I can be at a campground in Shenandoah National Park in 2 hours. To be sure can get a camp site, I need to make reservations months in advance. This past weekend we had a reservation, booked late last year, so we spent two relaxing nights in the woods. It was also the first time we’ve dry camped in the Ascape - no hookups at all.

Dry campgrounds tend to attract more tent campers, and the sites are often more spread out. We were 3000 feet above sea level there, so a good 10 degrees cooler than back in Richmond. All good reasons to camp more often in dry campgrounds. Tent people are more my people than the folks in 40 foot luxury apartments on wheels. I fought some “sell out you are not really camping” thoughts when I bought the Ascape. But I got over it, because I was tired of sleeping on the ground. But there are no luxury recliners in my camper. It’s 72 square feet - where would I put them?

We got in relatively late on Friday, around 8 PM. So we just set up and retired to the camper to play board games, where I got squashed in Scrabble.

Saturday morning I hit the trail before 10 AM, doing a 7 mile loop from the campground.

• North on Appalachian Trail to Rose River Fire Road
• East on fire road, cross Skyline drive and turn left on Rose Rover horse trail.
• Follow horse trail to Rose Rover loop trail.
• Follow loop trail past Rose River Falls to Dark Hollow Falls Trail
• Climb past lower and middle falls to touristy and busy upper falls.
• Take .7 mile steep and rocky trail to Dark Hollow Falls parking lot - it will be a zoo if it’s a nice day.
• Cross street and pick up an unnamed trail back to campground.

On the Dark Hollow trail, don’t miss out on noticing the really poor footwear choices of your fellow “hikers.” I saw a woman in dollar store flip-flops with a baby in a baby carrier. I hope she didn’t fall and land on the kid. I’ve fallen on that trail. It is steep and rocky.

The hike is 3.5 miles down, then 3.5 miles back up. Once you hit the Rose River loop, you are paralleling rocky streams filled with little runs and falls the entire way, with countless opportunities to chill in a boulder in the river and relax.

Dark Hollow Falls is quite nice. The top viewing area will be over run with tourists. The middle falls, just a two-minute walk further, will be empty. I sat by the middle falls and had a good 10 minutes to myself before anybody else showed up. The last leg from Dark Hollow Falls to the parking lot is also filled with rocky rapids and mini falls all along the way. There are also a couple of places with inviting looking pools at the base of the falls.

I made it back to the campground around 1:30 PM and after a beer and a shower ($1.75 for 5 minutes!) I bought firewood for the night and took a pleasant 60-minute nap in the cool mountain air. I grilled steaks and corn on the cob for dinner, and we spent the evening relaxing by the campfire. With beer.

Campsite visitors

Checkout time on Sunday is noon, which is pretty liberal. Beats the KOAs that kick you out by 10 AM. Shenandoah National park is highly recommended. I buy an annual pass every year. And I booked a fall October weekend at Loft Mountain campground in the park, because Big Meadows was already sold out.

I can be at a campground in Shenandoah National Park in 2 hours. To be sure can get a camp site, I need to make reservations months in advance. This past weekend we had a reservation, booked late last year, so we spent two relaxing nights in the woods. It was also the first time we’ve dry camped in the Ascape - no hookups at all.

Dry campgrounds tend to attract more tent campers, and the sites are often more spread out. We were 3000 feet above sea level there, so a good 10 degrees cooler than back in Richmond. All good reasons to camp more often in dry campgrounds. Tent people are more my people than the folks in 40 foot luxury apartments on wheels. I fought some “sell out you are not really camping” thoughts when I bought the Ascape. But I got over it, because I was tired of sleeping on the ground. But there are no luxury recliners in my camper. It’s 72 square feet - where would I put them?

We got in relatively late on Friday, around 8 PM. So we just set up and retired to the camper to play board games, where I got squashed in Scrabble.

Saturday morning I hit the trail before 10 AM, doing a 7 mile loop from the campground.

• North on Appalachian Trail to Rose River Fire Road
• East on fire road, cross Skyline drive and turn left on Rose Rover horse trail.
• Follow horse trail to Rose Rover loop trail.
• Follow loop trail past Rose River Falls to Dark Hollow Falls Trail
• Climb past lower and middle falls to touristy and busy upper falls.
• Take .7 mile steep and rocky trail to Dark Hollow Falls parking lot - it will be a zoo if it’s a nice day.
• Cross street and pick up an unnamed trail back to campground.

On the Dark Hollow trail, don’t miss out on noticing the really poor footwear choices of your fellow “hikers.” I saw a woman in dollar store flip-flops with a baby in a baby carrier. I hope she didn’t fall and land on the kid. I’ve fallen on that trail. It is steep and rocky.

