Homeward!
As we made our way home today we stopped at Target, Walmart, Costco, Wegman’s and Fingerlakes Premium Outlets to stock up on our favourite American goodies.
Trip in review:
Keeping up with tradition, I asked everyone some questions in the last few hours of our trip:
Best food:
Isla: Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina
Caleb: Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina or the blue crab at Surfin’ Crab in Lewes, Delaware
Joel: Bon’s Street Food in New Orleans
Tracy: Kill Devil’s Frozen Custard and beach fries in OBX
Best View:
Isla: Old Rag Mountain Summit – the blue ridge mountains
Caleb: Old Rag Mountain Summit – the blue ridge mountains
Joel: Caleb, Isla and Tracy swimming in the ocean at Henderson Beach in Florida as the sun set
Tracy: Watching the moon rise while we had a campfire on the beach on Assateague Island
Favourite Hike:
Isla: Grotto Falls in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Caleb: Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park
Joel: Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park
Tracy: The Grand Avenue Hike/Tour in Mammoth Cave National Park
Favourite thing about America:
Isla: The mountains
Caleb: All the Bass Pro Shops
Joel: How open people are about their faith and how there is lots of Christian values spoken about.
Tracy: The selection of gluten free items in some grocery stores. The variety and plentifulness of stores everywhere. The local pride in their area and their people.
Least favourite thing about the USA:
Isla: The Trump stores.
Caleb: The amount of inconsiderate people.
Joel: The amount of apathetic National Park staff which is the exact opposite of our experiences elsewhere.
Tracy: The disparity. Some things are crazy expensive but other things aren’t. Some staff are amazingly helpful and kind while others are completely indifferent. There is just such a big extremes.
Most surprising thing about the trip:
Isla: When we were leaving the Old Rag hike and people were just starting it so late in the day. How loud fighter jets are.
Caleb: The price difference between gas and diesel. The range of fuel prices from state to state.
Joel: How much money is being spent at National Parks with infrastructure upgrades and new buildings.
Tracy: How many times Joel and I said to Caleb “Can you stop please?” How much I love fighter jets.
Favourite drive:
Isla: Florida beach towns along the panhandle.
Caleb: Going through the blue ridge mountains
Joel: Chesapeake bridge bay/tunnel
Tracy: Louisiana bayous
Favourite Animal we saw:
Isla: the baby alligator
Caleb: Bear by the coffee shop in Gatlinburg
Joel: the baby alligator I got to hold
Tracy: Alligator on our airboat
Favourite Moment of the Trip:
Isla: hanging out at the Henderson Beach
Caleb: Walking through the biggest Bass Pro Shop – the pyramid in Memphis
Joel: Walking down Broadway street in Nashville taking in all the live music
Tracy: Watching fighter jets take off and land at Oceana Naval Base
Least favourite moment of the trip:
Isla: Having to say goodbye to everyone before we left.
Caleb: Walking through Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Joel: Finding no easy gluten free options in Nashville.
Tracy: Trying to listen to the Hunger Games audiobook and Caleb complaining
Favourite campsite:
Isla: Henderson Beach State Park in Florida
Caleb: Assateague Island National Seashore
Joel: Henderson Beach State Park in Florida
Tracy: Henderson Beach State Park in Florida
Least Favourite Campsite:
Isla: Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park
Caleb: Cracker Barrel in Pennsylvania
Joel: Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park
Tracy: Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park
Favourite State:
Isla: North Carolina
Caleb: Tennessee
Joel: Florida panhandle
Tracy: Tennessee
Favourite thing to listen to while driving:
Isla: The Hunger Games
Caleb: Dave Ramsey Satellite radio
Joel: Dave Ramsey Satellite radio
Tracy: The Hunger Games
Most interesting person you met:
Isla: The lady who ran her electric bike into the fence in the Great Smoky Mountains
Caleb: The lady at Lewes barbecue who kept giving me brisket samples
Joel: Captain of the airboat tour
Tracy: The nice park ranger at Henderson Beach State Park
Best Smell:
Isla: trees on our hikes
Caleb: barbecue
Joel: pine trees in Tennessee
Tracy: The trees on our kayak in Congaree National Park
Worst Smell:
Isla: Washrooms at the trailheads
Caleb: Marijuana
Joel:
Tracy: parking lot of bass pro shop in Memphis stank of hot pee
What was the most super touristy thing we did that was surprisingly awesome:
Isla: Airboat tour in New Orleans
Caleb: Airboat tour in New Orleans
Joel: The Grand Ol’Opry and Naval boat tour in Norfolk
Tracy: Dolly Parton’s Stampede
Was there something we did that didn’t meet your expectations?
Isla: I expected to see more wildlife on the Cades Cove bike loop
Caleb: Mammoth Cave – I thought it would have more cool looking stuff
Joel: The park rangers in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia – they were just reading a script and checking the boxes
Tracy: The visitor centers at Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains – they need to go to Utah to learn a few things
One thing that would have improved this trip:
Isla: Swig!
Caleb: Having a 12 volt splitter so we could run our trailer camera and our dashcam at the same time.
Joel: An additional week
Tracy: It not being so hot and humid…but we did go to the south in June. More time in Florida and Louisiana.
What we missed most about home (other than people and the animals):
Isla: air conditioning
Caleb: my bed
Joel: Tim Hortons
Tracy: Silence and soccer
Where do you want to go on your next vacation?
Isla: Saguaro National Park
Caleb: Banff
Joel: That is not on my mind yet
Tracy: Canadian West Coast and Northern USA loop
Would you take such a long trip again:
Isla: Yes
Caleb: Yes
Joel: Yes, if not longer
Tracy: Two weeks felt way too short
If you could go back to one moment and do it again right now:
Isla: being in the ocean
Caleb: Stand on the peak of Old Rag Mountain. Skiff boarding in the ocean.
Joel: Nashville
Tracy: The boat ride back from the naval boat tour in Norfolk with us all snuggled up on the front deck watching the world go by.
Next time we should pack more:
- Jeans
- Power cords for the truck
- Plastic cutlery
