Our first taste of full time living
Wow! What a month it has been. I can honestly 100% say that I am ready for full time living. This was our big "shake down" trip and y'all definitely need to do one of these if you plan to go out on the road for an extended period of time or full time. This is VERY important and this is when all the fun stuff happens and things can break or go wrong with the rig. Document, document, document!!! We took pics of our issues, sent issues in email form to our sales guy and discussed them all in person. We do have a pretty big issue that we are waiting to hear back on. Fingers crossed we get good news this week.
I wanted to write this blog so I could tell you about the places we stayed and visited. I am even going to drop the links to each, so you can check them out for yourself. I am a brat when it comes to staying in a safe and clean place, so rest assured, I won't just BS you about them. One thing I will suggest before you take off, do your research. We checked reviews, how many stars each place got, the cost, the location on google maps, you name it, we did it. You want to try and book your stay at any RV park at least a week in advance. The good ones always fill up fast. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest days/nights, so make sure you are prepared.
Our first stop was in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We stayed at Catherine's Landing. https://catherineslanding.com/ It was a beautiful park. Most sites have views of the lake or the mountains, There is a pool, splash pad and playground for the kids, dog run, fitness center, hiking trails, zipline, boat/kayak rentals and each site comes with a fire pit and picnic table. Cost was $55 a night and worth every penny. I wish we had stayed longer than one night so we could have enjoyed more of the amenities.
Most of our trip was spent in Missouri. We go every Fourth of July to spend time with some of Nathan’s family. They have a lot of acreage, so we stayed on their property. The kids had so much to do there from swimming, to go karts to tractor rides and they could just run free out there. It was quite serene. Since I am going to be homeschooling the kids this year, I wanted to get them out to the city and see what all St. Louis had to offer as for history and science. I did a google search for “free things to do in St. Louis” and I was shocked at everything that came up. Our first stop was:
• St. Louis Science Center - I would say it compares to our Perot Museum in Dallas. Guess what? Completely FREE! Parking was $15. They had dinosaurs, stuff about space, old school video games the kids could play, tons of STEM activities and stuff about tornadoes and earthquakes. I am sure I am missing so much more, but it was awesome. https://www.slsc.org/
• Saint Genevieve - It is a little old town that has history and little shops. Jesse James robbed the bank on May 27, 1873. Go check it out if you are there, such a neat place. https://www.visitstegen.com/
• The Butterfly House - by far one of the most beautiful sights. There were thousands of butterflies just flying right around and on us. So many beautiful colors and different types too. There were also some exhibits set up on different bugs from all over. They were gross but cool to look at through the glass. Haha! We did pay to get in here, but it was only $18. (adults $8 and kids $5) http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house.aspx
• The St. Louis Carousel - A huge carousel indoors for only $2 a ride per person. Rylan loved it more than Brooke. https://www.stlouisco.com/Parks-and-Recreation/Childrens-Fun/St-Louis-Carousel-at-Faust-Park
• Purina Farms - such a cute place to go. Inside there is a learning center that is all about dogs and cats. So much I learned that I didn’t even know. There is a petting zoo with cows, pigs, horses, bunnies and chickens. We all got to milk a cow. It was too cool. They have a separate indoor area that has several dogs and cats. The best part was the dog show they put on at the end of the day. Most of the dogs that are there belong to the trainers. It’s pretty neat that their owners get to take them to work every day and play with them. Free admission. https://www.purina.com/purina-farms/visit/directions-hours
• The St. Louis Zoo - Hands down the BEST zoo I have ever been too. You have to go here when you are in Missouri. I promise you will not be disappointed. I have been to many zoos and there is no comparison to any of them. They even have a Starbucks inside the zoo. Shocking, right? https://www.stlzoo.org/visit/my-stl-visit?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_XpBRCCARIsAItJiuQkjtTzJzDhEOCGO8tesAgKMrBl6hDjDS31OfG4Rr-nQLJH43iHnqoaAhEGEALw_wcB
• The Art Museum - we didn’t stop in because it was hot and we spent all day at the zoo, the kids were exhausted. I hear it is phenomenal. Forest Park surrounds it all. Central Park is nothing compared to this one. (just my opinion) For real, it’s huge and full of so many things to do. https://www.forestparkforever.org/about-forest-park
• Budweiser Brewery Experience (Anheuser-Busch) - This was for Nathan and I. Beer is not something I enjoy drinking, but the tour was neat. You learn how the beer is made from start to finish. You also get 4 samples throughout the tour and one bottle to take home with you. I suffered through the taste and took one for the team. LOL. There is a free general tour, but we did another one that had a charge. I think for all 4 of us, it was $39. Kids are welcome in there, but they will get bored. Don’t waste your money if you have the kids. Ours complained the whole time. https://www.budweisertours.com/locations/st-louis-missouri.html
• Citygarden Sculpture Park - located downtown. Fountains, art, gardens, sculptures, 180 foot long pool, spray fountains, six foot waterfall and much more that spans about two blocks. The kids had so much fun swimming out in the fountains. No admission fee.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/parks/parks/browse-parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=117&parkName=Citygarden
This was all done in St. Louis over a two week time period. If we were in Dallas, this would have been a VERY expensive trip. I wanted to keep the kids busy and didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. This was perfect for us. If you were ever in the area, check all these places out.
