Two Great Walks at Camden Hills State Park
Two Great Walks at Camden Hills State Park

On a recent camping trip to Camden Hills State Park, we took advantage of two trails that offer some fantastic views—the Mount Battie Auto Road and the Shoreline Trail. With the option to drive or walk the auto road or take one of the many other trails up Mount Battie, everyone can access the gorgeous views—the same is true for the Shoreline Trail. Round-trip on the auto road was about 3.2 miles; from our campsite to the Shoreline Trail and back to the campsite was just under 2 miles. Together, about 5 miles of walking/hiking. Not a bad way to spend a beautiful June morning!

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Camp & OutdoorsCoasting Toward BlueCamden Hills State Park, Maine, Mount Battie, New England, Walking, Hiking, Camping, walks, walkingComment
Camden Hills State Park
Camden Hills State Park

Camden Hills State Park is located in Camden, Maine, which is mid-coast Maine, about 85 miles north of Portland and about 75 miles from Bar Harbor. The Camden/Rockland area is gorgeous, with so much in the area to do, see, and explore. We’ve visited a few different times over the years, but we hadn’t ever visited Camden Hills State Park. The wait was worth it.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriCamping, Maine State Parks, VW Eurovan Weekender, COVID-19, MaineComment
A return to Lafayette Place
A return to Lafayette Place

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.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriNew Hampshire State Parks, Camping, VW Eurovan Weekender, White MountainsComment
The NEMO Heliopolis: A review
The NEMO Heliopolis: A review

There are plenty of cheaper privacy shelters out there, but we decided to go with the NEMO Heliopolis Privacy Shelter and Shower Tent ($249) for a few reasons: we’re big fans of the other NEMO products we own, and they’re a local, New Hampshire-based company. And, honestly, I truly believe that you get what you pay for. So far, with four camping weekends to our credit this season so far, the Heliopolis has been an absolute game-changer.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriCamping, COVID-19, gear reviewsComment
Gilson Pond Campground, Monadnock State Park (NH)
Gilson Pond Campground, Monadnock State Park (NH)

For starters, Gilson Pond Campground in Jaffrey, NH, is gorgeous. Absolutely, positively gorgeous. For a small-ish state, New Hampshire has a ton to offer, and it’s somewhat surprising (and embarrassing) that after more than 25 years living in New Hampshire, there are still huge parts of the state that I don’t know well. This little corner is one of those parts. Seriously, if you haven’t ever made your way to this little corner of our state, do so. It’s just beautiful.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriNew Hampshire State Parks, Gilson Pond Campground, Camping, New Hampshire, VW Eurovan WeekenderComment
Lafayette Place Campground
Lafayette Place Campground

One of New Hampshire’s great draws is the beautiful part of our state known as the White Mountains, the mountain range that encompasses about a quarter of the state (and part of Maine, too!), and Lafayette Place Campground, nestled within Franconia Notch State Park, is a great base camp for hiking and biking, but on this particular weekend, we did neither. We simply escaped to the woods and, away from cell service and wifi, tuned out to the world and into nature for our first camping trip of the 2020 season.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriCamping, New Hampshire, New Hampshire State Parks, VW Eurovan Weekender, COVID-19Comment
Our summer of camping: A preview
Our summer of camping: A preview

Our summer plans initially included a few days in New Orleans (a conference for G, and a few days for me to play tourist) and then a two-week trip to the West Coast—a week in Washington State with family then a weeklong road trip down the Oregon Coast and into Northern California. We were looking forward to a few camping weekends as well, but most of those hadn’t been planned out at that point. And then, well, the global pandemic. Needless to say, our plans went out the window once COVID-19 hit. We canceled all of our bookings and flights and even the two camping reservations we had already booked. We cleared our calendars. As for summer? We would simply wait and see. Now, as I write this, we’re currently scheduled to be camping 30 days this summer, in 11 different parks (I’m hoping those numbers increase with the addition of more reservations—we’ll see!) throughout Maine and New Hampshire.

