Calvin was born in 2011, the same year my husband died, but I didn’t meet Cal until 2014. Before I met him, his “job” was to be at my future husband’s side as he and his family transitioned through a post-divorce lifestyle, parent-child separation, and some very difficult experiences. To say these were some of our most challenging years in life cannot be overstated.
I met Calvin when my now-husband and I reunited and eventually married. That was ten years ago. We merged furniture, children, and pets into one household in 2015. What a mess that was! Remember the Brady Bunch? That was fiction.
Two of the kids were already adults and had moved on to early adulthood. Two of them visited us occasionally. Two of them lived with us full-time. We also combined our menagerie of three dogs and four cats into one living space. We have all learned a lot about how messy life can be.
Four years ago to the day, we moved into our fifth-wheel trailer and launched another life adventure, zigzagging across the United States. By this time, all the kids were grown and only two of our dogs and a cat remained (two other of our cats moved out with two of our kids).
These loyal pets have loved every mile of our adventures – the good ones and the bad ones. They adjusted to the changes and grew to adore the ever-changing scenery and smells. One of those pets was Calvin, and yesterday was the end of his journey with us. Calvin saw us through some of the worst and best of our life journeys. Yesterday evening, he went on to his next adventure. We share a faith of life everafter, so while he will rest forever in our hearts, we also know where he is for eternity. Ask me how I know…
Calvin’s journey was an adventure from beginning to end
Calvin Schmidt
December 26, 2011 – July 17, 2024
A perfect ball player, named after Cal Ripkin. A rescued puppy from a Bassett Hound mom and a mystery for a dad. The most handsome and smart dog we have ever known. Job well done. Go out and play ball!
Safe travels, and enjoy your messy life journey.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
–A. A. Milne / Winnie the Pooh.
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Jake and Calvin wishing they could ride in the truck bed
But they always loved riding in the cab
Ella poses with Cal
Calvin’s fur family – Jake and Millie
Taking a rest from their wrestling playtime
Not-so-happy times after a skunk visit
Jockeying for position
Standing at attention
Eager for a golf cart ride at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
Abby, Dad, Calvin, and Cape May
Did you say “snack”?
Stencil, Calvin, and Dad
Nap time in the camper
Lounging in what would be Calvin’s final “home” location in Loganville, PA
“Do you need your seat, Mom?”
I am tired, but still full of love
His favorite spot is right between us
Best friends
Jake and Cal spooned at nap time
My fav photo of the three brothers
Let us help you exercise, Mom
You have our undivided attention
Is that bird food for us?
A younger Lorne…and a younger Cal
Say “cheese”!
Why did he sit on the stairs like this?
Let’s GOOOOOOO!
Side-by-side campers
Let’s keep hiking
Sun god
Ella was his beloved “extra”
Waiting for Dad by the windowsill that he destroyed as a puppy
Fun in every season
He was my beach dog
His final week – peacefully contemplating a life well lived.
As parents, we strive to impress upon our children all the beliefs and values we think are important.
In general terms, they might sound like “work hard”, “be kind”, “do good”, “seek happiness”, and “be safe”.
When our children were minors under our direct care, we were sometimes very specific about the execution of these guidelines. “Get an education”. “Write a thank you note”. “Go to church”. “Go outside and play”. “Look both ways before you cross the street”.
Even in their adulthood, we find ourselves guiding them in some of the big life, big-ticket items. “Always save 15% for retirement”. “Tip well”. “Visit your grandmother”. “Don’t quit that job until you have another one you love more”. “Be sure to add roadside assistance to your car insurance policy”.
Ultimately, our children accept, reject, or re-invent our guidance to align with their developing value system. Sometimes it is hard to watch. It may not even be that they are doing anything inherently “wrong”, but rather that their steps may be different than what we had imagined decades ago when we held them in our arms as babies.
Sometimes they struggle or make choices we would not want them to make. Sometimes they amaze us with their insights and openness that belies anything we developed by that same age. It is a constant balancing act between the image of what we thought would be and how their lives would play out in front of us. Parenting never ends and it always challenges us to be better.
Lorne and Ben began sharing with us over the last couple of years that they had a desire, and eventually a plan, to incorporate more travel adventures into their lives. Great! We love travel and have always encouraged that in our children’s lives. But what Lorne and Ben have each planned individually is a string of choices that we never quite imagined for them.
Musician
Lorne works hard at a lower-than-he-would-like-paying job at a discount grocery store offering only a high-deductible health insurance plan. The years since high school have taught Lorne to be a master of a frugal budgeting lifestyle. He is largely self-taught in repairing and maintaining his old Toyota and a “project” motorcycle that has further honed his valuable skills.
The job has supported Lorne while he attended community college, where he recently completed his Certificate in Music Production and Audio Recording Technologies. At the same time, he has been enjoying playing in a band and expanding his network of music industry connections through a part-time job at a Baltimore live music venue. His long-term plan is to support himself through his passion for music and sound engineering. I have every confidence he will get there.
Healer
Ben led a more traditional path out of high school, through college, and into his first couple of jobs after graduation with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He works in a field that assists clients with developmental disabilities. While he hasn’t felt like the work is the best fit for him, he has worked up to a supervisory-level position, with a growing income and decent benefits.
He has pursued side work through a Reiki Master certification, and with hard work, he managed to pay off all his educational debt and save a sizable sum by living an exceedingly simple and low-cost lifestyle rarely seen among adults his age. He has spent years considering his educational, geographic, and relational next steps and extensive work on self-exploration for the “bigger life plan”. I have every confidence in his steps.
Both young men have matured, explored, and grown through varied experiences. There are times, as parents, that we secretly try to will them in a certain direction (and sometimes when we are not so secretive about our efforts). Even if there is misplaced execution on our part, we are simply trying to help our children avoid pain and difficulty.
Their work and exploration have led them to each decide individually to take a trip. Lorne recently upgraded his motorcycle to a more long-distance-worthy bike. He stacked up PTO and fostered a good relationship with his manager so that he could take extended time off of work.
Ben considered many options before he tendered his resignation at work, and ended his apartment lease. He obtained a job as a live-in Christian camp employee as a transition into his travel adventure. He secured health coverage, and with his purposeful end of employment, he no longer had the restriction of limited PTO.
Both men saved and bought camping equipment and travel gear. They’ve taken steps to stay safe and keep loved ones informed. They scoured Reddit and joined online groups focused on similar travel to consider all aspects of their unique adventures. They put in the work.
Lorne will depart Baltimore in the 2nd week of July for a three-week cross-country motorcycle trip, his major goal being to touch the Pacific Ocean. Soon after, Ben will depart his summer camp job in his old but well-maintained Toyota Corolla and head in any direction that fits his needs. He has the means and expectation to end his travel when he is ready for his “next thing”. His trip could last a matter of months or could stretch up to a year.
The solo nature of their journeys is intentional. Their simple modes of transportation are also a purposeful choice, intended to provide texture to their travels. Their low-cost, open-ended plans are a choice as well.
They have asked all the questions and done all the research. They have enlisted the advice and insights of others. They have fully prepared and set realistic expectations of all that can go wrong, and all that can be amazing with such a journey.
They have doubted themselves along the way. Their nerves and excitement are palpable. They are proceeding on their great adventures of life.
Lorne and Ben are finding their way bravely, in ways uniquely theirs, with values reflective of their inherent goodness as young men. They have promising futures because of their ongoing choices. Their travels are just the start. I am so incredibly proud.
Work hard. Be kind. Do good. Seek happiness. Be safe.
YOU ARE LOVED.
Love, safe travels, and still don’t forget that retirement fund,
Mom/Bonus Mom
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A Hawaiian Ritual You Will Love, Right In The Heart Of A Cape May Sunset
The Unexpected Hawaiian Pu
Many things make Cape May County, NJ special. It is a great vacation destination at the southernmost tip of the state. It stands out with its historic Victorian architecture and gas street lights, its rich arts and music scene, and its wide open protected natural spaces. But there is a lesser-known special thing happening nearly every evening in the county – a traditional native Hawaiian Pu.
Kevin, The Conch Shell Guy
Kevin, The Conch Shell Guy
While my loved ones and I have been visiting and creating family traditions in Cape May County for more than two decades, there is another person with his own very special and unique local tradition. Since I first started taking walks at sunset on the beach on Fern Road in 2015, I have seen Kevin and his conch shell, and I love sharing his great story.
A beautiful beach housd by the bay in Cape May Beach, NJ
Our little beach cottage, Dreams Come True Cottage, is a Cape Cod-style home between the Villas and Town Bank in the Cape May Beach neighborhood. We are 387 steps from the dunes, and THE BEST thing about any visit to this part of Cape May County is the sunset. The sun sets daily over Delaware Bay, with quiet waves lapping against the sandy shores of the west side of the southernmost county of New Jersey. Forget the boardwalks, beach tags, and crowds of the ocean that sit only a few miles away. The bayside beaches are home to the best secret of Cape May County, and this is where Kevin performs his special tradition.
Kevin retired to the county and loved the area as well. Each day, on as many of the 365 days in the year as the weather will allow, Kevin walks to the water’s edge near Fern, Forest, and Hollywood Roads which all run parallel to each other and perpendicular to the beach, ending at sandy paths which lead to the water.
