Summer Vacation: #inkripples

For me, June always marks the transition from spring to summer. School ends (towards the end of the month here), businesses change to their summer hours, and people go on vacation.

We usually only take one week long vacation over the summer, but we also take many weekend camping trips. Thanks to these many "mini-vacations" I have lots of great memories with friends and family at wonderful places to visit.

When my husband and I first married, we were tent campers. How we ever managed to fit our tent, screen house, multiple chairs, clothes, food, and the half dozen or so books I "might want to read" in the back of our hatchback I have no idea. But we did it for multiple weekends every year.

After the night of the eternal thunderstorm, we moved from a tent to a pop-up. Then to a bigger pop-up. And recently to a travel trailer.

This year we haven't finalized where we're going to go for our week long trip, but I thought I'd share some places we've been that we really enjoyed. (Click the names for more information on the places)


Samson State Park
What better use for an abandoned military compound? In addition to the sites along the lake, there is the Military Museum where you can learn the history of the park and the years it was used by the Navy and then the Air Force. There are also bike/hiking trails that take you past some of the buildings that were used for housing and other things on the base as well as a cemetery from the Revolutionary War.

Military Museum

Francis Slocum State Park
This one one of our favorite places to go tent camping. We stayed on a great walk-up site here one summer. In addition to the great site, it's close to Ricketts Glen State Park, the place I based some of my descriptions from QUEST OF THE HART on. (Those stone steps that are sometimes easy to walk up and sometimes waist high really do exist!)

One set of natural stairs in the park

[sorry for the grainy picture, but this is from a very old camera. Like 1995/1996 old :-)]

Assateague Island State Park
Famous for the wild horses that roam the area, we've camped behind the sand dunes on this beach about three times. If you love falling asleep to the sound of the waves, or having your camper rocked by a horse rubbing its shoulder, this place is for you. Try the clamming and kayaking in the ocean, too! LOTS of fun!!!

Wild Horses in the campground

Bar Harbor Maine
Tied for my favorite place, I would go back here in a heartbeat. While I'm not a big biker, I really enjoyed the old carriage roads that were made into bicycle paths. Wide smooth pathways through the trees with no cars (Yeah, I have a thing about biking on the road.) Bar Harbor was stunning, an I wandered around trying to imagine just what houses ha inspire Nora Roberts' Calhoun series. Acadia National Park was stunning. Hiking trails, thunder hole, Cadillac Mountain. So many things to do.

Bar Harbor Maine, low tide

Thunder Hole

View from Cadillac Mountain

Pigeon Forge Tennessee
Tied with Bar Harbor for my favorite place, I'd love to go back. In addition to the amazing shows and activities there are the Smokey Mountains. Lots of hiking, or drive-in picnic spots in the shade by a creek. The easy pace makes it one relaxing place to be.

The Smokey Mountains

Bear cub we passed in the park

Add to the ripples and share where some of your favorite places to go for summer vacation are.


Don't forget to stop by Katie Carroll and Kai Strand's sites for their #inkripples posts!!