Author Archives: Traci

Surprise! 7/24/14 – 7/28/14

Miller beating the Yakima heat!

Oh, yes we did! We flew back home for the annual Camp Cameron pool party! We could not risk our perfect attendance for this event and what a great opportunity for us to see our friends and family all in one weekend. We hadn’t been home in 10 mo’s! Left the MoHo in Syracuse, NY on Thursday morning and drove 5 hours down to Philly for our flight. This worked out well with our Alaska Airlines companion fare and we were able to drop the Acura at a dealership near the airport for some maintenance work. Got into Seattle at 9pm, my mom picked us up (she knew we were coming) and we stayed with her that night.

We have missed that view from Camp Cameron!

Me and Sunny right after the surprise

Friday morning, we picked up our rental car, a sweet Dodge Challenger, then took care of some appointments. Drove over to Yak and arrived around 2:30pm to an empty Camp Cameron (except for their new puppy, Penny) as they were out golfing. Mitch was the first one home and I wished we had a camera nearby to capture the look on his face. Classic. Sunny’s reaction a bit later was equally good. Actually, we had a similar reaction time after time as everyone arrived, we kind of felt like celebrities! I think deep down many thought there was a chance we would come, but hopefully we did a pretty good job of hiding the secret.

Poolside!

Pool games — made it through!

Chillaxing on “the runway”

It was a great weekend of catching up and spending time with great friends. And as usual, Mitch and Sunny were the perfect hosts! So happy we were able to make the trip. We left on Monday, sad to say goodbye, and headed back over to Seattle. Spent the afternoon and evening with my mom & brother, complete with dinner at our favorite little Mexican restaurant, Tapatio, in Newcastle. We were up and off to the airport at 6:30am on Tuesday morning back to Philly, then the drive up to Syracuse. Our heads hit the pillow about 11pm that night. A whirlwind trip, but so worth it!

Driving away in our sweet Dodge Challenger

Completing our New England loop – 7/13/14 – 7/20/14

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Cornish-Windsor Bridge connecting NH and VT, it is the longest wooden covered bridge in the US (originally built in 1866)

The Newfound RV Park in Bridgewater, New Hampshire was our destination for the next four nights. We didn’t know much about NH, so opted for a fairly central location in the Lakes Region of the state, which is just about in the center. Our RV park was owned by a great couple that couldn’t have been any nicer, Paul checked on us daily. It was a fairly small park, but had everything we needed. After a long drive to get there, we decided to just have a relaxing evening by the campfire.

Enjoying Newfound Campground

We weren’t quite sure what to do for the next day, so we headed out to explore with our maps. We had read about the covered bridges of the area. At one time there were over 10,000 covered bridges in the United States, and today 54 of the remaining 750 are located in New Hampshire. It was like a treasure hunt for us to find them on the map and gave us a chance to really see the area. It was very rural and foresty with lots of lakes and rivers. Each bridge is numbered and typically had a plaque out front giving the history. Most dating back to the 1800’s and unique in their own way, some have been restored and are still in use while others are out of commission. I think we found about 8 of them.

This one is not in use anymore, there was a picnic table in the middle

Driving through the longest wooden bridge in the US (also the longest two-lamed in the world!)

Driving through the longest covered wooden bridge in the US (also the longest two-span covered bridge in the world!)

This one is still used as a railway

This one is still used but with only one lane. Notice the sign/number at the top, No. 67.

Another day we headed north to the White Mountains and Franconia Notch State Park and Flume Gorge. This area is big for skiing in the winter. We hiked up the flume and waterfall area, then around the backside for amazing views of the deep pools. NH is known as the granite state and this was very evident in this area. We saw huge granite boulders and sheer cliffs. I think I saw our old countertops! We also saw 2 more covered bridges. The rain started right as we got back to the car, perfect timing. Headed back to the MoHo for tacos and some itinerary planning. So nice to have a good wifi!

Our hike up Flume Gorge

Sentinel Bridge, a large pine tree (175 ft long, 16 feet around) forms the bottom of the bridge

A HUGE granite boulder

On our last day, it rained in the morning, so we got some to-do’s done around the MoHo. In fact, we didn’t unlock the door and step outside to leave until almost 1pm. Decided to head up north to Weirs Beach on the shores of the largest lake in the state, Lake Winnipesaukee. Walked down the boardwalk and stopped in at a little bar with a deck overlooking the lake, then at one of the many candy stores to get swedish fish. Drove through a few other lake towns, but nothing really inviting to stop at. A pretty sleepy area. We came to the conclusion that since their season is so short, they don’t really invest in a lot of infrastructure for summertime visitors. Seems like a lot of cabins for locals. Overall this stop was a pretty relaxing one and not a lot of must-sees, so we were able to just explore organically. Things seemed pretty spread out so we did do a lot of driving in the car, but I feel like we saw some cool places and got a feel for the area. We opted not to head south to the bigger cities of Concord and Manchester, rather focusing on the Lakes and White Mountain regions. We can’t do it all, so when unsure of an area, we have to just commit to a place and make the most of it rather than second guess ourselves.

