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Waynesville, North Carolina

All I can say is WOW! This part of North America is GORGEOUS!!! Waynesville is about 35 minutes to the west of Asheville and I would recommend seeing any and all of it. I will break down what we saw and what we recommend as I have in weeks prior.

We stayed at Pride RV Park for a fews days right on a creek. Our boys loved being right along the creek because they love fishing. Although they caught more rocks and tree branches, they had a great time and there is something relaxing about listening to a creek gurgle. One night, we even had a fire in one of their fire pits near the creek. So peaceful.

Things we recommend:

-Going to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

-Seeing Elk

-Soco Falls

-Going for a drive

We went at dusk (as recommended by the people at Pride RV Park). The drive into the Smoky Mountains National Park from the RV Park was very scary. It was a mostly half-paved road and then it turns into a completely unpaved section up these skinny roads that can only fit one car at a time. The roads take you up the mountains into the park and have steep drops off the edge in some sections. If it was icy, I would have said forget it, but it wasn’t too bad. Come to find out, they have kept the roads unpaved to recognize the history of the original settlers who built these roads by hand some many years ago.

When we finally made it into the park, it was still another long drive past places where there were signs that mentioned they would be closed at dark. We didn’t have any roads close on us. We went past an old house on the right and through another gate and then past a church on the left and finally made it to a huge open field where we saw 20-30 elk. It was very cool and the kids enjoyed it. It was dark on the way back, so please be careful if you take the same route we did.

A few days later we saw a massive elk in town. Everyone was parked on the side of the road watching this massive creature eating grass in town. I guess even the locals are still amazed by these huge beasts.

A MUST SEE was the Soco Falls. If you travel west down US-19 about 5.7 miles outside of Maggie Valley, you come to a big turn and see some parking on the left side of the road. It really looks like a pullover spot, but you can park there and then walk down the trail to a lookout point. Some people even hike to the bottom. We saw a guy with a drone climb up the waterfall. You can see him if you look closely at the photo below. Please traverse safely. They do have some ropes to hang onto, but I wouldn’t send a pregnant lady down there (ahem…me).

We also just enjoyed going for a drive through the mountains. We drove through the Cherokee Indian Reservation and drove past the Harrah’s Casino nestled in this town that looked long forgotten. If you are kidless, you might want to take a pit stop and do a little gambling!

We can not wait to go back and explore more of Asheville. The Biltmore Estate’s reservations were all booked up, so plan accordingly if you want to visit there as well. During covid, they have limited times and availability unless you want to spend a fortune. So keep that in mind!

Have you visited Asheville, Waynesville or any part of North Carolina? We want to know your top spots to visit!

Have any questions for us? We would love to hear from you!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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What We Bought Before RV Move-In Day

When living in an RV (part-time or full-time) you need some things to get up and running and make the RV liveable.

Here is a comprehensive list of things we bought…

MUST HAVES:

Drinking Water Hose – Get at least a 50ft hose. The potable hoses are a pain in the rear to wind and store. We don’t drink our tap water, so we have upgraded to a kink-free hose (here).
Garden Hose Splitter – We use this to have our freshwater and black tank hoses connected at all times or to have an additional water source so you don’t have to disconnect your fresh water connection just to wash your hands or clean out your black tank.
90 Degree Elbow – Most water connections to the RV are obstructed or could cause additional wear and tear because of the angle at which the hose hangs, so this prevents those things.

