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Our 3 Favorite Camping Apps To Find Camping Sites, Day 154

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 9, 2020
Categories In Alabama, The Days Of The Trip, Tips
1 Comment on Our 3 Favorite Camping Apps To Find Camping Sites, Day 154

Today we are sharing our favorite Camping Apps that we use to find camping sites as we travel from state to state.

One of the most common questions that we get is “How do you find the campgrounds where you are going to stay?”

And with over 150 days of being on the road, we have found our 3 favorite camping apps to help us do just that.

Campendium

This free app was created by campers for campers. It lists tens of thousands of places to camp and it is easy to search by location.

It includes a variety of camping sites. There are resort style RV parks to free and remote destinations listed. It also includes information about dump sites in the area as well.

camping apps — Campendium is our favorite, FREE camping app.

Just pull up the app and enter in the location where you will be traveling. Click on the icons and you are likely to see a plethora of information that pops up about that specific site.

To us, the most helpful part about this app is that it includes reviews from campers that have stayed there.

We find this extremely helpful because sometimes a good website with stock pictures can be misleading. Although, we are also careful about interpreting the personal reviews as well.

campground — The reviews provided on the camping apps help us determine where we want to stay.

But this camping app also gives two other important pieces of information as well. It includes the cost of camping provided by the last reviewer and also the cell phone coverage at that location.

Because we sometimes rely on our phones as a hot spot to write remotely, cell phone coverage is important to us. And of course the cost of camping is also good to know. This helps save time because we can eliminate certain sites before doing unnecessary research about them.

Good Sam Club

As a member of the Good Sam Club, we often us the Good Sam Camping App.

You can search for a variety of paid camping sites, dumping locations, free stays and even popular photo opportunities using the Good Sam app.

When you search for a location, you can look at the locations in a list or in a map view. The campgrounds that offer the Good Sam discount are highlighted.

This discount allows you to save 10% off of your stay at over 2,400 campgrounds around the country. Also you can save 10% off camping supplies at Camping World & Gander Outdoors Retail store.

Not to mention, free dump sites at select Camping World locations.

list of campgrounds — The Good Sam app also has a rating for each campground for Facility, Restrooms, and Appeal.

Pilot Flying J discounts include: 5¢ per gallon off of gas, 8¢ off diesel, 5¢ off per gallon of propane, and a discount to use their dump station.

And if you are lucky, sometimes there are additional offers at campgrounds for Good Sam members.

In fact, we just used a special discount in Mississippi where you got the 4th night free if you stayed 3 nights at the Cajun RV Park in Biloxi.

Harvest Hosts

We love being members of Harvest Hosts. (See : Harvest Host Membership) This membership allows you to stay at a variety of locations including farms, wineries, breweries, museums, and golf courses for free. However, this is only for self-contained travel trailers or RVs.

They only ask that you support the business, in some form, where you are staying. For instance, if we are staying at a golf course for the night, we will go into the restaurant for a drink or a meal.

It is a great option when you are traveling from point A to point B and need a stop along the way.

Their camping app is extremely easy to use and allows you search the map for available hosts. And most often there are reviews from other members that will describe the accommodations.

But what we love most of all is the people (and alpacas) that we have met while staying at Harvest Host locations!

OTHER POPULAR CAMPING APPS

There are many other camping apps that can help you find your next overnight destination.

And depending on your style of travel, these may be helpful to you as well.

Boondocking at Little Moreau Recreation Area – found with the Boondocking App.

Reserve America is a fantastic app to book reservations at private, state and federal campgrounds. They even allow you to make the reservation right in the app itself. It is a great app for those that like to plan far in advance.

All Stays is another popular app that many campers use. Although this app will give you hundreds of options, the app does have a cost to download.

And for those that like the more adventurous camping opportunities, you might enjoy these camping apps: Boondocking, Boondockers Welcome, and Hipcamp.