Enjoying the lake at Weirs Beach

Thursday, we were on the road to Vermont. We encountered some pretty bad roads, so were a bit spent by the time we arrived at the Lone Pines Campground just NE of Burlington. What a complete opposite experience we had from our last place. The spot they had us in was not ideal, so we asked to move, which usually is not a problem. This is one of the worst customer service displays we have encountered yet. They just didn’t care. Needless to say we didn’t get to move. The park was crowded with a lot of families with young screaming kids. We were very close to the Quebec border, so the majority seemed to be French speaking and not as considerate as we have experienced (sorry for the stereotype, just calling it as we saw it!). There was a Costco nearby which we haven’t seen for awhile, so loaded up on supplies and enjoyed a nice BBQ dinner and red wine to drown out our surroundings.

The next morning, we headed into Burlington to Starbucks, as we needed to use their free wifi since it was not provided at our park. After getting our business out of the way, we walked up and down Church Street, which is a pedestrian mall stretching about 5 blocks. It was very busy and many street performers including a string quartet of young kids. We had lunch at a great spot outside taking it all in. Then, we went down to the waterfront (Lake Champlain) and walked around. The big VT Brewfest was taking place, but was sold out, and tickets were not cheap through scalpers and brokers. We read that it sold out in 11 minutes! VT is a huge beer making state just behind OR and CO, so we were sorry to miss it. But we still managed to sample some local brews at restaurants. Burlington was a great town and a must visit in Vermont.

Lunch on Church Street in Burlington (string quartet playing in background)

The next morning, we got rolling at a decent time and headed north toward the Champlain Islands, a grouping of islands flanked by Lake Champlain on either side with NY to the west and Quebec, Canada to the north. At Grand Isle we stopped at a nice farmer’s market and loaded up on some fresh veggies for din-din. Kept driving and reached the top pretty quickly then did a detour drive around Isla La Motte, the most secluded of the islands. Not a lot going on; mostly private homes/cabins and not a lot of public access to the water. Then, we decided to do another scenic drive between Jefferson and Stowe along Smugglers Notch. This drive went straight up the mountain with very narrow windy roads, then straight down, sometimes only room for one vehicle to pass. There were tons of cars parked along the side, so we figured some good hiking trails, but we weren’t prepared for a hike. We never saw the road to take us to the viewpoint we were hoping for, then all of a sudden we were down in Stowe. A bit disappointing to say the least. It was a beautiful area, surrounded by mountains and trees, but we were hoping to get out to take some pics. Stowe was a neat ski village town with a cute main street area, but there was a boy’s lacrosse tourney in town, so it was packed. We stopped at the Ben & Jerry’s headquarters in Waterbury, but the lines were huge, so we decided not to wait. Plus we were there on a weekend, so they were not actively producing the ice cream. The tour would have been a video rather than real action. We headed back to the MoHo for dinner and a campfire.

Isla La Motte, Lake Champlain and NY behind us

We were excited for our last day in VT! We had discovered another cool festival was happening while we were here. The Vermont Cheese Festival! Since we couldn’t do the beer fest, the cheese fest was right up our alley! It was a bit pricey at $50 each, but we thought why not since we were here and we definitely wanted to sample some VT cheese! It took place at Shelburne Farms, a huge 1,400-acre complex right on Lake Champlain, a great setting. Got a free bag, wine glass, then the sampling began. It was a great mix of cheese, wine, ciders, spirits, chocolates and other local food samples, including a lot of maple flavored items. It got pretty crowded but with some patience we were able to get to all the booths we wanted. We did a good job of loading up our bags with various items and felt like it was a great event and very glad we came. A definite highlight to sample some local specialties, especially cheese! We headed back to the MoHo to watch the final round of the British Open. We had no satellite, but were able to pick up a few channels from our antenna, so were able to watch (live TV is brutal!). We got packed up, as we would be up and out early the next morning for our long drive to Syracuse, NY. I think I enjoyed the area of VT better than NH, but we obviously liked the campground in NH better. Sad that our time in New England has come to an end. Time is flying by!

Vermont Cheese Festival

A lot of cheese!