Next stop was Owensboro, Kentucky. We stopped in for the night to visit my dad, have dinner and visit. The RV Park we stayed at there was Diamond Lake Resort. http://diamondlakeresort.net/ It was an older park, but it was good. They have a lot to offer for the kids. Go Karts, pool, fishing and I think you could kayak there. We were only there to sleep, so we didn’t get to do any of the activities there.
Our last and final stop was somewhere I have been dying to go for years. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. It was great. The RV Park was by far my favorite place to stay. The Grand Ole RV Resort. https://grandolervresort.com/ The moment you walk in the door to check in, you are treated like family. They take you to your spot and will even help you park the RIG. During the summer, there is a band out there every night. You just bring your lawn chair to the front lawn with a drink and enjoy two hours of live music. The kids can run around while you relax. Our spot was amazing and I have already requested it to be saved for us when we come back next. It shared the yard where the band played, so we literally sat right outside the rig and listened. GO CHECK IT OUT if you are ever in Tennessee. We checked out the downtown area and it was neat. There were tons of kids out there, but mine didn’t care for it much. They just liked the candy store. I would suggest going without kids. It is full of bars and very busy during the day. There were also several museums, but we chose not to do them and spend the money because they kids didn’t want to do it. Not worth wasting the money. We really didn’t spend a lot of time being touristy there, but we still had a wonderful time. This was our last stop on the trip and headed back to Dallas from here. Instead of stopping somewhere for the night, we drove straight through with about 4 stops so we could stretch our legs and eat.
I hope you enjoyed reading. Any questions you have, just ask. I would be happy to answer any of them.
Until next time.
XOXO-
Lisa
I wanted to write this blog so I could tell you about the places we stayed and visited. I am even going to drop the links to each, so you can check them out for yourself. I am a brat when it comes to staying in a safe and clean place, so rest assured, I won't just BS you about them. One thing I will suggest before you take off, do your research. We checked reviews, how many stars each place got, the cost, the location on google maps, you name it, we did it. You want to try and book your stay at any RV park at least a week in advance. The good ones always fill up fast. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest days/nights, so make sure you are prepared.
Our first stop was in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We stayed at Catherine's Landing. https://catherineslanding.com/ It was a beautiful park. Most sites have views of the lake or the mountains, There is a pool, splash pad and playground for the kids, dog run, fitness center, hiking trails, zipline, boat/kayak rentals and each site comes with a fire pit and picnic table. Cost was $55 a night and worth every penny. I wish we had stayed longer than one night so we could have enjoyed more of the amenities.