Whichever Camping Apps work for you the key is to do a little research before you go!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 154 of 365
States : 20/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Mobile, Alabama
Miles Driven : 19.9
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,709.3
Total Gallons Used : 1,202.11
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 4.8
Hiking Miles To Date : 345.9

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Experiencing A Mardi Gras Parade First Hand In Mississippi! Day 153

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 8, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Experiencing A Mardi Gras Parade First Hand In Mississippi! Day 153

One of our bucket list items has always been to experience a Mardi Gras Parade first hand. And it just so happened, that opportunity presented itself today in Ocean Springs, Mississippi!

Although many equate Mardi Gras Parades with New Orleans, there are actually hundreds of parades all throughout Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana. And they are all a BIG DEAL!

As we were getting set to leave Ocean City to head for the Alabama border, we learned the city was hosting not one, but two parades in the afternoon. So Mardi Gras Parade it was!

Today’s Mardi Gras parade in Ocean City is a huge “family-style” parade. And it truly is exactly that. The streets were jam-packed with families everywhere, all decked out in the their finest Mardi Gras attire.

As we stood along the route with thousands of others, it was unbelievable to see it all unfold. In fact, all you have to do is watch a little of the video below to get an idea how close we were to it all. And just how much fun everybody has!

Float after float rolled by, throwing beads, coins, moon pies and more. It was honestly impossible to not catch something – or else risk getting hit in the head!

But I think what we enjoyed most was simply watching absolutely everyone having fun. Young, old, and every age in between could be found with smiles from ear to ear. The songs, the bands, the singing and laughter, it was pure joy.

The Experience Of A Mardi Gras Parade

My sister Karen, who lived in Louisiana for many years, told us both that you simply have to experience it to understand it. And she couldn’t have hit it more on the head!

We left with out fair shar of beads – and even a few moon pies to boot!

It truly is hard to describe unless you are there. I think the only difficult part of the Mardi Gras Parade was trying to find a place to park our camper and truck before the event. It took us a bit of time, but somehow we managed to squeeze into a spot.

But as it all came to end, we could finally cross another bucket list item off! Although I would be hard pressed to say we won’t find ourselves at another on someday in the future. It is truly something everyone should get to experience at least once.

As night fall now, we find ourselves across the state line and into Alabama, our 20th state on the trip. One thing is for sure, this trip is passing by as quickly as the floats did today! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

Remember, you can also see more on the trip and follow along with our daily activities on our Live Simple Now Facebook page as well.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 153 of 365
States : 20/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Mobile, Alabama
Miles Driven : 65.3
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,689.4
Total Gallons Used : 1200.68
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 345.9

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

The Impact of Hurricane Katrina On The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Day 152

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 7, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip
2 Comments on The Impact of Hurricane Katrina On The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Day 152

August 29, 2005 will always be remembered as the day Hurricane Katrina changed the lives of millions of people.

To this day it was one of the deadliest hurricanes that has ever hit the United States.

And most of us remember the levees that failed, causing New Orleans to be nearly 80% under water.

But what you might not know is the devastation that it caused. And more importantly, that it continues to cause on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

the streets of biloxi — After the flooding waters receded, the devastation on the streets of Biloxi could be seen for miles upon miles.

The Impact of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina gained strength as it passed through the warm waters of the Gulf Coast and became a category 5 hurricane.

Although its power decreased to a category 3 as it approached land, the impact of the winds and storm surge were devastating.

The storm sat over much of the Gulf Coast for nearly 17 hours, causing 11 tornadoes and a 28 foot storm surge. This not only caused severe damage right on the coast, but also massive flooding 6-12 miles inland as well.

Hurricane Katrina Biloxi bridge — The Biloxi Bridge that connected Biloxi to Ocean Springs literally collapsed.

