RoadAbodode's June RoadTrip

This June for our annual "Afterschool RoadTrip" we ventured to parts familiar to us, and beautiful interesting new territory. The landscapes and surrounding areas of each were relaxing as we would like, but still offered more activities to take part in that we could possibly do in our week away. Since part of the fun of having a motorhome is travelling, we stayed part of our time in the woodlands of South-Central PA, then moved on to our first stay in the First state - Delaware.

Panorama of our Jonestown KOA Campsite next to the Swatara Creek

First Leg of RoadAbode's June Trip

We need to store RoadAbode outside the city. This slightly limits what the girls can pack - which I believe is a good thing. We pack up our tiny Honda Fit coupe with the possessions needed for the week, and head to RoadAbode's home at the storage yard. Once there, we all pitch in to more the load. We also prep the Honda Fit with tow lights, as we use it as our "toad" - pulled  behind RoadAbode with a tow bar. The Fit is the second car we've had a tow bar setup installed on, and makes as a perfect little car to explore wherever we are.. We pull RoadAbode out of her spot, pull the Honda Fit behind, and connect the car to the tow bar. Our eldest daugher has been helping connect up for years now, and knows the process. Amy does the drivetrain process - each car that is towable has a specific way to shift gears and get ready for towing. Finally we check each other and  are on our way!
It helps that we have four android phones with us. We have some favorite Apps we use. My smartphone is used as our GPS using Google Maps. (we still consult a printed map as well from time to time, or utilize campground directions) Amy's is used to scout out eateries, grocery stores or gas stations along our route. Hers is also used as our main phone if we want to contact the campground or anyone else during our drive. The other two switch off between listening to music, or consulting the Internet for interesting things to do at our destination or sights as we travel. And yes, sometimes the girls will ignore us up in the cab for a while and just use their smartphone to read or play a game, especially on longer trips.
I forgot to mention Molly, our Lhasa Poo pup. She can be found either sitting on Moms lap, on the couch with one of the girls, or way in the back snoozing on our bed. She really enjoys the RVing life!
On this trip our first destination was only two and a half hours away. We arrived at Jonestown KOA about an hour before check in, but they were gracious enough to check that our site was ready, and one of the young ladies escorted us to our site. There was a car parked not in our site, but close in front of it, making it difficult to pull in. The KOA staff right away checked with campers in the area, and quickly figured out it was a guest of someone staying at a Kabin close by. (They were having a birthday celebration for a child there) What some would have found aggravating turned out pretty nice, because it gave us a chance to meet the neighbors and find out how the weather's been, and where they were from.
Our site was perfectly level, so we connected the essentials of water, electric and cable, then set out to get Barbeque! Within a 15 or 20 minute drive of the KOA sits a building that looks more like a feed store than a place to get good eats Shakedown Barbeque. is located on firehouse lane, which is a small winding farmers road off the beaten track in the middle of cornfields. Inside this establishment you find some of the best pork, brisket and chicken barbque you can have. Sit inside, outside, or take with - you will not be disappointed. Large portions of flavorful meat - with delicious sides. They also occasionally have live music to enjoy outside.

Reconnecting at waters edge

After getting our fill of pork and brisket, we headed back to RoadAbode. Normally we'd wade the creek looking for crawdads, fish or other creatures but because of recent storms, the waters of the Swatara were too deep and swift. Our plans for tubing or canoeing right from our site would have to happen another time. We sat a bit outside watch the waters, relaxing, reading and reconnecting. It's one of the joys of RVing together as a family.. As the day turned to twilight, we decided to play a game of monopoly. It's fun to be a little competitive, and maybe even chat a bit how just life - like monopoly - isn't always fair, but we can still help one another out. After an enjoyable competitive game, we watched a little cable, did a little reading, and headed off to bed.
Dogs are probably more excited about camping than we realize. Monday - At the crack of dawn, Molly was waking me up to go out and explore. New sights and especially new smells were waiting for her to check out. And there are chipmunks and squirrels to chase after! I enjoy our walks as well. There are usually a few other early rising dog owners to say hello to, and sometimes we get surprised by seeing a doe or groundhog along the way. Additionally, since we are on vacation, I really dont want to waste too many moments laying in bed!  Once Molly had sniffed and marked new territory, we headed back to RoadAbode for her breakfast, and my first coffee of the day.  Remoting into work to check server processes was next on the agenda.
Once everyone was up we start planning the day. Since playing on the rain swollen Swatara was off the menu of activities, the girls decided to do one of their favorite past-times - thrifting. I enjoy hunting out a good bargain too, so finding some  places to stop was as easy as asking "OK Google, show me thrift shops" We found a line of them on Route 422 in the nearby county of Lebanon.  First thing is breakfast - and as a treat we head first to The Farmer's Wife Family restaurant in Ono, down the road from the KOA on Route 72 about 20 minutes. Great meal, quick service and not expensive. Having some plate-size pancakes with farm fresh sausage and eggs was perfect for a vacation treat! The girls thrifting finds included dresses with hoop underskirt (different stores) they will use as costumes for our church's Vacation Bible School, and Amy found a new Vera Bradley purse for $12 (apparently that's good)

PA National Guard Museum Exhibits

Back at RoadAbode, lunch was a healthy salad since we were still pretty full from breakfast. In the afternoon, we took a short ride over to Fort Indiantown Gap. Though the National Guard Museum was already closed, we still enjoyed looking at the aircraft, tanks and memorials relating military history. Back at RoadAbode, our day progressed with lots of lounging, reading, or relaxing watching TV at our campsite till evening. A few games of cards were in order to close out the night.
On Tuesday, since the creek was still relatively high and murky, we decided if we wanted to do any boating, Memorial Lake State Park in the middle of the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard training area was our best bet. We took the the short ride over, only to find out that boat rentals are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We still enjoyed a short hike around the lake, but no boating this RVing trip out! We had some brats grilled over the fire for our evening meal, and enjoyed a game of clue for our the night's entertainment.

