One of our must-sees on the 2017 drive to Alaska was Banff National Park. We knew we wouldn’t have a lot of time to spend there since we had to get to Alaska by a certain date, but we at least wanted to get an introduction to the park. The mountain views while driving into the park are absolutely spectacular, and we were pleasantly surprised upon arrival to receive a free 2017 Canadian National Parks pass since the National Park…
When we set out on our first Alaska trip in 2017, we decided that we wanted to plan as little as possible. We did have some deadlines we had to meet (we had to be in Alaska by a certain date, and we had to do the major push across western Canada over the July 4th holiday since we didn’t think we’d have coverage for Nic to work through that area), but we didn’t plan out how many miles we’d…
We had grand plans of posting a lot more (or at all!) last summer once we moved into the van and headed to Alaska, but our summer didn’t turn out quite as we had expected. We experienced a lot of unforeseen challenges on the road, particularly having to do with drastic changes in both of our (previously very stable) employment. Throughout the summer, Nic was working 50-hour weeks in addition to interviewing with various companies, and we were driving a…
Since we work remotely while on the road, we need a reliable way to charge our laptops and other electronics while traveling. Sloth does have electrical plugins, so if we are staying at a campground with hookups, we can plug directly in to “shore power” (using a normal extension cord) and have electricity through an outlet. However, we prefer to boondock (stay in places like BLM land, where there are no official campsites or water/electric hookups), so we decided it was…
Two days after Thanksgiving, we left for Ecuador and were gone for two weeks. When we returned, winter had settled in to Utah. It was cold, dark, and our bodies and minds had a hard time adjusting. By the time New Year’s rolled around, we’d had enough, so we packed up Sloth and headed south in search of warmer weather. The freezing cold (10 degree) weather doesn’t agree with Sloth, and once we got ready to leave, he wouldn’t start….
We talked a lot about camping over Labor Day weekend, but we didn’t want to battle the crowds. However, when we woke up Sunday morning we decided that going on a spontaneous camping trip for the night sounded a lot more fun than doing yard work. We loaded up the van, filled up the propane, bought some groceries, and headed out. We decided to check out a spot about 60 miles northwest of our house in Nephi. It seemed small…
In September and October 2015, we ventured on a six-week road trip along the west coast. We lived in the van and spent our time hiking, running, and enjoying the outdoors. Here is a glimpse into our trip, told by the numbers. 4,867 Total Miles Driven 525 Most Miles Driven in One Day 227 Estimated Gallons of Gas 95 Miles Hiked, Walked, and Run 42 Days on the Road 40+ Other Westy Sightings 34 Nights in Van 10 State Parks…
A few weekends ago we traveled to Salida for the Gentlemen of the Road Stopover. This is a big music festival put on by Mumford & Sons – because why hold a concert when you can hold a three-day music festival?! We traveled to Salida on Thursday evening in the van, which meant it took quite a bit longer than traveling by car, but the beauty of taking the van is that it helps us enjoy the journey (and wave…
In less than two weeks, we’ll be heading out for another Westy West Coast trip. This time, we’ll be spending six weeks driving along the coast in the Pacific Northwest as well as possibly making our way up into Canada to visit Banff National Park. In preparation, we’ve been making some upgrades to the van over the last few months: Roof Liner This is one area that was pretty awful on the original Westy West Coast trip. When you’re spending…
I was so excited to get into Redwood country. I haven’t seen the trees since I was young, but I still remember the sense of amazement I felt when I saw them for the first time. Nic hadn’t ever seen Redwoods, and I was excited for him to see them because I knew he would love them. We boarded Max since he’s not allowed on any hikes in the Crescent City area, and while we were dropping him off, an…