Posted in: Animal Sightings, Exploring Texas, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

This Was our First Rodeo: Fort Worth Stockyards Coliseum Rodeo

The Fort Worth Coliseum holds weekly rodeos on Friday and Saturday nights. They have competitors come in from all over (on the night we went they had one cowboy from Alaska and two from Brazil). They had timed events and rough stock events. (According to their website, Saturday nights have more rough stock events.) We learned that a rough stock event is normally bull and bronco riding, whereas a timed event is the roping and barrel racing.

It was our first ever rodeo and we weren’t sure what to expect. The Coliseum had a few different seating options: General Seating, Silver Spur (set of 5 reserved seats, in first two rows), Gold Buckle (reserved seats in the middle, cushioned seats with cup holders), VIP (3 rows with a bar). We were worried about taking the risk going to a rodeo during the pandemic and chose the Gold Buckle seats to ensure our greatest chance at social distancing. We were lucky enough to be sponsored for these seats from an award Ben had received from work. It turned out great! The chairs were very comfortable and gave us some distance from other people. We were also close to the action. So close we even had dirt flung up from the arena floor a couple times.

We saw bull riding, roping, barrel racing, bronco and bare back bronco riding. The strength and flexibility to do these events was remarkable. Even with the high skill of these athletes, one cowboy get knocked out and had to be carried off the field.

Due to COVID, the Coliseum limited seating to 75% and required masks to enter. The announcer was great about reminding people to socially distance and to wear masks throughout the event. However, there was no real enforcement. Once people were inside, it seemed like at least half of them took their masks off (not for eating/drinking, just off). We left ours on the whole time.

VIDEO: Fort Worth Coliseum Rodeo 11/21/2020

Post Event Notes:

We delayed putting this blog out until we were sure we did not end up with COVID from the experience. Luckily we are all still healthy (i.e.-no-COVID fallout from the Rodeo). Yee haw!

We were worried about the animals. It was amazing to see these athletes demonstrate their craft, but it concerned us that the animals could be hurt for our entertainment. Specifically, we wanted to know what was being done to make the bulls and horses buck. I did some reading and discovered it is a combination of breeding and the use of a pressure inducing flank strap. Here are a couple of the articles on why bulls buck: Arlington, LiveAbout.

Overall, our first rodeo was a lot of fun and definitely a learning experience. I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to see another Rodeo, but I am very glad I had the opportunity to see it.

Posted in: Christmas, Costco, Holidays, Newbie Tips

Christmas Gifts for RVers

We have been traveling full time for over 150 continuous days in a travel trailer. Below are a list of some of the products that have helped us the most along this journey. If you get to buy presents for a RV enthusiast these are sure to please.

NOTE: The costs listed are what we paid and may change. Please use these as general guidance and check for yourself as you may be able to get better pricing.

LevelMatePro* While some of the newer (and nicer) Class A and C’s have auto-leveling, ours does not. It does have an electric jack and stabilizers, but you still have to level it. Instead of taking a level and doing it the old fashioned way, LevelMatePro was recommended and we love it. It mounts in your rig and uses your phone to show how level you are from left to right and front to back. I would recommend this product especially for those that are in travel trailers or have an older rig. Unless you are parking on a perfectly level concrete pad, it is super useful on travel days. (Cost: $145)

WeBoost* This helps boost all signals in the area, so we use it for our cell phone hotspots and the independent hotspot. There are a few different types of the WeBoost (home, car, RV, etc.) to meet your needs. We have seen a little bit of a difference in the signals. When you work/school from home, it’s important to have good internet signal. (Cost: $400)

Leveling Blocks*. These are like giant Legos used to help level the RV. We use these for the stabilizers, the jack, and to level the RV. We’ve even add them under the steps when there is too big of a gap. (Cost: $30 – we bought 3 sets)

Blackout curtains. Great for keeping the sun out for sleeping, heat out on hot days, and the cold from sneaking in on cold days. (Link to post on hanging our curtains.) (Cost: $25 each – we bought 4 sets for our 11 windows)

Air purifier*This is great if you have allergies. As we have traveled the country we have each discovered new pollen and molds to be allergic to. Luckily I had this air purifier at home before we left. It may be a little big for RV life. It does work really well though! (Cost: $85)

Costco membership. Although we don’t buy quite as much as we used to (just don’t have the room for it), we still love our Costco membership. We love the organic ground beef and chicken, as well as the frequently changing inventory. It’s fun to discover what each Costco has. Many of them carry different things. For example: Ohio doesn’t sell liquor; New Orleans sold Ben’s favorite “souvenir” (a collapsible tote); California sold boogie boards; Many have specific city/sports team gear. Gas prices are usually pretty good as well, but we’ve only come across a couple that carry diesel. Plus, it’s hard to beat their hotdog/soda ($1.50 special) and pizza ($9.95 for a very large pie) prices! (Cost: $60 for Basic; We upgraded years ago to the Executive for $120 because we spend enough that the 2% cash back just makes sense for us).

