We were traveling west through North Dakota last summer when we saw signs for what looked like a rest area.
Nothing unusual about that.
We figured we would pull in, stretch our legs for a few minutes, use the facilities, and get back on the road.
Instead, we found ourselves at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
That was definitely more than we expected from a rest stop.
A Quick Stop That Turned Into Something More
Once we realized where we were, there was no way we were going to simply get back in the truck and leave.
The views opened up almost immediately.
The landscape was completely different from the road we had just been driving.
Rolling badlands, exposed layers of rock, patches of green, and wide-open views stretched out in front of us.
We spent some time walking around, taking pictures, and simply enjoying the fact that an ordinary travel-day stop had suddenly turned into something memorable.
One More Stamp in the Passport Book
One of my favorite little traditions when visiting national parks is getting my National Park Passport book stamped.
Since we had unexpectedly landed at a national park visitor center, I was able to add another cancellation stamp to the book.
That made the stop feel even more official.
We had not planned a national park visit that day.
We had not mapped out a hike or sightseeing stop.
We had simply pulled off the road.
The Best Kind of Travel Surprise
Some of our favorite travel memories have happened this way.
Not because we carefully planned every detail, but because we noticed a sign, decided to stop, and discovered something we did not expect.
The Painted Canyon stop gave us a chance to stretch our legs, enjoy a beautiful view, and add a national park memory to what would otherwise have been an ordinary travel day.
Sometimes the places you remember most are not the ones you planned for.
While spending part of the winter in the Mesa–Apache Junction area of Arizona, we decided to take a day and head out for a drive through the Superstition Mountains.
It turned into one of those simple travel days that had a little bit of everything we enjoy — beautiful scenery, an interesting roadside stop, a tiny town, and a memorable lunch.
One of our stops along the way was Canyon Lake Vista in the Tonto National Forest.
The view alone was worth pulling over for.
The combination of blue water, rugged mountains, desert vegetation, and that huge Arizona sky made for a pretty incredible backdrop.
We had been spending time in the desert around Mesa and Apache Junction, but driving farther into the mountains gave us a completely different perspective on the area.
Through the Superstition Mountains
The drive toward Tortilla Flat winds through some dramatic desert scenery.
The Superstition Mountains are rough, colorful, and full of the kind of rock formations that make you want to keep looking out the window.
Every turn seemed to bring another view.
It was one of those drives where the journey really was part of the destination.
Arriving in Tortilla Flat
Eventually we reached Tortilla Flat, a tiny stop tucked into the mountains. The population there is 6 people.
There is not a lot there, but that is part of the charm.
It has the feel of an old roadside stop that has managed to hang onto its personality.
The historic sign there explains that the area was once a welcome stop for travelers on the old Yavapai Trail and later became an important water and supply stop along the road used during construction of Roosevelt Dam.
Today, it is still a place where travelers stop — just for very different reasons.
Lunch With a Lot of Personality
Of course, we had to stop for lunch.
The restaurant was one of the most memorable parts of the visit.
The food was excellent, but the atmosphere was what really made it stand out.
Dollar bills covered the walls, railings, and just about every surface you could see, many of them signed and left behind by visitors.
Even the tables seemed to be part of the décor.
It had that fun, eclectic, slightly over-the-top feel that somehow fit Tortilla Flat perfectly.
It was not polished or fancy.
It was just interesting.
And sometimes that is exactly what makes a place memorable.
A Good Winter Day Trip
What we liked most about this outing was how easy it was to enjoy.
There was no major itinerary.
No long checklist of things to see.
We simply took a drive, stopped when something caught our attention, enjoyed the scenery, had a good lunch, and explored a place we had never been before.
Those are often some of our favorite travel days.
Spending the winter in the Mesa and Apache Junction area gave us access to a lot of places like this, and Tortilla Flat was one of the ones we were glad we took the time to see.
Sometimes the best day trips are the ones that do not need much planning.
Just a road, a few good views, and somewhere interesting at the end of it.
One of our recent Adirondack sightseeing adventures took us to The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, New York.
