lake anna, virginia

January 25, 2017December 24, 2016 EricaLeave a comment

For the past few years, each spring I have found myself making my way towards beautiful Lake Anna in central Virginia. I spend five weeks there in May and June for the annual Virginia Renaissance Festival. Though I’m called to Virginia for work, I really look forward to the time I get to spend there each year.

Lake Anna is one of the largest lakes in Virginia, spanning more than 20 square miles in Louisa, Orange, and Spotsylvania counties. Lake Anna is an ideal vacationer’s lake. It is clean and well maintained by Lake Anna State Park, several campgrounds and marinas along it’s edges, and plenty of homes with private water access.

Come out for a weekend and a chance to relax and get back to nature. The best times to visit are spring and summer, but I’ve heard winters can be beautiful as well. Soft white snowfall covers rolling hills, and dark brown barren winter trees line a still grey lake making for a quiet nearly mono-chromatic beauty that is incredibly peaceful and restful.

I’ve yet to visit in the winter, but in the summer there is plenty to see and do around Lake Anna.

Consider camping inside Lake Anna State Park, where you will find your standard state park campground amenities: well maintained roads, wide level camp pads, fire pits, and rustic bath houses. For those disinclined to stay in a tent, there are several cabins of various sizes available for rent. Lake Anna State Park has over 15 miles of trails to hike and access to a sandy beach perfect for families to spend the day at the lake. Sunbathe in the sand while the kids swim in the lake shallows. There is also a public boat launch point from within the state park.

Also available for camping is nearby Christopher Run Campground. It too has a small beach and boat launch available for campers.

While on vacation, consider spending some time at the nearby Lake Anna Winery. The Winery is open Wednesday – Sunday each week. Tours of the winery are available upon request. If you sit down to a tasting, definitely ask to try the Lake Side Sunset, charmingly peachy/rose-colored, fruity, semi-dry wine. Sweet, refreshing, and incredibly easy to drink chilled on a hot summer evening, the Lake Side Sunset is my personal favorite of the Lake Anna Winery wines.

Lake Anna Winery is part of the Virginia Wine Trail, which provides a leisurely self-driven tour of six of central Virginia’s wineries. They also host many events throughout the year including fireworks, concerts, and more. Check their website to find out if there is anything exciting happening during your visit.

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Swim in the Lake (left), or visit the Lake Anna Winery for a summertime concert (right)

And of course, I should mention the Virginia Renaissance Festival. Come out to the Lake Anna Winery in May and early-June and travel back in time with us! Visit their website to learn more about this year’s dates and times. Come dressed like a princess or pirate and browse the high quality artists and craftsmen selling their wares at the Renaissance faire. See incredible live performances of musicians, actors, and entertainers. Drinks some wine and ale and have yourself a day of merriment and fun. Look for me at The Silk Road Traders, custom blend perfume oils booth! I’ll make you smell real nice.

Whatever time of year you decide to visit, Lake Anna is sure to delight you with its beauty and tranquility. This year I was doubly happy to arrive, exhausted after my three-week long tour of the United States. I left Santa Barbara, California and made stops in Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Colorado, and Pittsburgh before finally landing at Lake Anna in time for the faire. You can read all about those adventures in the previous weeks’ blogs.

I took every opportunity to relax in Virginia. We had lazy lake days, cook outs, plenty of leisurely evening walks and spent a nice overnight trip in Washington D.C (see next week’s blog post).

It was good to relax, because coming up next is a six week adventure in Europe! Stay tuned for stories from London, England; Malaga, Spain; and various parts of Italy including Rome, Assisi, Florence, Naples, and Cefalu`, Sicily.

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Have you ever had the urge to just drop what you were doing, pack a bag, and set out on an adventure? Seven years and over two dozen countries later, Aeri Rose is proof that excitement, independence, and discovery await those who are bold enough to say “yes” to life’s craziest choices. When not exploring the world with her little grey backpack, Aeri Rose an be found living a nomadic lifestyle traveling the United States as an artist and entrepreneur. To follow Aeri on all her adventures, check her out online at travelingwithaeri.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aerirose.

arches national park

January 18, 2017December 9, 2016 EricaLeave a comment

Today lets talk about Arches National Park, in Utah, on the Colorado Plateau and relatively close to the Colorado state border.