Propane Fire Pit. We just got this and have only used it twice. It had great reviews, rather light weight, small enough, and runs on propane. There are separate things you can buy for it, including a rack to cook on top of. We were looking for a wood alternative (although Ben loves a wood fire), since most of the places in the West have had a wood fire ban. NOTE: Some places are out of stock, with more coming in the first week of December. Try calling the store. It was listed as both in stock and back-ordered online at Camping World. I called and they did have one in stock (and they held it for me at the desk). (Cost: $150)

Viair Compressor*. As expected, this is an air compressor. This guy does a great job with the RV and truck tires that require higher pressures. The real win is the compressor connects directly to the travel trailer battery to run and has plenty of accessories to allow a reach to all of the tires without too much relocation. (Cost: $300)

Dehumidifier. We have been in locations with unusual heat waves and deserts lately. There have been a few times (mostly in the beginning of the trip) where the humidity in the RV has gotten high, even with the A/C and the bathroom fan on. The one thing we have read a lot about, is that RV’s can grown mold somewhat easily. We try to keep the humidity at a normal level. I have used this humidity/temperature sensor* for years, and it does pretty well. We brought it with us on the trip. We ended up buying a small dehumidifier* to help with the humidity in the RV. (Cost: Dehumidifier $45, sensor $17)

Fire extinguisher*. Most new RVs come with a fire extinguisher by the front door (kitchen area). We have one in the outdoor kitchen and one in our bedroom as well. You just can’t be too safe. (Cost: $30)

First aid kit*. My mom made ours for us before we left. She combined many of our existing kits and confirmed everything was in date. This is a great gift if you have the energy and time to DIY. She did a great job of getting most of what we needed, but still kept it to a reasonable size. We used an art container with internal dividers. It slides nicely between the bed and the wall. We have already had to restock the bandaids from multiple falls from bikes on gravel. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make a first aid kit, this looks like a thorough one that should fit most situations. (Cost: $30)

Solar Decorations*. This one is just for fun, but we ended up loving them. We got solar powered coloring changing balls. We hang them on the awning arm. It makes it nice to find the RV in the dark and adds some ambience when sitting by the campfire. (Cost: $17)

Hope these suggestions make your holiday shopping a little easier! If we missed any RV essentials, please remind us in the comments. Happy holidays!

*Affiliate links

Posted in: Food

Cooking In The RV: InstantPot Lasagna

Ok, so this isn’t a real lasagna, but it is a noodle dish that really tastes like lasagna! I was trying to find some easy InstantPot recipes that I could make in the RV. I made a few modifications to some I found online, and this is our recipe. It turned out really well and everyone loved it! (Well, Will got his portion before the cheese was added.) Click here for printable PDF recipe.

It’s not the prettiest dish, but it tastes delicious!

INSTANTPOT LASAGNA

Sarah Tepe

You will need:

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce (about 24 oz)
  • 1 box uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (I used the diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • 2 tbp olive oil
  • 2 cups water

Directions:

  1. Add oil, diced onions, and ground beef to InstantPot. Set to sauté.
  2. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Stir and break up frequently.
  3. Drain any grease. Place back in the InstantPot and turn it off.
  4. Add in garlic powder and basil, stir to combine.
  5. Make sure ground beef is in an even layer on the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add spaghetti sauce, 2 cups water, can of tomatoes.
  7. Add noodles on top. Do not stir, just gently push down to make sure they are in the liquids.
  8. Cover with lid, set to seal and pressure to High.
  9. Cook for 5 minutes and then quick release.
  10. Stir in mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Stir to let melt.
  11. Enjoy!
Posted in: Exploring Texas, Museums & Tours, School, Sightseeing, YouTube Video Link

Remember The Alamo!

One of Will’s picks to see on this trip was the Alamo. This kid loves history.

It was in the downtown area, not far from the River Walk. We walked between the two quite easily (it was less than 10 minutes, depending on where you were on the River Walk).

It was really neat to see. They did a really nice job with historical information signs and diagrams. There’s a gorgeous, huge, oak tree in the courtyard. (Ben’s favorite thing was the “historical” gift shop.)

Due to Covid, there was a limited amount of people allowed in the church area of the Alamo. Tickets were free, but they were sold out the day we were there. We do plan on going back once we can get tickets.

VIDEO: Walking Around The Alamo

VISITOR NOTE: The postcards in the Alamo gift shop were $1.99 each. The shop across the street and the San Antonio Visitor Center had them for about $0.35/each.

