Like pretty much everything in my life, my travel wishlist has been dramatically altered by the birth of my first child. Gone are the days of booking 10 plus hour flights, seeking lodging in the heart of a destination’s buzzing nightlife scene, and designing an itinerary full of ping-ponging from one hotel to the next. Instead I now hold rather neutral to low expectations for any vacation.  I don’t mean to sound soulless but I have found that if I keep my expectations sort of on empty for vacations with my child, I end up exceedingly fulfilled in the end.  

Alex and I knew we wanted to brave our first family of three vacation in October and set our sights on a national park.  We originally wanted to go to Acadia, but after doing some research we discovered that most campsites in the park close in early October.  Though we had successfully conquered three different family trips with our little peanut, we didn’t feel entirely jazzed about braving the airport with her, especially post pandemic with variants lurking.  So all things considered, we sought a driving distance trip where we could revel in mother nature’s vibrant autumn display. If you’ve read my previous blog post on our trip to New Zealand, you’ll know that we are big fans of RV life. One might immediately bristle at the thought of hauling a baby around in an RV, but I can confidently say that it could very well be THE best way to travel with a baby. The amount of paraphernalia babies need is criminal. Okay, let me rephrase that, the amount of paraphernalia we equip our babies with to make us, the parents, feel slightly more prepared and in control of highly unpredictable, uncontrollable tiny humans, is criminal. Regardless, traveling by RV enabled us to pack all of the things and see and stay in multiple places. We had a house on wheels, it couldn’t have been more convenient! We rented an RV from a company called Ace Rentals in Herndon, VA and we highly recommend renting through them, we had a wonderful experience. We selected a 26 foot, luxury RV, equipped with a flat screen TV, fireplace, and interior that rivaled a Chip and Joanna Gaines HGTV masterpiece. My husband, Alex, is a fearless, aggressive driver. Whereas most might tremble at the thought of driving an enormous rig through mountainous terrain, Alex couldn’t wait. We sank our destination pin into The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then researched blogs and consulted my National Parks book to identify stopping points along the way. Ultimately, we crafted a Griswald-esque family adventure via The Blue Ridge Parkway, and it ended up being one of our all-time favorite trips.  

Here is a snapshot of our itinerary:

Day 1: Natural Bridge, VA → Blue Ridge Parkway → overnight at Peaks of Otter campground

Day 2: Mabry Mill (VA) → The Blowing Rock, NC → overnight at Linville Falls, NC campground 

Day 3: Linville Falls, NC → Little Switzerland, NC → Mount Mitchell, NC → Asheville, NC

Day 4: Asheville, NC → The Great Smoky Mountains National Park → overnight at Smokemont campground

Day 5 (The Great Smoky Mountains National Park) drive to Clingman’s Dome and hike Andrew’s Bald → overnight at Elkmont campground

Day 6: (The Great Smoky Mountains National Park) Cades Cove Loop (driving scenic route) → overnight at Cades Cove campground 

Day 7: Gatlinburg, TN → overnight at Cove Creek RV resort, TN 

Day 8: Dollywood, TN → overnight at Claytor Lake State Park campground 

Day 9: drive home (4 hours from Claytor Lake State Park) 

Day 1: Natural Bridge, VA → Blue Ridge Parkway → overnight at Peaks of Otter campground

Fun fact: Alex and my first date back when we met at James Madison University, was to Natural Bridge, VA.  It’s a little over an hour from Harrisonburg, VA and is chock full of campy haunts that are sure to thrill any small child or road tripping family seeking some wacky slices of Americana. When Al and I went on our date, we actually never saw the Natural Bridge and instead opted for the Animal Safari park, followed by Foam Henge. Like I said, campy haunts abound.  As cheesy as it is to say, I felt like I knew Alex my entire life and then some when I met him.  When I witnessed him enjoy Natural Bridge with the same childlike sense of wonder that I did, I knew he was my soulmate.  

