I did a cross country trip from California to Virginia and back. I was on the road for nearly three months. I had reservations for all but two nights. I agree that it’s comforting to know I have a place to stay at the end of the day. I have a thousand trails membership with a trails collection membership that gets me into Encore parks as well as some private parks. The cost for those parks is 0-$20 a night. Most are 0. I only did five one night stops during the entire time. I mooch docked with friends or family three times and stayed at least four nights or longer at each stop. I’m retired, single and travel alone which makes some things easier. I was considering Harvest Hosts but when I planned out my trip, I found that I really didn’t need it. I will consider it for the future. One thing I don’t do anymore is Walmart camp or stop in rest areas. I think it’s for security reasons more than anything else. I’ve never really had a problem but as I get older and travel alone it’s become more of a concern. I look forward to your future videos. Maybe our paths will cross sometime! My blessing for y’all is Numbers 6:24-26.
We are fellow Nashville full timers. We started our journey in October. We used Harvest Host for the first time last week. We stayed overnight at a military museum in Laurel MS. We literally had a tank outside our door. It was so peaceful and private compared to Walmart camping.
JJ is adorable in his 'big boy' haircut ! Stopping often, getting circulation back in the seat has to be good for everyone. As a former travel agent, I have always said, it's not the destination but the journey. I agree, the journey is part of the experience. Enjo y, and thank you for sharing !
The 20 mile march is a real Tortoise and Hare story. We use the 130 rule (okay in winter we try to start by 11a. There are so few hours of Sun). Start by 1:30. Drive less than 130 miles per day. We love Harvest Hosts and have stayed at over 60. Has gotten tougher to book with growth of awareness of the program and advance booking for us last minute types. We joined the Elks and has been to our go-to places this year for hook-ups
JJ 2.0 with his new look. Looks a lot like dad now and just a dancing dude. We stayed at a Harvest Host in North ern Michigan last summer and everyone was so nice. The owner and other campers had so many stories and ideas for us as and we as well told them where we'd been and things to see in the area. Best purchase I made for our first time RVing.
We are part timers who take 3 to 4 months trips at a time before returning to our sticks and bricks. Being the control freak that I am, we usually have all of our stops planned out in advance, and we pretty much adhere to the "no more than 4.5 hours a day when traveling. Since it is just my wife, Lupita and I and our dog, Missy,, we can still overnight at a roadside rest stop if there is nothing else available, but whenever possible, we like to take advantage of Harvest Hosts/Boondockers Welcome locations. Since we are retired, we have found that we are not comfortable with the "let's see what we find when we get there" MO.
I feel ya brother on those tight turn fuel stops. We go through Atlanta all the time. It’s like a casino run. You never know how the dice will roll for traffic. But wow, did y’all hit a home run with Lane’s for an overnight. We love this place. Great spot, super kid friendly and the folks are really nice. Plus the added benefit of peach cobbler and ice cream. Yummy! Safe travels to the Sun Shine State.
Love HH. We even stayed at a CBD farm in a dark sky area and I got to see the Milky Way for the first time...you don't get bucket list stuff in a Walmart parking lot. ;-)
Tight schedules bring big stress, give yourself and family room for down time. I know you can meet most schedules but keep your real goals in mind. Take time to smell the roses. Ray
I have pulled our 5th wheel several times during rush hour. The pro was the traffic moves so slow it was not particularly nerve racking. The con was the traffic moves so slow it takes forever.
JJ is so cute with the big big boy hair cut!! My hubby and I start our first travels day at 11pm or midnight. We travel for about three hours then stop and sleep. We use rv party to find a place to sleep and I know where that spot is before we leave. If we were traveling with grandkids we would do it just like you did. Harvest Host and Boondockers welcome are amazing!
I must admit that I was Ezekiel like Hensley when it came to goodbyes..... EVERYWHERE! Camping, vacations, summer camp, elementary school year ending and saying goodbye to friends, family reunions, holidays, visiting family... You name it. I felt sad. Thankfully, she will grow out of it. Although I went to summer camp in 8th grade and cried!
JJ is so cute w his new haircut. Absolutely adorable 😍. The view at that Harvest Host is gorgeous. Having a place where your kids can run around is great. I hated sitting still when I was a kid. Don't think I could handle being in a car for so long w/o getting to run around and expend my energy. Safe journeys
We love his new cut. And we always loved Harvest host when we had a 19ft now we might live it more with this 40footer but the fridge will kill our battery fast so we need what you got.
Welcome to Fla family! I like about your channel is that you showed everyone the Florida springs in not too many people wanna do that because they think we’re boring or something that we’re not very very related to all of the Southeast people that come here and show all the stuff.go family girl! That’s what I’m going to say to you. We are Jean and Scott Stark from Clearwater Florida and my 11-year-old beagle Alfie is sleeping now but he would bark hello to you too
Best part of the video for me was the sound of that Cummins engine leaving TN man that sounds good 👍 keep putting clips in with the sound of that motor taking off
added harvest Hosts to my boondockers welcome this year. spent 3 weeks on road from ohio job to Florida winter job. What a great trip. You end up spending money to support the Harvest host, which is part of the idea of the program. Boondockers welcome is structured a little different. Regardless, it was a lot cheaper than RV parks, and much more enjoyable than Walmart. I was able to keep my cheapskate travel goals and still support local business. Heck, I visited several Hosts just because they were nearby, didn't stay there, but because they were HH I wanted to visit and see their place. Its definitely a great way to keep your sanity, enjoy your journey, and keep your day short too!