The hike is 3.5 miles down, then 3.5 miles back up. Once you hit the Rose River loop, you are paralleling rocky streams filled with little runs and falls the entire way, with countless opportunities to chill in a boulder in the river and relax.

Dark Hollow Falls is quite nice. The top viewing area will be over run with tourists. The middle falls, just a two-minute walk further, will be empty. I sat by the middle falls and had a good 10 minutes to myself before anybody else showed up. The last leg from Dark Hollow Falls to the parking lot is also filled with rocky rapids and mini falls all along the way. There are also a couple of places with inviting looking pools at the base of the falls.

I made it back to the campground around 1:30 PM and after a beer and a shower ($1.75 for 5 minutes!) I bought firewood for the night and took a pleasant 60-minute nap in the cool mountain air. I grilled steaks and corn on the cob for dinner, and we spent the evening relaxing by the campfire. With beer.

Campsite visitors

Checkout time on Sunday is noon, which is pretty liberal. Beats the KOAs that kick you out by 10 AM. Shenandoah National park is highly recommended. I buy an annual pass every year. And I booked a fall October weekend at Loft Mountain campground in the park, because Big Meadows was already sold out.

One year ago we picked up our camper - a 2020 Aliner Grand Ascape Plus. This is probably not news, unless this is your first visit to this corner of the Internet. 41 nights of camping later seems like a good time to look back at the last year.

First, the summer and fall of 2020 sucked a lot less for us because of Journey. We named the camper Journey. Journey Ascape. Get it? If you are my age and don’t get that, we probably can’t be friends. I’m sorry, but those are the rules. Anyway, back to the camper. We camped 30-ish nights last year, mostly staying in Virginia, but we did venture out of state twice into NC. I was reading stories on Twitter about people who hadn’t left their 400 sq. foot NYC apartment in weeks, and we were taking off every other weekend to hang out in the woods around the campfire and go hiking.

Yes, I was incredibly fortunate in that I had a job that wasn’t negatively impacted last year, and I worked from home anyway, so very little changed in that regard over 2020. Nobody in my house caught as much as a cold last year. It wasn’t like our pandemic was a party, but it was a much less miserable than it could have been, and on camping weekends it was downright fun.

I had been lusting for an Aliner Aframe for years, and did not know the Ascape existed until I went to Aliner’s website to look at the current Aframe lineup in March 2020. I absolutely would buy the Ascape again. We had the water pump replaced under warranty, otherwise it’s been just fine. It’s the perfect size for two people. It has all the stuff you want in a camper - 3-way fridge, microwave, stove, sink, hot water heater, cassette toilet, large bed, ac and heat. It’s only 1700 lbs. dry and tows easily behind our 2012 Ford Edge. The Edge easily maintains 65 mph through the Appalachian Mountains, and I get 14 MPG towing in the mountains and 16 MPG when towing east to the beach. We’ve camped in brutal 95F heat and the AC cools the camper to comfortable in less than 20 minutes and has no trouble keeping it there. It’s small enough that a $25 wall wart space heater easily keeps the camper comfortable in colder weather, meaning we don’t use our propane when shore power is available.

Negatives? It’s pretty close to a perfectly designed 14 foot tiny trailer. It’s not a nap friendly camper as the bench seats are too narrow to nap on, and you have to choose between the bed and the table. But I’d need a bigger trailer to have separate dining and sleeping areas. It’s got a large storage area under the cushions at the front of the trailer, but it’s a PITA to get to as usually bedding, pillows, etc. are stuffed under there during the day. Easier access to that storage would be nice. Draining the hot water heater requires a socket wrench to remove the plug, although it’s on the side and not under the camper, which is nice. And the gray water drain is so low to the ground due to the camper size that getting it to drain at most dump stations is an issue. I’ve stopped trying. I drain it into a 5-gallon container, then dump the container in the drain. It’s an 11 gallon tank, so only takes two cycles. The cassette toilet is super simple to deal with. Pull out the 5 gallon black water tank via an outside door and drain it into a toilet or dump station.

Owning the camper has changed how I drive, which I did not expect. When towing I don’t exceed 65 mph, so I camp in the right lane, set the cruise if not in the mountains, and go. It makes for a stress less driving experience as I’m not constantly changing lanes to pass, get back in the right lane, etc. I’ve noticed lately when driving without towing, I’m often just going 70 in the right lane, not the 78 that was my norm pre-camper. Minimizing lane changes reduces risk and stress. Or maybe I’m just older and not in as much of a rush.

