We arrived in Kentucky at Horse Cave KOA around 12:30 central mountain time. We couldn’t get checked in until 1 so we parked at a garage just in front of the entrance and finished our leftovers, from lunch the day before at the german restaurant. The sandwiches were still just as good. We then headed into the campground, stopped at the desk, and then found our way to our site. Once we get everything in place and set up we decide to go take a dip in the pool to cool off. We get our suits on, grab a towel, and head to it. We stop by the store to see what they have. Chris finds a must-have 20oz insulated mule mug and a towel to hang at the outside bar. Down to the pool we go to find that it is drained. It is almost 90 degrees, why is this not opened??? So we head back to the camper and decide we will go get some groceries for the week.
​We hit the IGA and while getting our items on our list we can’t seem to find any prosecco. Chris looks to see where we can get some in the area and finds out that Hart County is a dry county. I have never heard of this. How could I have driven by the bourbon trail just 30 miles back but I can’t buy, or get any alcohol in this county? It blew my mind 🤯. We complete our list and get the groceries in the truck. Chris finds the next county over is not a dry county and is only about 6 miles to a liquor store. We get our list of items and head back to the camper. Once everything is put away we make some dinner and turn in early. Especially with the time difference I was ready to sleep by 7:30 but made myself wait until 8, this is going to be an adjustment. Once lying in bed we realize how close we are to the interstate. The tractor-trailers are not quiet and we are sitting a little higher up so the sound is extra loud. We put the air conditioning on to help block out some of the noise.

There is a reason West Virginia is known for Almost Heaven, the landscapes are breathtaking. Driving to Canaan Mountain Resort had many inclines and declines. Even though the fuel gauge didn't like it the views were pretty awesome. Once we got to our site and were backing in we realized we had to be far enough back so the slide was in behind the water spout. As well, we were on a slab so we had to position it to have the stairs be on the slab as well (at least that is what we had believed). Once we have it all leveled, Chris detaches from the truck and we begin to set up. Within 10 minutes Chris asked if I could come see him. I get to the back of the camper where he is setting up the hose for the black/gray tank. The water and electricity are plugged in but where the dump hose goes is all the way in front of both and our 20' hose can't make it to the drain. 
​This is when we should have taken a bit to unwind before we started thinking of ideas. Immediately we started throwing ideas back and forth. We came to the reason it was what it was, there was no way it was going to work. We decided to see if the store had something or if we would have to just use the gray holding tank sparsely and flush when we left the park. The campground also has showers so if needed we could use them. I go back to finish getting things set up feeling annoyed.
Once done I walked up to the store to see if they had anything. They only sold a 10’ hose and I could not reason to buy that when we only needed 2’ and this will probably not happen enough to carry that extra hose around. I walk back to the camper and know I am a bit crabby from all of this and need to give myself a timeout. While Chris is giving me my space I can’t stop thinking about how there has to be a way to make the hose fit. I go outside and ask Chris, do the stairs have to be on the slab? If we move the camper as far over to the left that may give us enough room so the slide won’t hit the water spout and we can pull it just to the electrical box which should bring us enough forward to be able to connect to the drain.
We decided to give it a try. Now that we have everything set up it is a huge pain in the ass to move but we pull the slide in, bring up the stabilizers, bring the stairs in, connect to the truck, and move it to the other side of the slab. I measure the distance to the water spout and it is going to fit! We checked the stairs and they work just fine especially with the welcome mat being under them. We get the camper leveled, disconnect from the truck, stabilizers down and I go look to be sure everything is still in its place inside. All is good and I am in a much better mood now that we have full hookups.
After all of that, we made for a quiet night at the campground. We made some dinner, sat by the fire, and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the campground. Well besides the air stream just up from us whose air conditioner was so loud and really unnecessary as it was about 60 degrees out. We head inside around 9 p.m. to get ready for a much-needed sleep.

