We are Midwest, weekender plus RVers who’ve been camping for 16 years with 4 kids, dogs, mountain bikes, and a trailer in tow from Maine to Wyoming with more adventures to go.

Who are we, really?

We (Jon & Kelli) have been happily married for almost 30 years and are both Taylor University alumni but grew up in the same hometown. For our honeymoon we went to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, so we could see the western mountains for the first time. Rocky Mountain National Park was at the top of our agenda. We had already been to Mammoth Cave National Park while we were dating. Oh.My.Goodness. Look how young, thin, and tan we were. Ha-ha.

We both work for a local private university full-time and are DIYers. We live in a small town with 5 acres of woods. We have 4 great kids (3 boys and a girl). Our two oldest were married in 2021 and 2022, so now we have 2 fantastic daughter-in-laws as well. We began our camping adventures when they were 0 to 9. (You have to do something to keep those boys BUSY!) At least 3 of the 4 children love camping! The 4th only likes mountain bike trails (and maybe the all-you-can-eat cookies!). Nova, is our current rescue dog and is a 75# five-year-old GSP/Lab mix who is wary of strangers but will lick you to death once she knows you.

What do we enjoy about camping?

-Space to relax and enjoy creation without the to-do list from home staring us in the face. Our family likes to explore new places, hike, enjoy the beauty in nature appreciating God’s creation, mountain bike, meet new people, chill by the fire, try the local pizza or ice cream shops, and read books.

What is our ideal camping site?

We tend to be the ones that like the woodsy, shady, outer edges of the campground. Our ideal spot we’ve stayed so far was at the top of the Bighorn Mountains at the Lost Cabin Campground (Bighorn National Forest) in the middle of a grove of pine trees. That was an interesting story in itself…for another day.

What makes us work well together?

We tend to balance each other well. Jon is the extrovert and adventurer that will talk to anyone, the handyman of most things, the more professional photographer (with a degree in Mass Communication), the mountain bike thrill-seeker, and loves to play golf. Kelli is the shy, introverted detailer who works with data all day, problem solves and organizes, takes pics for fun, reads books, plays piano, loves dogs, was an elementary teacher for 20 years, and apparently now writes blogs and posts by night. Also we are a son and daughter of Jesus Christ and that makes ALL the difference. Our faith is a priority and plays out in how we interact with others and decisions we make in life. He’s kept us together all these years and we also see that in our parents’ where each set has been married for over 60 years.

But we are only part-time. Is there space for more?

-We wish we could camp more and will likely retire as full-time RVers. Kelli worked from home in the past and her current role could be done remotely. Jon’s job is more people-oriented and he has to stay close, but he has more flexibility with his position and more vacation days to be able to get away.

We don’t take long extended trips at resorts even though we have both been outside of the US at some point. Camping is our vacation! The last time our youngest stayed in a hotel was when she was 3 years old in Chicago. Her youth group leader didn’t believe her and had to text us to ask during a game. Ha-ha! Sometimes we are close to home and some longer trips are further away, but it’s great having lots of mini-vacations to look forward to after long work weeks. Thanks for stopping by on our journey!