Happy Vegan Campers

Day #22 of Our Epic Trip

11-23-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

It’s Thanksgiving and our first holiday on the road. We were lucky enough to share our meal with Tim, the owner of the campground. It was awesome to have Thanksgiving outside – something neither of us have ever experienced. Tim also showed us his house. It’s about 600 sf and he built it himself. His house is very nice (he even built a platform for his lazy-boy so he could see the campground better – it’s like a throne!). Tim is full of info and we enjoy spending time with him. We feel lucky to count him as a new friend.

Thanksgiving with friend at R and R RV Campground in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Our Thanksgiving

We were blessed with a “moon-bow”, as Daniel refers to it, or lunar halo (the term I learned by googling).

Lunar halo at campsite at R and R RV Campground in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Moon-bow

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping Memberships: $3.73
Food: $0

Miles driven: 0

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

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Happy Vegan Campers are traveling the country and building a passive house! Any suggestions on places we should visit or questions about our house? Love our recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or send us an email:
happyvegancampers@gmail.com

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#VeganThanksgiving #NewFriends #Tennessee #DunlapTN #DunlapTennessee #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Day #21 of Our Epic Trip

11-22-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

Daniel and I planned our menu for Thanksgiving – nothing fancy since will be just the two of us.

We went to Tim’s brother’s house to have a tour of a barndominium. He designed and built most of the house himself. It was neat to be in a space similar to what we are planning but we both felt that the building might be too big for our needs.

Then we braved Walmart (“Walmarts” if you’re talking to Daniel) to get a few last minute items for Thanksgiving. It wasn’t as busy as we thought it would be.

We purchased a camping membership, Resort Parks International (RPI), which gives us a discount on camping at participating campgrounds. Since Thousand Trails mostly has campgrounds on the coasts, we needed options for less expensive camping in central states. RPI is purchased through campgrounds so Daniel called several and the prices ranged from $4000+ to the option we chose. We purchased our RPI through Big Buck Resort and Campground in Tennessee for $362.25.

We also purchased another camping membership, Passport America, which gives us half off the regular camping fee at participating campgrounds. It was only $22 with a Black Friday deal so it was a no brainer for us.

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping Memberships: $3.73
Food: $8.90

Miles driven: 42 (17.5 kWh)

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

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#CampingMemberships #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Day #20 of Our Epic Trip

11-21-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

It rained all last night so we made coffee and went up to our property. Daniel wanted to see how the road was draining and I wanted to see our waterfalls. Apparently, there has been a drought in this area for some time. A lot of the streams are seasonal but the one on our property continuously trickles. Our lower waterfall is still only trickling. It seems water from the upper waterfall disappears into the ground and doesn’t make it to the lower waterfall.

Sound on!

Peter and Marcel had so much fun running around in the rain and they got so dirty! I’m sure it was worth it but they did not like being bathed when we got back to the camper.

Peter dirty after playing in mud in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Peter is covered in dirt.

Dan, an excavator, came to look at the house site to give us a quote on a septic field, site pad, fixing the road, etc. He’s a very nice guy and we look forward to potentially doing business with him.

We found out today that the man we purchased our property from recently shot and killed his wife. Motive is unknown at this point. This is shocking news to us because we spent several hours with him walking around the property before we bought it. Our impression was that he was aloof but we never suspected something like this. And… he pointed out the possible grave on our property. Hmmm… He said it was possible civil war era but now we’re wondering.

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping memberships: $2.68
Food: $0

Miles driven: 10.2 (4.3 kWh)

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

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#dogs #waterfalls #Tennessee #DunlapTN #DunlapTennessee #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Day #19 of Our Epic Trip

11-20-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

We like listening to podcasts and one of our favorites is Morbid. We follow Morbid on Amazon Music but you can listen wherever you access podcasts. The most recent episode we’ve listened to is pretty interesting but, spoiler alert, it’s probably a hoax.

