Mammoth Cave was a stop on the way home from Tennessee. We didn't plan this part of the trip out, it was a last minute decision to stop and take a tour. We were amazed by the cave system and would have loved to take a longer tour, but we had a long drive ahead of us so we did the self-guided tour. If we had more time, I would have loved to camp in the park and hike around. The weather was raining and in the 60's and with the time restraint, we didn't do any hiking. The nice thing about Mammoth Cave is that its a great place to explore whether you have a whole day or only a few hours. We definitely felt like the stop was worth it!

The Great Smoky Mountains was our first long trip as a family. ​This was our first long trip with our camper. From Wisconsin, our drive is about 13 hours to get to Pigeon Forge. We were a little nervous how our kids would do with traveling this far, but they ended up being amazing travelers. This is the trip that made us fall in love with traveling!!
Tips for Traveling with Children
A little pre-planning on our part, made the ride go smoothly. First of all we packed plenty of snacks and drinks for all of us. Our kids really enjoy movies, but we have a 4 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. The kids definitely have different interests so for that reason we have two portable DVD players so the kids can watch their own movies. We also surprised the kids with a couple small gifts along the way, coloring books and they each got a new release movie. When the kids were getting bored in the car, we allowed them to open a gift and this helped keep them entertained and happy for awhile. Our son gets motion sickness so reading books and playing video games is off the table for him, but luckily he can watch movies as long as we keep the screen attached to the headrest in front of him. We left home after work and drove about 6 hours.
Free Overnight Stay at Walmart
We have heard from other people that you can sleep in Wal-mart parking lots for free. So when we were getting tired we looked for Walmarts near us and called ahead to make sure we could park overnight. For our first experience it was great! We were able to find a dark and quiet place to park and slept in our camper overnight. We woke up in the morning refreshed, we were able to make breakfast and coffee, then we were on our way for the last half of the drive. Many Walmarts allow you to park overnight and we take full advantage. Just a warning, not all Walmarts allow this, so always call or check online before parking overnight.
Camping
We made reservations at a KOA in Pigeon Forge. It was a great location and had plenty of activities for the kids to enjoy. The kids loved the jump pad and swimming pool, yes we are those crazy people from Wisconsin that swim when it’s in the 70’s!! After long days of hiking, it was nice to come back and relax while the kids had plenty to keep them entertained.

Hiking
Cades Cove was a great hike. From Pigeon Forge it was a day trip so we packed a lunch and set out for an adventure. When we showed up the weather was looking glum. We found the waterfall hike we wanted, parked, and set out for a hike. Not even a mile in, it started to downpour. We found a little place under some trees to hide and decided to head back to the car. We sat in the car and ate our lunch. About 20 minutes of downpouring and the weather changed. We were so happy that we decided to wait it out. We set out on our 2.5 mile hike it was a little muddy, but way better than hiking in the rain. My husband carries Mia in a hiking backpack.

​            We love exploring the outdoors in our backyard and beyond with our two kids. We live in a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. We have a big garden, raise chickens, and we are also beginners with beekeeping. The outdoors are a huge part of our lives! Besides enjoying our backyard, we get out camping as often as we can. We recently upgraded to a 40 foot 5th wheel camper and try to get out on adventures as often as possible. Some of our favorite camping memories are at State and National Parks. I am really excited to share our experiences with you! I hope you enjoy reading about our family's outdoor adventures and I hope you get a chance to get out and explore nature as well!