The Beach Is My Church – Where I Can Dwell In The House Of The Lord

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 Resort

The 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.

A Princeton Road Trip Revisits the Simplicity of Childhood

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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2015

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

Roadtrip!

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.  

My fav ball player EVER – having the time of his life
at Camden Yards in 2017 as part of O’s Dream Week

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!

How is this the ONLY photo they took during the entire night?

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

They don’t call it the Ivy League for nothin’!

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

A red wine flight and a Harvest Peach Old Fashion

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!

Two Less Lonely People In The World – one of my favs
(which grammatically, should be “fewer”, but that wouldn’t sound nearly as grood!

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

My pre-wedding Hershey Spa day with my sis and SIL in 2015;
There is nothing like lunch and cocktails in a soft bath robe!

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

A magical date at Hershey Gardens in 2014 (and my first selfie with a boy, lol!)

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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  • Revisiting a special place in 2016
  • The butterfly atrium is now larger than in 2014
  • “Flutterbys” landing lovingly
  • A winter beauty visit
  • Fountains and flowers galore.
  • Be careful to not make any sudden moves!

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 wishes from Tina and Stencil!

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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  • A SC roadtrip with friends to see the Eagles (they still got it!)
  • Abby graduates from Towson University!
  • Proud Omi and Abby
  • Omi rides an ATV!
  • Sending out Easter love packages to family that we miss at Easter
  • A simple Easter (picnic) table
  • A friend visits our campsite in Manheim PA
  • An Easter feast for two in Jackson Springs, SC
  • It isn’t Easter without a ham
  • Grammy’s bittersweet chocolate covered cream eggs
  • My forever weding date at our nephew’s weeding in March
  • Wedding reception
  • Dear old Bug always loved his walks.
  • Happy Easter, y’all, from Sycamore Lodge Resort in SC!
  • A TT campground on our way north to PA/MD
  • A sure sign of spring
  • Beautiful Sycamore Lodge Resort is part of our new Coast To Coast membership
  • A dog jam on travel day (why does he do this?!)
  • March snow in PA
  • We haven’t seen snow in three winters!
  • Stencil gets a break from the crate on travel day
  • The Eagles
  • Dad and Ben in their fancy duds (fancy as compared to RV living, that is)
  • Wedding date night smiles
  • Movie date (Top Gun)
  • A simple Easter (picnic) table
  • One of the most meaningful weddings I have ever attended – Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan and Madison Schmidt
  • When your son gets a motorcycle
  • Calvin wants to join the graduation party meal
  • Ella fishing at “The Mill”
  • Family visits to celebrate Abby
  • Ella gets on her “country girl”
  • Mom leads, Christy takes it slow and steady
  • Eagles awesomeness
  • Congratulations Grad!
  • Abby and Diego roll out
  • Vince Gill has been on tour with the Eagles!
  • He reminds me of my dad…if Dad could be a rock-n-roll star

Full-Time RVing Is A Life In Phases

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:

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2020/07/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2020/09/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2020/10/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2020/11/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2020/12/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/02/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/03/

  • Our backyard view at TT Clerbrook
  • 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:

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/06/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/07/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/08/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/09/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2021/10/

https://timetravelsandtribulations.com/2022/03/

Phase III – “Reality Reset”

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!

Our Dog Bug Journeyed Joyfully All The Way

Once our daughter, Ella went off to college, every time we saw her, she would implore our old dog, Bug, to please live long enough for her to see him again.  “Just live another four months, Buggy, so we can see each other again”, were her words to him as we said goodbye.  Her sad farewell was during a brief visit we made in the Gainesville, Florida, Walmart parking lot where we saw her on a work break as we were passing through the area in January (since becoming empty nesters, we have been traveling full-time RVers).  For several years, it was clear that Bug was showing his age and slowing down, so this visit, like the last several, ended with tears in Ella’s eyes and a crack in her voice as she nuzzled his face before returning to work.

Now it was suddenly four months later, and Ella had to accelerate her travel plans by a day just to increase the likelihood that she and Bug could keep their promise to see each other for a final visit.  He had just turned 13 years old two days earlier, and just days before that, had taken a turn for the worse.  It was clear now that he had lost his pure and innocent joy in living and that it was now our duty as his family, to relieve him of his earthly pains and send him on to “greener pastures”.

Fortunately, we were already camping in Pennsylvania, in a region near all our family members (except for Ella).  With kids, siblings and parents living in Pottsville, Felton and Hanover, Pennsylvania and Parkton, Jarrettsville, Towson and Baltimore, Maryland, so everyone had the opportunity to visit with Bug (and us) in the weeks leading up to his last days.

But it was Ella that had always expressed strong feelings about being with Bug at the end of his journey.  Unfortunately, she managed to sleep through her alarm and miss her early morning flight!  She spent the next 18 hours in airports – booking, canceling and waiting on standby for a number of flights, finally arriving, with the help of her brother, Lorne, just before midnight on the evening before Peaceful Paws Passage was to arrive to help us send Bug over the Rainbow Bridge.

Lorne and Ella slept overnight in our fifth wheel trailer where we live full-time as RVer travelers.  They were both exhausted from a long week of worry and sad news, each on one of our two guest beds in our home-on-wheels, and each with a dog (Calvin and Bug) beside them to quite happily keep them company.

Once we gently lifted him into bed, Bug waited patiently for Ella to join him in our guest bed for their final sleepover together.

Morning arrived too soon and it was a pleasing, sunny day at Gettysburg Farm Campground (full of earthly “greener pastures” we knew Bug to love).  Ella and Lorne took Bug and Calvin for a final walk around the working-farm-turned-campground while their sister, Adalie, drove down to meet us all for Bug’s looming appointment (Lorne and Adalie had already visited Bug for the afternoon two days earlier and they were able to take the doggos on a nice walk through all the sights and smells as well).

Lorne visiting Bug in his last, tired days…
…but no matter how tired he grew, he ALWAYS wanted to go take a walk!

Bug was always a dog that was led by his nose, and in his final weeks of life, taking a walk was just about the last remaining happy part of his day.  Now that he was older and slower, he would lead us out to the farm fields that surrounded the outer edge of the campground and we would let him off leash, allowing him to fully follow his nose and natural inclination to sniff his way along the path.  Because he was slower, he finally listened to us well; a little verbal cue from me was all that was needed to slow him down until we could catch up to him. With his head covered in as much grey fur as black and white, and now hanging low and slightly to the right from his disabilities of age, he journeyed joyfully through the fallow fields.

When Bug was younger, he was more likely to “turn off” his ears once his nose took over, so his off-leash time was strictly limited (outside of our fenced back yard at the time) to days at our weekend cottage, and even then, he couldn’t be completely free to roam.  Instead, our country-bumpkin solution was to attach a lead to him on one end, and a bucket or large piece of pvc pipe to the other.  It was just enough drag and resistance to cause Bug to not wander too far too fast while we enjoyed the rural acreage of our cottage property. It was ridiculous, but highly effective in giving him both freedom and protection.

All three of my kids gathered together, along with me and my husband, Andrew, for the first time since Thanksgiving.  Now that we all lived in separate states, such get-togethers were extra special, but today, while special, was not going to be easy.  We laid out a blanket in the lush green grass, offered Bug some of his favorite treats, and encouraged him to lay down and relax on the ground.  Relaxing had become difficult for him in recent weeks and he often looked disoriented and unsure of how to settle down, rotating in circles a number of times, or trying to dig a little hole in the dirt before finding his place.

The kind and gentle veterinarian waited for our signal, and after about ten minutes of the five of us crying and giving Bug encouraging words in an effort to not cause him concern, the vet gave him a sedative that would render him unconscious over a 10-15 minute period.  It was in those minutes that I could see the pain and worry slowly melt away from his body.  Bit by bit, he got lower to the ground; first his tail, then his chin, and slowly his body settled softly and peacefully into the blanket on the grass in the breezy sunshine, with Ella lying beside him, Lorne sitting next to him, and Adalie standing, and then sitting nearby, all three kids petting and touching him.  

It was at this moment that I realized just how tense Bug had been these last weeks.  Even while sleeping, he was always unsettled, and seemed slightly distressed.  A dog seems to know, often better than his humans, when his time and purpose on earth is ending, and his sleeping moments in recent days, weeks and months now contrasted greatly with how relaxed and calm he was with a little help from the sedative.  His body was finally, truly resting, and he breathed quiet breaths in absolute serenity.

The vet waited patiently again, and having already explained clearly how the process of pet euthanasia worked, we knew that the next injection would be unfelt and would result in a quiet cessation of Bug’s breathing.  Each of us took a moment to speak to Bug as the sedative quietly helped him fall asleep.  Adalie told him what a good dog he had been for our family.  Ella reminded him that he could soon see our old dog, Jake, who had passed several years earlier.  Lorne sat next to Bug on the blanket and quietly petted his soft, gray ear.  Andrew stood nearby with our ten year old dog, Calvin, who soon would be a “single dog” for the first time in his life.  I stood beside my loved ones and tried to absorb this “life moment” that somehow represented something much more than the loss of a loved family pet.

By the time Bug came into our family as a puppy, it had been 18 years since I had a puppy.  I had not forgotten about the work and commitment it takes to raise a puppy, but for my husband at the time, Dave, having “one last puppy” was a dream fulfilled.  He reminded me what a treat it would be for our three young children to have the “puppy experience” now that they were old enough to understand the responsibility of having a family dog.  So Dave insisted, I relented, and Bug became a part of our family as a puppy in the fall of 2009.

Bug’s first puppy outing to Knoebels Grove Amusement Park for a scouting event.
October, 2009 – Ella and Bug Halloween camping in Hershey, PA
Bug was there for all the big moments, including this first day of school in the fall of 2010.
Adalie, Lorne, Ella and Bug enjoying the outdoors at extended Thanksgiving weekend at our cottage in Hegins, PA, 2009 (at the start of hunting season, thus the orange woodsy outdoor attire).

His mom was a Beagle mix, rescued by a non-profit organization made up of foster families for dogs saved from high-kill shelters, and Bug was a part of her litter.  He had his mother’s Beagle bay, and certainly the strong “nose” of a Beagle, but he was black and white, perhaps the colorings of his unknown father.  He joined our family at the perfect time, when life was a full and busy family of three children, ages 7, 10 and 13.  It was the best of times for our family, and my husband finally had his puppy companion to ride in the truck with him and be his most loyal friend.

A warm lap in Dec 2009
Working partners, Jan 2010

Bug took up his role quickly, as he was clearly a “man’s dog”.  He was not needy or outwardly adoring of his humans, and showed little overt interest in other dogs, other than to give them a quick sniff, but he was rather a relaxed and friendly buddy to his favorite man.  Always interested in his next meal or playing with his dog toy (usually a squeaky plush toy whose insides could be disemboweled in a matter of minutes), he was neither high strung or overly affectionate.  He played his love a little cool, and as such, Bug fit in well with our family.  My husband finally got to have “his puppy” for what he promised would be our “one last time”.

