After six months of sheltering in place, we had no idea what to expect back on the road as RVers. We used to be a well-oiled machine after more than six years full-time on the road, but COVID-19 upended so much of what we once considered normal. Visiting national parks and other National Park Service (NPS) units was always a priority for us, but closures and new procedures left us with uncertainty. Should we wait to visit national parks? Would campgrounds have more openings than they used to? Could we find junior ranger booklets and passport stamps?
[Read more…]19 Favorite Moments of 2019, Our Sixth Year as Full-time RVers
It’s been an incredible year-our sixth as full-time RVers. We’ve traveled so quickly that between work and family commitments, microblogging on Instagram has been most manageable! I’m excited to finally share these experiences with you here.
This is the companion piece to “2019 in Review: Stats and Camping Costs.” Make sure you read that article for a big picture view of our year.
And now, you’re in for a treat! We’re counting down from #19 to #1, with #1 being our top highlight of 2019. How many of these places have you visited?
[Read more…]3 Unforgettable 2-Mile Hikes in Yosemite
We recently spent a week wild camping a few miles outside the border of Yosemite National Park in California. We spent one full Sunday in the park, then visited two other times for more hiking.
Within five days, toddler Caspian hiked six miles unaided. Each of these three two-mile hikes were memorable, with varying scenery and levels of difficulty.
I love the two-mile chunk, when it comes to hiking. Yes, it’s something Caspian can manage on his own now. But it’s also a distance we can usually fit in after work, or during a packed Saturday of sight-seeing.
If two miles sounds good to you, too, then read on. Here’s are the three unforgettable two-mile hikes we did at Yosemite National Park.
[Read more…]Off-road Adventures Through Big Bend National Park
Even though Texas is our home base, we didn’t visit Big Bend National Park (one of only two national parks in the giant state of Texas) until this year.
Our reason was straight-forward: we need Internet to work; we work full-time; there isn’t Internet at Big Bend; we can’t go.
But times change. While we still need Internet to work, we aren’t currently sticking to our old travel rhythm. Many of our community members will remember our rhythm from before: drive no more than 250 miles and stay for two weeks.
When we were staying everywhere for two weeks, of course we couldn’t stay somewhere with no Internet. But now that we’re breaking our own rules, we can pop in somewhere for a weekend and get out before the work week starts.
That’s exactly what we did in order to visit Big Bend National Park. We just couldn’t put off a visit any longer!
[Read more…]Celebrating National Park Week With Map View of Our Favorite NPS Units
National Park Week is about to begin! The dates this year are April 20-28, 2019, with special programs and events scheduled across the nation.
The big highlight is Saturday, April 20, when admission fees are waived at all 419 National Park Service units! That’s right: you get in free at any national park, monument, battlefield, seashore, or other site managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
Of the 61 national parks, I’ve been to 27 so far-and it’ll be 28 tomorrow when we arrive at Big Bend National Park! Caspian has been to 34 total units in his two years of life. 💕 What about you?
[Read more…]Buried in South Dakota’s Black Hills for Weeks
South Dakota’s Black Hills have magic in them. This wonderland of nature is at once mysterious and easy to access. The old, towering trees will give you strength. The wildlife will charm you.
Quite unlike our norm of arriving in a new place and parking there for two weeks, we bounced around the Rapid City area for nearly a month, camping at a total of five spots.
If I were to structure this travel log like I normally do-campground, activities, food-then I might as well publish it as a book. This time, I’m going to try a shorter form that traces our movements in each area. If you have a question about a specific place, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I can elaborate for you.
[Read more…]Mixing Tourist Traps With Western Beauty Around Theodore Roosevelt National Park
If there was any bucket list item for me in 2018, it was Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the neighboring town of Medora, North Dakota.
Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite historical figures. A beloved high school teacher sparked my interest, which led me to start picking up biographies. While I don’t necessarily agree with every policy decision Roosevelt ever made, I deeply admire his personality and embrace of challenges.
My Theodore Roosevelt obsession is what led me to bison love, which led us to our RV Wanderlust logo. And years afterwards, I named my child after him (Caspian Theodore Highland).
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is the only national park named after a person. The most visited section is located in Medora, a town Roosevelt personally frequented. He owned a ranch north of the town, which he fled to when his wife and mother died on the same day (Feb. 14, 1884).
[Read more…]Dry Camping Just Outside Glacier National Park
Growing up, I knew about national parks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but for some reason Glacier National Park wasn’t on my radar until adulthood. Once we started traveling full-time, stunning photos from fellow nomads became impossible to ignore.
Established in 1910, Glacier National Park is located in Montana on the Canadian border. In fact, it continues right into Canada, where it becomes Waterton Lakes National Park.
This amazing stop was on our itinerary for 2016, but we had to cancel when I became pregnant and plans changed. Life happened again this year when we detoured from our Glacier route for an emergency trip to Seattle.
But nothing was going to stand in our way! With stops in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, we were able to get back on course to see Glacier National Park.
[Read more…]West Yellowstone, Base Camp for National Park Exploration
Our first visit to Yellowstone National Park was back in 2015, and it was only over a long weekend. This year, we knew we wanted to spend dedicated time in Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park, and go back to Yellowstone to explore the areas we didn’t get to in 2015.
We accomplished that first goal over two weeks at Upper Teton View. Then, as base camp for Yellowstone, we decided to stay in the town of West Yellowstone. [Read more…]
Our Most Beautiful RV Camping Spot Ever: Upper Teton View
About two years ago, I saw a photo of Alyssa Padgett drinking a cup of coffee in her RV, as the Grand Tetons towered in the background. We had just taken a weekend trip to Yellowstone and I had fallen for the Grand Tetons while driving past them in the early morning from Jackson Hole. I told myself I would go back and recreate Alyssa’s coffee moment in that stunningly beautiful spot, known as Upper Teton View.
It took two years, but we made it back. In that time, we decided we weren’t “doing it right,” and wild camping was one of the missing pieces. Now armed with AGM batteries, portable solar panel, and experience, I was thrilled to finally be heading to Upper Teton View. It was the place I was looking forward to most of our entire 2018 West Mountain Loop trip.
[Read more…]