Assateague Sukkos Day 7: More Flying and Beach Fun

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Ben

This morning we awoke to horses poking around the RV. Note how empty the campground is:

This is why you should never stop with open windows next to a feral horse:

B took over the photography:

M and I drove over Ocean City, Maryland to attend Chol Hamoed services:

I love RV breakfasts!

Last night, we met the T family when they arrived in the campground. They were excited to see our sukkah. I went over to say hello and check our their sukkah. We chatted for some time, and it turns out Mrs. T is related to the Rabbi of the congregation in Santa Fe with which we spent Purim on Day 959. Small world!

This morning, the T family stopped by on their way home to check out the RV and we swapped more stories about frum RVing:

The weather was still good, so I decided to fly:

Another reverse launch:

Launch of flight #113:

This video contains all the flights on this trip:

More frolicking in the surf:

The kids dug sizeable holes:

Trish got in on the action too:

The wind was good, so Trish put the kiting harness on and I provided the forward motion necessary for her to take flight:

Here’s a great video of Tricia’s first flight at the Salton Sea on Day 901:

M’s turn:

Towards sunset, Trish and I walked the beach:

This Horseshoe crab had quite a few hitchhikers on his shell:

Another beautiful day on Assateague Island!

Assateague Sukkos Day 6: Flying and Beach Fun

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Ben

The first two days of Sukkos (Monday and Tuesday) with congregation Ahavat Shalom in Ocean City, Maryland were great. It was the first time we’ve spent a holiday with a Sefardi congregation. Since everyone there except us were Israeli expats, the Rabbi delivered his sermon in Hebrew. On the second day I walked down to the beach and walked the boardwalk for a bit.

RV breakfasts are always fantastic:

The passenger side of the RV seemed to be sagging, and a peek underneath revealed that the rear passenger leaf spring had broken. This is the same spring position that broke and had to be replaced on Day 366. Back when that spring broke, I replaced the springs on both sides so the axle would be square to the trailer and therefore the tires would not wear poorly. As I result, I had with us the unbroken leaf spring pulled off the driver’s side of the rear axle those few years ago. I crawled under the RV and got to work:

Installing the new leaf spring:

While I was working, this Wheel bug wandered by:

The broken leaf spring:

The congregation used to be headed up by a Chabad rabbi, which explains why the synagogue was built to resemble 770:

After Shacharis and fixing the leaf spring, we relocated back to Assateague Island. We had camping reservations at Assateague Island National Seashore, but we would have had to change sites in the middle of our stay, so we decided to try for the first time camping at Assateague State Park, which was much less crowded. For a couple more dollars, we have use of bathhouses with toilets and nice showers, as opposed to just pit toilets in the NPS campground.

We set up our sukkah again:

We managed to squeeze everything onto our site:

Next we hit the beach:

We collected some shells:

Dead Horseshoe crabs:

I received permission from the state park to launch my PPG from the beach:

Launch of flight #112. I’m doing a reverse launch due to strong wind:

Nice views upstairs:

Coming down to land:

This video contains my four flights on this trip:

I kited the wing to make sure it was clean before putting it away:

After dinner in the sukkah we had a campfire. It’s warm here with 100% humidity, so the wood is damp and doesn’t burn very well:

Assateague Sukkos 2016, Day 3: Flying and Wild Horses

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Ben

Shabbos on Assateague Island National Seashore was pleasant. The weather was great and we went for a number of walks in the area.

This morning was sunny and warm. The ocean is on the other side of the protective dune:

I drove over to the local airport to fly my PPG over Assateague:

Launch of flight #111:

Assateague Island lies beyond the bay at the end of the runway:

Flying south, I overflew the undeveloped northern section of Assateague:

Flying north, the city of Ocean City, Maryland is visible on the southern end of Fenwick Island, across the channel from the northern tip of Assateague Island:

Approaching the airport:

This video contains my four flights during this trip:

I raced back to the RV to exit our campsite by the 11AM checkout. We relocated to the day use area for the rest of the day. The kids went off to the beach, and Trish and I stayed back at the RV. I was in touch with Cherie and Chris, two fulltime RVers whose adventures I have been following on their blog Technomadia since a year or so before the trip. They happened to be staying at the state campground on Assateague, and they rode their bikes over to say hello. It was great to meet them in person, and our conversation quickly turned to topics at the confluence of technology and mobile living.

At lunchtime, a group of Assateague’s feral horses wandered through the parking lot:

After lunch, we relocated to Ahavat Shalom, the synagogue where we will be spending the first two days of Sukkos. We set up our sukkah:

Our lovely parking lot campsite:

Happy Sukkos from Ocean City, Maryland!

Assateague Sukkos 2016, Day 1: Back on the Road!

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Ben

Presumably you know by now that after the end of the trip, we initially decided to move to Phoenix, then decided to stay in New York. This is the first time the RV has moved since the end of the trip!

Today we got up early and cleared our driveway at 8:30AM. We drove south, stopping in New Jersey for cheap propane. We continued south to Assateague Island National Seashore.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself “Haven’t you visited Assateague Island a number of times in the past?” Why yes, yes we have. Those trips are listed on the All RV Trips page. Assateague was our favorite pre-trip East Coast RV destination, and we spent time here in the winter of 2009, fall of 2009, fall of 2010, and fall of 2011.

This time we arrived in the afternoon. We parked the RV at an angle so our windows would be facing the trees, not our neighbor’s RV:

Good Shabbos from Assateague Island!

Ben and Tricia Kahn, RV living in a second interview with Ami Magazine

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Ben

Back in June of 2015 (around Day 676), an interview with Trish was the cover article for the magazine Ami Living (issue 221). We asked them to not use our last name, so we became Ben and Tricia Kahn.

In this week’s issue 286, the “Mega Sukkos Edition”, a follow-up interview appeared, primarily discussing our transition back to “normal” life.

With permission from the magazine’s editor, the original article from June of 2015 appears below.