A year and a half later, the promise of “one last time” took on a new meaning as tragedy struck our family and my husband of 18 years died suddenly.  Bug was with him that day, and it was Bug’s panicked barking that alerted a neighbor nearby to the accident that had taken Dave’s life on a small acreage of wooded land we had purchased only months earlier.  “Dave’s puppy” was brought home to us that day as we suddenly tried to figure out how to now be a very different family than any of us planned for or wanted.

Bug was with us through those terribly difficult years and the innocent and pure love of that dog helped to normalize our life that felt anything but normal.  He would cuddle with Ella as she no doubt cried herself to sleep, missing her dad as only a nine year old little girl could.  He ran around the yard chasing bunnies as Lorne tried to find his place as the “man of the house” at age 11.  Having just turned 15, Adalie worked her way through high school without her dad to help guide her, as Bug’s care gave us a simple unified purpose.  Bug remained the ever-present family member with a playful and contented demeanor in our home, modeling a pleasure in life as only dogs do, and giving us hope that we each might someday find the same for ourselves.

  • Don’t stress – roll and relax!
  • Ella and Bug at our Hegins cottage
  • Joe Cool
  • The dining room and kitchen were perhaps his fav rooms in the house!
  • Ella’s 8th birthday party – AKA Bug’s naming party!

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My father (the kid’s “Morfar”, Swedish for mother’s father), quickly became Bug’s natural next favorite man.  Morfar was a great source of excess treats and “people food” that Bug probably shouldn’t have been eating, and in those years, my parents and siblings did their best to be more present in our lives, even though we lived hours apart.  My dad picked up where Dave had left off, and they had a special bond that benefited my dad as much as Bug.  Each visit began with Bug wiggling with excitement as he realized that Morfar was nearby.  Even after my father’s death two years before Bug passed, Bug would show great excitement each time we visited my childhood home, no doubt because Bug expected Morfar to be there to greet him.

Morfar ALWAYS shared his meals
Bug shows his loyalty and preferences for Morfar

Eventually, although not easily or elegantly, we made it through our most difficult years, with Bug by our sides for each challenging step we took.  The children grew older, we moved from our home in Pennsylvania to my home state of Maryland, and I remarried.  The children grew into young adults, leaving home one-by-one to pursue their adulthood dreams and to build their independent lives.  

  • Cape May with our dog pack
  • Apparrantly, Bug became a Ravens fan
  • June 2020 at Ella’s “home graduation”
  • Always of fan of sleeping places he shouldn’t
  • Ella the doggo trainer
  • What a great scene to come home to
  • Ellas love bug

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My new husband, Andrew, quickly became Bug’s new favorite man, and as we joined our families together, Andrew’s two dogs, Jake (Golden Retriever mix) and Calvin (Bassett-Plott Hound mix), became Bug’s “dog pack”.  As had happened each time our family changed, Bug picked a man to which his loyalties and love were placed.  Andrew was that “best man” for Bug for the remaining eight years of Bug’s life and they were great companions, with Andrew always ready to show love and affection to our furry family members and Bug ready to go absolutely anywhere with Andrew.

  • Our last vet visit – and they were so good!
  • Laying outside was always his fav – in the sunshine for as long as he could stand it
  • The retired life of an old-man dog
  • I wonder where we get to go next?
  • RV life is more cuddly
  • The RV sofa belongs to the doggos
  • Sandy paws were more favored than wet paws
  • They would drive if we let them

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Bug continued to be the steadfast yet lovingly standoff-ish part of our ever-evolving “family life” with a wagging tail and a happy nuzzle to come home to; he was our only constant in the 13 years we loved him.  His life corresponded to the best of our lives, the worst of our lives, and a return once more to goodness and pleasure in life as Andrew and I, newly empty nesters, took our family pets (Bug, Calvin and cat, Stencil) on the road to see the country from our cozy home base fifth wheel RV.  He had been through it all with us – riding the wild adventures of life at its worst and best.  For nearly two years, Bug saw many states in the United States with us, always thrilled to ride in the truck anywhere our travels took us.

Northern Idaho, near the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park, Summer 2021
Upcountry South Carolina, June 2019
Where are we headed next?! I am ready!

When the time seemed right, I gave the vet the go-ahead to send Bug on his way, and as we all felt the pain of loss, we knew that Bug was in good hands for his entire journey.  “Tell Dad and Morfar we said ‘hello’”, I said as I smiled through my tears and imagined Bug crossing over a beautiful, colorful archway to the heavens.  The five of us wept openly, and despite feeling a sense of loss, we knew this was the ideal way to say goodbye to our beloved family member.  In a matter of minutes, we watched Bug leave our lives, and move on to a perfect eternity to be reunited with others whom he had loved.

Pet euthanasia is a gift we give to our pets – a thank you for their unconditional love and devotion to us.  It was an honor to help Bug cross over that Rainbow Bridge, feeling peace and love as he trusted us to care for him his entire life.  We are grateful to have had this little, sometimes ornery puppy to walk through the highs and lows of our family life for thirteen years.  He was a gift of unconditional love that we will always treasure.

Safe travels, to Bug and all our furry loved ones – from here to eternity – until we play again.

Safe travels, Bug, and have a joyful journey!

Outtakes

Bug got his name at Ella’s 9th birthday party just a few days after we brought him home. After narrowing down to a few final choices, we asked all of the party guests to drop a name in the jar. Guests added their own suggestions, and after all the votes were in, there was no clear winner. We sort of defaulted to “Bug”, as it was just quirky enough that it fit his personality. He was “as snug as a bug in a rug”, “as cute as a bug”, and sometimes, he just seemed “as dumb as a bug”. But he was our Bug, and we loved him.
Food was a big motivator for Bug, so from an early age, he was always ready to help “clean” the dishwasher when we weren’t looking (a pre-rinse cycle, of sorts). He also loved empty peanut butter jars, unattended garbage bags, broccoli stumps and carrots. We called him our mountain goat, because it wasn’t unusual to enter the kitchen and find him standing on top of the kitchen table in an attempt to see what we might have left behind.
Bug actually was an old dog that could learn new tricks! He was abiyt 7 years old when he learned to “speak” or and ten years old when he learned to roll over on command (both for treats, of course). Speaking generally took several attempts…at first, just an awkward sneeze or two, followed by a little snortle, and eventually a full-fledged “bark” on command!
Bug loved his toys and treats! He would eagerly unwrap gifts of a squeeky toy, would tear apart a stuffed toy with sheer joy, or delicately nibble off the fuzz on a tennis ball. When younger, he would even chase a toy or ball, but he would NEVER bring it back to us. Instead, he would reach the toy, then stay in that spot to enjoy it all by himself.
What kind of mom gives her son only half of a birthday cake? The kind of mom that has ornery Bug as a family pet! At Lorne’s surprise 13th camping themed birthday party with friends, Bug was put in the camper to stay out of trouble…except Mom forgot that the birthday cake had been placed in the camper as well, ironically enough, for safe keeping. Several minutes later, after Bug had found and enjoyed much of the cake, we needed to cut away the dog0destriyed section to be able to sing Happy Birthday and salvage something for Lorne to make his wish!

In all the years that Bug eagerly chased bunnies and squirrels, there was only once (well, sort of twice) that he struck it rich. As Bug came into the house in fall 2011, it was clear he was hiding something from us in his mouth. I grabbed the camera while Adalie (the brave one), donned gloves and pried his prize from his mouth in the kitchen. Minutes later, out fell an ENTIRE RABBIT HEAD! Through screams of disgust, we saw that Bug had found what must have been a very slow bunny (or perhaps an already dead bunny) in our back yard. After the head, he spat up a little bunny kidney, some more fur, and for the next 10 ours, managed to throw up MANY times – both inside and outside the house.

His second infamous bunny incident was hardly “catching” a bunny, but it did nearly cause Lorne to excommunicate Bug from the family. Lorne came into the house upset because he believed that Bug had found a mouse nest and was upset to see him tossing the poor little things all around the yard like play-things. Upon investigation, and to his increased horror, what Bug had actually found was a nest of day-old baby bunnies. He had decimated the entire nest within minutes, and from that day forward, the rabbits in our back yard got smarter, placing all their nests safely under the children’s playhouse – out of Bug’s reach yet close enough to give him hours of fun sniffy and chasing.

It was a sad day in central Florida in fall 2020 when we thought we were gonna lose him too soon. Through no fault of his own (just laying in the grass in our campsite), Bug was backed up over by a campground employee’s truck! Fortunately, the ground was soft from the sandy soil and recent rain, and miraculously, the only injury was a dislocated rear hip. It took six weeks of tender loving care (leg retracted into an sling to keep it immobile, followed by carefully controlling his jumping and sudden moves for the rest of his years (dislocated hips often can pop out of place again). But he returned fully to his cheerful little self and recovered sufficiently to trot along and really savor is “retired, traveling life”.

A February Side Trip Holds Great Surprises

The open road on a loosely-planned side trip makes for extra fun

Sure, the big summer trips are amazing.  Thousands of miles and hours upon hours of planning go into the big bucket-list-check-off kind of traveling.  Sometimes, however, it is the unexpected side trip that provides beauty, entertainment and fun that you  just cannot plan for.

We recently did a wild thing – we bought a new camper.  We weren’t unhappy with our old one, but we did it anyway.  That is a story for another post on another day.  Today, our side trip is the focus – a 2,839 mile trip from Clermont, Florida to Carthage, Missouri, to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – in FEBRUARY!

This was the fairly unplanned “February Side Trip” we took to pick up our new home on wheels:

The first half of the trip was loosely planned out (and the second half was hardly planned out at all).   I made reservations that kept us on a southerly route for as long as possible, before we had to turn north toward what the weather reports told us was a cold and snow-covered Missouri.

A restored Florida prarie, repleat with a small herd of bison and wild horses

Stop #1:  Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Gainesville, FL – The sole goal of this stop was to visit my baby, Ella, a bright 20 year-old (both in brains and in personality) attending college in Gainesville.  Florida state parks are notoriously difficult to get a campsite reservation for, but I snagged one night just days before our departure.  It is a pretty little campground in an even prettier little state park that was developed with the intention of restoring and preserving prairie land in the state.  Our little 20 hour layover turned into learning about what old Florida might have been like, and got glimpses into some wildlife that we had not expected!  We spotted bison far in the distance (part of a prairie restoration project), several armadillos up close, and two magnificent Bald Eagles resting in a tree far above us.  There is an observation tower and a small visitor’s center that are also worth a stop, and we are told that wild horses live on the prairie as well.

We ended our short stay with a visit to see Ella while on her 15 minute work-break at Walmart, and even had the pleasure of meeting her supervisor, a really sweet lady that spoke so highly of her single son and of Ella, that she had me convinced that Ella really should consider going on a date with him (naw, it’s not awkward when mothers play matchmaker, is it?)!

Two American Bald Eagles roosting in the trees above our heads!

We hope to return to Paynes Prairie Preserve some day to focus on hiking – and perhaps a longer visit with our youngest child!

