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Salt Creek Recreation Area & Tongue Point

I drove by Salt Creek Recreation Area back in Fall 2020 when I was exploring the Pacific Northwest and visited the adjacent Crescent Beach RV Park, and then kept hearing about how wonderful that spot is from friends of mine that live in Sequim. While I was on the Olympic Peninsula in April 2024 dealing with my Lake Sutherland Lakehouse renovations, I decided to check it out and see what all the buzz is about. Let’s just say, that I was not disappointed!

Salt Creek is a 196-acres park with campsites located adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, located about 15 miles west of Port Angeles on U.S. Route 101 near the city of Joyce in Clallam County, WA. The park has a number of camping spots, most overlooking the strait and mountains all year long. The park provides access to Tongue Point and Striped Peak along with sandy beaches, upland forests, rocky bluffs, and several trails.

I parked my van at the first parking area surrounded by a huge grassy area. I let my cat Maverick out to enjoy the sun as I walked around to get my bearings. You can already see the Strait ahead with the deep blue water shining bright and Vancouver Island visible across the way in the distance. The first rows of campsites you come across are the larger RV hookup sites, followed by some tent camping sites along the bluff. Most of these are very sunny sites without a lot of tree cover. From there I walked west into a more tree covered area where you find the more desirable campsites on the bluffs, many overlooking the water. There are multiple stairways down to the water, as well as some coves. I enjoyed watching the waves crash on the rocks and splashing high up into the air. At the top of one of the stairways there is a US Reference Mark with the Treaty of 1908 establishing the border between USA and Canada.

At the far west end you reach Tongue Point, an aptly named narrow piece of land shaped like a tongue. Here, the rocky shore juts out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, creating a small bay forming the eastern edge of Crescent Bay. During low tide you can walk on it by foot and explore hundreds of tide pools featuring heaps of anemones, crabs, snails, and sea cucumbers, as well as the mussels, barnacles, and sea stars that adorn the rocks. Make sure you check the tide charts because much of the rocky point becomes covered with higher tides. Looking southwest from the point you’ll notice a giant unnamed rock that is an iconic feature of the point and of Crescent Beach. As the tide comes in, the strait’s rising water makes an island out of that treed rock, creating a superb view as you walk Crescent Beach south toward the mouth of Salt Creek. The Bluff Trail then leads you to the remnants of WWII bunkers from Camp Hayden, including one you can drive through. I took the Beach To Bunker Trail back to my van. I was probably there for a few hours and loved every part of the experience!

I’m going to be van camping at Salt Creek Recreation Area in March of this year and have a great camp spot on the bluff overlooking the ocean water. I can’t wait to spend more time exploring all the different areas, enjoying the tide pools, spending time on the beach, and watching the sunsets! I’m also hoping to hike the Striped Peak Trail and the Cove Trail since I didn’t do that part of the park in 2024. I’m guessing it will be a bit wet and cold in the Spring with the possibility of fog, but I’m hoping there will still be some sun peaking out to make it a fun camping experience. Depending on weather, I may also drive the Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway again and stop at some spots I haven’t before like Pillar Point County Park, Clallam Bay, and Sekiu. Plus I still haven’t done the Spruce Railroad Trail to Devil’s Punchbowl in Lake Crescent.

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Vanlife Gatherings 2026

Vanlife & Overlanding Events 2026

Photo from Sprinters Owner Group Sea 2 Sky Highway Van Rally

I have compiled a list of vanlife and overlanding events, gatherings, expos, and tours in the USA, Canada, Europe, and beyond! I have tried to be as thorough as possible, so there are events that are VW specific, club membership specific, and even some that are more exhibition style in order to be a fully inclusive list that has something for everybody.

Since a lot of events have been announced for 2026, I am posting this now knowing there will be many events that still need to be announced with exact dates and locations. I will continue to update this as these get announced and encourage everyone to keep checking this post for updates. If you know of any events that I am missing, please let me know so I can add it to the list.

Feel free to share this list, post it on social media, and let’s all get together and keep building this amazing nomadic community! Thank you.

January
Women's RTR — Jan 7-9 | Quartzite, AZ
Vanlife Pride In The Desert — Jan 8-12 | Quartzite, AZ
Tourisma & Caravaning — Jan 9-11 | Magdeburg, Germany
Reisen & Caravanning — Jan 9-11 | Chemnitz, Germany
Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) — Jan 10-15 | Quartzite, AZ
Xscapers Annual Bash — Jan 10-18 | Lake Havasu, AZ
Florida RV Supershow — Jan 13-18 | Tampa, FL
Buses By The Bridge — Jan 15-18 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Show — Jan 15-18 | Manchester, UK
Caravan Freizeit Reisen — Jan 16-18 | Oldenburg, Germany
Skooliepalooza® — Jan 16-26 | Obregon, CA
Q26 RV Rally — Jan 16-26 | Quartzite, AZ
CMT Tourism & Leisure Expo — Jan 17-25 | Stuttgart, Germany
The Ungathering: Nomads In The Desert — Jan 19-30 | Ehrenberg, AZ
Caravana — Jan 28 - Feb 1 | Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Skoolie Swarm To The Shepherd — Jan 29 - Feb 4 | Melrose, FL
Reisemesse Dresden (Travel Fair) — Jan 30 - Feb 1 | Dresden, Germany

February
Escapar A La Baja — ON HIATUS | San Juan de la Costa, Baja California Sur, Mexico
TRIBE Bohème Rendezvous — Feb 1-8 | Ehrenberg, AZ
Travel & Caravaning Hamburg — Feb 5-8 | Hamburg, Germany
Scottish Motorhome Caravan & Holiday Home Show — Feb 5-8 | Glasgow, Scotland
VanFest: LIFTOFF — Feb 5-9 | Melbourne, FL
Arizona Ironwood Meet Up — Feb 6-9 | Marana, AZ
Nomads Unite 4th Annual Field Trip to All World Acres — Feb 9-19 | Plant City, FL
Escapees Winter Blast Hangout — Feb 10-16 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Truck Camper Adventure Rally — Feb 11-15 | Quartzite, AZ
ABF Motorhome & Camping Fair — Feb 11 -15 | Hannover, Germany
California Overland Adventure & Power Sports Show — Feb 14-15 | San Diego, CA
Revel Club Whale Watching In Baja — Feb 14-23 | Baja, Mexico
Escapees Puerto Penasco — Feb 14-28 | Puerto Penasco, MX
F.RE.E 2026 (Travel Expo) — Feb 18-22 | Munich, Germany
Daphne’s 9th Annual Sleepover — Feb 20-22 | Wellton, AZ (VW Campout)
Skoolie Swarm (9th Annual) — Feb 20 - Mar 2 | Melrose, FL
Reise + Camping Essen — Feb 25 - Mar 1 | Essen, Germany
Southeast Adventure Vehicle Expo — Feb 27 - Mar 1 | Starke, FL
Revel Club Imperial Sand Dunes — Feb 28 - Mar 1 | SOLD OUT

March
Freizeit, Touristik & Garten (Motorhomes & Campers) — Mar 4-8 | Nuremberg, Germany
Stockholm Husvagn Husbil (Everything For Road Trips) — Mar 5-8 | Stockholm, Sweden
Overland South — Mar 5-8 | Charleston, SC
Caravantur 2026 - Mar 6-8 | Irun, Spain
Peace Love & Vans FL — Mar 6-9 | Dade City, FL
Jasper Jeep Jam — Mar 12-15 | Jasper, AR
Camper Expo — Mar 13-15 | Utrecht, Netherlands
Vero’s Van-Go Van-Life Weekend — Mar 13-15 | Vero Beach, FL
Overland Expo SoCal — Mar 14-15 | Costa Mesa, CA
Revel Club Southern Migration — Mar 14-23 | Baja, Mexico
Fernweh: Sandhill Crane Migration — Mar 19-22 | San Luis Valley, CO
Beijing International Motorhome & Camping Convention (RVCC) — Mar 19-22 | Beijing, China
The Yorkshire Motorhome & Campervan Show — Mar 20-22 | Harrogate, UK
Boot & Angeln Camping & Caravaning — Mar 20-22 | Rostock, Germany
Southeast Overland Camping Event — Mar 27-29 | Petros, TN
Red Rock 4-Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari — Mar 28 - Apr 5 | Moab, UT

April
Revel Club Backroads Excursion: Big Bend — TBD | Big Bend, TX
Cheshire & Nth Wales Food & Drink Festival — Apr 3-5 | Chester, Chestershire, UK (formerly CamperFest)
Caravan Tiny House ve Doğa Sporları Fuarı — Apr 8-12 | Istanbul, Turkey
OCA (Ostschweizer Camping- und Freizeit-Ausstellung) — Apr 15-19 | St. Gallen, Switzerland
RendezVan — Apr 16-19 | Mt Bachelor, OR
Camping & Caravanning Expo — Apr 17-19 | Sofia, Bulgaria
MOORE Expo — Apr 17-18 | Springfield, MO
Alive & Kickin — Apr 17-19 | Haughley Park, Suffolk, UK
TinyFest California — Apr 18-19 | Costa Mesa, CA
Revel Club Women Who Drive Meetup — Apr 20-26 | Southern UT
Fernweh: Black Rock Desert Expedition — Apr 23-26 | Black Rock Desert, NV
Camper Van Week-End — Apr 24-26 | Angers-Brissac, France
Adventure Van Expo — TBD | Ventura, CA
A Roam Of Our Own — ON HIATUS | Fallbrook, CA (womxn only)

May
Grenadier Gathering West — Apr 30 - May 3 | Moab, UT (Voyager Outdoors & Storyteller Overland)
Syncro-Fest — Apr 30 - May 3 | Hollister Hills, CA
Van Jam Campout — May 1-4 | Palm Desert, CA
Cheat River Festival — May 1-2 | Albright, WV
Campervan Campout — May 1-3 | Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
Vans By The Bay (formerly VW Camp Out) — May 1-6 | Budle Bay, Northumberland, UK
Skoolie Swarm On Route 66 — May 2-13 | Pontiac, IL
Derbyshire Dubs — May 7-10 | Wardlow, Derbyshire, UK
Dubs In The Orchard VW Festival — May 8-10 | Crewkerne, Somerset, UK
GlampFest — May 8-10 | Scotton, Knaresborough, UK
Revel Club 4x4 Van Excursion: Phoenix To Flagstaff — May 12-14 | Phoenix, AZ
Overland Expo West — May 15-17 | Flagstaff, AZ
Cleanup Campout for KORC 2026 — May 15-17 | Copper Harbor, MI
VW Breakout — May 15-17 | Wellingborough, UK
NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show — May 16-17 | Christchurch, New Zealand
Revel Club Indy 500 — May 21-24 | Speedway, IN
Dubs In The Middle — May 21-25 | Evesham, Worchestershire, UK
Volksfling — May 22-24 | Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Westest VW Fest — May 22-24 | Pembrokeshire, UK
Overland Adventure Expo — May 22-24 | Stockholm, Sweden
ClubFest — May 22-26 | Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, UK
Midwest Women’s Off-road Weekend 2026 — May 29-31 | White Lake, WI
Vanlife Festival — May 29-31 | West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, UK
Adventure Van Expo — May 30-31 | San Juan Capistrano, CA
Music City Motorhome Expo — May 30 - Jun 4 | Lebanon, TN
VanWest — TBD | Somerset, UK

June
Alive & V-Dubbin — Jun 4-7 | Haughley Park, Suffolk, UK
Beyond The Pavement: Volcanic Arc — Jun 5-7 | CA/OR (Backland Adventures & Storyteller Overland)
Vanfest 28 — Jun 5-8 | Aylmer, Ontario, Canada
Escapees RVers Bootcamp — Jun 11-13 | Fryeburg, ME
Fernweh: San Rafael Swell Expedition — Jun 11-14 | San Rafael Swell, UT
Volksfest Bristol — Jun 12-14 | Bristol, UK
Backland Adventures: Oregon Coast — Jun 12-14 | Oregon
Peace Love & Vans CO — Jun 12-15 | Spanish Peaks, Rye, CO
Adventure Overland & Campervan Show — Jun 13-14 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Escapee Escapade 2026 — Jun 14-19 | Fryeburg, ME
Northwest Overland Rally — Jun 18-21 | Plain, WA
OverlandNTH The Rally — Jun 18-26 | Muskoka, Ontario, Canada
Mighty Dub Fest — Jun 19-21 | Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, UK
Vee Dub Family Weekender Campout — Jun 19-21 | Brean, Somerset, UK
The Bus Fair — Jun 19-21 | Oakridge, OR
VanLife Fest — Jun 19-21 | Scampston Hall, Malton, North Yorkshire, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Jun 20-21 | Hood River, OR
Vanlife Iceland Summer Solstice — Jun 20-27 | Iceland
Overland Expo PNW — Jun 26-28 | Redmond, OR
Randi’s Adventures ‘Wanna Camp Together’ Meetup — TBD | Custer, SD
Campers & Coffee — TBD | Hellingly, Hailsham, UK
Camperlife @ Stratford — TBD | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
The Caravan — ON HIATUS | Naturita, CO
VanJamboree — ON HIATUS | Kelham Hall, Newark, UK

July
Camp Pride — Jul 2-6 | Eugene, OR
Vans In The Valley — Jul 2-5 | Reeth, North Yorkshire, UK
Camper Jam — Jul 3-5 | Weston Park, Shropshire, UK
VanLife Michigan — TBD | Hemlock, MI
Vee Dub Family Cruise To The Prom — Jul 5 | Weston-Super-Mare, UK
52nd National Truck-In — TBD | Albert Lea, MN
Fernweh: The Big Thing—BIg Rig Basecamp — Jul 9-12 | Big Sky, MT
Revel Club Annual Van Meetup At “The Big Thing” — Jul 9-12 | Big Sky, MT
Volks Power — Jul 9-12 | County Durham, UK (EVENT CANCELED)
Dorset Volksfest — Jul 10-12 | Wareham, Dorset, UK
Revel Club & Overland Vans Under The Baja Stars — Jul 11-16 | Baja, Mexico
Fernweh: Montana Northbound Expedition — Jul 12-16 | Montana
Revel Club Columbia & Western Railway— June 15-17 | Okanagan Region, BC
Fernweh: Under The Big Sky Camp — Jul 16-19 | Whitefish, MT
Dubs At The Castle — Jul 17-19 | Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire, UK
Vanstock Alaska — Jul 17-20 | Palmer, AK
Vanlove — Jul 18-21 | Thruxton Race Circuit, Hampshire, UK
Alberta Outdoor Adventure Expo — Jun 19-21 | Yellowhead Country, Alberta, Canada
Dubbed Out Festival — Jul 23-26 | Cheshire, UK
Dinky Dub Fest — Jul 23-26 | Druridge Bay Country Park, Northumberland, UK
Bug Jam — Jul 24-26 | Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, UK
Dubs South Campout — Jul 24-26 | Hampshire, UK
Adventure Van Expo — TBD | Evergreen, CO
Vanlife & Overlander Celebration — TBD | Thatcham, Berkshire, UK
Tiny Home Show Canada — TBD | Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
BC Overland Rally — TBD | Kelowna, BC, Canada
Backland Adventures: Olympic Peninsula — TBD | Olympic Peninsula, WA
Holy Toledo — ON HIATUS | Toledo, OR

August
Van Vibes Festival — Jul 31 - Aug 2 | Surrey, UK
Skoolie U.P. — TBD | Upper Peninsula Michigan
Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival — Aug 6-9 | Huntingdon County, Central PA
VW Festival — Aug 7-9 | Harewood House, Leeds, UK
Slumber on the Humber — Aug 7-9 | Whyam, Grimsby, UK
DubNess Gathering of the Vans — TBD | Inverness, Scotland
Vanlife Iceland Full Solar Eclipse — Aug 5-15 | Iceland
Volksfest Wales — Aug 14-16 | Watton Show Fields, Brecon, Wales, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Aug 15-16 | Bozeman, MT
Vanlife Iceland Lofoten Retro Vans — Aug 15-21 | Iceland
Vanlife Iceland August Edition — Aug 16-23 | Iceland
Outdoor Retailer Trade Show — Aug 19-21 | Minneapolis, MN
Annual Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Invasion — Aug 20-22 | Pigeon Forge, TN
V Dub At The Pub — Aug 21-23 | Dorset, UK
Overland Expo Mtn West — Aug 21-23 | Loveland, CO
VanFest: Escape to the Cape — TBD | East Falmouth, MA
Adventure Van Expo — Aug 22-23 | Enumclaw, WA
Fernweh: Medicine Bow National Forest Expedition — Aug 24-26 | Loveland, CO
Vanlife Eats — Aug 28-30 | Dummer Farm, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK
Beach Gathering — Aug 28-31 | Budle Bay Farm, Northumberland, UK
Caravan Salon — Aug 28 - Sep 6 | Düsseldorf, Germany
Northwest MogFest — TBD | Sheridan OR
OverlandNTH The Gathering — TBD | Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada

