Louisiana, Where the Crawdads build chimneys
Tickfaw State Park in Springfield, LA; February 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 327 miles
Distance from Annapolis: 1,172 miles
{Posted June 6, 2025}
Look at us crossing new states as we start to travel West! We don't count driving through a state as a long enough visit to check it off of our list or scratch off our map, but we did enjoy driving through Mississippi and Alabama!
We realized going to Florida that there are some Bucee's around - thanks to their giant billboards- and Dylan had never been. I researched and saw a Buccees on our route through Alabama so we made a plan to stop. Bucee's is an infamous chain of gas stations with giant convenience stores offering a large variety of food and swag. They also claim to have the world's cleanest restrooms - in our visit I would say it was very clean, and the long line was conducted quickly by staff! It was a fun stop, but CHAOTIC! Although it's a huge parking lot with tons of fuel pumps it was super crowded with cars and pedestrians so it made me nervous to drive through with the trailer. Nonetheless we got our diesel and some Bucee's treats-beef jerky was delicious but we did not get a picture of it.
Every time we were outside walking or driving we noticed these little mud piles in the grass and wondered what they were. When we finally looked it up, we were surprised to discover they are chimneys created by Crawfish! They create tunnels underground in wet areas, and pile up the mud they remove at the entrance, creating a stack that looks like a chimney! Guess that's why they call them Mud Bugs!
Our campground was not too far from NOLA, but as it was the week before Mardi Gras and we have both been to NOLA we decided not to wade through the traffic with our giant truck! I did of course have to pick up some King Cake for us to celebrate at home!
Fun aside, this week was actually a pretty stressful week in our journey. After our lovely beignet breakfast date we came home to find that Dylan was locked out of some of his work things. Due to the company being sold recently he had a hunch that meant he was getting laid off, but we were in Central Time and the company was Pacific so we had to wait a couple hours for his meeting with HR to get more information. The meeting confirmed he, along with half of the company (which we found out later), was laid off effective immediately. He got some information about the severance package and that was that.
We received this news with mixed emotions as this was our primary source of income. However, Dylan had been kind of frustrated with the job for awhile and so leaving it could open new opportunities which was exciting! I had also just spent the day prior planning and booking our next few campgrounds...so we took a few hours to figure out how to pivot.
Okay I know what you really came here to read about...did we see any alligators in Louisiana?!
Now of course we had to do some research when we made it home safely! Turns out Dylan was misinformed and Alligators are actually one of the reptiles that are the most protective of their young...oops! We also learned that the average size of a breeding female is around 6 feet. However, we made it past with no incident except for the terror of hearing a large Alligator jump into the water and wondering how close we actually got to meeting her. Yikes!
The following Monday was my Mom's 60th birthday, and I wanted to do something special in her memory. I found a farm with Highland Cows that allowed RVs to visit, through a program called Harvest Hosts . We decided to take advantage of our newfound freedom and fit in a trip to the Highland Cow Farm even though we would arrive our next destination on a weekday.
Wait, we're in Central Time now?
Sand Pond Campground in Ebro, FL; February 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 650 miles
Distance from Annapolis: 1,018 miles
{Posted June 6, 2025}
Shortly after I returned from Morocco, it was time to officially begin our journey West! Since it was still February we decided to get as far South as quickly as we could to avoid cold and snow on our journey. We figured Florida was a good first stop as it should be warm, and we happened to have some fellow RV friends in Panama City Beach. We came across a cool State Forest Campground not too far from Panama City and booked it!
One Year Review of Full-time RV Life!
February 2025
{Posted June 6, 2025}
Throwback to the day we brought the RV home!
While I was traveling abroad we hit our one year anniversary of living full-time in the RV! We thought it would be a good time to reflect on the first year of the new lifestlye together.
Let's get the Lows out of the way first:
Dylans's low was the stink bug infestation following one of our trial trips to Tuckahoe State Park. It's a bummer that this turned into a low because otherwise we had a mostly awesome time camping in Tuckahoe! It was our first time taking the trailer over the Bay Bridge - success! And we had a great site with lots of trees, were able to cook outside, and hang in the hammock. However, we did also accidentally kill the truck battery, and had black walnuts fall on the roof overnight that terrified us...
Dylan's other low was the flat tire we experienced last summer while driving to Pennsylvania.
Jessie's lows were the missed turn and accident that caused us to have to turn the RV around in traffic. We made it out of both situations okay but they were pretty stressful in the moment. We've learned our lesson about paying attention to directions and traffic as much as we can!
Now onto the Highs:
Dylan's high was getting a birdie on the 18th hole while golfing with his family! Jessie's high was any time we got to have family over to hang out at the RV with us! We were lucky to have visitors in Myrtle Beach, Delaware, and New York which was so fun! We had been dreaming of a dinette to play games around while camping, and now we have the perfect game table!
Favorite Campground(s) of the Year:
Dylan's was Spruce Row in Ithaca, NY because it was close to family and awesome nature! OR Myrtle Beach Travel Park with the indoor swimming pool, which we took advantage of this winter. It was also a short walk to the beach, had nice amenities, and had a ton of the wildlife on the lake!
Jessie's favorites were Delaware Seashore State Park with the beautiful views of the bridge, and short walk to Indian River Inlet, beach, and the Big Chill restaurant. OR Oneida Shores Park in NY which was super close to Dylan's cousin Jes, and gave us tons of opportunity to paddle board and see family!
We both agree that an honorable mention for favorite cammpground should go to the unofficial Camp Ninsula. Although an untraditional camping spot, we loved being close to family again, water access, great company, and an awesome kitchen!
The best part of RV life overall was being able to put ourselves in the right location for family visits and family vacation! We spent a lot more quality time with people we normally see for short visits because we were able to park our house nearby and visit for more than one day.
Our favorite nature experiences of our first year of RV life were the Ithaca gorges! We were lucky enough to experience a bunch of the big gorges in Ithaca, and Niagara Falls while we were in New York!
Our ranking of the Ithaca gorges that we visited:
- Taughannock Falls – It was super close to us and had a great variety of trails, views, and it was very close to Cayuga Lake.
- Cascadilla Gorge Trail – A GORGEOUS gorge that led right to Cornell University, which was a cool nature and city experience in one.
