Table of contents for Six: April/May 2018 in ROVA

Jessy Living the “simple” life is actually quite tough. I’m challenged daily, and there’s tremendous growth in that. This lifestyle is unpredictable, wild and outright unbelievable at times, but it feels like I’m finally really living. I will feel proud of my life when I die; I’m sure of that now. Instagram: @a.girl.and.her.commander The Garcias Life is what happens in those in-between moments; those times between the chaos of work, school, and schedules. We want to foster a lifestyle that focuses more on these life-living moments than our hectic to-do lists. Every month, we spend a few days traveling in order to get away from the busyness of life and just be together as a family. Instagram: @thekinfolkadventure Danielle and Tommy We believe that the size of your home matters…

Solo road travel can be a daunting prospect, and the fear of the unknown is often an impediment to actually getting out on the road. The prospect of loneliness, danger and the lack of road-trip ability have stopped many prospective travelers from taking that solitary leap, but each of these can be overcome with a little planning, or a shift in perspective. Freedom, confidence and a sense of self can be found in the quiet, lonesome pockets of a road adventure. They’re worth braving it for. Remember: for every Ringo Starr, there’s a John Lennon. ROVA spoke with three RVers who chose the unaccompanied approach to RVing; here’s a little insight into their unaccompanied adventures.…

When Erica Lake made the decision to take leave of her stationary life, she had been working in corporate America for 15 years. It was a comfortable existence, but it was a life that left her with a void where she felt there should be more… living. More experiences, more risk, and more space to discover herself in a new way. Erica only recently bought her Skylark travel trailer and adopted her super-cute canine travel companion Willow; she is as new as you can get to full-time travel. We spoke with her about her dreams for the road, and the excitement that is ahead of her. The decision to travel solo I’ve never done anything particularly risky in my adult life. I feel that I’ve been going through a career…

Within reach of our seats, the snack bag was now heavy with half-full bags of trail mix and jerky, empty raisin boxes, moldering motel breakfast fruit, and a slightly bloated container or two of warm yogurt. The backseat also held the computer bag, the nice camera, a beach hat, pillows, towels, a road atlas, and easy-access footwear. As I looked at the haphazard mess we’d been carting around for more than 7,000 miles, I let my mind drift. I pictured our fantasy van, a clean and organized high-top with the junk from our backseat and trunk stowed neatly under the bed. I saw space for books, a fridge, and a little wooden garbage bin tucked behind the front seat. Those thoughts scattered as I swung into the driver’s seat, kicked…

You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. It’s a cliché, but this is how I feel about the Northern British Columbia wilderness, especially in the winter. I grew up just outside of Smithers, BC. From exploring the woods in my backyard as a child to snowboarding in the backcountry as a teenager, I have always found the natural wonder of nature fascinating. I moved to the southern tip of Vancouver Island for a time, where I met my wife and we had a baby—but I always had a persistent desire to move back up north. Don’t get me wrong; there is immense beauty on Vancouver Island, but there is something significant about the Northern BC mountains that entraps the soul. So, I found myself back there again. On…

Winner of a one-year subscription I came across Adventure Four recently while I was looking for inspiration at the grocery store magazine rack and I was floored to find your magazine! I read it cover to cover as soon as I got home. The stories within these pages are such an inspiration and I loved reading about everyone’s experiences from their unique perspectives. I often find myself road-tripping solo and it was wonderful to read about others who do the same. — Cate W I love this magazine. The articles are relevant, fun, and inspirational; unlike some others that just seem to be selling you something. Congratulations to all those involved in this quality periodical. — Diane C I was cruising the local bookstore, [checking out] all the magazines I…

Jaci Cederberg was searching for meaning in all the wrong places. A sudden realization that the trajectory of life isn’t an inescapable certainty, coupled with a chance sign on social media, flicked a switch on Jaci’s plans. Now two years into her solo road-tripping adventure, Jaci realizes that listening to your inner voice, even when outer voices are shouting over it, is the key to a fulfilled life. Her time on the road since making the decision to fly solo has been a constant lesson in, and celebration of, what’s important. Choosing life on the road I had the RV dream when I was 21. My family had an RV and we’d go to the beach and camp; it was so special. I remember saying out loud at the campfire…

You might have noticed that there’s a vast difference between travel images that merely document adventures, and those that pull an intangible beauty out of the world beyond the lens. This is no accident—those cursed Instagram-perfect images are meticulously planned, and once you know the secrets to a good shot, you’ll be snapping with the best of them. We (with the help of some good friends who also happen to be roving photographers) have cobbled together some simple ideas to keep in mind when getting snap-happy that will almost certainly improve your photographs. These tips are not to be substituted for proper photographic tuition, but they’re a good place to start. Lighting and contrast “Photography”, from its original Latin, literally means “representation of light”, so it’s important to get the…

