The town square is what I’d call middling – not yet completely full of shops and restaurants but not a ghost town either. There is a pharmacy, a few antique shops, some restaurants, a gallery filled with local pottery and art, a small museum in the historic Blanco County Courthouse and a small visitor’s bureau office.

Our favorite stop was Cranberry’s Antique Mall. It was full of well priced, good quality items. This was not one of those shops with jumbled booths full of random stuff. There was an entire section full of substantial furniture pieces and many booths featuring glassware, linens and all manner of unique items. Items were well priced and of good quality. The Hill Country is known for its antique shopping so sometimes you run into some pretty high prices and some pretty fancy stuff. Cranberry’s was full of items in a range of prices. And, my favorite part was the large selection of spurs, cowboy hats and other Western memorabilia. I can’t say whether the spurs and such were antique but they were well used and would make a nice touch in a Western décor.

The Blanco County Courthouse looked more like a giant house than what you would traditionally think of as a courthouse. There are no domes or big statues at the top. It is a beautiful building though, and inside you can read about the history of Blanco and the courthouse itself.

Brieger Pottery is also on the square and is full of beautiful, functional pottery. I love to bring home trip souvenirs that I can incorporate in to my daily life like a mug or a bowl, and this is definitely the kind of place you can do that.

There are many other interesting things to see and do around Blanco – several Lavender farms to visit, Blanco State Park and more antique and specialty stores scattered throughout town that we did not have time to visit. I don’t think I would call Blanco a destination on it’s own unless you were going for the Lavender Festival in May, but it is a nice stop if you are exploring the Hill Country area.

I was very glad that I was only driving the truck and not pulling the travel trailer along because, like many Eastern cities, Princeton has narrow streets and limited parking areas. I did find parking meters along University Avenue that were only 30 cents for an hour or parking though, so it was reasonable.

I explored the area of the University near University and Nassau Streets – the old stone buildings were gorgeous and walking through campus gave me a reflective mood – similar to what you might expect when attending church in an old cathedral. It just had a solid, reverent, grounding feel to it that you don’t always find on a college campus. Now, I did only see about 1/3 to ½ of the campus, so there may have been a more classic American college / Animal House vibe going on in the portion I did not see.

To me, Princeton was all about the architecture. Sure, I picked up a sweatshirt, and poked around in the upscale shops across Nassau Street from the campus, but, overall, I wanted to just take photos of the buildings. They are beautifully made and a pleasure to look at. The campus grounds are nicely landscaped and cared for, so that the buildings look even better. Ivy is trained onto the walls here and there and trees seem to be situated in spots perfectly suited for sitting with a book for awhile.  It just has a feeling of presence and history that you don’t find in many places.

I visited on a Monday and didn’t have any problems finding parking. I did not do any preplanning so I didn’t have the information on the campus tours. They are student-led one hour tours and they depart from Clio Hall. No reservations are required. If you have time I would assume this would be a great way to learn some of the history behind the beautiful buildings on campus.

See more photos in our Princeton photo gallery.

On December 25, 1776, Washington and his troops crossed from Pennsylvania into New Jersey in order to get a sneak attack on Hessian soldiers (hired guns for the British) at Trenton. The icy river was challenging and it took 10 hours to get all the troops, horses and cannons across the river. Washington, hoping for a night attack, could’ve turned back, but fearing his men would revolt if forced to go back over the river they just crossed, they pressed on, starting the march to Trenton at 3am.

The bridge is in the spot where Washington crossed the river in 1776.

The troops surprised the Hessian troops and had a victory – the first American victory in some time. Several other victories followed and turned the tide for American forces. Some historians say that Washington’s crossing of the Delaware that Christmas night and the resulting victory at Trenton is the event that kept the Revolution from being lost.

Replicas of the boats that were used by Washington & his men.

If the Revolution had been lost, we might still be citizens of Great Britain, without the rights and freedoms we enjoy as the United States of America.

That history makes the river, the parks and the bridge seem so much more significant. George Washington was right there. George Washington! There are some things to keep in mind to get the most out of your visit to Washington Crossing though.

