Planning these trips can be challenging
Falmouth, MA
Martha's Vineyard
Cracker Barrel to the rescue
Harper's Ferry
Caitlin's wedding and family reunion
We have had some challenges putting these trips together - where can we stay, is the location close enough to ride bikes to where we want/need to go, the best driving route (hint: East coast driving is way more difficult). We work together, plan the best that we can, and take a leap of faith that things will work out. And when it doesn't, we adjust and figure it out. We learn more with each trip.
We left Maine and headed towards Falmouth, MA to spend a week and take a ferry to Martha's Vineyard for a few days. A lot of work planning this, but well worth it! See Trip's Deeper Dive #11 here for more details.
The next stop was Harper's Ferry - but it was too far of a drive for one day. We wanted to stay away from I-95, and had some difficulty finding a suitable Harvest Host on our route. We decided to "wing it", see how far we could get (dealing with traffic) and then see where we could stay the night. There are many businesses that allow overnight stays - and we decided upon a Cracker Barrel in New Jersey. They had specific parking for 3 RVs (we were 1 of 3 that stayed the night), well lit, apparently patrolled by police, and they cook a damn good breakfast! Well rested and well fed, we continued the next day.
We had time for a quick stop at Gettysburg National Park which was incredible. They have a new museum that is a must see.
We tucked into a crowded Harper's Ferry KOA campground - it was a Saturday, so we figured the crowds would thin out a bit. We were right! By Sunday evening, we were one of a handful of campers in the campground - perfect. We had a wonderful visit with Kerry and Danielle. We were a walking distance from the park and the buses into the village, but we chose to walk the few miles into town. It was a great time to catch up!
The day we left Harper's Ferry, Hurricane Ian had made landfall in Florida (thankfully, Trip's mom and dad's home in Punta Gorda had very little damage). We had a wedding to attend in Rehoboth Beach, DE and were supposed to stay for a week on the shore. The weather forecast was less and less favorable for that, and we had to change plans as we headed east. Fortunately, the Navy's small campground in Annapolis had one space available!
We had not been in Annapolis since we sold our home in April. It was a bit strange to be back, but felt right at home when Amy and Dave came for dinner and we played pickle ball the following day. So much fun to see them! They were kind enough to lend us their car for the weekend to get to the wedding and AirBNB. Our girls and their husbands/significant others met us at the AirBNB on Friday night.
So.Much.Fun.
Caitlin lived two houses away from us when the kids were small, and we have stayed in close contact with her since. We were thrilled to attend her wedding. Congratulations, Caitlin and Alyssa!