Tag Archives: KOA

Moving On to Moab

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We left Colorado on a Friday. You can read about our adventures there in Hello, Colorado!

After driving to a peak elevation of eleven thousand feet on our way from Denver to Silt, Colorado, we camped there for our last night in the Centennial State. The Colorado River ran behind the campground and I found some wildlife along the riverside path. I think the Belted Kingfisher was a first for me.

We entered Utah the following day, arriving at our campsite in Moab just after lunch.

It was early enough in the day that we decided to spend the afternoon at Arches National Park. Unfortunately, we weren’t paying close attention to the fact that, on top of the high elevation, it was also almost one hundred degrees outside. So, while we enjoyed most of the visit to Arches, the hike up to Delicate Arch did me in. Evidently, I wasn’t as hydrated as I thought I was. Yikes!

Mark finished the trek to Delicate Arch without me, but found that his phone battery was dead when he got there. So, no photos. Oh, well. Here are some of the other sights we did manage to see and photograph. It was hard to choose among all the photos of huge red rock formations, but hopefully these give you a sense of the immensity of the landscape.

The heat continued the next day. We were still feeling the effects of our afternoon at Arches, so after a run/birdwatching stroll at Lions Park and Bike Path Trail we spent a leisurely day walking through downtown Moab. The Black-headed Grosbeak I saw on the trail was a first for me. And lunch at Trailhead Public House and Eatery was delicious.

On our third day in Moab, we stopped at Lions Park again for a walk/run. I saw the Black-headed Grosbeak again and, for the first time, a Western Kingbird.

After that, we ventured past Arches National Park to Canyonlands National Park. The sights there were breathtaking! Maybe even better than Arches?

On the way back from Canyonlands, we stopped at Dead Horse Point State Park which had been recommended to us by more than one person. Apparently it’s a well-known movie location site. (Thelma & Lousie, Mission Impossible,…) We were told we should stay for a memorable sunset, but the clouds had moved in and we were ready move on. Our last stop for the day was Moab Brewery where Mark (mostly) enjoyed a beer and a couple of appetizers.

We visited Lions Park Trailhead one last time the next morning for a walk/run and pulled out of Moab by lunchtime. On to Salt Lake City!

Warmer Weather

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We did find warmer weather, eventually, as we drove south from Massachusetts to Virginia and on to Florida. You can read about the chilly start to our trip in Escaping the Snow. After leaving Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, we set our sights on North Carolina.

Last March, we took a similar route south and discovered The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, North Carolina. You can see some of the photos I took of the huge outdoor whirligigs in last year’s post, Homeward Bound. Last year, we visited the park on a Monday—the day the store/museum is closed. So, we thought we’d stop by this time on a Wednesday to get the complete experience.

The museum was small, but it held many small whirligig creations by Vollis Simpson. They made me want to go home and start tinkering with something! One sculpture was covered with pieces of old signs made of reflector material. When flash photography is used, it appears to light up in the photograph. You’ll see what I mean in the photos below.

Of course we had to visit Casitas Brewing again, which is adjacent to the park. They’re under new ownership and management. We met the new owners and Mark enjoyed one of their regular beers. The buildings nearby sport some very colorful murals, which is always fun to see.

That night, we landed at Old North State Food Hall in Selma, North Carolina, through our Harvest Hosts membership. The Food Hall was like a large food court you’d find in a mall, but without the mall. The place was clean and bright with nice bathrooms and good wifi. We parked overnight in the back lot where only a couple of other trucks and one RV were parked. They were opened late enough at night and early enough the next morning to make it a very convenient stopover.

The night was a little rainy and the next morning we stopped at the Dunn-Erwin Rail Trail in Dunn, North Carolina, for a muddy walk/run before driving farther south to Richmond Hill, Georgia. There, we stayed at the Savannah South KOA. We happened to park right next to some fellow van travelers, Lucy & Larry, who had also taken a trip to PEI last August. Small world. We exchanged Instagram IDs and they were gone early the next morning.

Before we left, we discovered a bit of wildlife at the KOA.

Since we were so close to Savannah, and this was our second time passing through the area without spending more than a few hours there, we thought a trolley tour of historic Savannah would be a nice idea. It was interesting. But because it was a bit chilly, our driver left the plastic barrier up over the open trolley sides, so we couldn’t take any photos. And his heavy southern accent, layered with slurring over an obviously practiced script, made it hard to understand much of what he said. Oh, well.