• The New Jersey Washington Crossing State Park has one of those museums – old stuff crammed into glass cases with tiny cards telling you what it is. Somewhat cool to see actual Revolutionary War stuff, but, only for a few minutes. The New Jersey side has a new movie depicting Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River and events surrounding it though, which I found very interesting.
• The Pennsylvania Washington Crossing Park has a better feel to it – a small bit of the town is recreated as it would’ve looking during Revolutionary War times. You can see the replica boats that the town uses to cross the Delaware on Christmas night each year. And if you collect postcards, patches T-shirts or whatever from the places you visit, the PA side actually has a gift shop.
• Both sides are worth visiting, but if you can only do one, read up on some of the history first, and then go to the PA side – especially if you have kids. You can easily see both sides in one or two hours though.
• There is a bridge that spans the river between the two parks. If you are driving an RV, do not, under any circumstances, try and drive across that bridge. I took our pickup truck across and when I met another pickup in the middle there was not even 5 inches between our trucks. A pickup can do it (if it doesn’t have dual wheels) but when they say 6 foot wide lanes, they mean it. Fold the mirrors in and hope you only meet up with compact cars coming from the other direction! There are other, much wider, easier bridges you can cross within 10 or 15 miles in either direction.

A view of the crossing site from the New Jersey side. Again, with the very narrow bridge.

During our visit to South Central Oklahoma, Chris and I took time to visit the Chickasaw National Recreation Area and hike one of the many trails in the park.  Our afternoon trek took us past the visitors center and up a hillside to the springs that serve as the headwaters of Travertine Creek and eventually make their way into the Lake of the Arbuckles.  The trail is an easy hike that attracts many of the park’s visitors with the stream, swimming holes, and natural springs.  Along the way, hikers enjoy several gently cascading waterfalls and ponds.  The water is clear, clean, and refreshing.  It invites all who walk the trail and most partake, even if only to dip a toe into the flowing water.

This trail was reminiscent of my youth in Colorado.  In the early summer I often went hiking with friends in the mountains.  We crossed mountain rivers fed by snow melt and enjoyed relaxing and swimming when the opportunity presented itself.  The water was memorably cold and refreshing and friendships that developed on those hikes have lasted a lifetime.  This is why I enjoy hiking so much – hiking is an opportunity to explore and discover new places, but it’s also about developing friendships and connections along the way.  In Chickasaw, the same sense of excitement and connection was present.

Along the way we stopped and visited with some of the other hikers.  One offered to take our picture, other hikers exchanged ideas with us on great things to experience in the park, we  sat together taking in our surroundings.  Without ever meeting or knowing any of the other hikers, there was an instant bond.  Everyone was immediately friendly and it was like we had already met.  Conversation was easy with a sense of relaxation and comfort not normally present when meeting someone new.

We started up the trail expecting a hike, what happened along the way was so much more than we expected.  There are few words that can capture the experience of being so connected to a place or an experience, so you will have to go try it for yourself.  Stop by the Chickasaw National Recreation Area for a hike the next time you’re in South Central Oklahoma.

Over the rest of this week we will provide you the details of our travel in Oklahoma and let you ride along vicariously.  Here’s a preview of some of the places we visited along with a quick summary of the posts you can look forward to the rest of this week:

• Lake Murray State Park is located just outside of Marietta, Oklahoma.  This state park offers great camping, a beautiful lake for fishing or boating, swimming area, and a resort area with a hotel and cabins.  We enjoyed the scenery and the easy get away from our home in Dallas.
• Chickasaw National Recreation Area is in Sulphur, Oklahoma is only a short distance away from Lake Murray.  It’s great for camping, but also a super day trip with hiking and interpretive ranger led activities. There are some unique swimming opportunities that we’ll talk about later in the week and  the park also features a good “junior ranger” program for kids.  On our visit Chris and I spent the afternoon hiking up one of the trails along a spring fed creek.
• If you visit the Chicasaw National Recreation Area, don’t forget to stop in the neighboring town of Sulphur.  We found a Mexican taquiera during our stop that’s worth the journey.  We will post our Taco Traveler review of the exceedingly delicious Abuelita’s Mexican restaurant on Friday.