Stop #2:  Grover T’s BBQ, Milton, FL – We have enjoyed our Harvest Hosts membership for nearly two years, and this addition to our adventures did not disappoint us.  With a wide open and level area to park for the night alongside several other RVs, we made our way into the restaurant for an early dinner.  One nice benefit of an overnight Harvest Hosts boondock is that with generally no water, power or sewer, the easiest thing to do is to take our time and enjoy our evening at our host’s business.

The menu is extensive, but as always, the brisket catches my eye

A polite and capable young man was our attentive server, and we discovered that all HH members at this stop receive a complimentary order of some darn good onion rings.  We added a LOT of food to our order, enjoying fried jalapenos, brisket, bbq, and an order of wings and ribs to go home with us!  It mattered little that there was only one type of red house wine.  We were in a rural area of Florida, where the food was delicious, our fellow boondockers were friendly, and the prices were very affordable.  Stop by Grover T’s some time if you find yourself in the Milton, Florida area!  You guessed it – for us it will always be a return trip when passing through the state’s panhandle.

Stop #3:  Big Creek Water Park, Soso, MS – Don’t let the name fool you.  This campground is part of the Pat Harrison Waterway District and includes a beautiful 2,000 acre lake (and no “water park” as you might imagine).  It was a bit too cold and rainy for us snowbirding Floridians who have become accustomed to warmer temperatures. But the campsites run all along the lake and the sites are spacious.  We were only one of three campers on our loop, so our stay was private and quiet.

Our back yard for two days. It was a the jarring cold (after two winters in warm weather) that made us want to return when spring arrives.

The gem of this two-night stay was a day trip to nearby Laurel, Mississippi, the home of Ben and Erin Napier of HGTV’s Home Town fame.  I have enjoyed the show since its start, so it was fun to nerd out as a fan for a day.  However, Laurel is worth a visit even if you do not know the show, as the historic, once-deserted downtown is indeed bustling and alive in recent years.  We ate a great southern meal at Cafe La Fleur and stopped in a number of great little shops.  We ended the day with a visit to the Scotsman General Store and Woodshop, where they were filming the show behind a window that looked in from the store and into the woodshop!  

NOLA-style lunch in historic downtown Laurel
French dip and grits, among other tastiness

A gentleman acting in a public relations capacity (and an AZ transplant), answered our questions about the impact of such fame on a perhaps reluctant rural town.  We shopped and hung out while cameramen and production staff worked busily setting up the next shot for the show.  We saw other stars of the show (Malorie) and past homeowners that were featured in prior episodes (among them, Brooke and son, Kingston, from one of my favs – season 5, episode 1). It was a great day, discovering some of the secrets of Laurel.  Before we even left, I was ready to think about when we might be able to return for a deeper dive into a small town that is experiencing the wild ride of hope, restoration and fame.

The more I learned, the more I liked them.

Watching them shoot a scene from the Scotsman Co, into the glass viewing window of Ben’s workshop.
  • Driving into town
  • Great shops all around
  • Murals of progress
  • Another scene readying
  • Now I wanna re-watch some episodes
  • City Beautiful is a proud nickname
  • More shopping fun
  • Welcome to the Sotsman
  • Our little souvenier

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Stop #4:  Twisted Lane Candles, Pine Bluff, AR – Harvest Hosts includes a lot of wineries, restaurants, museums and golf courses, but this was our first candle shop.  Nestled in the middle of a residential neighborhood in rural Arkansas, we made a hard left and a sharp right and went all the way back to a little cul de sac that had a level, paved parking pad right in front of a cute little, fully operating candle manufacturing business (AKA a converted garage beside their home)!  After parking, we walked to the backyard to the back door where the owner was kind enough to share her story and business evolution.  

The straight lane before the twisted lane…

We sniffed every one of her available scents and we walked away that evening with some adventurous scents that are totally “us”!  I have long loved candles, but have also long-loathed food smells and too-strong flowery smells in candles, so it quickly became clear that I might just be in Twisted Lane Candle’s target market.  With no dyes, no frills, wooden wicks and some uncanny real-life often masculine scents (think Pipe Tobacco and Bourbon, or even Mud), you might just be amazed like me!  In addition to all of these great features, it is important to note that these candles last 60 hours or longer, depending on the jar (due to supply chain issues, they recently had to change their jars).  Never before have I found such a clean, slow-burning candle.  Check them out!  Even if I never get to stop back in Pine Bluffs, Arkansas, I surely will be ordering some more candles on her website!

The “she-shed” production building
One of our scented purchases to support our Host

Stop #5:  Coachlight RV Park, Carthage, MO –

Our first look at our new rig!

We arrived at the place that was the reason for the entire trip!  We bought our new rig, sold our old rig, and had a great experience (yep, I hope to write that story soon as well).  But the secret sauce in little Carthage, Missouri?  AMAZING Mexican food!  A quick Google search for restaurants in the area revealed to us a heavy leaning toward Mexican food.  Generally not our go-to cuisine (for me, Mexican and Chinese foods are a once-in-a-while kinda thing), we relented and chose Habaneros Mexican Grill for a trip out on the first evening for dinner and a search for moving boxes.  

Always in search of the best Jalapeno Margarita, I ordered one with our server, who quickly returned with a bottle of jalapeno and cucumber-infused tequila.  Yep, I was up for it.  I followed that cocktail with Habanero Steak that included roasted vegetables and a baked potato.  What a deliciously spicy meal!  Andrew’s meal was equally enjoyable, but I honestly was so taken with mine that I barely noticed his meal (we are always willing to share a bit of our meals with each other to expand our culinary experiences)!

Cucumber-jalapeno infused tequila made it unique…the glass made it LARGE

Oh my, this dinner was soooo spicy and delicious – Habanero Steak!

A day later, in need of a lunchtime meal to wait patiently for our new rig to be ready for pickup, we went to El Charro and were just as impressed by the quick take-out service and delicious meals.  In both cases, these were locally owned, busy restaurants that offered quick, efficient and attentive service with some of the best Mexican food we have ever enjoyed!  We KNOW we will be back in the Carthage area some time in the next year (warranty work), and we will happily return to both restaurants.

Both businesses were decorated like the small-town, small-biz businesses that they were….an it worked.

Stop #6:  Craighead Forest Park, Jonesboro, AR – As we left Carthage following our nine-night stay which included a lot of work and a little bit of delicious restaurant eating, we woke up, broke down camp, got into the truck, opened up the GPS and THEN decided where we would go next.  This was a big moment in our full-time RVing life, as it was the most unplanned travel day so far.  We had nowhere planned, we could point ourselves in any direction (except westerly), and we chose on a whim – Craighead Forest Park.  

Pulling in as the sun sets – a little too late!

Arriving at dusk, a big no-no in our travel world, we pulled into a city-owned 692-acre park that included a small campground and a 3.2 mile trail hike around a lake, which was just steps from our campsite.  Once again, we had struck waterfront-camping gold (one of my FAVORITE ways to camp).

We had the best campsite in the park

We found a campsite and checked in with the campground host as darkness fell, discovering that not only was the campsite only $15 a night, but they offer free all-you-can-burn firewood stacked up for campers to enjoy as well!  Unfortunately, we had more wind and rain than sunshine, despite deciding on a three night stay, so we will have to save the campfire for our already-desired return visit some day.

Our new living room front window did not disappoint on our first stop

The dogs especially enjoyed our walk around the lake and we were impressed by the many waterfront tent sites with wood platforms, many covered pavilions, recreation facilities and even a dog-jumping dock along the lake.  Yep, we’ve added this little gem to our list of places we would like to return to, but I would bet that when warmer weather returns, this first-come-first-served campground is tougher to get a site in.  I think it may be only a matter of time before the city of Jonesboro realizes their untapped market.  If they allow reservations and implement an online reservation system, they can likely charge double or triple a night in their high season and still fill up the campground every night.  Shhh.  I won’t tell them if you don’t!

Stop #7:  Natchez Trace RV Campground, Hohenwald, TN – Out of 11 stops from Clermont to Gettysburg, we had only two disappointments along the way.  This was our first – a two-night stay at a Thousand Trails campground (we camp for free in Thousand Trails with our membership).  In trouble from the start, our RV Garmin GPS was unable to get us to our destination, in an area that was so rural, we had no cell service to call the campground or pull up a Google map, and no ability to turn around our new 37’ 10” RV beast until we wasted 1 ½ hours and the last bits of sunlight for the day (this would have been a helpful time to find an old Tennessee paper map in our glove box).  The Thousand Trails employee was a total savior for staying after closing time to help guide us to the campground (once we got a sliver of phone service), but we were all alone in the darkness trying to find an open site.  We used the days off to buy groceries, do laundry and catch up on bills and such, so we didn’t get to explore anything fun in the area.  We understand that there are some nice lakefront sites in the campground, and we saw that it is the future home of a “tiny home” community.  Unfortunately, we were tucked back into the darkness at the rear of the campground, filled with roadway drop offs, narrow turns and low-hanging branches.  A stressful stay that we hope to not repeat for a long while.

Stop #8:  North Georgia Hair Cutters, Dawsonville, GA –

A covered pavilion and firepit are planned for future guests
A brand new Harvest Hosts campsite – with water and 50 amp electric!

For me, the best days are sometimes when you can combine some practical tasks with some pleasant experiences.  This Harvest Hosts stay was that type of overnight campsite for us.  This was our first Harvest Hosts stay that included water and 30/50-amp electric hookups!  Freshly paved and soon to include a pavilion and firepit, this business owner made it easy to pull in (again, as darkness fell – what were we thinking?!) and relax for the evening.  In the morning we made a small donation for the campsite hookups and I got a nice haircut at the salon before heading out for the day, hoping to avoid another later-than-we-would-like arrival that afternoon.  No sightseeing needed today – an affordable overnight stay where we met some kind and interesting people was all we needed to call this stop a success.

Stop #9:  Carolina Landing RV Resort, Fair Play, SC – Unfortunately, our second Thousand Trails stay on this February road trip was also our seconddisappointment, but the saving grace was that we were close enough to welcome our first visitor in our new rig – our friend, Steve, who lives in nearby Pickens, SC.  Despite the poorly maintained, muddy and narrow campsites, we had a great visit with Steve on our last day in the area.  It was a far better ending than our start, which included three full days with no water.  We were happy to see Steve and catch up and we will also be happy to find a different campground for our next visit to the area.

  • Oh my – the mud
  • In great need of landscaping
  • We had to back out of our pull-thru
  • Junky sites abound

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Stop #10:  Sycamore Lodge RV Resort, Jackson Springs, NC – This was our first stop as members of Coast To Coast, an additional campground membership we recently obtained to have affordable camping options when visiting family in Maryland and Pennsylvania.  This campground was a convenient stop on our way north and it was absolutely lovely, rivaling even The Campsites at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness (without Mickey Mouse and the four parks, of course).  Wide open sites, a peaceful large pond with a fountain, and amenities that include a Sunday church service, this campground is surely one to which we will return one day to enjoy the full two-week stay permitted by our membership.  