Morbid Episode 182 “The Dybbuk Box”

We drove up some mountain roads including the road that the dog, Fredonia Fred, used to live on. There is a memorial for him. It looks like he was well loved by the community. Here’s an article about him: Fredonia Fred

Then we drove into Chattanooga. Daniel wanted to check on the location of his upcoming test. We stopped at Mellow Mushroom for vegan pizza. We don’t usually eat greasy foods but once in a while we’ll eat something like pizza. It was really good!

Tim, the campground owner, came to see us when we got home. He invited us to tour his brother’s house, a barndominium. We are excited to visit and “feel” the space.

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping memberships: $3.67
Food: $78.34

Miles driven: 142.4 (39.8 kWh)

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

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#MorbidPodcast #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Penne and Chickpeas with Spinach (vegan, WFPB)

Happy Vegan Campers recipe penne and chickpeas with spinach

This is an easy recipe and it tastes so good. It’s one of our new favorites.

Ingredients:

8 to 12 ounces uncooked penne

¼ cup water

5 garlic cloves, minced

9 to 12 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup vegetable broth

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until it is tender, about 10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the water in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, chickpeas, basil, fennel seeds (if using) and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 2 minutes longer to blend the flavors. Keep warm over low heat.

3. Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot. Add the spinach mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve hot.

Tips: Use your favorite greens instead of spinach. Sprinkle with pine nuts or walnut pieces for extra flavor and a little crunch.

Adapted from One Dish Vegan by Robin Robertson

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#Vegan #WFPB #PenneSpinachChickpeas #EasyVegan

Day #18 of Our Epic Trip

11-19-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

Daniel and I spent the day at the camper. We did some chores like laundry and cooking. When living in a camper, sometimes condensation can be an issue. I found some mildew on some of our drawers so Daniel wiped them down with bleach water. We also bought a small dehumidifier which seems to do a decent job. It’s quiet and doesn’t produce heat which is very important in an RV.

Tim, the campground owner, stopped by. He showed us pictures of how he built the campground and his house. He did almost all the work in one year! He built his house entirely by himself except for the concrete pad (his brother helped with that).

Tim also told us of a model train club on the mountain with train tracks which go for 6 miles. It’s privately owned but we hope we get to see that someday.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

View from R and R RV Campground in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Our view from the campground

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping memberships: $2.68
Food: $0

Miles driven: 0

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

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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Day #17 of Our Epic Trip

11-18-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

We took the boys for a hike on our property. They love being off-leash! We explored areas we haven’t been to yet. We found a couple more old, grown over roads which we plan on turning into trails. It seems humans leave evidence long after their presence because, wherever roads have been put in, no matter how long ago, that area becomes overgrown with thorny brambles like mother nature is holding a grudge.

Site of future passive house in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Love this place

We went to Dunlap, TN and enjoyed music by Jacob Johnson at Sequatchie Valley Brewing Company. It was relaxing and we enjoyed seeing some familiar faces.

Daniel and Kristin enjoying music at Sequatchie Valley Brewing Co in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — At Sequatchie Valley Brewing Co

Jacob Johnson playing music at Sequatchie Valley Brewing Co in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Jacob Johnson at Sequatchie Valley Brewing Co.

Dunlop’s downtown area is being developed into a quaint yet vibrant area for shopping and entertainment. We especially liked Dunlap Studio with its neon lights and giant guitar painted on the side of the building. We are so excited to start living here after Our Epic Trip and see and participate in the growth of this great community.

Studio Dunlap in downtown Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Downtown Dunlap, TN

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping memberships: $2.68
Food: $37.61

Miles driven: 33.7 (15.6 kWh)

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

Campground Recommendations

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#SequatchieValleyBrewingCompany #DunlapStudio #Tennessee #DunlapTN #DunlapTennessee #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Day #16 of Our Epic Trip

11-17-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

When we bought our property, we were shown something that is suspected to be a civil war era grave. To us, this just made the property more intriguing. Today, we stopped by Historic Pope Cemetery in Dunlap, TN because we have driven by many times and have noticed unusual graves. These are the graves of interest:

Graves at Historic Pope Cemetery in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Graves at Pope Cemetery

You can barely make out the markings on these graves. Nearby is a grave from someone born in 1786. There are also several headstones which look like rocks – just like the possible grave on our property.

