When you are a grown-up, with kids of your own, it's nice to recreate memories of your childhood. When Scott was a young lad, his family camped at The Spirit of Suwannee Music Park. So, we made a pit stop to explore the park with Colten and Kate. 

Scott says the park has changed quite a bit over the years. A new cafe and music hall were added. However, the park still offers access to the Suwannee River. 

During our stay, we wanted to tube down a river. We attempted to visit Ichetucknee Springs, but it was already at capacity. We're not early risers, so we missed the 7 AM line to get into the park. Then, we tried Gilchrist Blue Springs, Florida's newest state park, but it was also at capacity. We didn't even try Ginnie Springs, there were several cars parked outside the entrance waiting for their turn to enter. We ended up tubing down the Sante Fe River off of a boat ramp we passed driving down Highway 47. Needless to say, if you want to see a spring-- go early! 

If you have a Thousand Trails membership, Carolina Landing is worth the visit. Not because of the quality of the park, but because of the proximity to so many incredible adventures along the Georgia, South Carolina border. I vacationed to North Georgia quite a bit as an adolescent; It was fun to recreate experiences with my own family! 

Babyland General Hospital, located in Cleaveland, holds unforgettable memories from my childhood. When I was a young girl, the Cabbage Patch Factory, as I called it, was a magical place, where little girls dreamed of spending every day. The hospital is set-up as a museum, showcasing dolls from long ago and today. Pretend nurses will greet you as you progress through each room. The dolls are creatively arranged in cribs, treehouses, and a variety of lifelike scenes. Our family's favorite is the schoolroom. When you visit, stay until the tree comes to life and a baby is born from the cabbage. If the doll hasn’t already been adopted by a specific family, the crowd will get to name the doll and watch the nurse prepare the baby for adoption. I still have my doll born from the magical tree twenty-five years ago. My daughter plays with him now, and I hope to pass the tradition along to my grandchildren one day. There is no fee to tour Babyland General Hospital, however, the authentic Cabbage Patch Kids do come with a hefty price tag. Remember, you’re buying an experience that your daughter will cherish for the rest of her life. 

Another family favorite includes the Tallulah Gorge. When you check into the park, don’t skip the museum. You’ll learn about Karl Wallenda, a high wire artist who walked across the gorge on a two-inch wire. Animal enthusiasts will love the display as well. This mama loved the air conditioning… Anyways, wear walking shoes and make sure you have a step tracker! You’ll hike down hundreds of steps to a suspension bridge. Once across the bridge, check out the overlook. It’s only 221 extra steps, but the view and photo op are worth the exercise. Don’t leave Tallulah Falls without taking a look at the dam. It’s a neat pit stop that only takes a few minutes. Just past the dam is access to the lake. The park does have a beach and picnic area if you need a break after hiking all of the steps. 

I have so many favorites in the area, the list goes on and on. Helen, Georgia is another memory I hold dear. The quaint Bavarian town is full of adventure, from mining for gold and mini-golf to hand made wooden toy shops. Visitors can tube through rapids around the city, enjoy amazing international cuisine, or simply walk through the neat little shops. I never miss the glass shop and I always find a spot on the river to eat!

Henderson Falls Park is definitely worth the mention. It is a fairly short drive away, just outside of Toccoa Falls (another neat sight.) The park has a nice playground and plenty of water for the kiddos to splash around in. 

Last but not least, I took the opportunity to show my son the campus of the best college in the south, The University of Georgia. We walked around the best part of Athens to find the bulldog statues, see the stadium and take a photo with the arch. If you visit the campus, grab a warm cookie from Insomnia, you won't be disappointed!

Oh, hello Smoky Mountains! This is the first National Park we visited during our camping adventure, but ya'll know we like the secluded, smaller, RV parks. So, we chose to stay at Honeysuckle Meadows RV Park. 

Honeysuckle Meadows is situated conveniently near Pigeon Forge, the national park, and Gatlinburg. The park offers spacious wooded campsites with complimentary full hook-ups. Campers receive free access to the Honeysuckle Meadows pool. The pool is owned by the same family who maintains the RV park, however, tourists from all over the county are welcome to the pool, (for a small fee.)  

The Smokey Mountain National park is phenomenal. There are several pull-off areas for visitors to splash in the waterfalls or simply take a glimpse into nature. We found a little creek next to the stone sign. Colten practiced his Parkour skills hiking up the creek; Katie picked a little stone to use as a stage for her tap dance show. 

I became a tad bit wiser camping in Sevierville, Tennessee. The closest grocery store was a small IGA. Now, I'll preface my story by saying the store manager was incredible. He immediately corrected the situation and did everything within his power to make sure our experience was extraordinary. I will certainly shop here again, however, I learned it is not a good idea to buy meat from a small IGA connected to a gas station. When you start comparing the smell of ribs to various seafood, there may be a problem. Again, the manager was amazing and offered a great solution, even though returns were strictly prohibited due to COVID-19. It didn't occur to me that if I needed to purchase baby back ribs, I should probably go to a full-sized grocery store. Lesson Learned...

