Traveling back in time in Sturbridge, MA

For the first year ever, we traveled all the way across the country and back in an abbreviated timespan. In 2023, the only other year we went out West, we committed to 10 months on the road before venturing back to New England. We assumed this would always be our plan if we ventured this far. If we stuck closer to the eastern half of the US, we could swing a summertime return, but if we went further, we'd stay out longer. This year, we launched back on the road 3 weeks late, made it all the way to California, and still returned back to Massachusetts by the end of July. Moving this quickly surprised us, but a lot of surprising things happened this year. Case in point, we returned home with these two:

After picking up our new fur-children in Ohio, we had 3 travel days before welcoming Mac and Piccolo to our home state. We were still gauging how the cats handle car rides, and so when we got back to Mass, instead of pushing it all the way home, we made one final stop in Sturbridge, right over the MA-CT border.

Not only was this a convenient stop distance-wise, but Sturbridge was one town that we always hoped to spend time in. This also gave us a chance to check out a new campground. So far with the kitties, we had taken them to a private HipCamp, a rustic KOA, and a state park. Now, we were headed to a full-fledged resort, the 230-site Pine Lake RV Resort and Cottages. RV camping in MA is weird. Either the parks are run-down, trying to be something they're not, or insane resorts that have as many amenities as a luxury cruise ship. Pine Lake falls into the latter category. Not usually our top choice, but typically the lesser of the evils in our state, and trust us, we have encountered evil here.

We booked Pine Lake knowing that we wouldn't enjoy most of the amenities, but we at least wanted to scout the place out to see if it was worth recommending it on the blog. After all, we feel we owe our readers some enticement to RV to Massachusetts after being very forthright about our low opinion of the camping opportunities here. That's why we wrote this campground review.

There is nothing like returning to good ol' Mass. In no other state have we been literally heckled pulling into our campsite. People watching us? Of course. People wanting to help? Absolutely. But this group was something else. We had an easy pull-thru at the end of a row, and as I walked in front of the rig to guide Anthony into the site (as a formality more than anything else), they drove by and yelled out the window telling us we couldn't go "that way," pointing to one of the roads in our loop. Not only were we clearly pulling into our site and not about to take that road, but it was a completely accessible 2-way street. I was confused but shrugged it off and continued spotting Anthony. He rounded into our site and the group, now driving past the back of our row, yelled again: "Don't hit the picnic table!" The picnic table that was 3 feet away from us and that the trailer had already cleared? Obviously, these Massholes just wanted to taunt the poor South Dakotans. Except we're only South Dakotan by registration, and so I let my Boston attitude shine bright: "Oh gee, not like we've been full-timing for almost 4 years and could get into this site with our eyes closed." They had already driven away and didn't hear me. Just as well.

We did have a nice site, though. I was able to choose it upon booking, and whenever I'm able to book an end row with a grassy pleasure side, I do it for Tanner. It had some of the largest gravel rocks we'd ever seen, which made it hard to level, but we could overlook that.

I strategically chose one of the smaller campground loops, nestled into its own nook but still close to the amenities that we weren't going to use. Ours was the closest loop to the pool, which wasn't the largest but looked wonderfully inviting on these hot summer days.

Most of the main amenities were at the front of the park in a big communal area that consisted of 2 buildings and a "quad." This was the location of the office and camp store, billiards room, laundry room, gym, event room, restaurant, lawn games, and more. All of the amenities looked well maintained, but in the peak of summer, they were very busy. The culture shock of coming back to MA is always so real, and yet we're surprised by it every year. You'd think we'd learn. People sticking their nose in our business, people being loud and obnoxious, people being know-it-alls. Even the out-of-staters seem to gladly adopt this demeanor. It is pretty contagious. I certainly fell right back into it. One quick glance at the cafe sign at 9PM and some loudmouth felt the need to yell at me from 40ft away, "IT'S CLOSED." Loud and clear, and unnecessary. The place was empty and the hours were listed right on the sign. I stared at him for a good 5 seconds before saying "I literally just got here and just wanted to see what it was." "Oh, okay." Jeez, can't a woman get one moment of peace around here on her campground exploration walk?!

We do, however, totally see the appeal of this RV park. The location is extremely convenient, putting you right by Interstates 84 and 90 and also a stone's throw away from what is, in our opinion, one of the coolest towns in MA. Campers have no shortage of things to keep them busy. It's one of those places where you could visit for a week and never leave, but we hope you do because Sturbridge is worth exploring. The parent company of Pine Lake owns reputable resorts all across the country, with the common thread of delivering an experience that's great for families looking for vacation fun for all ages. But we're working full-timers making a pit stop. We're not on vacation, and as is typical in MA, most people don't understand that. We've met RVers here who don't even know that full-timing is a thing. And so, we kept to ourselves and kept to our mission, which was to enjoy one last excursion before making our way home. That excursion: Old Sturbridge Village.