September
Volkswagen-Klassiker auf der Postalm — Sep 3-5, 2027 | Abtenau, Austria (NO EVENT 2026)
Something Different Collaboration Gathering w/ Out To Grass — TBD | Worcestershire, UK
Druridge Bay Campout — Sep 10-13 | Druridge Bay, Morpeth, Northumberland, UK
Volkswagen-Klassiker auf der Postalm — Sep 3-5, 2027 | Abtenau, Austria
Revel Club 4x4/AWD Van Training Level I & II — Sep 11-13 | Moab, UT
Busfest — Sep 11-13 | Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK
Adventure X Fest — Sep 11-13 | Circleville, WV
Overland Discovery Expo — Sep 11-13 | Glanusk, Wales, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Sep 12-13 | North Lake Tahoe, CA
Il Salone Del Camper — Sep 12-20 | Fiere di Parma, Italy
Revel Club 4x4/AWD Van Training Level III — Sep 14-15 | Moab, UT
Hershey RV Show — Sep 16-20 | Hershey, PA
Northwest Nomads — Sep 16-21 | Fort Rock, OR
VanWILD — Sep 17-20 | Montrose, CO
Keweenaw Overland Adventure Retreat (KOAR) — Sep 17-20 | Copper Harbor, MI
Panhandle Overland Rally — Sep 18-20 | Sandpoint, ID
Skoolie Swarm Fall Swarm — Sep 18-28 | Bainbridge, NY
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights Edition — Sep 20-27 | Iceland
M26 The Gathering — Sep 24-27 | Merrill, MI
Dubs In T’Dales — Sep 24-27 | Thorp Perrow, Bedale, North Yorkshire, UK
Retro Dub Suffolk VW Festival — Sep 25-26 | Ipswich, Suffolk, UK
Beyond The Pavement: Lost Coast — Sep 25-27 | California (Backland Adventures & Storyteller Overland)
California Overland Adventure & Power Sports Show — Sep 26-27 | Sonoma, CA
Chattanooga Overlanding Expo — Sep 28-29 | East Ridge, TN
Big Iron Overland Rally — TBD | West Mineral, KS
Overland of America — TBD | Jay, OK
BC Overland Rally — TBD | Kelowna, BC, Canada
Toyo Tires Trail Pass Overland — TBD | Big Bear, CA

October
The Pilgrimage — TBD | South Royalton, VT
Red Clay Rally — Oct 2-4 | Appalachia Region
Outdoor Adventure Rendezvous (OAR) — Oct 2-4 | Bedford, VA
Oktoberfest UK — Oct 2-4 | River Dart Country Park, Devon, UK
Revel Club Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta — Oct 2-5 | Albuquerque, NM
Off-Road Expo — Oct 3-4 | Pomona, CA
2026 Wisconsin Fall 4×4 Fest — Oct 9-11 | White Lake, WI
Rendezvous in the Ozarks — Oct 15-17 | Ozark, AR
Overland the Red 2026 — Oct 15-19 | Stanton, KY
Beyond The Pavement: Eastern Sierras — Oct 16-18 | California (Backland Adventures & Storyteller Overland)
Salón Internacional del Caravaning — Oct 16-24 | Barcelona, Spain
Camp Carpe Diem — Oct 22-25 | Verde Valley, AZ
Overland Expo East — Oct 23-25 | Arrington, VA
California Overland Adventure & Power Sports Show — Oct 24-25 | Pomona, CA
Texas Avid Outdoors Fall Expo — TBD | Llano, TX
C.H.A.S.M.Fest — TBD | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Copperstate Overland — TBD | Northeastern AZ
Roof Top Tent Rally — TBD | Gladstone, VA
Backland Adventures: Anza-Borrego — TBD | California
Moonlanding — ON HIATUS | Pinehill, NM
Van-O-Ween — ON HIATUS | Apache Junction, AZ

November
Florida Tiny House Festival — TBD | Gainesville, FL

December
Skoolie Swarm Doe Lake "Home for the Holidays Swarm" — Dec 5-13 | Ocala, Fl

TBD / Postponed / Canceled
Camp Quirky — TBD | Northamptonshire, UK
People's Tiny House Festival — TBD | Loveland, CO
Open Roads — TBD | McCall, ID
Descend On Bend — TBD | OR
Vanquinox — TBD | Grandjean, ID
Midwest Vanlife — TBD | Makanda, IL
Vanlife Australia — TBD | Bundjalung Region, Gold Coast, Australia
Out To Grass — TBD | Worcestershire, UK

Other
Crossroads App — Community Based Events
Sēkr App — Community Based Events
Sprinter Owners Group — Networking, Van Rallies/Meetups, Tips & More
Sprinter Owners Group PNW — Pacific Northwest Group (including WA, OR, ID, MT, BC)
Storyteller Overland — Various Events, Overlanding, and Expos Throughout The Year
Backland Adventures — Various Overland Trips Throughout The Year
Good Vibe Collective — Various Events Throughout The Year
Seattle Vanlife Meetup — Monthly Seattle Meetup
Vanlife & Nomadic Living — San Diego Meetups
Fernweh Guided Expeditions — Guided Overlanding Trips
Voyager Outdoors — Various Overlanding Events
Vanlife Campgrounds — Community Oriented Homebases For Nomads
Project Van Life — Yearly Online Summit
Xscapers — Yearly Events For Members
Four Wheel Campers — RV/Popup Truck Campers Events
Trail Wolves — Regular Events including Rodeo X Rigs
Backcountry Discovery Routes — Regular Rallies, Off-Road Schools, and Adventures
Nomads Unite — East Coast Field Trips & Gatherings
Vanlife & Nomads (USA) — Facebook Group w/ Events Posted
Arizona Love Gathering — Regional Rainbow Gathering
Overland BC — Overlanding Enthusiasts in British Columbia, Canada
Home On Wheels Alliance — Virtual Caravan Connections
Black Nomads Meet — Black Nomadic Community Gatherings
Buddhist Boondockers — Regular Meetups Throughout The Year

If you know of any events that aren’t listed, please leave a comment with link so I can add it!

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Vanlife Gatherings 2025

Vanlife & Overlanding Events 2025

I have compiled a list of vanlife and overlanding events, gatherings, expos, and tours in the USA, Canada, Europe, and beyond! I have tried to be as thorough as possible, so there are events that are VW specific, club membership specific, and even some that are more exhibition style in order to be a fully inclusive list that has something for everybody.

Since a lot of events have been announced for 2025, I am posting this now knowing there will be many events that still need to be announced with exact dates and locations. I will continue to update this as these get announced and encourage everyone to keep checking this post for updates. If you know of any events that I am missing, please let me know so I can add it to the list.

Feel free to share this list, post it on social media, and let’s all get together and keep building this amazing nomadic community! Thank you.

January
Tourisma & Caravaning — Jan 4-6 | Magdeburg, Germany
New Year Nomad Reunion — Jan 5-8 | Kingmen, AZ
Women's RTR — Jan 8-10 | Quartzite, AZ
Vanlife Pride In The Desert — Jan 9-13 | Quartzite, AZ
Reisen & Caravanning — Jan 10-12 | Chemnitz, Germany
TRIBE Bohème Rendezvous — Jan 10-17 | Ehrenberg, AZ
Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) — Jan 11-16 | Quartzite, AZ
Xscapers Annual Bash — Jan 11-19 | Lake Havasu, AZ
Buses By The Bridge — Jan 16-19 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Show — Jan 16-19 | Manchester, UK
Caravan Freizeit Reisen — Jan 17-19 | Oldenburg, Germany
Q25 RV Rally — Jan 17-27 | Quartzite, AZ
Skooliepalooza Ungathering — Jan 17-31 | Ehrenberg, AZ
Tiny Home Show Canada — Jan 18-19 | Virtual/Online
CMT Tourism & Leisure Expo — Jan 18-26 | Stuttgart, Germany
Escapees Party on Plomosa — Jan 22 | Quartzite, AZ
Escapar A La Baja — Jan 29 - Feb 3 | San Juan de la Costa, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Caravana — Jan 29 - Feb 1 | Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Reisemesse Dresden (Travel Fair) — Jan 31 - Feb 2 | Dresden, Germany

February
Revel In Southern Baja — Feb 1-10 | Baja, Mexico (Whale Watching)
Coddi-Aid/Van-Aid — Feb 1-14 | Quartzite, AZ
Revel Road Rock'N'Roll: Prescott Forest — Feb 6-8 | Bagdad, AZ
Caravaning Hamburg — Feb 6-9 | Hamburg, Germany
Scottish Caravan Motorhome & Holiday Home Show — Feb 6-9 | Glasgow, Scotland
VanFest: LIFTOFF — Feb 6-10 | Melbourne, FL
Skooliepalooza — Feb 7-14 | near Quartzite, AZ
Arizona Ironwood Meet Up — Feb 7-10 | Marana, AZ
Truck Camper Adventure Rally — Feb 12-16 | Quartzite, AZ
Anfaş Kamptalya Outdoor — Feb 12 -16 | Antalya, Turkey
ABF Motorhome & Camping Fair — Feb 12 -16 | Hannover, Germany
Caravanfrühling (Car Travel Expo) — Feb 15-16 | Münster, Germany
Reise + Camping Essen — Feb 19-23 | Essen, Germany
F.RE.E 2025 (Travel Expo) — Feb 19-23 | Germany
Daphne’s 8th Annual Sleepover — Feb 21-23 | Wellton, AZ (VW Campout)
Skoolie Swarm — Feb 21 - Mar 2 | Melrose, FL
Beijing International Motorhome & Camping Convention (RVCC) — Feb 27 - Mar 2 | Beijing, China
Southeast Adventure Vehicle Expo — Feb 28 - Mar 2 | Starke, FL

March
Caravantur 2025 - Mar 7-9 | Irun, Spain
Peace Love & Vans — Mar 7-10 | Dade City, FL
TinyFest California — Mar 8-9 | San Diego, CA
Freizeit, Touristik & Garten (Motorhomes & Campers) — Mar 12-16 | Nuremberg, Germany
Jasper Jeep Jam — Mar 13-16 | Jasper, AR
Stockholm Husvagn Husbil (Everything For Road Trips) — Mar 13-16 | Stockholm, Sweden
The Yorkshire Motorhome & Campervan Show — Mar 14-16 | Harrogate, UK
Camper Expo — Mar 14-16 | Utrecht, Netherlands
Revel In Southern Baja — Mar 15-24 | Baja, Mexico (Whale Watching)
Overland Expo SoCal — Mar 16-18 | Costa Mesa, CA
Boot & Angeln Camping & Caravaning — Mar 21-23 | Rostock, Germany
Southeast Overland Camping Event — Mar 28-30 | Petros, TN

April
Revel Backroads Excursion: Big Bend — Apr 3-6 | Big Bend, TX
Van Rally @ Whatcom County Home & Lifestyle Show — Apr 4 | Lynden, WA
OCA (Ostschweizer Camping- und Freizeit-Ausstellung) 2025 — Apr 9-13 | St. Gallen, Switzerland
Caravan Tiny House ve Doğa Sporları Fuarı — Apr 9-13 | Istanbul, Turkey
Camping & Caravanning Expo — Apr 11-13 | Sofia, Bulgaria
Revel Campfire & Cacti Chronicles — Apr 11-13 | Gerlach, NV
Vee Dub Family Birthday Weekender Camp Out — Apr 12-14 | Brean, Somerset, UK
Red Rock 4-Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari — Apr 12-20 | Moab, UT
California Overland Adventure & Power Sports Show — Apr 12-13 | Pomona, CA
RendezVan — Apr 17-20 | Mt Bachelor, OR
CamperFest — Apr 17-21 | Chester, Chestershire, UK
Van Jam Campout — Apr 17-21 | Jacumba, CA
Adventure Van Expo — Apr 19-20 | Ventura, CA
MOORE Expo — Apr 25-26 | Springfield, MO
Alive & Kickin — Apr 25-27 | Haughley Park, Suffolk, UK
Dubs At The Mill — Apr 25-27 | Crewkerne, UK
Camper Van Week-End — Apr 25-27 | Angers-Brissac, France
Escapees Best of Nashville HOP — Apr 27 - May 2 | Nashville, TN
Georgia Tiny House Festival — TBD | Madison, GA
A Roam Of Our Own — ON HIATUS IN 2025 | Fallbrook, CA (womxn only)

May
Syncro-Fest — May 1-4 | Hollister Hills, CA
Revel Grit & Gravel: The Ladies' Off-Road Escape — May 1-4 | Nashville, TN (ladies only)
Cheat River Festival — May 2-3 | Albright, WV
Campervan Campout — May 2-4 | Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
VW Camp Out — May 2-5 | Budle Bay, Northumberland, UK
Derbyshire Dubs — May 8-11 | Wardlow, Derbyshire, UK
VanWest — May 9-11 | Somerset, UK
GlampFest — May 9-11 | Scotton, Knaresborough, UK
Camp Carpe Diem — May 15-18 | Salida, CO
Overland Expo West — May 16-18 | Flagstaff, AZ
Cleanup Campout for KORC 2025 — May 16-18 | Copper Harbor, MI
VW Breakout — May 16-18 | Wellingborough, UK
Dubs In The Middle — May 22-25 | Hanley Castle, Worcestershire, UK
Volksfling — May 23-25 | Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
ClubFest — May 23-27 | Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire, UK
NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show — May 24-25 | Christchurch, New Zealand
Westest VW Fest — May 29 - Jun 1 | Pembrokeshire, UK
Vanlife Festival — May 30 - Jun 1 | West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, UK
Midwest Women’s Off-road Weekend 2025 — May 30 - Jun 1 | White Lake, WI
Music City Motorhome Expo — May 31 - Jun 4 | Lebanon, TN

June
Alive & V-Dubbin — Jun 5-8 | Haughley Park, Suffolk, UK
Vanfest 28 — Jun 5-8 | Aylmer, Ontario, Canada
Volksfest Bristol — Jun 6-8 | Bristol, UK
Randi’s Adventures ‘Wanna Camp Together’ Meetup — Jun 6-8 | Custer, SD
Overland Adventure Expo — Jun 6-8 | Stockholm, Sweden
Campers & Coffee — Jun 7-8 | Hellingly, Hailsham, UK
National 4x4 Camper Festival UK — Jun 13-14 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Mighty Dub Fest — Jun 13-15 | Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, UK
Camperlife @ Stratford — Jun 13-15 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Vanlife Iceland Midsummer Edition — Jun 15-22 | Iceland
Range To Ranch Retreat — Jun 19-22 | Mackay, ID
Vee Dub Family 2025 Weekender Campout — Jun 20-22 | Brean Sands, Burnham on Sea, UK
The Bus Fair — Jun 20-22 | Oakridge, OR
VanJamboree — Jun 20-22 | Kelham Hall, Newark, UK
VanLife Fest — Jun 20-22 | Scampston Hall, Malton, North Yorkshire, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Jun 21-22 | Hood River, OR
Overland Expo PNW — Jun 27-29 | Redmond, OR
Northwest Overland Rally — TBD | Plain, WA
OverlandNTH The Rally — TBD | Muskoka, Ontario, Canada
The Caravan — ON HIATUS IN 2025 | Naturita, CO

