• Lake Tahoe

    Lake Tahoe

    Lake Tahoe is a blissful paradise that I honestly had never even HEARD of until I went there last week. I would describe it as a place where the wild, wild-wilderness meets “A beautiful day in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood“, and here are three reasons why: (1)Outside, there is peace and tranquility Sometimes I want to…

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  • Virginia City, Nevada

    Virginia City, Nevada

    I really enjoyed spending a day in this fun little old mining town, just about an hour northeast of Lake Tahoe. For all of my Arizona readers, you’ll probably understand when I say it sort of reminded me of Tombstone, which I have visited several times. We mostly just walked up and down the main…

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  • Solvang, California

    Solvang, California

    I always love visiting the, “Danish capital of America,” because it reminds me of Germany–my ancestral homeland–where I have visited several times. Yes, I know that Denmark is not Germany, but something about the Danish architecture, food, decor, and design transports me back overseas to Bavaria and so many things I loved about being there.…

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  • Ventura & Santa Barbara, California

    Ventura & Santa Barbara, California

    Ventura We visited Ventura because Dan has an Aunt and Uncle–Jenn and Pete–who live there. They allowed us to camp in our van in their driveway, and they also showed us around town. We spent most of our time together at Ventura Pier. We had a great time together, and some fun conversations about our…

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  • San Diego

    San Diego

    We love going to San Diego–especially since it is only about a two-and-a-half hour drive from Los Angeles–where two of our kids live. It also has SO much to offer when it comes to beauty, nature, and exploration! Thanks to Alyssa’s recommendation, we started this San Diego trip at La Jolla Cove for some seal-watching.…

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  • I Think I Love LA

    I Think I Love LA

    Sometimes when I arrive in the LA area, I think of the original (1982) Annie movie clip where she sees Oliver Warbucks’ mansion and just keeps singing, “I think I’m gonna like it here!” I could list SO many reasons why LA is one of my loves, but to keep this brief, I’ll just give…

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  • Sequoia National Park

    Sequoia National Park

    If you like hiking through ancient forests with breathtaking views of canyons and rushing rivers and the tallest trees you have ever seen, with birds singing above you and leaves and sticks crackling and crunching beneath your feet, you might love Sequoia National Park. I said to Dan several times, “This place is a photographer’s…

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  • San Antonio, Texas

    San Antonio, Texas

    San Antonio is one of my most favorite places to travel because that’s where my son Branden lives! (And, it’s also a really great place in and of itself!) I recently spent about three weeks there, and loved every minute of it. I’ve decided to use this blog post to share some of my favorite…

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  • New Orleans, Louisiana

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    There were two main reasons we visited New Orleans. (1)Dan’s team was playing in the Super Bowl (go Birds) and (2) Mardi Gras! We stuck around the area for about a week and a half (our trifecta was in Slidell), so that we could have a romantic dinner cruise on Valentine’s Day. (Thanks, Dan, it…

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  • Miami, Florida

    Miami, Florida

    We spent just one day in Miami Florida, and to sum it all up, it felt like a city-wide immersive art experience to me! We had two places on the itinerary: (1) Little Havana, and (2) Wynwood. Little Havana was all about the food for me, and Wynwood was all about the art. Turned out,…

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  • Florida Keys

    Florida Keys

    First of all, I’ll start this post by saying that I LOVED the Florida Keys! We spent about five days there, and it was sheer bliss. I definitely want to go again some day! Secondly, I feel compelled to mention that it is not the most vanlife-friendly place in Florida. Having said all that, I…

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  • Everglades National Park

    Everglades National Park

    Everglades National Park was absolutely at the top of my National Park bucket list. I was intrigued and excited to see the “largest tropical wilderness in the United States” according to the National Park Service. My wish list was simple: (1)See an alligator, (2)See a crocodile, and (3) Take some amazing wildlife and nature photographs.…

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  • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

    Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

    Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, home to hundreds of bird species, is a paradise destination for birders from all across the country. It is only 10 miles from Cocoa Beach and about an hour east of Orlando. If you happen to be visiting central-East Florida, I would highly recommend a visit! I have only just…

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  • Joanna’s Birthday Cruise

    Joanna’s Birthday Cruise

    For my birthday, Dan took me on a 7-day Caribbean cruise, starting in Port Canaveral, Florida, and stopping in three places: Nassau- Bahamas, Amber Cove- Dominican Republic and Grand Turk- Turks and Caicos. We sailed with Carnival, on what is widely considered the best ship in their fleet–the Mardi Gras. We have been on several…

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  • Van for the Holidays: Charleston, St. Augustine, & Orlando

    Van for the Holidays: Charleston, St. Augustine, & Orlando

    It was our first holiday season living and traveling full time in our camper van, and the best way I can describe it is– that it was different. But don’t worry, we still had a great time! One reason it was different is because living in a van is not conducive to the type of…

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