Campers now bring flags, signs, and glitz to adorn their campsites, sometimes displaying information like their alma mater or home … Continue reading Politics Politics Everywhere

Coffee is much needed fuel as we start our days on the road, a ritual of sorts. But it also … Continue reading On the Road: In Search of Coffee

Roadtrips that stay off of the interstate highways provide a window into the current and past state of the economy … Continue reading (Almost) Random Economic Observations from the Road

Ah…. Fourth of July in New England. On the surface it is a throwback in time: simple, nostalgic, romantic, and … Continue reading Americana

A simple van stop in a lakeside park in Cazenovia, New York, led me down a rabbit hole of investigation, … Continue reading My Pro Football Ghost

Striking on this van trip out east has been the proliferation of signs for motorists, pedestrians, shoppers, swimmers, fishermen, campers, … Continue reading The Land of “No”

An early inspiration for our van travels was Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. We were fortunate to adopt Nicky who turned … Continue reading Travels with Nicky

Our west coast loop was detoured by the need to navigate through heat, summer fires, and avoiding COVID risks. We … Continue reading Heat, Smoke, and COVID in a Van

8300 miles from St. Louis to Maine to Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and back again. If you have experienced Maine … Continue reading Best of Newfoundland

We adopted our Malamute/Husky Nicky from a shelter in Illinois, shortly before we headed out for a trip to Newfoundland … Continue reading A Dog’s (Nicky’s) Life in Newfoundland

Newfoundland has been called the “Patagonia of geology.”

The geologic history is enormously complex, but to understand some of it, nothing substitutes for visually observing the rock, plant, and animal history on display in Canada’s national parks. Continue reading “Rockorama”

Whales and wildlife are everywhere in Newfoundland.         Betsy and I have experience observing whales from Antarctica to … Continue reading Whaleorama

Hitting the road in the morning requires some amount of revving up, especially if we are in the rain, haven’t … Continue reading Morning Van Playlist (A little retro)

Without fanfare, Newfoundland exhibits stunning wildlife, physical geology, and flora day-to-day. We have encountered very few Americans in Newfoundland, yet … Continue reading Puffinorama

We have adopted a ritual that our friend Bill Pollak started on his roadtrips, which is to play Willie Nelson’s … Continue reading On the road again….

  In December we completed a loop from Michigan to North Carolina, to Savannah Georgia, to Titusville Florida, to Ft. … Continue reading Southern Trip: The Great Outdoors

7,875 miles; 13 states; 13 national parks, forests, and monuments; 14 visits with friends and family; and many surprise detours … Continue reading Best and Worst of the West

Think Woodstock meets vehicle gearheads. Over 6000 people made a pilgrimage to Asheville, North Carolina, in October to meet fellow travelers, check out overland gear and vehicles, and learn about skills and techniques for distant and off-road ventures. Continue reading “Overlanders, Asheville → Great Smokies Van Trip”

Michigan has very under-rated recreation and fishing. Some of the best trout rivers and some of the most beautiful country … Continue reading Michigan fly fishing in a van

New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Maine (by extension) make up extraordinary coastline, fishing villages, national parks, and … Continue reading Best of the Atlantic Maritimes

  Hanging out on the docks in Chéticamp, Nova Scotia – in northern Cape Breton – we met a boat … Continue reading Dad’s Lads

I love to meet mission-driven people. Kim and Werner Venter are building a unique wilderness campground in Norse Cove on … Continue reading Norse Cove

      When hearing about our van life, so many people have harkened back to Chris Farley on Saturday … Continue reading Livin’ in a van down by the river…

If you do not live in the West or the Southwest, it is easy to overlook the significance of water politics in the day-to-day. Continue reading “Hydropolitics in the Southwest”