The Great Titan In The Wild
Gathering for The Pu
As the sun lowers each day, you see locals and visitors gather, some on foot and some setting up a blanket or chairs, all with a plan to stay for a spell. You may see children laughing in the distance up the beach north toward the Villas, and maybe some dogs romping along the water’s edge in the southern direction toward the Cape May ferry launch. But the small group that is gathering on this warm summer evening is here for the end-of-day ceremony performed by Kevin nearly every night of the year.
Except on the worst weather days of winter, there are only a few days that Kevin misses, and a few of his most loyal followers join for most sunsets as well. Kevin was trained and has embraced the ancient Hawaiian ritual of blowing on the Conch shell, also known as Pū, pronounced ‘poo’ in Hawaiian. The Pu is seen as a gift from the life-giving waters of the ocean, with a sound that flows across the ‘Aina (land).
The quiet ceremony that Kevin performs each evening is a deep part of Hawaiian culture. While he has performed for many ceremonies, including at the US Capital in Washington DC for dignitaries, what he does each sunset in Cape May Beach, NJ on the sand is a beautiful and respectful way to say goodbye and thanks (Mahalo) to the day.
His voice resonates, and he blows the Pu, taking a turn in each cardinal direction, North, South, East, and West to represent the coagulation of the powers of the na Akua or gods. He begins reciting the native language of respect. Blowing the Pu is a call to the divine and Kevin adheres to a protocol with specific sequence and timing. The blows symbolize the journey of the Ancient Hawaiians as well as our journey in eternal ways.
The Giant Tritan
Kevin’s giant Tritan was a gift from a sailor who found it on his way from Tahiti and Vanuatu islands in the South Pacific Ocean on his way up to Hawaii The shell was passed to someone in Hawaii who knew how great it would be for Kevin to use, and so it was sent to a place in Florida where the conch was tested for its instrumental quality, deemed beautiful, and then fitted with the brass ring mouthpiece.
The Best Sunset In Cape May
… is the one you don’t want to end
The paddleboarder and Kevin appear synchronized with each other and the sun.
The sun continues its fall below the horizon, about the same time that a stand-up paddleboarder crosses the water in front of the orange ball that is shimmering on the water. On many days, Kevin and the unnamed paddleboarder have their traditions synchronized. The ceremony ends, the conch is drawn down to Kevin’s side, and the beach feels immediately cooler and darker. We linger for a while, as do other visitors on this evening of many evenings, not wanting our day to end quite yet.
Providing a sense of peace, community, and appreciation for nature’s gifts, Kevin’s ancient daily ritual enriches the lives of visitors and neighbors in the Cape May Beach neighborhood of Lower Township, NJ. His respectful and enduring performance is impressive, and the contributions he makes to our visits and the end of our day are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Kevin. We will come back again and again in our shared love of this place. We hope to see you again soon.
Start a New Tradition In Cape May
…Visit Kevin The Conch Shell Guy.
The next time you find yourself in Cape May County, perhaps even staying as a guest at Dreams Come True Cottage, pay a visit to the beach at the end of Fern Road at sunset. Say “hello” to Kevin and his beautiful musical instrument.
Zanis – Schmidt Family Cape May Memories With Loved Ones Over The Decades
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The oldest girls, Addie and Christy near Fern Rd
Cape May with friends
Ella as a cutie pie
Ella as a gymnast
Dad and Lorne
Tina and Andrew – the next family iteration of Cape May memories
The beach with our adult kids
Tina and Adalie as a munchkin (she is now 28!)
Digging deep
Abby and Andrew at Cox Hall Creek
Another generation
All the sunsets are beloved
Yeah, this beach body is now in his mid-20s!
All the dogs over the years – this one is Bug
He doesn’t love the sand, but will always oblige my love for it.
Ben eating well on vacation
Waiting for The Pu – Abby and Dad
Kitchen Happy Hour at Dreams Come True Cottage
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We had an amazing summer of RV travel in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) states of Washington, Oregon, and northern California, but this story isn’t about that. The beauty of RVing is not always in the destination. Sometimes, you will find wonderful adventures to be discovered ON THE WAY. These unexpected, unplanned discoveries while you drive from Point A to Point B are sometimes some of the best memories. Here are two of ours:
Spamalot
While sitting in Florida in December 2021, we sold our first fifth-wheel RV to a couple from Minnesota, meeting them in early 2022 to complete the sale as we picked up our new fifth-wheel in Missouri. It was happenstance and perhaps good camping mojo that turned this business transaction into a new sort of long-distance friendship! So as we mapped out our planned PNW adventure a year later, it just made sense to reconnect with Bruce and Eva as we drove through their home state of Minnesota!
Bruce and Eva are gracious hosts and were eager to meet us in Ellendale, Minnesota for a couple of nights of camping. We spent some of that time hiking in a nature preserve, touring a historic home, and eating lunch at a local pub, but the very best thing we did was a visit to the SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota!
We never knew that a (free) SPAM museum existed, but eating SPAM was a childhood experience LONG preserved in our memories – much like the long preservation time of this curious “canned meat”. We remember it well! It was a convenient, affordable meat-on-the-shelf option for mothers of the post-WWII United States looking to feed their families. We had no ill-conceived notions that SPAM was a healthy choice for a meal or snack, but it certainly played a role in our childhoods of the 60s and 70s.
We entered the nostalgic museum, (the latest and greatest version of it was built in 2016), in cute little downtown Austin, and we were immediately taken back to a time when no one worried about nitrates and salt content in food. We were warmly welcomed and offered some free samples, which were being passed on trays by employees, like fancy hors d’oeuvres at a post-wedding cocktail hour. There were more flavors than we knew had ever existed, including bacon, hickory smoke, teriyaki, Tocino, and jalapeno. Some were cubed and warmed, some grilled, and all were different than the “original”, thinly sliced-and-fried version my momma had served me decades earlier.
As we wandered through the self-guided museum, we were met with SPAM facts and flavors that taught us of the worldwide fame of this ground, cooked, and canned 6-ingredient meat product. Most popular in Hawaii, it also has wide appeal in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and South Korea. The museum is unpretentious and has fun laughing about itself, even displaying SPAM musical instruments, a bacon-fueled motorcycle, and an entire display dedicated to Monty Python’s Spamalot. We spent the day giggling and reminiscing and even marveling unexpectedly at what this Hormel-owned mystery meat meant in our lives. Our visit ended in the gift shop where we couldn’t resist buying a 14-can variety pack of SPAM and a pair of pajama SPAM pants!
Spam will never be part of a heart-healthy dietary plan, but it is a very versatile “meat in moderation”, or the perfect item to place on a broke college student’s shopping list alongside ramen noodles, and single-ply toilet paper. It was a wonderfully silly and fun visit if you find yourself in the Austin, Minnesota area someday; wander into the worthy-of-an-adventure SPAM museum!
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But first, let’s find the perfect glass of whiskey
a lovely church, but we couldn’t see inside
…and a beautiful historic home to tour…
…the Hormel family home
yes, I’m that person who photographs old bathrooms
ahh, the wood!
…and the grandeur
NOW, onto the SPAM Museum
some SPAMmy silliness
Danke, Leavenworth!
Before you arrive at the picturesque and familiar images of the Pacific coast of Washington State, you must first drive through eastern and central Washington, where you will find a very different culture and topography. Smack in the middle of the state, as you cross over from the flat and desert-like lands in the eastern half of the state, you will see the approaching mountains. As you climb closer you will see Leavenworth, Washington, which looks and feels like you are driving into Bavaria, Germany! With an average of 80 inches of annual snow, and an average temperature of 60 degrees (an average high of 102.5 and an average low of 33.9), a visit to this town is a pleasant trickery of culture and fun!
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Scenes from Eastern and central WA
a lot of fruit…
..and views that we never expected in Washington
…and as per usual, TRAINS all over the western US
It was a beautiful drive all day
In the 1960s, the leaders of Leavenworth decided to embrace the mountainous views that are the backdrop to their town and modeled their street names and storefront facades after a little German ski town. It worked, and over time, they added German cultural events and businesses that further embraced a Deutschland flavor. Today, Leavenworth is a popular year-round tourist destination to explore a little German culture without any passport required. We were thrilled to discover it.
On our visit, we found our way to the Nutcracker Museum, which houses the most impressive collection of nutcrackers I’ve ever seen, with varieties large and small, historic and kitschy, depicting careers, sports teams, nationalities, lifestyles, and more.
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Soooo many
Star wars!
Awwww…
…and Peanuts!
We wandered to the town center where the streets were closed off to vehicles and were shaded by buildings with window boxes teeming with flowers. Oompah music emanated from in front of the gazebo while an elderly couple danced lovingly in the classic polka style. We visited the Boudreaux Cellars Tasting Room and sat at their outdoor seating, enjoying the warm afternoon sun, listening to the sounds of the village, and enjoying a delicious bottle of expensive but high-quality wine. We ended our visit with a traditional German-styled dinner of schnitzel, beer in a glass mug, and traditional live German accordion music and yodeling.
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A rainbow after the storm
Enjoying polka music and wine before a sudden rainstorm
A German-style dinner
Our visit to Leavenworth was our last stop on our ten-day trip from Pennsylvania before we scaled the mountainous overpass and saw the Pacific Ocean. It was quite a journey and it reinforced all the cliches meant to remind us to enjoy ourselves along the way. So – “enjoy the journey”, “enjoy the ride”, and be more like Verghese…
“Enjoy the journey, the destination will come.”