All of the coastal Mississippi towns were flooded over 90%, causing those that remained to climb to rooftops in efforts to be rescued. And 238 people in Mississippi lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

The Buildings of the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Many historic buildings, that had been there for years, simply disappeared. And, of course, you can’t truly rebuild a historic home.

So today, the historical markers describing these homes now sit in front of empty lots.

hurricane katrina historical markers — The only thing that remains standing on these two lots, are the historical markers indicated the significance of the homes that once were here.

In fact, if you drive down highway 90, along the gorgeous beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, you can still see the impact Hurricane Katrina had on this area.

Nearly 15 years later, there are homes that are still being rebuilt. Some are being built with brick, and others up on stilts.

home building — This home is currently being constructed, almost 15 years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the previous one.

The Empty Lots

But what caught our eye more than anything, were the hundreds of empty lots with concrete driveways that lead to nothing.

Knowing that these driveways used to be the entrance to someone’s home or business was humbling.

Now, many of these empty lots are for sale. But some are also filled with Private Property and No Trespassing signs.

Hurricane Katrina driveway — All around Coastal Mississippi there are driveways that lead to empty lots due to Hurricane Katrina’s force and flooding.

And all those casino’s that line the street of Biloxi were the direct result of Hurricane Katrina. You see, before that the casinos were limited to being placed on the water. Most often on floating barges.

However, the regulations changed after 2005, so that the Biloxi casinos could be built on land.

The more that we drove through the Gulf Coast of Mississippi it was very apparent that the recovery continues. Even though this year will mark the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

casino lot — Before Katrina, the casinos were literally on the water due to state laws. However, that quickly changed when they were severely damaged when the storm hit.

Here is to hoping the rebuilding process continues so everyone can have a chance to enjoy the beautiful Gulf Coast of Mississippi once again!

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 152 of 365
States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Biloxi, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 189.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,625.1
Total Gallons Used : 1196.05
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 3.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 343.4

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

A Safe & Easy Way To Camp For Free – At A Casino Of All Places! Day 151

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 6, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip
5 Comments on A Safe & Easy Way To Camp For Free – At A Casino Of All Places! Day 151

Who knew you could camp for free at a casino!

We have stayed at quite a few camping sites during our travels across the country. For many of the nights, we are able to use traditional RV camp sites. And honestly, we have been quite surprised at how many quality clean and nice sites exist throughout all of the states.

But sometimes, especially in remote areas, traditional campsites are simply hard to find. And when they are, we have turned to some pretty cool and interesting alternatives for overnight stays.

staying for free — We have stayed a few nights at some interesting and beautiful places, including Fluffy Fields Winery in North Dakota. This Harvest Hosts’ site was definitely one of our favorites!

One of our favorites we use is Harvest Hosts. With it, for a $79 annual fee, we have the opportunity to stay overnight at all kinds of interesting places. All for free.

Overnight Stays Everywhere – And Camping For Free

It has certainly led to some pretty awesome experiences at horse farms, wineries, museums – and even an Alpaca farm. (See : Harvest Host Membership)

In a few days, we will even be using our membership to stay at an Alligator Farm as well! That should should be interesting for sure!

staying for free at casinos — We are really hoping to get a chance to see a few alligators on an overnight stay soon. But from a distance of course!

But this past week, we found ourselves in a bit of a bind for a few nights in Mississippi between campground stays. Unfortunately, with “snow-bird” season now in full gear, we were striking out with most of our usual options.

And that is when we learned we could stay for free in the safe and secure parking lots of many of the casino’s that dot the Gulf Coast!

staying for free at a casino — We never knew that many casinos offer free overnight parking and camping in their parking lots. They are well lit, and patrolled for security as well.

Camping For Free At Casinos

As we were looking at options to the fill the two gaps in our schedule, Mary happened to discover the casino option for overnight stays.

How It Works

The process is simple. First, we simply pulled into the Island View Casino and parked in their designated lot for campers. After that, all we had to do was walk inside, register our vehicle, and place a registration tag in our window. Yes, it really is that easy, and all for free!

