Camper trip through America: the lobster of your life

The idea actually came about by chance. In 2015, I ate the best lobster of my life with friends in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Because of that experience, I decided to take my family there, but the hotel rooms turned out to be terribly expensive. Friends wanted to come along and suggested renting two campers. A camper trip through America, then. A brilliant idea! Hotel and transport in one.

You rent cars at the airport, campers apparently in the woods. From Logan International Airport, the camper pick-up location in Boston turns out to be forty kilometers away. Fortunately, Uber works excellently in America. A van quickly takes us to green Tyngsboro.

The camper rental lady waddles along to the campers and gives a cynical explanation. She has been doing this job for too long, answered all questions before. Now we politely laugh at her standard jokes about emptying the grey water tank and the fact that the thirteen-foot-high camper cannot pass under 12-foot-high bridges. “Then the air conditioning on the roof will definitely come off.”

Surprisingly spacious

Among dozens of giant caravans and mega campers, our 25-foot campers look like Dinky Toys. But the space inside is surprisingly large and the layout is right. After a short inspection, the exterior is washed again and then we can hit the road. First, to a nearby campsite to get used to it.

Massachusetts

The V-8 growls like a Grizzly as we turn onto the provincial road. A few miles further on, an overpass appears. Pff, 14 feet high, no problem. We drive through the well-kept landscape of Massachusetts. It is a green Randstad around Boston. The houses are white, the lawns neatly mowed, and everywhere the American flag waves in the front yard. Almost nowhere do we see fences or hedges, Americans like a wide view of the neighborhood.

The recommended campsite turns out to be a terraced campsite with flat pitches where campers and caravans are set up separately. We get a 'full hook-up', which means a spot with electricity, water, internet, and a sewer connection. Under each caravan or camper, we see a corrugated pipe on legs leading to a hole in the ground. This 'caterpillar' is the permanent waste line from the camper to the campsite sewer.

Not cheap

The campsite is not cheap; you pay 65 dollars for a night in the forest. We are exclusively among American campers. Most have surrounded themselves with so much luxury that it seems as if they hate camping. In Europe, you won't find two leather armchairs in the forest in front of a 65-inch television screen on the outside of a camper anywhere.

Slide-outs

Also typically American are the 'slide-outs', parts that slide out of megalomaniac caravans like a matchbox to further enlarge the living space. Campers here often have the size of a full-grown touring coach. Sometimes these mega-campers tow a 'regular' car on a tow bar. The timelessly beautiful silver Airstream caravans, known from 'All you need is love', remain our favorites. They are abundant here.

Each camper spot has its own permanent picnic table and a stone barbecue. Without a grill, which we have to buy for 16 dollars in the campsite shop. With the firelighters and the mega bag of briquettes, it becomes a costly meal. However, the taste of the thick roasted steaks makes up for everything. The first night in a camper, we get used to the movements, the smell, and the hard mattresses. We wake up to the sunlight and make a delicious breakfast that we eat under the immensely tall trees. Life smiles upon us. Time to make plans for the rest of our camper trip through America.

On to Boston

Boston has a reputation for being a beautiful city, but to be honest, we only know it from TV series like Cheers. It doesn't seem wise to drive our wide, eight-meter-long mobile hotel room into the city. So we look for a parking spot near a subway station in a suburb and find one at a hardware store. The ladies behind the counter have no problem with us leaving our campers there for the day.

In a good half hour, the subway takes us to downtown Boston. The city on the Atlantic Ocean has a long history of trade with the whole world and exudes inspiration. Jazz musicians play swinging music in passages. The world-renowned Harvard University and the Boston Symphony Orchestra bring together the brightest minds and most brilliant musicians here. At the same time, like other cities in America, every shopping street has a drugstore next to a fast-food restaurant. Boston is inextricably linked to the struggle for independence, in which the United States of America broke away from Great Britain.

Faneuil Hall

We are amazed by Faneuil Hall, a historic market hall, which now houses all kinds of modern shops. In the original hall, speeches for independence were held in the 18th century; now you mainly find shops with sweets and trinkets.

The building is part of the Freedom Trail, a four-kilometer walk through the city center. In Boston, the atmosphere is relaxed, cozy, and civilized. We will definitely come back here.

Sleeping in a parking lot

In the evening, we drive south and decide to spend the night independently of everything and everyone. We choose the parking lot of the Wrentham town hall, right next to the police station. If we're not allowed to be there, we'll surely find out quickly. But nothing happens. We have a super quiet spot, eat in a local restaurant, and sleep like a baby.

Car graveyard

The majority of our group are women. During this camper trip through America, they want to shop carefree in one of the enormous outlet centers.

The men set out to explore the neighborhood. Along the way, at a stall with asparagus and eggs, they see a strange kind of car graveyard. Rusty old cars proudly line the provincial road as a symbol of transience. When we buy asparagus, we start talking to the owner. The man with a ponytail and mustache has a somewhat gloomy look. He collects all sorts of old stuff; his barns are packed with antique toys, wrecks of rare cars, and enameled advertising signs.