We were back on the road by lunchtime and heading into Florida. We stayed that night at a KOA in Fort McCoy, Florida. Beautifully peaceful scene behind our camp site.

The next morning we found the Florida Trail Land Bridge Trailhead—a popular place for biking and horseback riding, apparently.

After a great hike and a run on the trail, we hit the road again and arrived in Naples, Florida, in time for dinner with my Dad. Naples would be our southern-most destination on this trip and a welcome stretch of beautiful, warm, sunny days.

Escaping the Snow?

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The day before we left on our latest adventure, it snowed about a half-foot. At least two more storms were in the forecast. We left home on a Monday and drove south, as far as Jonestown, Pennsylvania. It was still frigid in Jonestown and the campground was covered in a layer of icy, crusty snow. The next day, our first planned stop in Gettysburg was half indoors, out of the elements, and the second half was out in the biting wind around town.

We’d never visited Gettysburg before, and I’m not a fan of war history, but it was very interesting and informative. We browsed some of the museum artifacts while we waited for a short film about the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) to begin.

The narration at the beginning of the film included some eerily relatable words about national divisiveness and political unrest. I found myself empathizing with those who lived in 1861. Please, let’s not let ourselves turn against each other like that again.

After the film, we viewed a cyclorama of the battle, painted by French artist Paul Philippoteaux in 1883. The 360-degree depiction of Pickett’s Charge on the third day of the battle is fascinating. We got to see it in brighter light than usual because it was undergoing its annual cleaning and restoration. In the following photos, look at the foreground which is not part of the painting but rather actual 3-D materials. This helped to make the whole painting look three dimensional. And note that, hidden among the battle scenes, the artist inserted himself, some of his assistants, President Lincoln, and even an older, gray-haired pair of men whom he’d actually interviewed during his research about the events of that day.

Back outside, we grabbed a quick lunch in our van before heading off to a few chosen spots on the self-guided Gettysburg tour. And I caught my first sighting ever of a Red-headed Woodpecker before we left the parking lot. We visited Gettysburg National Cemetery where Lincoln gave his famous address, the Eternal Light Peace Memorial dedicated in 1938, and Little Round Top from which we could see some of the battlefields spread out before us.

The biting winds were a precursor to a snowstorm predicted to start later that afternoon. So, we left Gettysburg before 2 PM, hoping to visit The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Maryland, before the end of the day. Flurries started before we arrived. And when we arrived we were greeted by someone coming out of the building to tell us that the museum was closed due to the weather. But we could look in on the Basilica where mass had started about twenty minutes prior. Disappointing, but we did get to view the beautiful mosaics and marble work, and the Altar of Relics where her remains are kept.

It was snowing when we left—they closed the Basilica as we departed. We arrived at Harper’s Ferry KOA in West Virginia about an hour and a half later and hunkered down for a snowy night, dreaming of warmer weather somewhere south.

PEI and Nova Scotia

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It’s been several months since we traveled to Canada for our fortieth wedding anniversary, but it’s better late than never to finish up the story of our trip…

In my last post, A Taste of Canada, we had just crossed the Confederation Bridge onto Prince Edward Island. What we hadn’t realized was that it was Old Home Week, a local ‘family fun’ celebration that originated over a hundred years ago.

On our first morning there, we had planned to visit nearby Charlottetown. It looked to be a charming city with a boardwalk and plenty to keep us busy. But as we drove toward the city, we could tell something was up. People were parking along the streets and walking toward the downtown area. Up ahead we could see road closures. Apparently a parade was about to start. We pulled over to re-group and quickly turned around and headed to the north shore of the island instead, away from the crowds.

We found a bike trail in Morrell and spent the morning biking from there to St. Peter’s — about a seven mile trip. We stopped for lunch and then biked back. Such beautiful, peaceful scenery! And a surprise bird encounter along the way. (I should also mention a few other surprise encounters: several other Massachusetts residents spending time on the bike trail that day.)

After our bike ride, we traveled west, following the northern coast, to check out Brackley Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park. Apparently, a rain shower had just passed through, even though we encountered nothing but sunny skies on our way. The rain made the dark sand even darker, almost muddy. Very different from the Cape Cod beaches we’re used to.