Verghese
“Though the road’s been rocky it sure feels good to me.”
Bob Marley
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Omne trium perfectum. A trio of Latin words to convey a simple overarching philosophy: “Everything that comes in threes is perfect”.
It was early in our camping-travel life that my husband and I heard of the camping “rule of threes”. Seasoned full-time RVers often tout the benefits of this rule: “Travel no more than 300 miles a day. Arrive at your campsite by 3 pm. Stay at least three nights.” It does a camper’s body good.
Similar “rules of three” can be seen all over life. If we learn a new word, we will notice that word three times in short order, thereby solidifying that word into our vocabulary. Even in death, much of humanity believes that the rule of three applies; when one person passes, two more are sure to follow shortly after that. Three is pervasive in fairytales (The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, and the Three Bears), and in figures of speech (“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, “Location, location, location”, ”Peace, love, and understanding”). The beliefs, superstitions, and use of the number three are pervasive.
Three is the smallest number required to establish a pattern, and there lies its power in many forms.
So it was when taking a mother-daughter trip to New York City the week after Thanksgiving, it was not surprising that we stumbled upon the phenomenon in our 28 ½ hours on the ground in Manhattan. It had been far too long since Adalie and I had visited the Big Apple, and about ten years since we had visited together, so we were anticipating a wonderful visit. Thanks in part, to the rule of threes, it was superb.
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We arrived at Penn Station mid-morning, mid-week, the impetus of our trip being a wish to see Josh Groban perform in Sweeney Todd. We found the most affordable hotel we could find in the Theatre District ($257!) with a desire to seek fun all within walking distance of the theatre. We also knew we wanted to enjoy a relaxing dinner at an as-yet-undetermined restaurant following the matinee show. That was it. Nothing else was planned except our 2:44 train ride back to Philadelphia and Harrisburg the following afternoon.
Amtrak to NYC was a great way to relax and catch up with each other without the stress and cost of driving and parking.
Once our feet hit the pavement, and our lungs took in the 30-degree air of Midtown, we smiled and remembered the exhilarating sights, sounds, and smells of the special city. We trekked the .9 miles to drop off our overnight bags at BeHome by LuxUrban (by Wyndham) and stepped right back outside to amble in the general direction of Rockefeller Center with the idea that we would visit some familiar and nostalgic places including graceful ice skaters, holiday-decorated storefronts, and a stop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to light a candle.
Our little boutique hotel “lobby” was the basement level below the tiny nondescript front entrance, with a cool DIY NYC vibe.
ONE.
As we approached the area under the shadow of the Comcast Building at 30 Rockefeller Center (home of Top of the Rock), we noticed the stirring of activities. Some sort of special event was afoot. We saw portable crowd fencing being set up, the increased presence of police, enclosed tents, and equipment in various stages of setup. Adalie heard it first – singing that she thought might not just be a prerecorded soundtrack. It stood out subtly among the cacophony of sounds in the city, among them, the Salvation Army bell-ringers and the high-volume upbeat music of the jitney drivers. Curious, we followed the sound of the singing, and as we approached the ice rink, the singing ended and we heard a program announcer over the loudspeaker. The lilting, professional emcee voice rattled off names of the performers scheduled to appear in that evening’s televised “Christmas in Rockefeller Center”, including Barry Manilow, Cher, Katherine McPhee, and David Foster. WE had ambled upon the rehearsal of the annual tradition that culminates in the lighting of the beloved giant Christmas tree. Then, as we saddled up beside a black production tent, we heard a technician inside the tent giving instructions to the staff and performers preparing for the show. We then spotted Kelly Clarkson readying herself to sing another song! Over the next 20 minutes, we watched her sing, her band perform, and a flurry of production staff prepare for the show that night. We did not know the tree was scheduled to be lit that evening, and we had no idea that Kelly Clarkson was both a host and performer!
It felt like Kelly Clarkson rehearsed just for us!
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“Well, THAT certainly was an unexpected and unplanned thrill”, I said, as we wandered through the growing crowd, feeling like we had just won the lottery prize of a free concert. Adalie and I agreed that sometimes you get lucky if you just remain open to possibilities.
TWO.
We continued our visit to the places seared into our NYC memory banks from visits over a lifetime. We toured the venerable statues of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, listened to the massive organ play music, and lit candles with our quiet intentions. We found a few decorated storefronts and took in the holiday decor that was quickly popping up around the city. The Christmas season crowds seemed to be building as we walked each block.
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As we strolled down 5th Avenue, Adalie suddenly paused and turned as she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, down E 48th Street. Seeing the flags of both the United States and Sweden hanging outside a narrow building, she wondered out loud if it was the Swedish embassy (well, we quickly remembered that the Swedish embassy would be in Washington, D.C.). We decided to make a turn toward the building to investigate further, and we read the words “sveriges kyrka” on a sign. It was the Church of Sweden. Without hesitation, we excitedly entered the front door and saw that we were in the midst of a building under major renovation construction. But we also saw a sign that showed the way to the “Church of Sweden Cafe and Shop”. Down the stairs, over extension cords, and past sawdust-covered barricades we went. The signs led us to the church basement, and as we opened the final door, we were struck by the sounds of Christmas music, the smells of saffron and cinnamon, and the sights of Swedish goods stacked high on shelves that ran the full length of the little basement walls. In the center of the room were tables and chairs, decorated with porcelain dome-shaped votive candles, just like a special Swedish Nativity light I had at home among my cherished Christmas decorations.
The nondescript church entrance in a very narrow building.
It was our 2nd unexpected and special discovery in the city that never sleeps. Church volunteers were chattering in the open kitchen area, baking Swedish pastries like Swedish lussekatt, kanelbulle, and warming up Glogg, a mulled wine that we both remembered from our Swedish–heritage family Christmas gatherings. As first and second-generation daughters of a Swedish immigrant, this little church shop was a little Christmas miracle. We sipped our coffee and wine, shared a pastry, and were already speculating about what our THIRD unplanned adventure might be!
We bought some gifts and listened to the Christmas music, while the little hidden cafe bustled with about a dozen shoppers. Before we left, we waxed nostalgic about my late dad, who was Adalie’s morfar (Swedish for “mother’s father”), and took note of some of his favorite salted licorice, svenskjävlar (yes, you read that right) and Knäckebröd (a rye crispbread that we lovingly refer to as “Morfar’s cardboard”).
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Unplanned adventures one and two completed, we headed back to the brisk streets to allow fate to lead us to unexpected adventure THREE!
The afternoon performance of Sweeney Todd was sensational as expected. Beyond Josh Groban, the skill and artistry of the entire ensemble cast, orchestra, and crew met all our expectations. Dinner was a tasty Cuban food flavor bomb in a crowded and lively restaurant, Havana Central Times Square. With our simple planned itinerary complete (train, show, dinner), we walked the FIVE floors to our little cubicle-sized hotel room. We watched the pigeons perched outside our window and thought about how we would spend our final hours in NYC before it was time to walk to Penn Station.
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THREE.
In the morning, we pursued our shared love of books and bookstores, with a trip to the Drama Bookstore and Cafe for some morning browsing and caffeine. This store is accurately self-described as a quintessential New York Institution, founded in 1917. When the previous owner could not relocate the shop for the third time to dodge skyrocketing rent, it seemed that the shop was doomed to end its run like so many other small businesses, especially bookstores. In stepped long-time friends and patrons of the bookstore Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Jeffrey Seller and James L. Nederlander. They purchased the store in 2020 to ensure the more than century-old tradition would continue.
The shop pays homage to twentieth-century European cafes and reading rooms, with its deep dark woods, dramatic artwork, and varied seating (designed by “Hamilton” scenic designer David Korins and his team). We chose the storefront window bar-styled seating to watch the morning garment district traffic pass us by while we chatted, drank some iced coffee, and intermittently browsed our way through the stacks. There was much to see in the little shop, including a display case with a special Tony Award to honor the shop, and what appeared to be a journal with carefully written notes and details for what may have been from the development of “Hamilton”, one of my absolute favorite shows.
As I perused the books and scripts all related to the theatre industry, I noticed a gentleman who was oddly familiar to me. He was dressed casually, had on a knit hat, was donning a mustache and goatee, and was looking at books on the shelf in front of him. I must have done a subtle double take and noticed another woman across the shop looking at him quizzically as well. I scanned the room for Adalie, in an attempt to share what felt like something that felt secretly special. He looked in my direction and then skirted off down some stairs that were roped off to customers. Huh…could that be? He seemed a little short. Wait, could that be Lin-Manuel Miranda?! Wanting to confirm, I Googled him and confirmed his height as 5’ 9” and finding Adalie, sputtered out the story of my brief encounter.
We were both cautiously excited, and I couldn’t stop looking toward the stairs. We decided that it was easiest to confirm with the friendly store clerk whom I had already chatted with earlier in our visit. I confirmed with him that the store was still privately owned by “those who had purchased it several years earlier”. “I promise that we are leaving shortly and won’t be crazy stalker ladies, but perhaps was that one of the owners that I saw here just a little while ago”? He responded quietly and affirmatively. “I KNEW IT!”, I exclaimed.