This summer, The Wild Center is hosting a traveling exhibit of giant trolls created by artist Thomas Dambo, and we had been looking forward to seeing them in person.
The fun part is that the trolls are not lined up inside a gallery.
You have to go looking for them.
Starting our troll hunt with a pretty impressive introduction.
Walking through the woods and suddenly coming across one of these huge wooden figures was part of what made the experience so much fun.
They fit into the forest surprisingly well. From a distance, some almost seem like they belong there.
And once we started finding them, we discovered that these weren’t simply giant sculptures. Each troll had a name, a personality, and a little story of its own.
Meeting the Trolls
Ronia Redeye — The Speaker Troll
Ronia is described as the smallest of the group, but she is also a natural leader. She uses words, poems, songs, and stories to help carry her message.
There was something fun about meeting each troll first and then reading the sign to learn a little more about who they were supposed to be.
Ronia Redeye — The Speaker Troll.
Basse Buller — The Painting Troll
Next we found Basse Buller, the wild one of the group.
Basse uses stones, leaves, sticks, mud, and whatever else he can find to make his mark.
He definitely looked like a troll who might be getting into a little trouble.
Basse Buller — The Painting Troll.
The amount of detail in these sculptures was incredible. The faces, hands, expressions, and layers of wood all gave them their own personalities.
Some looked friendly.
Some looked thoughtful.
And some looked like they were perfectly happy just hanging out in the woods.
Sofus Lotus — The Listening Troll
Sofus Lotus is the listening troll.
His story is about paying attention to the little things—the sounds and small changes in nature that are easy to miss if we are moving too quickly.
That seemed especially fitting in a place like this.
Walking through the woods looking for trolls naturally made us slow down and pay a little more attention to what was around us.
Sofus Lotus — The Listening Troll.
Rosa Sunfinger — The Botanical Troll
Then there was Rosa Sunfinger.
Rosa is the botanical troll, described as quiet and caring toward plants and other green creatures.
Her story is about helping bring life back to places where humans have left things behind.
Rosa Sunfinger — The Botanical Troll.
The setting really added to the experience. These characters didn’t feel like sculptures that had simply been placed beside a trail.
They felt like they had been tucked into the forest for us to discover.
The Troll That Spoke to Me
Of all of them, though, the one I probably identified with the most was Ibbi Pip, the Birdhouse Troll.
Ibbi Pip — The Birdhouse Troll.
Ibbi is described as handy, optimistic, and a friend to all animals.
After seeing humans build little houses to bring birds closer, Ibbi decided to put colorful birdhouses around the woods as a reminder that we share this world with other creatures.
Something about that combination of optimism, animals, and simply trying to make the world around you a little nicer really appealed to me.
I think that was one of the things I enjoyed most about the exhibit.
You could appreciate the trolls simply because they were fun to see, but once you read their stories, each one had a little more meaning behind it.
Kamma Can — The Treasure Troll
Finally, we found Kamma Can.
Kamma sees possibilities where other people might see trash.
Her story is about taking things that have been discarded and imagining what they could become instead of simply throwing them away.
That idea fits especially well with these giant sculptures, where wood and other materials have been turned into something completely unexpected.
Kamma Can — The Treasure Troll.
A Walk Through the Woods With a Twist
By the time we had found all six trolls, we had walked quite a bit, taken plenty of pictures, and had a lot of fun doing it.
Part of what made the experience enjoyable was that it gave us a reason to wander.
Instead of simply walking a trail from beginning to end, we were looking through the trees, wondering where the next troll might appear.
There was plenty of humor mixed in with the artwork too, which kept the whole experience light and fun.
And more than once, we found ourselves stopping to look at all the little details built into them.
Some of the trolls seemed almost like guardians of the forest.
Others looked like they had simply decided that this was a good place to sit down and stay awhile.
One More Adirondack Adventure
This was a completely different kind of outing from the hikes, scenic drives, lakes, and historic sites we have been exploring around the Adirondacks.
And that is part of what we are enjoying so much about spending time here.
There always seems to be something different waiting to be discovered.
Sometimes it is a quiet trail.
Sometimes it is an old covered bridge.
And sometimes it is a giant wooden troll sitting in the middle of the forest.
