Monday, June 8, 2015

Summer Vacation: #inkripples



For me, June always marks the transition from spring to summer. School ends (towards the end of the month here), businesses change to their summer hours, and people go on vacation.

We usually only take one week long vacation over the summer, but we also take many weekend camping trips. Thanks to these many "mini-vacations" I have lots of great memories with friends and family at wonderful places to visit.

When my husband and I first married, we were tent campers. How we ever managed to fit our tent, screen house, multiple chairs, clothes, food, and the half dozen or so books I "might want to read" in the back of our hatchback I have no idea. But we did it for multiple weekends every year.

After the night of the eternal thunderstorm, we moved from a tent to a pop-up. Then to a bigger pop-up. And recently to a travel trailer.

This year we haven't finalized where we're going to go for our week long trip, but I thought I'd share some places we've been that we really enjoyed. (Click the names for more information on the places)


Samson State Park
What better use for an abandoned military compound? In addition to the sites along the lake, there is the Military Museum where you can learn the history of the park and the years it was used by the Navy and then the Air Force. There are also bike/hiking trails that take you past some of the buildings that were used for housing and other things on the base as well as a cemetery from the Revolutionary War.



Military Museum



Francis Slocum State Park
This one one of our favorite places to go tent camping. We stayed on a great walk-up site here one summer. In addition to the great site, it's close to Ricketts Glen State Park, the place I based some of my descriptions from QUEST OF THE HART on. (Those stone steps that are sometimes easy to walk up and sometimes waist high really do exist!)


One set of natural stairs in the park
[sorry for the grainy picture, but this is from a very old camera. Like 1995/1996 old :-)]


Assateague Island State Park
Famous for the wild horses that roam the area, we've camped behind the sand dunes on this beach about three times. If you love falling asleep to the sound of the waves, or having your camper rocked by a horse rubbing its shoulder, this place is for you. Try the clamming and kayaking in the ocean, too! LOTS of fun!!!

Wild Horses in the campground



Bar Harbor Maine
Tied for my favorite place, I would go back here in a heartbeat. While I'm not a big biker, I really enjoyed the old carriage roads that were made into bicycle paths. Wide smooth pathways through the trees with no cars (Yeah, I have a thing about biking on the road.) Bar Harbor was stunning, an I wandered around trying to imagine just what houses ha inspire Nora Roberts' Calhoun series. Acadia National Park was stunning. Hiking trails, thunder hole, Cadillac Mountain. So many things to do.

Bar Harbor Maine, low tide






Thunder Hole

View from Cadillac Mountain





















Pigeon Forge Tennessee
Tied with Bar Harbor for my favorite place, I'd love to go back. In addition to the amazing shows and activities there are the Smokey Mountains. Lots of hiking, or drive-in picnic spots in the shade by a creek. The easy pace makes it one relaxing place to be.




The Smokey Mountains

Bear cub we passed in the park
































Add to the ripples and share where some of your favorite places to go for summer vacation are.


Don't forget to stop by Katie Carroll and Kai Strand's sites for their #inkripples posts!!


8 comments:

  1. Nice pictures! You've had some great vacations!

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth. They were great trips, and I look forward to many more.

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  2. Growing up we camped all the time...it was the kind of vacation we could afford. In fact we stayed near Bar Harbor and I've been to Thunder Hole. My husband and I went camping a few times in our yearly years of dating, but he kind of hates it. Though we have talked about renting a nice RV and doing a cross country tour when the kiddos are a little older.

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    1. That cross-country trip is on my list too. I'm a bit of a history buff, and can't wait to see the places I've only read about.

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  3. Beautiful pictures. Looks like you had fun vacations. I never was much of a camper. A nice cozy motel room made me happy.
    Oh, and I rippled today, not that I had a lot to say.
    Have a great week.

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    1. Thanks, Bev!

      We have a rule. If the camper is only going to be used as lodging, we stay at a hotel/motel. If the campground is part of the experience (other families we're staying with, things at the campground to do, etc.) then we camp.

      And yay on the ripple! Be sure to check it out here: http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/2015/06/introducing-ripples-in-inkwell.html?spref=tw

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  4. I never camped until my teen years when I dated a guy who did. I'm pretty sure my first camping trip was Yosemite. Not bad. I'm still not much of a camper, but I love the places you go when you're camping, so I make sacrifices for that. We're going to Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon at the end of the month. Can't wait. Hopefully no eternal thunderstorms :/

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    1. Oh! I want to go to Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon (they are actually on our list when we go cross country some year!) Hope you have a great time, and no eternal thunderstorms :-D

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