The towering trees made this stay beautiful – our first stop as a Coast To Coast member

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Stop #11:  Weldon Mills Distillery, Weldon, NC –

The final stop of our “February Side Trip” was a place, like so many on this trip, that we liked enough to want to return to again.  Happily, this was our third visit to this Harvest Hosts site, where, in the past, we enjoyed a distillery tour, a whiskey tasting flight, delicious cocktails and the stories and experiences of the former JAG-officer-turned distillery business owner.  This visit was like the others – an opportunity to boondock alongside a half dozen other travelers, enjoy “happy hour” and trade our stories of traveling adventure.

Weldon Mills Distillery is still our favoriate Harvest Host location

They have creative cocktails both on and off the menu

I may need to make a merch purchase on a future visit

Our new home on wheels needs a name

As we drove into Gettysburg the following afternoon, we reflected upon how much we experienced when we pulled back on our planning and loosened up on our travel worries.  By making fewer plans and reservations, our ability to be agile gave us the opportunity to see and enjoy more.  When we discovered a place we liked, we extended our stay.  When we were open to “roughing it” a bit, we met people and places that we would have never planned on meeting.  

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This trip to leave Florida, pick up our new camper in Missouri and arrive in Pennsylvania for our nephew’s wedding could have been completed in fewer than 10 days.  But what fun would we have discovered in pushing so fast and so hard?  Not nearly as much as taking our time, taking the roads less traveled, and arriving just in time to see the nuptials. Two thousand, eight hundred and thirty nine miles (not including the lost miles in Natchez Trace) of little adventures and discovery, enjoyed over the entire month of February (plus one day), making life a little bit richer.  Our memories will last far longer.

Congratulations Madison and Jonathan!

Safe travels, and be sure to enjoy the side trips along the way!

  • Grover T’s
  • Welcome to a new state for us!
  • A rainy morning Mobile skyline
  • Louisiana, we will be back
  • Another little sleepy town
  • Lunchtime deliciousness in Carthage, MO
  • Welcome to TN
  • The Memphis Pyramid
  • A differnt Gainesville (GA)
  • Dogs checking out the new seating
  • More Memphis
  • We criss-crossed the Mississippi several times

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If You Build It (The Holiday Celebration), They Will Come!

The truth is, you miss your loved ones when living on the road.  While there are many families around the country and the world that live far away from their children, parents and siblings, it is a somewhat new experience for us.  We are new-ish empty nesters, so that transition can be tough even if you haven’t moved into a house on wheels.  But once you are mobile, every exciting destination is another series of miles farther away from those you love.

So it was with this distance in mind that we decided to try to lure our loved ones to us for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We believed that if we could find some great places to visit, we might just be able to host a big Thanksgiving dinner or a fun Christmas celebration from our little ol’ camper.

The dunes of Pirateland Family Camping Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC

Well, I think we struck holiday gold!

This is how we did it and how it felt.

Thanksgiving:  

Months before the holiday, we selected Pirateland Family Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as our destination for Thanksgiving.  There was a chance the weather could be as warm as the high 60s, but also a risk of much colder temperatures.  Fortunately, the holiday week leaned toward the warmer side.  The other advantage is that Myrtle Beach is a drivable distance from Maryland and Pennsylvania where most of our children live and has a generally quick and affordable flight option from the Baltimore airport (but not from Gainesville, FL), so we could extend an invitation to more of our loved ones.

Welcome to our Thanksgiving campsite!

I love Pirateland because it is right on the Atlantic coast.  I have been there twice before, but my parents went there for many years, and like us, always in the off-season when the crowds are low, the prices are lower and the weather is mild.  This year, we booked a month, with a beachy site only five sites from the dunes.  Very affordable with longer stays in the off-season, campers can stay for as little as $30 a night, tax free for a stay of three months or longer.  

We could hear the waves rolling in from our beds at night.

We extended an invitation to all six of our kids, our future son-in-law, our moms and our friends, Steve, Kenda and Katie.  By the time everyone committed yea or nay, we were happy to discover that we would be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for ten!  We booked an extra campsite for the days around Thanksgiving, and found a camper to rent on Outdoorsy.com (not an endorsement, but a decent experience), which would give the kids a place to stay comfortably nearby.  Steve and his family also booked an adjacent site, and arrived with their Class C RV.

The “kid camper” sat in a site alongside our own.

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I collected seashells, driftwood and sand to create a pretty tablescape.  I painted autumnal cups for each guest.  We bought lights on a string and set up our Clam Quick Set Pavilion Camper (we love ours, but would have loved the Escape Sky Camper more, had it been available for purchase!) adjacent to the campground’s pavilion to create a windbreaker and larger dining and serving area.  We even put out our little outdoor Christmas tree, with fresh new color-changing lights to usher in the festive spirit.  Our Solo Stove (not a sponsorship of this site, just a big fan!) provided a warm campfire on chilly nights, and we stocked up on a variety of beverages and snacks for the surrounding days.  We shopped for spare blankets and sheets to accommodate our visitors and took a number of trips to the grocery store, much like we did around the holidays for many years from our sticks and bricks home.  The preparation was familiar and exciting to a mom that missed “nesting” opportunities with no children at home.

An outdoor dining room fit for a bunch of beach bums!

When Thanksgiving week arrived, we had friends and kids arriving on a few different days, which further built up the excitement as each person arrived.  Even my son, Lorne, was able to arrange a few unexpected days off from work and a last minute flight.  Ella endured long and circuitious flights from Gainesville, and Adalie made the flight despite flying not being her favoriate thing to do! It was the first time I was blessed with a visit from all three of my kiddos since our “Bon Voyage Crab Feast” in July 2020.  As the big day arrived, our hearts were full of joy, filled with nearby friends and family.  We embraced the busyness and slept a little more peacefully at night.

Many of the beach area campsites have covered pavilions, and we added our screen room to protect us from any weather that could interrupt our celebration.
No fine china here, and don’t worry if you get a little sand on your dinner plate!

We all shared in the meal preparation, as we found that any one RV kitchen capacity would struggle to provide such a large meal.  It worked out great because everyone was kept just busy enough with meal preparation but not too busy that we couldn’t relax as well.  We stood around in the sand of our Thanksgiving “dining room” to share a blessing and then sat down to a feast that rivaled any we had enjoyed for the years we lived more traditionally.  Andrew and I, along with Steve and Kenda, sat at the “old people table” and I smiled as I listened to the quiet chatter at the nearby “young adult table”.  Our children (and friend Katie), were chattering, laughing, joking and enjoying this now-very-rare time together.

Dinner (and dessert) is served!
Yum!…and a scene that gives a parent’s heart great peace.
Two tables for 10 (and some dogs)!

During their all-too-brief visit, some of us enjoyed an afternoon discovering some of the many thrift stores in the area, and nearly everyone left with a bargain or two.  We took walks on the beach and some made s’mores by the campfire at night.  By all accounts, Thanksgiving 2021 was an enjoyable and filling success.  Both my stomach and my heart were filled with all things good that week, with a very traditional, yet non-traditional Thanksgiving holiday.

Blessings from the sandy dunes of Pirateland Family Camping Resort.

Christmas: 

When we launched our full-time RVing life, it was a fairly new concept to at least half of our loved ones, so we wanted to begin our trip by inviting our kids to camp with us at Walt Disney World.  Alas, Covid had other plans, and for a variety of reasons, we postponed the trip one year so that we might instead celebrate “Christmas in January” in 2022.

After a year’s delay, the invitations were issued and the flights (or bus reservations, for Ella) were booked.  This time we used our pop-up screen room as a tent and we squeezed our camper and the tent into one site at The Campsites and Disney’s Fort Wilderness (if you are a camper, you gotta try this outrageously expensive campground at least once).  We decided early on that for this trip, we were gonna go “all in” on making this trip “all inclusive” for the kids, as this was going to be their (and our) Christmas gift all wrapped into one fabulous trip.  

So as each kid responded with the dates they could join us, we booked shuttle rides from the airport, bought park tickets, made park reservations, and learned how to maximize our attractions with Disney’s ridiculously expensive Genie+ service (like the old Fastpass service, but no longer free).

Park passes for EVERYONE!

I pre-assembled meals in the freezer for each day we had guests and then dumped the meal into the InstantPot each day upon return from a park for an easy yet tasty meal.  We stocked up on a ton of candy and healthy snacks that we could all take into the park each day (the food at Disney is costly, and mostly meh), and budgeted a daily stipend for each kid that they could use as they wish for food, drinks or souvenirs.

Pre assembled Instant Pot freezer meals kept us well fed in a simple way!
Plenty of candy (and healthy snacks) for everyones park backpacks
Beverages of all kinds!

Once again, we made sure the “house” and “yard” were decorated for the belated Christmas celebration, with string lights, garland, two mini Christmas trees and even artificial snow and snowballs on the ground.  We had travel hand sanitizers and holders, and mask lanyards to help keep everyone safe while in crowds, and handed out passes so that everyone could gain entrance to the parks and have photos taken by Disney PhotoPass cast members along the way.

  • Bug awaits his favorite visitors!
  • We had a prime location within walking distance to The Settlement are, the boat to Magic Kingdom and the bus station!
  • Christmas in January still has many decorations.
  • It’s how we do Christmas in FL
  • Decorating, Mickey style
  • Our map grows.
  • Festive decorating…
  • …And it “snowed”!
  • A tent and our 5er
  • Fresh air dining in January
  • Pretty lights and gifts …
  • Now all we need are for the kids to show up!

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Because there was less overlap of visitors than we had hoped, we pushed through a four day stretch of visiting parks before we could enjoy a day of “rest” back at camp.  It was a complicated schedule that my dear husband, Andrew, developed so that each visiting kid could at least have an opportunity to see their “favorite” park during their stay, no matter how brief their visit.  It was successful but tiring!  

Throughout much of that week, Andy and I experienced moments of “parental peace”, which is an elusive feeling for parents and quite an oxymoronic term.  Perhaps it was the Disney magic, sprinkling a little Pixie Dust on our group, or maybe it was the fact that our kiddos were all now young adults, ages 20 – 30 years of age.  Whatever was the cause – we felt peace. 

  • Some serious competition
  • Hang on for dear life!
  • Tough stuff in Star Wars land
  • Previous mamma and baby
  • Laser fighters
  • Happy hours!
  • Feasting on turkey leg in MK
  • We made it to this iconic place!
  • Tree of life…and love
  • Taking it all in!
  • Sooo fun to watch
  • They went on this ride soooo many times
  • Animal amazement
  • Isn’t this amazing?
  • It’s a car…it’s a boat!
  • Iconic “Hollywood”
  • Right outta the movie!
  • Can we ride it?!
  • Childhood memories
  • A happy group
  • Ben gets silly…
  • ..and is always up for a pose

Sometimes it happened as Andy and I strolled hand in hand, a few steps ahead of a couple of the kids.   We heard their laughing, cajoling, and complete excitement as they experienced Disney.  It happened as we watched two of the girls excitedly spot amazing animals on the Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safari ride.  It happened again as we screamed and held onto each other on the Hollywood Studious Tower of Terror.  It certainly happened as we all got goosebumps and tears in our eyes, looking out across the sky at EPCOT’s spectacular laser, water, music and fireworks Harmonious show.  It even occurred when we happened upon our first Disney Characters in the Magic Kingdom that returned us all briefly to their childhoods.  In their presence we were witness to their happiness – and that is the secret ingredient in parenting that gave us the gift of “parental peace”.