July
Camp Pride — Jul 3-6 | Eugene, OR
Vans In The Valley — Jul 3-6 | Reeth, North Yorkshire, UK
Camper Jam — Jul 4-6 | Weston Park, Shropshire, UK
VanLife Michigan — Jul 4-6 | Hemlock, MI
52nd National Truck-In — Jul 9-13 | Albert Lea, MN
Volks Power — Jul 10-13 | Redcar, UK
Revel Trout, Trails & Tales — Jul 10-13 | Ennis, MT to West Yellowstone, MT
Revel & Overland Annual Meetup — Jul 10-13 | Three Forks, MT
Dorset Volksfest — Jul 11-13 | Wareham, Dorset, UK
Tiny Home Show Canada — Jul 11-13 | Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
Dubs At The Castle — Jul 17-20 | Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire, UK
Vanlove — Jul 18-20 | Elvington Airfield, York, UK
Vanstock Alaska — Jul 18-21 | Palmer, AK
Floyd Base Camp Gathering (Aurora) — Jul 18-24 | Floyd, VA
Alberta Outdoor Adventure Expo — Jun 20-22 | Yellowhead Country, Alberta, Canada
Dubbed Out Festival — Jul 24-27 | Cheshire, UK
Vanlife & Overlander Celebration — Jul 25-27 | Thatcham, Berkshire, UK
Bug Jam — Jul 25-27 | Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, UK
Dubs South Campout — Jul 25-27 | Hampshire, UK
Dinky Dub Fest — Jul 25-27 | Druridge Bay Country Park, Northumberland, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Jul 26-27 | Evergreen, CO
Colorado Tiny House Festival — TBD | Brighton, CO
BC Overland Rally — TBD | Kelowna, BC, Canada
Urban Van Festival — TBD | East Sussex, UK
Holy Toledo — ON HIATUS IN 2025 | Toledo, OR

August
Van Vibes Festival — Aug 1-3 | Surrey, UK
Skoolie U.P. — Aug 1-11 | Upper Peninsula Michigan
Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival — Aug 6-9 | Huntingdon County, Central PA
VW Festival — Aug 8-10 | Harewood House, Leeds, UK
Slumber on the Humber — Aug 8-10 | Whyam, Grimsby, UK
DubNess Gathering of the Vans — Aug 8-10 | Inverness, Scotland
Vanlife Iceland Lofoten #1 — Aug 9-15 | Lofoten, Iceland (SOLD-OUT)
Vanlife Iceland August — Aug 9-16 | Iceland
Northwest MogFest — Aug 14-17 | Sheridan OR
Volksfest Wales — Aug 15-17 | Watton Show Fields, Brecon, Wales, UK
V Dub At The Pub — Aug 15-17 | Dorset, UK
Vanlife Iceland Lofoten #2 — Aug 15-21 | Lofoten, Iceland
VanFest: Escape to the Cape — Aug 21-25 | East Falmouth, MA
Annual Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Club Invasion — Aug 21-23 | Pigeon Forge, TN
Overland Expo Mtn West — Aug 22-24 | Loveland, CO
Vanlife Eats — Aug 22-24 | Dummer Farm, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK
Beach Gathering — Aug 22-25 | Budle Bay Farm, Northumberland, UK
Caravan Salon — Aug 29 - Sep 7 | Düsseldorf, Germany
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights #1 — Aug 30 - Sep 6 | Iceland
Kamper Fest — TBD | Dover, UK
Cranium Campout — TBD | Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove, UK
OverlandNTH The Gathering — TBD | Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada (CANCELLED)

September
Druridge Bay Campout — Sep 4-7 | Northumberland, UK
Volkswagen-Klassiker auf der Postalm — Sep 5-7 | Abtenau, Austria
Something Different Collaboration Gathering w/ Out To Grass — Sep 5-7 | Worcestershire, UK
Red Clay Rally — Sep 5-7 | TBD
Adventure Van Expo — Sep 6-7 | Enumclaw, WA
Camp Carpe Diem — Sep 11-14 | Cascade, ID
VanWILD — Sep 11-14 | Montrose, CO
Keweenaw Overland Adventure Retreat (KOAR) — Sep 11-14 | Copper Harbor, MI
Busfest — Sep 12-14 | Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK
Overland of America — Sep 12-14 | Jay, OK
Adventure X Fest — Sep 12-14 | Circleville, WV
California Overland Adventure & Power Sports Show — Sep 13-14 | Sonoma, CA
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights #2 — Sep 13-20 | Iceland
Salone Del Camper — Sep 13-21 | Parma, Italy
M25 The Gathering — Sep 18-21 | Merrill, MI
Northwest Nomads — Sep 18-22 | Fort Rock, OR
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights #3 — Sep 21-28 | Iceland
Big Iron Overland Rally — Sep 26-27 | West Mineral, KS
Retro Dub Suffolk VW Festival — Sep 26-28 | Suffolk, UK
Dubs In T’Dales — Sep 26-28 | Thorp Perrow, Bedale, North Yorkshire, UK
Chattanooga Overlanding Expo — Sep 28-29 | East Ridge, TN
Campers & Coffee — TBD | Hailsham, UK
Revel Club Meetup 2025 — TBD | Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
VanFest NE Region — TBD | New England
Teton Overland Show — TBD | Idaho Falls, ID
Panhandle Overland Rally — TBD | Sandpoint, ID
Toyo Tires Trail Pass Overland — TBD | Big Bear, CA

October
The Pilgrimage — Oct 2-5 | South Royalton, VT
Overland Expo East — Oct 3-5 | Arrington, VA
Texas Avid Outdoors Fall Expo — Oct 3-5 | Llano, TX
Oktoberfest UK — Oct 3-5 | River Dart Country Park, Devon, UK
Vanlife Diaries Gathering 2025 — Oct 3-5 | Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Australia
Revel Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta — Oct 3-6 | Albuquerque, NM
Adventure Van Expo — Oct 4-5 | San Juan Capistrano, CA
Off-Road Expo — Oct 4-5 | Pomona, CA
Moonlanding — Oct 9-13 | Pinehill, NM
National Overland Show — Oct 10-12 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Copperstate Overland — Oct 11-15 | Northeastern AZ
Salón Internacional del Caravaning — Oct 11-19 | Barcelona, Spain
Rendezvous in the Ozarks — Oct 16-18 | Ozark, AR
Overland the Red — Oct 16-19 | Stanton, KY
Outdoor Adventure Rendezvous — Oct 24-26 | Bedford County, VA
Van-O-Ween — Oct 30 - Nov 3 | Apache Junction, AZ
C.H.A.S.M.Fest — TBD | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Skooliepalooza — TBD | Moab, UT

November
Florida Tiny House Festival — Nov 22-23 | Pomona Park, FL

December
Nomadic Creatives — TBD | Northwest, AZ

TBD / Postponed / Canceled
Camp Quirky — TBD | Northamptonshire, UK
Outdoor Adventure X — TBD | Huntsville, UT
Small Home Expo — TBD | Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Rose Fest — TBD | Salida, CO
People's Tiny House Festival — TBD | Loveland, CO
Open Roads — TBD | McCall, ID
Descend On Bend — TBD | OR
Vanquinox — TBD | Grandjean, ID
Midwest Vanlife — TBD | Makanda, IL
TNT Overlander — TBD | Petros, TN
Wandering Footprint — TBD | Saanichton, BC

Other
Crossroads App — Community Based Events
Sēkr App — Community Based Events
Good Vibe Collective — Various Events Throughout The Year
Seattle Vanlife Meetup — Monthly Seattle Meetup
Vanlife & Nomadic Living — San Diego Meetups
Vanlife Campgrounds — Community Oriented Homebases For Nomads
Project Van Life — Yearly Online Summit
Xscapers — Yearly Events For Members
Four Wheel Campers — RV/Popup Truck Campers Events
Trail Wolves — Regular Events including Rodeo X Rigs
Backcountry Discovery Routes — Regular Rallies, Off-Road Schools, and Adventures
Nomads Unite — East Coast Field Trips & Gatherings
Vanlife & Nomads (USA) — Facebook Group w/ Events Posted
Arizona Love Gathering — Regional Rainbow Gathering
Overland BC — Overlanding Enthusiasts in British Columbia, Canada
Home On Wheels Alliance — Virtual Caravan Connections
Black Nomads Meet — Black Nomadic Community Gatherings
Buddhist Boondockers — Regular Meetups Throughout The Year

If you know of any events that aren’t listed, please leave a comment with link so I can add it!

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Visiting Ventura California

I had the pleasure of visiting Ventura in November 2021. My good friend Dylan and his family live there and he invited me to check out his hometown since I had shown him where I live just two months prior. I have driven through Ventura many times when I lived in California, but I never actually stopped and explored this historic coastal city located just 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara and an hour or so north of Los Angeles. Turns out Ventura is Southern California’s whispered secret, a real deal surf town with empty beaches that call to surfers, swimmers, kayakers, and beach-lovers who just want to relax.

There is a lot of history in Ventura as well, starting with the Chumash, a Native American people who have deep roots in central and southern coastal regions of California. Archaeological records found that the Chumash village they encountered, known as Shisholop Village, was settled sometime around A.D. 1000. Then came the Spanish Era, in which Junípero Serra, first leader of the Franciscans in California, founded Mission San Buenaventura in 1782 as his ninth and last mission as part of Spain's colonization of Alta California. Ventura is officially named San Buenaventura due to this colonization and many historic elements and architectural design from this era are still visible throughout the city.

I flew into Santa Barbara airport on the evening of November 12th and Dylan was gracious enough to pick me up. I was craving In-N-Out Burger as we don’t have this delicious burger chain in Washington yet. Then we headed to his place where I finally met his sister Sage whom I’ve heard so much about and her boyfriend Ardi. We enjoyed a long soak in their hot tub until bedtime. The next morning Dylan took me to the Ventura Pier, formerly known as the Ventura Wharf and the San Buenaventura Wharf. This historic wooden pier is the oldest pier in the state originally built in 1872. A $3.2-million renovation in 1993 has restored its original grandeur and then some. It now features interpretive display panels, a snack bar, benches, restrooms, a full-service seafood restaurant with a gift shop and spectacular views of the Channel Islands, coastline and mountains. We also took a walk on the beach where I dipped my feet in the Pacific Ocean, which felt amazing warm considering it was the middle of November and the temperature was 84*F that day!

We met up with Sage and Ardi at their favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch, another craving I needed filled on this trip since Bellingham’s Mexican choices are a bit lackluster compared to California. Then we headed into the hills to Grant Park, more specifically the 1-acre Serra Cross Park within it, another historic spot. In 1782, Franciscan Father Junipero Serra raised a wooden cross on the mountain overlooking his newly established Mission San Buenaventura. Once used as a landmark by mariners at sea, the cross now rests within the 107-acre park, though the current cross is not the original one erected. I highly recommend reading its history and how the current wooden cross survived a destructive Thomas Fire in 2017. This historic cross and the circular stone pedestal around it is a well-known local spot for weddings and events. There was actually a wedding in progress while we were at the park, so I didn’t have the opportunity to see the lovely stonework and cross up close, but I still enjoyed the spectacular panoramic seascape views of Ventura below and Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands in the distance. It is definitely “a lovely place to swim in the sky” as the Ventura tourism site states. I also enjoyed the view of the valley and hills to the northeast from the park, plus we took a great selfie on this beautiful sunny day!

While Dylan was visiting me a few months earlier, we tried to get tickets for the Van Gogh Exhibit in Seattle but sadly there were no tickets available. He surprised me with tickets to the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in Los Angeles and I was beyond excited to finally see this wonderful exhibit everyone was raving about! After a failed attempt to watch the sunset from Griffith Observatory due to heavy traffic, we grabbed some Thai food for dinner and then headed to the expo hall. There was an hour to kill before they would let us in, so we walked around the surrounding city blocks taking some fun photos and grabbing a drink at a lounge.

Then we headed back to the venue and immersed ourselves in the 20,000 sq. ft. light and sound spectacular exhibit featuring two-story projections of the artist’s most compelling works. Words cannot describe how beautiful and amazing this experience was! The whole presentation from the entryway to the various informational displays and into the great hall were incredible. We first watched the projections in a smaller mirrored room, then headed into the larger hall and watched the whole presentation a second time from one of the benches. I was in complete awe and bliss, loving every minute of the artistic display with the perfect soundtrack! I honestly think I could have spent another hour or two watching it over and over again from different spots as where you sit can really influence what you can see. I highly recommend this experience if you haven’t done it yet.

We went to Solimar Beach on my last day in Ventura to take in the sun and relax along the ocean. This beach is next to the small seaside gated housing development along Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) about four miles north of downtown.  There is ample parking along the highway and spots to climb over the concrete wall to access the sand.  I’ve been to Emma Wood State Beach on a prior road trip, but never ventured north to Solimar before, which really gave me a new perspective on how much beach access there really is. While Dylan took a nap, I walked a good chunk of the long beach all the way to the homes and back, taking in the ocean air and warm weather. That evening we headed to Downtown Ventura, walking around a bit so I could see all the shops, bars, lounges, and restaurants. We choose a great Indian place for dinner and then headed home as I had an early flight home the next morning. Despite being a quick weekend trip, I had an amazing time with my wonderful friends in Ventura and hope to visit again!

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Playing Tour Guide For A Good Friend

I met Dylan, his mom Diana, and her partner David at Descend on Bend in 2021. That’s one of the things I love about vanlife gatherings — you meet some amazing people that become lifelong friends! Dylan and I hit it off right away and hung out a lot at Descend. We kept in touch after the festival and a few weeks later he came to Bellingham for a four day visit. I love showing off all the amazing places around my hometown to new people, so I took Dylan to as many places as I could during his stay!

After picking Dylan up from SeaTac airport on September 18th, we headed north with stops at the Skagit River Walk in Mount Vernon and Taylor Dock in Bellingham. The next morning we headed to Deception Pass State Park and hiked part of the Goose Rock Trail and immersed ourselves in some “forest bathing,” appreciating the water views of Deception Pass along the path. Then we headed down to North Beach to soak in the iconic view of the famous bridge and comb the beach despite the cloudy weather. Dylan was all bundled up because he was cold, while I was fine in just my leggings and long sleeve shirt. Our next stop was West Beach with its scattered driftwood along the shore and 180* views of Rosario Strait, as well as nearby Deception Island. The cloud cover started to open up a little, allowing some blue skies to peak through.

From there we headed back over the bridge to Rosario Beach and checked out the Maiden of Deception Pass, aka Ko-kwal-alwoot, who’s Coast Salish legend prompted the creation of her statue and story posts here. As you walk around the grassy knoll of Rosario Head, you can see Bowman Bay, the Salish Sea, and the San Juan Islands, making this one of my favorite places to enjoy! Deception Pass State Park is a great camping location, which I highly recommend to anyone visiting the area, though they do book up quickly in the tourist season.

After our time roaming around Deception Pass, Dylan and I headed into Anacortes for a Thai lunch and then drove to Cap Sante Park to see the view of the marina and Mount Baker, though the mountain was hiding in clouds that day (as it often does). We took the scenic route back towards Bellingham along Padilla Bay, through the tiny town of Edison, and then around Samish Bay to the Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway. The viewpoint along Chuckanut Drive is another one of my favorite places to show visitors with its exceptional view of the San Juan Islands. I found a huge maple leaf to pose with and admired the tree that grew over a rock there. We were too early for the sunset but I highly recommend watching a sunset from here if you can! I even let Dylan drive my van home that day, which he did marvelously.

The second full day of adventures started with a drive up to the Canadian border to see Peace Arch Park. It wasn’t very busy that day making it perfect for photos standing in the International Peace Arch, a 67-foot dramatic white arch that rises from the green lawns and flowering gardens on the USA-Canada border. I had some fun straddling one of the boundary pillars and we enjoyed walking the grounds to read all the historical markers and plaques. We stopped at a small garden there where the biggest leaf I have ever seen was growing. Turns out it is a Chilean rhubarb and the leaves can grow up to 8.2 feet (2.5 m) across!

We enjoyed lunch in the border town of Blaine, then headed south to Whatcom Falls Park to walk around and see the famous waterfall and stone bridge. This park is another go-to spot for me to show people as you can stroll along Whatcom Creek and see two smaller falls, as well as a derby pond and a fish hatchery. There was still some time left before dinner, so we drove to Lake Padden Park and walked part of the 2.6 miles long trail around the lake to take in the views. This fabulous day ended with a fancy dinner at Anthony’s Hearthfire Grill at Squalicum Harbor while enjoying the sunset hues over the marina.

