When You Wander | Page 3 of 11 | travel tips, van life, the great outdoors

Hiking the Ice Age Trail in Winter

February 18, 2019 Liana Safian

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…

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How to Build a DIY Camper Van Electrical System

February 4, 2019 Tom W.

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

January 14, 2019 Liana Safian

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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2018 Re-cap and 2019 Travel Plans & Goals

January 2, 2019 Liana Safian

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…

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How to Build a Camper Van on a Budget

December 17, 2018 Tom W.

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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Italy Less Traveled: Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria

December 3, 2018 Liana Safian

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…

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2018 Best Travel Gear Gift Guide

November 19, 2018 Tom W.

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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The Perfect Oregon Coast Road Trip Itinerary

November 5, 2018 Liana Safian

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…

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Our First Descend on Bend

October 22, 2018 Tom W.

When we hit the road in Stan the Tan Van after our European travels, we realized something—this isn’t just a trip or a “gap year” for us anymore. This is how we live our life. I think that’s why we were so excited to attend Descend on Bend 2018. We were very interested in meeting more people in the vanlife community. Through social medial we know there’s a lot of folks out there, but since we’re all mobile we don’t…

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Fall in The Rockies

October 8, 2018 Liana Safian

Phew! It’s been a busy 7 weeks since we hit the road again in Stan the Tan Van. You already know about hiking the Badlands or as Tom likes to call them, the Radlands (Instagram stories peeps, you know what I’m talking about). This week we’re sharing an update on exactly what we’ve been up to and announcing some changes to the blog. Pin this post for later > Fall in and Around the Rocky Mountains After spending time in…

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