When we were in Ohio for our shelter visits, we spent 10 days at Sauder Village Campground, which has a living history museum showcasing the ways of life for settlers in the 1800s to early 1900s. The weather was far too hot to be outside, as most of the museum is, and so we skipped it. Now we had another chance to immerse ourselves in history, and here in Sturbridge, we'd learn about New England life, which for obvious reasons hits home.

Old Sturbridge Village has over 40 historically preserved buildings set up to depict a town in the early 1800s. Although this specific town never existed here in Sturbridge, the location is strategic, situated on an old farm along the Quinebaug River, where Natives and European settlers did indeed utilize the resources that stemmed from this landscape. Visitors feel like they're stepping back in time, walking dirt roads among buildings such as the church, meetinghouse, blacksmith shop, bank, tavern, and houses. Most of the buildings are accessible to the public and have galleries, exhibits, and demonstrations. The tavern serves food cafeteria-style, just one of a handful of places to satisfy your cravings at the Village. Beyond the historic town are miles of walking trails if you are looking for a nature fix.

Old Sturbridge Village has been in operation since 1946, and growing up in MA, I often heard about this museum but sadly never went for a field trip or other excursion. Missed opportunity by my school system, I think, because even as adults, we learned a lot about the history of the settlers, plus we got to enjoy several art exhibits. In summer of 2025, we got cows!

The season's rotating exhibit was CowParade, featuring more than 2 dozen cow sculptures all decorated to fit a New England theme. See the cow in the top right, covered in black and white photos? Those are all pictures of historic Sturbridge! The exhibit reminded us of the New England farm version of the painted bison in Custer, SD.

The museum also often has events. We visited on the day of a wedding reenactment, but we were too early to crash the ceremony. All day long were demonstrations on the preparation for the celebration, and later in the afternoon, the wedding was to be held in a garden overlooking the river, next to one of the more expensive homes in town.

We mostly meandered the Town Square, popping into some of the buildings for exhibits and demonstrations on book binding and newspaper printing. We stopped into the bank, general store, and church. Outside, we visited the orchard and said hello to the local horses and sheep.

We wish that the Village offered an option for a multi-day admission pass, because there was a lot to see and do that we didn't have time for. The whole village spans 200 acres, so even spending an entire day wouldn't be sufficient! We maximized our outdoor time walking the village before it got too hot, but we would have loved to spend more time hiking the nature trails. We did, however, walk down to the river to see the covered bridge and hydropower sawmill.

Having new adventures in our home state is always fascinating, especially when I think back to things I learned growing up here. Being just a short distance from Plymouth, I got my fair share of education about the Pilgrims. Similarly, being just 30 miles south of Boston, Revolutionary War history was a common theme in my education. I don't recall learning as much about 19th century living on rural farmland. Maybe it was part of the curriculum but it didn't stick because I didn't have hands-on experience such as this. But of course, exploring the state as an adult yielded me learning opportunities about this region that may have skipped my childhood mind. Early on in Anthony's and my relationship, we visited a lot of museums, one being a textile museum. Textiles were a big deal during this time period because most families made their own clothing. The exhibits of Sturbridge Village brought back a lot of memories of that textile mill visit, as so many people were focused on the making and mending of various items of clothing and the fashion of the times. During this time period, basic off-the-rack items existed but were very much in their infancy. We take for granted the ease at which we can dress ourselves. In the 1800s, much of a wife and mother's day was spent sewing, laundering, and ironing. The sheer number of clothing-related exhibits at the museum show just how big a deal it was.

Before we left, we considered grabbing at bite at the tavern or cafe, but as with many places like this, the price for the quality couldn't be justified unless we were spending the entire day at the Village, which we were not. Instead, we decided to get lunch at Teddy G's on our way back to the campground. It was hard to resist a picture on Google of their mac and cheese. Teddy G's is a bar-restaurant loved by locals and tourists alike. We had a delicious meal of soft pretzels, mac and cheese, and a fisherman's platter. The service was slow and one of our booths was torn, but we went for the food and it delivered. My mac and cheese wasn't as photogenic as the Google reviewer's, but it tasted like a high-end Stouffer's, which is definitely a vibe.

Teddy G's wasn't the only place that drew us to this part of town. In the same plaza is Whoopie-Doo and Cupcakes Too, because the whoopie pie is a local delicacy. It's evidently debated whether the dessert originated in MA, ME, or PA, but there is no debate. However, we opted out of getting a whoopie pie at the bakery, choosing cupcakes instead, because look at them! And also a lobster tail drizzled in chocolate, because "local" to us can also be Italy, the location of our ancestors. This was the way to do food in Sturbridge. There is more to this town than just the Village.

Another win for the RV life, which finally led us to parts of MA that we had yet to see. We hear Old Sturbridge Village has a candlelight Christmas celebration, which we imagine would be quite exquisite. Perhaps something to put on our future plans once we settle back in New England for good. Places like this remind us of the positive characteristics of our home region. Culture shock and Boston attitude aside, we enjoy our homecomings every year.