Looking for something new to listen to or watch? Maybe you are looking for a new app? Today, we're bringing you just a few of Stephanie's picks for podcasts, don't-miss video clips, activity ideas, and more today!

Things to Listen to:

Dolly Parton’s America (podcast)

The magic of Dolly Parton's America can really be summed up in this description from the webite: "In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of one of America's great icons.

This 9-episode series is a fun ride through the Dollyverse. Host Jad Abumrad is the creator of Radiolab and More Perfect. If you have ever been a fan of Radio Lab, then you have some idea of the kind of style and brilliance at work in this podcast hosted by Jad Abumrad. 

Dolly really does occupy this safe space in America that few things do. She's common ground for many of us in these divisive times. But, that doesn't mean this podcast is just fluff. Jad does some deep dives that really make you think about the different layers of Dolly.

If you're gearing up for a long spring drive, download the whole series. It's creative, it's wacky, it's fun. This is what we need more of in our lives right now!

This is Uncomfortable: Money Horror Stories (podcast episode dated October 31st)

While everyone just might love talking about Dolly, one thing few love to talk about is money. The podcast This is Uncomfortable talks about those money stories that no one wants to share, but we all want to hear. Stephanie thinks you especially might want to hear the Money Horror Stories episode from October 31.

This episode opens with a story of how someone (Katie) got scammed in buying an RV online and lost about $20,000. It's a "must listen" for anyone thinking of buying online or through escrow companies. This woman and her husband actually worked in the financial sector, and she really thought she had done her due diligence. 

RVing has exploded, and you are hearing more and more stories of people being ripped off during the purchase process. We aren't trying to scare you away from that, but this is a really sad story about a situation that seemed really, really legit. Check it out.

 

Things to Watch:

Stop what you are doing and watch Portlandia’s Van Life clip. You really might feel seen after you watch this!

This really cracked up! I'm sure we can all relate as we imagine the glorious lives we will lead will RVing...only to be caught off guard by some of the real-life less-than-perfect moments.

It really makes me think of the bit of a turn we are seeing in folks starting to talk more honestly about some of the struggles and challenges of full-time RV living. We know "influencers" often try to share the magic of some aspect of their lives, and others might begin to get the impression that ALL of the moments are magical. We know otherwise. So, it's nice to see those real-life moments that come alongside the magic!

 

Things to Download:

1000 Hours Outside

We know getting the kids outside might be a challenge. Maybe you're too busy, or maybe they love the digital stuff inside. We love the mission of the 1000 Hours Outside website, which challenges families to spend 1000 hours in the outdoors. They offer awesome FREE downloadable PDF activity trackers. 

There are a variety of styles, from a fun circular design to charts and graphs. A lot of kids might really respond to the idea of a challenge and getting to fill in circles or squares after one hour outside. Maybe it'll motivate your family in a fun, different way!

 

Things I Have Opinions About:

Stephanie has opinions.

Are camping parents better parents? While we can't definitively answer that question, we can say that camping as parents probably makes you better parents. Sure, our RVing adventures have put us in many pressure-cooker situations, but they've helped us grow--and enjoy each other--in so many ways.

In our previous post, we shared 8 Reasons to Take your Kids Camping. Today, we are sharing six reasons why camping is great for parents. Again, we will be honest. Not every experience is a great experience, but luckily, our brains block out the bad parts and we mostly remember the good things. Isn't that how all parenting is?

This is a sneak peek from our new book, See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors. Check out chapter 13 “What’s in it for the Kids?” to read more.

To hear more about the benefits for camping parents, click PLAY on the media player above or search for The RV Atlas wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

 

Here are the six gifts for camping parents:

 

The Gift of a Family Travel Template

For families that don't camp, you might think through all kinds of travel options for every trip. Should we stay with family? Should we take a cruise? Should we take a road trip? Having an RV gives us a pretty consistent template to start with. We generally know what kind of trip we might take during each of our school breaks.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't ever mix it up. We do add in something different here and there. But, having this regular vacation pattern makes us more likely to travel more since we don't have to think about it nearly as much. We know what to basically expect if we take our RV on a trip. Patterns and rhythms are pleasing.

 

The Gift of Living in the Moment

Sometimes in life, we really get caught up in focusing on the next thing instead of living in the moment. For sure, when we are at home, it is hard to truly unwind when we think about the mountains of laundry and the marathon of cleaning.

Relocating ourselves to the campground takes these things out of our view. We are more likely to sit back and relax a little. That's something to treasure!

 

The Gift of Appreciation for Our Own Backyard

Though we feel more relaxed at the campground, camping has helped us have more appreciation for our own backyard. We've become more intentional about making sure we bring our favorite elements of the campground home. Whether you enjoy sitting around a fire, inviting friends over, or cooking outdoors at the campground, you can do this in your own yard.

This also means we've started to look for ways to appreciate our home region. In the past, we might have overlooked the awesome stuff nearby. Now, we look for the things we enjoy in other towns and make sure to hit a few of those things in our own backyard.

 

The Gift of Hobbies

Our RVing itself is a hobby, but it's also lead to so many other hobbies, especially for Jeremy. We've started cooking outdoors, taking photographs, birdwatching, doing archery, hiking, and so much more! We are more active as a family thanks to these hobbies that pair so nicely with RVing.

