(I want to go back to the Outer Banks.)

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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There is so much more to the fulltime RV lifestyle than National Parks and museums. A few people have referred to our trip as a vacation. I understand how it would seem that way.

But it’s not a vacation.

Just ask Brent about how many hours he works a week. And ask the boys how they feel about school. And just because our toilet is in the RV doesn’t make it any more fun to clean.

My point is this is our life and much of our life takes place at “home” and in our “backyard”.  An ever changing backyard is the second best thing about being a family on the road. The first best thing is slowing down and just being together.

With this in mind, I’m starting a new series of posts called Our Backyard. Our Backyard is to remember the simple moments that happen in and around our RV, to capture what it’s really like to be a family on the road, and to share the campgrounds we call home.

Don’t worry. I won’t be taking any pictures of me cleaning the toilet.

Thing Two enjoying his quill and ink.

Thing One walking the dogs.

An after dinner walk to watch the sunset.

Sunsets make everything magical even a beach covered in trash.

An abandoned camper.

There were a lot of choices for camping in the Outer Banks. We stayed at Sands of Time campground because they gave us our Passport America discount (50% off) every night. It was the least expensive campground we could find in the Outer Banks.

While it wasn’t fancy it was clean, quiet, cute, and the staff were super nice. It is also near the middle of the Outer Banks making it an easy drive to many places.

Our backyard in the Outer Banks.

It’s good to be a family on the road.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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The drive to the Outer Banks was long. As we drove through the seemingly endless wetlands, we counted basking turtles on the logs to pass time.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

See the Jr. Rangers in the background?

We started at the Outer Banks Visitor Center and found out Fort Raleigh National Historic Site was just a few miles away. Fort Raleigh was the first English settlement in North America. (St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied city.) It is better known as The Lost Colony because the fate of the 116 settlers has never been determined.

In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh appointed John White to lead a group of settlers to sail for Chesapeake Bay in hopes of starting a colony.  However, they stopped on Roanoke Island and, for unknown reasons, they were forced to stay by the ship’s captain.

The colonists’ attempt to build relationships with the Indians failed due to conflicts with English explorers the previous year. After one of the colonist was killed by an Indian they persuaded John White to go back to England to ask for help. White departed leaving his family behind including his newborn granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in North America. Due to circumstances beyond his control, he was unable to return to Roanoke for three years. When he made it back to Roanoke in 1590, he found the island deserted, hence, the name The Lost Colony.

Ocracoke Island and Ferry

Ocracoke Island lies at the end of the Outer Banks.

We took a free car ferry from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke.

The best way to see Ocracoke Island is by bike.

We biked past the harbor…

…to the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

We also went on a short hike to and had ice cream before returning home.

Riding the Ocracoke Ferry back to Hatteras. 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and National Seashore

Cape Hatteras National Seashore stretches over 70 miles and whispers tales of shipwrecks, pirates, and treasure.

It is also the home to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. With 248 stairs, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in North America.

Unfortunately, we missed its opening by two days. Two days. We considered staying but knew we had to press on.

We built sandcastles along the Atlantic’s edge.

And found seashells.

And filmed another kettlebell workout.

And watched sunsets.

I hope the boys always remember how much we love each other.

And our silliness.

You can watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and the sunset over the sound.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

A little over 300 years after The Lost Colony, the Outer Banks claimed another first.

The first flight was made by Wilbur and Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk. We spent the afternoon at the Wright Brothers National Memorial marveling how much world change hinged on that cold December morning in 1903.

It was inspiring.

See the white markers to the right of Thing Two? That’s how far the first three flights went – 120 feet, 175 feet, and 200 feet. The fourth marker is further out at 852 feet.

I found myself praying that our boys would share the same sort of camaraderie and friendship that the Wright brothers shared. I’m still waiting for that miracle.

We weren’t the only ones contemplating flight…so was Nigel.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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We had an overnight stop at a campground and we had fun making some new little friends.

We already know how much I love miniature mules.

It may seem silly but waking up to find a corral of little donkeys are what makes living on the road so much fun.

Playing on jungle gyms before breakfast is fun too.

Even Meow Cow likes full time rving.

That is how he often sleeps on the center console when we are driving.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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Forest Lake Campground in Advance, North Carolina, was wonderful. We only stayed here for four days. Four days that were full of simple pleasures like walking through the woods, fishing, and exploration.