- Watkins Glen – A classic that we had been talking about for years, and it did not disappoint! However, it was a bit more crowded than our other gorge experiences, which made it slightly less enjoyable at times.
- Buttermilk Falls – Our first gorge of the trip, which was super exciting and beautiful. The only downside was that the pools in the gorge looked really inviting for a swim, but swimming was only allowed in a small section at the bottom of the falls.
Overall, Year 1 in the RV was a lot of adjusting and learning! We had to change a tire for the first time, get comfortable towing the RV, learn how to work full time jobs while living in a small space, and how to adapt to a new environment every few weeks. So far year 2 has looked VERY different from year 1 but we are glad we took it slow to figure things out! It's a very cool lifestyle but it still comes with all of the logistics of real life plus you have to worry about power, water, waste, laundry, groceries, etc. which change every time you move!
International Cousin Trip Photo Dump-Part 2
Morocco; February 2025
{Posted May 30, 2025}
Beautiful details of the Al-Attarine Madrasa (school) in Fes
After a few fun-filled days wandering around Amsterdam bundled up against the chilly weather, we arrived in Morocco! It didn't take me long to understand why people say it's a cold country with a hot sun! We were able to shed most of our winter gear, but still needed layers for shady areas and cooler evenings. Grace treated me to a whirlwind road trip across several regions of Morocco so I could soak in as much of the country as possible. Special thanks to Britney Spears' memoir for keeping us entertained on the drives and inspiring a nostalgic re-listen of our favorite throwback hits!
International Cousin Trip Photo Dump
Amsterdam; February 2025
{Posted May 30, 2025}
Sunset over the canal
My cousin Grace has this amazing habit of living in a new country every few years-and I'm the lucky cousin who's gotten to visit her (and her incredibly well-traveled cats) in each one! Grace currently lives in Morocco, but she had the brilliant idea for us to meet up in Amsterdam first to see one of my favorite bands in concert before heading to Morocco together.
Back to our old stomping grounds!
Myrtle Beach Travel Park in SC; December 2024 - February 2025
{Posted May 30, 2025}
Lakefront site at Myrtle Beach
I was admittedly less than enthused when we first started discussing going back to Myrtle Beach. After all, we had been sitting still in Maryland for months and I had the itch to travel! Going to a place we'd been before was not top of my list. However, we determined that we would like to be able to go home for the holidays and leave the trailer further South. Since we would likely leave the trailer for 2 weeks, it felt safest to do that in a familiar environment. So we compromised on going back to Myrtle, but testing out a new section of the campground - a Lakefront RV site improved my attitude considerably! We made the long 30 minute drive from NC to Myrtle Beach and were pumped about our new views!
Now if you're thinking it looks pretty warm and sunny, you would be right. However, that was short lived-more on that later! I was surprised to enjoy experiencing the RV park in a new season, checking out the holiday decorations and winter activities!
We had a week to settle in at Myrtle and prepare the RV for the incoming freezing temperatures before we booked it back to Maryland. It was a long drive, but a little less exhausting than when we tow the trailer. On our way home, Dylan dropped me off for a very special stop to visit my cousin Andrew, his wife, Lindsey, and meet their newborn baby- my pseudo-niece! After meeting the baby I went to my Aunt's house to help prepare some traditional Holiday dishes: homemade chex mix and Swedish Tea Ring! This task is bittersweet without my Mom and Grammy, but it has been nice to carry on the tradition with my Aunt Jen, and my cousin Grace when she's in town!
I made it over to Sharon's with Dylan and Luna and did some Christmas cookie baking! We celebrated Christmas Eve with my family, and spent Christmas Day with Dylan's! We filled our time home with as many visits with family and friends as possible, and Dylan even had an alumni hockey game!
For Dylan's birthday we had a pretty lowkey evening. However, the next day we saw snow on the forecast so we decided to go ice skating. Lucky for us, as we put our skates on we saw people walking in covered in snow! Ice skating in multiple inches of snow turned out to be a blast, especially since we mostly had the rink to ourselves.
We woke up super early the next morning to start our long drive back to our home base in Myrtle!
Yet again, we found ourselves experiencing much colder weather than we had hoped for in South Carolina...and then there was the snowstorm! The forecast kept shifting so we weren't really sure what to expect but we think in the end we got around 5 inches of snow! We were burning through propane quickly to stay cozy inside!
We originally planned to stay in Myrtle Beach for just a month-from December 15 to January 15-while heading home for the holidays. But then an exciting opportunity came up: a chance for me to visit my adventurous, well-traveled cousin in Amsterdam, and then in her current home of Morocco. I've been lucky to visit Grace during her stints in Spain and Paris, and there was no way I could pass up another chance to visit her in a new part of the world! Dylan was happy to hang back and enjoy Myrtle while I was away, so we extended our reservation. As a bonus, his dad came to visit Myrtle Beach during that time!
Heading South for warmer weather...or so we thought
CarrollWoods RV Park in Tabor City, NC; December 2024
{Posted May 23, 2025}
Grapefull Sisters Vineyard and CarrollWoods RV Park
As Full-Time RVers it becomes a bit of an identity crisis when we sit still for too long. So, after Thanksgiving we finally made our plan to leave Maryland. We decided to take the trailer South for warmer weather, but not too far, so that we could still drive the truck home for Christmas. Since we would be leaving the RV unattended for awhile, we decided to return to the familiar Myrtle Beach Travel Park. However, I was itching for a little bit of a new adventure so we decided to stop at a vineyard/campground in North Carolina for a week before Myrtle Beach.
To break up the long drive down to Myrtle, we spent one night at Cracker Barrel just like we did on our first big drive to Myrtle Beach!
We made it to Carrollwoods RV Park which is ALSO Grapefull Sisters Vineyard. GrapefullSistersVineyard.com During our visit we learned that a vineyard is where the grapes are grown, and a winery is where the wine is made! Somehow I had never picked up on the distinction before talking to the staff during our wine tasting.
We picked a nice end site so that we had some extra space without neighbors on one side.
Not pictured here are the below freezing temperatures we experienced every night in North Carolina! When the temperatures drop below freezing the RV park asks you to turn off your water and unhook your hose. In this situation we typically fill up our fresh water tank in the RV which is more insulated than a hose or the water spigot. Many hours were spent during this trip filling up the water tank, and making sure we got all of the water out of the hoses to prevent freezing! Luckily we stayed nice and cozy inside despite the chilly weather!
