Keep It Simple With An RV Staycation – Move Less, Do More!

Summer is nearly two-thirds over already, and we have been very busy “seeing and doing”, despite the fact that we are not doing much traveling right now.  It is a staycation summer for us this year, hanging out near most of our family members in Pennsylvania and Maryland instead of launching a high mileage multi-state expedition.

It is not as glamorous and exciting as a big several-month itinerary, but sometimes “simpler” is just what we need to do.  The timing is right, based on current fuel prices, and being in one general area for an extended period of time allows us to take care of medical appointments, transportation tune-ups, and allows us to spend in-person time with our family members.

But while our travel pace may have eased up, we are still managing to have a lot of fun.  Following is a little review of our summer staycation highlights, past and planned by the time the first leaves fall from the trees in a few month.

While roadside farm stands can be found all around the country, I think there may just be a higher per capita number of them in Pennsylvania Amish country than in most other places.  There are roadside farm stands at nearly every turn, and with the help of Google Business and Google Maps, farmers have done a good job of helping us find them even when we travel unfamiliar roads.

Farm Stands

High on our shopping list, and what we have missed the most while traveling far and wide is corn and tomatoes!  Maryland Sweet Corn and regional summer tomatoes will stand toe-to-toe with any other regions of the United States.  Perhaps only the Jersey tomato has ever come close to the flavor and juiciness of what we find in our home states of Maryland and Pennsylvania!

So perhaps once or twice a week, we take a drive through the country where we are camping in south central and south east Pennsylvania – Gettysburg, Lancaster, Manheim, Hershey – and stock up on a variety of vegetables that will put every grocery store produce aisle to shame!  Ah yes, it is good to be “home”.

Crabs, Finally!

If my husband had to make a priority list for summer, there might be three things on it – tomatoes, sweet corn and crabs!  They are a Maryland tradition and our family roots run deep with all three culinary delights!  We grew up with tomatoes out of our garden (and as a kid, I didn’t even like tomatoes!), and it seems like we ate corn weekly from the farm stand a mile down the road from my childhood home in Fallston, MD.  But it was the Maryland steamed crabs at our grandparent’s house every summer that is the epitome of being a Marylander in summer!  

Our grandfathers (they were neighbors and friends) would go out on Andrew’s grandfather’s boat early in the morning, probably enjoying the quiet time together on the water with some cold beers, catch some bushels of crabs, and then bring them back to be steamed and seasoned in my grandparent’s backyard.  The Schmidt and Herming families would gather and a cookout would ensue for the rest of the day!

Since we traveled out west last summer, it had been since July of 2020 that we had a crab feast!  So the day arrived, and better still, it was a spontaneous and wonderful discovery in Hanover on a Friday afternoon.  Big Mike’s Crabhouse and Grill is far from fancy, but the crabs were larger than expected (advertised as mediums), and absolutely PERFECTLY steamed.  Better still, we now know that the place is BYOB, which saves on cost a bit.  I have no doubt that before our summer comes to an end, that another trip to the outdoor covered deck for a picnic table full of crabs is a likely event!

Farm and Flea Markets

We have hit one great market this summer and have plans for one pr two more before the season ends.  Roots Country Market and Auction in Manheim, PA is held every Tuesday and is a site to behold.  There are nine buildings in total, plus acres of outdoor grounds covered in stands with items for sale.  

Every trip there should begin early (as early as 6 am before the summer heat sets in), with a stroll through the outdoor flea market.  Filled with antiques, bargain household goods, vintage toys, books, clothes, movies and so much more, you will very likely find something you want or need at an affordable price.

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Once you stroll to the farm market side of the road, you will find an endless supply of produce, meats, cheeses, honey, plants, crafts, knick-knacks and much, much more.  On our visit there, we spent hours upon hours shopping, and never managed to set foot inside a building!  

Next on our list, we may make a Friday road trip to the Green Dragon Farmers Market and Auction in Ephrata, which looks to be similarly expansive in size, both inside and outside.

Let’s Go O’s!

No summer in or near “Bmore” would be complete without a little baseball, and this season, as the Orioles continue to improve, it is an exciting time for baseball!  Andrew and his son, Ben, made it to a game last month, that was rained out after some hours of hanging out under the upper deck.  Fortunately, they managed some ballpark food and some good visiting time before the game was called, and they will try again at the rescheduled game in mid-August.  

Certainly on our fan future list, is a Ravens game as well.  As season ticket holders, it is nice to be in the area and be able to use some of our tickets personally for the first time in a couple seasons!

Princeton, NJ and Bowman’s Hill Tower, Washington Crossing, PA

The historic and quaint little city of Princeton, NJ had been on our wish list of places to see for quite some time, and we thought we might swing through the area on our way up to the New England states.  We found, however, that NJ is severely lacking in decent campgrounds in that area.  Therefore, we thought a day trip from Manheim, PA to Princeton would be just perfect.

We also stopped at nearby Bowman’s Hill Tower in Washington Crossing Historic Park.  We climbed the 127 steps to the top of a little known stone tower built in the 1930s.  It was built as a memorial to the important historical moments that happened in the area many years earlier.