In all, we were able to see each of our kids and our future son-in-law at one or both of our holiday celebrations this year, but we never had a moment when they were all with us together at the same time.  As is true for any mother, you never sleep as well as the nights that all of your children are under the same roof with you, and while we were not quite successful in getting us all there at one moment, for a group of adults, each with busy lives, we came pretty darn close.  When that night happens some day, when my husband, my three children, my three bonus children, and their significant others are all with us at the same moment – yes, I will sleep very well with a happy heart full of parental peace.

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Adalie, Lorne, Ella, Christy, Chris, Ben and Abby – we miss each and every one of you wherever we go, and we always look ahead to the next time we are together.

Love, Mom/Tina and Dad/Andrew

Safe travels and many blessings for togetherness in your journeys.

Cheers, from us to you. (When your loved ones cannot be with you in person, Google Duo on the beach for “happy hour” with my mom is the next best thing!)

Montana – Not A Tourist Trap But Rather A Great Destination

The DeSmet – on Lake McDonald, in Glacier National Park

Our Montana summer has been amazing, and this is my final post about our experiences there. Altogether, our month and a half in the state warranted five blog posts, each highlighting a different experience and area of the state.

In case you missed them:

This final post is all the touristy stuff we did with our loved ones that were visiting.  It was some of the best fun of our summer.

THIS is Montana – Not A Tourist Trap, But Rather A Great Destination!

Andy and I looked forward to this leg of our trip because this is when we got to share this amazing state with loved ones!  We were thrilled to find out that our friend, Steve, was going to visit us in Montana!  Right as his visit had to end, we then welcomed Christy and Chris, our daughter and future son-in-law (it is so cool that we can say that now! Go read my last post if you want to read those details!).  THIS was going to be quite the summer!!!

The shadow box in our RV that welcomed our guests and celebrated the great stat of Montana!

Steve flew in from South Carolina and caught up with us in Anaconda, MT at Fairmont RV Park.  (Side note:  We don’t recommend you stay at this campground, because the owners are miserable and mean, but not to worry, the facility was decent and the views pretty.  We made do without a picnic table or firepit).

The view at our “back door” at Fairmont RV Park in Anaconda, MT

One of the first orders of business upon Steve’s arrival was the need to share the secret news of the upcoming engagement with Steve.  Steve is the consummate planner, so we knew that he could be helpful in scouring Glacier National Park for some great options.  But first, some fun with our friend!  

We went into Butte a couple of times.  Our first stop was at the Granite Mountain Speculator Mine Disaster Memorial.  This is where we learned about hard rock mining.  We have seen signs of mining all summer, throughout Colorado and all the way north through Montana.  Most notably, we have been lulled to sleep by the sound of trains and train whistles at nearly EVERY campground ALL SUMMER (I think there was ONE campground not near a train track, but I honestly cannot recall which one it might have been).  We have seen signs of mining wherever we went and learned of how mining has played a role in the history of the west.

In Butte, the 1917 disaster was difficult but important to learn about.  An accidental fire in the mine led to the death of 166 miners on that fateful day, and more than a century later, we had the privilege and honor to visit the site and wrap up our hearts in the beautiful memorial.  It was well done and educational at the same time.  If you ever find yourself in Butte, this should be your first stop.

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Our next stop was equally telling and informative – the Berkley Pit.  It is a place where we learned of the tremendous and tragic environmental impact hard rock mining has on our planet.  While beautiful in a unique way, this once massive copper mining area is now a giant pit that has filled with a very caustic and dangerous mine runoff.  It was amazing to see how something so dangerous can also be so pretty at the same time.

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A gentleman that used to live in the area and had returned for a visit was at the site when we were there.  He was a great help at explaining the history and tragedy of the place.  This mining stop is worthwhile (and with a very small admission cost) even if you don’t think mining is of any interest to you.

The third and final touristy stop for us was also related to mining.  We spent a few hours at the World Museum of Mining.  It was an entire historic mining town recreated on the site of the former Orphan Girl Mine, which operated from 1875 to the 1950s and produced silver, lead and zinc.  Historic buildings were relocated from other areas and moved here to create a realistic little mining town and an immersive education into hard rock mining.  Most of the museum was established in the 1970s and is a little worn looking, but it felt as if that only added to the hardworking feel that must have been in place back when the original mining town popped up around the Orphan Girl mine.  It was an easy self-guided look into the industry, but guided tours of the mine itself were also available.

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While in the area, we did manage to eat a decent meal in town and we made a quick stop at The Historic Clark Chateau Museum and Gallery, a historic home that is now open for self-guided tours (you may also like the Copper King Mansion, but we were unable to tour the site due to limited tour times).  We also enjoyed a stroll down the street just to take in the beauty of some of the old homes in the area.  If you are a fan of old architecture, this is a nice home, but none that we saw came close to the MUST SEE old home we wrote about previously in Sheridan, Wyoming – Why, Oh Wyoming – Casper And Sheridan We May Be Back.

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The unexpected fun of the week was a road trip to “The Yellowstone”!  Yes, you read that right! Steve casually mentioned that we were within striking distance of the well known fictional “Dutton Ranch”, so it was time for a drive!  We headed out through some amazing scenery on a road that was higher, and narrower and prettier than we had imagined it would be.  Included was a photo shoot with our first ram sighting!  What a treat!  

Then it was on to lunch for what the guys agreed was the BEST.  BURGERS.  EVER.  at Bitter Root Brewery and Restaurant.  That is certainly saying something!  Lunch was really amazing for me as well (Gyro), and of course we had to try a couple of the locally brewed beers.  

Our next drive that day was to TV-land for a roadside peek at the fictional Dutton Ranch, but what is actually named the Chief Joseph Ranch, in Darby, Montana.  The photos show the extent of the visit (you cannot go on the property unless you are a guest in one of their rental cabins), but since that time, Andy and I have been re-watching and devouring all three seasons of the show in anticipation of the November debut of season four on Paramount!

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As we wrapped up our visit with Steve, we headed over to our next and perhaps most anticipated destination so far….Glacier National Park.  It was here that the guys got serious about honing in on the PERFECT proposal location for Chris and Christy! 

A little shopping with Andrew, Tina ad Steve in West Glacier Village.

The West Glacier RV Park is among my most favorite campgrounds all summer for a couple of important reasons:  1.  We were surrounded by mountains and a big sky that gave the state its “Big Sky” nickname, and 2.  We were only a couple of minutes from the park entrance.  We could not have asked for prettier views from our front door, brighter stars at night, or a campsite any closer to Glacier Park!

West Glacier Village RV Park with beautiful views on all sides
The view from our “back yard”.

We immediately ventured into GNP for an evening spectacular, discovering the gorgeous Lake McDonald and McDonald Lodge, which would be the centerpiece of some future fun during our stay.  We stopped along some roadside pullouts on the lower end of the Going To The Sun Road, and we looked all around for proposal opportunities.  Andrew had his eyes set on a hike to Avalanche Lake by way of the Trail of the Cedars and Steve set up mental photo-taking opportunities at the Sacred Dancing Cascades, which would also make for a most perfect scene for a proposal.  As darkness fell, we planned for a big day when Chris and Christy arrived, because we had only that one day to fully scope out the perfect location (and still help Chris keep it all a secret!).

  • Namaste
  • Just “wow”!
  • Andy snaps endless photos of endless beauty.
  • Blessed togetherness
  • Lodge in the distance.
  • Sunset at GNP
  • Steve finding potential engagement shots.

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Glacier International Airport is only a 30 minute drive from the park, in nearby Kalispell and it is quaint and adorable.  We picked up our 2nd and 3rd guests, Christy and Chris, and headed over for a bite to eat, spontaneously selecting the Waters Edge Winery and Bistro, based on Google reviews and their menu of small plates, tapas and wine!  Three of us enjoyed wine flights, and we all enjoyed the food we selected.  The mid-afternoon time of day gave us the entire place to ourselves, and we laughed and smiled and enjoyed the joy and excitement that travel has on the soul.

  • tiny airport shopping…
  • …and some shadow boxing
  • Chris is not so sure he likes wine…
  • …but we had fun tasting!

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Once the kids settled in at the campground, we all agreed that in order to maximize our short time together, a drive into GNP was in order for the evening (this national park currently has ticketed entry, and without a ticket that day, we could only enter after 5 pm).  Because we had Steve’s rental vehicle, we made the venture all the way up the Going To The Sun Road (our truck is not permitted to go this far due to its size) to Logan’s Pass along the Continental Divide where we saw more rams, and down the other side, out of the park and all the way back around, late at night to our campsite, sleepy but satisfied with our day.  It was a beautiful evening drive on what many describe as the most beautiful road in the world.  What a way to end our visit with Steve!  He made his way back to South Carolina, and we look forward to our next visit with him and his family – currently scheduled for Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach!

  • Road carved thru a mountain.
  • They were amaaaaazed….
  • …and we were amaaaaazzed…
  • ….and Steve was amaaaaazed.
  • Parking lot fun at Logan’s Pass
  • Bathroom break.

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The next day was all about romance and engagements rather than being tourists, and if you haven’t already done so, check out my post about how love took root in Glacier National Park for my step-daughter and her now-fiance’!

Now that the pressure was off all of us from the engagement, we did our best to relax and prepare for an evening boat ride on Lake McDonald.  Arriving a little early, we first peeked inside the historic and beautiful McDonald Lodge.  Built in 1913, and constructed of massive trees that were surely harvested from the area, the decor and structure of this lodge is quite impressive.  The area also includes cabins nearby, but the gem is the lodge with 82 rooms and a restaurant (closed due to Covid).  Because access in the park was much more limited at the beginning of the century, the beauty of the lodge faces the lake, because most guests arrived by boat in those early years.  But the entire property is still gorgeous, with overflowing window boxes and hanging baskets of flowers.

  • Beautiful flower boxes
  • The front of MacDonald Lodge
  • The back (lake side) of the lodge.
  • Carvings in the floor of the lodge

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We explored the lakeshore, shopped in the little gift shop, ordered some drinks at the take-out window, then boarded the historic vessel DeSmet, built in 1930.  We settled into some open air seats at the rear of the boat and relaxed as the sun began to set.  We learned about the stories that this largest lake in Glacier National Park has to tell and also enjoyed chatting with a family of newly FT RVers having an adventure in the park.  It was the perfect way to relax in the moment, and savor the special days the four of us had together.