Another big reason for us to travel back to the Myrtle Beach area was to spend more time with Dylan's Aunt and Uncle! Although we were in North Carolina, it was only a short drive to Myrtle Beach so we invited Bug and Vic to our campground, and we all went to the winery together! We had a lot of fun tasting all of the Muscadine Grape wines, and a large selection of unique jams and sauces!
RV Projects and Maintenance
Edgewater, MD; October - December 2024
{Posted May 23, 2025}
Premium campsite!
One of our main goals for our time back in Maryland was to tackle some maintenance and upgrades on the RV. Luckily, Sean and Michelle welcomed us back to their driveway, and didn't mind us working on some projects while we were there!
The first item on our list was to fix our solar system, which had been acting up since we had some power glitches at our first stop in New York. We asked Dylan's dad to come help us diagnose and fix the problem since he was trained as an electrical engineer. After analyzing our setup, Dylan and Bill confirmed that it looked like a blown fuse causing the issue. They were able to find a replacement at a store nearby and fix it the same day! It was a huge relief to be able to take advantage of our solar panels again! Thanks Bill!
Next item on the maintenance list was to defrost the RV fridge/freezer and deep clean it. Over time RV freezers build up ice on the rear wall. We learned a tip to place a flexible plastic cutting board at the back of the freezer. This way when you defrost the freezer you can quickly remove a lot of the ice by pulling the cutting board, rather than having to chip all of the ice away with tools or waiting for it to melt.
We also planted a few fruit trees in front of Sean and Michelle's house. Dylan loves gardening and misses having a place for plants on the road, so he was eager to do some gardening while we were in place. We also helped setup a good watering system with a water timer and soaker hoses.
There was one RV upgrade we had been thinking about since we bought it, but were a little scared to attempt... So, we called in the big guns (again), Bill, to help! The project: drilling a hole through the RV to permanently install our internet antennae. Unfortunately our first drill attempt hit a stud, because we were drilling through a previous scar on the wall and forgot to check for studs. The second try went well, but we were in shock that we actually put a hole through our RV!
This upgrade was super exciting because it meant we could hide our router and cords inside of a cabinet rather than hanging on our wall. It also meant we could save time on moving days as the antennae and router would be permanently attached to the RV. Dylan and Bill also wired the router into the electrical system of the RV so that it could run off 12V DC which ultimately saved power rather than using the inverter (AC power). We have been enjoying this upgrade ever since!
Most of my days after leaving my job were spent doing RV projects, cleaning, and maintenance. I washed and waxed the whole RV and re-caulked all of the seams, edges, windows, doors. I'm not a huge fan of being on the RV roof, but at least the views were pretty awesome!
We heat the RV using propane for our furnace, and electric to run our fireplace and space heaters. It just so happens that we started noticing a propane leak around the same time that we discovered that being plugged into Sean and Michelle's house was causing some electrical issues inside their house. All of these challenges happened when the temperature was consistently below or close to freezing - because of course you have issues with the appliances when you need them! We ordered a replacement propane regulator but knew it would take a few days to arrive. We managed to stay warm while we waited for the new part by running the propane and electric heat sparingly!
Travel Intermission - Family Time While Stationary
Edgewater, MD; October - December 2024
{Posted May 23, 2025}
When the air started to chill in New York we realized that as much as we wanted to stay and hangout with NY family longer, it was time to head South for warmer weather. We stopped in New Jersey for a week of family time with my Great Aunt Anita and Great Uncle Richard. Being able to position ourselves close to family for more than a quick day trip is one of our favorite parts of RV life! The next weekend we finished the drive home to Maryland, which unfortunately meant we missed a very important baby shower for my cousin Andrew and his wife Lindsey.
During the transition home we started discussing the idea of me quitting my job. It had not felt like the best fit for my interests or our travels, and we hoped that we could travel faster if I could focus on travel logistics while Dylan worked. After all we had big ambitions to see as much of the US as possible when we bought the RV, and we had yet to make it away from the East Coast. Though to be fair, it's hard to plan a getaway when you're busy soaking up every minute with friends and family!
I was home in time to go to the beach for an awesome girls' weekend with my college besties, turns out snuggling up next to a fire pit with a good show and good company is fantastic!
One of the fun parts of being in one place for awhile is the opportunity for spontaneity. The weekend before Halloween, Dylan and Sean went fishing and their friend said he had a bunch of oysters (Thanks Robby!). They called Michelle and I while we were walking the dogs and we figured out plans for an impromptu oyster feast. It was fun to take advantage of the RV and entertain people on our patio, AKA Sean and Michelle's driveway!
We spent some time at Dylan's Mom's house for more Halloween festivities and bonfires!
Sean helped me kick off my last day of work with a boat ride to watch a gorgeous sunrise over the river!
Apparently I only take pictures of animals, and not the people I'm hanging out with! I had a great time visiting Lucy and her kitties, Lola and Moo, in Baltimore! And yes, I drove Clifford the Big Red Truck into Baltimore City! It can definitely be tight, so I usually only feel comfortable doing that if I know there is parking that will fit Clifford!
We didn't have much of a plan when we got back to Maryland, but we quickly realized that we needed to sit still for awhile. We decided to take advantage of being home to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families! I helped Sean and Michelle host their first Thanksgiving, while Dylan and Luna hung out at Sharon's with lots of family in town.
Meanwhile back at Sharon's...Dylan left Luna to come join me at the family gathering at Sean and Michelle's. He'd only been there a short while when we got a call - Luna had gotten into a scuffle with A RACCOON! Naturally, we panicked! Dylan jumped back in the car to check on her while I stayed behind to pack a few things. Thankfully, we quickly heard that Luna was okay. She was completely unharmed, but poor Gram-B (Sharon) definitely had a scare!
As if that wasn't enough excitement, right after the raccoon incident, I managed to lock myself out ot the RV at Sean and Michelle's. I put my key inside and used the keypad to lock up-forgetting the batteries had been fading in the cold temperatures. After a little bit of a panic, Michelle saved the day by offering her hairdryer to warm up the keypad, just enough to open the door. Lesson learned-and don't worry I changed the batteries ASAP!
