Heeding Obstacles, Trusting Signs And Staying East (!)
I’ve always been a hard-core Science gal. I studied Science in school, held a job in the technology industry for over 12 years and still use and study Science in just about every aspect of my life today. Got a health problem? My first instinct is to research everything I can about it in Scientific Journals. Trying to figure out why our fridge doesn’t cool? You bet I’ll be looking for technical explanations on one of the many RV forums.
So with a personality like that why would I ever believe in anything as completely wishy washy as a “sign”??
I wish I could explain it to you. I’ve always had strong gut feelings and there are many times I’ve done stuff in life simply because it felt “right”. You could say it’s my up-bringing (my mother was very New Age’y in her time), or my years of Yoga and meditation (they connect you to aspects of yourself and the Universe that are hard to explain in words), or simply a sort of sum of life logic and experience that translates itself into what I perceive as feelings. Then again, maybe it’s just that Science hasn’t explained everything yet and whatever I’m sensing is beyond our current level of understanding.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy….”
No matter the origin, I’ve learned to trust these feelings over the years. My intuition, such as it is, has never lead me wrong and I’ve always had the most positive outcomes when I’ve paid attention to it. Things just seem to flow when I’m on the “right” path whereas they become a mess of obstacles when I’m not. That’s not to say that I run exclusively on intuition (I’m way too right-brained for that) or that I’ve never had to fight for anything (far from it), but when life is going right I’m able to move through my problems (eventually), whereas when it’s wrong I’ll just keep hitting the same barriers over and over. It’s like the Universe will keep giving me the same lesson to learn until I learn it.
The great thing is that I’ve found a life partner who feels and operates exactly the same way. We’re both hard-core geeks but we’ve always had the same life vision, and amazingly we nearly always get the same instinctual message at the same time. You could say we’re two Spock-type people with New Age cores. It’s as crazy as wave-particle duality man, but it’s part of what makes us work as a couple 🙂
So what in the world does all this have to do with RVing???? Well, as is typical on the blog I’ve gotten a tad carried away in philosophical babble {{sorry folks}}, but it DOES actually explain why we’re still in S.Florida!
We were actually scheduled to leave last week and had prepped everything to be ready to go. Our RV was ready, we’d said all our family goodbyes and we’d even booked our first few RV stops going West. But for whatever reason we were both feeling uneasy. Nothing specific mind you, just this general feeling that we weren’t quite ready to go. So for no particular reason we decided to delay a few days and see.
And that’s when it happened = the biggest storm front to hit the Southeast all winter.
We kinda knew it was coming (we DO check the weather before we drive anywhere), but it turned out even worse than initially forecasted. For a period of around 24 hours the entire SE was hit with severe weather warnings, high wind warnings, tornado warnings (!) and some of the worst rain we’d seen all season. The storm wasn’t too bad here in S.FL, but it left some devastating damage right in the areas we had planned to be. It was incredibly lucky that we didn’t leave.
Once the storm cleared our path West was open again, but we were still feeling uneasy. Again nothing specific, just this idea that maybe we should stick around. So we extended our site a few more days…and we talked…and threw around ideas. Should we leave? Leave later? Change our Plans? Maybe not even go West this year at all????
The latter was a shocker of an idea. Since late last year we’ve both been so utterly fixated on our plan to get back West ASAP that the alternative hadn’t even presented itself to us. Interestingly enough though, we’d been running into some really unusual obstacles.
First of all I’d contacted all of the places in the PNW we usually host as lighthouse hosts and EVERY ONE of them told us they were already full for this summer…what?! That has literally never happened before. Secondly we’ve been trying to figure out what in the world what we were going to do with our pets while Paul and I traveled to UK for my sister’s wedding. We had a tentative plan which involved flying a good friend of ours up to stay in the rig, but we were running into major issues trying to find a spot for “the beast” in July/Aug (it’s the Eclipse Year, don’t you know). In short, we kept running into obstacles. Signs….signs….
So we took a step back and opened our minds to the idea of staying East. And quite incredibly as soon as we did that, new possibilities started popping up…
Firstly, we were able to extend our stay at our current site for another month. That gave us some breathing room to plan. Then, out of the blue a blog reader contacted us asking if we wanted some of his upcoming reservations for March in the Keys. WOW! I’ve never been to the Keys, have always wanted to go, but have never been able to get reservations down there. We took two of his reservations and managed to book another 7 nights that suddenly opened up in another park. BAM! Suddenly we had 6 solid weeks in the Conch Republic ready to go!! Then, one of our very good RV friends offered us the perfect (ideal, frikkin’ awesome) solution for my sisters wedding in Aug, around the Finger Lakes area of New York. Hmmm….we could go there, explore that area and then maybe head into Maine afterwards too? It was a pretty exciting idea.
Within a few days all our obstacles had been overcome, things had fallen into place and our path felt “right” again. Clearly, this was all meant to be.
So that’s a long post to explain why that the Westward plans we (very) loosely announced on the blog just last month have been trashed and, barring any new signs or major issues, our new jello plan is to {{gasp}} stay East. We’ll be spending about a month and a half in the Keys after which we’ll follow a pretty rapid route north. Our goal is to hit New York around July, spend the month of Aug in Maine and then we’ll see where the road takes us. It certainly wasn’t the path we expected to take, and it’ll definitely be a VERY different experience from our usual Western route, but it’ll be totally new, and will allow us to do and see things we’ve always had on our “list”. Plus, more lighthouses of course 🙂
For those of you who are East-coast savvy we would LOVE tips & must sees along our new jello route. DO feel free to comment with ideas below…
Wow – lucky you – MAINE!! I recommend the Wells Estuarian Reserve and Camden, ME for starters.
If you go inland, try Moosehead Lake.
Enjoy!
I am SUPER excited about Maine and have a feeling it is going to be one of the highlights of our year. We’ve already got Camden on the “list”. I’ll add the other one to it too. Cheers!
Nina
Sorry we couldn’t meet up this time, maybe in the future. Have fun at Bahia Honda!
JUST sent you an e-mail….talk about timing 🙂
Nina
Yea!! I know and understand how you love the West but was feeling sorry that you wouldn’t have more time in the east.
It’s such a push-pull thing. We love the West and know that’s where we’ll end up (eventually), but we were both bummed we didn’t get more time to explore the NE last year. I guess we just needed to sit still for a while and let the craziness of last year dissipate before we were able to see that possibility. Now, I’m actually excited about getting up there again!
Nina
We were just at Skidaway Island State Park in December and LOVED it. It was one of the nicest campgrounds we’ve been in. And if you were able to score a full hook up site, you’ll be amazed. They are massive sites. We spent several days in Savannah, which was just spectacular, and then drove the opposite direction one afternoon to go check out Tybee Island. If you haven’t seen it already, I expect you will love the lighthouse there. It’s gorgeous!
Great to know you loved it. We were actually booked at Skidaway last year, but then the big hurricane that came in Oct flooded the park and our reservations were cancelled. We were so bummed! We’ve heard so much good about this park and hope to get a site on our way north.
Nina
Oh my, yes. Skidaway is a wonderful Park. Huge sites and loads of wildlife. Right next to Moon River, which was actually named for the Johnny Mercer song. Go crabbing there if you have the chance! The locals will show you how.
The Mansions in Rhode Island..
In New York you might like Letchworth State park, Its called the Grand Canyon of the East. I see you are going to Niagara Falls (we live just a few minutes from there, my wife grew up there) and the place to stay is 4 Mile Creek there you might be able to score a lake front site,
In Maine our happy place is in Port Clyde at Marshals lighthouse of Forrest Gump Fame. There is a campground there that we are going to this July called Saltwater farms but they won’t take any reservations till April. What we really loved is a sailboat ride on the Morning in Maine. The Captain Bob Pratt is a very nice guy and you get to see several lighthouses and you might even see the schooner races.
I love your plan! I’m especially happy you get to go play in the Keys. The planning part of RVing is so easy sometimes, and so complicated at other times. We have finally learned to ask ourselves, “Wait, what if we do the exact opposite?” We often find ourselves with a workable plan that way. We’re visiting our kids, then off to Alaska for the summer, where they’re each visiting us, in turns! Perfection!
I honestly can’t believe our luck getting into the Keys (all thanks to a blog reader!). We tried getting reservations there when they opened up 11 months ago, but no luck at all. We were on the computer literally every AM for weeks and still nothing. So, this is really a gift.
