RVing – Page 2 – Julia A. Keirns – Author, Blogger, Writer

Christmas #2 in the RV

Monday, December 25, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

I still remember the day we pulled away from our house on the traveling adventure of a lifetime. It was April 25, 2022.

Our first Christmas in the RV last year was spent in Florida. This year we are in southern Alabama. I wonder where we will be next year.

At our age, Christmas is just another day. We slept late, did laundry, and visited with some RV neighbors. Making new friends on Christmas Day this year was truly a blessing.

A man named Walt lives beside us and a woman named Alex lives a few spots down. They came over and sat with us under the Christmas lights and we shared traveling stories.

Instead of celebrating with family on December 25, we had family here for three days from the 21st to the 24th. That is what made this Christmastime special for us. We celebrated, ate good food, walked the beaches, played games, and shopped.

Christmas is being with family. Some of our family is spread out all over and we video-called with those we couldn’t physically be near. Technology helps make it special too.

It’s challenging to wake up on Christmas morning and realize it is just another day in the RV. There are times I feel sad and lonely and know that we are missing special Christmas memories by not living in a house. But I still wouldn’t trade this time that we get to travel for anything.

How was your Christmas special this year?

I hope you all had a great day celebrating in whatever way you celebrate this time of year.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/24/23

Sunday, December 24, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

The phone rang at 7:00 a.m. this morning and it was the two grandsons from Connecticut wanting to wish Grandpa Rich a Happy Birthday! Yes, today is his birthday. He is 63 today.

We were on the phone with them when in ran two little granddaughters who jumped on the bed and kissed and hugged him to wish him a happy birthday too.

Before long the son in South Korea tried to call and the son in Connecticut told him to wait his turn because he was too late and they beat him to it. Ha ha.

It was a wonderful fun morning spent on the phone for an hour and a half with all three kids, one in Connecticut, one in South Korea, and the daughter from Ohio who was here in the RV with us. In instances like this, technology is such a blessing.

We currently have five grandchildren, two in Connecticut, and the three who came to see us with our daughter. She left her husband at home for three days. I guess he didn’t mind too much. We still have one son left who might give us some grandchildren, but who knows?

After a fun morning of Happy Birthday wishes, the daughter and three grandchildren had to pack up and get to the airport to fly back home to Ohio. We had a wonderful visit for three days and it came to an end too soon.

But time goes fast and before we know it, winter will be over and we will head back up north to Ohio.

Rich drove them to the Destin airport while I stayed home and began cleaning and organizing the RV back to normal. It didn’t take long. And now they are gone.

By lunchtime, rain began to fall in Foley, Alabama and I received wind warnings, rip tide warnings, and coastal flood warnings on my phone. We are the blue dot in the photo above. Rich came home, ate some lunch, and went back to bed for a nap. I think he is worn out.

I spent the quiet, rainy afternoon reading and writing while watching movies.

I watched the 1999 movie “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, then the 2001 sequel “The Mummy Returns,” then the 1996 movie “Independence Day” starring Will Smith and Bill Pullman, and finally the 2004 movie “The Day After Tomorrow” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid.

Four of my favorite movies that I have purchased on Amazon Prime and have seen a dozen times or more each, but I can always watch them and enjoy them each time. I know them all by heart so I don’t have to pay attention to know what is going on.

I have tons of movies like this that I will watch over and over and over.

My knee is sore from walking so much the past three days. Honestly, it is more than sore. I fear it is getting worse instead of better. I walked too much and it is swollen today in the knee joint and hurts to walk on it. I plan to remain in the recliner with it elevated for the rest of the day.

Happy Birthday to my other half and Merry Christmas Eve to all my readers and friends.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/23/23

Saturday, December 23, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Showing family around Gulf Shores

The granddaughters woke up this morning and announced with great enthusiasm that today is Christmas Eve Eve!

So, Happy Christmas Eve Eve to all my Medium readers and friends.

Today was a fun day. The sky was blue, the wind was calm, and the sun was warm. It was a perfect weather day.

The first place we went was The Track Family Fun Park just a few miles down the road from where we are parked.

We played 18 holes of Putt Putt Golf. Rich kind of kept score but I think he embellished some. I still don’t know who really won and nobody even cares. It was a lot of fun.