We rounded out the day with a stop at P.E.I. Brewing.

The next morning was my birthday. And as a special treat we’d booked a ride on the ferry from P.E.I. to Nova Scotia. This would cut off several hours of driving. We’d never taken the van on a ferry before. I’m not a huge fan of boats, so I had mixed feelings about the whole idea. At least we got to drive through Charlottetown on our way. While we waited to get in the ferry line (we were so early that the ferry before ours hadn’t left yet), we checked out a nearby lighthouse.

The ferry trip lasted about seventy five minutes, but felt much shorter. Before we knew it, we were disembarking in Nova Scotia. We scoped out our reserved campsite before heading to quaint downtown Pictou for an early dinner.

Our campsite backed up to an inlet and offered a beautiful view. The photos aren’t great, but they’re evidence of the Short-billed Dowitcher, the Lesser Yellowleg, and the Great Blue Heron right in our backyard.

The view behind our van was nice, but the campground itself felt more like someone’s hilly backyard and the bathroom facility was extremely ‘rustic’. We decided not to stay a second night.

After realizing we didn’t have enough time to enjoy a coastal drive around Cape Breton, we thought a night in a hotel in Halifax might be a nice change of pace, along with another ferry trip back to New Brunswick. To make a long story a lot shorter, that didn’t work out. We made a ‘non-refundable’ reservation at the Marriott Harbourfront, only to discover that our van couldn’t fit in their parking garage and the parking lot they sent us to, blocks away, was closed. It took a little pleading at the front desk to cancel the reservation. And there was no room for us on the ferry, either. Oh, well.

But before we arrived in Halifax, we stopped in Antigonish for a walk and a bike ride. And a quick peek at St. Francis Xavier University.

We also stopped at Good Robot Brewing in Halifax, right across the street from Halifax Common, a large green space with recreational fields, facilities, and walking paths in between and around them.

We ate lunch and took a long walk around the Common. After leaving Halifax with no place to say for the night, we found a KOA close by. With room for us. Whew!

The next morning we aimed the van toward New Brunswick. After a stop in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for a hike around Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary, we took a detour to check out a monarch sculpture in Dieppe, New Brunswick (thanks, Tricia S.), before landing back at Rockwood Park in St. John, which we’d left a mere four days earlier.

It was drizzling and foggy the next morning as we headed west for one last stop before crossing the border into the U.S. St. Andrews did not disappoint. We first visited Kingsbrae Gardens.

After the gardens, we drove downtown to have lunch in the seaside town.

We left Canada mid-afternoon that day with a bucket-load of memories and a camera card full of beautiful images to help us remember. We spent the night once again parked in our son’s Maine driveway before heading home the next day. And of course, we made a couple of stops on the way: Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary in Freeport for a walk/run, Mast Landing Brewery, and lunch at Bissell Brothers in Portland.

Birds, Bears, Beer…and Another Wilmington

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Last week, Mark and I managed to squeeze in a five day van trip to Vermont by way of New Hampshire. Originally, the plan was to visit just Vermont. But we heard that a couple of former members of Town Meeting band were playing with their new band, Medium Bear, at The Range in Mason, New Hampshire, on Saturday evening. It sounded like the perfect way to kick off our trip. Medium Bear was actually opening for another band, so we knew they’d be on fairly early. We headed north about midday, stopping first for a walk around Andres Institute of Art Sculpture Park in Brookline, New Hampshire. What a treasure!

Founded in 1998 on Big Bear Mountain in Brookline, the Institute installs large sculptures all over the mountain. They host symposiums for visiting artists and are constantly adding to their collection. We hiked the steep paths for over an hour and saw only a fraction of the art. Along the way, we met Master Sculptor John Weidman at the Studio/workshop. He gave us a brief history and a fascinating overview of the Institute.

After that we headed to The Range. As the name suggests, it’s driving range, but it’s also a concert and event venue. Good food and a great spot to enjoy a show.

We left The Range before dark to check in at our Boondockers site in Jaffery, where we’d spend the night. We passed a beautiful little stone church right around the corner from the private driveway we’d be parking in for the night and decided we’d walk there in the morning for mass. But it was pouring the next day, and one of us forgot to pack a rain jacket, so we drove there instead.