Water Filter – These keep your pipes and tubes from getting any unwanted sediment. Many RV parks do not have good water filtration systems. Even if you don’t drink your water, I recommend getting these for the sake of the longevity of your rig.
Wheel Chocks – These are used to keep your RV from rolling away once it is unhooked from your vehicle.
20ft RV Sewer Hose (with the clear elbow) – Many times you only need to use 10ft, but in the rare instances you need longer, you do not want to be without a sewer hose, especially with 3 kids. I know this is nasty, but the clear elbow allows you to see your waste emptying and the water running clear to know you really cleaned it ALL out.
RV Sewer Hose Support – This helps the flow of your black tank. You don’t want some nasty black or gray water sitting in your hose and stinking up your RV.
Holding Tank Treatment – This helps to break apart toilet paper and other unmentionables.
Leveling Blocks (2 sets) – We use these for not only leveling our RV (putting them under our tires when a site is not level) but also under the stabilizers so there is less strain on them. We use 2 sets on a regular basis.
Hand Tool Kit – This kit has the square head needed for RV screws, which are not your traditional screws.
Water Pressure Regulator – Every RV park is different when it comes to water pressure. Sometimes the pressure is so low it won’t register the hot water heater to light and other times it is so high we don’t want to bust a pipe. The regulator lets you adjust the pressure of the water that you send into the RV.
Surge Protector – If electricity surges, you definitely want to protect your RV. If you didn’t have a surge protector (just like a lightning storm can affect your appliances and TVs in your home) the same can happen in your RV.

Definitely RECOMMEND (but don’t HAVE TO HAVE):

Electrical Adapter – This converts your electrical connection type to a non-traditional RV park set-up, like if you are visiting Uncle Jerry and need to plug your RV into his house power. There are a multitude of adaptors you might need depending on where you are staying, so it really depends on your needs.
Oven Thermometer – The RV oven is gas powered and isn’t 100% accurate, so we bought an oven thermometer that hangs on the rack so we know the correct temperature inside.
Collapsible Outdoor Utility Wagon – We use this a TON. If we need to carry laundry to the laundry room or carry things to the beach, park, car, this wagon is AWESOME! Even if you do not live in an RV, this thing is a MUST HAVE!

LED Road Flares – When you are changing a flat tire on the side of the road, these flares can be set out day or night to help alert drivers so you can safely change the flat.
Headlamp Flashlight – We honestly use this often. Not only when Zach is working on the RV outside, but also for nighttime walks or taking the dog out.
First Aid Kit – We keep our first aid kit in the car. I think having one on hand is smart even for non-RV owners. This kit has helped us out in many situations with the kids.
Baking Stone/Pizza Pan – RV ovens burn your food. The flame is down the center of the oven, so the middle of your dishes burn and the rest remains uncooked. Let me introduce you to your new best friend, the pizza stone and/or pizza pan. We use both! We have cooked everything you can cook in your home oven without it burning.
Camper Storage Shower Curtain – This is a great storage solution for your bathroom. It is a shower curtain that has pockets on one side which we use to store bath toys, hair products, face products, etc. We have a ton in ours and it has yet to break the shower hooks (knock on wood).
Mattress Pad – Unless you buy a fancy RV mattress, you will need some padding. Now we feel like we aren’t sleeping on the floor or a piece of plywood.

WE BOUGHT, but don’t use/recommend:

Adjustable Spring Tension Rods – We read another RV blog that they used these to keep food/dishes from moving around while traveling, but we found that storage containers and baskets do a much better job.
Outdoor Solar Lights – We have yet to use these.
*This* tire pressure monitoring system – We installed it and it DID NOT WORK. We need to find a new one for our travels through the hot deserts in Arizona so we don’t blow a tire. Let me know if you find one you like and recommend.

What are some things you bought and recommend or do not recommend? Are you thinking about being a full-time RVer?

Have any questions for us? We would love to hear from you!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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How We Found the Perfect RV and Tow Vehicle for OUR Family

If you read my article from last week (here), you know we started our searching process a year before it became a reality for us. We watched *all* the youtube videos and looked through *all* the rv websites. We knew we needed a bunkhouse, good sized living space, place for Zach to work and our own *private* bedroom space (if you know what I mean). We also knew we didn’t want to be strapped for cash and buy the biggest and greatest RV that was out there (more about this later).

Here are some questions we asked ourselves…

Do we need a work space or can we do our job from a kitchen table with a laptop? Do our kids need separate sleeping spaces? Do we need a large fridge because we eat a lot of food? Do we need a bathtub or will a shower work?

So, let’s go back to us attending our first ever RV show. We spent all day walking through the RVs (pre-covid). We fell in love with all the expensive ones, but knew our main focus was finding an RV with a bunkhouse that could also be used as a workspace for Zach and be pulled easily by a large SUV. We decided on an SUV because a Ford F-250 didn’t have enough seats to fit our growing family comfortably. So, we had to scratch all the 5th Wheels (sadness) and focus on the travel trailers.

