Day 4 We Made it to Massachusetts (Great to See Our Friends)

Day 4 We Made it to Massachusetts!!!!

So I broke the cardinal rule and drove 488 miles yesterday. I’ve been told and have read many times that RVers should not drive more than 300 to 350 miles a day. I believe it is to avoid fatigue and to be able to enjoy the journey. However, the thought of staying another night in a campground and having to unpack and repack was just not appealing. The drive was not bad. We broke down camp the day before so around 7a I finished packing up and securing the RV and dumped the tanks and then we were off. I drove about 200 miles before stopping at Walmart in Allentown PA. We took our time getting through the store and $100 later as we walked across the parking lot we made the final decision to push on toward our friends instead of stopping for the night in Accord NY.  The drive wasn’t bad at all except for one small care. Taking the exit to get on route 202 the RV locked up on me and would not turn.  I was going, what I thought, was relatively slow at 35mph. The curve must have been to sharp for my big ole Honey and she refused to turn that wheel.  We plowed straight through the barrier before coming to a stop on the grassy area between the two on/off ramps.  Talk about shaken up! I sat there for several minutes trying to compose myself and so thankful no one was hurt. Fortunately, the next 25 miles where through the Poconos’ mountains and not on the highway.  I was able to just cruise at a very slow speed and regain confidence in my ability to drive my 25ft motorhome.

The next three hours were pretty uneventful. We drove into New York, then into Connecticut where we passed through Bridgeport and Hartford (I really liked the feel of Hartford and will add it to my list of places to explore) before entering Massachusetts. We made our way through Springfield and continued North into the mountains. The scenery was absolutely stunning. The rolling hills of the North are beautiful. We raced the sun up the mountain, it was 7:00p and I was determined to be at our destination and parked before it got dark. We made the terrifying journey up the very narrow, windy road up  the mountain VERY slowly and in the middle of the street. After my incident earlier I was very afraid of taking a turn too sharp and this time plummeting off the mountain. It was worth it though… our friends home is wonderful.  It is a two 200 year old farm house that sits on about 40 acres, high on the mountain, with views that people pay for. It is stunning.  It is so quiet and calm and peaceful. 

It was so great seeing everyone.  I can’t believe how much all the kids have grown.  It was wonderful to catch up with my friend and her family. 

  

The kids played and explored until it got dark then we all headed in to shower and get ready for bed.  The big kids slept in the room with their friends and Nay and I snuggled up in Honey.  The big kids got up early this morning and went to farm class with their friends while Nay and I slept in. 

 

I don’t know how long we’ll stay… it’s so wonderful up here that they may be kicking us off their land before we volunteer to leave it :-D. 

Our plan is to head to the beach in New Hampshire with our friends when we leave here. So the prospect of sitting by the ocean may be the only thing to entice me to leave this mountain! Until then peace, love, and travel and much love to the one I’m missing back at home.

Day 2 and 3 Gettysburg, PA

Day 2

Today was just as great as yesterday.  We decided to pack up and leave Shenandoah early so that we could get here to Gettysburg and settle in. We got here around lunch time and spent the first hour setting up. We managed to set up the tent and it took all four us. I may eventually have to look into getting the awning fixed. After we were set up the kids rode their bikes while I finished a few last minute things and then we headed off to explore the “resort”.  It is a nice place… there are plenty of amenities such as a pool (that’s not open yet), and a great playground, walking distance to civil war memorials. Wifi is about four dollars a night so that is a negative (fortunately I have mifi on my phone and use it as a hotspot). Also the sites a really close together. I feels like I can reach out and touch my neighbor. I can’t imagine if I had a slide.

The kids had a blast playing at the playground. The playground is really nice and was full of kids. They played hard for a couple of hours until I just couldn’t sit there anymore, thank goodness it started raining. Nay and I headed “home” totally and completely against his will and the two older kids stayed and played. Once I was able to find some tasks for Nay to help me with he was less pouty and winy about not getting to stay at the playground. He helped me cook dinner and wash dishes. I made beanie weans for the kids and minestrone soup with sautéed  spinach, kale and fresh garlic. Yum! I’m so glad that I am able to still cook like I would in a traditional kitchen. I do have to be creative at times but overall it appears that I will be able to concoct some great creations. Nay and I ate (the big kids were still at the playground) and enjoyed a movie together before packing up our bath bag and heading to the showers. I can see it getting old using the bathhouses all the time but until I overcome my fear of blowing us all up using propane that is what we will do (although we could do cold showers in our rig but made a vow to the kids that we would not have to take anymore cold showers after three months of it in Jamaica).