It was such a special first stop on our journey to return to where we fell in love, but with our little one in tow. We made it to Natural Bridge just in time to get one of the last entry tickets. It took us a touch longer than anticipated to load up the RV at our house because the rental didn’t come with anything at all. When we rented in New Zealand, luckily the RV came with dishes, cutlery, a French press, and other utensils for cooking. This was not the case with our domestic RV rental, so we had to load up more than we anticipated and still forgot some items that we ended up stopping for at WalMart on our way to the Peaks of Otter Campground. Nevertheless, we made it to Natural Bridge just before 6 PM as the sun was setting. This worked to our advantage as the park was pretty well cleared out, which afforded us better photo opportunities and a more intimate encounter with the natural wonder. Alex and I were both impressed by the Natural Bridge. An easy hike down about 100 stairs, it was the perfect way to stretch our legs, enjoy some nature, and change/feed little Claire. We went mid October so the leaves were at their peak, giving enhanced meaning to The Golden Hour and engulfing us in that uniquely sweet and dank aroma of autumn at dusk. Claire loved it. She took in the sights via Baby Bjorn and, much like a dog wags its tail, she kick, kick, kicked her legs with glee.

We spent about an hour at Natural Bridge before we resettled into the RV and headed out for Peaks of Otter campground, fecklessly attempting to get there before nightfall. The other beautiful aspect of traveling by RV with a baby was that it created the perfectly noisy, vibrating cocoon that instantly lulled Claire to sleep with every stretch of the road trip. Claire’s sleep is one of my biggest motherhood anxiety triggers, so when I saw her little peepers flutter shut within the first 15 minutes of our drive, I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t have to worry about naps because she napped everytime the RV was in motion.

We didn’t get to enjoy Peaks of Otter because we arrived in the dark, but from what we saw in the morning, it was a lovely, friendly, and very popular campground! I had cooked a couple of meals ahead of time, so we bumped out the RV and enjoyed one of the pre-prepared meals and some wine. I was nervous about Claire sleeping in such close proximity to us as we moved her out of our bedroom and into her own room when she was two months old, on our trip she was just shy of five months old. However, with our well provisioned setup and the sightseeing tuckering her out, she did amazingly well! Prior to departing on our trip, I made it a goal to have her transitioned out of the Snoo and into her crib, unswaddled. I went cold turkey with this transition and it actually was very successful. We sleep trained Claire as well, which was something I said I’d never do, but I’ve done just about everything I said I’d never do as a mom already anyways. I’ve come to learn that a happy mom is the best kind of mom, and sometimes that means changing my stance on preconceived motherhood notions. Claire was still having some early morning wakings prior to our trip, but she pleasantly surprised us and did her first ever official sleeps through the night on our trip! This was positively reinforcing to say the least and afforded Alex and me some time to unwind and relax after she went to bed. The bump out helped create a little bit of a sound barrier so we could watch some movies. We also purchased the Snooze Shade, which is a breathable mesh blackout covering for the Pack and Play that worked like a charm! We also brought our portable sound machine and hooked up the monitor to the interior of the Pack and Play using a selfie stick holder.

Day 2: Mabry Mill → Blowing Rock → Linville Falls 

We got onto the Blue Ridge Parkway after our overnight at Peaks of Otter. The crisp morning air and the mountains quilted with orange, amber, and gold were friendly reminders that autumn was upon us. The drive was an experience in itself. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds itself through mountains, hillsides, and damp tunnels that drill their way through the craggy bellies of mountains. Our first stop was Mabry Mill, about 2 hours from Peaks of Otter. Mabry Mill is a 1900s wooden gristmill. The mill is still functioning and producing flour today. Supposedly, it’s one of the most photographed spots along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I must say, though this was charming, especially set against the golden fall backdrop, it was too crowded to properly enjoy. If we did our trip over again, I’d skip this stop. It was crawling with tourists. Though we felt safe being outside, living in a “post-pandemic” world made us feel uncomfortable being around so many people.