We found a few we liked, but we soon realized buying new was not financially smart. The RV dealerships try and give you these HUGE “discounts” at the RV shows and then you realize that they are really just selling you a fake discount. In reality, you are still buying “full” price. So, we started to look online for models that were 2-3 years old. Also, come to find out, new RVs have just as many problems, if not more problems as the 2-3 year old RVs. Do the newer ones have a warranty? Yes. But our 2 year old RV also had a warranty and was deeply discounted down to what you could reasonably resell.

Zach at one point thought he found THE RV in another state. He took an RV guy with him (shout-out to Zach at Rolling Restoration) to inspect the RV before we rolled it home only to find out it had $3k+ in water damage work that needed to be done. HIGHLY recommend hiring someone to look over your rig BEFORE you buy it. When we found our current RV, we brought him along again and he inspected it AT the RV dealership. It passed! Of course you will probably pay for someone to do this (like we did) unless your friend is an RV expert, but it can save you $$ in the long-run.

Beauty (the RV) and the Beast (2002 Ford Excursion)

I also want to talk about RV payments, which are stretched over longer terms, so the payments seem low. Buying the bigger/nicer RV is so easy to justify when you move from a house payment of $2k+ to an RV payment of $600+, but DON’T DO THIS! We wanted to be able to live off less than 70% of our income and still afford to travel around under that 70%. We also weren’t sure we were going to like being in a small space all together, so we didn’t want to be stuck with our RV if we wanted to purchase another house in a year. I would challenge you to buy something older and less expensive. You can always sell your RV and buy a nicer one if that is what you end up wanting a year or two down the road. Just a tip, but you can do what you want.

Now to the tow vehicle. Thankfully, our new RV expert friend had recommended we get the car we have now. We have a 2002 Ford Excursion. Yes, it is 19 years old, but the towing capacity is terrific on the Beast and it can hold up to 8 people COMFORTABLY with ample storage space in the back. Come to find out, there is QUITE the Excursion Club among other full-time RVers. Again, we got a diesel expert to take the car for the day and give a full detailed inspection before we purchased it. The dealership let us do this! Just ask! Don’t just settle on the first vehicle you find that might work for your situation. Really wait for the *right* car at the *right* price for your family.

After being in our RV for almost 6 months now, I still like our choice of RV, tow vehicle and (most importantly) price point of them both. I would challenge you to go in low so you have more money for emergencies, savings, and fun adventures!

What are some tips you have about purchasing an RV? Do you have any questions for us about how to pick the perfect RV or tow vehicle for your family or yourself?

We would love to hear from you!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Memphis, Tennessee In A Night

I know, I know, another short stay in another great city where we could have most certainly spent more time. Unfortunately, we went to Florida for Thanksgiving and had to make it to Angel Fire, NM by the end of December to meet up with our family. Our family ended up not meeting up with us in New Mexico, but we had already made skiing reservations. Also, I know traveling from Florida to New Mexico doesn’t sound like it should take a month, but Zach is still working full-time and can’t be traveling during the work week.

We asked facebook friends what they recommended we visit for our short stay and they certainly did not disappoint. Thank you to everyone who gave us suggestions. Here is what we did…

What we did (and recommend):

Walked down Beale Street and listened to Jazz music (by accident)
Drove by Graceland
Saw the duck walking at the Peabody Hotel
Ate BBQ at Central BBQ

What we wish we had time for:

National Civil Rights Museum (A MUST SEE!)
Toured Graceland

After we unhooked the RV at our spot for the night, we drove into downtown Memphis. Our plan was to first hit up Beale Street. Beale Street is “home of the blues” and also known as the “most famous street in America”. Although it is mostly made up of bars, a jazz band was walking towards our intersection playing live music as we drove by. It was the coolest experience. We quickly parked the car and I kicked Zach and the boys out to go and get some footage before they got away. Luckily, they stopped at the end of Beale Street and we were all able to stand outside their circle and witness them playing. People were dancing in the street (including us). It was incredible.

