Getting the hang of things: 3 months of full-time RV Living

Greg, Roxy, and I are absolutely LOVING life on the road. We get to explore new places, see old friends, and meet new people… which, honestly, I thought would be the least enjoyable part of our journey but meeting new people has actually been fun! From campground neighbors to Harvest Host farmers, we’ve met so many kind, generous, and genuinely friendly people!

In mid-July, I had a commercial photo shoot for a brand that needed a very specific shot of a very specific type of dog running through a creek. We found the perfect spot and two fantastic models who were able to give us exactly what we were after! That’s me above, sitting in the water while carefully keeping my camera dry as I got the winning photos!

We wrapped up July in Vermont, camping at a beautiful creek location. The weather was hot but, thankfully, cooling off was easy — we just hopped right in the water! Roxy even put her feet in and took a good drink. She absolutely loves the cold water!

Vermont is known for two things: cheese and maple syrup (I’ll get to that next) — and if you know me, you know I love cheese. We heard that a stop in to the Grafton Village Cheese Company was not to be missed so it was simply a requirement that we go! The moment we walked in the door, we were greeted with a warm hello and asked if we’d like to try anything. Greg and I like different types of cheese, so we each got to try a few that fit our preferred flavor profiles. The Barricato al Pepe was my favorite — similar to a parmesan but with black pepper. YUM! Greg’s favorite was a smoked cheddar! We got a few small pieces of each, picked up a fresh loaf of delicious bread, and had ourselves a perfect little snack!

When you’re in Vermont, maple syrup is an absolute must. I mean, the wall of syrup at the Vermont Country Store is one of my favorite things in life. We were lucky enough to spend the night at a local, family-run sugar house through Harvest Hosts.

We were parked in a lovely grassy field, just off a country road, next to the farm’s cows and draft horse. We were given a tour of their operation and were able to see how the trees are tapped and how the syrup is made. Of course, we picked up a big bottle of their maple syrup along with their special family-recipe pancake mix. Yum!

After Vermont, we headed to New Hampshire, one of our favorite states. Greg found us the most perfect campsite with a private beach. Let me say that again: a campsite with a private beach. We were in absolute heaven here! We got our chairs and soaked our feet in the river while Roxy lounged in the sand. One afternoon I even brought my laptop down and worked in the shade. It could not have been more perfect!

As we continued through New Hampshire, we stayed at a gorgeous little farm with sheep, goats, miniature donkeys, a mustang horse, and chickens. We had an absolutely wonderful time here! It was peaceful and the owner was so kind. She gifted us a dozen eggs from her chickens, chatted with me about animals and her town’s history, and let me come along for the baby sheep’s bottle feeding (his mom is unable to nurse him).

One of the key reasons we love New Hampshire is the people who live here — our dear friends, Kaylee & Sam! Being the awesome people they are, they let us moochdock in their driveway for a whole week. We had way too much fun together, as always, and I’m still catching up on missed sleep. Hah!

Whenever we are together, there’s always ample opportunity to photograph dogs and this time was no exception. Captain Fin (above) had just driven all the way up from Florida to be photographed by Kaylee and I was able to get in on the fun, too. We went to a nearby park and when Fin saw the water, he couldn’t wait to jump in. The light was absolutely magical that evening and this is one of my favorite shots! Fin was so full of personality and it was such fun to work with him!

Captain Fin was just the start to our photographic fun this month, though. We found some amazing spots and pups to photograph for our Great American Road Trip Sponsors!

Fox loves learning new tricks so he was the perfect model for P.L.A.Y.’s training treat pouch! He was so, so good and knew so many fun commands! He earned his Very Good Boy star that evening and got lots of treats as a reward!

We love working with dogs of all ages, breeds, and ability levels — and I couldn’t have been more excited to work with Elsa and her mom for our dooloop photo shoot! Elsa has a lot of trouble with her hind legs but as any dog mom or dad knows, that doesn’t mean you no longer have to worry about poops (in fact, you probably have to worry more about them). She was the perfect model and I am so excited to see her gorgeous face representing all the wheelchair-bound pups of the world in dooloop’s marketing!

Speaking of representation, I was so, so, so, so happy that Wellness gave an enthusiastic “yes!” when I asked if it would be OK to photograph Roxy for this month’s shoot. Many brands prefer to feature adult dogs who are in between puppyhood and their golden senior years so I always like to ask before featuring a senior or puppy. The Brushzees are one of Roxy’s absolute favorite treats in the world and they make such a difference in her dental health. We give them to her regularly and I’m so happy she’s able to represent senior dogs for their brand!

I have fought with plaque on Roxy’s teeth for almost her entire life. We were at a point where I would brush her teeth every night but she still needed to be put under anesthesia for a dental every year (and actually could have benefitted from a dental every six months). Now, with a combo of brushing + regular Brushzees chews, her teeth stay healthy and plaque-free!

In between photographing all the puppers, we made sure to get out and go on some fun hikes! Kaylee, Sam, Greg, and I checked out this beautiful creek hike one afternoon. The terrain was a bit bumpier than we were anticipating and we decided to take a longer trail than we had initially planned, so once Roxy started to get tired, she ended up being carried around Sam’s neck while Greg lifted her carriage over fallen trees. Oh, the things we do for the senior pups we love!

After a few fun-filled weeks in New Hampshire, we headed back to New York to celebrate my Nana’s 103rd birthday! A bunch of my family came, we played cards, swam in the pool, ate cake, and had a wonderful time together. My Nana is one of the most special people on this entire planet and I’m so happy we’ve been able to spend some time together this summer!

A few days after the party, I hopped on a plane to Las Vegas for a shoot with GoldPaw… but that’ll be a post for another day!

Where are we going next?

September is all about Maine! We’ll be eating lobster by the coast, photographing dogs, and making our way up to Acadia National Park for a little vacation! October is still up in the air but I’ll be sure to keep you all updated!

Also, a note about the video above: Google really needs a way to note if you’re towing a trailer. It has put us on single-lane dirt roads through the country more than once now. Hah! I have had to put the truck in 4WD a few times to get up some steep dirt hills! It also sends us to low bridges and bridges with weight restrictions that aren’t safe for us to drive over and we have to figure out an alternate route on the fly… does anyone have suggestions on a better app to use for that?