Virginia was our next stop. The drive was just over 3 hours but it was a fairly easy drive so that was nice. And no major cities to go through was great! We decided to do just a night stay thought the boondockers welcome site. We had our request accepted in advance for Avrlyn in Luray. This is the home of a writer and his wife. It is mainly back roads to get there but when we pull into the driveway we are so amazed by the landscape. We are surrounded by mountains. Michael greets us as we pull in and shows us where to park on the side of his garage. He offers us electric and water, which we kindly refuse, as we have a full tank of fresh and full power. Once we are disconnected from the truck and all set up he shows us around the outside of his property. It is beautiful. He gives us full use of the pool, pool house, bar and grill. Chris decides to take a quick dip in the pool to unwind. After relaxing for a bit we get ready to head to the Luray Caverns.
I have never seen caverns before. They were amazing. I loved learning how they were formed, the explanation of the different kind of rock and also how it was discovered. My favorite was the reflection in the water. It looks as they are coming from above and below. It was pretty cool. 

Once we were back at the camper we made a simple dinner and made our way out to the pool area to enjoy some drinks. Robin had come home while we were out there so we had a nice chat with her for a bit. Sitting in the backyard looking around reminded us what it was like to have a permanent place to live. Neither of us would trade this life we are living right now but we also took in the night and enjoyed being away from a campground. We finished our bottle of wine and headed back to the camper to get ready for bed. 

The next day Chris had a few meetings to get done before we could get on the road. I got to sit outside and enjoy the scenery. We had a visit from a dog who was the sweetest old thing. Once Chris finished up his last meeting we went to say goodbye and gave Michael a bottle of Shelburne Farms wine as our thank you for a wonderful stay. Then we were off to do 3 hours until our next stop. 

Our drive from Delaware put us entering Maryland through Ocean City. I looked for the welcome sign but did not see one 😩. This is the first and only state sign I have not yet caught a picture of while entering the state. It was bike weekend so there was so much traffic and soooo many bikes. I wasn't disappointed about that (besides it making us miss our motorcycles a bit). We make it to our Sun Outdoors Frontier Town campground. This place has everything (check it out if you are ever looking for a cool campground stay). They have a waterpark, they do western shows with cowboys. There are 2 taverns and again it was bike weekend so this place was packed. Once we got to our spot and settled in we decided to take the e-bikes out to go explore the campground. It was too big to try to walk it all. At the back end there is the pool and beach. You can also dock a boat if you need. A lot of people seem to also do good with fishing from the dock. 
We then made out way to the front where all the activities are. We see the tavern The Golden Nugget. We thought it was dinner time anyways so why not check it out. We go back to the camper drop off our drink cups and head back up on the bikes. The inside of this place is exactly what you would expect out of a western themed local tavern. We sit at the bar and immediately the patrons start chatting with us along with the bartender Adam. He was awesome! 
The food didn't offer a huge choice but after a round of pickle vodka for each of us at the bar I knew I had to eat something. We order some chicken tenders and another round as well as another pickle vodka shot. I am obsessed with pickles and it tasted just like pickle juice. Every Saturday night they have karaoke so that was happening. It wasn't super busy and I was starting to catch a good buzz so I thought since I will never see these people again, why not get up there? (I know better) I request my go to song I'm real from Jennifer Lopez. Within 5 minutes my song is called. I go up to some song that I have no idea what it is playing. Thankfully I had told another girl the song I was going to play so she went to the DJ and had him play the correct one. But honestly, it didn't matter. I was awful. It was recorded but we are just going to keep that in the embarrassment vault (to bring out at anniversaries or birthdays 😂). 
I also had told Adam that right before I go up to sing he needs to please pour me a shot of tequila to be sure I have all the liquid courage. Again, not a good decision and I knew better. After I had made my way off stage and finished my current drink, I look at Chris and say, "I think it is time for me to go". 🫠 I have had too much to drink. I also do not do well with Vodka. It will make me forget everything by morning and I was at that limit. Right on cue, I don't remember riding our bikes back home. Thankfully it was in a campground with its own bike route. The next morning when I get up to use the bathroom I slip coming back to bed. I was like WTF?! Oh that's fantastic, it was pickle vomit on my bathroom carpet and floor 🤮. So not happy with myself. 