September 21st was an incredibly beautiful day with the sun out in full effect! En route to Ferndale, we drove over the Nooksack River where you can see some cool Metallica graffiti on the BNSF railroad trestle. Dylan and I ended up at Tennant Lake to enjoy the fragrance garden and boardwalk trail through the wetlands. I always love seeing Mount Baker on clear days like this and Dylan did a great job posing for me. Since we were in Ferndale near my buddy’s house, we made a quick stop of pose with his super cool 4-ft Sasquatch statue. Once we got back to my house, we went down to Lake Whatcom and enjoyed some time at AM/PM beach. I am super lucky to live only a few minutes from this spot that features both a sandy beach (AM) and grass beach (PM), named for the time of day they get the best sun exposure. Later that evening, Dylan wrapped himself up in my Rumpl blanket on my balcony with my cat Maverick at his side, ending another fun day.

On Dylan’s last day, we headed to Seattle to meet up with his mom Diana and explore all the touristy places we could. We started at the Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair and at 605 ft (184 m) high, it was once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River. The tower is 138 ft (42 m) wide, weighs 9,550 short tons (8,660 metric tons), and is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitude, as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. You can lean into breathtaking views through floor-to-forever glass on their unique glass benches, though I personally had trouble with that due to my fear of heights. Sadly it was very cloudy that day so we couldn’t see Mount Rainier, but the views were still incredible. On the lower level there’s a revolving glass floor called the Loupe you can walk on, which also made me a bit nauseous.

Next up was Chihuly Garden & Glass located right next to the Space Needle. This wonderful exhibition shows off the stunning glass art of Dale Chihuly and includes eight galleries, the centerpiece glasshouse, and a lush garden. These exhibits provide a look at Chihuly’s inspiration and influences and brings together many of the elements of his work, including drawings, signature glass series, large architectural installations and his personal collections.  The 100-foot-long installation of red, orange, and yellow flowers inside of the Glasshouse is one of Chihuly's largest suspended sculptures and absolutely incredible to see in person! I was blown away by all the exhibits and highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Seattle.

Our excursion continued with a long walk to Pike Public Market to check out the shops and see the Seattle waterfront. I knew the famous Gum Wall was nearby, which we discovered was on Post Alley underneath the market. This colorful display started in the 1990s when local patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions stuck their used gum on the wall. Since those days, the wall has grown to 50 feet (15 m) long and included pieces as high as 20 feet (6.1 m)! The wall was cleaned in November 2015, taking 130 hours to complete, with over 2,350 pounds (1,070 kg) of gum removed and disposed of. But gum was re-added fairly quickly after and continues to be an artistic  representation of Seattle’s unique charm and character. Dylan and I had to leave our mark so we chewed some gum real quick and added it to one of the brick archways (highlighted in red circle below). After a long walk back to my van, we headed to Kerry Park to see the iconic view of downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay.

We were starving, so we headed to the Fremont district to grab lunch. It only made sense to check out the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge after we ate since we were close by. This 18-feet (5.5 m) tall troll is made of concrete and clutches an old VW car where it sits as if he just swiped it off the road. The car is an actual Volkswagen Beetle encased in concrete, which used to be red and bear a California license plate. The VW originally held a time capsule, including a plaster bust of Elvis Presley, but sadly that was stolen when the sculpture was vandalized. The troll was sculpted by Steve Badanes, along with two of his University of Washington architecture students, Will Martin and Ross Whitehead, and Steve’s then-girlfriend Donna Walter in 1990 after winning a competition organized by the Fremont Art Council. In addition to taking photos with the troll, I added both my Barb Rocks and Maverick stickers to the Troll Avenue sign. We also saw the 14-foot Joe Rantz statue in the Fremont neighborhood, honoring the University of Washington rowing team that won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

Our last stop of the day was Washington Park Arboretum on the shores of Lake Washington. This 230 acres park contains a dynamic assortment of plants, some found nowhere else in the Northwest. The arboretum is known for its Azalea Way, a stretch of the park which offers a unique tapestry of azaleas of many colors and best viewed in the springtime. Since we only had 1.5 hours to stroll around, we focused our time on the Lookout Trail delighted by the various collections of plants and ponds we discovered along the way.

Our explorations came to an end on the evening of September 22nd and it was time to head to SeaTac airport to drop Dylan off for his flight home to Ventura, California. Then I drove Diana to the ferry station so she could get back to her home in Sequim. I would say we accomplished a lot in a short period of time and had the best time together!

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Exploring The Olympic Peninsula In 2021

I met fellow PNW Blogger Aimee Danielson back in 2021 when I first moved to Washington. She and I instantly hit it off and became friends and started camping and exploring together. Our first camping trip was in August 2021 where we met at South Beach Campground along the Washington coast, just north of the Quinault Reservation. Even though I have driven up and down this stretch of Highway 101 a few times already, I only overnighted a few times along the coast, but never actually camped properly, making this a fun, new adventure. South Beach Campground is a first-come, first-serve campground right on the southern end of the Olympic National Park, right after the Ashenbrenner Day Use Area. There are 55 campsites very close together, half of which are ocean front, and an easy walking path to access the beach below. This campground is only open May 21 through September 7, so keep that in mind if you plan on visiting. Since Aimee lives much closer than me, she got there early in the morning to secure a site for herself and scope out the campground for us. When I arrived, there was still a few spots left, though often this campground is quite full in the summer.

Aimee and her daughter Julie had a great ocean-front site while I parked along the inside cliff just above them. My site was right next to a culvert, which my cat Maverick loved exploring every day, plus that gave me a little more space not having a neighbor on one side. We camped for four days and were blessed with some great sunsets each night, though mornings were quite foggy. I enjoyed exploring the pebbled and sandy beach below on one of those foggy mornings, fascinated by the cool-looking tree remnants laying around. If you walk a bit north, you end up at to Beach 1, which can also be accessed via Highway 101.

Our first morning together, Aimee woke me up at 6am so we could check out Ruby Beach, which is about a 15 minute drive north. Ruby Beach is the northernmost of the southern beaches in the coastal section of the Olympic National Park and many consider it the most beautiful beach on the Olympic Peninsula. It is known for its abundant driftwood, stunning sunsets, and wild and rocky shores, with numerous sea stacks dotting the coastline. Destruction Island is located about 4 miles southwest of the beach and on a clear day you can see the island and its lighthouse from the beach. The Destruction Island Lighthouse’s Fresnel lens was removed in 1995 and is on exhibit at the Westport Maritime Museum, which I blogged about previously.

Aimee and I spent quite some time on Ruby Beach in the fog checking out all the tide pools and walking right up to the various sea stacks since the tide was super low that morning. We saw so many bright starfish, giant anemones, and shellfish stuck to the stacks up close, which is something I’ve never had the pleasure of doing before. It was also super cool to walk through the passage ways between the stacks and even go through some tunnels. We could walk out so far and even get lost in the fog that morning, leading to some fun photo captures!

Later that night, Aimee wanted to do some astrophotography, so we headed out around 11pm up to La Push on the Quilete Reservation to see how the light pollution was. First we stopped near the James Island View Point but there was a lot of lights from the marina and town there. Then we headed to Rialto Beach where it was significantly darker. After a few hours out in the cold night, we headed back south to Ruby Beach, where Aimee took a few more captures of the night sky. We finally got back around 3:30am and crashed hard after a long night! These four photos are courtesy of Aimee and I appreciate her letting me post them.

I slept in the next day and then we headed to the town of Forks, made famous by the Twilight Saga. We visited a bunch of the local shops, most of which carry indigenous and Twilight focused merchandise, and then we grabbed burgers at Sully’s Drive-In. We also stopped about the Forks Timber Museum on the way out of town. The Chamber of Commerce is right next door and displays the famous red trucks that Bella drove in the Twilight movies.

Another must-see spot to stop at is Kalaloch Beach, where you can find the historic lodge, campgrounds, and beach access. The name Kalaloch (pronounced klay-laak) is a corruption of the Quinault term k'–E–le–ok (pronounced Kq–â-lā'–ȯk) meaning "a good place to land." The main reason to visit Kalaloch is to see the famous Tree of Life (aka The Root Cave), which surprisingly still hangs between the eroding cliffs despite its fully exposed root system. Luckily the site wasn’t overrun by tourists when we arrived, so we only had to wait 5 minutes before having our own uninterrupted photoshoot posing with the tree and inside the root cave. I really hope to make it back to Kalaloch this year to see the tree again as predications are that this massive Sitka spruce might be on its last years as it’s becoming more and more unstable.

On our last day together, we got up early and headed to Lake Crescent, a mountainous glacier-carved lake about 20 minutes west of Port Angeles. I have loved this stunning lake since I first saw it in 2016 and was happy to check it again with friends. There was smoke in the air from the fires burning in Canada and Eastern Washington, adding an eerie backdrop to the otherwise incredible view. The plan was to paddleboard the lake, but it was super windy and cold that day leading us to the decision that it would be exhausting to go against the strong current and waves. We decided to go into the cold water and swim for awhile instead, which was amusing to us as no one else dared to go in. Before saying our goodbyes, I walked Maverick along the beach front for a bit, and then packed up to head home. Aimee and Julie went back south to the campground for another night before heading home to the Olympia area where they reside.

The last part of this trip for me was taking the Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry for the first time. Maverick was quite the hit on the ferry ride as I don’t think many people see an adventure cat on their travels. Stay tuned for more adventures coming soon!

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Big Table Ranch Near Coulterville

After my wonderful time in Yosemite back in June 2021, I drove 28 miles west to meet some amazing ladies who created a wonderful community space and venue near the historic Goldrush town of Coulterville. Nestled in the Sierra Foothills on 35 acres of open meadows, Big Table Ranch features hiking trails, a gorgeous pool and lounging area, and a guest house they rent out through Airbnb, plus various cool rustic structures and hidden treasures. The location is also near McClure Lake and Don Pedro, making it a great spot to stay if you're into boating and water sports. Owners Kim Brisack & Dawn Huston bought this property in 2015 and with some hard work and a vision, they nurtured the land and buildings to make it an incredible place for gatherings of all kind, creating community around a big table. Their motto is "when you have more than you need, build a bigger table" and they truly mean it!

My vanlife friend Bex told me about their ranch while we were at Descend on Bend in 2019 because I was looking for private land to host a California vanlife gathering, so I contacted them and they were more than happy to have me visit to see their space and discuss what they offer. Kim and Dawn welcomed me with open arms, showed me around the property, and even invited me to join them for dinner. After choosing a shady spot for my van at top of the big open field under a tree, I took an amazing shower in one of their super cool and private shower stalls, and then headed to their house to hang out with my magnanimous hosts and some of their friends who were also visiting.

Their home (known as the Big House) is a spacious barn-style building with an open floor plan, high ceilings, a big wooden table, lounge chairs and couches, and a large kitchen. Sadly I didn’t take any photos as I was busy socializing with my new friends. We talked and enjoyed appetizers on their lovely porch watching the sunset over the hills, followed by a potluck dinner that was delicious! The generosity, inclusivity, and sense of community my hosts graciously provide is truly magical and I went to sleep in my van feeling fulfilled with a sense of belonging you don’t often find. I was only there for the one night, but I can see how this ranch is a great location for any kind of event, weddings, hiking, swimming and relaxing — Kim and Dawn really have created a special place full of love and hospitality! I never did end up creating my California vanlife gathering, but I will never forget that evening and am so grateful for meeting these incredible humans and getting to experience what Big Table Ranch offers!

Even my cat Maverick approved, having the best time climbing in the big trees that my van was camped under!

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My Visit To Yosemite

While I was in California celebrating my Golden Birthday in 2021, I had the opportunity to visit Yosemite National Park for the day and then head to an amazing event venue in the Sierra Foothills that a vanlife friend told me about a few years earlier.

I left Pinecrest on June 28 and drove two hours to Yosemite National Park, which I haven’t been to since I was in high school. It was a beautiful and sunny day and I enjoyed the views along California SR-120 on my drive, also known as Tioga Pass. Since I always get the America Is Beautiful National Parks Pass every year, I was able to secure a day pass for Yosemite as the park does require reservations from April to October. Driving into Yosemite Valley, a glacier carved valley in the western Sierra Nevada mountain range, you promptly get surrounded by towering granite summits and a dense forest of pines, with well-known landmarks gracing your vision. The valley is drained by the Merced River and a multitude of streams and waterfalls flow into it, including Tenaya, Illilouette, Yosemite and Bridalveil Creeks. I took my time driving around the loop through the valley, stopping at various spots to immerse myself in the spectacular views.

Upon entering the valley, you immediately get hit by undeniable presence of El Capitan, a granite monolith that's about 3,000 feet (914 m) from base to summit along its tallest face. El Capitan is composed almost entirely of a pale, coarse-grained granite approximately 100 MYA (million years old) and is a world-famous location for big wall climbing, including the disciplines of aid climbing, free climbing, and more recently for free solo climbing. El Capitán ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native American name for the cliff,.“

My next incredible view was of Yosemite Falls, the highest waterfall in North America, dropping a total of 2,425 feet (739 m) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall. Yosemite Falls is actually made up of three separate falls: Upper Yosemite Fall (1,430 feet), the Middle Cascades (675 feet), and Lower Yosemite Fall (320 feet). When I was 15, I hiked the falls to the halfway point with my high school adventure club. I’m not in hiking shape anymore, so I enjoyed the view from the valley floor, happy that the water flow is at its peak in the Spring. The Ahwahneechee people, the native people of Yosemite Valley, called the waterfall "Cholock" ("the fall") and believed that the plunge pool at its base was inhabited by the spirits of several witches, called the "Poloti.

At the end of the valley loop is the famed rock formation of Half Dome, a batholith named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. It stands at nearly 8,800 feet above sea level and is composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock that solidified several thousand feet within the Earth. At its core are the remains of a magma chamber that cooled slowly and crystallized beneath the Earth's surface, which was then exposed and cut in half by erosion, leading to its current shape. Originally named “Tis-sa-ack,” an Ahwahnechee phrase for Cleft Rock, Half Dome has been the home to many famous ascents, including the first known ascent by George Anderson in 1875, who drilled holes into the smooth granite to scale the rock’s face.

It was such a beautiful day that I made a few stops along the Merced River to walk the trail. The Merced River first formed as the Sierra Nevada rose about 10 million years ago, and sediment eroded from its canyon helped form the flat floor of the San Joaquin Valley. Glaciation during the ice ages carved the high elevation parts of the watershed, including Yosemite Valley, into their present shape. Many Native American tribes have lived on the Merced River including the Miwok, Paiute, and Ahwahneechee. In the early 19th century, military expeditions sent by Spanish colonists from coastal California traveled into the Central Valley, and on one of these trips, headed by lieutenant Gabriel Moraga, the colonists arrived on the south bank of the Merced River thirsty and low on provisions. They named the river Rio de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy) because it provided much needed water. I definitely recommend walking around, checking out the Superintendent's Bridge, the Sentinel Bridge, and other bridges to take in all the views, and even taking a dip into the river while you’re visiting.

Another unforgettable view is that of Bridalveil Fall, which is 617 ft (188 m) in height and flows year round. While most of the falls in Yosemite are spawned by the glacier carved hanging valleys pouring the waterways into steep cascades, the primary source of Bridalveil Fall is Ostrander Lake, some 9.9 miles (16 km) to the south. In a brisk wind, the falling water is often blown sideways, and when the flow is light, it may not reach the ground directly below. Because of this, the Ahwahneechee Native Americans called this waterfall "Pohono", which means "Spirit of the Puffing Wind". As you can see in my photos, the wind definitely blew the top of the fall like a fan while the rest cascaded down the rocks to the bottom.

Since I entered the park through the north entrance, I didn’t experience the spectacular Tunnel View until I worked my way out on the south end, stopping at the vista point east of the Wawona Tunnel portal. The area was full of tourists taking in the view that Ansel Adams made famous. Luckily I found a parking spot and joined my fellow sightseers in capturing this unforgettable view of Yosemite Valley that features the southwest face of El Capitan on the left, Half Dome on axis, and Bridalveil Fall on the right.

Next up was driving up the south wall to check out the overlooks with commanding views of the valley below via Glacier Point Road. My first stop was Washburn Point where one has the perfect side angle view of Half Dome, without seeing any of its face, as well as the stunning view of the “giant staircase,” the cliff wall containing Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall, with Mount Broderick and Liberty Cap watching over the falls. The afternoon clouds were turning a bit moody in shades blue and gray, lending an ominous feel to the landscape, with hints of sunny clouds in the distance. It almost felt like there was a storm brewing, casting a shadow over the panoramic view.