Memorial Lake State Park Boat Launch

Second Leg of RoadAbode's June Trip

After a relaxing few days at Jonestown KOA, it was time for a change of venue! Wednesday was our pack up and travel day. We've never stayed in the state of Delaware before, so we let Google map our drive down to our next stop - Delaware Seashore State Park. We stayed in the new North Inlet Campground  Here is a Photosphere of our Campsite. You can drag the photo around with your cursor for a 360 view of our campsite.

Most people call the bridge by the campground the Indian River Inlet Bridge. It's given name is the Charles Cullen Bridge, after a state highway commissioner of the 1930s . This beautiful cable bridge was built in 2012 and replaced a string of wooden and girder steel beam bridges.  Check this link to learn the history of the bridges that spanned the inlet in this location over the years.

After setting up RoadAbode in our campsite facing the bay, we jumped in the car and took a ride to check out the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. Parking in Rehoboth is all metered, and open parking was hard to come by. We lucked out and found a spot only a block away from the southern end of the boardwalk. The boardwalk is one mile long, quite short compared to the Atlantic City (4 miles) and Wildwood (2 miles) boardwalks we grew up on. It still has all the excitement of "Jersey Shore" boardwalk, just in a more family friendly "fun size".  Being a bit hungry, one thing we had to try were the famous Thrashers Boardwalk fries. Hot authentic boardwalk French fries were a great treat as we wandered up the boardwalk and poked our head in a few of the shops. Amy saw a funnel cake stand and decided to partake of one of her favorite desserts. If you've never had this concoction, it's simply a cake batter drizzled by a funnel (hence the name) in a rotating pattern onto boiling oil, and flash fried. The crispy yet doughy mess is then lifted, drained and placed on a paper plate and liberally coated with powder sugar. There are versions that include chocolate, whipped cream and fruits - but my wife is a woman with simple tastes :-)
While waiting for us to pickup Amy's order, the girls sat and people watched from a nearby bench. They also looked onto the dunes, and found a tiny bunny nibbling on the sandy. Never though of rabbits living on the beach! After the bunny sighting, we headed back to our Honda Fit, (meter almost out) and out of Rehoboth beach, back to our North Inlet Campsite.
The sky as the sun was setting looked like it was on fire from our campsite, and the bridge light in blue gave this spot an almost patriotic feel. Great end to the day.

Sun Setting over the North Inlet Campground of Delaware Seashore State Park

Indian River Inlet Bridge at Night

The sun is up early here! Guess it should be, since we are right by the Atlantic Ocean. For a June trip, this probably was the most drastic environment change we've experienced. From stream and woodlands to a ocean beach spot with no mature trees at all in one day.
Molly was ready to walk before 6am, and with the sun already up, so was I . This new campground is aligned between the bridge and the US Coast Guard station. There is also a public access parking lot directly next to the bridge. All the roadways are black macadam, and the walkways white cement. As we walked around the campground, there were only one or two campsites that those residing there felt needed leveling blocks or jacks. When we set up, we basically pulled in, checked the level, and then setup. Besides being well laid out, this campground also has very nice shower facilities, and even a great laundry room with large washers and dryers. Include that we have full electric, water and sewer hookups, and this is probably the nicest and well equipped state park we have enjoyed camping.
Down past the campground if you continue walking the inlet road is the marina and Hammerheads Restaurant. Plenty for Molly to sniff on her morning walk!
Today we stayed mostly close to camp. The girls headed to the beach, while I stayed back with Molly and enjoyed just watching the people and boats on the Inlet, and some light reading.

Claire and Sophie of "ComedySportz World Tour"

On one of Molly's walks we noticed a Class C motorhome with "Comedy Sportz World Tour" emblazoned on the side and back. A quick Google search and we found the story of Claire and her pup Sophie. So Amy and I wandered over, and interrupted Clair relaxing and reading a book outside her RV. Seems Claire had a great idea as an office dweller for Comedy Sportz - which is an improv group with locations in major cities through North America. She pitched a travel and marketing campaign - via a motorhome. She got the go ahead!
You can follow Claire, Sophie and their travelling comic companions as they criss-cross the country to visit and work with other comedians. Check out ComedySportz here.
Back at RoadAbode, though we all did snack as the day went on, we decided to head out for an early dinner. Using a Google Maps search for restaurants close to us, we found the highly rated Nalu in Dewey Beach. We piled in the car and headed over.

Tiger Shark hanging from the ceiling of Nalu

Only a 10 minute drive from the campground, Nalu is a Hawaiian surfer themed bar and grille. With open swing-out windows, palm trees, totem poles, tiki bar, and huge Tiger Shark hanging from the ceiling, we had the feeling we were sitting at an outdoor luau. The decor, may be over the top, but really put us in an island frame of mind. If you ever get the chance to head there, make sure to try the HUGH Nachos, and a plate of bacon wrapped pineapple. Plenty of tasty choices on the menu, many with a Hawaiian twist!
After being thrilled with our dining find and filled with a tasty mix of seafood, pork and more, we headed back to camp. There were a few excited people pointing and taking pictures as we were about to enter RoadAbode. A pod of dolphins were swimming up into the bay! It was so cool to see dolphins - right from our picnic bench! Did not get good pictures, but you can see the dolphins a bit in this video.