Sunday we had the plan that we were going to take the bikes to Assateague Island so I had to pop the Advil and get myself going. I drank my coffee and finished with a mimosa to kick myself in gear. We brought our backpack cooler so we could stop to pick up some drinks and lunch to have a picnic while on the beach. We got the drinks and found a sticker but didn't get any food. When outside the store we remembered we wanted to bring the go-pro.  So back to the camper to grab it. We attached it to my bike and off we go to the island. 
It's a nice bike route on the road and once you get into Assateague they have a separate path for biking or walking. Pretty much as soon as we get over the bridge we see some wild horses. If you aren't familiar with this island in Maryland, it is where they have wild horses graze and during a month in August the cowboys swim the horses to Virginia, the foals are sold off and all the adults and 1 foal swim back to live on the island. Once in the park we were going to park the bikes but we decided to see if the Super 73 will ride in sand. Our first attempt didn't work with the soft sand but we tried again and once closer to the water the bikes road perfect. We road for a while on the beach until I stopped to take my tanktop off and we were stoped by a lifeguard to say we can't ride on the beach. We make our way up to the parking lot and lock the bikes. We head back down to the beach and find a nice spot next to a few wild horses that are napping to sit next to them and enjoy a drink while soaking in some sun. It is the coolest thing to have all these wild horses all around. 
​

After about an hour sitting we pack up and head back to the bikes. We take them all the way down to as far as the path goes and turn around. Again, all along our ride are horses. There are also a handful of campsites. Some you can drive into but some are walk in only. We went through one of the drive in ones but you aren't allowed into the walk in ones unless you have reservations. I wish we would have camped here for a night. I would have loved to wake up or sit by the fire while the horses joined. 
It is getting late so we start to head back to the campground. On the way back we stop at a crab shack that was recommended the evening before. We have a fresh crab sandwich, calamari and a drink. Once done we make our way back to the campground. It has started to clear out a lot. Most campers are leaving after their weekend of bike fun. Since it was a bit of a long day and an even longer night we decide to keep an easy night and turn in early, 
Monday was a normal work day for Chris. I get my thorough cleaning done. Later in the afternoon we go and fill up the truck with gas and get a few needed groceries. When Chris is done work we take a walk around the campground. There was this toy hauler that had the matching color scheme. It was pretty fancy 😎. We go back make some dinner, get the bikes put on the bike rack, and pick up a few items to make pick up easier in the morning. 
We get a workout in when we wake up. Then after showering we make some breakfast and now it is time to begin tear down and get ready for a travel day. Everything is all set and off we go to our next state. ​

We were not staying overnight in Delaware so an activity is required to be able to check it off as a state completed. We planned a stop at Deauville Beach. I had called the town in advance to see where we could park to fit our truck and camper. They told us the parking lot we would want to stop at and explained that parking doesn't have fees as of 9/16 which was the day we will be there so we saved $50 as this is usually the day pass fee. 

After maneuvering through the tight streets we found the parking lot. It is pretty much empty so we park under a tree to keep the camper cool. We head back into the camper and make a lunch before we go to explore the beach. We changed into sandals, grabbed the camera and went down the path to the beach. The sand on my toes was so nice. It was a beautiful day so it was packed with sunbathers. There was a storm just north so there was a rip current warning in effect. This prevented people from being able to swim. I was able to capture a few pictures of waves crashing as we walked the shore. ​

Up to the boardwalk we went to see about finding a state sticker to add to the camper slide. There are many shops, bars, restaurants, pizza joints, and ice cream shops all along the walk. We found our sticker and decided to stop for a quick drink at a tiki bar before we headed back to the camper. We still had about an hour's drive before we make it to our next stay. It may have been a quick stop but we did enjoy the vibe of this cute beach town. 

Our drive to New Jersey was only supposed to be 5 hours but the course ended up having us go up and around Providence so it turned into 6.5 hours. That is a long time for me to sit. Poor Chris I really don't know how he deals with me some days 🫠. We also hit a lot of traffic this day driving through CT to NYC to NJ. I also can be a terrible passenger driving as I tend to freak out if we are between 18-wheelers. I am working on getting better at this so he doesn't throw me out of the truck. 