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Travel, Camp & OutdoorsTerriCamping, New Hampshire State Parks, Maine State Parks, Maine, New Hampshire, COVID-19, VW Eurovan WeekenderComment
G & T go to an RV show...oohs and ahhs
G & T go to an RV show...oohs and ahhs

And so, on a cold Saturday in January, we found ourselves at the Boston RV and Camping Expo—oohing and ahhing at vans and RVs of all shapes and sizes. Hell, some of the RVs cost nearly as much as our condo—and seem just as big!! I’ve never been in an RV, and while I prefer a future in a small-ish van, G waxes poetically about RVs. I can’t imagine ever driving one of those behemoths, but I try to humor him.

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VanlifeTerriVan, VW Eurovan Weekender, EurovanComment
A trip to Acadia National Park to close out 2019
A trip to Acadia National Park to close out 2019

That same stillness and quiet in a typically bustling place is what draws us to Acadia National Park in the off-season, and in the winter in particular. While sharing the park, one of the most visited in the country, with so many others is certainly fun on some level of community and camaraderie, we’ve come to love the days and months when we can hear our only our own footsteps on a trail or when we share “hellos” with only a few others.

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Photography, TravelTerriFuji X-T30, Fuji XF 16 1.4, Maine, Travel, National Parks, Fuji photographyComment
Our 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender: Celebrating one year as van owners
Our 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender: Celebrating one year as van owners

Last week, we celebrated our one-year vaniversary with our new-to-us 2002 VW Eurovan Weekender. This time last year, we took the plunge, swore to be with our van for better or worse, exchanged nervous glances, handed over a hefty $15K cashier’s check, and walked our way down the proverbial aisle—in our case, New Hampshire’s Route 16, as we drove our new love home from the White Mountains to the seacoast.

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VanlifeTerriVW Eurovan Weekender, Van, TravelComment
Knitting? Perhaps the most perfect van/camp hobby!
Knitting? Perhaps the most perfect van/camp hobby!

So far, I’ve found loom knitting to be just what I need at this point: it’s fast, thus fulfilling my need for instant gratification; it’s easy, thus making me feel successful right from the start; it’s calming, thus allowing me a way to relax and de-stress after long days at work. However, I’ve learned two hard lessons right away: I totally understand how folks can spend a lot of money on yarn and knitting notions (ah, one more hobby with “gear” to buy!), and knitting each night for a few hours at a time definitely cuts into my reading/sleep time. Compromise? Knit while listening to audiobooks and podcasts—a win-win!

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriknitting, loom knitting, crafts, hobbies Comment
Star Island: Day tripping to one of New Hampshire's islands
Star Island: Day tripping to one of New Hampshire's islands

Earlier this summer, I made a list of my summer “must-dos”—places I wanted to visit, campgrounds where I wanted to stay, things I wanted to do. Returning to Star Island, a small island just off the coast, was at the top of the list. I had first visited more than 15 years ago, and I’ve wanted to go back ever since.

Star Island is one of nine islands that make up the Isles of Shoals, located just a few miles off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. Four of the islands (Lunging, Seavey, Star, and White) fall within New Hampshire’s borders; the others fall within Maine’s (Appledore, Cedar, Duck, Malaga, and Smuttynose). A few of the islands are privately owned, while the public can visit both Appledore Island and Star Island. While I haven’t visited Appledore (yet!), it was Star Island to which I longed to return.

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TravelTerriNew Hampshire, New England, Star Island, TravelComment
A not-so-far-away camping escape in Maine...and my first try at campfire cooking
A not-so-far-away camping escape in Maine...and my first try at campfire cooking

Since coming back from our road trip, we’ve been itching (I more so than G) to get back out in the van and to camp; however, with all the plans for the road trip, we (I) didn’t think to make any plans for after our return. Ooops! But as luck would have it, I stumbled across a fantastic park in Freeport, Maine, not far away from us: Winslow Park and Campground. We could not have been more thrilled with our weekend spent at this fantastic little park.

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Camp & OutdoorsTerriMaine, Eurovan, Camping, FreeportComment
A seaside garden on New Hampshire's coast
A seaside garden on New Hampshire's coast

With its separate spaces, Fuller Gardens has something for everyone. Want more than 125 different varieties of roses? A stunning dahlia display garden? A calm and serene Japanese garden, complete with a koi pond? A conservatory housing hundreds of succulents and tropical varieties? Gorgeous fountains and statuary? It’s all there at Fuller Gardens. So much to see in this hidden treasure of a place.