That was “three”! We didn’t plan to meet him, and it isn’t our style to accost celebrities, so it was an absolute thrill to simply know that I had seen him! He has such talent and has found great success in a competitive industry. The Rule of Threes had come through for us! Such a simple sighting of a talented creator and performer was the cherry on top of our 28 ½ hour mother-daughter train adventure to New York City!
We walked many miles in our remaining hours, taking a few wrong turns, taking in a few more sights, and finally sat in the Amtrak waiting area, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. Happy to be headed home, we reflected upon our adventure and considered the “pattern” of great things that we had just experienced. They weren’t planned, and we did not seek them out, but we now know that the first, second, AND third times were the charm for this mother-daughter duo in New York City.
~ Safe travels and embrace the possibilities of the unexpected! ~
An unexpected Golden Retriever statue in the beautiful Nativity inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
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When things go wrong (and they will), what are ya gonna do?!?
We’ve always said full-time RV travel is our happily-chosen lifestyle, but it will not be forever. Nothing in life lasts forever, actually, so this unique living arrangement would be no different. We have been “on the road” since July 2020, and we went into this joking that it will go well and take any number of years to complete our adventure, or it will last for only six weeks before we decide we’ve had enough of living in 310 square feet of space together!
There is a romance about full-time travel, and generally, when we tell people that we are full-time RVers traveling North America, we are usually met with smiles and an expression of “Wow, I’ve always dreamed about doing that”! These types of comments are often followed by a smattering of questions about “how” we do it!
Since we recently took a break from the road and have subsequently and happily returned to full-time travel, I thought it might be a good time to share some TRICKS AND TRUTHS for FT RV living that might help others that are considering this adventurous lifestyle.
TRUTH: FT RV travel is not a perpetual vacation. There is still all of “real life” to face. So go into it with realistic expectations and know that life’s problems will follow you on the road…and even then, it can be awesome!
Periodically we reassess and check in with each other to see how each is fairing with limited personal space, limited hot water, limited storage, and nearly 100% “together time”. As anyone might imagine, it can be GREAT – and other times, it can be TIGHT. After one full year on the road, we assessed our situation and still couldn’t see the end in sight, so we doubled down and bought a new RV that was a bit more conducive to the long haul, selling our “old faithful” rig, Desi, at the peak of the market, making the justification a bit less costly and painful.
(Yep – A Star Wars TRICK)
TRICK: Check in periodically with yourself and if applicable, your partner, to see how you feel about your nomadic lifestyle. Adjust to meet changing interests and goals. Keep an open mind about what RVing can look like, as there are MANY ways to enjoy life!
After two-and-a-half-years of travel, we were faced with another assessment, In 2022 we had limited our journey to a four-state region around our family base in Maryland and Pennsylvania for about nine months because of a series of family weddings and graduations, and our wanderlust (mine, mainly) was soaring and aching for the road again. Then it finally happened. We had a breakdown that caused us to think about taking a break from the road.
As we left Rodanthe, NC, and Camp Hatteras RV Resort just before Christmas, we had a problem with one of our Schwintek slides on our 2022 Grand Design Solitude 346fls. These electric slides are notorious for getting “out of sync” with their paired motors, and in our case, one side of the slide-out became over-torqued and pulled away some of the RV sidewall trim as the slide tried to fully close. This resulted in some broken screws and minor damage to the side of the RV.
Better that this happened two months BEFORE our warranty ended instead of two months AFTER.
Finding a way to repair RVs in this post-Covid economy has become challenging. Even before Covid, it wasn’t unusual for RV dealers complete warranty work only on RVs that they sold to their own customers. So as we drove from Rodanthe, NC to our Christmas destination of Gettysburg, PA, I called nearly every RV dealer in a four-state radius of Pennsylvania that sells Grand Design rigs to secure an appointment.
Not only do dealers not want to do WARRANTY work if we didn’t buy it from them, but most of those we spoke to also weren’t currently doing ANY KIND OF WORK on RVs that hadn’t been purchased from them. Fortunately, we found ONE – shout out to Tom Schaeffer’s RV in Shoemakersville, PA, which was also within a couple of hours of us. We would have to wait three weeks for the appointment, but they were very happy to accept our business.
TRUTH: Expect things to break down – both big and small, and try to roll with it. Expect those breakdowns to have a bigger impact on your daily living than in your “foundation house”. Repairs take longer, are often more inconvenient, and usually cost more as well. The more you can fix yourself, the more peaceful your RV life will be.
We knew that finding a way to repair this warranty-covered item would be challenging, and indeed it was. With our appointment secured, and further use of our slide-out risking more damage, we decided that our best course of action was to head to “sticks-and-bricks” living while we waited for the repair appointment, since not using our slide-out for weeks would cramp our bedroom more than we were interested.
We also decided to use this needed repair as a time to take care of lingering problems we wanted to have resolved before our warranty coverage expired the following month. So we winterized our home on wheels and dropped her off at Tom Schaeffer’s RV in Shoemakersville, PA on January 4th.
The “peace of mind” from a warranty comes with hassles and “hoop jumping”.
TRICK: If you have a warranty, use it strategically. If you don’t, don’t fret. If you need to make a warranty claim on your RV, document and communicate clearly when repairs are needed. Report issues as they occur, even if you “save up” the repairs for a later repair date. Note dates, times, and important information at every step, as getting efficient, capable, and timely service is a real challenge. If your RV is used and no longer has a manufacturer’s warranty, we suggest not bothering with purchasing an extended warranty. Instead, build up an emergency fund for unexpected (but expected) repairs.
Fortunately for us, we had a place to go while our RV waited for some TLC. Part of what helps fund our full-time RVing lifestyle is a small business I run – managing two vacation rentals that I began in 2012 and 2015. January is the slowest month of the year for our rentals, so we were off to our “foundation home” in Cape May Beach, New Jersey, for sticks and bricks living. (Shameless plug: DreamsComeTrueCottage.com).
Dreams Come True Cottage – Cape May Beach, New JerseyJust 387 steps from door to dunes, and the best sunsets around!
TRICK: Have a short-term and long-term exit strategy. Options include maintaining a primary home, identifying a friend or family member with space, or acquiring land upon which you can “park it” for a while. In our case, short-term rentals give us storage for personal items and a short-term place to stay when needed. If it is during our busy rental season, we can park our rig on family property for a bit of “moochdocking” (dry camping in my brother and sister-in-law’s backyard!).
As a short-term rental owner, it is important to be on-site regularly to inspect the property for minor repairs, complete maintenance work, and plan future projects, making small improvements along the way. So this visit was a fortuitous result of our RV breakdown. While at our beach house, we prepared for some late winter renovations, making all the product selections and purchases needed for a bathroom renovation, and completed a long list of to-do list items from replacing our mailbox, to freshening up our linens, replacing some furniture, organizing closets, ordering replacement board-game pieces, posting instructions for use of various amenities, and even digitizing our guest guidebook.
When the designated appointment came for our RV, we were delivered our next surprising blow – our slide-out problem was more than just the notorious “out-of-sync” problem and we now needed to wait for parts – another 6 – 8 weeks in this post-Covid world of supply-chain issues. So we hunkered down for the long haul and focused on all the opportunities waiting for our attention at our short-term vacation rentals.
Be flexible when things go wrong.
TRUTH: Things never quite go as planned (in RV life or “real life”, so allow for flexibility in your travels. You will enjoy the journey more when you can bend with the realities of the life you must face.
We stayed at Dreams Come True Cottage for nearly two months, working nearly every day, and sprinkling in some fun along the way to enjoy our home away from home. We enjoyed some restaurants, walked the sandy shores, hosted visits from a couple of our children, and saw some of the local sights, including the Cape May County Zoo and the Cape May – Lewes Ferry. We routinely visited antique and thrift shops, and enjoyed the full-sized amenities and improved water pressure!
As the planned bathroom renovation was set to begin, we moved from the Jersey Shore to rural Pennsylvania with a visit to our other vacation rental (Shameless plug #2: CloversCottage.com). We did more of the same at our second rental and again, sprinkled our visit with friends and family, visits to the farm market, the movies, and for me, many, MANY warm baths in the antique cast-iron clawfoot tub! Ahh, the things I do miss during RV travel!
Like clockwork, the parts arrived as expected, our warranty work was completed, and our beloved “mobile home” was ready for pickup after 11 weeks of “foundation living”. It was unplanned but was really for the best. We had nearly all of our warranty work completed, and we were able to end our “winter camping” sooner than expected – a welcomed change in plans.
We were fortunate that our breakdown happened in the worst of winter when I was tired of the cold (we were staying in PA/MD intentionally over the holidays to be near our families this year). Our vacay rentals were unrented and therefore available to us and we were long overdue for a bigger visit to both properties. The break from the road turned out to be just what the RV gods knew we needed!
Pivot as needed and you might find a new itinerary you like more!
TRUTH: When something goes awry and your travel is interrupted, it may just work out to be for the better! When your travels are interrupted, the very fact that you travel full-time means that you can usually put a little “pivot”in your itinerary. Try to take it in stride – and you may just discover some really great “upsides” to your “side-trip”!
Our itinerary “pivot” resulted in a visit with some of our “kids” to the Cape May County Zoo!
