Cactus and Cockpits
Crazy Horse RV Campground in Tucson, AZ; April 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 310 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 2,315 miles
{Posted July 11, 2025}
The drive out of New Mexico was fun, we got to pass through Hatch which is the Chile Capital of the world, with decor to match!
We also ended up at one of the coolest rest stops, with an awesome rocky mountain view.
Our Spring rollercoaster of weather was just getting started...Tucson, AZ went through a heatwave during our week stay. Luckily, we had booked a campground with a pool that we could cool off in! As I mentioned previously, we were trying to stay in a bigger town to get some chores/errands knocked out. We needed to take the truck in for new Glowplugs, Xirco needed some vaccines, and Luna had a broken tooth that looked super painful. Luckily, Tucson offered plenty of truck and dog vets to choose from!
The campground we chose didn't seem to be in a super exciting part of town at first glance but, upon exploration, we discovered some cool features. The dog walking area was a big cactus field - which was dangerous for paws but cool to look at- with gorgeous mountain views in the distance. Luckily we were there long enough to get a package delivered, and got some booties for Luna to test out. Our desert boy Xirco is pretty unfazed by cacti-I literally watched him pull some spines out with his teeth! We were also seeing a lot of Quail in this area which was kind of unique and new for us!
We were also only a few blocks away from The Loop Trail which is a 137 mile walking and biking trail around Tucson. When we first took a walk to check out The Loop, we noticed some airplanes not too far away. Turns out, we were also less than a mile from the Pima Air and Space Museum which is right up Dylan's alley. We found out it was dog friendly, so Dylan and Xirco got to check it out together!
After dropping Luna off at the vet, I went to check out the East section of Saguaro National Park. It was so cool seeing a bunch of Saguaro up close, and with mountains all around. However, it did feel like you really had to hike between each saguaro, so it did not really give me the cactus "forest" vibes I was expecting.
Other than a big drop off to Goodwill-to help shed the extra weight we had in the trailer-our week was mostly low key. It ended up getting into the 100s during the day while we were in Tucson so we tried to stay inside. We did make an early morning trip to the West section of Saguaro National Park to see if it had any more cacti than the East section. It sure did! As we approached we were amazed by the mountains covered in Saguaros - now that's what I call a cactus forest! This section of the park didn't have many dog friendly options but luckily I read about Golden Gate Road. This road is now closed and accessible by hikers (and dogs), bikes, and equestrians only. The National Park websites typically do a great job informing visitors about pet friendly areas, but we have also found that if the national parks don't allow pets you can get some similar experiences at nearby state parks or national forests!
It turned out to be an awesome scenic hike about halfway through the Bajado Loop Drive around the park. Although we got an early start to beat the heat, it was already sweltering by 9am when we finished our hike. Lucky for us the sun was still casting some shadows on the trail that the pups could take breaks in - our poor desert boy knows when he needs to sit in the shade! We were big fans of the West section of Saguaro NP, and felt extremely lucky to see a bunch of flowers blooming on the cacti during our visit in mid April!
The other big thing we accomplished this week was research for our next stop...The Grand Canyon!
Sweltering heat to snow in less than a week!
Elephant Butte State Park in Truth or Consequences, NM; April 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 433 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 2,067 miles
{Posted July 5, 2025}
We had another long drive to get out of the remote Big Bend region of Texas, but enjoyed the views. We were heading to New Mexico, but had a pit stop planned to get new tires for the trailer near El Paso. It was a pretty cool drive from Big Bend to El Paso, we went through Marfa, saw pecan farms, dust storms, cows, and a train driving next to the interstate with us for miles!
To break up our drive, we stayed overnight at a rest stop right off of I-10. When we got there, it was hot and dusty. We hid inside of the trailer and tried to stay cool without pulling dust in through the AC. It was a hot and stuffy night! Luckily, when we woke up it was cooler and the dust had calmed down. Turns out we had some more amazing views that were hard to see the night before with the dust!