Nothing like a little Thanksgiving chaos to keep things interesting!
When all the dust settled on the raccoon incident, I joined Dylan and his family at Sharon's. We went to see the new Wicked movie as a group and brought some fun homemade snacks. I still laugh when I think about our group passing a full tackle box of mocha balls down the aisle!
In an effort to escape the height of winter, we made our departure plans to head South early December. Before leaving, we got into the holiday spirit by helping Sean and Michelle decorate and watching a bunch of Christmas movies. When they went to plug in their outdoor lights, we finally uncovered the mystery behind the electrical hiccups during our stay: the RV was sharing a circuit with their pellet stove! Turns out, that one poor outlet couldn’t quite handle the RV, the pellet stove, and the Christmas lights! Keep in mind this was a very chilly week in December so we all really needed the heat.
When we discovered the power issue our RV was causing in the house I really started to feel like cousin Eddie from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This got our wheels turning... I present our attempt at a National Lampoon style Christmas card from the Camp Ninsula crew.
Family Fun at Oneida Shores
Brewerton, NY; September - October 2024
{Posted May 9, 2025}
After 2 months in New York, we finally moved to the campsite that was the closest to Dylan's family! We stayed at Oneida Shores Campground, just down the road from Dylan's cousin Jes. This county park campground only allows a maximum of 2 weeks stay, so it worked best with our schedule to end the trip here. We took advantage of the proximity to squeeze in as much family time as possible! Our New York summer brought amazing weather, scenery, adventures, and memories with family!
We really enjoyed our stay at Oneida Shores - easy beach access, peaceful views, and a great playground for when the kids visited! The only real downside? No sewer hookup at our site, so we had to be mindful of water usage. And the campground showers? About a quarter-mile walk from the campground.
Late one evening, I really needed a shower, so I grabbed my supplies and started the trek under a full, orange moon. It looked beautiful reflecting on the lake-so naturally, I paused to take a photo. As I tried to hold still for my phone's night mode, I got the sense that an animal moved behind me. Sure enough, when I turned around, I spotted a pair of glowing yellow eyes watching me from behind a tree.
A little spooked, but determined, I kept walking. Each time I glanced back, the animal was there, following me. Eventually, I started talking (okay, yelling) at the animal to stay back! I made it to the shower building and was SO relieved to find the door was solid and secure.
I'm not exactly sure what animal followed me, but based on size I think it may have been a fox - just a little too close for comfort! Thankfully, Dylan and Luna came to my rescue and walked me back after my shower, with no mystery animal sightings.
Lesson learned: if the showers aren't near the RV, maybe I'll skip the moonlit stroll. The moon photo may be blurry, but the story is definitely memorable!
With October around the corner, fall was definitely in the air. I could feel the chill starting to creep in - and with it, a growing wariness of the impending New York winter. So we made the most of every last drop of sunshine, warmth, and family time before heading south. The crisp weather gave us the perfect excuse for some classic autumn fun: apple picking and a trip to the pumpkin patch!
Not pictured: the countess other campfire hang outs, RV breakfasts, game nights, and family ice cream outings we managed to squeeze in during this stay-because we are always in the mood for ice cream! One especially memorable night, Dylan and Jes braved a campfire in the middle of a downpour, while Luna and I kept dry inside! Unfortunately we didn't take any photos but Jes is the MVP for sticking it out to hang with Dylan!
Truck(camp)ing into 30 at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, NY; September 2024
{Posted May 2, 2025}
Bringing an adorable dog in a rain jacket to Niagara Falls will make you very popular!
This year I was turning 30 and I decided that having a truck camping adventure would be a great way to celebrate! Niagara Falls was high on our New York bucket list, but we didn't have time to tow the trailer all the way there - 4 hours each way. So we booked a campground, put an air mattress in the truck bed and took off! (While leaving the camper safely parked at our month long campsite rental.) We drove essentially the entire length of Lake Ontario!
Rolling North to Black River Bay Campground
Dexter, NY; August - September 2024
{Posted May 2, 2025}
Black River Bay Campground water views and fish cleaning station
Our next campsite for the summer was about 2.5 hours North of Ithaca. We chose to take a scenic route along the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario to avoid Syracuse traffic and construction. Our campground, Black River Bay, was located in Dexter which is close to Watertown, NY and Lake Ontario! We loved the views of the Black River from the campground dock!
Our Thousand Island boat tour also let us get off at Boldt Castle to explore! According to Boldtcastle.com, "Construction began on Boldt Castle in 1900 at the bidding of millionaire hotel magnate George C. Boldt as a tribute to his beloved wife Louise. Boldt Castle was designed as their summer dream home. A castle rivaling those of Europe, built on the St. Lawrence River, in the heart of the 1000 Islands. However it was not to be, Mrs. Boldt passed away suddenly just months before the completion of the castle. Mr. Boldt was inconsolable and immediately stopped all construction on Heart Island, leaving the property vacant for over seventy years…"
For Labor Day Weekend we had a fun family BBQ, but unfortunately the Upstate New York summer weather was fleeting... Dylan's cousin had just installed a backyard pool and the plan was to break it in on Labor Day! Most of us were feeling a little too chilly to swim, but Dylan braved the cold water with his cousin Alissa and her son August!
I took a quick trip home to Maryland for a very special occassion...seeing Bruce Springsteen live in Baltimore with my family! The concert had been postponed from the previous year so it was much anticipated. While I was home I got to squeeze in a lot of family time, saw some friends, and of course got lots of puppy snuggles!
While I was home in Maryland, Dylan and Luna continued the New York family fun! They did some truck camping at Jes' house, a family BBQ, cards, golfing, and ice cream!
Our Favorite Gorge - Taughannock Falls State Park
Ithaca, NY; August 2024
{Posted April 22, 2025}
This gorge became our favorite, and most visited, so I decided it deserved its own blog entry! Although our campground didn't have any major trails onsite, I was excited to learn that Taughannock Falls State Park was only 5 minutes away. Our first visit to the falls was an early morning trip before work. We ambitiously decided to take the rim trail from the top of the gorge all the way to Lake Cayuga! We experienced amazing views of the falls, gorge, and lake. However, we were cutting it close to work time, and had to run the entire way despite the approximate 500 feet of elevation loss/gain. Worth it, but ow!
