Camping Fever + Other Summer Events

To say this summer was a whirlwind is an understatement. We really broke in our camper and spent a lot of time on the road. We also had some other fun events this summer that were noteworthy. Tim and I tend to be penny pinchers in a lot of ways but he has told me many times that one of the best things he's ever spent money on was 1) my engagement ring 2) our camper. I'm a fan of these investments of his as well :) Here's some of the quick trips we made this summer!

• Moving Crew: We spent a couple days moving my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew to Arkansas. Though we were sad to see them go, my brother is doing his residency at a hospital in Little Rock so we were also excited for them! Tim came for 2 days then flew out for work while I stayed a little longer with my family to help with the process. There were a lot of boxes to move and unpack, as well as a lot of organizing, wall paper stripping, and painting to be done. We also took some time and explored the area with them so we knew where they'd be!A couple memories that stand out from the trip...

Driving a large diesel truck with 2 fish tanks, 2 dogs, and a UHaul to Arkansas - Tim and I got this job. I was too scared to drive so Tim drove and I was just moral support :) Our passengers were cute atleast! Though they did roll the window down and try to jump out once...on the interstate. 😅

Our car ride companions

Playing with these cuties! They were so excited to show us their new house.

The cutest people in the moving crew

All the wall paper. My little brother Nate and I removed a lot of the wall paper and and my-oh-my. We were starting to get a little loopy toward the end of the process. But it sure looked pretty after! 

Our stop on our way home....Lambert's! Too bad I was still on Whole 30 at the time when we stopped 😢

Standing in front of Lambert's

• Prophetstown State Park: We went here for the weekend with another couple we know from UIndy. We had never been but really liked it! It was very hot because the park is primarily tall grassy areas, so we all agreed it might be a better park for spring or fall. However, it was still really fun! We walked around some of the trails through the grass, hiked to a recreation of an Indian village, explored a working 1920's farm, went to the site for the Battle of Tippecanoe, played cards, and sat around the campfire. We are definitely adding this to the list for next year...though maybe in the fall instead :)

The view of the prairie by our campsite

• Clifty Falls State Park: We went here with another couple from UIndy as well as Tim's parents. This is one of my favorite places to go! I always spend some time in downtown Madison. It has a cute downtown area with shops, restaurants, old homes, etc. This time we walked around the shops, had lunch, and toured the 1st ever Grand Mason Lodge. We also hiked one of my favorite trails - a trail that goes through a tunnel! Ali and I loved this...Tim was not so fond. Our friends also brought their 2 pups so Ali had a blast with all the puppy play time!

The pups all worn out

• Indiana Dunes: We spent a weekend here in late August with Tim's parents. This is one of Tim's favorite places to go! I think he likes it so much because you don't have to drive far yet you feel like you are in Florida at the beach :) We spent most of our time at the beach but we also walked down to the train station, went to Michigan City and it's lighthouse, and went to see the "World Fair" homes - these are 5 futuristic homes that were in an old World's Fair that you can now drive by and see. We both agreed next time we will have to give ourselves enough time to go into Chicago by train too.

• Brown County: We spent a weekend here with friends in September. We thought we would have more trees changing and fall weather, but it was actually warm and everything was still green! Crazy Indiana weather :) We hiked around both of the lakes in the park, sat around the campfire, and spent one afternoon going into downtown Nashville! We got coffee at my favorite - The Chocolate Moose. The boys sat with Ali and hung out on a bench while the girls went in a few stores then we got pizza at Tim's favorite - Big Woods Brewery. All around a great weekend! 

• Springfield, IL: We spent a weekend here for our anniversary and it was one of my favorite trips to date! We camped in a campground about 20 minutes from downtown Springfield. We loved getting to learn all about Lincoln while we were there! We went to his home and the surrounding "village" and got to tour his home and walk around all the houses. We also walked around downtown Springfield, exploring the old courthouse, his law office, the train station he left from for Washington, his tomb, etc. We also went to the Lincoln Library and Museum. Much of what we did was free - the only thing we paid for was the museum - but the museum was worth it we both thought! Afterward we both were obsessed with learning all we could about Lincoln! 

