Summer RV Trip 2024 - Part 1: Lancaster, Luray, Landscapes, and a Sweet Legacy!

Fall asleep in Florida, wake up in Georgia. The next day, fall asleep in South Carolina and wake up in Virginia- to young children, this is thrilling. For my girls, seeing all 50 states is a mission and seeing their faces light up when they wake up in a new state is priceless!

We have a map of the United States in our RV, and we take pictures and videos every time we check off new states that we visit. This first part of the RV trip got us to 4 new states in our RV and I’m excited to bring you along for the ride!

SAVANNAH AND SURROUNDINGS

I’ve been to Savannah many times, but every time I am here I discover something new. This time, we had breakfast at the Funky Brunch Cafe- the joy of my girls making pancakes on their own griddles was so worthwhile. We then went to the Savannah Jepson Center, a beautiful museum that is located right off of Telfair Square, and it was just perfect for them. It is a children’s museum, but heavily focused on art, and my girls really enjoyed it. The Impressionist exhibit  uses digital art and special effects to make you feel as if you are walking through a painting- specifically walking in Monet’s garden.

CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK

On our way up north, we decided a slight detour was worth it to check out another National Park. 27,000 acres and 26 miles of hiking trails in Congaree will transport you to another world. Surrounded by old growth bottomland hardwood trees, we walked on their boardwalk trail just elevated enough to be able to look around and up the entire time, instead of having to watch our step. If you are quiet enough,  you can literally hear the forest come to life.

It's not the best National Park I have been to, but there is something so special about it.  

We had the chance to sleep (in our RV) on a farm in Virginia thanks to our Harvest Hosts membership and our girls so enjoyed waking up the rooster’s cocka-doodle-doo in the morning!

LURAY AND SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA: NOT DC BUT CLOSE ENOUGH

I lived in DC for 2.5 years. The areas we explored in Virginia were about an hour and half drive from where I lived. We never took the time to drive further but WOW was this worth the drive, Shenandoah National Park-The roads here are long and narrow with 75 scenic lookouts on the 105 mile Skyline Drive. Its lush, vast, and grand which left me feeling like I was back in the Great Smoky Mountains. Everywhere we looked we couldn't help but recognize the splendor of our Nation’s National Parks. Each one has special spots waiting to be discovered. Dark Hollow Falls is a popular but steep trail and it is the shortest walk to see a waterfall, so it’s totally worth it. This is one waterfall where you can get in the water and enjoy this work of nature! Remember, you will never step into the same stream twice; everything in nature is constantly evolving, growing and changing, so don’t wait to get out and explore! 

LURAY CAVERNS

I am fascinated by caves, and I find stalactites and stalagmites mesmerizing. I love playing the game where you say how many shapes or images you see in the organic forms shaped nature. 

Mirror Lake was just so cool! At certain times of day, you’ll get to see the perfect reflection of the ceiling on this lake and it seems the world flipped on its head.

Attached to caverns is the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Toy Town Junction, and Luray Fudge Company. There is also a one acre garden maze (one of the largest in the mid Atlantic states) which was much harder than I expected! 

We spent almost a full day in this area. It was such an amazing day - so much to discover and so different than what we are used to

HERSHEY:

BEYOND THE AMUSEMENT PARK

Welcome to the sweetest place on earth Hershey, Pennsylvania!. Yes, there is a whole town dedicated to chocolate.

Did you know that there are 70 million Hershey kisses made daily? And 10 million Hershey bars are churned out every single day? 

It is always fascinating to me to know the vision of Milton Hershey, what he built, and the legacy he left. (This book about Milton Hershey’s life is great!) He started from nothing, revolutionized the caramel chew by adding milk to the recipe (instead of paraffin), and later decided to do the same with chocolate, thus changing the way we eat chocolate forever. 

He then moved his factory to this area, close to where he was born, built an entire town to satisfy the needs and wants of his workers and families, and endowed his wealth to an even greater cause. To this day the Milton Hershey School provides schooling for thousands of orphaned children, all expenses paid for until they graduate high school. Remarkably, all this is done thanks to chocolate. 

We had the chance to stay at Hershey Campground, Hershey Lodge, and the Hotel Hershey giving us an in-depth experience of all there is to offer here. 

Even the  lampposts in this city (105 of them)  look like Hershey Kisses! Every detail is so fun. 

Fun Fact: Hershey kisses were wrapped by hand until  1921. 

HERSHEY'S CHOCOLATE WORLD

The signing trolley tour tells the full history of this city, and the kids really enjoyed it. We then went on to the Create Your Own Candy Bar. Here, you don’t just pick your flavors, but you can also create your own packaging, with all the ingredients you picked printed on it. If you love understanding what goes into the experience, then the Free Hershey’s Chocolate Tour Ride is super fun and explains the entire process.

Hershey Botanical Gardens is home to an incredible butterfly atrium as well as a few other animals like coll frogs and snakes. The gardens are gorgeous, boasting plenty of rose gardens, and an herb garden that smells delicious, a Japanese foot bridge, and the grounds are just stunning.

LANCASTER

Just under an hour drive from everything Hershey, we visited Lancaster. We did an amazing tour with Lokal, which gave us the perfect overview of the City of Lancaster and the Amish area of Lancaster. 

Pronounced lang-kiss-ter, and known as  the Red Rose City, this part of Pennsylvania was so interesting! I was blown away by just how much history took place here and how much we have this city to thank for. 

Fun fact: This was the largest inland city of the Colonial period. 

Standing in the middle of  Penn Square, we realized we were surrounded by buildings from four different centuries-  17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. This part of our country (so different from Miami) has layers of history that meld together so well, honoring the past and striving for the future. 

Fulton Theater is the oldest continuous operating theater in the US. We had the opportunity to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory here and it was incredible. The Calestoga wagon was invented here in Lancaster at the oldest hardware store. Just a few steps away is the oldest tobacco shop in the U.S. 

Central Market is the oldest continuous farmer’s market  in the U.S. since 1730. The first department store in the U.S. called Hager Brothers opened here in 1813. Lancaster was the first capital of Pennsylvania, and was our nation’s capital for just one day! In other words, being in Lancaster is not just about one thing. It is about exploring the roots of this country and everything it stands for. 

AMISH COUNTRY

I had no idea some areas of Pennsylvania were so beautiful. We visited  Aaron and Jessica’s horse and buggy ride. We saw many different crops they grow here primarily corn, alfalfa, tobacco, & soy beans. We got to learn about the Amish culture and how they truly strive for enjoying the simplicity of life. They are religious Christians, but their Amish culture and lifestyle is what sets them apart. Lapp’s Farm Market had amazing cookies, fresh local produce, and a watermelon slushy. Of course having a slushy doesn’t mean we can’t have an ice cream too! Down on the Farm Creamery  was one of the top ice cream’s I’ve ever had (and I’ve had MANY). My girls spoke about it all day. I highly  recommend the peanut butter.

What I love about RV trips is that they enable you to take the time and explore the unexpected, less accessible areas you wouldn’t otherwise make time to see. As we sat and reflected on part 1 of this trip, my daughter Rebecca said “I cannot believe how much we did this week, and it was all just so amazing.” I feel like it may be hard to beat, but we’ll try. Stay tuned…

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like to explore even further.

Want more?

Follow me on

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | WEBSITE