We are very glad we went looking for them.
And after meeting all six, we couldn’t help asking ourselves one more question:
We had driven past the sign for the Jay Covered Bridge more times than we could count this summer.
Every time we passed it, there was some version of, “We really need to stop there sometime.”
And, like so many places you pass when you’re staying in an area for a while, “sometime” kept getting pushed to another day.
This week, we finally stopped.
After passing the sign all summer, we finally took the turn.
The Jay Covered Bridge sits along the Au Sable River in the small town of Jay, New York, surrounded by the kind of Adirondack scenery that can make even a quick stop turn into something worth lingering over.
According to the historic marker, the bridge was erected in 1857 by George Burt and is the sole remaining wooden Howe truss bridge in Adirondack Park. It was restored to its original site in 2006.
That alone made it worth taking a closer look.
A Little History Along the Way
One of the things we enjoy about slowing down and exploring smaller towns is discovering how much history is tucked into places we might otherwise drive right through.
The information at the bridge tells some of the story of Jay itself, a town established in the late 1700s and shaped in part by the Au Sable River running through the valley.
But while the history is interesting, it was the bridge and the river that really kept our attention.
Getting a Closer Look
Standing beside it gives you a much better appreciation for just how substantial an old wooden bridge like this really is.
The weathered boards, the heavy timbers, and the river flowing beside it give the whole place a character that would be easy to miss if all you ever did was drive past the sign.
Then we walked through.
There is something about stepping inside a covered bridge that immediately feels different.
The light fades, the wooden structure surrounds you, and suddenly you are walking through something that has been part of this little corner of New York for generations.
The View From the Bridge
And then there was the view.
Looking through the opening of the bridge, the Au Sable River winds through exposed rock with the Adirondack hills rising beyond it.
It was one of those scenes that made us wonder why we had waited all summer to stop.
We stood for a while watching the water work its way between the rocks and listening to the river below.
Sometimes you travel a long way to find a beautiful place.
Other times, you’ve been driving past it for months.
Finally Taking the Turn
Full-time travel has given us the opportunity to see a lot of places, but it has also taught us something else: being somewhere for a while doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve really explored it.
There are always another road, another sign, another trail, or another little piece of history waiting nearby.
The Jay Covered Bridge had been one of those places for us all summer.
Some places become favorites because they are beautiful.
Others become favorites because of the memories attached to them.
For us, Ray Roberts Lake State Park – Johnson Branch in Texas is a little bit of both.
We first came here very early in our relationship on a date.
And this was the campsite.
The first campsite we ever stayed in together.
At the time, we had no idea how much camping and traveling would eventually become part of our lives.
It was simply a place to spend some time together, enjoy the outdoors, and see where things went.
A few years later, we have been back to Ray Roberts Lake several times and stayed in a few different campsites—but that first one will always be a little special.
A Place We Know We’ll Enjoy
There is something nice about returning to a campground you already know.
We enjoy discovering new places, but sometimes it is just as nice to pull into a park and already know that you are going to like being there.
Ray Roberts has become one of those places for us.
Life by the Water
One of our favorite parts of staying here is simply being near the lake.
There is not always a need to fill every day with sightseeing or activities.
Sometimes sitting in a chair, watching the water, letting the dogs relax nearby, and doing absolutely nothing for a while is exactly what we were looking for.
Those quiet campground days have become some of our favorite parts of RV travel.
Getting Out on the Trails
We have also spent time exploring some of the trails around the park.
There are several different hiking and biking options, so it is easy to find something depending on how much exploring you feel like doing that day.
And, as usual, the wildlife occasionally makes an appearance too.
One of the things we enjoy about state parks is that you never really know what you might see when you step outside.
The View Changes Every Time
Even after several visits, the park never looks exactly the same.
Different seasons, different campsites, different weather—and sometimes a sunset that makes you stop what you are doing for a few minutes.
That may be one of the reasons we keep coming back.
It is familiar without ever feeling boring.
More Than Just Another Campground
We have stayed in plenty of campgrounds since that fourth date.
Some have had bigger views, more amenities, or entirely new places waiting just outside the gate.
