Travel | Van Life by Design
Stories and destination guide from our van life adventures across North America — from coastlines to canyons and everything in between.
On a morning in September, the stone spires on the Cathedral Trail in Custer State Park stood tall and imposing. Contrasting the towering rock was a vivid blue-sky background draped with fluffy white cumulus clouds. We were on the trail at the break of day and the picturesque landscape in front of us was stunning….
When we were planning our trip to Arizona, I contacted a person who follows us on Instagram. Knowing she lives in the state, I asked her for recommendations on places to see. She ranked Chiricahua National Monument as her favorite place in the entire state, and she also encouraged us to hike the Echo Canyon…
When we decided to visit White Sands National Park, I wasn’t especially excited. I couldn’t quite explain why. Maybe it was the idea of spending a day surrounded by nothing but sand. That changed almost immediately when we pulled into the parking lot near the visitor center. The landscape didn’t feel like a desert in…
After spending the morning at Carlsbad Caverns, we decided to hike the Slaughter Canyon Cave trail in the afternoon. The trailhead is about 18-miles south of the caverns but still inside the boundaries of the national park. Interestingly, we learned about this hike from a total stranger who we met at the Carlsbad Cavern National…
The fun thing about being on the road is stumbling onto the unexpected. These moments can be highlights of any road trip in our van. The impromptu wedding in the Flint Hills of Kansas was one of those times for us. While traveling west on I-70 we decided to stop at an overlook and watch…
On a morning that Gail had a two hour conference call, I had some time to kill. Instinctively, I grabbed my camera and went for a walk. A half block later, I found the Pelicans of Padre Island and all the entertainment I needed for a while. Walking along a pier on the bay side…
Goblin Valley State Park in Utah is an area covered with soft sandstone “goblins” and numerous other interesting formations. Truly a surreal place to visit, the odd natural shapes are a result of years of erosion. Walking amongst the goblin formations, we instantly felt like we were in a family friendly playground of sorts. It…
Our favorite hike at Canyonlands National Park is called the Peekaboo Trail. The trail is a lesser-traveled 10-mile out-and-back path and one we highly recommend. The landscape is stunning and was beyond fun for us. If you like hikes that offer the feeling of freedom, inspiration, and exploration, this is the one for you! Check…
In late May of 2021, we spent five days in Page, Arizona. We really liked the town. It felt welcoming and was a community with amenities we needed. Additionally, there were many natural venues we wanted to visit nearby. Number one on our list of “must-do” attractions was Antelope Canyon. As far as slot canyons…
We feel lucky to have hiked Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park and the Beehive at Acadia National Park in the same year! I personally don’t know anyone who can make that claim because they are on opposite sides of the United States. That said, I’m sure there are others who have also achieved this…
In November, southern Missouri experienced unseasonably warm temperatures for a 5-day period. The weather pattern was the excuse we needed to escape to the rustic backwoods in our home state. We decided to point our van Alice towards a tiny mountain town called Eminence. As we pulled away from our house to drive south, we…
When in the planning stages of an upstate New York visit, our friends encouraged us to include the Finger Lake area in our travel plans. This was good advise. Of all the places to visit and discover in the area, the Buttermilk Falls State Park Gorge was one of our favorite destinations. Buttermilk Falls State…
Some of our favorite stories while traveling in our van occur as unplanned happenstance. The beach we found in upstate New York is one of those stories. For us, this private beach was the perfect place to discover sea glass. It was also a quiet and beautiful place to watch the sun go down over…
