Days #56-57 of Our Epic Trip

12-27-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

We had fun running some errands today. We stopped at a large antique mall in Wildwood, FL and had fun looking at some unique items. Then we went to a Habitat for Humanity Restore looking for a small piece of insulation for the camper where it was damaged during the tire blowout in Georgia. We finished our day with grocery shopping and a trip to Lowe’s with the boys. Once we got back to the camper, we cooked a lot of food for our planned adventures tomorrow.


12-28-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

We went with Mike to the Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, FL for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch. 13,000 people bought tickets to the space center today. Before the launch, we watched an IMAX movie on the James Webb Space Telescope which was pretty interesting. Three hours prior to the launch, we had to stake out spots in the viewing area because it was packed. Luckily, we got front row seats. The launch lit up the night sky and we heard the sonic booms as the boosters came back down. Seeing this launch was on Daniel’s bucket list and I’m so happy we could do it.

Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
SpaceX launch at Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Waiting for launch
SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch at Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $141.66

Miles driven: 48.8 (11.0 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


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#KennedySpaceCenter #SpaceXLaunch #WildwoodFL #WildwoodFlorida #Florida #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #MerrittIslandFL #MerrittIslandFlorida

Days #54-55 of Our Epic Trip

12-25-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

Merry Christmas! Daniel and I spent the day at our campsite and it was perfect. It rained in the morning but was warm. We made a plate of leftovers and walked to the recreation center at the campground to eat with other campers. We met a family who has been full-time RVing since 2011.

Daniel and Kristin at Christmas party at Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Christmas dinner with fellow campers

We also enjoyed a pretty sunset while we sat outside having a drink.

Christmas sunset at Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Christmas sunset

12-26-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

We went to see the Tesla Cybertruck on display at a mall in Tampa, FL. We are on the list to purchase one and Daniel is really excited about it. I’m glad it’s lower to the ground than other trucks because the boys will be able to jump in by themselves. We also saw the Optimus robot and the Cyberquad for Kids.

Daniel and Mike with Tesla Cybertruck display in Tampa, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Daniel and the Tesla Optimus robot in Tampa, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Daniel and the Tesla Cyberquad for Kids in Tampa, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $32.10

Miles driven: 21.7 (5.9 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1


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#TeslaCybertruck #TeslaOptimus #TeslaCyberquadforKids #CampingChristmas #Florida #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #ThousandTrailsThreeFlags #WildwoodFL #WildwoodFlorida #TampaFL #TampaFlorida

Days #52-53 of Our Epic Trip

12-23-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

It was a high of 74°F today so we spent the day outside at our campsite. The cows were in the field with their babies next to our campsite. The sun was shining. Daniel wore shorts and I wore a dress. Warm weather in December is still novel for us. I made a lot of food including a lasagna which Daniel loves. It was an amazing and relaxing day.

Cows near Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
View from our campsite

12-24-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

We had Christmas Eve dinner at Mike and Diane’s. I made sautéd collard greens, whole wheat bread, lentils, and hummus. We baked a Tofurkey too. I’ve never had Tofurkey but it was much better than I thought it would be. We watched some football with Diane and Mike.

We had two Sand Hill Cranes visit our campsite while we were cooking. We were inside the camper and heard them call out very loudly. They were right next to our white picket fence looking in the camper! Unfortunately, Peter ran out and and scared them away but they still stayed close. We’re not sure what they wanted but Daniel tried to feed them chickpeas.

Sand hill cranes visit Thousand Trails Three Flags campground in Wildwood, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Our visitors

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $0

Miles driven: 19.4 (5.8 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

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#SandHillCranes #Cows #ThousandTrailsThreeFlags #Florida #WildwoodFL #WildwoodFlorida #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Days #50-51 of Our Epic Trip

12-21-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

After spending all day at Universal Studios yesterday, we needed a rest day. One thing about traveling full-time is that it’s not a constant vacation because you still need to rest and relax and do daily living activities. So we relaxed most of the day and then went grocery shopping.


12-22-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

It’s Daniel’s birthday! He is finally old enough to get the America the Beautiful Senior Lifetime Pass for national parks! We spent most of the day with Mike and Diane. They treated us to a wonderful lunch at a Mexican restaurant where we could sit on the patio with the boys (thanks guys!). Then Diane watched the boys while Mike drove us to a Tesla dealership which had had a Cybertruck for viewing. Unfortunately, the Cybertruck was transferred to Tampa two days ago. It was a nice drive though. We also enjoyed just relaxing while watching some TV at Mike and Diane’s.

Daniel, Peter, and Marcel enjoying a cuddle. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Birthday snuggles

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $125.27

Miles driven: 49.1 (14.1 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


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#Dogs #Birthday #Florida #AmericalTheBeautifulSeniorPass #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Days #48-49 of Our Epic Trip

12-19-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

We mostly relaxed today. Daniel picked up some things from the grocery store while I made dog food. We dropped the boys off at Diane and Mike’s because they are spending the night. They weren’t even concerned about us leaving. Are my feelings hurt? Yes, but I’m glad they feel comfortable there.


