MTandtheRV

Wilderness vs. Metropolis

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At some point mid-July to late-July, we decided that Northern New England would not be our shake-down destination but Washington DC.  Not really sure how that happened but we were reminiscing about a trip to DC some 20 years ago with Hayley and Harrison and we decided to make another visit. 

Initially, we planned to make the drive in one day to Cherry Hill Park Campground in College Park, MD.  The route I created avoided metro areas like NYC, Philly, Baltimore and took us west to Scranton to route 81 south to Hagerstown then, southeast to College Park.  The mileage came to 475 miles; about 50% more that our typical day on the road.   

Harvest Hosts is a network of farms, wineries, breweries & distilleries, attractions and more, that invite RVers to stay overnight, giving members safe, convenient, and unique places to stay during their travels at a minimum cost.  To compensate the hosts, they request you take advantage of their goods and services and/or, make a donation, usually about $30, during your visit.  Typically, the site would be void of any services to the RVer who would be dry camping or boondocking (camping without any services; electric, water, sewer, wi-fi, or TV).  The location we chose to breakup the trip offered an electrical connection for $10/night and was located north of Hershey, PA.  This would shorten our first day to about 300 miles; right where we like it.  

It was our first time using Harvest Host where you can select from over 5000 locations across North America.  Most limit the length of stay to one night but some will allow an additional night or two.  Some offer “connections” but most do not.  This spot is named TLC Tree Farm which can accommodate up to three RVers; most hosts only accommodate a single RV and not all can accommodate large RVs.  TLC not only grows trees but they have a small brewery, farm produce, eggs, and some Christmas crafts, all located in a pole barn adjacent to the RV sites where we can take advantage of their offerings.

When we arrived, all the sites were vacant and we pulled up along side the barn where we set up.  About the time we completed the setup, a second RV similar to ours pulled in.  They set up on the opposite side and not near the barn because they didn’t need/want electric service.  It was Mom, Dad and three girls ranging in age from 8 to 18, I’m guessing, and don’t recall their names.  We visited briefly, Mom has a Masters in Education and home schools the girls.  They sold their home and live on the road.  They were heading south to the Georgia, then onto Florida; very nice family!  Despite five living in such small quarters, they were a very happy bunch!  

Hegins, PA. is a very small town, maybe more of a village, which had only one diesel pump nearby in the next village, west.  We fueled up, returned to the site, ate a meal we had prepared and froze earlier, then settled in for the night.  Next morning we got hitched up and were on the road about 9:30 heading to College Park.  The entire trip down was uneventful, the kind we like, setting up at Cherry Hill Park Campground around 3.  After setup we headed out for a walk around the park.  It’s a very nice park with lots to offer for all ages.

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The campground offers an informational session to guests that covers things to see in D.C., how to take advantage of the metro system, and tours offered that originate right from the campground.  We had previously selected an evening tour of the monuments but later decided we should do a day tour.  The tour departed at 9:00AM and returned at 5:00PM, with a stop for lunch.  We saw lots of sites: Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, MLK Jr. memorials, Vietnam, Korean, WW1 and WW2 memorials, National Archives and more.  The bus driver was amazing and could thread a needle with the bus!  The tour guide was a wealth of information about all the sites, about D.C., government, and history.  While joining tours is not something we typically opt for, we really enjoyed it.  Also, the campground has an interesting history.  It’s still family owned and was originally a poultry farm.  Jacob and Rose Gurevich back in the 20’s (1920’s) allowed travelers/campers to set up behind the store, possibly the first “Harvest Host!” 😉  After WWII it became a trailer park to help overcome the housing crisis.  In the 80’s, they moved about a mile down the road and became the present day Cherry Hill Park.

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During our stay we visited the Spy Museum, the Bible Museum.  Both were enjoyable but you really need to spend more time at each; maybe an entire day.  We also visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, it was remarkable.  The metro system is great!  It’s very clean and never once did we feel unsafe.  You can get almost anywhere in Washington on the Metro.(WMATA-Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority)  And, even closer if you jump on a bus after the subway.  We scoped out some vegan/vegetarian restaurants during our stay.  One was particularly amazing named DC Vegan, featuring Italian food.  An honorable mention to Shouk, more Middle Eastern fare.  Naked Lunch was good too.  There were many to choose from, this is just a few we picked. 

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Our journey back followed the same route.  Again, we stayed at TLC Tree Farm.  As before, a second RV pulled in shortly after we arrived.  We only visited briefly with them but they were also “full-timers” heading south to work at a KOA Campground.  We’ve seen a lot of folks who work at campgrounds and receive a discount.   Some are campground ambassadors, some just do odd jobs like cleaning up or picking up.  

The next morning we were going through our hitching routine and dodged a huge bullet.  We thing our guardian angel was watching over us.  The process to hitch the trailer to the truck involves Mag backing the truck up to the trailer while I provide guidance.  The hitching completes with a loud sound indicating the locking mechanism and snapped into place.  The next step is to raise the legs on the trailer so they are not touching the ground; maybe and inch off the ground.  At this point, Mag will pull forward just a tiny bit to double check the hitch is fully connected, this is called a Tug Test.  I noticed the truck pulling forward and let her know we’re all set.  Next, we raise all the legs and remove the wheel chocks at the rear of the trailer.  I couldn’t remove the chock on the passenger side of the trailer so I hollered to Mag to pull up an inch or so.  Once she did this, I hear a loud crash and knew exactly what had happened. 

I had reviewed the Tug Test on YouTube and have seen what can happen to trailers and trucks for those who don’t take this extra safety step.  The trailer can be damaged, as well as the truck, which can mean months of time spent repairing the damage.  If the chock had not been stuck and had I not asked Mag to pull forward slightly, but instead we just jumped in the truck to hit the road, I believe the trailer would have slammed to the ground and drug the tailgate and whatever else, with it.

Needless to say, we dodged a bullet there and learned a valuable lesson; don’t rush and triple check everything.  The pin on the trailer came to rest on a cross piece of the hitch frame and left a slight dent which I easily repaired when we returned home.  The front of the trailer did land on the sidewalls of the truck bed but a bulk of the weight was taken by the pin and hitch frame.  This could have been a devastating accident.  We feel blessed that we came out of it okay and, most importantly, no one was injured.

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We raised up the trailer using the legs which are hydraulic jacks.  Assessed the damage and decided we were okay.  We went through the hitching process again, trembling this time, but were on the road in a few minutes for an uneventful drive home.  We stopped at a rest area on the way home; I nestled into a spot with the big rigs.  Mag needed to get into the trailer and you can see in the photos, the stairs were only millimeters away from the rig when she lowered them.  Whew! 

Everyday offers something to learn, gotta be ready!!

4 thoughts on “Wilderness vs. Metropolis”

  3. Love your comments, French toast casserole sounds delightful.
    What wonderful service you did for the shelters and Penny
    Such blessings for all
    Ellen

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