Our first stop when Sharon visited was, of course, Taughannock Falls! Since we were starting our hike around sunset, we decided to park at Lake Cayuga and hike the gorge trail for a new experience!
On our last night camping at Spruce Row in Ithaca we couldn't resist squeezing in one more visit to Taughannock Falls and Lake Cayuga - even though we really should have been packing up. Next time, we'd love to stay right at Taughannock Falls State Park campground, which would give us even better access to this stunning spot!
The Finger Lakes Region
Spruce Row Campground - Ithaca, NY; July - August 2024
{Posted April 17, 2025}
I was excited to get some highway driving practice in from PA to NY, and it went well despite frequent construction sections with jersey walls. We had been really looking forward to traveling to NY since we bought the trailer, and now 16 months later we finally made it! We were welcomed by a gorgeous sunset.
Naturally, we spent our first full day in the Fingerlakes hiking a gorge-ous waterfall, and visiting a winery! The only bummer was that the gorge did not allow swimming except for a small crowded swimming area at the bottom of the falls.
The main reason we wanted to spend the summer in New York was to be close to Dylan's family! So when Dylan got invited to join them for a golfing tournament he said yes please! Luna and I went along to find an adventure while they golfed, and Green Lakes State Park did not disappoint! We also hosted a family BBQ at the RV the next day which was so much fun!
Sharon came to visit and we took some much needed time off of work to explore and relax!
One big objective for Sharon's visit was to hike the gorge that goes through Cornell University - Cascadilla Gorge!
After a few days of fun in Ithaca, Sharon was headed to Syracuse to see family and attend a high school reunion. We decided to follow suit to squeeze in some extra family time. I was excited to see Oneida Lake, which is the lake that Dylan's cousin Jes lives on!
We scheduled ourselves a full month in Ithaca to soak up all of the fun on weekends rather than traveling. Some of the last few items on our list were to go to the NY State Fair, and drive through Ithaca College (which my mom attended for the first 2 years of college).
Tire Troubles - Quakerwoods Campground
Quakertown, PA; July 2024
{Posted April 14, 2025}
I'm sure you have been wondering... and the answer is yes, sometimes we run into roadblocks! When I got out of the truck to help Dylan back into our campsite I heard a loud whooshing noise and realized we had a nail in one of our trailer tires. We had acquired the necessary supplies for tire changes before hitting the road, but had not gone to the effort of changing a trailer tire just for practice. Since we were at our destination we took a break to research and refuel, then we drove the trailer up onto blocks and got to work. We realized too late that we should have used our breaker bar on the lug nuts prior to lifting the tire, but Dylan's strength and determination got the job done! We hit another snafu while trying to inflate our spare tire as the tire pump we had started smoking...apparently it was only rated to 40 PSI (despite some misleading labeling) and our tires go to 80 PSI. Luckily a generous neighbor offered us a heavy duty pump that got the job done! Don't worry, we went out and bought an actual air compressor after that.
After the tire mishap we were working and relaxing on this stop of the East Coast family tour! We did have some major storms which were very scary for poor Luna, and ended up knocking out campground power for almost 24 hours. Due to our lithium batteries and solar setup we were not totally in the dark, but we had not planned ahead for the water to cut off so another lesson was learned there!
We spent our weekend visiting family. On Saturday we went to Dylan's Aunt and Uncle's house for a BBQ and ate the most delicious ribs! I was excited to tour Aunt Barb's garden and was spoiled with some fresh rhubarb to go. On Sunday we went to my Great Aunt's house to celebrate her birthday. I decided to make dessert with the fresh rhubarb from Aunt Barb's garden!
Homestead Campground
Georgetown, DE; June and July 2024
{Posted March 27, 2025}
While our new spot felt less nature-y than the previous state park site, we couldn't complain because it had the proximity to the beach! We coordinated our stop in the Delaware beach area for Jessie's family beach trip. We arrived a week early and took advantage of some down time to finally decorate the rv and do some organizing.
We were having internet issues at this site, which was problematic for my job. The real bummer was the wide open sky above the campground would have been great for starlink. We decided to bite the bullet and order starlink to give us a backup option for locations like this where cell based internet was poor.
We enjoyed the local Brimming Horn meadery with its viking themed interior and plethora of mead flavors. We were also only a short drive from the Dogfish head brewery and were excited to try the delicious Seaquench slushie!! Before the family vacation began we cranked out a triple batch of sourdough D’z its (regular and old bay!)
The family beach fun started with a boat rental on a gorgeous day! The rest of the week was spent eating delicious meals at my Aunt Jen and Uncle George’s new house, playing games, and hitting the state park beaches in the afternoons.
We also made some early morning beach trips so Luna and I could run... or watch Dylan and my brother, Sean, do some paddle board surfing!
Couldn't leave the beach without one last beach walk!
Trap Pond State Park
Laurel, DE; June 2024
{Posted March 22, 2025}
Another water view site...if you squint
Our reward for getting set up in our new spot was homemade crab cakes by the fire, with meat we picked from our catch of course! The state park made us feel back in touch with nature with water views (sort of) from our windows, and trees in abundance. At night we were in awe of the lightning bugs that made the trees glitter. There were some great walking and running trails, except for the flies that tried to eat Dylan…
In preparation for an upcoming family beach trip we wanted to introduce Luna to my Aunt Jen and Uncle George's dog Dewey! This was also a lovely occasion to see their new beach house, and celebrate the news of their first grandchild!
It was a super muggy week at Trap Pond which wasn't a big deal while we were in the shady campsite, but I had an itch to get out on the water since it was so close. Getting the paddle board into the pond was a little green and slimy, but it was well worth it for the awesome Cypress Tree views in the middle of the pond!
Three Weddings and a Crab Feast: Camp Ninsula
Edgewater, MD; May - June 2024
{Posted March 16, 2025}
Pro tip: become friends with your siblings in adulthood because they might let you park in their driveway on a gorgeous peninsula! Bonus points if they find an amazing fiance that supports long term RV Parking! Thank you for everything Sean and Michelle!! (& Gertie)
Since the drive from Delaware to Edgewater was short we decided to squeeze some parking lot towing practice in. I had previously been overwhelmed by backing and decided to focus on driving forwards, making turns, and feeling more confident towing in general. Dylan of course wanted to practice backing to warm up for the challenge ahead at Sean and Michelle's. We made the short trek to our new home base and Dylan parked like a champ!
