1, 2018 by Julie 2 Comments

Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review

Before 2017 comes to an end we wanted to look back on the last year and share our favorite locations, campgrounds and adventures.

This year we visited 10 states and stayed in 11 campgrounds and 7 hotels. This tally doesn’t count the trips Sean went on for work alone.

Campgrounds

Our top 5 favorite campgrounds this year were:

Campground Review of the Navy's Midway RV Park in Millington, TN. See why it should be on your list of campgrounds for your family trip!

Our stay at Midway RV Park Millington, TN was an unplanned trip as a result our of evacuation from Hurricane Irma, but it ended up being a wonderful surprise. We enjoyed the quiet beauty of the local area and went on excursions to nearby Memphis.

Campground Review of the MacDill Air Force Base FamCamp in Tampa FL. See why it should be on your list of campgrounds for your family trip!

We were stationed at MacDill AFB Tampa, FL the last 2 years of our military careers, so it was like going home. Tampa is one of our absolute favorite cities, and the base is in a perfect spot surrounded by water.

Campground Review of Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jupiter, FL ended up being our only state park visit this year. We had to cancel a few others due to Hurricane Irma. In addition to the terrific activities inside the park itself, we really enjoyed Blowing Rocks Nature Preserve only 9 miles away.

Watch this review of Disney World's Fort Wilderness Campground

What’s not to love about Disney World? Fort Wilderness Kissimmee, FL is a massive campground with tons of activities, many of them free. If money was no object, Julie would want to live here.

Watch this video review of Fort Belvoir's Campground in Northern Virginia right outside of Washington DC.

Not only is Fort Belvoir, VA in a fabulous spot overlooking the Potomac, it is in close proximity to Washington DC.  The best part to us is that fact that our oldest son and future daughter-in-law live nearby!

Other Travel

We also travel quite a bit outside of the RV as well, primarily for Sean’s work. Our favorite trips without the RV were:

Florida’s Nature Coast

The area is often referred to as “Old Florida” because the attractions have been here long before Disney.

Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River

At the heart of the area is the Weeki Wachee River, fed by the deepest naturally-formed spring in North America, with over 100 million gallons of crystal-clear water a day. If you want to read a funny story, check out my misadventure on the Week Wachee River here.

Mesa, AZ

We traveled to Mesa for Sean’s graduation from A.T. Still University. Then the newly minted Doctor of Health Science took me for one of America’s most scenic drives on the Apache Trail.

It is full of hair pin curves with no guard rails and not for the faint of heart. If you have a driver with nerves of steel and are up for a little adventure, I highly recommend it!

Las Vegas, NV

We love Las Vegas and visit at least once a year. This year we rented a car to spend some time away from the strip at Red Rock Canyon and Lake Mead.

Looking Ahead

We have the first half of 2018 planned. After attending the RV Super Show in Tampa, FL we are heading to Pensacola, FL for two weeks. Then we’ll make our way to Texas for a 3 month stay. We’ll be in Fredericksburg for a month, and San Antonio for 2 months. Next we’ll go to Colorado for a brief visit before driving back to Northern Virginia for our oldest son’s wedding in June.

Let us know if you think our paths may cross; we love to meet fellow travelers! This year we were fortunate enough to meet several other full-time RVers including Kevin & Maria of From Paris to Roam; Mike & Dawn from Random Bits RV; Robert & Jessica of Exploring the Local Life; and Shane and Alexi from The Simple Nomads. Let’s add you to the list in 2018!

Don’t Forget Our Books

We also added “author” to our resumes this year and wrote two books to share our knowledge and research with others.

SaveSave

Filed Under: 2017 Year in Review Tagged With: Fort Belvoir, Fort Wilderness, Jonathan Dickinson, MacDill AFB, midway rv park

October 19, 2017 by Julie 2 Comments

Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness

Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Campground is a terrific place to enjoy Halloween! I love camping at Fort Wilderness, but it can be tricky to get reservations at Halloween. However, the best part is, you can go over and participate in the activities even if you aren’t camping there.

Please note that there is no parking if you’re not a guest, but there are a couple of ways to get there. You can ride the bus from any Disney resort or Disney Springs (parking is free there). If you’re at the Magic Kingdom you can ride the boat over.