Later that day, we had a successful tire change experience at Discount Tire! We were a little bummed that stop meant we didn't have time to go to Carlsbad Caverns, but felt a lot safer on our long drive days after getting fresh tires. We had noticed some uneven wearing...
On our way into New Mexico, we missed a turn because we were distracted looking at all of the fun billboards for PistachioLand. We did not get to visit PistachioLand, but my Aunt and Uncle did and they brought us a bottle of pistachio wine to try!
We finally made it to Elephant Butte State Park after a pretty windy road and our very first Cattle Guard crossing! Turns out this would be the first of MANY cattle guards once we got to the Western half of the country! Our new campsite was spacious with 360 degree views again, which is great after we were so spoiled at Big Bend. We took the evening to get settled and recover from the long drive days.
This portion of our trip was exciting because we had our first visitors since heading West! My Aunt Jen and Uncle George had been itching to get to New Mexico, and pulled off a last minute trip with only 2 weeks notice that we had booked a campground. They were able to road trip from El Paso to Albuquerque, and carved out two days to hang out with us in the small town of Truth or Consequences, NM.
For our first full day in NM, Aunt Jen and Uncle George came to the RV to check out our campground and see the pups. This was Xirco's first time meeting any of our family in person! They had also coordinated with Dylan and my Dad to bring a special delivery, my Mom's engagement ring! I now have her ring to wear which is so special - though I often wear my replica ring to avoid messing up the real one!
We were all excited to explore Elephant Butte Lake State Park, and enjoyed driving and hiking around. We found our way down to the lake and were entertained by Xirco trying to play with foam.
Unfortunately we had a check engine light come on in the truck that morning so we spent the afternoon calling shops, and as it turns out there were limited options in the small town. However, one very helpful mechanic offered to take a look and confirm if it was just a glow plug issue -and clear the code-before they closed for the weekend. This was helpful as we were hoping to leave Sunday and wanted to be sure it was safe to drive. After taking care of the truck we had a fun evening planned!
Aunt Jen had made reservations at the Riverbend Hot Springs. We had access to multiple manmade pools at a variety of temperatures, all with mountain views across the Rio Grande.
My favorite pool had swinging chairs - which felt like floating and sitting in a hammock combined! It was super relaxing, and fun to watch nature while soaking.
After the hot springs, unfortunately our check engine light popped back on :/. We ignored it for the night and went to Truth or Consequences Brewing Co.for some drinks and ordered take out from a delicious local Mexican restaurant. Dylan's favorite beer was the "Sparklebomb" which earned him the nickname Sparkle Bun - though he no longer has a bun I like the name!
The next day we ventured down to see the Elephant Butte Dam! Elephant Butte got its name as it was said to resemble an elephant lying on it's side.
After checking out the Dam, we went on a nearby hike to enjoy some beautiful cacti and mountain views.
We went back to our trusty brewery for some beers to go and ate our picnic lunch. This was Xirco's first brewery! It was pretty good overall, though he did try to leave his mark...
We invited Aunt Jen and Uncle George over for dinner at the RV to enjoy our beers to go with gorgeous sunset views. They picked up some yummy steak to grill, and some treats for an early Easter celebration. We were able to enjoy the nice picnic table and pavillion at our site despite the extreme wind. We had all been a bit surprised how chilly it was in New Mexico that time of year, and even more shocked to see snowflakes on the forecast for the next day!
Aunt Jen and Uncle George were off for the rest of their next NM adventure,so we unfortunately had to say goodbye. Dylan and I used the snowy Saturday to run errands and figure out our next stop. We decided to head to Tucson, AZ for some warmer weather, access to vet and truck shops, and hopefully our next national park!
When checkout time rolled around that Sunday we were sad to say goodbye to our views. We went over to the dump station and were confused when our tanks would not empty...only to realize the tanks must have frozen due to the wind chill and low temperatures. This was not ideal because freezing could cause cracks, especially while driving. We tried all the tricks to thaw out the tanks to no avail, but figured our drive to warmer weather would help. Luckily, we found a truck stop with a dump station on the way to Arizona and the tanks had defrosted significantly.