They even offered to shuttle us back out to our camper, and offered us multiple nights if we needed them.

camping for free at casinos - Island View — The Island View Casino where we camped for free. Not only was the parking lot secure and patrolled by their security, the staff was so friendly! (Photo courtesy of Island View Casino)

Even better, we were even able to head inside for an incredible dinner inside after setting up – at a fantastic price!

And one more venue to add to the overnight stay list. Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 151 of 36, States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Biloxi, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 44.3
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,435.9, Total Gallons Used : 1,182.44
Biking Miles : 0.0, Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.4, Hiking Miles To Date : 340.2

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Ocean Springs, MS – A Quaint Town on The Secret Coast, Day 150

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 5, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip, Uncategorized
No Comments on Ocean Springs, MS – A Quaint Town on The Secret Coast, Day 150

Just about 2 miles east of Biloxi, Mississippi you will find the quaint little town of Ocean Springs.

As part of Coastal Mississippi, Ocean Springs is just one of the many towns that they consider part of ‘The Secret Coast”.

Although not as well known as the popular tourist destinations of the Florida Gulf Coast, the gorgeous, 26 mile long, white sand beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has a lot to offer.

And no beach town is the same. In fact, each one has something unique to offer.

ocean Springs shops — You can find about any independent shop, art gallery or restaurant in downtown Ocean Springs.

When we visited Long Beach, it provided a tranquil vibe that was perfect for a relaxing walk on the beach.

Biloxi, on the other hand, is filled with traditional coastal restaurants and casinos.

However, when you cross the Biloxi Bridge and arrive in the town of Ocean Springs, you get a completely different feel.

Ocean Springs

Yes, you have the gorgeous beaches where you can enjoy the sun and water sports. But it is the actual town that caught our eye.

The beautiful, historic and secluded downtown area is lined with a canopy of live oak trees.

streets of ocean springs — The downtown area of Ocean Springs is lined with a canopy of beautiful live oak trees.

However, from the small cottages in the historic district to the large, upscale homes on the waterfront, everyone feels like family here.

Although the town has a strong reputation as an arts community, there are so many other things that this coastal community has to offer.

In fact, you will find more independent shops, art galleries and restaurants here than commercial and retail stores. And it is home to a number of unique and ethnic restaurants, which is relatively uncommon in the surrounding beach towns.

Many of the local restaurants serve fresh caught shrimp from the same day that the shrimp boats bring them in.

The Impact & Recovery of Hurricane Katrina

However, on August 29. 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed many of the buildings and bridges along the shoreline with her 28 foot storm surge and strong winds.

In fact, the bridge to get from Biloxi to Ocean Springs was destroyed. And like many of the buildings in the area, the famous wooden replica of Fort Maurepas was also destroyed.

But from an outsider looking in, that only made the residents of Ocean Springs stronger.

The Biloxi bridge was rebuilt and opened in late 2007. And although the Fort was destroyed beyond repair, they used the land to build a park and playground.

Many of the businesses remodeled, rebuilt and reopened. And by 2015, the town was voted as a top 10 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living.

And today, Ocean Springs continues to draw vacationers with a year-round plethora of art, music, and food festivals.

Everywhere you turn there are unique, independently owned shops, restaurants, and art galleries.

So the next time that you are thinking about getting away to the beach, you might want to consider Coastal Mississippi!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 150 of 365
States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Biloxi, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 31.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,391.6
Total Gallons Used : 1,179.25
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 337.8

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

The Biloxi Lighthouse – A Legacy Beacon Along The Gulf Shore Coast! Day 149

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 4, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip, Uncategorized
3 Comments on The Biloxi Lighthouse – A Legacy Beacon Along The Gulf Shore Coast! Day 149

Talk about a historic monument along the Gulf Coast, the Biloxi Lighthouse has now stood for more than 170 years! And in the process, weathered everything from a civil war, to devastating hurricanes and more.

