Full-Time RVers – Campground / RV Park Review: Yosemite RV Resort an RVC Destination – Coarsegold, California

This post is way overdue! We stayed at Yosemite RV Resort – an RVC Destination just about a week after bring Cash home in October. It was great for us because it gave him plenty of space to run around with not many people around since we were here during the off season. They were dealing with the dry California weather while we were there so everything was very dusty, but there was nothing they could do about it. We can only imagine how beautiful this place must be when they aren’t in a drought. There are so many beautiful hills that would be green grass if there wasn’t such a water shortage.

This place has the best bath house I’ve ever seen. The stalls are huge with hooks for hanging clothes, towels, and more. They also have fully locking doors instead of just curtains you pull – this is a huge plus in my book! The entire shower area was fully tiled and seemed very new. The water was so hot, it could burn you. I love when I can’t turn the water all the way on high heat!

The laundry room here is decent, but not fantastic. While it was very close to our campsite, it was just your standard laundry room. Nothing about it stood out as above average, but there was nothing wrong with it either.

They do a great job at ensuring activities around for all ages. There was a pool up front near the office and there was a bounce house right near us. Each morning, they would come blow up the bounce house around 10 am and each night, they would come deflate it for the evening. There was also a very large dog park for dogs to run around free reign. If our new pup wasn’t so little, we definitely would have taken advantage of the large fenced in area for him, but he was too young to be in areas where other dogs have been.

This park was pretty convenient to Yosemite, but it was still an hour away. There were a couple of small little towns in between us, but nothing major. We were only here for a weekend so we could visit Yosemite and that was long enough for us. While the park was nice, there wasn’t much else around. There were very few restaurants in the area, but we did find this great whiskey distillery in the area called Oakhurst Spirits Distillery. We love visiting these unique, local distilleries. They’re always so different, but the best part is always listening to the stories of why and how they got started.

If you’re looking for some of our pictures from Yosemite National Park – go to this blog post for those.

Full-Time RVers Visit Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park Full-Time RV Blog Family

Yosemite was stunning and completely unlike anything else we’ve seen. These gorgeous rock formations are so unique and beautiful to observe. It is no wonder so many people go rock climbing at Yosemite. I must say, we were a bit nervous about visiting as just the week before, a group of rock climbers were injured as some of the rock formations collapsed.

With one road in and the same road out (along with lots of construction at the park), we felt like it was quite busy for the off-season. (We were there in October and I wrote this post back then – I know, call me out for being a slacker and not getting these pictures posted!) It took a long time to get to the parking lot area and the gift shop ran out of ice cream on this record hot day, but we were able to enjoy the gorgeous views with the new pup in hand! He stole the show and there was even a line to pet him at one point. He loved the attention and was so sweet with all the kids asking to pet him. He’s such a trooper!

While we were visiting Yosemite, we saw so many rental RVs around and we couldn’t help but me reminded of our start! Before we were full-time RVers, we used to rent RVs to travel. Ultimately, renting RVs is how we fell in love with the lifestyle. Back when we were renting, options were super limited, but nowadays, there are so many options including RVshare. We seriously would have loved if RVshare was around back when we were renting RVs!

Nature Lovers Will Be Wild About These Gift Ideas

Jackson Hole Wyoming Snake River Whitewater Paddleboarding

I’d like to welcome a guest writer to the blog today! Welcome Neil Stawski!

Searching for the perfect gift for someone special can take eons. If they’re one of those people who are always on the go, enjoy traveling, lovecamping, hiking and spending time in nature, it might be easier to pick something out for them than you think. Here are several ways you can gift outdoor enthusiasts.