And yes opening up the mind to opposites is a great little mind-trick that can sometimes yield great results. Sounds like you’ve found the perfect solution this summer, and Alaska will be a superb adventure too! We’ve yet to take the rig. One day…!
Nina
Hi I’ve been following you guys for a little while and felt empathy for your recent events with the toad, blogger burnout, slowing down etc. I appreciate the Honesty you share in your blog and find it easy to relate to since we’re newbies and have had so many setbacks in the first three months. I totally get your intuition vs science stuff. We’re learning to listen more to those instincts. So glad things are falling into place for you both. Know that your stories are inspiring others. Hope to cross paths with you someday.
Sorry to hear you’re running into obstacles, and so early on in your journey too. We sure know what that feels like. Hopefully they are just short challenges that will lead you to even better places. Wish you all the best in your travels this year!
Nina
Looks like a good route to the north east! It looks on your map though as if your route is I-90 (New York thruway) across New York state. We have traveled that route many times and would suggest you consider the Southern Tier Expressway I-88 & I-86 instead. That route is a bit longer but has no tolls (I-90 will cost you a bundle), seems to be less trafficked by trucks and has some beautiful scenery (especially in the fall). It will take you south of the finger lakes, but also by the Corning Museum of Glass which is an awesome place to visit. Plan on a full two days to visit the museum. This post of ours has more details: http://myquantumdiscovery.com/four-fun-stops-between-oh-ny-a-moon-landing-a-riveting-tale-fun-flames-glass-galore
You should be able to find some good Harvest Hosts locations to stop at in NY state. Arrowhead Marina & RV west of Albany is an OK place to stop over for a few days at a decent rate.
In MA best to keep to the outer beltway (I-495) and avoid rush hours. If you were looking for a good fully featured campground south of Boston, Normandy Farms is about as good as it gets in the area, but is quite expensive.
If you pass thru RI in the summer (May – August) and want a bit of a maritime tour of Narragansett Bay and some “secret” spots we know (and lighthouses too!) that the tourists usually miss give us a shout.
In Maine of course Acadia Nat’l Park is a must. The Shore Path in Bar Harbor is a favorite of ours. Also walk the “bar” that gives the town its name at low tide over to Bar Island for some interesting history (but get back to town before the tide comes in!). You can drive your car out onto the bar too. Camden is a really picturesque little town and Camden Hills SP is a good pace to stay – make sure to get to the summit of Mt. Battie (in the SP) for a birds eye view of the town. Also in nearby Rockport/Rockland, ME the mile long breakwater (with a lighthouse at the end!) in front of the Samoset Hotel is a beautiful walk on a nice day.
Safe travels!
Great tips! Cheers for all that detail.
Nina
Sometimes you have to do what feels right than logical. Besides, it’s always great to explore new regions. You will be itching to get back to the west after this year. Best wishes.
I spent a year traveling with my 130 lb dog in an Airstream b190 all along the east coast. Don’t miss Jekly Island Georgia for wonderful campground, doggy beaches and doing everything on great bike paths. Second favorite Floyd Georgia near Roanoke for bluegrass music. Happy travels!
I think you mean Floyd Virginia??
Yes, sorry. Floyd Virginia.
We stayed at Jekyll Island our first year on the road and totally loved it. Not sure we’ll head back this time around, but we will probably stop somewhere around Roanoke…and Bluegrass Music sounds awesome! So cheers for that.
Nina
Second weekend in August (check this date) is Galax (VA) Oldtime Fiddler’s Convention. This is my Dad’s hometown. It is an epic festival. Got to love the claw hammer style. The singing competitions are amazing. Highly recommend.
We are a month into our first journey, and can’t seem to get out of Arizona! Loving the at the head of the Grand Canyon-Lee’s Ferry. Thank you so much for your blog. It has been an inspiration.
Lance 915 on a Ford F-350
Sounds like everything has just turned out the way it was meant to be.
I just spent last fall in the Finger Lakes area which of course I blogged about. http://mikobobiko.blogspot.com
It is one of those spots where it just feels good to be.
I grew up on Canandaigua Lake and missed ALL of this! Of course I left when I was 18, but still. Thank you Cindy, I will be checking these places out when we go back after we get our RV.
And Nina, it sounds like a wonderful plan. I look forward to reading about your adventures in the Keys and in the Finger Lakes area.
Please spend some time in the Finger Lakes region of NY State on your way north. Watkins Glen State Park has a beautiful gorge walk. Maine is one of our favorite places to camp. Check out going “down east” to the Eastern most Point in the US. Safe travels, love your blog!
We’re definitely hoping to explore quite a bit of the Finger Lakes area. Cheers for the tip on the park.
Nina
You are going to love Maine! You can’t go wrong anywhere in the mid coast region – Brunswick, Bath, Boothbay etc. Then near Bucksport is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory (42 stories up!) and Fort Knox as well. If you stick around until 9/9 you can take advantage of the Maine Open Lighthouse Day. See lighthousefoundation.org. I went last year and managed to see quite a few in the Bath area.
Also, I highly recommend you go all the way east to Lubec and cross over to Campobello Island in New Brunswick, CA. Herring Cove Provincial Park and campground is great. Go to Roosevelt Campobello International Park and make sure you go to a Tea with Eleanor. There is a great stone beach, hiking trails, and carriage trails you can bike on. Best of all for you, Nina, is Head Harbor Lightstation (East Quoddy Head Lightstation). It’s only accessible at low tide by foot. The elderly local volunteers that staff it are a treasure themselves.
Go to Jocie’s Porch cafe for food, coffee, wifi, and view of the water. Can also get wifi at RCIP. I don’t remember there being wifi at Herring Cove.
Back in Lubec there is Quoddy Head State Park with the West Quoddy Head Light — the easternmost point of land in the continental US.
Have fun! Brett
The first thing I said to Paul when we finally made our decision to stay East was “We can go see the Quoddy Lighthouses!!” So yeah you bet that those are both on our list. I had no idea about open lighthouse day though, so that’s an excellent tip. Cheers very much for the other ideas too.
Nina
Our happy place is the top of South Bubble overlooking Jordan Pond at Acadia NP. All three of our doggies have been up there with us. On our 25th anniversary, we celebrated by climbing Penobscot Mountain. We love Acadia, as the trails are doggie friendly.
In the Keys, be sure to bike the old Seven Mile Bridge from Marathon out to Pigeon Key. It’s crazy to think cars and trucks used to use that road!
We are SO looking forward to taking Polly on the trails in Acadia NP. She’s doing really well, and (touch wood) will continue to be healthy and ready to hike when get there. I would love to have that experience with her, especially after all her troubles last year. All paws crossed!
Nina
I need to bookmark this post for future travels! So many places sound amazing. The RV parks in the Keys book up that quickly and that far out???
Yup FL Keys reservations literally book out SOLID as soon as they open up, which is 11 months ahead. This is particular to the FL State Parks (Private Parks book up too, but generally have a bit more availability). We’ve been on multiple computers at exactly 8AM EST for weeks trying to get in and have gotten nothing at all. There are opportunities to catch cancellations, but usually only much closer to the date you need to go. So it’s really tough to get a spot down there!
Nina
interesting! Science will never be able to explain all the “ins and outs” of life secrets. That is the beauty of life!
I like your thinking, reasoning, etc. We’ve found that saying flexible has opened many opportunities that we hadn’t thought about. I enjoy your blog.
Staying flexible is so key to keeping your sanity on the road, and generally we are pretty good at it. But this winter I think we were just worn out (from last year) and couldn’t see things clearly. I’m glad we were able to heed the signs…eventually. Here’s hoping it the right path 🙂
Nina
Clearly, it can be nerve racking when planning is necessary! I am normally a plan,plan,planner, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve lightened up and started enjoying what I call “The Universal Highway!” Last year and the first of this I was surprised to give up plans for Yellowstone and enjoy some knee surgeries..(YES, PLURAL!!) I’m post on one and 2 weeks out on the second. It was either do them this year or give up walking…no can do! We have friends who invited us to stay carefree on their property while I recoup….TOTALLY AMAZING AND THEY ARE WONDERFUL HOSTS TO BOOT! You just never know where that UNIVERSE HIGHWAY will lead!
Well done. It has always been wise to pay attention to your gut feeling. Now I will get to see parts of the country I will never visit.
While in Maine, check out Misty Acres Alpaca Farm, a great Harvest Host site. Very friendly people! And we enjoyed our stop at Mainstay Cottages & RV Park in Winter Harbor. And I’ll throw in another plug for Letchworth State Park. Safe Travels!
