To end the summer and celebrate my birthday, Patrick and I went on a little getaway weekend trip to Newport, Rhode Island. We had so much fun exploring this charming beach town, it’s a place I can’t wait to go back to in the future! Here’s my quick guide of things to do and see during a weekend trip.
Things to Know About Newport
🌊 The public beaches require a fee for entry. It seems like the rates are typically $25 weekdays and $35 weekends which is valid for the whole day. We were a bit surprised by this but the beaches were very clean and monitored so the money seems well worth it! Also something to note is there are a couple “residents only” beaches so keep an eye out for those too.
⚓️ There are several areas to stay at surrounding Newport. We found an airbnb in Portsmouth/Middletown, RI and we loved this area! It felt quieter and more residential which gave us space from the downtown area. It was also close to the beaches and only a 15 minute drive to downtown Newport. If you want to be close to the excitement, I’d recommend finding a hotel in the downtown area.
Things to Do
Throughout the weekend, we did a little bit of everything and it made for the perfect way to spend time here + celebrate my birthday! Newport is fairly small so doing a lot in a couple days is definitely manageable without having to drive or walk far which was so ideal for a weekend trip.
Activities
Shop! Newport has great local and well known name brand shops. Most shops can be found along Thames Street or America Cup Ave.
Stroll along the Cliff Walk. This is a popular thing to do in town if you’re looking for some light exercise and want stunning views of the ocean. We didn’t complete the entire walk but had fun doing parts of it in the morning. Parking can be found on the street leading up to the start of the walk or you can park at Easton’s beach parking lot.
Walk around in the Bowen’s Wharf area. Here you’ll find views of docked boats and amazing shops and restaurants.
Go to the Beach! We spent time at ‘Second beach’ and really enjoyed our time there. Another popular public beach is Easton’s beach.
Spend time at the Lawn at Castle Hill Inn. This has become a well known activity to do while visiting Newport in the summer months. On the lawn of this stunning hotel, you’ll find iconic Adirondack chairs to sit in while you view the coast while enjoying a drink. We attempted to go here for afternoon drinks but we were turned away on a Saturday due to too many people so keep that in mind.
Drive along Ocean drive. This is a beautiful road that goes right near the coast for more stunning New England coast views.
Go to a winery! We saw so many wineries closer to the beaches and the Portsmouth area which looked so fun. The Newport Vineyard was very close to our airbnb and we wish we would’ve had time to sit and explore this winery.
Explore the International Tennis Hall of Fame. We did not do this but it seems like a popular activity in the Newport area!
Restaurants
Nitro Bar. A very well known coffee shop that is worth the wait for delicious coffee & breakfast sandwiches.
Springline Coffee. This cute coffee shop is in the Bowen’s wharf area and right near the water. There’s a nice patio seating area right along the harbor.
Flora Cafe. This restaurant is inside the Gardiner house hotel, we went here for my birthday dinner and were very impressed with the food, drinks, and atmosphere of the place! They also serve breakfast and have a rooftop bar.
The Lobster Bar. We stopped here for a quick lunch break while strolling around and it was delicious with great lobster rolls.
Dell’s lemonade. This is a Newport staple and a must try for visitors! There’s a shop in the downtown area or you can usually find a truck at the beaches.
Mother’s Pizzeria. We grabbed a pizza here to go when we first arrived and it was incredible! It looks like a really great place to sit down and eat too.
Seaside Scoops. Delicious ice cream and unique flavors!
Birthday cake by the beachCliff walkWater coloring at the beachViews along the cliff walkDell’s lemonade!Morning coffeeMorning beach viewsSecond beachNitro barBowen’s wharf areaOur outdoor shower at the airbnb
Woodstock, Vermont seems like a town right out of a hallmark movie! It’s one of the coziest places I’ve ever visited, especially during the fall season. Patrick and I had the opportunity to visit this past fall while traveling through Vermont and we had such a fun time strolling around this area for an afternoon. Here are some of my tips and favorite spots:
How to Plan a Trip to Woodstock
Woodstock, Vermont is a small town that offers local shops, restaurants, covered bridges, and the perfect place to soak in the fall foliage. That being said, I would recommend combining a trip to Woodstock with another nearby Vermont town. We visited Woodstock and Stowe within the same trip which was ideal and gave us more site seeing and activities to enjoy.