Once we made it to our site we got set up, relaxed for a few minutes then had to go get some groceries. Our site seemed to be mostly all seasonal campers and nobody was around so it was very quiet. Since we had such a long day on the road, after dinner we made it an early night to bed. As we are trying to close the door there is a huge bug on the screen that we are trying to get off. After research, we find it is an Eastern Hornet. I get a picture the next day of one by the tree. They are absolutely huge. 

Since we stayed so busy in Rhode Island we decided that we were going to keep it a mellow stay and just relax at the campground. Once Chris finished his work day, I made some dinner then we walked to see if there were any campers actually staying in the campground. We walk down the road we are staying on, still no signs besides just a couple folks. We turned right down the road and it was like we entered the land of missing campers. Most sites seem that they were all seasonals and they sure make them like a home. We end up chatting with a women name Kelly. We were talking about some of the extravagant bars people had set up. She says let’s take a ride in the golf cart and see some that we may have missed. 
We stop at another couples site and we all end up hanging out there for a few hours. Kelly gives us a ride back to our site. She even says she can't believe they put us here where nobody ever is. She invites us to come back tomorrow night as a few campsites get together, bring food and just hang out. We tell her we will see her tomorrow evening and inside to bed we go. 

The next day while Chris was working I had to go do laundry. Another reason I wasn't upset about our site location as it wasn't far from the laundry room. I get the 2 bags ready, put the laundry detergent in, and grab the quarters. I realize I only have enough for 2 loads so I will need to get some from the office to do the 3rd load I have. I go to ask but they say they only have $3. That was enough for the load I needed to start. They don't have change so I give them a $10 and they tell me to come back in a couple hours and they will have the rest of it. 
Since I had already started the other loads I would need the quarters sooner then that so I could put them in the drying. I go back to our site and tell Chris I need to run to the bank to get quarters. He said he was at a good break time so he comes with me and we also decide to hit a local vegetable stand that was recommended to us the evening before. 
We stop by the office I give them $3 and ask for the ten back. At the farm stand we get the recommended: tomato pie, Jersey corn on the corn, and a tomato (they are supposed to be extra good in New Jersey). We also end up grabbing some Jersey Apple Butter BBQ sauce, a peanut butter mousse pie, and 3 chocolate chip cookies. When we get back to the camper I make a tomato sandwich with the fresh tomato and it was everything I had hoped for 🤤. 
Chris finishes up work, I make some dinner and we sit outside before heading over to the campers we met the night before site. We hear something at a site just a couple up and see a few turkeys crossing through their lot. There was a black cat that eventually make the turkey come flying out of the woods. 

We pack up a cooler and head out to walk the park and stop over to the other site. There are a few people hanging out and the table of food has everything possible on it. I ended up trying some brie with homemade fig jam on crackers. The jam was delicious. I asked who had made it? It was the couple whose site we were at, Gus and Collette, who made it. Collette goes inside and brings me out a small jar and tells me it's for us 🫶🏼. It was the sweetest. 

We get dropped off at the camper and say our goodbyes and thank them for their hospitality. We make our way into the camper and get ready for bed. Tomorrow morning we move on to the next state, with a quick state stop on the way. 

I was looking forward to spending time in Rhode Island as this was where my Dad lived since I was 3 years old so most summers I spent at least 2 weeks visiting him. We decided to stay further north as I haven't seen much of this part besides when my dad took us to Newport to see the mansions once. Otherwise, we stayed more south as he lived in Westerly. Since my dad passed in 2007 I have only been back in 2017 when I dropped my son off at Souther Connecticut State University and stopped at Misquamicut State Beach with my daughter on our way back to Vermont. Even though he isn't around being in Rhode Island made me feel closer to him. 
Monday Chris did a normal workday. We had planned to take the Super 73 to Newport to see Bellevue Street and do the Ocean Walk. This was about 12 miles bike ride but as we started going we realized it was through a few busy streets. We made it about 7 miles and decided to turn around as it was too dangerous to keep going. We stopped at Coddington Brewing Company for dinner on our way back. I tried a blueberry and watermelon beer for the first time which were pretty good. Then they asked if I wanted a Snakebite? This was the blueberry beer with a splash of Downeast Cider. That was super tasty I must say! We chatted with a few locals that were also sitting at the bar then we noticed the sun was starting to set so we needed to head back to be sure we make it home safe. When we pull in it is dark but we are glad to be home. Even though our plans didn't work out as we had set we still enjoyed our time. 

