Our first night of the trip, we stayed at Laurel Hill State Park in Pennsylvania. We got in late and had to set up camp in the pouring rain. We had a lot of driving to do so we left before we really got to explore the park, but what I saw I liked and I would like to visit there again when I had more time to relax and explore the nature of Pennsylvania’s highlands.
Anyway, from the park it was a twisty-turny road through rural Appalachia. We made our first stop along the way at the C&O Canal Visitor’s Center (left) so Chris could get his first National Park passport stamp of the trip. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal is a 184.5 river system that was designed to connect the east coast and the Great Lakes. The towpath trail is a popular biking spot that runs from Cumberland, Maryland to DC.
After exploring the canal trail a bit we continued south and made our next stop in Fredricksburg, Virginia. We visited some of the sites at the Fredricksburg Battlefield (above) and the Fredricksburg Cemetery. Fredricksburg was a Civil War battle that ended in a Confederate victory and over 12,000 Union casualties. This was the first Civil War Battlefield I had visited and it was hard to reconcile the history and the tragedy with the beautiful scenery that has sprung up in over 100 years since the bloody battle.
It was a short drive from Fredricksburg to Williamsburg where we set up camp for the next two nights. More on that next week. Thanks for stopping by! For more information on the C&O Canal and Fredricksburg, visit the National Park Service. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
We are back from our Outer Banks road trip and I am excited to begin recapping my trip with you! This was another camping road trip visiting 6 different campgrounds in 4 states in 10 days.
- Night 1: Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset, Pennsylvania
- Explored Fredricksburg Battlefield
- Night 2 & 3: Chickahominy Riverfront Park near Williamsburg, Virginia
- Visited Yorktown and Jamestowne
- Night 4 & 5: Frisco Campground in Buxton, North Carolina
- Explored Hatteras Lighthouse and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Night 6 & 7: Ocracoke Campground in Ocracoke, North Carolina
- Explored Ocracoke beach and the Village of Ocracoke
- Night 8: Oregon Inlet in Nags Head, North Carolina
- Visited Bodie Island Lighthouse, Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Roanoke Island
- Night 9: Owen Creek Campground in Thurmont, Maryland
- Explored Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, Anteitam National Battlefield, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park
In some ways, this trip was the exact opposite of our trip last year. Where last year we headed north, this year we went south. Where it was cold last year, this year I felt like I was on the surface of the sun. Tent camping on the beach is rough because there is no shade and no escape from the relentless southern heat. I love the Outer Banks but next time, I’m staying in the air conditioning.
This photo was taken at the beach at Frisco Campground at sunset. Sunsets on the beach can be tricky because they are often lacking a foreground subject. Being that this is an ORV beach, I found my foreground subject by looking down.
Thanks for stopping by! Come back next Monday to read more about our trip. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
Happy Independence Day!
We are back from our summer road trip which I am titling beaches and battlefields. I have started editing the photos and I will try to begin he trip report later this week. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your holiday!
On our way back from Port Crescent, we made a stop at the Sanilac Petroglyphs. The petroglyphs are rock carvings attributed to Native Americans and are estimated to be between 300 and 1000 years old. They were discovered in 1881 when a fire swept through the area, burning all the ground coverings. In the top left corner, you can see a chunk is missing from the rock. It is believed that the glyph was actually stolen sometime between the fire and when the first survey was done in 1920. The pictured glyph is known as the “bow man” and is believed to represent a hunter. (Michigan.gov)
While this is an interesting historic location, I would not visit with photography in mind. Its hard to get a good angle to photograph the glyphs and with the pavilion overhead, the lighting is tricky. While I encourage you to check it out and learn about the ancient history of the mitten state, its not the best photo spot in the area.
To plan your visit to the Petroglyphs, visit Michigan.gov. Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
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This past weekend we ventured to Port Crescent State Park, at the tip of the thumb. I had never been to that part of the state before and I was excited to check it out. Luckily, we were able to catch a stunning sunset the first night because it rained the rest of the weekend. I was really hoping to kayak to Turnip Rock, but I wasn’t about to do that in a thunderstorm.
We decided to not let the rain get us down and we drove around and explored the area. The lake was gorgeous like all of the Great Lakes, but honestly, there wasn’t much else to see. It’s a very flat part of the state and is mostly filled with farms and windmills. Maybe it was the weather, but The Thumb didn’t win my heart like the Ludington area did. I’m sure we will be back because I still want to check out Turnip Rock, so maybe my second impression will change my mind.
To learn more about the Thumb Region, visit ThumbTourism.org. Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.
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I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I LOVE planning trips. Its possible that I enjoy the planning as much as I enjoy the trip itself. As we are getting closer to our summer road trip, I am really buckling down on the planning. Furkot has been very helpful in planning this trip and where to stop along the way.
Here’s our plan: 2 nights in Williamburg, Virginia; 2 nights in Frisco, North Carolina; 2 Night in Ocracoke, North Carolina; 1 night in Nags Head North Carolina; and 1 night in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia.
One thing that is tough about planning this kind of trip is that there are not a lot of resources out there for camping road trips. A lot of the recipes I’ve found online are campfire recipes, which are fun, but when you’re not camping to relax around the campsite all day, you don’t have time for that kind of cooking. I’m having a hard time finding quick and simple recipes that we won’t get sick of on a 10 day trip.
The photo is from my last visit to the Outer Banks, back in 2009. That was before my DSRL days. This photo was taken with my old Samsung point and shoot. I did pull it into Lightroom to do some basic edits. I think it turned out OK for a mid-day shot with a low level camera.
Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.