Best Things to do in Woodstock
Stroll the shops! We had so much fun going in and out of the local shops within the town. Some of our favorites:
Woody’s Mercantile
Vermont Flannel Co.
Yankee bookshop
F.H. Gillingham & Sons
Encore Designer consignment
Clover gift shop
Enjoy delicious food. Woodstock has a few great food and coffee options! Here were some of our favorites:
Soulfully good cafe- this was closed when we visited but we’ve heard great things about it!
Village Butcher shop- delicious deli sandwiches and quick to go meals
Visit a covered bridge. Woodstock is known for some of their covered bridges! You can drive under the bridges or walk along the side.
Middle covered bridge
Taftsville covered bridge
Lincoln covered bridge
Check out the Woodstock Inn. This is a famous hotel right in the heart of Woodstock. The public is welcome to their restaurant and to walk around the grounds. If you’re able to stay here, I imagine it would be a wonderful experience!
Walk to Pleasant Street. This street captures so much charm Woodstock offers and it feels like you’re walking on the set of a hallmark movie. The homes are also so fun to look at and imagine what life here would be like. Keep your eye out for one house on Pleasant street that has become well known during the fall for simply placing little pumpkins along the fence line. It makes for a really sweet view and picture!
Enjoy a maple creemee! Woodstock scoops has amazing ice cream and they are famous for maple creemees. A creemee is essentially soft serve and is a popular treat in this area. I would highly recommend trying while passing through!
Stop by a maple syrup farm. Sugarbush farms has become a famous spot in Woodstock for their tours of maple syrup and cheese making. We didn’t have a chance to do this but I’ve heard such great things about this farm it seems worth recommending!
Middle covered bridgeWoodstock scoopsMaple syrup heavenShopping in woodstockMon Vert cafeDowntown WoodstockDowntown woodstockMiddle covered bridgeShops downtownYankee bookshopFall foliage in woodstockPumpkins on Pleasant St. Yankee bookshopSelecting some maple syrup goods from F.H. Gillingham & Sons general store
This past fall, Patrick and I went on a two week road trip through various areas of New England. The trip ended with some time in Maine where we first explored Acadia national park and then made our way down the coast to visit various coastal towns. The best part about this area of Maine is that these small coastal towns are all within a short drive from each other so it’s possible to pick a home base and make some day trips. Patrick and I fell in love with this area of Maine and enjoyed about three days exploring various little towns, eating amazing lobster, enjoying sunsets at gorgeous lighthouses, and to top off our time in Maine, we left engaged! Here’s a quick guide to a few of our favorite towns along the coast of Maine.
Portland, ME
Portland is a major stop when traveling through this area of Maine. We had a half day here and mostly strolled around the main areas of downtown going in and out of shops and enjoying some of the best lobster we’ve ever had! Some of our favorite stops:
Food
Portland Lobster Co. Hands down the best lobster roll we tried the entire trip! We liked it so much we went twice! If lobster isn’t your thing, they also have some other menu items but I’d recommend at least trying some of their lobster to say you did in Maine!
Holy Donut. This is an iconic spot in Portland! They are famous for their potato style donuts and typically have a line of people waiting throughout the day to try a donut. We were skeptical of a potato style donut but it was AMAZING! Definitely worth a stop! We went to the main location downtown on Commercial street but they have a couple locations scattered throughout the city. They close once donuts for the day are sold out so be sure to get there early if possible!
Shops
Soleil. This is a french inspired store with sweet decor and home gifts. Inside there’s also one of Portland’s “mini print vending machines” where you can put in some quarters and receive a small print created by a local artist.
There’s too many souvenir shops along commercial street in Portland but I’d recommend walking along and going in and out of some unique shops.
