Everything You Need to Pack for a Trip to Alaska In a month we’ll be leaving for the Last Frontier. This is our final Alaska planning post that we’ll be publishing pre-trip. You can find out how to plan your trip to Alaska here, and what to do to get your vehicle ready for a long road trip here. Today we’re sharing a comprehensive Alaska packing list before the peak travel season to help anyone else who is preparing for…
Death Valley. The name alone conjures visions of a desolate wasteland strewn with the bones of unfortunate wildlife and a few lonely tumbleweeds rolling in the wind. While we did drive through a dust storm to reach Death Valley National Park, what we found was a place teeming with geological marvels, diverse terrain, and one of the cutest wildlife encounters we’ve had yet. Pin this post for later > Why is it Called Death Valley Anyway? Before we get into…
Ultimate Alaska Road Trip Planning Checklist Like many outdoor and nature enthusiasts, a trip to Alaska has been a dream of ours for a long time. We’re finally embarking on a 3-month road trip to the Last Frontier this summer. When you start to plan a trip to Alaska, it can be a daunting task. What areas should you visit? How much time do you need? How much will all this cost? What’s the best way to get around the…
What’s this Journey to Alaska all About? If you missed last week’s post here’s a quick summary of what this is all about. We’re planning a 3-month road trip to Alaska this summer in our self-converted camper van—Stan the Tan Van. The state known as the Last Frontier boasts 6,640 miles of coastline, the tallest mountain in North America, 100,000 glaciers, and over 322 million acres of public lands. While Alaska is a dream destination for many outdoor enthusiasts, planning…
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been this excited to share a blog post with you all! I mentioned this trip in our 2019 Travel Plans and Goals, but now it’s official—we’re journeying to Alaska this summer. And you’re invited! Since the cat’s out of the bag (which is a very weird saying IMHO) let’s jump right into all the juicy Alaska details, shall we? What Exactly is the Journey to Alaska all About? Alaska has been one of our…
Imagine a picturesque winter wonderland in the forest. Soft flakes falling from an inky gray sky. Snow dappled trees gently creaking and groaning. Rolling hills covered in fresh white powder. Add a few well clothing-layered strangers stumbling and tumbling up and down said hills and you have the setting for our hike on the Ice Age Trail last month. Pin this post for later > Reconnecting with our Home State Since leaving Portland to begin our nomadic journey almost two…
Last fall we went on a hot springs adventure through the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. We’ve rounded up the best free hot springs in Mammoth Lakes that are easily accessible. In other words, we were able to drive to them in Stan the Tan Van, a low-rider adventure mobile. Also, did I mention that all these amazing pools are free? Yeah, this is definitely our kind of budget travel place. Humans have been visiting hot springs for thousands…
It’s that time again—time to reflect on what the last 365 days have brought and start planning for the next year of adventure. Unless it’s a leap year, then you’re thinking about 366 days. Does anyone else also think that leap year is so very strange? Here I am—getting off-track already. Let’s talk about some 2019 travel plans and goals, shall we? The project manager in me loves a good list so last year I compiled all our travel plans…
I hinted before that we’re still not done writing about our time in Europe. This post in particular, about Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria, has been brewing for some time. During our two months backpacking through Italy earlier this year we were able to see a lot of the country. We hit the main stops like Rome, Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre but also many less visited places. Three especially—Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria—captivated us in a way that the busier more…
Where to stay, where to eat, and what to do on the Oregon coast in a week After Descending on Bend with a bunch of other rad van lifers and hanging with our amazing friends and family in Portland, we ended our time in Oregon by doing something we’ve long wanted to do—going on an epic Oregon coast road trip down HWY 101. Pin this post for later > Whether you’re a Pacific Northwest local or just visiting, a road…