cruisingwiththecropps-blog

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Five More Minutes

So I like to watch county music videos while I am getting ready in the morning (only on the weekends, during the week I spend the morning with Al, Matt and Savannah). This am I walked in and this was the video that was on (you know how I believe in signs when the universe is speaking to me). Kevin hates country music so I haven’t listened to it all summer and hadn’t yet heard this song.

I swear it made me cry.... not just as it pertains to our trip (but that was a big part of it), but also how it just pertains to life in general. So very sweet, and oh so true!

Time rolls by the clock don't stop I wish I had a few more drops Of the good stuff, the good times Oh but they just keep on flying Right on by like it ain't nothing Wish I had me a pause button Moments like those Lord knows I'd hit it And give myself five more minutes

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

Home Sweet Home

We made it! We have come full circle.

According to Kevin we have driven, flown, biked, hiked, paddled, ferried, snorkeled and swam over 20,765 miles this summer. We visited 24 US states, and 4 Canadian providences. We have experienced at least 31 national, state and provencial parks. Time it was, and what a time it was.

We cruised over the NC state line just before 11 am. We couldn’t get the dogs until 2pm so this gave us time to unload Cropptimus Prime. I mean, Kevin Cropp was on a mission. We had her 95% unloaded within a few hours. Made me pretty sad, actually. I mean, I guess I am a nostaligic person.

Me: Don’t you guys feel bad stripping Cropptimus Prime of all of our belongings within hours of our return? What kind of way is that to treat the thing that has sheltered us from the storm, carried us safely as we traversed this country, provided warmth in the cold, and shade from the sweltering heat? Where is your sentimentality, people? Where???

Day was with me… sort of. Kevin, not so much. He never has been much of one for pomp and circumstance.

My dad has been tracking our progress as we went along, and he (Susan) printed out every post, and he put it in this binder for us so we will always have a hard copy. That was super thoughtful. 

We were so excited to pick up the dogs! Kevin got it all on video, but there is no telling when that may surface. We had this huge debate while in Polson about how long three months is in relation to a dog’s life since they don’t live very long. Trust me when I tell you Kevin couldn’t grasp my rationale of the 7 dog years to one human year concept. He did some long drawn out formula and essentially a day later he came up with the same thing I did within minutes. We concluded that it was just under two years which made me sad to think that way. That is a long time to be gone in dog years.

They both were so tired! Diesel even turned his head away from us… he may have been sulking, but he is over it now. They had a blast at Happy Tails Country Club. I am sure they will miss running with their pup friends all day long!

Well, we have been home a little over 24 hours and it literally is like drinking from a fire hydrant. All is as we left it. That is the mail we amassed. So far we have seen our friends, met the teacher, I have been to a listing appointment, already caught up on a few deals I have going, we have had two playdates and a big ol’ sleepover tonight, and Kevin plans on playing golf tomorrow until they kick him out.

And then of course at some point we will unpack all of this, go to the grocery store, sell the RV, sell the Jeep, buy a new car, update and finish www.cruisingcropps.com and life will get back to normal. I already miss the days of eat when your hungry, sleep when you are tired. It is like we didn’t skip a beat. We are right back in the thick of real life. It is as if we didn’t even leave. Don’t get me wrong… real life is good too.

So, my friends, it is here I bid you adieu. The daily update portion of our journey has come to a conclusion. Trust me when I say you don’t want me to blog about our daily life here… it isn’t nearly as exciting nor adventurous. I will, however, make a few more posts in the coming weeks on random thoughts that I want to remember. Thanks for joining us on our epic cross country adventure!

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

Damascus, VA

We got up before the sunrise to travel all the way from New Market to Damascus so we could do a portion of the Virginia Creeper Trail. We drove six hours, found an RV spot right on a river, parked, unhooked our bikes and caught the shuttle to the Whitetop Mtn.

