Zigzagging into the Northeast
When we left
Prince William National Forest
, we knew we'd have a few days of car camping ahead of us, because free or cheap camping options in the northeast are limited. So we zigzagged our way around to the places we most wanted to visit, rather than searching for a campground first.
Many years ago, I watched a travel program where the host visited Annapolis and always wanted to visit. We discovered that Annapolis makes a good destination town - to arrive, plant yourself in a hotel in the midst of everything, and then walk everywhere. But for a drive through visit, it was a little tense. Streets are narrow but not all one directional, so we found ourselves on two-way streets, with parking on both sides of the street. Pretty much a nightmare for trying to explore by car. I wasn't able to immerse myself in the history and architecture while driving, but I grabbed a quick parking spot to snap a few water photos - and met a very nice fisherman who'd already caught a few!
Then onto Baltimore. I'd visited the harbor many years ago, and loved it, but Tim had never been. We arrived in town when traffic was minimal and were able to find a parking spot at the visitor's center so we took a stroll.
From Baltimore, we moved into Pennsylvania where we made several fun stops along the way. Before we found a car camp spot for the night, we discovered a family dairy with some incredible ice cream, which made both of us pretty happy campers.
Tim got a luscious black cherry, and I got Bobby's Black Mud - a mixture of dark chocolate and coffee. It's a wonder either one of us left there - they also sold fresh meat and bacon. Great area for families to come and play, too.
The next day, we visited Hanover, Pennsylvania and took a tour at Utz Chips factory where we learned that Golden Flake was purchased by Utz in 2016. Surprised us Bama tourists who grew up on Golden Flake!
And then, another tour!
No, we didn't buy the chocolate syrup - or the bank! But it was great fun exploring all the fun souvenirs and taking the free tour.
The next day, we zigged and zagged again, to weigh in on one of the biggest debates on the east coast.