Hubby/I raised 3 daughters and always camped with them. The best life ever. Now they are all married, each with a camper for their own families. We plan 2 family trips throughout year, one in winter (no camping) and one summer camping. Now retired. We have always literally planned our entire summer of camping. Down to booking all the sites on-line when registration day opens for that area. I think your idea of 222 might work out well. Enjoyed that story. Here’s to 2022 🇨🇦❤️ lovely family.
I love JJs haircut! He looks like a little boy now! Not a baby anymore! Thanks for the travel info...especially the “20 Mile Journey” ideas. I can’t wait to try a Bucee’s.
I think it’s getting to the point where every minute of the day is rush hour in some big cities, especially Seattle. Our son had really curly, long hair like that and I do understand how Hensley felt about seeing it cut for the first time. Such a sweet family you have. I pray many, many blessings for you in the new year.
We just saw Buc-ees for the first time this year on our way through the South and kept saying “we’ll stop at the next one” because they were all packed and then we ran out of them 🤣 We stayed at a cool winery in West Texas and have a couple more Harvest Hosts set up for the next week - always so special!
While we’ve owned an RV since August 2019, we are brand new full time RV’ers. With that said: A) we moved into our 2021 Grand Design 377 MBS on December 19 B) visited our first Buc-ees on Jan 2 C) had something fall out of the cabinets above the sofa and get stuck in the slide and damaging the same strip of trim. D) have never pulled out by 8 am nor stayed at a Harvest Host…yet E) love JJ’s haircut
We have only gone on 1 long trip, CA to NC and back.We planned and stopped every night but drove way to long every day. (learning curve involved here) So much better to make each day part of the experience and memory instead of a nightmare. Thank you for your special view on travel days, can't wait to try it that way and make good memories.
I think it great to enjoy the journey and stop 🛑 and smell the roses 🌹 or play in the playground or purchase a peach 🍑 burger 🍔. JJ looks great 👍 in the new haircut. It is interesting that for all the change of scenery and locations Hensley get very emotional when home which means RV or family changes. Hensley the tears 😭 for the loss of JJ curls. I also remember when a certain young lady was teary when a the Airstream left the family. Enjoy the journey!
We travel 200 to 250 per day, stop every couple hours, NO INTERSTATES if possible and we always have a planned stop. We don't always stay 2 days. Especially at Harvest Hosts because HH only allows one day. I have found that while avoiding interstates and routing around major cities (unless that's the destination) appears to lengthen the time, in reality it's almost always the same if you factor in construction, accidents, and rush hours. The mileage difference is usually minimal. If you travel for any distance on an Interstate you will encounter at least one of those. It also allows us to REALLY see this country and small town America. "Getting there is half the fun" has always been our motto. Even back when we were just taking our family on vacation. I think this video is graphic evidence that we were correct. LOL I hope you enjoy St Augustine FL, it's one of our favorite cities.
Love me some Buccees! Congrats on the new changes. Hensley's reaction to JJs haircut was priceless. Rushing kids out the door to make schedules with kids are rarely a win, but y'all did ok. Zip ties on fridge doors with a set of harbor freight wire cutters in a nearby drawer works great
We signed up with Harvest Host last year and it changed the way we travel. We have always been the type to just drive as far as we could and stop in a roadside rest or a park if we could find one. We are from Ohio and because of Harvest Host we took 3 days to drive to TRNP in North Dakota. We enjoyed several Harvest hosts on that trip and will continue to do so.
Welcome to my world. As a solo person I need to plan almost everything out. Hard to make on the way navigation changes/searches with no co-pilot. Walmarts still usually work for me. But I search the available ones out.
Currently, we are parked for a while. But, our travel rule is 5 hours or 250-300 miles or if we are ready to get where we are going, we will stretch it to 6. However, we love the shorter times, because everyone gets tired of traveling in our family. We have been through Atlanta during rush hour, morning rush, it wasn't too bad though. We loved St. Augustine. We are currently in a fishing village on a mission trip. Not sure when we will be moving on.
Travel style is firstly dependent on your mode of life. Full time, retired, vacation (short... or long?). I'd love to limit to 200 miles. But if the vacation spot is 3 states away, we need to get there so we can enjoy the week. Also travel day of the week matter. Saturday going around Atlanta is totally different than Friday. I do enjoy your videos. Nice to see young families out there enjoying the experience!
My baby brother (he's now 52) had blond curls as a baby. He now has black hair. I believe my mom still has the curls from his first haircut. For Buc-ees snacks, you get the banana pudding and jerky. Also, you get the bar-b-que sandwich.
Go family go! Don’t worry about it Fla I have been stuck in there for a story that I could tell everyone: try going to Atlanta traffic and having to go to the bathroom and having to hold it in six lanes of traffic on your way to a retreat in Nashville from Florida . We were in rush-hour on the way to a church retreat in Nashville stuck in Atlanta traffic it was painful.
I agree that travel days can be a great part of the experience... that's what we try to do most travel days. Harvest Hosts are wonderful!! And you are absolutely correct that Buccees is so over stimulating. I'm not a fan because I'm so overwhelmed in there, but my husband and son love their brisket sandwiches!! Safe travels!