After mass, we drove to Brattleboro, Vermont, arriving just as the rain was beginning to let up. We ate lunch in Brattleboro, browsed in a few stores, including a breathtakingly expensive art gallery, and bought a unique, handmade rocking chair. We couldn’t fit the chair into the van, so the store owner graciously volunteered to deliver it to our home himself.

From Brattleboro, we made our way to Wilmington, Vermont. Being from Wilmington, Mass., we’ve made it our side-mission to visit all the other Wilmingtons in the country. You can read in previous posts about some of the others we’ve already visited. Along the way we found Molly Stark State Park and stopped for a hike.

We drove for another hour after that, passing Hogback Mountain Country Store, which we’ve visited before and a brewery across the street from it that we hadn’t seen before. We only stopped long enough for a few pics.

We arrived in Proctorsville, Vermont, at a friend’s house, just before dinnertime. I’ve been watching them build their own home in stages via Facebook and Instagram posts and was looking forward to seeing it in person. We got a tour of the gardens and their former tiny house, as well as the new house, before sharing a meal and settling in for the night parked in their driveway. Thanks, Tricia and Jay!

The next morning, our plan was to visit two places in Weston and then find a place to hike. The Vermont Country Store was our first stop. Cute country store full of throw-back toys, candy, sundries, and anything else you can think of. I bought myself a sunhat and a souvenir canvas bag. Then, we walked along a short trail behind the property where I found a warbler I’d never seen before: a chestnut-sided warbler. I could hear a red-eyed vireo in the trees as well, but it remained elusive, much to my disappointment.

Our second stop in Weston was the Weston Priory. Of course, our timing is often a bit off, and the monks of the Priory were on retreat. The place was beautiful, but completely empty of people.

From Weston, we drove northwest toward Lake Bomoseen. We had reservations at the Lake Bomoseen KOA (Kampgrounds of America). Along the way, we saw signs for the Clarendon Gorge Appalachian Trailhead. We had to stop, of course.

The Lake Bomoseen KOA was a bit rustic, but it was nice to hook up the van to water and sewer, take showers and do some laundry. The laundry was a challenge, though. None of the dryers would work and we had to leave the wet laundry overnight until the staff opened up the front office in the morning. A visit to our campsite from what looked like an adolescent bear, plus a sighting of a brown creeper (bird), took our minds off our trouble for a while.

In the morning, the KOA staff helped us get our laundry dried and we were back on the road before 10 AM. We headed for Shelburne Farms, just south of Burlington, Vermont. It was a gorgeous sunny day. We walked a four-mile loop around the farm and finished up at their store, buying some tasty aged cheddar and blue cheese.

After Shelburne Farms, we checked in at our Harvest Hosts spot, Sam Mazza’s Farm Market in Colchester. Then we drove to Burlington for dinner at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill. There’s always something interesting on their menu! We stopped in at Foam Brewers after dinner, getting back to our van with about three minutes to spare on the meter. We only stopped at Burlington Beer Company to take a few pics. So many breweries, so little time!

It was just us and the goats at Sam Mazza’s overnight. In the morning we did a little shopping in the market before checking out the trail around Colchester Pond nearby. It turned out to be a great place for birds. Mark completed the loop around the pond while I did a lot of slow walking and searching for birds. Perfect for each of us!

We left the pond before lunch and drove mostly east toward Stowe, arriving at The Alchemist Brewery in time for lunch. Our final destination before heading due south toward home was Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend.

We left Hill Farmstead around 3:30 PM and managed to get home before dark—always a plus when we have time to unpack the van before the end of the day. Another trip in the books and already looking forward to the next one…

A Week Or So On The Road

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We left home on a mid-March Monday morning, the van packed with warm-weather clothes and all the essentials. But the first few nights were still chilly. The heat in the van, set at fifty-nine degrees, blessedly kicked on during those nights.

Monday night we spent at a KOA (Kampground of America) in New Jersey. The next morning I took a walk along the road in front of the KOA, while my husband, Mark, ran.

Tuesday night we stayed in Emporia, Virginia, and headed for the Santee Lakes region of South Carolina on Wednesday. We were pleasantly surprised to find a Buc-ee’s along the way! We first came across the Buc-ee’s chain in Texas, but didn’t know they were so far east.