We had an amazing first night eating Thai food outside on the deck, followed by a gorgeous sunset cruise on Sean's boat. What a welcome home!
We settled into a routine of work, doctors appointments, sibling bonding, splitting our love between two dogs, and cooking in a "real" kitchen. We were excited to be able to coordinate this time home to attend three of our friends' weddings! Shoutout to Sharon for hosting us (and Luna) during the wedding marathon!
We rounded out the wedding marathon with my Maid of Honor Duties for Elisa! It was another beautiful wedding (with amazing weather to boot). After packing up our wedding guest attire we realized we were EXHAUSTED. We were scheduled to head to Delaware the following weekend but then we thought…what if we didn't? Luckily Sean and Michelle were not ready to kick us out yet, and we were able to change our reservation. The flexibility of RV life was really starting to pay off!
Staying at the 'Ninsula a week longer than planned gave us some time to slow down, relax with family, and enjoy the water. We took advantage of our amazing water access for paddle boarding and crabbing with Sean. We ended up with a good haul and had a crab feast overlooking the beach with Sean and Michelle's friends - it felt quintessentially Maryland! Luna even went for her first motor boat ride and actually seemed to like it!
We were also home to celebrate Father's Day and my dad's birthday. We made homemade sourdough D'z-its and key lime cookies to share with the Dads.
Mysteries of the Inlet at Delaware Seashore State Park
Bethany Beach, DE; April - May 2024
{Posted March 16, 2025}
Morning walks with a view!
We were stoked to be back at the beach after a long 2 weeks away (lol). Unfortunately Dylan's jury duty required him to make a trip back to Annapolis, but luckily he was able to make a quick turnaround back to Delaware!
We unlocked a major life hack by parking our house 15 minutes from my weekend plans in Bethany Beach for Elisa's bachelorette! It was an awesome weekend of Maragaritas, chilly beach games and walks, and a party bus ride to see a 90s cover band at Seacret's! Staying so close to the bachelorette meant I could stick around for extra beach time and hanging with Elisa, who even ran over to the campground to walk our pups together!
The other major perk was the campground's close proximity to the Big Chill restaurant, which was just across the street, under the bridge.
The next weekend, Sharon came to visit us! We all went to Big Chill for dinner and enjoyed a hilarious game night in the RV afterwards.
The next day we hopped in the truck to go to Bethany beach, walk the boardwalk, and explore shops. Surprisingly we ended up at the outlets, and the infamous Crocs were purchased...(iykyk)
Later that evening we heard that it might be possible to see the Northern Lights, so we bundled up and went out to the darkest point. We were uncertain if we saw the Northern Lights or just the light pollution from a nearby city...but hey, it was fun to try. On our walk home we were fascinated by something swimming in the inlet. The mystery of what creature it was remains to this day (horseshoe crab, rays, or maybe Chessie?!) The next morning was a big travel day - back to Maryland.
Three Day Travel Marathon
North Carolina to Delaware; April 2024
{Posted March 15, 2025}
Mountain views en route to Virginia
We left North Carolina with an ambitious timeline. We planned to visit my grandma, Maw Maw, in Virginia on our way back to Annapolis for one night. Then we needed to get the RV to the Delaware campground we booked in time for me to host a bachelorette weekend in Bethany Beach. And last, but certainly not least, Dylan had a jury duty summons in Annapolis the day after check-in.
Three travel days in a row turned out to be a lot for us. On day one we had a long drive and were doing well until we missed a turn. This resulted in the need to turn the RV around on a small side street that luckily Dylan's practice had prepared him to navigate. We took the trailer to a campground near Maw Maw's and then spent the night hanging at her place.
Day two was pretty uneventful and familiar as we were just driving from VA back to MD, until the truck alerted us that we were getting low on Deisel Exhaust Fluid and our speeds would be throttled soon. We were pretty close to home but with traffic we decided to play it safe and find a place to stop and top off on DEF. We learned our lesson to keep an extra jug of DEF on hand to avoid this situation. We enjoyed a quick night visiting Dylan's family in Annapolis and picking up bachelorette supplies.
Day three we were headed to the beach when we unfortunately ended up on a two lane road right after an accident occurred, which shut down the road. We were initially hoping to wait it out (heck we had our bathroom and fridge with us so we could be patient!) but they started turning everyone around. There was a driveway that Dylan could pull into, but this meant he had to back the RV up onto the main road, and unfortunately there were still other cars maneuvering around the accident to deal with too. After a tiny bit of stress and white knuckling, we made it!
We were exhausted by the time we got to our campsite, which made the parking and set up process more difficult than it needed to be. I think we learned our lesson about pushing ourselves too hard! Once we were finally set up, we were able to take a deep breath of ocean air once again! And the views of the Indian River Inlet and bridge weren't so bad either!
Sycamore Lodge, North Carolina
April 2024
{Posted March 14, 2025}
Giant campground fire ring
For our first stop after Myrtle Beach we headed to Jackson Springs, NC which still felt like a Southern stop, while also working our way back towards Maryland. The drive wasn't too long but we were exhausted by the time we got the camper set up and ventured out for food. We spotted a table at the pizza shop and ended up having an impromptu picnic. By the time we got back to our site I was ready for bed, at approximately 8pm, which is crazy for this night owl. When we woke up refreshed the next day we were able to explore the campground a bit and found the “Jurassic Bark” dog park which might be the best dog park name we've seen!
Some friendly neighbors showed us around the park, lake, and the trails - which we were excited to test out for a new morning run route. After work Dylan played a lot of basketball while Luna and I hunted for the biggest pine cones we could find. I also got to catch up with one of my old college roommates which was an awesome treat!
This campground gave us a lot of time to hang outside with the mild weather, fire ring, and food trucks that came to the campground. We loved being able to "eat out" on the weekend without having to drive anywhere.
Myrtle Beach Wrap-up...for now
Early April 2024
{Posted March 15, 2025}
With the end of our beach time looming, I was motivated to squeeze in as much beach as possible! One evening after work we discovered a ton of cannonball, AKA cabbage head, jellyfish washed up on shore. Luna was very interested!
