Claytor Lake State Park

I woke up at sunrise and went for a hike around Claytor Lake Trail. This was the longest trail in the park but it still only took about an hour to do. The park seems really nice for having a nice extensive beach and boat launch but the wild areas aren’t too impressive. Getting out in the morning and being active after so long in the van was exactly what the doctor ordered and I felt infinitely better afterwards.

Trails at dawn in Claytor Lake State Park

The park was a bit disappointing in the off season since they charged us $41 for regular camping because only their expensive RV campsites were open. We didn’t use any of the hookups but got charged the full amount. It didn’t say anywhere online that only the RV area was open and that you couldn’t get regular campsites that were half the price.The staff at the office were also some of the most unfriendly staff I have ever dealt with at any park I have been to (and this includes a lot).

Claytor Lake State Park

We FINALLY made it to the Smoky Mountains National Park. Again we arrived at night. After a few drinks we went to bed excited to finally wake up in one of our main destinations.

Battle of Cedar Creek Campground

 Battle of Cedar Creek Campground, Virginia is a nice and friendly small park that even though it wasn’t what we wanted was extremely useful to stop at. The park manager (Chris) got our microwave screwed in so it won’t fall out on our heads anymore. He was great and very helpful in terms of getting the washrooms and showers working and heated for us despite the building being under construction for the season.  This was also after the 100s of phone calls we had made to him the night before when trying to find the site (it was a large pull through site that to us just looked like a road) and get the water hooked up at 10pm.  

Cedar Creek at Battle of Cedar Creek Campground

 The park has canoes we could have used to go up the creek but since we didn’t really get going until 2pm we decided to just get on the road and keep heading south instead. The creek did look very nice and it would have been a nice experience. Everyone in the park had little dogs and Beka got her ankles attacked by a very fluffy Pomeranian that was upset with her for not continuing to pet him. 

We drove about 3 hours south along I81 to Claytor Lake State Park. After leaving so late we didn’t get there till dark and Brooke went to bed soon after we did some updated planning for our route and schedule that would compensate for our delays so far. Beka and I went for a short night hike from the campsite to the beach. It was quite lovely to get out even for a short period of time and walk. 

The Journey Begins... With a Bit of a Rough Start.

18/11/2016

After many delays, we finally crossed the border at Gananoque (Thousand Islands) around 6pm tonight. We are headed in the direction of Syracuse. Initially we planned on making it all the way to Locust Lake State Park in Pennsylvania but with the delays we didn’t make it out of New York. Luckily there are many places along highway 81 that you can stop at to avoid driving all night. We parked at a rest stop near Whitney Point, New York.  

Morning view from the rest stop

19/11/2016

We headed towards Philadelphia, PEN today to visit Brookes friend Neil. On the way we changed our plans and headed towards Locust Lake State Park. We were driving in a blizzard with wind strong enough to blow around the van on the highway. Arriving at Locust lake State Park really felt like the trip actually was beginning. We were 11 days behind schedule but having our first meal made in the van, playing cards, singing along with the guitar actually made it feel like we were on our way and done with the delays.

So far both Brooke and I (the short ones!) keep hitting our heads and hips on the van. We are covered in bruises. Beka keeps pinching her fingers on the old style seat belts and the corners of the cupboards are the bane to my already very scarred head.

Sometimes you try to find interesting ways to unscrew things... until you realize the swiss army knife has a screw driver on it.

20/11/2016

Waking up this morning to a gorgeous view of Locust Lake in a winter wonderland was refreshing and peaceful. The hemlocks were drooping with snow and the ground was sparkling.  Beka and I braved the cold and went for a bit of a dip in the lake. It was FREEZING! Beka was screaming the entire time until she got back into the van. My feet didn’t defrost for an hour.

We assumed that because the park was closed we didn’t need to park normally. The night before we had parked the van horizontally, giving us a great view when we walked out the doors in the morning.  As we were about to start a hike around the park the park ranger (Brian) pulled up and told us to park normally.

Locust Lake State Park 

We had a nice chat before heading out on our hike around the lake. It was a nice approximately 20 minute hike that was perfect for not spending too much time in the cold and getting on the road in pretty good time. The snow looked gorgeous in the forest and over the lake. I am definitely a fan of doing this trip in the season when parks aren’t busy.

Locust Lake State Park in a winter wonderland

Today we headed further south along highway 81 towards George Washington National Forest... BUT we didn’t make it. All of us are getting more and more frustrated as things never really work out as we planned them. Our RV battery died today so we realized we needed to actually hook up our van tonight. Many of the parks are closed for the season and we don’t know what ones still have access to hydro.  This meant stopping just north of George Washington National Forest in an RV park called Cedar Creek. The RV park means we have access to water and hydro to charge everything up again but it’s really crowded and I really just want to be outside in the wilderness. 

Van life combined with the constant delays is getting frustrating and definitely takes some adjustment to get used to. With three of us in one space there is very little room to store anything and we are constantly tripping over shoes and bags. All of our storage space is constantly blocked from being opened by bags and shoes. I am realizing that although I am not a clean freak by any means I might be a bit OCD about organization. I’m not really sure how to cope with this yet. I’ve tried organizing things in the van but it just doesn’t seem to help and I am constantly doing it. 