The Virginia Creeper Trial is my kind of bike ride. All together it is something like 34 miles, but we only did the portion from Whitetop to Damascus which was 17 miles... all downhill! I swear I barely peddled at all. We did it in such a hurry that I hardly got to take any photos, but it was absolutely beautiful.

Kevin didn’t let us stop at all the scenic sights along the way, but he was agreeable to a quick re-fueling break.

Once back at Creekside RV Park (and I use the term RV park loosely... 12 spots, full hookup and nothing else) Day and Kevin worked furiously cleaning the exterior as I was doing the same on the interior. We needed to prepare Cropptimus Prime for her final voyage.

We were only two hours from home. This made us somewhat restless, but the main reason this wasn’t my favorite spot is because there was a sweet dog that was chained up across the street from where we were. I couldn’t take it... made my heart hurt. That poor dog was outside the entire time we were there, and tied to the tree or shack of the house. Kevin told me, under no uncertain terms, to mind my own business. I did, but it didn’t make me feel good. At least the dog looked healthy. For the record, people who leave their pets chained up 24/7 are heartless. I see it a lot in rural NC when selling real estate, and I suppose rural VA is no different. Ok, I am stepping off my soapbox now.

But on a happier note, it seems my inner music has been somewhat quite lately, but then it reappeared whilst riding the trail. Since it was our last true day I was just peddling along and thinking about the past three months. You know, words like blessed and grateful kept coming to mind, but I kept thinking they weren’t quite right. I felt they are often misconstrued as braggadocious. Then Kool and the Gang popped into my head! This video is outstanding... sang this song the whole 17 miles... sadly, I could only remember a few of the key words.

Cherish is the word that kept coming to mind. I have honestly cherished every single moment of the past three months. Tomorrow we will be home, coming full circle. It is time. We are excited. All good things must come to an end, or they wouldn’t stay good forever.

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

New Market, VA

We stayed at this hidden gem of an RV park called Endless Caverns RV Resort and Caverns. Not only do they have very cool underground caves, but it is very impressive how they somehow managed to create over 150 RV sites that are flat being as the park is on the side of a mountain. You would not image this place to be big rig friendly, but it is one of the best we have been to.

We took it easy today... went to the pool, Kevin and Day rode their bikes, I did loads and loads of laundry again, and Day and I toured the Endless Caverns that date back to the late 1800′s.

The tour was only a mile, but they go on for over five miles. It is crazy to think this whole world of passageways lies right under the surface. In some areas they are over 100 feet below the ground. Kevin opted out as he doesn’t love small spaces.  I think the only part he would have really hated was when they did the “cave dark” part and the place went pitch black... for like five minutes. Truth be told I didn't much like that part either. I clung unto Day in an attempt to make her feel like I was protecting her, but it was just as much for my benefit as well.

It was 55 degrees down there which was a nice break from the 90 degrees up above. My favorite section of the tour was a place called the dance floor which was this wide open room. Apparently back during Prohibition the then owners of the property would have underground parties. I had so many questions about that like how did they get the band, and the food and the liquor down there, and where did people go to the bathroom and etc. I am pretty sure I was getting on Grace the tour guides nerves. Day and I were the only ones on the tour so it was like our own private viewing.

The best part of the day is that we received our second set of visitors on this trip. Aunt Donna, Uncle Junior, and Holly came over 1 hour and 45 minutes to take us to dinner. It wasn’t as close as we had imagined and they made the trek anyway... that is over 3.5 hours of their day just to see us! It was so good to see them, and we definitely appreciated the effort it took for them to get here.

After dinner we parted ways as they needed to get back. We had to prepare for our early departure tmrw so we can get a good ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail in before heading home.

I am really going to miss this time with my tribe. Bobbie, my boss, asked me if I was excited to get back and sleep in my own bed. Truth be told, our bed at home sucks. There, I said it. We refuse to get rid of it because it was one of those fancy Tempur-Pedic things that was expensive. I also don’t sleep well at home because of a 100 pound dog that will remain nameless, but I love him and at 10 years old you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. At any rate, I have had the best 90 days of sleep in this RV. Only two more nights of sound slumber for me I suppose.

