RV Life Archives - Embrace The Kids

Category Archives for "RV Life"

Petrified Forest National Park

Park Number: 1 of 59

Number 1! What an exciting number to see. The start of a new adventure and a new chapter of life. While we are not completely on the road full time yet we take trips as often as we can. We have been living in our fifth wheel just over 6 months now.

Whao! Where did the time go. It is crazy to think we have been living in our tiny home for that long. We have gone on so many fun adventures in our home but this trip was our first National Park adventure since living in our RV. 🙂 What took us so long? haha.

Our home base has been Socorro, NM. So we took off from there and headed toward Springerville, AZ. We spent a day there so Adam could catch up on some work and do some coaching calls for our business. While he was working the girls and I took off to stroll the town (which has a population of almost 2,000, just to give you an idea of how much we had to stroll).

Our first stop was the visitors center/museum. Which we really enjoyed. They had a lot of really neat things, Emery particularly loved the butterfly collection, and volcano display. There was a really fun park just behind the building, where we spent a couple hrs enjoying the sun.

While in Springerville I learned a valuable lesson that I will be putting to good use as we continue on our adventuring. Check when things are open before you plan. I had created great plans for the day but soon found out that everything I had planned was going to be closed.

We had planned to go to the White Mountain Dinosaur Exploration Center, Casa Malpais Archaeological Park & Museum, and a cute looking thrift store. Sounds like fun right? I thought so too, so before you get your plans shattered make sure they will work for the day, time, and season you decide to go. 😉 We still had a great time, we just had to do some adjusting. After the park we made a store run for some BBQ necessities and enjoyed a nice sunset as we finished up the day.

The next morning we packed up and headed towards Petrified Forest National Park. I wish we would have had more time, but then again it was a super windy day so we were all ready to be done by the time we finished. This was a really neat park, there was so much I wish we could have seen.

This park spans 28 miles and has so many amazing views and stops along the way. We started on the south side of the park at the gift shop on the out skirts. We had lunch and let the girls play around.

There were some fun tepees that Emery loved! And the girls had a hayday in the gift shop, so we didn’t stay long in there haha. This gift shop allows free parking but has no hookups. We would have loved to stay but we haven’t gotten boon docking down pat yet, and needed electricity that night.

This is her don’t mess with me, I’m pooping face.;)

Once we were done with lunch we headed into the park, we first stopped at the Rainbow Forest Museum/Visitors Center. This is where we learned how the petrified wood is formed, and the girls got to pretend to dig up fossils. We got the scoop on what we needed to do and see and headed out.

Right out of the back door we started on the Giant Logs trail. It was a fun little loop to get us started and introduced to the petrified wood. At the top was “Old Faithful” One of the largest logs in the park.

They love the wind…NOT!

We got back in the truck and headed to Jasper Forest overlook. We where almost blown away here. It was a beautiful overlook but the girls hated how strong the wind was. So we jumped right back in the truck and did a drive by the Agate Bridge.

Next on our list was Blue Mesa. We just drove the loop but there is a steep 1.0 mile hike that will take you from the top of the mesa down into the badlands. The views on this drive were amazing! We attempted a family picture but the girls weren’t going to do it. The wind was really that bad!!

We debated stopping at the newspaper rock but continued on to Puerco Pueblo. This was a short 0.5 mile loop leading from the parking lot to some Indian ruins and petroglyphs.

As we crossed over the interstate into the painted desert the views were spectacular! There are several lookout points you can stop at, we chose to stop at Pintado Point. What a breathtaking view! It was just about sunset too so it was gorgeous to see the sun light up the whole area.

We attempted going to the Painted Desert Inn but just missed it not realizing that is closed at 4:oo PM. Our last stop was at the Painted Deseret Visitors Center. Here we got a Passport booklet and got our stamp. And of course we had to pick up a few souvenirs at the gift shop. 😉

After our long adventurous day it was time to head to Holbrook, AZ. It was nice that we could just hop right back on the interstate and be on our way. From the North end of the Petrified Forest National Park it is about 25ish miles to Holbrook, from the South end it is about 19 miles.

There are two options for RV parks that we found in Holbrook. The KOA and OK RV park. There is also a Normans RV park not to far down the road in Joseph City but it does not have Wifi. We chose the OK RV park because it was a little cheaper and still had everything we needed.

It got pretty cold at night. So we just had to make sure to turn the water off so things wouldn’t freeze. It was an amazing trip and we are so excited for this journey and hope you will be able to make it to this beautiful place. Here is a link if you would like to learn more about Petrified Forest National Park.