Activities
Portland Head lighthouse. A must see while visiting Portland! This is about 25-30 minutes outside of the downtown area but worth the drive, especially at sunset! This was definitely the most beautiful lighthouse we saw during the trip. Keep in mind, when we visited there was a gate in place that blocked access to the rocks around the lighthouse. While researching this spot, on social media it appeared that visitors could sit on the rocks and take photos with a closer view but this was not the case when we visited October 2024. This may be a temporary thing in the colder months but wanted to share.
Stroll around downtown! Portland seemed like a typical busy city with lots to do and see. We enjoyed walking down commercial and wharf street.
Take a walk down Wharf street. This is a popular street in the heart of downtown with lots of amazing restaurants. The street is well known for it’s cobblestone and moss covered buildings.
Take a boating tour. We didn’t do this, but we saw lots of signs about boating tours which may have been fun if we had more time.
Portland Head lighthouseHoly donutsSoleilLobster rolls at Portland Lobster co.Sunset at Portland Head lighthousePortland lobster
Kennebuckport, ME
When we were planning this road trip, we weren’t planning to stay in Kennebuckport or pass through it. However, we had a last minute change to our itinerary because we decided we’d rather have an airbnb instead of camp the last few nights of the trip so I quickly found us a cute spot to stay and it ended up being in Kennebuckport. We were so happy this came to be! Kennebuckport is such a charming coastal town. It gives that small town feel where all the locals know each other, everyone walks to work, and there’s only small businesses in town. I’d definitely recommended stopping or staying in Kennebuckport if you’re driving down the coast. Some of our favorite stops:
Food
Dock Square coffee house. We started our morning here one day and loved the coffee! It’s also just a sweet little coffee shop right in the heart of town.
Mornings in Paris. This is another popular coffee shop in town, we didn’t stop here but our airbnb host left us some coffee to use from this shop and it was really good as well!
H.B. Provisions. This is a great stop for anything you may need while passing through. There’s food, groceries, drinks, souvenirs, etc. We stopped here one morning for a breakfast sandwich before exploring and it was great!
Roma Pizza. We picked up a pizza from here quickly after our drive in from Acadia and it was delicious!
Alisson’s restaurant. We had dinner here after getting engaged and it was so tasty! They have a little bit of everything on the menu.
Shops
Scalawags Pet Boutique. This was such a cute pet shop! We found so many great souvineers to bring home to our fur babies.
Too Cool t shirt store. A great place to find souvenirs for yourself or loved ones.
Mountain Tops. Another great souvenir shop.
Any shops along dock square or ocean ave are worth stopping by!
Dock square coffeeDowntown scenes in KennebuckportDowntown KennebuckportInside shops within KennebuckportDowntown KennebuckportDowntown KennebuckportDowntown KennebuckportShops near dock square
Ogunquit, ME
Ogunquit was a stop along the road trip I was excited about because I had seen some many other blog posts and photos highlighting the town’s beauty. It’s another charming coastal town with such a special feeling. We enjoyed spending an afternoon here walking around and soaking in more incredible Maine views. In the future, I’d love to visit this area again and stay overnight. If you’re visiting as a day trip like we did, keep in mind, parking can be a bit pricey. Our favorite stops:
Food
Foot Bridge Lobster. This was the only place we tried while visiting and we weren’t too impressed with their lobster rolls. There was several other little restaurants in town though so it seems like there are plenty of options!
Shops
Maine Originals. This was a cute souvenir and apparel store!
Nothing Better than Doing Nothing. Another great souvenir shop.
Dock Square Clothiers. A nice place to find a t-shirt or sweatshirt souvenir to bring home.
Perkins Cove Pottery shop. This was a sweet shop with handmade pottery done by a local artist.
Activities
Marginal Way. This is one of the top things to do in Ogunquit! Marginal way is a paved trail that goes along the coast line providing stunning views of the ocean and town.
Perkins Cove. This is a charming area in Ogunquit where most stores are located. It’s also a very picturesque area in town. You are able to drive through here but it seems mostly for foot traffic.