Before I close, I'll share just one more reason why this park has a special place in my heart. I published my first book, sitting at the Honeysuckle Meadows Pool. I'll never forget the moment my final manuscript was uploaded to my publisher!​

Cherokee Landing is a remote Thousand Trails campground located in Saulsbury, TN. The campground is roughly thirty minutes from any grocery store, so plan to pack plenty of sustenance.

We spent a ton of time exploring the property. The campground has its own lake, old school playground, and giant pool. The park was rather vacant; the kids had a blast exploring all the nearby sites. For the majority of our stay, the pool was completely empty as well, which provided the perfect opportunity to stay socially distanced.

The kiddos learned some major life lessons on this campground. 

Colten discovered the effects of Poison Ivy. For some odd reason, he decided to take a rounded stick and beat some Ivy leaves against the tree it was growing against, which caused the leaves to secrete oil. He then took the stick and placed it in his shirt behind his back, pretending it was a sheath for his sword (the stick.) We told him it was Poison Ivy, but hey, what do parents know anyways... The next day, he had a rash from his neck all the way down his abdomen. Thankfully, we were able to video conference with a pediatrician to find a remedy. The itchiness and sores were gone about a week later, but I'm sure he'll remember the experience forever. Maybe next time, he will listen to his father. 

Katie took some time at this site to learn how to do laundry. She is now quite the laundry pro! I swear the girl loves our little portable washer and spinner! She could probably manage the whole household if I stepped away for a few moments. 

Speaking of laundry, if you venture to Cherokee Landing, I would not recommend using the laundry facilities. While the cost per machine is only one dollar, the dryers do not work at all. 

​Happy camping! 

Tupelo is one of the rare cities that I wished we had more time to visit. The lovely town is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. Explorers can tour the home and church of Presley's childhood. The grounds are beautiful, and my kiddos really enjoyed seeing the statues as well as the Presley family car. 

Tupelo's downtown scene, Main Street, is lined with guitars, restaurants, and bars. I wish we had more time to explore one of the many nearby parks! 

While in Tupelo, we enjoyed the Campground at Barnes Crossing. The park was very well maintained; the location is unbeatable. If you're a shopper, a nice mall is less than a mile away. The tech genius in my life was very excited to see a Best Buy close to camp. The restaurant selection in the area is vast. We love to see a Texas Roadhouse. 

Tupelo was a little extra special for us because we had the opportunity to visit some family members that we haven't seen in years. It's always nice to make time for the ones you care the most about; I feel so blessed to have such an incredible support system in my family! So glad we were able to see you, Inman family! 

We will definitely be back to Tupelo... soon! 

We only stayed at Capital City RV two nights, but the stay was rather eventful!

First and foremost, Alabama is a beautiful state! The views along our route were a hidden treasure that I didn't know existed.

We learned some pretty big lessons at this park. When we pulled into the site, we went through our normal set-up routine. We tried to plug in the power plug, but the breaker kept tripping. The breaker wouldn't us to switch the breaker on. We called the office, thinking we would be moved to a new sit.

That didn't happen.

Instead, the park owner came out to fix the breaker. He replaced the switch, and all was well... or so we thought.

We didn't have any issues throughout the stay until the last night. I stepped outside to work on a little laundry and smelt burnt rubber. We looked all around the camper, but we were certain the smell was coming from the neighbors, who were on their very first RV trip.

The next morning we went throughout the pack-up process and found the burnt rubber.

Apparently, the breaker wasn't fixed.

Our surge protector melted from the excessive amperage pouring from the breaker.

While having a surge protector wouldn't stop the problem from happening, I am thankful we had some layer of protection between our camper and the faulty breaker. I really think so much more could have happened, but I'm very grateful that it was a minor dilemma.

Now, on to the fun stuff...

On the property, you will find a paved walking path around a pond teeming with wildlife. The owner mentioned he's observed a small alligator lurking around the path.

Colten made friends with a little turtle; it was adorable! The little guy swam out of the water and into Colten's hand. Check out the pictures above!

Katie decided she wanted to make friends of her own. So, she got a stick and built a fishing pole. They decided to collaborate to create something a little more successful. They got bread from the camper to use as bait.

The kiddos never actually caught anything, but watching my two littles work together was positively precious!
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​The Hitchinpost was a tremendous experience that taught me a lot about choosing the right campground.  I’ve learned that sometimes the best hospitality can be found off the beaten path. Sometimes, smaller parks away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, have the best amenities and even better views.

The Hitchinpost is a small camp in Cottondale, Florida. The camp owner offered fresh eggs, access to her personal garden, free paddleboats, and the coolest dog park I've ever seen. The park was secluded, and I’ll admit the road leading to the camp was more than a little sketchy. However, the experience was phenomenal!

Our site had easy access to the Florida Caverns, which contrary to their website, is not currently open for cave tours. We did find a local favorite, Blue Springs Recreation Center. The cash-only center offers access to a sky blue swimming hole fully equipped with lifeguards, water slide and diving board. Little ones can play along the sandy beaches or on the small playground. The center had tons of shaded space for an outdoor snack or lunch. 

Sites at the Hitchinpost average less than thirty dollars per night with full hook-ups. You can’t stay at a quality hotel for any price near that!