3 Guidelines For Living In An RV With Toddlers

5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler

Was this helpful? Please consider sharing. Or if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to comment below.

Embrace The Kids Life Style Blog

Email: ContactUs@EmbraceTheKids.com

“Make Them The Reason, Not The Excuse”

P.S. Looking to start traveling full time but not sure how to fund your adventures? Learn how to follow a simple process to start building a full-time income online.

If you enjoyed this post on “Petrified Forest National Park”, comment, share, or follow us on Instagram #EmbraceTheKids.

5 Things You Never Have To Do While RV Living

RV living has so many wonderful things about it. It has really changed my perspective on a lot of things. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing but it has been a fun filled adventure. There are somethings I miss, like a dishwasher, counter space, and a laundry room. On the flip side, because of RV living there are things that I don’t have to ever do or worry about. And boy does it feel good! 🙂

No More Packing

This has been one of my Favorite things to forget about. It has taken some adjusting though. We still go places and I ask my self, “Did I bring Emery another pair of shoes, or did I pack their jackets?” Then I have to laugh at myself as I remember that our WHOLE house and everything we own is with us. So if you are anything like me and dread packing, especially for kids, then RV living would be a good fit for you! 🙂

Forget About Hours Of Cleaning

Actually this might be my favorite thing I do not have to do anymore. Cleaning is still a very real part of everyday, but there is only so much that can be cleaned. So to clean up the place takes approximately 5 minutes. If I really want to get serious and do a little dusting and vacuuming then we better add in and extra 3 minutes for a total of 8 minutes spent on cleaning! Woot Woot. 😉

Never Have To Stay Somewhere You Don’t Like

Oh this is a good one too. 🙂 You don’t like where your parked? Then unhook and move. Pretty simple really. It can be a bit of a hassle sometimes, but nothing like packing boxes, and loading them in a truck to move to a new house.

Hoarding Is A Thing Of The Past

I possibly could have been on the boarder of hoarding when we lived in a house. But I would have to say RV living has saved me haha. I used to save practically everything, from old movie stubs, to grocery receipts. It’s fine if you actually use them, but my “stuff” would just pile up and be stuffed in a box. Not to be seen for years. Living in an RV there is just no room for any extra, so I have had to learn to only have things that are useful. It is also really a pain to stuff a lot of clothes in a closet, so it has helped me to get rid of the things that I might wear and didn’t really love. So thank you RV living for helping me get rid of SO… MUCH… CRAP! 🙂

Yard Maintenance

Say hello to some of the best views, and zero up keep. We have had our fair share of lawn mowing, leaf raking and weed pulling. Thanks again to RV living we can have the mountains, the desert, or a lake as our backyard. All we have to do is pick up after ourselves and let nature do the rest. Or if we are in a RV park, most are kept up pretty well and take care of all the work for us. So it really has been a nice break from yard work.

5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler

Was this helpful? Please consider sharing. Or if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to comment below.

Embrace The Kids Life Style Blog

Email: ContactUs@EmbraceTheKids.com

“Make Them The Reason, Not The Excuse”

P.S. Looking to start traveling full time but not sure how to fund your adventures? Learn how to follow a simple process to start building a full-time income online.

If you enjoyed this post on “5 Things You Never Have To Do While RV Living”, comment, share, or follow us on Instagram #EmbraceTheKids.

3 Guidelines For Living In An RV With Toddlers

People ask us all the time. “How do you live in an RV with toddlers and not get claustrophobic?”. Well to be honest, some days are really hard. Most days are great! A lot of it has to do with your mentality to the whole experience. There are also some guidelines to having a good time. If it’s a rough day we’ve probably violated one of these guidelines.

Get Out!

The whole purpose of us living in RV has been to travel and be closer to the great outdoors. We want to be outside of the RV as much as we can. Which means we are adventuring and doing more of what we love. Even on the days we need to stay in more, its important to get out and do something.

Go on a hike. Get outside and play. Explore somewhere fun. Take a little walk. Go to the store. It makes all the difference. Think of the RV as a sleeping and eating space more than a living space. There are times you need and want the living space but you should be mostly living outdoors.

Clutter Kills

Nothing makes a space feel small like clutter. Living in an RV with toddlers can feel small enough. Ad in some dirty dishes and toys left out everywhere and things feel real small in a hurry. There is just something about having a clean and orderly house that makes everyone happy. Living in an RV is no different.

