RV Wanderlust

Full-time Living in Our Diesel RV

Natchez Trace Parkway Guide from Mile Marker 0 to 444

by 3 Comments

Eric Brittany Highland Natchez Trace Parkway

I grew up in a family of five on the Gulf of Mexico in South Texas. My parents moved us from Canada in the early 90s, the first in generations of Canadians to permanently relocate south of the border.

But we stayed close to our extended family, and it was always a priority to visit them. It goes without saying that road treks from Texas to Canada are long and involved. In my memory, they were times filled with interesting and educational stops (we were home schooled-education bled into every moment of life), beloved family memories, and dips in mountain springs to stay sane…because it wasn’t until high school that our vehicles had air conditioning!

Children are impressionable, no more so than when parental opinions are involved. This phenomenon has been an incredible blessing in my life because my parents are amazing human beings. Their likes, dislikes and beliefs have influenced my life in countless ways-big and small. Love for the Natchez Trace Parkway is one of their legacies. It was part of our family road trips whenever we were anywhere nearby on our route north. [Read more…]

RV Wanderlust’s 2016 Grand Loop Trip Has Begun!

by 9 Comments

Fredericksburg RV Park site

Our site at Fredericksburg RV Park

Our “Grand Loop Trip” has begun! That’s what we’re calling our 11-month journey this year.

Grand Loop Leg 1: Austin TX, to Fredericksburg, TX (82.5 miles…kind of)

We left Austin, Texas on Sunday, January 3, 2016. Let me tell you, our first Grand Loop day was a really long day. [Read more…]

Wonderment at White Sands National Monument

by Leave a Comment

White Sands National Monument

275 square miles of dunes at White Sands National Monument

We’ve been staying at Brantley Lake State Park, half an hour north of Carlsbad, NM. We amazed ourselves by not leaving our campground for our entire first week. That was a first! But this past weekend, we broke our stay-at-home streak to venture three hours west to White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, NM.

The terrain changed dramatically over 158 miles. We left the desert brush to enter beautiful Lincoln National Forest. We climbed to Cloudcroft, a ski town with an Old West vibe, which sits at 8,668 feet. Then we dropped more than 4,300 feet in 16 miles (6% grade) before arriving in Alamogordo.

Alamogordo was the site of the Trinity test, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon as part of the Manhattan Project. We’ve heard great things about the New Mexico Museum of Space History, but didn’t have a chance to visit this time (would love to hear from you if you’ve been there!).

Arriving at White Sands

[Read more…]

We Survived Our First Full Week of Dry Camping (And You Will, Too)

by 30 Comments

RV Dry Camping

Dry camping alongside friends: RV Outlawz; Drive, Dive, Devour; Nosh Bus; The Roaming Pint

I guess we put the spoiler in the article title…sorry about that. Before I get into the dramatic story of our first full week of RV dry camping, I should make a few things clear:

  1. If you dry camp regularly, this article will make you laugh at us. So please stop reading now.
  2. Eric and I are not mechanically-inclined.
  3. We like our creature comforts. When we’re comfortable, we’re more productive during the work week and have fewer distractions. That’s what we tell ourselves. In our minds, comfort has always been inextricably linked to full hookups. Anything else is just complicated.
  4. I wish someone had written this article a year and a half ago when we were going on the road. My FOMO has kicked in-how many beautiful places have I missed because I didn’t know I could survive dry camping?

[Read more…]

Summer 2015 Adventures in Colorado, Part II

by 4 Comments

Bishop's Castle

Bishop’s Castle, high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

Our second month of adventuring in Colorado this summer was just as awesome as the first. If you haven’t learned about the campgrounds we stayed at, food we ate or activities we enjoyed in Colorado Springs, Golden and Yellowstone (okay, not exactly Colorado)…read all about it now! [Read more…]

Summer 2015 Adventures in Colorado

by 2 Comments

Garden of the Gods

Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

Since we began fulltime RVing, so many of our fellow travelers raved about the beauty of Colorado and how much they enjoyed their time here. It didn’t take us long to catch the bug. Breath-taking natural wonders, a culture that revels in healthy, outdoor activity…what’s not to love?

When all is said and done, we’ll have spent more than two months in Colorado this summer. Hopefully this rundown of our activities will inspire your own travels, and it will surely keep the memories fresh for us! [Read more…]

8 Best Memories of Memphis

by 2 Comments

Memphis TN Memories

We had a week-long stopover in Memphis, TN from March 28-April 3rd as we made our way northeast to Kentucky. I had only ever driven through Memphis and it never left a good taste in my mouth. I remember being appalled when I first found out how much it costs to visit Graceland. I decided to visit in my imagination instead.

But our week stay this spring erased the bad taste in my mouth, replacing it with craft cocktails and amazing fried chicken. Apart from the foodie pleasures, the historical worth of the city of Memphis is heavy. I’m glad we had a chance to appreciate it.

Without further adieu (and because I’m almost two months behind), behold! 8 of our best memories of Memphis, TN. [Read more…]

RV Park Review: Jellystone Park Nashville

by 8 Comments

Jellystone Park Nashville Entrance

Welcome to Jellystone Park Nashville

We always promise to be transparent on our blog and share the good, the bad and the ugly. Well, you’re going to get all three in this review. If you’ve read our other reviews, you’ll know we do our best to tell it just like it is, and that’s exactly what you’re about to read.

We had never been to a Jellystone Park before. But we’d heard good things from fellow RVers with kids, so we were hopeful as we booked our stay at Jellystone Park Nashville for Spring Break 2015. We even found a 50% off coupon by joining their text club, so we went the whole nine yards and booked a premium site.

We ended up having a great time with the boys in the Nashville area. Unfortunately, that had very little to do with the park itself.

[Read more…]

Our Favorite Food and Activities in Hot Springs, AR

by 2 Comments

Tulips Garvan Woodland Gardens

Tulips in bloom at Garvan Woodland Gardens

Our week in Hot Springs has come to an end. From the start of our adventures to the day we rolled down the road once again, we had a wonderful visit. Hot Springs, AR is most definitely one of my favorite stops on our RV journey so far.

If you’re considering a visit of your own, make sure you catch up by reading about our first day on Bathhouse Row and our RV park, Catherine’s Landing. We packed a ton of other activities and restaurants into the rest of our stay. You may want to add some of them to your own itinerary. [Read more…]

Bathing at the Buckstaff in Hot Springs, Arkansas

by 7 Comments

Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs

Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs, AR

One of the most interesting things we’ve ever experienced on our RV adventures so far was the Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

We were staying at Catherine’s Landing RV park, just 10 minutes away from Bathhouse Row. We left the park around 1:15pm, found street parking and arrived promptly at the Buckstaff by 1:30PM.

There are no reservations at the Buckstaff; it is first come, first served. They close for the lunch hour and reopen at 1:30PM, so we wanted to be first in line. We weren’t. We were about fourth in line even though the doors had just opened, but the short wait allowed us to take in the lobby which is grand. Immediately upon arrival, you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the golden age of public bathing. [Read more…]

First Time Here? Get to Know Us!

About Us

Welcome to RV Wanderlust! We're Eric and Brittany Highland and we're on a pretty amazing adventure. As of 2019, we're starting our sixth year as fulltime RVers and we've been transparently documenting the journey all along the way. In December 2016 we … Keep reading

Join Our Adventures

Legal Stuff

Recent Posts