Fort Macon State Park | Atlantic Beach, NC | NC State Parks - (Outside the Camper)

Live 'n' Learn RV (-less) is back!! Checking out Fort Macon State Park at the northern tip of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina was just one part of our week-long trip to this beachy-tourist destination. After Hurricane Helene tore through our home area in the Central Savannah River Area (near Augusta, Georgia) the week before, this previously-planned getaway was a much-needed break! Fort Macon’s historic charm, ocean scenery, and fascinating Civil War history took us back in time, while the surrounding beaches and marshes let us soak in some relaxing coastal vibes.

RV Cooking Show #4 - Three ALL-NEW "Qwik-and-Easy" RV Kitchen Recipes! (Special Report)

It’s three all-new RV kitchen-friendly, easy-fix meal (and dessert) ideas! This time around, Jessie’s cooking up classic Olive Garden-inspired Italian Chicken, a savory, Southern-style Mississippi Chicken, and a quick & easy Instant Pot Dump Cake for dessert! 🍰 Take a look, and be prepared to have your appetites whetted! Of course, all three recipes are down below!

1. Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) bottle of Olive Garden Italian Dressing
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Coat a slow cooker with cooking spray. 

Place chicken in a slow cooker. 

In a separate bowl, pour in the full bottle of dressing. 

Add parmesan cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Whisk to blend together. 

Pour the contents of the bowl over the chicken. 

Flip chicken to coat both sides. 

Cover and cook on High for 3 ½ hours or Low for 7 hours. 

Serve chicken with a salad or a side of rice or pasta.

2. Mississippi Chicken

Ingredients

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet au jus gravy mix
1 packet (or 2 tbsp.) ranch dressing mix
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
½ of a jar pepperoncini peppers (or to taste)

Preparation

Add 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Sprinkle 1 packet au jus gravy mix and 1 packet ranch dressing mix on top of the chicken.
Then, top with 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter and 6 pepperoncini peppers.
Cover and cook on Low for 6 - 8 hours in a slow cooker.  The chicken will produce its own juices, so you don't have to add any other liquid to this (but if you’re using an Instant Pot, add ¼ cup of water, and set the manual pressure to 8 minutes).
When it's ready, take a couple of forks and shred the chicken, then serve!

3. Instant Pot Dump Cake

Ingredients

Two 20 oz. cans of cherry pie filling
½ box yellow cake mix
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup water
1 tbsp. sugar

Preparation

Spray a 7” cake pan or springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Add your two cans of cherry pie filling to the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the cake mix over the cherry pie filling so there is no pie filling showing.
Cut your cold butter into small bits and place on top of the dry cake mix. Set aside.
Pour one cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot, and place your trivet inside.
Cover your dump cake with aluminum foil, sealing the edges tightly.
Place the pan onto the trivet and put the Instant Pot lid on top.
Put the pressure release valve to sealing and press the manual or pressure cook button and set the timer for 25 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to do a natural release for 5 minutes, then release do a quick release if there is any more steam to let out. 
Take off the Instant Pot lid and carefully remove the pan from the Instant pot. Remove the foil and sprinkle with sugar.
Place in the oven and broil for 3 minutes on high, or until the top becomes crisp.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Mission 037 - Cabin Camping at Oconee State Park

What??? Cabin Camping? Well, short of a tent (...uh, no thank you...), it's the only way to do the State Park-camping thing without an RV, so we got to try something new this time around! Take a look as we visit Oconee State Park in the Appalachian foothills of upstate South Carolina. We spent a couple of nights in one of the original cabins constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930s (but updated with most modern comforts you'd expect... and demand!). Of course, we took a long hike through some of the park's densely-wooded trails, and checked out the RV campground for you, since we're still RV'ers at heart!

Mission 036 - Camping at Table Rock SP | Hagood Mill | UPSTATE SC

Thanksgiving 2022 saw us visiting Table Rock State Park in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. Continuing our exploration of the original Civilian Conservation Corps parks here in South Carolina, we spent four crisp fall days soaking the mountain air!  While we didn’t actually hike to the top of Table Rock itself, we did have a great hike while there, and discovered Hogood Mill Historic Site over in nearby Pickens, SC. Come along with us and see! 

…and stay tuned after the video for a special “epilogue…” 😞

🎥 Our Video Gear 2022: Cameras, Microphones & Other Tech-Toys! - (Special Report)

You know how men are... we love our tech-toys!! 😄 As requested by viewers, here's a run-down of the cameras and other gear we use to make our travel vlogs, cooking shows and other video fun we make here on the channel! 