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

Onward to New Market, VA

After Gettysburg we decided to continue on... which required a Starbucks visit.

The things we have done to go to Starbucks. Kevin is insistent on going, even though usually it requires some insane driving skills to navigate near one. Yesterday we found ourselves in a Walgreens parking lot next to a Starbucks where we had to go out the entrance of the prescription lane. Barely an inch on either side, but for Starbucks Kevin made it happen. That would have never happened 90 days ago.

Anyhoo, we started driving at 5:30pm which was a first. We got to add three stickers to the map... Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia which makes our circles complete.  We went all the way to New Market, VA... arriving after dark which is also a first.

New Market happens to be less than 45 miles from Kevin’s people. Although super last minute, Aunt Donna and Uncle Junior are going to be able to come and eat dinner with us tonight. Maybe even Holly and Todd will be able to come too, but we did just spring it on them so we will keep our fingers crossed!

We found this great RV place called Endless Caverns Campground. There are caves here. If I can muster the courage we may tour them later today... or go to Shenandoah National Park. Not sure the plan yet... we will take it by the ear (lol). 

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

Gettysburg, PA

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a  new nation: conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are  created equal.

Yesterday we spend the day at Gettysburg. We started at the visitor‘s center, and I have to say this is the most professional, well done memorial we have been to. Of course we took in the video which should have won cinematography award. The museum was very informative, interesting, interactive and had the largest scale of artifacts we have seen on our entire trip.

After taking in the visitor center we set out to tour the battlefields. It is hard to imagine what occurred on these grounds and the magnitude of the battles and loss of life.

In light of recent current events, it was great to get the historical perspective on these battles, the monuments and the roll the Generals played in history.

Kevin was all geared up to do the tour of the battlefields on our bikes. We headed out from the visitor center in the heat of the day and the first part was all uphill. I was tired. I wasn’t into it. Neither was Day. I wanted to head back and do the tour in the Jeep, especially since Kevin went to all the effort to take the doors off.

So I voiced my opinion as such, and was met with staunch resistance on Kevin’s part. Anybody who knows Kevin Cropp knows that when he has his mind set on something he will go all Dale Carnegie on you and try to influence you to his ways. I was having no part of it, and announced I was heading back. Day wanted to go with me, but didn’t want to disappoint her dad so he easily talked her into staying. I was ok with disappointing her dad. I went back to the Jeep.

Once back at the Jeep and all alone I realized I was a bit premature on my decision. Good thing Kevin and I don’t hold grudges. I drove closer to the battlefield and found them easily enough. I have no problem admitting when I am wrong. The cool thing was it was about the exact same time the eclipse was occurring and we found plenty of nice folks willing to share their glasses. Above Day is covering her eyes. She is such a literal child that she refused to even look into the sunlight. She was convinced she would go blind. We finally had to tell her it was over (even though it wasn’t) so she would simply look up.

We rode all the way to the top of Little Round Top which is were a major battle occurred. The Union held the high ground here. It was a pretty steep climb and Day made it the whole way. Kevin gave us a pep talk and said to work through the pain… whatever pain we are experiencing is nothing compared to what the soldiers experience. Heel down, peddle around. Heel down, peddle around.

All in all I think we biked 12 miles around Gettysburg. The land is absolutely beautiful, and the tribute and monuments here are extensive and important. It is nice that this place has been preserved and is open for everyone to come experience and learn.

[cruisingwiththecropps-blog]

Gettysburg, PA

We got up bright and early this am and hightailed it all the way to Gettysburg, PA. Pennsylvania is pretty easy driving, and their road signs cracked us up. They were constantly warning us of aggressive drivers and such... here are a few examples of the signs we saw on the highway:

“Aggressive Driver High Crash Area”

“Beware of Aggressive Drivers”

“Target Enforcement Area” (thanks for the heads up)

and the best was instead of a Rest Stop they are called “Text Stops”

On the way we accidentally got a little tangled up in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. Being a big baseball player back in the day, Kevin really wanted to stop. Alas nowhere to park this big boat (thankfully as Day and I aren’t big baseball fans) so we powered onward.