We have had the opportunity to visit and photograph quite a few iconic lighthouses on our journey so far. Our West Coast shoreline route was filled with these stunning beacons of the sea from Washington all the way down to California.

But now we find ourselves on the Gulf Coast shoreline, with the opportunity to take in even more of these majestic structures. And wow did we ever find a great one in the the city of Biloxi.

The Biloxi Lighthouse

The 65 foot tall Biloxi Lighthouse soars 65 feet above the Gulf sea waters. When it was erected in 1847, it was one of the first cast iron lighthouses to ever be constructed in the South.

And that cast iron strength has seen it through some pretty devastating times for sure. Most recently, it was a direct blow from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The massive storm slammed into the Gulf Coast and devastated many cities, including Biloxi.

But one of the few things that remained on the coastline after the storm was the Biloxi Lighthouse. Just like it has stood after previous hurricanes over the previous 150+ years.

Katrina’s storm surge actually soared to cover one-third of the structure. In the process, ruining it’s electrical system and damaging some of the exterior brick walls.

But the old cast-iron structure stayed the course, and became a symbol of strength for Biloxi residents as they rebuilt.

The Biloxi Lighthouse Pier overlooking the Gulf Coast.

The lighthouse itself is a marvel to see. Climbing some 57 steep steps to the top, you can see waterlines of many previous hurricane storm surges marked in the spiral staircase. A trap door then takes you up to light room to overlook the sea.

Beyond it’s survival skills against storm, the Biloxi Lighthouse is also believed to be the only lighthouse situated in the middle of the highway. Oh the strange but cool facts we learn along the way!

women of the gulf coast — The lighthouse has a long history, with the Younghans family tending it for over 50 years.

One thing is for sure, the Biloxi Lighthouse is a must see when in Biloxi. And we can’t wait to see many as we head along the Gulf Shores for the next few days and then into Alabama.

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 149 of 365
States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Biloxi, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 35.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,360.4
Total Gallons Used : 1,177.00
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 3.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 337.8

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

The Beautiful Beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Day 148

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 3, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on The Beautiful Beaches of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Day 148

When we arrived in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area, we had no idea we would be staying just steps away from so many beautiful beaches.

In fact, we had no idea that there are twenty-six miles of soft white sand beaches along the coast.

When we made our way into Mississippi, our first stop overnight stay was Long Beach. However, we were staying about 5 minutes away from the beach itself.

jim and mary Mississippi — We made it to Mississippi and as always, we stopped at the state sign to take a selfie.

So when we left this morning to head to Gulfport, we decided to travel along Beach Boulevard so we could take a closer look at the Gulf.

Mississippi Gulf Coast

As soon as we reached the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we were pleasantly surprised.

We literally ran into one of the most gorgeous beaches that I have ever seen!

Thick, white sand covered a large stretch of a beach area. And piers jetted out into the water in the distance.

Mississippi is now on the state map on the back of our ***T@B 400 trailer***. We have come a long way since ***Day 50***,

We both immediately decided to pull into the FREE parking lot and take a walk on the beach.

However, we were both a little shocked that there was not a single individual on the gorgeous beach. However, we also know that for the locals, that a 10 a.m. morning walk might be a little chilly.

But that didn’t stop us! In fact, we were wearing shorts and t-shirts as we took a stroll down Long Beach.

Mississippi Gulf Coast — We were the only ones walking at Long Beach this morning. The sand is so thick that you can see our footprints as we made it up and down the beach.

The white sand was so thick that it was actually seemed more like a work out than a leisurely stroll down the beach. But once we found a more compacted area of sand, we were able relax and take in the beauty of the area.

After we got back to the car, we then decided to head a little further East towards Gulfport. It is here that we quickly realized that no two beach towns were going to be the same.

Gulfport

While Long Beach is more tranquil, Gulport is built a little more for tourists.

