A Summer to Remember in 2022

Before we set off on the RV life, we learned a lot about RVing by watching YouTube channels. One channel is Keep Your Daydream, a popular channel filled with vlogs, tips, and more. Since 2013, the Leach family has written down a Summer Fun List, with the whole family contributing different experiences and activities they want to have to make the season one to remember. This has grown into a list template that they now share with all of their viewers. As a way to include ourselves in the RV community before actually having our RV, we joined in the fun last year.

This year, though, was the real deal. We were on the road, and it was time to make a list of adventures near and far. We bit off a lot, filling out 20 activities.

We're never gung-ho about completing everything. We more treat the list like a little goal sheet, so that we can prioritize enjoyable activities during the summer season. We added small things that were likely to happen no matter what, but that we wanted to be mindful of, like seeing my husky-sister Yana after so much time away. There were also things that we'd need to put in more effort to accomplish, like horseback riding or seeing an animal on our wildlife list. We tried to balance activities in Massachusetts that we were looking forward to, with activities in other parts of the country that we don't always have the chance to do.

We started the clock the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend and ended it on Labor Day. Here's what we accomplished:

Hike with a View:

We could have just counted Clingmans Dome in the Smokies and called it a day, but of course we wanted to hit many scenic hiking trails. The heat made that a little difficult, but we found some amazing views not just in the Smokies, but at New River Gorge and Shenandoah as well. As for non-National Park hikes, our hike up Long Point Trail at Summersville Lake most certainly counts, as does our hike to Eagle Point at Dale Hollow Lake.

Then, back in New England, we spent an afternoon on the ridge of Rattlesnake Mountain, taking in the views of the surrounding foothills of the White Mountains in NH.

Dine Al Fresco:

A roadside stop at a DQ in Kentucky wasn't really fitting the vibe we were aiming for, though Tanner's first "pup cup" experience is worth noting:

We officially checked this item off our list when we had our patio experience at Ocho Cafe, the night we were forced out of Pinewood Lodge Campground due to electrical issues. Safe to say that Ocho Cafe saved the day! We had a great evening eating bottomless tortilla chips, chowing down enchiladas and chimichangas, and listening to live music. Of course we also left room for dessert.

Get Out on the Water:

Two very different experiences highlight our summer on the water. First, we rented SUP boards and paddled Summersville Lake, exploring the coves and the Summersville Dam. Then about a month later, we were back on the Atlantic Coast, and we took advantage by embarking on a whale watch out of Plymouth Bay.

Sit Outside with a Good Book:

The heat was working against us on this one, mainly because whenever it was a nice day, we made it a point to go out and be active. It's hard to just slow down and relax, but I'm thankful for this shaded site at Wompatuck, plus the shade of our tent, for providing enough coolness for a relaxing afternoon. (...I may have fallen asleep reading).

Outings with Family and Friends:

We got to visit friends and family from DC all the way to upstate NY. Sometimes we got pictures, sometimes we didn't, but the memories are still held dear. Whether it was a walk, a meal, a workout class, or a grand adventure, these are the experiences that made our summer extra special.

Hornstra Ice Cream and Golden Dragon:

We'll combine these two, since they're our two favorite old haunts. We couldn't return to MA without some delicious ice cream at the dairy farm and some of our favorite salt-and-pepper wings at the Chinese food restaurant near our old house. We gobbled up the wings too fast to take photos, but check out the ice cream! We've been to a lot of ice cream stands on the road, but Hornstra is still our favorite. We didn't think we'd be back in the area in the summer, so taking advantage of our ice cream day was extra special. Plus it happened to be National Ice Cream Day!

Summer Fruit Picking:

It was a hot day, but we were excited to pick blueberries and visit the Farmer's Market at Ward's Berry Farm with our friends. We also picked sunflowers while we were there. Ward's has some amazing fresh fruit and produce, plus a ton of activities for all ages. It's the quintessential New England experience, made even better with good company.

