Tag: southern travels

Adventures, Amazon lists, Campgrounds, National Parks, Travel, Website

Best Books to Read While Camping, Hiking & Exploring National Parks

Patricia Pickens

There’s something special about ending a long hike, lighting a campfire, and opening a good book under the stars. I can read a book in just a couple of days, especially if there are some humor within the reading .

Whether you’re relaxing at the campground, traveling in your camper, or planning your next national park adventure, the right book can inspire your next journey and help you slow down and enjoy the outdoors even more.

For hiking lovers, classics like Wild and A Walk in the Woods combine adventure, humor, and real-life trail experiences that make you want to lace up your boots and hit the trail. If national parks are your favorite destination, books filled with scenic photography, park guides, and travel stories can help you discover hidden gems across America’s most beautiful landscapes. My favorites are the series from Matt and Karen Smith “ Dear Bob and Sue “ . Told through a format of sending emails home to their friends, they tell hilarious stories of their travels throughout the United States and our national parks. They have a real skill in telling the stories about what has happened through their comical methods of storytelling. They are a must read.

Favorite Reads

Favorite Reads

Travel and adventure readers may also enjoy stories about van life, camping road trips, and wilderness survival. These books are perfect for rainy days in the camper, quiet mornings with coffee by the lake, or relaxing evenings beside the fire after a day outdoors.

No matter where your adventures take you, bringing along a few inspiring books can make your camping trip even more memorable. Sometimes the best travel companion is simply a great story and the sound of nature all around you.

We hope you will find a favorite and maybe someone will ask “ what’s so funny?”

Travel

Looking for Amazon Camping Friends

Patricia Pickens

We’ve just become Amazon influencers and we’re excited to announce that! We have a Facebook page as well as a YouTube channel. We’re only getting started, but we have lots of exciting things to come. We would love it if you would follow us on our Amazon storefront or any of our other links that I’ll put below.

We are avid thrifters and Travellers and this is new and exciting for us!

https://amzn.to/4t7WyEe

Amazon Storefront

Home 2 Camp Amazon Storefront

YouTube

Anna Maria Island Florida

Our Facebook Home2Camp

https://www.facebook.com/share/1H5KLMebEJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

@home2camp

#home2camp #thewaywardtravellers

#alabamacamping

CampingLife #CampVibes #CampingAdventures #CampMore #GetOutside #OutdoorLiving #NatureLovers #CampingSeason #AdventureAwaits #StayWild

#RVLife #RVLiving #GlampingLife #CampComfort #HomeOnWheels #RVTravel #GlampVibes #TravelTrailerLife #VanLifeDreams

#CampCooking #OutdoorCooking #CampingMeals #CampfireCooking #BlackstoneGriddle #CookOutside #CampingEats #FoodInNature #GrillAndChill

#ExploreMore #WanderOften #RoadTripAdventures #TravelLife #AdventureCulture #OptOutside #NatureEscape #FindYourWild

#PeacefulPlaces #NatureTherapy #ScenicViews #CampLifeBestLife #QuietMoments #SunsetLovers #FreshAirDaily

#FamilyCamping #MakingMemories #SimpleLiving #WeekendGetaway #UnplugAndReconnect #BackToBasics #OutdoorFamily

#CozyCamping #RusticLiving #CampStyle #CottagecoreCamping #VintageCamping #CampSetup #OutdoorAesthetic

Travel

Is retirement around the corner? Looking for Best Campgrounds in North Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia

Patricia Pickens
Where’s your happy place?

🌲 Help Us Build the Ultimate Camping Guide (GA, TN, North AL & MS!) 🏕️
Are you someone who loves camping and exploring the great outdoors in Georgia, Tennessee, North Alabama, or Mississippi? We’re creating a helpful, real-life campground guide—and we’d love your input!
Whether you’re a weekend tent camper, full-time RVer, or just enjoy the occasional nature escape, your experience can help others plan better trips and discover hidden gems.
✨ What We’re Looking For:
We’re gathering campground recommendations along with real pricing and honest reviews. If you’ve stayed somewhere you loved (or even somewhere others should know about), we want to hear from you!
📍 Please share:
Campground name & location
Type of camping (tent, RV, primitive, full hookup, etc.)
Nightly or weekly pricing
Amenities (bathrooms, hookups, Wi-Fi, trails, lakes, etc.)
Your experience (quiet, family-friendly, scenic, crowded, etc.)
Any tips or things to know before booking
💬 Why Contribute?
Your input will help fellow campers:
Find affordable campsites
Discover new places off the beaten path
Plan trips with realistic expectations
Support great campgrounds across the Southeast
Plus, it’s a great way to connect with other outdoor lovers in our region!
🌄 Let’s Build This Together
Drop your recommendations in the comments or send them directly—we’ll be compiling everything into a growing campground guide for Georgia, Tennessee, North Alabama, and Mississippi.
Happy camping, and thank you for being part of this community! 🌿

