The Test Run Up the Coast

So, the big news we've been eluding to is that Rose finally got her remote job! We can officially run around like the nomads we want to be without worrying about making it back to the office on Monday morning. What better way to celebrate than a big ol' trip up the coast!? ​

A couple weeks ago, we got an unlimited, wireless hotspot that pumps out Wi-Fi wherever we go. We wanted to make sure it'll work on the road, so we decided to make a "safe" test run to put it through its paces.

We decided to plan a trip up the coast to stay with our respective families for a week each. That way, if there's a problem with the internet, we know we can setup in the house until we head to the next destination. 

We planned on spending two whole weeks on the road, but we had another trip planned for the weekend after we got back. That campground was in Virginia, so it didn't make much sense to go all the way back to North Carolina, just to turn around and head back up. What was the easiest (most fun) solution? Bridge the gap! We booked another week in Virginia, just so we didn't have to go back home.

Our trip looked a little something like this:

1. Maryland with the Baughers for a week
2. New York for a one-night stopover
3. Massachusetts with the Aldos for a week
4. Virginia at Creekside Campground for a week
5. Virginia at Occoneechee State Park for the weekend

It was the longest trip we've taken since our giant road trip back in 2016, the one that started it all! We were excited to finally test out our wandering way of life.

Maryland

We stayed with my family in Maryland with our old trailer once before, but since this was for a longer period of time, and our trailer was significantly bigger, we thought it would be best to find a new spot besides my mom's front yard.

Originally, we talked to my aunt Lorraine who has a nice paved pad in front of a barn at her house. But after a few talks, we learned that my uncle Ted was working on a trailer parking pad for just such occasions right in front of my mom's house. What a coincidence! 

As it turns out, it was a lovely little spot to call home for a week.

Not only was the spot lovely, but our internet worked, too! I was able to work in my lawn chair in front of the trailer without ever getting out of my comfy pants. I'll admit, I felt a little guilty as all the sweaty farmers drove by on their tractors in the hot sun, but it's hard to beat the nomad life! 

The Saturday after we arrived, my mom had a whole crab feast planned for us. I haven't had crabs in years, so I was definitely excited to get back to my Maryland roots. It took a couple hours of picking, but we eventually got through an entire two bushels of Old Bay goodness. 

During our week in MD, we got to see just about everyone we could. Most of my aunts and uncles stopped by as well as some old friends and workmates. All in all, it was a lovely week. But of course, the road calls, so the following weekend it was off to Massachusetts. 

New York

While we'd love to tell you grand tales about our time in upstate New York, there's really not much to tell on this one. We booked this site as a quick stopover to break up the trip between Maryland and Massachusetts; that's all.

The campground was nice enough. It had a little creek at the bottom of the hill and the sites were nice and private. They were a bit odd, though. We had septic at our site, which was nice, but it was in the middle of our site... When we sat in front of the trailer, the dump station was literally right in front of our feet (it's the little pile of rocks in front of the door in the picture). We've never had septic in our site before, but I'm quite sure that's not usually how it works.

Rose and I were quite tired from our week of activities and the long drive, so we made a lovely Instant Pot soup dinner and were in bed by 6pm. I wish I was kidding... It might have been a bit lame, but it was just what the doctor ordered!

With our need for rest met, we woke up bright and early the next morning to finish the drive up to Massachusetts. 

Massachusetts

The Sunday after we arrived in Maryland, we pulled into our next destination at "Phil and Phil's Campground" in Massachusetts (Rose's parents' house). I joked with my mom that while it might not have had the farm views, it was definitely the most level campsite we had this trip!

When we pulled in, we were delighted to find that the internet worked here too! It looked like our nomadic plans were going to work out after all. 

We spent the week hanging out with Rose's family, eating wonderful dinners, working by the campfire, and drinking plenty of "soda." Unfortunately, some rain rolled in toward the end of the week, so Rose and her mom enjoyed a few days of shopping, while I got some much-anticipated video game time.

Rose's mom also knitted us a bunch of awesome goodies, including a beanie for me and a poncho for Rose. The best part was that she knitted a matching poncho for herself, so her and Rose could be stylish together as they patrolled for deals in all the stores. 

The weeks always move so fast when you're having fun. Before we knew it, it was time to pack up camp and head on to the next spot. Back down South!

Virginia

Now that we knew we could handle working on the road, it was time to take the training wheels off. Our week at Creekside Campground in lovely Edinburg Virginia was our first attempt to work without any real backup plan. Aka, no family to bail us out!

​Luckily, it all worked out! 

The campground was adorable. It was just a little grassy patch next to a creek, as you might have guessed by the name. Our site sat right on the shore of the creek. We could hear it babbling all night; it certainly had a lot to talk about!

The town was just as cute as the park itself. Edinburg is in the Shenandoah Valley, so everywhere you look there were beautiful mountains surrounding you on all sides.  The downtown was tiny, but had a few cool spots to check out. There were a few restaurants, shops, and antique stores scattered up and down the main street. We loved checking out the old 1800s mill that was converted into a museum for all things Edinburg. 

Whenever we go to a new town, we always like to look up interesting things in the area. This time, there was a farm-to-table brewery that served woodfired pizza made from their own farm-raised ingredients—including meats! If that doesn't sound like something we had to check out, I don't know what does. 

We headed to the brewery Thursday after work to grab a few beers. Unfortunately, it tasted like they didn't swap the kegs out while they were closed all week. Let's just say it didn't taste great... The brewery itself was incredible though. It had all kinds of woodworking projects, stages, relaxation areas, and anything you could ever want in a brewery—you know, aside from drinkable beer. 

To be fair, the pizza did earn them a few points back. It was quite good, but we still needed some good beer to wash it down. We did a quick Google search to see what else was in the area, and headed downtown to another brewery called Woodstock Brewing. 

This time, we could actually drink our beers! They were delicious. I also noticed they had jumbo soft pretzels on the menu, so naturally, I had to get one of those too. 

To really top off our "fat night," we stopped at a little ice cream place on the way back to the trailer. I'm not an ice cream connoisseur, but Rose said it stacked up well against some of her all-time favorites. I'll take her word for it. It was definitely good, but I was about ready to turn around for another pretzel!

With our bellies full (maybe overly so), we headed back to the trailer for our last night in cute little Edinburg. 

Virginia - Again...

The final stop on our nomad test-tour was Occoneechee State Park in Virginia. We left Creekside Campground early, hoping to get to our new campsite before work really got started. Check in was 3pm, but we were hoping our site was available early. Luckily, it was available early—very early! We pulled into our site at 10am.

We quickly set up camp and finished out the workday. Then, we set off exploring our new home for the weekend. 

The park was gorgeous—and huge! We walked and walked and walked and walked and walked some more just for good measure. We had also been hauling the canoe around for over 1,000 miles and about a dozen states, so we thought it was about time we got it off the roof of the truck. We paddled around the lake for a few hours and even took a quick dip to cool off. 

After we got back from one of our numerous walks, we were sitting in our chairs, minding our own business, and a big black snake slithered right under Rose's chair! Rose and I both have our nature phobias. Rose isn't a fan of snakes, and I can't do spiders. So, Rose wasn't much too pleased to see something like that go right under her legs. It's not a good time! (Don't worry, I'll get mine in the next adventure...)

Despite our slithery friend, we had a great time at Occoneechee State Park. After a long (but not long enough) three-week stint in the trailer, it was finally time to head home—at least, for now.​