Table of contents for Twenty-Six: August/September 2021 in ROVA

It was the perfect end to a long day. Plans were originally to set up camp in southern Utah, but, as any avid boondocker knows, plans often change. Snow and plunging temperatures swallowed the Utah countryside; nothing the two dogs and I hadn’t seen before. After months of nonstop camper life, a little snow or wind had never deterred us. But the oncoming storm of freezing rain made this experience a first. With menacing clouds quickly swallowing up whatever time I had to escape the storm, I couldn’t rely on my furry copilots to find alternative arrangements for the night. So, I scrapped the Utah plans and set my sights on what was to be the next destination on our list: Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. The park…

My boyfriend and I are both based in the Washington, D.C. metro area (affectionately known by locals as the DMV), but neither of us had ever taken much time to explore our own backyard. This is surprising, given that we are both well-traveled and have each visited about 15–20 countries. When the pandemic hit, we wanted to find ways to keep the travel bug satiated while successfully social distancing. We began with easy trips to local parks and gardens in the DMV, including the National Arboretum and Brookside Gardens, but we both wanted to do more. Soon thereafter, we started traveling further into our natural environs to escape the constant anxiety that came with city living, coupled with the chaos of the pandemic. We wanted to explore the breathtaking scenery…

Our trip through the 49th State was a last-minute decision, born of my friend and I wanting to relocate our families out of the South and, on a whim, deciding to see if Alaska was a contender. We packed up supplies for a girls’ road trip, skipped across the country from North Carolina and landed in Anchorage, the gorgeous summer weather a literal breath of fresh air after the humidity on the Atlantic coast. Picking up our little SUV, we drove out of the city towards Palmer, the mountains marching down toward us as we scoured the tree lines for moose. Wildlife spotting wasn’t yet on our radar—we were more concerned by the prospect of hitting an animal—but still, the first sighting of a moose strolling across a country road…

In the heart of the heartland lies the picture-perfect community of Baldwin City, Kansas. Celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2020, the city has no shortage of small-town charm along the aged, brick streets of its downtown area. At last count, 835 maple trees are dotted among store fronts, parks and the quaint, limestone halls of Baker University, which stretches through the center of town. In fact, so celebrated are the maples of Baldwin City that they are honored each autumn at the annual Maple Leaf Festival. During the third weekend of every October, the town’s population skyrockets from about 4,700 residents to more than 30,000 as tourists explore, dine, and shop under the canopy of blazing trees. Follow the sidewalk just a few blocks west of downtown and you’ll run into…

Burlington, New Jersey might not be on every traveler’s radar, and that’s a real shame. This small city has a ton to offer both passersby and those who want to stay a while. Rich in History Founded by William Penn’s Quakers in 1677, Burlington, New Jersey was built on the ideals of equality for all races, sexes, nationalities and religions. As such, the township is rich in historical sites and landmarks. On High Street, right in the middle of downtown, you can see the war home of General Ulysses S. Grant. Built in 1865, this is the home where Grant and his wife spent the final months of the Civil War, and where he first heard the news of Lincoln’s assassination. On a visit here, you can see the balcony…

Winner of the Kootek Camping Hammock My husband and I and our two kids usually travel to Europe over the summer months, and we greatly missed our vacation in 2020. This year, we decided that we’d try RVing as a way to get away and see more of our country. We found ROVA when we were researching, and your magazine has helped us plan, as well as making us super-excited about a kind of travel that we’d never even considered before. We’re leaving on a two-month adventure next week, and we’re nervous but we can’t wait! Thank you for helping us vacation again. Harper S I loved Jasmine Ledesma’s article “Late Night Gas Stations Explained [ROVA Adventure Twenty-Five]! The strange little stories that you publish from time to time are…

Gwyneth and Amiana We got married in June, around the same time we finished our DIY van build. Our wedding featured van tours and homemade van cookies! We then set off on a 17-day road-trip honeymoon, which took us to Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. For us, having the van means the freedom to travel with a lot of flexibility, while also enjoying the comforts of a warm shower and healthy home-cooking. Instagram: @biggayadvanture Adam, Chelsea, Lily, Jet and Parker We are a blended family of five with a desire to create lasting memories with our kids and explore what the world has to offer. We thought, what better way than in a Skoolie?! We love introducing our children to new cultures and experiences. We decided to start documenting…