Being a Monday it is pretty easy to find a good spot in an RV park. I referred to my favorite app, RV Parky, and we scored the best spot in the Gettysburg Campground.

The place is practically empty and we landed a spot right on the river. Day has been spending the afternoon on the river feeding the ducks... it is very sweet how much she loves animals.

It also has a putt putt, so we played a few holes.

Tomorrow we are off to learn more about Gettysburg and all that occurred here. They also have two solar eclipse viewing spots and they provide the glasses! Whaaat??? I love a good two’fer. Two for the price of one!

We did get a call from Happy Tails today and this old fella isn’t feeling too good. We are all anxious to get back to our sweet pups, and we are awaiting what the vets says tmrw. The news will determine if we go straight home, or stop to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail. Hopefully it is just an ear infection that some antibiotics will cure right up. Say a quick prayer for this sweet boy. We are counting the days to see Chiefers and his clown head brother, Diesel.

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Niagara Falls, NY

We made it to Niagara Falls by early afternoon. It was worth the google to scope out which side we should see. We decided to go on into USA, get settled at the rv park, and start on the NY side. We took the rv over the scenic bridge from Canada to NY and let me tell you when I say there was barely an inch to spare on either side as we went through customs. Kevin’s captaining skills are super sharp by now.

I like to call this photo “A Storm is a Brewin’ in the USA” (it was sunny on the Canada side). Basically the left side is the USA and the right side is Canada. We ended up doing both. The USA side is actually a state park so as you can see it is mostly green and park like. On the US side you can get right up close to the falls and the view is close up and from a side angle. Those boats have about 400 people all packed in like sardines in their rain ponchos to get a close up view of the falls. Ummmm, no thanks.

We did Niagara Falls by bike which is definitely the way to go (aside from the $25 parking ticket we received). We got rained on, but we didn’t let that get us down. The NY side has a good bike trail that once you get out of the crowds is really nice. After riding our bikes we walked over the Rainbow Bridge and into Canada (not to be confused with the animal Rainbow Bridge). Bikes were not allowed.

I loved the Canada side… it was very pretty. The view is straight on of all of the falls. It is very commercialized on the Canada side, however. We took one turn up Clifton Hill and bam! I thought I was back in Myrtle Beach. Bright lights, big city and people everywhere.

Sweet Jesus it was crowded and the smallest Cropp was about to have a meltdown. Sometimes we ask a lot of her, and that day she rode her bike and walked way more than any 8 year old should be asked to do with a smile on her face. Lucky for us Canada has this crazy ice cream shop.

Nothing a little ice cream can’t cure!

I swear the last time I was in Niagara Falls there was hardly anything here. I could be completely insane, but all I remember was a single wooden sign that was painted white and it said Welcome to Niagara Falls. That was back sometime in the early 90′s. I texted Dide to send me the one photo we have, but alas she couldn’t find it. But she did show me she tried to look…

She is way better at keeping old photos than I am for sure. I think I will buy her a photo album or filing box for her birthday.

We stayed at Branches of Niagara RV Park and all the child wanted to do is ride this bike thing with her dad. She said it was her dream… for real… her dream. The amount of admiration she has for her daddy makes my heart swell. No clue why it’s sideways, nor do I know how to fix it. So sorry!

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Hamilton, Ontario

We didn’t go very far yesterday, but the driving was tough. It was super windy, and there was a ton of traffic as we are close to Toronto. Since we are winging it we didn’t have a place to stay, and weekends are very popular times in RV parks... especially in a place like Niagara Falls. By fate, we just happened to see a sign for a good campground about 30 minutes short of Niagara and once again we got one of the very last spots.

