We lifted our jacks and pulled out of Hickory Hollow Campground with a different than usual route planned. Since our son no longer lives in Lancaster County, we didn’t need to stop there to see him before heading south. Instead of getting on the PA Turnpike, we went straight through Somerset, made a right onto Berlin Plank Rd (the same way we go to our daughters), and turned right again onto Rt 219 South. Next, we got onto US 68 East toward Frostburg, MD. We’ve traveled this road before, with just a car, and it was a bit different for Bill towing our trailer. There were some grades, both going up and down. Some were rather long, although not too steep, maybe 6%. US 68 dumps onto US 70 near Hancock, so we continued on, still heading east. RT 270 was our next road change, in Frederick, MD, where we started a more southern direction. We stayed on RT 270 until RT 495, which took us around the west side of Washington DC and connected us to I 95 South. We stayed on I 95 South until we reached RT 295 West, which took us around the north and west sides of Richmond, VA. We got off at US 64, then the Broad St exit. We turned onto Cabela Dr and quickly got parked. I had called in advance and received permission to stay 2 nights.

Mexican food was on the menu for our dinner with Bill’s sister, Maretta, and her husband Rob. Food was delish and we enjoyed catching up with them. The following day, we met them at a nearby Deep Run Park and Recreation Center. It was a gorgeous day – only a light jacket was needed. We walked along the trails, enjoying the beautiful weather.

Our next stop was taking us a little out of the way but was worth it to see Bill’s Uncle Ken. We waited until rush hour was over before leaving out, and didn’t hit any traffic at all, which was awesome. Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels was en route, and what a fabulous ride it was! Sun was out, with only a few random puffy white clouds. Couldn’t have asked for a better day. We got parked at the Elks Lodge in Accomac, VA, and settled in for our two-night stay. Visiting Uncle Ken was on the agenda the following day. We enjoyed sitting out on his front porch, just catching up.

The following day, we planned our departure with rush hour in the Norfolk area in mind. We crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels again and headed toward our next stop, Oregon Inlet Campground. I’m sure by now you are familiar with us staying there at this National Park campground. We were originally going to stay two weeks, but with helping Billy move, we stayed the extra week at Hickory Hollow, so our time in OBX was shortened to only one week. We had amazing weather the whole time we were there.

Because we had great weather, we were able to do a lot while in the area. We found a couple of new things to go see and do, and also some oldies but goodies.

We took a hike at the National Park campground in Frisco. We were allowed to enter because we were staying at Oregon Inlet. We walked out to the ocean, following one of the boardwalk paths.

Another afternoon, we drove north to Corolla and Currituck Lighthouse. This was a new lighthouse for us and we were happy that we were able to climb it to the top.

We spent a day taking the ferry to Ocracoke and having lunch at one of our fav spots, SMacNallys. We walked around and did some shopping. Another amazing day in OBX.

During one of his walk-arounds, Bill noticed that our trailer tires had some weird wear on them, and decided to get new tires before moving on. You can read about that here.

We had two quick overnights, one at a Walmart in Lumberton SC, and one at the Elks Lodge in Jacksonville, FL, before arriving at our next location, the Elks Lodge in Palm Coast FL. We were visiting Jo and Ben! Bonus visit with Ellen and Mario! Jo and Ben are in the process of moving into the same community Ellen and Mario live in, setting themselves up for part-time full-time RVing. They will spend winters in FL and travel for the summers. Bill and I have visited Ellen and Mario a few times and we love their location, but we haven’t been ready to make a decision to buy anything yet.

St. Augustine is less than an hour away and we headed there one afternoon. We walked around, visiting the local sites, including Fort Matanzas, which includes a short boat ride. Our ranger-led tour told us about the men who served at the outpost, guarding the “back-door” approach to St. Augustine. It’s very tight quarters, I’ll tell you that!

Our last full day, Jo suggested we visit Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, FL. It was less than an hour away and we saw a manatee!

As always, we had a very enjoyable time off on our way south!

Previous posts: Summertime in Somerset Part 2

Next Up: FL 2021 and Arwen’s First Birthday

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