Our first National Park of RV Life: Big Bend
Terlingua, TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 522 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,942 miles
{Posted June 27, 2025}
With only three days in the area we wanted to enjoy our peaceful campsite as much as possible! However, we did venture back out one day, down the long bumpy roads. We were pleasantly surprised that we could go a bit faster without the trailer!
We had great sunrise views as we made our way to Big Bend Ranch State Park. With the heat we didn't want to leave the pups in the RV, plus Xirco and Luna were still getting used to each other! Big Bend National Park is not dog friendly, so I was excited to learn about a few dog friendly hikes at the nearby State Park.
We had also been told by my friend Courtney that the road through the State Park was a must do! We drove the beautiful FM 170, through the mountains and bordering the Rio Grande. It was an awesome experience, except for poor car-sick Xirco.
At the hoodoo trail we met an awesome group of ladies who all drove 4Runners, and they kindly took some awesome family photos! The hike had some cool views of hoodoos, cacti, and the Rio Grande!
Then we drove to the Closed Canyon Trail, which was much cooler due to the shade of the slot canyon. The trail had some tricky scrambles, plus a tinaja with a steep slope approaching. That was our biggest obstacle but we all made it, and had a great time exploring!
During a much needed picnic in the car we decided to head over to the National Park. We figured we had already made it out of the campground and had half a day, so might as well do it while Xirco was already carsick. On our way out of the state park we stopped for fuel, a park sticker, and found a mailbox to send some very important birthday cards!
Big Bend was our first National Park so we bought our National Park Pass that day! We drove out to see Chisos Basin, which we read would be closing for construction in the near future.
Afterwards, we drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to see another section of the park. We had a blast, with our jaws on the ground because of the views. However, we barely scratched the surface of this park. It is definitely on our list to return, without the pups, so that we can fully explore this beautiful landscape! We were also surprised how different the experience at the National Park was from the State Park. If you make it out to the remote region of Big Bend, it's worth checking both out!
On our drive back to the campsite that night we saw a pack of Javelina run across the long bumpy road. One of them even seemed to get the zoomies! After only seeing birds at the parks, we were excited to see some other wildlife!
Stunning Views in Tin Valley
Tin Valley Retro Rentals in Terlingua, TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 522 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,942 miles
{Posted June 27, 2025}
Sunrise View on a hike in our campground
After a few weeks of being stationary, we really hit the ground running with our next stop! It was a 9 hour drive from Padre Island to our campground in Terlingua, Texas-near Big Bend National Park. It takes a lot more energy to drive with the trailer, so we try to break up drives that are over 6 hours. We decided to try staying the night at a Texas rest area, as they allow 24 hour parking.
Boy did we luck out with the Fort Lancaster Scenic Overlook rest area! We had plenty of space to park between the two other RVs already set up for the night, and the views were amazing! We had a nice chat with Nancy and Paul who were traveling to Alaska, but were also on their way to Big Bend the next day!
Our second day of driving was a lot more remote than our first. We went through the small town of Alpine before a long drive down TX-118. It was a beautiful two lane road surrounded by Chihuahuan desert and mountain views.
When we finally reached our turn, we were a little concerned about just how bumpy the paved road was...with the trailer we were probably going no more than 8 mph. 18 miles took us AWHILE!
When we reached the campground road, Dylan was a little annoyed to hear we had 2 miles of unpaved road left... By the time we got the RV set up in our spot, I think he forgave me! The views and wide open land surrounding us were incredible!
We got even more excited when the sun went down and the sky was absolutely FILLED with stars. However, it did make Dylan a little upset that we have been missing that sky our whole lives. We need to practice our astrophotography, as we had a hard time capturing anything close to what we were seeing!
