from tent to camper to 35' trailer...

I find it funny in our days of tent camping before my husband and I had kids that we used to see people camping with campers and trailers and RV's and we joked about how that wasn't camping! That they don't know what REAL camping is!

Ha Ha I'd bet now they do...I'd bet they had tented when they didn't have little ones and then they probably got a camper like we did so we would have more room and not have to pack up everything the babies needed, especially in the RAIN and since we live in the Pacific North West we get our share of rain! Having a nice, dry, warm camper I must admit is much more fun with wet and whiney children then a drenched tent.


Also we have never been a family who chooses to stay in campgrounds. We either would travel to 83 mile or to Princeton to stay on others friends property or we'd just hit the road and find a place to camp, usually along a logging road somewhere near a lake. (However our lakes here in BC are very cold and MOSTLY not swim-able except for the fish! LOL)

Things are going to be a bit different with the 35' trailer. We won't be able to access some of our favourite spots,

but I am sure we will discover new ones which will have equal beauty. (This summer we will be on the road in the US and Eastern Canada so we will have to explore our own province in the future, there are so many places within BC I want to explore as well.)

As we try to plot out a tentative route for our maiden voyage, we are looking into actual RV camping lots and to be honest...they don't look very appealing.

So when my husband found the site for Frugal RV's I fell in love with the idea of BOONDOCKING otherwise known as dispersed camping or dry camping; we thought what an adventure! What beautiful sights and a terrain we will see. With wide open spaces, along the grand canyon, amoung the cactus or on a beach...sounds much better then a lot.

Don't get me wrong, there will be times where we will want to settle for a couple of days, and it will be nice to have a pool for the girls, and playgrounds with friends for them to meet...but lets face it...to park, sleep, get up eat and leave...it's not worth $20-$60 a night for us!

We have just joined Passport America to help cut costs on camping in these lots since basically we will only sleep there for the most part.

And as soon as we hit one of the National Parks we will purchase an America the Beautiful Annual Pass which will save a lot of money on entrance fees to many of the parks we want to visit.

So as we plot out our route...do you have any suggestions of must sees for us to visit along our route? Or directions to an amazing place to boondock? We are looking for ideas in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and up the US Eastern Coast. Or perhaps you have somewhere to recommend not going to as well. You know those places that sound great but really aren't worth the money you pay to go to. Also does anyone know anything about a zoo and aquarium pass? The links I've tried to follow to find out have not worked. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help...and maybe we'll see you on the road!