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Let me preface this list by letting you know that we are SCENERY people, not CITY people. So if you fall into that category of traveler, this list is for you. 1) The Wilderness of New Mexico. Driving from Roswell, NM to Four Corners Monument was one of the most desolate and beautiful drives I have ever been on. I could spend a month exploring New Mexico! The natural scenery, mountains, hills, and plants are so different than they are here in the east. It's also the least populated stretch of land I have ever seen. Put the Land of Enchantment on your must-see list. 2) Gold Bluff's Beach Hands down the absolute coolest place I have ever been. Drive miles through redwood trees and get deposited onto the beach. Camp right on the sand here, and see tons of wildlife too. There aren't that many spots to camp here, and it is primitive (with a pretty nice bathroom-sink and toilets only), which meant we had the beach to ourselves. The drive, the view, and really everything about this place was magic. 3) Petaluma, CA A detour around traffic took us through Petaluma, CA and it was such a cool town! There was a great vibe there, as well as local art, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Bank (SO COOL!), and some excellent food trucks! 4) Oregon Welcome Center You kind of expect welcome centers to be functional, but not necessarily beautiful. The Oregon Welcome Center along the coast coming up from California was such a beautiful and lovely place to rest, stretch our legs, collect some driftwood, and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in the continental US. Make sure you stop here if you're driving through the area! 5) Couer d' Alene, IDWe didn't actually stop here, and as far as I can tell, we didn't even get a photo! The drive through Idaho was unbelievably gorgeous--mountains, rivers, streams, trees, and all sorts of natural beauty surrounded us the entire way through. I would love to explore the whole state! I also can't wait to visit the Young Living Farm in St. Maries, ID which is very close to Couer D' Alene. What places have you been that completely took you by surprise in a good way? Share them with me! I love a good surprise.You Might Also Like:
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 When I was 6 years old, my parents took my sister and me on a road trip to Mount Rushmore that I have always held dear in my memories. We still laugh about Dad’s shoes getting stolen and his ugly boat shoes he wore for the rest of the trip. Not to mention seeing Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse (in it's beginning stages at that point!) and the Badlands. My husband and I have never regretted a trip we have taken so far, because we usually come out of the other side of it with memories to last a lifetime. We want to create some new memories with our own kiddos and knock some major items off the bucket list at the same time. Soooooo..... We're going on a road trip!!! That's right, We're leaving the Hearth and moving our Caravan across this great country to see things we have never seen before!! We are so unbelievably excited. We have talked about taking a trip like this for years, but it seems that it's all coming together to happen this summer. Here, we're going to keep you in the loop step by step, and give you our best advice, tips, and tricks. We're in the midst of Phase 1, which is the planning phase, there are several tools we are finding very valuable.
I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed and a little behind! We probably should have started planning months ago... But, hey, you live you learn! Only a couple weeks ago, our plan was to go to Mount Rushmore and back. We've expanded that just a tad... Now our trip is cross country and includes 19 different states, with more than 21 highlighted stops along the way. I think we might be insane to even attempt it, but we're going for it anyway! Kentucky to California, up the coast and back again !!
And one of the best parts is that we want to share our trip with you! We will be blogging all along the way, and sharing videos and photos across our social media channels! Watch the trip as it unfolds here: We can't WAIT to share the fun with you! Stick with us here on the blog to see how we're going to get it all accomplished. Check out our tentative schedule of stops. Do you have any suggestions of awesome things to do and see or places to eat? Please share them with us here in the comments! If you know anyone who may be interested in going along for this ride with us (through our blog, Unfortunately, Rosie,our van, will be packed solid,) share this blog post!  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...
 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!)