Posted in: Christmas, Elf On The Shelf, Holidays

Mini-Elf on the Shelf In A RV: Eugene P Elferton III, Jr.

Our Elf On The Shelf (Eugene) went missing!

I swore I packed Eugene before we left Ohio, maybe in the Fall/Winter clothes bin under the bed. I couldn’t find him anywhere. Luckily, Target had some cloth elf ornaments for $3. It looked a little bit like the big Elf. (The kids also know the truth behind the elf, so switching out the Elf shouldn’t be a problem.) I think the smaller elf may actually help me hide him more places! (About 8.5″ tall vs about 14.5″.)

Even though the boys are older, they still like finding the Elf and seeing what crazy shenanigans he got up to overnight. (He’s gone ice skating, zip lining, fought with Darth Vader, had a Lego house, got stuck in a snow globe and a water bottle, made a paper chain obstacle course for the boys…) I had a list of ideas I wanted to try at the house, but those won’t really work in the RV. Hiding an elf in 2,300ish sq ft house seems much easier than in the 400 sq ft RV. I’m going to have to get creative!

Days 1-3
Posted in: Christmas, Holidays

St. Nick’s Day In An RV

If you have read my other mom blog Daily Messes, you know we celebrate St. Nick’s Day (it’s on 12/6).

We need to travel light(ish), so we did not bring any of our holiday decorations with us. We bought things along the way for each holiday, but wanted them all to be disposable or donatable. Luckily, there is a dollar store pretty much in every town/city we’ve been to. Now, you can use a traditional Christmas stocking, a sock, or a shoe to fill with things for St. Nick’s Day. However, my family has always used a stocking, so I was on the hunt for some stockings for the RV. I was lucky enough to find some at the Dollar Tree.

We do have a mantle (kind of), but I was worried the stockings would hang too close to the heat source from the fireplace. I saw a great idea on Pinterest with hanging them on the edge of the living room slide with Command Hooks. I think it’s going to work out great, other than maybe having to duck a little to sit down. (The other option was to hang under the island. However, I didn’t want to put holes in the underside and the strips don’t stick as well on a textured surface.)

The stockings are a little lighter than normal this year, as we don’t have the space for much. They are getting some candy (including some I found along the way that I hadn’t seen before at home) and a puzzle book. I’ll probably download an ebook to their Kindle as well and slip a note into the stocking.

Posted in: Costco, Food, Holidays, Thanksgiving

Cooking In The RV: First Large Scale Meal, Thanksgiving Dinner

A few of you have asked about how we cook in the RV and if we had a “real” Thanksgiving dinner. We made a few modifications due to the small oven, but we did have a full Thanksgiving dinner. I think it turned out pretty well. The meal consisted of turkey, cranberry, stuffing, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, rolls, and green bean casserole.

We did a bit of cheating this year to make it work. We bought microwavable mashed potatoes from Costco (they were really nice, we’ve had them a few times), pre-made rolls, and turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey (there is no way a whole turkey would have fit). It was a bit of a juggling act to get things ready close to the same time. I am very thankful that our travel trailer has an island for more counter space!

I started with the turkey. I used a disposable 13×9 pan (labeled a stuffing pan) for cooking the turkey. I found a BBQ and a bacon wrapped turkey breast at the local grocery store. I was so excited about the bacon one, as I used to make a bacon sweater for the whole turkey back in the house. (NOTE: These were from Honeysuckle. They turned out ok. I have made turkey breasts from Butterball before, and those turned out much better.)

I browned the bottom of the bacon wrapped turkey on the stovetop, per the instructions and then placed in the pan with some water and aromatics (onions, carrots, lemon, and orange). The bacon turkey went into the oven first, as the baking temperature was higher. I added the BBQ chicken later and basted/spooned the liquids back over the turkeys several times during the cooking time. It took around 3ish hours to cook completely. Unfortunately, the bacon did not get very crispy and the oven does not have a broiler feature to it.

When I had about 40 minutes left on the turkeys, I put the sweet potatoes in the InstantPot*. I am not a sweet potato lover, but Nick and Ben are. The InstantPot is amazing for potatoes. (Sweet potatoes are done in 30-50 minutes, baked potatoes are done in 15-20 minutes.)

While the turkeys and sweet potatoes were cooking, I made the green bean casserole. To make it go faster, I used all canned green beans this year. (Normally I use half fresh green beans and half canned.) I also used a 13×9 disposable pan for this dish. After the turkeys were done, the green beans went into the oven. I kept the turkey covered with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Once the green bean casserole was finished, I popped some of the rolls in to crisp up and get warm. They were already baked, but there is something just better and more satisfying about warm bread and rolls! I opened the can of cranberry (jelly), and we were good to plate and eat.

I made a little too much, so we had leftovers for the next day. The one thing I really miss about having a larger oven is being able to make pizza; I would have loved to used the leftovers to make Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza!