To end the day on a literal high note, the Park staff had scheduled a musician to play in the pavilion leading to the beach. As the sun set, a mix of laid back beach and old rock ballads drifted through the campground. After the music, everyone was invited for a beach campfire featuring toasted marshmallows. Great way to bring a close to the evening!
Since Friday was predicted to be wet, we planned a few inside activities in Rehoboth Beach. Traffic was crawling through Dewey and Rehoboth. Looked like day trippers and weekenders were clogging the roads. We stopped at the Fractured Prune for a breakfast of doughnuts. Their specialty is made to order hot donuts. Unique flavor creations abound, with combinations of sprinkles, toppings and glazes to make your own taste sensation. I went with a staff favorite - Maple glaze with cinnamon sugar named a French Toast doughnut. The girls went with a mint chocolate chip concoction, and a berry mix of some sort. We all enjoyed our sweet treats!
Our main stop was to the Nassau Valley Vineyards. Beautiful grounds with well kept colonial buildings, the Winery was quite busy readying for an afternoon wedding and serving other tastings. We opted for a self guided tour, showcasing the history of wine-making more than the winery itself. Once we were able to get a tasting (requiring an additional wait after our tour) we tried a few wines on the sweet end of the spectrum. We did end up with a bottle of True Blue Blueberry and Peach Ambrosia - more for the novelty than because of the taste. The True Blue is produced from 100% locally grown blueberries. Still was fun to try some different vintages, and enjoy a short walk through the art gallery and grounds. The girls day seemed to be made more by meeting the vintner, who was a surprisingly young muscular surfer type that seemed to catch all the female eyes in the room. The young man being just a bit shy when introduced by the ladies who led our tastings seemed to make him even more interesting.
We decided to stop for some "touristy shopping" as we headed back to RoadAbode. One place that caught the girl's eyes was The Sea Shell Shop. Connected to a mini golf course and ice cream parlor, the store seemed to have the trifecta of tourist traps rolled into one. Filled with all things nautically inspired, the girls found some trinkets to keep for themselves and for a few friends back home. I did well with my new motto "simplify." I don't need more clutter, though some of the items available were pretty.
For our last full day enjoying the North Inlet at Delaware Seashore State Park, Amy baked a light breakfast of homemade buttery croissant rolls, which we devoured while watching the boats entering and leaving the Inlet. After cleaning up, we headed out to find out what the Mid Atlantic Sea Glass & Coastal Arts Festival was about. We learned that collecting sea glass, much like collecting gemstones, is become a "thing." People look for certain colors, shapes and love the jewelry and mosaics created with the glass. If the glass can be authenticated as from a certain age bottle, or from a period type of glass - it has more value. The items we saw were beautiful, even while walking among the booths in a slight drizzle. There were plenty of other artisans there with paintings, carvings and various interesting artwork - all ocean and beach themed. Add that they had some food and a live steel drum musician, and it was a downright good time.,  The girls picked up some seaglass to remember the trip, and a few other items. After, we walked and perused some of the stores on nearby 2nd street.

Some Island sounds during the Sea Glass Festival

The rest of our day we just enjoyed lounging at RoadAbode reading and enjoying our campsite by the sea.

Sunday was our reluctant pack-up day, and we left at 11:55 am - right before our Noon checkout. We were not in a hurry to leave! I was surprised the traffic was not heavier on the way through Dewey and Rehoboth Beach. In face, we kept moving pretty well until we were at the Pennsylvania border. If this had been coming from the New Jersey Shore, we would have been in bumper to bumper traffic for over four hours all the way home! We made the trip back to storage in a little over 2 and half hours.

We really enjoyed this year's trip, even though we were no more than 3 hours away from our home in Philadelphia. We had a nice mix of things we'd enjoyed before, and some new places to discover. We definitely recommend both Jonestown KOA and The North Inlet Campground at Delaware Seashore State Park. If you've been to these places, we'd love to hear what you enjoyed - or didn't - in these places. Hope to see you down the road! Happy Travels!

RoadAbode's Hidden Gems: Frances Slocum State Park Wyoming, Pennsylvania

View from the Lake Shore Trail

The RoadAbode Crew usually does not try to camp on popular holiday weekends. In the past, we have found those weekends the traffic is crazy, the campgrounds and state parks we go to are crowded, and there seems to be more "yahoos" ~ those that are there more for partying and craziness than relaxing and enjoying nature. This Memorial Day weekend, we decided to give it a try. Our other weeks in May were filled with volunteering with a local Youth Theater, Our eldest's College graduation, work projects and helping at our church. If we wanted to get out to relax with RoadAbode (and we needed to!) it would have to be Memorial Day weekend. To add a little bit of adventure to the weekend, I had decided we would check out an area of Pennsylvania called "The Back Mountains," and stay at a new to us campground ~ Frances Slocum State Park in Luzerne County

About the Park's Namesake

Frances Slocum State Park is so named in honor of a woman abducted when she was five years old by Delaware Indian warriors at the Slocum family farm near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Slocum was raised among the Delaware nation, which moved to what is now Ohio and Indiana. Not until she was in her 60s did her siblings find her. By then she had married the chief of the Miami Indian Nation, and had four children. She had no recollection of her previous life, or even her former name. She chose to stay with her Native American family, Slocum’s story is one of a rare individual who fully assimilated into the Native American culture that surrounded her, and was accepted as one of its members. To read more of her history and legacy, check here

About the Park

Frances Slocum State Park consists of over 1,000 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County. The park features a horseshoe shaped, 165-acre lake which is great for boating and  fishing. While on the hiking trails, there are many species of birds, fish and wildlife to see.  There is also a pool.
For those that like fishing, bring your boat (or rent one) to try your luck catching the various species in the lake; including crappie, bluegill, perch, catfish, muskellunge, pickerel, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye and stocked trout.
This park is great for the novice hiker. Most of the trails we hiked were well marked and on flat, even terrain. Many of the trails intersect together, and use portions of inter-park roadways as part of the hike. The four miles of mountain bike trails are designated with red trail makers. The short Frances Slocum Trail loops to and from the boat rental parking lot. On this trail hikers can enjoy the hardwood forest and will come upon the rock shelter where it is thought American Indians temporarily hid and held their small captive (Frances Slocum).
The temperature during our visit was a bit cool for us to enjoy the pool at Frances Slocum. There were some kids in the pool, and it looked like a great place to take a swim on a hot day. We did visit the concession stand outside the pool, as this is where campers can pickup firewood and ice. Though the building splits the road on the way to the campground, there is no longer a store for campers located there.

About the Campground

For we RVers, the campground consists of two loops, Hemlock Hill and Stoney Point. Stoney Point is preferable as each site has electric hookups, and more water spigots dispersed throughout the loop. There is also the Rocky Knoll loop for walk-ins tent campers that want to get their wild on. Both RVing loops allow pets in designated sites. Below is a photosphere we created of our campsite on the Stoney Point loop.