I'm a planner and have been for 40+ yrs and have reservations. We have overnighted in church parking lots. I use to always fuel at the outside Islands. You're less likely to be blocked it. Now we use truck Islands. We have never experienced a Buc-ee's but will soon. Our daughter's family just move to Houston Area. I like the 3/3:30 rule, 300 miles or off the road by 3:30 PM but we leave by 8AM.
Love HH!! We stayed in Oregon at Copper Belt Wines.. in the middle of nowhere NEast Oregon, and got to watch the most epic dry lightening storm over a mountain range! Spectacular!!
We used to be like you. Now we are similar: 333: 300 km, off the road by or before 3, 3 nights. 😷🇨🇦😷 Usually on the road between 10-11a.m. We are retired, no children with us but do find this method relaxing. Part time full timers (5-6 months/year.) We have enjoyed Harvest Hosts for a number of years and will be japing Boondocks welcome soon. Love the vlogs.
We travel 200-350 miles but always have a reservation to stay 2-5 days and move on. We used to travel 500-600 miles and spend a night and move to get to a final destination, but always had a reservation, but we travels like that because we had 16 days of vacation and we would go to CA and back to Texas and visit family while in CA, it was always a blur, and totally exhausted after our vacation. We then would not leave the state of Texas on our vacations. But now retired we take our time and enjoy the stops, we still may have a destination, but we will take a month to get there and enjoy the journey!
👍the way you’re traveling now, I believe in slow down and smell the Roses, it’ll make you 🙂🙂more. I’ve seen videos where there’s a lot of Walmart’s stopping overnight RV parking, some reasons is that some people will dump their black tanks, some people are living in their cars. A lot of cities have passed rules and regulations banning them.
What a great view there at the harvest host! Would love to hear and see more on the ones you stop at overnight in future videos. Thank you for sharing.
Hensley is quite the sensitive one! There are stuff to do prior to change or help her create healthy coping strategies but that’s for you as her parents to decide how to help her. We’ve gotten caught in Atlanta rush hour & it is like any big city rush hour…painful 😂. To boot we were tired from our 4hr. flight & had no idea where we were going from the airport! We didn’t get lost, we had an adventure!
Wal-Mart is the last place we try to stay. Harvest Hosts offers so much more. We traveled from coast to coast (CA to NC) using mostly Harvest Hosts. Never know what you may see when staying at a Harvest Host - we went to the Wizard of Oz museum. JJ looks great with his new hair cut. I remember how it felt the first time we cut our sons hair for the first time...31 years ago...lol
The big-boy haircut alone warrants a “thumbs-up” for this video! For our 5-6 mos a year on the road, we travel about 225 miles a day - sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. Every 4th or 5th day we will stop for two nights. We have seemed to be lucky at finding low-cost city/county parks - especially in the southwest - Okla-Tex-NM-AZ - or state conservation areas. We work to avoid retail locations as a safety matter. Looking forward to your 2022!
My first year and a half full timing I did a lot of Cracker Barrel’s and Walmarts. I had good experiences, but I decided to just book campgrounds this year. It has been easier. Stopping three or four hours earlier, plugging in and enjoying what’s left of the day makes a big difference.
Cute haircut on JJ. I refuse to travel more than 4 hours on the road which is why I add an extra hour to our 2 hour trips. If gives us a buffer and gets us parked before dark. You might want to look into City & County parks or even fairgrounds for a quick over night stop. There have been a couple times they turned out to be 2 or 3 day stops because of how nice they were. Safe travels.
I'm with Hensley THE CURLS! I have no idea what time I was at the Greyhound bus station in Atlanta, but this country gal maneuvered her way through in a 29 foot class C RV. Maybe a case of what I didnt know was less scarey than If I had known Atlanta was crazy.
Regarding cabinets or fridge opening - we use Nite Ize Gear Ties - like the wire ties on a loaf of bread bag, but super duty! Would work on your fridge, since you have 2 handles next to each other. Our cabinets are set up that way, too. Pass the tie thru both handles, twist the ends together, done. We got bright orange ones - easy to tell at a glance if they are in place or not. Harvest hosts...we belong, have found them less convenient to get to, as they say "jury is still out"...
Nathan, it doesn’t matter how much you plan ahead for Atlanta. I leave Crossville at 0130 every other morning to get thru there before traffic. There is always something wrong down there. You guys left TN just in time. Crossville is getting snow as I type this. Good to see you guys back on the road.
By far my favorite video you have made. Sorry you guys have had a hard time finding a place to stay. Love that you were able to slow down and feel better about it. Keep up the great videos and keep loving those babies as long as you can.❤️
Like you we have 2 small kids and DISNEY and Florida Beaches are it for them but my wife hates the long drives so keeping it short and planning to stop earlier makes the difference.
It’s nice to see you again. Hope you had a great Christmas. And a Happy New Year! Nice to see you went to a Harvest Hosts. The Hensley and JJ they looked like they were having fun playing on the playground. Hope you had fun at the Harvest Host. It looked really nice there. The land there was beautiful. Thank you for taking me on this journey with you all. Have a great night and week and see you soon! Safe travels.