Then I headed to Glacier Point, a world-renowned overlook that gives visitors a grand view of the valley from above and a captivating vista of the park's southeastern high peaks. Glacier Point is located on the south wall of Yosemite Valley at an elevation of 7,214 feet (2,199 m). I recommend walking the whole viewpoint to get different glimpses of all the sights, including a more angled view of Half Dome with its face, as well as the giant staircase of falls, and Clouds Rest, a massive granite formation just northeast of Half Dome.

As I left Yosemite and drove east towards Groveland, I happened to drive by the Stanislaus National Forest vista point named “Rim of the World” so I stopped at the roadside pullout to take in the view. It overlooks the deep canyon of the Tuolumne River with the Sierra peaks in the distance, though the view is partially obstructed by power lines. It’s definitely worth pulling over to soak in a breath-taking, panoramic view, but you’ll also notice the scars of the devastation of the “Rim Fire,” a forest fire that hit the place in August 2013, the third-largest wildfire in California's recorded history and the largest recorded in the Sierra Nevada at the time.

Seeing Yosemite as an adult was beyond my expectations. It’s one of the most popular national parks with photos inundating the internet, but unless you experience it in person, you will never fully understand the awe and amazement of this incredible glacier carved wonder! Stay tuned for my next post about a ranch near Coulterville that’s available for hosting various events.

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Celebrating 50 Years On Earth!

My perception of what 50 looked like was very different than how I actually felt when I turned a half century old. I don’t feel 50, but back in 2021, my golden birthday was upon me and I couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate this milestone than in California where I have lived most of my life!

My San Jose Besties and I, known by the moniker “DEJA B” (based on our first name initials), have been going camping together at Pinecrest Lake every summer for over a decade. In 2021, it just turned out that our camping trip was right before my birthday, making it an ideal time for a road trip to see my friends and then celebrate in the Bay Area after. My trip began on June 19th as I headed south along I-5 to Oregon. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear skies and I ended up near Lebanon to see my cool friend Kim for the night. It’s always convenient to have a safe overnight spot and luckily I have a few great friends along the way that I usually stop at. The next morning I continued on south into California, passing Weed and Mount Shasta, and ending up in Chico at my friends Julie and Eric’s house for the night. Continuing on the next morning, I stopped in Marysville for lunch along Ellis Lake and let Maverick explore a bit and watch the ducks. Then my journey south took me passed Copperopolis and Lake Tulloch and finally ending up in Pinecrest at our campsite in the early evening.

We camped for six days in the forested campgrounds right by the lake and enjoyed our daily swims and campfires. Since there’s no data service at Pinecrest, I drove up to Dodge Ridge every few days to get some things done on my phone while Maverick explored the rocks. My hiking in Washington for a few months prepared me to hike the Pinecrest Lake Loop, which is almost 4 miles around. Check out my Instagram Reel from that hiking adventure to get an idea of what the trail is like. It was a hot day, so I was a bit drained at the end of the hike, but it was totally worth it! My besties had a small 50th celebration for me the last night with lots of decorations and a “50 Looks Good On Me” sash. I had a great time celebrating with these lovely ladies who have been my besties for over a decade!

Following our camping adventure, I visited Yosemite for the day and then made it back to my old stomping grounds in San Jose. On my actual birthday July 2, my bestie Joanna hosted a pool party at her house for the extended DEJAB group, which was an absolute blast! Then the following day, my lifelong friend Barbara (yes we have the same name & are both Swiss), whom I’ve known since I was 5 years old, offered up her incredible property for my Big 50 Birthday Party, which was super sweet of her. Around 30 of my favorite people showed up to celebrate with me for the evening with a taco truck and lots of wine! It was so good to see everyone and spend time with them catching up on life events. I even had one of my Clubhouse friends named Max show up, whom I hadn’t met in person before, as well as some vanlife friends whom I met a few months earlier! It was a bittersweet goodbye at the end because I knew I wouldn’t see many of these people for a long time since I don’t live in the Bay Area anymore.

After the birthday festivities, I headed to Clearlake to celebrate 4th of July with the Chesterman Family, more dear friends of mine whom I have a long history with. They have a lovely lakehouse in Lakeport and we celebrated Independence Day with boat rides during the day and fireworks at night! I realized I didn’t take any photos of the group, so this is all I have to share with you from that patriotic day.

I headed north the following day to Cottonwood, where Rebecca and Ed live, friends and neighbors through yoga class from a few years before I moved. I spent the day and night with them at their new place along the Sacramento River learning all about how they ended up living at Lake California and how they are adjusting to their move. I sadly didn’t take any photos of us but I did get a few good sunset shots.

As you can see, I am lucky to have a lot of wonderful friends that I can visit and stay with whenever I travel from Washington to California, many of which are conveniently located off major routes I take to get around. My 50th was a highly memorable birthday and this road trip really allowed me to spend time with most of the people that I proudly call friends and love my with my heart!

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Chasing Waterfalls Near Vancouver WA

Chasing waterfalls is a passion for many people, myself included. But what is it about waterfalling (a coined expression that’s short for visiting waterfalls) that provides such benefits? Not surprising, the continuous sound of water flow, like that of white noise, has a soothing effect on most people. Plus with easy access to so many waterfalls without tedious hikes to get to them, it’s a quick way to get in touch with nature, witness its miracles, and be around water, the source of life on Earth, all in one!

After enjoying four waterfall hikes in Southern Oregon, I went to visit some friends in Vancouver, WA, and got myself a good night’s rest. My plan was to venture straight home the next day, but my friends told me about two waterfall parks I could visit with only a slight detour, so of course I had to visit those falls!

I left the morning of June 2, 2021, and headed to Lucia Falls Park. This 24-acre park follows the north shore of the East Fork of the Lewis River and features beautiful picnicking and hiking areas. An easy 1.1-miles roundtrip loop takes you to the spectacular view of Lucia Falls tumbling over the rocks. No swimming or other types of water contact are allowed here because the waters are sensitive fish spawning grounds. The park gives visitors a wonderful front row view of steelhead leaping up the falls at certain times of the year. The falls are at their mightiest during the wet season since the river flow is much reduced after the snow melt.

Next up was Moulton Falls Regional Park, a 387-acre park at the confluence of the East Fork of the Lewis River and Big Tree Creek which features two waterfalls and an arch bridge more than three stories high. The park sits on both sides of the river and is heavily forested and includes a few areas of interest including volcanic rock formations from early lava flows, historic Indian meeting grounds, a swing bridge on Big Tree Creek and access to the 7.5-mile Bells Mountain Trail. Swimming and cliff jumping into the deep pools is allowed, however, there are no lifeguards on duty. The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad excursion train also passes through the park.

I hiked maybe a third of the 4-mile out-and-back trail along the river, getting a great view of Moulton Falls and the arch bridge, but got a bit confused on which way to go to get from Moulton Falls to Big Tree Falls (aka Yacolt Falls). Then I read that you could drive up the road a bit further and park close to Big Tree Falls, so I did that instead. It’s just a short jaunt down from the roadside parking to the falls, making it a quick and convenient stop! I was definitely more impressed with this view as it’s a two-tier waterfall totaling around 28 feet and flowing under a lovely and unique foot drawbridge, from which you get an even greater view of the falls. I highly recommend either hiking or driving to Big Tree Falls when you’re in the park.

Both Lucia Falls Park and Moulton Falls Park follow part of the Northern Clark County Scenic Drive, a 70-mile loop skirts past farmland, waterfalls, and historic sites. It just happened to be that if I continued to follow this scenic byway further north and then east, I would get to Interstate-5 to head home, so it only made sense to enjoy the drive through the quaint rural towns on this wonderful sunny day.

My eight day journey came to a close that evening with my heart full of wonderful memories of another fun road trip! On a side note, turns out there are quite a few more waterfalls in Clark County that I missed, so now I know where to go the next time I’m in the area!

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Southern Oregon's Highway of Waterfalls

After enjoying the incredible beauty of Crater Lake, I headed to the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway (OR-138), also known as the “Highway of Waterfalls.” This 172-mile byway ascends from Interstate-5 into the southern Cascades, tracking two of Oregon's most storied rivers. The first leg of the trip follows the North Umpqua east from Roseburg. A river of unparalleled beauty, the North Umpqua is revered worldwide for its steelhead fishing. After passing more than a half dozen waterfalls, the byway reaches sparkling Diamond Lake, at the base of Mount Thielsen. The byway then bends south, and soon follows the "Wild and Scenic" Rogue River. I've read that there are fifteen waterfalls along the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway, so if you're a waterfall chaser like me, this could be the adventure you're looking for in the Southern Oregon region!

I only traveled the part from Crater Lake to Roseburg and managed to see four of the waterfalls en route in the few hours I had. It was a hot day in the mid-90’s, which was one of the factors for how many hikes I was able to do on June 1, 2021. I think I would have managed a few more stops and hikes if the weather had been cooler.

Since I was traveling from east to west, my first stop was Diamond Lake, a natural lake situated in the heart of the Cascade Mountains and surrounded by stunning natural beauty. The lake is named after its crystal-clear waters that sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight. The lake is located at an elevation of 5,183 feet above sea level and covers an area of 2,824 acres, making it one of the largest natural lakes in Oregon. It was formed as a result of glacial activity during the last Ice Age and is fed by several streams and is drained by the North Umpqua River. It’s a great place for fishing, boating, camping, and snowmobiling with various lodging options (resort, campground, RV park). I plan to camp here some day in the future as that water sure looked inviting!

After soaking in the views at Diamond Lake, I started my waterfall chase. First up was Clearwater Falls, which is a quick stop off the highway with the viewing platform for the falls is just steps from the parking lot. The Clearwater River is fed by a spring not too far upstream from here, so the falls are fairly consistent in flow throughout the year, cascading 30 feet over moss covered rocks and fallen logs. There are picnic tables there, so it’s a nice spot to take a break and relax. There’s also a campground there that is open seasonally for $10.

I made a quick stop at Stump Lake between Clearwater and Whitehorse Falls to see what this 10-acre lake was all about. Turns out it’s a popular birding and fishing spot, stocked with brook trout.

Next up was Whitehorse Falls, a beautiful small 15 feet waterfall also located on the Clearwater River that tumbles into a small pond. Like Clearwater Falls located further upstream, Whitehorse Falls is not a large or impressive waterfall when compared with others nearby, but the tranquility of the area and the beautiful old growth Douglas fir forest found here make it a worthwhile stop. Plus it’s a short 0.1 mile walk through some tree cover to see the falls. There is also a seasonal campground at this location for $10.

Watson Falls, often touted as Oregon's 3rd tallest waterfall, are actually further down the list per Northwest Waterfall Survey, but its impressive 294-foot continuous drop gives it a lot of clout! There are two viewpoints along this 1 mile, family friendly loop trail which has about 425 ft elevation gain through old-growth forest. You can feel the mist of the falls at the upper viewpoint, so watch your footing as some of the rocks can be a bit slippery. I really enjoyed the hike through the old growth forest and seeing all the little falls along the stream as well. From the parking lot you can also access Watson Creek and dip your feet into the cool water. Sadly the bathroom and parking lot were strewn with litter, which was beyond disappointing to see, once again reminding me that humanity doesn’t always appreciate and respect public places and realize their impact on the environment.

My last waterfall hike of the day was Toketee Falls, the best-known waterfall on the North Umpqua River. Once you park your vehicle, you’ll notice a long pipeline along the road. This 12-foot diameter redwood-stave flowline was constructed in 1949 as part of the North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project. The water that flows through the pipeline still powers three generator turbines, producing energy for 22,500 homes.Despite only being 1 mile in and out, the trail to the falls does involves a series of almost 200 steps along the side of the canyon (about 200 ft elevation gain), ending at the viewpoint platform above the chasm of the amphitheater constructed of columnar basalt. Two tiers are visible from the viewpoint, the 80-foot lower plunge and a 40-foot upper falls, with a third tier invisible to viewers up the narrow defile of giant potholes above the main falls. Toketee (pronounced TOKE-uh-tee) is a Chinook jargon word meaning "pretty" or "graceful" which describes these falls perfectly! I did notice that a bunch of people were scrambling down the side of the canyon from the viewing platform so they could get into the pool of water, but there are many warning signs posted about the dangers of doing that. I highly encourage my readers not to follow suit as all that trampling is just eroding the ground and destroying the vegetation, in addition to being very unsafe. Practice “leave no trace” principles wherever you go and stay on trails!

If you ever drive this scenic highway, I highly recommend stopping at all the falls. Even though I didn’t do them all, there are quite a few more worth checking out: Warm Spring Falls, Lemolo Falls, Steamboat Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Deadline Falls, and Susan Creek Falls. For all you fishing enthusiasts, Swiftwater Recreation Area is a good place to go for steelhead and salmon fishing. Plus I know I plan to go to Umpqua Hot Springs next time I’m in the area! Watch the video in this guide to get some inspiration on where to camp while in the area seeing the falls!

My trip from Washington to Northern California and back through Oregon is almost done with one post left about some waterfalls hikes near Vancouver, Washington!

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The Incredible Beauty Of Crater Lake

Following my day exploring Lassen and Burney Falls, I left Northern California and headed into Oregon. I decided to check out Crater Lake National Park, which I had only been to once before in 2016 for a brief visit. Formed nearly 8,000 years ago, Crater Lake sits atop Mount Mazama, part of the Cascade Range spanning northern California to southern British Columbia. Mount Mazama’s eruption about 5700 B.C. catapulted volcanic ash miles into the sky and expelled so much pumice and ash that the summit soon collapsed, creating a huge, smoldering caldera. Eventually, rain and snowmelt accumulated in the caldera, forming a lake more than 1,900 feet deep, making it the deepest in the United States. There are many activities one can do around Crater Lake depending on the season. Hiking, backpacking, camping, picnicking and sight seeing are popular pursuits within the park, though there is limited access from October to June. Boating and scenic driving around Rim Drive can be enjoyed by visitors during the summer months. In winter snowshoeing and cross-country skiing provide solitude and a little-known view of the park.

There was still a lot of snow when I arrived on June 1, 2021, therefore, only the West Rim was open while the East Rim was still closed. Since I drove in from the South Entrance, I first stopped along Annie Creek Canyon viewpoints and learned all about fossilized steam events that sculpted the rocky spires in this river valley. Once I arrived at the rim, I stopped at Rim Village and did the self-guided walking tour along the snowy path to admire this incredibly blue, mirror-like lake. I wasn’t prepared for all the snow, but I still trekked through some big piles of snow to get to all the various vista points to soak in the wonderful views. Did you know that Crater Lake is so blue because longer wavelengths of sunlight (red, yellow, and green) are absorbed by water while blue light is not absorbed well? Blue strikes the water and is scattered and redirected back from the lake depths to our eyes. Crater Lake is also known for its unique clarity and purity because it’s only filled with rain and snow melt, no streams empty into it which usually bring the sediments that turn waters cloudy. I also learned about Samuel T. Mather from a commemorative plaque along the rim since “he laid the foundation of the national park service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations.”

Next, I headed to the Discovery Point Overlook, where gold prospector John Wesley Hillman, who was actually looking for Lost Creek Mine, first spotted Crater Lake in 1853, calling it “Deep Blue Lake.” I also made some stops on the non-lake side of Rim Drive to see the volcanoes and mountains in the distance. I believe they are Mount Shasta, Mount Thielsen, Diamond Peak, Union Peak, and some others in the photos below.

I continued north to Watchman Overlook, another wonderful spot to stop to see a slightly different angle of the lake, though sadly the trail to Watchman Lookout was closed, as most trails were due to the snow. You pass very close to Hillman Peak around this part of Rim Drive, the highest peak on the caldera rim and the second-highest peak in the park. My last stop was Merriam Point Overlook near North Junction where you have the closest view of Wizard Island, which some call the most interesting feature on Crater Lake. It’s also the perfect place to see Llao Rock, Garfield Peak, Mount McLoughlin, and Mount Scott, who’s summit is the highest point in the park. While I was there in 2021, the Bronze Relief Map had not yet been erected at this overlook, but visitors now get to see this tactile map to enhance learning and understanding of the scope of the park and the depth of the lake, especially for kinesthetic learners and people with visual impairments.