But Ray Roberts Lake will always be a little different.
It was one of the places where our camping story started.
Long before full-time RV travel, long before all the miles we have put behind us, and long before Gnomadiclife became what it is today, there were simply two people getting to know each other on a camping trip in Texas.
And every time we return, we get a small reminder of where all of this began.
Maybe that is why, no matter how many new places we visit, Ray Roberts Lake State Park keeps finding its way back onto our travel plans.
When we started thinking about work camping, one of the biggest attractions was the chance to use it as a way to see more of the country.
Our plan was pretty simple: head north for the summer, south for the winter, and let the jobs we found along the way help shape the journey.
Maine had been on our list for a long time, so when the opportunity came to spend the summer of 2024 working at two different KOA campgrounds, it felt like the perfect way to finally get there.
What we didn’t realize at the time was just how different those two campgrounds—and the experiences that came with them—would be.
Bar Harbor: A Destination People Had Been Waiting For
Our first KOA of the summer was in Bar Harbor, Maine, and almost immediately we noticed how destination-driven the campground was.
People were not just passing through.
Many of our guests had come specifically to see the Maine coast, spend time near the ocean, and visit Acadia National Park. Some told us they had been hoping to make the trip for years, which gave the campground a completely different kind of energy.
There was a real sense that people were excited to finally be there.
With views like this, it was easy to understand why.
The campground itself became part of the experience, but for many guests, it was also their home base for exploring everything they had traveled so far to see.
Mornings could be quiet and peaceful, with the water stretching out in front of the campground and guests planning their day around hikes, sightseeing, or time along the coast.
And then there were evenings like this.
Some nights, the sunset alone felt like part of the attraction.
Working there gave us a front-row seat to people finally checking a long-awaited trip off their list, and that made Bar Harbor feel less like a regular campground and more like a destination in its own right.
Lebanon/Salmon Falls River: The Campground Was the Vacation
Our second KOA of the summer had a completely different feel.
At Lebanon/Salmon Falls River KOA, many families were not using the campground simply as a place to sleep while they explored somewhere else. For a lot of them, the campground itself was the destination.
This was a place where families came back year after year for their summer vacation. We constantly heard stories from guests who had been visiting for many years—some of them since before the property ever became a KOA.
That history gave the campground a very different atmosphere.
There were a lot of seasonal guests, familiar faces, and families who already knew exactly what they wanted to do when they arrived.
And there was plenty for kids to do.
With two pools, a water slide, a ropes course, and other family-focused activities, the campground had much more of a resort feel than Bar Harbor.
Bar Harbor certainly had activities for kids, but the overall experience there felt more adult-oriented and tied to the surrounding destination. At Lebanon/Salmon Falls River, families could arrive, settle in, and spend much of their vacation without ever needing to leave the campground.
That made the day-to-day rhythm very different for us as work campers too.
At Bar Harbor, we were often helping people who were excited about Acadia, the coast, and everything they had traveled to Maine to see.
At Lebanon/Salmon Falls River, we were often seeing families return to a place that had already become part of their own traditions.
After spending time in Oklahoma, it was finally time to point the truck north and start making our way toward New York.
One of the things we enjoy about RV travel is that getting somewhere can become part of the adventure. Instead of simply trying to cover as many miles as possible in a day, we can break the trip into smaller pieces and discover places we probably never would have seen otherwise.
This trip north gave us a little bit of everything—an old favorite campground, a couple of Harvest Hosts, a KOA, a quiet riverside RV park, and eventually some much-anticipated time with family.
One Last Stop at Lake Thunderbird
Before leaving Oklahoma, we spent some time at one of our favorite spots at Lake Thunderbird State Park.
It’s hard to complain about a campsite with a view like this.
We have stayed here before, and there is something nice about beginning a long trip from a familiar place. With the RV sitting just a few steps from the water, it was a peaceful way to spend some time before we started putting serious miles behind us.
Then it was time to hitch up and head north.
A Harvest Hosts Stop at Point Labaddie
One of our overnight stops was Point Labaddie Brewery, a Harvest Hosts location.