On the shores of Lake Champlain

Made it to Maine! 7/6/14 – 7/12/14

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The Maine coastline just south of Portland

Our arrival in Maine completed our four corners of the US and our furthest east point! And a bonus is that we got to experience it with our good friend, Bill Greaver. Our first stop was in Portland, actually Scarborough a bit south of Portland, and Bayley’s Campground. This was one of the most “resorty” parks we have stayed at yet, filled with amenities and nightly activities. We got settled and the first order of business was lunch. We ended up at Ken’s, a local joint serving fresh seafood since 1929, which Mike & Billy loved (I had a burger). Back at the campground we headed over to the adult-only pool for happy hour and enjoyed the fun atmosphere with live music. We watched the Mariners back at the MoHo and had a relaxing evening just hanging out.

Mike’s ‘big catch’

The next day we headed out for some sightseeing. We drove up the coast to Cape Elizabeth and the lighthouses, a recommendation from someone we met in Florida. First one we stopped at was Two Lights, located at a dead end road next to the Lobster Shack restaurant. What a view! Further up the coast was Fort Williams and Head Light Lighthouse. The lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in the late 1700’s and is said to be one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. The fort was huge and very well maintained – all by volunteers! It was an old military fort and served as a lookout in both WWI and WWII for the American soldiers, designated as the closest port to Europe. We walked around the grounds, then continued further up the coast to South Portland and the Bug Light House (not to be confused with Bud Light). A great viewpoint across to Portland and what I’m sure would be a prime place to watch the fireworks! Finally, we made our way into downtown Portland, parked and walked down the cobblestone streets to Commercial St, which paralleled the waterfront. A bit touristy, but not too crowded. We ended up at the Portland Lobster Company for lunch and Mike finally got his first Maine lobster! It was a cool spot overlooking the harbor. We decided to find some of the local breweries, Rising Tide and Sebago, as this town is known for them! Headed back to the MoHo, Billy & I sat outside while Mike fished until the mosquitos got the best of us. Wingfest for dinner and a movie, then the thunder and lightning showed up. Portland was a great stop and we really enjoyed Bayley’s Campground. Wished we had more time here.

Two Lights Lighthouse, outside of Portland

Head Light Lighthouse, outside of Portland

Mike’s first Maine lobster

Got packed up and on the road by 10am. Mike and I were in our groove and it was fun for Bill to see our procedure and routine. We were headed north for Bar Harbor and decided to take the scenic coast route which was a bit longer, but pretty views over bridges and through little towns. Roads were a bit bumpy at times, but overall worth the extra time for the scenery. Arrived at Narrows Too Campground located in Trenton, just across the bridge from Mt. Desert Island and Bar Harbor (Bah Hah Bah). Actually turned out to be a perfectly located home base for us. We got set up in the humidity (still not used to it), then headed out to explore. First stop was Atlantic Brewing for beer tasting. Blueberries are big around here, so they featured a Blueberry Ale. I didn’t think I would like it, but it was delicious, my new favorite which I drank exclusively while we were there! We then headed to THE lobster joint that was recommended by 2 people – Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound. Basically you go over to the live tanks and pick out what you want and they charge per pound. Either take to go, have them cook to go, or eat there. Mike & Billy proceeded to pick out 4 lobsters, about 2 lbs each, $92 worth. Compared to a sit down restaurant, these lobster pounds are the cheapest way to have fresh lobster. I had a beer and watched them eat about ½ of the first, had a few bites and took pics. I ended up driving back to the MoHo (only 1 mile away) and awaited their pick up call. I would have been sitting there another hour and the mosquitos were out, so I was more than happy to head back. They were both happy campers and will never forget this lobster feast they shared!

Billy & Mike getting ready for their lobster feed!

Notice bud light can for scale

The next morning, we got rolling after Egg McMiller’s and headed out to Acadia National Park. We bought a new yearly pass (ours expired end of May) then got on the 27-mile park loop road. Very scenic outlooks along the way, a mix between green tall trees, rocky cliffs and gorgeous lake/ocean views. Maine is actually a very hilly state, which we haven’t seen in awhile. Stopped at Thundering Hole which is an iconic place where the water can splash 40 ft in the air, but the tide was out so not much action. We took a detour out of the park at the south end to Northeast Harbor and nothing really much to see. Definitely the ‘quiet’ side of the island! This is close to Martha Stewarts home on Seal Harbor, but no sightings. Made our way north and headed up to Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the east coast at 1,530 ft. We wound our way up the hillside and found a parking place then walked the loop out to the viewpoints. Amazing 360 views all around, but very windy! We had our lunch in the car overlooking Bar Harbor, then made our way back to town. Parked and walked down the main street which was so familiar to me as Mom & I had been here on a cruise a few years ago. I loved the town then and was excited to return with Mike. We stopped in at Testa’s for a beer then to Bar Harbor Brewery for tastings. To our surprise, it is affiliated with Atlantic Brewery, so we had the same guy giving us our tastings as we did the day before. We went to another highly recommended spot, Mainley Meats, for dinner with ribs, wings and pulled pork on the menu. Worth the stop for sure. Headed back to the MoHo to watch ‘We are the Millers.’ Hilarious by the way and oh so fitting!