We could see the lake from our campsite where Thing Two spent hours fishing.

Dinner. Seriously.

One afternoon the boys and I decided to explore the nearby small town of Lexington, North Carolina.

Our first stop was The Candy Factory where I had to say no more than yes.

We found a great antique/vintage shop complete with a military room. Thing Two could have stayed in there all afternoon.

Another afternoon, the boys and I drove to Hiddenite Gems for some prospecting.

Sluicing.

We left the sluiceway for some “creeking”.

Thing Two was in his element. (Pun intended.)

He could have searched for gems all day.

Thing One put on a happy face and posed for some shots for me.

In reality, he thought creeking was about as exciting as trimming toenails. He prefers the finer things in like visiting mansions.

But after I told him to “at least act happy” I got this.

And this “Do I look Like I’m Having Fun Now?” smile.

“Is this happy enough for you, mom?”

We also made some little friends.

Pictures like this make me forget that “mom” is synonymous with “referee”.

Finally a real smile. On our way to the car.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

If you enjoyed this post you can follow our family on the road one of three ways! 1. Sign up to have posts emailed to your inbox. 2. Subscribe to the RSS Feed  or 3. “like” Newschool Nomads on Facebook (Just make sure to check subscribe if you want it to show up in your feed.) Simple dimple!

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I can’t recall how I actually met Jen but I know it was on a cyberpath.  Over the last few years we have had many email conversations and discovered we had many things in common aside from our first name.

We even both have black cats.

After a few years of cyber friendship we finally got to meet in person when I spent the day with Jen in her town of Boone.

Our weekend in Lenoir (which is near Boone) was Easter Weekend. For years, we have spent Easter in Scottsdale, Arizona with my grandparents. This year, I admit it felt a little lonely without them but we did our best to have fun in our little hideaway in the mountains.

Our morning started with the campground church service.

After lunch we colored eggs. Coloring eggs in our house is an event especially when the only people we have to celebrate Easter with is ourselves.

Here we have a Harry Potter, a “Where We’ve Been” Map, Humpty Dumpty, a kettlebell, a Storm Trooper, and a cat.

Who do you think made this “I love Nico” egg?

Yep and boy does he ever love that little dog even with those crazy eyes of hers!

What about this “camouflage soldier” egg?

Of course!

While the boys and I went on a short hike Brent hid the eggs for an hunt.

Brent’s Humpty Dumpty was my favorite.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpy had a great fall jump.

This is so Thing Two, enjoying something simple like playing with his Easter eggs.

Someday, I’m going to look back at this picture with so much nostalgia it will hurt.

The rest of our Easter was spent hanging out together and being silly. Holidays at home away from home aren’t so bad.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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Yes, as long as we don’t count his penchant for Taco Bell Beefy Fives, he is a man of fine taste.

I’m not sure Brent and I, or even he, understands his interest in finery. After all, we live in an RV more like gypsies than high flying executives. But he is who he is and we love every inch of him.

Knowing all this, it makes perfect sense that for his 12th birthday he wanted to visit largest house in the United States, the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina.

I don’t have a lot to say about his visit to the Biltmore Mansion because I wasn’t allowed to go. It was a “daddy and me” trip only.

However, he did write Tips for Visiting Biltmore Mansion for his Wandering Educators travel blogging class.

While Brent and Thing One visited the Biltmore Estate, Thing Two and I rode bikes along the river at Wilson’s Riverfront RV Park. (Such a great little park near Asheville and it’s 50% off with Passport America.)

We also watched James and the Giant Peach which I had never seen and am still trying to understand.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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We aren’t as cool as my parents were. We drive a big white diesel Chevy  that hasn’t been washed since October.  But at least we use seat belts.

The Great Smokey Mountains is the first park I can remember visiting. I remember the river churning with rapids as white as doves but as unpredictable as cats. I remember the mountains poking out of the clouds like giant tombstones in a foggy cemetery. I remember my teenage self getting ticked about something and pouting on the Appalachian trail. I probably didn’t get to curl my bangs that morning.

I didn’t remember  John Ownby’s cabin. Or the history. I didn’t remember the land was originally home to the Cherokee Indians who were driven out. I didn’t remember settlers were evicted from their homes and lives to make create the park we now visit.

So many old and new memories being pulled or created and stashed in this already challenged brain of mine.

Love and Laughter,
Jenn

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