We knew we nonetheless had 3 extra states to do, and we knew we have been operating out of time. Our aim to finish the 48 was near being doomed. Due to Covid, our 2020 journey ANYWHERE was cancelled. All three of us important staff didn’t have a possibility to take break day, and with restrictions in all places, it wasn’t price it anyway.
We had saved the Northeast for the final of the 48 as a result of they have been simple in our e book. We dwell native sufficient, we will do them every 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 recognize Doug and I, you’ll know that the unfinished promise is simply unacceptable. We could not at all times do issues conventionally, however we do them our manner, 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 accountability of getting us to Hawaii. Whole lot, proper?
What’s left? Jayden wants Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Doug truly wants New Hampshire too. So, right here we go! Home is available on the market, realtor would favor we have been out of the home for the weekend so we don’t must 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 will see a couple of issues in New Hampshire and bounce over the state line and do a couple of issues in Maine. We plan to go away New Jersey on Thursday night as soon as we’re all residence from work and faculty 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 will probably be transferring slower than the vehicles round us and can probably have to cease on our manner up for a nap on the very least. But it surely places us on the street!
Saturday morning, get up early, hook up, and get on the street via Vermont to cease and see the in-laws for a fast minute, again on the street and get the camper all the way down to Mystic Connecticut. We need to drop the camper, and hustle again out and again north to Massachusetts and do a couple of 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 little bit 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 needs to be anticipated.
We managed to get on the street 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 street for about an hour we regarded on the GPS and it dawned on us that we actually solely gained time in the course of the night time when you may’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 utterly alter all the things, 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 method to the KOA. Once we went to mattress, we made it identified to Jayden and his girlfriend that we’d be up early.. for them no less than.
Friday morning – up at 6am, woke the youngsters at 7am after taking the canine for a pleasant wholesome stroll and hit the street once more. Plugged our Maine campground into the GPS and hit the street. 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 wanting. We booked this fast journey on the final minute and utterly forgot about Harvest Host. So I assume I actually wished to see what we had missed out on. Effectively, you recognize what, we missed out on quite a bit! I discovered a farm that was solely a couple of 30 minute detour off of our deliberate route. Based mostly on the GPS, we have been on monitor to reach to the campground MUCH too early for even an early check-in, so I known as! Snow Pond Farm in Windham New Hampshire. The knowledge on Harvest Host stated we have been out of season for them, and to ensure to name forward for potential 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 be capable to go straight to our web site.
Snow Pond Farm is an Alpaca farm. Additionally they have chickens, however fairly frankly, we have been extra all in favour of seeing the alpaca’s. Jayden has had a ridiculous obsession with them since he was younger. I consider it began when he realized that they spit… However regardless of the precise motive could also be, having the chance to cease in and test them out was proper up his alley. Guess what! They informed us they’d be out there and that we may make the cease. Insert second change within the itinerary. We made our manner via a growth with our massive truck and our even greater camper, and located Snow Pond Farm.
I’ll admit, we have been a little bit hesitant. We have been on a cul-de-sac, in a growth, in entrance of somebody’s home… I known as once more and was informed to go 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 dust making a ruckus, having fun with the day and the solar on his stomach. There wasn’t a lot else, however we took a couple of footage, gave the canine a superb stroll, took a break from being within the truck. The knowledge on Harvest Host stated that they’ve merchandise that they promote, however I’ve to imagine that as a result of we have been there off season, that wasn’t an possibility. 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. They’d a web site out there 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 all the things achieved rapidly. In Maine, our plan was to go 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 have 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 have been 45 minutes from York Seaside. Actually, we knew nothing about it earlier than we obtained there, however as soon as once more, we weren’t disenchanted. It’s a lovely little seashore city with lovely retailers throughout. We spent a while on the seashore horsing round, taking within the sights, and taking a few footage. We walked across the city, via some retailers, bought our souvenirs, and made our manner again to camp. The drive each instructions was nice. All of us love being off of the freeway and driving via little cities, and that’s precisely what we have been capable of expertise. Grateful for the crockpot, dinner was sizzling and prepared once we obtained again to camp.
Saturday morning, with 2 states checked off and a pair of extra to go, we attached, 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 all the way down to Mystic Connecticut. As soon as once more we dropped the camper and needed to soar again within the truck to remain on monitor. 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 wanted to now go DO one thing for it to depend. It was a 2 hour drive to Boston. Once we have been on the Cracker Barrel for lunch our waiter informed us to take a look at the Seaport, in order that’s the place we headed. We walked across the seaport for a short time, however with out reservations, catching dinner wasn’t actually going to be an possibility. It’s a very lovely space with a ton of eateries, and bars. Looking over the water is beautiful. However… We have 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 motive. We didn’t know we would wish reservations to eat wherever close to the seaport. Our fault, we didn’t look it up. As a substitute we walked round Boston hungry. We walked previous the Boston Tea Occasion 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 Completely happy Waitress, and me – I GOT MY CHOWDAH! None of us have 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 don’t know, however we unintentionally saved the smallest state for final. You could possibly sneeze and utterly miss driving via Rhode Island, however don’t let it idiot you! It packs a mighty punch within these borders. It’s the thirteenth state in our Union, so it has numerous 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 via Monday so we wouldn’t have to fret about pulling out earlier than check-out.
We’ve seen Josh Gates and Scott Wolter each speak in regards to 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 have 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 undoubtedly realized to cater to vacationers, however by some means 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 exterior in 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 assist you to use theirs. We settled on O’Brien’s Pub for lunch. Pet pleasant with an awesome out of doors patio space. Our drinks have been chilly and our meals was yummy. Personally, I wasn’t going to go away 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 numerous something in any of the states. In truth, 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 a couple of issues and noticed a couple of extra. Largely, we in all probability ate in a pair new locations, however that’s okay too. We had a ton of enjoyable being collectively, making an attempt out the brand new camper, seeing new locations, and actually – simply not being residence. Don’t be afraid to only soar within the automobile and see the belongings you need to see, do what you need to do, or try some notorious eats! Now to go again residence and see how the realtor made out with the showings, and discover out simply how quickly our subsequent chapter begins.
What have you ever achieved or seen in these states? We all know we missed quite a bit, and we all know we will probably be again, so do you’ve recommendations for subsequent time?