One of the things we enjoy about Harvest Hosts is that the stay is a little different from a traditional campground. Instead of paying for a campsite in the usual way, you stay at a participating local business and support that business while you are there.
That might mean visiting a winery, brewery, farm, museum, or another locally owned stop along the way. For us, it has become a fun way to break up a long travel day while also discovering places we probably never would have found otherwise.
At Point Labaddie, Michael sampled a couple of beers, and we were lucky enough to be there while they had a farmers market going on. We picked up some fresh produce, enjoyed the stop, and felt like we were doing more than just finding a place to park for the night.
That is really the part of Harvest Hosts we like most. The overnight stay is useful, but the experience comes from supporting the people who are welcoming travelers onto their property.
Then, after a good night’s rest, it was time to get back on the road and continue north.
The Blueberry Patch in Ohio
Our next Harvest Hosts stay brought us to The Blueberry Patch in Ohio.
When we arrived, the weather made sure we knew it was spring.
Sometimes arriving at an overnight stop comes with a little added drama from the sky.
Once we had a chance to look around, though, we found a beautiful property.
Between the pond, the animals grazing nearby, and the carriage sitting under its shelter, this was much more than simply a place to park the RV for the night.
That is another thing we enjoy about Harvest Hosts. Sometimes the overnight stop itself becomes one of the memorable parts of the trip.
Chautauqua Lake KOA Holiday
As we continued north, we spent some time at Chautauqua Lake KOA Holiday.
This stop put us much closer to family, which made it feel a little different from the earlier overnight stops. By this point in the trip, we had already covered a lot of miles and crossed several states, so it was nice to slow down a bit and know we were getting close to where we wanted to be.
Sometimes a KOA is exactly what we need during a longer trip—a dependable place to settle in, take care of the RV, and recharge before moving on.
A Quiet Stop in Bainbridge
As we worked our way farther into New York, we stopped at a small RV park Riverside RV Park in Bainbridge.
Our site was tucked beside the water, which made for a quiet place to settle in after another travel day.
Not every campground needs a long list of amenities or activities. Sometimes what we appreciate most is a comfortable place to park, a little grass outside the door, and a peaceful view while we unwind.
After several days of moving north, we were finally getting very close to family.
Back with Family in New York
From there, the road took us to one of the most familiar parts of the entire trip—time with our parents.
The last few photos are from our mom’s and dad’s places in New York, and after days of campgrounds, Harvest Hosts, highways, and travel stops, there was something special about arriving somewhere connected to so many memories.
The old ice house—one of those familiar buildings that carries a little family history of its own.
The scenery here may not appear in a travel brochure, but places like this have a beauty of their own.
Coming back means more than simply reaching another destination. It means familiar porches, familiar views, and time with the people who make the place feel like home.
And then there are buildings like the old barn—part of the landscape for so long that you almost stop noticing them until you have been away for a while.
After leaving Oklahoma, spending time at Lake Thunderbird, visiting two very different Harvest Hosts, stopping at the KOA, and settling in beside the river in Bainbridge, we had finally made our way north.
The Adirondacks and plenty of new adventures were still ahead of us.
One of the things we have enjoyed most about our time in the Adirondacks has been something we did not really expect to pay so much attention to—the sky.
Of course, we came here for the mountains, forests, lakes, and trails. Those are the things you picture when you think about the Adirondacks. But after spending a little time here, we started noticing how much the sky changes the whole feel of the landscape.
Some days brought unusual cloud formations hanging low over the campground.
They almost looked sculpted, with smooth layers stacked across the horizon. It was the kind of sky that made us stop what we were doing and just stare for a while.
Other days were much simpler.
A deep blue sky, a quiet mountain ridge, and a single white cloud drifting overhead can be just as striking in its own way. There is something peaceful about a view like that, especially when there is nowhere you need to be and nothing you need to do except enjoy it.
Then there were evenings when the clouds caught the last light of the day.
For a few minutes, an ordinary campground view could turn into something completely different. The light would catch the edges of the clouds, the trees would begin to darken, and the whole scene would seem to change right in front of us.
And every now and then, the sky really put on a show.
This was one of those evenings.