We will soon be ending our season-of-not-really-going-far with a repaired and beautiful rig, grateful hearts, and a welcome to warmer weather in North Carolina just in time for Easter! We leave you, wishing you safe travels and one more “trick” for successful nomadic living:
TRICK: If RV travel is on your life’s bucket list, create a way to DO IT! Plan, save, sacrifice, and work hard. Live debt-free and set specific goals to achieve your dream. This lifestyle is an amazing journey, even through the trials and tribulations of “real life”!
~~~~~
If you would like a getaway at one of our short-term vacation rentals, mention that you heard about us here on our blog and you will receive our “friends and family” discount! CloversCottage.com and DreamsComeTrueCottage.com are waiting for you!
Safe travels, and always keep an RVing trick up your sleeve!
Our unexpected “beach trip” in the middle of winter was a really nice derailment of our original plans!
“How many feelings can one heart hold?… Infinite, Luna thought. The way the universe is infinite. It is light and dark and endless motion; it is space and time, and space within space, and time within time. And she knew: there is no limit to what the heart can carry.”
This Newberry Medal winning children's book is on my "to-read" list simply because of this beautiful quote.
Today, my dear, sweet husband and I had a special day celebrating Valentine’s Day. As Valentine’s Day is known as a day of celebration for lovers, we made sure we checked off all the boxes today. This day has never been a “huge deal” to me, as it always seemed perhaps a day of love for those that need urging to buy chocolates and flowers or write out a sweet card for their lover. It seems obligatory and contrived – a Hallmark holiday for “amateurs”.
Instead, I like to think of today as one of spending some simple and special time together, counting blessings, because after all, aren’t all our blessings rooted in love? We decided to jump on the Cape May – Lewes Ferry for a day trip from our beach house in Cape May Beach, New Jersey to Lewes, Delaware! We boarded our special “love boat” mid-morning, where it is docked at the terminal just a couple miles from our house.
It was a beautiful day, so we explored each of the three decks, inside and outside, chatted with fellow travelers, and enjoyed a snack and drink together in the February sunshine. As we lingered at the back of the ferry, we watched the many seagulls swarming, swooping, and “windsurfing” the airflow that followed the vessel. They chirped their happy bird calls, coasted gracefully, and seemed content, just as we were, standing arm-in-arm to keep warm from the wind of travel. It was a lovely start to a special Valentine’s Day, exploring a little town and the many loves in our lives.
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We disembarked the ferry and drove a few minutes into town. It was our plan to walk the streets of the little historic town and enjoy each other’s company. We would visit the shops, gathering up some hand-holding time as we went along. We found a bakery, an antique shop, a used book store, vintage records and gifts, a pet-centric shop, an art gallery, and much more.
The shops and restaurants of Lewes, DE made for a great day trip.
As we strolled the brick sidewalks, we shared Valentine’s Day greetings with store employees, fellow visitors, and even an art student painting in oil. We visited with the “shop dog” resting in the doorway of one store, and happily accepted one shopkeeper’s gift of chocolate candy to celebrate the day. We found a delicious and quaint Italian restaurant for a late lunch and bought some flavored roasted coffee, some dessert to go home, and some other little treasures.
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Touch of Italy was a worthy stop!
This is how the “soup’s made” – both caffeinated and decaf.
Many, MANY flavors at Notting Hill Cofee Brewery and Bakery
A classic and tiny Italian deli with many visitors even in the middle of winter
A late and lovely lunch
A streetside shop – this one for lunch
/worth a visit
As the afternoon sun began lingering lower in the sky, we embarked on the ferry once more and settled in some comfortable seats to complete our little, simple, love adventure. Suddenly, Andy noticed that the motor on the ferry had slowed and our chugging movement across the water was ceasing. Andy thought that perhaps the captain slowed our course because of whales in the area (they had announced sightings earlier in the day). We made our way to the railing at the front of the ferry and there, closer than I imagined it would be, was a whale, showing off for all of us on board.
Amid oohs and aahs, the spout of water could be seen and heard several times. The fin on the back rose in an arch in the water, quickly followed by the flipping and receding tail that followed the beast’s body back into the bay. This little show continued sporadically and fleetingly several times before the magic show of Mother Nature ended and swam back out of our sight. It was spectacular, and I clapped while other travelers quietly cheered, all of us expressing gratitude for the experience. It was as if that whale was sending us his Valentine’s Day love to us all, punctuating the day with a grand finale.
Not our photo (thanks, Pixabay), but this is just about right!
~~~~
Today was the perfect way to walk and chat, tease, plan, cuddle, and dream. Sure, there were flowers and a greeting card, but that isn’t what we found ourselves happy about, for it isn’t at all about the Hallmark “holiday”. Instead, it is the way our lives are filled with so much love. We have each other, a tremendous feat in its own right, but there is so much more love to be discovered with each passing year.
Today we texted or spoke with all six of our kids because they certainly crowd the very top of our list of blessings. We gave messages of love to our mothers whom we are still blessed to have with us and thought quietly of our fathers whom we have loved and lost. These important people were the origin of our love experience and must always be acknowledged on such a love-centric day. I sent good wishes to my living siblings, who will likely be the longest loving relationships I will know in my life, and sent a silent hug and hello to all of our lost loves – grandparents, fathers, aunts, uncle, spouse, sibling – because love is eternal.
We keep our loved ones “near us” – wherever we go!
Far above and beyond all of these blessings of love, there was one tiny Valentine’s treat that was newly treasured by us this year but already has the power to outshine all the others. We have a new, miraculous love in our lives, and it grows larger and stronger every day. As we browsed the used book store, we were reminded of this fresh love in the children’s book section. As we found our seats on the ferry, we felt the pangs of this new love as we watched parents with their weeks-old child. When we strolled and planned our coming travels, we talked about how different life would feel this summer when our hearts were divided yet again by miles of separation from our new love…Because this Valentine’s Day is our first as expectant grandparents!
There is a life growing right now – a little baby girl that we already love immensely and want to know more fully, and yet, we have not yet met. Despite it all, she is our treasure, our future, She is the very definition of the capacity of ever-growing love.
All of the activities of the day played a role in highlighting the importance of reflection. On these special days, I choose to count our blessings and reacquaint myself with the many people and things that give and receive love in my life. I need to sift through them all, smile about them, share them with others, and keep them well. It is when we are good stewards of our gifts of love that we make room for the new and growing love God sends our way.
Little girl, Pop-Pop, and Mormor thought of you a lot today, and we cannot wait to tell you just how much we love you. We will share with you all that we know and love – good food sprinkled with a little shopping, strolls hand-in-hand on a sunny day and rides on the “love boat” to say hello to the gulls and the whales. There is always room for more love in life – you are proof of that – and for me, today was no different. Happy Valentine’s Day, my Sweet.
Safe travels, and may your love grow more lovely each passing year.
Love birds on our “love boat” – Jersey style!
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Traveling to beaches in the off-season can provide great peace and solitude.
Going to the beach can be a different experience for everyone. This is how I love it.
There is no joy for me in sunbathing. The blazing sun from 11 am to 3 pm in the summer months, and sand so hot it hurts my feet are of no interest to me. Sand sticking to my sweating body, and itty bitty bathing suits – both make me uncomfortable.
Busy boardwalks with lights, sounds, and carnival barkers have generally overwhelmed me, and I just feel a bit sad for the little hermit crabs lined up in tiny cages to be sold away from their home. Summer crowds and parking shortages quickly make me wish I was elsewhere.
And yet, despite all these factors, I really do LOVE. THE. BEACH.
Sunset, Tybee Island, GA
The beach is my church. This is especially true now that I am a full-time RVer, having moved away years ago from any traditional church which I have loved. Now, the beach is the place I go to fill up my soul; where I find inspiration, consolation, and yes, even perspiration. It becomes my therapy and the place where I can take calmer, deeper breaths. The beach fills up my soul.
This song captures much of my feelings about the beach.
The best way to attend “beach church” for me, is with early morning walks to watch the sunrise, but any time of day will do. It can be any time of year, but I prefer the “fringe seasons” of spring and fall the most, with milder temperatures and few crowds. This generally involves walking the dog in the shallows. It almost always includes listening to my most inspirational music in my headphones, with sneakers on my feet (but sometimes barefoot). The pace is set by my mood, adjusted for the temperature in the air – and then, into motion I go!
Step by step I feel the fresh air on my face, hear the Sanderlings and Piping Plovers converse, and smell the salty, fishy odors of the aquatic life that abounds around me. The waves lap near my feet and with each and every step, I find my way – refreshed, and into another beautiful day.
Sunrise and sunset – the best times of day for a walk on the beach
Alone time is treasured by me, and another important part of my beach church. When in attendance, it is just me and the Lord, enjoying our time, figuring out life’s puzzles, praying for those with complex needs, and placing specific intentions on those whom I love.
At times, the music is Christian pop or classic church hymns. Oftentimes, I draw strength from music that wouldn’t be found in more traditional churches. The music from Les Miserables is one. Josh Groban is another. A classical symphony is a go-to for me as well. Music is a big part of my special beach church.
Carrabelle Beach, FL – Christmas 2021
The exact place I walk matters less. The most preferable requirement is the softness of the sand and the lapping of water nearby. Bonus points are awarded for walks that can be circular in nature, where I enter the beach in one location, walk to the other end, and am able to circle back to my starting location with a change of scenery (rather tough to find on a linear beach, but it is possible). Ocean beaches and bayside beaches are the best, but in a pinch, I can find similar solace and faith-filled mornings from a large lake, river or water canal.