Not to sit on our laurels, our next adventure began in the morning with a red bus tour to the Going To The Sun Road!  Our tour guide was phenomenal, with much knowledge of history and geology in the area.  Our bus was one of 33 in the fleet, and is considered the oldest touring fleet of vehicles in the world!  We had no idea the buses were old, much less historic and beautifully restored and upgraded over the years – they were exquisite.  The Going To The Sun road was just as amazing this time during the middle of the day as it had been a couple days earlier in the evening, but this time there was the added benefit of a guide that could answer all of our questions as well.  Our journey took a number of scenic stops along the way and ended at Logan’s Pass before turning around to see all the new views coming back down into the park again.  Any worries I had about “seeing the road twice” were quickly resolved.  

Will we look back at photos from 2020 and 2021 in 20 years and laugh at all of us with “mask-beards”? Mask-beards aside, these two kiddos and this red bus are all waaaaay cool!
  • Th wood work and details were impressive.
  • Chris helped remove the roof for full sky views!
  • We sat in the last row of seats, featuring the largest leg room and sky views!

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One of the coolest places we saw while in the area was not even in Glacier National Park at all!  For many months, Andy had been reading online about the famous and very popular huckleberry bear claw pastries that visitors drive hours to get in Polebridge, Montana.  Named so because of the bridge made of poles that used to be in the area, Polebridge features a mercantile, a saloon, cabins for rent and a LOT of wide open space.  It is 27 miles from West Glacier, on a largely dirt road and miles of mother nature’s best work only 17 miles from the Canadian border.

Chris, Christy, Andrew and I took the drive to Polebridge with only an expectation of bear claw pastries, and we ended up in a mecca of quirky, historic, and quite a busy shopping, eating, drinking and hiking destination!  It was incredible, and beautiful and a warm, sunny day.  We bought lunch at the Sasquatch Grill food truck that boasted poutine (a Canadian dish of gravy fries with cheese curds) alongside delicious curry spiced rice bowls that harkened from an entirely different palette and part of the world.

The Mercantile next door has been serving area residents and tourists alike for more than 100 years and sells much more than pastries.  The store was bustling and products ranged from cold beverages and baked goods, to clothing, postcards and camping supplies.  

For much of the summer, Andrew had also been following news reports of a wildfire that was getting close to Polebridge and our visit there was put at risk.  Thankfully for all, the fire was eventually contained and did no harm in Polebridge.  There was, however, a walking trail called the Transboundary Flathead River Interpretive Trail next to the property that meandered out into an area that had suffered wildfire damage years earlier.  We have been seeing the damage caused by wildfires all throughout our western travels this summer, but to walk among the damaged land and see it coming back to life was interesting.

Polebridge identifies itself as a place “where the west is still wild” and we now understand.  The businesses will close down in October and won’t begin opening again until April with snow still on the distant mountains, wildlife coming back to life and Montanoans ready to enjoy yet another brief summer in Polebridge.  

  • A saloon…
  • A food truck…
  • A nature trail…
  • Cabins for rent…

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These days in and around Glacier National Park wound up as the grand finale of our summer tour of the west.  It has been among some of the most incredible and special moments of our lives and the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are now solidly some of our favorites!  Shortly after our stay in this northwest corner of the state, we began our trip back east to take care of medical appointments, visits with our mothers and children and a bit of a more “regular life” for a while.  We leave reluctantly, but immensely grateful.  We have been blessed with safe travels and incredible experiences and will now be able to spend some time with our loved ones back east that we miss very much.  

If there are any suggestions we would give others that often tell us that they wish they could do what we are doing or declare how lucky we are, it would be this – expect the same for your life.  There are many adventures out there for all of us, in all places and at all price points.  Plan well to find out what your adventure might look like.  Become debt-free to make it possible.  Use the many changes in our world to find employment that will support your dreams.  Stick to a budget and save.  Start small, but start now, because you never know what time, travels and tribulations lie ahead for you.

Safe travels and enjoy your journey!

Thank you, Mother Nature for our most fabulous summer adventure!

“Everything is so big—the sky, the mountains, the wind-swept flatlands—it sinks into you, it shapes your body and your dreams.”

 Christopher Paolini

“Of all the memorable views, the best have been framed by Montana windows.”

William Hjortsberg

“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana, it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”

John Steinbeck

“It seems to me Montana is a great splash of grandeur. The scale is huge but not overpowering. The land is rich with grass and color, and the mountains are the kind I would create if mountains were ever put on my agenda.”

John Steinbeck

“My favorite state has not yet been invented. It will be called Montana, and it will be perfect.”

Abraham Lincoln
Huckleberry makes Montana a very purple state, and we Ravens fans love it! This is Christy, (along with us), shopping in West Glacier Village.

Our Montana – The BEST Of ‘The Last Best Place’

Part III of our great Montana adventure is what has been promised by me to be the best.  But the amazing adventures we had were expansive!  More importantly, there were two distinct and important things that happened…so much so, that I am breaking this down into two posts.  This post is all the loving, romantic stuff and my NEXT post is all the touristy stuff we did with our loved ones that were visiting.  It was some of the best fun of our summer.

THIS is “Our Montana – The BEST Of ‘The Last Best Place'”; It is the loving, romantic stuff that made summer spectacular!

Christine and Chris didn’t always love each other but that was simply because they did not yet know each other.  Years later, it is now very clear that “each other” is exactly what their souls were always looking for.  

Our daughter Christine, and “her Chris”

There was a time when they actually thought they each loved someone else.  When those first relationships ended, both were left a bit smacked with pain from an aching heart and a realization that despite their efforts, they had gotten it really wrong.  Thankfully, in a world full of free will that allows us to screw it up all along the way, God has a way of steering us in the way He wants us to go.

Christy was working an extra job as she ended her relationship and had recently moved in with her dad and me (her reluctant step-mother), to get her life back on stable ground.  She was emotionally fragile, as one might expect, and unsure how things had gotten so far off her life’s plan.

Chris and his father were regular customers at the little indoor/outdoor bar at a local driving range where Christy had started working to pick up much needed money and to keep herself as busy as possible to numb the hurt she felt.  The simple little bar served only bottled beer and single serve bottles of wine, and provided a fun backdrop for a business that entertained customers with a driving range, mini-golf course, batting cages and occasional live music and food trucks.  Chris and his father formed a fast friendship with Christy, aware of her relationship, but unaware of its looming end.  

Christy working hard at her extra job in the early days when she met Chris and his dad.

Once the end of her failed relationship was apparent and official, Chris’ feelings for Christy became apparent as well.  She would come home with a smile on her face because of new friendships she was making, as well as tears caused by the turmoil of going through the end of a seven year commitment to someone that turned out to not be the right person, despite her best efforts.  She was learning that loving relationships require bi-directional fidelity and hard work to be successful. 

Still reeling from the shock of what had just ended, and in learning that most of her friends and family had shared a belief that the relationship was troubled from the start, she lacked confidence in her ability to discern what and who was best for her.  She filled her sad days with work from several jobs (bartender, dance teacher/choreographer, yoga instructor and eventually work in a dental practice) and a little casual dating to quell the ache in her heart.  Chris would have to wait a bit longer for something more.  She was learning that in order to find a lifelong love, you must be ready for it with an open heart and willingness to be vulnerable.

Over time, and with a lot of evening discussions with her dad and me about men and boys, feelings and falsehoods, Christy began to see that this young man who had entered her life had some amazing qualities.  We could all see his goodness.  To his credit, Chris wasted no time letting Christy know that he felt like she was someone he might very well spend a lifetime with.  At the same time, he was confident and patient as she stepped through the challenges of a scarred heart.  Christy was learning that as long as she did the work on healing herself, God would protect her and lead her in the direction of love.

She used her time at home with us to clean up the naturally occurring devastation that broken relationships can bring.  She dug herself out of debt, got on a tight budget and improved her career to seek a healthy and inspiring balance between necessary monetary earnings and pursuing her passions.  

Being a part of our home was also a way for her to build relationships with those of us that cared about her well-being but who had been on the outskirts of her life for quite some time.  As she was a child of divorce, our shared willingness to really talk about the tough stuff in all aspects of life brought about a healing of family relationships that had been forcibly broken, or in our case, had not yet even had a good chance to form.  

Finally living together in a loving household allowed great relational growth for everyone within its walls.  Christy and her step-siblings (of only three years at the time) began to form a wonderful fondness for each other.  She and I mutually benefited as well, talking and laughing and cooking (and a little drinking, truth be told) for hours.  We talked about (almost) every subject that had caused us pain over the years and we received a gift that was at first, mutual respect, then led to a friendship that ultimately turned into a special adult bonus-mother-daughter love.  

But the treasured outcome of the months that Christy lived with us was a healing of her relationship with her dad.  Her willingness to forgive past pain and his willingness to take her as she was, provided needed healing after ten years of emotional and physical distance.  Christy was learning that you are most prepared for a lifetime with a partner when you have the experience of a family around you that is communicative and supportive of each other and your new love relationship.

Dad and daughter, finally findin gtheir way with each other.

Before too long, Chris and Christy were officially “boyfriend and girlfriend” and she came home a bit happier each day, more confident in her emotions and more understanding of what she was learning about herself in the aftermath of a twice-shattered life.  

Christy and Chris – finally and officially a couple!

Our mistakes in life are sometimes just lessons that we need to learn.  The pain we feel is sometimes just God’s blessing in disguise.  Chris and Christy learned from their difficult life experiences and found tremendous blessings with each other at the other end of their pain.  Of this, we are certain.

So it was with humble hearts that we were able to be such an important part of the next big step of their lives several years later.  It was this past May, after we had been travelling full-time in our RV for nearly nine months that we rolled up our RV to visit our loved ones and our hometown states of Pennsylvania and Maryland.  It was here that Chris found a quick moment to ask Andrew if he could have Christy’s hand in marriage!  We had happily anticipated that this was the direction that their relationship was headed, but making it official was both a treasured tradition for the father, and a show of great respect by the future son-in-law – something that we appreciated greatly.  The next day, Chris followed up with us on a phone call, simply to express his love and appreciation for Christy and for us.  He further shared that he would like to propose to her when they visited us in Montana in late August/early September.

A happy “hello” hug in May was much easier for Christy and her dad than the “until we see you again” hugs we faced later in the summer

As we made our way through June, July and August, and through the states of Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, the excitement grew for Montana, already a state on the top of Andrew’s list of favorite states he had NEVER seen!  We shopped in little cowboy towns and picked up a beautiful engagement card for the happy couple.  We scoured stores for a set of glassware to be etched with their monograms.  We even picked up some Montana “fan swag” to give to them, knowing that if she said “yes”, that Montana would quickly rise to the top of their list of favorite states as well!  

So excited was I for the happy turn that Christy and Chris’ lives were going to take, that I told our little secret to a couple of store clerks along the way.  These total strangers shared in our glee and loved to hear how this young man had chosen such a special destination to pop the most important question of his young life.

About a week and a half before their arrival in Montana, Chris called Andy again. 

“Could you help me find a great hike we can take that ends at a beautiful place?  I would like to propose to Christy there”, Chris said with a casual confidence that belies his young age.

