{"id":278,"date":"2023-07-02T21:37:45","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T21:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jeffreyandanna.com\/?p=278"},"modified":"2024-12-07T15:37:58","modified_gmt":"2024-12-07T15:37:58","slug":"new-england-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jeffreyandanna.com\/index.php\/2023\/07\/02\/new-england-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"New England (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The start of our North Eastern Tour!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 29, 2023 – Travel Day \/  Robert H. Treman State Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The start of our grandest adventure yet! Deciding to take Charlotte was a risky move, but after the upgrades we had made mechanically, we felt confident that we would make it the 40+ hours of travel through the northeast. We were also heavily prepared for a breakdown too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Jeff got home from work on June 29, we left at 5:00pm. I had pre-made green wraps (served cold) for dinner on the road so we wouldn’t have to stop. They were DELICIOUS and something we will definitely make again for quick dinners. Here is my little recipe:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Driving through New England<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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  • Green wraps (or another soft flour tortilla; I like the spinach or tomato basil wraps)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Pan-fried chicken sprinkled with Kickin\u2019 Chicken seasoning and a little salt<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Anna: orange bell better, tomato, lettuce, feta, ranch dressing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Jeff: spinach, mozzarella, parmesan <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Roll and seal ends, wrap in tinfoil and put in fridge or cooler<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    It was a beautiful day for a drive, and Jeff was so excited to be on the road\u2013 he hadn\u2019t had a day off since Christmas! We were so excited to actually be going somewhere outside of Pennsylvania and to explore a new region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Our campsite at Robert H. Treman State Park (in the morning).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After snacking on our dinner and getting gas and ice at a somewhat shady gas station, we pulled into our campsite around 11:00 at Robert H. Treman State Park. Then we went straight to bed since we were so tired from the workday and drive! It was SO nice not to have to set up a tent in the dark. This was the first time we could truly appreciate our van\u2019s sleeping arrangement. We just folded out the bed and went right to sleep!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    June 30, 2023 – Travel Day \/ KOA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We left our campsite around 9am freshly showered and headed for New Hampshire!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Taughannock Falls State Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    On our way, we stopped at Taughannock Falls State Park to see the waterfall. Oh my goodness, was it pretty. We had to pay $9 to enter due to the NY State Park fee, but it was so worth it. It was a small hike to the waterfall itself, but it was really pretty! We also drove along a small lake in the state park as well before continuing our travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Overall, we found New York to be kind of run down\u2013 perhaps it was just the area we were traveling through. Vermont was probably our favorite state to drive through, specifically Woodstock, Vermont. It was so cute and quaint and classic\u2013 exactly how you envision New England to be. New Hampshire was nice and was also our end point of driving for the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    KOA Camping (at our new spot)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We stayed at a really nice KOA that welcomed us with s\u2019mores! Our originally spot was #13, and it was the spot immediately in front of you when you drove down their driveway and into the facility. You could basically see the spot from the road, and it was surrounded by other campers. We had a couple of ladies in front of us, frat boys playing corn hole beside us, and a pull-in driveway behind us. For people who enjoy camping in the woods and rely on trees for our privacy, this wasn\u2019t our favorite spot, but it would do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    KOA camping (you can see our first camping spot behind Jeff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We made tacos for dinner and then decided to take a walk around the campground. We quickly realized there were a few riverside tent spots available. After convincing the woman on staff to move us to one of those spots, we settled into our new spot! We had 2 neighbors that were a few spots down, and no one was beside us! On one end, we had trees and the river too. It was secluded and so beautiful, even if only for one night. Definitely our favorite spot at a campground so far in our travels! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We stayed up late listening to the water and trying not to be eaten by mosquitos before doing our dishes and going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    July 1, 2023 – Travel Day \/ Mt. Washington \/ Mt. Desert Narrows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Mt. Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Waking up to the river was just fabulous. It is exactly the kind of wake up you dream of having when camping. I made myself coffee, opened the hatch so we had a direct view of the water, and relaxed before our morning started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We left for Mt. Washington and got all of our hiking gear ready, even though we were just riding a train to the top. Jeff really wished we could\u2019ve stayed longer to actually hike the mountain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We were on train B, a bright yellow car. What was really cool was that the seats slanted down, so when we went up the mountain, we would be in a normal seating position. The backs of the chairs then flipped over, making the seat slanted back, so when we went down the mountain, we were in a normal position again. It was pretty cool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Mt. Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The train ride up was pretty and foggy. You didn\u2019t realize how big the mountains were until you\u2019d see a hiker, and they were just a little ant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Cog at Mt. Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    At the top, we got our Mt. Washington sticker and ate lunch- peanut butter rollups, granola bars, rice krispy treats, and apples. The fog was absolutely insane too, watching it cover the mountain within a few minutes. It was so dense that you couldn\u2019t see anything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We rode back down, changed out of our hiking gear, and then started the rest of our way to Maine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We started seeing more water as we drove north (which made me happy), and stopped at THE best ice cream shop, Tubby\u2019s. It was SO good. Jeff got a chocolate milkshake (so rich), and I got blackberry chocolate chip (the best ice cream I\u2019ve ever had) in a homemade waffle cone. The waffle cone tasted like the honey teddy grahams you\u2019d have as a kid. Also very rich! This ice cream was the start of my summer-love for blackberry and raspberry ice cream. On almost any trip we went on after this, I ordered blackberry or raspberry ice cream. So refreshing and delicious! Especially if it has mini chocolate chips too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Tubby’s Ice Cream!