You probably won't be surprised to hear that southwestern Texas continued our streak of unseasonably high March temperatures - at least for us! We spent our first day relaxing after the long drive, enjoying the campground, and the views-with the AC blasting of course!
Unfortunately we only had three nights in this beautiful area, so we took the next day to recover from visiting the parks before more driving. We spent time exploring the campground property-and Dylan found a Native American hide scraper, which looks similar to an arrowhead.
Ronda, who owns the campground - Tin Valley Retro Rentals-was very friendly and gave us a lot of recommendations for the area, as well as on our way to New Mexico. We were on a tight timeline for our next campground so we weren't able to fit any extra excursions during the drive, but we did make time for the hike she recommended.
Ronda owns a large plot of land, including a few mountains she called "Rattlesnake Ridge". She told us how we could hike up the mountains to get beautiful 360 degree views. The hike however did not have a trail, and was a bit tricky between the slippery rock and numerous cacti. We made it up to the plateau about halfway up with gorgeous views of the valley and sunrise.
Dylan was determined to make it to the top. I attempted to follow him but it was difficult to keep my balance and avoid cacti for me and Luna together. We decided to wait for Dylan and Xirco on the plateau.
What an exhilarating way to start a travel day!
Animal Therapy
North Padre Island, TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 156 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,706 miles
{Posted June 20, 2025}
Sunset view from Stacy's backyard
While staying on Padre Island, we also got to know Stacy's pack, plus the chickens and goats! As the name of this blog post implies, we thoroughly enjoyed the animal therapy while we were there!
During the time of escalated egg prices at grocery stores we were eating like Kings, as Stacy had a pretty much never-ending supply of eggs that she needed help clearing out! I also may have gotten really comfortable using her full kitchen to have some fun with bread and other recipes! Plus, a dishwasher!! I'm always a little more adventurous in the kitchen when I know I don't have to clean everything I use by hand!
Dylan and Luna took a fun trip to Abilene with Stacy to move her horses back to the ranch there. I held down the fort with the rest of the animals on Padre Island while they were gone.
Unfortunately, we were scheduled to leave Padre Island just 4 days after the engagement. We had to squeeze all of the last minute fun in pretty quickly! Monday - the day after the engagement- we met the cute little ducklings Stacy had just brought home, but other than that we mostly chilled at home to recover from all of the excitement! We also had to soak up some last minute love from Stacy's pack!
The following day we went on a dolphin watching tour and to the Leonabell Turnbull Birding Center with Ms. Debbie, Sophie, and Emily. Both the boat tour and birding center were on Part Aransas, so we enjoyed checking out a new area!
We had hoped to kayak on our last full day on Padre Island, but a gnarly storm decided to roll in. We decided to focus on packing and prepping to leave in case we needed to get out a day early. I was excited to bake a few last minute loaves of sourdough with a real oven!
On our last night we had a movie and pizza night with Stacy, and found out that Xirco was scared of the big screen TV! Before starting the pizza party we had some last minute hang out time with the baby ducks, and brand new baby chicks! Dylan wanted to watch Starship Troopers and eat peas, for some childhood nostalgia!
It was hard to leave our little Padre Island Community, made only a little easier by the fun stops we had planned ahead.
Black Walnut Cove Reunion...plus a big surprise
North Padre Island, TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 156 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,706 miles
{Posted June 20, 2025}
What started as a spontaneous stop to regroup and visit old friends quickly became an extremely special and memorable part of our journey!
Dylan was pumped to reconnect with Stacy, as well as her son Amadeo that he had grown up with. We also got to meet Amadeo's wife Angela.
We also got to catch up with another family of old neighbors from Dylan's childhood, that happened to live super close to Stacy! Dylan and I met up with Emily and Sophie for coffee and breakfast one Saturday morning. We had a lot of fun chatting and catching up at a very cool coffee shop made out of shipping containers! While we hung out, they asked if we wanted to go paddle boarding the next day. I had been itching to get out on the water so I said "yes please!" Dylan was a little hesitant because we had planned to do a sunrise beach run the next day...or so I thought. I convinced Dylan that we should paddle board with Emily and Sophie after our sunrise run.