The great thing about living in a small space is how easy it is to clean up. When I find myself getting frustrated, it usually has to do with clutter. If we stop what we are doing and clean up. We can have the whole place spic and span in a few short minutes. Try to pull that off in a big house!

Take Deep Breaths

Sometimes toddlers will act just like toddlers. Some days are just hard. It’s important to remember to take a big breath. Remember, “Make Them The Reason…” Give someone or everyone a hug. Or try to find the humor in the situation. Everything will be alright.

Living in an RV with toddlers is an adjustment. Most days are great! Some days are a little harder. All in all? It is totally worth it!

5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler

Was this helpful? Please consider sharing. Or if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to comment below.

Embrace The Kids Life Style Blog

Email: ContactUs@EmbraceTheKids.com

“Make Them The Reason, Not The Excuse”

P.S. Looking to start traveling full time but not sure how to fund your adventures? Learn how to follow a simple process to start building a full-time income online.

If you enjoyed this post on “3 Guidelines For Living In An RV With Toddlers”, comment, share, or follow us on Instagram #EmbraceTheKids.

5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler

Travel Trip Map Direction Exploration Planning ConceptCompleting a successful road trip with a toddler can seem like a battle. Victory in battle takes planning and preparation. Often times it doesn’t take much time or thought but it can make all of the difference Here are 5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler.

Plan Your Road Trip Around Your Toddlers Sleep

This will take some testing. Some kids sleep great in the car and it makes a lot of sense to travel at night. So you can knock the trip out as fast as possible. For us, That rarely works. They sleep well for part of the trip but one of our children almost always wakes up crying. It’s all down hill from there.

We like planning our road trips around our toddlers nap schedule. That way if she wakes up a little grumpy we can always pull over and stretch our legs. Another great thing about this method is that the naps and awake times typically coordinate with meals. Which means when she wakes up its time to eat so we can stop and eat to let her get the wiggles out.

Distraction, The Time Killer

When your toddler is awake on a road trip, the first line of defense is simple distraction in the form of games. They start out as a distraction tool but can turn into a lot of fun in a hurry. One of our favorites is I Spy. It helps a lot to help her stop thinking about the restricting car seat and instead focus on the outside world and all of the cool things flying by. Trust me even if its not cool, making it really cool goes a long way!

Songs are another great distraction. The best part? You don’t have to be good at singing. Your spouse may not like it but your toddler won’t care. Children love to sing. Songs help them develop and are another great way to pass the time. We often find ourselves making up songs about things around us which can be fun.

Snacks, A Powerful Key To Victory

A hungry toddler is an angry toddler! Having a nice snack cup, to prevent spills, filled with yummy snacks has become a necessity for every trip. Whether its grapes, crackers, cereal or any other favorite, an eating toddler is a happy toddler. It’s typically our second line of defense from a whining toddler and almost always an effective one!

Breaks A Good Reset

It’s no secret that toddlers have a hard time sitting still. Locking them into a car seat feels like torture. Letting them free from prison can be a lot of help! Stopping for even five minutes for a bathroom break makes a big difference on her attitude. It takes longer to get there, but part of the joy of the trip should be in the journey.

Another easy fun way to incorporate breaks is to find cool spots to spot. With a little Google searching you can usually find a historical stop or something fun to see along the way. Even if its a wide spot in the road with an unreadable faded sign, your attitude makes all of the difference.

The Last Line Of Defense- Electronics

Desperate times call for desperate measures. We prefer to keep electronics put away on trips. Especially for our children. A sad way for your toddler to miss the joy of a road trip is to be buried in a movie she has seen a hundred times. That being said, when the “stuff” has hit the fan, it may be time to pull out a a phone or tablet.

We try to avoid movies. Our toddler will often times enjoys looking at pictures and videos. She loves reliving experiences. With all of the pictures and videos we take, she can relive almost any big memory we have had together. If all else fails we have been known to whip out a movie to help our toddler relax and pass some time on a trip.

Road trips can be a lot of fun. Taking a road trip with a toddler can be a painful experience! It doesn’t have to be. Take some time to plan and prepare and you can have a fun successful road trip.

Related Posts:

5 Tips For Enjoying The Journey

6 Tips To Keep Your Kids Focused And Moving In The Right Direction

Was this helpful? Please consider sharing. Or if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to comment below.

