Table of contents for Fifty-one: October/November 2025 in ROVA

I've seen some incredible places and had some amazing experiences in this country. From early morning at the Grand Canyon when it had snowed overnight, to the Pacific Ocean from my van windows as the sun set and I drove toward Canada. I've eaten pie that tastes like the cherries were just picked from a sun-drenched tree. I've cried upon tasting the best macaroni and cheese of my life. I've met people who have changed how I feel about the world. But when you ask me about what I remember most about my travels, regardless of where I've been or what I've eaten or who I've met, there's one answer that often pops up. I remember the quiet moments of humming asphalt, fast-moving scenery and introspection. I remember sitting alone…

Dominique and Sora Since 2018, I've lived on the road in various rigs, but I'm now traveling in my self-converted Ford Transit with my mini Aussie shepherd, Sora. Over the years, my van-life journey has evolved, but the heart remains the same: inspiring others to live fully outdoors, explore new communities, and adventure in the mountains. Why follow us? For real stories, wild places, and the lessons learned along the way. Instagram: @shewandersearth Christine and Alwin Our story began 14 years ago online, and within a month, we were living on a catamaran, sailing the world. In 2019, we swapped the sea for the road, starting van life in Europe. In 2022, we shipped our camper to North America, explored for a year, fell in love with the wild, and…

Trail sneakers (think HOKA and Brooks) are a more common sight than hiking boots. They're lightweight, they dry faster than boots, and they keep blisters down. Thru-hikers (those walking the entire trail in one shot) can burn through four or five pairs. Earl Shaffer completed the first documented thru-hike in 1948. He carried a 40-plus-pound pack, wore leather boots, and didn't have a GPS or cell phone—just a compass, maps, and the kind of grit that is evaporating in today's youth (smiley face). Thru-hikers reach more than 464,500 feet in elevation—more than 16 times the height of Mount Everest. If you walk the average distance of around 13 miles per day, you're likely to burn through 4,000 to 6,000 calories each day. “Hiker hunger” really kicks in a few weeks…

Sure, Montana is known for its incredible landscapes, endlessly explorable national parks, and all manner of wildlife, including grizzly bears, elk and bison. But the state also houses some lesser known but no less interesting attractions. Here are five that will without doubt be a fascinating addition to your Montana adventures. 1. The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas, Arlee In western Montana, in the incredible Jocko Valley, there is a garden filled with 1,000 hand-cast Buddha statues. A salve for the ills of the world, the garden was designed to bring peace and positive transformation to visitors. The strange yet beautiful presence of the buddhas, arranged in a mandala among native trees, flowers and landscaping, is an incredible sight within the amazing Montana setting. This is a must-see for those…

The Luck of the Irish Irish singer-songwriter CMAT has been blowing up on TikTok in recent months, thanks to the “woke macarena” dance that was created to her song, “Take a Sexy Picture of Me.” If you're new to the world of CMAT, prepare to be obsessed. Country music fans looking for something a little different will love CMAT's Irish take on our nation's great genre. Her newest album, Euro-Country, is a complex love letter to Ireland, tackling big themes like the devastation of the Celtic Tiger, womanhood, and social discourse. Listen to “Running/Planning” when running around and planning (ha!), and “The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station” when cruising down the highway. cmatbaby.com Pep in a Paste Coffee? Essential. Coffee in a tube? Something we didn't even know we needed, until…

While the campervan conversion space has long been a boys' club, women-owned and -operated campervan conversion companies are cropping up across the country. And the women behind them are breaking down barriers while building both campervans and confidence in dreamers and DIYers alike. We caught up with some of the female founders, fabricators, and badass builders, who divulged their most valuable lessons, informed insights, and raw and revelatory advice for women with wanderlust. Kyleigh Rogers, Co-founder of Freedom Vans The stars aligned in 2015 when Kyleigh Rogers spent her first van-life weekend with her partner, Tom, at a mountain bike race. Fresh from a 200-hour yoga certification, she unexpectedly got a free pass to a yoga festival that was, serendipitously, happening simultaneously with the mountain bike race. “The volunteers gave…

When I was a little girl, my imagination ran wild. The forest behind my house was my playroom, a place where I envisioned fairies tucked away in moss-covered rocks, hidden inside tree hollows, and peeking out from wildflowers—always watching but never seen. It wasn't until I was 23 that I stepped into a forest that truly felt like it was built from that same magic. Setting foot in Oregon's Umpqua National Forest was like stepping back into my girlhood wonder—a place where nature feels alive with secrets, and the air carries a sense of whimsy. Driving north from the breathtaking Crater Lake National Park area toward Umpqua National Forest, I witnessed towering conifers closing in around me, their deep green hue almost unique to the Oregon rainforests. Diamond Lake, surrounded…

For some, fall road-tripping in the northeast is purely a leaf-peeping extravaganza—no surprise there, given that the riotous colors of autumn in New England are almost psychedelically enchanting. For me, though, as a native to the area, fall is the time to get your spook on—nowhere in the States seems to have quite as much witchy and ghoulish history as this part of the world. To make the most of what the northeast has to offer ghost hunters and scare-chasers, while also having the opportunity to take in New England's fall colors, it feels right to track a route from the witchiest place in America (maybe even on earth)— Salem, Massachusetts—to the small town of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where the ghost of a man riding a horse has one…

Connect Anywhere, Anytime If you travel full time or work remotely from the road, you already know the struggle—sometimes Verizon works, sometimes it's AT&T, and sometimes you're just out of luck. ConnecTen's NetriFi Smart VSIM router, with the Adventure Plan, delivers rock-solid internet. Just plug in the router, type in the passcode sent to you, and you're instantly connected—no SIM cards, no tech headaches. So, how does it work? It connects to Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and US Cellular, and automatically finds the strongest signal based on your location. Plus, it works off-grid, in campgrounds, or on the move, and supports both 4G LTE and 5G (where available). For travelers, full-time RVers, and remote workers, ConnecTen is a no-fuss, high-performance solution to stay online wherever the road leads. connecteninternet.com, from $49…

Post World War I, America was experiencing rapid urban growth and industrial expansion. Conservationist Benton MacKaye feared that this shift threatened our well-being and connection to nature. He penned an essay laying out his concerns: “We need a refuge from the cramping confines of urban life,” he said, and, “Industrialization has swamped the individual.” He sagely argued, “We need this thing wilderness far more than it needs us.” His words are truer now than they ever have been. Thanks to MacKaye's advocacy, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy was formed in 1925 and the first continuous trail was completed in 1937—built almost entirely by volunteers. Since then, the trail has weathered wars, development and funding pressures, climatic shifts and natural disasters, but the essence of MacKaye's vision remains: a 2,200-mile footpath from…