Brooke is also finding the space a bit cramped but mostly from the perspective of dealing with such a tiny kitchen when she loves to cook and prepare meals with a lot of space. Beka is finding the tight space stressful because all of us are getting frustrated and we have all had very little chance to relax.  For me writing this journal is a way to get things out of my head and relax at the end of the day. 

Beka trying to relax with a bit of colouring

Introducing the Triple Threat Road Trip

Previously I introduced the road trip I am doing across the United States with two friends in a camper van (named Quicksilver) but I failed to introduce the people who are going with me. So to introduce the crew for the Triple Threat Trip!!

Firstly, Quicksilver the van that we could not go without! I say that very literally... we really couldn’t do a road trip without this very important factor. We will try to be good to her and hopefully we don’t run her into the ground.
 

Now for the other lovely ladies on the trip:

Beka, Brooke and I all grew up in the same small town outside of Ottawa. We all have moved around across Canada and have often lived far apart for years on end but have remained friends despite this. All of us just finished degrees at University and are coming from different places in Canada for this trip. Currently, Beka is in Ottawa after finishing her degree in criminology at Ottawa U. Brooke just returned from living in Newfoundland for University at Memorial and taking anthropology. So we have east we have central and I am the one from the west. I currently am based out of the friendly but freezing Winnipeg, Manitoba. So YEAH it’s going to be nice to miss a bit of winter!

Beka Brooke and I before leaving

 Beka is very interested in the alternative living aspects of the upcoming trends like tiny houses. She is vegetarian so our meals (which will also get posted on here as recipes for campers and travelers that are on a budget!) will be likely vegetarian for the most part with Brooke and I splurging every so often. 
 

We all share an interest in art and culture but Brooke is especially talented at music so likely we (mostly she) will be busking for some extra gas money along the way. Beka and I will likely find some other artsy ways to raise some money along the road that we can set up while Brooke plays here amazing jams. So far our best idea has been doing henna tattoos for money. That is kinda a hippie thing you expect from people living in a van right?  

Anyways I’ll keep you posted on how these ideas go and if it’s actually possible to make some money while on the road like this. If you have any other genius ideas for us feel free to let us know! 

I’m sure you’ll get to know a lot about these ladies as the trip goes on so I won’t spoil too much of that just yet.

Road Trip of the United States!

It’s sometimes hard to find the right words for that first blog of a trip. You don’t really know what you’re getting into yet. You’re extremely exhilarated, nervous, excited and sad to be saying goodbye to people.  This mix often leads to a scatterbrained thought process where you really have no idea what to talk about. Sooo here it goes again....

I am about to embark (yeah I know fancy English) on an extensive journey through the United States for the winter. This means multiple months of traveling in a CAMPER VAN (named Quicksilver as an ironic joke since it is very hard to get the van moving quickly) with two of my best friends (who shall be introduced later).  

Our van named Quicksilver

To begin this trip we faced a lot of struggles and at some times all three of us got very anxious. Reasonably so, there is A LOT to consider and plan and do before we can leave. We needed to consider our budget, what we want to see, what we have time for, repairs to the van before we leave and of course what to pack (assuming it can fit in the van).  And of course one other challenging part is that all of us have to agree on everything (Luckily this has worked out very well).

Although I have gone away for months at a time before, it wasn’t ever quite like this. Trying to pack for 3 months of hiking or camping comes easy to me but to try cramming stuff to last you three months into one bag when your activities range from visiting New York City and going to fancy Broadway shows and restaurants to well those camping and hiking activities I’m used to being prepared for.  I guess it just seems like a different standard for having to face people in populated areas but I am sure after a week I will just give up on this entirely. 

 Luckily we got a van in very good condition. It is a 1985 Dodge but is in great working shape with just a few minor things that needed to be gone over to make it in perfect condition so we encounter less problems on the road. Obviously shit happens and we have planned for that by setting aside some money in our budget for car costs along the road such as lovely unexpected flat tires, etc.  I highly recommend people on extended road trips always do this. Worse case scenario you never spend that money but if you have to at least you were prepared! 

Quicksilver and some of our PAPER maps!

Now for the FUN part... OUR PLAN! A very ambitious one which likely will be adjusted with shortcuts as necessary for timing. I will spare all of the nitty gritty details of specific locations we visit that you will need to follow this blog to find out as we go along. 

We are leaving from Ontario, Canada and crossing the border at St. Lawrence Islands into New York State. From there we will head down through New Jersey Pensylvania and West Virginia into the Smokey Mountains and Tennessee. After that south to the coast of Georgia and of course the loop of Florida. Westward we will go along the southern edge of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana  and Texas seeing a lot of the coastline in this area before heading up to Oklahoma and then across to New Mexico.  In the centre of New Mexico we will be turning north to do a loop through some of the gorgeous wild areas in Colorado and Utah before hitting up the flashy streets in Nevada and spending Christmas in Arizona. New Years will be on the coast of California. 2017 will see us going north through California seeing a variety of the interior and coastal areas.  I will likely fly out of Sacramento or San Francisco to get back to Canada while my friends will carry on the road trip without me for a few months making their way back to Ontario through Canada for the spring. 

Triple Threat Road Trip Part 1

Triple Threat Road Trip Part 2

Triple Threat Road Trip Part 3

Sooooo it is a massive trip that is VERY ambitious with everything we want to cram into a tight small van and a short about of time, but we are going to try it and see how it goes!