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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
We’ve come to the conclusion of our European travels. We likely still have a few posts up our sleeve, but Rome is the final destination on our 3-month tour of France and Italy. Fortunately, it was nothing like the cheesy horror movie (although I’m not gonna lie, I was a devoted Devon Sawa fangirl in the 90’s—he was right up there with JTT). Shhhhh, don’t tell Tom. Okay, enough about my embarrassing pre-teen crushes. Let’s talk about some free things…
Sicily. A place I’ve always wanted to visit. This desire may have stemmed from my vision of sitting at a small table in a mountain village and gorging myself on local cuisine, fresh olives, and carafes of wine. Maybe I was intrigued by the 50 times I watched Michael Corleone spend two years there—his father’s homeland and birthplace of the mafia. Or maybe I just wanted to see how you ride a train to an island. Whatever it was that…