Walk along the Perkins Cove drawbridge. This is right near Perkins cove and visitors can actually push a button to open the bridge for taller boats to pass through.
Views along marginal wayPerkins cove viewsMarginal wayPerkins covePerkin’s cove drawbridgeViews from the drawbridgeFoot bridge lobster
York, ME
York was another last minute stop. We had some down time and we saw York was only 20 minutes away from Ogunquit and we decided to make the drive there for sunset. York ended up being one of my favorite stops because of the memories made here. One of the main things do to in York in visit Nubble lighthouse, it’s the heart of the town. We decided to spend sunset here and it was one of the most beautiful sunsets I’d ever seen. As the sun was setting, Patrick and I set up our tripod to take some videos and photos together, as we always do when traveling together, and to my surprise Patrick ended up proposing! It was such a beautiful moment and I couldn’t have asked for a better sunset and evening. York is a place I’ll cherish forever because of this incredible moment.
Since we were only in York for a couple of hours, the only thing I can really recommend is going to Nubble lighthouse for sunset! There is a sweet gift shop right near the lighthouse with bathrooms, souvenirs, and information about the town. While driving through the town, it seems like a sweet area with lots of activities especially available during the warmer months of the year.
Activities
Watch sunset at Nubble light house. Since we were only here for a brief amount of time, this is my only recommendation! It was a stunning place to view the sun setting.
Getting engaged at Nubble lighthouseSurprise proposal
Planning a trip can be overwhelming and stressful at times, especially larger trips. The planning process can take time depending on where you’re planning to go. I always recommended planning early if possible to relieve stress and give yourself plenty of time to make reservations and develop a plan for your trip. If planning in advance isn’t a strength of yours, I’m hoping this guide gives you some ideas to make it a little less stressful!
Where to Start When Planning a Trip
📍Pick your desired destination, the fun part! Sometimes this is easy but if you aren’t sure where you’d like to go, consider what types of activities you’d like to do, if you’d rather relax or adventure, and how far you’re willing to fly or drive to reach your destination.
⏰ Determine timeframe. I like to start the planning process with a general idea of when I’ll be going on a trip. This may be depend on the area you’re visiting and whether there’s a better time to visit or it may be based on your availability. I usually gravitate towards traveling in the summer or fall months, the weather is usually better and there’s more opportunity for activities.
🚐 Decide whether driving or flying makes the most sense. Driving can take more time but it saves you the hassle of having to find a rental car or other means of transportation at your destination. Plus, there’s no limit to what you can bring, if you’re an over packer like me!
🎟 If you have/want to fly, I’d book flight tickets pretty soon after deciding on dates. Similarly, if you decide to drive, plan out any reservations you’ll need for accommodations or tickets needed for various activities.
How to Develop an Itinerary
Once you have a general timeframe decided, know where you’ll be going, and choosen whether to drive or fly, it’s time to start forming an itinerary.
I typically create my itineraries in Notion but any word doc, excel sheet, or even hand written will work fine!
An itinerary can be as detailed as you want it to be! If you feel more confident with a detailed plan of activities and sites to see while on a trip, a list of several things may be better for you. Or, if you’d rather go with the flow on your trip but still resort to a list of ideas of what to do some days, a lighter itinerary may work better. Reflect and be realistic with what will work for you! It is vacation after all so nothing with an itinerary has to be set in stone, it’s really just to have something to guide you, especially if it’s a new destination you’ll be visiting.
I like to list out all the days I know I’ll be on a trip and include:
Where we are sleeping that day
Any “must sees” if it’s a specific area
How much drive time is required between sites
Resturants to try
A collection of hikes, sites, or other attractions I want to visit that given day
On the itinerary, I also include reminders for myself if I need to reserve tickets for an activity or if I should check the weather before committing to a particular activity on a given day, etc.
How to Find Things to Do
I usually always start by browsing on Pinterest to find blog posts or other online sources that others have shared from visiting the area. I love hearing about other’s experiences and gaining a visual of what the area I’ll be visiting looks like. It really inspires me and excites me while planning a trip!
