The Five-Star Rolling Resort: Now Open for Children (and One Very Pampered Dog)

Lately, we’ve started to realize: we are running a full-service, mobile resort…for our children.

Every few days, we pull into a new town, unpack our bags, make dinner in a brand-new kitchen, and let the guests enjoy the amenities—hot tubs, bunk beds, full size arcade games. They take long showers while we set the table. They lounge while we cook. They snack while we plan the next leg of the journey.

On the trail, we are the snack distributors, hydration crew, and jacket sherpas. Our resort's signature offerings? Fruit snacks, Clif Bars, vitamin C lollipops, and dried mango—perfectly timed to prevent trail meltdowns. We carry the packs. We carry the coats. We sometimes carry the kids. And we always carry the trash.

There’s laundry. Lots of it. And a carefully orchestrated car-packing system that somehow fits seven people’s worth of gear and groceries. We clean up after every meal, plan every stop, pay every fee.

It’s all-inclusive.

And the dog? He might be the luckiest guest of all. Poky is expected to do absolutely nothing. We pet him, play with him, clean up after him, and rearrange plans if he seems even mildly inconvenienced.

Sometimes we wonder—are we spoiling them?
Will they learn how to pack their own bag, find their own trail, cook their own dinner?
Will they recognize how much it takes to keep this show on the road?

But then someone says thank you—without being reminded. Or clears their plate—without being asked. Or stays a little longer at a historic site because they want to understand what happened there. And we’re reminded: this isn’t about five-star service.

It’s about the chance to hike in the great wide open, stand where history happened, and see life beyond our own bubble.

We’re just trying to raise adventurous, grateful kids with a little perspective—who one day will look back and realize this wasn’t just a travelling resort. It was an invitation to see the world, to appreciate our blessings, and to one day carry a pack for someone else.

And maybe, just maybe, pack your own snacks.