Doesn’t matter what time you go through Atlanta, it’s a mess! One our way to Disney a few years back we got sideswiped by a semi in Atlanta and our right side view mirror was knocked off. Thank goodness my husband put it back together with JB Weld
Hensley’s reaction to his haircut! She’s so tender-hearted! He looks SOOOO cute! His adorable-ness made me tear up! Traffic-we feel your pain…we live in So Cal so 99% of the time we go anywhere we have to go through L.A. and it’s horrid. Almost impossible to miss the traffic. Happy Travels!
Happy New Year to you and fam. J.J.looks like a little boy now he is so cute, felt sorry for Hensley when she saw her brother and stsr crying, is nice to see you guys out there again...wish you best travels and stay safe.
Atlanta traffic sucks lived up in Ellijay drove back and forth All week morning was a breeze going home any where from 2 to 4 hrs. One wreck on the other side of the highway comes to a stop, much better off if the wreck is on your at least one one lane tries to keep moving.
Harvest Hosts is awesome. I’ve stayed at a handful of locations, but have a longer trip coming up. I’m currently in process of planning and finding locations along my route. 20mile march? Ummm, right now, not so much. I get up early and stop before dark, with numerous stops along the way. That seems to be working for me, though I will stop when I need to, to get rest and destress, if it’s been a stressful day.
Hi to our favorite family! Just a tip for you in securing the cabinets above the couch, we bungee ours to each other to keep them from opening during travel. We do this to the cabinets and closet doors in the entire RV. We also have a lock on our residential fridge but still bungee the handles, and also use tension bars on the top shelf of the refrigerator to keep milk, juice, etc. secure, and plastic baskets on the shelves to keep food from sliding around. Hope those tips help and hope to run into you in St. Augustine! We have been on break from travel here since July. Enjoy the Nights of Lights!
JJ looks so cute with his new hair cut, sissy was upset with it though!! She was having a major melt down bless her heart. I loved when she said I miss his curls. He was over excited I think you have them gone lol. So glad you ask are back in the road taking me on a new adventure I have missed it. But glad you ask got to take some time off enjoy family during the holidays. I pray you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year !!! Safe travels can’t wait to get there
A Blessed and Happy New Year to y'all! Our friends from down east Maine taught us not to say goodbye, as goodbye is forever. They say "so long", which is so true and makes one strive to see one another again. It a beautiful spot you stopped at! PS: The rumble from the exhaust sounds great! ;-)
Love HH!! Stayed at a Blueberry farm in North Central Louisiana!! We have a hard time getting there before they close for the night. There's a 'winery' on I70 in Kansas about an hour west of KC. It's right off of the interstate and they are very understanding that we get in late and leave early. I ordered breakfast delivered to the MH for the next morning from a local diner. We're able to do long drive days if needed so rest areas along I10 in Florida are actually really nice and there are so many of them.
We just did 9400 mile trip cross country and did some harvest host, and really liked it. Stopped at a walmart to get some groceries and barely got the truck shut off and security was at my door asking what our reason for stopping in was. They don't allow overnight. I hate walmart anyway.
Oh no those precious curls 😪 I think I cried every time I looked at my son after first big boy haircut 🥺 I can see how much Nathan truly enjoys the Travels 😁 Safe Travels guys 💙
Just became a member of HH....hopefully be happy with the choice....be safe in fla to many families and friends came back covid sick after xmas. 2 passed away. No fla for us this year.....HAPPY NEW YEAR'S....
I love JJs haircut. I can't believe how grown up he looks. So adorable.
Man Hensley had me tearing up, twice!! She does have a big heart. God bless her!❤️
I did a cross country trip from California to Virginia and back. I was on the road for nearly three months. I had reservations for all but two nights. I agree that it’s comforting to know I have a place to stay at the end of the day. I have a thousand trails membership with a trails collection membership that gets me into Encore parks as well as some private parks. The cost for those parks is 0-$20 a night. Most are 0. I only did five one night stops during the entire time. I mooch docked with friends or family three times and stayed at least four nights or longer at each stop. I’m retired, single and travel alone which makes some things easier. I was considering Harvest Hosts but when I planned out my trip, I found that I really didn’t need it. I will consider it for the future. One thing I don’t do anymore is Walmart camp or stop in rest areas. I think it’s for security reasons more than anything else. I’ve never really had a problem but as I get older and travel alone it’s become more of a concern. I look forward to your future videos. Maybe our paths will cross sometime! My blessing for y’all is Numbers 6:24-26.
We are fellow Nashville full timers. We started our journey in October. We used Harvest Host for the first time last week. We stayed overnight at a military museum in Laurel MS. We literally had a tank outside our door. It was so peaceful and private compared to Walmart camping.
JJ is adorable in his 'big boy' haircut ! Stopping often, getting circulation back in the seat has to be good for everyone. As a former travel agent, I have always said, it's not the destination but the journey. I agree, the journey is part of the experience. Enjo y, and thank you for sharing !
You have to plan when you have little kids. Because everything is so crowded. Love Harvest Hosts. They’re all wonderful!
We love our harvest host! Our goal is to drive no more than 4-5 hrs, and set up before dark. It works great!
The 20 mile march is a real Tortoise and Hare story. We use the 130 rule (okay in winter we try to start by 11a. There are so few hours of Sun). Start by 1:30. Drive less than 130 miles per day. We love Harvest Hosts and have stayed at over 60. Has gotten tougher to book with growth of awareness of the program and advance booking for us last minute types. We joined the Elks and has been to our go-to places this year for hook-ups
JJ's haircut is absolutely adorable! He is so handsome!