 We had a lovely weekend with some of the hottest days we've had all summer. I'm not gonna lie, we all spent some time in the air conditioned house... But we did sleep in a tent, some of the kids went fishing with Nathan, and they all got to sleep in Pop's camper, which is the biggest treat. and we cooked outside! (by we, I mean my dad and Nathan-- I really feel so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by people who can cook!) The winner of the weekend was Chili on the grill. It was delicious! So yummy in fact it need a new name. Grilli it was dubbed and I can't wait to do it again. There were also hot dogs and burgers and a beautiful cobbler cooked over the fire.. It was a good food weekend. Overall, our weekend turned out to be a pretty fun adventure. Who's up for round two?  Are you a planner, or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants gal? Have you ever taken an unconventional adventure? When's the last time you packed your gear and braved the wild outdoors? Let us know in the comments, or connect with us on instagram (@hearth_caravan)! When we go camping, the very best part is declaring the campsite your own with your decorations and lights! It makes your site easier to find and adds a little of your personality, and some homeyness too. I looked around for several bunting patterns, and I found a few that I loved. But I decided to create one of my own. I created a half-circle style bunting to make our campsite complete. If you crochet, feel free to use my pattern notes to create one for yourself. This is not a paid pattern, so don't expect perfection, these are just the notes that I made while winging it. If you have corrections, feel free to leave them in the comments. Also feel free to leave comments about how stunning my bunting is and how talented I am. The Camping Bunting Made with an H hook and worsted weight cotton yarn Larger multi-colored Half Circle start in a magic ring Draw up a loop, ch3, 7 dc, don’t connect your circle, ch1, (Hdc1, hdc2 in next) 3x, hdc in last, draw up a loop in new color, ch 3 Tr1, ch1, (tr2 in first st, ch1 in next) 7x, tr1 in last stitch, draw up a loop in next color, ch1, Hdc1, (ch2, hdc in loop in previous round)8x, draw up a loop in next color, ( ch2, skip 1 st, sc1, ch2, sc in next) 7x, ch2 sc in end, draw up a loop in the last color Ch1,{ in ch2 loop from prevous round (hdc1, dc1, hdc1), ch1, in next loop sc1, ch1} ss in last st Smaller single color half circle Draw up a loop, ch3, 7 dc, don’t connect your circle, Ch3, dc1, dc2, dc1, dc3, dc1, dc2, dc1, dc1 in end Ch1, hdc in each around Putting it Together Starting with a small half circle, sc across the flat side, ch 3, sc across another small half circle, ch 5, sc across a large half circle, ch5 (repeat until all half circles are connected) Ch 50, ss back down those 50 Sc back across and chain 50 on the other end, then ss back down your chain Weave in all ends and call it a bunting. If you came for the pattern, I hope you'll stick around and check out more of our fun posts here. You might enjoy this one where I show you how to make your own colorful painted curtains. Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment and let me know if you've ever made a bunting-- I always love to hear about your craftiness!  I have been on Colorado Yurt Company's email list for years. I am in love with their yurts and cimarron tents since my husband took a fascination with the traditional dwellings of Mongolian nomads and we did some research on gers and yurts. Also, If you've ever seen Junkaholique's blog and seen them travel in their vintage vw van and with their canvas bell tent, then you'll know how I feel about beautiful and breathable camping. I hate nylon tents. I feel suffocated in them and they are miserably hot as soon as the sun comes up. They're gross. They serve a wonderful function for many around the world, but I hate them. So usually when we go camping, we set up the tent, and then I sleep in the van. For real. I go vanping. Our van can accommodate an air mattress or sleeping pad and with the chairs out or folded flat is basically a full sized bed. Sweet, right?! However, vanping is not exactly glamorous. Vanping is practical for me, but it's definitely not glamping, and my hubby isn't partial to sleeping in the van. I have been pricing canvas tents for years, and could never justify the expense with the frequency which we would use it. THEN. One day I went to my Father-in-Law's yard sale, and he had his old canvas tent for sale. (!!!!) I told him I wanted it, he wouldn't let me pay him for it, and we took it home. We have been accumulating the things we need to repair it and finally we just took the time to set the tent up and repair it over a few days in our front yard. Yes, the front yard 'cause we're classy like that. The first thing we did before we ever even thought about repairs was order this bag from Walmart to store it in. It was a great value for the quality and has held our tent well. Repairing the tent wasn't hard at all. Learning how to put up a vintage tent without instructions did, however, have a learning curve a bit steeper than we expected.
