We knew we nonetheless had 3 extra states to do, and we knew we had been working out of time. Our objective to finish the 48 was near being doomed. Because of Covid, our 2020 journey ANYWHERE was cancelled. All three of us important staff didn’t have a possibility to take day off, and with restrictions all over the place, it wasn’t value it anyway.
We had saved the Northeast for the final of the 48 as a result of they had been simple in our e book. We stay native sufficient, we are able to do them each time. Or so we thought. Now right here we’re, 1 month till Jayden graduates Excessive Faculty, 3 states to go, no time to spare, and a promise unfinished.
If you realize Doug and I, you’d know that the unfinished promise is simply unacceptable. We could not at all times do issues conventionally, however we do them our method, and we hold our guarantees. Jayden has been promised the continental 48 BEFORE commencement, Alaska FOR commencement, after which… when he’s wealthy and well-known he has the duty of getting us to Hawaii. Whole lot, proper?
What’s left? Jayden wants Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Doug really wants New Hampshire too. So, right here we go! Home is available on the market, realtor would like we had been out of the home for the weekend so we don’t should hold taking the canine across the block throughout showings, so a possibility has risen.
The Plan
Doug discovered a KOA simply over the New Hampshire boarder into Maine. That may properly present us a spot to name base for the Friday night time, and we are able to see just a few issues in New Hampshire and bounce over the state line and do just a few issues in Maine. We plan to depart New Jersey on Thursday night as soon as we’re all dwelling from work and college and taking good care of our appointments. Per Google, it’s a 6 hour drive to the campground; however, that’s with out stopping and with out towing a camper. We all know we might be transferring slower than the vehicles round us and can doubtless have to cease on our method up for a nap on the very least. Nevertheless it places us on the highway!
Saturday morning, get up early, hook up, and get on the highway by Vermont to cease and see the in-laws for a fast minute, again on the highway and get the camper right down to Mystic Connecticut. We wish to drop the camper, and hustle again out and again north to Massachusetts and do just a few issues up there for the night earlier than going again to Mystic for the night time.
Sunday morning, get up in Mystic, pack up and put together the camper for departure, however go away it on the campground. Head into Rhode Island for some breakfast and sightseeing. Again to the camper in time for checkout, hook-up and head again towards New Jersey….
The Actuality
Our plan was pretty spectacular and actually, in all probability a bit of too bold. However.. We DID full the 48! Some changes wanted to be made on the fly. It’s a road-trip, it occurs, and must be anticipated.
We managed to get on the highway about 2 hours sooner than anticipated on Thursday. Initially we thought this was nice, it might present us with extra time in Maine and New Hampshire! Then, after being on the highway for about an hour we seemed on the GPS and it dawned on us that we actually solely gained time in the course of the night time when you’ll be able to’t do something anyway! First change within the itinerary. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner (a road-trip MUST HAVE in our household). Whereas sitting there ready for our meals we got here up with a newish plan. We didn’t fully alter every part, however we determined to search for a spot to only crash Thursday night time. Each Doug and I pulled out our telephones and began searching for a KOA alongside our route, BINGO! We discovered a KOA Journey. We left dinner, and located our solution to the KOA. After we went to mattress, we made it recognized to Jayden and his girlfriend that we might be up early.. for them at the least.
Friday morning – up at 6am, woke the youngsters at 7am after taking the canine for a pleasant wholesome stroll and hit the highway once more. Plugged our Maine campground into the GPS and hit the highway. Whereas Doug was driving, I pulled out my cellphone and began poking round on our Harvest Host app. I don’t know that I used to be searching for something specifically, however I used to be trying. We booked this fast journey on the final minute and fully forgot about Harvest Host. So I suppose I actually wished to see what we had missed out on. Nicely, you realize what, we missed out on so much! I discovered a farm that was solely a couple of 30 minute detour off of our deliberate route. Based mostly on the GPS, we had been on observe to reach to the campground MUCH too early for even an early check-in, so I referred to as! Snow Pond Farm in Windham New Hampshire. The data on Harvest Host stated we had been out of season for them, and to verify to name forward for doable availability. If this labored out, Jayden was going to be childishly excited, Doug was going to check-off New Hampshire, and we might now be arriving on the campground at an affordable time to hopefully have the ability to go straight to our web site.
Snow Pond Farm is an Alpaca farm. Additionally they have chickens, however fairly frankly, we had been extra focused on seeing the alpaca’s. Jayden has had a ridiculous obsession with them since he was younger. I consider it began when he discovered that they spit… However regardless of the precise cause could also be, having the chance to cease in and verify them out was proper up his alley. Guess what! They instructed us they might be accessible and that we may make the cease. Insert second change within the itinerary. We made our method by a growth with our huge truck and our even larger camper, and located Snow Pond Farm.
I’ll admit, we had been a bit of hesitant. We had been on a cul-de-sac, in a growth, in entrance of somebody’s home… I referred to as once more and was instructed to move across the left aspect of the home, and we may try the alpaca’s. Okay! In order that’s what we did. There have been 15 females, 9 males, 2 infants. It was nice! One brown one was rolling round within the grime making a ruckus, having fun with the day and the solar on his stomach. There wasn’t a lot else, however we took just a few photos, gave the canine stroll, took a break from being within the truck. The data on Harvest Host stated that they’ve merchandise that they promote, however I’ve to imagine that as a result of we had been there off season, that wasn’t an choice. We hopped again within the truck and completed the journey to Maine with New Hampshire formally checked off of all of our lists!