We had a couple of hours before the duck walking at the Peabody Hotel, so we decided to make the quick 15 minute drive to Graceland. Graceland was Elvis’ home in Memphis and is now a place you can tour. I had been when I was younger, but Zach and the kids had never seen it. So, we turned on some ‘Blue Hawaii’ and drove by his house. A short and sweet visit.

Next, we drove back into Memphis and went to the Peabody Hotel. The Peabody Hotel duck walking takes place at 11am, where real ducks travel from the top of the hotel, where they reside, to a pond in the hotel lobby. Then, at 5pm everyday they travel back up to the top of the hotel. Sounds strange and it certainly is. They do make quite the show of it, so I would recommend getting there 30 minutes early. They roll out a red carpet for the ducks to walk on to get to and from the elevator to the fountain. The kids really enjoyed it. Who doesn’t love seeing ducks inside a hotel lobby?!?!

At this point, we were very tired from traveling, so we picked up BBQ (a must in Memphis) and headed back to the RV. We ate at Central BBQ, but there are many options. Memphis is known for its BBQ.

Because we got in on a Sunday in the late afternoon, many museums were closed. I wish we could have visited the many wonderful museums that center around the rich African American history that is present in Memphis. Specifically, the Civil Rights Museum which walks you through slavery in the 1600s up until current day. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, so there are many places to visit and history to learn about here.

Have you visited Memphis or are you planning a trip? We would love to hear from you!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Our RVing Story: How We Got Started

Just imagine a typical American family. Mom and Dad both work full-time. Mom, an accountant, and Dad in sales, have three kids in a suburban neighborhood outside of Austin. The three kids either go to school or daycare until about 5:30pm every day. The week nights are filled with tutoring, sports, or homework. The weekends are filled with activities and more sports, cleaning the house and just trying to rest until the week starts all over again. Half our money goes to daycare and the other half goes to our mortgage. We have a few date nights a month and maybe one week long vacation a year. Our financial situation was sad. We needed a change.

Insert a random radio ad for an RV show right up the road from our house one weekend in the summer of 2019. I dragged Zach to the RV show to “just look”. We both wanted something different. We knew we always thought differently than our neighbors and friends, but we didn’t know how to make our dreams a reality. Our dreams consisted of traveling NOW, not waiting until the kids were “out of the house”. But, financially we had no idea how to make this happen.

So, back to the RV show. We spent ALL DAY there. Looking at RVs and talking about the crazy dream of what life would look like living in one full-time. I had been watching YouTube families do it, but neither one of us had ever lived in one, pulled one, Zach had never even spent one night in an RV. But, for some reason the idea to make this happen stuck. We started researching everything we could about RVs. What we would need, how much everything would cost, etc. But, there was one big problem, we still had a house, a ton of ‘stuff’ and jobs that wouldn’t allow for full-time traveling.

Cue, Covid. Thankfully, our market in the Austin area is crazy right now, so we were able to sell our house in a day. Don’t think it wasn’t incredibly difficult for me to sell our first family home, it was! I had extreme anxiety. You are completely normal if you feel the same way.

Our plan was to move into an apartment until we could find an RV to buy and downsize into an apartment to make sure we could really live as a family of 5 in a tiny space. So, that is what we did. We signed a 6 month lease and moved in right when Covid hit. Covid allowed my husband to work from home full-time and also made it easier for me to leave my job. So, over the 6 months at the apartment, we found our RV and purchased it, found a company to add some upgrades to our RV, downsized some more, and got pregnant with our FOURTH CHILD! I know we are crazy.

When the lease was up at the apartment in August/September, we moved into our RV and parked for a month until we got adjusted to the RV life. Then, we decided to get a move on and start traveling. And we haven’t looked back! We have already seen 12 states in the 5 months we have been living in our RV. Talk about an adventure!

Is it hard? Yes. Is it fun? Most of the time. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! We get to spend WAY more time with our kids and each other then we did before. We have seen WAY more places then most people see in a lifetime. And you can too! The process was certainly not as simple as this article makes it (we can and will make many more detailed posts on every decision), but we wanted to tell you the broad story.