Acadia National Park

View from atop Cadiallac Mountain (I'm holding my hat because it was so windy!)

View from atop Cadillac Mountain (I’m holding my hat because it was so windy!)

Got Billy packed up and we got on the road to Bangor. We took the scenic route and ended up stopping at a bridge in Bucksport that we had crossed on the way into town. The Penobscot Bridge and Observatory is a cable-stay bridge with only one of four bridge observatories in the world. Next to the bridge, was massive Fort Knox, the first and largest granite fort built in Maine. It was built in 1844 to protect the riverway leading to Bangor. We walked through the underground bunkers, batteries and saw a real cannon. This was an unexpected stop, but one we all enjoyed. Made our way into Bangor and the Sea Dog Brewery for lunch (are you sensing a theme?) and sat outside on the deck overlooking the river. The town was setting up for an outdoor concert, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company. How cool! We made our way to Bill’s hotel and got him all checked in. He was heading back down to Boston for a few days in the morning via bus before flying home to Seattle. We said our goodbyes, kind of sad, then made our way back to Bar Harbor. Got back to the MoHo, did laundry and had a relaxing night. So much fun to have Billy come visit us. I think he enjoyed living our lifestyle for a week and seeing the whole process of what we go through making our way from park to park. We so appreciated him making the effort to plan a trip to see us!

Penobscot Bridge and Fort Knox

Billy & Mike inside Fort Knox, checking out the cannon

Had a glorious morning sleeping in, then I took the car into Ellsworth for a LONG overdue haircut and color, washed and vacuumed the car and did a bit of shopping at the LL Bean Outlet. Nice to have some independent time! Mike did some chores around the MoHo, then we drove into Bar Harbor for the afternoon. We walked around town just taking in the scene and shopped a bit. Town was pretty hopping due to Holland America’s ms Veendam being in port, but even after she sailed away, still a lot of people in town. Bar Harbor is a very cute, resorty town, so I’m sure a popular place for locals to vacation. We headed back to the MoHo and walked down to the beach as the tide was out, then back to BBQ for dinner. A great day!

The Margaret Todd, Bar Harbor

Our last day in Maine. We had a lazy morning and did some cleaning and packing up since we would be getting on the road early the next morning. Headed into town around 3:30 to Geddy’s for an early dinner and to watch the Brazil/Netherlands World Cup game. The food was tasty and they had a fun atmosphere and we thoroughly enjoyed the Netherlands victory! We walked around town a bit, then headed down to the Margaret Todd, a 151 ft 4-masted schooner, for our sunset cruise. They had a BYOB policy, so we brought a nice bottle of white to enjoy. It was a bit crowded and touristy, but still fun. We were under full sail power which was neat, plus it was a beautiful evening to be out on the water. Got back to the dock as the sun was setting and to see the pink full moon rising – very cool! A perfect ending to our time in Maine. Next stop is New Hampshire!

On our sunset cruise – loved the BYOB policy!

Bar Harbor sunset

The moon was amazing – an orange/red color

Don’t miss more pics of Maine HERE! (Click on any photo, then view as a slideshow. May take a bit of time to load due to image size)

Boston pics

“The Cape” 6/25/14 – 6/28/14

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Driving out to Cape Cod felt a bit like driving down to the Keys in Florida. It is an island more or less that has one main road in and out. I had always heard of Cape Cod but was never quite sure where it was. Now I know! It is the very southeastern point of Mass which made for a short drive from Newport, RI for us. Our campground was in the town of Dennis Port on the southern side of the Cape, right on Nantucket Sound. Campers Haven Campground catered more toward its full-time trailer residents than part time visitors like us, but the location just couldn’t be beat. We quickly got settled, then decided to make the drive up to Provincetown (P-town), all the way to the tip of the Cape or Upper Cape as it is called. We parked, then just walked up and down the main avenue, Commercial Street. It was pretty busy with tourists crisscrossing the streets, kids eating ice cream, bicycles whizzing by and musicians playing on street corners. A very cute, liberal little town. Apparently, this is where the Mayflower originally landed before heading to Plymouth. Someone had given us the tip to come here back in Everglades City, FL and we are glad we took them up on it. We made our way back down Hwy 6 to Dennis Port and stopped in at Clancy’s for dinner for a great meal and view and even better service. Back at the MoHo, we took a quick bike ride out to the water, then battened down the hatches for the coming rain.