The colors seemed to spread across the entire sky, glowing above the mountains and turning a regular evening at the RV into something we knew we wanted to remember.
One of the things we have come to appreciate about full-time travel is that some of the best moments are not planned at all. They do not require a reservation, a ticket, or even a drive somewhere.
Sometimes they happen when you step outside the RV, look toward the mountains, and realize the view has changed again.
The Adirondacks have given us plenty of beautiful scenery, but the skies here have become part of the experience too.
They can be calm one moment, dramatic the next, and completely different by evening.
Maybe that is part of what makes traveling this way so enjoyable.
You never really know what kind of view is waiting outside.
It has been a while since we shared one of our adventures here, so this seems like a good place to start again.
One of the things we enjoy most about traveling is finding places that don’t necessarily require an entire day or a complicated plan. Sometimes a short trail, a quiet pond, and a few hours in the woods are all we need.
While exploring the Adirondacks, we decided to hike the trail to Owen Pond, located in the Sentinel Range Wilderness Area.
The trail sign pointed us toward Owen Pond—only half a mile away.
The sign at the trail junction told us Owen Pond was only about half a mile away. That doesn’t sound like much, but one thing we’ve learned is that mileage doesn’t always tell the whole story when you’re hiking in the mountains.
The trail quickly took us into the woods, surrounded by thick green forest.
One of the things that caught our attention along the way was how the trees seemed determined to grow wherever they could. We came across one tree whose roots had completely wrapped themselves around a large boulder. Somehow, what looked like an impossible place to grow had become home.
Apparently, even a giant rock isn’t enough to discourage a determined Adirondack tree.
It was one of those little things that made us stop for a minute and really look.
The trail also followed areas near small streams running through the forest. With the sunlight filtering through the trees, ferns covering the ground, and water moving quietly between the rocks, it felt wonderfully removed from everything else.
One of the little streams winding through the woods along the way.
Eventually, the trees opened up and we reached Owen Pond.
And it was worth the walk.
Owen Pond, surrounded by the green Adirondack mountains.
The pond sits surrounded by the green Adirondack mountains, with forest coming right down to the water. There weren’t crowds, buildings, or much of anything to distract from the view—just water, mountains, trees, and a quiet place to enjoy them.
We spent some time beside the pond before beginning our walk back.
There is something about places like this that reminds us why we enjoy traveling the way we do. Some of our favorite memories haven’t come from famous attractions or carefully planned destinations. They have come from following a trail because a wooden sign pointed toward a pond half a mile away.
Before leaving, we also signed the trail register—our little record that, for one afternoon, we had been there.
Making it official—we were here!
It wasn’t the longest hike we’ve ever taken, and Owen Pond probably won’t appear on many people’s list of must-see tourist attractions.
But maybe that’s part of what made it so enjoyable.
Sometimes a quiet trail through the woods is exactly the adventure you’re looking for.
After leaving Colorado we made our way to Oklahoma for a few nights in the woods with no responsibilities at a State Park we’ve not been to before. We had reservations at Boiling Springs State Park and really enjoyed our time there. We had one “activity” day as we call them – basically a day to do whatever we want in a location that isn’t spent traveling to our next location. We chose to not even unhook the RV while we were there and took a nice walk to their office/gift shop to obtain maps and enjoy the park more. It is a really pretty park and we enjoyed our time there. The spots in the area that is not full hook up were much nicer and roomier than the area that is full hook up so I was glad we chose the roomier area to stay in when we booked our spot there.
While in Oklahoma we were able to help out a family member that had knee surgery while we were there, take care of our own medical appointments and enjoyed some restaurants we had not had access to in quite a while.
We also took the time while there to enjoy a movie at the theater for a date afternoon.
Afternoon Date
Also while in Oklahoma, Tessa saw her first live tarantula in the yard of our camping spot in Ada. We had come home from errands and as we were unloading the car there was a giant tarantula in the grass. Luckily it went on its way and it was safe to bring the pups out for a break – but I can tell you this I was sure to keep my eyes peeled for a return of that tarantula while we were there. We left Oklahoma sad to leave family but very excited for our next adventure.
