Table of contents for Forty-Nine: June/July 2025 in ROVA

You’ve got time. You’ve got a full tank of gas. You’ve got sunglasses and, thankfully, you’ve got a functioning air-conditioner. Summer vacation is here, and you’re ready to get back into nature. Now you just need to figure out where you want to go! Well, we at ROVA are nothing if not helpful, so here’s a handful of itineraries to give your imagination a kick-start. Maine: From Portland to the Canada Border and Back Again Portland is renowned as one of the most vibrant cities in Maine, and starting here is the perfect opportunity to take in the resplendence of the coast. Situated on Casco Bay, Portland offers access to the islands that lie scattered across the water, as well as the long stretches of beach and weathered coastline that…

I had heard all these stories about how incredible the community and connections of the nomad lifestyle were, and I almost felt scammed realizing that I could count goodbyes alongside my mileage driven. It’s rare to travel alongside other van-lifers and climbers for more than a few days. Learning to adapt to the social aspect of life on the road was a bizarre challenge for someone who’s always taken pride in treating friendships as forever. It’s taken practice and repetition to let people come and go, allowing full connection, and laughter, and chaos to flood momentary and expectation-free friendship. I rock climbed a whole season on granite with a friend I made because he was standing by the side of the road with skis on his back and a thumb…

Although Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach are celebrated vacation spots in South Carolina—and well deserving of their popularity—the state also boasts some of the best waterfall trails you’ll ever visit. If you are unaware of this, you’re in for a treat. Here are seven spotlight-worthy waterfalls found in the lovely Palmetto State. Spoonauger Falls Located in Mountain Rest, South Carolina, adjacent to the Georgia border, this rugged and remote trek begins at the Chattooga River Trailhead, crosses over Spoonauger Creek, and continues for approximately half a mile to a 50-foot waterfall that’s virtually embedded into a lush, fragrant hillside. If you’re a lover of greenery, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the way the thick rhododendron flanks the trail. Named after a South Carolina family, this excursion is a two-for-one experience. You’ll…

The wine regions of the United States are thriving, and although celebrated areas like California’s Napa Valley are consistently producing high-quality wines (as expected), smaller winemaking locales are also making a splash (no pun intended). From castles to caves, rock-stars to flying saucers, there's no denying that America's wineries are unique. We’re helping you find wineries with plenty of differences, but one thing in common: wine, and lots of it. Read on to learn about some of the most interesting, fruitful and scenic wineries that you can visit as you road-trip across the country. California Castello di Amorosa, Napa Valley With so many wineries in California, you’d be forgiven for thinking that if you're seen one, you’ve seen them all. But unless you’ve visited the 14thcentury Tuscan-style castle on the…

Author’s Note: This article was written as a personal reflection on a journey through the American Southwest. It serves to share with you what my partner and I learned from First Nations communities through respectful observation, conversation (where welcomed), and research. I recognize that Indigenous peoples are the original and ongoing stewards of these lands, despite centuries of displacement and erasure. My aim with this article is to honor the communities to whom this landscape is sacred—their presence, resilience and wisdom—and to share how their connection to the land impacted us. I remain committed to learning about Indigenous cultures with humility and care. Our generation has the unfortunate task of making our way of life more sustainable and preserving our beautiful world for future generations to enjoy. While my partner,…

When people think of RVs, they often picture bulky motorhomes lumbering down highways, either packed with kids on a family road trip, or carrying retirees who are following the sun. But nestled in the corner of the RV world is a more compact, nimble, and surprisingly capable cousin: the Class B RV, also known as a camper van. While these vehicles might look like your standard delivery van from the outside, taking a step inside can reveal a few surprises. These little rigs pack far more punch than meets the eye. 1. They're Actually Fully Equipped Homes Let’s start with the most obvious surprise: Class B RVs are tiny, but they’re stacked. Despite their size, most come with a bed (often convertible), a kitchenette, a seating area, and—yes—even a bathroom.…

I’ve never needed a reason to adventure. The mental relief of singing (or, honestly, yelling) along with my favorite playlist while cruising down an empty highway in Nevada is motive enough. Yet, I often find a deeper meaning when I travel. It all comes down to relationships. Of course, I mean the interpersonal ones (my travel buds are some of my nearest and dearest), but I also mean our relationships with the landscapes themselves. Outdoor recreation offers the path to creating these connections. Whether ripping down a trail on a mountain bike or rehearsing a sequence of moves on a rock climb, these activities offer us unique ways to develop our sense of place. Each outdoor sport has its own pace and social rhythm, allowing us to experience each destination…

“Daddy,” whispered my eight-year-old daughter, Aster, “you’ve got to see what’s outside the RV!” When she tugged on my sleeve, my wife, Jodie; son, Connor; and I had already been enjoying the hilltop view. Sparse clouds barely covered up the lowering sun, as a mild August evening began at the Reno Cove Campground in eastern Wyoming’s Glendo State Park. Even though bustling I-25 was only 15 minutes away, our fellow RVers and a few boats still on the water were taking in life at a slower, lakeside pace. Aster led me to the eastern side of our site, where the edge of a bluff overlooked the forested slopes of Glendo Reservoir. Two deer had wandered right up next to our 25-foot Class C. As Aster held my hand, we stood…

My family and I have traveled a lot—the lure of the American road trip always beckons us to explore far and wide. It’s an eternal chase for the mind-altering, spirit-invoking gasps, goosebumps, and jaw drops that make us feel alive. The deeper we get into this road-trip addiction, the more it takes to fuel the beast, until at last we realize that we have to succumb to the greatest road trip of them all: getting off-grid. It’s time for us to break our connection with the connected world—to leave behind Wi-Fi and 5G, GPS and the pings of every social platform, widget, and app we don’t need. And there’s a place we know that can help us do that—the Keweenaw Peninsula. Getting Off-Grid on Michigan’s Rugged Keweenaw Peninsula There’s a…