We got back on the road and headed for The Blowing Rock, NC, which was about 2 hours from Mabry Mill.  Even though Mabry Mill was probably the biggest dud along our journey, it was a necessary stop for us to get some fresh air and to change/feed Claire.  I was expecting very little from Blowing Rock.  I figured it would be a sight where we would pop out of the RV for a short while and stand at a tourist-clad cliff’s side for some photos.  I was overwhelmingly surprised to discover that Blowing Rock was far more than the natural sight of “the blowing rock,” it was an enchanting mountain resort town laden with a manicured park, upscale antique shops, darling bed and breakfasts, boutiques, and restaurants.  It reminded me of the endearing small town of Stars Hollow from The Gilmore Girls.  We drove through the town oohing and aahing before we drove up to The Blowing Rock site.  The Blowing Rock visitor’s center was a stone cottage nestled atop a hillside path lined with aromatic evergreens.  It was all very fairytale-esque.  We, yet again, arrived in the early evening which worked in our favor as there weren’t all too many other visitors.  In fact, we had the one cliffside platform entirely to ourselves.  The Blowing Rock is a cliff 4,000 feet above sea level, that overhangs Johns River Gorge 3,000 feet below. It gets its name because, according to its website, “the rocky walls of the gorge form a flume through which the northwest wind sweeps with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void.” It was gusty and breathtaking, we highly recommend this stop. 

Finding parking for a 26 foot RV was a continuous challenge, but especially so in the small town of Blowing Rock. We asked the clerk at the visitor center where we might be able to park our big rig and she hesitatingly suggested the church. After driving around aimlessly for close to 30 minutes, we finally decided to take our chances on a sizable spot outside the church, where our RV hung over the lines by about two feet.  I fell in love with this town and would love to go back! Every store had rustic, whimsical, autumnal decor. We were getting pretty hungry and the sun was starting to set, but we quickly realized this was a popular Sunday destination for dinner as nearly every place we called or popped into had over an hour wait or wasn’t allowing children.  We found one place called Foggy Rock that was first-come-first-serve and only had a 15-20 minute wait.  We had a bit of a walk from the RV, but we didn’t mind as we ambled through the quaint side streets of Blowing Rock with Claire enjoying the sights in her stroller. Foggy Rock was a cozy, rustic pub with great service and even better food.  I ordered the trout and it was one of the best meals I had on the entire trip!  We had a chilly walk in the dark back to the RV before we hit the road for Linville Falls campground, which was about 40 minutes from Blowing Rock.  

We, once again, got to camp after dark, but we felt spending more time in Blowing Rock was worth it.  We turned on our RV fireplace and watched a scary movie after putting Claire down for a very late bedtime of close to 11 PM.  Claire was on a mostly 3 nap schedule during this trip, which I have to say, was pretty ideal for traveling and staying out.  The only trouble was when we drove at night, like on this night, we would have to wake Claire up when we arrived at camp and so we would need to give her a whole other wake window of about 2 hours.  There was so much to do to set up camp though that these hours flew by and we got into a nice bedtime routine, similar to at home, just often at quite variable times each night. I am a big fan of Taking Cara Babies who always preaches “flexible routine over rigid schedule.”  That was basically my mantra for this trip and it served us well. 

Day 3: Linville Falls → Little Switzerland → Mount Mitchell → Asheville

This was arguably one of the most action packed days of the trip. We kicked it off by visiting Linville Falls, which was a peaceful little hike through vibrant autumn forest that ends with a rocky vista of the falls. Worth a stop!

