Celebrating Two Years on the Road: Part 2
December 15, 2011
Update: There is now a fourth place we would consider living if we ever decide to settle down — St. Louis, Missouri. Really.
Here are a couple of helpful top ten lists for the peregrinating traveler.
The perfect campground: In the best of all worlds, all campgrounds would meet the following criteria:
- Located on water... a river, lake, creek or ocean - preferably an ocean
- Within walking distance to a grocery store and at least one good restaurant, oh yes, a store selling wine and beer
- A walking path, trail or beach at least a couple of miles long, very close to or starting at the campground
- Full hook-up with good gravity sewer levels
- Southern exposure for satellite clear line of site
- Fast local wi-fi or where our personal hotspots have lots of bars
- Nice laundry room
- Actual site is not under dripping, shedding trees, small young trees are acceptable
- No mud or gravel...
- Some of the other people in the campground should actually be residents - they often have very interesting stories and ideas
10 Favorite Campgrounds
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Back-lit Sully strolls along the Dan River. |
Blue Water Key, Key West, Florida: Our own private Tiki Hut and orchid garden on the water with a deep-water dock and great birds
Frost Ridge, LeRoy, New York: Walks through apple orchards and up old ski slopes
Dan River, Stoneville, North Carolina: Winter walks in the woods along the Dan River with deer and migrating bluebirds
Liberty Harbor RV Park, Jersey City, New Jersey: Plenty of walking and convenient public transportation into New York City
Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Indiana: Wonderful shows and events going on at the Fairgrounds every day and a rail trail leading downtown.
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Watching the Fly-Dogs run their relays at the Indiana Fairgrounds made us giddy with excitement. A four dog relay... it was hysterical. |
Canton/East Sparta KOA, Sparta, Ohio: Chilly walks around a lake with beautiful frost filled meadows and frisky horses.
In Front of the Lippihans, Bethesda, Maryland: A house full of loved ones outside our door (The let us put in a 30 amp plug)
Kitty Hawk RV Park, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina: Walks on the beach just steps from the camper door
French Broad River Campground, Asheville, North Carolina: Camped beside the river and the French Broad River Greenway hiking trail
Jon and Ryan’s Driveway, Werry Lake, Pennsylvania: Best of friends, they even put in a 30 amp plug for us
Ten favorite places we have “toured” since going full time:
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The Pyramid, mold-melted and cut glass, by Marian Karel at the Corning Museum of Glass |
Niagara Falls, New York: There is a reason it is so famous. Yes, it is awe-inspiring.
Key West, Florida: Almost never left, we were there for close to two months.
The Corning Museum of Glass: Corning, New York: Visited five times. Yes, Virginia, there is more to art glass than just Dale Chihuly... We lost ourselves in the museum’s glass for days.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio: Bruce was in the tower when we visited... great building, great music, great learning and remembering experience plus we were able to boondock below it by the lake for a few days.
Muhammed Ali Center, Louisville, Kentucky: One of the best exhibits we have seen. A complete immersion into the sounds, controversy and messages of strength surrounding this remarkable man’s life. We loved the full-on audio coming from every direction rather than having to pick up phones. The sounds of boxing, the voice of J. Edgar Hoover, Howard Cosell, George Foreman, Lenox Lewis...
Around and near Rochester, NY: Genesee River Trail. Waterfalls, boardwalks over marshes, city industry, rainbows, wild parks
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington Kentucky: When we realized HORSES were to be a major part of Calli’s life we decided to check the park out. We have always had an interest in horses, stemming from our having worked on a film back in 1973 about horse racing and Secretariat. We had met Big Red and enjoyed his company. Camping at the the park with Calli, we spent our days immersed in horse shows, tours, stables, show rings and fields of horses. We’ve now been there three times. 
Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Frank Lloyd Wright designed this mixed use skyscraper. Today it is a museum, an inn and there is a bar and restaurant on the top floor. A neat tour of the interior was offered, but no pictures were allowed. So, although we took the tour ~~~it is as if we were not even there~ ~ ~ Still loved it!
Treme and St Augustine Catholic Church in New Orleans, Louisiana: An exciting neighborhood to walk around. Every Friday while we were in NOLA we attended the Friday Fish Fry at St. Augustine, the oldest Black Catholic Church in the US. Catfish, homegrown music and great people. Nice.
Hard things when living on the road
Sometimes you just find yourself iced-in for days outside a Walmart somewhere
- When we are not connected to the internet...
No internet + no phone = PANIC - Inverter creating brown-outs
- 58 inches of snow with two dogs
- Warm weather that causes the collie to shed indefinitely
- Very little good cheese out here, but once in a while a Costco will have Papillon Roquefort for $7.00 a pound (I see Zabar’s sells an 8oz package for $14.49)
- Arguing over the air conditioning (but we have been doing that for 41 years)
- Wondering if we are supposed to be living out here
- Driving more than 100 miles in one day
- Showering...I’m not sure why?
- Not having a pleasant place to walk for a few miles every day as we always have
Not much is it? That’s why we are still going strong.
I saw you briefly this past Sunday before the Rams/Seahawks game. You took a photo of my friend and me and gave me you card. I love your site! Thank you so much for sharing all of this with the world! As my husband and I get ready to retire, I can see myself trying something like this, too.
I look forward to seeing my photo on your site.
Connie
A superb travelogue. When is the book coming out? Would love to see you at a book signing in Politics and Prose. You present a very unique and unusual angle.
Ilo-mai
You were in Liberty State Park, NJ and didn't visit? I don't mean to sound like a Jewish grandmother (I'm only a Jewish grandfather), but when will you be back in the Apple?
Best wishes for the holidays,
Stan
WOW! I just took a journey with you just from reading. Hope all is well. Found a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It's a keeper. Hope your Holidays are filled with awe, just like the rest of the year!
Hugs,
Jake