Cape May Beach, NJ – Sunset on the Delaware Bay
A great benefit of our traveling life is having the ability to steer our travel toward beaches whenever needed. My dear sweet husband finds that HIS place of respite is NOT on any sandy surface, but rather, on some distant mountainside. Yet his generosity and giving nature are always willing to drive me to my next beachfront.
Some of my favorite “beach churches”
Sunset with Bug at the Villas, NJ
Cape May area, NJ – Bayside or oceanside, this beach church has been a recurring theme in my life. When bayside, in the Villas, Cape May Beach, or Townebank neighborhoods, there are two options. Visitors can walk the traditional sandy shores of Delaware Bay, or stroll on Shore Road, which runs parallel to the water, with level sidewalks and a birds-eye view of the sandy shores just below.
If you prefer ocean beaches, Cape May has a two mile paved promenade that provides expansive views of the sea, “America’s first seaside resort”, and spectacular Victorian mansions. Cape May county is at the southernmost tip of New Jersey (affectionately known as Exit 0), so a visit to the beach near Cape May Point can also give you the opportunity for ocean waves, a lighthouse and a beautiful sunsetover the water (Sunset Beach is where the ocean meets the mouth of Delaware Bay). There are multiple nature reserves in the area to provide other unique and beachlike walks, including the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, and several locations of Cape May Wildlife Management Areas, including Cox Hall Creek and Higbee Beach.
My DH doesn’t love the beach, but he loves me, so off we goooo!
I love this place so much that in 2015, I finally purchased a vacation home that is only 387 steps from the sand! (Insert shameless plug here —> Visit www.DreamsComeTrueCottage.com to find our Villas/Cape May Beach vacation rental. It is rented out to guests year-round for as short as a two-night getaway or for as as many weeks as you would like to stay!).
414 Fern Road, Villas, NJ is even a nice visit in winter – and only 387 steps to the dunes!
There are also a lot of campgrounds available in the area, and we have enjoyed many over the years, but unfortunately, none of them are within walking distance of the beach. Cape May is also well-known for its beautiful, historic Victorian architecture and abundant B&Bs, so your options are quite varied.
Sunset at the mouth of the Savannah River, Thanksgiving 2020
Tybee Island, GA – Tybee Island is near Savannah, and this beach is on an island, with a perfectly placed campground near the transition from the Savannah River (that leads up to Savannah) to the Atlantic Ocean, creating that perfect, circular, extended beach walk. Start out on the north side of the island (the campground is a very short walk to the sandy shores) and walk south until you reach the lighthouse area of the beach, then circle back through town to return to your starting spot at the campground. River’s End Campground is city-owned, and the only campground on the island, and albeit tiny and tight, it is a campground worth visiting (and staff will lead you to your site upon check-in).
Tybee Lighthouse, GA
Carrabelle Beach, FL – The sand here is as fine and as white as any you might find on the most gorgeous Caribbean islands. This area is known as Florida’s Forgotten Coast because it is among the last of the unspoiled, undeveloped shores of Florida’s Gulf of Mexico, and is said to have been slighted for several years in the state’s tourism promotion materials.
We spent our first Christmas as full-time RVers at this location in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, so the isolation and solitude of the area were especially important to us. We enjoyed a visit from our youngest child, Ella, who drove up overnight from college in Gainesville. We woke up Christmas morning to unusually cold temperatures for the area, with frozen, cracked spigots at the campground’s fish cleaning station that spewed water into the air like a frozen fountain. Moving my daily beach walk to the warmer hours of mid-day became an easy choice!
Carrabelle Beach, FL, Christmas Eve, 2020
Carrabelle Beach Campground is just a short walk across the road in Carrabelle Beach that will give you daily, simple access to all the solitude you desire. The campground itself is made up of privately owned lots and an HOA, but many of the sites are available to rent by the public. This campground is also VERY tight, so take your time and be cautious. It is worth all the effort to try to attend this “beach church” on Carrabelle Beach.
Tight but lovely campsites at Carrabelle Beach RV ResortThe dunes at Pirateland, Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach, SC – There are several campgrounds in Myrtle Beach that are right on the beach, but the one that we have enjoyed is Pirateland Family Camping Resort. Full disclosure – we have only ever visited this campground in the fringe and off-seasons, but frankly, that is when we believe the beach (and this campground) is best (as well as most affordable). All of the amenities you could ask for are included at this campground, but I go for the beach, of course. With some sites that are right alongside the ocean, just over the sand dunes, you can hear the waves crashing!
Pirateland RV Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC
Even sitting five or ten campsites back, you are steps away from the solitude and peace of a beach walk. Our longest stay in Myrtle Beach was a month in November 2021, when we were joined by friends and nearly all of our adult kids for a wonderful Thanksgiving visit, still mild enough for an outdoor feast and a nighttime campfire. We could hear the waves crashing in the quiet off-season air, and we all walked the beach with much thanks and gratitude. Bonus item of note: Pirateland has a wonderful outdoor chapel along the canal. We attended their Sunday non-denominational service during a fall visit in 2020 and it was casual, simple, lovely, and welcoming, with beautiful music and a pastor and support staff whose words inspired us (in the colder weather they move their service to a warmer enclosed pavilion).
Sunrise, North Beach, St. Augustine, FL, August 2019, Aaaahhhh!
St. Augustine, FL – The North Beach Camp Resort is situated between the North River and the Atlantic Ocean on the north side of St. Augustine. The public beach is direct across Coastal Highway and a brief, easy walk from your campsite. The extra treat in this campground is the private, sandy campsites. The campground is protected and shaded by moss-laden oaks and palmettos down every road and between each campsite, giving you a feeling of privacy that belies the actual closeness of the sites.
We saw protected sea turtle nests in North Beach, FL
We enjoyed our visit here the year before we were full-time RVers, in 2019, as we arrived with our youngest, Ella, on a college-visit tour of several southern US states. There is much to see in the area, including the historic Fountain of Youth, but isn’t a walk on the beach a great way to take a few worries and years off your heart and body?
Mile Creek County Park Campground
Pickens, SC – Mile Creek County Park has a campground that is absolutely, entirely surrounded by water. There is no ocean, and no large expansive beaches to walk for miles, when you walk the narrow point and tiny islands that make up this park and campground, you will see Lake Keowee all around you. This place is home to my reigning FAVORITE CAMPSITE EVER, with a little bit of beach and lapping waves on the shore that I believe qualify it for this list of important inspirational beachy places.
You can’t camp much closer to the water than at Mile Creek Park
I’ve written about this campground before, so to see the photos and read about my private little “beach church” in the rural upcountry of South Carolina, visit here: https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/this-is-the-best-campsite-of-my-camping-life/ If you are staying in the area long enough (and you absolutely should), be sure to take a drive up to Pretty Place, SC, a chapel nestled in the mountains. It is also known as the Fred Symmes Chapel and is part of a YMCA camp, but is open to the public. Pretty Place is an apt name, and this scenic drive is worth the effort.
Beautiful Lake Keowee – less sand, but miles and miles of beauty.
We visited this park in early fall and actually lived through our first severe tropical storm/residual hurricane there. It took half a day before any vehicles could even leave the campground because of all the downed trees, so our visit was partly an adventure I would not like to revisit. The campground, Lake Keowee, and all of upcountry South Carolina, however, are all places I will return to again.
A winter visit to OBX, Camp Hatteras, Rodanthe, NC gave us a campground practically to ourselves
Outer Banks, NC – The most recent beach we visited is beautiful in a different way from all the others. We camped at Camp Hatteras RV Campground the week before Christmas 2022. It is located in the Outer Banks (OBX) in the Village of Rodanthe, known in part, for the 2008 movie Nights In Rodanthe (pronounced Row-DAN-thee by the locals).
The thing that makes the OBX unique is its near-constant battle with Mother Nature. These barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina are wild and natural for many expansive miles, but the pounding oceanfront storms and the associated sound-side flooding leave the land in a constant battle for land.
A large section of the singular north-south state highway 12 is regularly flooded and covered by sand dunes swept away by the wind and rain. As a result, parts of the highway have been rebuilt into big jughandles that veer off into the Pamlico Sound to avoid further destruction on the barrier islands. Left behind, are miles of protected sand dunes, beaches, and waters for recreation and enjoyment. Also left behind, are heavily damaged piers and homes, abandoned after a storm, and left to fall into the ocean, bit by bit with each passing season.
A home that will fall into the sea
A walk on the beach can be difficult in some areas, as the tides roll all the way up to what is left by the protective dunes in some cases, as was the case directly in front of our campground. Nearby, entire beachfront rows of homes have been destroyed or moved to seek protection yards away, leaving the second row of homes to feel Mother Nature’s next wrath.
Digging out a beachfront road after a storm (the ocean is JUST beyond the yellow house)
It is tragic to see the loss of homes and businesses, but the beauty of nature lives on. As I walked the narrow beach and saw the resulting waxing and waning of the land and water, I was moved. It felt as if I was just a little bit closer to God on my walks. He designed a world that is in constant motion and is forever evolving – working to maintain the important ecosystems that are life-sustaining.
