Trip Planning & Budgets
We Cancelled Our Labor Day Keys Trip. Here's What We Got Back
September 4, 2025A tropical system in the forecast, a call to make four days out and $24.45 in fees lost. How our state park cancellation actually worked.
What Two Weeks in the Smokies and Savannah Cost a Family of Four
July 11, 2025Eleven nights, about 2,400 miles and $2,940 total. Every category from gas and campsites to the cat sitter, plus what we'd cut.
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.
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.
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.
Booking a Florida State Park Campsite 11 Months Out
February 26, 2025The 8 a.m. booking window, the backup sites we keep ready, what the fees add up to and why we book trips we're not sure we'll take.
Our 2025 Camping Calendar, Built Around Baseball Season and 12-Hour Shifts
January 8, 2025How a PE teacher, a respiratory therapist and two kids map a year of trips around tryouts, shift swaps, school breaks and Florida weather.