Our first stop prior to crossing into NJ was – guess where? – Ephrata Elks! I’m sure the pattern is becoming obvious – stopping to see our son is part of our routine.

Arriving in NJ, our friends the Infosino’s welcomed us once again for the 4th of July weekend. This busy family had a lot going on and not wanting to be in the way, we shortened our visit. It was great seeing them and we always appreciate their hospitality.

The site we were assigned at Country Oaks was very familiar as it was where we stayed our first couple of weeks when we first started our workamper jobs back in 2017. It felt comfortable being there again and after getting settled, we took a walk around to see who was out and about.

After a quick stop at Hoys for a new umbrella for us and also a little chair and sand toys, we were ready for the sand and surf. Why did we need those last two items? Michelle, Derek, and the girls would be coming in a couple of days! They had a room reserved at The Bayberry Inn in Ocean City!

Before they arrived, we decided to head north to visit Bill’s Uncle George. He was very happy to see us. We spontaneously decided to continue north to see niece Jaime and my brother Jay and his family, since we were already most of the way there. After picking up Jaime, we stopped at Keyport Fishery to pick up some dinner. YUMMY! We enjoyed a wonderful visit.

Dinner at Josie Kelly’s Public House was on the itinerary one evening, when we met up with a couple from our RV Dreams family, Les & Sue – aka PoPo The RV Rambling Rat, who happen to be fellow former New Jerseyans like us! We hadn’t seen them in well over a year and it was awesome catching up with these two!

The day for the Stoltz’s to come finally arrived. They had left their home VERY early, which meant they arrived in NJ much earlier than the 3pm check-in time. No worries, they came to Country Oaks! Bill and I took the girls for a walk while their parents caught a quick nap after their long drive. After lunch, we all headed to Ocean City. Bill and I helped them carry all the “gear” up the 3 flights of stairs to the family suite on the 3rd floor. It was two attic rooms with a bathroom in the middle; very reminiscent of places Bill and I brought out kids to in Ocean City when they were young. Plenty of space for a young family.

There was so much to choose from to keep us busy! So many firsts for two little girls! Spending time with them and Michelle and Derek in our old stomping grounds made this Nani smile – Pop too!

First up was Cape May County Zoo. None of us are generally huge fans of zoos, but this one is an exception. Their animals have large enclosures and they are accredited by more than one organization. It’s a fine line for sure, wanting kids and adults alike to be able to view animals and viewing animals that are being cramped into spaces way too small and/or being ripped from their parents in the wild. To be honest, even after having a great day showing Freya the animals, I still came away feeling a little “icky”.

Storybook Land was also on the to-do list. I remember going there as a kid myself. We never brought our kids when they were young; sadly, back in the early ’90s, it had a reputation of “not being kept up”. I have no idea how true or not that was. Today it is well maintained, clean, and perfect for younger kids. I will warn you – it is pricey.

What would vacation at the Jersey Shore be if we didn’t actually go to the beach? Another first for the girls! Arwen spent most of her time there sleeping in this awesome tent thing Michelle had gotten with that exact purpose in mind. Freya was a bit slow to warm up to the water, but once she did – she LOVED it! It was adorable how she wanted to hold both Daddy and Pop’s hands at the same time. She loved the sand toys we picked up.

Michelle had planned a spa day and dinner for just her and Derek so Pop and I got to have the girls all to ourselves! They arrived at Country Oaks around 10:30am and the fun began! We went for a walk, we went to the pool, we played on the playground and had tons of fun! After lunch, we all took a nap, which was quite challenging, especially for an excited two-year-old. Once everyone was awake, we loaded up the car and drove to Ocean City, where we walked the boards, had dinner and ice cream, and Pop’s FAVORITE – he and Freya went on the Merri-Go-Round! After a bit more walking, we brought them back to their room and started the bedtime routine. Michelle and Derek got back just as we were tucking them in – perfect timing! It was then time for Nani & Pop to go home and plop down in our recliners – we were exhausted – in a good way!

Before we knew it the week had flown by and it was time to load up on hugs and kisses – enough to last a couple of weeks until we saw them again!

Our friends the Phillippi’s had purchased a small travel trailer and had it delivered to a seasonal site in Cape May Courthouse, so we went to spend the day with them at the beach and later get the tour of their new home away from home. We met in Stone Harbor and settled in next to them. We had a great time catching up. Tummies started rumbling, indicating it was time to head to their new place for dinner. It was a short drive and we followed them to their site. This is their first RV and they had lots of questions, which we didn’t mind. They were experiencing an issue with their air conditioner – ok – it wouldn’t come on. Bill tried to help Matt diagnose the problem and gave him a few pointers, but ultimately without his tools, there wasn’t much he could do. We stayed outside where there was a nice breeze. Thanks guys for an awesome visit!

Since we had to skip seeing Uncle Ken back in May when there wasn’t any fuel/gas in his area, we decided to go after we lifted our jacks at County Oaks. We had been watching weather reports and since it was supposed to be a nice day, we booked a spot on the Cape May Lewes ferry, a first for us.

After settling in at the Elks Lodge in Accomac, VA, we decided to go in and enjoy a drink. It was a nice lodge and since they had a dinner menu, we decided to let them cook! The food was good and I was happy to be able to go home and just relax.

We spent the next day visiting with Ken. He has a nice home in Exmore, VA, not far from the dock on Occohannock Creek that he has deeded access to. The Creek (which looks more like a river) opens up to the Chesapeake Bay. It is a gorgeous setting.

Having said our “see you later’s” to Ken, we took a short ride around to get a feel for the area. A quick Zillow search showed that home and land prices were much more reasonable than what we saw in OBX in the spring. Delmarva might be somewhere to consider if/when the time comes for us to settle down. For those unfamiliar, Delmarva is the peninsula that three states, DE (Del), MD (mar), and VA (va) share. We’ve been in the area before when visiting Assateague and Chincoteague, and also just on the way to cross the spectacular Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels.

The following day we made our way back to Ephrata for more time with Billy. While in Ephrata, we carried out plans to visit with Neil & Nancy, who we hadn’t seen in way too long! Bonus – Mike & Mandy joined us! An enjoyable evening was had by all, sharing appetizers for dinner and catching up on news! I took a pic at the very last minute, but it didn’t come out well at all – too dark. We also stocked up on goodies from Shady Maple Farm Market before heading back to Somerset.

Previous Post: Summertime in Somerset, Part 1!

Next Up: Summertime in Somerset, Part 2!

Further Out: Summary of Year 7 on the Road!

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