On Tuesday we purchased tickets to take the Block Island Ferry and spend the afternoon there. My dad had taken us here once before (we took a cigarette boat over and I remember sitting on the boat for hours as he was at the bar with his buddy). My sister, brother and I walked around a little bit while waiting but mostly we just sat on the boat. I drove so Chris could keep working and at 2:30 we boarded. It was in the middle of a bunch of fishing boats. They were so cool to watch as they come in and clean up or get ready to head out. ​

Pulling up to dock in Block Island I had this feeling come over me. I am not sure if it was just remembering the last time I was here I had my dad or feeling so blessed to be living the life I am but it was powerful. I saw the hotel/restaurant/bar my dad was at that day and couldn't do anything more than smile. As a mother, I couldn't image leaving my kids to go into a bar and drink all day but that was who my dad was. He knew we would be safe and even today I think of it and remember it as a good day. 

We didn't do too much on the island. We walked to have a drink at the bar where my dad had his. I went to take pictures of the waves from the bar. Then we walked around the island and went into the shops. We stopped for another drink and were going to get a small bite to eat but we had to be boarded by 6:30 and it was already 6 so we just kept with a couple drinks. It was time to head to the boat and board. We find a great seat at the back. The sun was just beginning to set. We take a selfie to remember this day. 

As we pull out into the open ocean and I get that powerful feeling again. This time it brings tears to my eyes. I give my thanks for all that I have and talk to my Dad asking him to watch over Chris and me as we continue this journey, my children as they grow to become wonderful adults, and my sister, brother, nieces, and nephews. I watch as the island turns into a black shadow but you can still see the lighthouse light lit up. This day was everything I needed in my life. 

When off the boat we were going to grab a bite to eat at a local seafood restaurant but after dropping our backpack at the truck and walking over we found it closed. We locate another restaurant, Pancho O'Malley's, off the next exit and stop there. We walk in a back door and every table is full of folks playing cards. A woman yells out, "You need to go through those doors to get to the bar." Walking in there you would have thought we had 10 heads, everyone was staring. I guess they don't get outsiders too often. We sit at the bar and order our drink. We are looking over the menu and a guy says to me, "you look familiar". I'm like, nope, I'm not from around here. He says, "what High School did you go to?" I said nowhere you would know. He has now walked up and is standing next to me. Another man comes up and pulls him away and tells him to stop bothering us. We order the Taco Tuesday special and eat them all up. We pay our tab and head back home to settle in for our last night in Rhode Island. 
In the morning we get to put our RI sticker on the map. We have officially finished all of the New England states 🎉. On to New Jersey we go tomorrow. 

This blog is dedicated to my dad, John E. Blondin "Buddy" I love you and miss you everyday ❤️

Since we aren't staying overnight in Connecticut we had to be sure we spent at least one hour doing an activity in the state. I saw Mystic, CT had a Taste of Mystic on Sunday so as soon as we got to the Newport Campground we set up the site, got ourselves ready, and drove over an hour to Mystic. I have visited this town many times in my life as my Dad lived in Westerly, RI so we would come here to go to the aquarium or water park as kids. I was really excited when I saw this event was happening to experience the town as an adult. 
While driving we could see the clouds seemed to be getting pretty dark. We pretty much pulled into the parking lot and the sky opened up. Dumping buckets all over the event. We looked at the radar and saw it passes in about 20 minutes so we just sat in the truck. Once it started to slow down and you could see blue skies we got out to go see what this was all about. Unfortunately, a lot of vendors had started to close so they weren't selling food anymore but you could still buy tickets for drinks. The band was also going to be coming back on so we bought some tickets and went to grab a drink. 
Soon after the band "Sugar" was set up and the music was starting up. Before long we were on the dance floor, moving and grooving. 

