After our morning hike, the boys and I stopped at Jordan Pond House for lunch. They are known for their popovers and tea.
The prices seemed a little high to me, although there was already a line and a waitlist when we got there a only few minutes after they opened.
We waited about 45 minutes and got a seat in the main room. There are some tables with a nice view of the pond, so I would ask for a window seat!
I ended up getting tea and we all tried a popover. They were good (but still just a regular popover). It was a beautiful setting to relax in. There was a trail around the pond as well (about 3 miles).
We were surrounded by cranberry bogs at our campground in Massachusetts. We had never seen a cranberry field in person, just pictures of them flooded. On our drive in, we kept seeing sunken fields with irrigation rows cut into the already sunken fields. We had no idea what they were for until we saw the campground map and realized they were cranberry fields.
There is dry harvesting, where the cranberries are sold as fresh fruit. These berries can be transported by helicopter to avoid damage that could be done by traveling by truck.
There is the wet harvesting, where they flood the fields. These cranberries are used for dried cranberries, in other food products, and juice. The cranberries float because they have a pocket of air inside.
Cranberries are judged by color, size, and their bounciness. The firm berries will bounce, whereas the bruised or too soft fruit will not.
I wish we could see them being harvested, but cranberry harvest isn’t until mid-September to early November.
We love cranberries in salads, cookies, and oatmeal. At Christmas, we made a cranberry pie and it was delicious (click here for recipe).
We stopped at Junior’s for a late lunch. They had several locations around the city, but we ate at the 45th St. location near Times Square.
We had a nice seat on the outdoor patio and an amazing waiter. We ordered the Something Else, a Ruben sandwich, and the Brownie and Strawberry Cake Shakes.
Click to enlarge
We ate dessert first. The Cake Shakes were huge and we all shared them. Our waiter brought out plates, so we took the cheesecake off of the shake glass to eat. Everything was so good. The other cheesecakes on the menu looked amazing as well. Our sandwiches were also good. The Ruben was a big surprise because we are not normally Ruben lovers. However, our waiter recommended it so we gave it a try. It was the best sandwich we had eaten in a while! Their dressing on the side was delicious and really brightened up the sandwich.
If you have a chance to stop at Junior’s, try their cheesecake and a Ruben!
So our initial plan was to go on another hike (not part of the Park Service). We got to the trail and were told it closed at 4:00 (it’s 4:30). It worked out in the end, since this placed charged to hike. We were a little hungry, so we headed back into town and stopped at Alaska Pete’s for dinner. It was a large restaurant and we had seen a lot of signs in the area for it.
It had a fun interior and an interesting menu, although the prices were not cheap. (Milkshake $8.95. Cheeseburger $13.95. Hamburger $12.95. Chicken Sizzler $19.95. Side of Mac & Cheese $3.50. Water $10.) We ordered waters for everyone, but were told that they were not “allowed” to give out cups of water. We had to buy a bottle of water at $2.50 (soft drinks were $3.50). This is the first time we had heard of anything like this, but it’s not like you are going to eat your entire meal without a drink!
It had a neat name, an interesting interior, and a huge outdoor patio that had its own separate bar. The food was ok. They brought some toasted bread to the table while we waited for our food. The burgers were well done (not medium as ordered), the Mac & Cheese only tasted like Velveeta, and the chicken was plain on the sizzler plate. However, the fries were really tasty. The shake was good, although it did not look like what was advertised on the menu. We were full, but I would not go back there again. It was too expensive for what we got.
Philly was about a 1 1/4 hours from our campground (with using the toll roads). Almost everywhere is paid parking in the downtown area, and it was hard to find parking where the truck would fit. Our first parking spot was close to the Liberty Bell area, but was limited to 2 hours, so we had to rush through the area.
LIBERTY BELL:
We stopped at the Liberty Visitor Center for the Independence National Historical Park first and the boys got a Junior Ranger Program booklet. The NPS booth also had passport stamps available in a really nice display.
The Independence National Park Service was limiting the number of visitors allowed in the buildings due to COVID restrictions. They were not selling entrance tickets/reservations while we were there, but they were limiting the amount of people in the buildings, so there were some long lines. (*NOTE: The website states starting 5/6/21, they will be doing timed entrance tickets to Independence Hall.) Due to our parking meter, we had a very limited time of 2 hours. The line to see the Liberty Bell was 90 minutes, and the line for Independence Hall was 60 minutes. Luckily, you can view the Liberty Bell from outside the building through glass windows. You cannot see the crack from the windows, but you can at least still see the bell.
