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!