Nice tip on the Alpaca Farm! Definitely checking them out.
Nina
Really envying you the readers with advice and site you can pick up. We’ve had folks offer us spots in Florida State Parks but couldn’t figure out how to get the reservations moved into our name on reserve america. If you know how, please let me know. So with you on how much easier life becomes when you get in the flow. I always ask myself when things keep going wrong, what am I trying to push here that may not be in my best interest. You really seem to tune in. And both of you….boy does that make it nice.
We spent the summer in the Finger Lakes including at Niagara and blogged it all. Lots of state parks on the lakes with tons of things to do. We loved Letchworth and Seneca Falls and Cooperstown and the Wildlife Refuges. Lubec is great and if you can be there labor day week-end and the week before you can have a great time watching Eastport pirates attack Lubec and vice versa. Too much fun in small town Maine. Moose in Moosehead especially if you paddle the ponds and streams.
Really sorry we haven’t been able to meet up with you since we’ve been in Florida all winter but we may well be in Acadia this summer so perhaps…………who knows.
So, there’s no “official” way to transfer a FL reservation. All we did was a cancellation (on their side) followed by rebooking (on our side). The key was simply to get the timing just right!
Before we started the process we got on the phone together and logged in to reserveamerica. On my side I had already selected the park, the site and the exact dates we were going to transfer. Then as soon as they hit the cancellation button on their side (and got their confirmation it was complete) I started hitting the refresh button on my side until the availability showed up. Then it was just a question of booking that site ASAP! Of course someone else could have (potentially) booked the site in the time I was refreshing my screen, but we timed it close enough that the chances were low. That’s all there was to it really.
Maybe we’ll see you up north!
Nina
Hope to see you in Maine. We’ll be at Narrows Too near Acadia for the last half of June until mid August and then we’re going to the National Park’s campsite on the Scoodic Peninsula. Let us know if you are anywhere near. Perhaps we can get some Lobstah together. Really well done on the site transfer with Reserve America. Very cool!
That was good instinct on those storms…we had a lot of high winds here on the Space Coast! One more suggestion for Maine (my home state)…In the Portland area, you have to see Portland Head Light, at Ft. Williams in Cape Elizabeth. It’s the most photographed lighthouse in the world! And check out Allagash Brewery, they make an award willing Belgium Ale. You will love Maine!
Ah yes Portland Head Light…we’ll have to see if we can fit that one in. It certainly is a classic. Excellent tip on the Belgian Ale too!!
Nina
If you do end up visiting the Portland area you might want to consider staying at the Winslow Park Campground. A sweet little campground right on Casco Bay in Freeport ME. A very easy drive into Portland. We also highly recommend The Holy Donut shop. A cute little health oriented sweet shop for unique donuts made with real roasted sweet potatoes.
Wow, it looks like you will be near Washington DC and Frederick, MD heading up 270N to 15North on your way to Gettysburg, PA. I have done some very long (50-100 mile) bike rides to Gettysburg, PA. If you are headed that way we would love to show you the sites. We actually live near Frederick, MD and they have great brew pubs. My husband works in DC so we know that area quite well too. Just give us a shout when you get closer to us. We would love to show you around.
As long as you are heading to New England, plan a visit to Cape Cod! Especially in September- -it is beautiful then! Before we went full-time traveling we lived on the Cape, so if you’re interested, I can give you suggestions!
I see you are coming through Roanoke where I have lived most of my life. May I suggest taking a jog west and go through the Smokey Mountain NP. Lots of hiking trails, cascading streams and mountain scenery. And then there is the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail which run through the Roanoke Valley. Wineries and breweries too. I have followed you for a few years and would love to catch up with when you come through. My wife, of 46 years, and I, however will be making a trip to Missoula to see our daughter, her husband and twin grand-babies sometime this spring or summer. Good choice to come east.
John
Wow – I glanced through some of the comments and saw a few about the Finger Lakes region. Having lived there all of my life I feel like I know a bit about the area. First of all – some of the most awesome wines in the world are made there. There are several wine trails that follow some of the Finger Lake shores. Some are right on the water, some overlook it and some are a bit further away but still wonderful. There are also a number of breweries already open and some opening. I can personally recommend the east side of Seneca Lake for both breweries and wineries. (Seneca Lake – east shore is where I live and grew up). Lucky Hare brewery in Valois (Val – oys) and Two Goats in Hector, as well as Grist Iron between Hector and Watkins Glen – all good and the latter two have live music some nights and Grist Iron has food. Wagner Winery near Lodi has wine and beer as well as the Ginny Lee Cafe for food. The area is quite busy in July – if the cherry season occurs at its usual time (assuming good weather there’ll be a crop) it’ll be going early early in July. So good fresh cherries you can pick. Several orchards open around Hector, east side of Seneca Lake. (State Rte 414) Campgrounds will fill this time of year, so look at getting reservations ahead – some choices are at Watkins Glen State Park, Sampson State Park (have been at both, very nice – Watkins more trees, and Sampson more open but right on the lake). Also in Watkins Glen there is a KOA kampground – have heard good things about it but I know it’s pricey. Watkins Glen is a great little village, along with the gorge I saw mentioned in a previous comment, there are two different types of lake rides – sail or motor, boat rentals, many fun restaurants and spots for beer/wine. It is also the home of a NASCAR race, August and a former home of the US Formula 1 racing. It’s about half hour from Corning – the glass museum mentioned previously as well. Also available on Cayuga Lake – Cayuga Lake State park, mixed site types or a private campground Sned-Acres. (there are a number of breweries and wineries on the west side of Cayuga Lake as well) State Rtes 96 and 89. Several fun eateries in the village of Trumansburg (Rte 96). So lots of info here – I am happy to answer questions if you have any. Also there are great Chamber of Commerces/Visitor centers in all of the various counties and villages of the Finger Lakes. I see your route takes you to or near Buffalo – Niagara Falls. Watkins Glen is about 2 1/2 – 3 hours south and east via rte 90 (the thruway-toll road) and then either state route 14 or 414. (Note route 96 A out of Geneva has an overpass that is 12’9″ – only a concern if you’re heading from Geneva to Sampson State park ) Route 414 is fine and there are ways to get around this obstacle. So I could go on and on – obviously I love where I live – so enjoy your time and if you’re going to be any place on the east side of Seneca Lake and you know when and where I’d be happy to meet up. Oh – and many of the wineries and most of the breweries are paw friendly. Enjoy Enjoy!!!
Lots of good tips!! It’s going to take me a while to digest it all, but I’m already VERY excited by your last sentence that many of the breweries and wineries are dog-friendly. Whoooo hoooooo!
Nina
As long as you’re in the area, you have to go to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival!! July 14-16 this year. It is held at the Watkins Glen racetrack, and you can park your rig there for the weekend (boondocking). A great way to check out a bunch of the local wineries without leaving the comforts of home. 🙂
And as long as you are nearby, check out the Stone Cat cafe, on the east side of Seneca Lake in Hector. Sitting out on the deck with a cocktail and awesome food, watching the sun set over the lake….
Ah, brings back memories. We lived in Watkins Glen for 5 years, and have since relocated to New Mexico but need to get back to the Finger Lakes again. Enjoy!
SWEET little tip. We’ll have to see how that festival lines up with what we’ve been able to book so far. Cheers for that.
Nina
Hello Paul and Nina,
We’re hoping you have a great summer and fall on the east coast! We loved Maine and know you’ll enjoy Acadia N.P. if you make it there. Seriously consider heading into the Canadian Maritimes if you can, we were ready to head out of Maine when someone suggested we do the Maritimes – it was in August. We spent a month there and are so thankful we did, probably the best diversion we’ve ever taken! Best of luck to you, and we hope you enjoy your travels in the east and we’ll miss you out here in the west.
Steve & Mona Liza
I agree. We went to Cape Breton and it was really incredible. Genny
Hmmm….it’s a very good idea. We’ll be in Maine until the end of August so I wonder if we’re getting too late in the season to head across the border (Oct-time frame)? We’ll have to see what the weather is like this year. If it’s a HOT summer (like it was last year) we should have good weather much later into the season than normal. Cheers for the tip. We’ll definitely consider this one.