If you want to know more about the campground in general, read my full of review of Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Campground here. There’s even a video.

Decorations

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. My boys and I always had a tradition of decorating the house. One year we even created a haunted house in our garage for the trick or treaters. This is probably why I love all the decorations around Fort Wilderness. The campers really get into the Halloween spirit and decorate their campsites and golf carts.

One of the most fun (and free) things to do at Fort Wilderness any time of year is called “looping.” That means walking or riding a bike (or golf cart) around the different loops to see how folks have personalized their spaces. And let me tell you, they go all out for Halloween.

Here are just a few examples. Click on the images for a larger view. 

Fort Wilderness Halloween Decor Fifth Wheel
Fort Wilderness Halloween Decor Cemetery
Fort Wilderness Halloween Decor Ghosts

Activities

In addition to the usual activities at Fort Wilderness that I discussed in my full campground review (see link above), there are a ton of Halloween specific activities!

Movies

Watch animated classics all month long! Movies are shown outdoors every Sunday evening. Some of the halloween themed films include Hocus Pocus and Tower of Terror, and my personal favorite, Nightmare Before Christmas. Activities at Fort Wilderness for October 2019

Wednesday October 30th, 2019

The day before Halloween activities are kicked into high gear with a pumpkin decorating and my personal favorite, the golf cart parade. I’m always amazed by guests’ creativity!

Next, head over to the Halloween beach bash for a costume contest, the hilarious family mummy wrap, and a screen of the Nightmare Before Christmas! Stick around the beach afterwards to watch the fireworks followed by the Halloween Glow Dance Party.

Halloween Fun – Tuesday October 31st

Start your Halloween day off right with a fun run to make up for all the candy you’ll eat later. In the afternoon is the pet parade and finally, Camp or Treat in the evening.

Here’s the full schedule of events for October 2019:

Don't miss out on all the not so spooky fun at Disney's Fort Wilderness

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

This is a special event at the Magic Kingdom, and I don’t recommend you try to attend on Halloween or you’ll miss all the fun at Fort Wilderness. Instead, I recommend going on Oct 29th or Nov 1st. It is important to note that Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is NOT included with park admission. You buy a separate ticket, but the cool thing is that even though the party starts at 7pm, you can get in to the Magic Kingdom at 4pm with your party ticket. So spend the day at Fort Wilderness, have fun at the pool, then head over to the Magic Kingdom via the free boat ride.  Many people, young and old, wear costumes and can even trick-or-treat around the park. There are 14 different places handing out free candy! There are several special shows and events with rare characters that aren’t available outside of the party. I think the “Boo-To-You” parade led by the headless horseman makes it worth the price!

Click on the images below for a larger view

WDW Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party
WDW Boo to You Parade
WDW Boo To You headless horseman

See why you should celebrate halloween at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness campground. There are so many fun and not so scary Halloween activities for young and old. Have Halloween fun at the campground and the Magic Kingdom!

Filed Under: Florida, Orlando Tagged With: Camping at Disney, camping at disney fort wilderness, camping at disney world, camping at disney's fort wilderness resort, disney fort wilderness campground, disney fort wilderness campground rv sites, Disney RV, disney rv camping, disney rv park, disney rv resort fl, disney world campground orlando fl, Fort Wilderness, fort wilderness campground, fort wilderness disney world, fort wilderness resort, fort wilderness review, fort wilderness reviews, Halloween, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Walt Disney World

October 9, 2017 by Julie Leave a Comment

Podcast: Fort Wilderness Campground Review

In this episode we discuss our recent trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This includes a review of the Fort Wilderness Campground, as well as the 2017 International Food and Wine Festival at Epcot Center.

Click here to listen on Apple podcasts. 

You can read more about Fort Wilderness Campground and watch our video tour of it here.

You can also watch our video tour of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival here.

Thanks to https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music for the intro and outro music.

iTunes: Download, Subscribe & Leave a Review

iTunes buttonYou can download our podcasts to listen to at your leisure. iTunes reviews are one of THE most important factors for podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a second to leave a review on iTunes!

Filed Under: Campground Reviews, Podcasts Tagged With: campground, Epcot, food and wine festival, Fort Wilderness, podcast, RV Resort, RV travel, Walt Disney World

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