5 ways full-time travel changed us

Four years ago today, we left our home in San Francisco with two backpacks and our best friend Holly. And just a few weeks ago, we unceremoniously returned our minivan camper Red Delicious back into a regular ol’ minivan and moved to Santa Barbara.     We transitioned hard and fast into “normal” life: we have a “real” bed and “real”… Read more →

When to stop traveling full time

Red Delicious is retiring. That’s right: Beginning September 1, we will no longer be van-dwellers or full-time travelers. We’ll have been on the road for four years, with nearly three of them in our van. For those of you considering van life, do not despair! We have loved adventuring and do not regret van-dwelling at all. But we always said we’d do… Read more →

When van life sucks

Van life isn’t always fun. Hip Instagram portrayals make it seem like one long, perfect, carefree daydream. We think van living is pretty great… except when it’s not. Sometimes, van living sucks. Sometimes, you don’t wake up to ocean waves or a bucolic park — you wake up outside a Walmart. It’s really important to us to be honest with you… Read more →

Our 8 favorite campground meals

When you have a two-burner propane stove — and the occasional campfire — what are your meal options? We struggled with this when we first started van-dwelling. Most camping recipes involve preparing something in a full kitchen in a house, then reheating it at the campground. Or food for 8-year-olds who only eat hot dogs and hate vegetables. Regular cookbooks don’t… Read more →

Reflecting on two years of van life

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been living the van life for TWO YEARS. Here we are, about to embark in January 2015. So fresh-faced and full of anticipation!     Since then, we’ve put 53,000 miles on Red Delicious. We’ve visited breathtaking national parks, hiked hundreds of miles, said tearful goodbyes to our best furry friend, prepared countless meals… Read more →

Round up: Van-friendly foods

You live in a van and have unreliable refrigeration — or none at all. Which foods should you keep in your van? This is an adjustment for people used to house-dwelling. A fridge and freezer make perishables possible for longer. One thing we’ve noticed about folks our parents’ age is a love of buying lots of meat and stocking it… Read more →