Base Camp
Holly Lake Campground was home base for the week, tucked into a quiet portion of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area. The campground itself was pretty peaceful with not many neighbors, which meant Zac had to single-handedly face down a giant spider that had taken up residence in the men’s restroom every time he visited. The week was full of steady rain, but we were tucked under the trees in this park. It also forced some tech troubleshooting: trees meant no Starlink but our Verizon router turned out to be geo-locked and blocking our connection. Before the work week started, we had to swap the router for a new one. Situated about 30 minutes from both Durham and Raleigh, Falls Lake Rec Area ended up being the perfect central hub for a social week. From reconnecting with my sister, Katie to meeting up with a new friend, we packed in more people-time than most weeks on the road.
Monday, August 11th
This afternoon we set out to explore downtown Raleigh, but the weather had other plans. There was a steady downpour all day, and instead of strolling the streets or walking around the Capitol, we ended up doing a slow drive-by, snapping a quick video, and circling a few blocks before moving on. It was a little frustrating, we’ve been so lucky with sunshine lately that this was one of the first afternoons where the rain really put a damper on our plans.
On the drive out of the downtown area, we spotted a sunflower field and decided to stop. The flowers had already dropped their petals, leaving behind rows drooping heads. Between the dark sky, the empty stalks, and the silence around us, the whole place had an eerie, almost haunted feel.
Tuesday, August 12th
Tuesday afternoon was all about catching up with my sister, Katie. We met at Shelley Lake and walked the three-mile trail that loops around the water. It was a surprisingly lively path, plenty of people out with their dogs (which meant Katie said hello to each pup that passed). There was also a bit of art along the trail that reminded me of an old project from elementary school, so I had to snap a picture. We spotted a few deer through the trees off path and even a giant heron perched high up in a branch, something none of us had ever seen before. The lake itself was a muddy brown, and when we mentioned swimming in the campground lake, Katie gasped and explained that “the water in North Carolina is alive.”
After our walk, we headed to House of Hops for drinks. The beer was great, and Katie recommended a bag of North Carolina–made chips in a jalapeño queso flavor that paired perfectly with the IPA I was drinking. We tucked into a back table, sipped our drinks slowly, and talked for a while. It was such a nice first visit back with Katie, especially since I hadn’t been to North Carolina to see her since 2022.
Wednesday, August 13th
This afternoon started at BeerStudy, where an employee was offering small samples of French wine. He seemed to not know much about the wines, but it was fun anyway. Our favorite was a red, though not enough to buy a full bottle. So we ordered a beer and found a sporty/swanky portion of the bar that was away from the main room. The bar itself was plastered with hilarious coloring book drawings of Danny Devito - especially in the restrooms, which were a hilarious surprise.
Next, we followed our appetites to QShack for BBQ. We split some brisket with sides of baked beans, mac and cheese, and hush puppies. Katie had recommended this place as the best in the Triangle (even as a vegetarian, she swears by the sides) and the North Carolina BBQ sauce did not disappoint. Texas barbecue may still hold the crown for me, but this was a close competition.
To balance all the indulgence, we headed over to Sarah P. Duke Gardens for a stroll. The humidity was intense, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the layout and exploring different sections of the garden. Afterwards, we even passed by the church on Duke’s campus, though we stayed in the cool AC of our truck rather than venturing inside.
Thursday, August 14th
Thursday night was all about catching up at Raleigh Beer Garden. Meeting up with Erin, a friend of a friend, was easy and comfortable. I’d met her before while visiting Gabby in Lansing, and it was fun to reconnect for her to get a little taste of Michigan memories in Raleigh. With nearly 100 taps to choose from, Raleigh Beer Garden had endless options, I went with a grapefruit IPA, Zac opted for a stout, and Erin had a Rubaeus. We found a quieter section of the bar, sipped our drinks, and spent the evening chatting about life in a new city, work, and how much we love our mutual friend, Gabby.