Social media will be your friend. Similarly to Pinterest, I’ll browse instagram, youtube or TikTok to gain video sources of what others did in the area I’ll be visiting to give me ideas.
I also recommend making a list of what you find through research. This will help you keep organized on things you’d like to do and see throughout your trip and then add to the itinerary later.
Tips
Be flexible with plans! Things can change so easily while traveling so even with an itinerary, it’s important to have an expectation that things may not go according to plan and that’s ok! Whenever I’ve gone on a larger trip, there are always changes to plans that happen just depending on weather, crowds, fatigue, etc. In my experience, because I had a list of so many places and activities I wanted to see for a trip, I would sometimes switch days or plans around if needed while on the trip which worked so well and gave me alternate ideas if I needed to be flexible.
I always recommended planning at least 3-6 months in advance, more for ease of mind that things are booked and there’s a plan in place.
Start a check list of packing necessities you’ll need to bring, especially if it’s a big trip. This is so helpful to ensure you don’t forget anything!
If you’re a visual person, I’d recommend adding photos of certain spots you’re excited to see on the trip to your itinerary or planner. I do this and it always helps to see what I’lll be doing and makes me even more excited for the trip to come!
A few weekends ago, Patrick and I drove out to the Catskill mountains area and spent some time exploring Woodstock, NY. We had so much fun spending time in a new place, hiking to incredible views, and enjoying some good food. We found an airbnb in Cornwallville, NY which was about 45 minutes outside of Woodstock. Here’s an overview of what we did and some tips if you plan to visit too.
To Do:
Explore the downtown area. Woodstock is so vibrant and welcoming, it was so much fun to walk around downtown checking out various shops and restaurants. Some of our favorite places we stopped at:
Bread Alone Bakery
Catskill Mountain Pizza
Candlestock
Mirabai Bookstore
Any shops along Tinker Street
Go on hikes! We attempted these nearby hikes:
Kaaterskill Falls (parking at the laurel house road area). We unfortunately weren’t able to hike this trail because it was so crowded when we attempted to go! We drove around the parking lot for 30+ minutes trying to find a spot and were unsuccessful. I’d recommend getting here early if you plan to hike this trail especially on the weekend!
Overlook Mountain. This was an amazing and challenging hike just outside of the downtown area of Woodstock. This trail is an out and back style, 4.6 miles roundtrip. It’s also mostly all up hill on the way so be prepared for a steep and challenging push to the top of the mountain. The view at the top is very rewarding though!
Both of these trails were dog friendly which was a plus too :)
Drive around to nearby towns within the Catskills. The Catskill mountain area is so large but Woodstock is close to a lot of neat nearby areas like Catskill, Hudson, and Saugerties. We didn’t have time to spend time in other areas but I’d love to in the future!
Tips
Arrive to trails early! Learn from our mistake and get to trails early to beat crowds, especially on the weekend.
Find a place to stay that’s central to the area you want to explore. I never realized how big the catskill region is!
Many roads within this region are curvy and “back road” type of style. It took a little longer to get to places because of this.
Top of overlook mountain!Bread Alone bakeryExploring shops on Tinker St. in WoodstockCandlestock storeExploring woodstockMirabai bookstoreOur cozy airbnb in CornwallvilleBookstore in WoodstockHiking to overlook mountainDowntown Woodstock
This past weekend, I was able to spend time camping in one of my favorite places, Allegheny National Forest. Patrick and I first visited Allegheny last spring and enjoyed it so much we wanted to experience the forest during the fall season. We stayed at Red Bridge campground again, one of our favorite campgrounds we’ve ever stayed at. This time we were able to reserve a campsite in advance and choose a beautiful spacious spot surrounded by stunning fall foliage. Here’s a list of extra supplies we brought this time to prep for the chillier weather in the fall and to make the experience more cozy:
Fall Camping Tips & Cozy Supply to Pack
Tips:
Check the weather. Fall camping usually brings cooler temps at night and rain depending on where you’re located. While we were in Allegheny it did rain for most of the trip.