Though the sandstone cliffs and formations of the park can seem harsh and barren, plenty of life still finds a way to thrive.

Arches National Park is beautiful in a stark and formidable sort of way. It is a land filled with sweeping vistas built of solid red rock. It seems you can look in any direction and find stunning natural stone formations in the shapes of arches, pinnacles, standing columns, precariously balanced boulders and more.

The park is best known for Delicate Arch, a 65 foot tall naturally formed sandstone arch. But there is plenty more to see and explore in Arches National Park.

The park road entrance is just outside of Moab, the tiny outdoorsy little town I talked about last week. Just past the entrance the road climbs steeply with a number of sharp switchbacks marking the rapid rise in elevation. Though the park is filled with hiking trails and perfect spots for rock climbing of all sorts, if you only have a couple hours to spend then just taking a long and winding drive through the park. The views available along the main road are sure to satisfy.

The first sights on your way in are a group of incredibly tall, long narrow columns called the Courthouse Towers. Just past these monoliths find the Petrified Dunes. These dunes formed 200 million years ago. Back then they were part of a massive sandy desert area. Over time other stones and sand settled on top of the dunes, compressing and hardening them. Only after the other stones were again carried away by erosion were the original sand dunes, now petrified, revealed once again. With stones and stone formations I think we often have this sense of timeless beauty, but even stones are constantly changing with the passage of time.

Past the Petrified Dunes are many stunning formations including a grouping of rock pinnacles, and a collection of smaller stone arches in The Window Section of the park. These arches include Pothole Arch, Double Arch, North Window and South Window. Don’t overlook the balanced rock, a massive boulder perched on top the point of an unbelievably narrow pinnacle.

Continue on and take in the sweeping panoramas and stunning sandstone cliffs that make up the bulk of the park. If you only have time for one hike, I recommend taking one of the three trails to check out Delicate Arch. The first trail is a short ten-minute hike up to the Lower Delicate Arch View Point. This hike is good for all athletic abilities and is wheelchair accessible. The second option is a hike to the Upper Delicate Arch View Point. This is an easy to moderate hike of about 30-minutes (.5 miles). From the this view point the arch is plainly visible across a canyon. The third option is to hike directly out to Delicate Arch. This is a difficult three-hour (3 mile) hike over open slick rock in full sun. Bring plenty of water and be prepared for a narrow rock ledge crossing before reaching Delicate Arch.

Delicate Arch as seen from the Upper Level Delicate Arch View Point

I opted for hike number two, out of respect for my short time frame and hopes to be back on the highway before too late in the day. You can see from my picture of Delicate Arch what kind of view you can expect from the Upper Delicate Arch View Point. It is a nice view, but if I’m ever near Arches National Park again I definitely want to do the more difficult Delicate Arch hike. I also hope to spend more time exploring the Devil’s Garden. This area of the park is at the most northern tip of the park and includes a campground and an extensive collection of trails and dozens of arches.

But unfortunately the sun was working its way lower in the sky and I knew it was time to hit the road again. So with a last appreciative sigh at the beautiful vistas before me, I climbed back into my Jeep and made the slow trek back out of Arches National Park.

Next up on my journey? A few days and nights visiting friends along the way towards my final destination, the fine state of Virginia and the beautiful Lake Anna. Check in next week for some exciting East-Coast adventures!

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Have you ever had the urge to just drop what you were doing, pack a bag, and set out on an adventure? Seven years and over two dozen countries later, Aeri Rose is proof that excitement, independence, and discovery await those who are bold enough to say “yes” to life’s craziest choices. When not exploring the world with her little grey backpack, Aeri Rose an be found living a nomadic lifestyle traveling the United States as a writer and entrepreneur. To follow Aeri on all her adventures, check her out online at travelingwithaeri.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aerirose.

moab, utah

January 11, 2017December 23, 2016 EricaLeave a comment

Welcome back to the multi-part series on my Road Trip from California to Virginia taken this spring. I guess I should have made that clearer in the beginning. I struck out from Santa Barbara, California, and spent a good two weeks working my way east. I made stops in lovely places like Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Pittsburgh, Lake Anna, Washington D.C. and more. The past few weeks and the next several weeks will be filled with instillations of those exciting stops along the way.

