Van life fantasy vs. reality
Traveling around the country in our camper van has long been a dream of mine. I crave the adventure and unknowns of the open road. Having left my corporate job for a year of adventure and travel to the 50 states plus DC, I’m making my way through 25 of them on the eastern seaboard through the month of May — And it’s going pretty well, all in all! But nothing is perfect, even on the adventure of a lifetime. Mistakes are how we learn, and getting outside of the comfort zone offers connections to family, strangers, and old friends that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Following is a little recap of the exploration over the past week.
In Michigan, Lisa and Jim (my sister and brother in laws) graciously hosted Bodi and I and showed us all around beautiful Ann Arbor and Detroit. The University of Michigan campus is really beautiful and offers many opportunities to get outdoors and walk in the woods and along the river. In Detroit, we had the most delicious vegan version of their famous Coney Dogs at CMO (Chili Mustard Onions). We drove around the city and saw many landmarks, and waved to Canada across the Detroit river. The Fox Theatre was sealed up tight, so we checked the box with a quick photo and were on our way.
After a luxurious hot shower, we set off for Ohio and Spring Grove Cemetery. Visiting cemeteries has never been my thing, but this one was exceptional. One of the largest garden cemeteries in the United States, Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum was founded in 1845 to provide adequate burial grounds to handle the significant number of deaths during a cholera epidemic in Cincinnati…and boasts some of the largest gothic mausoleums I’ve seen. Bodi and I had a lovely walk and decided to keep driving southward.
The next day, we made it to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. With over 365 miles of surveyed passageways, this is the largest known cave system IN THE WORLD (twice as long as any other). Early European American settlers discovered the bounty of saltpeter, which was distilled from the guano of resident bats (um, I don’t want that job). This mineral was mined for gunpowder which played an essential role in the War of 1812. Our tour guide explained that without the vast reserves that were discovered here, we would likely be under British rule today. Maybe a stretch, but pretty cool to see anyway. An hour into our tour (and a mile into the cave), they killed the lights and we couldn’t see our hands waving in front of our faces. It was eerie and exciting at the same time.
After a somewhat creepy overnight in a parking lot in Tennessee (it was a Harvest Host winery, but next to a mfg. building that blasted 80’s rock until 4 a.m.), we headed for Graceland…bleary eyed but excited!
Ok, I was rolling my eyes with the rest of you about going to what I thought was an overproduced tourist trap. But it was SO COOL! Elvis Presley’s “mansion” wouldn’t really be categorized as such by today’s bigger-is-better standards. But it was my kind of place. Set on 13 acres, this lovely colonial has rolling hills, horse pastures, a racquetball building (who knew Elvis loved racquetball??), a pool, and several other outbuildings. Best of all, all the furnishings are original, and the audio tour really makes you feel his presence in this Memphis gem. Touring Elvis’ well named 747 brought more of the original furnishings and feeling that he was right there with us…or at least close by.
Next, we were off to Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi. The town of Vicksburg overlooks a Mississippi river bend that was critical to the Confederacy during the Civil War. Seen as the “nailhead that holds the South’s two halves together”, this heavily fortified hillside was loaded with forts and 172 heavy artillery guns guarding all land approaches. It was the South’s lifeline for supplies and troops. Abraham Lincoln also realized this, and saw this area as the key to Union victory. After capturing post after post and moving their way down the Mississippi River, Federal troops set their sights on Vicksburg. Just after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s defeat in Gettysburg, PA in 1863, Vicksburg and Port Hudson were surrendered and the Federal troops took command of this area. I could keep going on about the rich history of this beautiful area, but you really just need to see and absorb it for yourself. Also, does anyone else enjoy typing this state name that we all used to flex our spelling prowess in elementary school — Just me?? Ok, moving on…
After a looooooooong drive to New Orleans, LA, we arrived in the French Quarter. So this is an area rich in history, traffic, food and liquor. Not the best place to be driving around a 22' van in the middle of the day, solo, with a dog. But we were here, and the fryer was popping, and we were going to soak it up! After about an hour of walking around in the heat, Bodi’s poor feet were burning up. Literally, my dog’s dogs were barking…so we found a shady spot, grabbed a frothy iced coffee and some fried sugary dough and relaxed for a few before heading back to the highway. I know I’m missing some critical history here, but since I didn’t absorb much of it…you’ll just have to google or go.
Next stop: The USS Alabama in Mobile. Now, for those of you heading this direction, I’d like to offer a word of caution: Open until 5 does NOT mean tickets available after 4. We pulled up at 4:15 and the nice lady at the ticket counter told us they were headed home and she couldn’t possibly sell me a ticket despite my promises to hightail it out of there long before 5. Thus, we took our 1 millionth pee stop, snapped some pics, and were back on the road toward my Aunt Kathy’s house in Crestview, FL.
We’ve been soaking up the love of family, southern hospitality, and easy sleep! My uncle Todd is about to marry his love Wendy today, and we’re off to celebrate. Thanks for following along. More to come!