See an Animal on the Wildlife List:

We converted our refrigerator dry erase board into a Wildlife Scavenger Hunt, adding a dozen animal species to spot during our travels. Before the summer, we had already checked off an eagle, a tortoise, and an armadillo, thanks to our month in Florida. When Memorial Day Weekend rolled around, we were in the Smokies, which meant prime opportunities to spot a bear. It was much easier than we thought, and by the time we left the Smokies, we had spotted about 7. Didn't get any good photos of them, so we have been using our "representative photo" of a black bear in the sanctuary at Ober Gatlinburg. But I'll also post the photo of the butt of the first bear we saw. We also of course checked off our whale sighting, putting our board total at 5 of 12 species.

Take a Yoga Class:

This was kind of a given, since Anthony and I both tend to participate in a regular yoga practice, but summers can get busy, so this made us prioritize yoga a little more. We didn't get any photos of our yoga classes, so instead I will leave you with a photo of my harp, at one of the harp yoga workshops I facilitated this summer.

Fall in Love with NH All Over Again:

Finally, we were able to have our first RV experience in New Hampshire. Though the love was never lost, it had been close to a year since we visited the Granite State. After a tumultuous week dealing with lightning strike aftermath, we couldn't wait to get in some mountain time. As soon as we took our first nature walk of the week, we were reminded of why we love this state.

Rock an Alpine Slide:

We thought we'd have an alpine slide opportunity early on, while we were in Gatlinburg in the Smokies. Ober Gatlinburg has one, but due to the weather it was closed. We waited all day for it to reopen, but ultimately decided we had waited long enough. Just our luck, we got down the mountain and back to the parking lot, only to learn the alpine slide had opened on our way down. I did get a photo of the closed alpine slide when we were on the chairlift above it! It's not rocking an alpine slide, but it's something.

We were going to make a second attempt when we got to NH, knowing that Attitash Mountain Resort has an alpine slide in the summer...only not this summer, as a new owner had decided to cancel all summer attractions in order to do renovations and updates to the ski area for wintertime. While we were disappointed to not check off this fun summer activity, we were proud of ourselves for it being the only unchecked item on our list this year, and not for lack of trying!

See Fireflies:

Firefly season was in full swing when we arrived to the Smokies. We had already begun seeing them in North Carolina, specifically at our Airbnb where we stayed while our RV was being serviced. Then in the Smokies, we planned an opportunity to see them in all their glory: a synchronous fireflies tour in the deep woods of the National Park. We thought that would be our best viewing of them, but boy were we wrong! Our Smokies campsite was surrounded by them, lighting up our nights with their bioluminescent beauty. Our sightings continued when we left the Smokies and wound up in Kentucky, with fireflies right outside our window. Then at our KOA in eastern KY, a beautiful display in the campground trees. After that, Summersville Lake, where the fireflies graced the lawn behind our site, as well as the field across the campground. Then, our grand finale in Luray, VA, where the fireflies lit up as much as the 4th of July fireworks. And the encore, at Patapsco State Park, where the fireflies were starting to slow down, but they were nevertheless as luminescent as ever. We never expected to be surrounded by such wonder, at so many different locations. It was like the fireflies were following us north. Those experiences are ones we'll never forget.

Campsite With a View:

We came away with three contenders for best view this summer. Honeysuckle Meadows was our first campground as summer arrived, and it remained our favorite "campsite with a view" the entire season. The meadow, barn, and distant mountains were serene, and the fireflies at night were the cherry on top. Our other sites with a view, Spacious Skies Shenandoah and Sun Outdoors Association Island, were beautiful at first glance, but we had some issues with both campsites that really bugged us, and so the appeal of the view was quickly lost in both cases. We learned a valuable lesson, that views are only a small part of the overall experience, and an expensive campground is certainly not a guaranteed peaceful retreat!

Fun Harvest Host or Boondockers Welcome:

It wasn't quite what we had in mind when we added this item to our checklist. We had visions of hitting up some beautiful New England farms on our journey through NH, VT, and into NY. Perhaps we'd get to play with goats and alpacas. Maybe we'd see a beautiful mountain sunset while sitting on our patio. We also heard of some Harvest Hosts that have mean cider donuts. But all those visions were dashed when the lightning struck and our generator went kaput. Most Harvest Host and Boondockers Welcome sites do not offer hookups (though many do), which we now needed for all our electric needs. We also planned to route ourselves further north into VT and then down the Adirondacks, but due to our repair appointments, we needed to make a straighter shot from NH into NY. We didn't think we would check off this item at all, but when we were at Association Island, we fought the bugs and the bugs won, and we escaped to a Boondockers Welcome property. There were no goats and alpacas, but there was the sweetest black lab. There were no sunsets over mountains, but there were sunsets over corn fields. And we may not have had cider donuts, but we were welcomed into the hosts' home for ice cream. By this point we were totally exhausted, so fun wasn't really on our radar, but boy did we appreciate having this driveway to hang our hats for a couple days.