Mission 035 - Sesquicentennial State Park | Labor Day 2022 | Columbia, SC

Welcome to Sesqui! (that's what the locals call it, anyway...) Labor Day long-weekend saw us buzz over to our capital city of Columbia to visit one of South Carolina's original state parks. With this weekend being an off-from-work holiday, our wedding anniversary AND the first Saturday of the college football season, we had a lot to celebrate! Tag along with us as we see the very-nice day-use area and walking paths that the locals love so much, and then venture into the throng of 70,000 rabid Gamecock fans for some Saturday night football! Of course, we did some hiking through the sandhills and forests of the park on Sunday, too... 🥾

Mission 034 - Hamburg State Park | GEORGIA STATE PARKS | CSRA Camping

What a lovely, peaceful place!  Take a look at our discovery of Hamburg State Park!  Located between Augusta and Milledgeville, Georgia, this remote park is home to a 28-site campground situated next to a 225-acre lake, where one can fish for bass, crappie and bream (which, of course, we didn’t do…).  The park also features a 1920s-era grist mill, and four different hiking trails.  Watch all the wildlife that walked, flittered and swam past our campsite, and see why this “hidden gem” in Georgia’s roster of parks is now one of our favorites! 

Mission 033 (Pt. 5) - The Voyage Home 😞 | SPRING BREAK 2022 - Ep. 5

Our week-long Spring Break adventure comes to an end, darn it!  Ride along with us as we leave Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground and make our way back home, struggling through high winds on Interstate 95 and thick crowds at Buc-ee’s.  We then make overnight stop at a new-to-us RV resort outside of Savannah, Georgia, and check out a neat little place for coffee before finally getting the Aluminum Falcon back in his “docking bay.” 

Mission 033 (Pt. 4) - Disney's Magic Kingdom & Animal Kingdom! | SPRING BREAK 2022 🌞 Ep. 4

We jammed the last two to-be-visited parks of our Disney World week into one day! Take a look and see how we breezed through the Magic Kingdom in the morning and Animal Kingdom in the afternoon... and barely scratched the surface! We'll show you why "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a must-do for any Disney World visit, and also why, by the end of the day, we would heartily recommend giving that same status to the "Avatar: Flight of Passage" ride, too!!

Mission 033 (Pt. 3) - Around-the-World at EPCOT! | SPRING BREAK 2022 🌞 Ep. 3 | DISNEY WORLD

Spring Break 2022 at Walt Disney World continues! Our second day of theme park fun finds us at EPCOT, where we get to jump on a few more rides than we did over at Hollywood Studios the day before. Come along and see us bounce from country to country, taking in the sights and sounds of all the national sections of EPCOT, before ending the day with one of the best burgers we've ever had!

Mission 033 (Pt. 2) - Galaxy's Edge @ Disney's Hollywood Studios | SPRING BREAK 2022 🌞

Our Spring Break 2022 finds us in the "Galaxy Far, Far Away" for a very, VERY full day of theme park fun! Starting before Dawn, we get into Disney's Hollywood Studios and spend almost the entire day in Galaxy's Edge, the "Star Wars"-themed section of the park. We'll show you the spectacular "Rise of the Resistance" attraction, assemble our own lightsaber, build our own 'droid, and even sample some of Aunt Beru's famous blue milk! All of this, and it's just the FIRST day!!!

Mission 033 - On the Road to Orlando!!! | SPRING BREAK 2022 🌞 Episode 1 | RV ROAD TRIP

Our four-video series covering our “Big Adventure” for 2022 begins over on YouTube! Come along for the ride as we head out for our longest (mileage-wise, at least) RV road trip yet! We’ll head down rural Georgia towards I-95, make an overnight stop just short of Florida, then make another RV-ing “Rite of Passage” (SPOILER ALERT: it's Buc-ee's!) before veering over towards Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. There’ll be more fun to be had in the next few videos, so be sure to catch those over the next few Sundays, too! 

Mission 032 - A.H. Stephens State Park | GEORGIA STATE PARKS | RV Life

New YouTube video! 🎥 Winter FINALLY relented long enough for us to enjoy a much-needed four-day weekend, giving us the chance to discover another great local camping destination, Alexander H. Stephens State Park in nearby Crawfordville, Georgia.  Watch and see us experience this quiet state park about halfway between Augusta and Atlanta, situated in some quiet forest land a few miles off Interstate 20.  Not only does the historic home of the Confederate Vice-President and Georgia governor await visitors here, but there are also plenty of opportunities for horseback riding, hiking, fishing and paddle boating. 

Aiken State Park | CAMPGROUND REVIEW | South Carolina Parks - (Special Report)

New YouTube video! 🎥 "Black Friday" weekend gave us a chance to sleep off our Thanksgiving turkey-overdose over at Aiken State Park!  We spent a beautiful fall Saturday doing a thorough review of one of South Carolina's original state parks, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.  Join us as we show you this lush, wooded remote camping destination that happens to be a stone's throw away from our home! (well, maybe two or three stone-throws away, but close enough...)