12-20-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

Today we went to Universal Studios! Going to the Harry Potter parks has been on my bucket list. We got up early so we could spend the whole day enjoying the sights and rides. The amount of detail that went into creating the experience was amazing. Daniel and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The best ride was Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure which was fast and had some unexpected features that we had never experienced on a rollercoaster. We also had some butterbeer with vegan cream topping which was expensive but we are so glad we got to taste it.

Daniel and Kristin at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Waiting to go into the park
Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Hogwarts Castle
Daniel at Hogwarts Castle in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Inside Hogwarts Castle
Diagon Alley in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Owl Post
Diagon Alley at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Diagon Alley at night

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $114.78

Miles driven: 142.9 (49 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1


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#HarryPotter #UniversalStudios #Florida #OrlandoFL #OrlandoFlorida #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #AdultsatPlay

Day #47 of Our Epic Trip

12-18-2023
Thousand Trails Three Flags, Wildwood, Florida

Since we only stayed at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park for two nights, we didn’t have a lot to pack up. We took the boys for a nice walk in the Florida sunshine this morning while drinking our coffee.

We headed south to stay for two weeks near Daniel’s sister and brother-in-law at Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood, FL. We totally lucked out with our site. They drove us around in a golf cart to show us the available sites: one surrounded by other campers and another gloriously large site on the edge of the campground with views of a cow pasture. We didn’t hesitate in selecting our site. We watched a mother cow with her baby and saw a herd of wild bore.

Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
View from site 148

Daniel’s sister and brother-in-law, Diane and Mike, stopped by our campsite after we finished setting up. It was nice to see them and catch up a little. They boys remembered them and were so happy to see them.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $0 (Thousand Trails)
  • Camping memberships: $3.73
  • Food: $0

Miles driven: 119.3 (91.1 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 1


Happy Vegan Campers

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#Florida #ThousandTrailsThreeFlags #WildwoodFL #WildwoodFlorida #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Hummus (Vegan, Oil free)

We love hummus. I mean eat-it-everyday love. We put it on most dishes we make. It gives a creamy taste to meals. Hummus helped me to transition away from dairy cheese.

We use dried beans because they taste so much better. We keep the chickpeas we’ve prepared in the refrigerator in Silipint 30 oz lidded bowls so they are ready for whenever we want to make hummus. We also keep “hummus prep” in small lidded silicone cups, filled with all the other ingredients like lemon juice, garlic, and chili powder, stocked in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups cooked chickpeas or one and a half 15 oz cans chickpeas, liquid drained
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste (can also use salt alternative)
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 3-4 tbsp unsweetened soy or almond milk
  • 8 drops of hot sauce (like Tabasco) or 1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients in blender or NutriBullet and blend, adding soy milk as necessary for ease of blending.

Notes:

  • We use half salt and half salt alternative like potassium or No Salt
  • This recipe has some spicy heat. If you do not like a lot of spice, reduce the hot sauce or chili powder

This post contains affiliate links which do not cost you anything but we may earn a small commission which may help offset the cost of this website.

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#vegan #hummus #EasyVegan #OilFreeHummus

Day #46 of Our Epic Trip

12-17-223
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs, Florida

We are staying at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, FL. Last night, Marcel wanted to go outside several times while it was raining. We both heard a weird clucking noise that started about a minute after we got outside. The weeds also rustled. I’m assuming they were frogs but they seemed a little aggressive. Marcel was scared and refused to go potty.

This morning, we were enjoying coffee when suddenly the power went out in the campground. It’s just raining with a little wind but nothing horrible so we aren’t sure why we lost power. Luckily, it’s warm today and we have a gas water heater.

We went to the Stephen Foster museum at the state park. He was an 1800s American song composer of over 200 songs, most notably “Oh! Suzanna”. The museum had the most detailed dioramas we have ever seen. They were automated and each one depicted a scene from one of his songs.

Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park Museum in White Springs, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Stephen Foster Museum

We also explored White Springs, FL which used to be a tourist destination in the 1800s due to a sulfur spring touted for medicinal properties. You cannot go on the platform over the spring due to disrepair but you can walk up to it and read about it. There used to be many luxury hotels in the area but the only one still standing is the Telford Hotel. It has had many uses over the years including being the home of a radio station which discussed conspiracy theories. It appears to be currently vacant.

