The Touring Boys - Advice from Adventurers
We have made no secret that we fell into caravanning. Having been gifted our very first van from a family member as it wasn’t being used. The initial attraction for us was due to having a dog with health issues. Having the caravan meant we could have holidays and time away, and most importantly, not worry about finding suitable dog sitters. The dogs fell in love with being in the caravan as much and as quickly as we did!
The decision to start sharing our adventures online was solely down to Lee. Having seen other people blogging about their adventures, the idea just rubbed off. Lee started The Touring Boys initially without Simon even knowing about it. One thing is for sure, neither of us had ever anticipated our Instagram page (@the_touring_boys) would become what it is today.
We mainly stay locally and frequently for weekends off. For longer periods off, we tend to go further afield. Although, since COVID, we’ve found real value in often only travelling a couple of hours from home. We are truly blessed with living in Cornwall, and it was during COVID that we had a bit of a light bulb moment where we realised, we were spending a lot of time and money to leave Cornwall when there are so many places around Cornwall and Devon that we had never been to. We still love a longer-distance trip a couple of times a year, though.
We tend to sit and talk about places we like and places we’ve seen other bloggers have been to. We research online and on membership club apps and find sites we like the look of. We then look at local areas to the sites to get an idea of what’s around, and if it’s of interest to us to form decisions around sites that we want to visit. We try to work out availability and key birthdays of family and close friends and try to make trips inclusive to those people who are important to us.
For us, there have been just so many! Exploring new places, making new friends and celebrating special occasions. A memory we both share vividly was sitting in bed with a cup of tea and watching a spectacular sunrise over St Michael Mount at Castle View CL, only a few miles from home. It was breath-taking.
A very popular and probably a favourite destination of ours would be Devon. It’s a county that we’ve been to so many times and stayed at so many sites. One site in particular would be Beare Mill CL near Crediton. We went for our first time in 2023 and have booked again for this year. This time with friends and family, and we’ve booked most of the CL!
We’ve had so many fun/funny times whilst being away. We have unexpectedly met new people and made lifelong friends as a result. We’ve slept in the awning in the snow and had friends sleep in the car because the weather has been so awful. Once, we nearly lost our caravan over the edge of a cliff by attempting to push it onto a pitch on a severe slope. Of course, this wasn’t funny at the time, but it does make us smile when we recall the incident! Needless to say, this was in our early days when we weren’t entirely sure what we were doing!
Caravanning has enhanced our holidays and experiences because it has meant we can get away and enjoy downtime so often. Being able to include friends, family, and pets. But overall, the simplicity. We can adapt our holidays to how we are feeling. From Big sites, big groups, and big celebrations to tiny off-grid sites for just us and the dog for peace and relaxation.
As dog owners, we very often find attractions that are dog-friendly. National Trust properties, for example. Long walks, short walks, sightseeing, train rides, boat trips, meals and refreshments, bike rides and, of course, relaxing with friends, family, a BBQ and a few drinks!
Over our time touring, we have bought many must-have accessories. Some have been amazing, some just haven’t been for us. Some things we take on every single trip without fail are – dry robes – we take these on every single trip, even in the summer. Great for keeping warm and dry, even on summer evenings. The Cadac or ninja woodfire (pitch type dependent) – we mainly cook outside whenever possible. But essentially, just being able to take our home-from-home creature comforts that are just our belongings and caravan contents.
We’re not overly adventurous when it comes to cooking. We nearly always use our air fryer, ninja woodfire or Cadac. Having a BBQ is, without doubt, our meal of choice in the caravan. But in less favourable weather, we rely on the air fryer for more simplistic options. We have meals as simple as jacket potatoes. But have also done Christmas dinners for multiple people and barbecues for large groups. A tip from us would be to keep it familiar and keep it simple. Our leisure vehicles all have fabulous varieties of storage and cooking options. But they just aren’t the same as domestic appliances and, as such can take a bit of getting used to. Experiment in time, but most of all, enjoy it!
Take your time! Make a checklist and follow it. Watch some of the plentiful content available online, such as Beginner Guides. We’ve learned so much from watching these informative videos. Don’t be afraid to ask! We have often been approached by newcomers for advice. People are very often embarrassed and feel silly – but don’t, we’ve all been there! And in our experience, so many friendly-minded people will be happy to help if they can.