There are large casinos that are positioned both across the highway and directly on the coast itself. However, they are very well maintained and don’t give off the vibe of being intrusive to the beauty of the coastline.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Gulfport — The Gulfport Beach view from the restaurant where we enjoyed lunch.

In fact, we enjoyed the area so much that we decided to have lunch outdoors at one of the casino restaurants overlooking the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Although we haven’t made it too far into the twenty-six mile stretch of beaches, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week will bring as we continue to head towards Biloxi.

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 148 of 365
States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Gulport, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 21.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,325.2
Total Gallons Used : 1,174.47
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.8
Hiking Miles To Date : 334.6

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

The Price Of Gas As We Travel, & Finding Ways To Keep It Under Control! Day 147

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 2, 2020
Categories In Mississippi, The Days Of The Trip, Tips
1 Comment on The Price Of Gas As We Travel, & Finding Ways To Keep It Under Control! Day 147

When you have paid for 1,172.9 gallons of fuel in what is now 19 states, you begin to get a good feel for the price of gas. And of course, how quickly it changes from state to state!

Paying for fuel is one of the bigger expenses of our trip. In fact, it comes in 3rd, behind only food and campsites.

Chevy Silverado and Camper - price of gas — The camper’s aerodynamic shape and lighter weight help with fuel mileage

But we knew from the very beginning it would big part of our bottom line, and planned accordingly to help keep it under control.

Built In Fuel Advantages

For starters, we are fortunate our T@B 400 teardrop is both lightweight and aerodynamic. It is a big key in being able to maintain a robust 13.9 mile per gallon average on the trip so far. Which, for pulling a camper, is pretty amazing.

The Chevy has been a beast so far on the trip with helping to get the best fuel mileage possible.

That figure is also helped out by our Chevy Silverado truck as well. It uses an active fuel management system to deactivate cylinders when they are not needed to conserve fuel.

It didn’t come into play too often out west and in the mountains. But lately, it has been huge driving the flatter roads of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas & Louisiana.

In fact, while in Louisiana, our truck has been pulling the camper with 4 cylinders way more than 8. It is a huge savings in fuel for sure!

Keeping the camper as light as possible by keeping tanks empty is a big help to fuel mileage

Finally, we are also very careful to be pulling as little extra weight as we can. That means waiting to fill water tanks until we get to a campsite. And, always having our grey and black waste tanks empty before ever hitting the road.

It is actually amazing at how much that extra weight keeps fuel mileage down.

The Price Of Gas State By State

But at the end of the day, it is the price of the gas you are buying that affects the bottom line the most. And has it ever varied from state to state!

We use an app on our phones called GasBuddy to help us always locate the best price at nearby pumps. And it has worked wonders in steering us clear of excessively high prices.

price of gas — The lowest price paid so far on the trip was $1.93 in Louisiana

Gas prices can vary in wide ranges from just one side of a town to the other. Case in point, Bakersfield, California. On one edge of town, fuel was 4.35 per gallon. On the other side, $3.65!

The Highs and Lows of the Cost of Gas

So far, the highest we have paid for fuel was $4.15 outside of Seaside, California. The lowest was just this past week in Livingston, Louisiana at $1.93

The most expensive state to date has been California by far, with prices per gallon usually hitting at or near $4.00 per gallon at every fill-up. Both Oregon and Washington were expensive as well, especially near the larger cities.

Glass Beach — California had some beautiful views, and some expensive fuel! The price of gas there was by far the most of the trip.

One interesting little fact is that we have spent almost 1/4 of the money we have shelled out for gas so far in just those 3 states! Guess it is a good thing they had a lot of beautiful things to see and look at. 🙂

At least in Oregon, you do receive a little more for your dollar at the pump. It is one of only two states (New Jersey the other in some places) that you are required to have someone pump your gas for you.