We debated skipping Little Switzerland, as we didn’t know what to expect, but we can both safely say it ended up being another pleasant surprise that was well worth the stop!  About 30 minutes from Linville Falls, and on the way to Mount Mitchell, Little Switzerland is a charming hamlet that pays humble homage to the European real deal.  The Switzerland Inn is the main attraction with a petite resort village of Swiss chalet architecture and a mountaintop restaurant that overlooks the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. I popped out of the RV to put our name in for lunch on the inn veranda and to inquire about RV parking.  Parking was fantastic as the inn has an open grassy lot about ⅛ of a mile from the restaurant, and the wait was only about 20 minutes.  It was one of those perfect fall afternoons where the sun hung high in the sky and a light leafy breeze kept you from sweating. Claire was a happy little Swiss Miss taking in the mountain top view and people watching as her parents indulged in decadent Southern cuisine and afternoon libations.  We would love to return to the Switzerland Inn.  It would make a fabulous wedding venue! There are other things to do in town such as emerald mining, but we had a robust agenda ahead and were eager to get to our next step: Mount Mitchell, only 45 minutes from Little Switzerland. 

At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest mountain in the Appalachians. We bundled up in some extra layers as the elevation caused a serious drop in temperature. Mount Mitchell requires zero hiking, we rolled out of the RV and into the visitor center, and then the crest platform is steps behind the visitors center.  Though it was packed, that didn’t stop us from soaking up the stunning mountain top view.  Claire was in a goofy, giggly mood and really hamming it up with strangers.  I think the mountain air was giving her a natural buzz, our nature girl has always loved being outside.  

Next up was Asheveille, NC, a city I fondly remembered as one of my favorite cities in the U.S. and one that was brand new territory for Alex and Claire. We researched ahead of time for parking and were able to identify the Renaissance Hotel downtown as RV friendly. It cost $20 to park for the day in their lot, which was ideally located steps away from the heart of the city. We didn’t have many plans in Asheville besides wanting to visit the Biltmore, which we planned to do the next day, and a dinner reservation at a rooftop spot I had found online. We had about an hour to kill before our dinner reservation at Hemingway’s Cuba so we set out for a brewery, of which Asheville is known for, while Claire took a snooze in the stroller. My Charlotte, NC friends recommended Wicked Weed Brewing, an industrial meets rustic indoor/outdoor spot bustling with younger locals. We enjoyed some flights out by a fire pit and then had to chug our final glasses when we realized we were about to be late for our reservation. Hemingway’s Cuba boasts one of the only rooftop real estate in the city and my husband is obsessed with rooftop bars and restaurants, so when I was put in charge of planning dinner for Asheville, that was my number one search criteria. When we checked in, the hostess tried to tell us we couldn’t be sat on the rooftop, and after one look around the dark, mundane looking interior of the restaurant, we attempted to call their bluff and said we’d take our business elsewhere. Lucky for us, this tactic worked and they said they’d see what they could do and miraculously, we got a great table out on the rooftop. Never settle! We were seated just in time to witness a blazing Blue Ridge Mountains sunset. The rooftop was worth it in our eyes because we are big fans of a rooftop, but I have to say that the food and service were disappointing. In their defense, they had an enormous work function out on the rooftop that was tying up the kitchen, but we had a 4 month old baby who was losing her shit upon the second hour of waiting for our mediocre food. Claire was a peaceful, happy angel the entire 10 day trip with the exception of this dinner out. She lost it and had a full blown meltdown, but it really wasn’t her fault. I definitely think she would have held it together if the experience was about an hour shorter.

We got back to the RV in the dark with a screaming baby who rapidly fell asleep once we got moving, only to wake up fussy again when we got to the RV park, which was just about 10 minutes outside the city.  Wilson’s Riverfront RV Park wasn’t the nicest, but it was super convenient and did sit right next to the Oconaluftee River that has a lovely running and walking path that winds along beside it.  Once we got Claire resettled and down for bed, I poured myself a glass of wine and put on a sheet mask.  It was a great, action-packed day, and mama was tired.  

