Weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer and that means just one thing to me... it's time to get away! No I'm not trying to flee my home, warm weather makes me want to travel and see new and exciting places. One of my favorite means of travel is by RV there's nothing else like it. Being out on the open road with all the necessities you could ever need right behind you is one of the most freeing traveling experiences you can have. Our family has seen Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, Acadia National Park, The Mall of America and so much more thanks to RV travel!

If you are considering traveling by RV this summer here is a list of my top 3 favorite destinations and I also have a great treat for you at the end of this post so be sure to read through! 

#1 Yellowstone 

This wouldn't be a great list without one of my favorite places on it! On our last trip there we spent nine days soaking up all that Yellowstone has to offer and it was a fantastic trip. It was the first time our kids had seen so much wildlife and they were talking about it for weeks afterward. I can't even begin to express how great it was doing the trip in an RV. We were able to spend a whole day at Yellowstone Lake and didn't have to leave to eat or rest and we just hosed the kids down afterward with the outdoor shower on our RV. The difference between a trip we did a couple of years earlier when we stayed at a hotel and drove through with a car and the same trip in an RV was a huge difference.

The trip with the RV was a million times more relaxing and fun! And the conveniences can't be beat, while visiting one of the hot springs my little girl needed a restroom and as we came up to the one located where we were stopped; there was not only one of the biggest lines for a porta-potty I had seen in a long time, but also a smell that was worse than any of the stinkpots in the park. We were saved by our wonderful RV and all I could think is how bad I felt for the visitors that were in cars and didn't have nice facilities to use. It sounds weird, but when traveling with kids you will be so glad you have a bathroom with you constantly in your RV! Traveling through Yellowstone in a RV is a must! 

#2 Yosemite, California

Yosemite has always been a great travel destination, its beauty is unmatched and has had tourists flocking there all year round. This isn't a hotel destination, when visiting Yosemite you want to be out soaking up the beauty as much as possible and the best way to do that is by RV. With the highest waterfall in North America, the granite dome, El Captain (an amazing vertical rock formation) and beautiful valleys with rivers, lakes and more what's not to love? And visiting it all in an RV is a truly unique experience. To be able to pull up to all that beauty and instantly have a picnic, take a hike or go rock climbing is amazing. You can go here to find some great RV campsites in the park and here to check out some great RVing tips from the experts at Go RVing. 

#3 The Mall of America or any other amusement park

This would definitely be my kids favorite and probably not what you were expecting to see on this list. I think a lot of travelers have a hard time thinking outside of the box when it comes to RV travel, but RV travel doesn't have to be restricted to National Parks and it would be a little sad if it were. The best thing about an RV is it's endless possibilities and the positives it can bring to any vacation anywhere across the country. Those "positives" make a trip to a theme park not only bearable for mom and dad, but survivable! If you have been to a theme park with your kiddos you know how fast you can get worn down and how hard it can be to keep your sanity. With that in mind I was concerned how well it would go when we recently took our kiddos to the Mall of America. If you haven't been there it is amazing!! It's not your grandma's mall that's for sure.

With an amusement park, a climbing course, an aquarium, a Barbie Dreamhouse and more it was a little overwhelming and a lot to fit into one day. After a whole morning of rides with the kids and more pink than I have seen in my whole life the kids and I were more than ready for a little nap, but my husband had plans to see a Spiderman movie in a D-box that makes you feel like you are a part of the movie. Normally it would be a nightmare trying to figure out how we could get back to the hotel while he went to his movie, but that was exactly why we took an RV. The three of us were able to take a much needed little break in the RV and it was a lifesaver to keep us energized and ready to get back to all the fun later in the afternoon. An RV really is the only way to go when visiting a theme park or an amusement park.

I can't even count how many times it would have been amazing to have an RV to retreat to while visiting one of the many theme parks we went to in Orlando. I've seen it all over the faces of so many parents too, that look of just needing a little break from all the chaos! So next time you think about doing a theme park vacation for the family remember that RVing is the way to go! 

Those are just my top three, but there is so much more to explore with an RV and so many amazing destinations! Be sure to check out another favorite; traveling through New England in the Fall! And for even more ideas head over here to discover 10 must‐see outdoor vacation spots for families.

If you now are anxious to get started on your own RV adventure you won't want to miss this amazing Go RVing Giveaway!!! 

Head over here  and submit a short paragraph of no more than 300 words about an ideal away experience along with your name, email and mailing address.  

o Sweepstakes begins on 4/1/15 on 5/30/15.  

o Grand Prize Winner receives a trip for four (4) to one of 3 

vacation destinations as selected by the Winner for 6 days/5 

nights of their choice.  

o The first Two Thousand Five Hundred (2,500) entrants will 

receive a Scholastic book! 

Be sure to hurry and get those entries in! 

I wanted to share with you some of the myths and misconceptions about using or renting an RV and what it was like to be first time RV renters traveling through Yellowstone National Park. Here are 10 myths and misconceptions about RV travel. Keep these on hand if you plan on renting or traveling in an RV!

If you like this post make sure to hit the Pin-it button on the top of this post and share it with friends too!

Myth #1 -  I will need a special license to drive this... right?

Truth -  No you will not need any other drivers license other than the one you have right now in your wallet. This is a common misconception, probably brought on by how overwhelmed you feel when you look at how much bigger that RV is compared to your everyday car. Driving an RV doesn't require a specialist or even someone with a CDL (commercial drivers license) it just takes a little time getting used to. After about 30 minutes behind the wheel you will realize you are perfectly capable and you will feel like a pro. 