Nina
We are planning on the firefly festivals in NC and PA in June and listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra at their summer home in Tanglewood western MA (tickets just went on sale) in July. Many years ago camped next to lakes in Maine and got to see Moose and listen to loons. Genny
Nina & Paul, sounds like an exciting “jello” plan, in a good and jelloey sort of way. It looks like your route already takes in some of my favorite spots. As a history buff, Gettysburg is a must see. You can feel the significance of the place in the air. You’ll also be able to check out the Erie Canal and then West Point as you move east through NY. Folks above have highlighted my favorite spots in Maine already, Camden, Bar Harbor & Acadia. Personally I recommend catching one of the church lobster dinners/picnics they like to put on for the tourists all up and down the coast. Its a great way to experience lobster while enjoying some of the best hospitality anywhere. It all sounds like such fun. You’re going to have a great 2017!
Gettysburg is definitely one of our target stops. Paul is super keen to see the site, and I think I’ll rather enjoy it too.
Nina
Hi! I found your blog through someone else’s blog, through another blog….you get the idea . I see your travel map showing you coming into Virginia traveling 81. I live in Virginia. Luray caverns is a beautiful caverns to visits and it is just a short drive to the Shenandoah national park. And oh yes, COOTER’S is also near luray caverns. Yes, that’s Cooter from the tv show The Dukes of Hazard. He has replica cars from the show, a retail store, and I understand a restaurant will be opening too. Enjoy your trip, and safe travels!
Check out Prince Edward Island, land of potatoes and Anne of Green Gables.
The Universe provides! St. Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, Amelia Island, Savannah, Charleston, and of course – the BRP and Skyline Drive. Looks like a wonderful trip!
The cherry blossoms in DC in May are impressive. 8^)
Ah yes the Cherry Blossoms. We were VERY lucky to see the Cherry Blossoms in Japan many (many) years ago and I STILL dream about how beautiful they were. Don’t know if we’ll get to DC early enough to see them there, but it’s a very good tip. Added to the “potentials” list.
Nina
AHHHH, The Keys is our favorite place to chill. Our second favorite place is Maine!!!
Your route looks perfect…avoid the Baltimore to NYC craziness!! Four Mile Creek SP is a perfect place to stay with easy access to Niagara Falls. Watkins Glen SP is an amazing place to visit and Sampson Lake SP is a Big Rig Friendly place to stay near there. Oh, that will also put you in the middle of amazing Wine Vineyards;o)) Don’t miss Acadia NP near Bar Harbor. Narrows Too, Trenton, ME is a great campground and location for big rigs. We will be there until mid-August and would love to meet you two. One other sweet spot is Lubec, ME. Sunset RV resort is there, but you will need reservations ahead of time (small and nothing fancy, but location, location, location). There are two amazing lighthouses there. East and West Quoddy…one just across the border on Campobello Island. Campobello Island is a great place to explore for a day and includes Franklin Roosevelt’s summer home which is now a joint National park. Tea With Eleanor is a fun thing to do if you can.
Hope this helps and feel free to email any questions. Safe Travels!!
We JUST booked Narrows Too. Our tentative plan is to be there from around 24 Aug onwards. So we may just miss you? Cheers for all the other tips too!
Nin
The Cherry Blossoms in DC actually take place sometime between 4th week of March and 3rd week of April-depends on the weather. They are gorgeous! It is also known as the beginning of tourist season in DC. Thousands of tour buses start coming in. Remember that most museums in DC are free.
We’ll just be leaving the FL Keys the first week of April, so looks like we’re going to miss it. That’s something to put on our future list for sure!
Nina
Just a word of caution. Route 81 through Virginia is a major truck route.
Yeah I’ve heard that from others. Our good RV friends (Pam & John of “Oh, The Places They Go”) advised us to avoid the 81 where it’s possible. So from Gettysburg I think we’re going to swing West a bit to take the Capital beltway around Harrisburg. Then 581 west to 81 N to 15 N and finally follow the 15 N to NY state. I don’t think we can avoid the 81 entirely, but we’ll try to steer clear of it when we can. And of course we’ll look closer at the route when we get up there.
Nina
The Great Valley of Virginia is so beautiful. If you stay north of 81 and hit the Blue Highways (Alleghany County, etc) you’ll be impressed.
This is the time of year when RVer blogs start popping up Google maps of their planned 2017 adventures. I love it! In 2016, we stayed put to deal with medical problems and “Follow The Cougar” was quiet. Not so in 2017. We are going to do “The Great River Road” and I am going to scratch my bad case of “Hitch-Itch”. Lots of miles, lots of pictures, lots of stories. I can’t wait!
There’s nothing quite as liberating as getting back on the road after a forced hiatus. Hope this year is FULL of adventure and fun for you!
Nina
Check out both the American and Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Corning Glass Museum.Letchworth State Park. Many lighthouses along Cape Cod and the Maine coast. If you go to eastern Maine, go to Campobello Island, at least as a day trip. If time, the Canadian Maritimes are magnificent, especially Newfoundland and Cape Breton island. We spent 7 months in 2016 traveling from Florida up East coast and back. Enjoy!
More tips for great places. We’ve got to think seriously about dipping into Canada I think. So many people have recommended it. Thanks!
Nina
Be sure and spend a few days in Boothbay Harbor Maine lots of dog friendly walking it is amazing. We enjoyed it more than Bar Harbor.
A visit to Acadia is a must and a trip up Cadillac Mountain, also dog friendly. We stayed at Bar Harbor KOA which is right on the water.
Of course I am sure you are already aware that east coast camping is pretty pricey!
We also enjoyed the upper NE side of Lake George away from the crowds and the upper part of the Lake is simply amazing, check out Hueletts Landing.
Safe Travels!
We’ve got Boothbay Harbor on the “list” and are already in process of nailing down our reservations up there. And yeah, we’re aware of the $$$ we’re going to have to pay for camping, especially if we want to stay in the best spots. Not much we can do about that, so we’ll just have to budget for it.
Nina
I’m from the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and looking forward to your visit to our area. You might want to buy the New York Empire Pass for $65.00 (before March 31st) to visit unlimited access to most if not all NY state parks. Parking on Goat Island in Niagara Falls is $10.00 per car alone which the pass will cover. For more info, look here: https://parks.ny.gov/admission/empire-passport/default.aspx We have a lot of great state parks in New York. When in Niagara Falls, try to visit the falls on the Canadian side too…it’s a different perspective of the falls over there. The city on our side is coming along after years and years of industrial decline but it has a ways to go. Don’t let that discourage you though, a lot to see on our side too. Four Mile Creek State Park is where we always camp, it’s small and fills up fast, especially the lakeside. It’s a great location to see the falls. Other, but further east, state parks for camping that I like is, Golden Hill (has a lighthouse) and Lakeside. Letchworth State Park, to me, is a must see and on the way to the Finger Lakes. Also, Sonneberg Gardens and Mansion (with winery) in Canandaigua would fit you well for a visit. While in Niagara Falls, please visit our FAST developing Buffalo (also has a lighthouse). We have a boom going on here and we are very proud of the progress being made from decades of decline and we kept a lot of the old architecture. There are LOTS of breweries and wineries in the whole Western New York area. I could go on and on of things to do and see but I just wanted to give you a few tips. Enjoy! (I want to take my husband to the Florida keys sometime (I was there as a kid 50 years ago when it was just a fishing town) and I’m looking forward to your views when visiting.
Very good tip on buying the New York Empire pass. I think that’ll pay for itself many times over. And cheers for the other tips too!
Nina
Good morning guys,
Left Michigan two years ago, went to Arizona and been Boondocking ever since.
You caught me offguard with the “particle / wave double slit duality language”
Have you ever checked out Richard Rohr?
Have a great summer.
Safe travels.
Dan & Mabel
No, never heard of him. I’ll do a Google and check him out.
Nina
Hello Nina. Your plan to the state of maine awesome. We are full timers and have our seasonal site in Maine. Kennebunkport . Hemlock Grove Campground.. come visit us.. just sayin… great place to “jump off” for sight seeing etc. Yes Acadia is a must see.. Narrows two campground is a good place for the coach there.. You have already lots of recommends and I agree with many. YOu should know August in Maine is the most busy the traffic is terrible basically I 95 stay away thurs thru Sun. and a must for reservations prior. Good luck and best regards.
We JUST booked Narrows Too for the month of Aug, so looking forward to some serious time in the area. If we make it by your campground we will certainly let you know.
Nina
Might give a thought to visiting LL Bean’s main store in Freeport, Maine and bring back a new accessory for the “Beast”. Fun to explore as is the town. Plenty of good resturant’s to satisfy your “Lobstah” cravings.
I was impressed with your weather display; is that an App?