We also tried to take advantage of our site's perfect hammock trees. Dylan even figured out how to work from the hammock, which got the Luna stamp of approval!
I took a little side trip home to Maryland for Elisa's bridal shower. While I was home I was also able to see family, meet my Aunt and Uncle's new pup Dewey, and meet Emily's new puppy, Willow. My dad also hosted a little family brunch to get everyone together before he drove me to the airport, thanks Dad!
When I got back to Myrtle we only had one week before our next big move. We decided to plan ahead this time and worked on packing up all of our outdoor gear, and organizing things in the truck cap a few days early. We figured packing would keep everything dry if it rained close to moving day. We took a nice break from work to enjoy the Solar Eclipse with homemade pinhole projectors.
Our last morning in Myrtle was bittersweet, we woke up early to watch the sunrise on the lake and beach one last time. To our delight, the RV park coffee shop camper was open, so we enjoyed some coffees for our goodbye walk on the beach. Packing up after being stationary for 5 weeks was a lot of work, but we somehow managed to pull out of our site pretty close to check out time.
Peepin' into Spring
Myrtle Beach, SC; The End of March 2024
{Posted February 21, 2025}
By the end of March we were finally getting the South Carolina sun and warmth! We got in a nice run on the beach with Luna, and were excited to see that the outdoor pool and lazy river (which I had been itching to test out) were finally open! We hustled to the pool and lazy river while the sun was still shining. The water temps were chilly but it was cool to finally swim in the pool and lazy river that we had looked at all winter! Another reason to celebrate was that my brother and his fiancé got engaged this weekend!
Our friendly nextdoor neighbors mentioned they had friends parked next to them. We started chatting one day, and got invited to join them all for a bonfire. We were pumped, because this campground has no fire pits and we love a good bonfire! It was cool to see the collapsible fire pit they travel with, spoiler alert we now have one - thanks Elisa!!! Even better, we got to hear their travel stories and learn some tips from some RV veterans! It also turned out that there was another software developer in the mix who Dylan got to connect with!
Our first visitor, Sharon, arrived to Myrtle Beach when we finished work on the Friday of Easter weekend. We were excited to show her around and took a lovely sunset stroll on the beach. This may have resulted in a very delayed dinner of sub-par pizza around 10pm but hey the beach was glorious! We had the best Saturday morning: coffee and couch snuggles! Luna was not too upset about another human to give her loves!
After some chores, grocery shopping, and meal prep we made our way to the beach and were surprised to meet the Easter Bunny on our journey! It was a bit of a windy day on the beach so we didn't last long, which was alright because we had coordinated a BBQ/bonfire with our neighbors, complete with roasted peeps s'mores.
Chef Dylan whipped us up a delicious Sunday brunch (his specialty) before we attempted round 2 of Easter weekend beach trips. It was a gorgeous and sunny day, and Dylan even swam in the Ocean! We also chatted with some fellow travelers from Canada. Our Easter dinner ended up being a picnic of charcuterie and other leftovers while hanging outside at the campsite! We enjoyed a sunrise walk and coffee before Gram-B departed, and our usual work week resumed.
Cycle, Sip, Swing, and File: A St. Paddy's Celebration
Myrtle Beach, SC; March 17, 2024
{Posted February 21, 2025}
Our first week in the new campsite was exciting! After the truck cap was installed, we found out there was a classic car show happening in Myrtle Beach. Our site along the main entrance road to the RV mega-park gave us a front row seat as all of the classic cars and trucks come into the park. We didn't even feel the need to go to the show after seeing everyone drive into the campground. We did take a morning walk around the park to look at some more of the classic vehicles before they checked out.
The sun was shining so we decided it was a great day to knock a few more things off our Myrtle Beach bucket list; a bike ride on the beach AND a stop at Ocean Annie's for a drink. Then we took turns snuggling Luna in the hammock, which made for some super cute photos! It turns out hanging outside on a nice day is also a great way to meet neighbors.
After all of our fun it was time to do the real "work" of the weekend and take care of the dreaded taxes....but at least we had a great dinner to look forward to! We always love the excuse to make a special meal for a holiday, so we decided to continue testing out our instant pot to make corned beef and cabbage. It was delicious!
RV Kitchen Chronicles: The Never-Ending Dish Dilemma
Myrtle Beach, SC; February and March 2024
{Posted January 10, 2025}
Sourdough Focaccia
We love cooking, but it definitely took some time to figure out how cooking while living full time in an RV would work for us.
I was impressed at how much food we could tetris into our tiny refrigerator! (Honorable mention to our tiny outdoor fridge that is great for overflow storage!) It became obvious that our real problem would be the dishes. At first I didn't change much about how I grocery shopped for the RV from how I grocery shopped in a house.
We became very comfortable cooking on our propane stove, and occasionally tested the oven. However, while we don't mind washing dishes by hand, it got to be a little exhausting to wash every dish you used each day on top of all of the dishes you created by cooking meals. Our kitchen island frequently turns into the dish drying station, and thank goodness for our rechargeable fan that has been a game changer for dish drying! This got us thinking about how to reduce dishes, which is a work in progress still...
We were the lucky inheritors of multiple appliances from Dylan's Aunt and Uncle that have helped. They gave us an instant pot, propane grill, electric water kettle, and toaster oven! Of course living in a tiny space we were concerned about taking in so many new things, but we decided to bring them home, test them out and see what we liked, and prayed we could find some storage space for them!
Although our RV is equipped with an outdoor stove, it is kind of weak. Not to mention that you can't grill on an outdoor stove, so we were excited to get back to grilling, which of course usually results in fewer dishes too! The electric kettle works well for morning coffee, although we can always boil water on the stove too. It felt great to incorporate a toaster back into our lives! We had been trying to toast bread etc. on the stove but it's a bit quicker to toast your bread in the toaster while you cook eggs on the stove.
In our "sticks and bricks" house we used our CrockPot all the time, but determined it was too large to bring with us. We had done some research about instant pots but decided to wait and see. But hey, when I heard about a hand-me-down instant pot, I jumped at the chance to try it out! There is definitely a learning curve to instant pot cooking but we have had a lot of fun trying out recipes and all of its functionalities! The instant pot became key for us in our quest to reduce dishes! We ended up working towards a cook once, eat all week strategy. This meant fewer dishes, and less prep time in the kitchen if we didn't feel like cooking after work.