Day 4:  The Biltmore, Asheville, NC → Smokemont Campground, The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

I had heard wonderful things about the Biltmore gardens, which seemed like a child-friendly way to spend an afternoon. Though tickets were pretty ridiculously overpriced, we decided the Biltmore experience was a must while in Asheville. The grounds are exceptionally maintained and seemingly unending. We took the guided trolley ride to the estate and cruised the exterior perimeter before hauling the stroller and Claire down several non-handicap/stroller friendly stairway entrances to the gardens. The estate is certainly something to marvel at. It reminded me of Disney World a bit, especially how it was crawling with tourists, which felt a little odd during somewhat-still-pandemic-times. The line to tour the interior looked like it would take 3 hours, so we thanked ourselves for only committing to the gardens. The gardens are so vast that even on a super crowded, beautiful day, we managed to amble peacefully and have a somewhat intimate experience with the gardens. Our visit was in October so the mums were in full, vibrant bloom. Claire seemed to enjoy the colors and sweet aroma. It was a lovely way to get some steps in! 

Come nap time we made our way back to the RV, had some lunch, and then hit the road for our main destination: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive from Asheville to GSMNP is one hour and 5 minutes. As we neared the park we passed dozens of kitschy, campy motor lodges, inns, RV parks, and t-shirt shops. The drive is incredibly scenic prior to the touristic line up outside the park. I also was tickled by the road signage along our route. A personal favorite I spotted was “Tater Patch Way.” Our plan was to enter via the Cataloochee entrance and to then tour the preserved historic town of Cherokee before establishing camp at Smokemont Campground. Well, we didn’t properly anticipate how long it would take us to drive the swirly, twirly gravelly roads in the park. We made it to the entrance of a highly scenic route called Cataloochee Road, but luckily for us, a kindly NC native in a truck pleaded with us to reconsider trying the road in our big rig. He saved us, I think we all would have been nauseous and exhausted from terror. We hit a massive back-up entry into the park, that we quickly learned was due to an elk sighting. That was pretty neat to see wildlife the moment we entered the park! Late afternoon was approaching by this time so we decided to enjoy our campsite in daylight and relax at camp. Smokemont was worthy of our time. Our site backed up onto the Oconaluftee River, and that river embanked by moss and the rainbow of fallen autumn leaves was as locals might say, “purty as a picture.” We made a campfire and enjoyed chili, cornbread, and ciders, serenaded by the river’s relaxing sound therapy. 

Day 5:  (GSMNP) Smokemont → Clingman’s Dome via Newfound Gap Road, hike Andrew’s Bald → Elkmont 

This was my favorite day in the park, and the only real hike we did. The drive to Clingman’s Dome took us an extra hour due to the traffic. My guidebook had warned us that Clingman’s Dome was probably the most trafficked sight in the park, and it was right. The good news, however, is that everyone was simply interested in going to the dome, not hiking. The Andrew’s Bald Hike, which my guidebook rated as the top hike in the park, began at Clingman’s Dome so we didn’t have any way around it. Parking at the top of Clingman’s Dome was the biggest challenge we had on the entire trip. After inching up the mountain, we thought we spotted a suitable space, but after I helped Alex painstakingly parallel into it, a flustered park ranger told us we had to move because it was for buses. This was irritating as buses didn’t need to park up there, they could drop their guests off. If they did need to park we asked the ranger if perhaps she knew when they’d be coming and we could be sure to leave before that time. She was completely inflexible. Pretty dismayed and disappointed, we got back in the RV thinking we were likely going to have to skip the hike and that we had just wasted about two hours. However, Alex spotted a different space that had opened up and he masterfully pulled into it! We were high-fiving and at this point had attracted a bit of an audience as we were the only RV at the top of the mountain and everyone admired Alex’s parallel job and then sympathized with us when Ranger Ronda forced us to move. We got out of the RV and Ronda reappeared in an even bigger huff to say she felt we were hanging over the line too much. Alex pulled his famous, “seriously?” Cars were passing right behind us but Ranger Ronda insisted it wasn’t enough of a clearance. Sigh. We got BACK into the RV… mind you, all three of us, so this is the second time of re-buckling Claire in the car seat. We were very ready to throw in the towel after that but the universe had other plans! Just before the mountain started to descend stood one enormous parallel parking space with another space open in front of it. Alex edged us in and we were certain Ranger Ronda would accept this third attempt, that or it was far away from her enough that we no longer existed. After this excitement we were ready for some solitude with nature.