Safe travels,
Bill
Yes, those satellite pics are screenshots from the “Storm” Weather App. It’s by far our favorite weather app and we paid the few extra $$ to have it ad-free. Here’s a link: https://www.wunderground.com/micro/storm/
Nina
I see you want to travel and not sure what to do with pets. I know if someone who has dog sitters staying in their Class A with 2 dogs in a campground while they travel overseas. Try this link to TrustedHousesitters – it should give you a 20% discount on fees. We pet sit at homes and park our class B in the driveways – gives us a change of scenery for a fee days! Any questions, just contact me
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/su/mdhogGID
Nice little tip. We have a solution now thanks to some good friends of ours, but this is a great idea for future trips.
Nina
Lots to see on that new route. If you havent tried the Greenbelt NP near Washington DC you may like it, we did! Easy access to the downtown area.
I just don’t think we’ll make it into DC on this trip, but we’ll see how the timing works out. I’ve heard many good things about Greenbelt NP.
Nina
There’s a lot to be said for those inner feelings!! Glad things have worked out.
You’ll enjoy the Keys!!
http://www.freedom2roll.blogspot.com
Hi Nina. I have posted a couple of times before (my wife Nori is the south Miami Cuban who grew up down the street from Paul, if you recall) and I’d like to add a couple of other thoughts to the other excellent suggestions.
I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley is lovely, and we always stop at Glen Maury Municipal Campground in Buena Vista north of Roanoke. Huge grassy field (perfect for doggies) at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains with direct access to Skyline Drive.
I’m sure you already know that public camping opportunities in the northeast gets trickier, particularly in Pennsylvania and Mass. And whatever you do, don’t get stuck driving through downtown Lancaster PA if you’re visiting Amish country. I still break out in hives thinking about our experience with pretty much the same rig as yours.
Other tips: Stowe, Vermont is a must-visit New England town, and we always stay at the Gold Brook Campground about two miles south of town. Again, a huge grassy field-farm type campground where the dog(s) can run for hours. And of course, there’s the Ben and Jerry’s factory. Enough said.
Lastly, consider visiting central-upper Maine and Mount Katahdin State Park. Quite remote, but moose galore and great hiking.
Have a great summer! Kevin M.
GREAT tip on that Municipal Campground near Roanoke. And also the spot in Vermont. Not sure we would have found either of those on our own. And cheers for the other tips too.
Nina
Yep, Glen Maury Park is one of those neat city or county campgrounds for less than $30/night for 50 amp/water that often gets overlooked. It is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, though, so may be better suited for exploring Skyline Drive.
Don’t let the birds eye aerial on their website showing a jammed-full park mislead you. We’ve stayed there four times and the only time it was crowded was when they hosted one of their periodic bluegrass festivals. There were never more than ten other RV’s the other times. Also, we love the sites to the far left of the main area (furthest away from the river against the bank of the hiking trail. Great privacy.
Fly low and stay cool. Best, Kevin
HA! I’m so glad you wrote that. We were JUST looking at that aerial view on their website (literally just right now) and thinking “wow, that looks crowded”. I think this has just become a definite stop for us. Of course we’ll check there are no festivals going on first 🙂
Nina
NYS has been my home for a while now specifically WNY. Niagara Falls – everyone goes to the Canadian side for the best view of the falls, pretty area, but I also love the NYS side. Cave of the Winds is my favorite activity in all of the Falls, there are also lots of trails. Check out Whirlpool SP and Devil’s Hole SP, you can hike down to the gorge. Letchworth SP is very nice and all trails are dog friendly. Watkins Glen SP, Taughannock Falls & Buttermilk Falls SP near Ithaca. I do not drink, so I cannot recommend where to go, but there are wineries all over the finger lakes area and by Niagara on the Lake, CA – charming town with a great bike path. There is a bike path also on the NYS side on the Niagara River. Erie Canal – Fairport near Rochester is a nice area. You can take an Erie Canal boat ride from Lockport and see the locks in action or you can sing “low bridge everybody down” as you ride the Sam Patch from Pittsford near Rochester. If you stay in 4 Mile Creek SP there is a small lighthouse east of the park in Olcott. A grassy area surrounds the lighthouse providing a front row seat to watch the sunset over the water (Lake Ontario). I drove to Maine last summer, but instead of driving through MA on the way there, we drove north to Burlington VT. Loved it there, there is a campground about 1 mile north of town with great bike path along the lake. We also visited Mt Washington in NH. very pretty area. We came back through MA visiting the Boston area. I was glad we left that for the way back. 90 through MA does not even have good rest areas, very small with barely any parking for large vehicles. Also, in Maine we stayed in a campground at the border of Ellsworth and Trenton. After driving around and seeing how packed the campgrounds in the Island are, I was sure I made the right choice. Sorry this has been way longer than I intended. There is so much to see and do in our side of the country – too bad the long winters here make it hard to sick around.
Lucas Vineyards are our favorite place to go when we are in the Fingerlakes region. https://www.lucasvineyards.com
We JUST booked our sites for 4 Mile Creek SP and Letchworth SP. We discovered that some of the parks only allow pets in certain loops (esp. Letchworth) so that reduced our options quite a bit. There were almost no sites left in June/July (already!). At least we’ve got a few spots secured up there now. Looking forward to exploring that area.
Nina
This sounds like a fabulous plan! I’m excited to follow along with you on your East coast adventures—this is definitely on our bucket list (including Nova Scotia). I lived in Boston for 10 years and did a lot of exploring in New England, but never with an RV. I know you’ll have a blast. I’m with you on following intuition—science is useful, but I don’t think everything has yet been explained (and likely never will be).
p.s. So cool that you scored six weeks in the Keys! Definitely plan a snorkeling trip to the reefs out of Bahia Honda, and don’t miss Blue Heaven in Key West for breakfast.
Snorkeling is MOST DEFINITELY on our to-do list in the Keys. It’s been ages since I’ve been snorkeling (or diving) and we both love it. So, I’m really, really looking forward to getting into the water there.
Nina
When you guys come though PA you should check out Weyebacher brewery for a tour and while your in the area you should do the Martin guitar factory tour as well. I have been following you guys for a while and enjoy your blog.
Thanks
Don
It looks like you will be near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive in Virginia. While you are in the area, you might like visiting the Natural Bridge (http://www.naturalbridgeva.com/) and maybe check out the natural springs called Jefferson Pools (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Pools). If you like history, you might also like to visit Monticello (https://www.monticello.org/).
Our highlights from a trip east a few years ago: Cape Cod, there’s an RV park near P-town (which is a hoot)….Acadia NP, the carriage roads are fun to walk or bike, and there is a lighthouse….you’ll be so close to Canada, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton….great places! Don’t miss Gettysburg….and Woodstock, NY was fun for us old hippies. We thought Niagara Falls would be hokey, but loved it…even the Maid of the Mist!
Forgot to say…we were in the Canadian maritimes in Sept. and had really good weather.
GREAT! That’s really good to know. We’ll have to see how the season goes this year, but if it’s anything like last year we’ll have warm weather right up to late fall.
Nina
Live long and prosper
{{Vulcan hand sign here}}
Don’t comment often, but look forward to every post of your blog. I quite enjoy your philosophical ramblings. It’s part of what sets your blog apart as special. And by the way, if you make it to Niagara Falls, you should know that the best views (and the only full view of the American Falls) are from the Canadian side, where the entire riverside is park. A lot of Americans come across for the pix.
I think we’re going to plan for around a week in the Niagara Falls area so we can see both sides of it. We may only ever go here once, so I want to get the most out of it.
Nina
If you are into architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is near Pittsburgh, PA. Also Watkins Glen and the Corning Glass Museum in the NY Finger Lakes Area. There is a lot of beauty in the Catskills and the Hudson River Valley (my home area). You could visit Woodstock, or drive by Big Pink and visit the lighthouse in Saugerties. There are some great and historic hikes in the Catskills too. NY State Parks, although usually beautiful, are very basic. There are very few with hookups of any kind. If your time permits, the northern (higher mountains, less touristy than the southern) Adirondacks are spectacular! An extremely spiritual place for me.
In Florida on the gulf coast, the Sanibel Island lighthouse, Point Ybel Light, is a historic must see. Along the US northern east coast, take time for Boston and Cape Cod. There are five historic lighthouses open to the public on the Cape with tours available. Cape Cod is as lovely as it gets.
Thank you for sharing your journey.
Take care,
Jan
Five lighthouses on Cape Cod!! Yeah, I think that’s gotta be a “must stop”. Perhaps on our way back down from Maine? Definitely food for thought.
