Doug and Marla left Des Moines in late September with a thermos of coffee and a map folded to Maine. After three days of interstate hum, they rolled into Acadia National Park with the Airstream Basecamp hitched tight behind their tow vehicle.

They claimed site 112 at Blackwoods Campground—tight, tree-lined, and exactly the kind of spot where seasoned Airstreamers trade backing tips like baseball cards. Marla won the neighborly applause for a one-shot reverse into the site while Doug handled the levelers and the awning in a brisk Iowa wind that had followed them all the way to the coast.

At 4:45 a.m. they drove the empty Basecamp up Cadillac Mountain (reservation secured weeks ahead) and watched the sun spill across Frenchman Bay. Porcupines, not moose, turned out to be the campground celebrities. They hiked the Beehive Trail, bought wild blueberry jam in Bar Harbor, and agreed that the Atlantic smelled like possibility.

Silver Trekker verdict: East Coast granite, perfect fall colors, and campground camaraderie—Acadia belongs on every Basecamp bucket list.

← Back to all road notes · Adventures hub