Circle M RV Resort.
In the eight months we’ve been on the road, we’ve never stayed at a campground for more than three nights. Until we got to the Circle M Thousand Trails resort in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Finally, without the push of a festival or Women’s Week or friends to meet, we decided to stay put for a while, and we ended up camping there for 12 nights, until the place closed on November 1st.
We really liked this resort. It had beautiful grounds, full of maple trees in full fall color. A bend of the Conestoga River cradled the camping area. And there was a large indoor pool and hot tub. When we got there, campers were gearing up for the big Halloween celebration on the weekend of the 24th (see Halloween at Circle M). The place filled for the weekend, then emptied to a quieter refuge forthe rest of our time.
Good Connections
Women’s Getaway Group.
Spending more than a couple nights in a place means you get to know your neighbors a bit, and we made some really nice connections with people in this resort. On the first weekend, we met a group of women (sisters, cousins, mother and daughter) who were on a women’s getaway in one of the women’s new coach. She and her husband were planning to go fulltime in the RV soon, and another was planning to buy an RV, so we had lots to talk about. We ended up going back to their RV for a visit one night, and they all squished into Bessie for a little tour before they left.
Mason and Cooper.
Right next to us was a family with two little boys, Cooper (4) and Mason (2). Those boys made a bee-line for us when they saw Gypsy and Bailey, and before long, they were hauling their little chairs over to join us whenever we sat outside. At first I worried about this invasion, but their parents, Mark and Kristi, did their best to keep visitation to appropriate times and lengths, and we were quickly won over by these little sweeties.
Gypsy hasn’t been around kids much and wasn’t sure what to make of this rambunctious duo, but Cooper was gentle and persistent and eventually became her favorite walker. He also ended up giving her what is now our favorite nickname for her: Li’l Dipsy. On their last night there, we invited the family over for s’mores at our campfire, and we were sad to see them leave.
Marc and Julie.
We’d noticed a large RV in the resort labeled with a web address (www.RvLove.com), and we ended up getting lost on this impressive blog, watching videos and reading posts about Mark and Julie living full-time on the road while working remotely. We sent them an email, met up with them the next day, and had so much to talk about. On the 31st, it didn’t look much like Halloween at the campground, but this fun-loving couple got all decked out in Austin Powers costumes. We took some photos before they headed into Lancaster to look for some action.
Pat and Karen (and Amber).
Parked across from us was another lesbian couple who invited us over one evening. Pat and Karen are former PE teachers who met at a Girl Scout camp (how classic is that?), and they’ve been together 44 years. They moved from Pennsylvania to South Carolina when they retired, and came back up to visit family and test out their new coach. We exchanged info and hope to see them again when we go through South Carolina.
Settling Down
At first I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to stay put for 12 days without feeling antsy or bored. But now I look back and think: where did all that time go? Actually, it was wonderful to have long, leisurely days. Kate and I went swimming almost every day. I went biking around Amish towns one day (see Amish Country Revisited) and Kate and I biked around a park another day. Kate got out her sewing machine and worked on some projects. And I got a call from someone in Eugene who wanted a website, so I ended up working some.
Just hanging out.
We were able to take care of some things we’d been putting off, like getting a tune-up on the CRV and having the tires rotated. Getting Kate’s glasses fixed. Getting Gypsy a booster shot. Getting prescriptions refilled. And washing both the car and RV. Not to mention catching up on the blog. When you’re constantly moving, even the smallest errand can feel complicated.
Other than our times in Springfield with my dad, this trip has been very fast-paced. We were anxious to see as much as we could in the north before the cold set in. But we’re both ready to slow it down, and this stopover was a good exercise for us. It’s not just about seeing and doing all we can in a year. It’s about just being together, and apart, and enjoying wherever we are.
So much enjoying reading your blog Jennifer. Amazed you guys were swimming. Isn’t it cold there yet? Last night here in Santa Cruz mountains it dropped down to 40degs. Time to light the wood stove and put old Aria in her stable overnight with a blanket.Sunday we had first real rain of the season. Sigh of relief to have made it through another summer without forest fire. Now gearing up for El Nino storms.
It was an indoor pool! But it has been unseasonably warm. It was in the 60s most of our days in Lancaster. We’re in DC now, and it’s in the 70s. We’ve really lucked out with the weather on the trip.