Are you thinking about going full-time? Do you have questions for us? Do you want to know more specifics about our journey?

We would love to hear from you!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Less Than 24 Hours in Savannah, Georgia – Part 2

What we did (and recommend):

What we did (and DO NOT recommend):

Parking your RV overnight at the Savannah Visitors Center (Part 2)

CONTINUED FROM PART 1…

The first place we walked to was Forsyth Park. The park was created in the 1840s and has the most famous fountain in Savannah (see picture above). We let the kids release some energy and play at the playscapes and run around on the huge lawns. The parks resemble Central Park in New York mixed with Paris, France. Very gorgeous! If we were kidless, we would have walked through the park all night.

After the park, we walked down to River Street, which is a beautiful cobblestone walkway along the Savannah River. They have bars, shops, restaurants, and candy shops that are rich with history and delicious treats. They have an elevator that can get you down to River Street, which can be found to the right of the Hyatt Regency and behind the Savannah City Hall. The elevator is slightly hidden, so keep your eyes peeled. Otherwise, you will need to take one of the many long staircases to reach River Street.

Last, but certainly not least, was our experience with the local police. Zach had read many reviews that said that RVs could park overnight at the Savannah Visitor’s Center. When we got there however, this was no longer the case. Not only were the RV spots not large enough for our 36’ travel trailer, but the rules had changed. We didn’t have a plan B for a place to stay for the night, so we decided to risk it and see if we would get kicked out. The Savannah Vistor’s Center was closed due to Covid, so we thought there wouldn’t be any security lurking around. Boy were we wrong!

At about 1:30am, while everyone was sleeping, we got awoken by a police siren and flashing lights. The officer told us we couldn’t stay. Boo! We pulled all the sleeping kids out of the RV and packed back up. I think the officer felt terrible when he saw us dragging our three sleeping kids out and he left. We ended up driving 3 hours in the middle of the night until we came to a rest stop and got a few hours of sleep before the kids woke up. We were so tired and chalked it up to a learning experience.

Although our overnight plans didn’t work out, we would *HIGHLY* recommend visiting Savannah for a weekend, a week, or 24 hours. We hope you get the opportunity to visit. If you do, please let us know how you liked it and what was your favorite/least favorite thing about Savannah!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Less Than 24 Hours in Savannah, Georgia – Part 1

Less than 24 hours is all we had, but we made the most of it in our RV! We also ended our stay with an unexpected visit from the local police in the middle of the night, but more about that later.

What we did (and recommend):

What we did (and DO NOT recommend):

Parking your RV overnight at the Savannah Visitors Center (Part 2)

First off, I want to preface this post with saying that we LOVED Savannah and will definitely be going back to visit and explore more. Not only does it have a *TON* of history, but the city is perfectly quaint and simply gorgeous. All of the fountains and squares were so idyllic and Forrest Gump’s famous scene on the park bench with the box of chocolates was filmed here.

The Old Town Trolley Tour was the *perfect* choice for our quick trip. We hopped on at the Savannah Visitor’s Center, which is where our RV was parked. At our first stop, a lady came onto the trolley and we paid for our tickets right there on the bus. Then, you can hop on-or-off at any of their 15 stops. The trolley runs from 9am to 5pm and a trolley comes by every 20 minutes. They even have a few ‘characters’ that come on the trolley at some of the stops and reenact characters from Savannah’s history. The kids loved it!

We rode the trolley about half way and got off at The Pirate’s House for lunch. Our trolley driver recommended and advertised this restaurant as a good and affordable buffet. We didn’t quite make the buffet, but the food was tasty and they had a lady dressed as a pirate come around and entertain the kids for a few minutes.

The Pirate’s House is a part of Savannah’s history. The building was an inn and tavern for sailors and pirates visiting Savannah back in the 1700s. In the back right of the restaurant is a part of the original building that you can walk through. Upstairs, they have a little gift shop with pirate trinkets.