Following the cataclysmic caldera-forming eruption of Mount Mazama, which left a hole about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep where the mountain had once stood, a series of smaller eruptions over the next several hundred years formed several cinder cones on the caldera floor. The highest of these cones, the only one to rise above the current lake level, is Wizard Island, which rises over 2,700 feet (820 m) above the lowest point on the caldera floor and the deepest point in the lake. One day I really want to experience the Wizard Island Boat Tour and see this 763-foot cinder cone up close. While on Wizard Island, you can hike the 2.2-mile roundtrip Wizard Island Summit Trail which has a path leading to the 90-foot deep crater at the summit. The hardest part of this journey is that you need to hike the Cleetwood Cove Trail to get down to the boat dock, which is very steep and strenuous as it drops approximately 700 feet in 1.1 miles and can take 30-45 minutes to descend, and then you have to hike it back up at the end of the day when you must ascend the 11% grade back to Rim Drive (comparable to climbing 65 flights of stairs). It’s a full day’s trip, but I’m sure it is worth it!

As most of my friends know, I’m 100% a water person and love being in, on, or around water as often as possible. The idea of swimming in Crater Lake sounds beyond amazing to the mermaid inside me and some day I hope to accomplish this feat and tackle that steep hike so that I can jump in. I’ve heard that swimming in the crystal blue waters is quite refreshing on a hot day, though during summer the average surface temperature of the lake is only 57 degrees F (14 degrees C). If you ever decide to make the trek down to the water, be sure to follow the rules as only bathing suits and basic clothing may be worn in the water to protect the clarity of the lake and decrease the possibility of introducing invasive species. Do NOT bring or use scuba and snorkeling gear, wet suits, masks, goggles, fins, inner tubes or any towable devices, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and any motorized or non-motorized boats, inflatable rafts, flotation devices, personal life jackets or vests, nor waders. The park also recommends to have warm, dry clothing available to immediately put on after being in the lake. Swimming is only allowed within 100 yards of Cleetwood Cove and within 100 yards of Wizard Island, provided that swimmers remain at least 50 feet away from any boat, boat dock or buoy. Doesn’t this photo just beg you to jump in!!!

After my time at Crater Lake, I continued my trip through Oregon on my way home. Up next is the waterfall hikes I did in the Umpqua National Forest!

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Lassen Volcanic Park, Manzanita Lake & Burney Falls

After my time at Descend on Lost Sierra, I headed north to Lassen Volcanic National Park on May 31, 2021. Did you know that Lassen Peak is the largest plug dome volcano in the world and the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range? Lassen Volcanic National Park is also one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcano can be found—plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano.

I enjoyed the drive through the volcanic landscape with hopes that I could hike the Bumpass Hell Trailhead and witness the largest hydrothermal area in the park. Sadly the trail was still closed due to the snow, making this the 2nd time I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the 16 acres of boiling springs and mud pots, hissing steam vents, and roaring fumaroles up close! The first time I came to Lassen in 2018, this 3-mile roundtrip trail was closed for maintenance, so it looks like I’ll have to come back to Lassen again to conquer this trail and see the volcanic activity from the new boardwalks.

As you drive through this amazing national park from the Southwest entrance to Northwest entrance, you get stunning views of Mt Diller, Brokeoff Mountain, Eagle Peak, and Mt Lassen, as well as Reading Peak and Hat Mountain. The snow on the ground and the blue sky with some puffy clouds made for a great background really capturing the beauty of all these incredible peaks! I made it a point to stop at Emerald Lake and Lake Helen at the base of Lassen since these two icy lakes often reflect the mountain peaks and trees perfectly. Lake Helen is a glacial lake or a tarn occupying a cirque, an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion, and its incredible blue color comes from the unique mineral content of the lake. Since the lake is at a high elevation at around 8,200 feet, the lake is frozen and covered in deep snow for most of the year from around October/November until July/August despite being over 100 feet deep. While Lake Helen is deep and blue, Emerald Lake gets its green color from vegetation that grows in its shallow waters. Some day I plan to hike the 5-mile hike to the top of Lassen Peak but I wasn’t eager to do it in snow that day.

I was excited to get to Manzanita Lake on the north end of the park as it’s one of my favorite lakes to hike around! This 1.6-mile trail around the lake has so many wonderful views that I took lots of photos to capture its beauty on this warm spring day with deep blue skies and some white puffy clouds. Manzanita Lake is one of the most photographed lakes in Lassen and the centerpiece of the park’s main visitor area. It’s also a great place to camp with 179 campsites near the lakefront. After my stroll around the lake, I took advantage of being the only one at the Chaos Crags viewpoint, another great place to stop in this amazing volcanic park. These crags formed as six dacite domes 1,100-1,000 years ago, one dome collapsing during an explosive eruption about 70 years later. The eruptions at the Chaos Crags mark one of just three instances of Holocene activity within the Lassen volcanic center.

My time in Lassen came to an end so I drove to one of my other favorite spots in Northern California and possibly the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen in my adult life — Burney Falls! Located in the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, this 129-foot-tall, fern-draped cascade of water seems to come out of nowhere. The water comes from underground springs above and at the falls and provides an almost constant flow rate of 100 million gallons (379 million liters) per day, even during the dry summer months. It’s no wonder 26th President Teddy Roosevelt dubbed it “the eighth wonder of the world”! Every time I come here, I dip into the clear icy pool of water which never goes much above 42*F. Considering it was in the high-90’s that day, I really enjoyed the cold water and soaked in the incredible views. Burney Falls is an outstanding example of a waterfall and stream fed by large springs that are commonly associated with areas covered by recent lava flows, and also of a waterfall formed by the undercutting of horizontal rock layers. The soft white rock is diatomite and its presence is evidence that a very large lake once filled the region and supported abundant tiny freshwater plankton called diatoms. Interesting fact for you, the trail to Burney Falls that runs over Burney Creek also hits the Pacific Crest Trail.

Later that afternoon, I headed past the Lake Britton Bridge, the old railroad trestle shown in the 1986 movie “Stand By Me” and took a quick photo of the dilapidated trestle. The bridge was built in 1955 on the McCloud River Railroad, primarily a logging railroad. The steel bridge is 450 feet long and is about 75 feet above the waters of Lake Britton. The bridge has now been stripped of rails and is no long in use and there is a blockade placed in front to restrict access after a Reno man was killed jumping off the bridge. This part of the Burney branch was operational until 2005. I’ve always admired the water below and plan to camp along the northshore of Lake Britton at some point to enjoy paddling around this beautiful reservoir.

I have boondocked near the McCloud Falls on US Forest land a few years prior, so I headed there with the plan to spend the night nestled among the tall trees. As I was settling in, I noticed that the sky was turning into some great sunset colors, so I decided to chase the sunset instead and headed to Mt Shasta, stopping to capture the golden hour on the mountain. Instead of backtracking to McCloud, I decided to spend the night at the rest stop past Weed near the airport that night.

My next blog post is about Crater Lake National Park, which I went to the next morning!

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Inaugural Descend On Lost Sierra 2021

Back in May 2021, I ventured from Washington to the Sierra Butte region of California's High Sierra to attend the inaugural Descend on Lost Sierra. The term “Lost Sierra” is attributed to William Berry, one-time official historian of the United States Ski Association, who used the term to describe the region when he visited it for the first time circa 1933. Many publications also refer to the area as Northern California's best kept secret as it doe not get as many tourists and many of the towns are still quite small and quaint. I highly recommend exploring the Lost Sierra if you’re near the Plumas and Sierra Counties, about an hour drive north of Truckee.

My journey started on May 26th driving south of Interstate-5 to Oregon with a quick stop at Gee Creek Safety Area, which is part of the Blue Star Memorial Highways and has a war memorial plaque for the men and women who have endured hardships as prisoners of war, who have been killed in action, and those who are still missing in action. There is also an interesting old wooden sign there about Fort Vancouver, which is located about 13 miles south. After a stroll around the rest stop with my cat Maverick, I continued on the freeway down to Eugene, OR, where I spent the night in front of a Boondockers Welcome host in the countryside.

The next morning I headed east past burnt Oregon forests to Klamath Falls near the California border and enjoyed lunch in Veterans Memorial Park, my favorite spot to stop there due to the lovely water view of Lake Ewauna. This time around, I actually walked around the veterans memorial which features memorial bricks for past and present military personnel, a covered pavilion, and a display of Locomotive#2579 used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The sky and clouds were magnificent that day creating an incredible backdrop for photos!

After my park explorations, I headed south into California and stopped at Eagle Lake to see if it would be a great place to spend the night and possibly get a swim in. I stopped at Rocky Point East Campground to check out this small undeveloped campground. Unlike the developed campgrounds along the lake, this site is most suitable for self-contained camping like a camper van as there is no potable water nor trash removal available and only a vault toilet for use. The lake was super low and access for swimming impractical, so I gave up on that idea and just enjoyed the view. It was a bit windy that afternoon and sadly I didn’t realize my fedora hats got blown out my open back doors, including one my mom gave me before she passed away and my favorite black and zebra one, which are now lost forever! Due to the wind and lack of swimming access, I left and continued on to find a good overnight spot. I ended up driving just outside of Portola, only 30 minutes away from where Descend was taking place on a private ranch, and arrived just in time for a wonderful sunset, which I enjoyed from the L.T. Davis Rest Area before town.

The next morning I drove to Sierra Valley Basecamp where the event was taking place and found the perfect spot for my van along the edge of camp near some vanlife friends I knew from prior gatherings and waited for more of my friends to arrive. Descend on Bend has been my favorite vanlife gathering since 2018 when I attended my first one, so I was excited to be part of their new venture in Northern California. I volunteered to help out working the registration/merchandise area, hanging out with the organizers and the usual “Descend family” that you see at every one of their gatherings. I especially loved the rustic and romantic 19th century barn on site with an awesome stage and a cool saloon where we watched all the amazing artists and bands perform.

I camped with my good friend Ricardo and my new friend Mary, whom I met a few weeks earlier in a hot spring near Mammoth (see previous post). Mary has a super cool old Swiss Army Pinzgauer radio truck that got a lot of attention during the three day festival! One highlight was meeting talented artist Jacques, who joined our little group and has become a good friend of mine since. I was also camped near the Sēkr crew and Josiah from The Journal of Lost Time, who’s dog Rona tried to get into my van daily, freaking Maverick out a bit. On Sunday the 30th, I even got to meet up with my good Bay Area friends who just happen to have a vacation home near Portola and were there that weekend with some other mutual friends, so they picked me up and we enjoyed some lake time at Lake Davis Recreation Area to cool off as temperatures were in the mid-90’s. Then we went to their cabin to eat and play games until they dropped me off at the festival grounds that evening. It was so good to see them as it had been a few years!

It was sad to say goodbye to everyone the following day and head to our respective home bases, but memories from this gathering will forever be in my heart! The people you bond with at a Descend event generally turn into lifelong friends and I always look forward to seeing them the following years.

I originally planned to drive to Chico to visit some other friends, but a heatwave was hitting California with over 100*F temps in the valley, so I headed north to the cooler regions to stay away from the roasting areas. Read all about the next chapter of my journey as I worked my way home with stops at Lassen Volcanic National Park & McArthur-Burney Falls, Crater Lake National Park, the Rogue Umpqua Scenic Byway, and the North Clark County Scenic Drive (near Vancouver, WA)!

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My VanFest Road Trip In 2021

Back in May 2021, I went out a fun journey to Utah for the inaugural VanFest. I had big plans to meet up with my friend Ricardo and caravan through a lot of the national and state parks/monuments in Utah and even get to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but he sadly couldn’t commit to week long road trip. I still planned to explore solo, but the universe had a different plan for me and the adventure I went on was still amazing and unforgettable!

My trip started on May 2 and took me from my home base in Bellingham over Snoqualmie Pass into Eastern Washington and through Yakima, the “Palm Springs of WA,” and then south into Oregon over the Columbia River at Umatilla. One highlight was coming down I-82 after passing Yakima and seeing both Mount Rainier to the north and Mount Adams to the south towering in the distance. I stopped quickly at Selah Creek Rest Area where I took some great photos of the valley below, then headed on. I found a wonderful camping spot called Spring Recreation Site along the Browlee Reservoir, a 52-mile long reservoir on the Snake River. Campsites there are only $5/night, though if you have an America Is Beautiful pass, it’s half that. For those of you that don’t care to have a paid campsite, there’s quite a few pullouts along the road you can overnight at for free instead.

The next morning I crossed into Idaho, my first time in this state, and drove through Nampa and Boise. I heard that Twin Falls was a must-see spot, so I took the small detour to check it out. I was pretty blown away by this lovely city along the Snake River Canyon and even more impressed by Shoshone Falls, the “Niagara of the West”! Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (65 m) in height, 45 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls and flows over a rim nearly one thousand feet (300 m) in width. Luckily it was not a busy day so I didn’t have to battle any crowds while taking photos at all the viewpoints. I also stopped at Dierkes Lake, a popular swimming and fishing hole less than a mile up the road. I hope to spend more time in Southern Idaho in the future because there are actually over 30 waterfalls in the “City of Waterfalls” and even more in the surrounding region, including Perrine Coulee, Pillar Falls, Auger Falls, Twin Falls, Mermaid Cove, Cauldron Linn (Lynn), Ross Falls & Phantom Falls.

After my afternoon visit to Twin Falls, I headed south into Utah and stopped in Salt Lake City for the night to visit my friend Wayne. He drove me around his city right during the golden hour which really lights up Mount Olympus and the Wasatch Range. The clouds turned a lovely shade of pink that night as we ate dinner and hung out at his fire pit. I had read about Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons and decided to explore those the next morning. Big Cottonwood Canyon is a 15-mile scenic drive and home to two world-class ski resorts (Solitude & Brighton), legendary rock climbing routes, epic backcountry skiing access, hiking and mountain biking trails, and picnic areas straight out of an outdoor magazine. Little Cottonwood Canyon is the 7-mile “littler" scenic drive and home to world famous Snowbird and Alta ski resorts, as well as the Albion Basin, which encompasses Alta and is famous for its wildflowers, making it one of the most photographed areas in northern Utah.

I read that Donut Falls was an easy waterfall hike within Big Cottonwood Canyon, so I decided to stop and take the trail. The waterfall gets its name from a donut-hole shape in the rock. The falls pours through the hole into a small pool in a cave before trickling down the rocks. Normally this is an easy 1.5 mile trail, but during the winter the gate is closed to get to the starting point, so you have to park at the Mill D Trailhead, which adds roughly a mile round-trip to the hike. Since the weather was warm and sunny, I didn’t expect the trail to be covered in snow, but luckily I had my trekking poles with me! The hike ended up being quite the feat in the snow without spikes on my shoes; I even fell and slid on my ass and got all muddy, and the last part uphill to get to the falls required knee-deep steps with my poles supporting me the whole way. Sadly the snow covered a lot of the donut hole so one couldn’t get the full waterfall view and experience, but I was still proud of my first hike in the snow! I have since learned to carry micro spikes for my hiking shoes with me in the van.

While looking for a cool overnight spot, I found some spots along Highway 92 on iOverlander, an app I use fo find off-grid boondocking spots, and decided to head there. It seemed liked another cool mountain road to explore that would take my through Robert Redford’s Sundance and Provo Canyon the following day. What I didn’t know was that this road is closed during the winter or when snow hasn’t fully melted yet. I got about a third of the way there when I hit the road closure and had to turn around. The one good part was that there was a stunning viewpoint there but sadly I didn’t take any photos. Maybe another time I can take the Alpine Loop Scenic Drive along Mount Timpanogos and stop to see Timpanogos Cave National Monument. I ended up in the Cedar Hills area for the night, parked along farmland and enjoyed a peaceful nights rest.

My buddy Wayne recommend I ditch I-15 South and take Heritage Highway 89 instead on my way to Southwest Utah, so I did exactly that! I didn’t make all the stops that this article recommends, but I did enjoy seeing the countryside and valleys this route offers. I was intrigued by Panguitch Lake and decided to check it out and see if it was a viable place to spend the night. This lake has 10 miles of shoreline and is a popular fishing spot. Its name comes from the Paiute Native American word for “big fish” which is most appropriate considering that trophy-sized trout averaging anywhere from 14-24” are caught there. The campgrounds weren’t open yet so I risked staying the night along the lakeshore and luckily wasn’t bothered. Fishermen were there early in the morning so I’m guessing they assumed I was one of them getting there at the crack of dawn to fish.