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TravelTerriNew Hampshire, New England, Travel, SeacoastComment
Day trip to Portland, Maine: Treasures and lobster rolls
Day trip to Portland, Maine: Treasures and lobster rolls

In a city filled with some pretty great places to visit, Portland Architectural Salvage in Portland, Maine, might just be one of my favorites. Its website heralds “everything old is new again,” and this about sums up the place: it’s got that grandfather’s garage kind of feel, mixed with a DIY/HGTV/shabby chic vibe. It’s the kind of place that makes me want to buy an old farmhouse and restore/renovate/redecorate. And any place that makes me nostalgic for favorite movies, favorite books, and loved ones long passed is worth the stop.

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TravelTerriMaine, Lobster Roll, Portland, New EnglandComment
Road Trip, Days 20-21: A striped light, sunrise, and homeward bound
Road Trip, Days 20-21: A striped light, sunrise, and homeward bound

Well, we knew this trip would end at some point, right? And let’s be honest, two days of traveling home won’t really yield the most exciting blog posts, so I’ll save you all a favor and combine the days! On our visit to PEI last summer, we drove the entire way home in one shot—just more than nine hours of driving; I think it took us around 10+/- with stops. This year, we decided to break up the trip with a stop halfway, in Lubec, Maine—home to West Quoddy Head Light and the easternmost point in the continental United States.

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TravelTerriroad trip, Eurovan, Canada, MaineComment
Road Trip, Day 19: Dunes, Anne, Dalvay, and a little mishap
Road Trip, Day 19: Dunes, Anne, Dalvay, and a little mishap

I can’t believe that this day, Day 19, marks the last day we’ll be spending in the Maritimes. Tomorrow, Day 20, we’ll begin the travels back home. With just one day left to enjoy in Prince Edward Island, we made sure to include a few sights that we didn’t get to during our first visit to PEI last summer. While we did a bit of driving, the island is pretty small; nothing is really too far out the way. The day went perfectly…right up until I was about to call it a night and head to bed…but we’ll get to that soon enough!

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TravelTerriroad trip, Prince Edward Island, Canada, EurovanComment
Road Trip, Day 18: Another ferry, another province, and a change in plans
Road Trip, Day 18: Another ferry, another province, and a change in plans

As our trip winds down (ugh. don’t get me started), we’re spending two nights in Prince Edward Island, the island that made us fall in love with the Maritimes in the first place when we first visited last summer. This time around, we knew we had to include PEI on this year’s trip, even if for only a few days. While Charlottetown wasn’t originally on the itinerary, our change in plans made for a great excuse to return to the city that we enjoyed so much, even if afternoon/evening hours weren’t long enough to enjoy all that the city has to offer.

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TravelTerriroad trip, Canada, Prince Edward Island, EurovanComment
Road Trip, Day 17: Bell in Baddeck and our farewell to Cape Breton
Road Trip, Day 17: Bell in Baddeck and our farewell to Cape Breton

Day 17 had us traveling from Chéticamp, Cape Breton to hit up a few more sights and sites in Cape Breton to leaving the island and heading back to the Nova Scotia mainland. While the day had us driving quite a bit, we were able to break up the trip with a few fantastic stops: The Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, St. FX in Antigonish, and then Pictou Lodge in Pictou, where would be spending the night.

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TravelTerriroad trip, Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, EurovanComment
Road Trip, Day 16: Cape Breton's crown jewel and a few other gems in Cheticamp
Road Trip, Day 16: Cape Breton's crown jewel and a few other gems in Cheticamp

Around every corner, the views just got more and more incredible as we made our way around the Cabot Trail heading toward the Skyline Trail, . As G navigated the van through the winding roads, I kept looking out both the front windshield and the rear window, ogling each view. We toured the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise, starting in Ingonish and ending in Chéticamp, so that we’d always be closest to the side of the water. Lots of folks do it the other way around and, honestly, I’m not sure one is “better” than the other. The views are stunning no matter which direction you’re headed!

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TravelTerriroad trip, Travel, Nova Scotia, Eurovan, Cape Breton Island, Canada