After spending the first weekend of our Travato ownership “camping” in the dealership parking lot and then, the next night, in my mom’s driveway, G and I decided we’d spend our second weekend actually camping. And with a few New Hampshire state parks still open, we snagged a reservation at Dry River Campground in Crawford Notch State Park in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Given the choice between the ocean and the mountains, I’ll always choose the ocean. Luckily, in New Hampshire, I have the best of both worlds, living just short walk from the beach and a few hours from mountains. And whileI love the coast, I’m always awed by New Hampshire’s White Mountains and the snow-capped, 6,288-foot Mount Washington, the Northeast’s highest peak.

June 19-21, we found ourselves booked back at Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia Notch State Park. This time, we had a coveted river site, #59, and the highlight of this weekend’s trip was walking the Pemi Trail to the Basin, a fabulous place to spend some time on a hot, sunny day. From the parking lot and across a wooden bridge into the campground, hikers can access two main trails: the trail to Lonesome Lake and the Pemi Trail, which runs parallel to the Pemigewasset River, and stretches 3.6 miles, from Profile Lake to the Basin.