Baltimore, Maryland

We arrived at Patapsco Valley State Park in Ellicott City right outside Baltimore. The campground is wooded and sites large and private. Although the campground gets heavy use, it feels organized and well run. It wasn't long before we were set up and settling in, preparing for our daughter, her husband - and their new baby, to arrive for dinner in camp.

Tonight is taco night, and we prepared all the fixings in anticipation of their arrival. The kids arrive and we ooh and ahh over the baby, have a quick dinner, and talk about their new home and city. The evening goes by too quickly and it’s soon time for them to head home. We will see them tomorrow but for tonight, it is goodbye.

Day two in Baltimore has us up early and headed into the suburbs to park the RV and take the light rail to Camden Yards to see the Orioles. It will be 100 degrees today - and the sun is scorching. The light rail is the perfect mode of transport and drops us at the Eutaw gate at Camden Yards and we stroll right in. The place is alive with activity - fans, kids, noise, and sights all add to the experience of a ball game. We grab a hot dog and a couple of sodas and head to the lower-level seats to watch batting practice - but there is none today! Too hot I guess, so we enjoy our food while watching the people around the stadium. We are not in our seats but simply "borrowing" these to eat our lunch. We will head to the "nose bleed" section before the game begins.

Up high, the ballpark is a spectacle of color and activity. The sounds and sights of a ballpark are unique and we drink in what Camden Yards has to offer. This is one of Jim's bucket list activities - to see all the major league parks. Another one checked off the list! After a few innings, the heat begins to wear on us and we head for the light rail station and then air-conditioned comfort of our RV. A quick call to Lyft gets us to our daughter's home in downtown Baltimore. Another evening of laughter and conversation and we are headed back to camp. We will move to another RV park in the morning and pick up our rental car for the remainder of the week. But first, we have an appointment to keep.

Monday morning we are up and out early with a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and then on to the Mercedes dealership to have our RV checked. The wheel sensors - again. We learn from this dealer that the repair is covered under a 5-year 100,000-mile warranty. Funny our dealer at home didn't know that! We look it up in the warranty guide and sure enough, it is listed under "Engine Emissions Control Systems and Sensors" and covered for 5-years or 100K miles. It's great that we don't have to pay to have it repaired, but we still lose vacation time having it repaired. In all, we lost just a couple of hours and we were on our way again.

Today we move into our next RV Park just north of Baltimore. Bar Harbor RV Resort and Marina offers a waterfront view of the Bush River. The sites are close together, like most waterfront parks, but there is enough space to take in the view - and the view is lovely. The breeze is blowing, and the sun shining - so all is good. We arrange to pick up a rental car in the morning, but for this afternoon, we just enjoy the surroundings. Camp chairs were made for lounging in the sunshine by the water!

With the morning arrival of the rental car, we head to our daughter's home to enjoy more family time. It is so good to see them get settled in their new home and city. We walk around the park in front of their home, prepare dinner together and too soon close out the evening. A new day awaits and we will help host my brother and his wife for dinner. They live nearby and I think they'll enjoy this new dimension of family living close to them. Another wonderful evening of laughter, conversation, and good food

Harve De Grace

The next morning we take a side trip to see Harve de Grace, a village on the Susquehanna River at the head of the Chesapeake Bay area. Charming shops, Bed & Breakfasts, neat homes with flowers and trimmed lawns, restaurants, and a delightful waterfront park. We stroll around the old Concord lighthouse and take note that the old keeper's cottage has become a museum. There is also a maritime museum just up the street from the lighthouse. We opt for lunch by the river and enjoy Maryland's famous crab.

Dinner is a riot of activity and so much fun to catch up with my brother and his wife along with our daughter and her husband - and my little grandson, of course! No matter where we are when we are together, we are at home. This evening of laughter, conversation, and sharing a meal will be an anchoring memory for our daughter in her new home.

Our ability to travel allowed us to be here to share it. I am reminded that RV travel is not always about big vacations. For us, it's also about discovering small places, enjoying moments with far-flung family, and the flexibility to be temporary residents almost anywhere.

Our last day in Baltimore is quiet. With our daughter and grandson, we enjoy a walk to the ice cream shop on the corner -"B More Licks" tempted me with lemon ginger cookie soft serve ice cream - don't miss that if you visit! We finish the day with music - Jim and our daughter on guitars and me on uke. Music makes the moments better. it will be bittersweet to say goodbye. We are continuing our trip west for a few weeks, but already are planning a return trip to Baltimore on the way back.