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The town and the tower is a worthwhile visit for a number of reasons, but our visit is worthy of a separate telling, so stay tuned for more on this little road trip through Andrew’s childhood history.

New Hope, PA and a return to Washington Crossing Historic Park

Knowing there was more fun to be had in the region, we returned several weeks later for another day trip to dig into shopping in historic New Hope, PA.  The little town sits along the Delaware River (yes, the same one that George Washington crossed just a few miles away).  Filled with little stores, restaurants and the well known Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope has become a destination for shoppers that also enjoy the historic architecture and history on these narrow streets near the Delaware canal.

We returned, yet again, to the Washington Crossing Historic Park to dig into Revolutionary War history and the winter raid by George Washington’s men on Hessian forces across the Delaware River.  We would have liked to stay longer and see a bit more, but we found ourselves hampered by some specialty dark chocolate honey mints that we had purchased in New Hope that wouldn’t last long in the hot heat of the day.  Perhaps a third attempt some day will render the visit to this historic site fully complete!

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Thrift Shops Galore!

As much as I dislike retail shopping, there are some narrow circumstances in which I really enjoy shopping.  One of those is in pursuit of the perennial bargain, and one of my favorite ways to bargain hunt is to visit thrift stores in any little town we may visit.  One great discovery of this region of Pennsylvania has been that it is replete with thrift shops!

There are the usual shops – Salvation Army and Goodwill, some non-profit and faith-based shops as well as for-profit small businesses.  The common theme in Lancaster and Lebanon counties is that they are MANY in number and overall, of a quite nice quality.

One of my favorites this summer was the Humane Society of Lebanon County Thrift Shop.  It was neat, organized and affordable.  Best of all, it is completely run by volunteers and therefore, all proceeds benefit animals in need.

If clothing is your goal, then stop by Ali Witman Consignment in Lititz!  This place is huge and the quality and orderly arrangement of the products makes shopping easy and pleasant.

We have visited many others (and I hope to hit some more before the summer is over, fair warning, DH!).  I recommend using your Google Map skills and scratch out a little travel plan for your next shopping spree – you don’t have to go too far to hit several stores close by.

Air Supply and Farm-to-Table Dinner

For our slightly early wedding anniversary celebration, we donned the biggest 80s hair we could muster, and headed over to the American Music Theatre in Lancaster to see Air Supply in concert.  This 1,600 seat venue is new to us, but has been around for decades.  It was a musical trip down memory lane, for sure, and filled our love tanks with romantic ballads that we have enjoyed since the 1970s!

As part of our date night, Andrew arranged for what was a delicious meal at Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar.  He knew immediately that this restaurant was totally in my foodie lane, filled with a creative menu of food that was beautifully presented and equally delicious.  I cannot recommend this place enough – thoughtful and kind service, impeccable presentation, a clean and stylish building with a variety of seating options, and a menu that is healthy, varied (terrific Vegan options that even this non-Vegan loved), well curated cocktails, and amazing ingredients!  With most menu items under 500 calories, you won’t leave feeling disgusted by too much salt, unhealthy oils or a frozen or processed meal.  This is fresh and amazing – your body deserves this kind of food at every meal!

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With more than a month remaining in the summer of 2022, our RV Staycation still has a lot for us to look forward to!

Hershey Spa

There is a gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket (a gift from my DH several years ago that I didn’t fully spend), so I will surely plan a day for us to visit my favorite day spa ever – The Hershey Spa, since we are in the area.  I plan a morning yoga class, use of the sauna, indoor pool and hot tub in the morning (all complimentary amenities when you schedule a spa service).  Then Andrew and I will wait in the aromatherapy room in our robes, until our names are called for a pair of luxurious facials!  It is quite a day!

Hershey Gardens

Hershey is a great Pennsylvania town, and we would like to make a return visit to Hershey Gardens before the growing season is over.  This is the place where our second chance began in 2014, with a “second first date” almost exactly 30 years after our actual first date.  It was a magical date that lasted more than a dozen hours before it was all said and done.  We love to stroll the beautiful gardens that sit below the historic and equally beautiful Hershey Hotel.  It is also a joy to visit the butterfly atrium where we can feed, hold and look with wonder at the lovely little creatures that live an all too brief life spreading cheer and love wherever they flutter.

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Our 2022 RV Staycation plans will continue to grow as the weeks meander their way through the hazy heat of summer.  We will make the most of our time in the area, visiting with family and friends, but it isn’t all just adventure and day trips.  Despite perceptions to the contrary, the RVing life is not just a perpetual vacation, but surely, that is what I like to plan for, experience and record in this little digital journal.

There is still plenty of laundry to do, bills to pay, meals to prepare, groceries to buy, dishes to wash (and no dishwasher, yikes!), a little business to run and other projects to complete.  But what is the fun in writing and remembering the mundane in life?  Instead, we are in relentless pursuit of the fullness of life – companions on our journey.

Safe travels, and may your journey, both the vacation time and the mundane alike, be enjoyed deeply.

OUTTAKES:

There has been much more to this “stationary” or “less traveling” phase of our live on wheels. Here is some of the other stuff we’ve been keeping busy with:

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