The most commonly traveled path essentially takes you along old U.S. Route 66 (RIP), with all the requisite old-west towns (some abandoned), sun-faded roadside attractions, and crumbling Americana you could ask for. We suppose it’s not for everyone—which is why you won’t find all of these stops heavily advertised—but it’s the sort of thing that keeps us traveling by land as often as possible. In a world ruled by Yelp, TripAdvisor and the endless #fomo of social media, it’s indescribably liberating to fill up your gas tank,* point yourself in a given direction, and simply head for the horizon with few plans, even less money, and nowhere to be until Monday. This is the kind of route that rewards such a spirit. Straight through, you can make it from city…

I’ve always viewed road trips as an opportunity not only to explore the country, but also to see unique sights—those gems that you find in one particular place and you can’t find anywhere else. But on this trip, I learned that it’s not just what you see, but what you feel. The towering statue was one of many discoveries I made during this “heartland road trip” a while back. I set off on the journey for no particular reason, except that I found myself in Kansas City with a few days to kill. That was reason enough to rent a car, head southwest, and explore two states I hadn’t spent much time in. Any excuse to hit the road! I had no idea that, with so many historic sights and…

Disc days There are about a million outdoor games you can play on your RV adventures—think cornhole, ladder ball and lawn darts—but nothing beats the simplicity and nostalgia of Frisbee. If you don’t have space in your RV for a flat plastic disc or ring, you have bigger things to think about than outdoor games. Get purging! Outdoor Adventure Quest We know you guys are all perfectly capable of choosing your own adventures (you read the books, right?), but if you’re happy to take some guidance in exchange for potential prizes and fun, check out the Outdoor Adventure Quest app. FYI: if you’re not in the mood for hiking, climbing or off-roading, there are brewery and winery challenges, too. The Colorado quest takes place June 22–24. outdooradventurequest.com Sparkle, baby! If…

There’s a lot of mystique around free camping. Maybe it’s because anything that’s free sounds too good to be true, or because popular social media posts often feature picturesque camping spots with no location tag, making them seem out of reach. The good news is that this type of camping can be yours, too, if you’re up for the challenge and responsibility. This guide provides the practical knowledge and tips that you need to find free camping spots, so the next time you want to explore more off-grid, you’ll be ready! What exactly is “free camping”? Free camping, dispersed camping, boondocking, dry camping: these terms are all applicable to camping outside of established campsites, without services like water, toilets, electric hookups or campground hosts. It’s a primitive state of affairs.…

It’s one thing to travel solo, but another altogether to take an untested road into the far reaches of the Canadian north, all the way up to the Arctic Circle—all alone. In January, Jason Cole, who lives in his van with his dog-buddy Diesel, set out on a solo trek on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway; a road that had only been opened one month earlier. Throw in minus-50-degree temperatures and only the van for shelter, and you have what many people might call a crazy endeavor. Choosing the van life I truly believe that we’re not meant to be located in one place and watch sports and drink beer, and just stay there until we die. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I find that boring. I’ve always lived…

A photographer’s stall caught my attention, and one print in particular interested me: the photo of a long, empty hallway with uneven floorboards and light pouring in from doors on either side. There were others, too: of rooms with peeling paint, and a table with a broken leg sinking into the floor. These eerie images reminded me of houses long abandoned and left to rot. Like a typical journalist (I’d graduated with a journalism degree the year before), I wanted to know their stories. The photographer, Cora, a woman in her 50s, told me that she’d taken the photos at Bannack—a ghost town in Montana. “That’s so cool,” I said. “I wish I could see it. I love ghost towns.” She smiled at me. “Well, I was planning on taking…

We were nearing the river. After bumping along the dusty desert road for hours, a bright green stripe ahead advertised one thing: water. My friend Sarah had spoken to a ranger the day before and he’d assured us that the Fremont river was low enough to cross. Neither of us had forded a river before, and even with a high-clearance vehicle, we weren’t entirely convinced that we could pull it off. As we approached the shore, a nervous energy filled the car. Sliding into the rushing stream, the wheels firmly bit into the rocky river bottom. In less than a minute, we were on the other side. “That’s it?” asked Sarah, almost disappointed that the crossing had been so easy. “Let’s do it again!” Her eyes sparkled as she turned…

In the 1970s and 1980s, Ocean City in Maryland was one of the most popular vacation spots on the Atlantic coast, catering to all comers. Families spent long sunny days on the beach and adjoining boardwalk; punks and metalheads loitered by night on the town’s “Freak Street”; “Boardwalk Elvis” roamed the planks decked out in jumpsuits fit for The King; and terrified kids ran screaming from the Morbid Manor haunted house, chased by a chainsaw-wielding weirdo. As these things go, some of the patina of the old days has faded from today’s Ocean City, but the neon nostalgia of boardwalk amusements still saturates the town. There’s a tenacious spirit here; boardwalk business owners proudly peddle their wares from the bowels of stores unchanged since the 1970s. Original neon signs and…