Blog

We headed from Bad Axe, Michigan to the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where my parents live. First we stopped at my Dad’s, had dinner at the local waterfront dining establishment and hung out. Then we visited my mom/baby brother’s family, again street camping (AT got to sleep in the houses). The van has certainly afforded… Continue reading Michigan to Illinois : June 21, 2022

When AT tried to enter Canada six months prior, as mentioned, her van was stuffed to the gills with her belongings. The border agent looked at her and said, “Nope, looks like you’re trying to move here.” So she rented a storage unit in Buffalo, NY and unloaded her van before successfully crossing over again.… Continue reading Niagara Falls Canada : June 20, 2022

I had heard you had to use the ArriveCAN app to make getting through the border from the US to Canada without being chastised. It replaced the old paper forms route. So I downloaded it on my phone and set about adding our passports and visit information while we were stopped at one of my… Continue reading Canada : June 16-20, 2022

The park was nice enough. Our spot was across from a berm around the lake that made for a nice walk. Apparently I’ve forgotten what the bugs of my childhood were like because midwestern bugs were not being nice to us. And of course, it was still hot.

We went from a heat advisory in Nebraska to a full on excessive heat warning in Iowa. So we found an Army Corps of Engineers campground in Iowa with full hookups for the night so we could run the air conditioner.

As we headed into the heartland of the country, we started experiencing extreme heat. I’m not sure it was related to weather, but we passed a semi that we could see smoke coming off the rear trailer tires. I had a handheld CB in the van, but it seems truckers don’t use CBs anymore, so… Continue reading Elwood, NE : June 14, 2022

Cows. It becomes a theme in our travels. I use apps to find locations, reading all the ratings and reviews. I no longer care about cell signal strength 😉 This one just north of Sinclair, WY sounded very promising and did not disappoint. Dugway Campground

I had always been intrigued by the Bonneville Salt Flats just past Wendover and prior to Salt Lake City, UT, and when I realized a large portion of that area was BLM land you could stay on, I jumped at the chance, particularly since it was a good stopping point one day’s drive from Tahoe.… Continue reading Salt Flats : June 12, 2022

We were only home for two months before we headed out again. We used that time to add some personal touches and upgrades to the van; namely, internet connectivity. We learned early on that our cell provider does not in fact have coverage in all places. I had noticed on my camping apps that show… Continue reading On The Road Again : June 11, 2022

My longest post to date and it’s not even about the van. After returning to the California coast, I settled back into “sticks and bricks” life (phrase for living in a conventional house), commuting to the office and harbor watching when home. Caleb had been a romantic (to me) fixture in the harbor since before… Continue reading Ahoy, Matey : April – May 2022