RV Road Trip: New Jersey to Ohio
Jumping in a recreational vehicle (RV) and exploring the country have been a longtime desire of my family. After seeing movies like RV with the late Robin Williams and Meet the Millers, we immediately felt this type of travel was something to try. We imagined hitting the road to the Grand Canyon and seeing many incredible American sights. But unfortunately, after starting to explore a trip to Arizona, we found our vacation time wouldn't allow us to enjoy a visit to the Grand Canyon and be on the road for so many days. So we abandoned the idea for a few years until my husband suggested a trip to Ohio to see Serpent Mound. Keep reading to see how our RV trip was just as rewarding and adventurous as we imagined initially.
The Ohio trip planning started a year before we took to the road. Of course, early planning is optional, but the RV rental prices seemed very reasonable at the start of planning, so we booked the RV rental and then waited. Unfortunately, we couldn't secure any sites then because most RV sites we needed along our route were closed for reservations. In the meantime, we watched the Cruise America orientation videos and plotted the desired travel agenda with the TripIt app. Further research in the planning phase included watching videos on Serpent Mound and other attractions nearby Ohio. Finally, we set the plan, and when the booking windows opened for the state park, aquarium, and museum, we wanted to visit, we secured those reservations. All the reservations were easy to make; however, Cruise America didn't send a confirmation email, so if you go with them, capture the confirmation alert webpage. We were about three months away from our vacation dates, and the excitement was building!
Fast forward to last week, we found ourselves pulling up to Cotner's Trailer Rentals with two cars full of RV road trip essentials, plus the kids and dog. Our service representative was pleasant, and he had the RV strategically parked for easy loading, which my youngest two and I took advantage of packing. At the same time, my husband and older son got the tour and mechanics overview. The rig was very clean, and the amenities were simple. We rented the 30-foot Ford RV, and once we got on the road, we found it comfortable and easy to drive.
The first site we stopped at was the Wahington/Pittsburg SW KOA Journey. Reservations were easy to make on the KOA site well before our trip. Check-in was even more effortless with the friendly staff. The staff escorted us to our pull-through site, making locating and parking the RV for the first time a breeze. The KOA site was small and close to the other site pads. The hookup process was easy; we roasted marshmallows for smores before we knew it! Later the kids walked around the RV park and found all the neighbors friendly at the playground. Later that evening, we hunkered down and arranged the sleeping configurations. We had trouble converting the RV kitchen table to a bed but figured it out after watching a few videos. We were doing everything correctly when trying to convert the table; in general, the RV had a tightness about it with the fixtures and doors. The tightness may be to keep everything secure and side effects from the RV driving on roadways.
We had a lazy night listening to Ready Player 2 on Audible and an even lazier morning. Finally, we rose and tidied the RV, and headed out for breakfast. Our meal plan was already out the window, but it was our vacation, so we chose to be flexible. About 20 minutes from the KOA site, we pulled right into a Waffle House parking spot without worries or obstacles. After breakfast, we stopped at the gas station but only after walking around stores like Home Depot, looking for things we had just remembered we needed. About five hours later, we arrived in Ohio at our final RV stop in Hillsboro. When we arrived at Rocky Fork State Park, the park staff kindly greeted us and directed us to our pad. He could do so by just pointing to the site as the park was open, flat, and overlooking the beautiful lake. The RV pad site was wet from the recent rain, so I removed the water from the fire pit while the boys hooked up the RV to water and sewer. The entire week Ohio weather threatened to rain, or it rained. We spent the rest of the evening mainly inside the RV. We used the cooktop in the kitchen to prepare dinner, and except for the limited space, it was, all in all, a good experience preparing dinner in the RV.
The following morning my husband was not feeling well. Unfortunately, my scheduled ride share never came, so I called the local taxi company to take me into town to get a rental car. The cab driver was very knowledgeable, informing me of the small-town dynamics of Hillsboro and the best restaurants to try during our visit. I'm not great with names, but I shot out to the only cab driver to bring me to and from Enterprise in Hillsboro; he was awesome! When I returned to the RV and after delivering White House donuts (the cab driver recommended) to the kids, I still found my husband was still under the weather. We adjusted our plans; the kids and I headed into town to see the World's Largest Horseshoe Crab. The landmark is easy to drive by without notice, but once you walk upon the property to inspect the crab, you appreciate the creative way the townspeople attract tourists. We had lunch at a local restaurant, walked around town, visited the shops, and bought souvenirs and candy. About two and a half hours later, we returned to the RV to pick up my husband and visit Serpent Mound.
The remainder of the trip went as planned. We spent an hour at Serpent Mound discussing the many possible theories of its creation. We witnessed a snake slithering among the rock facade that the mound sits on and concluded the presence of the snakes might be a contributing factor to the name Serpent Mound. Only a few others visited during our exploration of the Serpent Mound, making for a peaceful experience. The next day we took the rental car to Cincinnati and Kentucky to visit the Newport Aquarium and the National Underground Railroad Museum. We used our cellphone battery packs to stay charged throughout the day to ensure we could return to the RV with GPS, where our dog patiently awaited our return.
Overall, the RV rental and the road trip was a pleasant experience, so we are considering doing it again. Even with some of the fixtures sticking and the black water hose not coming off as smoothly as we'd like, we thought the RV fit all our housing and travel needs for our adventure. We could bring our dog and still enjoy indoor activities like going to the aquarium while she stayed in our home away from home. We saved money on food by preparing meals in the RV. We received most of our deposit back as we maintained the cleanliness of the RV but neglected to vacuum rather than sweep our dog's hair from the RV. $25 was charged for the oversight, a tiny portion of the deposit. If you are interested in taking an RV adventure, please reach out, and we'd be happy to advise you on your travel dream. Follow us on social media for more tips and our travel adventures.
