Table of contents for Nineteen: June/July 2020 in ROVA

Old Faithful, the iconic cone geyser that graces nearly every advertisement for Yellowstone National Park, erupts around 17 times a day. In peak summer season, an estimated 2,000 people cram together for each eruption, dutifully snapping photos for their digital albums. When my boyfriend and I visited last August, we joined the throngs to gather photographic evidence for posterity. I shared the best pictures on my Instagram, mixed in with 1.4 million posts from other people labeled “#yellowstone.” Photography is nothing new to this park. In 1870, photographer William Henry Jackson accompanied Ferdinand Hayden, who was in charge of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, on an expedition through the wilderness of northwestern Wyoming. During their journey, Jackson took photos of steaming geysers, deep-cut canyons, and…

As the world turns inward, I cannot help but think about loneliness. About all the ways in which I seek it out and avoid it. About how it can build me up and break me down—sometimes within the same hour. I can’t help but feel that it is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness, a dichotomy within itself. As I set myself up for many weeks—maybe even months—of alone time, I am reflecting on the past, as I am sure we all are. Before shit really hit the fan, I was driving myself from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Bend, Oregon. I was tired of my city and tired of the winter, and I needed a change. There is only so much seasonal depression one can take before it…

Pinot noir. One of the world’s most finicky grapes, thin-skinned and delicate, it can produce exceptional light-bodied red wine. Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a 150-mile-long corridor stretching from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south, contains three-quarters of the state’s vineyards, and is best known for its pinot noir production. The Valley boasts eight AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), which are designated wine-grape growing regions in the United States. But more than 20 million visitors each year are happy to discover that more than grapes grow in the scenic Willamette Valley (pay attention to the pronunciation—rhyme Willamette with “dammit,” and the locals will be happy). The region is also brimming with natural beauty, outdoor adventure, a vibrant food and non-wine beverage scene, a world-class spa, and more. Culinary treats abound…

Many people turn to road-tripping in search of action and adventure, while others downsize and go off-grid for one purpose: simplicity. Anyone who is familiar with the logistics of life on the road knows that it’s not a choice—you have to learn how to simplify. When every inch of space in your ride counts, you quickly figure out what is essential and what’s unnecessary. Not to sound like a 21st - century hater, but it’s easier now than at any point in human history to overflood your space with pointless material possessions. And it’s a fact that many people who decide to hit the road are happy to be rid of this kind of mass-produced clutter. For a little inspiration, we can turn to one group of people who have…

Winner of the Helinox Table One Hard Top Camp Table I sat in the bathtub sobbing as I read “On the spectrum and on the road” [by Karly Mareka, ROVA Adventure Seventeen]. For the first time in my life, I felt completely understood and entirely seen. It’s as if the author was reading my journals. It gave me the courage to do the thing I had only dared daydream about for years, and the insight to know it was achievable. My husband and I have set into motion a two-year plan to sell the house, revamp an Airstream and live on the road with our dogs. Thank you, ROVA, for publishing such a tremendous, raw and honest piece. Candace R While I thoroughly enjoy getting my subscription in the mail,…

Jason and Koda I grew up in the Philippines, where camping and fishing are some of my fondest, most vivid memories. After moving to the States, I fell in love with the outdoor lifestyle all over again around the time that Koda (my dog) came into my life. I love spending time with Koda, so one day we took my little truck out to the desert to camp for a night, and it brought me back to my childhood and reminded me how much I loved camping. It was a rush of emotions, and I haven’t stopped since. Koda and I go just about everywhere we can in our truck, and we don’t plan on ever stopping. Instagram: @kodastacoma Kendal and Collin I don’t want to look back on my…

The carefree, exploratory euphoria that most of us associate with road trips feels directly at odds with a devastating but inescapable reality: the ways that we currently access the world through travel are greatly imperiling the planet, as well as ourselves. From holiday excursions home to impromptu cross- country road trips, there are steep environmental costs associated with driving that many are finding increasingly difficult to ignore. Climate change threatens to not only destroy many of the destinations that travelers seek out, but also dramatically upend the daily lives of everyone on the planet. This puts those wanting to see the world via car, RV or van—and protect the planet at the same time—in quite a bind. In a tragic, ironic and ultimately helpful way, the unfolding coronavirus crisis is…

I know a lot of girls don’t dream of the wedding we had, but maybe they should. The day wasn’t about the perfect dress, the floral arrangements, or the bridal party—it was about us, and what we loved. It was about making our wedding a part of the epic 15-month road trip that had taken us away from Hawaii, the only place we had ever lived, on amazing adventures to new beautiful settings. We had left everything we knew behind to find new experiences, so we thought, why not leave the traditional wedding idea behind, too? But making that happen was a bit of a process. As you’ll read, we considered our options and ended up getting married at a campground. Following are the logistics of the whole endeavor—which became…