JJ 2.0 with his new look. Looks a lot like dad now and just a dancing dude.
We stayed at a Harvest Host in North ern Michigan last summer and everyone was so nice.
The owner and other campers had so many stories and ideas for us as and we as well told them where we'd been and things to see in the area. Best purchase I made for our first time RVing.
Love the big boy hair cut. Hensley’s reaction was priceless.
JJ looks absolutely adorable in his new big boy hair cut!!!!!!
We are part timers who take 3 to 4 months trips at a time before returning to our sticks and bricks. Being the control freak that I am, we usually have all of our stops planned out in advance, and we pretty much adhere to the "no more than 4.5 hours a day when traveling. Since it is just my wife, Lupita and I and our dog, Missy,, we can still overnight at a roadside rest stop if there is nothing else available, but whenever possible, we like to take advantage of Harvest Hosts/Boondockers Welcome locations. Since we are retired, we have found that we are not comfortable with the "let's see what we find when we get there" MO.
Love JJ’s haircut! He still has some curls. He looks like a young man now. The clouds were spectacular in this video.
I feel ya brother on those tight turn fuel stops. We go through Atlanta all the time. It’s like a casino run. You never know how the dice will roll for traffic. But wow, did y’all hit a home run with Lane’s for an overnight. We love this place. Great spot, super kid friendly and the folks are really nice. Plus the added benefit of peach cobbler and ice cream. Yummy! Safe travels to the Sun Shine State.
Love HH. We even stayed at a CBD farm in a dark sky area and I got to see the Milky Way for the first time...you don't get bucket list stuff in a Walmart parking lot. ;-)
Tight schedules bring big stress, give yourself and family room for down time. I know you can meet most schedules but keep your real goals in mind. Take time to smell the roses.
Ray
I like the idea of going so far , stop see the sites and then move on. More relaxed, less stress about where do we stay tonight!
I feel EXACTLY as you do Nathan-avoid Atlanta rush hour at all costs!!! Love JJ’s haircut!
It is frustrating m, but we made it! Thank you!
I try to avoid Atlanta rush hour or not.
I have pulled our 5th wheel several times during rush hour. The pro was the traffic moves so slow it was not particularly nerve racking. The con was the traffic moves so slow it takes forever.
JJ is so cute with the big big boy hair cut!! My hubby and I start our first travels day at 11pm or midnight. We travel for about three hours then stop and sleep. We use rv party to find a place to sleep and I know where that spot is before we leave. If we were traveling with grandkids we would do it just like you did. Harvest Host and Boondockers welcome are amazing!
I must admit that I was Ezekiel like Hensley when it came to goodbyes..... EVERYWHERE! Camping, vacations, summer camp, elementary school year ending and saying goodbye to friends, family reunions, holidays, visiting family... You name it. I felt sad. Thankfully, she will grow out of it. Although I went to summer camp in 8th grade and cried!
JJ is so cute w his new haircut. Absolutely adorable 😍. The view at that Harvest Host is gorgeous. Having a place where your kids can run around is great. I hated sitting still when I was a kid. Don't think I could handle being in a car for so long w/o getting to run around and expend my energy. Safe journeys
Thank you! 🤗
We are planners and book all the time. It’s a pain planning far in advance but the peace of mind is worth it.
JJ's so grown up now, he is going to be the boss of all of you!!! I love the Harvest Host idea, way better than a Walmart parking lot.
Congratulations to Marissa! You're got promoted to the front seat! JJ looks so grown up with the new cut!
Love, love, love JJ’s hair. He looks so handsome, the little man!
We've never stayed at a Walmart. Harvest Hosts and State Parks are our choices on travel days. Enjoy Florida!
We love his new cut. And we always loved Harvest host when we had a 19ft now we might live it more with this 40footer but the fridge will kill our battery fast so we need what you got.
Welcome to Fla family! I like about your channel is that you showed everyone the Florida springs in not too many people wanna do that because they think we’re boring or something that we’re not very very related to all of the Southeast people that come here and show all the stuff.go family girl! That’s what I’m going to say to you. We are Jean and Scott Stark from Clearwater Florida and my 11-year-old beagle Alfie is sleeping now but he would bark hello to you too
Best part of the video for me was the sound of that Cummins engine leaving TN man that sounds good 👍 keep putting clips in with the sound of that motor taking off
added harvest Hosts to my boondockers welcome this year. spent 3 weeks on road from ohio job to Florida winter job. What a great trip. You end up spending money to support the Harvest host, which is part of the idea of the program. Boondockers welcome is structured a little different. Regardless, it was a lot cheaper than RV parks, and much more enjoyable than Walmart. I was able to keep my cheapskate travel goals and still support local business. Heck, I visited several Hosts just because they were nearby, didn't stay there, but because they were HH I wanted to visit and see their place. Its definitely a great way to keep your sanity, enjoy your journey, and keep your day short too!
Hubby/I raised 3 daughters and always camped with them. The best life ever. Now they are all married, each with a camper for their own families. We plan 2 family trips throughout year, one in winter (no camping) and one summer camping. Now retired. We have always literally planned our entire summer of camping. Down to booking all the sites on-line when registration day opens for that area. I think your idea of 222 might work out well. Enjoyed that story. Here’s to 2022 🇨🇦❤️ lovely family.
