When we made our first cross-country venture with our son, who was 18 months old at the time, I actually looked in to renting an RV. I had no idea you could rent them. For whatever reason, we decided against it, and Truman managed the trip just fine confined to his car seat. I had all but forgotten the notion of renting an RV when we drove past a rented one somewhere sparse west Texas, and I got the fever again. (Rick thinks I’m insane. He knows I wouldn’t drive the thing so he’d be stuck navigating it. Bless him, because I know if I pressed, he’d do it.)

Garden gnome says all his exes live in Texas.

It’s not cheap, at least not if you’re traveling a great distance. The package I looked at (with a pickup in my home state) from Cruise America (which a Google search will show you is just one of many companies that rent RVs) costs about $300 for three days, plus another $100 for 300 miles. And that’s just for the base RV. God only knows what kind of gas mileage those things get. I suppose the trade off is that you save money on hotels and restaurants, because you can just drive up to a campsite and stay pretty cheap and cook your own meals. Truman could have an actual table to sit in to play his computer games and a couch to sit on to watch DVDs. And I could grab a nap in an actual bed while Rick drives endlessly. Now that I think of it, what’s not to love about the arrangement?

RV Photo, Flickr, bgautrea
Garden Gnome Photo, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Why Not Rent an RV for Family Road Trip?

But this place is as much a part of us as the air we breathe. This is our heaven on earth. And just like the false Utopia that was portrayed in The Truman Show, even vacations have to end. So as we drive away, I’ve just one thing left to say to our quaint home away from home … “Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”

Photo, JWJourney
Video, YouTube, Grineed

Post from: Blisstree

The Truman Show Heads Back to Reality

Here are some FREE family friendly activities for your next visit to the Big Apple:

1. Columbia University’s Rutherford Observatory: Help the kids reach for the stars at a FREE stargazing night.  The telescope is open alternating Fridays, along with a slide show and astronomy lecture.  Dress warmly!  The nights can get a bit chilly.
2. Harlem Meer in Central Park:  A free catch and release fishing program is fun for kids of all ages, and for many city kids is one of the few opportunities they’ll ever have to go fishing.The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (inside the park at Lexox Avenue & 110th Street) has poles, unbarbed hooks and bait.
3. Lefferts Historic House Museum – Located in Prospect Park, this provides an opportunity for you to experience what life was like in the 19th century.  Explore period rooms, a working garden, and take a look at toys and artifacts from the era.  Always FREE admission.
4. Museum of Modern Art:  FREE weekend family programs, with an assortment of drop-in tours for kids ages 4-14.  Schedule and tours vary.
5. Socrates Sculpture in Queens:  During the summer months (May – September), you’ll find FREE sculpture workshops with local artists.  A great opportunity to get some hands on artistic experience.
6. Staten Island Zoo:  Admission in FREE on Wednesdays after 2 pm, so have a relaxing morning and then head to the zoo.  You can take the FREE State Island Ferry to get there, another fun experience and a great way to get some dynamite city views.  Check out the famous rattlesnake collect – not for the squeamish.

Intersperse a few of these FREE events into your NYC trip, and watch your vacation budget stretch ever so much more.

Photo credit: SXC

Source: North American Journeys

Post from: Blisstree

6 FREE Family Activities in New York City

Natchitoches, Louisiana, pronounced Nacadish, was the first settlement in the entire Louisiana Purchase. It was a French Settlement, but so remote there was much intermarriage between the French, Spanish, African American and Native American people – the combination of which became known as Creole.

Steel Magnolias was also filmed there.

They have a magnificent European-like Catholic Cathedral there, but the pics didn’t turn out so great.

Post from: Blisstree

Natchitoches Marti Gras