•  Roadtrippers.com is a very fun and functional website for planning stops along your road trip. You can choose destinations along the way and add/remove stops seamlessly. There are a few features that I would love if they would add, like being able to choose a specific road/route more easily, but it's the absolute best way I've found for mapping out a trip with multiple stops.
• Additionally, we have used google maps (duh!) because it's awesome,
• Maps on our iphones is perfect for finding mileage and estimated time between stops, and sometimes choosing your routes.
• We have also been riffling through Pinterest and leaving no stone unturned for highlights of the towns we plan to visit.
• Not to mention, drawing from our friends' personal experiences from around the US! 

• Facebook
• Periscope
• Snapchat
• Instagram.

We don't go camping a whole lot, but in the past, Nathan and I have pitched a tent a fair amount. We wanted to take all the kids camping over Labor Day weekend this year, so we set the plans in motion... 

• fix the tent -- check 
• make the bunting-- check
• ask my parents if they wanted to tag along -- check
• look for a campsite-- UH OH

As it turns out, Labor Day weekend is the most famous weekend for camping ever. Oops. We definitely did not start looking for a campsite in enough time to secure a spot anywhere in the state of Kentucky. BUT, it also turns out that my husband is a genius and brought up the fact that my parents have a great house where their camper is already comfortably parked, with a swingset, a fire pit, and plenty of yard to set the tent up in. Bonus, there's indoor plumbing about 50 feet from the tent set up. So, we loaded up the van and went camping at my parents house. Scoff if you like, a retreat is a retreat. (At least for us... Mom and Dad had to put up with the lot of us!)

• First, there were the parts. All the parts fit together in a specific way that we had to figure out a bit like a puzzle. Once we cracked the code, we then color coded each part so that putting it together next time will be a breeze. We used electrical tape from the dollar tree that I had bought for hula hoop making (another post, another time :)). I love that I can get 6 colors of electrical tape for $1. 
• Secondly, we had to figure out how to get the tent from flat to 3 dimensions. Again, this was not a task that came without struggle. We knew that each part was where it was supposed to be. But the tent, it wasn't a-raisin'. It was still flat as a flitter until my problem solver of a husband figured out that we needed to raise the side poles before we could get the center pole inside and raised where it needed to be. Looking back it all seems so simple...

• Once the tent was raised we inspected it to find several tears in the screen door, and a couple small holes in the bottom of the tent that needed patching. It also became apparent after a couple days out in the weather that it would be wise to waterproof the roof again, just in case. So off to Dick's Sporting Goods my husband sent me to pick up the canvas waterproofer, and patch kit that we needed. 
• Nathan waterproofed the roof of the tent(and probably his hands) . It was pretty straightforward and was a quick and easy fix. We did have to let it dry completely, but luckily we had a perfect week of sunny weather to help us out. 
• I sewed up the holes in the screen door with some heavy duty thread and a needle. Then Nathan went back over that with some no fray glue. I'm hoping it will hold out like that for a couple years anyway. 
• Then, Nathan repaired the holes in the bottom of the tent with a tent repair kit from Dick's.  It seemed to work pretty well.
• Lastly, we let the kids pile up in it and see how comfy it was. They approved. 

• Before, our poles and our rolled up tent were tied together by some rope. It served it's purpose well enough, but Nathan thought ratchet straps would do better, plus they will serve double duty. When we set the tent up they will help hold the tent taut and secure.