Ravenontheroad

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

Raven now has a flag to help make it easy for everyone to find here💜

08/31/2026

Hi, I’m Raven. 💜🐾

I’m a people lover, a professional campground watcher, and yes, a very nosy Great Dane. 😂

I especially LOVE kids. The more, the merrier! I’m told I’m a pretty good babysitter too. My best friends are my nieces and nephew, who are between 3 and 7, and there is absolutely NOTHING they can do that I don’t need to be right in the middle of. 🤣

Normally, I LOVE being on the main road at the campground. There are people walking by, golf carts going past, kids playing, dogs to watch, new friends to meet, and all kinds of activity that clearly requires my supervision.

I mean, being nosy is basically my job. 🤷‍♀️

But this visit to Batesville, aka Five Lakes, Thousand Trails assigned us a campsite OFF the main road.

Do you know what happens back here?

NOTHING. 😑

Nobody is stopping to see me.
No kids running by to play with.
Nobody needs supervising.
There is barely any campground business for me to tend to.

So I’ve been forced to entertain myself.

I pulled out a toy.
Then another.
And another.
And another.

Apparently I own a LOT of toys. 😂

It’s been a very busy morning trying to find something that compares to being in everybody else’s business.

So far, nothing does. 🤣

Thousand Trails, next time I’d like a campsite with a little more action, please. I have a job to do. 😂💜

– Raven 🐾

08/28/2026

Cooking in an RV kitchen! 💜

Today I made stuffed potato hand pies filled with seasoned hamburger, onions and plenty of cheese, then cooked them on our griddle until golden.

These would also be fun cooked over a campfire in a well-oiled pudgy pie maker, on a cast-iron griddle, or outside on the grill!

Would you try one?

08/26/2026

The RV kitchen is busy today! I’m making a half batch of fresh garlic and cheese rolls because none of you are camping beside us to help eat them. 😂 Lasagna roll ups are next!

I love cozy fall days and homemade comfort food. 💜

08/25/2026

Fall baking in the RV today! 🍂🍋

I decided to try a homemade lemon cake, and I’m pretty happy with how this one turned out. Fresh lemon glaze, lemon zest, and a few lemon slices on top. I didn’t have any mint for decorating, so a couple basil leaves had to fill in. 😂

Now we just need to cut into it and see if it tastes as good as it looks! 💜

Anyone else ready for some fall baking? 🍂

08/08/2026

💜 28 DAYS WENT WAY TOO FAST 🇫🇷🇺🇸

How in the world has it already been 28 days?! 😭

Today, our Chiara heads home to Paris, and last night we wrapped up her last evening in the USA the only way that seemed appropriate…

S’mores around the campfire. 🔥

And apparently Indiana decided to give her the FULL camping experience for her final night. 😂 A little wind. A little rain. A little chilly. And absolutely perfect weather for sitting around a fire, laughing and making just a few more memories.

Chiara managed to put away about THREE s’mores, so I think we can officially say she has mastered that particular American tradition. 😂🇺🇸

And Raven?

Well, Raven supervised. 🐾

She scored herself a graham cracker, greeted everyone who stopped by, and made sure the entire operation met her standards. 😂💜

But today is going to be a little harder for our girl.

For 28 days, Chiara has been Raven's personal climbing structure, nap buddy, playmate and constant companion. Raven has absolutely LOVED having her here, and I have a feeling she's going to spend the next several days looking around the camper wondering where her friend went. 🥺🐾

What a 28 days it has been.

We shopped with Sydney. We swam with the kids. We celebrated Quinn's birthday AND had a pool party. We visited family. We laughed until our stomachs hurt. And then laughed some more. 😂

There were road trips, family dinners, babies, shopping trips, swimming pools, mountains, the ocean, campgrounds and miles and miles of memories.

We traveled through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio, and somehow packed what felt like an entire summer into four short weeks.

But my favorite part wasn't any particular place we visited.

It was having her back with our crazy family again. 💜

Years ago, an exchange program brought a girl from France into our home.

We had no idea then that she wouldn't just be an exchange student.

She would become family.

And all these years later, nothing about that has changed. 🇫🇷❤️🇺🇸

Today we'll hug her a little tighter, probably shed more than a few tears, and send her back across the ocean.

Then we'll go right back to watching her life unfold in Paris, cheering her on from wherever Raven On The Road happens to be parked.

Until the next adventure, Chiara. 💜

Safe travels home, baby girl.

Different country.
Different language.
Same crazy family.
Always. 🇫🇷❤️🇺🇸

And Chiara… Raven would like it officially documented that you are expected to return for climbing, napping and snack duty. 😂🐾💜

07/21/2026

💜 There’s something special about coming back to Alabama.
It's a place where we can slow down, spend time with family, and simply enjoy being together.

This visit has been even more meaningful because Chiara is here with us. Over the past few days we've been introducing her to another beautiful corner of America, from wandering the charming streets of Fairhope and exploring downtown Mobile to relaxing by the pool with family and enjoying some amazing local food.

And yes, Raven has officially declared herself on vacation. 🐾 She's been swimming in the pool with us, making the rounds to visit everyone, and finding the perfect shady spot whenever she needs a break. We think she's going to have a hard time leaving!

One of the things we love most about this RV lifestyle is that it gives us the opportunity to spend time with the people we love while sharing this incredible country with someone who has become family.

Some of the best memories aren't made by checking famous places off a list. They're made sitting around the pool, sharing meals, laughing until your sides hurt, watching a sunset, or simply enjoying each other's company.
Those are the moments we'll remember long after this trip is over.

💜 If you were showing someone from another country your favorite part of Alabama, where would you take them?

Cassy, Jon & Raven
Raven's RV Life

07/16/2026

💜 In 2015, while we were living in Texas, our family opened our home and hearts to international exchange students. Over the years, we welcomed several incredible young men into our family, but during the 2017–2018 school year, we were blessed with our very first (and only) exchange daughter, Chiara, from France.
What started as a school year together turned into a lifelong friendship and family bond.

No matter how many miles or oceans separate us, she's never stopped being part of our family.

Now, almost eight years later, Chiara is back in the USA for her third visit! 🇺🇸

This trip will be unlike any before. For the next few weeks, she'll be traveling with us as we continue our full time RV journey across America. We can't wait to show her even more of this beautiful country while making new memories together.
There will be plenty of laughs, new adventures, great food, beautiful scenery, campground life, and of course... lots of Raven. 🐾

Welcome back to the USA, Chiara. 💜
Let's make another unforgettable adventure together!