Fast forward to Sunday's sunrise beach run. We parked Clifford right on the sand - our first time ever driving him onto the beach-so naturally, I was a little nervous about both the soft sand and the incoming tide! Then we set off on a casual jog down the shoreline with the pups. It was fun seeing all of the RVs camping right on the beach, and we made it to the jetty to take in the views before turning back. This was also our first time bringing Xirco to the beach so we were having fun seeing his reaction - loved the smells but not a fan of the water!
As we got close enough to spot Clifford again, I suddenly felt on high alert. First, I noticed a vehicle with flashing lights near our truck, which made me worry something had happened. Then I saw a few people standing *super* close to Clifford, which I thought was really weird. As I was pointing it out to Dylan, he interruped me and said, "Oh look, there's something in the sand by the truck".
I saw flowers sticking out of the sand, and my first reaction was concern-we'd accidently parked in front of someone's memorial, hadn't we? But as we got closer, Dylan gently guided (okay, tugged) me toward the flowers. That's when something clicked. He wasn't nervous like I was-he already knew about the flowers and the people. Suddenly I realized something special was about to happen!
Dylan launched into a sweet speech-though I barely processed any of it because I was so caught off guard! Then he fished the ring off of the drawstring of his shorts, and got down on one knee. He proposed, and to say I was surprised is a massive understatement!
Sure, Dylan knew I wanted to get married someday, but it wasn't something we had talked about recently. With everything going on-driving across the country, his layoff, the chaos of finding our new dog-I didn't think any other big changes were on the horizon. But, as my cousin Grace wisely said, life changes rarely happen one at a time!
So... I said yes!! And then I looked around and was overwhelmed with gratitude (and maybe a little horror that we woke everyone up so early!) when I saw the amazing group of people who had shown up at sunrise to help Dylan pull this off. Ms. Stacy, Angela, Emily, Sophie, and Ms. Debbie (who I hadn't even met yet!) were all there, to help set up the surprise and capture the moment in photos.
I felt so honored that this wonderful little circle of friends-that we had just reconnected with-were all willing to wake up before the sun to help make this moment so special! It meant the world to us!
I had a million questions after the proposal, and found out that Dylan had coordinated with our families to watch via the beach live stream - although it was apparently pretty blurry. He had also purchased champagne for us to celebrate with, which explains why his errand to "feed the goats" took so long the day before! We took some awesome family photos with the pups, and determined that we were definitely keeping Xirco now that he was in the engagement photos! The ring Dylan proposed with was a replica of my Mom's engagement ring, which my Dad had been holding onto for me.
If a surprise engagement wasn't enough, we had a full day of activities planned! To my surprise, the paddle boarding plan was legit and not just something to throw me off of Dylan's plan. Apparently after our coffee hang out, Dylan immediately called Emily to let her in on his plan to propose which was why he was hesitant about paddle boarding at first. Dylan confirmed paddle boarding would not interfere with the proposal and even asked Emily (and family) to help him pull it off! We had about 30 minutes once we got home to soak in our engagement and prepare for paddle boarding! We had a great time paddling with Water Dog, and loved the driving tour Emily gave us around downtown Corpus Christi afterwards!
After paddle boarding we had some time to get cleaned up before meeting Amedeo and Angela for ice cream. Unfortunately, it was Dylan and Amedeo's last chance to hang out before Amedeo left for a training, and we left the area.
To top an amazing day off, we had dinner at a waterfront restaurant with Emily and Sophie's family! Delicious food, and stunning views!
Unfortunately we didn't realize that we also could have added one more Black Walnut Cove Family to this reunion trip! We are bummed we missed seeing Carly, Steve, Danielle, and Gary while we were on Padre Island!