We covered a lot of ground in one weekend, but there are plenty of other places to visit if you find yourself in South Central Oklahoma.  Try your hand at the WinStar Casino on Interstate 35 or visit the Greater Southwest Historical Museum in Ardmore.  Four wheeling and horseback riding are also popular options for visitors to South Central Oklahoma.  The variety of activities available in the area was an unexpected surprise.

Some quick facts about us:

If your impression of camping is that it either requires “roughing it” in a tent or a super deluxe RV land yacht with it’s own mortgage you should think again.  Camping does not have to be an uncomfortable sacrifice or an expensive luxury.  Chris and I are both professionals in our 30′s and for most of our camping trips we pull a 19 foot Keystone Cabana behind our 2004 Nissan Titan.  It’s a great little camper and has accompanied us for the last year on more than 40 nights of camping and across 3,000 miles of highway.  The Cabana is a small comfortable camper with two pop outs that gives a great open feeling and just the right amount of space for the two of us and our dog.  Camping is about affordability without sacrifice.  That’s what we aim to bring to you with this blog.  I hope you will come along with us on this journey.

What it’s like to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park

Our journey started in the visitors center.  Like other national parks the center featured a short film (reminded me of elementary school) along with books and other memorabilia reminiscent of the civil war.  The front of the visitor center was stimulating, but nothing that captured my imagination. Then, something magical happened in the interpretive displays.  The wool uniforms, the black powder rifles, the antique vessels and elixirs, the battlefield maps transported us out of the here and now into a sensory experience of life during the siege of Vicksburg.  I suddenly understood the struggle of Vicksburg’s beleaguered residents and the challenges faced by the opposing armies encircling the city.

Beyond the visitors center lay the Memorial Arch serving as the gateway to the battlefields of the Vicksburg National Military Park.  The Arch marks the start of sixteen miles of roads set along side the trenches, fortifications, and historic troop positions of the Confederate and Union armies.  Memorials and markers along the road place the scale of the conflict into view.  Standing between opposing fortifications only feet apart there is a palpable intensity and feeling of fear these brave troops must have endured.  It’s an experience that cannot be matched by reading a book – feeling the intense summer heat, seeing the gun emplacements, and standing atop the redans.

Along the driving tour there are plenty of places to get out of your vehicle and view the battlefield.  Be sure to stop at the Willis-Cowan antebellum home along the drive.  This  home has been carefully restored to the time period of the siege when it was used as a headquarters by Confederate Lieutenant General Pemberton.  The USS Cairo is also a great stopping point.  This Union ironclad gun boat, rests in a sheltered display next to a museum featuring artifacts from boat and its crew.  The park also features the Vicksburg National Cemetery where 17,000 Union soldiers are buried.  The immersive experience through the park you will provide a great appreciation for the importance of this battle in the US Civil War.  A stop here is certainly worth the time!

A few tips to get the best experience when visiting the National Military Park in Vicksburg:

1. Be sure to take the narrated audio driving tour of the park.  You’ll wind around roadways of the park with a virtual tour guide. You can buy the audio driving tour CD in the park gift shop, but check the front desk of your hotel or campground first to see if they have a copy you can borrow (for free).
2. Take a few minutes to visit the park’s website and the visitor’s center before you start the driving tour, so you have more of an appreciation of the battlefield and the history of the siege.
3. During the summer, the Mississippi heat can be intense.  Take the driving tour and walk the battlefields in the morning to avoid the heat.  Be sure to bring along a bottle of ice water – there are no concession stands in the park.
4. The National Park Service is offering Fee-Free Days August 15 and 16. Visiting either of these days will give you free entrance to the park – the normal entrance fee is $8.

Usually as we’re driving along I’ll pull out the book and look through the listings for the state we are in and see what sounds interesting or what will be along the way. As I paged through Louisiana I saw Natchitoches and it went something like this -

“There’s this town in the book that sounds cool but I don’t know how to say it and we just drove past a sign that said it is coming up. I think we should stop.” Robert, always up for adventure said ok and exited when I pointed out the correct exit. Neither of us had a clue how to say the name of the town at all.

