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.

When we decided to make the jump into RV-land, everything seemed to happen very, very quickly. Count us among the throngs gravitating toward RV life during the pandemic. Even after factories shut down for periods and supply chains had been disrupted, sales skyrocketed. In late August, we had decided on a Class B. A week or so later, we put a deposit down on a Winnebago Travato. We put our Eurovan up for sale and watched as its new owners drove her away. And two weeks later, on Halloween, we were driving Tedda home from the dealership.

In our search for a self-contained RV, we ruled out trailers and narrowed our options down to a Class B. Easy enough from there, right? Nope. Ever since our trip to the RV show, we had been drawn to two of Winnebago’s models: the Revel and the Travato—so much so that we’ve been keeping our eyes out for them on road and in campgrounds and admiring from afar…and then we made our decision!

After G and I went to an RV show this past January, we started thinking about the van that would eventually be our “next,” to follow the VW Eurovan. We dreamed—and decided we’d do our research and make the jump to a bigger rig in a few years’ time. After all, our van suited us perfectly! Sure, it didn’t have a kitchen or bathroom, but so what? After all, we’re camping! We shouldn’t feel like we’re staying in a hotel room or a tiny house…right? And then COVID-19 hit.

After two years and so, so many memories, we sold our 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender. While we’re looking forward to picking up the new rig that will mark the beginning of our van adventures 2.0 (stay tuned for more posts and info!), I’ll always miss the van. And so, at the expense of being overly sentimental, we offer this farewell/love letter/thank you card to our van…

Ever since G and I started dating back in 1995 (25 years ago—yikes!!), we’ve been big on games. Scrabble was always our go-to, and over the years, we’ve expanded our repertoire a bit. I’ve found that it’s hard finding games that are great for just two and sometimes even more challenging to find games that are super portable for camping. This post includes our favorites while camping—and a few “bonus” options as well!

When it comes to camp cooking, I’m all about simple, fast, easy, and damn delicious (I’m trusting G with that verdict). I’m not trying to be an outdoor gourmand, nor do I get worked up about having meals that are healthy or “clean” when we’re camping. Nope, comfort food all the way. So, after close to 30 nights of camping this summer, I figured I’d offer a round-up of my favorite recipes to make while camping. Enjoy!

Summer 2020: 27 camping nights; 12 campgrounds, including 11 state parks (5 in New Hampshire and 6 in Maine). During and after each camping trip, G and I would talk about what we loved (or didn’t love) about the site, the park, the area, etc. We’ve been trying to keep track of each park’s unique characteristics to help us not only share the info and our opinions but also start our planning for next year! We’ve created a “best of” based on this summer’s travels; keep in mind that these are entirely subjective, and others’ opinions and experiences may differ from ours. Now that the summer has come to end and the leaves are falling, it’s time for a wrap up.

New Hampshire is known for a lot of things: its White Mountains, its lakes, its super-short coastline. Well, White Lake State Park in Tamworth provides two out of three, with a gorgeous lakefront setting and 3,490-foot Mount Chocorua as a gorgeous backdrop. Add the turning leaves of fall, and the park is a stunner.

I’ve been putting off writing this post mainly because I’ve struggled to put into words what visiting the site was like—it was nothing like what G and I expected. I was expecting a memorial, perhaps a piece of the fuselage, but nothing prepared me for the wide area strewn with pieces of the airplane. Metal lodged into trees, the outline of a window, markings and rivets on large, somewhat-intact pieces. We were certainly standing on sacred ground, where 7 United States airmen lost their lives on a winter’s day in 1963.

Phew, our 11th camping trip of the summer, our 25th and 26th nights spent camping in our 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender! After a few trips to state parks that have been busier and a little less private than we would like, our expectations for Lily Bay State Park in Beaver Cove, Maine, were admittedly low. And boy, were we pleasantly surprised!

Our 10th weekend camping trip took us to Peaks-Kenny State Park in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, about 200 miles from home (199, to be exact)—a trip that took us a little more than 3 hours. We had never traveled to this part of Maine, as we’ve tended to stick to the state’s giant coastline for the last 20+ years. Peaks-Kenny is beautiful, with its 839 acres in the Maine Highlands and lakefront setting on Lake Sebec. And, like Mt. Blue State Park, Peaks-Kenny makes for a great family campground. For two adult campers who crave solitude and quiet (even in non-pandemic times!)? Perhaps not as much.

All good things come to an end; we had to have a less-than-awesome weekend camping after such a great stretch, right? Sure, not every weekend has been perfect in every way, but overall, each weekend has been a winner. This past one was a little bit of letdown; in fact, we ended up staying only one night. But let me first say this: if G and had kids, we would have loved Mt. Blue State Park in Weld, Maine. Mt. Blue is most definitely a family campground.

Nights #19 and #20 of our summer of social distancing (i.e., van camping) had us at Pillsbury State Park in Washington, New Hampshire, considered “one of the more primitive and lesser known gems,” according to its page on the NH State Parks site. Pillsbury State Park is nestled in Washington, NH, about 48 minutes from Concord, our state capital, an hour from Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city, and just about an hour and half from home for us. Yet, being there, you feel worlds away from the rest of southern/central New Hampshire.

After our weekend camping at Cobscook Bay State Park in Maine, just minutes away from New Brunswick, Canada, G and I weren’t sure how any camping weekend would compare. Our most recent weekend had us returning to a town park in Freeport, Maine, where we had camped twice last year, Winslow Memorial Park and Campground. Last year, we were new to this van-camping thing, and we loved Winslow; this year, with a few more trips and some really scenic parks under our belt, we wondered if Winslow would still rank up there. And let me just say this: YES. An absolutely resounding yes.

If you’ve seen the highway signs, then you know that Maine is “the way life should be” (no offense to the 603, but I tend to agree)—and Cobscook Bay State Park is certainly, in my mind, the way camping should be. I’m not sure how any campground—or campsite—will compare after this particular weekend.

I’ll start off with this: I really, really, really wanted to fall in love with Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal, Maine, just minutes outside of Freeport. It’s close to home (just shy of 1.5 hours away), and my hopes were that we’d love it so much that it would become one of our go-to close-to-home parks. Unfortunately, such was not the case. And while I’ve had a few days to think about our one-night stay here at Bradbury, I still can’t quite put a finger on what I (we) didn’t love about the park.

Our summer of camping weekends is shaping up nicely, with COVID-19 providing us the opportunity to stay local and explore places that we hadn’t been before. Moose Brook State Park in Gorham, New Hampshire, was one of those places. And guess what? This park might have catapulted itself to the top of our camping list!

On a rare off-weekend from camping, G and I decided to explore a nearby trail about 20 miles from home, the Adams Point Loop Trail in Durham, New Hampshire, located within the Adams Point Wildlife Management Area. At 1.5 miles, the trail is short and sweet, with terrific views along the way and what might be two of the best benches I’ve spotted on trails so far; and if you’re a fan of water views, this trail has them aplenty!

Over the July 4th weekend, G and returned to Gilson Pond Campground in Monadnock State Park. For being only about an hour and a half from home, the park feels much, much further away. And while folks might have been converging on the trails to hike Mount Monadnock, one of the most frequently hiked peaks in the WORLD, we opted for a quiet weekend with Gilson Pond as our centerpiece. And boy, did it deliver