Pack lots of layers. There’s nothing worse then being cold and wet. Packing extra layers will provide options and extra warmth on the chilly nights.
Be flexible with plans. During our camp visit, it rained majority of the time which was challenging! Being able to make the most of the trip despite the weather is a must.
Reserve a camping spot in advance. If possible, it’s always reassuring to have a camp site reserved, especially in the fall season. Most seasonal campgrounds are only open through October so it’s usually more popular during the fall months depending on the location.
Supplies to pack for fall camping & for a cozy vibe while camping:
Tent with rain cover
Awning or area to cover from rain so cooking is accessible
Lights (string or lanterns) to help when it gets darker earlier
Comforter or extra blankets for sleeping
Supplies for hot beverages
Layers of clothing
Comfy camp chairs
Table cloth for picnic table
Cozy shoes and socks to wear around camp
Waffle maker for breakfast
Although some of these supplies aren’t necessary, it definitely made for a cozier experience while camping in the fall season.
breakfast at campmorning coffee from the tentour attempt at a family picturebreakfast spreadcozy tentmorning coffeered bridge campgroundtent at nightcozy layerspumpkin waffles for breakfastmorning views from the tenttent set up prepping dinner
Along Lake Erie, just past Sandusky, you’ll find the charming quaint town of Lakeside. Lakeside is a special place for me, as my family used to visit regularly in the summertime when I was a child. I haven’t been back in years so Patrick and I decided to revisit during labor day weekend! I had such a great time reminiscing on childhood memories and relaxing in this timeless town, it truly has the same charm I remember from years ago. Lakeside is the perfect spot for a small town getaway! Here is some tips and things to keep in mind before visiting Lakeside.
Things to know about Lakeside
During the summer months (Memorial Day through Labor Day) Lakeside requires visitors to purchase day passes and auto passes. These gate fees can be purchased online before hand or when you first arrive at the gate. Lakeside is open all year and the gate fees are only during the summer season.
There are several hotels and bed and breakfasts and cottages available. This trip we booked our stay at Hotel Lakeside and loved it! All accommodations can be found on the website.
During the summer months we noticed most restaurants were open in the mornings until 3pm and closed and reopened at 5pm for the dinner crowds.
The town has a newspaper published with events happening each week, be sure to grab one when arriving to stay up to date.
Parking is limited and confusing. There aren’t many designated spots for those who aren’t staying in a cottage. You may have to do several loops around the area to find a parking spot.
We spent two days at Lakeside and this was the perfect amount of time for a short getaway. During our stay, we booked a room at the Hotel Lakeside which is an iconic landmark in the park. The hotel was built in 1875 and the charm is still alive today! If you visit for longer than a weekend, I’d recommend renting a cottage.
Things to do in Lakeside
Wake up early for donuts at The Patio. They have the best cake donuts! They still taste the same as they did when I was a kid.
Grab a cup of coffee at Coffee and Cream or Oh La La. Both cafe’s are nice options with a variety of coffee choices as well as breakfast and lunch bites.
Play mini golf. The course is unique and with 15 holes, it will make for a fun day or night activity!
Stop by the t-shirt shop under the dock awning! It’s a small little shop with some of the coolest apparel to take as souvenirs.
Have lunch at Blue Bird cafe. Located just near the dock in the center of town, Blue Bird has delicious sandwiches and salads with a great outdoor seating area right near the water.
Rent a bike or golf cart at Sypherd Cycle. One of my favorite parts about Lakeside is that almost everyone bikes or rides golf carts around the town. We rented bikes and it was so fun to feel like a local for the weekend.
Have dinner at Lakeside pizzeria, former known as Sloopy’s pizza. This is a town favorite for pizza!
Go for a swim in Lake Erie! There’s access from the “beach” area or from the dock.
See a concert or speaker at the Hoover Auditorium. Lakeside does a nice job finding entertainment for visitors and access to the auditorium is included in the gate fee.
