My Uncle John’s house made me think of the first American settlers. I’m sure there’s a name for it, but I’ll be honest, I was never any good at remembering architecture. Whatever the style, Sam and I were excited to finally take a real shower. Don’t get me wrong, swimming in the New River was more than refreshing, but nothing beats a nice, warm shower.
After settling in we had dinner with my family, our discussions jumping from volleyball to lost Viking artifacts. I’m sure we could have stayed at that restaurant forever, but we couldn’t get too carried away.
Sam and I had a show to catch.
Hello there, Cousin Hannah!
That night, we watched a show from the comedian / madman that is Steve-O. If you don’t know who Steve-O is, all you need to know is that he was a part of the Jackass crew.
If you don’t know what Jackass is, count yourself lucky.
There we sat in that beautiful, tiny theater watching this man do unspeakable things.
Although I won’t go into detail about the show for your own sake, I will say that I really enjoyed going out and doing something new. Sam even got his tenth hot sauce! Driving home at midnight was less fun, but that’s nothing sleeping in couldn’t fix.
We may have fallen in love with their dog Wendy.
We woke up to the song of spring birds. Apparently we came into Massachusetts just as the last snows melted. That was good news for the day ahead, cause I was hoping to do a lot with my family in that short time. Puzzles, food, lots of volleyball, and a small hike along the Appalachian trail just down the road were a few highlights. This would be our only full day with everyone, and I think we did more than enough to make the time count.
Why are puzzles so dang fun?
Sunny selfies at a piece of the Appalachian trail.
Hannah snapped a few pics on her own camera, and I love the patina it gave the photos.
Wendy, Wendy, Wendy.
Games AND a crazy dog to cuddle with?
Hannah Crab-Hands.
. . . I really don't know how to explain this. Just go with it.
The next day was a little weird. If you’re at all familiar with a map of the Northeast, you’ll notice that we drove right past New York City on our way to my uncle’s house. Since NYC has been high on our bucket list for quite some time, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to finally go, but we also didn’t want to deal with the hassle of driving in the big city . . . with a trailer.
Thankfully, we came up with the brilliant idea of taking the train instead.
New York City
Let me be the first one to say that one day in NYC is hardly enough time to get the full New Yorker experience. If it wasn’t for my friend Casey, who grew up and went to school there, Sam and I would have been a bit lost.
Even though I lived in Seattle for four years, I have to admit that cities aren’t necessarily my thing. They’re loud, they smell bad, and there’s always way too many people. That being said, even I could appreciate the charm that New York City has.
Of course, our very first stop fresh off the train had to be this huge camera store. I felt like a kid in a very expensive candy shop and I almost bought myself the new camera I’ve been begging for. Alas, the responsible part of my brain kicked in before I could commit.
With Casey’s advice in mind, Sam and I devised a plan to hit all the must-sees in the city. Times Square. Central Park. One World Trade Center. We had eight hours to see as much as possible.
Unfortunately, we didn’t plan for Sam to feel under the weather right as we stepped onto the streets of Manhattan.
No, our plans for the day weren’t entirely ruined by Sam’s cold, but we definitely had to slow down our pace a bit. Lucky for me, that meant we spent a lot of time in Central Park. Easily one of my favorite parts of NYC, I never realized how massive this green space was. We spent nearly two hours there, yet I’m sure we only saw less than half of the park.
I don't know about you, but people watching really works up the appetite.
Please ignore how miserable Sam looks and, instead, pay attention to how beautiful this bagel is.
The rest of our time in NYC flew by. We hopped from subway to subway to various points of interest until it felt like we were just teleporting across the city.
Each descent into the abyss of public transportation felt like it would be my last . . . Just kidding, the subway system came in handy when our feet grew tired. Which was quite often.
Please, enjoy this montage of photos from the rest our time in NYC. By the time we got back on the train, we were exhausted and battle-worn.
This elevated park replaced an old, decommissioned rail line. It's such a creative way of making new green spaces in the city.
Before making our way to the train station back to the Teardrop, we had to stop for a classic New York City pizza.
We spent the rest of the next day relaxing and recuperating after our trip to New York. All I have to say is that I’m more than thankful that John, my aunt Colleen, and all my cousins were so accommodating and fun to be with. Thank you for housing us, feeding us, and hanging out with us while we were in your neck of the woods!
Having a home base so far away from home was something I really appreciated. And a dog to snuggle with? What more could you ask for?