Boy did we have fun! The sweat was pouring off us but there is nothing like letting loose on a dance floor. We had folks dancing with us, using our umbrella as a dancing pole, and all around a good time was being had by everyone. When the band was done we were going to go to Westerly, RI to see my dad's hometown where I spent many summers but we were talking to a local and they suggested trying Bravo Bravo for some dinner and drinks. 
As most of this trip has worked for us I am so glad we took their advice. We dove to the restaurant and found a seat at the bar. We usually will sit at the bar as it gives us people to talk to like the bartender or others. The drinks were great. The bartender held wonderful conversations even telling a story of the owners of the Soggy Dollar Bar (home of the Painkiller) coming into the bar one time. (Chris special orders the rum they used to use) 
We had just ordered our dinner when a couple came in and asked if they could use the seats aside of us. They were on the corner so I pushed over to give her some room. We immediately began conversation with them. They were saying they had their first date on Friday and they were still continuing it since. We chatted with them for a bit while eating and drinking. Then Colin asks if we would be interested in taking a cruise on his boat on the harbor. Well Of Course We Would! They finished up eating and we finished our drinks and we all cashed out. The marina where his boat was slipped was just up the road so we followed them over. 

On his big boat he made us each a cocktail then we climbed onto the smaller boat. Here we began a beautiful cruise of the harbor. It is these types of opportunities that some wouldn't take because of being a stranger but if someone's energy feels right why not? The Mystic Seaport Museum is located on the harbor so we pulled ashore to see some of the old ships they had. One was the Charles W. Morgan, which is the last wooden whaleship still intact in the world. ​

​We decided that exploring it a little bit closer would be cool so onto the ship we went. I got an even closer look of one of the sleeping quarters. After walking around we see the lights of a car pull up so we duck down. Realizing that it's security we stand and walk to the exit. He tells us we need to not be on the ship. We apologize and exit. He knew we were causing no harm. He says as we pass him, "stay out of trouble" with a chuckle. We look around the museum some more than back to the boat. 

I am able to snap a few more pictures from the boat of sights around the harbor. It sure was a beautiful night. Meeting people and exploring is what this adventure is all about. I can't thank Colin and Sherry for spending an evening with us and for all the laughs and memories that we made. Back at the marina we said our goodbyes but know this will not be the last time we see them. We will keep in contact with them for some time to come. Plus I need updates of how their relationship is going.

An hour's drive back to our campsite and then to explore Rhode Island was on deck for the next 2 days. 

This may be my shortest post because honestly, we have seen everything in Massachusetts worth seeing and we didn't want to drive out to the Cape and sit in traffic for hours. So we decided to mark this state off by sleeping in a Service Station right off the interstate when we found they didn't have much for campgrounds, boondockers welcome, or harvest host sites, anywhere around. 
We had a 4.5 hour drive to get there and while driving through Boston we had a huge thunder storm to drive in along with all the traffic so when pulling into the Newton Service Plaza at mile Marker 22 just outside of Boston it was a nice break being off the road.
We pulled in around 4:30 and went around back as this was a smaller service station so the parking was limited. We found a great spot that had no parking in front or behind it and big enough to fit our truck and camper. This was also our first time sleeping in the camper where we couldn't put the slide out so we couldn't pull the murphy bed down. We had to sleep on the dinette table but thankfully we had that option and still had access to the bathroom, kitchen, and shower. 