The hike to Andrew’s Bald was a welcome immersion into the Great Smoky Wilderness. Much of the trail is through forest of fragrant pines with some clearings that offer breathtaking views of the Smoky mountains. The trail concludes at Andrew’s Bald, and we learned a bald is a meadow or field at the top of a mountain. Claire enjoyed an Andrew’s Bald nursing session as the trail was barely trafficked by anyone else, it was amazing. I highly recommend this hike if you ever visit GSMNP, it was a peaceful, moderate but mostly easy trek that made us feel like we really got a rich flavor for the park and its natural beauty. Claire snoozed the entire hike back in the carrier on my chest. She’s often relaxed by a nature soundscape. 

The hike took most of our morning and afternoon, so afterwards we drove to our next campsite, Elkmont, to settle in, relax and make some dinner. A few warnings for prospective GSMNP travelers, once in the park, cell service is pretty non-existent and there are no electric hook-up sites for RVs and campers. We purchased a generator prior to the trip that very much came in handy for our nights in the park, especially for the baby monitor and Claire’s sound machine.

Day 6: (GSMNP) Elkmont → Cades Cove 

Today marked the only rainy-ish day we had the entire adventure. We didn’t think it wise to brave a hike in the rain, so we settled for a scenic drive around Cades Cove loop. This loop is pretty heavily trafficked and can move slowly due to wildlife sightings, so this was about a 2 hour activity. It was the perfect thing for us to do on that rainy day. Since the RV was moving at a crawl, I sat with Claire on my lap and it felt pretty close to a cozy hayride through pastoral paradise. We saw wild turkeys, open fields framed by the colorful mountains, and most exciting of all, black bears!! I spotted a baby black bear off in the distance and then the line up of cars in front of us all got turns to slowly drive by and observe the mama and her cubs playing in a grassy knoll. Unfortunately for us, when it came our turn to view the furry family, they decided to pad off behind the hill and out of sight. Nonetheless, it was a great way to spend a few hours in the park. 

After our slow ride round the loop, we decided to make camp at Cades Cove campground early and just relax… as much as one can with a baby in tow. The weather started to clear up and we enjoyed a creamy dreamy sunset above the forest canopy. We made loaded baked potatoes on the fire and then called it an early night after getting the peanut down. 

Day 7: (GSMNP) Cades Cove → Gatlinburg, TN → Cove Creek RV Park 

GSMNP straddles North Carolina and Tennessee. On day 7, we made our way across the Tennessee border to explore a state neither of us had ever visited before. We actually sort of forgot about planning this day ahead of time, which is quite out of character for us with itinerary planning… I blame “parent brain,” but it worked out because a few friends of mine recommended Gatlinburg as a tacky yet amusing touristic destination. Gatlinburg wasn’t far from camp for the night so we made our way there via steep, windy mountain roads. As we approached Gatlinburg, we noticed the real estate became a bit more luxurious and the landscape became littered with tourist attractions such as a sky walk, a big swinging bridge, and a chair lift. Thanks to the help of a friendly local, we found oversized parking in the back of a full lot right off of the main drag. We then headed out for the main boulevard which felt like if Las Vegas, the Ocean City boardwalk, and the population of a small county fair had a lovechild. It was a feast for the eyes, especially after our last couple of days isolated in the wilderness. We walked the entire boulevard with little Claire in the carrier kicking her legs excitedly as she people watched and took in the vivid sights and fragrant smells of buttery candy corn and doughy funnel cake. Though tacky and touristy, it was amusing. We stopped for lunch and drinks at a loud Mexican place that had a luxurious rooftop. Though our service was horrendous, the rooftop offered an incredible aerial view of the boulevard below and the town framed by colorful mountains kissed by autumn. After lunch we did a little more walking before calling it a day and heading for our RV park, Cove Creek. 

