We recently got back from a trip to Jaco, Costa Rica. Since we started traveling last year, this is the first big “unplanned” destination we’ve visited. What I mean by “unplanned” is that just a few short months ago it wasn’t anywhere on our radar of 2018 travel destinations. Learning to Say “Yes” Last year our travels were mapped out ahead of time. We quickly discovered that we’d way overbooked and had to cut things out. Even after trimming down…
Last month we published a one-week Utah road trip itinerary for Arches and Canyonlands. Today we’re thrilled to share a Zion and Bryce Canyon itinerary all about what to do in Utah’s western national parks. Zion is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S., for good reason. It’s a vibrant oasis of majestic cliffs, rumbling rivers, and lush vegetation in the middle of the desert. Bryce Canyon (which isn’t a canyon at all—but an amphitheater) is our…
5 years ago, if you told me that today I’d be a minimalist living in a van, I would’ve laughed my ass off and said, “No way!” Living in van? Maybe—at least temporarily. But Minimalism? Isn’t that for people who like modern furniture and dress all in black and white? That’s definitely not me. For years Tom talked about living in a tiny home. I was adamant that we couldn’t live that way. We needed space, and a giant dining…
A couple of weeks ago we hit the road again with Stan the Tan Van. Our destination? The sunny Florida Everglades. We had high hopes of replenishing our vitamin D and diminishing our resemblance to a couple of pasty vampires. Even though on our first night, I came down with my second bought of flu this season (looks like there’s a flu shot in my future from now on), it felt so good to be back on the road again….
We already posted an update about our time in Wisconsin, but there’s one more outing that didn’t make it onto that list—a day-trip to Door County. This place is truly lovely any time of year and there’s so much to do that it deserves its own post. If you’re not from the Midwest and you ask a Wisconsinite where specifically they’re from, they might hold up their hand (in that retro “talk-to-the-hand” kind of way) and point to it. They’re…
We promised more itineraries this year so we’re really excited to share this post all about Arches and Canyonlands National Parks with you! It’s the first in a series of Utah road trip itineraries focused on the National Parks. We’ve written a lot about Utah already but it’s such a remarkable place that we think everyone should visit at least once. There are glittering rivers edged with lush green trees cutting through vibrant multi-colored monoliths of rock. There are cool…
We’re so excited to be back on the road again in Stan the Tan Van. We’ve missed his rumbles and creaks—here’s hoping that three times a charm with radiators. Currently we’re en route to the sunshine state for some vitamin D replenishment. You may have noticed that we’ve been stationary for a while, spending the last few months in Wisconsin. Before you think we’ve gone completely mad by choosing to winter in Wisconsin, the truth is we didn’t plan to…
This week’s post is a throwback. It’s not Thursday so let’s say it’s a Memory Monday post. That’s a thing, right? Orcas Island is part of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state. Visiting this region was on our PNW bucket list for years. We finally got around to it shortly before leaving on our long-term travels. We spent Christmas on Orcas Island last year and it was exactly the relaxation we needed after the busy holidays….
Of all the places we visited last year, Moab, Utah was by far one of our favorite. Yes, even with Utah’s watered-down grocery store beer, we still loved it here. We spent more time in Moab than anywhere else—10 full days—and could’ve easily stayed a month or more. The most striking thing about the area is the land, but the city also offers tons of activities and a laid-back creative atmosphere. Imagine a colorful busy little city set in a…
With the end of one year and the beginning of another we think about where we are, where we want to be, and most importantly what we want to do. How will we spend our time this next year? What will we accomplish? Since the new year stimulates reflection and planning we thought it was time to share the back-story of how we came to live this simple roaming existence in Stan the Tan Van. When I sat down to write…