Hi. How are you, Dear Reader? How do you feel today: body, mind, and soul?
Pause. Think. Answer honestly.
Me? I’m doing just fine, thanks.
I’m currently sitting on our RV love seat, clicking past the miles somewhere between Ohio and Indiana. Sweet Baby Snap is sleeping; Toddler Snap is hopefully about to do the same up in his car seat.
I’m sipping iced coffee, laughingly shrugging at the insane diesel prices, and singing songs from Father John Misty’s latest album in my head.
I feel good.
. . .
I just turned 35.
Seems kinda weird, like that’s much too old and much too young, all at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived a thousand lives; I also feel like I’ve just been born.
And when I close my eyes and quiet my mind, I think about this life. I think about how much I value the simple idea of respect.
I want to show respect in everything I do.
Toward other human beings, animals, and Mother Earth herself.
I want to respect other people’s time. I want to respect their turn to speak.
I want to respect the public goods we all need, like clean water and food. Health. Education. The arts and humanities.
I want it to be known that I respect you because not everything is about me.
. . .
(shrugs)
That’s it for now.
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer and artist currently residing on Planet Earth.
Round Lake Vineyards & Winery Round Lake, Minnesota
Waterloo, Iowa
Leisure Lake Membership Resort Joliet, Illinois
Toledo, Ohio
. . .
Dear Reader! Hello. It’s been a bit.
We’re back home now, and taking a much-needed rest.
As I’ve said, we had a blast.
But we were soooo ready to be back at our permanent residence.
So this last RV entry is a little bit lacking—forgive me—but I wanted to make sure I finished the notes from our journey!
. . .
So, um. . . I kind of lost the RV keys. Like, for real. Oh, our spare set? We left them at home, hanging among the other mishmash of doodads by our front door.
Cool.
(sigh)
It was effing hot outside. We were all travel weary, so when we pulled up into Round Lake Vineyards (another Harvest Host spot) we (I?) were not at our best.
We wanted to make a quick lap around the place, buy a glass or two of wine, and settle into the air conditioning for the night.
Toddler Snap—who I swear is destined to be a park ranger or botanist or someone who works outside—was so excited to be out of the RV. He ran and explored and laughed. And we followed.
The Grapes of Rest, 2021. Round Lake, MN. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
So on our way back to the RV, with the keys and a sippy cup in one hand, and Toddler Snap yanking at the other, Mama made a mistake.
Toddler Snap made a beeline down one of vineyard rows. Seeing a bunch of wires and not knowing what I was looking at, I panicked. Grabbed him.
Then we went inside the RV for a cool drink and some rest.
End of story.
Except, a few hours later when my Sweet Husband asked were I put the keys, I grew puzzled. I had the keys?
. . .
About twelve sweaty hours, three bug-biting lantern searches, two insanely in-depth, dewy-dawn retracing sessions, and half a nervous breakdown later, we found ‘em.
And by ‘we’, I mean a very kind vineyard worker who joined us in our search and after ten seconds literally stepped on them. In the grass.
The same grass we’d searched a dozen times.
Right about where Toddler Snap bolted for the grapes.
Major crisis averted, yo.
So we bought four bottles of their best wine, thanked them repeatedly, and drove straight to a hotel with ice-cold AC.
And vowed to keep our spare set with us from then on.
. . .
So the rest of the trip home was nothing special: a few hotel stops (a real treat for travel-weary RVers!) and one overnight at an RV park.
Oh, Dear Reader.
It’s so good to be home.
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer who almost always has cold hands.
Let us rejoice in the fact that it’s a new day: a new day to savor all that is this journey we call life.
‘Cuz the earth spins on.
Time & Terra, 2021. The Badlands, SD. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
After visiting with The Fam for a week or so, we packed up The Sweet-Baby Berkshire and began the long journey home.
But rather than heading straight east, we first traveled north.
With the AC working overtime, we drove straight through Wyoming. It really was scenic, I tell you. When we first crossed over from Colorado, there were buffalo grazing in the fields, as if on cue. They looked stunning, even from a distance.
And South Dakota greeted us with what felt like record high temperatures. We set up camp for a quick overnight at Custer State Park, and after Toddler Snap explored the playground for a bit, we called it an early night and settled in for an episode of The Terror. (Because, yes. It’s my new favorite thing in life. So good.)
Then the next morning was a fairly quick jaunt to Mount Rushmore!
Untitled, 2021. Keystone, SD. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
(shrugs)
It was neat.
We of course took the obligatory selfie photos. And I bought a postcard of the workers who constructed the massive sculpture.
