(Archived Mrs. Padilly About Page)
I’m a fifth-generation Chicago native who moved to Texas in 1979, and in 2012, I began writing about my Texas travels under the pen name Mrs. Padilly. My passions were, and still are, my glamped travel trailer makeovers, RV living, camping, boating, and roadside attractions.
Many first-time visitors to Mrs. Padilly’s Travels come here to read one of my how-to articles from my popular series on the restoration and glamping makeover of my Casita Travel Trailer, Free Range.
Free Range was my farm fresh little brown egg, who kept us safe as we crisscrossed Texas on many camping adventures. I took this photo on the first day we bought her home, May 2014.
If you want to go to the first post in the series, click here.
NEWS FLASH!
Changes come to the Padilly homestead in 2016!
In the spring of 2016, we moved back to the country to a home I liked to call Texas’ smallest ranch: a whole two acres (2.2 to be exact).
This change also led to a new puppy, Roxie (the Schnoxie), and a new trailer I called Miss Roxie, a 1961 Shasta Airflyte Reissue (limited edition #1185 / 1941).
We didn’t have plans to buy a new travel trailer when we got Roxie, but when we took her on her first camping trip in the Casita, we were shocked at how this little puppy, and all her stuff, took over our space!!!
The time had finally come for us to expand our square footage!
I went trailer shopping the following week and found the Shasta, bringing her home the next day.
I named my Shasta Miss Roxie in honor of Roxie the Schnoxie.
MISS ROXIE’S FIRST CAMPING TRIP:
The photo above is from Miss Roxie’s first camping trip to the Ft. Wilderness Resort and Campground at Walt Disney World. This was the farthest distance we have traveled with our Shasta, with the round trip totaling about 1,970 miles!
This trip included four days of driving and eight nights of camping, and it taught me a lot about my “new” vintage camper; some things were good, and some were not.
You can read about both camper’s makeovers by clicking their links below:
First Post in Shasta Makeover Series:
First Post in Casita Makeover Series:
MORE CHANGE!
NOW IT IS GETTING CRAZY
Another big change came to the Padilly household in 2019 when we moved to Central Florida and finally decided to “settle” in the Tampa Bay area. Our move to Florida was fueled by two things: family and boating.
We are avid campers and road warriors, but we are also seasoned boaters. The lure of cruising Florida’s beautiful waterways was a strong reason for us to leave our home state of Texas.
We owned three boats during our time in Florida:
- A Mako 15, which we cruised on the Chain of Lakes in Central Florida with a few side trips to the Florida Keys.
- A C-Dory that we also cruised on Florida’s Chain of Lakes, Florida Keys, and then moved her to Cortez, on Florida’s West Coast.
- Finally, Mokupuni, our island in the sun (image below). Mokupuni is a Ranger Tug 27, and we had a blast cruising her up and down Florida’s West Coast.
We went on so many adventures in Florida, and I will continue to add posts about boating in Florida’s waters, from gator-filled lakes and rivers to emerald green bays and seas.
Did you note I wrote I finally decided to “settle” in the Tampa Bay area?
Yep, we moved again—to Kentucky. This brings us to 2024 and our preparations for starting America’s Great Loop in 2025.
So, Who in the World is Mrs. Padilly?
It’s my pen name, creative outlet, and traveling alter ego.
Follow along if you are interested in:
- Living Life in the Outdoors by Land or Sea.
- Discover new places and learn from those who traveled there before you.
- Taking on BIG adventures like cruising America’s Great Loop.
- DIY projects for restoring & glamping your travel trailer. (Makeover series on my CASITA and SHASTA)
- Fun ideas for creating travel souvenirs from found objects (DIY TRAVEL SOUVENIRS)
- And, of course, our Camping, Boating, and Road Trip adventures.
IMPORTANT: Once you subscribe, you will need to check your email and confirm your subscription, and you will be on the list!
NOTE: I NEVER share your email with anyone! It is only needed to subscribe to MrsPadillysTravels.com.
YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME AT:
Instagram.com/MrsPadilly – My place to share photos of my travels by land, including roadside attractions, Florida’s coastal town, and Walt Disney World pics.
Instagram.com/SerenityTrawler ~ My place to share photos from our cruises on Serenity and other boating-related activities.
Instagram.com/DonnaMarieBooks ~ My place to share my latest books and writing activities, including creating a special garden.
DonnaMarie.blog: This is my newest blog, my new author’s page. Have you noticed that MrsPadillysTravels.com has been pretty quiet? This is because I have turned my attention to completing several books I have been working on for the last ten years. One will include untold stories about glamping my Casita travel trailer, “Free Range.” But first, my attention is publishing a series of children’s books about a special garden.
Pinterest.com/MrsPadilly—Who doesn’t love Pinterest?! I know I do! I have been on Pinterest since its beginning, pinning everything from camping tips to travel, vintage trailers, and more. You can find many ideas from my boards, so check them out!
YouTube/MrsPadilly—Wow… Will I ever upload my videos? Help motivate me by checking out my channel and subscribing.
*MRS. PADILLY, THE TEXAS and FLORIDA PADILLY LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OF THE COMPANY, MRSPADILLYSTRAVELS.COM. All Content and Images on this site are created by and are the property of Mrs. Padilly. All content is copyrighted, with all rights reserved.