“Absolutely!” Andrew responded with confidence.  We were happy to have some direction, because the anticipation of this big event, with no idea of any details, had been harrowing to a couple of parents wanting only the best for a very loved daughter and future son-in-law.  Now Andrew had a big job to do in picking a location that was proposal-worthy in Glacier National Park. 

Chris went on to say, “I really want to do this right after we arrive.  I am so excited and don’t want to wait.  Can we take the hike on Wednesday”?  Now we had a date as well!  September 1st, 2021 was the day that my bonus daughter was going to experience one of the happiest days in her life.

Now Andrew had some research to do, and we both had some important visitors to plan for.  While the options are endless in a place as beautiful as Glacier National Park, the leading contender quickly became Avalanche Lake, which is about a 4.5 mile hike (9 miles round trip) that began at the Trail of the Cedars and went to the end of Avalanche Trail, with a 730 foot elevation gain.

Upon arrival at the airport, Chris slid the ring to Andrew for safekeeping in a rolled up ball of (clean) socks and we casually “suggested” to our visitors that we take an afternoon hike the next day; and just like that, the plan was fully in motion.  The next day we spent the morning relaxing at the campsite around a campfire and pretending to be relaxed when everyone there but Christy had nerves of anticipation gurgling in their stomachs.  We were all feeling the pressure of pulling off such a special feat.

Even the view from our campground was a beautiful place to relax with loved ones.

The first glitch we hit was parking.  Despite the late afternoon hour, the crowds were still large and parking was hard to find near the trailhead.  Christy, always supportive, said “that’s okay, we can just come back at a better time tomorrow”.  I said a silent prayer to Saint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, (whose remains were buried next to a car park in New York, making her the patron saint of parking spaces!).  Andrew strengthened his resolve and assured us all that we would find a spot NO MATTER WHAT.

Prayers answered, and after an additional .8 mile hike down the Going To The Sun Road to arrive at the trailhead, we embarked excitedly on a magical forested trail.  It began on a boardwalk, in an area that was filled with wetlands, including ferns, moss and trickling waters all around us.  It seemed like a setting right out of a fairytale, where little gnomes might pop out from behind a tree stump at any moment.  There were of course towering red cedars, but we also saw giant hemlocks, cottonwoods and spruce trees.  It was as if we were hiking in the Pacific Northwest, with some trees that have thrived in this protected climate for more than 500 years.  

Trail of the Cedars was immediately a magical forested place.

The afternoon air grew cooler as we ventured farther into this miraculous looking forest, now excited about the magical place around us as much as the anticipated climax at the end of the trail.  We passed some falling waters from Avalanche Creek into a deep gorge full of blue water that pooled and swirled among the massive rocks.  We walked through an area where a 2010 avalanche and a 2011 microburst had twisted massive trees to the ground all around us.  We stopped occasionally simply to gaze into the forest and out upon the mountainous horizon of Logan’s Pass.  We received words of encouragement from fellow hikers returning from our destination, assuring us that the uphill effort was well worth the end that was now nearly in sight.

You could hear the sounds of water throughout much of the hike.

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    • Moss grew on the “rolling stones”…and on some huge rocks that hadn’t moved in a LOT of years.
    Avalanche and microburst damage brought down wide swaths of old forest.

    The storms of the past opened up the forest to some massive distant views.

    In the final yards of the hike, the terrain changed noticeably.  The trees became smaller and farther apart, and more wildflowers and smaller plants were springing out of the ground to absorb the additional sunlight that made its way to the earth.  We all grew quieter, and as we stepped down to the beach of Avalanche Lake, where we were immediately awestruck by its magnificence.  Photos never seem to do Mother Nature justice.  Before us was a massive lake, fully surrounded by vast wilderness, and towered over by mountains that provided an incredible backdrop.  

    Our first look at Avalanche Lake surpassed the beauty of any of the photos we had seen.

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    • The stones on the ground at the lake’s edge were smooth and in many sizes laid out on the soft ground, where perhaps we saw a couple dozen other hikers spread out across the shoreline.  Some sat and ate a picnic.  Another hiker was journaling quietly while sitting on a log.  Still others chatted with fellow hikers, sharing in the experience.  It was quiet, as we all spoke in hushed tones, almost as if we felt that an extra bit of reverence was important in such a special place.

    As we strolled along the edge of the lake, we snapped up photos and pointed out the varying views that surrounded us.  After a bit, Christy decided that she would remove her hiking boots and socks and roll up her pant legs so that she might immerse her feet into the chilled waters that are fueled all summer by melting snow and glaciers.  Off she went, smiling and playfully posing in various warrior yoga poses in the shallow water.  I heard a person behind us that was likely a yogi himself, giving her a shout of support and camaraderie causing her to smile again.

    Andrew and I took more photos as she immersed herself in the glory and beauty around us all.  Watching his girlfriend, Chris then said casually, “Christy, turn around and face the water in that pose.  It will make a really cool photo”.  She was happy to oblige his suggestion and as she turned her back to us all, Chris walked to the water’s edge and got down on one knee.

    Andrew continued snapping photos at a feverish pitch.  I tried (and failed) to operate my phone to take video of what was unfolding but found that my nerves overcame me.  I heard a couple of people in the background notice what Chris had just done and they audibly commented “oh look” and “look at him”.  Christy continued to hold her yoga pose, oblivious to what was happening behind her and thrilled in the moment that we had made it to this place.

    In what seemed like minutes, but was perhaps only 10-15 seconds, Christy turned around toward all of us.  In that moment, all she saw was her boyfriend, kneeling, and with arms extended holding a little box.  It seemed she might fall over, as her hands covered her mouth and she bent forward in shock and surprise.

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    No one was close enough to hear the quiet words that were spoken, but we were told that any speech that Chris had practiced in his head immediately disappeared in that moment.  Instead he spoke only the words that needed to be spoken, and seconds later, Christy, already sobbing and visibly shaking, nodded her head in response to Chris’ question.

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    • A few applause broke out among our fellow hikers spread out along the beach with us, a few cheered, and I found myself reporting on what just happened by yelling, “She said YES”!  Christy and Chris came together in a long embrace, sealed with a kiss, and consummated with an absolutely beautiful diamond ring being placed on her finger.

    Eventually, the newly engaged couple made their way toward us to settle in by a some logs on the beach, where we broke out a small bottle of champagne and four disposable “glitter cups” to make a toast.  We snacked on trail bars and were entertained by some very friendly chipmunks who came out to wish the happy couple well (and perhaps to see what crumbs we might drop).  Several other hikers congratulated them and the proud parents that had just been given the gift of witnessing such a special moment.

    After lingering on the beach for a while longer, we were reminded that our hike was only halfway complete, and we began the trip back before it got too late.  Andy and I hung back a bit, relieved that it all worked out so well and watched Chris and Christy ahead of us, chatting excitedly and holding hands as they meandered the trail back into the darkening forest.

    As if the magic of the day wasn’t enough already, it seemed that the fairytale theme continued as all the forest animals came out to bless the newly engaged.  We saw a woodpecker working diligently on a tall cedar and more chipmunks and a little ground mouse scurrying on the forest floor.  We also saw a momma deer and her two fawns snacking on the nearby leaves, only feet from us.  They allowed us to watch them for a while, living simply and peacefully in this eastern edge of the Pacific Northwest rainforest. 

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    • It took a couple hours to make our way back to our vehicle, and it was another six mile drive before we turned toward the exit of Glacier National Park and toward West Glacier Village, where our phones finally found cell service which allowed Chris and Christy to begin calling all the relatives back east to share the big news (Chris had given all parents and step-parents secret advance notice of the planned day, so they all were waiting excitedly to get the official notification).

    The extra .8 miles along the Going To The Sun Road (twice) was well worth the effort to experience such a special day.

    The rest of the days that Chris and Christy visited us were terrific.  We saw many beautiful places and drove to interesting new locations both inside and outside the national park.  We shopped in West Glacier Village and shared some good meals together.  As the visit came to an end, Andrew and I quietly counted the days when we expected to see any of our children again (after all, with Chris now becoming part of our family, we will be adding one more to our brood of six young adult children).

    “We will see you in mid-October.  We will be back east to visit then,” Andy told his daughter, who was already getting teary-eyed at the airport with the anticipated goodbye.  They exchanged a VERY long hug, which is a trademark Schmidt sign of affection, cried some more, and then the officially betrothed couple went quickly through security and out of sight for their long travel day home to Pennsylvania.

    Andy was immediately quiet and melancholy on the way out of the airport and during the 30 minute ride back to our campground.  When we got home, I gave him a hug and asked him how he was feeling after having such an experience with his daughter and her fiance’.

    He was visibly choked up, and in his typical emotive style said “it was such a great visit…and I am so sad because [it reminded me how] I missed out on so much of their childhoods.”  In the end, sharing in the experience of Christy and Chris’ engagement was a blessing to both Andrew and me and a truly healing moment for him.  

    Losing out on much of the parenting of his children and living a large part of their childhoods without their dad became a significant loss that changed all of them deeply.  Incredibly special moments like a hike to one of the most beautiful places on earth, where young love makes its official start, went a long way to healing hearts and brought us together as a family.  As we have all come through our individual suffering in life, we can clearly see God’s blessings, and perhaps a purpose for the pain.  We count the love found between Christine and Chris to be among the greatest gifts He has given our family and for that we give thanks.

    The future Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Christine Magee

    Blessings

    by Laura Story

    Montana is for SURE the last best place!

    Montana – The Second Best Of “The Last Best Place”!

    To say that Montana never ceases to amaze us would be an understatement.  So don’t be disappointed by the title of this post (you will understand later why the best is still ahead!). As we continued with part two of our three segment tour of the Treasure State, we set up camp at a quiet little campground in Island Park, Idaho called RedRock RV Park (which is really close to Montana).  We knew this might be a great stay for us when the road took us on a five mile gravel drive past dozens of dispersed campsites, into free range grazing land and around the massive and beautiful Henry Lake.  As we approached the campground, the sign said it all – “Shhh, it’s quiet around here”.

    • The campground has a place for painted rocks…
    • …so I painted my first rocks and left one behind!
    • the flowers around us were beautiful
    • Our “back yard”…and a dispersed camper
    • The road headed out to Henry Lake
    • Shhh, it is wonderfully quiet out here
    • The prettiest sunset this summer was right behind our RV, enjoyed with 2 dozen other neighbor campers
    • There are many of these cattle “gates” in roads out west

    See the dots? Swipe right (mobile) or click the right arrow to scroll through the photo gallery.

    The campground is adjacent to public land on the back side of the property as well, so our “back yard” for two weeks was filled with wide open spaces, acres of open space for Calvin to enjoy being off lease, hundreds of friendly grazing cows and a smattering of boondocking RVs across the distant panorama.  This was our perfect jumping off point and only a 25 minute drive to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park (which is actually in Montana AND Wyoming).