It is hard to pay attention to the road with views like this.

Anyway, welcome back and onward we go!

When we last talked travel, I was as far as the Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah. Leaving the sand dunes, I again struck out east. Moab, Utah, was my next destination.

Moab is a tiny, sporty, artsy little town in eastern Utah on top of the Colorado Plateau. Its most famous features include Arches National Park, and Canyonlands National Park. Though small, it is visited by many tourists on the hunt for outdoor adventures each year. Off road Jeep treks, mountain biking, hiking, climbing, white water rafting, 4x4s, base jumping, slack lining, and more are offered to intrepid adventurers near Moab. Want to know more? Visit Moab’s Tourism Website.

The best time to visit is late-spring to early-summer, or in the fall. Though there is something to do there any time of year, high summer and deep winter can experience extreme temperatures. My mid-to-late-April arrival was perfect. The weather couldn’t have been better; warm and sunny during the day, and cool at night.

When I arrived the sun was just setting. I knew that by the time I got to the condo I would be too tired to venture back out. So I stopped at a little grocery store for supplies. Some pasta and veggies for dinner, and a six-pack of a local brew, HooDoo, a Kolsch style ale by Unita Brewing Company.

A great beer and a good view make for a happy Aeri!

Once at the condo I dropped my bags cracked open a beer to relax and enjoy the last of the settling twilight from the back porch. The views were astounding. Snow capped mountains on one side and red orange sandstone plateaus on the other.

The next morning, feeling refreshed, I ventured towards downtown Moab. It is a cute little town. There are plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, artisan boutiques and outdoor equipment general stores.

I spent time admiring the local artists’ work, and bought a few small prints by Serena Supplee. She was my favorite of the local scenery artists displaying work throughout the town. Her use of color and bold shapes made for work that felt almost surrealist if the subject matter wasn’t sitting on the horizon for easy comparison.

Feeling hungry, I made my way to The Moab Brewery, a restaurant and brewery at the top of the hill, just outside the edge of downtown. They had a bunch of great beers on tap. It made it hard to choose just what to try! Since it was lunch time I settled on the Dead Horse Amber, a mild beer, good cold and at 4% a reasonable choice for a midday meal. It complimented my gigantic burger and fresh cut thick fries well. The Moab Brewery was good. They had good food, good atmosphere, and great beers.

And the best part is that since it’s a brewery too, you can buy cans and bottles to take home with you. I picked out the Over the Top Hefeweizen, Black Raven Oatmeal Stout, and Squeaky Bike Nut Brown Ale to try later.

I just wish I had had more time to spend in Moab. I would have explored the more adventurous options around the town. A jeep safari deep into the beautiful canyons and ridges around the Colorado Plateau, and definitely some more hikes.

As it was the day passed quicker than I would have thought. The next day I had plans to visit Arches National Park for the day and get on the road by the late afternoon.

Check back next week for stories from Arches National Park.

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Have you ever had the urge to just drop what you were doing, pack a bag, and set out on an adventure? Seven years and over two dozen countries later, Aeri Rose is proof that excitement, independence, and discovery await those who are bold enough to say “yes” to life’s craziest choices. When not exploring the world with her little grey backpack, Aeri Rose an be found living a nomadic lifestyle traveling the United States as a writer and entrepreneur. To follow Aeri on all her adventures, check her out online at travelingwithaeri.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aerirose.

wiggle your toes in coral pink sand dunes

December 28, 2016December 9, 2016 EricaLeave a comment

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Imagine pale pink sand rolling in massive hills as tall as buildings, nestled in a great bowl of red Navajo Sandstone walls. Imagine walking out onto the dunes, a wavering line of your footprints strung out behind you as you walk, barefoot, along the tallest ridge. Warm, incredibly soft, pink sand working its way between your toes as you walk along, steadily warming beneath the bright afternoon sunlight.