After lunch, we hopped back on the trolley and finished the tour, since we had started late and the trolley was about to close. We felt Savannah was small enough to trek on foot and go back to the sights we had seen on the trolley, so that is what we did next.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2…

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Amazon Finds for Kids (for no screen days)

Some days we are ALL for the screen time, BUT some days we feel like our kids need a break. For those days, I have created a little list of things we are currently using (and enjoying). I incorporate these games and activities either as breaks during school time, quiet time while the littles (or mom) are napping, or supplements to our normal schoolwork. Can you say FRIDAYS when we are all DONE!

I purchased all of these off of Amazon, because we were moving around a lot in our RV and I need reliable pickup times and locations. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t LOVE Amazon.

Brain Quest Cards

My kids and I enjoy learning random facts and with all the car time traveling, these are fun to read. Brixton (5 years old) and I read his cards together before nap time and he really enjoys them. They challenge the kids enough, but are still “fun”. Plus, I had them when I was a kid and remembered how much I enjoyed them. Don’t tell my kids that, they might not want to read them anymore.

Ticket to Ride

SUPER FUN GAME ALERT! The adults and kids in our family enjoy this game! Brixton and I usually are on a team, but Knoxton (9 years old) plays by himself. The goal is to get the most points by building trains across North America. The company sells different versions, like Europe or Asia, so you can pick what would interest your family most. Maybe your kids are learning about Africa in school this year and you would like to reinforce geography, while incorporating fun game play.

Circuit Maze

The boys can play this one by themselves. The cards give them a starting point of which pieces they will need and they have to finish the circuit puzzle and make the lights light up. The cards range from easy to expert, so even my five-year-old enjoys this one by himself. He loves puzzles and solving things, so this one fit the bill.

No Stress Chess and Magnetic Chess Board

We have started teaching the boys to play chess as an extracurricular. No Stress Chess has a board which (1) shows where the pieces go and (2) has cards where Brixton can draw a card which shows him a piece he should move and HOW the piece moves. Knoxton on the other hand doesn’t need the help and caught on fairly quickly. The magnetic chess board is great if you are in the car a lot or if you have a 1 year old sister who likes to disrupt a game and hit the board, destroying the entire game. Sigh.

Aqua Magic Doodle Mat

NO MESS and GREAT FOR YOUNG KIDS! Lawsyn (1 years old) loves to play on this. It is a mat that she draws on with “pens” and “paintbrushes” you fill with water. The water eventually evaporates and leaves the mat clean again. I also use this with my big kids when they are practicing their spelling words or dictation.

Design and Drill Activity Center

Honestly, all my kids still play with this toy. This is a plastic board with screws and a battery powered screwdriver and regular screwdriver. It reinforces fine motor skills and introduces STEM. Pattern cards are included so the older kids can try and duplicate the design, but they also like to create their own designs as well.

I hope this helps get your brain flowing and helps to give you ideas to keep your kids entertained, while also feeling good about what they are doing.

Let me know what your kids enjoy playing with! I love hearing from other people what their kids enjoy.

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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EASY Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

When you live in an RV, propane gas is LIFE. When you run out of gas, it is not only a pain in the rear to fill-up, but it can be terrifying when you have three kids in freezing temperatures and you can’t heat up your RV. So, I try to use our Instant Pot as much as possible for cooking to conserve our gas AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE when in those situations.

I am a huge supporter of using what you have in regards to food, so I have adapted this recipe from the SkinnyTaste recipe to something that requires less ingredients and is basically a dump-and-go recipe for those busy nights or exhausting days. Here is our instant pot.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients:

32oz. – frozen, cooked meatballs
24oz. – Raos Homemade Marinara (or any spaghetti sauce)
12oz. – uncooked spaghetti pasta
12-16oz. – water

Directions:

Put the meatballs and marinara in the instant pot and mix together.
Break the uncooked spaghetti in half and place on top of the sauce and meatballs.
Then, put enough water to cover the pasta. DO NOT STIR TOGETHER! I just pour the water into the marinara jar to get the last bit of sauce left in there.
Select “Manual” on the instant pot and then select the time based on what the pasta box says, plus 1 minute. So, if the spaghetti box says 10 minutes, I do 11 minutes. If your family prefers ‘al dente’, then keep with what the pasta box says and set it for 10 minutes.
Then, the instant pot will automatically start once the lid is locked in place.
When the time is up, do ‘quick release”, which means you slide the nob on top to either left or right so the pressure releases.
When the pot is unlocked, your spaghetti and meatballs are ready!