We walked to Independence Hall and talked to one of the employees to see what was offered, as it was a 60 minute wait. He told us that it was a 20 minute guided tour, but you wait about 60 minutes outside, then inside can be another 60 minute wait. He said he did not recommend it if we were short on time (or during the pandemic in general). He recommended walking around the outside of Independence Hall to be able to see the buildings, going to Second Bank and Carpenter’s Hall as they had no real lines.
Top left: Independence Hall. Rest: Second Bank
Second Bank currently houses portraits. Carpenter’s Hall has the history of the Carpenter’s Company, a trade guild that was founded in 1724. There are still current members of the Company today!
We drove around and saw the Chinatown and Italian districts. It really is a big city.
CHEESE STEAKS:
We wanted to experience an authentic cheesesteak while in Philadelphia. There are a lot of options to choose from. We first stopped at Campo’s Deli and tried a cheesesteak with cheese, onions, and mushrooms. We got a second one with peppers as well. We then drove to Pat’s King Of Steaks to try theirs. We got it with the Cheese Whiz and an order of fries. I think next time, I would order sliced cheese as well, as it wasn’t as cheesy as I thought it would be.
ROCKY STAIRS:
The Independence Visitor Center had a Rocky Balboa statue to pose next to. However, there was another (metal…brass?) statue near the famous steps that he ran up during training in the movie. The parking over there was packed and expensive $15 for the closest lot, so we ended up only driving by.
We really enjoyed spending time in Philadelphia and would like to explore it even more.
Final note: It was funny to compare the recommendations on what to see on a 2 hour window. The city Visitor booth recommended a variety of city and historic based items. The National Park Service booth was all historic sites. Both had good recommendations.
DETAILS Independence NHP:*
TICKETS: Free (except for Benjamin Franklin Museum, which is currently closed for COVID. National Constitution Center also charges a fee.) COVID Restrictions: masks required, limited items open, limited attendance (The website states starting 5/6/21, they will be doing timed entrance tickets to Independence Hall.)
HOURS: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Second Bank 10:00 am -5:00 pm, Carpenter’s Hall 10-4 select days
PARKING: Pay parking on street or nearby lots
BATHROOM: Yes, Visitors Center
TIME RECOMMENDED: 2-5 hours
*Details correct at the time of posting, but please double check before you go.
After exploring Assateague for a few hours, we decided to head back home. We kept seeing signs for The Island House restaurant, so we decided to stop for linner (lunch/dinner).
We asked to eat outside and sat on the back deck on the Bay. It was a great view and kind of peaceful with the water and birds. We saw a couple of fishing boats coming in and out.
The boys shared a Seafood Platter, so they got to try some new foods (flounder, crab cake, scallops). We started the meal with a garlic clams appetizer. They also brought out sweet potato biscuits. The clams were local and the boys seemed to enjoy them. Ben had a soft-shelled crab sandwich. He’s been wanting to try soft shell crab for a while, but we haven’t been in the right season at any of our stops so far, so he was excited to see it on the menu. I got a BBQ pork plate and a side salad. I am not a big fish/seafood fan, although I did try a clam.
The food was pretty good, although maybe a bit more on the expensive side. The boys got to try new things, which is always good. Will liked the flounder, Nick did not. Nick liked the crab cake, Will did not. They both seemed to like the scallops and the clams, which was a little surprising. They tried a bite of the crab sandwich too, which was a hit with all three of my guys.
It was a nice meal and had a nice location. There were lots of little gnats unfortunately, so we didn’t stay for dessert.
We love Papa John’s Double Hamburger Pizza; even Ben likes it and he does not normally like pickles! Unfortunately, it’s a regional/seasonal thing because we haven’t had any luck finding it since California. We tried in Williamsburg, but they did not have any pickles.
We decided to try to make our own version! We managed to find all of the ingredients. However, we had to get creative with fitting the pizza crust in our tiny oven, as the store did not have a lot of crust size options.
We grabbed ground beef, 2 Roma tomatoes, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, Thousand Island dressing, and pickles (hamburger dill chips).
I browned the ground beef, diced the tomatoes, and had Will shred the cheeses. Once the ground beef was cooked, I drained it. I also blotted the pickle slices with a paper towel so that there wouldn’t be too much moisture on the pizza and then cut each slice in half. After placing the crust on the baking sheet, I used a pastry brush to add a thin layer of the Thousand Island dressing to the pizza crust. Next came a layer of the mixed cheeses, the ground beef, diced tomatoes and pickle pieces. I added a little bit more cheese to the top and baked according to the crust’s directions.
