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.
A few years ago, a friend gave us recommendations for places to see in upstate New York. Of all her suggestions, she was adamant about experiencing the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail in the Finger Lakes Region. Wow! What a great suggestion! Watkins Glen State Park If you only have time or ambition to hike one…
Our climb to Angels Landing in Zion National Park is a story we laugh about. We were determined to get to the trail early and hike to the top before the crazy crowds of people arrived. Zion National Park is an incredibly busy place. On a daily basis, the park seems to welcome in more…
Natural Bridges National Monument wasn’t originally on our Utah road trip plan. Like a lot of great travel moments, it came from a recommendation along the way and we’re glad it did. What started as a simple stop between destinations turned into one of the most memorable days of our five-week trip. Descending steep ladders…
We found amazing splendor at Bryce Canyon National Park. As first time visitors, the cathedral of spires and rock formations were beyond our imagination. Bryce Canyon was the fourth of eight national parks we visited on our trip and it was unlike any of the other parks we had seen. The splendor was undeniable. Sizing…
Peekaboo Trail in Canyonlands was one of the first hikes that made us realize Utah was going to become one of our favorite adventure states. This hike happened during our first serious Utah trip in Alice, and it still ranks as one of our favorite hikes in the state. The Needles District surprised us with…
This is our first trip to Utah to visit the Fabulous 5 National Parks and many of their state parks. Arches National Park was our first stop. It is an amazing place. Even though we took several pictures, it is hard to capture the size, beauty, and magnitude of these arches. We arrived early on…
During the first week of September 2020, we traveled up the Lake Michigan eastern coast. We had heard the coastline of Michigan was beautiful from friends and family but had never found our way there. As it turned out, this trip is one of our favorite adventures we have traveled in Alice. For good reason,…
We traveled to Buena Vista, Colorado and spent time in the San Isabel National Forest in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area recently. It was our first trip to this part of Colorado and we loved it. While there, we learned it is called Collegiate Peaks area because many of the mountains over 14,000. Many of…
We discovered the Black Canyon of Gunnison on a whim. Our travel style when we are on the road is nomadic. For some reason, we prefer spending short periods of time in a place. We attempt to discover the “best” hikes or activities from the local residents in the area we visit. Also, we like…
Weston Bend State Park is located in northwest Missouri near the Kansas City metropolitan area. The park is beautifully located along the Missouri river and offers relaxing, camping and other recreational opportunities for park visitors. Gail and I are hunkered down in our home near Kansas City this time of year. We aren’t traveling right…
When we left home late Friday afternoon, we knew we were headed to the Ozark National Forest. Beyond that, we were going to decide the specifics of the trip while we were on the road. We ended up on the Sylamore Scenic Byway, which starts at Calico Rock, Arkansas, in the heart of the Ozark…
Hiking to Alum Cave Bluff in the Smoky Mountains was an adventure, just like many of our hikes. The beginning of this trail is flat and goes through and old hardwood forest. Following the Alum Cave Creek for about a mile, we bragged about how easy the trail was and how fast we were going…
The Stanley Mountain trail head is located at the top of Berthoud Pass on Highway 40 in the Arapaho National Forest. After the first mile, we were hiking above timberline. What a great way to enjoy the amazing mountain views of the Continental Divide in both directions! The most difficult section of our hike was…