P.S. If you are wondering if we've started planning a wedding-I'll save you the curiosity: not yet! We're soaking up this new chapter of engaged life, and enjoying the freedom of traveling the country together. After dating for seven years before getting engaged, who knows? We might take a few more before planning the big day too!
How To Find a New Dog for Your Pack
North Padre Island, TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 156 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,706 miles
{Posted June 14, 2025}
Looking to add a new dog to your life? It's easy! Just follow a few simple steps:
Step 1: Head to San Antonio, TX-where they are overrun with shelter and stray dogs looking for homes
Step 2: Let your animal-loving, soft-hearted partner "accidentally" befriend a stray dog.
Step 3: Agree to temporarily foster said stray, promising to find him a new home at your next stop.
Step 4: Stop kidding yourself, realize you are a foster fail, and congratulations-you have a new dog!
In all seriousness, we didn't plan to add a second dog to our family on this journey. But if Dylan's layoff taught us anything, it was to embrace spontaneity and say yes to unexpected adventures! Spoiler alert: we are now a family of four. Here's the full story!
The poor puppy did pretty well on the drive from San Antonio to Padre Island, but he did get sick in the crate which we felt bad about. We assume he had probably never been in a car before! When we made it to Ms. Stacy's we took him out of the truck but kept him in the crate for awhile to let him adjust to his new environment. We offered him some rice and a nice bone. After he had some time to chill and watch Luna explore the new space we put Luna in the RV and let him be the free dog.
Ms. Stacy had a whole pack of her own dogs, but cleared a room that the pup could stay in while we were there. The very next day we went to a mobile vet clinic to get the puppy some vaccines, and tests to see if he was healthy. Dylan actually picked him up for one of the first times to help get him into the mobile clinic. He got all of his shots and almost all tests came back clear, except for some worms-which we got treatment for. The vet predicted that he was about 8 months old, and a Jack Russel Terrier mix.
After the vet, this guy got his very first bath and was not a fan! We spent these first few days at Ms. Stacy's with the puppy in the house, and Luna in the RV - bouncing back and forth between them. It was becoming clear to me how strong the bond between Dylan and this pup was...oh and did I mention he gave the dog a name before we left San Antonio? We were calling the puppy Xirco, a name Dylan had always hoped to name his first dog.
It was time for a family meeting to discuss what our plans were in life, and with this puppy. Dylan understood my reservations about keeping the dog, but I also understood his desire to help the pup and saw the bond that was growing. So I suggested that we leave it up to Luna to see what she thought about having Xirco around. We decided to work on re-introducing the dogs now that Xirco had vaccinations and fleas under control, and just see how they got along.
We started with some backyard time together and the dogs did well, not overly interested in eachother which I took as a good sign. Before I knew it, Dylan had both dogs in the RV eating dinner together-something my anxious self could not phathom trying at this stage! When it came time for Dylan to help Stacy tow her horse trailer out to her family farm in Abilene, I had an idea. Luna loves car rides and I was going to be overwhelmed with animals to take care of, so I suggested he take Luna on the roadtrip. I figured this would also give me a chance to connect and bond with Xirco, without his true love Dylan hogging his attention.
After Dylan's trip to take the horses to the farm we started to shift towards being a pack of four in the RV. Dylan and Stacy had picked up a harness for Xirco so we started working on leash walks around the neighborhood together.
Eventually, we moved Xirco's crate to the RV so we could keep both dogs in the RV but separate them as needed. It surprised me how quickly we felt comfortable leaving them both out of the crate in the RV! I was also impressed at how accepting Luna seemed to be, and Xirco's inside manners! This boy was immediately drawn to all soft surfaces to lay on, AND seemed to already understand that potty was an outside activity!
With Luna and Xirco progressing well together, it was looking pretty certain that we would be traveling as a pack of 4 from then on. As resistant as I was at first, I was impressed by all of the work Dylan put in to get Xirco to trust him and to help him adjust to his new environments! Plus, he was actually very cute and snuggly!