Sam and I had a lot of fun winding our way through the Northeastern states towards Maine. I won’t lie, I still have a hard time remembering all the states we drove through. They’re just so small! But it’s okay. You don’t have to be a big state to have a good time.
While driving through Connecticut, we stopped for lunch at a burger joint that’s been in business since the 1895. Louis’ Lunch is credited with the honor of serving the first hamburger!
That same day, we had to stop at another burger place, this one known for it’s steamed burgers. Sam had his eyes on these places for over a year, and it’s best to never get between that man and his burgers.
Not pictured is our time spent in Rhode Island where we tried to work on the blog in a “public” library -- the only library that was free was associated with Brown University. The search in itself was a headache, but the worst part? I wasn’t allowed to pee in their bathrooms. Not only did we have to cut our writing time short, but the search for a bathroom was literally and emotionally painful. Relief only came after the third gas station!
After that experience, I’m convinced that Rhode Islanders don’t pee.
While in Vermont, Sam and I made sure to stock up on the liquid gold that is maple syrup. And when I say we stocked up on syrup, I mean it. That right there is a gallon of the good stuff.
Sam insisted on this selfie because “Tim is just a beautiful man, and this photo? It’s just so . . . Vermont.”
Finally, after a long couple of days hopping from state to state, we settled down at camp and crawled into the Teardrop. After over 70 days of sleeping in the Teardrop nonstop, our next night would finally break that streak.
Until then, we hid from the rain and fog and cozily started the next episode of Breaking Bad.
Maine - The Turning Point of our Journey
by Sam
Entering Maine marked a huge milestone in our yearlong journey. Somehow we had made it to the furthest corner of the country, 2300 miles from home in a state so far away that it seemed more like a fairyland than an actual place. It took a moment for it sink in that here we actually were, at the furthest point our trip would take us. In a weird way it all felt like downhill from here (in a good way).
To make things even more special, Kes and I were planning to pick up two visitors from the airport that same day. Who else would fly through the night, catching multiple connections in between restless bouts of sleep, and fly into a tiny airport to see us?
My parents of course!
For the second time during the Gap Year we welcomed Mom and Dad to join us on a leg of our journey. This time would be a bit more luxurious however. My parents had opted to rent an Airbnb in place of a Teardrop and had graciously invited us to stay with them. How could we turn down the opportunity to sleep within mere feet of a hot shower and flush toilet?
Of course we had to stop for lunch before making our way to the Airbnb. This was my first time eating authentic New England clam chowder and man was it good.
Our first major destination of the trip was Acadia National Park. Acadia is primarily located on Mount Desert Island located along the coast of Maine, about halfway up the state. While technically an island, most of the park is accessible with a vehicle. The only caveat to this is the fact that most of the roads, campgrounds, other amenities are closed during the winter season, about half the year. Kes and I had specifically planned our trip to visit the park during the first few weeks of the spring and summer season and just happened to get lucky with the nice weather that had rolled in only a day or two prior to our arrival.
We woke up nice and early the next day and drove the hour or so from our place to the park to secure a parking spot at a popular trailhead. Turns out we were one of the only cars in the lot when we got there, but I don’t think any of us were complaining. The trail we were doing today was called the Beehive Trail, which is Acadia’s much more tame version of Angel’s Landing in Zion.
The beginning of the trail looked like any other with a gentle slope and some rocky steps.
See that peak? That’s The Beehive, our destination. The trail basically follows a beeline straight up the mountain.
Pretty soon we hit the edge of the mountain, after which the hike turned into four-limbed adventure.
Ladders, ledges, and handrails were the name of the game on this trail.
Eventually we made it to the top and were rewarded with fantastic views of the entire park.
In the distance you can see Sand Beach which was our next destination. Luckily going down the back side of The Beehive was much easier than going up the front side.
While this may look like a normal beach, Sand Beach is anything but typical. This picturesque beach contrasts greatly with the rocky coastline found pretty much everywhere else in Maine. As it turns out Sand Beach is one of only a few natural beaches found this far north.
Sand Beach exists due to a number of unique factors. The beach itself is composed mostly of ground down shell material from barnacles and mussels. The south facing cove allows these sediments to be carried onto the beach by waves, and a rocky off-shore ledge breaks up the surf and prevents waves from carrying away the finer sediments. There is also not many land-based sediments to dilute the picturesque white sand beach. All of these factors come together to create one of only two Atlantic coast beaches found above Cape Hatteras.