 The Repairs
 Packing It All Back Up
If you happen upon a vintage tent, don't feel daunted! With a little problem solving and a few supplies we now have our dream canvas tent at only a fraction of the cost of a new one. Plus, I don't think they make them like this anymore, with the green and white stripes! It's so cute I can't even stand it. Leave a comment below, tweet us and let us know your favorite way to go camping! Are you a camper, glamper, or vanper (am I the only one?!)? What is your camping dream, a camper van, a bell tent, or are you less fussy than me? About 5 years ago my husband and I started traveling to Knoxville, Tennessee on the weekend of St. Patrick's Day for the St. Paddy's Day on Market Square event. It started on the spur of the moment when we decided we desperately needed to have a weekend away without the kids. We searched for Irish events and this one popped up in our search. Knoxville is around two hours away from our home, so it is a great weekend trip away. Since we started going, we have kept it up as a yearly tradition and we look forward to it every March.  St. John's Cathedral was a beautiful stop on our rainy walk around downtown Knoxville, TN. We weren't about to let a little rain stop us! We only take a trip away from the kids once or twice a year, so we make the most of our kid-free time, even if it means sloshy shoes for a while. The stained glass there is absolutely stunning, as well as the bright painted red door and gorgeous stonework, but the coolest part was the labyrinth. There was an open gate leading into the outdoor courtyard area between the church and what looked like a fellowship hall, and the bricked ground there is laid out in a labyrinth. We followed it to the center, which took us about 10-15 minutes! The winding path looks deceivingly short. I'd love to go for a service there sometime.  The Sunsphere is hard to miss. It has stood in the heart of downtown Knoxville since the World's Fair was held there in 1982. Now it's as iconic to the Knoxville skyline as the space needle is to Seattle and the Empire State Building is to New York City. Except it's in the friendly town of Knoxville, where true southern hospitality still exists, thank goodness. I highly recommend taking a walk around the sunsphere, taking a few goofy selfies with it, and strolling through the rest of World's Fair Park.  After visiting World's Fair Park, The Sunsphere, and St. John's Cathedral, make your way post-haste to the most adorable and awesome center of town ever: Market Square. It's essentially a town square, but way cooler. There are shops, restaurants, and bars all around featuring food and wares that will not disappoint. Stock and Barrel.. I can't think about their duck confit fries without drooling (but more about that in another post) , and Earth to Old City is filled with all sorts of amazing clothing, accessories, toys and housewares, including plenty of gear sporting the "Keep Knoxville Scruffy" motto, which is basically just the way people from Knoxville support their local community. Bliss and Bliss Home have original and gorgeous furnishings for your home and body, so be sure to check them out too. If all this wasn't enough, there are usually street performers offering up their talents to anyone who cares to stop and watch or listen and a stage to host local artists and events. You definitely don't want to miss this destination.  The Bridges. What can I say? Bridges aren't generally a destination, but these bridges are part of the landscape of downtown Knoxville and I couldn't wait to drive over them. They're only a block apart, so drive down Henley Street and back up Gay Street just to say you've done it. We parked and walked around Henley Street Bridge and took some great photos of both bridges. This was actually one of my very favorite things we did in Knoxville. The architecture and the beautiful (finally sunny!) weather made this a great outing.  As we walked all over downtown we saw tons of "street art" or "illegal destruction of property" depending on how you look at it. Personally, I find graffiti fascinating, so we took as many pictures as possible. I saw several of the same names decorating alleyways and there is some serious artistic talent emblazoned in the alleys and on the buildings of this city. And can we just talk about logistics? How do these graffiti artists get to the tops and sides of these building?! Do they take ladders with them? Isn't it hard to stay incognito when carting a ladder through the middle of the town at night? Also, if you are the artist Uh Panda, props.  In addition to all the illegal street art there are beautiful and interesting sculptures throughout the downtown area along with Krutch Park, a piece of property set aside and bequeathed to the City of Knoxville to be used as a quiet retreat. Since the Krutch family had strong ties to the artistic community the city has honored their bequest by using this property to display local sculptures and changes them out periodically so it's always fun to go back and see what has changed.  We usually hit the rowing man on our way back to the hotel after a night of eating and hanging out around downtown. Visiting The Rowing Man is basically the perfect way to end the night in Knoxville. After a drink (or two) at Preservation Pub and Scruffy City Hall, or a glass of wine at beautiful Uncorked, take a stroll back to your hotel, or if you're lucky enough, your beautiful downtown loft, but be sure to go by the rowing man. It's just not as much fun to walk home any other way.
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March 2020
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