Coffee in the village before exploring

Lincoln's Home

Train Depot where he left for Washington

Exploring the older part of downtown

Lincoln's Tomb

• Summer Visits: We were lucky to get a couple visits with our niece, nephew, brother, and sister-in-law even though they had moved into their new home! Kinsie (our niece) came home for a week and stayed with my parents a couple weeks after we had moved them in. She helped us work in the garden, decorated the chalkboard at Tim and I's house, and went to the county fair with us while she was here! Later, over Labor Day weekend, Tim and I both went to see them in Arkansas! We loved having them all to ourselves and got plenty of playtime and Disney movie watching in. We also got to explore a couple parks, go to the farmers market downtown, and go to the Little Rock Zoo with them! Kara, Brax, and Kins also returned in late September for 2 weeks around Kinsie's birthday. They spent lots of time hanging out with family and before they returned Ryan came for a day and we threw Kinsie a birthday party with the whole family! 

Playing at the park by the Farmers Market

This little ham is the cutest

Feeding the animals at the petting area at the zoo

Little Rock Zoo Day

Little Rock Zoo

These were our main trips and events this summer though there were more. We loved all the time together exploring but also looked forward to slowing down as fall hit and being home a little more...though not always! Next on the blog...New York City :)  

Coastal Vacation

Tim and I just recently took a trip we have been planning for months and one we could not have been more excited for...We joined his parents and went to Acadia National Park. Since we pulled the camper (which is a very long drive!) we also made a few stops along the way there and back to break up the trip somewhat. So here's the low down on what we saw and where we went, as well as our favorite memories.

Day 1: Travel to Niagara Falls Canada

• This was a longggg day or travel. We got a bit of a late start - I was guilty of packing up to the last minute as this trip took me longer to pack. Blame it on meal prep (I was on Whole 30), me being an overpacker, and this being a long trip. Once we got started it also rained nearly the whole way there 😢 In all, it took us about 9-10 hours between this and having to go a little slower when pulling the camper. Once we got there we got set up and settled in for the night.

Day 2: Niagara Falls 

Overlooking the Falls from the American side

Overlooking the falls from the American side

My sweet Ali girl - so happy the whole trip!

Overlooking Lake Ontario

Hiking at Niagara Glen

Overlooking the falls from the Canadian side

Niagara Glen

Niagara Glen

• We stayed at a campground on the US side of the falls (KOA North/Lewiston), so we spent the first part of the day exploring the falls from the US side! I had previously experienced them from the Canadian side so it was really neat to experience them from directly above them as well! We spent quite awhile walking the trails and seeing all of the falls from all the possible views this way. Then we took a quick break and got lunch at Chipotle - my request as many restaurants don't offer a lot of "Whole 30" food. I am normally big on trying new restaurants when traveling and new food, but this was one thing I did not do as much of this vacation, as I was on Whole 30 for much of the vacation. After lunch, we went over to the Canadian side. However, we did not go straight to the falls. We drove down to Niagara on the Lake and sat by Lake Ontario awhile. On the way we saw some cool attractions and sites on the side of the road when we drove by, such as the Floral Clock and some botanical gardens. On the way back we stopped at a park - Niagara Glen. Here we hiked down to the water where some of the whirlpools are nearby and you could see the jet boats and climb on the rocks by the water. Tim said he actually enjoyed this view of the water even more than the falls! We also enjoyed hiking down - there were lots of pretty boulders along the hike. Last, we went to the falls and saw them from the Canadian side - in my opinion, a much better view! 

Day 3: Travel to Barre, Massachusetts (Camp Coldbrook)

Campsite in Barre, Massachusetts

Sweet little fam bam

• We somewhat took our time getting packed up and driving to our next stop. It was about a 6-8 hour drive to Barre and the campground was in the middle of nowhere. The drive was rather pretty though and we had a relaxing evening at the campground before our next day of travel.