While the weather looks warm in these pictures, the wind was chilly at best and the water was barely above freezing. I would have loved to jump in, but unfortunately these conditions were just too cold for me. Crazy, I know.
For now we enjoyed these crystal blue waters from a distance.
After leaving Acadia we were all looking forward to one of Maine’s famous Lobster Rolls. We found this hole in the wall in the nearby town of Bar Harbor and experienced our first bites of this magnificent sandwich.
After a long day of exploring we unwound by taking a dip in the hot tub and enjoying views of the surrounding lake.
Acadia turned out to be one of the most unique parks Kes and I had visited yet. I still have a hard time believing that places like Acadia exist on the same planet as places like Death Valley or Canyonlands. I really appreciate the experiences we’ve had on the Gap Year because it’s shown me firsthand how diverse and beautiful America is. If this is just a taste of one continent, I can’t wait to see what other crazy places this planet is hiding!
We had spent our first day exploring Maine’s more natural side, and during our second day we had plans to visit Maine’s capitol Augusta. The second day with my parents also just happened to be Mother’s Day, so of course we were going to celebrate the holiday with a proper Mother’s Day Brunch (I have a sneaking suspicion that this is the real reason why my parents flew out to see us, but they refused to admit it).
We spent most of the day walking around the historic brick buildings of Augusta, enjoying the sun and chatting with locals. I was surprised by how small Augusta was, I mean there were really only two main streets going through the entire town, but I guess that goes to show just how inhospitable this part of the country is for most of the year. Somehow we had managed to visit right as the winter weather had parted, leaving us to soak up some of the first sun of the year. Even better, we had timed our visit right before black fly season, which I’d heard were known to drive grown men insane. I’ve never seen a black fly, but if they’re worse than mosquitos then I have no problem keeping it that way.
On our way home we stumbled upon an authentic Maine seafood market. From lobster to tuna and salmon to fiddlehead ferns, this place had it all.
Of course we couldn’t leave without trying their lobster roll. Turns out buying straight from a market is way cheaper and gives you way more than a typical restaurant. I also tried to convince my Mom to shuck our own oysters, but after doing some research we decided that we valued keeping our fingers on our hands over a fleeting taste of this delicacy.
Before we knew it the weekend was over and we were back on our way to dropping my parents off at the airport. I was so glad that my parents were able to join us on this leg of our journey, and that we were all able to experience this part of the country for the first time together (Kes had been to Maine once before, but that’s ok). I hope you guys had as much fun as we did, Mom and Dad!
With a combination of persuading and begging, I was able to convince Kes to stop at this oyster bar on our way out of Maine. I think it goes without saying, but it was definitely worth the stop.
We had a few days to kill before meeting up with some friends in New York, which turned out to be the perfect amount of time to meander through some of the states in between without rushing. Lucky for us the great weather continued for the next week, giving us access to some of the first camping of the year in this part of the country.
Our first camp on our way to New York was in New Hampshire. Honestly I’ve never really given much thought to this state, but I was blown away by how mountainous and wet it was here.
We hiked to Diana’s Baths, which is the name given to these awesome waterfalls that have several tiers.
There was also some cool human history at these falls, too. Between the 1890s and 1930s a local family used the falls to power a water wheel and later a turbine system. The remnants of this mechanical system can still be seen at the base of the falls. I had a great time trying to figure out how it all worked while Kes wandered around in search of pretty rocks.
This is a pretty typical look at camp. Everyday I’m so thankful to be waking up in a different, awesome place.
After New Hampshire we made our way to the Adirondack Mountains. I really had no idea what to expect here, but as usual was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful this area was. The Adirondack Mountains are actually part of a giant state park, although unlike most parks about half the land here is privately owned.
There was a lot of camping to be had in the Adirondacks, though Kes and I quickly learned that it wasn’t always so easy to find. We eventually got the knack of finding sites, although I think both of us agree that the learning curve was much steeper than anywhere else we’d been to before.
We found this awesome site and got to work doing what we do best: writing the blog.
How awesome is it to fall asleep with a sunset like this that you can see right from bed? It set the perfect mood for a restful night, which we were going to need for the following days. Tomorrow we had plans to make our way to Rochester and meet up with some old friends making a new life for themselves!
Eating our Vegetables in Rochester
by Kes
These old friends of ours are indeed old. Sam and I graduated high school with Evan and Morgan, yet my own relationship with the two spans even longer than that. Fun fact: I’ve known Evan since I was two, making our friendship over twenty years old.