You pause for a sip of water and hear the happy laughter of children up ahead. Suddenly two curly little heads go whizzing down the side of the dune, holding tightly to a cheap plastic disk, a snow sled repurposed for these perfect desert dunes. A third child, too impatient to wait for the disk to return, launches himself head first down the hill and rolls to the bottom in a pink dust cloud of arms and legs. He is chased by the family dog, who is mostly confused, though happy because his tiny humans are happy.

Welcome to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes of southern Utah.

The dunes are a protected State Park of Utah. Here, visitors can walk, sled, ski, snow sand-board, and take ATVs out onto the dunes for a day of adventure. With a backdrop of red sandstone cliffs all around, its the perfect setting for a Mad Max photoshoot or a Mars Landing sci-fi film.

The Coral Pink Sand Dunes got their beautiful pink hue from the Navajo Sandstone cliffs surrounding them. Over time, high winds passing through the mountains caused the cliffs to erode. The winds deposited the pink dust past the mountains and created the beautiful coral colored sand dunes we see today.

I like thinking about the sandstone cliffs and the dunes and the wind. I feel like there are lessons to be learned there. Maybe the lesson is that only with the constant adversity of the wind, are the mountains able to create the beautiful dunes. Or maybe the lesson is that despite the constant adversity of the winds the mountains remain strong and permanent through time. Or, the dunes and the mountains are made of the same stuff. But where the mountains are rigid and unchanging, the dunes are flexible and shifting.

Its ok to be a mountain, strong in the face of adversity. But its also ok to be a dune, created from adversity, and beautiful in its constant shifting and changing. Be a mountain if you want to be a mountain. Or be a dune if you want to be a dune. The dunes don’t loose their essence, their mountain dust, no matter how many new shapes they take.

You be you! And while you’re being you…go be you at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes, a beautiful pale pink treasure in the middle of the mid-western deserts that’s just waiting for you to wiggle your toes in the sands.

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Have you ever had the urge to just drop what you were doing, pack a bag, and set out on an adventure? Seven years and over two dozen countries later, Aeri Rose is proof that excitement, independence, and discovery await those who are bold enough to say “yes” to life’s craziest choices. When not exploring the world with her little grey backpack, Aeri Rose an be found living a nomadic lifestyle traveling the United States as a writer and entrepreneur. To follow Aeri on all her adventures, check her out online at travelingwithaeri.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aerirose.

aeri rose’s guide on how to have a rockin’ vegas weekend

December 14, 2016December 9, 2016 Erica2 Comments

Step 1) Drop in on a high school girlfriend, now a professional actress living in Las Angeles, and kidnap her from work Friday evening. Drive straight to Las Vegas. Get lost only sort of and spend far too long driving through tiny desert towns on your way to Sin City.

Step 2) Roar into your hotel parking lot by 10:00 pm, check in, drop your bags, put on lipstick and high heels, and hit the casino floor for some free drinks and fun with the slot machines.

Step 3) Sufficiently buzzed, head to The Strip and take in the lights, sounds, and sights of Vegas at street level.

Step 4) Grudgingly, like kids at a sleepover, agree you should get some sleep. Crash into unnaturally soft and luxurious beds in a pitch black room and sleep far too late.

Step 5) If this is your first time in Las Vegas, as it was mine, pull yourself out of that bed at a somewhat reasonable hour for a chance to check out some of the most famous casinos.

Some Highlights?

– Walk the sidewalks and raised bridges of The Strip and snap a selfie in the center of Las Vegas Boulevard (from the elevated safety of a bridge of course).

– Watch the Fountains of Bellagio water show. Several times daily the outdoor fountains of The Bellagio Casino put on a beautifully orchestrated show incorporating music, lights, and dancing jets of water. Free and fantastic! A must see.

– Admire the grandeur of The Venetian. Eat some gelato on a bench beside the canals and watch the gondoliers ferry other guests around the opulent casino. Admit that you almost feel like you really are in a dreamy Italian city.

