Today I thought I’d walk you through a typical day on the road so you can see what it’s really like.  We drove today, so let’s just pretend you’re coming along for the ride.  Our day started when we woke up, without an alarm clock.  Rarely do we need one these days and I don’t miss mine at all.  I am not a morning person and getting my little munchkins up at the crack of dawn when they still want to sleep is brutal.  Dad started the coffee and I fixed the kids breakfast.  They were quickly dressed and peering out the windows, looking to see who they could play with before we left.  Once they saw kids at the playground they were off.  While they played on the junglegym, which we could see from the front windows, we prepared to leave.  Here's what we had to do...

Departure preparations are divided into 2 categories – inside duties and outside duties.  I get the inside and Daddy gets the outside (I made out like a bandit!)  Inside I have to clean up and make sure everything is put away and locked down.  My jobs include: doing the dishes (no dishwasher here) and putting away anything on the counter including any school papers that are out, collapsing the folding tray tables if they’re set up and tucking them behind the sofa, folding up the throw rug and laying it over the ottoman, pushing the ottoman underneath the table, moving the rug from in front of the sink so it doesn’t get stuck in the slide, turning my chair around to face front and adjusting it so it doesn’t get hit by the slide, fishing the kids’ seat belts out from under the sofa cushions, fixing either the Wii or a movie for when we’re on the road and making sure I can get to either the Legos, drawing supplies, or a box of books, securing the desk drawers so they don’t fly open and turning off the computer, making sure all doors are securely shut, moving the dog bowl to the bathroom, moving my necklaces from the hook on the shower door into the bathroom sink so they don’t make a horrible banging sound going down the road, securing the coffee pot (it has become a projectile more than once), putting  the heavy items that normally sit on the floor onto the bunk beds in the back (the bunk beds aren’t in a slide so we don’t have to worry about overloading them), making sure everyone has shoes handy (they’re hard to get to once the slides are in), checking to see that nothing is in the path of the slides, putting the slides in, taking the dog out and picking up anything she leaves behind (YUCK), making sure everyone gets buckled in and has a drink or snack if they need one, entering our destination into the GPS, tying back the front curtains, and lastly, making sure Daddy put the TV antennae down - not that we’ve EVER driven with it up:)  Lots of details.  Generally I try to clean house while I’m packing up to move.  I vacuum, dust, wipe down the mirrors, clean the kitchen, make the beds, etc.  So when we arrive at our new destination and roll things out everything is nice and neat.  Speaking of arriving, I basically do the same thing in reverse.  Drag everything out.  Spread out.  Get comfy. 

Dan’s job is much dirtier, much more manly.  He has to unhook everything, which is usually the electric, water, and sewer (a smelly job no matter what you do).  He has to pack up everything that we’ve used outside – we have an outdoor carpet that goes under the awning to make a “patio”, the grill, the lawn chairs, the bikes, etc.  Then he has to load the van onto the dolly, which is no small task - securing the straps and the safety chains.  And of course, he checks the TV antennae.   His jobs are a real treat in the rain, but I never hear him complain.  He is also our chauffeur and our route planner.  Before we leave he researches where we'll stay, calls ahead for reservations, and checks the route for low bridges or narrow roads.  We are usually on the road around 11:00.    

Rolling down the road is actually pretty relaxing, at least for me, but I’m not driving.  Our rule for moving around inside while we're in motion is like being in an airplane…get up if you need to use the bathroom or get something to eat.  Otherwise, you should stay seated and when you’re seated you should be buckled in.  We generally try to limit our drives to no more than 5 hours in one day.  More than that is tiring for the driver.  You have to be very alert when you’re driving a rig that is 40 feet long with a van attached to the rear!  Plus, we prefer to arrive at our destination during the daytime so that we can check it out.  When you pull in and park at night you have to navigate in unfamiliar territory to your site and then get hooked up in the dark.  You also risk waking up to something you won’t like.  It is generally better for us to arrive during the week instead of on the weekend when other people are likely to be camping, and if at all possible we call ahead and make a reservation.  One of the best sites we’ve found for campground reviews is www.rvparkreviews.com.   Lots of campgrounds listed with lots of reviews. 

So today we have arrived, found our campsite, and set up by 6:30pm.  It will not get dark until 9:00.  The campground is packed.  We were lucky to get a site.  After I finish rolling everything out the boys and I will go check out the playground and see if we can meet any new friends while Daddy finishes setting things up outside.  When we return we’ll have a late dinner and then get ready for bed.   Tomorrow…fishing!