The girls screamed when they first saw this little lizard and of course, the teenage boy tried to catch it, but the lizard was too fast for him.

The kids had a blast in the water boat ride and got each other wet with the squirt guns. They even squirted us as we stood nearby and watched. They all three agreed that this was the funnest ride of the day.

They rode go-karts, a twirling roller coaster, and swings. It was a lot of fun following them around and taking tons of pictures like I always do. Sadly, my knee was hurting already and it wasn’t even noon yet. I hate that I am so slow when my knee is grinding and swelling so quickly and I can’t keep up with everyone.

I found a common sparrow bird to photograph while sitting on a bench. At least that’s what I think it is. And some flowers, which by the way happen to be the Alabama state flower, the Camellia. It is so nice to see flowers blooming in December.

After the Track, we took them to Lulu’s Gulf Shores Restaurant. This is a fun family place on the water canal with a gift shop and activities for kids.

The food was great and reasonably priced. The kids enjoyed sitting by the water and watching pelicans fly by.

Empty plates and containers at a restaurant are the sign of a great meal.

After lunch, we took them to the Orange Beach Waterfront Park. Rich and I found this place a week or so ago. This is a wonderful family place with a long pier, sandy beach, and a great playground for the kids. It is located on scenic Wolf Bay.

After walking out on the pier, we sat in that swing for a while and enjoyed the view.

The playground at Edward H. Carroll, Sr. Kids Park at the Waterfront Park is new and has been completely renovated, and the girls had a blast.

They ran off so much energy here and it was fun to watch them play.

Next, we drove to Perdido Key State Park Beach to let the girls swim in the ocean again. It was a little windy but not nearly as bad as yesterday. We all got a little suntan today. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

And when you see a moment like this between two sisters, one nine and one six, you can’t help but smile and snap a picture.

After the beach, we came back to the RV. The kids all showered and begged for more shopping so Rich took them to the Tanger Outlets in Foley.

By this time, my knee was so swollen and hurt so bad that I had to stay back at the RV and sit in the recliner with my knee up and an ice bag on it. I am frustrated with my knee but thankful I can still walk some.

They came home and rushed in to show me some of the things they bought. It has been so nice to have family around for the past couple of days. When they leave tomorrow the quiet will return.

I hope you have had a great couple of days too. I want to thank you for reading about our daily adventures. See you tomorrow.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/22/23

December 22, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Some of our Ohio family flew down to southern Alabama last night to see us. Oh, how special it is when two little granddaughters come running into the RV and give the biggest hugs ever!

We spent last night in the RV visiting and playing games. We are the game playing grandparents.

This morning we cooked a big breakfast outside consisting of eggs, bacon, and toast. By 10 a.m. we were on our way to the beach with a picnic lunch of pb and j, chips, and apples.

The first place we showed them was the Bon Secour Nature Preserve. And then we took them to Gulf Shores Beach. It was awful windy today so we didn’t stay too long.

The sandy beach at Gulf Shores is long and wide and the view is beautiful.

The girls found a few nice shells but not many. The ocean water was warmer than the air.

The youngest granddaughter lives in the moment enjoying everything about where she is right now. No worries at all about what will happen next.

She is the one who had leukemia and is in remission. She is six years old.

We had so much fun watching her jump the waves and try to build a sand snowman that didn’t look like a snowman at all.

She also had fun chasing the seagulls around.

The older two grandchildren, 16 and 9, only enjoyed the windy beach for a short time because they are more into shopping the gift shops so we took them to some of the beach and surf shops before taking them to the Wharf.

The Wharf is a fun shopping and restaurant venue located in Orange Beach not to far from our campground.

The Ferris wheel is $8 per person and the train ride is $6 per person.

There are a lot of shops and restaurants and even an arcade. At the arcade they played unlimited games for 30 minutes for like $20.

The kids did it all and by the time we walked all the shops my knee needed a break.

We ate at Yo Ho Rum and Tacos and sat at a table outside by the canal water.

They have $2.50 20 oz. Margaritas and Rum Punch everyday until 6 p.m. and classic beef or chicken tacos were only $3 each. All six of us ate and drank for only $50.

