Table of contents for Fourteen: August/September 2019 in ROVA

The sun is just starting to glow on the horizon along Fort Myers, Florida when 55 boats slide out into the ocean to hunt for the elusive king tarpon. A giant silver creature that can weigh more than 100 pounds, tarpon isn’t an easy fish to bag. It leaps from the water when hooked, forcing anglers to “bow to the king” in order to not break their line. The battle can last 45 minutes—a back-breaking fight between human and beast. Sharon LaBree, a Bradenton, Florida native, doesn’t usually target tarpon, but having been an avid angler since she was two years old, she is familiar enough with fishing to take on the challenge—and it feeds her love of the sport. “Fishing has always been a way for me to relax…

What made you decide to take your pets on the road with you? Our pets are a big part of our lives and our family, and we would not be living this type of lifestyle if we didn’t think they could, too. Despite living in such a small space, our animals actually have more freedom now than when we were living in a house. We are constantly exploring new places and doing outdoor things like hiking, and the pets get to experience that, as well. What are some special considerations that you have to make when traveling with your pets? The biggest thing is making sure that the pets stay healthy. Checking for ticks is important for the dog, as he’s constantly exploring new territory and rolling around in the…

You travel with six rescue dogs in your RV. How did that come about? I started out with four. I am a dog trainer, and have worked in the rescue industry for more than 14 years. In the last year, I ended up adopting a 13-year-old chihuahua from a hoarding situation, and a pit bull puppy who came in under cruelty charges for his owner cutting his ears off themself in their home. I love to travel, but I hate leaving my pups behind—I wanted them to enjoy this life as much as I do! What are some special considerations that you have to make when traveling with your dogs? I have to plan out my route based on them, so I can’t spend a ton of time in large…

I’m not in the habit of crashing fishing trips, but on a Mother’s Day weekend a few years ago, that’s exactly what I did. And if that trip is any kind of indication of what showing up unannounced to an anglers’ weekend is like, I cannot recommend it highly enough. The trip that I crashed is a yearly tradition for a group of men—all fathers and sons—who’ve become friends by default because their wives are friends. Apparently, their annual much-appreciated gift to the women in their families is to remove themselves to another state for two or three days. The group’s destination is in a state renowned for being driven through or flown over—it’s an upper corner of Indiana, from where you can drive east for 10 minutes and be…

Contrary to common lore about relatives by marriage, my parents-in-law are pretty rad (shout-out to Lawrie and Jude; I know you’re reading this!), so it was no great hardship to spend a month in an RV with them, along with my wife Gem. My in-laws are both great people, but what is perhaps even more important on a trip like this is that they’re very relaxed travelers. After some loose planning over a lot of wine, we had a rough outline of the trip put together. We all had places that we wanted to visit, for sure, but a lot of the stuff in between was left mostly to fate. Our Awesome In-Law Adventure™ (look out, Bill and Ted) took us on a driving tour of New Zealand, taking in…

Our dear friends gave my husband and me a surprise subscription to ROVA since they know our plans to hit the road semi-full-time next year. I read every single word and every ad, and savor the beautiful pictures. We are using these to help plan [our trip and] our must-see places across the county. My only heartache is having to wait for a new Adventure to arrive in the mail! Leslie S I just received the newest issue. So happy to see Reggie Grey back in ROVA (“Two guys, 70 square feet, one month,” ROVA Adventure Thirteen). I’ve always loved his storytelling—it’s crazy and funny and heartwarming all at the same time! More Reggie, please. Sam R A friend just gave me a ROVA magazine and I love what you…

Karissa and Linhbergh The mystery of the unexpected is why we chose our lifestyle. Seeking our own personal unknown. The little surprises, and big ‘WOWs’, that come up along the way. The places we visit have been visited by countless other travelers before us, but the fact that we personally stumble upon these places is the reason that the road calls us back. Instagram: @gondirtin Holly I chose the bus lifestyle to focus on my work; I am an artist and printmaker by trade. My work is inspired by nature, plants, animals and exploration. Choosing to live in a bus allows me the freedom to explore new environments and feed my creative desires. I aim to be able to fully support myself with my work one day. Instagram: @busgoblin Matthew…

Scrolling through Instagram, there are hundreds— thousands, even—of beautifully put-together vans, all blond wood, bright kitchens, hidden storage and personal touches. But where does all of this awesome design come from? Given the dearth of good design in RVs and vans in general, it should be no surprise that these wheeled travel pods have been overhauled from their original form, molded into the shape and feel that’s required for a specific person’s (or persons’) lifestyle. This van-conversion trend is sweeping North America. What began as a grassroots movement for a few intrepid adventurers has quickly become a viable option for people looking to get off-grid, but in a way that makes sense to them and their needs. Those looking to jump on the bandwagon can choose one of two routes…

