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H.O.G. Heaven: Where the Sites Are Paved but the Pigs Aren’t

Sep 17, 2026

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Food for thought

Grandma Cooper, a Mockingbird, and a Birthday Gift I Never Forgot

There are some things we inherit from our families without anyone ever sitting us down and formally passing them along. For us, watching birds was one of those things. One of Grandma Cooper’s greatest joys was watching birds flutter around the yard. My mom shared that same love, and somewhere… Read More ⇢
Cowboy Beans: A Hearty Campground Meal Worth Sharing

Some campground meals are meant to be light and quick. Cowboy Beans are not one of them. This is the kind of food that earns its place beside barbecue, smoked brisket, burgers, or just about anything else coming off the grill. Loaded with four kinds of beans, ground beef, bacon,… Read More ⇢
Pigeon Forge Landing RV Resort: A Smoky Mountain Family Getaway

There are more campgrounds in our travel history than there are campground stories on the Cooper Shortcut Blog. That is intentional. There is enough drama in today’s world without us adding campground drama to it. If you are looking for a collection of bad reviews, complaints, and stories about everything… Read More ⇢
Michigan’s Smallest City: Why Omer Is Worth Slowing Down For

I am willing to bet many of you reading this have passed through Michigan’s smallest city at one time or another. If I am wrong about that bet, well, I have been wrong before. You can ask my bride, Vicky. Omer, Michigan, sits along US-23 not far from the Lake… Read More ⇢
Movie Night at Grandma Cooper’s Was Never Really About the Movie

Did you ever have movie night at Grandma’s? I suppose that question means something quite different today than it did when I was growing up. When we have movie night with our grandchildren, we have choices. Lots of choices. We can find something on the Hallmark Movie Channel, pull out… Read More ⇢
The RV Documents We Never Thought About Packing

There is a familiar ritual that happens before almost every camping trip. We load the refrigerator. We check the pantry. Clothes find their way into drawers and closets. Chairs go into storage compartments. Tools get tucked away. Someone remembers the coffee. Hopefully, someone remembers the coffee maker. Whether we are… Read More ⇢
Street Corn Pasta Salad: One More Taste of Summer

There is something about Labor Day weekend that feels like summer is asking us not to put the camping chairs away just yet. Technically, summer still has a few weeks left. The calendar says autumn doesn’t arrive until later in September. But Labor Day has always seemed to draw an… Read More ⇢
Natchez Trace Parkway: 444 Miles Just Added to Our Bucket List

One of our subscribers recently sent us a video. Nothing unusual about that. People who follow the Cooper Shortcut Camping Journey occasionally send us places they think we might enjoy, and we are always interested in seeing where somebody else has traveled. Then we watched this one. Natchez Trace Parkway.… Read More ⇢
Little Sable Point Lighthouse, a Beach Wedding and the History Down the Road

Sometimes we travel hundreds of miles looking for a story. Other times, we are invited to a wedding and discover one waiting for us. Last weekend, Vicky and I had the opportunity to attend the wedding of our great-niece Taylor and Evan along the Lake Michigan shoreline near Mears, Michigan.… Read More ⇢