Are RV Trips on your family’s must-do travel list?  For my cousin Jennifer, the answer was YES!  And when I learned about her plans to RV with kids, and her research into the Best RV Destinations, I knew a Guest Blog Post was in order!  Buckle up y’all.  This is a tale of one of the best Family Road Trips ever!

RV Trips:  Not a Family Tradition

Growing up, we did not take many family road trips.  We certainly never took any RV Trips.  Two summers ago, when my brother drove his family from Texas to Arizona, through Colorado, and back to Texas, I was slightly shocked.  But I was also entertained by their stories.  Then when my cousin Jennifer announced on Facebook their upcoming RV Trip with Kids, I immediately thought, OK.  This is a thing in our family now.  Who would have thought?  RV Trips?  Spoiler alert:  My cousins had a ball!  They named their RV Large Marge. Following is Jennifer’s account, as well as tips and recommendations.

“Mountains or lakes?  Or a trip to NYC?  You know you’ve been asked that question.  Which is your favorite? Well, my answer is alway: wherever my family is, I am happy. This summer was no different

When planning our summer trip, we decided an adventure seeing lots of different sites across the US would be just what all 5 of us would love.  And what better way to travel than in an RV!

Best RV Destinations

First we decided where we wanted to go, and then plans for where to stay came after.  Our primary goal was to see a historic landmark as far away from the Texas heat as time allowed.  We took a family poll, and Mt. Rushmore won! 16 hours, in an RV with kids, just to see a national landmark?  That is a LONG drive! Well, when you are in an RV, it’s an adventure!

Goal set, we worked on the best RV Destinations between Texas and Mt. Rushmore. We decided on Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Breckenridge, Colorado as primary places to stop.  Now we needed to plan out how to get there.

RV Trips:  Websites and Apps are Essential!

My husband doesn’t do much without a lot of research, so he used the website RVTripwizard.com, and the apps Outdoorsy, Gas Buddy, All Stays, and Dark Sky Weather. Those resources helped us make a plan.

Through RV Trip Wizard and All Stays, we chose RV parks that in addition to a camp site, allowed us a day to explore specific parks.  Some RV parks can charge up to $100 a day, so we really wanted to get some bang for our buck!  We also gave ourselves the freedom to stop and see what seemed interesting along the way, like a moose crossing or a bear fight!  (True Story!!!!)   I think some of the best Family Road Trips are those that include an equal measure of planning and spur-of-the-moment.

Family Road Trips:  Making Memories

Our favorite parts of the trip weren’t the restaurants along the way, or the stores we shopped in (although all were fabulous).  Instead, and predictably, our favorite memories include the nights when we told stories around the campfires.  Seeing who could roast the perfect marshmallow.  And how many gin rummy games we could win in a row.

Our kids won’t remember a lot about their childhood, but I bet they will remember this RV Trip and the quality family time we spent together.  We  laughed, we saw things that, hopefully, one day they will take their own kids to see.

There were a few things we learned that I would love to share with you!

RV Tips and Tricks

DON’T

• Don’t Over Pack– essentially are you are camping. You don’t need an outfit for every day. Rewear or use the onsite laundry at one of the KOAs.
• Don’t Over Plan– give yourself the freedom to stop when you want and go with the flow (My husband will laugh at this because I have a hard time with this one. But I threw caution to the wind and loved every minute of it).
• For sure don’t forget to bring a broom– even though an RV is a small area. You want to try to keep it as clean as possible.
• And, don’t buy too many groceries.  Stop when you need to, plan your meals only day ahead. You don’t want to have to find places to put the food if you don’t have to. We stopped about every two days to buy what we needed.  Wal-Mart is RV friendly and always had everything on our list.

DO

• Secure everything before driving away!  Yes, we learned this lesson the hard way by forgetting to bungy the refrigerator. Your trip will go a lot more smoothly and quietly if everything stays in place.
• Plan to rent a car if you are not going to tow one.  Some KOAs even have car rentals at the park. We rented at two different parks during our trip,  and then used the public transportation in Breckenridge.  The kids loved that!
• Make meals simple! Yes, we grilled steak one night, but sandwiches around the campfire with a s’more or two for dessert is just as fun and a lot less stressful.
• Bring a First Aid kit!  Take bug spray, and lots of sunscreen. We never had any major problems but some minor injuries did occur. You don’t want to have to unhook the RV just to run in to get bandaids in the nearest town.

If you are considering an RV trip in the near future, DO IT!  You will not regret the trip or the many memories that you and your family will make.  I know we won’t!

If you are in the Dallas Metroplex, Southwest RV Rentals is the place to go.  We were able to tour different types of RVs and pick out the perfect one for our family.”

Thanks so much Jennifer for sharing your fun RV Trip with Kids!  The hashtags she used throughout the trip were hysterical, and pretty much described their trip all on their own.  In the beginning it was #letthefunbegin and #tripofalifetime and #lovingourRVtrip then ending with #mixedfeelings and #missyoulargemarge.  Three days later she described one of her kids in this way:  #noonandstillasleep   HAHAHAHA!

Jennifer and Chase, you are AWESOME parents!  I am SURE you made memories for a lifetime!!!!