Diamond Caverns - Campground Review

While we were in Park City, KY., we stayed at a Thousand Trails campground for 2 weeks.  With our Zone Pass Membership, it only cost $3/night for full hook-ups!

We really enjoyed our stay here.  We were blessed with great neighbors, plenty of relaxation, karaoke, putt-putt golf, bike riding, movie nights, swimming and MUCH more!

It was just a few miles from Mammoth National Park, and about 30 miles from Abraham Lincoln's Birth site and Boyhood Historical Sites.

The staff here, were super sweet and did their best to make sure we felt like family. :)

We even experienced our first 'DISASTER' while we were here, too!  LONG story short, we came home from church, finding water running out of the RV!  We immediately cleaned everything with bleach and threw away a few things that were ruined.  After a lot of research and dissecting areas of the RV that got wet with the gray water (not the black water- THANK THE LORD!), we were able to settle and move on down the road. :)  Lord willing, there will not be any long-term damage done, and it is just one of those full-timer stories we get to share with others. :)

The campground was very helpful by letting us stay in their condo, but it was the staff and their genuine concern for us that spoke volumes.  I would DEFINITELY stay here again!


Blessings,
Steph

Neighbors!

While we were in Park City, KY., we had the BEST neighbors!  I love meeting new people, learning where their from, what their hobbies and interests are, and where their headed to next.  I also love hearing all the many accents; we never know where are new neighbors are from and how they will sound.  Being from Texas, we all pretty much sound the same. Maybe some have a stronger 'twang,' but we all have that southern drawl, one way or the other.

Our sweet next door neighbors, Paul and Peggy, from Michigan, were just wonderful.  They were so sweet with the kids, playing with them, teaching them new games, and letting the girls TOTALLY hover all over their PERFECT dog, Zeus! (I seriously want one now!)  :)  Peggy even bought one of Emily's pieces of 'art' and wore one of Hannah's home made scarves.  Too sweet!  The boys thought it was the coolest thing, because their son-in-law is the creator of 'Call of Duty.'  All of a sudden, their wheels started turning, asking all kinds of questions about his profession.  (I guess it made it all come to life!)


One afternoon we were swimming, and met our next neighbor, on down the road, who absolutely won over all the kids!  Raquel, from Ohio, is one of the sweetest, beautiful girls I have ever met.  I met her mom and dad as well, and it was such a blessing.  We hope to meet up with them again one day in Ohio.

Being a full-timer, you just never know who you might meet!  :)


Blessings,
Stph

Ole' Honest Abe's National Park

Abraham Lincoln is Zach's favorite President.  I think he might be half the country's President!

I appreciate and admire this man because he came from a regular, middle class family, that didn't have a lot to prove, but wanted to be people of integrity.  Abe was a simple, honest, hard working man that put his trust in the Lord.

 He was not voted 'most popular' or 'smartest' or even 'most likely to succeed!'  But, he did impact our country 200 years ago, and he is still studied and revered today.

We took an entire Saturday afternoon to visit these two very special National Parks.  One, the Birth site of  Abraham Lincoln and the other, his Boyhood Home site, are found in Hodgensville, KY., out in the middle of nowhere!

We visited the birth site first and they had a great visitor's center with a movie, artifacts and hands-on stuff for the kids.

Is there an age limit to play with Lincoln Logs?!

The house that Zach built.  ;)

Then, we ventured outside to see the actual site where his family once lived and where Abe was born.  We walked and counted the 56 steps signifying his age when he died.

This is inside the memorial, the FIRST memorial for Abraham, (the one in D.C. came later), that shows how big and what kind of structure his home would have looked like in 1809.

Then, we saw the spring on the property, that still flows today.  Abe's first drink of water came from here!  Too cool!!

There were open trails to enjoy the property.

It was a beautiful day to visit such a special place.  Have you ever thought if YOUR birthplace will be significant 200 years from now?  I wonder if Abraham knew?

We drove about 10 miles to the home site where Abraham grew up as a boy, until the age of seven.  Parker was leading the pack!

Here is Knob Creek!  It is almost dried up now, but when Abe was a little boy, he almost drowned here.  His best friend, Austin, saved him by handing him a branch.  Even Abraham commented on that day, saying, that if Austin was not there, he would have surely died.

How would his death, change our country?

Yep.....my silly boys doing a re-enactment.  :)

The National Park system has planted crops, just where the Lincoln family had planted.

Pumpkin!

Yeah!  Jr. Rangers!

What a great day!  What a way to learn about one of the greatest men of our country!

What a way to end the day!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..........

Blessings,
Steph

Mammoth Cave National Park

In Park City, KY., there is a really nice National Park, with a lot of trails and....... only the world's biggest cave system!!

