Liftoff: Albuquerque Balloon Festival
Category: DestinationsDespite having seen pictures of this event for years, I didn’t have any idea how magical the Albuquerque Balloon Festival would really be.
Honestly, I had been a little 'meh'...
Solemn in Selma, Alabama
Category: DestinationsI was sidetracked, and got to Selma late— but what happened when I arrived became emblematic of all that was good about van living. It was quite literally, one...
Well, Oil’ll Be: ‘Mr. Charlie’ and Morgan City, LA
Category: DestinationsBillboards are STILL one of the best ways to find cool stuff to do in new places. Period-full-stop.
A billboard is how I ended up stepping foot on my first...
Hot Stuff, Baby: Tabasco Factory Tour
Category: DestinationsThe original Louisiana island— Avery Island— that produces Tabasco sauce has been churning out the same product -- made the exact same way-- since the 1800s.
How about that?! Not...
Get Lucky: Savannah, Georgia
Category: DestinationsI had been to Savannah, Georgia years ago, but was eager to go back. I remembered it as a singular place.
The allure of Savannah has been well-documented by writers and...
Welcome to the Gun Show: Laurel, MS
Category: DestinationsAs a reader of this blog, you know that one major goal of being in the van was to spend more time in places with people I didn’t necessarily...
HGTV Hell: Magnolia and The Silos
Category: DestinationsI want to start this post by saying that I’ve never seen the show “Fixer-Upper.” Not once.
So, no— I didn’t go to see this branded wonderland in Waco, Texas...
Washed Up: Mammoth National Monument
Category: Destinations“I have a Biblical question,” someone on my tour asked the park ranger.
The ranger on-duty patiently waited...
“If the Earth is only a few thousand years old, how do you...
Female Athletes Rule: Athletes Unlimited
Category: DestinationsAs a longtime women’s sports fan, I had been hearing about a new league recently: Athletes Unlimited.
Founded in 2022, Athletes Unlimited aimed to change the economic model of sports,...
Sealed In: Biosphere II
Category: DestinationsIn 1991, a small team of humans entered a bio-dome named the Biosphere 2 in Arizona– and sealed it from the inside completely for a two-year-long experiment.
It didn’t go...
Thoughts on Van Life: Chapter 5– You’re Free, but You’re Also Feral
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is Chapter Five in my “Thoughts on Van Life” series of posts, in which I discuss that every upside of van living carries a defined downside. Check out...
Roadside Nonsense: Renaissance Man
Category: Roadside NonsenseTraveling in the van, I made an effort to go to cultural events that were uniquely American, even if they weren’t necessarily my cup of tea.
So when I saw...
Wind Down: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Category: DestinationsPeople always ask me if I can pick a favorite destination— and I usually say something to the affect of ‘most of the National Parks are pretty spectacular, and...
Moon Over Arizona: Talesin West
Category: Roadside NonsenseIt didn’t seem right that I had traveled across the U.S. for years and not seen a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in-person. I decided to remedy that by visiting...
Sandy Pants: Imperial Sand Dunes
Category: DestinationsDriving from California to Arizona, I passed by some very large sand dunes: the royally-named Imperial Sand Dunes. As I approached on a long, straight road, it was apparent...
Peace at Last: Playa Coco
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2024 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is my last post in my series about the trip-- check out...
The Whales Have it: Guerrero Negro
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2023 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is the second in my series about the trip-- check out other...
Mac’s View: My Very Own Portrait!
Category: Mac's ViewHey, it’s me, Mac.
I have the most exciting news! I was standing (majestically, as usual) on the streets of La Paz, and a man approached my humans and asked...
Holy Sharks! : La Paz
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2023 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is the second in my series about the trip-- check out other...
Sandlot: Playa Santispac and Mulege
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2023 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is the second in my series about the trip-- check out other...
Baja Bays and Rays: Bahia Los Angeles
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2023 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is the second in my series about the trip-- check out other...
