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Category: Budget Travel

Everything You Need to Know About the Alaska Marine Highway

Everything You Need to Know About the Alaska Marine Highway

When planning an ultimate Alaska road trip, a voyage on the Alaska Marine Highway, also known as the Alaska State Ferry, is a must! This impressive “highway” stretches 3,500 miles of coastline from Bellingham, Washington, up through Alaska’s Inside Passage to Skagway. Then heads west across the Gulf of Alaska and follows the southern coastline out to the Aleutian Islands. Our trek on the ferry system was an exciting and unique experience and a highlight of our Alaska road trip….

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Exploring Glacier Bay National Park by Land (and Sea Kayak)

Exploring Glacier Bay National Park by Land (and Sea Kayak)

Where are the glaciers? That was our first question when we arrived at Glacier Bay National Park. As it turns out we didn’t have the typical experience here. In fact, we’re part of the 10% of park visitors that set foot on land in Glacier Bay National Park. The other 90% see the park from the deck of an Alaska cruise ship and spend just 8-10 hours in the park. Glacier Bay National Park is the first official national park…

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Best Ways to Find Free Camping

Best Ways to Find Free Camping

How We Find Free Campsites Across the US When we hit the road in Stan the Tan Van a few years ago our biggest goal was budget travel— how to explore the beauty of the US inexpensively. One of our top money saving tips while traveling is—free camping. When we say free camping we don’t mean truck stops, Wal-Mart, or street overnight parking. We’re talking about awesome campsites in nature. We’ve found two easy-to-use, and free resources that help us…

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The Essential Road Trip Checklist

The Essential Road Trip Checklist

Get Your Vehicle Road Trip Ready It’s that time again. Time to get ready for road trip season! The awesome feeling of hitting the road and exploring new exciting places—like South Dakota’s Corn Palace (hey, don’t knock it)—is just around the corner. Make sure your vehicle is road trip ready with this essential road trip checklist. It’s safe to say everyone wants their road trip to be problem free, however if your vehicle isn’t prepared for a long journey, car…

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How to Build a DIY Camper Van Electrical System

How to Build a DIY Camper Van Electrical System

Our Budget Camper Van Battery Set-up When we started our camper van conversion, we knew we needed to have electricity in our van. We need to power our fridge, our lights, and our fan. We need to charge our electronics, get online, and Instagram the veggie burritos we’re eating in the wilderness.😉 And sometimes we just want to watch a little Netflix on a cold rainy night. Even without prior electrical skills we were able to build a DIY camper…

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5 Best Free Hot Springs in Mammoth Lakes, California

5 Best Free Hot Springs in Mammoth Lakes, California

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…

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How to Build a Camper Van on a Budget

How to Build a Camper Van on a Budget

Our $1,200 Budget Van Build It can be intimidating to think about building out a camper van. When researching, you’ll see many beautiful rigs with custom woodworking and top-of-the line appliances. People often spend months or even years building out their home on wheels. What if you want to hit the road soon? And what if you don’t have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on an elaborate build? That’s okay! We did a budget van build and found…

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2018 Best Travel Gear Gift Guide

2018 Best Travel Gear Gift Guide

The Best Gifts for Travelers When traveling across the country or internationally the right gear can make a big difference in your travel experience. We’ve been traveling for almost two years and know the importance of great gear. You don’t want to haul around things you never use or gadgets that don’t work properly. So, if you’re filling up your holiday wish list or looking for the perfect gift for your favorite traveler, the 2018 Best Travel Gear Gift Guide…

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Packing List for Long Term Travel in Europe – Women’s Edition

Packing List for Long Term Travel in Europe – Women’s Edition

This week it’s my turn to share packing tips and tricks for a long term trip in Europe. If you missed it, be sure to check out Tom’s men’s version of our Packing List for Long Term Travel in Europe—after you finish reading my post of course. Earlier this year we traveled around Europe for 3 months with only what we could carry. We started in Paris in Spring and ended in Italy in Summer so needed clothing that could…

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Packing List for Long Term Travel in Europe – Men’s Edition

Packing List for Long Term Travel in Europe – Men’s Edition

When preparing for extended European travel, it isn’t just where to go, it’s also what to bring. It can be stressful deciding what makes the cut and what doesn’t. Liana and I recently returned from three months backpacking in France and Italy. When it came to our own packing lists, we had to make some additions and subtractions along the way. In the end we felt we had the perfect packing list for long term travel in Europe. Pin this…

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