Afterward the girls got an icee for dessert. I laughed at the brain-freeze snowman in the window.

When we got back home to the RV the kids and their mother had a cartwheel and handstand contest. I sat and took pictures.

Having the RV a mess gives me the feeling of the Christmas morning unwrapping mess that I don’t get anymore. I loved seeing the mess.

It’s late, I am worn out, my right knee is swollen, and I am ready for bed. I can’t wait to see where they will drag us tomorrow.

RV Life – The Boring Days

December 20, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Sometimes we don’t wake up until late morning and then we just sit and relax and drink coffee until noon.

By that time one of us is hungry. The first one to mention food is usually the one who cooks something for both of us.

Dishes might get done or not. We have been known to binge-watch a show on a streaming service and barely move from our spots for an entire day.

We have also played cards or board games all day long while listening to music.

We don’t always go somewhere. We actually stay home quite often. When the weather is comfortable we sit outside and don’t talk for hours.

Living in an RV is much the same as living in a house. Except that we move around to new places and do a lot of sightseeing and exploring.

Yesterday and today were those kind of boring days where we stayed home and did nothing.

We need our rest because tomorrow we get some family visitors for three days. Our daughter and three grandchildren are flying down from Ohio. Let the fun begin.

I promise to take lots of pictures and write all about it. Stay tuned for our family adventures.

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/18/2023

December 19, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

Yes, it really was another day in paradise. The weather here in southern Alabama is so comfortable. Highs in the 60s everyday and sunshine. We get to open the windows and let the fresh air in. I love it. It is nearly perfect, at least for us. We don’t have to run the air conditioning or the heat.

After a weekend of collecting shells on the beaches, which you can read about in the article below, we had to clean them all this morning. We washed the sand off of them outside. We don’t want all that sand going down the drain into the tank of the RV. Then we put them on a towel on the table to dry.

I ended up with quite a haul of shells.

After cleaning the shells, we cleaned the RV. We bring an awful lot of sand inside and it seems our daughter and three grandchildren are going to fly down to see us! They will be here Thursday and stay until Sunday morning for a Christmas visit. We want to make sure the car and the house are nice and clean for them.

We went to the laundry room and did two loads of laundry and then Rich laid down for a nap. He seems to take a lot of naps lately. I think it is because he gets bored. I have so many hobbies and things I can do like writing, drawing, coloring, or even crocheting. He has nothing like that. So when he gets too bored, he sleeps.

Speaking of crocheting, I decided to crochet a garland for our little two-foot Christmas tree today. I decided to use a light green yarn that I had plenty of on hand.

For this small tree, I crocheted a chain of 402. Then all I did was skip the first chain and then put two double crochet in each remaining chain all the way across and it automatically curls on its own.

I love how our little tree is turning out.

I am considering crocheting a small white tree skirt next…

Well, guess what I did before I went to bed…yep, I crocheted a small white tree skirt for the tree. I think it turned out pretty good for just making it up.

Thanks for stopping by to read and share RV life with us.

It’s Not About Where You Are, But Who You’re With

December 19, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Home is wherever your heart is

Rich and I have lived in a lot of places since we met in 1985.

We both grew up having lived in the same house our whole lives. Rich may have moved one time when he was a young child but doesn’t remember much about the house before.

My mother still lives in the same house my dad was born in. He died in that house and so will she. She says that no other place could ever feel like home to her.

It’s not that I don’t have a home mentality, it’s just that I like change and so does Rich.

We started out in an apartment and then moved to a mobile home in a trailer park. We went to Florida and lived with friends for a few months before renting our first house. We rented a second house in Florida before moving back home to Ohio.

We bought our first house in Ohio after our first child was born and lived there for five years.

Having outgrown that house with three children, we bought a larger one. We lived there for sixteen years when we had to declare bankruptcy and give it up.

At that time we moved to a town twenty miles away where we both worked and rented a house. When they sold the house we were renting, we lived in three separate apartments until we found the house we were living in when we decided to become full-time RVers.

We lived in that house for nine years and now have been in the RV since April of 2022, not quite two years.

Since moving into the RV we have lived in many places. Each place is different but our home is the same. It’s really great to just close up and take our home with us wherever we go.