Views: Frances Slocum State Park Campground ~ Stoney Point ~ site 48E by Road Abode

When we were there, the bath house was clean and usable. Plenty of hooks to hang our showering things, a bench to hold stuff or sit on, but no curtain between the changing area and shower. (There is a door for each individual shower/changing area combo) the shower was operated by a push button that had to be periodically held in to continue your stream of water. The park did lose water pressure on the third day of our stay, but that was due to a water main break on the main road - out of the staff's control. Water use was back again the next day. We frequently saw park rangers pass through the park, and even more so after the water issue - making sure everyone knew of the problem. The camp hosts were also visible, stopping to chat with people and always picking up any refuse along the roadways. Was great that they were checking in with guests and keeping things clean!
Trails, fishing and even a boat launch are all easily accessible walking from the campground. You could hike to the pool, but probably would be better to take the short drive over. The pool is centered in the "horseshoe" of the lake, with the campground to the outside of one of the legs of the horseshoe.

The Surrounding Area

Resting along the stream at Seven Tubs

We only left the park twice ~ to grab some supplies (someone forgot headphones) and to grab a bite while out; and to visit a Luzerne County Nature Area.  Both a Super WalMart and Aldis Grocery store are only 20 minutes from the campground in the city of Pittston. The state park is also close to larger of municipalities Scranton and Wilkes Barre. There are plenty of local eateries for us to check out in subsequent visits.
The nature area we visit is called Seven Tubs. A trail follows series of small waterfalls carved by glacial waters.  It was a beautiful and shaded hike. Most of the trail is well marked, but watch for roots, loose soil and slippery rocks when first crossing the bridge to start your hike. We would recommend checking the area out, and plan on going back ourselves. To learn more about Seven Tubs, the most informative link seems to be at Wikipedia

Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed Frances Slocum state park. Even for a busy holiday weekend and full campground, we did not feel closed in or crowded. There is still plenty to explore, or maybe just relax and read a book or two as we did this visit for our holiday weekend.
Reservations are completed through the Reserve America website, and for most include a photo of the particular sites.
For more information on Frances Slocum State Park, check the PA DCNR website

RVing RoadTrip: 5 FREE Concerts to check out in Pennsylvania

OK, we lied. There are MORE than five concerts to check out! But with such diversity in musical tastes, we figured we'd list five venues in Pennsylvania that have multiple opportunities to enjoy some awesome bands and performances, with great food and drink close by. So in no particular order, here are the five places to point your RV to in Pennsylvania to catch some live tunes for your summer RoadTrip entertainment.
EDIT: Thanks to Visit PA for a suggestion via Twitter added to the end of this post!

SteelStacks, Bethlehem PA

We were awed on our recent visit to this town. The Arts have give a rebirth to Bethlehem, and music had played a large role in the city's "Phoenix Rising from the Ashes" story. Riverjazz, Musikfest, and other events should be on your calendar, but you can count on almost each week through the summer to catch sensational sounds, and always at everyone’s favorite price ~ FREE! Check their calendar of concerts here.

Long's Park, Lancaster, PA

For over 50 years Long’s Park has been treating music lovers to Sunday nights of free tunes on the Long’s Park amphitheater stage during the summer. The 80-acre city park boasts other outdoor amenities including picnic pavilions, a petting farm, children’s playgrounds, and a three-acre, spring fed lake. The Summer Music series is what we're here to learn about - and features a variety of musical genres. If you really want to get in on the small, hometown patriotic feel, check out the concert happening July 5th featuring the U.S. Army Concert Band. Food and drink are available to purchase, but if we're being frugal, bring your own, and make sure to include a picnic blanket and/or chairs. For more information on Long's Park and who's performing, check in here

RiverStage, Penn's Landing in Philadelphia

Various Locations, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia has multiple venues that offer free concerts through the summer. Known both as the Cradle of Independence and City of Brotherly Love, music and other performing arts can be found at Penn's Landing River Stage, nestled between the nightspots along the Delaware River. Or check out Philly's rotating Beer Garden Series happening in a different location weekly throughout the summer. For the most bang for your free dollar, visit the city during the First week in July, and take part in the city's all-encompassing Welcome America Celebration. Fireworks, food (even some free!) and music happening throughout the city - celebrating the nation's birthday in its birthplace.

Parks in Berks County, PA

Though Performing Arts in the Park is not Technically free, You definitely get your moneys worth for a $5 donation per carload. We don't know for sure, but maybe it's free if you hike or bike in? Either way, enjoy a variety of not just musical performances, but Shakespeare, dance and more at the various locations administered by the Parks and Recreation Department of Berks County. Check in here for more information on the specific venues, artist or performances happening thorough the summer.

St. Clair Park, Greensburg, PA

SummerSounds - Concerts in the Park emphasize high standards of contemporary musicianship in a family atmosphere. This yearly series has been called "the best outdoor music series in Western PA." Music ranges from jazz, rock, to bluegrass, with a taste of folk, new age and country thrown in. Dine at a close downtown restaurant or bring a picnic basket dinner if you wish bring a blanket of lawn chair to dine alfresco under the stars. Catch all the information here.

Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA

When Visit PA saw a tweet about this post, they awesomely suggested we check out Three Rivers Art Festival held in June. Ten days of music, theater, dance, public art installations, gallery exhibitions, a visual artist market, creative activities, food, and more. Billed as among the largest and most-celebrated FREE arts festivals in the world, Three Rivers Art Fest is made possible by the non-profit Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which collaborates with sponsors to produce the festival. The fun begins on the first Friday in June and takes place at the confluence of Pittsburgh’s famed three rivers in Point State Park, throughout picturesque Gateway Center, and in the city’s world-renowned Cultural District. To find out more and learn the schedule of performances, check the informative portal 3riversartsfest.org

The RoadAbode Crew think those are the best venues in Pennsylvania to catch some awesome performances in Pennsylvania, without having to dig into your wallet. Did we miss a favorite? Got something to sharer about the ones we selected? Let us know in the comments section below!  As always - if you have any questions on the RVing Lifestyle, whether places to visit, equipment to have or carry, or something else we haven't thought of - let us know - we'd love to hear from you!