Leaving VA heading to PA

Scenery traveling through VA to PA

Yay! We made it to PA after a couple of wrong turns and missed exits

Day 3

Today was wonderful. I woke up earlier then I wanted at the sound of water owing through my busted pipe. I had assumed that since it was near the city water connection that I just could use the city water but apparently I can’t fill the tank either. I will have to get that replaced sooner than later. Since the holding tank was full I needed to empty it but I didn’t want to waste all of the water so I decided to wash a load of clothes. I filled the industrial bucket in the tub and hand washed our clothes from the last two days.  Then I used the rest of the water to rinse. I ran the clothes through the wringer attached to the mop and then headed to the laundromat, on site, to dry.  I was shocked to see washing and drying a load cost $5. Wow! That could really add up.  There is no way I can wash like I’m used to at those prices. I used the dryer and was NOT happy when the buzzer sounded that they were done and I opened the dryer to find my clothes still soaking wet. I called the site manager and he brought be down change to try another dryer.  The second the clothes were still damp so I’m thinking the dryers were just terrible (and not broken). I hung the wettest clothes on the line I had strung across our tent.  It looked tacky but I really had to have those clothes dry since we pull out tomorrow. By the time I finished hanging my laundry, Heather, a sales manager was pulling onto our site. We went on an early morning tour of the RV park with the sales person (going on the tour was why we got to stay her free for three days and two night). The tour was nice and they fed us lunch (the even had vegan burgers). 

After the tour we decided to catch the trolly into downtown Gettysburg. We toured all of downtown and saw as many sites as we could that didn’t cost :-) This was a trip on a budget. 

The kids standing with Lincoln and David Mills

One of many old churches turned civil war hospitals

Random face on the wall!

You can see it is simply a face coming out of the wall of an alley

Instead of $10 admissions into museums we spent our money on ice cream and letting the kids try bacon soda (yes, you read that right) and cheese flavored bug larva (we have pictures to prove it lol). It was really random but right at that moment watching my kids reactions to gross stuff they put in their mouths, in downtown Gettysburg, I couldn’t think of any other place or with any other people I would rather be.

My brave children pre- tasting these horrible things

Averie decided she wanted to go on a ghost tour since Gettysburg is supposed to be haunted. She took so many pictures, mostly of the civil war era buildings.  We think she might have something… tell us what you think.  These pictures were taken minutes apart. Look in the window above the doors... zoom in if you have too. The building is an old church that was used as a hospital for severe cases during the civil war… and was closed for the day and we saw no one moving about while we were standing there.

Do you see it? In the window? Hmmm

Enjoying ice cream at the Lincoln diner

Enjoying the "cherry on top" at the Lincoln diner

Random garage art (photo courtesy of Averie)

We didn't have time to visit the battlefield this time (we did pass it and got to see its vastness from the trolley on the way downtown). That gives us more reason to come back and we will definitely be back. Tomorrow we head to Accord, New York. When I told the sales rep that we didn’t have a reservation and planned to try sleeping at a Walmart they called one of their sister resorts and got us a free night stay.  I am so appreciative of that.  Instead of spending my day searching for a place to stay I got to spend it with my babies. We’ve already started breaking down camp which wasn’t too bad. I couldn’t pack all of the firewood on the hitch carrier so we ended up with an impromptu fire and s'mores.  While I continued to pack (trying to beat the sun) and the kids roasted marshmallows our new neighbor walked over and introduced herself.  It turns out she is from NC too, not to far from Charlotte. She camps with her grandchildren ever week during the summer, just rotating out grandchildren each week. She invited us over to her rig to meet her cats. Those were the biggest kittens I have ever seen.  She said they will get to about 30 pounds. I believe she called them mancoons?!?!

After we excused ourselves from her we came back and finished packing what we could in the moonlight before giving up and heading inside. Averie and I are snuggled up next to each other as I sit here and write this and my boys are a sleep. I’m about to join them as I mentally prepare for this long drive tomorrow. Until the next post peace, love, and travel!

Day 1 Verona, VA

Day 1 has been amazing so far. I was up at 5:20a with the goal of being out of the door by 6a.  I wanted to avoid Charlotte's rush hour and be able to get downtown to say goodbye to my mom. Getting out of the house was hard... saying goodbye to my dog and my vegetable garden (lol) was tough. I kept adding more and more to the RV too, with the excuse that I know I will need "this" on the road. We did make it out of the door pretty much on time (6:04a). It was smooth sailing from the time we hit the road. We were able to find an apartment parking lot to park in while we went to give mama hugs and kisses

The drive to the Shenandoah area was great. I drove about 100 miles before stoping for gas and to stretch my legs. The second half (132 miles) was just as easy (thank you cruise control). The kids slept, I turned up my radio and stretch out my leg (I'm amazed at how roomy the driver side leg area is in my old RV) and rolled down the highway.

Driving 232 miles today felt good and I think I will leave it at that for now. When we got here I wasn't exhausted and I don't dread having to drive tomorrow.  There's no rush for us. Actually for the first time since I can remember I actually own my time.  I don't have anywhere to be at any particular time and this is the most freeing feeling. It doesn't matter what time we arrived, or how long it took us to get here or I could definitely get used to this.  