Embrace The Kids Life Style Blog

Email: ContactUs@EmbraceTheKids.com

“Make Them The Reason, Not The Excuse”

P.S. Looking to start traveling full time but not sure how to fund your adventures? Learn how to follow a simple process to start building a full-time income online.

If you enjoyed this post on “5 Tips To A Successful Road Trip With A Toddler”, comment, share, or follow us on Instagram #EmbraceTheKids.

How To Pick The Best Fifth Wheel-5 Step Guide

How To Find The Best Fifth Wheel For You!

Want to make sure you pick the best fifth wheel? Since everyone’s situation is unique, its nearly impossible to have one definitive answer. Fifth wheels vary so much from brand to brand but its wise to determine your general needs before setting out to find the right brand and floor plan. Here is our 5 Step Guide to finding the best fifth wheel. We hope that it will help you find the right trailer for your needs.

1- How Long And Often Will You Use The Fifth Wheel?

The first step for finding the best fifth wheel is to determine how often the fifth wheel will be used. If you simply want a trailer that you can hitch up to and head up to your favorite spot a couple times a year, then a smaller lightweight trailer may make more sense. However if you are looking to live/travel in the fifth wheel full-time you may consider a much more solidly built trailer with some more features.

A washer dryer and a full size refrigerator may not be that important to you if you are only getting out for the weekend but could be vital for full time living. The amenities can really make the difference when you are full-timing like a full-size shower or bath.

2- Where And How Often Will You Travel?

Where you will be taking the trailer will have a pretty big impact on what type of fifth wheel you are looking for. Following the weather and staying in mild climates throughout the year will help the coach remain at a comfortable temperature without worrying about extra insulation. If you think you may be in some extra hot or cold areas for an extended period, you probably want to consider a cold weather package.

Living in one place for 6 months at a time? It may be worthwhile to purchase a bigger rig with more room. If you plan on living in your fifth wheel for real long term you may want to consider a custom built trailer. Traveling often with a longer fifth wheel can be a real chore. Not only is it harder to back and maneuver through tight spots, but you will also need to plan ahead as many parks have limited spots for large units.

3- How Many Occupants Will You have?

Since we would be bringing our two girls we knew that a bunkhouse with storage would be important. We wanted to be able to put the girls down for naps and still be able to work and do things in the trailer. If your children are older they may not necessarily need their own room or even a permanent bed. A fold down couch or dinette may do the trick.

Even if there will only be one or two of you in the trailer you may still want to consider how many beds can be made in case you want to take friends/family with you on a camping trip.

4- What Is The Best Fifth Wheel For Your Budget?

When considering your budget, it helps to know if you will finance or pay with cash. Its important to obtain financing before finding the right model to ensure you know what you qualify for.

Depending on your budget there are a lot of different options. On the luxury end of things, there are some very comfortable coaches. Even on the more modest end of things there are several custom built options. Custom Fifth wheels allow you to get just what you want and not pay extra for what you don’t want.

With a tight budget you may want to look into used models. If you are willing to overlook some minor wear, you can avoid the dreaded first year of depreciation from buying new and still get a quality fifth wheel. You may not be able to find the exact model you are looking for but if the price is right.

We wanted something newer to avoid some of the wear of older models. We also weren’t set on a new model. So we did some searching and found a model that was less than two years old and in great shape.

5- Where Will You Stay?

Full service parks can give you all the comfort of a home. With constant power and a sewage dump, it makes sense to run full size refrigerators, TV’s, and even a washer/dryer. If you plan on doing some boon docking (setting up with out any electric, sewage, or water hook ups) larger storage tanks and a battery bank and solar and/or a generator could be nice.

We want to get as close as we can to the wilderness and mountains as possible. So keeping our fifth wheel relatively short with larger tanks made a lot of sense. Our trailer is also solar ready which will make connecting a solar panel to our battery bank a breeze.

Deciding on what fifth wheel to purchase can seem daunting. There is no definitive answer. Thinking through the 5 Step Guide to finding the best fifth wheel should help.

Was this helpful? Please consider sharing. Or if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to comment below.

Embrace The Kids Life Style Blog

Email: ContactUs@EmbraceTheKids.com

“Make Them The Reason, Not The Excuse”

P.S. Looking to start traveling full time but not sure how to fund your adventures? Learn how to follow a simple process to start building a full-time income online.

If you enjoyed this post on How To Pick The Best Fifth Wheel-5 Step Guide, comment, share, or follow us on Instagram #EmbraceTheKids.