Crossing Over: Baja Beginnings
Category: Destinations(I spent the entire month of January 2023 in Mexico, traveling down the Baja California Peninsula. This is the first in my series about the trip-- check out other...
And, Scene: The Palm Springs Film Festival
Category: DestinationsThere is something really special about film festivals that takes you beyond the story.
At particular screenings or events, one often has the opportunity to meet the creators of the...
Thoughts on Van Life: Chapter 4– Self-Contained, but Self-Managed Resources
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is Chapter Four in my “Thoughts on Van Life” series of posts, in which I discuss that every upside of van living carries a defined downside. Check out...
Mac’s View: Dog Beach!!
Category: Mac's ViewHey, it's me, Mac!
I am so excited to tell you that while traveling in the van with my Mommy, I found paradise: the most perfect place in the world...
Cities: San Diego, CA
Category: CitiesSan Diego was a great reminder that if you've been to a city only for work trips-- that you haven't really been to a city. I'd only ever been...
Hamlet of the Week: Jacumba Hot Springs
Category: Hamlet of the WeekOn the long stretch of Highway 8 from Tucson to San Diego, there isn’t much for long stretches. Consulting an atlas, there’s not many landmarks on that road.
Driving this...
Get Lost: Anza Borrego State Park
Category: DestinationsThe idea to go to Anza Borrego Desert State Park came from my 78-year-old father. HE got the idea from Kelly Ripa, the daytime talk show host-- whose show...
Roadside Nonsense: The Bunny Museum
Category: Roadside NonsenseThe Bunny Museum was weird as hell.
If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you know I do my best to refrain from disparagement-- everyone's just out there...
GOOOOOAALL!!: NWSL Final
Category: Hamlet of the WeekI have been a women’s sports fan for my entire lifetime, and love seeing women's sports 'live' when I can.
The NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League)— the U.S.-based league for...
Thoughts on Van Life: Chapter 3– Exploring Cultures Far Different Than Yours
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is Chapter Three in my “Thoughts on Van Life” series of posts, in which I discuss that every upside of van living carries a defined downside. Check out...
Cities: Oklahoma City, OK
Category: CitiesWhen you hear the words 'Oklahoma City,' what do you think of? I'll wait.
If you were born in the 80s or before, you might think of the heinous...
Cities: Tulsa, OK
Category: CitiesAt some point, I realized that I'd never spent any time in Oklahoma.
When out there on the road, that's honestly sometimes how I decide where to go next....
You Bet Uranus: The Uranus Fudge Factory
Category: Dive of the WeekLook: when I saw a billboard beckoning from the highway that read: "The Best Fudge Comes from Uranus"-- I was absolutely, positively going to take that bait.
WHO...
Anti-Depression: Franklin Roosevelt Home
Category: DestinationsI have long-admired Eleanor Roosevelt.
It’s impossible not to admire a woman who began her workday at 4 AM, and often stayed up late into the night replying to mail...
Cities: Cleveland, OH
Category: Cities“Mistake on the Lake.”
“We’d all like to flee The Cleve”
“Blight City”
Nobody has typically said stellar things about Cleveland, the city that produced cars and steel back in the 60s,...
Hamlet of the Week: Upstate NY Villages
Category: Hamlet of the WeekUpstate New York in the fall is a splendid thing.
When you really start down winding roads between small communities, there are apple orchards and farmstands galore— which usually bear...
Cities: Buffalo, NY
Category: CitiesI decided to spend a day in Buffalo, New York, to spend a little time in an American city that used to be at the very center of goings-on...
Dive of the Week: Culinary Institute of America
Category: Dive of the WeekIf you've followed this blog at all, you know I'm hardly one for fine dining. Which is why this feature is called "Dive of the Week"-- I'm generally only...
Large-S C A L E : Dia Beacon
Category: Hamlet of the WeekThere are some blog posts that will never be adequate to capture certain experiences.
This is one of those posts.
Dia Beacon is a very peculiar and specific art...
Ghosted: Gettysburg National Military Park
Category: DestinationsI will start out by saying that I am not a 'Civil War Guy.'