Day 4: Travel to Bar Harbor, Maine (Hadley Point Campground)

At a rest stop on the way - Ali was scared of the Moose 😂

Mama had to sit with her girl after she had an anxiety attack 😢

Sleepy pup after Benadryl and mama cuddles

Not a bad view/spot

• Our farthest (though not final!) destination. This was about a 5-7 hour drive from where we stayed in Massachusetts. It was a really pretty drive up - we saw lots of bays and old homes - both my favorites! Once we got into Bar Harbor, we went to the grocery to grab a few things. Though I had mostly packed all our food for the trip, I needed some more produce - as it goes bad fast and I was eating a lot more of it being on Whole 30. 

Day 5: Bar Harbor, Maine

Across from Sea Wall

Tim & Ali in front of the road in front of Sea Wall 

The Sea Wall

Sitting in the Sea Wall

Bass Harbor Lighthouse

Bass Harbor Lighthouse

Seal Cove

The top of The BeeHive hike

Top of the Beehive hike

Other side of the view from the BeeHive

That on the left of the mountain...is what we hiked up 😮

• We spent the first day exploring Acadia National Park and the surrounding area. We dwent to the visitor center and drove the Park Loop. We picked up a map and decided to hit a few spots based on what we'd read about the area. We drove from the visitor center down through the Southeast Harbor to the Seawall, which is basically a big "wall" of boulders and rocks blocking the sea. We walked along here and enjoyed the view for awhile. Then we continued down to road to Bass Harbor and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. We hiked down to view the lighthouse from a couple different spots. We then returned to the Seawall to sit and have lunch by the sea. We then continued on after lunch to go to Seal Cove. Though we didn't see any seals, we saw lots of pretty boats and views. Last, we went back to the main area of the park and hiked to both the Beehive and Sand Beach. The Beehive was my favorite hike while we were there, though at the time I did not at all think it would be. You literally climb up the side of the mountain along the rocks - using metal bars/rods drilled into the mountain to hang onto. So cool to say you did this...but so terrifying at the time. Especially for a girl afraid of heights. However, the views totally made it worth the hike...and the path back down was much less treacherous. 

Day 6: Downtown Bar Harbor 

Looking over the harbor at Bar Harbor

Ali's treats

• While the boys went hiking in the par again, Tim's mom and I got the explore downtown Bar Harbor! We walked around all the shops, had lunch at a cute cafe called Route 66, got a cup of tea from a local coffee shop, and walked around the harbor. We even found a cute little pet shop that made homemade treats that Ali could have (it's hard to find treats for her since she can't have grain, beef, or chicken)! It was a nice, relaxing day (though tiring on the feet!). My favorite finds were: my matcha tea from Coffee Hound Coffee Bar, treats for Ali, a few fun early Christmas gifts for family, and the cutest books for my little niece and nephew. 

Day 7: Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park

Shore Path - Bar Harbor

Climbing rocks on the Shore Path

Bar Harbor

Walking in the water along the sandbar

Sandbar

Cadillac Mountain View

Jordan Pond View

Northeast Harbor

Northeast Harbor

Hike up Beech Mountain

• The first thing we did this morning was go to get a coffee and walk along the Shore Path in Bar Harbor - my request to Tim. I LOVE trying new coffee shops and walking along the water. The views were incredible and it was a nice, paved path. We then walked down to the sandbar since the tide was out and walked across to the bar - this is what the area is known for after all! We then went to Cadillac Mountain to enjoy the views and have lunch. After this we went to Jordan Pond and House and hiked and walked around here. We also drove to Northeast Harbor. Last, we went over to Beech Mountain and hiked up to the fire tower - a very hard and straight up hike but very worth it! 