It was a really nice day for a hike, but we were still sweating in the humid forest.

It is SO cool, to feel the temperature get lower and lower, the closer you get to the caves.


Hannah was excited to reach the 'half-way mark!'  :)

Up and down, and all around, we journey through the trails.....

Looking for snakes, spiders, grasshoppers, squirrels, gophers, deer, and even turkeys!

Too fun!  Way to go Jr. Rangers!

I LOVE.  ABSOLUTELY LOVE, how Parker sticks his badge, directly in front of his FACE!!

Blessings,
Steph

State #22!! Kentucky!!

Kentucky is our next state to reach on this amazing journey, and it is beautiful.  I LOVE the rolling, green hills, filled with plush trees.  There are so many farms, in fact, we have seen some Shaker and Amish farms as we have traveled from one destination to another.


We are really enjoying the campground and the amenities that go with it, but honestly, as usual, it is the people and experiences, that overshadow all the 'stuff!'  :)

The kids are definitely benefiting from their entrepreneurial abilities here, too!  Tanner has washed several RV's and vehicles, Hannah and Emily are selling 'home made' scarves and pictures of art, and Zach is selling some of his toys that he has out grown. :)  Their earning pretty good money, but more than that, it is a HUGE confidence booster!  LOVE IT!

We have attended two karaoke gatherings....

And LOTS of swimming. :)

Did I mention, swimming?

Oh yeah,  he's a happy camper!

Blessings,
Steph

Seven Points COE Park - Campground Review

Our stay in Nashville, TN. was just super!  We stayed here for a week and could have stayed longer. :)
Not only did the kids meet new friends, but Todd and I did, too.  It was a very clean, well maintained park, out in the middle of nature.


Price - $20/n for water and 50 amp hook ups.  They have a dump station on the way out of the park.  We  barely used our own shower and toilet while we stayed here, so it was no big deal.  This was a great bargain for the Nashville area, and it was also a nice location.  We felt safe, and were only 15 minutes from the 'hot spots' of town. :)


Amenities - variety of sites that are very large and private.  Each site has a picnic table, lantern hook and campfire ring.  The lake has a beach area and playground for the kids.  We swam everyday and had a blast!


The staff were friendly and took care of any problem within the park.  One of our neighbors' electricity shut off after a storm one night, and they fixed it in a couple of hours.  I would definitely stay here again in the future.


Blessings,
Steph

Kayaking in Nashville & New Friends!

 Another reason I LOVE traveling, is the people.  Last year, we met some of our dearest friends, with whom we still keep in contact with, and now, this year, it is happening again!  LOVE IT!  We were at the beach one day, minding our own business, when all these cute kids appear with their grandparents. :)  They are all cousins from Indiana, and long story short, we ended up spending the next 4 hours on the beach, and then stayed up late roasting smores.  FUN!

I also love this lifestyle, because it has opened so many doors to new experiences.  The grandparents offered to let our kids ride in their kayaks, and we couldn't pass it up!  It is definitely much harder than it looks.

There they go!

Even Hannah and Emily had a try at it.  :)

On our last day in Nashville, we met another great family from Alabama.  Matthew and Zach hit it off within minutes.

Grandpa Cliff, Grandma Dawn, and the Sides' Family, we can't wait to meet up with you again in Indiana and Alabama.  It was so wonderful to meet you!


Blessings,
Steph

Adventure Science Museum

OH!  How we LOVE science museums!  They are just too fun!

In Nashville, we were able to go to this one for free, using our membership pass.  Zach, Hannah and Emily took a turn on the 'Moon Walk' simulator.

Just a little awkward.....

Since Parker was too small to try the moon walk, Tanner helped him with the rocket shooter games.

Anybody know the weather?

They had a blast running up and down all FOUR floors of this huge tower filled with obstacle courses and games. :)

Hannah, my little piano player, thought this piano needed to go home with us.  I don't think it will fit in the RV though, what do you think?

I don't know what it is about dominoes, but they ALL love setting them up, over and over again.

Parker, playing with his roller coaster experiment.

Then, there was an entire section of the building focused on the human body.  It was awesome!  Everything from the brain, to skin, to the veins and more!  I LOVE all the 'hands on' experiments they offer for the kids.  They are learning and don't even know it!  HA!

Maybe I need to feed her more?

Now I KNOW he is eating!  Where did it all go?!

In the 'operating room,' they had X-rays, dissecting, and even REAL specimens in jars for you to observe!  We saw a human brain, sheep brain, cow brain, and the ENTIRE body of a cat, from the INSIDE! It was really gross, but really COOL!  :)

It was a fun day for the kids.  They had fun and learned a lot.  And, they were worn out by the end of the day. :)

Blessings,
Steph