I LOVED this house, Provincetown, MA

The beach at our MoHo park

Thursday was the U.S. vs. Germany soccer match, so we started the day with breakfast and mimosa’s. It was pouring rain outside, so we didn’t feel too guilty. We lost to Germany, but with the Portugal win vs. Ghana, made it the next round. Pfew! We ended up not leaving the MoHo the whole day. This is a rare occurrence, but with the rain and soccer on, we decided to just have a day to relax. Got a few projects done, caught up on bills, etc. I need to remind myself that we don’t have to be on the go every single day. Felt great to have a day like this!

World Cup command center, watching 2 games at once!

The next day, we decided to make the trip north to Plymouth, located off the Cape closer to Boston. First stop was at the local visitor center and we got a very helpful lady who gave us the lay of the land. It is a fairly small town, with most sights within walking distance. There is a main street at sea level then the town kind of tiers upward, so each street looks out toward the bay. We had a great day exploring including seeing the Mayflower replica and Plymouth Rock. The story goes that the rock signifies the first landing of the pilgrims here in 1620, but I think there are variations of the story and the rock has been moved around a bit. There were many other fee-based exhibits to see here, but we preferred to just walk around and take in the monuments and township. The best view was from the historic cemetery up on Burial Hill where it was clear why this was such a strategic place for the pilgrims to settle. Two long peninsulas on either side protect the bay, with a smaller opening for ships to be able to approach, so they could see ‘em coming! I’m really glad we made the trek up to Plymouth, we almost skipped it.

The Mayflower 2, a replica of the original in Plymouth

This is where Plymouth Rock is located, shadows prevented us from getting a good shot of the rock itself.

Mike out on the breakwater in Plymouth

View from Burial Hill. You can see the peninsulas and the narrow entryway for ships.

View from Burial Hill. You can see the overlapping peninsulas and the narrow entryway for ships.

On our last day, we planned a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard. We had made reservations a few days back on the Hy-Line ferry out of Hyannis Port, about a 15-mile drive from our park. They had all kinds of options, high speed or traditional with trips to Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket or both. We opted for the traditional ferry to the Vineyard only as we didn’t want to be rushed trying to do both islands in one day. If we had more time, we would have planned a separate trip to Nantucket. It was $86 for roundtrip tickets with our bikes which is the least expensive option we could find without having to drive all the way to Woods Hole. We were up early to catch the 9:25 ferry, for an hour and 40 min. crossing. The day could not have been better, as Mike said, it was a “Chamber of Commerce Day.” We found a few seats on the upper deck and enjoyed the crossing through Nantucket Sound. The Vineyard is made up of 6 towns; we landed at Oak Bluffs, which I think is the most touristy of the bunch. We got on our bikes and headed out to Edgartown, about a 5-mile ride, much of it right along the beautiful coastline. I was surprised by how turquoise blue the water was. It was a Saturday, so the beaches were pretty full up. We were both a bit sweaty and fatigued by the time we arrived in Edgartown. We locked up our bikes and decided to get lunch and a refreshment to reward ourselves for the ride :). We then walked around town and stopped in some shops, most of which were pretty high-end expensive. It was then time to make the ride back to Oak Bluffs, where we parked the bikes and explored town a bit. Beautiful homes with amazing views. We had about an hour before the 5:15 ferry departure, so we found a patio bar on the marina and just sat and watched the activity. It appeared that there were either tourists like us, or locals who all owned boats and came in from the Cape for the weekend to stay at their vacation homes. Wish we were on the latter end of that equation! The ferry ride home was gorgeous and we again sat up on the top deck to take it all in. We arrived back in Hyannis around 7pm and found the best little Italian joint for dinner, Four Seasons. It was a great day. I had always dreamed about riding a bike in Martha’s Vineyard. We’d love to come back someday and explore some of the other towns that may not be as commercialized. We ended up riding 14 miles on our bikes, so we both slept well! I realize that for seasoned bike riders this is not far, but we are newbies getting back into bike riding, so it felt like a lot to me. Did you know…Jaws was filmed in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard?!

Next up, Boston Baby!

Leaving Hyannis Port on the ferry

Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard

Relaxing in Edgartown

Love the houses!

Biking the Vineyard!

Ferry Ride home, “a diary day!”

