Our first shake-out trip with “Serenity” went to Rocky Gap State Park in Maryland, a couple of hours drive. The idea was to use whatever season we had left to test the van, equipment and attitude before we mothball her for the winter. Rocky Gap is close, easy to get to and quite nice, it has a large lake with limited hiking but overall is pleasant for a quick outing. We squeezed Serenity between other vans, trailers and tents and with early dusk, didn’t have much time to explore before starting the fire and shutting down for the evening.
There is a weird atmosphere in these shared camp grounds, neighbors on all sides and even though everyone is considerate, the background noise of “camping” is always there. People walk with bouncing headlights to and from the washrooms keeping the dog on alert. Having the dog on-leash (a long one) kind of works but it would be great to have her free to roam the site and explore.
Overall, the camp-site and park are nice site but there isn’t much to do – other than the lake itself, the trails are not very inspiring and the entire park is boxed in by roads and agricultural land. Its alright for a night out but I would not want to spend more time there
The dog wakes up ~ 6am no matter what which means that we are going for a walk. Its dark in October and the landscape is not super exciting. Overcast as well, so no real good photo opportunities during sunrise but we put in a 2h walk along the lake shore to spend the time. When we come back, quick breakfast and departure, heading roughly back.
On the way back, we stopped over at Antietam and drove / walked the various locations. Its close but I had never been there and like all battlefields, the idyllic, pastoral settings creates a very disconcerting contrast with the description of the slaughter that happened here. Unlike Gettysburg, Antietam appears very small in size. The sheer number of soldiers and artillery that squeezed into this tiny area must have been staggering. It probably contributed to the death count simply because in close quarters communication failed with smoke obscuring the field and lines never clean. Constant skirmishes and outright barrages without the ability to retreat, reform and resupply must have made for a horrifying experience for everyone who lived through it. In the end, there are no winners, just losers.
It didn’t help that it started raining hard and neither of us was really in the mood for more hiking, soaked, cold and with home so close by, we heading back.
Overall, Rocky Gap can easily be missed but Antietam is worth a visit – maybe take a guided tour next or read up beforehand.