Nina
Well, you certainly have enough suggestions to keep you busy for couple years…haha! I find it interesting to see people excited about the east when we can’t wait to leave when we come back to see family. I guess growing up on the east coast will do that to you. We really enjoyed Vermont and New Hampshire, as well. We stayed in the Bangor area of Maine and made day trip trips to Bar Harbor and Acadia. It was much nicer to be out off the crowded masses. We stayed Pumpkin Patch RV Resort. This is a great park with long pull thru sites and NO amenities for children!! No pool or playground!! Also, if you should decide to go to Canada, they will keep plants and frozen meats for you. They have freezer just for this purpose. We left my two herb gardens and tons of meat, fish and seafood. You truly should think about St. Andrew’s in New Brunswick, the Reversing falls in St. John’s and Halifax part of Nova Scotia. PEI is really nice but a LONG way and not necessarily a lot to see other a beautiful drive around the island. We do have blog posts on all these areas. Sounds like a great adventure for all of you!!
Great tips. I would love to get out to PEI, but I think it’s going to be too far for us too. I do think we’re going to have to make an effort to get into New Brunswick though. It looks too nice to miss.
Nina
Here’s one of our blog posts from the little village of St. Andrew’s. https://ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/st-andrews-by-the-sea/
It is just a small village but we really enjoyed. They have the nicest coffee shop Honeybeans Coffee, Tea, and Treats…best scones ever!! We stayed at the Kiwanis Oceanfront Campground, which can see from the photos in the blog is amazing!
http://www.kiwanisoceanfrontcamping.com/
I was JUST reading about St.Andrews on the Lowes blog this AM. I think they stayed at exactly the same spot on their way out of NB. I’m going to add this to the list!
Nina
Yes, they did! They were following our blog for their journey:) If you should get to St. John’s (which did nothing for us except the falls), try to stay for the whole day. You need to visit falls three times to see the whole process. In the morning the river goes one way, noon, it is a calm lake, and then in the afternoon, the river goes the opposite way.
On the way north, just a bit of a different course, is Modoc Campground, run by the COE. It is just 20 miles north of I-20 on the north side of Augusta, GA. Google Maps finds it by its name. Our campsite had a 345 degree view of the lake. This is our favorite place for chilling out and biking a bit.
Heading north on I-77, near Winston Salem is a smaller COE campground, Bandit’s Roost on Kerr Scott Reservoir, with beautiful sites, many lakeside.
It looks like you are planning to be on I-80 paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Both have lots of great campgrounds and many wonderful hikes.
If you decide to go to Washington, DC, there is a National Park campground named Greenbelt. Haven’t been there yet. It is quite close to a transit station to get to the capital.
You have lots of information among these comments. How are you going to organize it? If you make a table or spreadsheet, or even a list along your direction of travel I’m sure many of your readers would like to have it available. (Hint!)
Thanks for that tip near Winston. We were just looking at options along that route, so I think we might actually stop there.
And as for organizing all this stuff….admittedly it’s not easy! I’ve been writing down all the recommendations on a piece of paper, sorted by state, and then putting stars next to anything that gets mentioned more than once. It’s not perfect, but it does give me a general idea. I think I’d be too embarrassed to share my badly written notes (I’m probably the only one that understands them anyway), but hopefully our travels will sort them out on the blog.
Nina
Things happen for a reason…. enjoy the flow!
Delaware is always open!
We love your “jello” plans, here are just a few places we can personally recommend from our entire east coast RV travels last year. We loved Gettysburg, incredibly moving. We took two days to fully explore the battlefield and museum. We stayed at Gifford Pinchot State Park in Lewisberry Pa.. Great base camp to see Gettysburg and Lancaster County in Amish country. If your near Lancaster don’t miss Lancaster Central Market, it is the country’s oldest Farmers Mkt and It was a true gem!!
We loved staying in Ithaca NY and stayed at Robert H. Treman State Park. This SP has an amazing swimming hole! I am sure you have heard a not to miss is the amazing Watkins Glen Gorge!!
For Niagara Falls we stayed at Four Mile Creek SP in Youngstown NY. Great park! If your lucky there are incredible water view sites where you can see the Toronto skyline across Lake Ontario! A very cool sight to also see there is Old Fort Niagara, if there is any interest in that sort of thing.
For Maine and visiting Acadia NP we choose to stay out & away from the touristy area around Bar Harbor. It was a beautiful and peaceful base camp, a little more of a drive in but so worth it! It was Seawall CG in Southwest Harbor Maine. Which by the way is also right near Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse!! Jordan Pond is worth seeing with good hiking trail around the lake while also experiencing their famous outdoor lunch spot (dog friendly)! Cadillac Mountain is a can’t miss!!
Now if for some reason you find you have extra time, and you so desire to head to Nova Scotia Canada! We stayed at the North Sydney Cabot Trail KOA. Great base camp to explore the Cabot Trail and if you find yourself on the Cabot Trail you will want to venture off just a tad to White Point Hiking Trail ( very dog friendly) near White Point NS. This spot and Hike was actually one of our favorite spots of our entire trip east! Hope this helps, can’t wait to see what you discover on your explorations! Happy trails.
Perfect! We’ve been searching around the Gettysburg area trying to figure out where we were going to stay there, so your comment comes in at just the right time. And we definitely want to hit that farmers market too! Cheers very much for the other tips as well.
Nina
Just spent more time looking at Gifford Pinchot State Park and I don’t think it’s going to be a good fit for us. It’s a wonderful-looking park, but the dog rules are terribly restrictive. You can’t even walk your dog around the campground outside of the (very small) dog area, nor into the day use areas. Lots of negative reviews from dog owners online, many of which were surprised by the restrictions when they entered the park. Its a shame coz the sites look lovely! I think we may end up in a private park here.
Nina
Yes, we completely understand your reservations camping there with a Dog. We travel with our dog as well and wherever we go she goes… including our two 12 hour days at Gettysburg. Yes crazy weird rules about the dog only areas at this CG…..but it never hindered our time because we were never there…it made for a great base camp spot. We did amazing hikes at Gettysburg. We traveled the Amish country and hillsides and had a wonderful experience all around in that area. I do have to add we had a great camp host right across from our site that also made the CG a pleasant experience. But totally understand it might not be at all what your looking for. Can’t wait to see how your entire travels goes! 🙂
As a fellow “analytical,” I share your same respect for those messages that I call “winks from the Universe.” I think because I am SO left brained, that I tend to listen to them even more so because they are so different than all the other more “normal” academic voices in my head. 😉
This is SUCH great news, as I too have planned to head east next year. So my first thought was “Oh, GREAT, maybe I will get to see them!” and my second thought was “WHEW! Now I can cheat off of Nina’s homework!” LOL! Wow, over 100 comments from your wonderful fan base…I am grateful for so many answers to the test! 😉
Hope to see you somewhere along the way…
Oh sweeet! Lighthouses!!!! I SO hope we can meet up and share some lighthouse visits. I’ll email you.
Nina
If you are staying in Roanoke and heading to Gettysburg, I have a suggestion for a stopover between the two at a paw friendly farm-to-table place in Wardensville WV just west of I-81. There is a secret way to get in and out of there without going over the mountain. The town even has a brewery! PM me and I can give you the details. And, by the way, I-81 between Roanoke and PA is fine. I do it in my diesel pusher all the time.
In old town Key West get off Duval Street and walk the side streets. There you will find some of the most fascinating architectural jems anywhere.
Nice! We spent the month of November in the Keys. We stayed on Grassy Key near Marathon but we visited Bahia Honda State Park. It’s amazing.
For a great dinner go to The Sunset Grill at the south end of Marathon on the gulf side. You can sit outside and have dinner and watch the sunset. We loved it there and they have great food.
Enjoy!
Nina, we love the western US, so it was with some trepidation that we made the northeast the focus of a visit in 2015. What we found was that there are a lot of tourists in the area making most popular destinations very crowded. There are also a lot of RV’ers which makes campground reservations a must, something we had never run into before as we like to “fly by the seat of our pants”. As a result, we could not get into many campgrounds and those that could accommodate us were older, cramped and had insufficient electric power.
However we did enjoy the finger lakes region of New York, and portions of Maine away from the tourist crowds. We found a secluded campground on the coast of Maine, signed up for a week and stayed a month. Loved it!
Yeah we are ready (well as ready as you can be) for the crowds. We’ve booked most of our trip already (took almost a week, but we’re mostly done) and are trying to stay in spots that look more relaxed. It’s going to be interesting.