Charming Connecticut – 6/16/14 – 6/20/14

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Yale University, New Haven

The drive from Jersey City through New York was an interesting one full of busy streets, lots of construction, potholes o’plenty, aggressive drivers and expensive toll roads. My stress level was a bit high, but Mike was steady-Eddie as usual. Once we were into Connecticut, it was much calmer. When planning this stop, we weren’t really sure where the best place to stay. We ended up at the Aces High RV Park in East Lyme in the SE area of the state, which was about an hour east of New Haven and an hour south of Hartford. CT is a pretty small state, only about 120 miles wide and 90 miles tall, so all very accessible. We arrived at the park around 1pm and decided to just stay put, do some much needed laundry and watch the US beat Ghana in their first World Cup match. Woo Hoo!

We just stumbled upon this place. Funny as Mike had just seen this on a Discover Channel show featuring island homes

We stumbled upon this place on one of our drives. Funny as Mike had just seen it on a Discovery Channel show featuring island homes

The next day, we decided to check out the casinos that CT is so well known for. First stop was Foxwoods Resort. This place was absolutely huge. It may have seemed larger than normal because it just pops up out of nowhere. Maybe if it were on the Vegas strip next to the other monstrosities, it would seem normal. We walked through and to be honest it seemed a bit run-down and much of it was under construction. We decided to head over to the other place in town, Mohegan Sun. It too was humungous, but the look was much more modern. There were dozens of restaurants and stores all surrounded by gaming. It felt like Tulalip on super steroids! We had lunch at Bobby Flays burger joint and met a nice little old lady who bought us a round of drinks and told us to “enjoy life.” Very cute and appropriate! We played a bit, but the limits were pretty high. Mostly, we just walked around and checked out all of the cool décor. BTW, the Bachelorette recently filmed an episode here..the one where they repel down the side of the hotel and play basketball with the WNBA players.

USS Nautilus Submarine

On Wed, we headed east to Groton to tour the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine, commissioned in 1954. Very cool to go onboard and see the inner workings of a sub and how tight the quarters were. Mike and I are vertically challenged and we even had to duck! Then, we headed to New Haven, about an hour drive. We parked near Yale University and walked to our lunch spot, Louis Lunch, the believed birthplace of the hamburger. We were told about this place back in Virginia. It’s a hole in the wall joint with just two items on the menu; hamburger or cheeseburger, served with optional tomatoes/onion, medium rare on white bread (no condiments allowed). We both got the works and they were absolutely delicious! The burgers are cooked in original cast iron grills dating back to 1898. A great stop. It was a rather humid day, so we decided to drive around Yale campus instead of walking. A very pretty campus, full of old, historic looking buildings and a lot of smart people! We then drove the scenic route back toward the MoHo park along the coast through Guilford, Madison, Westbrook and Old Storybrook. All very cute, historic little towns with sailing influences (lots of marinas). Lastly we headed up to the quaint town of Essex and the Griswold Inn and sat outside for a beverage. This is the oldest continuously running tavern in the U.S. and another location for the Bachelorette : )

Inside the submarine

Entrance to Yale University

Best Burgers at Louis Lunch

The Griswold Inn, Essex

The next day it was rainy, so we opted to have a chill day. I got a massage and pedi just down the road and Mike did some fishing. Our spot at the park backed up to a catch & release lake. I think he caught more turtles than fish, but was a happy camper. On our last day, we drove up to Hartford (actually Cromwell) for the Travelers Championship golf tourney at TPC River Highlands. It was Friday, so not as crowded as the weekend, so we could get up to the ropes no problem and the weather was perfect. We stayed most of the day and followed Ryan Moore, Bubba, John Daly (classic), Dustin Johnson, Charlie Beljan (we camped next to him back in San Jose) and of course Serg! We headed back to the MoHo for a relaxing last evening, more fishing for Mike and a campfire. Our next stop is Newport, RI.

Travelers golf tourney. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but I snuck this one.

The Jersey Shore – 5/31/14 – 6/5/14

Rocky, Cheesesteak and the Bell 5/27/14 – 5/30/14

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Philly Cheesesteaks at Joe’s

Philadelphia was a bit quieter compared to our busy days in DC. We actually needed some recovery time, so this was a nice break. We stayed at the Timberlane Campground, which was actually in Clarksboro, NJ just across the Delaware River/Ben Franklin Bridge from Philly (only about 10 miles). We had rain the first few days, which worked out fine, so we could get some errand done. Side note: There are A LOT of toll roads in this area. On our drive from DC, we paid $43 for tolls. And, it looks like this is just the beginning for this area.

On our first day, we drove the short few miles back into Delaware to make our bike purchase (no sales tax in DE)! We sold the kayaks a few weeks ago and were holding the proceeds to buy bikes. Very excited and we have already used them every day and look forward to using them throughout the Northeast and the rest of the trip. We also bought a great carrying rack, which hooks onto the rear of the MoHo so we don’t have to worry about them on the car. A perfect solution!

Our new bikes!

