Tag: Tourist Mode

  • The President Time Forgot

    Yesterday we drove an hour and a half to Derry, NH, to see an early home of the American poet, Robert Frost. It was closed. We ate lunch and then we drove all the way back. 3 hours. For nada. Just in case you’re tempted to idealize our existence from time to time. So I’m…

  • Grab a #2 Pencil, We’re Going to Ticonderoga

    When I was in elementary school, the day after Labor Day always brought two unsharpened Ticonderoga #2 pencils, an unopened box of 8 Crayola crayons, and a fresh Pink Pearl eraser from my public school teachers. How or where the teachers got these supplies for their working class students never crossed my mind, but looking…

  • New Hampshire, Month 2 in (mostly) Pictures

    Two wasp stings within two weeks caused Jeff’s oversized allergic reaction. Since we’re often hiking and in zero cell service zones, he’s now a member of Team Epi-Pen, just to be safe. The medications cocktail he’s on at the moment to bring down the swelling, fight any infection, and manage the itching is really something.…

  • Local Side Quests

    We’ve survived two short but sweltering heat domes in The Beangle since arriving in New Hampshire two months ago. And, no, it doesn’t have AC. Yes, it was pretty miserable. The high humidity certainly didn’t help. It made everything feel like they had been dipped in used dishwater. We rated these six or seven days…

  • Saint-Gaudens NHP

    On opening the hour long tour of select pieces at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, our tour guide made a compelling argument that the artists who capture other people and events for posterity have a strong and lasting impact on how we frame our understanding of those subjects. In this way, a talented sculptor has an…

  • Harrisville, NH

    It was an unseasonably cold morning and we had some free time, so we drove around on a whim and ended up in Harrisville, an old mill town that looks like it slid off a vintage postcard. After strolling the few short streets, we stopped for lunch at the Harrisville General Store where I asked…

  • Appomattox Court House, Shenandoah & Washington, D.C.

    Hi, I’m Jamie, he’s Jeff, and we’re traveling full time in a small teardrop trailer we call The HMS Beangle. Ok, it hasn’t been that long since my last post, but it’s definitely been a minute. The last few weeks have involved much reading, much relaxing, and some very wonderful days spent camping with Bob…

  • Southwest Virginia — Lots of photos, a bit of chat, some local history

    Beginning six weeks ago, we met a new nemesis, a very demon from hell sent to test our patience. We fought it valiantly, and I believe we finally have the upper hand. For this spring, at least. Remnants remain, though, in nooks and crannies of the trailer, the truck, and our lungs, eyes, and souls. Both Fairy…

  • Drive it, hike it, bike it

    A lot of people out West like to talk smack about the Appalachians and other eastern mountains, and we admit to it as well. But after spending almost 4 months at or near sea level, it was a little thrilling to see the word Mountain in a campground’s name again. While hiking, biking, and driving…

  • The Rest of the (South Carolina) Story

    First and foremost, I have a grievous error to acknowledge. I have been misleading you all about Longleaf Pines for some time, and for that I apologize. What I often thought was a Longleaf (Pinus palustris) was instead a Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda). I know. I know. It was a careless, but I also learned…