I love JJs haircut! He looks like a little boy now! Not a baby anymore! Thanks for the travel info...especially the “20 Mile Journey” ideas. I can’t wait to try a Bucee’s.
I think it’s getting to the point where every minute of the day is rush hour in some big cities, especially Seattle. Our son had really curly, long hair like that and I do understand how Hensley felt about seeing it cut for the first time. Such a sweet family you have. I pray many, many blessings for you in the new year.
We just saw Buc-ees for the first time this year on our way through the South and kept saying “we’ll stop at the next one” because they were all packed and then we ran out of them 🤣
We stayed at a cool winery in West Texas and have a couple more Harvest Hosts set up for the next week - always so special!
Outside of Texas there is not that many of them, so there might not be a next one 😀
I so understand the Buc-ee's stop. Yesterday, my wife and I stopped at the Macon one when northbound on I-75 before having to face Atlanta traffic.
While we’ve owned an RV since August 2019, we are brand new full time RV’ers. With that said:
A) we moved into our 2021 Grand Design 377 MBS on December 19
B) visited our first Buc-ees on Jan 2
C) had something fall out of the cabinets above the sofa and get stuck in the slide and damaging the same strip of trim.
D) have never pulled out by 8 am nor stayed at a Harvest Host…yet
E) love JJ’s haircut
Thank you for your organized thoughts 😀
We have only gone on 1 long trip, CA to NC and back.We planned and stopped every night but drove way to long every day. (learning curve involved here) So much better to make each day part of the experience and memory instead of a nightmare. Thank you for your special view on travel days, can't wait to try it that way and make good memories.
Thanks for sharing!
I think it great to enjoy the journey and stop 🛑 and smell the roses 🌹 or play in the playground or purchase a peach 🍑 burger 🍔.
JJ looks great 👍 in the new haircut. It is interesting that for all the change of scenery and locations Hensley get very emotional when home which means RV or family changes. Hensley the tears 😭 for the loss of JJ curls. I also remember when a certain young lady was teary when a the Airstream left the family.
Enjoy the journey!
absolutely, that’s the way to travel. Enjoy!
I loved our night at Lane Orchards, although a lot of night traffic through the parking lot. Good breakfasts there, and the store was terrific.
We travel 200 to 250 per day, stop every couple hours, NO INTERSTATES if possible and we always have a planned stop. We don't always stay 2 days. Especially at Harvest Hosts because HH only allows one day. I have found that while avoiding interstates and routing around major cities (unless that's the destination) appears to lengthen the time, in reality it's almost always the same if you factor in construction, accidents, and rush hours. The mileage difference is usually minimal. If you travel for any distance on an Interstate you will encounter at least one of those. It also allows us to REALLY see this country and small town America. "Getting there is half the fun" has always been our motto. Even back when we were just taking our family on vacation. I think this video is graphic evidence that we were correct. LOL I hope you enjoy St Augustine FL, it's one of our favorite cities.
Harvest Host is always my 1st choice
Love me some Buccees! Congrats on the new changes. Hensley's reaction to JJs haircut was priceless. Rushing kids out the door to make schedules with kids are rarely a win, but y'all did ok. Zip ties on fridge doors with a set of harbor freight wire cutters in a nearby drawer works great
We signed up with Harvest Host last year and it changed the way we travel. We have always been the type to just drive as far as we could and stop in a roadside rest or a park if we could find one. We are from Ohio and because of Harvest Host we took 3 days to drive to TRNP in North Dakota. We enjoyed several Harvest hosts on that trip and will continue to do so.
Your fast for us. That is a 4 day trip for us now from southern Indiana.
That is great. Glad to hear it is working out great for you.
Welcome to my world. As a solo person I need to plan almost everything out. Hard to make on the way navigation changes/searches with no co-pilot.
Walmarts still usually work for me. But I search the available ones out.
Currently, we are parked for a while. But, our travel rule is 5 hours or 250-300 miles or if we are ready to get where we are going, we will stretch it to 6. However, we love the shorter times, because everyone gets tired of traveling in our family. We have been through Atlanta during rush hour, morning rush, it wasn't too bad though. We loved St. Augustine. We are currently in a fishing village on a mission trip. Not sure when we will be moving on.
Travel style is firstly dependent on your mode of life. Full time, retired, vacation (short... or long?). I'd love to limit to 200 miles. But if the vacation spot is 3 states away, we need to get there so we can enjoy the week. Also travel day of the week matter. Saturday going around Atlanta is totally different than Friday. I do enjoy your videos. Nice to see young families out there enjoying the experience!
Absolutely LOVE JJ's hair!!!!!!
My baby brother (he's now 52) had blond curls as a baby. He now has black hair. I believe my mom still has the curls from his first haircut. For Buc-ees snacks, you get the banana pudding and jerky. Also, you get the bar-b-que sandwich.
Go family go! Don’t worry about it Fla I have been stuck in there for a story that I could tell everyone: try going to Atlanta traffic and having to go to the bathroom and having to hold it in six lanes of traffic on your way to a retreat in Nashville from Florida . We were in rush-hour on the way to a church retreat in Nashville stuck in Atlanta traffic it was painful.
Cried right along with Hensley over JJs hair. But he does also look cute with the haircut.
