Traveling Huntleys

Inspiring travel stories, tips, and guides from a couple exploring the world one destination at a time.

Michael Huntley

Newmar RV Service in Nappanee, Indiana: Maintenance During COVID

by

Last Updated: July 12, 2026

Northern Indiana is the RV capital of the world. Elkhart County alone produces the majority of motorhomes, travel trailers, and fifth wheels sold in the United States, and many of them are built in whole or in part by Amish craftsmen — a workforce renowned for the quality and care of their woodworking. Newmar Corporation is headquartered in Nappanee, Indiana, and after several years on the road in our Dutch Star, it was time for annual maintenance and a list of repairs that had accumulated on the last leg of the trip. We made the four-and-a-half hour drive north from Shepherdsville, Kentucky, arriving in early April 2020 — right in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service center stayed open as an essential business, but Nappanee itself was largely shut down.

Our Newmar Dutch Star motorhome parked outside the Newmar Service Center in Nappanee, Indiana
[Read more…] about Newmar RV Service in Nappanee, Indiana: Maintenance During COVID

Shepherdsville, Kentucky: Bernheim Forest and the Bourbon Trail During COVID

by

Last Updated: July 12, 2026

Shepherdsville, Kentucky sits just south of Louisville and serves as an ideal base for exploring two of the state’s great attractions: the lush, sprawling Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and the legendary Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We arrived in late March 2020 from Cave City, eager to explore both — and found the same story we had been hearing across the country. COVID-19 restrictions were in full effect. Distillery tasting rooms, restaurants, and all social gatherings were closed as the country braced for what was coming. Bernheim Forest, however, was still open, and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places we visited on the entire journey. The early spring blooms were extraordinary.

Cherry tree in full bloom with clouds of white blossoms in early spring at Bernheim Forest, Clermont, Kentucky
[Read more…] about Shepherdsville, Kentucky: Bernheim Forest and the Bourbon Trail During COVID

Cave City, Kentucky: Mammoth Cave National Park During COVID

by

Last Updated: July 12, 2026

Cave City, Kentucky sits about an hour and a half north of Nashville, Tennessee, and we had been looking forward to this stop for months. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the longest known cave system in the world — more than 400 miles of mapped passages — and we had reserved a guided cave tour well in advance. The day before we arrived, the National Park Service cancelled it. COVID-19 shutdowns were sweeping the country in March 2020, and Mammoth Cave’s underground tours were among the first to go. Disappointing as it was, we made the most of our time exploring the park’s roads, trails, and the beautiful landscape above ground. Mammoth Cave remains very much on our list, and we will be back.

Apple tree blossoms in the foreground with an old cemetery and historic church in the background at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
[Read more…] about Cave City, Kentucky: Mammoth Cave National Park During COVID

Motorhome Living During Early COVID-19 Pandemic

by

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Motorhome life has its unique challenges and rewards. Overall, we prefer wide open spaces and avoid crowds whenever possible, so our social distancing was already well established long before the term became universal. Having medical backgrounds, we practice infection precautions daily regardless of any particular pathogen. Nevertheless, short of wearing a hazmat suit, it is difficult to avoid exposure during a pandemic — supplies always need replenishment and storage space in a motorhome is finite. Trips to the grocery store and motorhome service appointments are unavoidable facts of full-time RV life. This post covers the transitional leg of our 2020 spring journey: north from Orange Beach, Alabama through Nashville and the Natchez Trace Parkway, heading toward the Newmar factory in Indiana for a service appointment we had booked six months earlier.

Sandy Huntley standing in front of a large floral peace sign street art installation in Nashville, Tennessee — a poignant symbol during the early COVID-19 pandemic
[Read more…] about Motorhome Living During Early COVID-19 Pandemic

Orange Beach & Gulf Shores Alabama

by

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Orange Beach sits at the eastern end of Alabama’s Gulf Coast, sharing the same brilliant white quartz sand that runs west from Pensacola Beach and Destin — all of it originating from the ancient Appalachian Mountains, ground fine over millions of years and carried to the Gulf by river systems. We arrived just at the beginning of spring break, which would normally mean dense crowds of college students on the beach. The coronavirus outbreak had already begun to suppress travel, however, and the beaches and restaurants were noticeably quieter than they would otherwise have been at that time of year. A strange and unsettling historical context for what was still a beautiful visit.

Sandy Huntley and Jake the dog exploring the massive brick arched casemates inside Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, Alabama
[Read more…] about Orange Beach & Gulf Shores Alabama

Pensacola Beach & Destin, Florida

by

Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Pensacola Beach sits on Santa Rosa Island, a long barrier island that forms part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore — one of the most striking stretches of protected coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. The sand here is composed of sparkling white quartz, ground fine by millennia of wave action, and it looks almost like snow from a distance. We had camped at the National Park campground at Gulf Islands a few years earlier and loved the quiet, unspoiled character of the area. This return visit was a chance to explore further — Fort Pickens, the local restaurants, and the very different atmosphere of Destin just down the coast. A note on timing: our posts tend to run about a month behind due to editing, travel, and spotty internet. When we were here, the coronavirus pandemic had not yet begun affecting daily life.

The long fishing pier stretching into the Gulf of Mexico under dramatic dark skies at Pensacola Beach, Florida
[Read more…] about Pensacola Beach & Destin, Florida