Day 8: Travel to North Hampton, New Hampshire & exploring Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth near Prescott Park

Prescott Park

Harbor Views

Market Square

• We got up early for this drive since it was shorter - only 4-5 hours. We wanted to get there as quickly as we could so that we could also do some exploring afterward! Once we got to our campsite at the Sea Coast campground and got set up, we had lunch and then went into downtown Portsmouth. We wanted to go into the Strawberry Banke, but alas, no dogs were allowed (and of course Ali was with us!). Instead we went to a couple downtown spots and walked around. We first went to Market Square, where there are a bunch of fun shops and coffee shops. We walked around and got some tea/coffee at a little shop. We then walked down to Prescott Park and walked around the park - literally because we couldn't bring Ali in. We walked over to an old graveyard and tried to walk across to an island, but had to turn back because Ali wasn't allowed on the island. After walking around this area, we drove over to the USS Albacore Museum. We didn't go in but saw the submarine from the outside! Last, we drove over to Fort Constitution in New Castle, NH to view the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the gates had closed a little while before we got there so we had to see the lighthouse from a side street but normally civilians are allowed to go into the Coast Guard station there to see the lighthouse. However, it was still a pretty view and the island was pretty to drive around. 

Day 9: Manchester-by-the-Sea and Salem, Massachusetts

Witch Trials Memorial

Graveyard

Town Hall

Cutest participant on the Walking Tour! With her own sticker

Witch House

Pickering Wharf

Pickering Wharf

• The first thing we did this morning was drive around Manchester-by-the-Sea - it was a quick pass through on our way to Salem just to see the pretty architecture! We then continued on to Salem, Massachusetts. We first did a walking tour through Salem put on by the national parks. We also watched  short documentary movie on Salem at the visitor center. We then went and toured the only remaining structure from the Salem Witch Trials - the Witch house. It was the home of a magistrate involved in the cases. We grabbed a coffee at Front Street coffee and enjoyed sitting and people watching for a bit, then we walked down to Pickering Wharf. Last, we drove by Gallows Hill.

Day 10: Boston, Massachusetts

• Tim's parents were nice enough to watch Ali for a day for us so that we could go into Boston dog-free. Though it had been wonderful having Ali with us thus far, going into more metropolitan areas was more difficult with Ali. We decided to do a Trolley Tour with the company we had gone on a tour with in Savannah after loving it so much, however, we were actually really disappointed with the tour this time in Boston. We had to wait awhile to get on a trolley and once we did we were afraid to get off for fear of not being able to get on one again. We also couldn't hear anything once on the trolley or could just hear slight snippets of the conversation. Last, we didn't feel like it went super close to many of the stops so we still felt like we ended up doing a LOT of walking! However, here is what we saw (and liked!) in Boston. 
• Fenway Park
• Harvard University (we drove by later)
• USS Constitution
• Boston Massacre site/memorial
• Faneuil Hall
• Boston Common
• Boston Public Garden
• New England Holocaust Memorial
• Old North Church
• Old State House
• Granary Burying Ground
• Boston Tea Party Ship
• Bunker Hill Monument
• Copley Square
• Old South Church
• King Street Church
• Boston Public Library
• Beacon Hill & Antique Alley

Some of these we just drove past ad others we took our time and walked around and within the sites. If I were to do Boston again I would just do the Freedom Trail to hit all the historical sites + Fenway, Harvard, Boston Common/Public Garden, Beacon Hill & Antique Alley. I honestly am not sure that we would do the Trolley Tour again after having a bad experience. 

Fenway Park

Around Long Wharf

USS Constitution

Old State House

Boston Massacre

Faneuil Hall

Tim in front of Faneuil Hall

Park Street Church

Granary Burying Ground

Antique Alley

Day 11: Travel to Rush, Pennsylvania

• We started our journey back home! We had a 8-10 hour drive to our campground for the night - Black Moshannon State Park. It was very pretty and a very nice campground though we had a short stay.

Day 12: Travel to home!

Ali's first stop at home - bath!

• Our last leg of the journey was 7-9 hours and I can't tell you how good it felt to be home after all that time in the car! 

We truly had a wonderful time exploring the coast and are already looking forward to returning. In the mean time, keep your eyes peeled on another blog post about Whole 30 while traveling & tricks to traveling with a pup - as these were both learning curves during this long vacation!  

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