While staying in Washington for the summer, we decided to do some of the touristy things we never made time for when we were still housebound. One of those trips was to tour the Ballard Locks in Ballard, Washington. The Ballard Locks, officially known as Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, are the busiest lock system in the United States, composed of two locks, one big and one small. Exploring the locks
The last two weeks, we talked about the day-use side of Dash Point State Park, and then the trails and campground. This week, we’ll break down workamping for Dash Point State Park. Available Positions and Responsibilities Many workamping gigs are typically “camp host” positions; their responsibilities are: When we applied to work at the state park, the only position they had available was as a “Maintenance Host.” The maintenance host
We spent a whole season at Dash Point State Park, giving us the ability to explore almost every inch of this sprawling bit of wild space. The park is one side day-use and, across the street, a campground. We already covered the day-use facilities, so this week we’ll talk about the campground and trail systems. Dash Point State Park: Camping Side The campground at Dash Point State Park is located
I’ve been looking through posts on various RV and camping forums and have come across a lot of pretty mean-spirited comments calling out people for not camping the “right” way. We’re a pretty inclusive family by nature and feel the only “wrong” way to camp is to do so unsustainably. In our travels, we’ve met nomads who regularly cross the nation and live out of an SUV. We’ve known families
We’ve been crisscrossing the nation, ticking off as many national parks as possible, and Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has always been on the list. Unfortunately, a park named for a massive, deep blue lake isn’t always about lakeside strolls, especially in early spring! We spent a day at Crater Lake, and what a day it was. When we pulled in, the roads were clear, but the snow was
In the spring of ’25, we decided to travel north along the Pacific Coast along the 101. Not only was this a beautiful drive, but it also gave us a chance to tour Redwood National and State Parks in California. Redwood National and State Parks are very unique in that they’re not one park surrounding a feature, like Black Canyon of the Gunnison or Hot Springs. Redwood NP and SP
While we by far prefer to boondock, we’ve stayed in a couple of RV parks and resorts on our travels. Rivers Edge RV Resort in Winterhaven, California, is one of the latter. We stayed here for about a week during the Fulltime Families West Coast Family Reunion in the spring of ’25. What to Expect at River’s Edge RV Resort River’s Edge RV Resort is unique (to us) for an
We’re always looking for a good STEM museum and have been to more than a couple across the nation. While staying in a favorite boondocking spot outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and thanks to our student EAA membership, we had the opportunity to visit the Arizona Science Center. What to do and Learn at the Arizona Science Center The Arizona Science Center is a sprawling 3-level campus with exhibits ranging from
Living on the road is a study in minimalism. As we covered in preparing your rig for boondocking, weight is the enemy, and storage is at a premium. Because of this, we’ve really gotten away from “stuff” as gifts for birthdays and instead, we’ve gone almost exclusively to experiences. We’ve chronicled a couple of these, from a pirate cruise to a horseback ride, and today is no exception. When we
Of the many routes to experiencing Balloon Fiesta, our favorite has to be volunteering for the event. It opens many doors not available to the public, and significantly lowers the financial bar for participation! How Do I Become a Volunteer? Volunteering for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is as simple as navigating to the festival’s web page and selecting the volunteering menu. From there, you can apply for any available position.