Category: Grandparent Hints and Tips
Road Noise…
May 30, 2010 by Dana Ticknor · Leave a Comment
Having logged over 23,000 miles this past winter (I know, I should have alerted you so that you could have invested in Exxon stock!), we spent some serious time behind the wheel! Traveling with 11 children (1m. to 20y.o.), for extended amounts of time, can be downright challenging. I would like to think that I have learned a few tricks along our travels that made the trip go more smoothly the farther down the road we got. I thought I would share one of our favorite things to do while we are making a long haul, or traveling through not-so-scenic areas: Listening to new books on CD! While this may not sound very groundbreaking, we found that it took some major effort to track down kid-friendly CDs while on the road! A book on CD (or MP3), can be either a book being read aloud, or (our preference) an ‘audio drama’. While we always enjoy a good book, we find well done dramas, or ‘theatres’ especially entertaining. These are like the old radio shows... [Read more...]
Camping Offers Quality Time With Your Family
April 13, 2010 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
When I was a kid growing up, family time was most every evening starting with everyone sitting down together for dinner. After dinner we retired to the living room where my Dad would read his newspaper and Mom did some reading or sewing. Occasionally, we would all watch a program on TV. It was a black & white Philco model with a huge wood cabinet and a ridiculously small picture tube for the cabinet’s size. The picture was fuzzy or snowy – but no one seemed to mind. Sundays were extra special family days. We all gathered at my grandparent’s home along with brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and even cousins for a big after Church dinner out on the back screened-in porch during the warmer months and in the small dining room during the winter. By the time our children came along, things had begun to change. We still had family dinners, but they were much less frequent and the kids usually retired to their bedrooms to do homework or talk to friends on the telephone... [Read more...]
Facebook on the Road
March 31, 2010 by RA Manseau · Leave a Comment
Social internet sites like Facebook are an awesome way to stay connected with friends and family while you are on a road trip in your RV. Facebook allows you to upload photos, videos and links with just a touch of the button! Your computer is a great tool for keeping in touch with loved ones while on the road trip in your RV. Some of my friends that were not born in the “computer generation” were terribly intimidated by the idea of using these modern conveniences. But once they got started on facebook they felt as savvy as a Jr. High Schooler. It is all very simple. First you type www.facebook.com into your browser. The page that comes up has a login bar at the top and a sign up box below it. This is where you start. Simply enter your name as you wish it to appear on your facebook page, your email address, your password, male or female and your birthday. Then click sign up. Don’t get worried about the whole world being able to see your information. Facebook has privacy settings... [Read more...]
The “New” 2005 Travel Trailer
February 28, 2010 by Professor95 · 2 Comments
Woodall’s vision for the blog section on their web site is to provide a focus on family camping. Both new and seasoned campers should be able to find information here that can enhance their pleasure when camping – especially family camping. For me to be writing here is somewhat of an anomaly. The vast majority of my writings have been technical – both professionally and pleasurably. I typically write articles about solar power, generators, batteries, satellite TV, and most anything else that uses electricity or some sort of containerized fuel. I build things, lots of things – many specifically related to our camper. In fact, for me much of the pleasure of RV’ing is the opportunity to make or improve something we use when taking our RV out that works a little better or offers a little more than the standard provided by RV manufacturers and accessory vendors. Hold that thought a minute while I completely change topics: Our children are grown and gone. We are now... [Read more...]
Camping Rules and Etiquette – Keeping Children Safe
February 21, 2010 by Professor95 · 9 Comments
Taking a child or children on a camping trip should be an exciting and rewarding experience for both the adults there to supervise and the youngsters. Did you note the word supervise? Children are naturally adventurous and playful. Unfortunately, the rules of etiquette that make children good campers are not always properly emphasized by the adults responsible for their care. This behavior, of course, exposes the children to an unnecessary risk to their safety and can dampen the enjoyment of the camping experience of other campers. It is possible that some first-time adult campers are not familiar with all of the expected courtesies one camper should extend to another. Therefore, it might be wise for adults to review the “rules” as well.. One of the rules of etiquette that all campers should respect is to not cut through someone else’s camping site when common walking paths are available. Of course, proper care of pets and respect for the campground’s quite hours should... [Read more...]
Top 5 Tips for Peaceful RV Traveling with Children
February 20, 2010 by RA Manseau · 2 Comments
ARE WE THERE YET? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those words had never been invented! Traveling with children a long distance can be a real trial, but it doesn’t have to be. I have raised four children and have six grandchildren and I love taking them with me. I have learned what works well, what works for a while and what not to bother trying. (Don’t bother telling them to be quite or still! They really can’t do either very long.) Here are my top 5 suggestions of how to keep them happy and yourself sane on a family trip. Preparations for Traveling with Children Snacks Children are always hungry and thirsty. It will cut down the whining if they don’t have to go hungry and thirsty the whole trip. When packing for the family trip plan mess free snacks, stay away from chocolate or any other melty sticky gooey food stuff that you don’t want to clean off the seats, floors and windows. Bring bottled water, and a felt tip pen to mark names on bottles. Don’t bring anything... [Read more...]
5 Tricks to Make Your Grandchildren’s Camping Vacation a Lasting Memory
February 17, 2010 by Genevieve · 9 Comments
When you’re used to flying solo (or as a duo), a week of camping with grandchildren can be as stressful as it is fun. Here are 5 quick tips to creating a functional, safe and enjoyable environment for your short-term (and just plain short) guests. 1) Kiddy-Up Your RV Besides packing kid-stuff, think about how the RV itself is or is not a place that welcomes your grandchildren. Just like you would child-proof your home before they come to visit, you should child proof your RV. Don’t forget to cover electrical outlets, eliminate dangers like hanging blind cords, and secure stove knobs from accidental turn on. I’d also suggest taking a good look at how easily your door opens outward – I’ve seen too many children push on the screen only to pop it open and tumble down the steep RV steps. Create a fun, comfortable place for your grandchildren to sleep in the RV too. Camping with grandchildren is the most fun when you’re not exhausted from lack of sleep. When I was younger,... [Read more...]
The Santa Barbara Zoo: One of the Best Days We Ever Had!
February 10, 2010 by RA Manseau · 6 Comments
Western lowland Gorilla at the Santa Barbara Zoo in California. When people hear the name, “Santa Barbara, California” they tend to think of movie stars, expensive convertibles and art on the beach. But did you know that Santa Barbara has a zoo? And not just a little put the animals in a cage zoo. This zoo has awesome habitat enclosures and the animals seem very content and happy. This zoo is a great excursion for the whole family. The average time required to walk leisurely through the whole zoo is 2 ½ hours. (But, we took most of the day.) The Santa Barbra Zoo is fully accessible to the disabled. Which was nice for us, we took my mother on this trip and she was in a wheelchair. Meerkat The Santa Barbara zoo has such a variety of animals! There are about 500 animals living at the zoo. From the Elephants, lions, and giraffes to the penguins and eagles to the creepy crawly insects to the snakes the kids (and myself too) could not get enough. We went to visit some of the animals twice.... [Read more...]