We went into to see what they had in the station. There was a convenience store, McDonalds, Honey Dew Donuts, restrooms, and a sitting area. We went back out and sat in the camper to enjoy a glass of wine. It is much smaller space when the slide isn't out and what do I do? I spill my full glass of wine all over Chris, the table, chairs and floor. I jumped to get it cleaned up as Chris is working on getting himself cleaned. He finishes the bottle because obviously I didn't deserve wine if I was just going to spill it 😝. 
For dinner we figured it was just easiest to get McDonalds so we went in ordered and took it back to eat in the camper. After eating, we decided to play a game so we pulled out Scrabble. I was surprised that I actually beat Chris, only by 10 points but I won!!! Since it was still too early for bed so we made the table into our bed, put comfy close on and set up the I-Pad to watch a movie. I made it probably 30 minutes before I was out. Chris shut off the movie around 10 and off to sleep he went. 
We are both sound asleep when all of a sudden we have someone banging on the side of our camper right next to our head. I instantly scream and yell "STOP". Chris yells out, "what do you want?" Strangely it was quiet for about a minute then a women says, "is anyone in there?" Um I just yelled so loud I probably woke the truckers so obviously someone is in here. Chris asks, "what do you need?" She says, "we have a delivery coming in and need you to move." Chris say, "one minute, I'll be right out". All I can think is this is a set up and they are going to rob and kill us. I tell Chris, "this is how they do it, please be careful." He goes out and there is nobody to be found. I get dressed and I go into the service station to see if any of the McDonald's workers may have knocked on our camper. I can't get anyone so I walk out to the drive thru window. A girl finally comes and I ask if they needed us to move our camper? She comes out and says she does or the truck won't deliver because it has nowhere to park. I tell her this doesn't show to be a no parking spot so they may want to have a sign so not to wake people in the night. I also can't believe we got there at 5:30 and they wait until 11pm to request this move of us 😡🤬.
Our next problem is I am not sure where to move it because all the truckers have used up the spots. She tells us to move next to the natural gas pumps as they don't work anymore. We move over there, close and lock the door and I try to fall back to sleep. Even though my heart is still in an arrhythmia. 
We make it through the remainder of the night with no more crazy interruptions. In the morning we shower, make some french press coffee and get ready to head out of this state and onto our next stop. 
​

I was very excited to get to Maine. We were going to see some old friends we hadn't seen in a while and meet up with some recent friends we just met. Our travel day was a test for my ability to sit for a long time while we drive. I did surprisingly well. We stopped once about 2.5 hours at an empty bank parking lot. It is the best thing about pulling your home with you. We were able to make lunch, use the bathroom and just stretch our legs before heading back to finish the remaining part of the drive. 

We pulled into our campground around 3 and were met by a worker. They take our name and call it into the office so they are ready for us. I walk in and get us all checked in. When we made our reservation back in March they didn't have a full hookup available for the week so we ended taking a water/electric for 2 nights then will move mid week to a full hookup site. We had been boondocking for the past 2 nights and our gray tank was full so we had to go dump at the dump station first. Once done the worker escorts us to our site. This was a first but I have heard from others that this is common in a lot of parks. I guess it just isn't a Vermont thing 😛.

Once we are set up we decide to take a walk down to the ocean. It is about a 10 minute walk from the campground. It is low tide but all along the beach are people having fires, grilling or just hanging out. There is something about salt water that just makes me happy. We walk around for a bit then we head back to the camp ground to make dinner and a relaxing evening by the fire. ​

The hike up Gorham was pretty cool. There were views of the ocean and surrounding mountains depending on where you were on the trail. We didn't realize there were two different trails to get to the top but as we were heading down a couple was coming up it so we quickly detoured down that other way. It was definitely a bit more challenging but we were glad to have the switch up of trails. 

At the bottom we continued on Ocean Trail which ends at Otter Lookout. We sat for a while but unfortunately we didn't get to see any otters 😫. Chris did capture some photos of a Cormorant fishing in the water. I am not sure what he was getting but it looks like some type of eel. ​

On our way back the tide was in so the waves were crashing and causing incredible splashes. We tried to catch them in a photo but I think they were shy because anytime we put the camera away the largest splash would happen. It was still very satisfying to just sit there and watch. I tend to take these times to appreciate all that is around me and all that I have. We finished the day with over 6.4 miles. We knew the day wasn't over yet and were looking forward to heading back to the campground to change up and head back down to Bar Harbor for an evening in town. 

There was a free bus that offered rides all around Bar Harbor that stopped right at our campground. We looked over the schedule and headed to catch the bus which brought us right into town. We decided on a place called Blaze and were very happy with our choice. The atmosphere was a vibe and the drinks & food were great. After dinner, we checked out a place called Barnacles that was recommended to us to have a round of drinks. We had just a little bit of time before the last bus will be leaving so we hit up Ben & Bills for some ice cream. They had every flavor imaginable. They even had one called Lobster, that is a hard NO! It was a lightly buttered ice cream with lightly buttered lobster meat 🤢. Chris didn't get ice cream but he did find a Rum fudge that was to die for. We made our way back to the bus and back to the camp ground we went. 

