The Travel, Hiking & Lifestyle Blog
Life flows like a stream. When I walk next to a stream, it reminds me of life. I look at the moving water as an analogy with its twists, turns, and uncertainties along the way. It is amazing how streams are so different, as is our journey in life. Some streams start small and change course […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
There is excitement in the air as we plan for an Alice (Sprinter Van) trip. We look forward to exploring the country and making up our agenda one day at a time. One of the critical steps is planning our road trip meals. When we travel, Gail is our meal planner and Head Cook. She […]
Read More
We have had the pleasure of being married for 30 years. In that time, we have learned many lessons about life and about each other. We put together a list that reflects what we have done to stay committed and to grow deeper in love over the past three decades. Our Top 100 List 1. […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
When we started our Van Life By Design website and blog, our mission was to write about and photograph our travels in our Sprinter van Alice and other travel related topics. This is still true. Gail is also interested in writing about exercise and fitness, healthy eating and other lifestyle topics so we have launched […]
Read More
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 inevitable question everyone asks is, “how can we do this”? There are many things to consider […]
Read More
Gail and I generally hike somewhere every day. Granted, if we are going through the neighborhood on our 3-mile route, we will call it a walk. Some might say it’s an Urban Hike. I call it putting one foot in front of the other. Getting outside and trekking makes me feel happy. It’s good for […]
Read 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 […]
Read More
As I have mentioned before, I LOVE to run. I also love to eat scones. When we lived in McFarland, Wisconsin, I would run many days with my amazing friend and runner Anne. (Anne is a wonderful running coach, you can find her at Pace Perfect). On the weekends when Anne and her family would […]
Read More
Last summer, we visited the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and spent a couple days in the Porcupine Mountains. This rustic forested area is located on the shores of Lake Superior and offers many scenic hikes and vista overlooks. No matter where we are, one of our favorite things to do when we travel is get […]
Read More
