February into March 2023 Cancelling our February AIRbnb reservation left us with an open six-week stretch on our calendar. We had scheduled a Care-A-Vanner commitment in Florida for the last two weeks of March, but we needed a travel plan to bridge the time between then and now. We chose a route out to Rockport, Texas, and a return one that would bring us back to the New Orleans area for Mardi Gras on February 21st, and our Florida commitment…
FLORIDA to TEXAS Late December to early February Northerners imagine that Florida is always sunny and warm. In reality, Florida can have some damp, bone-chilling weather. We spent some very cold days before Christmas at Fort De Soto County Park and Hillsborough River State Park. Wind, rain, cold, and unheated shower houses – not a good combo. Woodsy campsites turn muddy, potholes appear in dirt roads, and hiking trails become a hop-scotch around puddles. All you can do is layer…
Late October into December 2022 We followed our routine of returning to the Philadelphia suburbs for about a month in the fall. This time off the road gives us an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends. No matter how carefully we plan, we always run out of time for visiting before we run out of folks we’d like to see. We feel lucky to still have so many wonderful friends from our life in Delaware County. On the more…
Our plans to travel the outer coast of Virginia stalled under the remnants of Hurricane Ian. During the last week of September 2022, we were camping at Kiptopeke State Park in Cape Charles, Virginia. We rode our bikes on the nature trail, had wonderful oysters at The Oyster Farm, and then the edge of the storm caught up with us. Rain, rain, and more rain. Our campsite flooded, so we moved to another site that was better situated. Rain and…
September 2022 Presque Isle, Lake Erie We traveled along the shoreline of Lake Erie, working our way back to the east coast. In Erie, PA, we stayed at Lampe Campground and Marina, a private campground close to Presque Isle State Park. The state park is the home of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Monument, commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. In September of 1813, this major battle was fought between the Americans, led by Master…
Mid August 2022 Downtown Chicago has very limited options for camping, so we chose to stay at a Harvest Host location just west of town. The VFW in Wheaton turned out to be a great place to stay. I’d never been inside a VFW post; in fact didn’t know much about them. Post #2164 is one of America’s oldest posts. It was started by WWI veterans in the 1930s. We were greeted by John, who handled our registration and helped…
Mid-July to Mid-August 2022 From Whitefish, Montana, we headed east into North Dakota. We stopped in Rugby, which is the geographical center of North America. It seems odd that this small town holds this distinction, but it does. In the 1880s, this was a junction stop on the Great Northern Railway. Today, it’s the Pierce County seat and home to about 2,500 people, but the cairn marking its location may be the biggest attraction. We camped on Devil’s Lake at…
Mid-June to Mid-July 2022 We headed northeast from Vancouver, British Columbia, on Highway 99 toward Garibaldi Provincial Park. We spent our first night of this journey at Whistler Campground, on the edge of the Park. From the looks of things, these parks are busy year-round. Most of the rigs in the RV section had permanent shelters alongside their trailers for ATV and snowmobile storage. The folks in this section were definitely regulars; they seemed to know each other and happy…
June 2022 The Coho Ferry from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria on Vancouver Island, drops you right in the center of town. We arrived late afternoon. From the docks, we drove along the inner harbor, past the elegant Hotel Fairmont Empress and Government Plaza, to Douglas Street – the main street through town. Urns and hanging baskets of flowers, rose gardens, and landscaped parks with green lawns line the harbor walk. Immediately, we were impressed with the old world charm…
Mid-May to Mid-June 2022 We crossed into Oregon, and found ourselves in familiar territory, both weather and location-wise. We stayed at several parks that we enjoyed last year. The chilly rains travelled with us. Locals are so used to being damp, that they don’t notice a drizzle – or even acknowledge that it’s raining. They just call it heavy mist or fog and go on about their day. Our first stop was Humbug Mountain State Park, where we had stayed…