Footwear: Wearing the proper shoes can make all the difference in terms of comfort and agility, and gone are the days where all you need is just one pair of sneakers. Depending on the activity and outdoor conditions they’re used to, consider a new pair of water shoes, snow boots, trail runners or hiking boots.
Airline Gift Card: Give them the gift of travel so they can explore the wonders of the world whenever and wherever they’d like.
Camping Essentials: If they’re the type who is camping almost every weekend, think about giving them the tent of all tents. You can find spacious tents that include doors, room dividers and even an awning. If they already have a shelter they love, pick up a comfy sleeping bag, air mattress, headlamp, or pocket knife so they can camp in style.
Compass: You can purchase waterproof directional devices that glow in the dark and include a magnifying lens to assist them in their journey.
Backpack: Look for something lightweight, water resistant, and with a water reservoir so outdoor enthusiasts can easily carry all the necessities with them no matter where they wander.
Boat Gear: If they’re on the water a lot, pick out some fun-shaped and vibrantly colored floats for them to soak up the sun on. There are even floatable coolers complete with cup holders.
Gardening Supplies: From a bird feeder and a book on plants, to seeds, beautifully painted potting containers, and low maintenance succulents, there’s plenty you can get the gardener in your life. If they’re looking to draw more attention to their yard, Buzzfeed recommends a butterfly paddler that is “designed to hold on to natural minerals after water evaporates that then attract all sorts of butterflies.” Smithsonian Magazine also purposes a mason bee house and describes mason bees as, “non-aggressive garden lovers” that “rarely sting and are hugely helpful pollinators.”
Park Membership: Give them the opportunity to visit their nearest State Park on the regular, or go big with a membership that grants access to all of the National Parks.
Water Purifier: Whether it is in the form of a bottle or straw, they’ll be able to drink straight from the stream without worrying about contamination.
Hammock: There’s nothing better than hanging comfortably from a few trees on a sunny day. Get a portable one so they can kick back and relax anywhere.
Sun Protection: A cute hat and chic pair of sunglasses can go along way from keeping the sun out of their face.
Binoculars: Give them the ability to enjoy the view while bird watching and pursuing other wildlife up close.
Artwork: A calendar of scenic nature shots or framed maps of state parks and hiking trails will keep them feeling inspired even when they’re indoors.
Cooking Supplies: Sometimes food just tastes better outside. With that in mind, consider getting them a portable grill, skewers, a cast iron skillet, or a fire pit.
Wildlife Camera: With a motion-detected camera, they’ll be able to see all the animals that grace their property. This device will start snapping photos or videos when triggered that are fun to share with the whole family.

Just make sure whatever you pick out is made with as much earth-friendly materials as possible. For the nature lover, the greener the gift, the better; however, if it will allow them to pursue their passions, chances are they’re going to love it no matter what.

Neil Stawski believes an informed, engaged public is the only way to save the planet. He created ClimateWise.co to educate the public and encourage people to take action. ClimateWise helps visitors stay up to date on the latest climate change developments–from news stories to information about the latest research to what climate change deniers are doing to mislead the public.

Full-Time RVers Do Glacier National Park and Going to the Sun Road

Glacier National Park Going to the Sun Road Photo Journal Wildfire Smoke Rocks

Have you ever been wanting to go somewhere for so long that you worry if it will meet your expectations? That’s how I felt about Glacier National Park. I’ve been wanting to visit Lake McDonald for years and years. As we got closer to arriving, I started getting concerned that maybe it wouldn’t live up to my expectations.

Wrong.

It met my expectations and more.

Have you ever seen something so beautiful and breathtaking as these mountains and the lake? You can see so far into the water and the rocks are just so colorful.

We got so lucky that we went the first day we arrived and it was clear. We knew the wildfires were approaching, but at the time, they were mostly under control. By the time we had been at Rollins RV Park for a few days, the fires were threatening Glacier and ended up causing massive devastation. One of their famous lodges ended up burning down in the blink of an eye. We were very lucky to see everything before it was covered in smoke and ash. We drove into the park as far as they would let us on our last day in the area and this is what the very same lake looked like.

The other great part about Glacier National Park is Going to the Sun Road. It takes several hours to drive, but the views are incredible. The glaciers aren’t as prominent anymore, but you can still see a few of them.

Whitewater Paddleboarding is Crazy

We may be insane. We decided to paddleboard 14 miles down the Snake River by Grand Teton National Park – the same river we went whitewater rafting on (you can read my post on that here). Granted, it was not the same stretch of river, but it was still pretty crazy. We went whitewater rafting on a stretch of class III rapids. From what we hear, the stretch we paddleboarded was 1+ and 2 rapids.