We pulled into the KOA Vacation in Lebanon Maine at nearly precisely 1pm. That they had a web site accessible for us for an early check-in. We obtained the rig all disconnected and arrange. The children ran to the shop to seize firewood for later, Doug took Lagertha for a stroll, and I began getting a crockpot dinner collectively. With all of us working collectively, we obtained every part performed rapidly. In Maine, our plan was to move as much as Acadia Nationwide Park. After talking with the beautiful girls within the workplace, they knowledgeable us that it was one other 4 hour drive from the place we had been. It was encroaching on 2pm already, it might have been 6pm earlier than we arrived there, and 10pm if we did nothing however flip round and head again to camp… Insert itinerary change quantity 3. Again to Google we went. We had been 45 minutes from York Seaside. Truthfully, we knew nothing about it earlier than we obtained there, however as soon as once more, we weren’t disenchanted. It’s a stunning little seashore city with cute retailers throughout. We spent a while on the seashore horsing round, taking within the sights, and taking a few photos. We walked across the city, by some retailers, bought our souvenirs, and made our method again to camp. The drive each instructions was nice. All of us love being off of the freeway and driving by little cities, and that’s precisely what we had been in a position to expertise. Grateful for the crockpot, dinner was scorching and prepared after we obtained again to camp.
Saturday morning, with 2 states checked off and a couple of extra to go, we connected, jumped again within the truck and headed south. From right here on out, we did handle to stay to the itinerary. So a fast go to with household in Vermont, a lunch cease at Cracker Barrel, in fact. And stored on trucking right down to Mystic Connecticut. As soon as once more we dropped the camper and needed to bounce again within the truck to remain on observe. This time, it was going to be one other haul, simply with out the camper. Again as much as Massachusetts we went. After already driving THROUGH Mass., we would have liked to now go DO one thing for it to depend. It was a 2 hour drive to Boston. After we had been on the Cracker Barrel for lunch our waiter instructed us to take a look at the Seaport, in order that’s the place we headed. We walked across the seaport for a short while, however with out reservations, catching dinner wasn’t actually going to be an choice. It’s a very stunning space with a ton of eateries, and bars. Looking over the water is attractive. However… We had been in Boston… I’ve made Doug go to NY and Chicago for pizza, Philly for cheesesteak, I HAD to have some chowder.
Issues occur for a cause. We didn’t know we would wish reservations to eat anyplace close to the seaport. Our fault, we didn’t look it up. As an alternative we walked round Boston hungry. We walked previous the Boston Tea Get together Museum, frolicked with Sam Adams, and stumbled upon the South Road Diner. Perhaps it’s as a result of we’re from NJ, self-proclaimed Diner Capital of the World, however consuming at a diner simply at all times appears excellent! Doug had Apple Pie for dinner, Jayden had Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes, Nikki had a Comfortable Waitress, and me – I GOT MY CHOWDAH! None of us had been disenchanted, the meals was outrageous, our waitress was hysterical, and now, Massachusetts was checked off. Again to the truck for the two hour drive again to camp.
Sunday Funday. Final day of our journey. One state left. How we managed this, I do not know, however we unintentionally saved the smallest state for final. You can sneeze and fully miss driving by Rhode Island, however don’t let it idiot you! It packs a mighty punch inside these borders. It’s the thirteenth state in our Union, so it has a variety of historical past. We selected Newport, Rhode Island to complete up our grand expedition. It was a forty five minute drive from the Mystic KOA. We opted to only pay for the location by Monday so we wouldn’t have to fret about pulling out earlier than check-out.
We’ve seen Josh Gates and Scott Wolter each discuss concerning the Newport tower on the Science and Historical past channel. Nobody actually is aware of who constructed it, when it was constructed, and even the aim it was constructed. One in every of America’s mysteries. However we had been there with Lagertha round 10am for an exquisite stroll down previous cobblestone roads to test it out and see it for ourselves. Newport has positively discovered to cater to vacationers, however someway they’ve additionally managed to maintain their little metropolis feeling quaint and historic within the course of. It was a enjoyable place to stroll round, and bounce out and in of little retailers, some with water bowls outdoors on your 4-legged companions to hydrate. They’ve public restrooms all through the downtown space too, so that you aren’t in fixed seek for a store that may will let you use theirs. We settled on O’Brien’s Pub for lunch. Pet pleasant with an awesome out of doors patio space. Our drinks had been chilly and our meals was yummy. Personally, I wasn’t going to depart New England with out having a Lobster Roll… However everybody else settled on a burger.
One final cease in a memento store to choose up our treasures and that was it. For actual. That was it. We did it. We accomplished the continental 48! Holy sh*t! With precisely one month to spare earlier than Jayden graduates Excessive Faculty, we had made good on our promise. We didn’t do a variety of something in any of the states. The truth is, we had simply barely scratched the floor for all of them, however We Did It!
This voyage was a real Cannonball Run. We drove and drove after which drove some extra, however we did just a few issues and noticed just a few extra. Principally, we in all probability ate in a pair new locations, however that’s okay too. We had a ton of enjoyable being collectively, attempting out the brand new camper, seeing new locations, and actually – simply not being dwelling. Don’t be afraid to only bounce within the automobile and see the stuff you wish to see, do what you wish to do, or try some notorious eats! Now to move again dwelling and see how the realtor made out with the showings, and discover out simply how quickly our subsequent chapter begins.
What have you ever performed or seen in these states? We all know we missed so much, and we all know we might be again, so do you’ve gotten options for subsequent time?