As we drove along the streets looking for a good stopping place, we saw beautifully landscaped yards, not prim and proper landscaping but lush, almost tropical plants and lots of vines trailing along intricate wrought iron railings. We found a place to park on a side street (we were towing the camper) and set off to explore. We had Daisy on her leash so we tag-teamed going into stores so someone could always stay outside with her. The main street is just cute and has the balconies and wrought iron of New Orleans without the bars and beads of Bourbon Street getting in the way. Natchitoches is Louisiana’s oldest town and that rich history is apparent all over the buildings. And with the main street right along the river it’s just a beautiful place to hang out. It feels relaxing, even when there’s some hustle and bustle about.

Robert just walked around taking pictures of every interesting building that he saw and I enjoyed popping in and out of some cute shops. I enjoyed the Louisiana Purchase store full of Louisiana made goods and Louisiana-themed goods. They also made their own pralines, fudge and ice cream. Include some ice cream mixed with some of the homemade fudge or some of the pralines that is just the best. I didn’t really care that is was barely 10am, I ate some anyway! We walked around just enjoying looking at all the historic buildings for awhile and then headed over for some of the famous Natchitoches meat pies.

I again stumbled at the name – obviously those High School French classes didn’t stick – but the locals all know Lasyone’s – at 622 Second Street – is the place to go so they can get you there even if you butcher the name as I did. Let me tell you. Those meat pies were GOOD. We only made one mistake. Lasyone’s is apparently a dine-in type restaurant so when Robert went in asking for two meat pies to go it took a little bit to get our order. There was a little garden next door between the restaurant and a museum with some benches that were a perfect place to eat. We couldn’t dine in since we had Daisy along but it all worked out. The pies had the tastiest outer dough that was fried to a crisp. And inside the meat was flavorful and well spiced and had a perfect texture. It was ground meat – beef I’m assuming – and all almost completely uniform in size, no awkward chunks or anything. And the filling was juicy but not greasy. It was seriously good. I found a recipe online for these, but I haven’t tried it yet so I can’t tell you if it is as good as the original. We did bring home a spice packet to make some but haven’t had time to try it yet either.

Natchitoches is where the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed and you can take Steel Magnolias tours and such, but that isn’t really our thing so we didn’t even look into it. It would be the perfect town to escape to for a nice weekend in a bed and breakfast. A little shopping, walking by the river, maybe seeing some of the nearby plantations, eating some meat pies and maybe even taking a horse-drawn carriage ride. It’s the kind of town where that feels right. It would make a perfect romantic getaway, or a great history trip. I don’t think kids would hate it, but young kids might get a bit bored if they aren’t used to the shopping, walking, looking at buildings thing.

Away from the town in the rural area you can visit several plantations. We didn’t have time to do much more than just a quick look at a few of them, but it is definitely on our list of things to revisit. I’m thinking a B&B, late fall with some plantation tours might be just the thing. And if you go, it’s called Nack-i-tish. At least, I think that’s right.

This time was a little different. There were three objectives – share some of my favorites with Robert, do some exploring, and of course, go to the Travel Blog Exchange conference.

I would say that most of that was accomplished. I’ll leave the  exploring and the favorites for another post, but TBEX… well, that was great. I am so happy that I found out about it in time and that we were able to go. Robert and I  have kicked around the idea of a travel blog, or some other project we could work on together for quite awhile. Pulling our idea together and starting it off in close proximity to this conference has given us a solid base to start off from, some seriously amazing contacts and lots of great ideas.

I am guessing our entire trip home will be spent talking about ideas, brainstorming and working on posts and plans. I definitely plan to spend some time looking at blogs of people we met, emailing everyone and just getting lots of things written up about Chicago.

We had the opportunity to ride on a sailboat  on Lake Michigan which made me feel like I was home all the way down into my bones. Going to TBEX and bringing Little Travel Notebook together, with Robert is that same kind of feeling.

We’re both really looking forward to the journey and we are glad we’ve met so many on the same journey! Welcome, we hope to keep  the conversation going.

In order to do that, I’m going to ask – what did you do  in Chicago that you loved? If you didn’t go to TBEX but you’ve been to Chicago, what’s your favorite memory of the city? Tell us here or tweet us @Travel_Notebook