Alex is obsessed with fishing and he brought his fishing poles in the event he might have a free moment near a body of water. Claire was napping as soon as we got to our RV site and Cove Creek happened to have a little pond walking distance from our site. I relaxed while Alex took advantage of the pond and the free moment. I saw that there was a moonshine distillery walking distance from our park as well so once Claire woke up, I strapped her to me and went to the pond to tell Alex I was going to take Claire to her first moonshine tasting (mom of the year). He was beaming when we found him because he happened to catch one of the biggest bass he’s ever caught in that short and singular opportunity to fish. I was relieved as Alex is often grumpy if he doesn’t catch anything, so he was in very high spirits after this catch. He said he would meet us at the distillery. The distillery was a lovely little evening activity, as it turned out. The staff was super friendly and Claire enjoyed looking at all the colorful bottles. Once Alex joined us we did a little complimentary tasting which was great fun. We ended up purchasing bottles here as souvenirs for our family. 

Day 8: (GSMNP) Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN→ Claytor Lake State Park 

Today heralded our final day of road tripping away from home, as the next day we would make our way back home. We spent it in style as we had tickets to a true Tennessee treasure, none other than Dollywood. I’ve always been a Dolly fan, from her music, to her looks, to her support to encourage literacy. I had listened to a podcast called Dolly Parton’s America earlier this year and became extra intrigued by the busty, Appalachian crooner. Though I knew more about Dolly than Alex did, nothing could have prepared both of us for the surprise we felt upon entering Dollywood. This theme park was legit! It felt like Disneyworld. It’s a beautifully maintained park that pays homage to Appalachian life as well as Dolly’s stardom. The attention to detail was astounding. The park has two or three large roller coaster rides, several kid-friendly rides, some water rides, a whole carnival section with carnival games, several fun eateries, live music venues, and a real locomotive train that chugs its way through the entire park. We loved it! We got a gut busting lunch at a BBQ spot and then walked it off by essentially walking the entire park. Claire enjoyed the sensory celebration and then took a long stroller nap while Al and I cruised the park. It was the perfect way to while away our final full afternoon.

We then had a bit of a drive to our final RV site of the trip, Claytor Lake State Park. We wanted to help ourselves break up the return trip home and Claytor Lake was a worthwhile stop/site that was on the way home. Unfortunately, we got to Claytor Lake after the sun set so we didn’t get to check out the lake. But the park offered us a friendly and cozy campsite for our final night in the trusty RV.

 Day 9: Claytor Lake State Park, VA → Home Sweet Home 

We had our longest drive of the entire trip today: 4 hours from Claytor Lake to northern VA. We planned to make one quick stop for lunch in Harrisonburg, where Alex and I went to college. It took us longer than anticipated to ready Claire that day and feed her two hours into the ride, so unfortunately we only had time for a quick drive by through Harrisonburg because we had a 3 PM return time for the RV and still had to unload the big rig at our house first. So we said hello to the hauntingly familiar sites of our youth in The Burg and then barreled our way back onto 66, back into that unwelcoming northern VA traffic.

This New Years Eve I asked Alex what his favorite parts of the year were besides our daughter being born, and he said this trip we took. I completely agree. In fact, of all of our exotic, luxurious, and adventurous travels, this one has nestled at the top. Traveling by luxury RV certainly might not seem all too intrepid an adventure, but let me tell you, traveling anywhere with your baby for the first time feels pretty darn adventurous no matter where or how you go. The foliage, the fresh mountain air, the variety, the novelty of traveling by RV domestically, and above all, seeing everything through Claire’s sparkly eyes, made this trip unforgettable. I was anxious about many aspects of taking this trip with my baby, but in the wise words of Miss Dolly Parton herself, “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” We tried and we were handsomely rewarded with golden memories we’ll cherish forever.