Days 1-4: Mississippi Children’s Museum & Moochdocking at Friends

This entry is part 2 of 11 in the series 56 Nights North East Summer Airstream RV Trip

56 Nights North East Summer Airstream RV Trip

Day 1: Packing, Lunch, and a Long First Day (Jul 13)

Austin to Shreveport KOA, LA – 316 miles, 5 hours.
As always, final packing took longer than expected. We had hoped to leave our driveway by 9am, only to leave at 12pm. At least we didn’t have a flight to catch! We pulled our Airstream and stopped by Thao’s parents house to have Bánh xèo (Vietnamese savory crepes) for lunch and to say our goodbyes for 2 months. Her mom even sent us some food to go which we happily accepted and stocked into our fridge. With our bellies happily full from a delicious send-off meal and extra to go food, we finally hit the road.

Our late start meant a very late arrival at the Shreveport / Bossier City KOA, pulling in around 10 p.m. for a quick overnight stop. Could we have skipped the Buc-ee’s pit stop near Dallas to save on time? Maybe. But let’s be honest—after seeing 20 Buc-ees billboards, who actually drives past Buc-ee’s without stopping, at least for the world’s cleanest restrooms?

By the time we arrived at our overnight stay, all the regular campsites were taken, so we had to settle for an overflow spot hosted by at least 3 yellow tabby cats. Backing up a 28-foot trailer in the dark? Let’s just say it’s not our favorite way to start an adventure.

But we made it work and got some much-needed rest. The next morning we ate Banh Beo (mini rice cakes) for breakfast that Thao’s mom made for us to pack along before hitting the road again.

Days 2-5: Moochdocking with Friends and Outdoor Water Play (Jul 14 – Jul 17)

Shreveport KOA, LA to Madison, MS – 235 miles, 3.5 hours.
Our slow start to Summer RV life turned into a highlight of the trip as we spent three days mooch-docking at our friends’ house in Madison, Mississippi. Their driveway became our campsite, and their home became a hub of fun and connection. From shared meals and endless catching up to museums and outdoor water adventures, the days flew by.

One of our shared cooked meals included mouth watering seared & baked rack of lambs that our friend made. Landon ate at least 6 ribs himself!

Mississippi Children’s Museum
We explored the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson, where the kids unleashed their creativity and energy. The kids enjoyed multiple galleries including “World at Work” where they got to operate a construction crane, learned about automotive engineering, and even milking cows. One of the unique fun they had was playing the life size scrabble board! The museum is a great place to learn about Mississippi’s geography and natural science, culture and history, work and leisure life, and its connections to the broader world.

LeFleur’s Bluff Playground
After a few hours at the Mississippi Children’s Museum, it was time to take it outdoors. Right next to the museum is LeFleur’s Bluff Playground. It is a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art playground is separated into different play areas based on age, for children ages 6 months to 12 years old featuring 80 play activities, 73 of which are inclusive to children with accessibility needs.

Outdoor Water Play
On the last day with our friends, we topped it off with plenty of fun in the water and sun. We relaxed by the community pool followed by hitting the community lake for some boating and tubing. This is mooch-docking at it’s finest!

While we only spent 3 days moochdocking, we definitely made the most of it! The opportunity to visit and spend time with long time friends who moved away is definitely something to be grateful for. As a tradition we like to have all the kids take a picture next to our RV before departing.