The next morning I headed towards Cedar City which by a happy coincidence took me by Cedar Breaks National Monument, a stunning “Circle of Painted Cliffs.” I really enjoyed viewing this 10,000 feet grand staircase that looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater, though I was limited to the overlook points as all the hiking trails were still closed due to the snow. Then I headed south through Toquerville and La Verkin and towards Zion where I was meeting up other overlanders for the Sēkr Kickoff Meetup in the desert along the Virgin River. About 40 people came together that evening to celebrate community, enjoy a food-truck catered meal, and participate in a “Hot Ones” spinoff that I participated in — the sauces got spicy and I made it to the end! That night was the first time I experienced the string of lights in the night sky from Starlink satellites which totally freaked some other nomads out.

The following day was prep day to get my van exhibit ready. Before heading to Washington County Legacy Park to get a good spot for the first ever VanFest, which was taking place the next day on May 8th, I went to one of those self-serve car washes in Hurricane and scrubbed my van clean since I was selected as one of their exhibiting vans. There was a small festival with live music and food trucks going on that afternoon and evening in the grass along the buildings, which many of the exhibitors enjoyed while getting to know one another and bonding. The next morning I cleaning the inside of my van, set up the back in the couch/lounge position, rolled and stuffed my memory foam mattress topper in my big storage cabinet, put all my bedding away, and oiled my counters so that my van looked perfect for the exhibition. I was really impressed with the set up — the exhibiting vehicles were in the main parking area, the sponsors in the adjoining lot, the attendees vehicles parked in rows in another section, and there was a huge stage for music with various bands throughout the whole day. I don’t know exactly how many people attended, but I do know that I had a steady stream of vanlife enthusiasts viewing my van and asking build questions, plus I enjoyed watching The National Parks band headline to a good-size audience. I learned how to ride an ebike that day courtesy of Storyteller Overland and their Super73. I also watched my first movie projected onto the side of a white van that night and witnessed a fabulous jam session with various nomadic musicians that went on late into the night. Not only did I get to hangout with some vanlife friends I’ve made in the past, but I also met some of the people I conversed with on the drop-in audio app Clubhouse, which was super cool. The whole festival was truly an unforgettable experience with some amazing people!

The day after VanFest was definitely a recovery day, hanging out with the Sēkr crew and getting to shower in their Airbnb before heading back to BLM land outside of Zion National Park to meet up with the new friends I made at VanFest that were planning to caravan around Utah. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, I originally had planned to visit Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Glen Canyon, Moab, and Monument Valley but those plans changed because my friend bailed on me a few weeks before the trip. I figured that with this new group and some solo travel, I’d still be able to see some of those destinations, but that’s when things went a bit sideways for me.

Those of you that really know me have often heard me say that I do not like hot weather — anything over 90*F is too hot for me. It just so happened that the beginning of May 2021 was super hot and getting hotter each day I was there. My weather app was predicting high 90’s/low 100’s at every park I planned to visit (except Bryce) and 112*F temps at Grand Canyon’s North Rim. I was already having a heard time with the heat in Southwestern Utah since I arrived and the idea of even higher temps was not sitting well with me. I don’t have air conditioning in the van and I was already super lethargic on May 9th. Late that afternoon and after much deliberation, I decided to change plans and head west into Nevada and towards the Eastern Sierra in California to meet up with my best buddy Eric. I said my goodbyes and took off early that evening and headed into Southeastern Nevada to a town called Panaca that has a warm spring I found on Google Maps. Enjoying a beautiful sunset during the drive, I arrived at Panaca Warm Spring in the dark and couldn’t quite tell if it was ok to park there overnight, but I decided to park my van near a tree in the dirt off to the side and away from the street and settle in for the night.

I was happy to wake up to some cooler temps the next morning. Surprisingly I was the only one there considering how nice Panaca Warm Spring is. This under-rated natural spring looks more like a pond with clear mid-80* temp water, a concrete dam on one end, and a staircase down for easy access. I enjoyed my time soaking in the temperate spring while my cat Maverick explored the vicinity. For those of you that like history, Panaca was the first permanent settlement by European Americans in southern Nevada, founded as a Mormon colony in 1864. It is one of two communities in Nevada that prohibits gambling and the only community in Nevada to be “dry” (forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages). Having the place to myself was wonderful and the warm spring was beyond refreshing after my three days in the hot desert! I wanted to get to Mammoth quickly, so I left Panaca mid-morning and quickly drove through Cathedral Gorge State Park, a super cool spot where erosion has carved dramatic and unique patterns in the soft bentonite clay.

I headed east on Nevada State Route 375, better known as the Extraterrestrial Highway, a 98-mile stretch of road that runs alongside the famously secretive Area 51. Area 51 is the colloquial name of a highly classified United States Air Force facility that’s located within the Nevada Test and Training Range. I saw the sign that warned me that there’s no fuel along this highway, so I checked my gauge and it said I had more than twice as many miles left on my tank, so I headed into the Nevada desert. I had plans to stop in the very tiny town of Rachel and its famous cafe Little A’Le’Inn, as well as other landmarks to take photos, but what I didn’t expect to happen was tremendous headwind. About 30 minutes into the drive, I realized that my fuel range was rapidly decreasing and I started to get nervous. Driving through the desolate Nevada desert is an experience on its own without worrying about running out of fuel. The landscape is mainly mountains and joshua trees, which only grow in California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Northwestern Mexico. Even though I knew there was a gas station in Rachel, I had a gut feeling it did not have diesel fuel. I decreased my speed to just under the speed limit for best fuel consumption and kept monitoring my fuel gauge and estimated miles left on the tank. Let’s just say that I watched my low fuel light come on, then a few miles before the town of Tonopah where I could refuel, the low fuel light started blinking like mad as the gauge went to zero. As this point I expected my van to stop and was prepared to walk the rest of the way to get diesel, but somehow Ardanwen my Sprinter chugged up that final ascend uphill and coasted into the first diesel station on its last fumes! I was relieved that i made it and learned my lesson to never attempt such foolishness in the future. On a side note, Tonopah is known for its rich history of silver mining and where many of the military men who work at Area 51 live.

After my trek through Nevada, I finally made it to Mammonth Lakes and met up with Eric at Distant Brewing. Then we headed to Twin Lakes to explore but could only get as far as the bridge due to a road closure. We decided to head south to Convict Lake, a stunning oblong-shaped lake with turquoise-blue clear water, boxed in by the steep backdrop of the Sierra Nevada, and highlighted by the 12,241’ Mount Morrison. Convict Lake was originally carved out by glaciers, and at up to 140’ deep in some places, it’s one of the deepest lakes in the region. This lake has an interesting history that changed its name from its traditional Mono name of Wit-sa-nap by American settlers. From there, Eric and I headed to Hilltop Hot Springs for a soak, one of our favorite spots in the area. This is a popular spot and can be quite crowded as it only fits about 8 people, but luckily there was enough room for us and we joined a fun crew of college graduates already in this 2 feet deep heavenly tub. A wonderful lady named Mary joined us a bit later and we instantly became friends. Lots of laughter ensued as the whole group bonded for the next few hours, watching the sunset over the mountains in the distance. Mary decided to join me and Eric for a fire pit by our vehicles and we decided to spend the night there, even though you’re technically not supposed to.

The next day I headed north to Mono Lake, an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and highly productive ecosystem, I spent some time exploring the South Tufa area where some of these remarkable tufa rock formations towered over me. I continued north up CA Route 395, probably one of the most scenic highways you can travel and one of my favorites, through Bridgeport and the Walker River Canyon, past Topaz Lake into Nevada, then back into California passing by Eagle Lake and through the Modoc National Forest (with some great views of Mount Lassen), and finally into Oregon. The last stretch of driving was along Upper Klammath Lake and onto the Willamette HIghway to McCredie Hot Springs. I did what most tourists do and went to the day use area and walked along the path to Salt Creek. Turns out you need to take a different road to actually get to the hot springs which are on the other side of the river, so be sure to follow these directions if you plan to visit. Since I didn’t make it to the springs, I left after my short hike and found a cool turnoff further down the road where I spent the night next to Salt Creek under the highway.

I woke up on the 10th and last day of this road trip and headed the rest of the way home, driving past Lookout Point Lake and Dexter Reservoir (both look like places to enjoy in the future), into Eugene, and then north up I-5 through Salem and the 45th Parallel. I made quick stop in Seattle to meet another Clubhouse friend named Mark who showed me the view of the Seattle Skyline from the top of his building. Then I drove then final stretch home to Bellingham. It was an eventful journey full of new explorations and new friends that I’ll always treasure!

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New "Reflection Point" Rental at Lake Sutherland

My brother Marco and I decided to sell our mom’s lovely house in Venice, Florida, this year. As the dangers of category 5 hurricanes loomed over that region every year, the risks of losing the house to hurricane damage or other flooding just wasn’t worth it. We were lucky to not sustain any damage when Hurricane Ian hit Venice last year while some of our neighbors were not. It made sense to sell and invest in something more manageable with less risks from natural disasters. Since I retired early, I wanted a place that was within a 4 hours drive that I could manage myself. One problem with owning real estate in Florida was that we had to rely on others to manage and maintain the property, which was challenging at times, especially when something needed to be fixed. Luckily some of my Mom’s friends came through for us and their dedication to help was incredible!

I started looking for a nice rental property in fall of 2022. I figured a lakehouse would be ideal since they rent out great in the summers, plus I’d get to use it as well. I hit up my real estate agent on the Olympic Peninsula and it just turned out that he had met with an older couple that were looking to sell their home on Lake Sutherland. Even more coincidental, they were planning to sell in the spring of 2023, which was exactly when we planned to sell the Florida house and do a 1031 exchange. I went to go look at the house and fell in love with the incredible view! A verbal agreement was made in November 2022 to do an off-market deal. This spring everything fell into place, we sold the Florida house, and we are now proud owners of a wonderful lakehouse!

The house was built in 1992 and the sellers were the original and only owners. The inside is a bit outdated and needs some work to fix it up and modernize it, but the overall building and backyard are amazing with an unbelievable view of the lake and a hint of sunset over the mountains. The best part is that it is secluded with a forested area to the south and a tree-line to the north, giving guests privacy, something that many other homes on this lake don’t have. There is so much shoreline access with a large L-shaped dock and a lower wooden deck, both with lots of outdoor seating, as well as a big lawn area, a fire pit, and a balcony deck right outside the main floor. The three-story house features a primary bedroom and full bathroom on the main floor and two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the top floor. There is also a basement that is partially unfinished and functions mainly as a storage area (for now). I do have plans to make that basement into an extra living space with couches and either a billiards or ping pong table, though I’m open to other ideas.

The location is idea as it is central to many of the tourist attractions on the Olympic Peninsula, including the Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge, Sequim, Port Angeles, Dungeness Recreation Area, Forks, La Push, Rialto Beach, Neah Bay and Cape Flattery (both on the Makah Reservation), Hoh Rainforest, Quinault Rainforest, Kalaloch Beaches (with must-see Tree of Life), Ozette Triangle, and even Vancouver Island (via Black Ball Ferry line). There are four waterfalls within an hour's proximity (Sol Doc, Marymere, Madison Creek, and Beaver Falls), plus you can enjoy a relaxing thermal soak in Sol Duc Hotsprings only 40 minutes away. The Olympic Peninsula is a haven for hikers, cycling, nature lovers, bird watchers, beachcombers, and even golfers, with more amenities and must-see spots than you can imagine! If you love water sports, are just looking to relax, or love to explore, this is the place to be.

Lake Sutherland is known for its crystal clear water and stunning views of the surrounding Olympic Mountains and is generally warmer than neighboring Lake Crescent, mainly due to being much shallower with a maximum depth of 145 feet. Recreational water activities are popular here, including swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, boating, sailing, water skiing, tubing, jet skiing, and floating. Fishing is also quite popular as Lake Sutherland is a premier kokanee sockeye salmon fishery, as well as a good supply of cutthroat and rainbow trout. Lake Sutherland is surrounded by private homes and vacation cottages and is less crowded due to the limited public access. During the busiest time of the summer, you may see 10 water crafts on the lake at one time though often it’s only 1-4 vessels. Water skiers generally love the mornings as the lake is like glass and very calm and quiet. Once the night rolls in, the lake glistens with some lights, but overall the light pollution is minor and you can see so many stars.

When you walk into the house, you are on the main floor and the hallway leads you right into the fully-stocked kitchen with a cute little dinette. You can already see the lake from the kitchen due to all the windows and sliding door that take up most of the back wall. The welcoming open floor plan of the dining room and living room lead to the outside balcony deck, the perfect place to perch and take in the view. The primary bedroom is accessed through the living room and faces both the front and side yards, with a connected full bath that leads back to the front hallway where the laundry machines reside. The upstairs consists of two bedrooms and a full bathroom between them, plus a walkway to an outdoor walking deck from which you can enjoy the panoramic views of water, mountains, and sky. All three bedrooms have king-sized beds and are themed for a unique & fun experience:

  • The Puget Sound Room is the primary bedroom on the main floor and features vibrant pastel colors, a large mirrored closet, a leather recliner, huge dresser, and nightstands. It connects to the main floor bathroom, which also connects to the hallway by front door and laundry (two-door access serving as both primary and main floor bathroom).

  • The Safari Room is the first, smaller bedroom upstairs and features a black, beige & white savanna theme, rattan furniture, a giraffe statue, and that feeling of being on an African expedition. The window faces north and gets a lot of sunshine, really capturing that open canopy the grasslands are known for.

  • The Retro Room is the second, larger bedroom upstairs and features an 80's vibe, a neon light, colorful furnishings, and a sitting area with comfortable butterfly chairs on a vivid geometric print rug. Enjoy a blast from the past in this darker, south-facing room with a forest view.

For those of you who enjoy history, geologists believe that Lake Sutherland used to be part of Lake Crescent since evidence of the landslide is visible from Pyramid Mountain. Klallum tribe legend tells an origin story of Mount Storm King being angered by fighting tribes at his feet and broke a boulder from his peak, throwing it at the warriors, killing them and cutting Tsulh-mut in two creating Lake Crescent and Lake Sutherland. I’m currently reading a great book on Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest from which I learned the story of Nahkeeta, a beautiful maiden who lived in the Northern foothills of the Olympic Mountains and got lost, leading to the creation of Lake Sutherland. I’m also looking forward to reading Washington Myths & Legends: The True Stories Behind History’s Mysteries since local legends like these fascinate me and I want to learn more about the indigenous people who lived here and their stories of the landscape that I have fallen in love with.

If you’re looking for a relaxing retreat in the summer with an amazing view where you can enjoy water recreation without the crowds, then this is the place for you. You cannot beat the water reflections of the sky and mountains on this pristine, crystal-clear lake — it’s literally a get-away that people dream of! People are already starting to book for Summer 2024, so if you’re interested in staying, I recommend booking sooner than later if your schedule is less flexible on date selection.

I named the lakehouse “Reflection Point” for that unbeatable view and the property is available for rent on Airbnb and VRBO.

The house is also available as a 1-6 months rental in the off season from October to April. Feel free to message me to get off-season rental pricing. Thank you!

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New Sliding Door Window For My Van

I’m super excited to announce that I recently had a new window installed on my van! When I designed my Sprinter’s layout and build, I didn’t think I wanted a lot of windows because any non-insulated opening can bring heat into the van on hot days, as well as allow heat to leave the van on cold days. Therefore, I went with three smaller Tern Overland windows instead, one of each end of the bed and one at the kitchen galley. In the past 3.5 years using my van, I realized that I would love to be able to see the outside views more when I’m inside the van, especially on a cool night or in a place with bugs when I didn’t want the sliding door open. Any time I was in someone else’s van that had a window in the sliding door, I realized what I was missing out on. Another reason to get a window installed was that the wooden panel that was put onto the sliding door during my original van build always rattled when I was driving. From what I’ve been told by a few builders now, this is a common issue with panels on the sliding doors, plus they get loose over time from all the opening and closing of the slider.

Last year, I went to the annual Freedom Vans van gathering here in Bellingham. They are a well-known and reputable van building company and I enjoyed meeting the owners and crew. At that time, I showed them my rattling panel and discussed window installation options. During our conversation, the company owner Tim told me that a wonderful advantage of having a window in the sliding door is the ability to see out while driving. Often when you need to turn into traffic, without a window there you have limited visibility on the right side, so being able to look over your right shoulder and see out that back side window is super helpful. I was also very impressed to learn about all the pros and cons of each after-market window styles and seeing them in action on some the van builds they were working on.

