"...but they were Free Free Free!"

Rootless without the Rambler: Definitely will come back

WHERE: Kiptopeke State Park, Cape Charles, VA site E9

WHY: the youngest baby person was on Spring Break but didn't want to travel too far

HOOKUPS: Nope, we tent-camped without any hookups

EXTRAS: amazing hiking trails and beaches on site

REGRETS: better sleeping bag and wish we had stayed longer

Better than we imagined

I can't believe we have waited so long to go to Kiptopeke State Park. If there is a perfect campground this is it. Honestly, we could have stayed on the property for many more days to fully appreciate all that it has to offer. And bonus points for being on the Eastern Shore where we barely scratched the surface of all the things to see and do. So we will definitely be going back with an extensive bucket list.

The Good and The Bad

Let's go ahead and get all the bad stuff out of the way before we sink into the wonders of the Eastern Shore. For starters, Burnadebt is still not feeling well. We didn't want to miss this trip, we felt this was an ideal time to head out to the shore before all the mosquitoes start hatching. And great news...no mosquitoes...but yet Bob and I got about ten ticks between us while none on the three kids.

Of course now as RVers we were low on a few tenting essentials. As many of you know by now I have some mobility issues so I needed to get a privacy tent for my emergency toilet. Fortunately, I did not need to use it as my mobility scooter came to my rescue for those quick runs to the bathhouse.

Speaking of bathhouses, it was in pretty good shape, cleaned often, heated, and had a nice charging station in the laundry room that came in handy charging my mobility scooter. BUT...no hot water. Honestly, we may have stayed longer if we could have had a proper shower. Two of us ladies braved the cold shower with no problem at all than a few stares from the other ladies in the bathhouse. Was the cold shower unbearable? Normally I would say yes, but actually, I was so cold from the world's stupidest sleeping bag that the cold water actually warmed me.

What do we know about the world's stupidest sleeping bag? Ok, what did I learn about sleeping bag shopping...I learned that I should just bring my blankets from the RV that got us through the 7-10 degree temps back in December. I learned that I am not as short as I think I am and that modern sleeping bags come in width sizes and that my butt surpasses that width. I slithered into the bag excited for a good night's sleep to find out that I couldn't zip it up past my butt. I learned that Dewpoint 36 degrees is too cold for me in a half-sleeping bag and two sweatshirts.

No worries though, by the time we left it was 85 degrees...Virginia is so bipolar.

Ok, Now for the Good!

We were basically alone in our section of the campground, I guess this is low season and people prefer to come out when the bugs and humidity roll into Virginia. Our spot was perfectly wooded and very spacious for the five of us and the moon gave us plenty of light during the evenings.

Our first adventure at Kiptopeke was to explore the trails and while they were not marked as mobility friendly my groovy extreme scooter had no problem getting through the trails and hills until we hit a little sand; but that is to be expected. The little one and I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt that the ranger gave us...we didn't find everything but with a little more time they make sure you cover all corners of the park.

The trails went all over the place and we were amazed by all the different landscapes and ecosystems that exist here together. They have developed pond lands, pollinator fields, and butterfly gardens but nothing awed us more when we turned back inland through a forest

upward to several perfect overlooks of the Chesapeake Bay. As we faced west from the cliffs looking at Virginia over the bay it reminded some of us of the beautiful coastlines of Western America. They have extensive stairs to get down to the beach which was full of nature's treasures.

We definitely need to go back when it is a little warmer or at least less windy...we need days to explore these beaches. And yes that is a dead pelican, seemed like he was posing for a photo. And somehow we never heard about Kiptopeke's Concrete Fleet which acts as a barrier to protect Kiptopeke and Cape Charles. Click the link to learn more about this amazing human-made ecosystem that draws pods of dolphins in the evenings that could easily be near 50-100. Video and photos don't do it justice, it really is an experience to just be still and be and enjoy the sunset.

Oh Misty

Would it be a trip to the Eastern Shore if we didn't go to Chincoteague?

The Virginia wild horses showed themselves immediately, we didn't find any of the Maryland horses but we certainly found signs of them. It may be hard to see but that is a little new foal next to its mama. Yes, we call them ponies because of their size but they are genetically horses that don't mind being called ponies. The salty nutrition of the island over the years has driven them to evolve into a shorter statue. And if you want to adopt one and bring it home click here. Again, we need to go back and fill the days absorbing this space in hopes to see even more horses.

The rest of our day was just as magical as we explored Assateague Island National Seashore and found at least two species of Virginia mammals that we didn't know about. This rare deer is called a sika deer which can only be found in Assateague inside of Virginia. It is considered invasive in other states. And that crazy-looking squirrel (no not the photo of Bob) is the Delmarva Fox Squirrel which as of 2015 has been removed from the endangered list.

We made one final step before we left the National Seashore, and that was the seashore.

This photo of our son-in-law was taken minutes before the distant mist rolled in and swallowed up the beach like a Stephen King story. Maybe that is why they called her Misty of Chincoteague.

That question that you have been asking...

Yes we survived the dreaded Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

We have watched all the videos and read all the blogs and news articles and we are happy to say that Burnadebt decided she was too sick to make the trip. After we were lucky enough to venture across the $18 fare bridge-tunnel on a low traffic and low wind day in our Jeep Wrangler we agreed with Burnadebt that maybe we don't ever want to take her across this death trap. As someone who has gephyrophobia (fear of bridges) it really wasn't that bad, so please don't let fear stop you...it was well worth the trip even though next time we are going to go through D.C. Her death toll sits around 70 to 80 and I think that includes the seven construction accidents and 30 suicides...but It certainly weighs heavy on my mind. If you want to get your own details this site breaks everything down pretty well.

Until next time, we have no idea where we will be so stay posted and look for us in our usual haunts...we miss your faces and would love to share some hugs and laughs.