Give us all the sites! Links are helpful too or #GoogleMaps link
Give us some of your best #northgeorhia and #middletennessee #campgrounds. We have been to David Crockett State Park Rock Island State Park . We are looking for areas working four hours of us in #northalabama in that radius. Love those two states. If you have anything in #Mississippi let us know. Honest #campgroundreviews please !! We’re getting ready to retire and looking for the best locations

CampingLife #CampgroundReviews #CampingBlog #CampVibes #OutdoorLiving #retirement #CampMoreWorryLess #ExploreNature #CampingAdventures #RVLife #TentCamping #CampingTips #CampgroundLife #GeorgiaCamping #TennesseeCamping #AlabamaCamping #NorthAlabama #MississippiCamping #ExploreGeorgia #ExploreTennessee #VisitAlabama #VisitMississippi #SouthernCamping #DeepSouthAdventures #SoutheastCamping

#CampgroundReview #CampsitePricing #AffordableCamping #BudgetCamping #CampingOnABudget #CampgroundGuide #BestCampgrounds #HiddenCampgrounds #StateParkCamping #CampgroundDeals #RVResorts #PrimitiveCamping #CampgroundReview #CampsitePricing #AffordableCamping #BudgetCamping #CampingOnABudget #CampgroundGuide #BestCampgrounds #HiddenCampgrounds #StateParkCamping #CampgroundDeals #RVResorts #PrimitiveCamping
#MountainCamping #LakeCamping #ForestCamping #WaterfrontCamping #CampfireNights #NatureLovers #GetOutside #AdventureAwaits #WeekendGetaway #TravelSouth #RoadTripCamping
#TravelBloggers #OutdoorBlog #TravelInspo #BucketListTravel #ExploreMore #WanderTheSouth #TravelTips #CampingSpots #VacationIdeas #NatureTravel

Comment your favorites!!

Adventures, Campgrounds, Travel

What’s Your Place of Solitude?

Patricia Pickens

There’s a commercial from Progressive where a girl interrupts two people speaking, so she can complete her social media post. In the now generation of “ all about me “ , this is what comes to mind. These unhidden gems, people have discovered , then , they show up! Take over a beautiful location, previously unspoiled , want to act like they just discovered it. Make it their own and create noise, buildings and traffic.

“ practicing gratitude, manifesting abundance “

We discovered our current camping location because of good friends, who had been fishing and camping here for forty years. It’s our local place of solitude. I need to be near water to be peaceful, it slows down the pace.

Hammock and Paddleboard

Found the hammock stand with side table #founditonamazon here!

Wheeler Lake

This property has had several names over the years as well as a few owners. We’ve only been camping here four years. It was a KOA for a short time , now Beyonder Getaway. They want to add more to make it a destination location. More sites, perhaps a marina and more activities. This they hope will bring in more people. Choose the right activities, prices and proper site maintenance , that will certainly help. The bath houses are not bad with multiple toilets and two separate showers for each gender. They installed new shower heads which helped a great deal .

We have few campgrounds close enough to home where we can “ getaway” and be a short trip home or to work. This location been great for us a couple times each year for camping close to home. Nestled in Mallard Creek area on Joe Wheeler Lake, part of the Tennessee river. It’s on a peninsula and I’ll include a map location and camp site map too.

Beyonder Getaway Campsite Map

Fishing is fantastic as my friend Jim and his buddies can attest.

Jim and his catfish catch
Conrad and a huge catfish
Jim and Gary with another haul
The McDuckersons

I definitely recommend Beyonder for those passing through, it’s a short trip to I 65 through Alabama or east / west on highway 72. A great family place with horses, beach, zip lining , boat rentals and more. We prefer the less busy time through the week, they offer discounts for Mon-Thurs stays .

Offer for 15% off Mon-Thursday- Call to reserve and guarantee rates.

They have added many campsites in the last two years and have several cabins if you don’t have an RV of any kind. Tent camping down by the water is a “ roughing it “ option on the property.

Remember, wherever you travel….