Myth #2 -  You won't have any privacy on your RV vacation.

Truth - No one likes to travel and feel like they have no privacy the whole time, and trust me the RV manufactures have thought about this. Every window has a shade and most RV's have partitions to section off different areas of the RV. Our RV from Access RV had several ways to create more privacy. The master bedroom had a sliding door that can be locked, the bunk area had a partition that could also be locked and the bed above the cab had curtains you could close. It really felt just like I was at home. If my husband needed to get some work done without being disturbed, he had many areas he could choose from to get work done in peace and quiet.

Myth #3 - (speaking of getting work done) It must be impossible to work or stay connected.

Truth - Now this one really depends on where you are at, and also what you do for a profession. If you are a doctor you probably aren't going to be able to get a whole lot of work done while out on the road. But if you have a job that you can at least do some or all of the work remotely and you stay with KOA or another site with wifi you shouldn't have any problems. Now of course most of us don't want to have to work at all while on vacation, but sometimes it just can't be avoided. Luckily as I stated above you should have plenty of space to get whatever work you have done and get back to your vacation.

Myth #4 - Even if I have a kitchen it won't matter since it will be too tiny and I won't have any space.

Truth - This is one that I was concerned about. A few days before we went to pick up our RV I started grocery shopping for our trip and it hit me!

"What if I buy all this food and I can't even prepare anything in such a small kitchen?" and then "what if all the groceries won't even fit in the fridge?" Luckily once I stepped into the RV all those fears were laid to rest.

I found that the kitchen area was a "slide out" so when we were parked I could make the area bigger with a push of a button! And the fridge and freezer were able to fit everything I purchased at the store and I still had a little bit of extra space. Cooking and preparing food really wasn't that much different than when my husband and I lived in our first apartment.

Myth #5 - I am going to hate dealing with hookups

Truth - I have seen plenty of "funny" movies where someone in an RV is taking care of the hookups and something goes wrong, before you know it... you have waste all over the place and an unhappy camper. Well... thank goodness not everything is like the movies. Taking care of hooking up the power, water and waste was super easy and mess free. If this is a concern of yours, you have nothing to worry about! Access RV even included some latex gloves to use.

Myth #6 - RV's are a huge pain to drive and you will probably run into something.

Truth - When we told family and friends that we were getting a 32 foot RV, they were shocked and immediately wondering how we were going to get in and out of gas stations and pretty much anywhere else we would need to go. Now of course when you choose to rent an RV you don't have to get a 32 foot, there are quite a few sizes that are smaller. Although if you do go with something larger, let me personally reassure you that as long as you are slow and careful it's really quite easy to get into a gas station or anywhere else for that matter. And if you want to be a little more cautious you can also have one person get out and help with guiding. We did this especially when backing out of somewhere.

Myth #7 - RVing is for old people

Truth - To be completely honest this is one myth that I never really thought about. Personally I think traveling in an RV is awesome and a wonderful experience for anyone at any age, but I have heard some say that they feel it's just for retirees. Now I won't lie... there is a huge number of retirees that travel the country by RV. But I really think RV travel is best suited for families, especially families with younger children. There is so much to do in the RV my kiddos were never bored. We would sit at the table and color or do puzzles. The kids could sit on the couch and watch a movie. Little ones can take a nap at any time (as you can see above my little boy took full advantage of this feature)

Also you can feed your family without having to even go anywhere! Unlike when you camp in a tent, kids can be hosed down at any point if they get too messy. Our RV also had a shower outside which was super convenient when we went to Yellowstone Lake and they ended up with sand and dirt all over them. An RV really is the best way to travel with kids. Families love RV travel for its outdoor appeal, flexibility, convenience, comfort, family togetherness, and affordability. What more could you need?

Myth #8 - There aren't that many places to stay with an RV

Truth - There are over 14,000 RV parks that cater to RV travelers. Plus the great thing about RV travel is you can park it almost anywhere. You can even have it out in remote areas that may not even have hotels.

Myth #9  - RV travel will leave me broke

Truth - You might be surprised to find out that RV travel is much more cost effective than other travel methods. When you start to add up airfare, hotel, car rental and food it can start to break the bank. Plus staying in a hotel and renting a car isn't nearly as homey or reliable as having your own kitchen, bathroom, and beds. Nothing beats traveling around all day and still having everything you could possibly need at your fingertips. When we started looking into hotel cost in Yellowstone our jaws dropped to the floor! It's crazy how much you will end up spending just on the hotel, that doesn't even take into account all the meals you will be wasting money on. I loved that we could make meals in the RV while we were out. We stopped at Yellowstone Lake and I made us all sandwiches. If we had to eat at one of the restaurants it would have cost close to $30 for all of us to eat. Preparing home cooked meals in your RV will save you a ton! You can head over here to 5 Star RV Rentals to get a comparison of RV travel vs other travel methods.

Myth #10  - You can't bring everything you will need on your vacation

Truth - I can attest to the fact that we brought everything we needed and then some! My husband kept telling me before we that certain items just weren't going to fit; luckily for me he was wrong. Our Sunseeker had plenty of space! I was amazed at how much cargo room it had. We also brought along 3 bikes with us. You can easily tote along bikes and other big toys, it really is your home away from home!

Be sure to check out more tips and info from the best and highly rated RV rental experts at Access RV.