Because #workersoftheworldunite
Then it was off to the town of Wall, South Dakota. We visited the iconic Wall Drug Store, and ate a simple but tasty lunch in their café. It was pretty crowded, so we kept our distance as much as possible, then hit the highway for The Badlands.
And, wow. What a scene, man.
The Edge of The World, 2021. The Badlands, SD. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
This is literally where we camped.
Ball of Magic, 2021. The Badlands, SD. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
Not bad, huh?
Anyway, we’ve been on the road (well, away from home) for two and a half weeks now.
We’re missing the kitties—and all of the little niceties that make our house a haven—but we’re truly having a grand old time.
I mean, how lucky are we that we have this RV? (How lucky are we that we can afford diesel for this beast!)
Because time is so very precious, Dear Reader.
And I aim to spend it on what matters.
Family. Friends. Travel.
Art: Photos, paintings, and jewelry. Music! Cinema! And of course, fiction!
Real, delicious food.
Real people. Real stories.
Real life, yo.
There is still so much to do and see.
(she smiles)
. . .
Stay tuned for more SnapDragon adventures from the road!
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer, artist, and colorful sneaker enthusiast.
As I write this, we’re crossing into Kansas, my husband’s home state! We’ll be staying here for a few days, and Baby Snap will get to enjoy some family time with Grandma, Auntie, and Cousin!
Anyway, Stops 2 & 3 were quick, yet nice.
. . .
Well. . . Stop #2 in Kickapoo was nice, but unbearably hot. We managed to visit the playground for a bit, but then it was back into the AC. (And that sucker was working overtime, let me tell you!) So sadly, we didn’t get to enjoy much of the grounds.
. . .
Stop #3 in Missouri was much cooler! In fact, it was my favorite spot thus far. The park had a small row of maybe ten spots for RVs, on a first-come-first-served basis. We had hookups for electricity and water, and it only cost $20 a day (and we paid via The Honor System, which made me feel happy in my young heart.)
Also, about a three minute walk from our RV was a community pool!
(claps in excitement)
Chlorine Heaven, 2021. Missouri. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
Baby Snap was on Cloud 9, yo! And so was I.
I love pools. I love water.
I love the smell of sunscreen, and the occasional smart of a lifeguard whistle. I love buying ice cream and soft pretzels with cheese from the concession stand, all for a couple of wrinkled dollar bills.
Classic. Summer.
And seeing Baby Snap splash about—and sort of swim for the first time—was truly a precious moment for our family.
Oh, and he devoured an entire ice cream sandwich! Respect.
. . .
Stay tuned for more, Dear Reader!
Wishing you all of the happy summer vibes.
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer and artist who loves the simple things in life.
In a Row, 2021. Ohio. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
. . .
Oh!
What a sweet, charming spot for our first night on the road, Dear Reader.
Even though it was hotter than blue blazes, as my mom would say, we had so much fun strolling along this family-run farm and greenhouse.
As RVers, we’re part of something called Harvest Hosts. Basically, for about $60 a year, you can camp at a zillion farm-to-table kinda places all across The US of A. I’m talking breweries, wineries, farms, and the like.
So, McDonald’s Greenhouse was our first!
It was a solid 90 degrees outside, so we had the sights to ourselves. Baby Snap and I bounced on a giant blowup thing for a few minutes, walked through a sandpit, and ran around in the grass like only kids can.
(We then guzzled down water in the shade.)
But mostly, we visited with the sweet animals!
Gorgeous Gobbler, 2021. Ohio. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
Look at these beauties!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turkey this close up before. The colors of this big boy’s skin were quite lovely: an indigo and violet I’ve never seen in nature!
We Are All Earthlings, 2021. Ohio. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
As you can see, there were also a handful of goats! We also spotted a calf, and I think one sheep.
So basically, it was SnapDragon Heaven.
Innocent Animal Fix satisfied!
. . . on to the next!
Stop #2 comin’ atcha.
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer who enjoys eggs, any style.
Hot Pinks, 2021. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved.
Dear Reader!
It’s been a spell, hasn’t it? Sorry about that. These summer days keep slipping past, in a parade of flower-pruning, 70s Sesame Street reruns, and the never-ending sink full of dishes.
Why so many dishes? It’s truly baffling.
ANYWAY.
The SnapDragon Family is officially on the open road!
We’re taking the Sweet-Baby Berkshire from Morgantown, PA all the way to Denver, Colorado! (With plenty of fun along the way, of course.)
I’ll try my best to give updates, and to do so in a relatively fun and timely fashion.
But, let’s be serious. Sometimes my best intentions to post turn into my head hitting the pillow, and me snoring within seconds.