Possible grave on private property in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Possible grave on our property

Daniel is still hard at work doing a topographical map. The boys enjoyed helping him.

Daniel taking measurements for future passive house in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Daniel taking measurements

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Camping memberships: $2.68
Food: $0

Miles driven: 10.2 (4.4 kWh)

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

Campground Recommendations

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#HistoricPopeCemetery #Graves #Dogs #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife #WeirdGraves #OldGraves

Days #14-15 of Our Epic Trip

11-15-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

We had a virtual meeting with Mercy For Animals. They have asked Daniel to give presentations to corporations on the benefits of whole food plant based eating. Check out the good work Mercy for Animals is doing including their Transfarmation Project.

11-16-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

Today Daniel went up to the property to work on the topography survey. I stayed at the camper to relax and do laundry, cook, etc. Tim, the campground owner stopped by. I learned that a cool looking building in downtown Dunlap, TN is a recording studio. It’s owned by Cory McCarver, a country singer formerly in the band Confederate Railroad, and he has a song about Dunlap. The video is awesome and shows how beautiful Dunlap is.

Love this song about Dunlap, TN

We also decided to sign up for Thousand Trails which allows us to stay at campgrounds for free. We will update on our opinion of Thousand Trails as we learn more about it.

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $70.20
Camping memberships: $2.68
Food: $0

Miles driven: 32.0 (11.4 kWh)

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

Campground Recommendations

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#Tennessee #DunlapTN #DunlapTennessee #MercyForAnimals #CoryMcCarver #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

Day #13 of Our Epic Trip

11-14-2023
R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

We went to our property but only spent about an hour there. We let both Marcel and Peter off-leash and Peter was so happy. He has a habit of wandering and not always coming when called. However, today he was awesome so he got to be off-leash the whole time.

Kristin, Peter, and Marcel in the mountains in Dunlap, Tennessee. Picture by Happy Vegan Campers. — Relaxing at our property

We also met our mailman, Scott, who called Daniel about a package he needed to deliver (he knew we were staying at Tim’s campground). Instead of putting it in our mailbox, he dropped it off at our campsite. I love small towns. It truly feels like a community here.

We drove to a Mennonite community so Daniel could ask about people looking for work. A man at a general store was not very friendly but did show Daniel a board full of business cards.

This morning, Daniel had talked to the only other camper at our campground, Steve. Steve is also in the process of building a house on property he recently bought. He recommended we check out Sequatchie Valley Brewing Company and talk to Teagen, whose husband has an excavating company. This cute little brewery has live music and fun events. Teagen was delightful and we learned a lot of interesting information about Dunlap. Based on our conversation with Teagen, I joined the facebook group “Dunlap Grapevine” and also learned of Fredonia Fred, a dog who lived in the crook of a switchback road for 13 years and was taken care of by the community. Unfortunately, Fred was hit and killed by a car this past June. I learned there are lots of stray dogs in the area but the county does not have an animal shelter. Overall, I’m excited to start living here because I think I can get involved in my community and make a difference.

Stats

Expenses:

Tow vehicle fuel: $0
Campsite: $35.10
Food: $64.20

Miles driven: 127.4 (37.3kWh)

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

Campground Recommendations

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#SequatchieValleyBrewingCompany #dogs #FullTimeTraveling #FullTimeCamping #FullTimeRVing #TravelingtheUS #CamperLife

11-23-2023R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

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11-20-2023R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

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11-19-2023R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

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11-15-2023R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

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11-14-2023R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee

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R and R RV Campground, Dunlap, Tennessee