Departure day is bittersweet. It signals the end of vacation, but it also signals the countdown to sleeping in your own bed (the best feeling EVEEEEERRRRR!!!). Usually it’s just me and Rob enjoying that last cup of camper coffee (nothing like it!) and stowing everything in its place. Everything has its place in the camper. We Tetris the pots and pans into place so nothing bangs around during our trip. The doors need to be secured so they don’t flap open. We bring in the slide, we close and lock all the windows and vents in the camper part of the RV. You will get your RV Pilot’s license revoked if you drive with the slide or windows open (just kidding, but you WILL get relentlessly ridiculed by other camper families on the road). Leaving a window or vent open while driving is a good way to get it ripped off and ruin your entire trip. The people who are most guilty of this are usually driving the Cruise America, rented RVs. I swear, Cruise America puts their advertising on the sides of their RVs as a warning to experienced drivers – give them a wide berth.
We threw anything smelly or wet in the back of the Jeep and made sure to collect our trash. There wasn’t much to collect outside, as we used this campsite as a hotel, a place to stop between excursions. Very little was done to set up our site – no awning, grill, carpet or tables. We were there just to sleep, shower, and eat. Rob cleaned out our tanks and disconnected us from the hookups and we ate a quick breakfast before hooking up the Jeep to the hitch. And it was just a stroke of good luck that we got to enjoy a show with breakfast!
You never know who your neighbors will be at a campground. Sometimes you get folks who want to make friends and sometimes you get a quiet couple who keep to themselves and whom you barely ever see. But sometimes, you get a “camper of chaos”. The RV next to us housed a family of seven: two parents and five tween to teen kids. There are six in our camper and it’s tight at times. These kids weren’t exactly naughty, more like busy and boisterous, and really, really… active.
Yesterday, when we came back from Jamestown, Rob, Marlie and I found that the neighbors’ camper was wide open – door and screen – without a sign of any of its occupants. The minivan was gone, but the campsite was a disaster – cans and bottles, lawn games, bikes, chairs overturned – like there had been a struggle. Even the back bay was open with all their tools and equipment just left in the open. Very strange – no one leaves their campsite like that on purpose. Thoughts of Dateline episodes ran through my mind, but we returned from dinner to find the five kids playing some kind of ball game where they hit or kicked the ball and shouted at each other. After about 45 minutes of bicker-screaming, the ball slammed right into Kevin’s left flank and that was the end of the game. Two exhausted parents ripped into their kids and hustled them into their RV.
Fast forward to this morning and the dad was up early picking up their campsite with no sign of any kids. Mom emerged and threw some things haphazardly into the minivan – still no signs of kids whatsoever. The only words we heard uttered all morning were, screamed at top volume “Then get up and look for it!” , followed by Mom jumping in the mini-van and driving away separately from the rest of her family who followed in their RV. She was worn out. Good for her, getting some alone time. I hope she listened to her audiobook and sipped her iced coffee on her solo ride.
With two out of four kids still asleep, we made our way to the highway to begin the journey back, the familiar rhythm of the road humming beneath the wheels.
It was a fairly uneventful ride, except for bits of holiday traffic, especially around the DC area. Rob is our route planner and he likes to to avoid the George Washington Bridge. It is my responsibility to find some kind of roadside oddity to break up the monotony of the long drive. Today’s wacky and weird pitstop was at Cult Classic Brewing, a microbrewery in Stevensville, MD. The outside walls are painted with scenes from cult classic horror movies, plus some local additions as well (firehouse, local sites, etc.). There are dinosaurs, aliens, a giant crab with the face of Donald Trump, spiders, praying mantis, King King and more! It takes exactly two minutes to get a good look – just enough time to take a silly photo or two, stretch your legs and be on your way again. If you ever start road tripping extensively, we highly recommend working in a way to see one interesting thing every day, especially if it seems super weird. You will not regret it.
In total, we drove for about 10 hours. Good Friday felt like the perfect day to head home—quiet, reflective, and full of gratitude. We’d packed in history, beaches, thrill rides, mini-golf, and ghost stories we’ll be telling for years (or at least until the next trip!).
By the time we pulled into our driveway in CT, Kevin was a little messier (and a little smellier – we definitely need a new seal in our toilet), our heads a little sleepier, and our family a little closer (maybe also grumpier?).
I took one look at the laundry in the back of the Jeep and slowly shut the door. I’ll think about it in the morning. There’s time for cleanup when the sun rises, but for now… My bed is calling, and I must go!
Wandering, But Not Lost 