– Back outside, visit White Castle for some burgers and fries and remind your palate that you’re really still in America. Let the setting sun is encourage you to run back to your hotel to get dressed for another night on the town.

Step 6) If you’re only here for the weekend, this is your only full night of debauchery. Make the most of it! Start your evening at a concert or show. Whatever kind of entertainment you’re looking for, Vegas can deliver.

We went for a rock show, like any good punk rock princesses would. Since high school I had been trying to catch The Darkness live, and I was over the moon to find out they would be playing at the House of Blues that night. So, hair properly teased and full of enough hairspray to blast a new hole in the Ozone layer, we made our way to Mandalay Bay.

It. Was. Awesome! Worth the wait and just the kind of energy we needed to get our night started. In the crowd we met a group of English guys in the RAF (thats the Royal Air Force) stationed in Vegas for the summer. Which leads me to step 7.

Step 7) Make Friends!

Following the concert the British Guys recommended we check out this other club. “The best view in Vegas” they promised. With no further plans, and open to whatever the night might throw at us, we agreed. So we made our way to The VooDoo Nightclub at the top of Rio Las Vegas.

They were right about the amazing view. Situated slightly off The Strip, from the top of the Rio you can see all of Las Vegas laid out below you, fanning out in straight golden lines of light across the desert. It’s incredible.

Look closely and see the massive High Roller Ferris Wheel. At 550 feet tall, it currently stands as the world’s largest ferris wheel. And with an open bar “happy half-hour” ticket option, that’s one Las Vegas sight that I still need to conquer.

With hints of blue starting to thread their way into the star filled night sky, we knew it was time to call this night a success and head back to our hotel for some zzz’s. Though the next day would be the last day of our wild weekend retreat, we had plans to go out with a bang.

As a happy coincidence, the weekend we went to Vegas also happened to be Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, a massive Pin-Up and Rockabilly conference held at The Orleans Hotel every year in April.

Which is why Step 8 is…

Step 8) Make the most of every minute

Sure we stayed out until past 4:00 am the night before. And sure my girlfriend’s flight back to L.A. left the airport at 3:30 pm. But that is no reason not to pull out our peep-toe heels, don our cutest leopard print vintage ’20’s dresses, and twirl our hair into a Victory Roll or two for day of Rockabilly, classic cars, greasers, and pin-up girls.

So we made the most of every minute. We woke up. We chased our Advil with multivitamins and Smart Water. And we had a blast at Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend. The cars were incredible. The shopping prolific. The other attendees inspiring.

But all too soon it was time to take my partner in crime to the airport. With happy hugs and promises to see each other again soon, we closed the curtain on our Rockin’ Vegas Weekend.

After dropping her off I pointed my Jeep eastward and on towards Zion National Park; the next stop on my road road trip east, and an adventure of an entirely different sort.

Tune in next week for stories from Angel’s Landing Trail and Zion National Park in Utah.

See you down the road!

~ Aeri

so here’s the plan…

April 11, 2014December 9, 2016 Erica1 Comment

Remember those pesky details I mentioned in the last post? Well, it seems that details spawn faster than the Easter bunny’s slutty cousins in the spring. Cause boy oh boy is it going to be a crazy summer for me. Wanna hear all the details so far?

Well you better, cause I want to tell you! If you don’t I guess you could just stop reading. Go away!

Still here? Awesome.

So.

Right now I am in Waxahachie, Texas. I got here about a week and a half ago after a hastily, though skillfully, completed pack down in Arizona. Here, I quickly moved into the super wonderful booth I am renting for the season and prepared for opening weekend of Scarborough Faire. I do love the booth. I’m rather proud of it, honestly. The clothing racks are curvy branches and really give the shop an organic flow. And I put them up myself. With a power drill! The skirts look colorful and wonderful hanging on them. Roxanne and I have had a great time playing fairy, and I have every confidence that she will be awesome when I have to drive away and leave her in charge of things.

20140405_183721 — Aeri Rose, Scarborough 2014

So when am I driving away and leaving her in charge of things? In two days. Aah!!

