A Summer Road Trip with My Daughter

Before having a daughter, I had little interest in travel. Day after day in the comfort zone, life was as plain as water. It wasn’t until 2016, when we welcomed a little princess into the family, that our focus shifted to her. We began intentionally exposing her to all the wonders of nature — discovering the adorable looks of little animals, getting close to the greenery and sunshine in the forest. We wanted her to know that life can take many forms, and the world can look many different ways. In June 2019, when her dad rented a TP07W wide-body slide-in camper and mapped out a meticulous travel plan, my daughter and I were excited all evening. So together we brought along her grandparents and set off on a two-week camper trip. Since it was midsummer in June, we chose relatively cool destinations.

The moment everyone saw the camper, no one could hide their excitement. It was even more spacious than imagined, so there was no need to worry about cramped quarters on the road. As it turned out, no trip has ever been more comfortable than this one — except for my husband who was driving, the rest of us slept the entire way to our destination.

Our first stop was the USS Wisconsin Battleship Museum in Norfolk. After exploring, we could head right back to the camper to rest. Early the next morning, we were woken by birdsong outside the window and the aroma of Mom’s oatmeal. Even in a different city, being able to eat the flavors of home made us feel deeply at ease. After breakfast, we set off for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Along the way, Mom and Dad became especially talkative. Because the camper drew attention wherever we went, whenever people kept asking to look inside, Mom and Dad would tirelessly show them around. When we arrived at the lighthouse, the azure and emerald beams of light reflected on the sea’s surface. We sat in the viewing pavilion across from it, listening to the sound of waves lapping the shore, telling our little one stories of maritime adventures. She might not have fully understood, but she listened with rapt attention. After that, we continued on to Cape Hatteras. Along the way, we spotted Ocracoke Island and decisively detoured over for a visit, because its beauty was simply breathtaking. The jade-green water was as soft as silk, gently rippling; from up high, the misty expanse stretched endlessly to the horizon. It was precisely because we had this camper that we could stop wherever we wanted to stop, without rushing to cover miles.

The next stop: Charleston. Even eating the simplest sandwiches at a roadside rest stop felt special with the camper along — it gave everything a sense of ceremony. From the waterfront park to the old pier, and on to the coastal point, everywhere we went was a vast, boundless blue. On the tenth day, heading back toward Asheville, we made our way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Even though it took a full day of driving, the little one could sleep peacefully in the camper when she got tired, which greatly lifted her spirits. Upon arriving at the Blue Ridge Parkway, my daughter completely let loose — spinning and dancing on the grass, running up and down the trails, with Grandma trailing behind in a constant state of alarm. But aren’t children meant to belong to nature? In their eyes, even the ordinary scenery along the way and the difficult mountain roads are exciting challenges and the thrill of the unknown. The energy that nature gives them is perhaps far richer than we imagine. On the last day, to bring this camper journey to a perfect close, we decorated the camper together and captured many keepsakes.

After this camper trip, one thing left a deep impression on me. My daughter’s teacher called me one day to say that she, usually on the quiet side, had started proactively telling her classmates about her travel stories, sharing all the adventures from the trip. Perhaps in her little world, the cotton-candy clouds seen through the window, the summer evening breeze blowing across the seaside, and the carefree frolicking on the grass were all scenes worth remembering forever.