We are staying at Fifty Points Conservation Area Marina and Campground, and it is my kind of spot. Quiet, scenic, large spots with full hookups... it is beyond me why this place has a spot available... it must be Ontario’s best kept secret!

We hit up the local Canadian superstore for some provisions. Day and I just wanted to grab something easy to warm up in the microwave, but Kevin wasn’t having any part of that.

Earlier we had ridden our bikes along this nice nature trail that took us through the marina, by the lighthouse and along Lake Ontario. Kevin apparently noticed some grills and tables so he lead the charge of a big cookout.

It was delish.

While we were grilling out I kept thinking of how this journey is about to end. 90 days has been the perfect amount of time. As sad as we all are to see it end, we are pretty excited to get back to real life again. Day misses her friends and is thrilled school is starting soon. I have two fabulous new listings hitting the market which I am grateful for, and Kevin is starting his new venture which we both are super excited about and can’t wait to hit the ground running.

So of course I was singing this song all night...

Today we are off to Niagara Falls... on a Saturday. Wish us luck! We actually planned ahead on this a little and do have a reservation on the NY side of the falls.

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Port Huron, MI

We have finally made it to our final stop in Michigan... Port Huron. It was a good stopping place before crossing back into Canada for the most direct route to Niagara Falls.

We stayed in the Port Huron KOA and it was like Dollywood up in here. They had a mainstreet (see behind Kevin) with a store, a restaurant, and more. 

They had fancy bikes.

And mining and a water park and bumper boats and putt putt and three pools and a batting cage and all kinds of other things that we did not participate in. Good thing there was so much to do in the RV park, as there wasn’t much more to Port Huron. This was by far Day’s favorite RV park. 

Oh, and we passed Flint, MI on the drive to Port Huron. We did not drink the water.

On a separate note, my apologies as I have become a bit lazy in my blogs. I am aware it is a whole lotta we did this (see photo), and that (see another photo) and this song was running through my head (see youtube video). My creativity is waning as we get closer to home. Mainly because finding good internet access is hard, but also because I am tired, y’all. Don’t get me wrong, I have loved every single nano-second on this adventure, but adventuring 24/7 can make a gal tired. Alas, no rest for the weary... we have six more days left! Bring it on.

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Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island (also pronounced with an “naw”... I was prepared to not appear to be a fudgie) is a quaint little island off of the mainland of Mackinaw City, and just a quick 15 minute ferry ride. It is very reminiscent of a Catalina Island in CA or Bald Head Island in NC with the historic charm of say a Charleston, SC.

We took our bikes as the only forms of transportation are horse drawn carriages and bicycles.

As you get off the ferry and head into Main Street you are greeted with the lovely smell of horse poop. With over 300 horses on this small island, believe me when I say there is a lot of scooping going on. During the peak of the day the town was absolutely bustling. By 6 pm (above photo) it had quieted down significantly. 

First we rode our bikes around the perimeter of the island which was 8.2 miles. 8.2 is Mackinac Island’s claim to fame. We bought the t-shirt and stickers to prove it.

We also ate some of the best sushi we have ever had at Sushi Grand. Although not Chinese food, we were glad to finally have a great meal out.

We also went to the fort for some more historical stuff. 

Mackinac Island was beautiful. It reminded me of my summer on Nantucket, but on a smaller scale.

We had a few minutes to kill before catching the ferry home so we took in the scenery and enjoyed the view.

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Colonial Michilimackinac

Now you can all imagine how much of a hard time I had pronouncing this place.

The young fella who sold us our ticket told us how to pronounce it, and that the locals know the “nac” is pronounced “naw”. He furthermore told us (with a little bit of disdain) that if you pronounce it with a “nac” (like I had just done) everyone will know you are a fudgie. Apparently I gave him a “look” and pronounced I was a fudgie and proud of it. I didn’t even realize had done it, but Kevin and Day informed me as such. I think I embarrassed them... wasn’t the first time... won’t be the last.