If you've spent any time at sights that were critical to this bloody and epic...
Go West: Nicodemus National Monument
Category: DestinationsWhen outside of the city centers, Nebraska can be summed up this way: CORN.
As far as the eye can see.
Driving into a rural part of the state at...
Elk Extravaganza: ‘Elk Fest’ 2023
Category: Hamlet of the WeekIn Estes Park, Colorado, the elk rule the town.
Especially in the fall, which is ‘rutting’ season— the time of year in which male bull elks emerge from the mountains...
Roadside Nonsense: Strawberry Hot Springs
Category: Roadside NonsenseOutside of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is a natural hot spring that is serene and beautiful.
Lots of locals recommended that I go, so I set out on a perfect...
Thoughts on Van Life: Chapter 2– Living Life Totally Outdoors
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is Chapter Two in my “Thoughts on Van Life” series of posts, in which I discuss that every upside of van living carries a defined downside. Check out...
Thoughts on Van Life: Chapter 1– The Best and Worst of America
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is Chapter One in my “Thoughts on Van Life” series of posts, in which I discuss that every upside of van living carries a defined downside. Check out...
Thoughts on Van Life: Introduction
Category: Thoughts on Van Life(This is the first in a series of posts I am writing about the reality of van living. After you finish this post, look for Chapters 1 and 2,...
No Bones About It: Dinosaur National Monument
Category: DestinationsDinosaur National Monument is aptly named.
I’d never seen as many dinosaur bones in my entire life as I saw there (!!!!!)— it was a surreal experience. This national monument, straddling...
Poo Fossils: Fossil Butte National Monument
Category: DestinationsThis was a real ‘wheel-jerk’ moment.
Driving from the remote Craters of the Moon National Monument to my next destination in the mountains of Colorado, when crossing through a small...
Roadside Nonsense: The Idaho Potato Museum
Category: Roadside NonsenseHeading through Blackfoot, Idaho, I saw a sign that read "Idaho Potato Museum" and knew I had to stop.
I just hoped they would serve potatoes-- and they did!...
Mooning: Craters of the Moon National Monument
Category: DestinationsCraters of the Moon National Monument had become a running joke in my van.
Not because I’d been there and didn’t like it— but because I never seemed to be...
Elk Picnic: Dosewalips State Park
Category: DestinationsI decided to visit a campground on the Olympic Peninsula that was known for its resident elk. Being an elk fan, I was hopeful I'd see a few.
But...
Mountain Home: Hikes Around the Pacific NW
Category: DestinationsIf you've ever lived in the Pacific Northwest, the rule of thumb is: you HAVE to get outside in the summer every chance you get-- since the winters are...
Mac’s View: B.A.C.O.N.!!!!!
Category: Mac's ViewHey, it's me, Mac.
Look, I like my dogfood and everything, I really do. And I'm super grateful that mommy works hard so I can have kibbles. BUT.
HAVE...
Twin Peaks: North Cascades National Park
Category: DestinationsSometimes, you need to do a little exploring in your OWN backyard.
This summer, I got to take my van on mini-adventures around the Pacific Northwest, an area I knew...
Hamlet of the Week: Port Townsend, WA
Category: Hamlet of the WeekThe Pacific Northwest is full of little islands and 'hanging chad' peninsulas— and adorable historic towns that are so quaint, they’d make a great setting for a Hallmark Movie.
Port...
Banjo-go-go: The Darrington Bluegrass Festival
Category: DestinationsAs I get older, my desire to attend crowded concerts has diminished to basically nil.
Which is odd, since my youth was spent attending hundreds of concerts, and even attending...
It’s Raining Dirt: Skagit Speedway
Category: DestinationsRacing is not a regional sport, or even a national one— the majority of car races in America are local, and a great way to experience this sport is...
Hamlet of the Week: Odessa, TX
Category: Hamlet of the WeekOne of the things I love about traveling in the van is seeing where our resources come from.
Be it the vast cornfields of Nebraska, the nut trees in New...