Nina
Beth and I were down in the Keys for thanksgiving so awesome. I am happy y’all get to spend some time down there since y’all have been soooo close to them for a Month or so. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful pictures from there and what dog friendly places you discover
You might find some of the posts in my wife’s and my blog useful for your trip this summer. We did a slow trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway thru to New York last year.
http://jennieandstuartontheroad.blogspot.ca/2015/08/blue-ridge-parkway-2015-summary.html
And in 2013 did a trip thru New England to Maine and Maritime Canada.
http://jennieandstuartontheroad.blogspot.ca/2013/09/maine-pei-2013-summary.html
BTW love your blog and use it a lot to plan our trips.
Stuart
Excellent! I’ll definitely have a read.
Nina
Hi Nina, here are some suggestions for you as you venture up our way into central VA. We live in Lynchburg VA so are familiar with the area you are about to traverse. VA has probably the best State Parks at which we have ever camped.
As you come north on I81 from I77 stop at Claytor Lake State Park. Awesome bike trails, large sites and pet friendly.
As you leave the Claytor Lake head north on I81 an exit or 2 to VA Rt 8. This is a good 2 lane road that will take you right into Floyd. There is a very good National Park campground down the road from Floyd on the Blue Ridge Parkway called Rocky Knob. It would be a great place to spread our the solar array and dry camp at high elevation, big rig friendly. Nearby sights are the most photographed mill in the world (Mabry Mill) and Chateau Morrisette Winery.
When you leave head north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the beautiful Peaks of Otter, and another great National Park Campground. Polly would love splashing in the nearby Creek across the road at the picnic area. Hike up adjacent Sharp Top to get an unobstructed view at 4000 feet elevation of the Shenandoah Valley.
If you hit all of the above at the right time in May, millions of rhododendron will be in bloom all along the Parkway: whites, pinks, purples.
If you head north on US29 out of Lynchburg it is a good alternative to 81 which will bring you to US15 and into PA and Gettysburg. A good side trip would be the Brew Ridge Parkway, VA151. Many brewhouses and distilleries (Devil’s Backbone, and Bold Rock Cider to name a few).
Love your blog, and safe travels.
Excellent and timely tips. We were just looking at Claytor Lake yesterday and I think that’ll definitely make our list. And we had no specific ideas for the rest of that area, so it’s great to have those other recommendations too.
Nina
Nina,
We lived in North Carolina for 15 years before going on the road and New England is one of our favorite places. I think you would enjoy Asheville, NC. There are a number of local brewers and some great small mountain towns up that way. Skidaway Island State Park is the perfect location for exploring the very walkable Savannah.
Maine is terrific but Vermont is also worth some time. I think it might be hard to do justice to New England without more time. We struggle in our travels because some areas just need more time to explore.
We went to Asheville in 2010 (our first year) and absolutely loved it. Such a great town! I don’t think we’ll make it back this time around, but it’s one of our fav places in the Carolinas. And yeah I share your thing about time. We’ve planned for around a month and a half in Maine, but that’ll leave us no time for Vermont which is another state I’d really love to see. So many places…!
Nina
Hi. I just stumbled on your blog today and since RV living is a dream of mine, it looks like I’ll be following along.
Your 6 weeks in the Keys are going to be awesome! I was there last year and had a fabulous time. FYI, I have about 8 blog posts of my own on our trip so if you’d like to check out some great things to do please visit my blog and do a Key West search for the posts. We were there last May.
Happy to have found your blog!
Welcome to the blog! And yes I’ll definitely go check your posts out on the Keys. Always looking for good tips!
Nina
While in the Niagara Falls area be sure to go up the Skylon Tower. My wife and I had one of anniversary dinners with champagne up there and saw a double rainbow. You’ll have a great view of the falls. If you go on a fireworks night, you’ll probably need to make reservations.
If you are in the Harrisburg area, Hershey’s Chocolate World is one of my favorite places to go to since I love chocolate.
Great tips! Thanks Ralph.
Nina
We were in Key West last February and had a great time relaxing at Southernmost Beach – Abbondanza, Banana Cafe and LaCreperie French Cafe were our favorite restaurants. Beware of any car accidents on the road to Key West, it’ll delay you for a long time as we found out…..added 4 hours to our drive from Miami airport…..so we spent time driving around the island with the deer which was pretty cool.
Awesome places to stay in RI, Mass., VT (Burlington is a really awesome college town with a campground right behind the beach in Burlington!), go over to NH through the green mountains visiting the area where the family from the Sound of Music settled (Stowe)), go through NH on 112 – named one of the top 10 scenic routes in US through the white mountains- into Maine through to the terminus of the Appalachian trail onto Mt Dessert Island and Bar Harbor!!! Let us know if you need suggestions. Been all over in our rig – we are from New England. Awesome list of to dos!
Just finished reading all the comments and decided where to explore this May and June. I drive through NY several times yearly on visits to family in MI from Boston, usually on my motorcycle. While I often ride the secondary routes when I can it’s still just a drive through. This year I’ll take my truck camper (just my 2nd summer of rv’ing) and spend time in western and upstate NY and VT. Thanks to Nina and the other commenters for their suggestions in this area!!!
Hi nina….love your jello route for this summer season. I workkamp as a host at the Escapee Sumter Oaks Rv park in Bushnell,Fl. I’m hoping you can spend a night or two with us. My partner Al Peterson runs the SmartWeigh program here so if Paul wants to know how much that beast of yours really weighs, let us know. We will be here until April 17 so dont know how this fits in with your timeframe.
Nina,
You’re welcome on the suggestions. I can’t guarantee the double rainbow. Basically you have helped me tremendously especially on solar power.
This particular destination suggestion is a bit further off your intended route, but my wife loved the mansions there. It seemed to me that you loved the Miami mansion that you went to so these should be on your list. Please read in detail on costs since I read that tickets are good for multiple days, but not exactly sure how many so you could space it out for your pets.
http://www.rhodeislandtravelhandbook.com/Newport-Mansions.html
On driving I came down to a maximum of 6 hours per day from my original 10, which I think is a reasonable compromise between your 2.5 – 3 goal and the 10. I have changed other camping techniques on my own depending on the particular circumstances.
At the Novi RV show I found out that a comfortable bathroom is way bigger than I had planned. This eliminates a couple of cabinets that was in the bathroom hallway. So the proposed travel trailer is now 32 feet long unless I want to take something out or reduce the size of some of the features. I found some interesting products to consider purchasing down the line such as this Extend A Line Clothes Dryer so we could save on water and get more laundry done in a day.
https://www.strombergcarlson.com/shower-rods-and-laundry-accessories/extend-a-line/
Good for you!!! We have driven to Key West but never with our RV, much to our regret the few times we’ve tented-it in the Keys (hello, mosquitoes!!!). From a total Keys-enthusiast (annual pilgrimage), I would not miss the following….
Christopher Peterson at the La Te Da in Key West, great show lots of fun!
Sunrise Cuban Market and Cafe in Key Largo–full plate breakfast or lunch is amazing!
A sunset cocktail at Snook’s Bayside in Key Largo
THE HEMINGWAY HOUSE in Key West, if you are a cat lover this is a MUST!
Looe Key snorkeling tour out of Bahia Honda, snorkeling tour to John Pennecamp state park out of Key Largo…. we are divers and have snorkeled the world, these are THE BEST, literally, and they are run very cheaply by the state parks. No booze cruises allowed, so the coral and the fish are absolutely technicolor!
A day with Fury in Key West–very touristy, but a pretty good value and lots and lots of fun!