RoadAbode RoadTrip ~ Snowy Travels to Lancaster County PA

Packing for the Trip

Friday: Snowy Travel Adventure

There is a first time for everything, and this time it was the first time the RoadAbode Crew left for a weekend in a full fledged snowstorm! What the forecasters were saying to expect - a dusting to an inch of snow - ended up being around three to five inches in our Philadelphia neighborhood. Our destination, Lancaster County PA, was also expecting snow from the same storm system, and from their local forecasts it was either going to be a dusting, to about the same as our hometown.
I Guess this was one of the "Adventures" of RoadAbode.
Since we store RoadAbode outside the city, we are limited to what we can cram into our Honda Fit - our current toad. The girls did their best to fill it's small trunk area to the top, and I added a snow shovel to the mix.
Thankfully because of the timing of the snow the roads were mostly just a slushy mess, but the trees did look pretty!  For those not familiar with Philadelphia, one of the things we love about the city are the parks. Philadelphia has one of the largest city parks, and our neighborhood connects to one of the largest sections of parkland. We need to drive past farmland and woods before we even LEAVE the city! Fairmont Park is listed in our top hikes in Pennsylvania for a reason.

Driving through Philadelphia's Fairmont Park in the Snow

The snow continued to fall, but we took our time, and were thankfully ahead of rush hour traffic. RoadAbode is in a storage facility roughly 30 minutes from our home. The storage yard is on a main route. this was purposeful for us so that we could connect easily to major highways and byways. By the time we made it to RoadAbode's spot, snow had become about three inches deep. One of use had to enter RoadAbode from the Passenger truck door as the deadbolt on the "house" door was frozen! Once inside the lock and house door could be gently opened from the inside. While the girls finished stowing our gear, I started shoveling some snow, taking off RoadAbode's tire covers and checking tire air pressure. Fortunately all RoadAbode's bay door locks were unfrozen, so I could use one of our patio pads to knee snow-free while I took care of the tire covers.

RoadAbode next to our big blue bus "neighbor" in storage.

Hooking up the Honda Fit to the towbar was not problematic, but the towbar components sure were cold! Everything connected and worked first try, so all packed up off we went for our slushy, snowy drive to Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Our drive was slightly longer than usual, but that was due more to road construction delays on Route 202 than the weather. Once we checked in at Country Acres Campground, we found out we were the only campers in their upper section. All by ourselves next to the showerhouse!

Country Acres Upper Section ~ all to ourselves

Saturday morning was blue skies and rising temperatures. We could see the snow melting fairly quickly off RoadAbode's roof, which left a bit of an icy, slippery mess on the outside step. Molly is always first up when in Lancaster, excited to take in the new smells and sights of the campground. Views for us over Amish farmland were beautiful and serene!

The wintry morning view from "Camp RoadAbode"

Saturday: Tasty Stop at McClure's Bakery

We let our girls sleep in a bit and Amy and I headed out to pickup some breakfast treats. A short drive and we ended up at McClure's Bakery. Industrial looking on the outside, the welcome was warm and friendly inside. We perused the tempting goods and decided on walnut encrusted Cinnamon buns and a traditional wet-bottom shoo-fly pie. (Don't know shoo-fly pie? You need a Pennsylvania Food Primer)

A cinnamon bun breakfast

While waiting to complete our sale we were able to chat with another customer who was picking up a huge frosted cake for her own 50th birthday celebration. Looked like it would be a big hit for her party!
We wanted to stop at McClure's not just because of the glowing reviews we had read, but also because of their online webstore presence ~ faithhopeandshoofly.com ~ which was formed with the intent of making an impact on kids in need. A portion of the profits from every on-line sale would be earmarked towards the greater cause of helping in need kids. Currently Faith Hope and Shoo Fly supports The Kids Camp at Old Mill and Block Club Federation. We wanted to chat with Doug Kauffman the owner of McClure's to learn more, but unfortunately he was out during our morning visit.  We left the bakery, stopped for a coffee down the road, and then brought our delicious finds back to RoadAbode. We all agreed that the shoo-fly pie is the best we have ever had! flaky but not overly crumbly crust, with dark and sweet, delicious filling. Warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave, and our cinnamon bun and pie where truly delicious gooey treats. We'll be back to McClure's!

Saturday: Two Unique Shopping  Experiences

The girls wanted to do some outlet shopping, while Amy and I felt like having a more local shopping experience for this trip. Now that the girls are older, we could split and do both! We dropped the girls at Rockvale Outlets, and we continued on to Lancaster City, specifically to check out Central Market.
Rockvale covers many of our girls favorite stores. Make sure to stop by and get the coupon book from the Roackvale office for even more savings! If the girls wanted, they can stop for a break from shopping for lunch, nine eateries are conveniently located right in the complex. This is an outlet shoppers paradise.

Central Market: Fresh Produce

Sampling Organic Cheeses

Central Market: A View from the Balcony

Central Market, located in Lancaster City, is the oldest continually running farmer's market in the United States. For Amy and I, the Central Market reminded us of a more open, less congested and better maintained version of Philadelphia's Reading Terminal. Perhaps slightly smaller, with less on-site eating establishments, there are still plenty of fresh and ethnically diverse items to taste, buy and enjoy. The place was hopping on a Saturday morning in March, I can just imagine how popular it is in the Spring and Summer months! Parking is available for patrons in garages and lots, but we had no problem finding a metered spot on Queen Street, just a block from Central Market. Two hours of parking cost three dollars, a bargain compared to the surrounding parking lots or garage.
Central Market is the centerpiece of a beautiful downtown shopping and arts district. Window shopping along the surrounding streets, we could see plenty to interest us, and a good bit of revitalization going on as storefronts were being recreated and updated. We discovered beautiful glass art pieces at Lancaster Art and Glassworks on Queen Street, and plenty of options to eat from upscale cafes like Commonwealth on Queen, to the funky doughnut shop Fractured Prune right across the street! Next time we travel to Lancaster City, we need to go hungry!
Lancaster City is worth another visit. There are so many ways to shop, RV and experience Lancaster County we enjoy.

