14 days, 4 states. 6 stopovers. One deep loss.
That’s what our family travel adventure has been like so far.
We started out two weeks ago in Columbus, Ohio. Our first few stops were quick, but rewarding. In the moment, though, they’re overshadowed by the loss of our dog, Grace.
I’m struggling to know how to present this situation on this platform since we haven’t fully decided how to present ourselves to the world.
Our plan is to write about full-time family travel and living a values-based life. Having to put my dog to rest doesn’t feel like it’s relevant.
But it is.
I know this endeavor will work and succeed if we are our honest, authentic, enthusiastic selves.
I have no doubt that if we present our honest, authentic selves to the world that we will be able to uplift the world. To show our neighbors and friends that the world is a good place with good people and good intentions.
I also knew the universe would present opportunities and that doors would open along the way. I didn’t expect the outpouring of love that we received on TikTok.
I’m astonished and uplifted. And when the world uplifts you, you’ve got to share it and spread it.
So, thank you. To the thousands of people who’ve shared well wishes for our Grace, we thank you. My wise son said “It really helped me a lot, and it shows that society really cares.”
So, I bring my anonymous, vulnerable post on TikTok over here. This post and connecting of online and offline lives is a frightening but meaningful action for me to take.
Again, Grace finds a way to help me heal.
Our Travel So Far
Our last night in Ohio was spent at a Hyatt Place in Columbus, Ohio. We earned status with them while they were running some promos on reward credit cards so we rarely pay to stay at Hyatt’s. We use credit card rewards and stay on points.
There was nothing special to note about the stay, but it was our first time parking the camper anywhere other than home or where we were camped, so that made for a cool picture.
Louisville, KY
From Ohio we went south to Louisville, Kentucky. We stayed at KOA Louisville South which was a surprisingly great time.
We’ll write a full post on family travel in Kentucky, but the campground was clean and fun, the morning birds were captivating, the Slugger Museum delivered, and we met some really excellent people.
We spent three nights at the KOA before continuing on south. As we drove we caught sight of a sign for Abraham Linicoln’s Birthplace. This was an unplanned stop, a chance for the kids to earn a national park badge, and a definite highlight of our trip so far.
Mammoth Cave National Park
How much do we love national parks?
Mammoth Cave National Park has been on our to-do for a long time. Although I felt it was overly commercialized, that’s the reality of the destination- it is and has always been a tourist destination. From the moment it was discovered it was a sought-after natural attraction.
We had a great time wandering around the park, exploring the historic cave tour, and walking the paths.
More on Mammoth Cave National Park for families soon!
South 40 Farm, TN
Next we were off to a small farm just south of Nashville. We found a farm where you can boondock for free (ish) through Harvest Hosts and thought that would be a cool experience. It was!
We stayed at 40 South Farm. This is a unique spot that is less farm and more picturesque backyard camping paradise. They rent their space out for music videos, photography sessions and more.
The calmness and simple beauty we met at South 40 Farm was beyond words.
And we must mention that our hosts were fascinating.
Jeff was kind enough to spend some extra time with us since it was our first time at a Harvest Host. He even did an interview with our son, the Traveling Titan, for his upcoming podcast.
Thanks, Jeff!
Huntsville, AL
Our next stop was at a boring KOA in Huntsville, Alabama. We really wanted to like it, and our first two days were enjoyable since we let the kids do some paid attractions at the camp and we got to enjoy a great visit with an old friend, but ultimately the KOA was boring and isolated
Alabama impressed us with a beautiful landscape. The forest felt healthy despite having recently been decimated by tornadoes.
I captured the most beautiful sunset ever while we were there.
Watch for our full post on family travel in Huntsville, Alabama which will touch on NASA Space Camp and more!
Columbus, GA
And now we are in Columbus, Georgia. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for a night along the way (you can do that for free, by the way!) We chose to stay at a Hyatt Hotel to dust the Alabama dirt off.
Our first night here was sad. Our dog, Grace had a sudden loss of control of her body. I say sudden, but she was right around 17 years old, so we’ve had a beautiful, long life with her.
If you came from TikTok and would like to know more about Grace, here’s what I shared on Facebook:
What a loss. And what a life.
I met this pup when I was 20 years old and she was 2. Along these 15 years together we’ve lived an incredible life. Today we had to say goodbye.
A few stories, because that’s what takes an edge off of loss.
Grace introduced me to the woman who became my wife. We met at the dog park. We’re remembering Maddie today, too, her would-be sister pup that brought Jenalee to the park where we met.
She loved chasing birds at the beach, convinced she would catch them despite their being 20 feet in the air.
Grace helped me learn to care for someone, something, other than myself. She helped me raise my two children. Ive worked from home always and our bond was tight. She was faithful at my side for what feels like as long as I’ve been me.
She’s enjoyed countless adventures, living in 3 states, ~10 houses and explored at least 20 states along the way. From dog parks to national parks, the world was her home and she lived a beautiful life.
I’m hurting. My whole family is.
But, the sun is shining bright and the birds are singing for us. We’ll be wandering through FDR state park in Georgia today, taking some extra time to sit, to remember, to grieve.
Thanks for letting me pay homage in some little way to the big role she played in our life.
FDR State Park
As I promised myself, we did get out and spend time hiking after working through the initial shock of the decision we had to make.
Nature heals us.
Time together heals us.
Going for a walk heals us.
FDR State Park was just the right spot.
Continuing the Adventure
As hard as the moment is, we’re going to keep on. We’re reevaluating our plans since things have changed. Life without Grace is going to be very different. We’re going to miss her deeply, but she’s still on the adventure with us.
There’ll be much more to come from Rich Life Adventures.
A podcast, a WAY cleaner website, an email newsletter with more musings.
We’re juggling life, two kids, an enjoyed career and more.
It’s wild, but it’s the adventure we chose.
All on the road.
And we’re doing it quite well, I must add!
This is for us. We’re doing it to uplift our family.
But I know that if we show our authentic life, we’ll uplift others, too.
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