Our inflatable Bote Boards were clutch. And by clutch, I mean, they didn’t even flinch when they went over rocks, trees, and even bottomed out on rock islands. I rock the Breeze and Dad rides the Drift. They’re both amazing and highly recommended. If you’re in the Jacksonville, Florida area – be sure to check out Hagan Coastal Outfitters. They hooked us up last year when we were trying to decide between kayaks or paddleboards and whether or not we wanted hard shell or inflatable. After a demo day, we decided on the Bote inflatables and haven’t looked back!

Life is But a Dream – Full-Time RVers in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park Photo Journal Full Time RV

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.”
– John Muir

Yellowstone National Park was dreamy. And when I say dreamy, I mean, nothing looks real. Everything looks like someone did a bad job with their saturation levels in Photoshop. That’s what makes it so spectacular though. As our nation’s oldest National Park, it was established in 1872. There is so much rich history in the park and the National Park Service does an excellent job preserving it for everyone to see and enjoy.

I’m not going to say much more, I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

And of course, a timelapse of Old Faithful as she erupts.

Full-Time RVers – Campground / RV Park Review: RedRock RV and Camping Park – Island Park, Idaho

RedRock RV and Camping Park Island Park Idaho Campground Review

During our time at the West Yellowstone entrance, we stayed at RedRock RV and Camping Park in Island Park, Idaho. I would really like to give this campground a better rating than I am because the views are phenomenal, but I just can’t do it.

Let me start with the great features of this park. For starters, the views are gorgeous. You’re surrounded by mountains in a secluded area. You have to travel up the mountain on a long, dirt road to get to the park (which we don’t mind). Once you get there, you see endless mountains and there is even a lake directly behind the campground. The site spaciousness was also unique and we loved it. They park the RVs opposite directions of each other so you aren’t in your neighbors hookups (electric, water, and sewer hoses). We definitely were in one of the best sites as we had a very large grassy area between us and the next camp site. We were able to set up corn hole and have plenty of space to play. We sat at the picnic table in the grass almost every night for dinner before settling at the fire pit provided by the campground for the evening.

I also want to make sure I mention how wonderful the bathhouse and laundry facilities were. I’m picky about these and won’t often give a 5 out 5 rating, but they were wonderful. The showers were very new. The water pressure was excellent and the hot water was so hot you couldn’t turn it all the way up. The laundry room was one of the largest I’ve seen providing ample room for numerous guests to wash multiple loads of clothes at a time. The machines were on the newer end as well which was nice.

Unfortunately, that’s were the good comes to an end. If I was only rating on those things, RedRock would receive a 5 out of 5 (so if the following items don’t pertain to you, then you’re good to go!). Let’s start out with the proximity to grocery stores. There are none. You have to drive about 30 minutes into West Yellowstone or there is large convenience store about 15 minutes away that is considered a grocery store. You can at least get your basics there, but if you want anything more, you’ll have to make the drive into town.

The next issue was the dirt and dust since they are an ATV friendly park. Many of the RV parks we’ve stayed at in the past will water down the gravel in the campground so the park isn’t so dusty. RedRocks doesn’t do this and it there is constantly dust flying up from ATVs driving back, trucks pulling out, trailers pulling in, etc. It wasn’t the worst we’ve ever seen, but when the wind picks up, you can watch the dust swirling around you.

The main reason RedRocks doesn’t receive a higher rating is because of the following categories: Rules & Policies, Wireless Internet, Cell Phone Service, and Full-Time Work Friendly. When you check in, they advise you of their internet policy – 500mb each on 4 devices per day. The internet itself works great (so again, if this is all you need, you’re good to go). They literally cut off your internet if you go over that amount. The cell phone service is very spotty so you can barely even use a hotspot to get internet. Even worse, when you do use a hotspot, they knock on the door of your RV telling you they are receiving a high reading of data transmission coming from your RV and you need to turn it off because you’re using too much cell phone power. EXCUSE ME? DID THAT ACTUALLY JUST HAPPEN? Yes, it most definitely did. So, are they full-time work friendly? No, they most definitely are not. We ended up having to make the drive into West Yellowstone several times to work in a coffee shop just to use our own Verizon hotspot. We LOVED the coffeeshop, but we should have never had to go there just to use our own hotspot when it was working. The cell phone service worked during the day when everyone was out and about, but when everyone was home in the evenings, the cell phone service was dreadful.

Would I stay here again? If we didn’t work full-time and need internet, I probably would. If you need internet for anything more than checking email and Googling what to do in Yellowstone National Park, then no, I wouldn’t stay here again.