Cruising around the park

The next day, the weather finally broke so we headed into Philly for the day. Our first stop was in the Historic Independence District to see the iconic Liberty Bell. It was packed with tour groups so we opted not to wait in the huge line to go inside to take a photo, but rather just looked through the window on the outside and snapped a few pics (see below). Next item on the agenda was to find a Philly Cheesesteak for lunch. We had read about the top 3 original spots to try. We landed at Jim’s and both had the “Cheesesteak Wit” (wit means with onions). This place was awesome and by the time we left there was a line out the door. We walked around a bit taking in the atmosphere of the area, then drove over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and those famous steps. We joined the other tourists and did the classic run up the steps and jumped up and down with our arms in the air (a bit winded) just like Rocky Balboa did. Cheesy, but these are the kind of moments I like!

Our Liberty Bell photo from outside

Liberty Bell from inside (stolen from internet)

Liberty Bell from inside (in our opinion not worth 2 hours in line)

The famous steps, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Yo Adrian!

Us on top of the steps!

The last day here, May 30, was our 15^th wedding anniversary. We had a relaxing day hanging out at the campground, ran some more errands and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the MoHo of spaghetti, Caesar salad and of course red wine. Perfect! Overall, our time here was pretty low key, which is just what we needed. We are glad we made the stop, but I think a bit of a let down compared to our amazing time in DC. Next up is Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore!

Happy Anniversary to us!

One Year on the Road

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From Traci:
Today, May 16th marks our one-year anniversary of being on the road. It does not seem real to me that it has been this long. I am proud of us for doing this, because it was a huge step to take. Especially me. Most of you know that I am a pretty routine, structured person, so quitting my job, selling the house and leaving the comforts of home was not really in my master plan. Traveling, yes, but this extreme move, no. So, I must thank Mike for pushing me out of my comfort zone and leading the charge on this because I never would have done this without him. It’s funny, one of the most common questions we get from people (besides ‘what is your favorite place so far’ and ‘how are you able to do this’) is ‘how are you able to spend this much time together?’ We are both a bit amused because it isn’t even an issue for us. It seems normal for us and doing this together is the best part of it. Sure, we need our separate space at times, but I believe we complement each other nicely and have definitely found our groove. You have to, living in a 340 square foot space! It has been freeing to rid ourselves of all of the superfluous stuff and live minimally and on a budget. Sure, I miss my dishwasher and washer/dryer, but otherwise we have all the comforts we need. TV/DVR is probably the biggest thing we need to let go of, but at this point, not gonna happen (I love my shows). I do feel I have made progress on being more flexible and spontaneous, but it takes awhile to undo 45 years of habits!

So far, this has been an amazing adventure and we are so fortunate to be doing it. Meeting new friends, visiting old friends and having others come meet us have really made the trip special. Our choice to see our own country was the best decision we could have made. There is a lot to see here at home which I would highly recommend to anyone! 26 States and 2 Provinces down. I think we have another 6 mo’s in us, but you just never know! Thank you to everyone who has supported us and shown interest in what we are doing. The blog has been a lot of work, but it a perfect way for us to stay connected with friends & family. A labor of love!

My top 5 experiences have been (in no particular order)…
1. Kickoff in Portland watching the WVC Knights win it all!
2. Kentucky Derby
3. The Nashville Scene
4. Hiking in Utah’s National Parks
5. Chillaxing in Key Largo

From Mike:
When I read this quote below, it sparked me even that much more to try and find a way to see the world!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

Re-reading it again, it still holds true, even more so than it did some three years ago when I came across the words. It has been one full year, a full year that we have been out on the road! I could not be happier that we are able to enjoy this time, share these memories, and go to some of these places that I would have never imagined, all within our own country. We have met some great people along the way. We have also been welcomed into many a friends’ home for a meal, a huge luxury to us that we can not say thank you enough to those we have been lucky enough to see along the way. There have also been a few visitors that have made the trek out to join us, and that is so amazing, we can’t try to explain what it means to us! I end this simply; we sit back and enjoy one of our favorite meals, tacos, I with a shot of my 1942 Don Julio Tequila (Thanks again MIL for the b-day gift!), and a glass of wine to end our first year on the road. Cheers to you all, and I look forward to the rest of this journey, seeing more places, and meeting up with more friends along the way!

P.S. – My top 5 experiences have been (in no particular order)…
1. The Masters!
2. Hiking in Utah.
3. Taking time to enjoy a lost favorite, fishing everywhere.
4. The Florida Keys.
5. The diversity of weather we have experienced.