Both of us being creatures of habit, have had to on several occasions be told to get back in our cars as we reached for the pumps.

But best of all, we haven’t ran out of gas yet, although we did come close! (See : South Dakota Close Call)

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 147 of 365
States : 19/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Long Beach, Mississippi
Miles Driven : 103.3
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,303.7
Total Gallons Used : 1,172.93
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 331.8

Enjoying The Great Food of Louisiana, Day 146

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date February 1, 2020
Categories In Louisiana, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Enjoying The Great Food of Louisiana, Day 146

One thing that we are going to miss as we continue our trip across the country is the great food of Louisiana!

In every state that we visit, we always try a food item that is most popular in that state.

For instance, in Nebraska we ate a Runza sandwich. And in North Dakota, we ate a bowl, or two, of Knoephla soup.

Lucky for us, before we left on this adventure, Jim’s family gave us a Reader’s Digest magazine that listed all 50 states and the food that is popular and/or unique to that area.

And as part of our challenge of what to do in each state, we partake in that specific food item.

The Great Food of Louisiana

However, during our week here in Louisiana, we have indulged ourselves a little more than normal in the local cuisine.

Gumbo

The Reader’s Digest article listed gumbo as the great food in Louisiana. And I have to admit, both of us have been looking forward to having a bowl for a few weeks now.

Great food of Louisiana — Seafood Gumbo – one of our must have meals!

So within the first 24 hours of stepping foot across the border from Arkansas, I had a bowl of seafood gumbo and Jim had grilled catfish at Soileua’s Dinner Club! And it was incredible!

However, that was just the beginning of an incredible foodie week.

Beignets

Since that time we have had two helpings of Beignets. While we were in the Garden District of New Orleans, we indulged in mini beignet’s. We split our order to included both the traditional powdered sugar variety and cinnamon sugar beignets.

I loved that they were so easy to eat, and less messy than the standard size pastry. However, whenever you are in New Orleans, it is an unspoken, mandatory rule that you must have a beignet and coffee at Cafe du Monde.

So when we headed to the Big Easy, we ate breakfast at the famous cafe. We split an order of beignets and drank a cup of their famous chicory coffee.

cafe de monde — Beignets and Chicory coffee at the famous Cafe de Monde.

And lucky for us, we were entertained by Jazz performers the entire time.

Crawfish Étouffée

After spending a little time walking around, we were ready for lunch. This time, Crawfish Étouffée was on the menu.

Fortunately, it is the beginning of crawfish season here in the Bayou. And that means that many of the great food dishes in Louisiana include fresh crawfish.

And because étouffée dishes focus on one single meat, the crawfish flavor was outstanding!

Jambalaya

However, when you talk about the great food of Louisiana, one of the most popular dishes is Jambalaya!

Whether you like it with Creole or Cajun seasoning, this popular rice casserole dish is most often served with andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp.

And if you like it extra spicy, be sure to add a few splashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce on top!

The Other Great Foods of Louisiana

There are definitely a lot of great food choices found here in Louisiana. Many of which we don’t get to experience back in the Midwest.

For instance, in the grocery stores you can buy boudin, crawfish, fresh gulf shrimp with the heads still attached, and every item to make a crawfish or shrimp boil.

And don’t forget the ever popular King Cake! Every store in the area has boxes upon boxes of this famous sweet roll available for purchase.

However, you can only buy it during Carnival Season, which ends on Fat Tuesday. And yes, we tried some of that too!

As our streetcar driver said, “If you don’t have high blood pressure, you will when you leave Louisiana!”

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 146 of 365
States : 18/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Livingston, Louisiana
Miles Driven : 32
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,200.4
Total Gallons Used : 1,165.50
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 331.8

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

A Visit To The Incredible Little City Of Hammond Louisiana! Day 145

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date January 31, 2020
Categories In Louisiana, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on A Visit To The Incredible Little City Of Hammond Louisiana! Day 145

Just 45 miles east of Baton Rouge and 45 miles northwest of New Orleans sits the incredible little city of Hammond, Louisiana.