*Affiliate link

Posted in: Campground Review, Exploring Texas, YouTube Video Link

Cowtown RV Park (Texas): Campground Review

For our travels in Texas, we originally had Thousand Trails (TT) parks reserved. However, after reading reviews for the first two, we decided to stay at other campgrounds. I had also talked with the first TT campground on the phone, and was not very impressed with their customer service. It also was 1.5 hours from any of the things we wanted to see.

It was a frantic internet search while driving through the vastness of Texas to try to find an open site near where we wanted to stay. We saw some good reviews for a place called Cowtown RV Park. They could get us in for 2 weeks, but then had other bookings. They were really nice on the phone and we reserved our stay. We didn’t pay anything until we checked in, although that could have been due to having a same day check-in as booking. After we checked in at the office, they had someone lead us to our site.

The office had a small store area, although it was mostly food. The campground did have laundry facilities (3 locations), bathrooms (closed due to Covid), a small playground, pool (locked for the season, but they did offer to unlock it if the kids wanted to swim, although it is not heated), horseshoes, and a basketball hoop. It was dog friendly with a couple of fenced-in dog areas. There were garbage cans scattered about on each row. Sites were concrete pads, with most having a picnic table and ours even had a charcoal grill! There were no fire rings, but I did see several people using their own fire pits on the driveways. The RV park was a mix of back-in and pull-through sites. All sites were 30/50 amp, full hookups, and had cable lines to hook into. They did sell propane onsite, as well as ice. The park also offered WiFi and had several boosters located around the grounds.

Laundry room #3, propane, office, laundry room #2 (By Rally Room)
Dog area, horseshoes, office store, our site

It was pretty dark around the campground at night. There were a few lights on the buildings (laundry, etc.), but not down the rows.

Laundry was $1.25/load for both the washers and dryers.

The park was close to the highway. Most of the time we did not hear any noise, or if we did it was not too loud.

The RV park was pretty conveniently located. There were several grocery store options close by (Walmart, Costco, Target, Brookshire’s — cheapest diesel while we were in town). Starbucks was close as well, almost walking distance but there were no sidewalks. It was about 20 minutes from Fort Worth/Fort Worth Stockyards.

I think the campground was decently priced. It had a really convenient location. If we were in the Fort Worth area, I think we would stay here again.

The boys put together another campground tour video!

VIDEO: Cowtown RV Park Campground Tour

Summary of Campground:

Our rating: 3 out of 5 hitches

Cell Phone Reception: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile

Laundry: Yes

Bathrooms/Showers: Yes, but closed for Covid

RV Sites: Yes, pull through and back in

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site:

Amenities: picnic table,  grill most sites, cable, playground, dog park

Cabins: No

Tent Camping: No

Full Hook Ups: Yes. 30/50 Amps

Pool: Yes

WiFi: Yes

Pop Up Tents/Gazebos/Outdoor Rugs On-Site:

Amenities: picnic table,  grill most sites, cable, playground, dog park

Cabins: No

Tent Camping: No

Full Hook Ups: Yes. 30/50 Amps

Pool: Yes

WiFi: Yes

Food On-Site: No

Camp Store: Yes, limited

Fishing: No

Posted in: Christmas, Holidays

Christmas Tree in A RV

Since we only have about 400 sq ft of living space in the RV, it makes having a Christmas tree rather difficult. We still wanted one for the kids. There were the mini trees types that they used to have in their rooms and some corner trees* which are great for small spaces. However, we have a very tiny space and I think I found a solution.

We bought a felt tree with velcro ornaments*. We hung it on the living room against the wall.

Ben was crafty and cut slits in the felt so we could poke LED lights through. It turned out really well. The boys then hung the ornaments.

Even though it’s not a traditional tree, I think it’s going to work out great.

*Affiliate link

Posted in: Newbie Tips

Blackouts Aren’t Always Bad

Blackout curtains, so many uses! Ok, not a ton, but they really do help! Most RVs come with aluminum blinds (they bend and break very easily, just like the kind we grew up with), or the pleated shades/paper blinds. They do keep some light out and afford you some privacy.

After living in the RV for 1 day, the boys already bent their aluminum blinds. I ordered custom blackout curtains for the boys’ bunks. They velcro right onto the frame. This way there was no ripping the curtain out/down while tossing and turning.

During the summer, we realized that a ton of heat was coming in through the windows. We had always had blackout curtains at our sticks and bricks, so we picked some up from Target. I didn’t want to do a whole crazy project, so I just trimmed the cloth to the right length and stapled them to the back of the valence board. I also stapled some ribbon to the board so I could tie the blinds up when we wanted to see out. There are a ton of ways you could hang curtains, I just went with easy.

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