The views were breathtaking from the campground.

Campfire meals are so much better than meals cooked on a stove. One of the perks of this RV park was the built in fire pit at each site.

Who doesn’t love a coffee shop INSIDE a book store?

The below was our fantastic yard space. We definitely lucked out on this one.

Full-Time RVers – Campground / RV Park Review: Yellowstone’s Edge RV Park – Livingston, Montana

Yellowstone's Edge RV Park Livingston Montana Campground Review

We visited Yellowstone’s Edge RV Park for the Livingston Roundup Rodeo and 4th of July fireworks celebration. It worked out because we were able to start our Yellowstone National Park journey here as well. The RV park was great and the staff was super friendly. We booked with them and they took care of our rodeo tickets for us, getting us the best seats in the house.

While the views were great, they were difficult to enjoy because of the angle each RV was positioned. We know everyone can’t have a waterfront view, but it is difficult to see anything but RVs out any window because of the awkward angles of the spaces. We did have ample room for a picnic table between us and the next RV but I’m only giving a 3 out of 5 in this category as the driving lanes are narrow with vehicles sticking out. It makes it challenging to park the RV and pull it out when it is time to depart. We watched a few people have issues getting out of their spots due to the RV in front of them being so far back in their spots.

The best part of Yellowstone’s Edge RV Park (aside from the view when you walk to the river) is the cabin they’ve built that houses the laundry room, bath facilities, and game room. The laundry room is nice and has the ever illusive coin machine. This was fantastic and we stocked up on quarters (because every RVer who does laundry knows how you’re always in need of more quarters). The entire facility is extremely clean which is the main reason I gave the laundry facilities and bathhouse a 5 out of 5. They close the entire facility every day from 11am-1pm to clean. Let me tell you, it is spotless. I’ve never felt so at home in a bathhouse before. It was absolutely spotless – every time. The water pressure was fantastic and the water was always very hot. A huge plus for me is locking doors for showers versus just a curtain. I have a strong dislike for only a curtain in a public shower facility and any RV park with a locking shower door, always gets bonus points from me.

Ultimately, I give Yellowstone’s Edge a 4 out of 5 as they received high marks in every category. Had the RV spots not have been so tight, they would have easily received a 5 out of 5. We would likely stay here again if we were in the area as overall, this was a great RV park.

Bear Teeth are Intimidating

Beartooth Highway Yellowstone National Park Drive and Review Full Time RV

And by bear teeth, I don’t mean the teeth of a bear – I mean, the Beartooth Highway in Montana. This small, winding road right outside of Yellowstone National Park is one of the windiest roads I’ve ever been on – and we’ve visited the mountains a lot. While it had some of the prettiest views we’ve seen so far, it took a lot of time and stressful driving to get there. Check out some of these views!

And a different style image – just because I was having a little fun with a watercolor app.

You Know I’m Bad, I’m Bad: Badlands National Park Review

Badlands-National-Park-Photo-Journal-Review-Full-Time-RV-Family

Welcome to the Badlands, a land full of incredible mountainous terrain, hiking trails, and views with an infinite sky. This is some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. The rocky lands have various colors running through them in line formations. The tall spires of rocks look like sand castles, the kind where you take wet sand and make dripping formations. Badlands National Park is a must do in South Dakota.

This was our first close encounter with bison and it was an adventurous one. Once we came across the large herd, we were able to watch them eat, waller in the dirt, and even fight each other right in front of our truck.

Watch the whole video! About halfway through it, 2 of the bison start fighting each other!

The highlight of Badlands though – the prairie dogs. These cute little creatures chirp and squeal to communicate with each other. They’re little scaredy cats though. They’re fast and they run from everything! Listen to the one little guy in the video below!

There were plenty of other animals to see as well.

On our way to Badlands, we made sure to stop at a crazy little place called Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. This store originally opened in 1931 and business was bad so they started giving out free water to those passing through. They knew Mount Rushmore would be finished soon and had hopes of of that bringing in more traffic to their little store. Well between Mount Rushmore, the free water, and the 5 cent coffee, they succeeded and became an iconic South Dakota road trip destination. The entire place is divided into little miniature shops (almost like a small mall) and that includes their famous cafe and donut shop.