Saturday: Relaxing at Country Acres and Evening Meal

Japanese Pan Noodles with Shrimp

For our afternoon, we relaxed, strolled, read and napped at Country Acres. It felt wonderful to just watch geese fly overhead, and walk the perimeter of the Amish farmland the campground is neighbor to. The girls took care of some homework, and I enjoyed a camp chair in the warmth of the sun. It can be revitalizing to your soul, and not often are we able to take a few moments and do - absolutely nothing. When's the last time you were able to?

For our evening meal we opted for one of the offbeat chain selections in the area, Noodles & Company. It's a special eatery to us because we do not have one in our hometown. Each person could enjoy something a little different for our meal, and feel we chowed down on something better than from some bland and tasteless (and bad for you) fast food chain.

Sunday: Breakfast, a Hike and Pack Up

As quickly as it came, it went. The snow is gone! Not really a trace at all that we had traveled up to Lancaster in a snowstorm. We were pretty lazy on Sunday morning, so we raided our on board food staples and Amy created a delicious breakfast stir fry. After a great morning walk with Molly, I decided to explore one of the Lancaster County Parks close by. So we grabbed her leash, some water and doggie treats, and pointed the Honda Fit to Money Rocks Park on Narvon Road. On the way we enjoyed beautiful panoramas of the surrounding farms, on relatively quiet back roads twisting through the Amish farmland.

Money Rocks Park Overlook

The oddly named park, according to the Parks and Recreation department:

"was so-named because farmers in the Pequea Valley allegedly hid cash among the rocks. The ridge offers beautiful views of farmland, towns, and distant wooded hills. Cockscomb is another appropriately named outcropping of rocks a bit farther along the ridge. In the winter, the view from this precipice is equal to that of Money Rocks".

 The hike from the parking lot to the rocks is easy, with a slight incline. once at the rocks the trail follows the ridge along the rocks, and you must be careful with your footing. For a short hike with an overview of the beautiful country in Lancaster, Money Rocks was perfect. Did not find any hidden farmer money though.

After Molly and I returned from our hike, it was time to slowly packup and go. A great start to our RVing season, and another beautiful,relaxing weekend in Lancaster County.

Spring is Here! Want to Know the One Problem with Lancaster PA?

Driving Past a Field in Lancaster, PA

It's SPRING!

The snows have melted, and the RoadAbode Crew is getting ready this week to go on our first RoadAbode weekend trip of the season. Each year we usually head somewhere in Pennsylvania. Sometimes it's to the horse country and gardens found in the Brandywine Valley. Other March trips we've spent in parks found in the Pocono Mountains region. Most March trips though, we spend in the Lancaster PA region.

Shakedown Time

For us, Lancaster is a great "shakedown" trip. A shakedown trip for us means a relatively short drive to let us ease RoadAbode back into duty after basically a three month rest. Lancaster is perfect not just because of all the attractions, but also it's only an hour from where we keep RoadAbode, and the campground we stay at is accessible by major routes. If it's cold enough to freeze, the campground has shower and restroom with heated floors - which is a plus.

The ONE Problem with Lancaster

We love Lancaster, but there is a problem when we go. There's such a diverse amount of things to do!  We love to get away to relax, and at our top Lancaster campgrounds, we do that very well. But... have you ever felt guilty because you are relaxing - instead of taking part in all the unique, cool things to do in an area?

Lancaster makes us feel like slackers! Maybe that's our problem and not Lancaster's.

With four (and pup) as our base RoadAbode Crew in the past, someone is not going  to be able to do what they want on our weekend trip out.. However, now that our girls are older, it is a little easier to figure out. We adults could drop our teen and twenty-something girls to the outlets for the morning (They LOVE Rockvale) and head out to the Mud Sales. Maybe the ladies want to sleep in and I'll go out visiting the Middle Creek Wildlife Area to witness the Snow geese migration.
Or maybe we should all head to the Lancaster City Farmers Market - Central Market - the country's oldest farmers' market, in the heart of Amish country.
The great thing is we want to go back and do things we've enjoyed in the past. The challenge is fitting in the cool new things we find in Lancaster County.
No matter what interests you may have, you may feel that twinge of being a slacker on a weekend trip. Award winning theater? Check. Awesome dining (and drinking) spots? Check. Unique local shops? Check. History? Check. Art and Culture? Yep. Happening City Nightlife? They have that too!
No matter what will get you up and off your duff relaxing on a weekend, Lancaster has it - ready to entice you out of your comfy reading chair by the campfire. It's almost unfair!

The Solution

We know the solution to our craziness. It's pretty simple. Spend more time in Lancaster!
We'll be in Lancaster this weekend - First Weekend of Spring! We have plans to visit some local shops and enjoy just hanging out. If you haven't tried Lancaster County yet - you should! If you have - let us know in the comments below - what are your favorite things to experience in Lancaster County?

Top Tastes Worth RVing to Pennsylvania for ~ Part Two

Top Tastes of Pennsylvania Part Two

Here is Part Two as we continue our tasty tour of Pennsylvania and take a look at more foods that have their start or significant history in Pennsylvania. If you haven't checked to out, start with Part One. We'd love to hear about your favorites, or maybe a taste we forgot to add - or we have not had yet. Let us know in the comments section at the end of this post. If you've already read Part One, let's continue our foodie tour of Pennsylvania.

Hoagie 

Primo Italian Hoagie

The term "hoagie" originated in the Philadelphia area. In 1953 the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin reported that Italians immigrants working at the World War I era shipyard in Philadelphia,called Hog Island, introduced the sandwich.  By putting various meats, cheeses, and lettuce between two slices of bread. this meal became known as the "Hog Island" sandwich; which shortened to "Hoggies", then finally to the sandwich we love - "hoagie".
Hoagies consist of a long crust roll, filled with cold cuts, and cheese, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oregano, salt, and pepper. Depending on preference they also include a dressing of oil, vinegar, or mayo. The individuality of the sandwich comes from the variety of meats, cheeses and condiments used. No two hoagie shops make them the same. And each hoagie is a personal foodie work of art. The favorite places to order a hoagie for the RoadAbode Crew are:
Wawa - a chain of regional convenience stores that makes a good, quick hoagie. They use touch screens during the order process so you can personalize exactly what meats, cheeses and toppings are on your sandwich.
Primo Hoagie - this sandwich shop with multiple locations uses a delicious sesame seeded roll.
Lee's Hoagie House - Another local chain that features a unique hot pepper spread.
Many people forgo the chains and prefer the personality and nuances of their neighborhood mom and pop sandwich shops.
Check this comprehensive list of hoagie shops in the Philadelphia region.