Most of our trip was spent in Missouri. We go every Fourth of July to spend time with some of Nathan’s family. They have a lot of acreage, so we stayed on their property. The kids had so much to do there from swimming, to go karts to tractor rides and they could just run free out there. It was quite serene. Since I am going to be homeschooling the kids this year, I wanted to get them out to the city and see what all St. Louis had to offer as for history and science. I did a google search for “free things to do in St. Louis” and I was shocked at everything that came up. Our first stop was:
• St. Louis Science Center - I would say it compares to our Perot Museum in Dallas. Guess what? Completely FREE! Parking was $15. They had dinosaurs, stuff about space, old school video games the kids could play, tons of STEM activities and stuff about tornadoes and earthquakes. I am sure I am missing so much more, but it was awesome. https://www.slsc.org/
• Saint Genevieve - It is a little old town that has history and little shops. Jesse James robbed the bank on May 27, 1873. Go check it out if you are there, such a neat place. https://www.visitstegen.com/
• The Butterfly House - by far one of the most beautiful sights. There were thousands of butterflies just flying right around and on us. So many beautiful colors and different types too. There were also some exhibits set up on different bugs from all over. They were gross but cool to look at through the glass. Haha! We did pay to get in here, but it was only $18. (adults $8 and kids $5) http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/visit/family-of-attractions/butterfly-house.aspx
• The St. Louis Carousel - A huge carousel indoors for only $2 a ride per person. Rylan loved it more than Brooke. https://www.stlouisco.com/Parks-and-Recreation/Childrens-Fun/St-Louis-Carousel-at-Faust-Park
• Purina Farms - such a cute place to go. Inside there is a learning center that is all about dogs and cats. So much I learned that I didn’t even know. There is a petting zoo with cows, pigs, horses, bunnies and chickens. We all got to milk a cow. It was too cool. They have a separate indoor area that has several dogs and cats. The best part was the dog show they put on at the end of the day. Most of the dogs that are there belong to the trainers. It’s pretty neat that their owners get to take them to work every day and play with them. Free admission. https://www.purina.com/purina-farms/visit/directions-hours
• The St. Louis Zoo - Hands down the BEST zoo I have ever been too. You have to go here when you are in Missouri. I promise you will not be disappointed. I have been to many zoos and there is no comparison to any of them. They even have a Starbucks inside the zoo. Shocking, right? https://www.stlzoo.org/visit/my-stl-visit?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_XpBRCCARIsAItJiuQkjtTzJzDhEOCGO8tesAgKMrBl6hDjDS31OfG4Rr-nQLJH43iHnqoaAhEGEALw_wcB
• The Art Museum - we didn’t stop in because it was hot and we spent all day at the zoo, the kids were exhausted. I hear it is phenomenal. Forest Park surrounds it all. Central Park is nothing compared to this one. (just my opinion) For real, it’s huge and full of so many things to do. https://www.forestparkforever.org/about-forest-park
• Budweiser Brewery Experience (Anheuser-Busch) - This was for Nathan and I. Beer is not something I enjoy drinking, but the tour was neat. You learn how the beer is made from start to finish. You also get 4 samples throughout the tour and one bottle to take home with you. I suffered through the taste and took one for the team. LOL. There is a free general tour, but we did another one that had a charge. I think for all 4 of us, it was $39. Kids are welcome in there, but they will get bored. Don’t waste your money if you have the kids. Ours complained the whole time. https://www.budweisertours.com/locations/st-louis-missouri.html
• Citygarden Sculpture Park - located downtown. Fountains, art, gardens, sculptures, 180 foot long pool, spray fountains, six foot waterfall and much more that spans about two blocks. The kids had so much fun swimming out in the fountains. No admission fee.
https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/parks/parks/browse-parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=117&parkName=Citygarden
This was all done in St. Louis over a two week time period. If we were in Dallas, this would have been a VERY expensive trip. I wanted to keep the kids busy and didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg. This was perfect for us. If you were ever in the area, check all these places out.
Next stop was Owensboro, Kentucky. We stopped in for the night to visit my dad, have dinner and visit. The RV Park we stayed at there was Diamond Lake Resort. http://diamondlakeresort.net/ It was an older park, but it was good. They have a lot to offer for the kids. Go Karts, pool, fishing and I think you could kayak there. We were only there to sleep, so we didn’t get to do any of the activities there.
Our last and final stop was somewhere I have been dying to go for years. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. It was great. The RV Park was by far my favorite place to stay. The Grand Ole RV Resort. https://grandolervresort.com/ The moment you walk in the door to check in, you are treated like family. They take you to your spot and will even help you park the RIG. During the summer, there is a band out there every night. You just bring your lawn chair to the front lawn with a drink and enjoy two hours of live music. The kids can run around while you relax. Our spot was amazing and I have already requested it to be saved for us when we come back next. It shared the yard where the band played, so we literally sat right outside the rig and listened. GO CHECK IT OUT if you are ever in Tennessee. We checked out the downtown area and it was neat. There were tons of kids out there, but mine didn’t care for it much. They just liked the candy store. I would suggest going without kids. It is full of bars and very busy during the day. There were also several museums, but we chose not to do them and spend the money because they kids didn’t want to do it. Not worth wasting the money. We really didn’t spend a lot of time being touristy there, but we still had a wonderful time. This was our last stop on the trip and headed back to Dallas from here. Instead of stopping somewhere for the night, we drove straight through with about 4 stops so we could stretch our legs and eat.
I hope you enjoyed reading. Any questions you have, just ask. I would be happy to answer any of them.
Until next time.
XOXO-
Lisa
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