On Sunday afternoon I will climb back in to Shelly the Sportvan, who is currently full of everything I’ll need to set up a booth at the Virginia Renaissance Festival and all of the things I hopefully will not need when I return to Scarborough at the end of this mad adventure.

After I climb into Shelly and turn her on I will proceed to drive from Waxahachie, TX to Denton, MD- approximately 1500 miles and/or 22 hours of straight driving. I will need to do that drive within 48 hours in order to catch a flight to Italy from Dulles Airport by 11:00 pm Tuesday night. I am hoping to do it in about 30 hours, leaving me “plenty” of time to catch up on necessary things like renewing my business license and/or sleeping.

So I climb on the airplane and delight in the ability to sleep, or read, or do anything other than pay attention to where I am going. Ten hours and fifteen minutes later I land in Istanbul, Turkey where I will probably try to go explore the city for a bit if they will let me out of the airport. I have a heinous 24 hour lay over after all. I am certainly not spending all that time staring at other bleary-eyed travelers near Gate B30 of the Ataturk International Airport.

Anyway. So flight to Turkey. Mini Turkish Adventure. Short flight from Istanbul to Rome. Hopefully manageable navigation of customs, etc. Catch commuter train from Airport to Termini Station. Catch 10:30 pm train from Rome to Cefalu, Sicily. Enjoy train ride down Italian coast and Train ON A FERRY ride across the bit of water separating Sicily and Italy. Get to Cefalu. Get picked up by family in Cefalu. Yay family!

Operation: Crazy Family in Sicily Adventure begins. Yippie!

Operation: Crazy Family in Sicily Adventure ends. Boo!

Return to Annapolis again via heinous Istanbul layover. Return the evening of May 1st. Sleep, or something.

May 2nd I drive out to the Virginia Faire Site near Lake Anna and meet up with Team Wonder-Fairy to set up our booth.

After that it starts to slow down. I just have a wedding on the west coast to catch, and to get back to Scarborough for the end of the faire. And then get back to Virginia. Somehow. Even though I’m probably leaving Shelly with the Wonder-Fairies to use as a safe and dry storage spot. And then there are some more shows and festivals along the east coast I might do. Or maybe I’ll be running out to help in Colorado. Or maybe back to Italy with my sister.

Who knows!

I’ll be somewhere on the planet. That’s good enough for me!

Bring it on summer! I have caffeine and glitter! I’m not afraid of you!

Wish me luck and stay tuned for updates, mishaps, adventures, and mushrooms! Mushrooms? Sure, why not?

With Love,

~Aeri

moccasisters unite

June 25, 2013September 9, 2013 Erica1 Comment

My goodness has it been a crazy couple of weeks, and the craziness just does not show signs of stopping. So here it is, the grand update on what has happened and what (theoretically planned as of now) will happen for the rest of the summer and into the fall. When you can’t remember where I am…just refer to this here post and you might get a bit of a hint.

So, what has happened? Things were cruising along fine ready for a standard rennie summer as of about two weeks ago. Then my dear friend (she’s like a second mother) and owner of Medieval Moccasins was told that she had a pancreatic tumor. We are still waiting to hear just how serious the treatment will be, but regardless, the news drastically and instantly changed the mood and plans for the whole Medieval Moccasins Clan (that means me too).

We decided that Chela, the daughter and partner owner of Medieval Moccasins, would stay home in Texas for the summer rather than take to the road on their summer show schedule so that a) she could be close to her mom and b) she could continue to keep up with production in their home workshop. I would fill Chela’s shoes for the summer, taking the stock and supplies on the road.

So I flew to Texas to pick up their Sprinter van full of shoes and foot stools and tenty things and took to the road, mostly excited to have three days to do the journey I had only recently completed in 24 hrs in the mad dash to get my own van and stuff up to Virginia in time for THAT show. The first day of travel was long but uneventful. I realized I would be passing through Memphis, TN around lunchtime the next day and made plans with a childhood friend to meet for lunch.

I never made it to lunch.