Needless to say, I became highly motivated to figure out storage for all of our new appliances so that we could bring them on our travels!
Clifford's New Hat
Goodbyes and Gear Upgrades: March 2024
{Posted January 7, 2025}
Staying in Myrtle Beach was exciting because we got some extra time with Dylan's Aunt and Uncle, but it also meant we had to say goodbye and send them off on their European Adventure. Uncle Vic spoiled Luna with some steak and love for their final visit. We also enjoyed a long sunset walk on the beach.
This week also marked a milestone in Luna's recovery - 10 weeks post surgery! We took some videos of her walking to send to the surgeon for review. Later in the week we had a call with the surgeon who was pleased with Luna's recovery. The leg hair however was choosing quite an interesting re-growth pattern with her spot being the last to grow back.
Once we knew we were staying in Myrtle, we decided to bite the bullet and find a truck cap for Clifford (The Big Red Truck). We did some research and went to a local shop one weekend to learn more about the options and pricing. I'm not sure if the cap was really nice, or we were just so ready for extra storage, but we placed an order that day! We ordered a mid-rise cap that would be color matched, and picked out features we hoped to use for camping and maybe a solar panel installation in the future. It was a little bit of a gamble as they said it could take some time for the cap to come in and we knew we were planning to leave early April. Luckily, the cap came faster than we expected and install was quick. It was a little bittersweet to lose the truck bed by adding a cap, but the cap immediately proved useful as our new garage!
Approaching Checkout Date... and Still Wingin' It
Myrtle Beach, SC; March 2024
{Posted January 7, 2025}
We were having fun in Myrtle Beach and enjoying easy access to the beach in the off-season even though it was cold. We knew our checkout date was looming, but had no idea where to go. We had to head North again for some weddings in the spring/early summer so we decided against moving further South. We debated trying to find another beach or another campground in the Carolinas to continue enjoying off-season beach time.
In the end, our adjustment to full time living and working on the road was exhausting enough that we decided it might be nice to stay in Myrtle Beach to continue settling. Staying in Myrtle also meant we could squeeze in some more time with Bug and Vic before their big EuroTrip. After checking out a campground down the road we decided to stay at our current campground. We were able to get another site in a different section of the campground, by the lake, just a little further from the ocean. We took a walk to scope out our future digs, and I was immediately enamored by the extra space and trees (hammock time!!!)!.
On moving day, we realized we had not prepared enough ahead of time to move because it was just up the road in the SAME campground. Moving day came with a huge rainstorm, which Dylan embraced by wearing his bathing suit to take care of all outside tasks while I packed inside. (It was not bathing suit weather in case you were wondering...) Somehow we still managed to get everything packed and hitched up within minutes of checkout time!
Our new site was along the main campground road and we ended up backing up traffic just a tad while Dylan backed into the new spot (like a champ, nailing it on the first try).
The storm broke in time for us to finish getting set up with minimal rain. We treated ourselves to a feast at Cook-Out after we got everything set up in the new site. A few "Carolina Squat" vehicles were also at Cook Out, so we enjoyed the entertainment with our meal. After being in Myrtle for approximately 5 weeks we did our first tourist-y activity and took a leisurely drive down Ocean Boulevard on our way home!
A Season by the Sea
Adjusting to full-time RV life at Myrtle Beach; February 2024
{Posted December 2024}
It turns out being at the beach in the winter means having the beach to yourself most of the time and we were a-okay with that! It was fun to watch the tides even if they sometimes flooded into the RV park, luckily we were far enough from the dunes that our site stayed dry.
Although we had traveled 8 hours South, it was still a chilly winter. When Luna wasn't snuggled up in front of the fire, she spent her days working on building her muscle, and growing her leg hair post ACL surgery.
We spent the month of February squeezing in lots of facetimes and family time after work! I also took advantage of access to a "real" oven to do some baking while visiting Aunt Bug and Uncle Vic.
We did not do a ton of exploring outside of the campground during our first month as "full-time RVers". We were working on figuring out our new lifestyle, including the mundane task of maximizing our storage space. This involved lots of measuring and shopping for the perfect sized bins to help us use our storage compartments more effectively. We also FINALLY bought a trash can for the RV after owning it for almost a year...goodbye trash bag hanging from the end of our kitchen island! Baby steps, right?
Moving into the RV and the Journey South
February 3-4, 2024
{Posted December 2024}
Roommate picture (minus Luna who was already in the truck)
As it turns out, moving into an RV is not much easier than moving to a new house. Big thanks to our family members that made donation runs, carried boxes, cooked for us, or graciously allowed us to store boxes in their homes! Thank you also to our awesome neighbors who showed us so much generosity and support as we learned to drive and park our giant home on wheels...often blocking the whole street trying to do so!
After weeks of packing, sorting, storing, and donating, we finally got all of the "essentials" packed up to hit the road. We were aiming to leave Annapolis around noon, and I think we left closer to 3:30pm but we were happy to at least be hitting the road that day! Dylan wanted to get some experience driving in the dark for the first drive day en route to Myrtle Beach, so we caught sunset at a rest stop and began perusing our options for where to sleep for the night.
Luckily we found a Cracker Barrel close to our route that allowed overnight parking and had RV spots open. Pulling in to find a roaring fire inside, and a hot meal to go (plus some beer) made our first night sleeping "on the road" that much better! However, I was a little confused when I woke up in my bed and remembered that I was in a parking lot...
After a quick trip to the Dunkin Donuts across the street, we were ready to hit the road again! We made great time to the Myrtle Beach Travel Park and had plenty of daylight to get setup. We were excited to explore our home for the next 5 weeks! Luna was still recovering from her ACL surgery in December, but we figured beach walks might be the key to work on building back her strength!
I was grateful we had dinner plans with Dylan's Aunt and Uncle (the RV veterans who recommended the Myrtle Beach RV park)! I can't think of a better way to kick off our RV adventure than delicious food with family! They spoiled us by bringing a home cooked meal along with table settings and dishes. They even took all of the dirty dishes home to wash! Thanks Bug and Vic <3 We were glad we took the next day off of work to rest and finish getting settled.