The Santee National Wildlife Refuge was the perfect spot for a walk/run Wednesday afternoon— even though the thought of alligators crossing my path kept me on high alert. 🙂 It was also the site of Fort Watson, a key stronghold taken from the British during the Revolutionary War.

After trekking through the Wildlife Refuge for the afternoon, we checked in at the Santee Lakes KOA in plenty of time for a beautiful sunset.

We returned to the Wildlife Refuge early the next morning before heading off to St. Augustine.

On Friday morning, we walked the grounds around the St. Augustine Lighthouse, then climbed to the top—all two hundred nineteen steps of its metal spiral staircase. I could feel my stomach flipping out and my legs getting shaky, but all was good as long as Mark stayed behind me on the way up and in front of me on the way back down. 🙂

At the top of the lighthouse—surprise! surprise!—Mark found a fellow lover of Treehouse beer. They talked for several minutes while I took in the view.

I spied a tree down below full of birds and asked the guide what I was looking at. He told us there was a rookery nearby at The Alligator Farm. So, we headed back down the spiral staircase in search of birds.

We drove around the block and found the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. But it didn’t seem worth the $35 apiece to enter. So, we walked down the sidewalk to find that the trees we’d seen from atop the lighthouse. They were just on the other side of a fence. We had a much less expensive, but very satisfactory view from the sidewalk. We saw plenty of wood storks, roseate spoonbills, and egrets coming and going.

Mark still needed to get a run in that day, so after the rookery we drove to the St. Augustine State Trail at the Vermont Heights Trailhead. He ran in one direction while I walked in another. A peaceful spot for exercise with the added bonus of restrooms on site.

Friday night, we stayed at a KOA near Kennedy Space Center. Little did we know, a Spacex rocket was scheduled to launch that night. We joined a small crowd gathered at the right spot (according to those in the know) and, sure enough, a fireball shot into the sky just after 8:20 p.m. Too far away for decent pictures, but we all took them anyway.

In the morning we stopped at Brevard Zoo Linear Park in Melbourne, Florida. Mark went for a run while I attended my monthly Poetry Circle via Zoom. After my Zoom meeting, I squeezed in a short walk before we hit the road again.

We spent the weekend with friends in Boca Raton, arriving late Saturday afternoon in time for dinner. Cliff and Susan were gracious hosts and we enjoyed walking/running in their neighborhood, relaxing by their pool, and eating out in Delray Beach on St. Patrick’s Day.

We said goodbye on Monday morning and travelled Alligator Alley (I-75) through The Everglades to Naples where we spent a few days with my dad.

My dad’s condo is right on the water, so I took my morning walks along a 1.25-mile paved path at the edge of the sand. Mark used the path, but ran along Gulf Shore Boulevard, as well. We also walked down the street to the Village Shops on Venetian Bay, went out for dinner at Mr. Big Fish one night, saw Cabrini at a brand-new fancy cinema nearby, and watched the sunset on our last night in Naples. Mark was able to visit with a couple of old friends who were staying in Naples, too.

All in all, we enjoyed the people and places we visited and the wildlife we encountered. We left Naples on a Thursday morning and headed back north, stopping at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on the way. But that’s a story for another day… 🙂

Autumn Road Trip: Are We Home Yet?

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Yes, we are. But there’s so much more of our adventure left to share. If you want to catch up on previous posts you can start with Autumn Road Trip: Part I. Otherwise, hold on to your hat as we fly through the second half of our trip.

We stayed in Page, Arizona, for a second night after our day trip to Zion National Park. The next morning was the day of the annular eclipse. We didn’t have any special eclipse glasses, so we missed out. The only photo I got was taken by aiming my camera in the direction of the sun while the sky dimmed. Mark took his morning run on the top of the mesa next to the KOA.

The first part of our afternoon was spent at Glen Canyon dam in Page.

Then we headed south to Horseshoe Bend to be amazed by yet another natural land formation!

From Horseshoe Bend, we headed farther south to Flagstaff, AZ, where we stayed overnight at a another KOA. The next morning we found a great place to run/hike just next door. I chose to hike Fatmans loop, which sounded like it would be easy. It turned out to be a bit of a challenge. But I learned what an alligator tree is. And I saw my first acorn woodpecker.