We like to serve ours with bread (garlic, bread sticks, or toast) and a ridiculous amount of cheese.

Other adaptations:

We sometimes use ground beef instead of meatballs. Just brown the meat on the ‘Saute’ setting before putting the sauce in.
Usually, I will throw in half a cut-up onion and a couple of smashed garlic cloves to add additional flavor (if I have it on hand). Just ‘Saute’ those ingredients BEFORE you add the sauce and other ingredients.
We have also used Ziti and Bowtie pasta and they have both turned out great. Just make sure and follow the time directions above and add 1 minute to whatever the packaging says.

We hope you enjoy this simple and super quick recipe. Let me know what you think!

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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Angel Fire, New Mexico

We planned our trip to New Mexico MONTHS ago, before restrictions in New Mexico got crazy, before my family backed out, before we had the supplies needed to survive in the Rockies in our RV. We thought it was going to be a fun time with family and we thought dragging our RV up those long windy roads was the best decision (to save costs). Little did we know, it was going to be a CHALLENGE and probably more expensive than just staying in a hotel!

What we did (and recommend) in Angel Fire and surrounding area:

Angel Fire Resort
El Jefe – Angel Fire
Blake’s Lotaburger (probably better than Whataburger) – Taos
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – right outside of Taos

What we wish we did:

Horse carriage ride – Angel Fire
Shopping in Taos
Sledding/tubing – Angel Fire

Angel Fire has a few restaurants, an over-priced grocery store (Lowe’s) and the Angel Fire Resort. Taos, on the other hand, is an actual small town with many food options, grocery stores, and skiing. When we would need to get our 20-gallon propane tanks filled, we would need to go into Taos, because the propane company in Angel Fire wasn’t filling up individual tanks at the time. Sigh. But the 40 minute drive was BEAUTIFUL.

Luckily, Angel Fire Ski Resort was still open during the pandemic, but they were taking reservations for ski passes, so we scheduled ski school and the lift passes a month out (just in case). I am 7 months pregnant and we have a 1.5 year old, so we were not going to be able to go with them. Ugh. Next time. The boys attended ski school their first day (Knoxton – 9, Brixton – 5) and then skied with Zach the second day. Zach had a three-day lift ticket, so he could enjoy some “alone time” skiing.

The boys loved ski school. It was an all day school from 8am to 3:30pm. They serve the kids lunch and snacks, so I didn’t have to worry about a thing! The lifts on the mountain close at 4pm, so we were able to see their progress right after ski school before everything shut down. Knoxton rode a bunny slope lift up by himself and zoomed on down to us. We were impressed since this was his first day skiing EVER. Brixton on the other hand was mad we wouldn’t let him ride up the lift by himself. He was also carrying on about how the instructor in ski school promised the kids they would go on a lift before the day was up and she never did. He kept saying that she was a liar (insert eye roll).

The next day, Zach took them both skiing all day long from 9am to 4pm. They were riding blue slopes before lunchtime, which is two levels above bunny slope and one level below black diamond. They came home that night stating they wanted to become professional skiers when they grow up and ride black diamond slopes the next time we come back.

When I picked them up from skiing, we decided to try out El Jefe (a Mexican Restaurant), which is a stone’s throw from the ski lifts. It was pretty darn good.

Another recommendation to go see is the Rio Grande Gorge. When you drive Northwest out of Taos on HWY 64, you are driving across fairly flat land that is surrounded by mountains on almost all sides. You don’t expect much, that is until you get to the Rio Grande Gorge. All I can say is WOW! Such an incredible beauty. If you are driving from Taos, we recommend that you cross over the bridge and park at the rest area on the left. You can walk across the bridge and walk along the gorge from there.

Let us know what you thought of Angel Fire and Taos. Do you have any recommendations of what to do when we come back?

XO,

The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife

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