Over the past couple weeks, we’ve traveled from New Hampshire to Virginia, visiting my childhood state, several new-to-us-destinations, and — the best part — meeting up with dear friends and family along the way. Here are just a few of the highlights.
Bear Brook State Park, New Hampshire
We spent two nights at Bear Brook State Park, which is about a 40 minutes from the town I grew up in. I’m pretty sure I went here for some elementary school field trip. It’s vast, and wooded, and lovely with lots of hiking trails. Mid-week in mid-September, it was pretty quiet, and we scored a spacious spot not far from Beaver Pond.
My dad drove over from Manchester (where I grew up), to hang out for a bit and meet CC. I only see him once a year, at most, and it had been several years since we’d taken a photo together, so we commemorated the event. First time in my life I’ve seen him with facial hair. We’ll thank the pandemic for that one.
Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire
I’ve vacationed on Lake Winnipesaukee for more than two decades, since my mom’s spent her summers there. We parked for four nights in her driveway, steps from the lake, and it was perfect for spending time with her, and also seeing my childhood friend Jill, and our mutual friend Kate, who I worked with at Aspen Magazine more than 25 years ago!
Chatham, Massachussetts
It’s good to have friends with houses on Cape Cod. Even better when your friends Kate and Paul learn you don’t have campground reservations (or any plans, really) after New Hampshire and they say, “You MUST come stay with us!”
Even better still: Quent says off the cuff, once we arrive and get CC the RV situated in their driveway, “So what’s the deal with clamming?” And Paul says, “Oh! Let’s check the tide. It’s low now. Let’s go!” So we saw how the locals dig for steamers and quahogs, and then feasted on our bounty two days later.
Plus, our hosts took us for a Jeep ride on the beach. And we got a trip to the local pub. And they bought us a seafood casserole. They are the most gracious hosts, and I’m inspired to be as generous with my houseguests as they were with us while we stayed in their slice of paradise on the coast!
New York, New York
Halfway between the Cape and our intended next destination was New York City. Call us absolutely off our rockers, but we decided to spend the night at Liberty Harbor RV Park & Marina in Jersey City, take the ferry to Wall Street, and get together for happy hour with my college friend Eric and his wife Alice on the Upper East Side! They had all of one hour to spend with us, in between commitments, and we made it happen! Again, you gotta love friends who are all about last-minute get-togethers!
Driving through New York City is not for the faint of heart… but Quent had actually covered some of this ground last year, when we spent a couple nights on Long Island in the RV. It’s no problem for him to negotiate big trucks, tunnels, and city bridges! (Check the Manhattan skyline in the driver’s seat window.)
Delaware Seashore State Park, Delaware
What a lovely area of the country! We spent two nights at Delaware Seashore State Park, between Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach, and I think it’s one of the best U.S. state parks we’ve ever been to. From the state park campground, it’s a 10-minute walk to the beach and the sunsets are divine. Plus, we camped practically under the pretty Indian River Inlet Bridge.
Richmond, Virginia
We scooted down to Richmond, Virginia, after Delaware because I have not one but two friends who recently bought houses there! And once again, I let them know I was coming to the area only days before we landed. Heck yes, they’d have time to meet up for a meal!
It was such fun to reconnect with not only my pal Anne, a colleague from my Healthline days who we visited in Chicago on our RV trip last fall (!), but also Melanie, who I’ve known from the travel-writing world since 2009. We loved seeing their new-to-them homes, catching up, and eating out! (Recommend Les Crepes Carytown and Brambly Park!) Anne also gave us a quick tour of the city, and I was especially struck by Monument Boulevard, and its distinct lack of Confederate soldier statues. Both heartening — and so odd — to see only the pedestals left.
As I type this, we’re sitting in Babcock State Park in West Virginia and plan to explore New River Gorge National Park tomorrow! I’m beside myself that we can fit in one more national park on this trip, adding to my quest to visit all of the 53 national parks in the continental U.S. and Hawaii.
Before we embarked on this trip, I said I wasn’t going to dip too far into the southern states, given that Covid-19 cases were raging down there. Though better, cases remain high in the South. In fact, West Virginia ranks among the top 3 states for Covid right now, according to this dashboard I check regularly. However, given that we’re going to be outside, and we have all of our food packed (cereal and eggs, frozen homemade burritos and casseroles, cheese and crackers, beer and wine), we shouldn’t be encountering people indoors anywhere. Our plan is just to hit the hiking trails, stop just for gas, and maybe scoot inside a visitor center.
In the back of my head, I think about overcrowded ICUs, busy ERs, and patients being overlooked for non-Covid treatment because hospitals are so overwhelmed. Goal: Get through West Virginia, and all of our remaining states for that matter, carefully and safely!
Here’s our plan for making it back to Colorado in time for our son Ben’s homecoming/parents’ weekend at Colorado State University. All of the pins up until West Virginia are where we’ve been, and the pins from West Virginia to Colorado indicate our plan…. but we’re winging it, in case we can move along more quickly. Just as we were nearing the end of our trip last year, I’m eager to give my second child a big squeeze, and perhaps, just perhaps, I might be ready to sleep again in our king-sized bed. Until we’re home, though, enjoying the ride!
