Rome: battling the germs like gladiators
The final stop on our Italy adventure was Rome. On the train ride from Naples to Rome, I realized I was getting sick. Whatever virus Phineas brought with him to Italy had finally reached me. In a few days, it would reach Jake too. And then Penelope. We had booked a special access, small group…
Pompeii and Smelly Laundry
It’s rare that a place you visit is equally awe-inspiring the second time. Pompeii was just that. After a stressful ride on the local Circumvesuviana train, we arrived at Pompeii and met our tour guide. When Jake and I visited Pompeii in 2018 we toured on our own, but this time decided hiring a guide…
Naples: chaotic, stressful, and authentic
It’s a long train ride from Venice to Naples. I thought we could all rest up on the ride, but the pace of the last couple of stops had caught up with us and we were all still worn out when we rolled into Napoli Centrale after dark. Naples was the city I was most…
24 hours in Venice
When we sat down to plan this trip we tried to stretch it as long as we could. The kids’ spring break is only a week, but that was way too short to justify the travel time and expense. We elected to let the kids miss school the week before spring break to allow nearly…
Truffles and Laundry
Everyone was tired by our last full day in Bologna, and knowing that we were heading into a whirlwind Venice trip, we decided to take an easy day. The kids rested at the apartment (i.e. spent time on their screens) and I convinced Jake to join me on a laundromat adventure. We found a café…
Tiramisu and Tortelloni: Cooking in Bologna
One of the activities I was most looking forward to this trip was a private cooking class in a local chef’s home. It did not disappoint! We took the bus a few miles outside of the center of town to a neighborhood of spacious and elegant historic apartments. We were welcomed into Roberta Guercini’s home…
Sanctuary of San Luca and the porticos of Bologna
A few miles outside of Bologna at the top of a hill sits the Sanctuary of San Luca, a Basilica offering incredible views of Bologna and the surrounding landscape. Beginning in 1433 the faithful have participated in a religious pilgrimage up the long hill to the Sanctuary. The Portico di San Luca is a covered…
The beginning of our adventure: exploring Bologna
We decided to book a walking tour of the historical center of Bologna to get our bearings and learn some history. It was maybe the worst tour I’ve ever been on, to the point of hilarity, but we did get to spend a couple of hours in the sunshine walking around the gastronomy capital of…
Italy: the first 24 hours
It takes a long time to travel from Charlottesville, VA to Bologna, Italy. And between the extended travel time and the 5 hour time difference, it results in some very weary travelers. We flew out of Charlottesville around 3pm on Monday, left IAD at 6:45pm and landed in Rome at 9am Italy time (4am home…
More Ohiopyle Adventures
For our last couple days in Ohioplye (and our last couple days of this epic adventure!) we spent time checking out more of the area. The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP trail) is a spectacular bike trail that runs through Ohiopyle. We biked the 20 miles round trip to Confluence, PA and found a quaint little…
Ohiopyle: Rafting and Architecture
Ohiopyle, PA is a tiny town right on the Youghiogheny River. While it has very few year round residents, visitors flood in during the summer months, especially on the weekends, to explore the many outdoor activities the area has to offer. The big draw is the river: the Youghiogheny River is known for fantastic white…
Branches of Niagara Campground
When I was looking at our travel itinerary pre-trip I noticed that we were staying in two limited-amenity campgrounds in a row: Robert Treman in Ithaca and then Ohiopyle in Pennsylvania. Niagara Falls had been in our 2020 plan that got cancelled due to COVID, but when we re-booked everything we made the decision to…
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is the oldest State Park in the country; its breathtaking beauty and power led a group of citizens to petition to protect it for future generations and allow access for all. We spent a very long and active day in the state park exploring the Falls and a couple more days hanging out…
Ithaca is Gorges
Many of the Ithaca bumper stickers and t-shirts feature the quote, “Ithaca is Gorges.” At first I thought it was cheesy, but after spending some time here I’ve decided it’s an apt description: Ithaca is full of gorges with stunning waterfalls, and the landscape is “gorgeous.” There is a 4+ mile round trip hike in…
Penelope the Hero
Phineas flew home on Sunday to hang out with Nimmy and Pa until we get home in about a week and a half. I’ve gotten a few photos from him and it sounds like he’s living his best life hanging out with baby cousin Lucas and helping Nimmy around the house. We miss him but…
Ithaca, back to high points
Virginia state park trail maps almost always include the quote, “Virginia State Parks are a tonic for the mind, body and spirit.” That quote has always resonated with me when I’ve read it while hiking or exploring. Being back in a state park after so many private campgrounds does feel like a tonic; there’s something…
Low points: Ithaca, NY
We are down to our last 3 camping stops of the trip: Ithaca, Niagara Falls and then Ohiopyle in PA. We’ve had a bit of a rough time lately. Phineas has been struggling with the confines of the camper and the lack of consistent routine. We’ve been back and forth as whether we need to…
Lake Placid/Whiteface Mountains
We arrived in New York a couple of days ago. There was a lot of moaning and trepidation about heading back into the camper after our luxurious week in Burlington, but it hasn’t been as bad as everyone feared. We’re staying in a KOA between Lake Placid and the Whiteface mountains. KOAs are definitely commercial…
More Burlington, VT
We love long, flat biking trails and Burlington has one of the best; it stretches for miles along Lake Champlain. It also heads out into the middle of the lake on a narrow causeway, but we didn’t make it that far. We biked from our house to the waterfront and then caught the Burlington Greenway…
Burlington, VT: science and sailing