When he notices our fascination with his old things, he tells us he is looking for a buyer for the whole lot. It's a lot of work to keep everything up, and he'd rather spend his time helping people with mental problems. Since the closure of the Medfield Mental Hospital, there has been no shelter for them. He advises us to take a look at the grounds of the closed institution, a little further on. Pointing to his rusty wrecks, he says: “if you like this, you will definitely enjoy that.”

Former asylum

We have no idea where we will end up, but we decide to follow the route he indicated anyway. 'Further on' in America is different from here. In this case, we drive almost 50 kilometers before we arrive at the grounds of the former 'asylum'.

It turns out to be a large park with dozens of large red brick buildings, demonstratively boarded up with red planks. Now, local residents walk their dogs there, others paint the slightly dilapidated chapel or the stairs of the clinics. It is fascinating how the marginal phenomena of society can be read from the dilapidated buildings. In this tranquil place, you feel the oppressive atmosphere of the film 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest'.

We drive back in silence. Reality may be even crueler than the film, because people with mental disabilities are hardly cared for anymore these days. According to statistics, 56% of people with a mental disorder in the USA do not receive treatment. Almost half of all cases turn to alcohol or drugs. If they cannot go to family, they often end up on the streets or – even worse – in prison.

Cape Cod

We continue driving through the green nature of Massachusetts. The highways are boring, but you can make excellent progress. The camper drives great. You have plenty of power, great side mirrors, and you quickly get used to the size of the vehicle. We drive on to Cape Cod, the peninsula in the southeast and a favorite spot of President John F. Kennedy. In the past, this was the center of cod fishing. Now, oysters and lobsters are mainly caught, and tourism is an important source of income. There are beautiful sandy beaches and lovely forests, creeks, and lakes. Places here have British roots, as evidenced by place names like Sandwich, Harwich, Yarmouth, and Chatham.

In Eastham, we choose the beautiful Atlantic Oaks campground. There's a cheerful island atmosphere, much like on Texel. It's peaceful, the love for nature is dominant, and we feel perfectly at home in the cheerful, relaxed living environment.

Provincetown

Our next destination is Provincetown at the northernmost tip of Cape Cod. The place is world-famous for its whale watching excursions and its large LGBTQ+ community. The rainbow flag flies on many of the colorful wooden houses.

Whale watch

We buy a Whale watch ticket on one of the tourist boats and ask about the chances of actually spotting humpbacks. The men laugh. "The chance is 99% between April and October. If you don't succeed today, you can come along for free tomorrow." Cape Cod is internationally renowned. Just like in Boston, we see other tourists here besides Americans. On board, we choose a spot far away from the smell of frying.

Within ten minutes, the first warning sounds over the loudspeakers. “Humpback on port side”, humpback to port. Everyone rushes to the ocean side where we indeed see some characteristic spouts of water rising from the water.

Then we fly to the other side where a school of dolphins plays almost within reach next to the boat. In the next few hours, we see three types of whales and several species of dolphins. Impressive is the whale that slaps its tail on the water for minutes. The guide knows some of the mammals by name and tells how often they have been seen here. Sometimes that is more than 20 years in a row.

Newport

After spotting the whales, we admire the friendly colorful houses of Provincetown. Then it's time to leave for Newport. A substantial drive of 200 kilometers through terrain that most resembles the Veluwe. The border between Rhode Island and Massachusetts is at Fall River.

Rhode Island is the smallest but also the wealthiest state in America. Many rich families, such as Vanderbilt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, have or had their country estates here. These are the so-called 'Mansions', imposing neo-colonial buildings, often with balconies and columns, which give the country estates a regal appearance.

Newport has a wonderful sporty atmosphere. A major international tennis tournament is held annually, and on the grounds is the prestigious hall of fame, where tennis legends are honored.

And then: the lobster

Newport is also the Mecca of American sailing. You can see the most beautiful boats there, such as classic J-class yachts and ultra-modern superyachts. We park the camper in a large deserted parking lot at Fort Adams State Park and head to The Clarke Cooke House for the legendary lobster.

And there it is, the mega-delicious 'lobster of your life'. This one is sautéed in a sherry and spring onion sauce. Price, $36.75. My travel companions also found it worthwhile to make a transatlantic journey and a 1000-kilometer trip in a camper for it.

Also want to take a camper trip through America?

From Amsterdam, you can book a direct return flight to Boston Logan International Airport from approximately €450. The flight time is approximately 8 hours.

You can book a camper from many different companies in the Netherlands. We paid $1000 per week for the C25 four-person camper. You only need a B driving license to drive this camper.

You will receive the camper with a full fuel, propane gas, and water tank, and an empty wastewater tank. You must also return the camper in this condition. Additional costs include fuel, propane gas, rental of loose camping chairs, camping fees, and insurance. The total camper costs for one week amounted to approximately 1500 euros.

You are not allowed to park the camper in some places in city and village centers. This is usually indicated. Staying overnight at a campsite is pleasant because you can use all power-consuming appliances, refill the limited water supply, and empty the wastewater tank.

Large selection of campers and caravans

Looking for your own camper or caravan? On our website, you will find a large and up-to-date selection of new and used campers and caravans. View the offer here. Even more interesting camping areas view here.