I agree that travel days can be a great part of the experience... that's what we try to do most travel days. Harvest Hosts are wonderful!! And you are absolutely correct that Buccees is so over stimulating. I'm not a fan because I'm so overwhelmed in there, but my husband and son love their brisket sandwiches!! Safe travels!
I'm a planner and have been for 40+ yrs and have reservations. We have overnighted in church parking lots. I use to always fuel at the outside Islands. You're less likely to be blocked it. Now we use truck Islands. We have never experienced a Buc-ee's but will soon. Our daughter's family just move to Houston Area. I like the 3/3:30 rule, 300 miles or off the road by 3:30 PM but we leave by 8AM.
Love HH!! We stayed in Oregon at Copper Belt Wines.. in the middle of nowhere NEast Oregon, and got to watch the most epic dry lightening storm over a mountain range! Spectacular!!
We used to be like you.
Now we are similar: 333: 300 km, off the road by or before 3, 3 nights. 😷🇨🇦😷 Usually on the road between 10-11a.m. We are retired, no children with us but do find this method relaxing. Part time full timers (5-6 months/year.) We have enjoyed Harvest Hosts for a number of years and will be japing Boondocks welcome soon.
Love the vlogs.
We travel 200-350 miles but always have a reservation to stay 2-5 days and move on. We used to travel 500-600 miles and spend a night and move to get to a final destination, but always had a reservation, but we travels like that because we had 16 days of vacation and we would go to CA and back to Texas and visit family while in CA, it was always a blur, and totally exhausted after our vacation. We then would not leave the state of Texas on our vacations. But now retired we take our time and enjoy the stops, we still may have a destination, but we will take a month to get there and enjoy the journey!
👍the way you’re traveling now, I believe in slow down and smell the Roses, it’ll make you 🙂🙂more. I’ve seen videos where there’s a lot of Walmart’s stopping overnight RV parking, some reasons is that some people will dump their black tanks, some people are living in their cars. A lot of cities have passed rules and regulations banning them.
What a great view there at the harvest host! Would love to hear and see more on the ones you stop at overnight in future videos. Thank you for sharing.
We were set to stay there this fall until a last minute change in plans; but I loved what I saw online...next year
We will be using our Harvest Host for the first time in January as we head down for the Tampa RV show. We are very excited!
We hope you enjoy it.
It's a lot less stressful to cut across to Franklin and take 441 to Lake City. We did that on our last trip and it was great.
We have stayed at Flying J truck stops also. There is parking for RVs away from the trucks.
Hensley is quite the sensitive one! There are stuff to do prior to change or help her create healthy coping strategies but that’s for you as her parents to decide how to help her.
We’ve gotten caught in Atlanta rush hour & it is like any big city rush hour…painful 😂. To boot we were tired from our 4hr. flight & had no idea where we were going from the airport! We didn’t get lost, we had an adventure!
Wal-Mart is the last place we try to stay. Harvest Hosts offers so much more. We traveled from coast to coast (CA to NC) using mostly Harvest Hosts. Never know what you may see when staying at a Harvest Host - we went to the Wizard of Oz museum. JJ looks great with his new hair cut. I remember how it felt the first time we cut our sons hair for the first time...31 years ago...lol
The big-boy haircut alone warrants a “thumbs-up” for this video! For our 5-6 mos a year on the road, we travel about 225 miles a day - sometimes shorter, sometimes longer. Every 4th or 5th day we will stop for two nights. We have seemed to be lucky at finding low-cost city/county parks - especially in the southwest - Okla-Tex-NM-AZ - or state conservation areas. We work to avoid retail locations as a safety matter. Looking forward to your 2022!
My first year and a half full timing I did a lot of Cracker Barrel’s and Walmarts. I had good experiences, but I decided to just book campgrounds this year. It has been easier. Stopping three or four hours earlier, plugging in and enjoying what’s left of the day makes a big difference.
Love Harvest Host. We always plan our stops now. Yes, it is more work up front but avoids a lot of stress on travel days.
Cute haircut on JJ. I refuse to travel more than 4 hours on the road which is why I add an extra hour to our 2 hour trips. If gives us a buffer and gets us parked before dark. You might want to look into City & County parks or even fairgrounds for a quick over night stop. There have been a couple times they turned out to be 2 or 3 day stops because of how nice they were. Safe travels.
I'm with Hensley THE CURLS!
I have no idea what time I was at the Greyhound bus station in Atlanta, but this country gal maneuvered her way through in a 29 foot class C RV. Maybe a case of what I didnt know was less scarey than If I had known Atlanta was crazy.
awwwww Henlsey has such big reactions to changes. Sweet girl.
Regarding cabinets or fridge opening - we use Nite Ize Gear Ties - like the wire ties on a loaf of bread bag, but super duty! Would work on your fridge, since you have 2 handles next to each other. Our cabinets are set up that way, too. Pass the tie thru both handles, twist the ends together, done. We got bright orange ones - easy to tell at a glance if they are in place or not. Harvest hosts...we belong, have found them less convenient to get to, as they say "jury is still out"...
He is not a baby anymore - the haircut looks great but also shows how much he's grown up......♥
Nathan, it doesn’t matter how much you plan ahead for Atlanta. I leave Crossville at 0130 every other morning to get thru there before traffic. There is always something wrong down there. You guys left TN just in time. Crossville is getting snow as I type this. Good to see you guys back on the road.
