Travel

As some of you know, I took a trip of a lifetime to New Zealand in April for three weeks without Max to wander around solo in a van.  After a 13 hour flight, I took my two very full bags on public transportation when I arrived and after I was dropped off, I walked to the van rental company.  What seemed like forever, we went over the rules and regulations of the van until it was time to take the keys and start my journey.   I drove out of the lot with hesitation since I am not familiar with driving on the left side of the road.  In fact, I missed my exit because I was afraid of making a right turn.  Eventually I followed another car and made it on the freeway going north.  I pulled off the highway before a toll freeway to a gas station to practice pumping gas (as if I have never done that before) and to pay the toll on the kiosk.  After I pumped gas, I moved the van around to the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.  I went in to grab a sandwich...

Lowest Point In America - Badwater Basin It's hard to believe that I've never been to Death Valley National Park until last week.  I grew up in Southern California and have lived here (when I'm not on the road) most of my life.  The weather was perfect so I thought I would go for a visit. There is something about a National Park that gets me so excited inside.  I love driving up to the gate and showing my annual pass and getting a map and guide.  It's like an adventure is about to begin, and it does.  This is the first National Park that I've experienced that doesn't have a guard gate.  Perhaps because it gets so hot in the summer.  In any case, I arrived late so I went to the visitor center to get a pass the following day. I woke up early to drive to Badwater Basin to find that I was the only person there!  As much as I love our National Parks, so does most everyone else.  Getting a private spot at an overlook is pretty rare so I soaked up t...

When someone learns of my plans to live in my van and travel around the USA, the first question I get is, "where are you going to go?"  My answer is "I don't know" or "everywhere!"  I wish I could be more specific but I really never know.  I tend to have a general direction on where I will go and depending on the weather and circumstances, it determines the next day and so on. I admit that it's not the best way to travel, but it's worked for me so far.  I would like to see Marfa, TX and perhaps make it out to the salt flats but other than that, it's a blank canvas.  I am assuming I will travel with the weather so that usually means I will head North during the hot months and South in the Fall.  I always enjoy being on the East coast in late summer. I will be making goals along the way and sharing photographs, including portraits of people I meet on the road.  If you know of a place I shouldn't miss, please let me know. You can always fo...