If you buy a camper, do not buy all the stuff immediately. Camp a few times, borrowing all you can from home prior to investing in camping stuff. When the camper is new, you don’t know what you don’t know. We probably spent a few hundred bucks on accessories that we didn’t like or need and have since abandoned or replaced. Things not to skimp on include camp chairs, get good ones that will last, and a cooler. You don’t need a Yeti. The Igloo Marine Extreme is about $60 and delivers 80% of the performance of a Yeti. Also buy a hitch lock and a wheel boot and use both anytime parked and not hitched. RV thefts are way up. We have customized the interior of the camper a bit with additional storage, curtains, and wall art.

Another neat thing about the Ascape is that I can fit into a lot of campsites the folks with living rooms on wheels can’t use. It’ll fit in the parking area for most tent sites in a state park or commercial campground. This is especially helpful now as campgrounds are solidly booked across the country. I suspect (hope) that with the pandemic fading as a threat and life returning to normal, many new campers will return to their Holiday Inns. If you are looking to buy, this fall/winter could be a buyers market.

And finally, the camper has completely changed our future plans. Pre-camper the goal for years has been to move to the beach. Now we are thinking mountains. I researched moving west but between access to healthcare, cost of living etc. no city out west checks the boxes quite like Richmond and points east do. So we are looking around at Appalachian mountain towns that might make a nice home. My completely objective spreadsheet suggests Salem VA is our top location, with Roanoke and Asheville also in the mix. We’ll be researching and visiting over the next year, although staying in Richmond is certainly an option as being 90 minutes from the Ocean and the mountains is not a bad thing at all.

One year ago we picked up our camper - a 2020 Aliner Grand Ascape Plus. This is probably not news, unless this is your first visit to this corner of the Internet. 41 nights of camping later seems like a good time to look back at the last year.

First, the summer and fall of 2020 sucked a lot less for us because of Journey. We named the camper Journey. Journey Ascape. Get it? If you are my age and don’t get that, we probably can’t be friends. I’m sorry, but those are the rules. Anyway, back to the camper. We camped 30-ish nights last year, mostly staying in Virginia, but we did venture out of state twice into NC. I was reading stories on Twitter about people who hadn’t left their 400 sq. foot NYC apartment in weeks, and we were taking off every other weekend to hang out in the woods around the campfire and go hiking.

Yes, I was incredibly fortunate in that I had a job that wasn’t negatively impacted last year, and I worked from home anyway, so very little changed in that regard over 2020. Nobody in my house caught as much as a cold last year. It wasn’t like our pandemic was a party, but it was a much less miserable than it could have been, and on camping weekends it was downright fun.

I had been lusting for an Aliner Aframe for years, and did not know the Ascape existed until I went to Aliner’s website to look at the current Aframe lineup in March 2020. I absolutely would buy the Ascape again. We had the water pump replaced under warranty, otherwise it’s been just fine. It’s the perfect size for two people. It has all the stuff you want in a camper - 3-way fridge, microwave, stove, sink, hot water heater, cassette toilet, large bed, ac and heat. It’s only 1700 lbs. dry and tows easily behind our 2012 Ford Edge. The Edge easily maintains 65 mph through the Appalachian Mountains, and I get 14 MPG towing in the mountains and 16 MPG when towing east to the beach. We’ve camped in brutal 95F heat and the AC cools the camper to comfortable in less than 20 minutes and has no trouble keeping it there. It’s small enough that a $25 wall wart space heater easily keeps the camper comfortable in colder weather, meaning we don’t use our propane when shore power is available.

Negatives? It’s pretty close to a perfectly designed 14 foot tiny trailer. It’s not a nap friendly camper as the bench seats are too narrow to nap on, and you have to choose between the bed and the table. But I’d need a bigger trailer to have separate dining and sleeping areas. It’s got a large storage area under the cushions at the front of the trailer, but it’s a PITA to get to as usually bedding, pillows, etc. are stuffed under there during the day. Easier access to that storage would be nice. Draining the hot water heater requires a socket wrench to remove the plug, although it’s on the side and not under the camper, which is nice. And the gray water drain is so low to the ground due to the camper size that getting it to drain at most dump stations is an issue. I’ve stopped trying. I drain it into a 5-gallon container, then dump the container in the drain. It’s an 11 gallon tank, so only takes two cycles. The cassette toilet is super simple to deal with. Pull out the 5 gallon black water tank via an outside door and drain it into a toilet or dump station.

Owning the camper has changed how I drive, which I did not expect. When towing I don’t exceed 65 mph, so I camp in the right lane, set the cruise if not in the mountains, and go. It makes for a stress less driving experience as I’m not constantly changing lanes to pass, get back in the right lane, etc. I’ve noticed lately when driving without towing, I’m often just going 70 in the right lane, not the 78 that was my norm pre-camper. Minimizing lane changes reduces risk and stress. Or maybe I’m just older and not in as much of a rush.