The fort was a replica of the early years of the American Revolution. Something to do with the French, and the Native Indians and fur trading. Truth be told, we have seen so many historical sites as of late that it is hard to keep up. Luckily I have Kevin, the historian, to fill me in.

There were all sorts of historical interpreters walking around the fort so as to appear we were in days of yonder. We even got to take in an artillery demonstration. The whole experience was lovely and very well played.

Afterwards we tried again on our quest for good Chinese food. We shall keep looking.

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Machinaw City, Michigan

We arrived at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground and it is huge and very much what I imagined Michigan to be like. I keep singing the theme song from Bunk’d.

It is right on Lake Huron, and has at least 600 sites. The best part is there is  a large greenway right on the water for all to enjoy.

There is a dock to take in the view.

Kevin had to tape his pant leg on our bike ride.

There were families everywhere, and the smell of campfires filled the air.

I am pretty sure when you look up the word “recreation” in the dictionary there is a picture of this place.

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Museum Ship Valley Camp

Before we left Sault Ste Marie we did a quick tour of The Valley Camp which was a 550 foot ship built in 1917.

It was very appropo seeing how we all have maritime titles.

Of course, the Captain.

And the Chief Engineer.

I should have been the first mate.

Instead I was granted the title Chief Steward, for reasons far beyond my understanding. That didn’t work out as planned.

My true title should be Porter.

As of now we get to live the Life of Reilly for about one more week.

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Soo Lock

When we got back to Sault Ste Marie we wanted to take in a big ship coming though the huge lock system.

Take note how low the boat is in the water, and behind the gate the water is higher. The ship enters the lock, the gate on the other end closes, and then the water rises.

Look how high it came up. The whole process took about 30 minutes. Pretty amazing if you think about it. These ships are huge!

Tomorrow we are off to Mackinaw City and then over to Mackinack Island thanks to a suggestion from Harel Deutsch (Kevin’s high school friend). Then over to Niagra Falls, down through West Virginia and onward to home sweet home.

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Whitefish Point, Michigan

I am not real sure how we ended up in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan... there is not much here, which is part of the reason we love it. So, today we ventured over an hour away to go to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum which is located at Whitefish Point. It was literally near nothing, yet there are a ton of people there.

The museum highlighted all of the shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. It was very well done.

And extremely interesting. One of our favorite songs for some reason is the Edmund Fitzgerald and now we have been to where it occurred. Of course we were singing it all day.

We watched an informational video on the Edmund Fitzgerald, and by now we all know how much I love a good info video. The most interesting part was the Newtsuit.

Well, that wasn’t the most interesting part at all, but we all got a kick out of the Newtsuit simple because we love the Newts.

Day gathered a couple of rocks from the shore, we toured the lighthouse, and a few other museum buildings and then took the scenic route home.

The upper pennisula is all you would imagine it to be. I really like it here.

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Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

We left Michigamme in such a hurry I didn’t even get a good photo. Day was extremely disappointed as it was very kid friendly... just not big rv friendly. There were kids everywhere... zipping all around on bikes and mini John Deere tractors. I was so worried Kevin wasn’t going to see one of them, but he got us out of there safely and on to the next adventure... which was breakfast!

And then onward all the way to the very far eastern edge of the upper pennisula of Michigan.... all the way to Sault Ste Marie (on the Michigan side).

We are staying at the Soo Lock Campground, which is nothing fancy but we like it. Our spot is way in the back near the road, but we took a little walk to the dock to watch the huge ships ghost by. That is Canada on the other side of the river.

The best part of this campground is that we are pretty sure Santa is staying here. It is summer after all, and surely Santa takes a vacation from time to time as well. Earlier he walked by and was super nice. Day said he was very jolly, so when he walked back by we had to get a photo.

We were not very discrete as here he is busting us. I am sure he gets it all the time... being Santa and all.