We couldn’t resist stopping in Winslow, AZ, since we were in the area. And, of course, we had to duck into the local brewing company to have dinner with . . . the locals.

We had plans to head to Texas, but wanted to spend some time in Taos and Santa Fe first. So, we stopped back at our friends’ house in Albuquerque for the night. They were thrilled to see us again! At least that’s what they said. 🙂

The next day we drove north to Taos and checked out some of the art galleries. After all, as the signs say, Taos is art! We also toured the Taos Pueblo, continuously inhabited for over one thousand years and designated as a World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark.

We then stopped by San Francisco de Asis church in Taos at the end of our day.

After a night at the KOA in Santa Fe, we drove into downtown Santa Fe for some shopping and sightseeing. First stop, The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

And a short walk from there brought us to the Loretto Chapel, home of the mysterious spiral staircase. Interesting stories swirl around this gravity-defying structure of very curious origin.

The rest of the afternoon, which wasn’t nearly long enough, we browsed the shops of Santa Fe. Then we hit the road to drive straight south to San Antonio, New Mexico, to park overnight in a big dirt lot disguised as an RV park. Sparse, but adequate. (We were told to watch out for wild boars if we went outside at night to use the facilities.) It was there I saw my first Gambel’s quail. Cute and so funny to watch!

Our friends, Liz & Dan, had recommended Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio as a great birding spot. And it was the perfect time of year to catch a glimpse of the migrating sandhill cranes. So, we got up very early the next morning and arrived before it officially opened. And we saw cranes (among other wildlife)!

The Bosque turned out to be a great adventure — even if Mark had to keep an eye out for mountain lions during his morning run!

We were ready to head to Texas to visit friends in Waxahachie. But guess what city lay in our path on the way? Roswell, New Mexico. Of course, we had to stop. We stayed at a lovely little RV Park in Roswell, took a morning walk/run at a park down the street, and then had time to stop at the National UFO Research Center & Museum.

We crossed into Texas that afternoon, but Texas is a big state! We had reservations at an RV park that didn’t look all that inviting, so we checked in to the Holiday Inn down the street instead. It was the one and only night we spent in a hotel during the entire trip. And it turned out to be a good decision, since we were able to virtually attend our good friend’s funeral the next morning in the comfort of a hotel room with reliable wifi.

That afternoon, we drove a few hours along a long, flat road lined with ranches, wind turbines, and empty landscapes to Abilene, Texas.

When we arrived at our campsite by mid-afternoon, the ninety-one degree full-sun site drove us to take refuge at a local mall for a few hours. The next day we made it to Waxahachie, just south of Dallas. Our hosts, Brett & Judy, graciously insisted that we come inside and make ourselves comfortable in their guest room.

They took us out to an Autumn festival in Ennis. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many different kinds of pumpkins in one place! And we ended the day with a visit to Buc-ee’s — a famous gas station/everything-under-the-sun market I’d never heard of and had no idea that I’d been missing!

The next day, they recommended a nice park nearby for a morning walk/run.

In the afternoon, they took us down to The Stock Yards in Fort Worth to see the Longhorns.

Once we left Waxahachie, our only plan on the way home was to stop at Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky. So, we went to the map and outlined our route home. Both Memphis and Nashville were in our path. Since Nashville deserves a trip of its own, we aimed to spend a little time in Memphis. But our first night, we stayed at a KOA in Texarkana. And we found a nice park nearby for an afternoon walk/run, as well as for a repeat visit the next morning.

A day later, we found ourselves in Memphis debating the merits of a visit to Graceland. I wanted to go mostly because I didn’t NOT want to go. I’d always been curious about it. But not curious enough to tack on another $100 just to visit Elvis’s mansion. Yikes! So we went to Graceland. A lot of hype, history, and merchandise, but I must confess I thoroughly enjoyed the up close and personal view of all that bling!

From Memphis, we headed to Nashville and Bearded Iris Brewing for dinner — smashburgers from a food truck.

The next day, a light rain fell as we crossed into Kentucky. Perfect weather for exploring cold, dark caves. Only a few pictures of the caves follow since it was, well, dark in there.