Sing Karaoke:

Over Labor Day Weekend, we spent a couple of days venturing across the border into Niagara Falls, Ontario. We didn't have a lot of time so mostly stuck to the Falls-related attractions, but when the opportunity arose to run across Clifton Hill for a beverage and some vocal stylings, we figured it was now or never to check karaoke off our list.

Give Yana a Big Hug:

This was the longest we had gone without seeing Yana since she was a puppy. We couldn't wait to see her reaction when we walked through the door.

Feel Like a Kid Again:

Luckily, the Smokies lends itself very nicely to feeling like a kid. We got to go on lots of amusement park-type rides and attractions, but the one that did it for us was the Sky Soar ride in Pigeon Forge. It simulates flying through a bunch of US landmarks, and it reminded us how happy we were to be living a life of travel. It's not always easy to let go and feel free and happy, but it's important to do sometimes as adults. Sometimes we feel like we can't be excited about life because there's too much bad in the world, but embracing the good doesn't mean we're ignoring the bad. It simply means we're taking care of ourselves. That's a good lesson to remember all the time, not just for a summer checklist.

Horseback Riding:

This was our first check off the list, but it left us less enthusiastic than we hoped. There are many stables to choose from around the Smokies, and we picked one near our campground that offered horseback tours into the National Park. Everything was going great until we got further into the trail, when Anthony's horse seemed to be having an issue with his leg. It kept slipping going up and down hills, and eventually the horse stopped walking. We got worried and called to the guide, who was extremely unhelpful and rude. He yelled at me for letting my "alpha horse" pass Anthony's, and I tried to explain to him multiple times that the only reason I passed him was to get the guide's attention. The guide kept insisting that Anthony's horse stopped because my horse forced him to, which was 100% not the case. Anthony's horse was having difficulty walking. The guide said he probably threw a shoe. Ok, but shouldn't that be something that warrants making sure that the rider was still comfortable? We left the stables questioning their care of both their horses and their patrons. I also hate being made to feel stupid, when I know animals really well and have had multiple experiences with horses in my life, both riding them and playing therapeutic harp for them. I'm aware that horses are large and that it's important to take their temperaments into consideration, but to act like horses are only their temperaments and that nothing else is going on, is incredibly short-sighted. (For the record, the stables was Big Rock Dude Ranch. If you're looking for horseback riding in the Smokies, look elsewhere).

The experience definitely put a stain on our Summer of Fun, but the horses were cute and the trail was pretty. It's worth posting the photos for that reason, and to prove that there is no way my alpha horse was trying to pass Anthony's. Look how much space we left between us!

Collect a New National Park Pin:

...Or 2, or 3, or 4! Of course we knew we had the Smokies booked, so unless something totally derailed our travels, we would be hitting a new National Park. After that, though, none of our National Parks had been booked yet. We just happened to plan a route after the Smokies that allowed us to hit Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, and Shenandoah. Our National Park pin board is looking mighty fine!

We started our pin board in 2018, after we visited our first National Park on our West Coast Road Trip (Redwoods). Back then, it wasn't really a goal to visit National Parks, and prior to our East and West Coast road trips, we had prioritized international travel and city travel. Over the past five years or so, nature activities started becoming more important to us. This ultimately became our reason for selling our house and hitting the road. It seems appropriate that the pin board is a staple in our travels.

Looking back on how challenging the summer ended up being, we can be proud that we still accomplished nearly everything on our list. Not only did Summer to Remember help us prioritize our seasonal activities, but it gave us "enjoyment insurance," so we weren't constantly focused on the negatives. As we venture into Autumn, we are facing a lot of unknowns due to the continuing repercussions of the lightning strike, but we will remember to find enjoyment wherever this season takes us. If there's one lesson we've learned from our first summer on the road, it's that there will be obstacles, but we still have the ability to make our travels great.