The area around the Great Lakes was a part of the US that I didn’t know much about. When planning the trip it consisted of flipping through books and there happened to be a scenic photo of Pictured Rocks and it worked with the itinerary, so that is how I found myself here. It is located in a remote part of Upper Peninsula Michigan on Lake Superior. Its iconic images are of the sandstone cliffs Read more…
I admit to being highly influenced by tv commercials and I have always remembered those Pure Michigan commercials about Mackinac Island. Staying in the Upper Peninsula, I took the ferry to the island for a relaxing day on the island. It is like stepping back in time, as you explore the island which has no vehicles, only horse-drawn carriages and bicycles. I was lucky enough to visit at the same time that the Lilac Festival Read more…
One of the challenges that I faced was wanting to see as much as I could while also spending enough time in each place to really get to know it. I planned for a full eight days in the U.P. as an opportunity to relax, catch-up on life (aka laundry, bills, and emails), and also serve as contingency catch-up days if anything had happened along the way. Before I could settle in and relax I Read more…
A huge consideration for the route mapped out for the trip was that I wanted to visit the few remaining states that I had never been to. Entering Michigan was not only new for Wolfie but new for me too. This was one of the last campsites that I booked and I was just looking for a place to stop for the night between Ohio and Upper Peninsula Michigan. I randomly selected a very cheesy Read more…
In 1969, the Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it caught fire. The river has come a long way since then and preservation and clean-up continues, with the river valley between Akron and Cleveland becoming a National Park in 2000. Arrival there meant that Wolfie finally left New York and two more state stickers were added to the map. My first stop in the park was to the 60-foot Brandywine Falls. The boardwalks (with lots Read more…
Wolfie had stayed in place while I traveled around, so after a long break from hauling a camper it was time to hitch up and head to the Finger Lakes. I had visited the area three times prior and was excited to see that it was the perfect location to breakup the drive to Ohio. I felt relaxed and enjoyed time just relaxing at the campsite versus worrying about having to see and do everything Read more…
I didn’t think that I’d have a favorite National Park but I confess that Acadia is my favorite East coast National Park. I arrived before Memorial Day, as the crowds were starting to build but not too bad. I started at Hulls Cove visitor center to pick up a trail map and get advice on hikes planned. For my first day I focused on the Park Loop Road. The first stop was the parking lot Read more…
Despite all of my time on the road, I was ready for a road trip. Towing a camper is an exhausting endeavor and limits the number of miles you can travel in a day (and I don’t even want to talk about the horrible gas mileage). So Zen and I left Wolfie behind and we were off to Acadia National Park in Maine. The journey there was a long nine hour drive but I did Read more…
While I was in the Catskills, Wolfie was left at the Newburgh KOA. And prior to that, Wolfie was left behind as I visited friends in the DC area. He was upset and in protest made it extremely difficult to get my sway bars connected so we could depart. I explained that we would finally spend time together and were on our way to Lake George. With an understanding reached, we departed for a quick Read more…
Departing Wyoming Farms in Maryland was a lot easier than arriving there. I had a full tank of gas and was ready to head to the Catskills. The benefits of a recent massage were quickly undone. The Delaware Memorial bridge was a bit of a white-knuckle event and I got a lot of practice merging in and out of traffic and changing lanes. Surprisingly the part that I hated least was joining the truckers in Read more…
I was now officially on my own. Up until this point I enjoyed the company of my parents; I even had my Dad riding in the truck with me as I hauled the camper. My mom took this picture as I got on the interstate heading North and they headed South. As I departed, the first major crisis of my trip was beginning to happen. On May 7th, Colonial Pipeline suffered a cyberattack. We had Read more…
The first major National Park visited on the journey. After days of rain to get here we enjoyed some beautiful weather that allowed us to hike as well as enjoy the scenic drives. While Cades Cove is the most famous and popular drive we skipped it and enjoyed the drive around Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The following highlights the four hikes that we enjoyed. Clingmans Dome: At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest Read more…