Trail along beachRoom at Hotel LakesideDetails in hotel roomFlorals along hotelScreened porch view at the hotelScreened porch at hotelKey for hotel roomEnjoying donuts by the beachIce cream from the patioView of Lake Erie from the dockBiking riding around townSunrise at the beachMorning donuts from the patioIconic Lakeside dock awning
Last weekend, Patrick and I spontaneously decided to go camping in Allegheny National Forest. Camping has always been something that helps ground us and provide the perfect reset when life feels stressful. We’ve always talked about going to Allegheny and we finally made the trip happen! Here’s some photos of our quick trip to Allegheny and the camping list we always use that gives us the most comfort while camping.
Our time in Allegheny was short and sweet but it definitely has me excited to visit again in the future. We found a couple campgrounds in the area that were open already for the season, most were first come first serve, which always makes me a little anxious but luckily we were able to find a great spot. We stayed at Red Bridge Campground and we loved it! This campground felt scenic and secluded but also had plenty of amenities which is always a luxury while camping. I would highly recommend this campground, we plan to stay here again during our next visit.
Our Camp List
This is our camping list that we use when we go on quick weekend trip or a long road trip. Some of these items were investments to ensure we had the most comfort, especially for our longer trips. Most of these items aren’t necessary especially for a quick weekend trip but they definitely make us feel more at ease and comfortable which is our goal while camping or traveling on the road.
Sleep
Tent, with rain cover
Air mattress
Sheets
Blankets
Sleeping bags
Pillows
Hygiene
Travel toilet
Biodegradable waste bags
Toilet paper
Trash bags
Body wash and shampoo
Tooth brush and tooth paste
Cook
Newair refrigerator or cooler
Cooking utensils
Eating utensils
Plates
Bowls
Coffee mugs
Pots and pans
Stove top and propane
Jetboil
Cutting board
Stanley pour over stand
Containers/bags to store leftover food
Water cooler
Collapsible sink
Campsuds dish soap
Sponge to wash dishes
Comfort
Rinse kit (helpful for a quick rinse off or to assist with washing dishes)
Camp chairs
Hammock
Quick dry towels
Jackery generator (we use this to keep our refrigerator powered and other things we need to charge)
Cameras
String lights
Journals/books
Card games
Safety
Medicine kit
Lantern
Garmen inreach mini satellite gps (helpful when there’s no service!)
Quick start car battery charge
Misc.
Fire starter supply
Citronella candle
Small hatchet/shovel
Tent set upMorning coffeeRed Bridge CampgroundPrepping dinnerMorning at campStarting a campfire for the eveningCamp breakfastView of our setupS’mores!Walking around the campground
Last weekend, I booked a surprise trip for my boyfriend Patrick’s birthday. Hocking Hills State Park is a place we both have wanted to visit. I knew booking a cabin for his birthday weekend would be the perfect way to soak up the beauty of the park.
The park is full of beautiful trails, cliffs, and waterfalls. Located in Southeast Ohio, Hocking Hills State park is a special place that feels like a national park at times. Most of the trails are not difficult and several are connected making it easy to see more locations by foot. I would suggest starting the day early to beat some crowds to enjoy the scenery in a more private way.
Tips
Wear waterproof footwear- almost all the trails we encountered had waterfalls or streams of water. It was a relief to hike through without worrying about our feet getting wet.
Bring plenty of water and snacks- there are a lot of beautifully spots to have an impromptu picnic or lunch while hiking.
Plan out stops- there is very little cell service within and around Hocking Hills so it’s best to plan out where to hike first if directions are needed via google maps. At the Old Man’s Cave visitor’s center, they provided maps of the popular trails which was helpful to have along while we were hiking.
Bring layers and rain gear- it rained off and on the whole weekend we were visiting and it was so nice to have a rain jacket
Spots to see:
Old Man’s Cave
Rock House
Cedar Falls
Ash Cave
Other spots and activities:
Hocking Hills winery– you can bring your own food and buy wine for a relaxing night after a day of hiking!
Kayaking down the Hocking Hills River- we booked a 5 mile kayak trip to end our time in hocking hills
skylarbeck.com 