I was really excited to meet up with these two soon-to-be-newlyweds for a lot of reasons. Sure, they’re basically family at this point and I haven’t seen them in too long, but I think a lot of my excitement came from the fact that Morgan is vegan.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Usually the word vegan scares most people away. The word is strongly associated with angry ladies on Facebook making you feel bad for the dinner you just ate, but I promise you they’re just the loud minority.
I had good reason to be excited for our next few meals, though I had no idea what to expect. Pizza and wings were on the menu for tonight. Naturally, Sam and I held a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, how can you make either of those things without meat and dairy?
Turns out that everything was delicious. Go figure. We had two different kinds of wings, one made of jackfruit and another made of this substance called seitan (Evan and Morgan pronounce it “satan” which I find hilariously fitting). Don’t ask me about what went into the pizza, all I know is that I wanted more.
Morgan prepared this for us as our lunch before our hike for the day. I love how everything together is half her size.
As we ate beside the trailhead, I caught more than a few envious souls eyeing our buffet.
Even though we didn't get to see Niagara Falls while in New York, this waterfall made up for it.
I took this panorama on my phone when it started raining, and I still find it way too funny not to share with you.
We ate our last breakfast together at a vegan bakery and I cannot stress enough how absolutely delicious this breakfast sandwich was.
We spent the weekend catching up, going to farmers markets, watching documentaries, and even visiting a nearby state park with crazy waterfalls. The time went by so fast, but that just means we had the best of times together.
Oh, did I mention that each meal was insanely delicious?
Ohio - Surprisingly Nice
by Sam
Ohio is another one of those places I probably wouldn’t think twice about if not for our friend Fiona who was born in the state and has pretty much lived there ever since (except for a few years when she moved to Los Alamos, where we met her). Ever since I’ve known her she’s made it clear that Ohio is the greatest state, period. We’ve visited Fiona several times since graduating high school, and while I can’t say Ohio is better than New Mexico, I can say that Ohio has gradually been growing on me.
This visit would be the first time we would be seeing Fiona and her husband, Jake, in their own house. I’m not going to lie, it’s never not going to be weird watching my friends grow up. Still, I couldn’t help but to be a little envious of their large house surrounded by sprawling fields, one of which even had a small pond perfect for swimming in.
Fiona has always done a great job of making sure we have fun in Ohio, and this visit was no different. We spent the week swimming, sunbathing, eating good food, and even going to an amusement park. If Fiona wants Kes and I to eventually move to Ohio, well, this is definitely the way to convince us.
Fiona started off our visit with an ATV ride around the property. If that’s not a proper southern welcome I don’t know what is.
The ride got a bit sketchy at certain sections. Lucky for me Fiona hasn’t changed much since high school and she still finds way to make fun of me as much as possible, like when I opted to take this hill on foot, not on the very back of the crowded ATV.
The ATV ride ended at this ‘small’ creek. Oh you southerners and what you consider a small amount of water.
Later that day Fiona took us to an Ohio staple: Flub’s Ice Cream.
We spent a lot of our time fishing and swimming in this pond on their property.
Of course Fiona couldn’t help but to laugh at me when flailing fish would slip out of my hands (I use the term ‘slip’ loosely).
Can you guess what happened here?
One of the highlights of the trip was going to King’s Island, a famous amusement park in Ohio. Fiona has told me about this place for years, so finally getting to experience the rides for myself was pretty awesome.
I hadn’t been on a roller coaster since graduating high school, and I forgot how much I enjoy the feeling of my stomach trying to worm its way up my chest on big drops.
This was by far my favorite ride in the park, called Orion. It’s also one of the newest. We waited extra long to sit in the very front and man oh man was it a good time. All of us had the ghost of tears running sideways along our cheeks at the end of the ride.
Dinner’s like this were commonplace during our time in Ohio.
I’ve learned that it’s not a visit to Ohio unless you play at least one game of tiles with Fiona’s grandma, Grammie.
As much as I wanted to stay, our time to leave eventually had to come. We had a seriously good time hanging out with Fiona and all of her crazy family, and we appreciate the food, bedding, and everything else that was provided to us during our time there.
I know we’ll be back soon!
Until then, we're off to see our next national park, right here in Ohio.
Housekeeping
Hi friend,
If you’re new to my page, welcome!
If not, then it’s really nice to see you again :)
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As always, I’d love to hear about your favorite photos, moments, or any plain old thoughts you have on our travels so far. Whatever it is, Sam and I love hearing from you.
Without further ado, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.
Best,
Kes the Photobean
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