Our quick visit to Philadelphia was mostly spent contemplating who's cheesesteak proved superior… Pat's or Gino's?  We shared a cheesesteak at both locations (wit wiz, of course).  Who won our vote?  Pat's!  But barely.  Pat's had better hot sauce.  That's it.  Otherwise, both cheesesteaks were pretty damn good.  

After our meaty, cheesy, greasy delicious lunch, we burned a few calories by walking downtown.  Through the Italian Market, full of produce stands, butchers and seafood markets and along the narrow streets filled with cool bars and cafes, we made our way to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Washington Square. 

We grew a liking to Philly and would have loved to explore further.  

We made our way to New Jersey and camped for the night.  The next morning we walked the Jersey shore and enjoyed the view of Manhattan in the far distance before driving to Brooklyn. 

We experienced an hilariously awful campground in Brooklyn.  I mean, seriously, who camps in the Big Apple?  But, we've had good luck camping outside of other large cities and this particular campground was a part of the national park system, so we thought great!  We pulled up and actually getting a campsite was unnecessarily awkward but after an hour or so we were all settled.  Settled on an old, broken-down, concrete airport runway with no trees or grass, and a giant abandoned warehouse with a barbed wire fence separating us.  

And while we were nearly out of food (and beer!) the drive there was nearly as awful as the campsite itself, with low clearance bridges and heavy traffic, so we decided to make do with what we had.  We definitely had a few laughs that night.  And Joe had fun combining kiting and long boarding! 

   

The next day, we took a bus and a subway into town and explored a tiny portion of Brooklyn.  We enjoyed the views of Manhattan from the DUMBO neighborhood and (of course) a NY slice.  

We were excited to meet up one of Kells best NY regulars, Brian Henry, later that night!  It took just over two hours to drive the twenty miles east towards Long Island because our truck is not permitted on  many New York highways due to its height.  Naturally, we were unaware of this.  But after our exhausting drive through extremely dense neighborhoods and heavy Friday night traffic, we finally arrived.  And boy were we thirsty!  

Brian and Kristin, Brian's wife, and Kristin's brother and sister showed us a great time out at their local bars!  We had a blast.  And it was such a treat to enjoy the simple pleasures of sitting on a couch and taking a real shower.  It's these 'little things' we miss most about home. 

After recovering from rather unfortunate hangovers, we said our good-byes and moved on east through Long Island.  Thanks again, Brian and Kristin, for bringing us in and showing us a really great time!  

Our east coast tour began up the east coast of Florida to Savannah, Georgia (although, still considered a part of the south).  Giant live oak trees line the streets, old brick buildings are crammed one-on-top-of-the-other and cobble stone roads lead the way.  A little gritty yet extremely charming, Savannah is a not-to-be-missed town when driving through Georgia.

We walked the River Walk, ate buckets of 'you shuck' oysters, toured the historic neighborhoods, had a few beers and enjoyed great conversations with locals.   

We camped that night in a lush, damp forest just a few miles from town.  

After Savannah, we made our way up the coast of South Carolina.  We found ourselves at Edisto Beach and stayed a few extra days.  

It was so beautiful.  We had rain, wind, sun, you name it.  We met many great people at this campsite.  Including John, from Texas, traveling in his Volkswagon Van.  

After three days we headed up the coast to the very charming town of Charleston, South Carolina.  But first, we stopped for blue crab and snapper at a local seafood shop to cook for dinner. 

We pulled into Charleston and needed a few minutes of rest.  We parked in a beautiful neighborhood along the bay to regroup.  Enormous victorian-style houses lines the streets to the left.  To the right, Charleston Bay dotted with sailboats and dolphins (many, many dolphins!).  

Charleston has an extremely classic and historic charm.  It's old, clean and lined with brick and cobblestone.  

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina was our next stop.  Very, very touristy and a little dated, Myrtle Beach was actually quite beautiful.  

From here we made our way up to the college town of Raleigh, North Carolina and enjoyed a little 'North Carolina' style BBQ at The Pit.     

BBQ here is composed mainly of apple cider vinegar, creating a sweet and tangy finish.  So delicious!  Especially the 'chopped pork'.  My-oh-my... my mouth is watering as we speak.  

(Although Memphis BBQ is still our favorite).

We continued west and connected with the very scenic Blue Ridge Parkway that travels hundreds of miles north towards Shenandoah National Park.  Rolling hills and lots of fog led our path through the Blue Mountains.  

Shenandoah National Park was peaceful and absolutely beautiful.  Dense fog, lush forest and rolling hills.  We enjoyed a gorgeous hike and some much needed time in the woods after weeks of 'city travel'.  

We took a minor detour back south to Monticello to tour Thomas Jefferson's estate.  It was well worth the cost and probably one of the best 'tours' we have paid for.  

We zig-zagged our way northeast through the beautiful countryside of Virginia to Washington DC.  We were lucky enough to find a campsite that was part of the National Park System just outside of town.  We were a subway ride away from the city center.  It was very convenient, considering we were camping in DC.  

We toured the sites and museums, partied with our old friend Dom and (most importantly, of course) celebrated Joe's 33rd birthday.  Joe even got a haircut and clean shave from the man himself who cuts Obama's hair!  Well, he's cut it once, but still... 

Washington DC is an incredibly historic city.  Of course that's an obvious statement, but the overwhelming feeling of pride and curiosity when walking the city limits was, well, surprising.  It seemed that any and every corner we turned led to a historic monument or memorial.  We stayed a few extra days.  

The Washington Monument.

The Lincoln Memorial.

The Jefferson Memorial.

The White House.

The Capitol Building, just to name a few.  

We took advantage of the free admission to the Smithsonian Institution and enjoyed a full day at the History of Natural History and Air and Space Museum's.  

PK, we wish you were there to teach us about planes!  

And of course it was Joe's birthday on Saturday, September 8th.  He went from this...

To this...

And later that night we celebrated with Dom and Daniela.  

It was a great day.  And a great few days spent in DC.   Thanks again, Dom, for showing us your city.  We could not have had a better time!   

More east coast to come.  It's time for a beer!