If you buy a camper, do not buy all the stuff immediately. Camp a few times, borrowing all you can from home prior to investing in camping stuff. When the camper is new, you don’t know what you don’t know. We probably spent a few hundred bucks on accessories that we didn’t like or need and have since abandoned or replaced. Things not to skimp on include camp chairs, get good ones that will last, and a cooler. You don’t need a Yeti. The Igloo Marine Extreme is about $60 and delivers 80% of the performance of a Yeti. Also buy a hitch lock and a wheel boot and use both anytime parked and not hitched. RV thefts are way up. We have customized the interior of the camper a bit with additional storage, curtains, and wall art.

Another neat thing about the Ascape is that I can fit into a lot of campsites the folks with living rooms on wheels can’t use. It’ll fit in the parking area for most tent sites in a state park or commercial campground. This is especially helpful now as campgrounds are solidly booked across the country. I suspect (hope) that with the pandemic fading as a threat and life returning to normal, many new campers will return to their Holiday Inns. If you are looking to buy, this fall/winter could be a buyers market.

And finally, the camper has completely changed our future plans. Pre-camper the goal for years has been to move to the beach. Now we are thinking mountains. I researched moving west but between access to healthcare, cost of living etc. no city out west checks the boxes quite like Richmond and points east do. So we are looking around at Appalachian mountain towns that might make a nice home. My completely objective spreadsheet suggests Salem VA is our top location, with Roanoke and Asheville also in the mix. We’ll be researching and visiting over the next year, although staying in Richmond is certainly an option as being 90 minutes from the Ocean and the mountains is not a bad thing at all.

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

- 1 medium orange

- 1 lemon

- 3 Tbs olive oil

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Salad:

- 3 cups shaved brussels sprouts

- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

- 1 chopped apple

- 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

- 1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

For the Chicken:

- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1 Tbs whole-grain mustard

- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

- 1 lb chicken breast tenders

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 1/2 Tbs avocado oil

To make dressing for the salad: 

Finely grate orange peel, for orange zest, and place in a large bowl. Juice the orange and add to the bowl. Do the same with the lemon. Add oil, honey, salt, pepper, and whisk to blend. Add brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, apple, mint, basil, and walnuts. Toss to blend.

To make Rosemary Balsamic Chicken:

Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, and rosemary in a small bowl. Blend and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes on both sides until chicken is browned. Reduce heat to medium and add vinegar mixture. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce starts to reduce and thicken. 

Add chicken to the salad and enjoy! 

"Be thankful for the nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, and dreams that turned into reality." - Anonymous 

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

- 1 medium orange

- 1 lemon

- 3 Tbs olive oil

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Salad:

- 3 cups shaved brussels sprouts

- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

- 1 chopped apple

- 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

- 1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

For the Chicken:

- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1 Tbs whole-grain mustard

- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

- 1 lb chicken breast tenders

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 1/2 Tbs avocado oil

To make dressing for the salad: 

Finely grate orange peel, for orange zest, and place in a large bowl. Juice the orange and add to the bowl. Do the same with the lemon. Add oil, honey, salt, pepper, and whisk to blend. Add brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, apple, mint, basil, and walnuts. Toss to blend.

To make Rosemary Balsamic Chicken:

Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, and rosemary in a small bowl. Blend and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes on both sides until chicken is browned. Reduce heat to medium and add vinegar mixture. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce starts to reduce and thicken. 

Add chicken to the salad and enjoy! 

"Be thankful for the nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, and dreams that turned into reality." - Anonymous 

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

- 1 medium orange

- 1 lemon

- 3 Tbs olive oil

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Salad:

- 3 cups shaved brussels sprouts

- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

- 1 chopped apple

- 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

- 1/4 cup raw walnut pieces

For the Chicken:

- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

- 1 Tbs raw honey

- 1 Tbs whole-grain mustard

- 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

- 1 lb chicken breast tenders

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1 1/2 Tbs avocado oil

To make dressing for the salad: 

Finely grate orange peel, for orange zest, and place in a large bowl. Juice the orange and add to the bowl. Do the same with the lemon. Add oil, honey, salt, pepper, and whisk to blend. Add brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, apple, mint, basil, and walnuts. Toss to blend.

To make Rosemary Balsamic Chicken:

Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, and rosemary in a small bowl. Blend and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes on both sides until chicken is browned. Reduce heat to medium and add vinegar mixture. Cook until chicken is cooked through and sauce starts to reduce and thicken. 

Add chicken to the salad and enjoy! 

"Be thankful for the nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, and dreams that turned into reality." - Anonymous