Wow Nina,
Sounds like such an awesome and exciting trip you’ve planned. For sure you received some great tips!! If you don’t mind, I’d like to throw a few your way 🙂 First off, don’t be put off by the truck traffic on I-81 from VA to PA. I travel that route all the time, you’ll be fine. Next, when you get to Roanoke, if you have the time, get off I-81 and head over to Lynchburg and follow US 29 North till you hit Rt 6 (trying to get up to I-64 via Afton and then getting back on I-81 to continue your trip north.) The scenery is fantastic and there are several wineries and breweries along the way. I would pass taking US 15 from that region all the way to Gettysburg. I can’t really tell you where to camp in Gettysburg because wife and I haven’t pulled the trigger on getting any kind of rig yet (I just live vicariously thru your posting, lol) but you’ll want several days at least to explore the battlefield. Antietam and Harpers Ferry would be really easy day trip too from Gettysburg. Also, good idea on taking 581 West around Harrisburg to hook up with I-81 which will then get you back to US 15 North. The drive on US 15 above Williamsport, PA is one of our favorites for fall leaf viewing. Too bad you’ll be too early. Hey, guess what, this route takes you right past the Little League World Series complex where they play the games in August. When you get into NY, the Corning area is beautiful, and the advice to take I-86 to get to WNY is spot on. US Rt 20 is a good road and great alternative in my opinion to finish the trip and get back across the NY without paying the hefty Thruway tolls. Don’t forget to tour the Niagara Power Project Museum, as techies you’re gonna love it. And Buffalo has a lot to offer, besides trying the best sandwich in the world, beef on weck, Albright Knox Art Gallery is world famous. Last I can add is you are gonna love Maine. One of my favorite places. I live right outside of Gettysburg, if you have any specific questions you would like answered, just email me, would love to help. Maybe we can even hook up – I’m the local breadman, lol! Bon voyage!!
It is great that things have worked out so awesome for you for this year to be able to stay east. By the time that you travel up the easy coast, I will be stationary in Roanoke VA while I recover from having a shoulder completely rebuilt. This is my home area. The Blue Ridge Mountains will always be home
Just trying to catch up on your blog. I don’t usually comment and someone may have mentioned this already.
If you are all the way up to Maine and decide to dip into Canada, Parks Canada is offering free park passes this year. This year is Canada’s 150th anniversary as a nation. It doesn’t cover camping fees but it helps. Lots of National parks around. Check it out.
You have the best blog…period.
Hey Nina,
I’ve been away from your blog for a few weeks, largely due to being directly involved in the cleanup from the very storms that changed your plans – they certainly got everyone’s attention up here in Maine.
But I think I’m more exhausted after reading all the potential activities, lighthouses, wineries, beaches, restaurants, and national monuments you now have on your list to visit! Whew!! A LOT to do.
So, if you’re all done-in by the latter part of August and looking for a place to chill, you’re invited to come and boondock at our Inn, driveway surf the wifi, and generally recharge. We have 65 wooded acres on the banks of the Old Saco River, and are located off Hwy-5 between Fryeburg and Lovell, Maine. You’re welcome to use the canoes and kayaks and your pooch will enjoy swimming in the river. If you still want to venture out, the Auto Road to the top of Mt. Washington is close by, you could take in a show at the Stone Mountain Arts Center, and Kezar Lake is just around the corner. And if you want a truly immersive Maine experience, I’ll even set aside some of my log pile for you to cut, split and stack!
We have a spot out near the barn where you won’t be in anyone’s way, and you don’t have to be completely boon docking as I can get you extension cord power and wifi from the barn. You can read more about us at http://www.oldsacoinn.com and actually see what’s happening in real time from our webcam which is on our home page.
The “catch” you ask? There’s no catch 🙂 Other than your visit would of course allow us the opportunity to bring over some cold beer and gently pick your brains (again), before our September visit to the PRVCA show in Hershey, where we plan to select our first full-time RV. {..insert drumroll here..}
So, August is still way down the road and plans are always fluid, but the invite is out there for you to use or not. Hope to see you in Maine (or at the RV show in Hershey!)
Cheers,
Pete and Sandi
Oh wow!! What a wonderful offer!! We will certainly contact you if we come your way!
Nina
We always go to the Hershey RV show…..it’s very large and I haven’t been able to cover all the ground
that I want yet.
Without having read all of the posts and chiming in late some suggestion for NYS. We lived for over 60 years in Rochester. Two routes across the state avoiding any interstates. From Niagara Falls area NY 104 continues along Lake Ontario and offers a turn up 3 to Watertown and access to the Adironack SP – the largest state park in the country.
Or one could take US 20 (actually runs from the coast in OR to Boston Commons-we’ve driven most of it) and it crosses the northern edge of the Finger Lakes. It is a bit of a rollercoaster but interesting towns along the way with interesting museum and fairs.
We are actually heading for Rochester for June 23 to July 1 for Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival – 9 nights and 11 club venues plus several free street venues.
It’s a down day here in Fort Myers Fl for me, had enough golf, I was reading your blog and if while in NY you get the chance the St Lawrence seaway is great we stayed in several of the state parks on the lake and river. Clayton Ny is a great little town. The other place we found was Ausable Chasm just south of Plattsburg NY on Lake Champlain it is a fun place. Vermont is great as is New Hampshire of which the Kangamangas Highway is a great ride through the White Mountains. And Maine is a spectacular state too. We are hoping to go there sometime this summer. Have a great trip
We were JUST in your neck of the woods (but only for a few days to visit friends). Cheers for the additional tips.
Nina
A late response here but wanted to recommend a slight detour to Roan Mountain St. Pk. TN. It has a very nice campground. Roan Mtn. is the tallest mountain between the Smokies and Mt. Washington, NH and has a spectacular drive to the top. It has a large bald area near the summit with million dollar views on the Appalachian Trail. If you don’t make it this trip I would definitely put it on my list!
Hope you have a fun and safe summer!
We’re heading back west next week (WY, OR, WA, ID)…not brave enough yet to deal with all the traffic in the northeast.
We won’t make it to the TN side of the mountains this time around, but I’m definitely putting that on our list!
Nina
A few tips and updates when you travel north to Niagara Falls. It has been a very wet spring so far and there is currently a State Emergency for Lake Ontario shoreline for flooding in low lying areas and some severe erosion. The state emergency is in effect thru mid-June to help residents cope with the flooding and reconstruction. I’m letting you know this because there is some erosion at Four Mile Creek and some fences off areas from some erosion. Four Mile Creek is high above the water so don’t worry. There are no closures and you’ll be fine but I believe the beach area is gone at this time (it’s a very small beach area). Along Lake Ontario, there are beach closures (Wilson Tuscarora State Park and Olcott Beach) but the parks are still open. Where you are staying, you are practically next door to Fort Niagara. Fort Niagara is a nice park and has a lighthouse (only opened a few times a year for tours). There are also The Buffalo Main Lighthouse (not open to tours), The Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse in Golden Hill State Park (does have tours and also rents out the apartment for vacation stays), one in Charlotte (this side of Rochester) and a couple around Sodus Bay. There is a tavern restaurant close to Four Mile Creek that has really good food. It’s called Bandanas and it’s on route 18F. The state parks that are reasonably close are Fort Niagara, Wilson Tuscarora (both a park entrance and a boat entrance), Golden Hill State Park, Whirlpool State Park, Niagara Falls State Park (including Goat Island), De Veaus Woods, Devil’s Hole, Artpark, Joseph Davis, Reservoir. That’s just in Niagara County which is where you will be staying. There’s a whole list in Erie County (which Buffalo is in). Of course you know about Letchworth and Allegany State Parks which is on your way north. And then there is Niagara Falls in Canada which is beautiful. I suggest taking the People Mover (WeGo transporation) which costs $7.50 all day. On our side in Niagara Falls, you can take the Discovery trolley which is free to get around. I’m sorry but I don’t think they are dog friendly though. We also have loads of Craft Breweries. The closest to you is The Woodcock brewery in Wilson NY. Here’s a link:http://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/business-type/craft-beer/. One brewery which is MY favorite is in Rochester called Rorhback Buffalo Road Brewhouse. They have great food too! I’m sorry this is long winded but there is a lot and I want to help you by giving you choices. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you VERY much for all those details!
Nina
Just discovered your blog today and am very much enjoying it! Hoping to full-time RV for at least a year or two when I retire in a few years. I live in Maine, and while our coastline is certainly beautiful, the inland sections have their own beauty. If time permits, a trip north to Aroostook County will put you in touch with some of the nicest, friendliest people on the east coast. Baxter State Park (home of Mount Katahdin, the terminus of the Appalachian Trail) is on the way. The central Maine lakes region, Augusta-Belgrade (where we live) is also lovely, as is the western part of the state around Kingfield and Rangeley. While we get the occasional oddball October snow (Halloween was pretty much snowed out a few years ago), the weather is usually decent into mid-November. And even if it isn’t, our plow drivers know their business!! It’s not unusual for the roads to be down to bare tar the day after a 12″-plus snow, in fact we kind of expect it 🙂 . I’d also recommend the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts — north of Boston, the town of Beverly on up to Gloucester (where “The Perfect Storm” was based). Local tip: It’s pronounced Glosster. Good on ya for listening to “the voice,” and I wish you safe travels and grand adventures!