A few years ago, my wife and I moved across the country from Chicago to Los Angeles. The drive excited us—it was a chance to see so many parts of America that we had long neglected. The Grand Canyon, the great American Southwest, and, of course, the Rocky Mountains. Katie had never seen the Rockies, so we planned to stop in Denver. Leading up to the trip, I did my best to regale her with what I could remember of the drive across Nebraska. This stretch of highway is considered by many to be quite boring. Personally, I love the trip across I-80 West because it is a trip into the mountains. They grow on the horizon, looking like teeth, like jagged ice, like ripped strips of paper. On the…

If you thought the Pacific Northwest was the only place to experience the majesty of a waterfall as it plummets hypnotically towards you, you’re in for a surprise. The western North Carolina area is teeming with waterfalls, and many of them are fairly easy to get to. We invite you to retrace our steps and explore the area for yourself. We think you’ll understand why this place is such a magical draw for people, and why it’s even been dubbed the “Land of Waterfalls.” Catawba Falls We’ll start our road trip roughly 27 miles east of Asheville at Catawba Falls—a cascade that will give you a lot of bang for your buck. It’s only a three-mile hike round trip, and with just over 465 feet of elevation gain, it’s a…

You’re virtually there If travel restrictions are getting you down, try visiting some amazing destinations through the interweb. Virtual Yosemite is an impressive site that allows you to access panoramic views of a huge range of sites throughout the park, complete with sound effects like birdsong, rushing river water and the chatter of hikers. It’s not as good as being there, but it’s pretty close! virtualyosemite.org The environment online Every year, the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital offers up a huge range of environmental films, screened at venues throughout the Washington, D.C. area. This year, the festival has made the majority of its films available to stream online—including films from previous years’ festivals. Featuring stunning documentaries on topics from rock climbing to ocean conservation and technology, this festival…

Although it may lack the full-time livability and Insta-glam chic of #vanlife, there is another type of mobile lifestyle option for those of us who can’t afford a souped-up motorhome. Much smaller and infinitely cheaper than a loaded Sprinter or restored Airstream, the venerable old-school truck cap is for getting back to basics. Known by many names, the basic cap is easy to find (both new and used), simple to install, extremely drivable, and very low maintenance—no appliances to fail, no tires/brakes/axles to keep in order, no separate registration or insurance, and no storage fees to deal with when not in use. They’ve been around since the ’50s, with DIY jobs and small regional manufacturers giving way to a handful of mainstream titans (Leer, ARE and Snugtop, to name a…

There I was, standing on a sliver of land that extends beyond the Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina. To my back was the Atlantic Ocean and a cold, wintry wind that blasted through my coat. In front of me were the freshwater ponds that dotted Pea Island. These ponds provide relief to countless waterfowl moving south for the winter. Overhead, hundreds of redhead ducks circled the sky in preparation for a synchronized landing. The unrelenting wind stole the heat from my body as I gazed out into the ponds, identifying the many species of birds that found refuge there: tundra swan, canvasback duck, pied-billed grebe, northern shoveler, white ibis, and many, many more. My frozen hands were shaking so much that it was becoming difficult to hold my binoculars steady.…

My dad loved steak tartare. For him, it was the brunch of champions. I still remember how Mom prepared it in the car while we overlanded South Africa, Rhodesia and South West Africa in the 1970s. Dad liked to decamp early and drive before the midday heat. Our Ford Cortina had a fragile radiator and no air conditioning. Most of the time we were on rough gravel roads that kicked up clouds of dust, so the windows stayed rolled up. Being a sedan built by Ford for the genteel British Isles, on whose roof we balanced canisters of spare petrol and a giant A-frame canvas tent for our family of four, the Cortina fared poorly. It heaved and slid out of corners, and rattled down washboard roads, protesting Africa. On…

People always want to claim that you can’t surf in the Great Lakes, and yet they are continuously in awe when you show them a picture of you with icicles hanging off your wetsuit from surfing in the winter. But the fact is that there are a lot of local surf scenes circulating around the Great Lakes throughout the year, especially near Chicago. The winter months bring some of the best and biggest waves, while summer will always be a standout for contrast, showing how diverse these freshwater lakes really can be. Trying to find the perfect wave is tricky; all of the surf here is wind-generated swell, which makes it that much more rewarding when you do get a good wave—whether that’s on film or on your own two…

If all you know about Delaware is Wayne and Garth’s iconic tourism slogan: “Hi… I’m in Delaware,” from Wayne’s World, then you have a little to learn about the nation’s second-smallest state. As is evidenced by this classic scene, Delaware has long been given short shrift when it comes to the state’s appeal. Which seems crazy, given that the eastern edge of Delaware borders the Atlantic (hello, coastal vacation), there is enough history packed into this tiny land package to fill volumes of textbooks, and the Delaware Bayshore is globally recognized as a significant wildlife habitat. Many people see Delaware as a cut-through state—the land that supports the 1-95 on the way from Baltimore to Philly—and not much else. Sure, you could zip quickly across those 23 Delaware miles between…