Burlington, VT reminds me so much of Charlottesville. I’m not sure if it’s being in a house, the great restaurants, or the pedestrian mall, but it feels like home. With the huge added bonus of Lake Champlain, Burlington is definitely a place I could spend the whole summer. After our relax and reset first day,…
Luxuries of home
When we bought our camper a few years ago we were specifically looking for a small camper. At the time, we didn’t have a truck and needed to find something that could be towed with our Subaru Ascent. Additionally, many state and national parks have size limitations for camp sites. Or if they do allow…
More White Mountains: gondolas and camp friends
Prior to this trip, we’ve typically camped at state parks in Virginia and the surrounding area. State parks are destinations unto themselves; they have hiking trails, often mountains and/or lakes, or some natural feature that warranted the creation of the state park. The campgrounds just add to the experience and allow visitors to stay a…
Flume Gorge and Mt Washington Summit
We have been exploring the white mountains of New Hampshire the last couple of days. We arrived at Along the River Campground and the kids immediately jumped in the pool. The campground is small, but peaceful and very family friendly. The RV sites have full hookups (yay!) but still feel woodsy and quiet. We started…
Lobster, Seals and Tidepools: Acadia part 2
We’ve really enjoyed spending time in Bar Harbor, ME and Acadia National Park. If the winters weren’t so brutal, we’d consider living here! Acadia is huge and we were barely able to touch the surface of all it has to offer; it’s definitely a place we’d love to return to in the future with more…
Kayaking and Climbing: Acadia part 1
We’ve had a very active first couple of days in Acadia/Bar Harbor. We arrived at Somes Sound View campground late on Thursday because we stayed longer than planned at the Urban Air park. After setting up in the dark, we went straight to bed to get ready for an early wake up call. The campground…
Penelope’s post: Urban Air
Penelope: we went to a fun trampoline park. There was so much stuff there, there was this giant thing on the ceiling where people fly around. I did it more than 10 times. It was like I was flying around. There was a ninga course and it was pretty hard. We also played some games…
Lobsters!
Since we’ve been in Maine I’ve been eager to eat a whole lobster at a legit lobster shack by the water. I’ve definitely been eating lots of lobster items at restaurants (lobster pasta, rolls, eggs Benedict), but I hadn’t done the whole steamed lobster thing ever in my life. Until today! We are in transit…
Setting up and taking down
Camping is a lot of work. It’s amazing; I’ve loved camping since the first time Jake took me to Shenandoah National park 20 years ago. But since day one I’ve been working to figure out how to make it both more comfortable and easier. The first time we went camping we had almost no gear.…
Outdoor adventures in Camden, Maine
Camden is a gem for outdoor activities. We’re staying in Camden Hills state park, just a couple miles from Camden harbor and located right at the Mount Battie Trailhead. After our first cold, rainy day the weather transformed into perfect, sunny 65-70 degree days and crisp nights. Yesterday we boarded the Schooner Surprise for an…
Wellfleet Oysters in Wellfleet
For our last night in Provincetown, we decided to venture about 20 minutes outside of PTown to the little town of Wellfleet for dinner. I spent the afternoon at a laundromat (one of the less glamorous aspects of life on the road) so I has tons of time to research restaurants. I made reservations at…
To infinity, and beyond!
We arrived in Camden, Maine after a long drive. For whatever reason (bathroom breaks, hunger riots, etc) a five hour drive typically takes us eight. We’re staying at Camden Hills State Park. When we checked in the ranger took one look at our (small) camper and said she was pretty sure it wouldn’t fit in…
Provincetown biking, beaching and touristing
After spending just two nights each at our first two stops, we’re spending four nights in Provincetown, MA and it finally feels like we can settle in a little. Two nights is a quick turnaround for camping, especially if there’s a long drive between stops since it means just one full day in a location…
Arriving in Provincetown
Today we drove to Provincetown, MA, all the way at the very tip of Cape Cod. We’re spending several days at Coastal Acres campground. It’s a small campground less than half a mile from the beach and downtown. First impression is that we absolutely love the area. The small downtown is filled with quaint houses,…
Cape Cod: Falmouth and Woods Hole
We spent an incredible day biking through the Cape Cod, MA towns of Falmouth and Woods Hole. We rode an 8 mile round trip section of the Shining Sea Bikeway. It’s a rails to trail paved bikeway that hugs the coast with views of Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a total of 10 miles (20 round trip)…
Friday Night Magic (and lots of broken eggs)
On the way to our first camping stop, Jake scoped out a MTG store so Phineas could play some Friday Night Magic. The plan was good: Jake dropped Phineas and I off at the game store so he could play and I could work on my computer a little. He dropped us off a little…
Lancaster, PA: Amish country
We spent a day exploring Amish county in Lancaster, PA. The Amish arrived in Pennsylvania in the 18th century to escape religious persecution. Since settling in Lancaster they have been able to maintain a community separate from the rest of society with a strict set of religious and cultural rules, traditions and beliefs. I’ve always…
Leaving day
It’s finally here! We woke up early, packed up the last few things, hooked up the camper and began our journey. But we’re slow, so despite our 6am wake-up call it’s 10am and we’re just now actually leaving Charlottesville.
Ready, set, almost time!
We are at T minus one week before we head out on the Great Migration of 2022. Jake has been repairing and replacing parts of the camper tirelessly for the last several weeks. Sewer lines, roof leak, new storage and drawers, a new table… I have been working around the clock to get as much…
The Great Migration 