Our Hardest Days of RV Life Bring an Unexpected Hitchhiker
Yanawana RV Park in San Antonio TX; March 2025
Driving Distance to Campsite: 533 miles ; Distance from Annapolis: 1,666 miles
{Posted June 14, 2025}
View of the pond at our first Harvest Host stop!
As I mentioned previously, I had done a bunch of campground planning right before we found out about Dylan's job. Unfortunately, a lot of campgrounds won't give you a refund on short notice, so we looked at the plans and shifted what we could to give us time to figure life out. In honor of my Mom's 60th birthday, we were hoping to visit a farm with Highland Cows that allowed RVs to visit, through a program called Harvest Hosts. In order to get to the Highland Cow farm without an extremely long drive we shifted our San Antonio reservation back one day. We had to find another Harvest Host location to stay at to break up the drive between Louisiana and the Highland Cow Farm.
The other Harvest Host we found was an animal sanctuary, and as soon as we drove in we saw pigs, goats, puppies, tons of dogs, peacocks, and more! It seemed a little crowded but the host told us about a site backing up to a pond-with baby gators in it to boot! This seemed like a simple assignment...until we got to the spot. The site itself had plenty of space but the road was not wide enough for our giant truck to maneuver the trailer in, plus there was a lot of brush and overgrowth. After an hour of holding back branches, clearing the road, and troubleshooting angles, Dylan somehow managed to get the RV in place. Miracle achieved.
Hindsight says maybe we could have asked for a different spot, but we also saw one camper get turned away, so its possible we got the last site! I think the emotions of losing our main income were also creeping in because we had a pretty rough time getting set up after the nightmare of parking. We ended up driving over our wheel chocks, and making a mistake when opening our slide that caused some minor cosmetic damage. After that adventure we pretty much put ourselves to bed for the night! However, when I took Luna out before bed I'm pretty sure I saw my headlamp reflecting off of a baby gator eye in the pond...The next morning while Dylan strategized how to pull the RV out of the tightest site ever, I went to explore and see the animals.
When we made it out of the site thanks to Dylan's skill and a good night's rest, we immediately started researching to make sure the Highland Cow farm would not be a similar parking experience. The host at Sandy Grove Ranch eased my concerns by explaining the area for parking and maneuvering, but of course we wouldn't be fully relaxed until we got there.
To our delight-and some nerves-we were greeted by the host and a whole flock of free range chicken plus the Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD). It was a little strange maneuvering the rv through a bunch of free range animals but they did a good job of getting out of the way, and Dylan re-gained some confidence with a much more reasonable parking spot for our rig! After taking some time to introduce Luna to Jack the LGD, and Russel the bull dog, the host showed us around and introduced all of the animals! I was especially delighted by the baby Hairy Coo named Millie, just like my new neice!
In a very serendipitous turn of events we received a call from Ms. Stacy, Dylan's old neighbor from Annapolis who currently lives on Padre Island, TX. Ms. Stacy heard about Dylan's job and that we were in Texas and said let's meet up, or come stay at my house! We said wow thanks, we need to get to San Antonio to let the dust settle and we will stay in touch. Somehow we thought the next week would be enough time to figure out our plan - ha!
Being away from family can be tough, especially on big days like what would have been my Mom's 60th Birthday. I was glad to be able to do something special, that made me feel conected to her. My mom had started seeing the adorable Highland Cows online a few years prior to passing and became a huge fan! It was such a gift to spend time at Sandy Grove Ranch and look out our windows to see the animals! We were also thrilled to be leaving with some affordable fresh eggs (back when egg prices were through the roof)!
After a relaxing night at Sandy Grove Ranch, we finished our drive to San Antonio, and were glad to have another straightforward parking spot after the disaster a few days prior. The campground owner was very nice and casually mentioned that there had been a stray dog around because he saw we were traveling with a dog. We went along with our normal setup process, and confirmed plans to meet up with my old roomate Courtney, and her husband Jay, for dinner that week!
