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Travel Insurance for a Summer Road Trip in Hurricane Season: What We Bought
June 3, 2025We insured $873 of prepaid cabin, hotel and campsite costs for $41. What we compared, what the policy covered and what it didn't.
A Backyard Campout for Maya's Ninth Birthday
May 27, 2025Five third graders, one dome tent, a flashlight scavenger hunt and a 6 a.m. wake-up call from a mockingbird. How the night went.
Ice Math and Our First Good Cooler
May 20, 2025We spent $189 on a 45-quart hard cooler before the Smokies. How we figured the ice savings and what we'd tell our cheap-cooler selves.
Rent a Minivan or Drive the Pilot 2,400 Miles? Our Actual Math
May 13, 2025We priced an 11-day minivan rental against tires, oil and gas on our own SUV. The quote, the numbers and what we decided.
Planning a Smokies Road Trip From Miami Around the Helene Closures
May 6, 2025Two weeks, two kids, a tent and some North Carolina roads still closed. How we picked the Tennessee side and built the route.
Why We Booked Bahia Honda for Next March Before We Owned a Camper
April 28, 2025Eleven months out, at 8 a.m., we grabbed a site with water and electric. The reasoning, the cost and our plan if we're still in a tent.
Breakfast Burritos We Wrap at Home and Reheat at Camp
April 17, 2025Twelve burritos rolled on a Thursday night means no cooking before a morning hike. Our fillings, the foil method and how long they keep.
Curry Hammock in a Spring Break Wind: Three Nights in Marathon
April 3, 2025Twenty-mph wind, a tent staked with every rock we could find, kayaking at sunrise and what three nights in the Middle Keys cost us.
Pie Iron Cuban Sandwiches, Ranked by Two Very Honest Kids
March 24, 2025Ham, roast pork, Swiss, pickles and mustard in a cast-iron pie iron. The four versions we tried and the one Maya and Nico voted for.