Celebrity Cruise – Interview With Singer-Songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera
Singer Jesse Lynn Madera and actor husband, Hemky, embark on a journey across the US in their motorhome.
Image Caption: Photo by Abe Martinez
The pandemic proved to be challenging for everyone around the world. Whatever your job or profession was or is, it was just a fact that certain parts of our lives would have to change. Let’s take those individuals in the entertainment industry. Husband-Actor Hemky Madera and Wife—Mother and Singer-Songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera are among the many examples of how the lifestyle changed for traveling. For the Madera’s, the pandemic and state of the world at the time was the inspiration for a new mode of travel, in an RV.
In a normal world without a looming pandemic or an RV, a cross-country trip like this more than likely would have been done by way of air travel, and maybe not even with the entire family along at all. This trip in their Hurricane Class A Motorhome allowed this family to embark on a journey together on the Highways across the U.S allowing for stops at RV parks along the way to their final destination location in New Orleans.
The Ponchartrain Landing RV Park would be where they would stay put and live for Hemkys work and filming of the 5th and final season of Queen of the South. At every location, by the push of a few buttons from the “Captain of the RV” aka Hemky….their home comes to life.
Photo by Abe Martinez
What inspired the purchase of the RV?
Definitely this lockdown period. We have been extremely careful during the pandemic, but we’re also people who love a good adventure! Having the RV has given us the freedom we were craving while also making it possible for us to keep ourselves safe. You’re home everywhere in RV. If you pull over to the side of the road, you’re still home.
What are some absolute musts you look for with some of the RV parks, campgrounds, or sites that you pull into?
The electrical hookup, and the gray and black water hookups. It’s nice to be able to easily dump the stuff you don’t want. The electrical hookup is the main thing because we really love to sleep in a cold room, and we were told it’s not a great idea to have the generator going all night because the fumes could get into the RV. It’s great to have a water hook-up too if we’re going to be there for more than a few hours.
There are four of us, so we go through water pretty fast. So we added a three-canister water filter onto the RV. The park here felt welcoming and safe, and the boys loved to ride their bikes and it was a peaceful place to be on lockdown.
Are there challenges with distant virtual learning while on the road in the RV?
It’s actually been wonderful. We’ve gone through a lot of changes over the last few years in our family, even without the pandemic, so taking a break—being at home together, being a family – has been awesome. It was much needed.
His tutor is incredible and so patient with our travels. Our son is now an honor roll student, and is skipping a grade! He’ll be back in a classroom this fall, but learning from home, sans social distractions, was exactly what he needed in order to tune in with himself and learn how to be a student.
Favorite activity you all like to do together while RVing?
I love to cook. I like to create these relatively gourmet menus and go for it. I haven’t used the microwave once. It can be a challenge in the smaller space, but I love the end result.
What does it mean for you to all travel together in the RV when you have the opportunity to do it?
It’s a nice break from the norm without being too uncomfortable. I mean, it really is pretty comfortable. It feels like a vacation, but familiar, because it’s our own stuff. We’ve got our own pillows and our coffee and our bread. I keep bringing up coffee because that’s my favorite thing about the day. We all love the adventure.
Every time we pull into a new place after driving for hours, and expand the sides, and see our little apartment reappear before our eyes, it brings us joy. We feel very much at home in our RV, and we all sleep pretty well—our three dogs included!
If you had an RV campground or attraction to recommend to future travelers where would that be?
The Valkyrie Ranch in Texas. It’s a wildlife refuge. The owner took us on a tour of the grounds in a golf cart, and we saw all kinds of beautiful animals. They have whitetail deer, horses, all kinds of impressive native birds, and even wildebeests. There’s a pretty large fishing hole. The boys absolutely loved it. I would love to go back in the fall when it’s not too hot.
