Shenandoah National Park - Maryland and Virginia

The drive from Maryland to Shenandoah National Park was nice and easy! I made it to a campsite outside the national park called Graves Mountain Farm. It was just an open field surrounded by the rolling hills and only one other camper! Although the campsite was a great place to set up, I realized that it was much farther from all the hikes I wanted to do than I had anticipated. The one hike I was very excited to do was Old Rag, but because of the distance and the length of hike, I decided it would have to get done on another trip. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the little guy Dobby alone for that long. Another observation from this trip is that I had extremely high expectations of myself and everything that I would accomplish in just months. Because of this, I have had to remind myself that I can always come back and do more of the hikes that I missed out on before. I think that I was in a mentality that if I don’t do it now, I never will. 

On the first day, I decided to do the hike to Hawksbill Summit, and I could bring Dobby! It was a great trail and my bandanna kept the bugs out of my mouth, which was a plus. After some great views soaked in, we headed back to camp for the night. When I pulled into camp, the sun was setting and the day was cooling off. Out of nowhere, I started seeing tiny yellow flashes of light appear in the distance. I do partake in high cannabis consumption, so for a moment I just felt like my mind was playing tricks on me. As it continued, my thoughts gathered to finally realize I was witnessing fireflies for my first time! They are literally the coolest bugs, and I was devastated to hear they will soon no longer be around. I loved growing up in California, but I didn’t get to catch any fireflies in jars! I feel jipped.

The next day, I hiked the Rose River Trail, which had beautiful waterfalls and creeks to follow throughout. The water looked too perfect to pass up, so on the hike I noticed a couple of hikers leaving one of the waterholes after swimming, and I knew I needed to snatch up their spot so I could jump in. The water was cold, but man, it was worth it! After my hike, I made my way back to camp to run around with Dobby and admire the fireflies again. Even though it was a long drive to and from the park, I’m glad it was such a beautiful view for my entire way looking at the sun turn the clouds pink and orange. 

After a few days in Shenandoah, it is now time to make my way to the Great Smoky Mountains! 

DropBox link for pictures: Shenandoah and more

New England

One thing that I’ve noticed and learned when traveling on the East Coast is that instead of staying in some BLM land or national forests throughout my travels from place to place, I stay at Walmarts, park and rides, and the occasional truck stop when I find them. I don’t see this as negative necessarily, just an observation since making my way down the coast of Maine into New Hampshire. It was slightly nerve-wrecking at first, because in the West parking at Walmarts is a hard “NO”, so my first few attempts I was preparing myself for the 3am knock on the door to get a move on. Maybe it’s the culture, maybe it’s the weather, but overall, parking lots are my way to go out here.

As I was making my way to Massachusetts, I made a few stops at the beaches on my drive. First to I stopped in Kennebunkport, Maine to lie in the sun at the beach. I had Dobby running after me along the shore, enjoying every moment of this life. The beach was very dog-friendly, so I loved getting to see everyone bringing out their dogs to play in the water. I was able to find a truck stop for the night, and the next morning I continued down into New Hampshire. I stopped at Hampton Beach, and was so pleasantly surprised by the little beach town! It was the typical beach town with a boardwalk full of different deep fried food and little games. Luckily, there was the Hampton Beach State Park next to the boardwalk area that had a parking lot in a field with plenty of room for my trailer. The park technically doesn’t allow animals, but when I explained my limited ability to park in town, and they saw how cute Dobby was, they let me roll in and sneak Dobby out of the park without any problems. That’s pretty privilege. I decided to skate down the boardwalk and just hold Dobby for the ride until we found a good spot on the beach. After stopping for a frozen lemonade, we found our places for the evening. I finally jumped full body into the Atlantic Ocean! It was still a little chilly, but I loved the salt water on my skin! I skated back to Tommy and the Tank by sunset and headed to a nearby Walmart to sleep! 

The next morning I drove to the campsite I reserved in Salem, since finding dispersed spots in the area was proving to be difficult. I was so excited to make my way in because this is one of the cities I have wanted to see for years. Such a small world that my neighbors at the campsite were fellow Oregonians from Bend! I loved the location of the campsite because it was a nice 10 minute bike ride through old New England neighborhoods into downtown Salem. 

For my first day of exploration, I set Dobby up inside the trailer and took off in my bike to check out the town. My first stop was the Salem Witch Trials Museum. It is a must see if you’re ever in Salem. It’s such a good reminder of the power preteen girls have. After the museum, I spent the next few days biking around, checking out all that the town has to offer. City-wise, it has been BY FAR my favorite place. If I ever move to the East Coast, I will only settle for living in Salem. 

From there, I cruised my way to Boston so I could see Fenway Park with my own eyes. To be sitting in a ballpark with so much history while watching a game I love was one of my more fulfilling experiences on this trip. It was also perfect because I took the train into the city for the game and once it was done I stayed parked with Tommy and the Tank in the train parking lot for the night. The next day I found some street parking next to a dog park that I thought I could spend a few nights at. I was able to bike into the city pretty easily from where I parked, which worked out perfectly. I spent a day riding around Boston doing the Freedom Trail so I could see as many sights as possible. I loved getting to listen to the live music being played throughout Boston Common. 

After a few days in Boston, I made my way to Rhode Island to meet my grandma for a little vacation in Newport. On my way South I was passing by Fall River, which meant I HAD to stop at the Lizzie Borden house. I am typically not too scared of haunted things, but oh man that house was something else. There were many unseen energies roaming around that house and I even captured a picture of one of those young energies messing around. The house itself is open as a Bed and Breakfast as well, which may be something I'll consider next time I come around. Overall a 10/10 tour that I highly recommend! 

My grandma had warned me about the narrow streets in Newport, but WOW did I underestimate them. The Tank came about a centimeter from taking out a streetlight pole upon our arrival! Luckily, I’m getting much better at maneuvering. We spent the next few days drinking mimosas, exploring mansions, and eating good food! Throughout the trip I felt very grateful to have family in my life who wanted to meet me across the country! It was a much needed reset after many days of camping and parking lot sleeps. After Rhode Island, I continued my journey down the East Coast and toward Shenandoah. 

The perfect pitstop for me on my journey was in Maryland, where Maya’s parents live! I had a couple of days of working and thought it would be a great time for me to bond with the rents and give Dobby a cozy bed to chill in while I worked. They are the raddest people ever and Dobby and I were pretty bummed to be leaving so quickly back to the road, but we are forever on the go! Our next stop… Shenandoah National Park!

DropBox link for pictures: Hampton - New Hampshire and Salem - Massachussettes

DropBox link for pictures: Newport - Rhode Island

DropBox link for pictures: Boston - Massachussettes