Friday, August 15th
We started the evening by meeting Katie in Cary and taking a walk around the neighborhood with the giant Great Dane she was dog-sitting. From there, we headed to Fenton for dinner at Superica, a trendy Mexican spot with a hip, lively atmosphere. We devoured the chips and salsa while sipping cocktails, then dug into our entrées. Every bite was delicious. Katie definitely nailed the restaurant choice.
After dinner, we grabbed drinks from a bar called Dram and Draught and wandered through the social district. Along the way, we stumbled into a corridor with a neat light installation that tracked our movements and cast glowing silhouettes on the wall. The corridor led into a courtyard where Zac and Katie squared off in a playfully competitive game of chess. Zac came out the winner, but he stayed incredibly humble. We capped the night at a bar with line dancing on the second floor. We watched the dancers for a while, but the heat was starting to get to me. Before we called it, Katie braved the mechanical bull and lasted longer than I ever would’ve managed. By then, the week of social interactions had caught up with all of us, and it felt like the time to call it a night.
Saturday, August 16th
We kicked off the morning by meeting Katie at a park, this time with the full rig in tow. She was interested in our setup, but it was clear her main excitement was meeting Scout. He was his usual sweet self, sniffing around her curiously, but the loud roar of traffic nearby spooked him, and he bolted under the couch to hide.
Katie led us on a 3-mile wooded hike through one of her favorite state parks - William B. Umstead State Park. The trail was rocky in spots but manageable, and it was packed with little discoveries: vibrant mushrooms everywhere, a few spiders clinging to a bridge, a salamander sitting on a fence, and even a tiny snake. It was the perfect way to wrap up our visit with Katie before we said our goodbyes. From there, we headed south toward Wilmington to check out the USS Battleship North Carolina. We arrived just after closing, so we couldn’t tour the inside, but even walking around the massive ship was impressive.
From there the drive to Charleston was long, broken up by short downfalls of rain, but the highways made for an easier trip than usual. Along the way, we finished Project Hail Mary. The narration carried us through to the end, which, while a little predictable, wrapped up in a satisfying way. By the time we rolled into a Cracker Barrel about 20 minutes outside of Charleston, it was 9:30 pm. That’s when the real challenge of the day began. The night was unbearably hot and humid, the RV stubbornly holding at 80 degrees even with every window open. I shifted to the dinette end of the rig hoping for a breeze, but it never came. By 7 am, desperation won out and we sat in the truck with the AC blasting just to catch an hour of sleep. Not exactly a restful night, but one of those RV realities we couldn’t avoid.
Sunday, August 17th
We drove immediately from Cracker Barrel into Downtown Charleston this morning where we were able to park the rig in the visitor center garage. From there we walked to Charleston’s historic market where we wandered through stalls of crafts, art and souvenirs. It was strange walking through knowing this was once the site where enslaved people were sold, a heavy layer of history hidden beneath today’s bustle. From there, we walked south towards Rainbow Row, a line of houses painted a colorful range of pastels. We continued south to White Point Garden which also happened to be a temporary rookery for the Black-crowned Night Herons. The park itself was partially under construction, so the view to the water was blocked, but the trees were beautiful, alive with bird chatter and the hot Southern air. We then walked north through the neighborhoods as people were heading home from church. The streets were lined with historic houses and gorgeous churches, all well-kept and visually striking. We continued walking until we eventually found ourselves at Waterfront Park, where we sat on a bench to take a break and watch the water. On our way to our lunch reservation we stopped at the Pineapple Fountain to snap a picture of the iconic attraction.
Lunch was a feast at Fleet Landing: starting with fried green tomatoes stacked with crab meat then moving on to a cold seafood platter of smoked fish dip, tuna tartare, oysters, lobster tail, jumbo shrimp, and crab claws. We capped it all off by splitting a rich plate of shrimp and grits, something I have raved about in the past and Zac was eager to finally try. After that filling meal we hitched a free bus ride back to the visitor center, where we grabbed Scout out of the trailer and packed up the truck to hit the road again. About 2 hours of driving brought us to our next home of Sesquicentennial State Park, near Columbia, South Carolina. We ended the day with a quick Trader Joe’s stop to restock groceries, a much needed shower, and an early bed time.
Thanks for reading! Check out the reel for week 68 below!