Happy 2022 Everyone!!!
Love, love, his hair cut!❤️
By far my favorite video you have made. Sorry you guys have had a hard time finding a place to stay. Love that you were able to slow down and feel better about it. Keep up the great videos and keep loving those babies as long as you can.❤️
Thanks for bringing us along!
Like you we have 2 small kids and DISNEY and Florida Beaches are it for them but my wife hates the long drives so keeping it short and planning to stop earlier makes the difference.
JJ hair looks so cute !! Looks like a big boy !! Ainsley is the best big sister!! She is adorable !! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Wise decision. Slow down and smell the roses. Make enjoyable memories. Rushing is adding stress .Life is short let's not rush things. LOL
It’s nice to see you again. Hope you had a great Christmas. And a Happy New Year!
Nice to see you went to a Harvest Hosts.
The Hensley and JJ they looked like they were having fun playing on the playground. Hope you had fun at the Harvest Host. It looked really nice there. The land there was beautiful. Thank you for taking me on this journey with you all.
Have a great night and week and see you soon! Safe travels.
Doesn’t matter what time you go through Atlanta, it’s a mess! One our way to Disney a few years back we got sideswiped by a semi in Atlanta and our right side view mirror was knocked off. Thank goodness my husband put it back together with JB Weld
Hensley’s reaction to his haircut! She’s so tender-hearted! He looks SOOOO cute! His adorable-ness made me tear up!
Traffic-we feel your pain…we live in So Cal so 99% of the time we go anywhere we have to go through L.A. and it’s horrid. Almost impossible to miss the traffic. Happy Travels!
I hear LA is challenging when it comes to traffic.
JJ looks so sharp with his haircut! And don't worry, Hensley, Mom & Dad can leave a little extra length on top next time to unfurl them curls. 😎👍
Happy New Year to you and fam. J.J.looks like a little boy now he is so cute, felt sorry for Hensley when she saw her brother and stsr crying, is nice to see you guys out there again...wish you best travels and stay safe.
Happy new year!!
Enjoy the Journey is what I have learned from you all. The kids grow up fast. Happy New Year and God bless you all! Gigi
Thank you so much! Happy New Year.
We love your family! Thank you so much for being a part of the Harvest Hosts community! ❤❤❤
Thank you so much.
Lane's Peach Park is an awesome place to overnight. Try to get there during business hours so you can check out the smells and treats at their store.
Atlanta traffic sucks lived up in Ellijay drove back and forth
All week morning was a breeze going home any where from 2 to 4 hrs. One wreck on the other side of the highway comes to a stop, much better off if the wreck is on your at least one one lane tries to keep moving.
Harvest Hosts is awesome. I’ve stayed at a handful of locations, but have a longer trip coming up. I’m currently in process of planning and finding locations along my route. 20mile march? Ummm, right now, not so much. I get up early and stop before dark, with numerous stops along the way. That seems to be working for me, though I will stop when I need to, to get rest and destress, if it’s been a stressful day.
Hi to our favorite family! Just a tip for you in securing the cabinets above the couch, we bungee ours to each other to keep them from opening during travel. We do this to the cabinets and closet doors in the entire RV. We also have a lock on our residential fridge but still bungee the handles, and also use tension bars on the top shelf of the refrigerator to keep milk, juice, etc. secure, and plastic baskets on the shelves to keep food from sliding around. Hope those tips help and hope to run into you in St. Augustine! We have been on break from travel here since July. Enjoy the Nights of Lights!
JJ looks so cute with his new hair cut, sissy was upset with it though!! She was having a major melt down bless her heart. I loved when she said I miss his curls. He was over excited I think you have them gone lol. So glad you ask are back in the road taking me on a new adventure I have missed it. But glad you ask got to take some time off enjoy family during the holidays. I pray you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year !!! Safe travels can’t wait to get there
A Blessed and Happy New Year to y'all!
Our friends from down east Maine taught us not to say goodbye, as goodbye is forever. They say "so long", which is so true and makes one strive to see one another again.
It a beautiful spot you stopped at!
PS: The rumble from the exhaust sounds great! ;-)
Love HH!! Stayed at a Blueberry farm in North Central Louisiana!! We have a hard time getting there before they close for the night. There's a 'winery' on I70 in Kansas about an hour west of KC. It's right off of the interstate and they are very understanding that we get in late and leave early. I ordered breakfast delivered to the MH for the next morning from a local diner. We're able to do long drive days if needed so rest areas along I10 in Florida are actually really nice and there are so many of them.
Thanks for sharing your adventures! So much fun!
Thanks for watching!
Love ❤️ JJ’s NEW haircut!! He looks great!!
We just did 9400 mile trip cross country and did some harvest host, and really liked it. Stopped at a walmart to get some groceries and barely got the truck shut off and security was at my door asking what our reason for stopping in was. They don't allow overnight. I hate walmart anyway.
Oh no those precious curls 😪 I think I cried every time I looked at my son after first big boy haircut 🥺 I can see how much Nathan truly enjoys the Travels 😁 Safe Travels guys 💙
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Just became a member of HH....hopefully be happy with the choice....be safe in fla to many families and friends came back covid sick after xmas. 2 passed away. No fla for us this year.....HAPPY NEW YEAR'S....