    The magic, as it were, began the next morning when we ventured in the direction of the national park.  The campground employees had told us to take our time on the little gravel road out to the highway, as it wasn’t too uncommon to see wildlife.  Sure enough, as we neared the end of the drive, out popped four giant male moose, with full racks of antlers covered in velvet.  They grazed along the side of the road and allowed us ample time to take photos and video.  They jumped the four foot barbed wire fence with ease, casually crossed the road in front of us, posing for more photos along the way.  Once on the other side, they continued their breakfast of tree leaves before wandering slowly into the woods again.  

    We were completely energized, having checked off a big item on our “animal wish list”!  We made our way through the little gateway town of West Yellowstone and into the mid-morning line of cars waiting to enter the park.  We knew that our late arrival would set us up for a crowded visit, but all along we had planned this day to be just a drive-thru visit to become assimilated and perhaps hatch a plan to maximize the coming days in the park.

    Don’t show up at the park between 10 am and 4 pm if you want to avoid crowds…

    The first and most lasting impression we had as we drove along the Madison River and deeper into the park was the immense grandeur and diversity before our eyes!  Crystal rushing waters, massive boulders, wildflowers in blues, yellows and orange were abounding.  It wasn’t ten more minutes before we looked out across a grassy valley along the river that we saw a herd of elk!  We quickly pulled over and stood in awe as we watched the huge animals make their way across their perfect habitat.  Elk sighting – CHECK!

    Watching them move through the grasses and water was a real treat

    That day I was able to wade in the Firepole River , where the rounded and colorful rocks under clear waters gave us a little glimpse into the beauty we would be seeing later in Glacier National Park (teaser to an incredible Part III of our Montana journey).

    The clear, cold Firepole River on day #1 in YNP!

    We stopped along the way at the less-busy “attractions” in the park that day, noting the location of the very popular sights so that we could visit another day at an earlier hour.  We quickly realized that this park is different in its topography with each turn we took.  Open grasslands, turned to mountain cliffs and misting geysers and smoke-pots.

    We left in mid-afternoon, just as much of the park started to empty out, leaving the wildlife to their privacy for the evening.  Hungry, we sought some “Linner” (a mid-afternoon meal that combines lunch and dinner into one meal) at the aptly named Firehole BBQ, whose claim to fame was their appearance on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (BIG fans!).  SOLD!  We were all in!  I enjoyed what was perhaps the best brisket I have EVER HAD.  Andrew had a sampling of ribs and a pork BBQ sandwich, which were equally rewarding (he had been hunting a good rack of ribs for weeks and after a couple of disappointments, was rewarded well in West Yellowstone).

    The restaurant was noticeably empty, and the young man that worked there said that this was nearing the “end of the busy season”, a surprise to us, feeling like mid-August was still the height of summer back east.  He went on to explain that the restaurant as well as most of West Yellowstone and even the National Park itself all shut down in the winter months, with cold weather not seen anywhere else in the continental US, and snow piled up as tall as buildings.  It was difficult to imagine on a beautiful August afternoon, but it was a solid reminder that this national treasure sits on harsh and precarious ground.

    Over our two-week stay in the area, we spent a total of five days in the park, arriving earlier each time than the time before so that we could beat the crowds and find the animals at their most active.

    We saw our first bison on day two in the park.  Having learned that it can be more important to watch for where cars are parked than watching for the wildlife itself, we pulled over on the side of the road and walked toward the gathering crowd.  In our not-so-distant view was a large male bison, laying in the grass in a light wooded area by a creek.  It was a sunny and warm day and he just seemed content to lie still while we took photos and admired his vast size and incredible beauty.  Wild bison – CHECK!  We were satisfied and exhilarated to finally see what Andrew had sought for a lifetime, and had no idea that in the coming days we would see hundreds more of these magnificent beasts.

    We were blessed to see animals of all shapes and sizes, nearly every animal on our wish list , and many others that we hadn’t expected (we missed out on seeing any American Bald Eagles).  There were many black ravens, as well as some yet-to-be-identified birds (perhaps you bird lovers can help us in the comments).  Even the little chipmunks were adorable.  We enjoyed a sudden visit by a coyote on a back road we were scouting (another couple had seen a black wolf on this road a previous day, so we were hoping to strike it rich with a visit).  More moose, elk, many fish, and then, near the end of our visit, we saw the gathering crowd witnessing a mother black bear and her two cubs.    They were perhaps 100 yards away, devouring a huckleberry bush in the comfortably warm afternoon sun.  There were perhaps 100 humans looking through their cameras and binoculars for hours as these amazing creatures of God entertained us all.  The “oohs” and “aahs” were heard among the park visitors as the bear cubs could be seen leaving the bush and wandering up the hill to a log, where they licked and swatted playfully at each other.

    The winner of our two-week visit was most certainly the bison.  We found many in both the Lamar and Hayden Valleys of the park.  Bison grunted, grazed, rolled in the dusty dirt to get relief from bugs, and occasionally, one male would tussle and butt heads with another as the males were in the rut and busy competing for females for mating.

    As you meet fellow visitors to the park, invariably, the conversation tends to become an exciting discussion of the various wildlife encountered.  Everyone is happy to share photos, video and tips on locations for the best sightings you seek.  One couple shopping in a gift shop alongside us in West Yellowstone witnessed the carcass of a recently killed male bison being scavenged by other wildlife.  While there, they watched a video taken by another park guest of two bison in full mating battle, and watched as one bison gored the other in the head with his mighty horn, killing him instantly.  Seven park rangers then labored to move the body of the huge animal to a safer location where nature would take its course in the circle of life, feeding an abundance of other wild animals.

    Beyond animals, the natural features of the land were like nothing we have ever seen before.  Old Faithful Geyser is the best known, and was absolutely amazing to see early one morning, but the beauty goes so far beyond this crowd pleaser.  The hydrothermal features included mud pots, lesser-known geyers, large swaths of downed trees from previous volcanic activity, bubbly fumaroles of gaseous waters, hot springs, steam vents and the near-constant smell of sulphur (one of the only times in my life the odor has not been offensive).  None of them disappointed.

    • Waiting for Old Faithful…
    • …on a rainy morning

    We stopped at many road turnouts to take a peek at the various interesting spots.  Side roads took us to outlying areas that felt like we were part of a secret in nature, and we even found our way to a very, very, VERY old (50 million years old) petrified Redwood tree.  

    A 50 million year old petrified Redwood tree

    We ate and shopped our way through West Yellowstone, enjoying one of our best dinners at the Madison Crossing Lounge (try their cocktails!) on my birthday.  We ate huckleberry fudge ice cream one afternoon, and we even had a great check-up visit to the West Yellowstone Vet one afternoon with Bug and Calvin.

    In what felt like a great departure from the camping life, we got tickets to see Disney’s Newsies at The Playmill Theatre, also on my birthday. It had been a number of years since we had been fortunate enough to see a live show (thanks, Covid), and this little summer stock theatre was just wonderful! The theatre was only perhaps a dozen rows at center stage and perhaps eight rows on two sides of the very small stage – so small that our seats shook as the actors sang and danced! At intermission, guests remained in seats and the actors brought concessions around for sale! Even as we left, we saw the actors dressed as ushers and ticket-takers for the next show of the evening; they truly did it all!

    In the summer, there are two shows each day and three different shows continuously through the summer! The quality of the performance was quite impressive overall, and the small atmosphere made for a very personal performance.

    The ONLY challenge we had (on soap box) was feeling comfortable in what seemed to be a warm vat of Covid – approximately 300 people (267 guests plus actors) packed into a very warm, very small theatre, elbow-to-elbow and knee-to-knee, with perhaps only a half dozen people choosing to wear masks. We went into the show knowing that vaccines and masks were not required, but we were not prepared for the tightness of the facility. Thankfully, we are vaccinated, and we wore our masks, and did not get sick, but I have no doubt that performances like these are part of what is driving the severe infection spread throughout the state this summer (off soap box).

    Another day found us in Ennis, MT where we had a great lunch at Tavern 287, wandered through the Nearly New (thrift) Shoppe, and Willie’s Distillery, where Andy added to his bottle collection and we chatted with several retired service members that were hanging out in town to watch the 8th Annual Montana POW/MIA Ride To Remember ride down the main street (motorcycles).

    • We believe these are snowdrift fences…
    • But tell me if we are wrong.
    • Ennis, MT – a cowboy town
    • This was on display downtown
    • Here is a close-up
    • Bistro 287 croissant grilled cheese and soup
    • Beautiful park in the middle of town
    • …and a cool sculpture
    • This is a great fly fishing sculpture coming into town
    • Willies Distillery
    • Thinking of Dad when shopping at Deemo’s Meats
    • The owners came from NJ to MT
    • Picking up some adult beverages for our expected guests
    • A cool stop to drink and eat
    • with a cool fence

    On a long 12 hour “Sunday drive” road trip with the dogs, we combined a needed visit to Walmart (the best place to buy RV TP, lol) into a big loop south and around and up north again through Grand Teton National Park, which is adjacent to Yellowstone National Park.  We saw Jackson Hole and a number of little towns that catered to visitors with cabins, all terrain vehicles, biking, snow sports and much more.  We watched sunset at a turnout along another section of the Snake River, formed into layered terraces by glaciers millions of years ago, and then made our way through the evening pitch darkness through Yellowstone Park and back to our campsite by midnight.

    • Wildflowers are a daily treat
    • As the sun sets on the Snake Reiver
    • Terraces in the land formed by glaciers
    • Blessed every day
    • Even more beautiful in person

    We even took a little day trip up to Big Spring, close to our campground in Island Park, Idaho.  It is the birthplace of a river, where we could feed bits of hot dog to the eager and abundant trout that swarmed the warm spring water that is the headwaters of the Snake River.

    In the end, Part II of our visit to Montana exceeded our already lofty expectations.  Some observations we made along the way, in no particular order of importance:

    1. There are no big grocery stores in much of the state.  The stores that are there are expensive and very busy and have a small town feel that made us stand out as outsiders.
    2. When visiting, enter the park EARLY.  The summer crowds are excessive frome 10 am – 4 pm, so plan accordingly to see the most sights and to have the potential of seeing the most wildlife.
    3. The population of all these popular areas swells significantly in the summer.  Island Park, Idaho, for example, has a population of 268, but has approximately 2.3 million visitors that stream through its main highway each year.
    4. We continue to notice that Montanoans are very friendly and welcoming in their state.  Since tourism is their 5th largest employer, they value our presence in their state and take great pride in being a part of such a special place.
    5. Many of the summer employees we met were not Montanoans at all, but rather out-of-state visitors that return each season to spend time in this outdoor paradise, earn some money, and then return to a warmer climate each winter.
    6. There are no sales taxes in Montana – and alcohol is remarkably affordable.  This makes for a fun time shopping and dining out!

    And finally….we agree – Montana is indeed THE LAST BEST PLACE!  

    Safe travels, and stay tuned for Part III – we promise this will be the BEST of the “last best”!

    • The posts on the little grocery store in Island Park were cool.
    • We sampled some Huckleberry Cordials
    • BIG camp chai in our campgrpund