About 20 miles outside of Memphis (Arkansas side) the Sprinter made a sudden clunk, and lost all power and acceleration. I managed to coast off the nearest exit and into an Exxon parking lot. The Sprincess would not turn back on. The usual AAA call and wait followed. I was towed to a nearby Dodge dealership that has been wonderfully helpful in this whole situation. They rushed the sprinter to the front of the line and began diagnosing it. Basically what happened was the dealership in Texas where the sprinter had recently (like a week ago) been taken for a new transmission just didn’t put the transmission in right. So it fell out. And cracked nearly everything in the engine bay around it while it did so. We are STILL not sure when it will be fixed- at least a week from now they estimate.

So that left me stranded in Memphis with no vehicle, all the stock, and a show to get to by Saturday morning. One rented and loaded UHaul cargo van later and I was back on the road…only 24 hours behind schedule. So much for my leisurely drive north. I now had to make yet another mad dash through the night to get to Celtic Fling early enough on Friday to set up before the Friday night concert started. I drove from 4:00 pm Thursday until 2:00 am, slept until dawn sprawled across the front bucket seats and my backpack, and then kept driving until 2:00 pm Friday with barely a pause to refuel on gasoline and coffee. But I made it! And with my Wonder Twin Janeen we were set up in a record breaking 2.5 hours. Before Dark!

We went on to have a record breaking weekend, beating the previous top year by almost 20%. Thank goodness! We tore down Sunday night, ahead of the threatening thunderstorms and crawled back to the hotel for the night. I’ve accepted my +1 in Logistics Management and +3 in Crisis Management, and am reveling in my new level up to Super Gypsy status.

Now I am home in Annapolis for a few days, and we think that this is the plan moving forward:

I’m going to keep the Uhaul through the weekend to get up to Connecticut and set up there. By next week the Sprinter should (oh please!) be repaired and ready to be picked up. Also by next week my own van should be road worthy again (after getting back to Maryland from Texas I had to bring it in for a Maryland inspection and have the subsequent necessary repairs done. I also had to clear up a little bureaucratic nonsense surrounding the title and that should be resolved by the end of this week I hope. But of course it had to be problematic NOW).

I’ll drive down from CT with the Uhaul and meet the Texas driver in MD. I’ll send them on their way with Ace as a traveling companion. Ace, my husky, will be spending a much less chaotic summer with the Med Mocs Clan in Texas and I will met him there in the fall. The Uhaul will be returned to Memphis and the Sprinter picked up and taken back to Texas.

I will go back to CT (we are talking July 5th-ish by this point) for the last weekend there, now loaded into my Van. From Connecticut I’ll go to Sterling in Upstate NY for one weekend before heading west to Pennsylvania again for Pennsic War. After two weeks of Pennsic War I say good bye to my responsibility over the moccasin stock. It will head to Maryland to await the opening of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Meanwhile I will go back to complete the Sterling Faire in NY as a manager for Myles Tonne Leather (Clothing this time).

I will make it back to Maryland just in time for that show where I’ll be working for Unicorn Clothing. Maryland is open from the end of August until the end of October. When it is over I’ll pack up the rest of my life possessions, reload the moccasin stock into my van, and make the trek back to Texas. I’ll return the shoes and camp out in Toon Town while I work at the Texas Renaissance Festival until the first week of December.

This winter I will be staying in Texas with the Moccasin Clan in San Marcos. There is little point in driving back to MD after all that when I have to be in Arizona by the first week of February anyway.

So yeah. That’s where I’ve been and where I’ll be going for the rest of the year. It is crazy, I know, but baring any more exploding transmissions it should all work out.

That does mean though that I’ve decided to sell my second car, the cute little BMW I picked up about a year ago. It is a 1984 318i: 2 door, dark blue, sun roof, manual transmission (kind of persnickety though I’ll be honest). I bought it for $1500 and haven’t put any work into her. KBB puts her at $1900 even in the state she’s in, but I’d just like to get the $1500 back, or close to it. There’s just no point in keeping her if I never ever get to drive her. If you are interested or know anyone who is…please send them my way!

Now, I’m going to go take a nap. I think I deserve one.

Much Love,

Aeri

Traveling with Aeri

a fairy tale journey around the world

Tag: road trip