Every great rv road trip has a story of a pivot. As we settle into our own next chapter, look back with us at this unforgettable destination log from our time exploring the open highway.
Full-time RV living often requires creative career paths, from travel nursing to mobile campground management. This article looks into how families balance these unique on-the-road professions and navigate the day-to-day logistics of mobile work layouts. It serves as an important reference point for how professional dynamics function within the community.
Chasing the Sun as the World Shuts Down
“The Man” and I have been stationary since “The Stowaway” started walking, but looking back, we were incredibly surprised when I discovered I was pregnant in 2020. COVID was in full swing, and we were headed to Florida for the first time in over a year.
We had been out in California when the pandemic initially broke out. We spent that winter in Parker Dam, where the Colorado River was quite literally my backyard and there was so much to explore. Echo Lodge Resort was absolutely gorgeous; we didn’t have to go anywhere. The red canyon walls and blue-green river were amazing. Having made many close friends, we were eager to return, so before leaving, we reserved a spot for the following winter.
Of course, a worldwide pandemic would break out the exact week we were scheduled to leave. We had planned on spending the summer in the Pacific Northwest and plotted a scenic route north, staying near San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We fully intended to see historic landmarks and eat at iconic restaurants along the way.
We had just made it to Silver Strand State Beach when Governor Newsom began restricting public gatherings. The restrictions increased by the time we reached Malibu, and by the moment we made it to Half Moon Bay, everything was completely closed down.
Man… was I upset, anxious, and freaking out. There was a global pandemic happening, and we were on the wrong coast, extremely far from home. But also, I had plans. I wanted to see Balboa Park and its museums, Griffith Park’s Observatory with its view of the Hollywood Sign, the Golden Gate’s Botanical and Japanese Tea gardens… and there were so many restaurants that I wanted to sample. Still do, in fact—someday!
Finding a Haven in Illinois
Anyway, we eventually ended up in Illinois, waiting on some replacement parts for our Crusader rig. That unexpected maintenance delay is exactly how we discovered the beautiful prairie properties and hidden campground spaces tucked away in the central part of the state.
What a beautiful region with so much potential for travelers needing a safe place to rest and regroup!
As it turns out, “The Man” and I aren’t the only full-time RVers to have discovered the welcoming campground communities of Illinois. Lyn and Kevin Hawkins have also been traveling the country together since 2020.
After meeting in Show Low, Arizona, they moved to Phoenix and got married. Eventually, they ended up in Idaho where Lyn worked in dietary management and Kevin, who had been a paramedic in Arizona, went back to school to study nursing.
When COVID broke out, Kevin took their RV and spent the next year working on the front lines as a travel nurse. They had originally bought the camper for the whole family to use, but they only managed to camp in it twice before Kevin started traveling constantly for work.
Lyn, who stayed behind with their daughter, eventually issued a clear ultimatum: “You either find a job at home, or we buy a bigger camper and all start traveling.”
It is now years later, and they’ve been on the road ever since. They upgraded their camper layout to a spacious toy hauler, created a dedicated private space for their teenage daughter, grabbed their dogs, and hit the highway.
From Coast to Coast
The Hawkins family has now traveled from Oregon to Maine, and from South Dakota to Texas. “We have seen so much of the country that we never would have had we not started traveling,” Lyn shares.
One of Lyn’s absolute favorite destinations is the Oregon Coast, which they have visited multiple times. “We had to go to Astoria because I’m a big Goonies fan,” she laughs. “I had to go see Haystack Rock and Cannon Beach… the house and the jail.”
During a trip through Colorado, they even visited the famous hotel layout that inspired The Shining.
“So, you’re at the base and then you take the road up, and it goes so far up that there’s no more trees—they stop growing at that elevation,” Kevin notes. “Finally, at the top was the lodge. It was in the middle of summer, but it was still snowing and everything was frozen. I’m walking around in a T-shirt and I’m like, it’s not even cold! It was crazy elevation. It was weird, but it was awesome.”
A Massive Country to Explore
Until they committed to full-time travel, Kevin and Lyn had never been farther east than South Dakota. They were incredibly surprised by how vastly different each region of the country is from the next.
“It’s way different—like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,” they explain. “It’s way different, and not just the regional accents. It’s everything, but it’s been great. We’ve had a lot of fun seeing a lot of things. Our daughter is fifteen and she’s seen way more than I’d ever seen at her age.”
Navigating those historic eastern states brings its own set of unique driving challenges. Before coming to Illinois, they camped at Tohickon Campground in Pennsylvania.
Kevin remarked that it was one of the most challenging layout environments to tow through: “The historic covered bridges and the windy, narrow, narrow, old roads were probably the worst in Pennsylvania.”
Despite the driving hurdles, the freedom of the road keeps them moving forward. “I love new places. I get bored really easily,” Kevin says. “So, I love going to new places like every 13 months. I’ll say to Lyn, ‘Let’s go somewhere brand new…’”
“Where are we going next?” Lyn will ask.
“Throw a dart,” Kevin smiles. “That’s where we’ll go.”