Five Reasons for Boondocking Off the Grid Now

The art of Boondocking off the grid is popular by many van and recreational vehicle (RV) owners. Simply put, the people who boondock are choosing to camp without electricity, water or sewer hookups. Although this method of RV camping has it’s challenges, it has many advantages too. One of the biggest advantages to boondocking is […]

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Highlights of the South Padre Beach Camp Out

Our van Alice is nimble on pavement, but she can get bogged down quickly in less-than-ideal conditions. Before visiting the area, I wouldn’t have even considered driving her through sand for a South Padre beach camp out. After spending three days on the island and assessing the risks of getting stuck, we decided to go […]

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The Impromptu Wedding in the Flint Hills

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 […]

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When the Hike is more Than a Hike

Being in nature puts me in the best frame of mind and hiking is my favorite activity. I love the challenge, the physical pain and the vistas that hiking provides. The best treks for me have a reward at end like a waterfall or a lake. However, standing on a mountain ridge or peak is […]

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Van Life and Living Content in a Small Space

Living content in a small space for an extended time is the goal for those who pursue van life. It takes some work to achieve this goal when sharing the space with others. We have the best experiences when we have a positive attitude and we go with the flow. Like the Person You’re With […]

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Do You Like to Camp?

When visiting with others about our travels, we are sometimes asked, “Do you like to camp?” The question always throws us a bit because we don’t see ourselves as campers. We see ourselves as adventurers. Many folks who RV camp want to be in nature but they also want some of the conveniences of home. […]

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The Blue Ridge Parkway Sunset

Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset_Steve and Gail

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic 469-mile winding road from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. We traveled on the top ridge of the mountains as we drove the southern end of the Parkway.  The road twisted and turned and each new vista […]

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10 Tips for a Successful Road Trip

Are you planning a long road trip to your favorite destination? We have a few tips we have learned on how to make traveling more fun. 1. Planning for the Road Trip If you have read other posts on this blog, you know that we advocate for traveling slow through the countryside. The challenge with […]

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Spring in the Smoky Mountains

We visited the Smoky Mountains in the spring when the forest was coming to life. During our stay, the renewed plant life in the forest introduced me to more shades of green than I had ever seen in one place. It’s interesting what one notices when visiting a new place. Who would have thought the […]

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Should You Convert or Buy a Van?

The Van Life culture is a growing movement that lures in people of all ages and income levels. The free spirit mindset that this lifestyle embraces is an indicator that people want freedom and simplicity in their lives. The question many ask when making a purchase is, “should we convert or buy a van”? The […]

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Plan Less, Experience More

How do you plan a trip when you want to make it up as you go? Our preferred style of traveling with Alice is to have as much flexible time as possible. We research an area pretty heavily when we decide on a destination. However, we have learned that no matter how much time we […]

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Underground Storage for Alice

Where do we store Alice when we are not using her? Alice is big and tiny at the same time. She is about 7 feet wide which is about the width of a large pickup truck. She is 24 feet long so she is too long for many normal parking spaces and about 11 feet […]

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A Tour of Alice

It was a sunny and warm December day and we had been missing Alice so we got her and took a drive through the country outside of the Kansas City area.  It was a joy to see Alice again after being in storage for 6 weeks! Since many people have asked us what Alice looks […]

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