An important note before I go on...Dylan had been noticing a lot of dead dogs on the side of the road as we drove from Florida to Texas. As a huge animal lover - to the point of escorting bugs out of the RV rather than killing them- this was really hard for him to see.
The first interaction I had with the stray dog (not knowing Dylan had already seen him) was when I was walking Luna around the pretty garden on the property and realized a dog was following us. I was a bit nervous for the stray to interact with Luna so I tried yelling "no" and "stay away" in it's direction. I also couldn't really tell how big the stray was. Unfortunately, he didn't listen and kept following us. In the end I carried Luna the rest of the way home to keep her safe from the scary stray, and asked Dylan to join us on future walks to help.
Dylan's first interaction with the stray was making eye contact with the dog from across the park. He had showed up and sat, eyes locked in, later laid down but still fixated on Dylan. To much surprise, a few minutes later the pup then snuck around our truck into the corner of his vision and gave a sad little whimper...which melted Dylan's heart. Obviously he started feeding the dog and put out a water bowl - I was still really nervous so I didn't want to use any of Luna's bowls. Luna also eats an expensive prescription dog food, so on our next trip to town we got some more generic dog food that Dylan could feed the stray.
Between interactions with the stray dog we did leave the campground a few times!
Over the next few days Dylan built up trust with this dog to the point that he could pet him, but also noticed how many fleas and ticks were bothering this guy. So we began a flea avoidance protocol to try to keep them out of the RV and off of us and Luna. Eventually Dylan had this pup feeling so comfortable that he was able to pluck over 70 ticks off of him while he napped peacefully in the sun with a full belly.
Dylan really wanted to help this dog, and as much as I love dogs, I was a little resistant. We had just lost our income and had to figure out how to take care of our pack...could we really afford to take on a new member with unknown health and/or behavior issues?
But, we also didn't know what would happen to this dog if we didn't help him-especially since Dylan had been feeding him. So we decided to tackle the fleas with medication and topical treatment, plus tick prevention to start. Then we called all of the local shelters to see if we could get this guy off of the streets. Turns out, San Antonio has a HUGE stray dog problem and shelters are mostly focused on keeping dogs out of kill shelters so they don't have capacity to take stray dogs off the street.
At this point we had decided to take the opportunity to go visit Dylan's old neighbor, Ms. Stacy, so my next worry was if we could bring this dog with us to her house to see if there was a shelter near her with space. Having never met Ms. Stacy before I insisted Dylan ask permission - which led to me learning how much of animal lover she is! She said no problem, I've got a stray right now too!
Once we decided to bring the stray pup with us, we had to figure out how we could even get him in the truck. Dylan's plan was to have him ride in the crate in the truck bed, so he put up the crate outside to get the pup used to hanging out in it. Then Dylan tried to train the guy to get up into the truck using treats. At this point, Dylan had gained enough trust to pet the little guy but not enough to pick him up just yet. After a long day of patience Dylan tried to put him on the truck bed and unfortunately felt like he took 10 steps back with the pup.
We had been planning to run errands with the pup in the truck as a trial run to help him get used to being in a car. We ended up just leaving the pup to run our errands which was a kind of strange feeling since we were feeding and caring for this dog...but he was still an untrained stray dog with fleas. To our delight, he was still hanging around the campground waiting for us when we got home!
The next morning we did our usual packing and pre-trip routine, plus catching a hungry puppy in the crate and loading him into the truck bed...sorry little guy! Off to Padre Island we went!
The other big outing we made in San Antonio was to the local grocery chain HEB. We had heard that their tortillas were really good and could not wait to try them. Once we started eating HEB tortillas, they became a staple in our diet for the rest of our adventures in Texas!
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}
Driving Distance to Campsite: 327 miles
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 at our next destination on a weekday.
e 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}
Driving Distance to Campsite: 650 miles
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.