 

Mission 030 (Pt. 2) - SAVANNAH 6-Hour Walking Tour | River St. to Forsyth Park

Taking in one of America’s most beautiful cities in just six hours (or so) sounds like impossible task… and really, it IS impossible!  That didn’t stop us from giving it a try!  Of course, we only got a taste of what all Savannah has to offer, but we certainly enjoyed the taste we got.  Come along as we see the brand-new Plant Riverside District and the American Prohibition Museum, have lunch at Paula Deen’s famous “The Lady & Sons” restaurant, and visit the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist! 

Mission 030 - RV'ing Ft. McAllister State Park for Halloween 🎃

Halloween down on the Georgia coast! 👻  As we tend to do this time every year, we spend another All Hallows' Eve exploring a new camping destination.  This time around, we visited Fort McAllister State Park, a little south of Savannah.  With the lovely hiking trail along the marsh, the Spanish moss-draped campsites, and the site of some Civil War history all right there, the park turned out to be a great choice!  Watch as we show you how we spent just a part of our long weekend in this fantastic example of Georgia's state parks! 

RV Cooking Show! | More Crock Pot & Camper Oven Recipes! - (Special Report)

Jessie takes the spotlight in this video with another set of her RV kitchen-friendly, easy-fix meal ideas! Two of these three recipes are specifically meant for the Crock Pot, which any RV chef should like, and the other dish could be a perfect excuse to finally use your propane oven... assuming your camper has one, that is. 🤔 Take a look, and be prepared to have your appetites whetted!

Of course, the recipes are listed included here, so try 'em for yourself!

Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients 1 doz. eggs 1 cup milk 2 lbs. hash brown potatoes (can use frozen, just increase cook time by 1 - 2 hours) 1 lb. bacon - cooked, drained, and cut into pieces or crumbles (can substitute sausage or ham) ½ cup onions - diced 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese ¼ tsp. dry mustard ¼ tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Salt ½ tsp. pepper Preparation

Beat 12 eggs until well blended. Next, beat in milk and garlic powder, mustard, onion, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside. Layer ⅓ of potatoes in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Next sprinkle ⅓ of the bacon, sausage, or ham. Top with one cup of cheese. Repeat this layering 2 more times to have a total of 3 layers, ending with cheese. Take your egg mixture and pour over the layers. For refrigerated hash browns, cook for 6-7 hours on low. For frozen hash browns, cook 7-8 hours on low or until eggs are set.

Jailhouse Rice

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 lb bulk sausage

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 large white onion, diced 2 ribs celery, diced

2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth

2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of celery soup

2 cups long-grain white rice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, season beef and sausage with salt and pepper and brown until halfway cooked. Add onion and celery and continue cooking until meat is cooked through. In a medium bowl, whisk together soup and broth until smooth. Pour into skillet, add rice, and stir until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving. Enjoy!

3-Ingredient Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

One 1.25 oz. packet low-sodium taco seasoning

One 16 oz. jar of your favorite salsa

Preparation

Place chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Pour salsa on top. Cook on low (for 6 hours) or high (for 4 hours). Just before serving, use two forks to shred the chicken. Stir to evenly distribute salsa throughout the chicken. Serve immediately with desired toppings, such as tortillas or taco shells, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans, corn, chopped avocados or guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce.

Mission 029 - Hamilton Branch State Park | Smokey's Birthday Weekend!

South Carolina's Hamilton Branch State Park, located between the small towns of Modoc and Plum Branch, is a park we'd been meaning to visit for quite some time, and Smokey's birthday weekend was the perfect "excuse" to finally spend a three-day weekend there! Of course, as is usual for us, the rain had to put in an appearance... 🌧 Take a look as we show you around this lovely, heavily-forested park on the shores of Lake Thurmond, and you'll see why it's so very popular with Central Savannah River Area campers!

Mission 028 - Springfield CoE Campground | UPSTATE SC RV CAMPING | Anderson, SC

Is it possible to get a great campsite at the last minute? YES! A scheduling boo-boo caused us to lose a site we had booked elsewhere, but we lucked into finding an open spot at Springfield Corps of Engineers Campground for the weekend. Booked on a Monday, and camping there the following Friday! Springfield sits on the shores of Lake Hartwell near Anderson, SC, and is a great spot for boaters, skiers and fisher-people… none of which we did! So what DID we do? Well, watch the video!

Mission 027 - Magnolia Springs State Park | Summertime RV CAMPING in Georgia!

Summer in Central Georgia! Magnolia Springs State Park outside of Millen, Georgia was our first camping trip of the summer, and what a great discovery it was! This quaint little state park is known for some lovely hiking trails with lots of opportunities to see alligators and turtles sunning themselves along the waters flowing from the natural springs. See for yourself as we find yet another quiet, off-the-beaten-path campground not too far from home!