Ashley Longnecker / March 06, 2016
Although we were not fond of New Orleans as a whole...we were fond of the places we went there with the kids. So, here are my top things to do in NOLA with kids.
Ashley Longnecker / March 02, 2016
Well, today was a big day! Today marks TEN MONTHS that we have been on the road so I thought I’d share my top ten favorite things in our RV! Get ready....
Weird but yes, it’s one of my favorite things. The first month in our trailer we didn’t have one and when you wake up you’re all damp and your sheets are damp and you feel like you need another shower. It’s kinda gross! This one is great at sucking out all the moisture we have in here, which is just no good in an RV. I’ve heard too many horror stories about people dealing with mold issues and when I ask if they have a dehumidifier...most of them say no! Guys...it’s important!
Living in a tiny space with 6 people sometimes things can get a little smelly. I love being able to start my diffuser and put in some cedarwood and bergamot and get our house smelling fresh again after Ada removes her socks! How in the world can such tiny feet be the stinkiest thing I’ve ever smelled? Poor kid. Sorry future son-in-law.
Jonathan and I purchased our bikes before we left Tennessee 10 months ago from Bearden Bike and Trail. (those guys really know what they’re talking about.) We tried out several different bikes and are so happy with our choices. We have gotten much use out of them and can’t imagine traveling without them. Our kids are at a great age where everyone can ride their own bikes for short distances (Ada) but when we want to go do a long ride she’s able to be hauled in the trailer since she isn’t able to keep up for long distances. She’ll get there and it will be even more fun to go long distances without hauling her!
Back in November I ordered this Sea Eagle Inflatable Kayak for Jonathan for his birthday. We have had so much fun putting it in lakes and oceans. It deflates and is able to be stored in a bag along with the life jackets and pump, seats and oars. We feel it was a great purchase and we intend to get even more use out of it this spring and summer!
It’s weird that I put shower on the list but it’s true. We went the whole month of Dec and part of January not being able to use our shower and what a pain it was to always have to use the bath house at the park. (sometimes they’re not all that clean) We are very thankful that our gray tank is now attached correctly and that we are able to use our own shower anytime we want! Also, this shower head makes our showers much more enjoyable!
Ok, this may seem weird to some but if you saw the way our old house looked you would understand why it was so important to me to make this new trailer look like home. I used the same colors to paint the walls in our trailer as I did in the house. I brought our curtains that used to hang in the kitchen into our trailer to make it feel as homey as I could. Same thing with the quilts. It brings in a sense of home. The quilts we have, have all been made by members of my family and not only do I LOVE the way they look, I love the way they make me feel. I love having such special things that not only look cool and serve a purpose but they make me smile and remind me of my family. They are something I will always treasure. They may not look like much to anyone else but they are priceless to me.
I was skeptical at first but these towels are so great. They dry crazy fast and have silver woven into the fabric so they disinfect themselves and none of our bath towels ever stink. I wash them once every two weeks and they are well worth the investment and I highly suggest you find a vendor if you want great quality towels. (I know a girl...if you want to order some, let me know)
Ok, I’m a bit of a hippie and I love patchouli oil. I do. It’s no lie. And when my sister introduced me to this ZUM soap...I fell in love. The way my clothes and blankets smell after being washed with this is like heaven! But if patchouli isn’t your thing, they do have other scents, too. The wild orange is my second favorite followed closely by frankincense and mhyr.
We have two ukuleles hanging in our RV along with a dulcimer and I love that they’re out and the kids can grab them and play them anytime. I want to encourage them to play music without being pushy about it. I can’t wait until they really take an interest and start trying at it. We all love when Jonathan picks one up and makes up songs. I miss him playing guitar and we hope that life will slow down a bit this summer so that we can really get back to more of the things we love, like music.
Ok, you probably already knew this would be my number one thing we have in the RV. Of course it’s our kids. They are the whole reason we are doing this. We want to show them things that they would have might never seen before. We want to expose them to different cultures, a different way of life and we want them to know that they don’t have to conform to what this world considers as the American Dream. We want them to make their own dreams come true. My parenting job will be complete the day they realize that there is so much more to life than working a 9-5 job for someone else, having a 2000 sq ft house, 3 cars, and all the things to fill their up lives. I hope they grow up and know how much they are loved. But I also hope they grow up and think differently than this world. I don’t want them to be followers or consumers but rather creators and dreamers and doers. I want them to know that this world is a big place and they can make a big difference. I want them to see the world and know that maybe they can’t change the world but maybe they’ll know that they can make a huge impact on those around them. All this is for them. All of this is for us. We’re in this together, forever.
Keep Reading
Ashley Longnecker / February 23, 2016
After our visit in Mobile, Alabama, we packed up and headed to New Orleans! And guess who we saw there!!
We met up with Heather and Jeremy (@takethatexit) and their 2 kids! It’s like we enjoy hanging out with them or something...
We had a great visit over Cruze Farm’s Coffee Milk, Ginger Molasses Cookies and Red Velvet Cake. We always enjoy our time with them. We only had one day together but I’m so glad we are both headed west and have plans to keep meeting up along the way!
I had high hopes for NOLA but, to be honest...
New Orleans was probably one of my least favorite stops so far. I don’t know how else to describe it other than I just felt like a really dark place. I didn’t feel safe in the city walking around with the kids, the people we ran into at shops weren’t very friendly and just had a negative vibe the whole time we were there.
We camped out at Bayou Segnette State Park based on a recommendation from Ditching Suburbia! Thanks Mike and Crissa! Free laundry sounded too good to be true, but it was! However, with the laundry room being free, we found it very difficult to time it to where we could actually get any loads done. Everyone had the same idea and beat me to the laundry room every day! We only were able to wash half of what we needed to there but we did appreciate the free washers and dryers there.
The park itself was actually pretty cool. So foggy in the morning.
Keep Reading
Ashley Longnecker / February 22, 2016
After leaving Panama City I made reservations at a city park at what I thought was just north of Mobile, AL. Turns out, River Delta Marina and Campground was about 45 minutes to Mobile which was just too far for all the things we wanted to do while we were there. However, the price was great. For just $20/night we had full-hookups and only 3 neighbors across the park. We were close to the bath house and the playground. It was actually a really great park. There was a nature trail along the lake that was beautiful.
Keep Reading
Ashley Longnecker / February 18, 2016
We had a great two weeks exploring at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City. Other than the tornado warnings in the middle of the night we had a fairly relaxing time. But this wasn't our first time here...
Keep reading for a flashback of our first camping trip...
We’re Jonathan & Ashley Longnecker. We love weird ideas, great food, travel, drawing, music, homeschool, tattoos, dreads, woodworking, design and our 4 amazing kids.
We'll send you email newsletters whenever we post new content. Just enter your info and hit subscribe!