Hershey Chocolate

Hershey bar by The Hershey Company

It's true, you don't have to go to Pennsylvania to get the milk chocolate goodness of this candy maker known around the world. But something special can happen if you point your RV toward Hershey Pennsylvania and stay a few days in the town where it all began. The story of "Chocolate town, USA"  has it's beginning in the humble man that the town and company are named for. Milton Hershey's legacy needs to be experienced to truly understand what he did for this Pennsylvania region as the "King of Chocolate". Besides candy, why not try a Chocolate Martini? How about experiment in the Chocolate Lab and make some of your own chocolate masterpieces? Or, you can quite literally be immersed in chocolate at the Spa in Hershey PA. We've been asked to be a guest blogger for the near future on an RV industry blog with tips about RVing to Hershey - we'll let you know when that's posted! Till that happens, to learn more about Hershey, check into The Sweetest Place on Earth. 

Pepper Pot Soup

Campbell’s Can 1962, Warhol

From its fabled roots in the American Revolution, the Pennsylvania pepper pot is not as well know but still is a long-standing tradition in the region. The main ingredient is beef tripe, which is the inner lining of the stomach chambers of a cow. Originally made by farmers frugal "waste not, want not" mentality, this beef tripe and vegetable stew is flavored with root vegetables and a lot of pepper. Often it has a tomato base to the broth. Farmers sold the pepper pots to the Revolutionary War soldiers from street carts as a way to make some extra money. Philadelphia Pepper Pot soup was served and enjoyed by President Kennedy when he attended the Army Navy Game in 1961. It's popularity soared and was made into a canned soup by the Campbell Soup Company. Andy Warhol lampooned the canned soup in his piece Small Torn Campbell’s Soup Can (Pepper Pot).

Tastykake

Growing up in grade school in Philadelphia, we'd hum the jingle "Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake" because we heard it so many times during our favorite Saturday morning cartoons. Established in 1914 by Philip J. Baur and Herbert T. Morris and originally selling its goods only in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the company now distributes its products up and down the East Coast, south to Florida, and is expanding it's cakey goodness across the United States.
Tasty Baking Company may be a baker of mass produced goods created in a factory, but they are still delicious.  For over 100 years they have provided some unique dessert items that both kids and adults love. Butterscotch Krimpets are white cake with a thick layer of butterscotch icing. Tandykakes had the tri-force flavors of chocolate, peanut-butter and firm buttery cake. Coffecake had a crumbly topping. Jelly Krimpets and filled cupcakes had sugary fillings injected into their middles. Mini single-serving pies (Which they make over 250,000 daily) are one of my favorites. Besides these staples, Tastykake also creates seasonal goods, and family packs of donuts and other goodies.
Check out www.tastykake.com for more information.

Water Ice

"Wooder Ice" in Philadelphian parlance is a flavorful concoction of various flavored ice and sugar. It is made similarly to how ice cream is made by freezing the ingredients as they are being mixed. It's consistency is of fine ice crystals rather than the larger rough crystals of a of a slush puppie or slurpee. The consistency is also different than shaved ice or a snow cone. Traditional Water Ice has fruit flavors, with a few  places that will have root beer, chocolate, or bubble gum in their taste repertoire.
One company is the "big name" in water ice and has changed the idea of a neighborhood water ice stand forever, giving customers a whole new experience. Former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo founded Rita's Water Ice in 1984. Tumolo purchased the initial recipe from an elderly neighbor, and started experimenting and enhancing the recipe with different flavors, and real fruit.The success of the business allowed Tumolo to open another location within three years, and soon after he and his family decided to franchise the company. Rita's Water ice now includes partnerships with candy makers that allow new flavors like Swedish fish or sour patch kids. Local franchisees continue to support local non-profit organizations and charities by working with the organizations and having a special day or time frame they donate a percentage of the sales.
Click here for for information and locations of Rita's Water Ice
For one of the neighborhood places to get "wooder ice", check this comprehensive list of Philly favorites.

 Happy RVing! Be sure to check part one for more of our favorite foods of Pennsylvania. Did we miss your favorite Pennsylvania foods, flavors, or place to grab a bite? Have tips to share? The RoadAbode Crew would love to hear your best spots for good food in the State. Here are some recent RoadAbode Posts about Pennsylvania

Top Tastes Worth RVing to Pennsylvania for ~ Part One

Top Tastes of Pennsylvania Part One

Pennsylvania’s long history has allowed for the formation of many local traditions. The word Pennsylvania translates to mean "Penn's Woods". We have Quaker William Penn to thank for the naming of the state. He received what was then a proprietary colony (meaning the King had the right to divide land) way back in 1681.
The first paragraph in Penn's charter or the land states "The country itself in its soil, air, water, seasons, and produce, both natural and artificial, is not to be despised. The land contains divers ('Divers' is the Old English spelling for 'diverse' meaning many and varied places, or a lot of different places) sorts of earth, as sand, yellow and black, poor and rich; also gravel, both loamy and dusty; and in some places a fast fat earth."
I wonder if Penn's vision of this divers place, could have foretold the many immigrants from varying cultures that settled in Pennsylvania. German, Italian, English, Irish Dutch, Polish and more have contributed to the popular foods that have become the regions traditional favorites. Here is part one of the RoadAbode Crew's Top Pennsylvania Foods ~ and a little bit about some of these delicious edibles interesting backgrounds.