It turned out pretty well and was gone quickly! I can’t wait to make it again!.
For our adventure at Kiptopeke State Park, we stopped at Sting-Ray’s Restaurant to pick up some food for a picnic lunch. The restaurant is attached to an Exxon gas station and other than some taxidermy fish and shark on the walls, isn’t too much to look at. However, we had read several good reviews and wanted to give it a try.
We ordered a few different things to share: a BBQ pork sandwich with fries, an order of hush puppies, a rockfish sandwich, a salad with grilled chicken, a side of coleslaw, and a 3 piece fried chicken with green beans, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. I also got a sweet tea. It wasn’t a super cheap meal at $51.02, but we enjoyed all of it!
The salad was surprisingly good with grape tomatoes, croutons, a mix of lettuces, carrot and onion slices. There were a few radish slices as well, which Nick gobbled up.
The fried chicken was delicious. They had a really nicely flavored breading.
All in all, it was a good meal and just goes to show that you can find good food in surprising places! If you are in the area, I would check it out.
There are a ton of campgrounds out there and it can be overwhelming trying to find the “best” one to call home! They range from independent places, chains (like KOA and Thousand Trails), city owned, state owned, and federally owned. Some only accept military/retired military, some only accept Class A’s, and some have age limits on the RVs or the people they let in. A lot of places also have dog restrictions based on breed.
We have a few things that we always look for in a campground: location to sightseeing, internet, full hook-ups, and a laundry room. Our biggest one is a good internet connection for school and work. There are a few different websites that I visit to check reviews: campgroundreviews.com, GoodSam, and Campendium are my first ones. After those, I will go to Yelp/Google Map reviews (make sure to type RV Campground or RV Resort, not just campground as you will get results that will not work with RVs or may not have hook-ups), and then to Facebook for the RV groups to see if anyone has stayed there before.
Our favorite RV Campground Review Sites
I always check multiple review sites, especially for internet issues, but sometimes you still don’t get it right. For example, the Garden of the Gods RV review stated that our 3 providers worked. However, when we checked in, there was a note with our paperwork saying AT&T did not work in the park. This wasn’t mentioned on the campground’s website at the time. (This is just one of the reasons why we have three internet providers!)
I also try to read about the general campground conditions (sites, roads, etc.). If a lot of reviews with bigger RVs say that sites or internal roads were tight or not well maintained, I will pass on that campground. We’ve even double checked the reviews on the way to a campground and changed our plans last minute based on the current conditions. Conditions of campgrounds can change frequently. For example, when we booked one Texas site, it had decent reviews. On the drive there, we were reading the reviews from the last week and it was filled with reports of sewage problems throughout the campground (eww!), so we frantically searched and found a new campground to stay in. The most recent one was a change due to a review saying the T-Mobile signals were weak. T-Mobile is where most of our working internet comes through. We have some hotspot data through our cell phones, but the T-Mobile hotspot is the workhorse.
Campground amenities can also be a big indicator for the nicety of a park, although not always. There doesn’t seem to be a regulation on who can call themselves a RV Resort vs a campground, so reading reviews are important! We had one Thousand Trails claim to be a resort and they only had a laundry room and a walking trail. Nothing else was available or was broken and the sites and roads needed some upkeep. On the other hand, we had a Thousand Trails in Orlando that lived up to the resort title with many amenities and things to do.
An on-site laundry is also a requirement for us, as we do not have a washer/dryer on our travel trailer.
We have learned to always check (recent) reviews across the different review sites. It can be worth spending the extra money to get a nicer campground, especially for longer stays.
If our campground has a fire pit or a grill, one of the easiest dinners to make are foil packet dinners. As a bonus, it doesn’t heat up the RV!
You can throw almost anything in aluminum foil and cook it over a fire, a grill, or in the oven. (Just make sure to double wrap in foil to help protect from burning over any flames.) We’ve done sweet potatoes (off to the side in the warm ashes), meatballs and vegetables, chicken/potatoes/vegetables.
The dinners are pretty easy to put together. On a large sheet of aluminum foil, towards the middle, place a few small pats of butter, or spray with a non-stick spray. Add a layer of sliced onions and a few vegetables. Add your meat, Place a few slivers of onions on top. Sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice (we like Cajun seasoning). Wrap up tightly. If the flames are still pretty hot, I will add another layer of foil to help keep things from burning.
Will claims the mask helps with the onion smell. 🤷🏻♀️