On your way from

PEACE ☮️✌️

Adventures, Campgrounds, Travel

Our Favorite Camping Necessities

Patricia Pickens

Check out this Idea List on Amazon: Camping Travel Necessities by Patty Pickens https://a.co/hol7A12 Here is out link to favorites!

I wanted to share some of our favorite things we have used and currently have in the camper. This is not a comprehensive list but it is some thing that everyone could use if you don’t know where to start!

Travel

The All About Fall Tour

Patricia Pickens

Pumpkin Farms, Tim Curry and a Long Time to Get There

This was our first really big trip together. I had many things planned along the way, but, only one destination in mind. David had told me many times about a small town he once visited in Indiana. I had never been to the Hoosier state, so I was “all in” for this. Exactly, what is a Hoosier anyway? He was afraid that maybe the quaint town he remembered was obsolete , like so many towns that had been a thing of the past. Literally, a thing of the past is what we are all about when travelling. We set our sites on the dates we had planned. David was planning on returning from taking his daughter Terra to Camp Pendleton, she had reenlisted in the Navy and decided to be a Navy Corpsman. The training was to take place in Oceanside California, at the Field Medical Battalion training unit on Camp Pendleton. They took their trip , along with Wiley her horse in the trailer. They had a great trip there together as father and daughter. A start for a new life and career for Terra and soon to be a new life for us as well. I couldn’t wait for him to get back from their trip! I had watched the weather coming closer to the trip. It was fall and we were going further north. I decided to layer. That does not mean I didn’t take lots of clothes. This was a trial run for David and my packing. He is now used to the weight of my suitcase. He never complains about what I take on trips. He has got this loading/unloading the car down to a science and does not want my help. It’s a good thing too, it’s all so heavy!! I think I’ll keep my bellhop! 

https://amzn.to/3PXLh5E

My great niece came to visit the weekend before David took Terra to California……because, mainly she had a horse! we had so much fun! She stayed with me after they left and we visited the Huntsville Botanical Gardens for their Scarecrow Trail. it was about to be a great fall season!

Our first stop not far from home was to find food, good food! We found it in Whitehouse Tennessee, sorry, we ate the food ..I only had these pictures on the wall that inspired me. Perry’s Smokin Pig is small and delicious! If you want good food just northeast of Nashville stop and try it! Note….we also got a new idea for smoked meatloaf. We have a dealer too, mom mixes the meatloaf and David smokes it at home. It’s freaking awesome!

 

 

Travel

Antiquing in the South

Patricia Pickens

If you grow up in the south or even lived in the south you may know a little bit about antiques. Perhaps not an expert ,but , the type of knowledge you would have from visiting your grandmothers house or even great grandmothers and using certain things. Maybe it was a certain set of china that came out on special occasions, a specific set of salt and pepper shakers or more recently old Tupperware items that were always seen on the countertop.

I am fortunate enough to have some of my grandmothers things from both sides of the family. And yes, I do you use them.

David and I both have an affinity for antiques. He is definitely a collector of childhood items such as toys he used ,maybe his father owned or specific items related to movies that were familiar in the 60s and 70s. I, however, am a bibliophile. I love all old books. I am particularly interested in books from the 1930s to 1940s with a few favorite writers such a Steinbeck.

Several years ago, I discovered the antique trail. This is a listing of antique shops that are listed and the map locations around Alabama and Tennessee. It lists other locations as well, but, we live in Alabama and frequent Tennessee.

This trip was taken late July 2018 , so, I have a lot to catch up on if I’m going to post it all!

We took the path from Columbia Tennessee east toward Bell Buckle. Columbia has an awesome town square with plenty to see, including history of a president James Polk, his home is there and can be toured. We went east to Lewisburg, Shelbyville and Bell Buckle. The quaint little town of Bell Buckle has a very small shopping area ,but, extremely friendly folks. Not to mention an ice cream counter within an antique store . Bluebird antiques has numerous ice cream flavors from which to choose. There is a general store in the town that is incredible! Phillips General store has something for everyone from toys to books!!! The owner is so nice and his mom bakes at the town cafe. Small town charm flourishes here in the town of Bell Buckle. This small town also known for the RC and Moon Pie festival held in a June and has a wonderful holiday theme. If you visit , consider staying at of one several inns in town .Just outside of town is JRs antiques where the owner sits in his old barber chair and his dog alongside him. Old oil company signs, pedal cars and a beautiful 1929 Ford that still runs.

We continued on to Manchester and Winchester then to home. I don’t actually remember if we purchased anything , but ,we certainly had a great time checking out the small towns in these wonderful antique stores. If you’re interested in antiques the way we are ,you should really try the antique trail.