Soft and Hard Pretzels 

Soft Pretzels from the Philly Pretzel Factory ~ Philadelphia, PA

The first pretzels, according to lore were created in Europe as a reward for children learning Bible verses by either French, Italian, or German monks. These hand twisted doughy treats were said to resemble children praying with their hands folded over their chest. The Pennsylvania tradition of pretzels started in the late 18th century, when southern German immigrants introduced the pretzel to the region. The immigrants became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish, and in time, many handmade pretzel bakeries populated the central Pennsylvania countryside, and the pretzel's popularity spread. There are two basic types of pretzels found in Pennsylvania  - hard and soft.
The story of hard pretzels states they were accidentally invented in the late 1600s. An inattentive apprentice in a Pennsylvania bakery accidentally over-baked his pretzels, creating crunchy, seemingly inedible, knots. His job was spared when the master baker, took an angry bite out of one ~ and loved it. Pennsylvania took the lead of pretzel baking when Julius Sturgis, a baker, fed a homeless man looking for a meal and a job. Sturgis had no job to offer, but did invite the man to stay for dinner. As a thank you from the down-on-his-luck job seeker, he gave Sturgis a pretzel recipe after the meal. By 1861 the recipe had proven to be so popular that Julius changed over his bakery to just making pretzels. This was the start of the first commercial pretzel business in the United States. Today, 80% of America’s twisty treats are still produced inside the Keystone State.
Philadelphia traditional soft pretzels are distinguished  by their shape, a long figure-8, not looped with a thick center and thinner ends like their Lancastor County counterparts. They also have a softer, chewy texture. Soft pretzels can be bought lightly salted, or, on request, as “baldies" - meaning no salt. For many years pretzels were bought mostly from street-side vendors or corner newsstands. I can still remember in the 1970s as a boy buying pretzels from "Pretzel Pete", an immigrant pretzel vendor of indeterminate ethnic origin. Four for a dollar (or five if Pete like you) for a salty doughy treat after school, that would keep you and three friends going until dinnertime. Though they are still sold by street corner vendors, Philadelphia pretzels are  also sold from storefronts, convenience stores, and even specialty soft pretzel "botique" shops.
The term Pretzelphyte is the name for a lover of pretzels. If you are one, or just want more info on these tasty baked morsels, check these links:
http://www.juliussturgis.com - Legend places this as where it started in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Cool Tour!
http://www.intercoursepretzelfactory.com - The Soft Pretzel,  Lancaster Style
http://www.snydersofhanover.com/about-us/bakery-tour-info.html Tour of a mechanized Hard Pretzel Bakery
http://phillypretzelfactory.com/about/factory-facts - Can see soft pretzels hand-made in each store location

Cheesesteak

Philadelphia Cheesesteak

 According to a 1987 exhibition catalog published by the Library Company of Philadelphia, the cheesesteak was created in the early 20th century "by combining frizzled beef, onions, and cheese in a small loaf of bread," These days these deliciously messy sandwiches include thinly sliced sautéed ribeye beef and a variety of melted cheese choices. According to legend, in 1930  Pat Olivieri, a South Philadelphia hot dog vendor, one day decided to put some beef from the butcher on his grill for his lunchtime sandwich. A passing taxicab driver noticed the alluring aroma and asked what Olivieri was making, and could he make a sandwich for the driver too. As the story goes, within a day rumor of the delicious lunch had spread, and cabbies around the city came to Olivieri demanding steak sandwiches.
Often imitated but not duplicated by the major food chains, this sandwich is unique to the mom and pop shops in the Philadelphia region. Check this link by "Visit Philly" to see a list of the best places to get a cheeseteak. The RoadAbode Crew and Jimmy Fallon of the Tonight Show are partial to #8 . Personally, I love them with hot peppers, provolone, fried onions, and mushrooms. No "Cheeze Whiz" for me, thanks.

Scrapple

Scrapple is made from pork. To put it delicately, parts of the pig (like head, heart, liver, and other trimmings) that would otherwise go unused. It's tradition comes from Amish farming families wanting nothing to go to waste.The meat is cooked (sometimes the whole hog head is cooked), then finely minced. The meat is returned to the pot and seasonings, typically sage, thyme, savory, black pepper, and others are added. The mush that is created is formed into loaves and allowed to cool thoroughly until set.The meat is formed in a similar way to meatloaf, then cut into slices and fried. This dish is a specialtiy to the Philadelphia and Lancaster County region, and is not found readily nationwide. Scrapple is often eaten for breakfast, sometimes as a sandwich or with eggs. Stop in a local Pennsylvania diner or breakfast restaurant, and you will find scrapple.

Plate of Scrapple

Shoo-fly pie

Most of the Lancaster area restaurants and bakeries sell this popular dessert. A treat originating from Pennsylvania Dutch households, the pie is so named because the sweet molasses which could pool as the pie was left to cool, attracted flies that must be "shooed" away.
The shoo-fly pie's origins may come from the  treacle tart (coincidentally Harry Potter's favorite dessert) with the primary difference being the use of molasses than treacle. The crust is dry topped with a sugar, flour, and butter crumble, while the bottom of the pie can be thick with molasses or just barely visible and is referred to as either "wet bottom" or a "dry bottom." pie. Check in here for where the RoadAbode Crew likes to grab a slice, or a whole pie!

Wet Bottom Shoo-fly Pie

Lebanon bologna

 Lebanon Bologna appears like a darker version of salami, with a unique tangy flavor. This flavorful meat's seasoning  process includes being slow cold smoked at a temperature below 120 °F (49 °C). The adding of curing salts to control microbial growth during processing was developed in the 19th century by the Pennsylvania Dutch of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna

This Pennsylvania favorite reflects the slow-cured and smoked sausage traditions brought from northern Europe. There are several versions available like original, sweet, honey smoked, or double smoked, and quite often is served as sliced lunch meat. Lebanon bologna also is a great appetizer, cubed or thickly sliced with seasoned crackers and artisan cheeses. Check out Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna who have been doing it right for over 110 years.

What's your Favorite Taste of Pennsylvania?

While writing and researching the history of these foods, I was reminded how thankful I am to have been raised in Philadelphia, and how much I love the special tastes unique to this region of the United States.The foods in this two part article are some of my "comfort foods" - foods that remind me of home and just have a special place in my heart. I don't eat as many Cheesesteaks as I use to, but still do have a hoagie  and soft pretzels every few weeks. What foods remind you of home, or are your "go to" comfort foods? We'd love to hear! Happy RVing! Be sure to check part two for more of our favorite foods of Pennsylvania.  Is you mouth watering yet?