The campground we are staying at, Shenandoah Valley Campground in Verona VA, is nice.  It is full of amenities including a pool, hot tub, two playgrounds, free cable, free wifi, our site backs up to the river, we can walk around the corner to see a waterfall, and they have scheduled activities. It is a little of that beaten path (in my opinion) but it is pretty crowded here so maybe not to far off that path. The people that we have talked to so far come here regularly.  One lady said she even comes one a week and she lives a couple hours away. The staff is friendly and the facilities are clean so all in all we are very happy with the site we chose on the first day of our adventure. We would come back to this site for sure.

The Day After Tomorrow

The day after tomorrow it all begins. The RV is home from the shop and in great shape. The radio has been installed. I was able to put the carrier on the back tow hitch so I can take the kid's bikes. And most importantly the RV is full packed and ready to go.

It took me 3 days to clean and pack that thing but I managed to get all of the stuff that we need to survive on it (OK, I'm sure we could probably survive with a third of what I packed). I'll spend the rest of today piddling around it making sure all is well. Tomorrow I will fill the fresh water tank and pack our perishable food.

I'm mixed with feelings of terror and supreme excitement. As we get closer the excitement increases and the terror diminishes.  This is going to be an amazing trip and one that my kids may always remember.  That is my motivation, like Jamaica, this trip is for them. To create memories, to instill a sense of adventure and exploration in them, and to teach them about the diverse and wonderful world we live in.

My next post will be from the road and I will start adding pictures so stay tuned :-D

14 days and counting

Today was my last day of class so that means only 14 days until the kids and I hit the road for the summer. I am nervous and excited but mostly nervous.  So much has been going on in life that I have not been focusing on our trip and it has snuck up on us.

Honey is in the shop now getting a once over by my mechanic just to make sure she's ready for the road. I hope to get her back on Monday and will begin packing and organizing her. I have made arrangements for my house while we are gone and chatted with a wireless company employee about my internet options on the road. All that's really left is getting the radio fixed in Honey and saying goodbye to all of our family and friends. That's not going to be easy, saying goodbye, but the kids and I HAVE to go. T minus 14 days...

Met a Wonderful fulltime RVing Family

Today the kids and I met an amazing full time RV family. They happened to be passing through the area and invited us for dinner at the RV park they were staying at.  They are truly inspirational. They showed me around their rig and helped me understand how things work. Their rig is amazing, a fifth wheel with two slide outs.  Compared to Honey it is a mansion. Dinner was amazing and we brought dessert (chocolate fondue). The kids played HARD and had a blast.  It was like they were in their natural element and made me all the more excited to hit the road ourselves. I chatted with the adults (another full time family joined us) and it was so awesome to sit outside under the stars and enjoy adult conversation while my children played nearby.

Unfortunately our night ended early when I received an emergency call about my mom but it turned out to be a TRUE emergency. I won't discuss personal family emergencies here but what turned started out as a perfect evening ended in a nightmare. I'm not sure how this will affect our pending leave date or our trip at all. I know the kids and I HAVE to make this trip... we have two, but our plans may change a bit in light of these new family circumstances. Stay tuned-

My nephew joined us this weekend

Blog

What another amazing camping experience. This weekend we went to Dan Nichols park in Salisbury, NC. 

We stayed pretty local because we had the treat of bringing my nephew, Maurice, along with us. This was his first camping experience. 

Our site was great. We lucked out and got a pull thru sight right by the lake. For some reason everyone wanted to be near the bathrooms instead (also the bathrooms were only about 30 yards from our site). Our site, while not the most level allowed me to wake up to a full view of the lake. It was so peaceful and serene. It type this now as I steal period glances out the window to watch the morning comings and goings of the birds on the water. 

It took us about an hour to set up camp. While me and the big kids worked the littles ran and played and it was wonderful to see them do so... No electronics, no toys, just them playing in the woods. 

Once we were set up we headed off to Dan Nicholas park. There is so much to do there. For only $23 all five of us explored the animal habitat, rode the train, rode the carousel, and did some

Gem mining.  We played at the playground, feed the ducks and ate a snack of nachos and cheese (at least they did...I'm still doing the vegan thing). 

When I was sure they were wore out we headed back to camp. Getting there and back took is on a nice scenic journey around the lake. It was a nice walk and I feel it satisfied my desire to hike :-)

Back at camp the big kids and I played board games while the littles played darts and argued with each other. Soon after we decided it was time to make our fire. This was not our first camping experience but was our first fire. I bought some starter logs so it was actually pretty easy to get going. The kids really enjoyed roasting weanies and marshmallows.  I also season and buttered a couple of pieces of flounder and put them on the fire. The kids said it turned out good and I believe them the way all four of them wolfed it down. I heated up my soup and grilled a couple of pieces of bread. It was delicious. 

After dinner we spent the next several hours sitting/ playing around the fire while the sun went down. I had no idea three logs (plus our toilet paper rolls and lent) could burn so long. We told stories for a while then put out the fire and went inside. We watched movies and played games for a while longer before lights out. The kids slept good and I slept as usual (constantly waking to make sure all was well).