Late one winter evening, my partner tossed my heart in a blender when he told me: “Maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore.” He didn’t have a reason. Nothing had happened to spark this completely unexpected utterance. There was no logic to the words that came out of his mouth. He just didn’t want a relationship anymore. First, I begged him to change his mind, pointing to our shared desires as a reason to stay together—he had to be crazy to walk away. But he maintained his stance. So I asked him to go on a final adventure with me to make sure he was certain about this decision. But I was alone when I finally pulled away from my little Colorado apartment in the heat of the summer. The pandemic…

A drive across the United States is a lesson in landscapes, with unique vistas appearing through the windshield on the regular. Surveying the scenery from an overlook or a mountain peak is great, but don’t you wish you were doing it with an expertly brewed beer in your hand? Because we know that there are oodles of beer-makers to choose from in the United States, we’ve put in some legwork and found some of the best, and best-located, breweries in all of the land, so you can enjoy a stellar view and a tasty brew at the same time. Arizona Sedona Beer Co., Sedona Sedona, famed land of towering red-rock monoliths, is also known as a place to renew your energy, get in touch with your spiritual side, and get…

Colorado Springs, sometimes called Olympic City USA, has long been a treasured Rocky Mountain locale, as the home of both the natural majesty of the aptly named Garden of the Gods, and the storied Broadmoor property that is steeped in history—among plenty of other lures. But, recent exciting openings have turned this smallish city into a premier destination, ripe to be rediscovered as it ushers in a new age of tourism. Amy Long, Chief Innovation Officer at Visit Colorado Springs, explains: “People are ready to travel... and Colorado Springs is ready to welcome people back to Olympic City USA. We would have expected a strong year with our iconic attractions like Pikes Peak—America’s Mountain; Garden of the Gods Park; and Royal Gorge Route Railroad, but with the addition of the…

Fun in the Sun Summer: it’s the season of fun! Enjoy all that summer has to offer by spending a few days—or weeks—by the water, and indulging in some adrenaline-pumping water sports. There are tons of lakes that offer perfect conditions for all kinds of waterborne thrills, but one of the best is South Lake Tahoe—boating, fishing, waterskiing, parasailing, paddleboarding and kayaking are all on offer, so if you can’t find something you like at Tahoe, well, we hate to say it, but maybe you should stick to land. tahoesouth.com Treat Yourself to a Tipple If grunge music and Frasier are the first things that spring to your mind when you think of Seattle, you’re not alone. Who’d have thought that just outside of Washington’s major city there’d be a…

Going off-grid is the dream, isn’t it? Packing only the essentials, leaving the city lights behind and disconnecting from calls, notifications and alarms! Perhaps you’d enjoy a secluded forest hut, hand-hewn from the trees around you, a bed of leaves and a simple earthy hole dug for your morning ablutions… Or, if you’re more like me, you probably just want to dip the occasional toe into off-grid living, and still be able to turn on the lights and check your most important notifications. For those of you in this camp, there’s a whole host of equipment and devices designed to let you experience the best of off-grid living, while still enjoying the conveniences that modern civilization has to offer. Yes, you can achieve both freedom and comfort! Depending on your…

About 135 miles southeast of Seattle, a straight shot down I-90, is Washington’s Coulee Country. Central Washington sits in the shadows of the urban escape of the Emerald City, the obvious grandeur of the Cascades and the coastal beauty of the Olympics. At first glance, the landscape around the towns of Vantage, Moses Lake, Ephrata, and Coulee City seems like high desert with endless sagebrush. A seemingly rain-starved and flat area—dry and sunny, yellow and brown. But that’s just its facade. During the last Ice Age, an enormous lake called Glacial Lake Missoula was created when a half-mile-high chunk of ice blocked the Clark Fork River. Eventually, the pressure from the rising water caused the ice dam to fracture, spilling billions of gallons of water, icebergs, and mud across the…

Sometimes, going wild is just what the doctor ordered. When we say ‘wild,’ we mean it in both senses of the word—in the Sunshine State, you can escape to wilderness waterways or whizz down them at high speed. Whichever definition of ‘wild’ floats your boat, you’ll find it here. Marine life and bees Get ready for eye-popping natural beauty! Gulf County offers some really magical nature-based experiences that will earn it a place on your “must return” list. Kayaking and paddleboarding at postcard-esque Saint Joseph Bay are popular activities in this part of Florida; they’re fun for all skill levels, and provide great viewing of dolphins, fish, sea turtles and other marine life in the shallow, clear waters. For an even more magical turtle experience, from May to October you…