The Road Trip That Started It All
September 2022
If you've been following along, you already know we were in NYC for Mike’s work, and the bus in New Jersey didn't work out. So we rented a car instead, and what started as a consolation prize turned into one of the best trips we've ever taken. After spending the summer in the city, heading upstate and then to Vermont was a breath of fresh air. Everything was lush and green, and we immediately felt the tension slip away.
Maine Was a Stunner
From Vermont, we pointed the car northeast, and honestly, Maine blew us away. We went in September, which turned out to be perfect. We did wonder how we'd feel about it in the dead of winter, but in early fall, it was hard to find a single thing to complain about.
Acadia National Park is not one to skip. We made it up to Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S., and even without snagging one of the coveted sunrise or sunset slots, it was gorgeous. I think any time of day would do it justice. Echo was in his element on every trail and took his job of investigating the coastline very seriously, even when he had to go in his backpack.
We also made it our personal mission to eat as much lobster as humanly possible while we were in Maine. Lobster rolls, lobster bisque, lobster everything. No regrets. We had our fill and then some.
Bar Harbor is charming in a way that makes you want to just stay there. We did a sunset cruise out of the harbor and watched the light fade over the water. It was pure magic.
Winding South
From Maine, we made our way down through Maryland and Virginia, mostly passing through, but the scenery was gorgeous, and we found some really unique Airbnbs along the way. We took Echo for a walk on the stretch of the Appalachian Trail that runs through Shenandoah National Park, which he absolutely loved. The Blue Ridge in early fall is something else.
North Carolina & Tennessee
Traveling further south, we made it to Seven Devils, NC, where we stayed with friends. Having friends from the area meant we got the real insider scoop on where to go. Grandfather Mountain was wonderful, the wildlife habitats are worth the visit alone, and the mile-high swinging bridge is genuinely cool.
From there, we made our way to Tennessee and stayed a night at Getaway Tennessee, tiny cabins tucked into the woods, our own fire outside, nowhere to be. It was exactly what we needed after weeks on the road.
Home — Both of Them
October brought us back to our hometown in Louisiana. We soaked up every bit of it. Good food, good people, the kind of ease that only home can give you.
By mid-November, we were back in Pasadena. Back to real life. Back to the dream that was very much still alive.
We didn't find the bus on that trip. But somewhere between the Maine coastline and a campfire in Tennessee, the what-if quietly turned into a when.
As it turns out, we didn't have to wait long. You can read about the day we finally won our bus here.