If you have some favorite beaches where you find your faith strengthened, and your soul refreshed, let me know. I am always willing to ask Andrew to steer our truck and fifth wheel (and he is always willing to accommodate me!) to discover a new and lovely place of God’s creation.
At peace on the beach, Cape May Beach, NJ
Psalm 139:9-10 says this, “If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me.”
Safe travels, and I hope to see you at any of God’s peaceful, beautiful, wonderful, powerful beaches!
It isn’t always best to be alone and walking at the beach. Sometimes it is nice to just sit quietly in God’s beauty and love.
My dear husband, Andrew, has a brief but storied past relationship with Princeton, New Jersey, and the surrounding areas, having lived in nearby Hopewell for about a year when he was five years old. His father, Ron, had obtained a job in the area and took a solo trip to the area to secure a place for his young family to live.
Upon arriving in Princeton, Ron stopped for a bite to eat at PJs Pancake House on the main road in town, Nassau Street. While there, he discovered some rooms for rent in the newspaper, on nearby Bank street that might be able to host him for a week or so while on his housing hunt. He made his way there, to the home owned by Ms. Cunningham. The rooms were generally reserved for students, and her abrupt manner and terse tone might have driven others off. But Ron impressed her in some way, and perhaps she intrigued him as well, and she reluctantly offered him a room, perhaps given that it was summertime and there was a dearth of students to fill her home. Almost as quickly, she made it clear that she would do no cooking for Ron while he was in the area.
So off he went, around the corner and down the block, back to PJs Pancake House, where the food was good and the atmosphere pleasant. From that first visit to Ms. Cunningham, Ron and his entire family formed a friendship that lasted decades until her death, and long after the family had returned to the Baltimore area. In the end, Ms. Cunningham served MANY meals to Ron and counted the Schmidt family among her many friends.
PJs Pancake House, since 1962, has been very popular, at times, drawing lines out the door and around the corner.
She was a person that lived a pretty full life, based on the endless interesting stories about the famous, not-quite-famous, and perhaps infamous people she had met along the way. Among them, she told stories of Einstein, and later, of Walter Matthau, who had played Einstein in a movie that was filmed on location on her street in the 1990s, reportedly offering Mr. Matthau acting tips to be sure to get his character just right.
Armed with a retelling of the many stories and fond childhood memories Andrew had from that year in New Jersey, we decided a road trip to the Garden State should be a part of our summer plans. We drove into Princeton and made a direct move to visit PJs Pancake House. He smiled as we stood out front to admire the simple structure, and again when we entered, remembering that which was familiar and noticing the updates and changes made over the decades.
Our first stop HAD to be PJs!
Part of the kitchen was now opened up to a dining counter with bar seating, perhaps an effort to widen the exceedingly narrow building. The rest of the tiny space was filled with standalone tables and chairs in the center of the room, and dinette booths along the opposite wall, with heavy wooden tables throughout the space. As Andrew sat down at our table near the back, I could see his childhood memories flash through his mind, showing clearly on his smile while his blue eyes scanned the room.
The narrow restaurant has been a community staple for more than 60 years.
I had heard stories of this place many times, from his parents and Andy, in more recent years since we married, and way back in high school when we dated initially. But as his hands gently wiped across the wooden tabletop, I suddenly heard some new information that he had perhaps kept to himself, or only remembered at the moment he sat down. “I carved our names into one of these tables”, he said quietly. I looked down at the table in front of us, and it was only then that I noticed that these tables were likely original to the restaurant, founded in 1962. What likely began as vandalism eventually became an accepted, treasured tradition – guests carving their names, initials, and special messages into every inch of available space on those heavy-duty wood block tables.
Quickly I did the math and searched through my memory banks. Sure, our families had known each other since the 1940s, and we had met in the early months of our lives in the 1960s, but when did he carve our names into one of these tables if he frequented this restaurant when he was only five years old? “I was nineteen”, he said, filling in the blank look that must have appeared on my face – and it hit me, suddenly.
The last time he visited this restaurant was when he was a teenager, but after we had broken up. Nonetheless, this place was special to him, and so he memorialized our lost relationship at this special place as if it was a tree in the woods where lovers might carve their initials. He wanted to share this place with me back then, even though we were no longer together.
I sat quietly as the facts settled in. It warmed my heart, and at the same time, was a melancholy moment, because that had been a difficult time for both of us, each wanting to be with the other, but each not knowing about the other’s feelings. And so, we didn’t speak, didn’t see each other, and didn’t date again for another 30 years, our carved names lying in wait for our visit on this day in 2022.
My eyes searched our tabletop, and I saw the many layers of carvings, preserved with an occasional coating of what seemed like polyurethane, to seal the customer’s artwork for another 60 years. He didn’t recall which table he sat at while he carved, and he didn’t elaborate on the circumstances that placed him there, but I already knew. We were young, and apart from each other, and we still had a lot to figure out about life and love and relationships.
The silver dollar pancakes were among his favorite food memories from PJs, but on this day, he combined both breakfast and lunch into one order, beginning with pancakes, and ending with French onion soup, trying to cram in as many culinary childhood memories as possible into this little sliver of our day. It wasn’t so much about the quality of the food – it was diner food, sufficient and good, but not a culinary pinnacle. Instead, it was a place that the Schmidt family of his youth would always remember happily, simply because it represented life lived through the eyes and heart of an innocent five year old boy.
Breakfast and lunch all at once.
As we left the restaurant, we wandered into several little shops that Andrew remembered as well. His memories fooled him into thinking there had been more ice cream shops on the street back in the 1970s, but the bookstore and other shops still held a vague familiarity.
As we shopped our way through town, we suddenly noticed that we had arrived at Bank Street.
Just a few blocks down the street, Andrew quickly noticed that we had arrived at Bank Street, where the famed Ms. Cunningham had lived. We made the turn and wandered down a tiny street lined with old homes in varying levels of restoration or disrepair. As a lover of old homes, I was immediately drawn to the stories these homes could tell in a town like Princeton.
This little street with historic homes still captured some magic.
Thinking we were close to what used to be Ms. Cunninham’s house, we called Andrew’s mom and quickly confirmed that we were indeed, right outside her front door at 20 Bank Street. As our memory sometimes alters over time, and because childhood memories can be skewed because of a child’s more limited understanding of the world, Andrew was surprised to see that the home was not the large five-story row home he remembered in his mind’s eye (he remembered many steps inside the home), but rather a simple 1400 square foot, two-story Victorian half-of-a-double home.
Andy called his mom to happily let her know that he was visiting Ms. Cunningham’s house
What was once a home that Ms. Cunningham could afford to keep by renting out rooms to students, is now a slightly run-down version of the same, estimated to be worth three-quarters of a million dollars! There were even a few renovated look-alike homes on the block having recently sold for $1.25 million. As we paused to look upon the old home, it seemed that we could almost see Ms. Cunningham sitting on her front steps, queen of the block in her little town of Princeton, telling stories to all that passed in front of her.
Princeton is a beautiful, historic, ivy league college town, and the old buildings and quaint shops all evoke an academic vibe. I always loved attending school, and any college campus I ever visit leaves me harkening to those days when I could freely pursue the joy of learning and exploring. Andrew knew I would find the town interesting, and I was not disappointed.
The architecture of the old buildings was beautiful.
For me, the town immediately brought out feelings from those more difficult years in our late teens when we were apart. When he was 19, carving our names on a table, I was at college, on a different pretty little campus, thinking of him as well. We remained apart physically, but now more fully understood that we had kept a bit of each other in our hearts for all those years. Once again in a loving relationship with each other, our road trip to Princeton was a healing look backward in time to when things seemed simpler, simply because we had experienced and understood so little of life.
We shopped the stores and walked through campus arm in arm and quietly absorbed the feelings of our childhoods and youth. Without words, we could feel both the ache and the warmth it left behind, the heat of the day ushering us down the street in pretty little Princeton.
Satisfied with our little road trip, we drove back home to our little mobile house on wheels and decided to rent that 1994 movie, “IQ”, that was filmed in part, on Bank Street and Ms. Cunningham used to talk about. We had never seen it before, but we immediately recognized the streets of Princeton and pretty little Bank Street. Walter Matthau’s “Einstein”, Meg Ryan’s, “Catherine Boyd”, and others strolled down the street in the film – just like Ms. Cunningham had said.
The entire day reminded us that it is those simplest of things in life that sometimes create the deepest memories. It is often not the vast mountain vistas but instead, a brief moment at the top of a hilltop when the sun shines just right and your loved ones are near. It is not the trip to the farthest corners of the world, but rather the long car ride there when you have the time to talk about just about everything along the way. Sometimes, it is simply silver dollar pancakes in a little restaurant and a little street with a little old lady that tells terrific stories to a five-year-old boy that makes a loving, lifelong, lasting impression.
Safe travels, and enjoy the memories of when life was simpler.
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This is our new rig, part of our very busy Phase II season! Does anyone have a name for her?
One of the best things about RVing, and full-time RVing in particular, is that there are endless different ways to do it! Common terms you may see are “full-time stationary”, “snowbird”, “weekend warrior” and even “full-time traveling”. They each describe the approach that camper(s) have taken for their RVing life. Within each traveling style, there are additional descriptors, such as “retired”, “remote employed”, “work-kamper”, “volunteer RVer” and more!