It is comfortable, and it is home. As long as we are together, we are happy with whatever type of dwelling we live in. I can make any place feel like home. I wonder where we will live tomorrow.

What does home mean to you?

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/15/2023

December 16, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The first thing I did this morning was open the window blinds to let the pretty sunshine in.

The second thing I did was spend a couple of hours on Medium reading and writing.

Then I decided I better get some Christmas cards written and mailed. It is the 15th of the month already. Who knows how slow the snail mail delivery will be? If I get the cards in the mail today, the USPS has 10 days to get them to my family.

I was a little sticker-shocked when I asked for four postage stamps and she said $2.66! Excuse me?! I had a half a roll of forever stamps when we moved into the RV and it has taken me two years to use them all. I didn’t realize how expensive they were now.

After the post office, we put gas in the car at $2.49. I remember paying over $6 a gallon when we were in the state of Washington in May of 2022.

With a full tank of gas, we headed south toward Gulf Shores and turned west on Fort Morgan Road.

We stopped at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and walked out on the beach. As the surrounding area becomes increasingly developed, Bon Secour is a natural oasis of wildlands, where wildlife can exist without harm.

The dune areas are off-limits and protected. This is the place to come early in the morning for large seashells. We found some pretty good-sized broken ones.

I also found some large mushrooms along the path and of course, had to take pictures of them.

And then I saw another amazing large oak tree that I just had to get a photo of.

We drove on down to the end of the road at Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is a State Historical Site so our National Park Pass didn’t work for entrance.

The entrance fee is $8 per adult. We opted out for now and just took photos of what we could see from the road.

This is also the location of the Dauphin Island Ferry that goes back and forth from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island.

We didn’t take the ferry today. Hopefully another day but it’s a little pricey.

We parked and walked out on the fishing pier. There was a man out there fishing who said he was from Scotland.

Another interesting site that I had to get a picture of was the oil rig just off the coast. I’m not sure if these are oil rigs or natural gas but there were several of them.

The only battery we could see without entering the fort was the Battery Dearborn on the road as we drove past. It was built in 1900 and completed in 1901. It was named after Henry Dearborn who was a distinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War.

We came home, had homemade chili soup for supper, and cleaned our seashell haul of the day.

Then we spent the evening watching Christmas movies on television.

It was another great day living in an RV that is currently parked in Foley, Alabama. Thanks for following along on our journeys.

The Many Areas of the Gulf Islands National Seashore

December 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

On the southern Alabama and Florida Panhandle Coastline

The Gulf Islands National Seashore on the southern coast of Alabama and the Florida panhandle is a magnificent area to see with its sandy white beaches and emerald blue waters. I didn’t realize there were so many different areas designated as national seashore and protected. We were fortunate to find so many wonderful parts to explore.

The first section we found was the Rosamond Johnson Beach area. This section is located east of Perdido Key, Florida. We are staying in Foley, Alabama and it is a straight drive south to Gulf Shores, Alabama. From there we simply drove east on Beach Blvd for about 15 miles until we entered the gate.

Rich and I have the National Park Pass which gets us into the National areas for free, but if you don’t have one, it will cost you to enter. $15 per person or $25 per vehicle.

Sadly, the road past the entrance going to Fort McRee is closed for repairs and won’t reopen until March 1. The furthest you can drive is to the Johnson Beach parking lot.

The second area we found was the Fort Pickens area. Fort Pickens is one of four military forts that was designed to protect Pensacola in the 1800s and is located west of Pensacola Beach on the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The drive back to the fort is filled with protected dunes.

Fort Pickens was the largest of a group of pentagonal-shaped fortifications designed to defend Pensacola Harbor in the 1800s.

It is located at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island, just offshore from the mainland. Fort Pickens guarded the island and the entrance to the harbor.

It was built with over 20 million bricks and was completed in 1834. I love exploring these old forts and imagining what it must have been like for the soldiers to live and work there.

Fort Pickens defended Pensacola Harbor along with Fort Barrancas, Fort McRee, and the Navy Yard. It guarded the island and the entrance to the harbor.

Today the fort is slowly being reclaimed by nature. Grass and weeds grow where soldiers once stood, and stalactites are forming as water drips through the bricks of the ceilings.

