24 Hours in Petrified Forest National Park

24 Hours in Petrified Forest National Park

Petrified Forest National Park is a place where you can travel through time and literally see layers of earth’s geological and human history. The petrified wood of the park’s namesake are actually fossils from the Triassic Period—225 million years ago. Traces of human habitation here can be dated back over 13,000 years. And within the last hundred years there’s a rich history of our modern society’s interest in the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Before I get into the details…

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Day Trip to Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico from Big Bend National Park

Day Trip to Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico from Big Bend National Park

A Day in the Border Town of Boquillas del Carmen We’ve already established that Big Bend National Park in Texas is one of the most diverse, beautiful, and all-around kick-ass awesome parks we’ve been to yet. As I mentioned in my last post, a highlight of our time in Big Bend was taking a day trip across the border to the town of Boquillas del Carmen (often referred to as just Boquillas) in Mexico. The trip included a rowboat ride,…

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What to do in Big Bend National Park in a Week

What to do in Big Bend National Park in a Week

I’m not sure if it’s the honeymoon period of the first couple weeks back on the road, but it’s safe to say I’m obsessed with Big Bend National Park. In fact, it quickly earned a spot on my list of top 5 favorite national parks. I’m sure the folks at Big Bend will be thrilled—after all, it’s a very prestigious list 😉 Pin this post for later > “Big Bend” refers to the 90 degree turn that the Rio Grande…

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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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Complete Alaska Packing List for Spring and Summer

Complete Alaska Packing List for Spring and Summer

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…

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Death Valley Travel Guide: Our Favorite Places (and Where We Wish We’d Gone)

Death Valley Travel Guide: Our Favorite Places (and Where We Wish We’d Gone)

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…

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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 Plan a Trip to Alaska

How to Plan a Trip to Alaska

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…

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Alaska Road Trip Route and Timeline

Alaska Road Trip Route and Timeline

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…

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You’re Invited: Join us on the Road to Alaska!

You’re Invited: Join us on the Road to Alaska!

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…

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