And, up until a few days ago, neither of us knew of its existence.

But, all thanks to a generous offer to try some amazing rolled ice cream from a follower, we happened to discover another amazing little city. Just one more reason this trip never gets old!

As we find ourselves 146 days into the tour, our travels have led to us to discover so many special and unique places. Big cities, small towns, and even tiny villages with populations of less than 25 residents – they have all been so incredible to explore and learn about for the first time.

And we can certainly now add Hammond, Louisiana to the list of amazing places. This town of about 20,000+ residents is one special city. And we are thankful that good ol’ ice cream spurred us on to discover it!

How Ice Cream Led Us To One Amazing City

After doing a story on our visit to Opelousas a few days back, we received a message from Dion, a Louisiana follower who saw the story and wanted us to visit his city of Hammond, Louisiana as well. He added that we should definitely try some rolled ice cream while there at Sweet Rolls Ice Cream Shop.

Now, for starters, ice cream is pretty much our Kryptonite. With world-famous Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl just twenty minutes from our home in Ohio, it is a treat that we simply find hard to resist.

Everywhere you go in Hammond, there are beautiful shops and stores all around you. It has such an inviting downtown. And the people – well, they couldn’t have been any more friendly!

So as we left New Orleans to head back to our campground near Baton Rouge, we decided to take a detour to Hammond for a little refreshing treat – and to see what the town was all about.

A Town With A Lot To Offer

For starters, yes – the ice cream rolls were ridiculously good! Watching Mark in the shop make our rolls behind the counter (see video below) was fascinating. But as good as it was, tasting it was by far our favorite part of it all! 🙂

But after that, we did what we love to do best – explore. And as we walked about the town of Hammond, it became apparent how unique it really was.

From specialty shops to a thriving downtown, it was clean, beautiful – and so over the top friendly! Every business we walked into spoke of how wonderful the town was – you could really tell it was special to them as well.

Case in point, our stop into The Red, White & Brew shop in downtown Hammond.

The State Wine Cork Map

In each state we pass through, we purchase a bottle of wine made specifically in that state. When our trip is over, our goal is to make a little artwork cork map from them all to remember the trip by. I know, a bit crazy – but then, have you met us? 🙂

Red White & Brew - Hammond, Louisiana — The Red, White & Brew shop in Hammond.

So as we passed by this cool little wine and brew shop, we thought it might be the perfect place to find our bottle of Louisiana Vino.

Not only did they help us find a great bottle, they also wanted to know all about the trip. And what was to be a 5 minute stop turned into 45 minutes, and some incredible conversation with one of the associates (Katie), and the owner Todd.

We have spoken before of the friendliness of the people in Louisiana, but it’s no joke. Everywhere we go, it has been wonderful!

And just like every other shop we stopped in while walking and driving through the town, everyone spoke highly of Hammond.

The little wine and brew shop was filled with customers and great conversation.

In fact, Todd told us he purchased Red, White & Brew with his wife after visiting the town and falling in love with it. “It just seemed like the perfect place to live,” he said, and it certainly just might be!

Loving Louisiana

Yes, we loved the Big Easy and all New Orleans had to offer. But it will be towns like Hammond, Louisiana that make this trip even more memorable.

So thank you Dion for leading us to a wonderful afternoon and evening in the town of Hammond, Louisiana. And, of course for some amazing Ice Cream Rolls too! 🙂

Here is to discovering some more incredible towns and cities along our journey. Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary.

CURRENT TRIP STATUS TO DATE:

Day 145 of 365
States : 18/50
National Parks / Monuments : 20
Stayed In : Livingston, Louisiana
Miles Driven : 41.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 16,168.4
Total Gallons Used : 1,171.6
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 158.4
Hiking Miles : 2.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 329.6

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States