Our theme for the month of June is “snapshots.” Writers were asked to submit a piece with a cover photo that they took or created.
I turned 25 last month, and I have to say I feel…old? But somehow also exactly the same? I suppose that’s how most birthdays go after you’ve checked all the exciting ones off the list: driving, voting, drinking…really what else is there?
This year, there was a road trip. One of the surreal things about being 25 is that I still kind of feel like I’m 15, and I should ask permission to do things, like take a trip. It’s wild to me that I can just go somewhere if I feel like it.
So this year (with an idea pitched a ripe fourth months into dating, for a trip five months away) my boyfriend and I embarked on the adventure of our young lives. Never have I gone on such a long, far trip without any “real” grownups. I’d love to say it went off without a hitch, but fortunately the few wrinkles we encountered weren’t the end of the world.
Our trip was a seven-day, eight-state, four–national park, three-campsite adventure covering 2,132 miles (per the odometer when my boyfriend deposited me home at 11:30 p.m.). Prompted by the fact that we both love to camp and explore, but he had never been to any national parks, our scheme was built over months of route-planning and gear-buying, complete with a test trip to Pennsylvania and a car full of snacks.
Day 1: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio
We left after the end of my work day in New York, around 5 p.m. A quick 4.5-hour drive landed us at a friend’s house just outside of Cleveland, Ohio, where we had a lovely meal and a few too many shots of Amaretto and were serenaded by the local banjo player. Apart from some timing frustrations (he and I have very different definitions of “on time”), we succeeded in passing our first day without any emotional crises. Success!
Day 2: Ohio, West Virginia
You can’t camp in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, but it was a scant hour drive from my friend’s house, so we continued on our adventure the next morning. The park is surrounded by Cleveland on all sides, but is a beautiful oasis. It was a perfect day for our first park, and just the right introduction to the adventure. Below is Brandywine Falls, on the north side of the park.
We left the Cuyahoga Valley in the mid afternoon, in hopes we could explore one of America’s scenic byways and make it to New River Gorge in time for sunset. We achieved one of those goals. We ended up skipping New River Gorge and went straight to our first campsite, with plans to backtrack in the morning. Again, a successful day of fun and adventure, and we didn’t even come close to killing each other.
Day 3: West Virginia, Regular Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina
Backtracking turned out to be the right move. We got more time at the famous New River Gorge Bridge, and we ventured to the biggest falls in the park where we saw an oft-elusive scarlet tanger. After a delightful picnic lunch, we continued on a long drive through Virginia and Tennessee to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and we didn’t stop until we made it to the highest point in the park, Clingman’s Dome, right at sunset (below).
We camped that night in the Smokies, setting up our camp in the dark, in the rain, at roughly midnight having not eaten dinner. The closest we came to crisis, but I just cried and he gave me a beer and a BLT and all was right with the world again.
Day 4: North Carolina, Regular Virginia
Having not gone to bed until roughly 2 a.m., we slept in. Well, he slept in. I woke up at my normal 5:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I dried things off and got us ready for the day. We explored the park a bit more and did our longest single section of driving: 7.5 hours from North Carolina to Richmond, Virginia, to stay with another friend. We spent some time on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove through the worst rain I’ve ever seen—torrential doesn’t even come close.
Day 5: Regular Virginia
After a leisurely morning of pancakes and coffee, we made our way to our last national park, Shenandoah. As we climbed into the mountains it turned so, so foggy. We could hardly see the cars in front of us.
Fortunately, the rangers we able to recommend a hike to a waterfall that was really beautiful despite the visibility issues and had us hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Full of cool critters, the eerie mist was a very unique experience.
We pitched camp in the park, for the first time in the light of day, and took advantage of the fancy lodge to get beers and treat ourselves to a dinner we didn’t have to cook. After two exhausting days in a row, we were both worn thin and easily annoyed, but we made it to our beds without too much conflict.
Day 6: Regular Virginia
The morning was just as foggy, if not foggier, than the day before. A tremendous disappointment since Shenandoah is known for its beautiful mountain vistas. Fortunately, by the time we made breakfast and packed up camp the mist started to burn off and we could truly appreciate Skyline Drive.
Not in a rush, we took the scenic route out of the park and meandered our way north to Fairfax Station, a few minutes outside of D.C., to stay with some friends.Thankfully, a low-stress day complete with ice cream and perfect sunshine.
Day 7: Regular Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York
We knew from the get-go that our last day would also be one of our longest, We left later than we hoped (which had become our habit) and made our way towards Gettysburg, where my history-loving boyfriend was excited to spend a few hours. After lunch in a true tavern, we did a speed-run of the battlefield tour to round out our adventures.
We were left with a long drive home, landing me at my house just before midnight, and just in time to greet my dog and collapse into bed for a few hours before work the next day.
Though a thoughtless remark from my mother before we left had me terribly anxious that our first road trip would also be our last road trip and be the death knell for our relationship, that was far from true. Though I am admittedly a cry baby and burst into tears no less than four times over the course of the trip, and he was strongly frustrated with me on more than one occasion, we were sad to go our separate ways at the end, and are already planning our next adventure.
All told, 25 is off to a good start.
Lillie grew up on a forty-acre hay farm in Central Oregon, making the trek to Michigan to study mechanical engineering and sustainability. After graduating in 2020, she moved to Rochester, NY, where her day job as an engineer for the local gas utility funds her outdoor adventures, love of books, various craft projects, and investment in her new community.