Those hobbies are clearly plusses, even though Jeremy's affinity for collecting vintage camp stoves might directly bump up against the next gift...

 

The Gift of Simplicity and Minimalism

When we go camping, it's a great reminder of how much we have that we do.not.need at home. It's actually kind of nice to live more simply. The less you have, the less you have to clean up. At home, how much of our time do we spend just dealing with our stuff?

RVing reminds us that you do not need all of that stuff to be happy, healthy,

We know you might love to take your kids camping, but what do the kids get out of it?? It turns out, there are tons of benefits to loading the kids up and taking them to the campground.

We started camping with our older two sons when they were 11 months ago, and we took our younger son out on his first trip when he was a mere six weeks old.

Somewhere in there, we started our first blog, and some curmudgeon commented, "That's all fine and good, but they're never going to remember this."

We were livid. Not going to remember it?? Of course, we weren't camping at the time in order to make specific memories our boys would remember from such young ages.

So then, why were we taking our kids camping?

First, we count, too. Whether or not the kids remembered our trips, WE were enjoying ourselves. Plus, studies do show that the things we do with our kids before they can even remember it have an impact--an impact even larger than many of the the things we do that they can remember.

Now, looking back a decade later, we realized there really are tons of benefits to taking our kids camping. So much more than we even realized when the boys were babies!

This is a sneak peek from our new book, See You at the Campground: A Guide to Discovering Community, Connection, and a Happier Family in the Great Outdoors. Check out chapter 13 "What's in it for the Kids?" to read more.

To hear more about taking kids camping, click PLAY on the media player above or search for The RV Atlas wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Here's our list of the top benefits of taking the kids camping:

The Gift of Flexibility

Over the course of the years, we exposed our kids to so many different experiences. From different types of campgrounds to different kinds of vacations to different places and cultures, we've seen and done so much over the years.

Our boys have learned to roll with it. Sometimes, we have electricity and water; sometimes, we don't. Sometimes, we have massive waterslides; other times, we are in totally natural environments. We have all become more flexible about what we need to be comfortable and happy.

The Gifts of Sociability

Our boys have had the opportunity to make new friends over and over again at campgrounds across the nation. Honestly, this is really great training! Who knew that asking other kids to play Gaga Ball at the playground would help them develop the ability to be comfortable approaching others.

Now, whenever our boys want to find friends to play with, they can easily knock on doors and ask others to join them, and pretty soon, our backyard has a herd of kids. We seriously think this has shaped the culture in our neighborhood, turning it into one big campground...complete with Gaga Ball on our trampoline!

The Gift of Imaginative Play

There's an idea that kids these days do not play outside anymore, but ours do. We think this is because they've been playing outside their whole lives. They know how fun it can be! At the campground, they've learned how to entertain themselves outside, whether it be skipping rocks, catching tadpoles, or just hopping on and off of a rock

The Gift of Physical Activity

Our first blog was named The Lively Little Campers because our boys were so very lively. All of that energy needs someplace to go, and we'd rather have them take it outside. Inside, it is just too much! When they were younger, they would get up at 5:30. It was torture.

Now that we know how to channel that energy, we really marvel at it and appreciate it. Last summer, our boys joined us for a 12-mile hike. While it wiped us out personally, the boys eagerly hopped in the pool and played for three hours! Amazing!

The Gift of Patience

Why do we think that Virginia is an underrated state for RV travel? A lot of its awesomeness gets overshadowed by the neighboring states. And yet, there are so many Virginia camping destinations that should be on your list!

Virginia serves up mountains, beaches, charming small towns, and one really cool city to explore (we're cheating and counting Washington D.C.). If Virginia has flown under your radar, check out our list of great destinations to explore.

Michigan might not be the first state that comes to mind as a great RVing destination, but we think it's utterly underrated. There's so much to explore in the the Great Lakes State. Check out this list of great Michigan camping destinations to see why Michigan deserves to move a few spots up on your bucket list.

New York may be the single most underrated state in American for RV travel. It is astoundingly beautiful, and it truly has it all! You have waterfalls, lakes, rivers, mountains, the greatest city in the world, and the Atlantic Ocean. This week's post will all focus on underrated camping destinations. Today, we're kicking it off by telling you why New York deserves a top rating on your camping list.

If you are heading to Zion National Park and want a private RV park with all of the natural beauty of a public park, Zion River Resort RV Park in Virgin, UT, just might be the one for you. Not only will you find stunning views of the red rock landscape, you also get full hookups at your well-maintained site. Plus great amenities and easy access to Zion!

Zion National Park is a dreamy destination, but will you find a dreamy campground in the park? Yes, you will. Watchman Campground is a phenomenal choice. Since it’s located right in Zion, it is super convenient. Plus, it offers great amenities and stunning views.

Zion National Park is one of those magical places that people describe as a spiritual experience. The stunning beauty is just unmatched, with deep canyons, red rock formations, and unbelievable ranges of colors. Plus, this national park is pretty accessible, meaning you don't have to put a ton of time into planning in order to enjoy it.

What takes us to Disney again and again? We love the dining. We love the new experiences we find each year--including this year's new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. Today, we will give you our best tips for enjoy this brand spanking new land. It's completely out of this world!