Telford Hotel in White Springs, Florida. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Telford Hotel

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $34.70
  • Camping memberships: $3.73
  • Food: $0

Miles driven: 11.1 (3.8 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

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#WhiteSpringsFL #TelfordHotel #Florida WhiteSpringsFlorida #StephenFoster #Diorama #OhSuzanna #SulphurSprings #1800Resort #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Days #44-45 of Our Epic Trip

12-15-2023
Southern Trails RV Resort, Unadilla, Georgia

We are leaving Georgia tomorrow so we spent the day doing laundry and cooking enough food to last a few days. I made a lasagna using tofu and okara to substitute the ricotta cheese along with sautéd greens and mushrooms. It was so good. I can definitely relate to Garfield.

We did manage to squeeze in a fun activity at the campground: putt-putt. Daniel was the clear winner today but, in my defense, I didn’t have my glasses on and I’d had a couple adult beverages.


12-16-2023
Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs, Florida

We packed up and traveled to Florida. During the drive, we had a major mishap on the road: a tire blow-out on the camper. Luckily, we had a spare tire for the camper so Daniel was able to change it. The shredded tire did some damage to the body of the camper but Daniel thinks he can fix it. We really appreciated the semi-trucks who switched lanes when driving by us because they can really rock the camper when in the lane right next to us. Our next stop was Discount Tire in Valdosta, GA to purchase two new tires. Don’t want this to happen again!

Camper damage caused by tire blow out. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.

Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $44.20
  • Camping memberships: $7.46
  • Food: $38.70

Miles driven: 167.1 (128.7 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 2


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#CamperTireBlowout #Georgia #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #DiscountTire #RVTireBlowout

Day #43 of Our Epic Trip

12-14-2023
Southern Trails RV Resort, Unadilla, Georgia

Today we went to Savannah, GA. The entire city is a National Historic Landmark District. It is a beautiful city with moss everywhere, friendly people, and tons and tons of history.

We started our adventure in a cemetery, the Bonaventure Cemetery, which was named as one of the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world by CNN. “Bonaventure” is Italian for “good fortune”. It was a beautiful, peaceful space with graves from the 1700s.

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Road in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.

We walked around the River Street Boardwalk and admired some of the older buildings and cobble stone streets. Definitely not ot a place to walk around wearing high heels. We took the boys and they loved it.

River Street Boardwalk in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.

Savannah has squares or little parks every couple of blocks. We walked through several of them and imagined how lively they might be during warmer weather. They were designed to be gathering places for the residents of the surrounding homes. We also walked by the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist and the childhood home of the founder of the Girl Scouts.

Park in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Childhood home of the founder of Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.

Next we went to the American Prohibition Museum. We don’t usually like to pay a lot for attractions but we both agree it was worth it for this museum. Here are some of the things we learned:

  • Prior to Prohibition, 40% of all US taxes were paid by brewers and distillers. An astounding 75% of New York’s budget was from liquor taxes.
  • The first income tax was passed the year prior to Prohibition to replace lost revenue from liquor taxes.
  • One could legally make beer and hard cider at home for personal use.
  • Grocery stores sold packages of dehydrated grapes that contained mock warnings on the labels. Customers were told not to put the ingredients in a corked jug and set it in a dark place for three weeks because it would turn into wine.
  • The birth of NASCAR took place on dirt tracks in rural, southern pastures when liquor haulers would gather to test their racing skills and compete for bragging rights. They risked jail time and their lives as they traveled dangerous terrain, avoiding the police, to deliver liquor.
  • In the 1920s, the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) membership was about 15% of the eligible population, about 5 million men. The KKK was in support of prohibition but it was partly due to their zealous enforcement of the ban on alcohol that prohibition lost its favor with the general public and was finally overturned.
American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Hanging with local drunks
American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
Daniel about to experience the wrath of hatchet-wielding Carry Nation.
American Prohibition Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers.
KKK on a ferris wheel (the most ridiculous picture I’ve seen in a long time) c. 1925

We ended our day with dinner at Hungry Vegan, a wonderful southern soul food eatery. We were warmly welcomed by two wonderful ladies. We cannot understate how good the food was. Daniel had Salisbury Steak (vegan, of course) and I had fried cauliflower. We also had mac and cheese, collard greens, okra, and other veggies. Everything was delicious and we left completely satiated. Unfortunately, we learned this establishment has been the target of racism. If you are ever in Savannah, please visit Hungry Vegan and show them some love.


Stats

Expenses:

  • Tow vehicle fuel: $0
  • Campsite: $9.50 (RPI)
  • Camping memberships: $3.73
  • Food: $44.58

Miles driven: 362.5 (125.2 kWh)

Number of people asking about the Tesla pulling the camper: 0


Happy Vegan Campers

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#HungryVegan #HungryVeganSavannahGA #AmericanProhibitionMuseum #BonaventureCemetery #SavannahGA #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #NationalHistoricLandmarkDistrict #RiverStreetBoardwalk #ProhibitionFacts #Georgia #SavannahGeorgia