Fort Pickens is another pay area to visit. It will cost you $15 per person or $25 per vehicle unless you have a national park pass.

The next area we found was the Santa Rosa Area east of Pensacola Beach. We drove the road past Opal Beach to the end at Navarre Beach.

There are numerous parking areas along this road to stop and see the ocean.

I always search these beach areas for shells and just don’t find many.

Navarre Beach Marine Park is at the end of the road and is free to enter and park.

This is where most of the beach scenes were filmed for the movie “Jaws 2.”

The sand is white and the water is emerald green. It is breathtaking.

The next area we found was the Naval Live Oaks Area.

The Naval Live Oaks Nature Preserve is another part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and is near Gulf Breeze, Florida.

Notice the osprey nest in the photo in the top of the tree in the distance.

This is one of the most wooded areas in the park and features several miles of hiking trails, as well as a group campsite. The visitor center located at the park headquarters on the south side of Highway 98 is permanently closed.

I love that we stay in one area for such a long time and have plenty of time to see and explore all of the beautiful places. Staying in one place for at least a month at a time has been the best option for us. I hope you enjoyed seeing these many areas of the Gulf Islands National Seashore along the Florida and Alabama coastline.

RV Life Daily Blog 12/13/23

December 14, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

It was another day in paradise —

We stayed inside and slept late this morning and then had a delicious brunch of eggs, sausage, and fried potatoes. It was a beautiful, sunny day, high of 65, mild and warm. Too nice to stay inside. So after late morning showers we headed out the door to get out of the RV.

The first stop of the day was a billboard just down the road. I had to get a photo of the Wacked Out Weiner billboard for a writing prompt about restaurants and stores with naughty names on medium.com.

After that, we found a small wetland park to visit.

The entrance to this walking/hiking park is located at the base of the water tower at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The Sports area has playing fields for soccer, baseball, tennis, and even pickleball.

This loop gravel path travels around a fishing pond, benches, gazebos, and a fishing pier for a quiet way to enjoy these natural wetlands.

It was a nice day for a short walk. Not too windy and no jacket was required. We didn’t see any birds or fish or turtles or anything here, but it was a beautiful and peaceful area to explore.

All of the photos in my posts are taken by me on my iPhone.

I am always intrigued by the Spanish Moss in the huge oak trees in the southern part of the United States. There is something beautiful, yet eerie about it.

We drove around and explored Oyster Bay and found this flock of pelicans in the water as we passed over a bridge.

I also saw a great blue heron along the side of the road but I wasn’t quick enough to zoom in and get a good picture of it at 55 mph. This one is a little blurry.

Next, we headed to the Orange Beach Waterfront Park. Open to the public year-round, this beautiful family park is located on scenic Wolf Bay. I always look for these public areas to visit. Most of the time they are beautiful and well worth the time.

And we were not disappointed with this park. The 400-foot fishing pier in the photo above was completely rebuilt after being destroyed by Hurricane Sally in 2020. It just reopened last December.

There is a huge lawn chair on the deck which is perfect for photo opportunities. It is large and spacious, so you can easily fit multiple people in it for a group photo. The chair is heavy and sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about it tipping over. The best part is that you can get some great background scenery in your photos.

We find these large chairs all around the country. I wonder if that is just a United States thing or do other countries have tourist spots like this too?

We saw some pelicans flying around as we enjoyed the park. They flew by us once, turned around, and passed by us again so I took their picture. Then we headed to the ocean side of Orange Beach which is only two miles from the bay side. We pulled into the Cotton Bayou parking lot.

Even though the flags were red for rip currents today, the wind was mild and warm and it was nice walking along the beach.

The two birds we saw at this beach included a sanderling and a willet.

I am always searching for seashells but have been quite disappointed so far.

I just haven’t found anything very special yet besides the small common clam shells.

The beach was so calm and relaxing that we stayed for a while. I did some research on why the beach is so calm and relaxing and decided to put that in a whole separate article.

I don’t know what the price of gas is where you are, but here in southern Alabama, it is down to $2.52. We are thankful for falling gas prices.

After dark we decided to search for some Christmas light displays.

The only thing we found close by and free of charge was the lights at The Wharf and a small housing edition on Fort Morgan Road where every single house was fully decorated.