The first five and a half months in my van were spent mostly in the comfort and safety of my parents’ driveway in Sarasota, Florida. I hadn’t planned it that way. I’d started my grand van life journey, having exited corporate America and never-ending rent increases in our nation’s capital, only to wind up at my parents’ place. I drove to Florida in October with the plan to leave after Thanksgiving. But it was too cold everywhere out west come December, and wouldn’t I like to celebrate my parents’ birthdays in the Caribbean with them? Oh, and I just made new friends here that are so much fun, I don’t want to leave them! And my relatives are coming to visit in March! My planned two-month departure date came and…

When I first learned of it, Fayetteville, Arkansas was just a soft-sounding place to where my older siblings simply disappeared after high school, while I patiently waited at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma with my parents and the dogs. I knew nothing about the city, and even less about the Ozark Mountains that surrounded it. In the fall of 2009, though, it was my turn to take the plunge. Affectionately and aptly nicknamed “The Natural State,” Arkansas is a cozy corner of the world that has left an irrevocable imprint upon me. Now that I am quite far from that time and place, I have come to appreciate what sets it apart from any other. Northwest Arkansas is something of an anomaly compared to the rest of the state, and the…

Once we develop a relationship with nature, we find ourselves concerned about its well-being. Naturally, then, a passion for the outdoors comes with a responsibility to take care of it. All of the natural places where we recreate are impacted by our presence—from the Forest Service roads we use to access trailheads, to trails winding across ridges covered with our footprints. Whether we are hikers, hunters, four-wheelers or boondockers, the moment we set foot (or tire) on public land, we become responsible for its welfare. This is why the seven Leave No Trace (LNT) principles were created: to protect the outdoors from our recreational activities. The leave no trace concept came about in the early 1970s when the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service started…

The early May sun is crisp, and wisps of clouds swim against a pale blue sky. We barrel south down I-95, Virginia sweeping by our windows in a blur of green trees and American flags. By the time we hit North Carolina, the fear has settled, and New York is a memory. The drive has finally become the road trip. Just the day before, we had loaded all the pieces of our lives into a minivan. Tensions were high. The dog, Georgia May, was crying in her crate as we piled suitcases and travel bags around her. When we finally got on the road, it was beneath the unrelenting gray sky that had defined the spring, a nine-foot longboard rattling dangerously atop the van. Everything about leaving New York City…

The journey began four years ago. I left my career to pursue a creative path full time, bought my first van for $4,000, and was going to spend six months exploring the entire country. At the time it felt like this would be the trip with all of the answers. If I could get this exploring out of my system, I could come home and feel settled; feel full. I was wrong. That initial adventure simply ignited the flame for what is now full-time van life. Predominately a wedding photographer, my skill set lies in photographing connection—not necessarily landscapes. The inspiration for travel documentation is primarily to pull these photographs out decades from now and spread them across the floor to let my grandchildren marvel at how cool I am.…

In case you haven’t heard, Texas is… well… big. At more than 261,000 square miles, it’s the second-biggest US state after Alaska, and it’s even larger than several European countries combined. And Texas’s size isn’t just limited to land mass. Everything—from the sky to the Tex-Mex portion sizes, to that famous sense of collective pride—does seem to be bigger here. It’s not all tumbleweeds and ranchland, either. Texas is packed with vast, diverse landscapes, from cypress-rimmed bayous and blissful, crystal-clear rivers to jagged mountains and thick pine forests, along with some of the boldest, coolest cities in the country. All of which is to say: The Lone Star State is perfectly primed for road-tripping. But while you’ve heard about the Alamo, the Space Center in Houston and Austin’s quirkiness, you’re…

New England’s federal lands are some of the most gorgeous tourist attractions in the northeast, but anyone who has ever sweltered in Cape Cod traffic, joined a conga line to an Acadia vista, or shouted over the din atop Mount Washington can attest that summer and fall crowds detract from the serenity that many nature lovers desire. One national forest is the exception; for those who seek solitude, Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) is the perfect destination. How GMNF slipped under the radar is hard to say. The forest, homeland of the western Abenaki people, spans more than 400,000 acres across southern and central Vermont, and lies within a day’s drive for 70 million people. Still, the White Mountain National Forest in neighboring New Hampshire and Maine has gained…