After the caves, we set our sights and our hearts toward home, although the next morning we drove back along Mammoth Cave Road to find a walking/running trail. We actually found a race in progress, but stayed out of their way — mostly.

That night, we stayed at a KOA in Argillite, Kentucky. Being the Saturday before Halloween, we unwittingly camped right in the middle of trick-or-treating. We were unprepared, unfortunately. But it was fun to watch.

Drizzle and fog escorted us into West Virginia the next day and within a couple of days we were in Maryland. We found a great place for a walk/run along the Western Maryland Rail Trail.

We made it to Pennsylvania that afternoon and had dinner at Fegley’s Brew Works in Allentown.

The next morning, we hiked/ran at Trexler Nature Preserve and Environmental Center nearby. It was windy and freezing! So, after a short hike I took refuge in the van while Mark finished his run. (Check out the funny sign we saw when exiting the KOA.)

After lunch, we headed through New Jersey to New York. Our last planned stop was Fidens Brewing in Albany. We intended to park overnight at a nearby Cracker Barrel and drive home in the morning. But, you know how it is when you can taste home. After an early dinner at Fidens . . .

. . . we got back on the road for another three hours and pulled into our own driveway, thirty-six days and eighteen states later.

There’s nothing like living on the road. And there’s nothing like coming home. The van is resting in our driveway now while we enjoy the holidays — and plan for our next adventure!

Yet Another Wilmington…

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If you’ve been keeping up, we left Wilmington, MA, last week on our way to North Carolina to visit our friends, Cathy & Don. You can read the previous blog entry here.

We camped for two nights at Andrew Jackson State Park in Lancaster, South Carolina, and spent some time at Anne Springs Close Greenway on the way back to Charlotte. I forgot to mention at the end of the previous post that we stopped by Middle James Brewing in Pineville, NC, after hiking at the Greenway on Sunday.

On Monday morning, a week from the day we left home, we awoke to our final day in Charlotte. Cathy & Don were on grandparent duty, so we all drove over to Little Sugar Creek Greenway and walked for a couple of hours. Mark squeezed in a run while we were there.

The weather was beautiful and so was nature all around us.

Monday afternoon, Cathy & Don took us on a brewery walk not far from their neighborhood. We visited Legion Brewing,

Burial Beer Company,

And the favorite, Resident Culture Brewing.

Monday night, we enjoyed a home-cooked meal with Cathy & Don, their daughter, Kelly, and her husband, Mike. And on Tuesday morning we said our good-byes. Time with good friends goes by too fast.

On the way to the fourth Wilmington of our trip, we saw an amazing sight. A huge, I mean HUGE, flock of white birds, probably Snow Geese, flew over the highway, looking like a murmuration of starlings. It was impossible to get a clear photo, as we were driving about sixty mph, but here’s what we saw:

It was mesmerizing! And a little distracting for the driver. 🙂

We continued on to Wilmington, North Carolina, where we stayed overnight at the KOA there.

Our journey south was over now and the rest of the trip would be directed north, toward home.

What Happens In Virginia…

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If you need to catch up on the first leg of our recent van trip, check out From Wilmington… To Wilmington… We left off in Fredericksburg, VA, on a drizzly Wednesday morning. The rain didn’t last long and we pulled out of the KOA about the time the sun was struggling to come out. We spent the entire day traveling and visiting in Virginia.

On the way to our third Wilmington, we stopped at lovely Lake Anna State Park. We hiked, ate lunch, and enjoyed the view.

When we left Lake Anna, we went in search of the next Wilmington on our list: Wilmington, VA. Having no idea what to expect, we were surprised to find it so obscure that we drove by it at first. This is all we found:

Apparently, Wilmington, VA, is an unincorporated community in Fluvanna County. Several online searches yielded very little additional information. So, we moved on to Richmond.

The two Richmond breweries on the itinerary were The Veil Brewing and The Answer Brew Pub.

At The Veil, Mark finished his tasting with a Double Raspberry Fizzy!

We ate dinner at The Answer, where we picked up a four-pack of a special-release dessert stout, Diablo Forever Coconut.

After supper, we drove south for another hour plus to the Holiday Inn in South Hill, VA. We treated ourselves to hot showers and a room for the night.

In the morning, we headed for North Carolina. Lots more adventures to come… 🙂