Tuesday was a quiet day and evening because we knew Wednesday was going to be busy and long. Chris worked until about 11:30 then we headed out for a 1.5-hour drive to Machias. When we started planning this trip, visiting Hailey and Kelly was a must. We had met them about 2 years ago when Chris and I were doing an overnight hike on the long trail. They stayed in the same shelter as us and the next day we kept passing each other over the 7 miles to the next shelter. We stopped for a break and have something to eat which they were there doing the same. While there we were chatting with them. They had been on the long trail for 13 days and over the past week they had some pretty chilly weather and some snow. Hailey knew she was at her limit and didn't have much left to keep pushing forward. 
We only had to hike back down to our car so we told them if they needed a ride to Burlington we could get them there and they could find a way back home to Maine. Kelly was not wanting to stop but knowing it was the safest thing they agreed to take the ride home. They couldn't have been happier when we got to the car and we had cold beers waiting for us. We dropped them off at a hotel and the next day they took a bus home. We have stayed in contact with them since. 
Hailey is such a well rounded badass. She has her own tattoo shop, is lead singer in her band, and also manages the band. Keeping up with social media, scheduling gigs and keeping the guys all in line. When we scheduled to come visit them we also asked if she would be willing to tattoo Chris and I. We have been talking about getting crown tats for a while and couldn't image anyone but Hailey giving us them. 
After our appointment we headed back to Hailey and Kelly's house. Hailey had picked up over 30 lobsters from her dad's boat earlier that day. They had the water boiling and began to cook them all. A few of the band members had also stopped by which was great to meet. We had such an awesome evening enjoying the freshest lobster 🦞 by a fire, having drinks with the most wonderful company. We knew we still had to drive back home so we said our goodbyes and headed back to Bar Harbor. 

Thursday was a pretty chill day with Chris working and I did my pre-travel day cleaning. That evening we had plans to meet up with another couple we met at one of our stays in Vermont. They also are full-time RVers and we realized we will be in Bar Harbor at the same time so we had to have dinner with them. We had a 5:30 time set and we all met at the restaurant. We enjoyed a nice meal then after went to another local restaurant to have a few more drinks. It was great talking RV life and exchanging stories with them. Until we meet up again, safe travels Susan & Tracy. 

Friday was our last day in Maine and we wanted to make the most of it. Chris got some work done then we headed back to Acadia National Park to hike Cadillac Mountain. The hike up the North Ridge trail was gradual but felt like it went on forever. As I tend to always say, the hike was worth the climb. The ocean views were gorgeous. The clouds were just lifting and as we sat on the summit for a bit, then the clouds came back in covering the islands like blankets. 
Chris had seen that there was a geo marker plaque so we found our way to it for our celebratory shoe photo. On the way down we lost trail and found ourself on the side of the mountain seeing views we wouldn't have got to seen. We soon saw a blue blaze and were back on track. 

We had tried to catch a sunset on Friday morning but the fog was too thick to see anything so that was a bust. Saturday morning we got up early again to see if the weather would be in our favor and it sure seemed like we would get to see it. We walked down to Hadley's Point and walked over slippery rocks, stirring up all the mosquitos so that anytime you stop you are eaten alive. I set my phone on a rock and walked away to be off the slippery rocks and be able to move around to keep the bugs away. As I'm watching the bright colors showing all of a sudden clouds start to come in minutes before the sun rising. I walk back over the rocks to get my phone and right before getting to it I fell so hard catching myself with my hands causing me to make a huge gash in my hand. I grabbed my phone and headed back down the beach upset the clouds came in but even more upset that I fell and have blood just dripping down my hand. 

On Monday when we came into Acadia, we had purchased a week pass but after talking with the ranger and how many national parks we will be going into, it made sense we exchanged the week pass and get the annual pass. We had hoped to do this while we were out but the park had closed by the time we were off the mountain so I had to run up in the morning. Thankfully there was a visitor center about 10 minutes from our campground so I went and got the annual pass, filled up the truck and back to finish packing up to head to our next state.