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After another couple hours, we set up our home at Mt. Desert Narrows Campground. We had some trees but still had many neighbors. But, we could see the water! We made some chili and then headed to bed before the start of another busy day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    July 2, 2023 – Acadia National Park \/ Mt. Desert Narrows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We woke up and ate a small breakfast before making our way to Acadia National Park! This was the first time either of us had been to Acadia, and I believe it was my first time entering a national park at all! Crazy. We also got our annual pass, so for the next year, we can go to any national park and not have to pay to get in. Hopefully we can cross a few more off the list this year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Getting ready for our first hike in Acadia National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We got all our hiking gear ready (camelbacks, backpacks, snacks, boots, rain jackets, etc.), and Jeff decided on a couple trails. First we summited Beehive, and whew. While we love the outdoors and want to hike so badly, we do not have the steep elevation changes in our hometown in Pennsylvania to prepare for a strenuous hike such as this. The terrain was boulder like, and spiked my heart rate quickly. But that wasn\u2019t even the scariest part. As you entered the more technical climbing, there was a sign that warned those afraid of heights. It had even said people had died on this trail! As we started climbing, it was pretty straight up. You really felt like a mountain goat. As you climbed higher, the terrain became more cliff-like- if you fell back, there was nothing to catch you. (Jeffrey commented numerous times that in Europe, this hike would require clip-ins to prevent missteps and falling\u2026but not here in the US!) What was nerve racking was that some of the rocks didn\u2019t have any way to grip them, so metal rungs were put into the rock for you to climb like a ladder. The problem with the metal rungs was that they were very slippery when they got wet or sweaty, so they didn\u2019t give you a good grip or confidence in your hand-holds or footing. While Jeff was generally confident in climbing this trail, I was not. And neither was the couple behind us. It was comforting to commiserate with another person who wasn’t as acclimated to this type of hike! Thankfully, we got through that section safely and made it to the top to see\u2026clouds. While disappointing, it still felt like an achievement to make it to the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Gorham Summit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After hiking to Beehive, we summited Gorham, which was at a similar elevation from the peak of Beehive, so it was only a short walk. Gorham was probably the prettiest, with clear views of the coastline and Beehive. It was crazy seeing a long line of people hiking up Beehive from a distance knowing what they were going through. I was so grateful to only have the couple behind us on our summit. I can\u2019t imagine feeling the pressure of 30 people waiting for me to climb a metal rung that I didn\u2019t feel confident holding. The fog was also wild- you could watch it roll in rather quickly and completely cover your entire view. One second you\u2019d have this clear view, and the next it would be complete cloud coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Acadia National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    After reaching the peaks, we hiked down through the cliffs across BEAUTIFUL red rock boulders along the coast. It was hazy and cool but oh-so pretty. We hiked over to Thunder Hole (which is supposed to sound like thunder as water rushes into a small crevice among the large rocks), but we weren\u2019t visiting at the right time for the tide to make the noise, so it was just a crowded water hole. The best time to visit is 2 hours before high tide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We then walked to Sand Beach which was very cold but pretty. There were a good amount of people on the beach as well. After we had our share of the beach, we drove the 27 mile loop around Acadia and to North Harbor where we gawked at the beautiful homes along the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Acadia National Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Acadia National Park (Sand Beach)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    By the time we had finished exploring, it was around 4:00 and low tide, so we drove to Bar Harbor and walked across a land bridge to a small island with a small hike that overlooked Bar Harbor and some of the boats. It was so cool seeing the different colors of clam shells that collect during low tide on the land bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After returning from our hike, we ate dinner at Fish House Grill. Jeff got the Seafood Grill platter which included half a Maine lobster tail, a lobster claw, shrimp, scallops, corn, and potatoes. I got Haddock fish tacos and french fries. It was an okay meal- the French fries were the best thing we ordered. It always amazes me how expensive seafood is. I was adamant about ordering a lobster roll the entire trip, but being someone who just wants a taste of seafood and not the whole platter, I couldn\u2019t bring myself to spend $30 of our budget on a meal I may not 100% enjoy. We then walked around Bar Harbor visiting little stores before we started the rainy drive to Cadillac Mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The land bridge in Bar Harbor, ME.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Cadillac Mountain is the tallest point in Maine and a reservation is needed to go up the mountain. (One thing about Acadia is it\u2019s SUPER organized. For example, there is a two-lane, one-way route around the park, and as parking lots fill, rangers will stand and signal that the lot is full, and people can use the right lane for parking while keeping the left lane free for one-way traffic. Cadillac requires reservations which allows for a less crowded experience at the top.) When we drove to the top, it was raining and so foggy we couldn\u2019t even see the van from the other side of the parking lot. We did find the marker for the highest point and summit sign before exploring the gift shop. Maine was going through a very foggy, hazy period. The park rangers told us that this was uncommon for this long of a period. Around July 16, 2023, New England went through flooding making it difficult to access many of the attractions we did, right after we left. We are grateful we got to explore New England while we did!
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    Cadillac Mountain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    Movie night in the van<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    We drove back down the mountain to our campsite and settled in to watch Knives Out: The Glass Onion<\/em> while it POURED. We made Jiffy popcorn (thanks to my dad) and had lots of snacks. It was so cozy, and I was so grateful we weren\u2019t in a tent with items slowly getting wet. After years of tent camping, having a dry place to avoid the weather felt so nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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