RVers, including full-time RVers, come in all shapes, sizes and groups! In our travels, we meet retired folks like my husband, part-time small business operators like me, families with children, young singles and even single travelers of a “certain age”! There is as much diversity among RVers as there is in all of society! What is most remarkable to me are the many people we meet that had little or no experience with camping before they launched their travels (like my DH).
It has been two years on the road – When will it end?
My dear husband and I are cautious planners, so we developed our full-time RVing plans over a number of years, researching the perfect rig (there is none!), the right tow vehicle (you don’t wanna get this wrong!) and developing our camping style (boondockers, state and federal parks, membership camping, etc).
All of this camping diversity is important to know about so that if you have ever dreamed about FT RVing, you also know that it can be done in a wide variety of ways! Just don’t end up with the “shoulda, coulda, wouldas” and fail to ever take those first exploratory steps or set a concrete goal. If you fail to set a goal and make a plan to get there, you will miss your FT RVing target every time.
We recently celebrated our 2nd FT RVing anniversary, and like last year, we took some time to reflect upon our lifestyle and touched base with each other to see “how we are doing”. The consensus – two years in and we aren’t yet ready to come in off the road.
So today I thought it might be good to share our “state of the RV union”, so to speak, looking at how our travels seem to have changed from our original vision, and how our traveling life has made its way through different phases, giving us contentment in our nomadic lifestyle.
Phase I – “Pandemic-Modified Plans”
We launched our FT RVing adventure in July of 2020, in the middle of the infamous worldwide pandemic, so whatever plans we had made for travel, needed to be modified before we ever left our driveway. Our campground membership with Thousand Trails saved us a lot of money and gave us a reliable place to stay that first fall and winter, since sightseeing was highly restricted and many campgrounds had limitations as well. While we had planned to explore Florida and the southeast during those first months to stay closer to my youngest child, Ella, who had just left our nest after high school, we instead found ourselves “hanging out” in central Florida most of the time with limited sightseeing because of our Covid cautiousness (thankfully, we stayed safe and well!).
Our Thanksgiving and Christmas campsites were close enough to Ella that she had a holiday place to visit (a goal of mine for those first holidays), and we decided to postpone our first big “kid visit” to Disney that January and instead, made a quieter visit with just the two of us. As the pandemic took its course, we felt most comfortable remaining in this Phase I hiatus until the vaccine became available. It was a great time to shake out our nerves and plan for Phase II.
Look here for our months of memories during Phase I:
A little open air roadside shopping for our next visit to MD
I guess he should fish more often
A happy, modest, Thanksgiving table
A beautiful Tybee Island Thanksgiving
Christmas on the FL panhandle
Dog on a beach is certainly Covid safe!
Disney lost a little sparkle b/c of Covid
We missed the kids on our first visit together! (but we will solve that problem!)
VA historic triangle was lovely
Phase II – The “Honeymoon”
Phase II began in spring 2021 as we emerged from the worst of the pandemic, drove north and swung by the PA/MD area to visit our family members before heading west on a summer adventure. It took weeks to make all the reservations and build our itinerary, because as our country re-opened, RVers were ready to move once again!
This is the romantic side of FT RVing that we all dream about – seeing amazing sights and having tremendous experiences of a lifetime. We traveled across the midwest through Illinois, Indana, Missouri and Kansas, out to Colorado, and then circled up into Wyoming, Idaho and Montana before making our way back east in October of 2021.
Throughout the extended summer season, Andrew’s adult children took us up on our invitation to visit, along with his brother and family and his best friend, Steve!
Another state, anotherfriendto visit
Mining history remembers
Not just passingthrough, but exporing
Colorado beauty
Resting atGarden of the Gods
More Garden of th Gods
Surprising fun days in the midwest
Kansas dress ups for fun
Mountaintop achievements and sibling time
Love is in the air at Glacier NP
Glacier NP beauty
A CO hike in the woods for two
Our first official bison sighting…
…was a herd in Kansas
Morning beauty out west.
We loved Denver!
That CO hike was gorgeous!
Ahhh, what a summer.
Phase II continued with a great visit to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving, where we were blessed to be able to entice five of our six children to visit, followed by a return to Florida where we celebrated a quiet Christmas and ramped up for a big visit to Walt Disney World in January 2022. We spent ten days preparing for, hosting and recovering from visits from five of our six kids and our future SIL as well.
A little Disney magic returned on our 2nd pandemic visit
Awwwww!
A return to Disney – this time with “kids” in tow!
Myrtle Beach, SC in November
The sibling tree of life
Holiday decorating is easier in an RV – but fun!
A Thanksgiving feast for ten
Step-sisters hanging out
Some moments are iconic
Just to keep us on our toes in Phase II, we managed to stumble upon a new Grand Design Solitude fifth wheel layout that we fell in love with (Solitude 346fls), which we ordered in August while in Montana and picked up in February in Missouri. Finally, the honeymoon was over, and we slowly headed back east and into what we now call our Phase III of our FT RVing adventure in March 2022. Look here for our memoirs from our months in the honeymoon phase:
With many new state stickers on our travel map and a brand new RV in our possession, we initially thought that the time we had in the spring of 2022 would be spent planning our next big summer adventure (who doesn’t want a second honeymoon?!). But we found that doing too much “go-go-go” may not be the best approach. As we looked at our calendar, where we had already scheduled a summer exploration of the New England states, it became apparent that it was time to make another adjustment.
Our Phase II “honeymoon” really fille up our map – but there is sooo much more we want to see!
Our nephew, Jonathan, was getting married in March. Andrew’s youngest child, Abby, was graduating from college in May, my brother, Mike, was set to celebrate retirement from a 25 year career in law enforcement (good riddance!) in July, and our favorite future son-in-law, Chris, was scheduled to become part of the family in early September. At the same time, we found good reasons to visit our mothers and children for a while, helping where we can and reconnecting in a way that is best done with more regular in-person visits and fewer video calls.
So we took advantage of our best asset as FT RVers – we can be extremely FLEXIBLE. The New England plans were canceled and we made reservations for the entire summer via our Thousand Trails Membership and our recently acquired Coast To Coast membership. As we pass our “two-year mark” and head into the fall, we change campgrounds every two to three weeks, sticking in the Gettysburg/Hershey/Lancaster region of Pennsylvania. In doing so, we eliminated nearly all campsite fees for the summer (C2C costs us $10 per night, TT is free).
We have used this time that is sort-of stationary, to schedule dental cleanings, wedding-prep shopping, health check-ups and oil changes, dinners with the kids, visits to our moms and day trips to Princeton, NJ, New Hope, PA and every farm market and thrift shop I can shake a stick at (there are soooo many of both in this Amish/Mennonite/tourist parts of the Keystone state).
One part of our FT RVing life that gives us an advantage is our vacation rental business. We have two properties that can give us some travel downtime if we need it occasionally. But it wasn’t until this summer that we first came off the road for a week and stayed at our rural Pennsylvania cottage (www.CloversCottage.com), where we hosted Abby’s graduation party with family and friends. It was nice to have some time to spread out a bit, take care of some property maintenance, and most of all – TAKE A BATH in our antique claw-footed bathtub (perhaps the thing that I miss the most because of life in an RV).
Before our Reality Reset Phase III is complete, we will also visit our Cape May Beach cottage for a combined maintenance and fun stay. When complete, and as the autumn leaves flutter to the ground, we will wrap up our visit to the area and move on to wherever we decide is next! In the coming weeks, my stories of our new semi-stationary reality will be posted as well! In the meantime, here are some photos:
Fun with fam
ATV R&R
Rural PA getaway
Day trip to Princeton – recognizing the enslaved in their history
Ivy league beauty
Flea Market bargains
Wedding prep purchases
New Hope PA roadtrip
Celebrating family
cloverscottage.com
Doggo loving a yard
A farm to table dinner date in Lancaster
Love is in the “Air Supply”
My girls at our relaxin’ place
Another roadtrip!!
Phase IV – To Be Determined
As we look ahead to this fall and winter, we are still deciding where the road will take us. Where do we want to visit? How close to Mom should we be? When is our next medical appointment? How much cold weather do we want to face? How will we next be able to see the kids? Will we finally make it to New England next summer?
No matter our direction or destination, we have learned that the journey will be special and our time together will be treasured. I have my love by my side and though the plans will vary, and we must be willing to make adjustments for the challenges in life, we know we are blessed to live this life and can make it through to the end of the road, wherever that may be.
Beauty and serenity can be found in many ways in your RV life.
POSTSCRIPT
We often get questions about “where or when does it end”. For us, we went into FT RVing with a general exit strategy in mind, but we had no preconceived notions about how long it may last. There was always the possibility that we could hastily return to “sticks and bricks” living after only six weeks on the road, but we also knew that it was quite possible that this lifestyle could be open-ended.
There will come a time when FT RVing is no longer our first choice, but we envision a hybrid in our future, while our health permits it, where we can both travel and have a “sticks and bricks” home base. We dream of a nice little mountain plot of land out west with RV hookups or a lakeside cottage on the east coast that may be big enough for family to visit. I would like to once again find a community that we can really feel a part of, with a little church family where we feel like we are a part of something bigger than just our little home on wheels. We don’t yet know how our story ends, but we welcome the journey every day.
Safe travels, and be sure to make all your RV dreams come true!