History Lesson in Virginia – 5/11/14 – 5/15/14

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Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

We had a short drive from Charlottesville to our next stop at Rockahock Campground in Lanexa, VA which is about halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg. Love short drives! The weather had really heated up and we were expecting temps in the 90’s for the next few days. We decided to just hit the grocery story and BBQ at the MoHo and enjoy the evening sitting outside.

The next day, we headed out to drive the Colonial Parkway, which is a historic road that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown (and the James & York Rivers). First stop was at the Jamestown Settlement, which was a museum with exhibits surrounding the start of Colonial America (the first permanent English colony of 1607). We opted not to pay the entrance fee and instead drove into Colonial National Park where we could use our NP pass. Nothing too exciting, but then we discovered the Glass House, which is a working glass blowing studio. We learned that glass blowing was the first industry in America – back then it would take 2 weeks to heat a fire hot enough to melt the sand to create the glass. They were creating very cool wine decanters, so of course we had to buy one! This turned out to be a great, unexpected stop. We headed out on the Parkway which was actually a bit unexciting, but scenic with the river views and greenery. The big allure is just the significance of the area and picturing what went on so many years ago, but not really a lot to see. We drove the 20 miles or so to Yorktown, which had another pay museum (dedicated to the Revolutionary War, the end of Colonial America, and where independence was won in 1781), which we opted out of as well. Another part of Colonial National Park was here, so we drove in and could see some of the actual battlefields of the war. Yorktown had a very quaint town right on the York River with a beach. It was a hot day, so there were a lot of people hanging out. We drove back to Colonial Williamsburg (which we had already passed, but knew we would come back to after we drove the parkway). We got a bite to eat, then decided to walk down the historic street, which is a restored 18th century town complete with people in period costumes. We didn’t pay the entrance fee to get into any buildings but just walked instead. It was in the 90’s and we were both overheating so didn’t stay too long. It was neat to see this area, but for some reason it just really wasn’t that interesting for us. It felt more like something we just needed to cross off the list.

The Glass House in Jamestown

Adding the handle to our wine decanter

Meticulous gardens in Williamsburg

The next day we decided to have a fun day more up our alley. After a stop at Costco, we hit Williamsburg Winery for a tour and wine tasting. It is the largest winery in VA and they produce 46,000 cases/yr. The wine was just ok, but interesting to hear about the grapes they use (Viognier is the grape of VA) compared to what we are used to in Washington. We felt the whites were definitely better than the reds. We headed to the adjacent tavern for lunch and a bottle of white, perfect for a hot day on their nicely shaded patio. We then headed over to Aleworks Brewery for some craft beer tasting and met two nice couples who were very interested in our journey, so we chatted with them for awhile and they gave us some tips for our upcoming travels to the NE. Back to the MoHo for Costco flank steak, salad & asparagus. A great day!

Wine Tasting at the Williamsburg Winery

The winery has one of the largest collection of these historic wine bottles

One of the largest collections of ancient wine bottles

We had another short travel day down to Virginia Beach and arrived at First Landing State Park by noon. This was a “pick your own site” campground, so we got a good one and had an easy set-up. The park is located right on the Atlantic Ocean/Chesapeake Bay, so we packed up a picnic then walked the 75 yards or so on the boardwalk out the beach. The temp was perfect and I even took a little nap while Mike explored. Later, we drove to the main resort area of VA Beach where all the action is and popped into a place for happy hour (.50 wings and $1 tacos – perfect!).

Site of the First Landing of English Settlers

We rarely go out to breakfast, but I had been waiting for this one! The next morning we hit another Diners, Drive-Ins & Dive’s place, Citrus. Their two specialties are Banana & Pineapple filled pancakes with an orange glaze and Crab Omelets (exactly what we ordered complemented by mimosa’s). Can you guess who ordered what?! Then we drove to Cape Henry, a military base where the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and First Landing sites are located. This was where the first English settlers touched shore in 1607 and where they later built the lighthouse in 1791 (oldest government-built lighthouse). We were able to climb to the top of the lighthouse and have a great view out to the ocean and the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. It was a bit hazy out, so we couldn’t see the 3rd lighthouse on the north side of the Bay. We headed back into town and walked down the boardwalk and just took in the scene. This area is on the verge of its busy season, so it wasn’t in full swing yet, but for a Thursday afternoon pretty crowded. I can only imagine how crazy it would be for Spring Break and in the heat of summer – 40 blocks of bars, souvenir shops, hotels/motels and restaurants. Reminded me a lot of Myrtle Beach. The wind had started to pick up, so we headed home for the night. The rain and wind are due to roll in, so I foresee a day of itinerary planning and catching up on shows, then we head to Delaware on Saturday.

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

A steep climb at times

Not a bad view from the top. The new lighthouse behind me and the entrance to Chesapeake Bay

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