Stay tuned!
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer, artist, and fairly good video game player on Sega Genesis.
So, in case you missed Part 1, we had rain, rain, and more rain for the first several days of our Family Fun RV Trip. But Part 2 finally gave us some delicious sunshine! And here are pics to prove it, yo.
. . .
Scenic Stop #4: Henderson Beach State Park in Destin, Florida
Friggin’ Gorgeous, 2021. Destin, Florida.
You know that first real day of spring, when the breeze seems to have fully thawed, and the sun seems to be waving hello? Well, that’s what our stay at Henderson felt like. After the sullen, rainy stretch of days–and a comedy of errors at the laundry facility–being able to walk without an umbrella truly was a treat.
Now, it was still pretty cold, mind you; we were bundled up and enjoyed a bonfire each night. But when we realized the rain had stopped, and we could be outside again, we felt like Forrest Gump looking into the clear, merciful sky above. Just beautiful.
Scenic Stop # 5: Grayton Beach State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Let That Sun Shine Yo, 2021. Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Ahh. Another sunny stop.
And while our walks here had me a bit nervous–Beware of Alligators and such–it was again a sensation for the SnapDragon Family to behold. I pretty much wanted to live in the ocean. #mermaiddreams
Scenic Stop # 6: St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, Florida
A Glorious Series of Events, 2021. Panama City Beach, Florida.
And as if this weren’t enough, Dear Reader, St. Andrews was the grand prize. We got truly warm (60-ish plus!) weather. Baby Snap walked on the beach. And we totally fell in love with our e-bikes, yo.
Oh! And the wildlife! Blue Heron, Pelicans, turtles, and deer! (Oh my!)
Have I mentioned I love my life?
. . .
Part 3, comin’ soon!
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer, artist, mother, and friend to pretty much everybody.
Cozy Cockpit, 2021. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
. . .
Well hey there!
Thanks for stopping by, and taking a moment to live vicariously through the words of a stranger named SnapDragon. (I mean, that’s why we read anything, am I right?)
Anyway, The Sweet Husband, Baby Snap, and I are on a two-week road trip, spanning from our little nest in southeastern Pennsylvania, all the way to the Gulf Coast, and back.
We’re fairly new to the RV scene, and learning the tricks of the trade as we go.
(It’s a journey, after all!)
So let’s hop to it, shall we?
. . .
Foreword
Okay. So, I should probably start by saying this first leg of the trip was a bit of a bummer, because it was soaked in rain. Like, not the kind of lazy sprinkle where you squint your eyes against a frigid, nuisance mist. I’m talking monsoon-style, buckets of rain followed us for almost six days straight. Which, of course, was super cozy when we were tucked in for the night, the constant drumming on our rooftop rocking us to sleep. But as for enjoying the sights? Well, we tried our best, yo.
. . .
Scenic Stop #1: Edisto Beach State Park in Edisto Island, South Carolina
Sadly, I don’t even have a photo from our one-night stay here. As I said, there was wicked rain. We did, however, manage to take our new electric bikes out for a brief spin, during the half-hour or so of dry weather.
(I felt the need to mention this spot, since it’s a State Park. I have a deep respect for all things publicly-owned.)
Scenic Stop #2: Lake Wateree State Park in Winnsboro, South Carolina
Look Out, 2021. Winnsboro, SC. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
All right! (claps)
Check out this dreary, yet lovely scene I managed to snag. It was nice to look out at the water, even for a few minutes.
And we did see a crane-like bird moseying about! Everyone knows how excited I get about animals.
Call Me Bertha, 2021. Winnsboro, SC. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
And that was the end of our stay in Wateree, yo.
Scenic Stop #3: Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah, Georgia
In Dreams, 2021. Savannah, GA. Original Photo by SnapDragon X. All rights reserved, yo.
Ahh. So here we got a little bit of a break in the weather.
On a search for the park office, I found myself on a very long walk. Trees such as these were all around. The damp air was quiet, and I smiled as I thought of an idea for a short story.
. . .
See? I told you this first part of the trip was perhaps a little less than blog-worthy.
The SnapDragon Family is nearing a week on the open road, and well, it’s been a rainy one.
But that shall not dampen our spirits!
We’ve seen bits and pieces of this country—the tiniest samplings of the American southeast—and there still lies much ahead.
So let us pour an icy drink, settle the babe, and greet the stretch of highway with a smile.
Here. We. Go.
. . .
SnapDragon is a writer who finds it completely irresponsible that auto “correct” suggests the improper use of apostrophes. Like, you’re a computer. Get your shit together.
Snippets of SnapDragon 
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