Six years ago, Chris and I left Africa and returned to the US. In just one short month, we lived in a hotel, got married, bought a house, got a job (Deah), and got deployment orders for nine months (Chris). It was a crazy month, and we we found ourselves living in Reston, Virginia- which turned out to be our home for the next few years.
Reston has a very interesting history. It was one of the original “New Town” planned communities of the 50s and 60s, designed by a man named Robert E Simon (our town is named after his initials). It was inaugurated on Simon’s 50th birthday in 1964, and ol’ Bob lived to see quite the expansion of the area during the rest of his lifetime- I actually met him in 2013, and he lived until the age of 101.
Looking to go on a road trip this summer, but not sure you can afford a month of hotels? Tired of sleeping in a tent on the ground? As more and more adventurers are captivated by “Van Life”, you might be wanting to try it. But what if you’re not quite ready to take that plunge just yet? Here’s how you can try out an RV this weekend to see if a house on wheels is right for you.
AirBnB an RV
You can stay on private property in a self-contained RV using Airbnb. The owners will generally provide all the comforts you need, including bedding. One RV on offer in the Shenandoah Mountains even offers a ‘smores kit for guests! Staying in an RV is a great way to get out of the routine of a hotel room and not have to set a camp- especially if you don’t already own a lot of the “camping essentials”. Many RVs on AirBnB come with guides to nearby trails, ponds, and hikes, and tons of them offer fire pits, outdoor seating, and picnic tables as well.
photos courtesy of AirBnB website
Test Drive an RV using RVShare.com
If you’re thinking of buying a recreational vehicle but aren’t sure what size and configuration would fit your needs, try someone else’s first! The website RVShare.com has thousands of RV rentals ranging from tiny tow-behind pop ups to 34-footers that sleep six. Starting as low as $25 a night, you can reserve an RV for a weekend or a couple of weeks and find the one you like best before shelling out the money to purchase one.
Photos courtesy of RVShare.com
Try a Tiny House
A new website lets city dwellers get out into nature and explore the delights of a tiny home, without having to sell all your household items! Getaway.House currently offers tiny houses in the woods outside Boston, New York, and DC. You specify how far you’re willing to drive, and they pick the cabin for you. Shortly before your arrival, they will disclose the exact location to you. You can just relax, knowing all the details are handled for you. Be spontaneous! In the past few years, Getaway has expanded from 5 cities in the northeast United States to more than 20 areas, including 3 in Texas and 3 in the Pacific Northwest.
Enjoy your view!
This tiny home has it all for a weekend away. Photos from Getaway website.
Try Before You Buy
If you’re serious about purchasing an RV, many dealers have a “try before you buy” program. You can work with All Star Coaches to find a dealer near you and try out one of their inventory. You choose the amenities you want, and All Star will find the right motor home for you. The best part is, if you purchase the RV at the end of your trial week, the cost of the rental is deducted from your sales price! So you got an extra vacation for free!
Drive into the sunset with a rental before you buy. Photo credit: Flickr user Kevin Dooley
Don’t worry if you don’t have your own home on the road yet. Now you can camp in an RV in a scenic location without having to worry about driving and parking, or you can try a tiny home for a weekend in the woods! If you’re ready to motor, you can share someone else’s RV for a week, or try one out before you buy your own. The options are unlimited, so what are you waiting for? It’s time to hit the road!
There are many, many wineries in the state of Virginia. So many, in fact, that the state is divided into nine wine regions (not to mention nearby West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,and North Carolina, which all also have tons of wineries). Zeroing in on just the Northern Virginia region, where I currently live, there are 88 wineries officially listed Continue reading “Three Unique Wineries in Northern Virginia”→
My friend Kelly came into town, and on one of the days I took her to see an area of DC I hadn’t spent enough time in: the northern part, which features Embassy Row, the National Cathedral, and Georgetown.
Embassy Row
Since we were in a car, it was easy enough for us to just slowly drive around the Kalorama neighborhood, near Massachusetts Avenue and Sheridan Circle. You could also take a Zip car- I noticed quite a few Zip cars in the area, and there were Capital Bike docks nearby as well, so a bike ride in nice weather would be a lovely way to see the embassies. DC has more than 175 foreign embassies, residences, and diplomatic missions, so don’t expect to see them all. But focusing on Massachusetts Avenue and nearby streets should let you see close to 30 of them, including Philippines, Portugal, Togo, Luxembourg, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, and Japan. My favorite is the imposing Kazakhstan embassy. In fact, here’s a handy map.
It’s always so hard to pick the next travel destination…. so here’s a suggestion: Florida. It’s warm, it’s sunny, and it’s a short plane ride away. Of course, Florida has dozens of options so you’re going to have to make Continue reading “Visiting Florida”→
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