After some deliberation, I decided to go with the AMA Slider with Fly-Screen. I liked the bigger opening that would sit right above my passenger-side cabinet so my cat Maverick could sit there and enjoy the fresh air and view. I also heard that the T-vents on the CRL windows, which are most commonly installed, often break, though they do have the best “unobstructed” view since there’s no big piece sliding within in. I did consider the VWD slider, but preferred the opening to be at the back of the sliding door versus the front. I would say the only downside to the AMA and VWD slider windows is that the part that opens is not flush on the outside, which some people don’t like visually. It also allows for debris to get caught in the cracks, something I’ve already learned living in the forest where pine needles get into everything!

I finally took the plunge to get my window installed earlier this month. The installation only takes a few hours, but my van did have to stay overnight for the glue to set. I was so excited to pick up my Sprinter the next day and see the final result — and I love it! I can’t wait to go on adventures and experience all the views through the new window. Right now the weather isn’t ideal so I do not have any trips planned, but come next Spring, I will taking off to explore, including planned trips to North Cascades National Park, some vanlife gatherings, and hopefully a long road trip to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, maybe even Alberta, Canada to check out Banff and Jasper National Parks. If anyone wants to caravan with me on that, please let me know!

On a side note, my buddy Stavros started Nomadic Supply Company a few years ago and I highly recommend them for all van products you may need. They have curated a collection of more than 10,000 of the world’s highest-quality products and donate 10% of their profits to the Sierra Club Foundation and 1% of every sale is donated directly to the Stripe Climate Change initiative. Stavros is an avid vanlifer himself and he’s built out his own van, therefore, he knows what works, what products are good, and which brands have the best quality. I have asked him lots of questions about products over the years and can vouch that his customer service is excellent and many van builders like Freedom Vans order from him. If you like my set up, I suggest ordering the AMA windows from him, or use the links for the other window styles (in this post) if you prefer them better.

Now that the window is installed, I made sure to order an insulated window cover to blackout the window when I’m sleeping in the van, as well as to keep the van cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Since I already have the Sprinter blackout window covers for the front cab and back windows from Quest Overland, as well as their fan cover, I went ahead and purchased the matching Sliding Door Window Cover from this amazing company. Not only do her products fit perfectly with strong magnets holding them up, they are well-constructed in a neutral color, and last for a long time. I am very happy with all the covers I’ve had since 2019, which don’t show any wear and tear, so getting the matching cover from the same company only made sense. If you need good quality blackout window covers, I highly recommend Quest Overland and you can use code “barbrocks5” to save 5% in their shop!
UPDATE: Hally & Ian the founders of Quest Overland sold the company in September 2023 and the new owner Josh is not fulfilling orders, nor replying to emails. I sadly can no longer recommend this company to people unless the new owner gets his business affairs in order and customer service improves.

I would love to hear what you all think of my new sliding door window. If you have the same AMA window, I’m curious to get your feedback on what your experience is with that brand and style. For those of you looking to install a window in your sliding door, I hope this post helps you decide which option is best for your needs. Happy Travels!

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Vanlife Gatherings 2024

Vanlife & Overlanding Events 2024

Some events have already been announced for 2024, therefore, I am posting this now. But many dates are still to be determined for events in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. I will continue to update this as these get announced. Also, if you know of any events that I am missing, please let me know! Thank you.

January
New Year Nomad Reunion — Jan 5-8 | Kingmen, AZ
Women's RTR — Jan 11-13 | Quartzite, AZ
Vanlife Pride — Jan 11-14 | Quartzite, AZ
Buses By The Bridge — Jan 11-14 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Rubber Tramp Rendezvous (RTR) — Jan 14-19 | Quartzite, AZ
Xscapers Annual Bash — Jan 13-21 | Lake Havasu, AZ
Skooliepalooza — Jan 15-22 | Ehrenberg, AZ
The Ungathering — Jan 19-30 | Ehrenberg, AZ
VLC Girls Go Baja Caravan — Jan 20-28 | Joshua Tree to Baja
VanFest Florida — Jan 26-28 | Viera, FL
Van Life Yard Meet: The Bowl — Jan 30 | Houghton Conquest, UK

February
Escapar A La Baja — Jan 31 — Feb 5 | Playa El Tecolote, Baja, Mexico
The Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show — Feb 1-4 | Glasgow, Scotland
Revel In Southern Baja — Feb 10-19 | Baja, Mexico (Whale Watching)
Truck Camper Adventure Rally — Feb 14-18 | Quartzite, AZ
Peace Love & Vans — Feb 16-19 | Withlacoochee River Park, Florida
Daphne’s 7th Annual Sleepover — Feb 16-19 | Wellton, AZ (VW Campout)
Skoolie Swarm — Feb 16-25 | Melrose, FL
Reise + Camping Essen — Feb 28-Mar 3 | Essen, Germany

March
The Yorkshire Motorhome & Campervan Show — Mar 15-17 | Harrogate, UK
TinyFest California — Mar 16-17 | San Diego, CA
A Roam Of Our Own — Mar 21-24 | Palm Springs, CA (womxn only)
Camper Expo — Mar 15-17 | Utrecht, Netherlands
Red Rock 4-Wheelers Easter Jeep Safari — Mar 23-31 | Moab, UT
CamperFest — Mar 28-Apr 1 | Chester, Chestershire, UK

April
Revel Total Solar Eclipse In The Ozarks — Apr 5-9 | Ozarks, AR
Clubs Unite at the Beach — Apr 7 | Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, UK
Vee Dub Family Birthday Weekender Camp Out — Apr 12-14 | Brean, Somerset, UK
Revel Volcanic Overland Experience — Apr 12-14 | Oregon/California (w/ Backroad Van Adventures)
Adventure Van Expo — Apr 13-14 | Scottsdale, AZ
Weird Wild West — Apr 18-22 | Bisbee, AZ
Moore Expo — Apr 19-20 | Springfield, MO
Alive & Kickin — Apr 19-21 | Woolpit, Bury Saint Edmunds, UK
Dubs At The Mill — Apr 19-21 | Crewkerne, UK
Revel Club Big Bend Backroads — Apr 24-28 | Big Bend, TX
Revel Mojave Road Experience — Apr 25-28 | Mojave Desert, CA ( w/ Backroad Van Adventures)
Georgia Tiny House Festival — Apr 27-28 | Madison, GA
Adventure Van Expo — Apr 27-28 | Austin, TX
Camper Van Week-End — Apr 26-28 | Angers-Brissac, France

May
RendezVan — May 2-5 | Mt Bachelor, OR
Syncro-Fest — May 2-5 | Hollister Hills, CA
Campervan Campout — May 3-5 | Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK
VW Camp Out — May 3-6 | Budle Bay, Northumberland, UK
Adventure Van Expo — May 4-5 | San Juan Capistrano, CA
Derbyshire Dubs — May 9-12 | Wardlow, UK
VanWest — May 10-12 | Somerset, UK
GlampFest — May 10-12 | Scotton, Knaresborough, UK
Adventure Van Expo — May 11-12 | Santa Rosa, CA
Revel Flagstaff to Prescott — May 14-16 | Arizona
Camp Carpe Diem — May 16-20 | Hot Springs, AR
Overland Expo West — May 17-19 | Flagstaff, AZ
VW Breakout — May 17-19 | Wellingborough, UK
Revel & Vines — May 20-24 | Central Coast, CA (only 6 vans)
Dubs In The Middle — May 23-27 | Evesham, Worcestershire, UK
Volksfling — May 24-26 | Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
ClubFest — May 24-28 | Shropshire, UK
Revel In Baja — May 26-30 | Baja, Mexico
Vanlife Festival — May 31-Jun 2 | Shrewsbury, UK
VanJamboree — May 31-Jun 2 | Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, UK
Westest VW Fest — May 31-Jun 2 | Pembrokeshire, UK

June
Camper Tour England — Jun 2-16 | England & Wales
The Caravan — Jun 6-10 | Naturita, CO
Fort Desolation — Jun 6-8 | Torrey, UT
Volksfest Bristol — Jun 7-9 | Bristol, UK
Campers & Coffee — Jun 9 | Hailsham, UK
Revel 4x4 Off-Road Training Adventure — Jun 11-13 | Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (Fundamentals)
Revel 4x4 Off-Road Training Adventure — Jun 14-16 | Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (Intermediate/Advanced)
Mighty Dub Fest — Jun 14-16 | Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, UK
Camperlife @ Stratford — Jun 15 | Warwickshire, UK
Vanlife Iceland Midsummer Edition — Jun 15-22 | Iceland
The Bus Fair — Jun 21-23 | Oakridge, OR
FWC Owner’s Rally & Campout — Jun 21-23 | Tygh Valley, OR
VanLife Fest — Jun 21-23 | North Yorkshire, UK
Revel Coastal Oregon Experience — Jun 21-23 | Oregon
Adventure Van Expo — Jun 22-23 | Hood River, OR
Overland Expo PNW — Jun 28-30 | Redmond, OR
VanLife Michigan — Jun 28-30 | Hemlock, MI
Adventure Van Expo — Jun 29-30 | Boise, ID

July
Camper Jam — Jul 5-7 | Shropshire, UK
Vans In The Valley — Jul 5-7 | Richmond, North Yorkshire, UK
Camp Pride — Jul 9-12 | Camp Lane In Walton, OR
51st National Truck-In — Jul 10-14 | Greenfield, MA
Volks Power — Jul 11-14 | Redcar, UK
Dorset Volksfest — Jul 12-14 | Wareham, Dorset, UK
Colorado Tiny House Festival — Jul 13-14 | Brighton, CO
Dubs At The Castle — Jul 18-21 | Monmouthshire, UK
Holy Toledo — Jul 18-22 | Toledo, OR
Vanlove — Jul 19-21 | York, UK
Urban Van Festival — Jul 19-21 | East Sussex, UK
Dubbed Out Festival — Jul 25-28 | Cheshire, UK
Vanlife & Overlander Celebration — Jul 26-28 | Thatcham, Berkshire, UK
Bug Jam — Jul 26-28 | Wellingborough, UK
Dubs South Campout — Jul 26-28 | Hampshire, UK
Dinky Dub Fest — Jul 26-28 | Northumberland, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Jul 27-28 | Evergreen, CO
Revel Club Iceland/Norway — TBD | Iceland & Norway
Revel Club The Road To Alaska — TBD | Alaska

August
Kamper Fest — Aug 2-6 | Dover, UK
Skoolie U.P. — Aug 2-12 | Upper Peninsula Michigan
Slumber on the Humber — Aug 9-11 | Cabourne Parva, UK
VW Festival — Aug 9-11 | Harewood House, Leeds, UK
DubNess Gathering of the Vans — Aug 9-11 | Inverness, Scotland
Vanlife Iceland August #1 — Aug 10-17 | Iceland
Vanlife Iceland Lofoten #1 — Aug 10-17 | Lofoten, Iceland
Revel Olympic Peninsula Experience — Aug 15-18 | Washington (w/ Back Road Van Adventures)
Volksfest Wales — Aug 16-18 | Brecon, Wales, UK
V Dub At The Pub — Aug 16-18 | Dorset, UK
Cranium Campout — Aug 16-18 | Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove, UK
Vanlife Iceland August #2 — Aug 18-25 | Iceland
Vanlife Iceland Lofoten #2 — Aug 18-25 | Lofoten, Iceland
Overland Expo Mtn West — Aug 23-25 | Loveland, CO
Beach Gathering — Aug 23-26 | Northumberland, UK
Vanlife Eats — Aug 23-26 | Hampshire, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Aug 24-25 | Ballston Spa, NY
Northwest MogFest — TBD | Sheridan OR

September
Descend on Bend — Aug 30 - Sep 2 | Yamhill River, OR
Caravan Salon — Aug 31-Sep 8 | Düsseldorf, Germany
Busfest — Sep 6-8 | Malvern, Worcestershire, UK
Van Vibes Festival — Sep 6-8 | Surrey, UK
Volkswagen-Klassiker auf der Postalm — Sep 6-8 | Abtenau, Austria
Adventure Van Expo — Sep 7-8 | Enumclaw, WA
Campers & Coffee — Sep 8 | Hailsham, UK
Keweenaw Overland Adventure Retreat (KOAR) — Sep 12-15 | Copper Harbor, MI
Druridge Bay Campout — Sep 13-15 | Northumberland, UK
Adventure Van Expo — Sep 14-15 | North Lake Tahoe, CA
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights #1 — Sep 14-21 | Iceland
Adventure Overland Show — Sep 15-16 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
International Campervan Show — Sep 15-16 | Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Revel Club 4X4 Van Training — Sep 15-17 | Moab, UT
Camper Tour Appennines — Sep 15-19 | Apennines & South Italy
Vanquinox — Sep 19-22 | Grandjean, ID
VanWILD — Sep 19-22 | Montrose, CO
Northwest Nomads — Sep 19-23 | Fort Rock, OR
Revel Club Meetup 2024 — Sep 19-22 | Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Retro Dub Suffolk VW Festival — Sep 20-22 | Suffolk, UK
Vanlife Iceland Northern Lights #2— Sep 22-29 | Iceland
Dubs In T’Dales — Sep 27-29 | North Yorkshire, UK
Big Iron Overland Rally — Sep 27-28 | West Mineral, KS
VanFest NE Region — TBD | New England

October
Revel Club Great Divide Adventure — Oct 2-4 | Colorado
The Pilgrimage — Oct 3-6 | South Royalton, VT
Overland Expo East — Oct 4-6 | Arrington, VA
Oktoberfest UK — Oct 4-6 | Devon, UK
Moonlanding — Oct 10-14 | Sky View, NM
Adventure Van Expo — Oct 19-20 | Big Bear Lake, CA
C.H.A.S.M.Fest — Oct 25-28 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
Adventure Van Expo — Oct 26-27 | Ventura, CA
VanFest Utah — TBD | Hurricane, UT

November
Revel Texas Hill Country Tour — Nov 8-10 | Mason, TX
Florida Tiny House Festival — Nov 18-19 | Gainesville, FL
Touristik & Caravaning Leipzig — Nov 20-24 | Leipzig, Germany
Guangzhou International Motorhome Expo — Nov 21-24 | Guangzhou, China
VanLife Campers — Nov 22-23 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Auto Camping Caravan: Boot & Fun — Nov 28 - Dec 1 | Berlin, Germany
Poekhali (Let's Go Exhibition) — Nov 29 - Dec 1 | Moscow, Russia
10th Annual Chengdu International Caravan Festival — Nov 29 - Dec 1 | Chengdu City, China
Revel Club 4x4 Van Training — TBD | Ellenville, NY (w/ Northeast Off-Road Adventures)

December
Travel Turkey İzmir Outdoor — Dec 5-8 | Gaziemir/İzmir, Turkey
Doe Lake Swarm — Dec 6-12 | Ocala, FL
Karavanist (Caravan and Equipment Fair) — Dec 14-22 | Istanbul, Turkey
Revel Death Valley Experience — Dec 29 - Jan 1 | Death Valley, CA
Nomadic Creatives — Dec 31 | Northwest, AZ

TBD / Postponed
Arizona Outdoor Adventure Fest — TBD | Scottsdale, AZ
Camp Quirky — Returning 2025 | Northamptonshire, UK
Outdoor Adventure X — TBD | Huntsville, UT
Small Home Expo — TBD | Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Rose Fest — TBD | Salida, CO
People's Tiny House Festival — TBD | Loveland, CO
Open Roads — TBD | McCall, ID
Midwest Vanlife — TBD | Makanda, IL
Vanlife Australia — TBD | Bundjalung Region, Gold Coast, Australia
Wandering Footprint — TBD | Saanichton, BC
Out To Grass — TBD | Worcestershire, UK

Other
Sēkr App — Community Based Events
Good Vibe Collective — Various Events Throughout The Year
Buddhist Boondockers — Regular Meetups Throughout The Year
Seattle Vanlife Meetup — Monthly Seattle Meetup
Vanlife & Nomadic Living — San Diego Meetups
Nomads Unite — East Coast Field Trips & Gatherings
Vanlife & Nomads (USA) — Facebook Group w/ Events Posted
Project Van Life — Yearly Online Summit
Xscapers — Yearly Events For Members
Black Nomads Meet — Black Nomadic Community Gatherings
Home On Wheels Alliance — Virtual Caravan Connections

If you know of any events that aren’t listed, please leave a comment with link so I can add it!

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Moving From California To Washington

Bellingham Bay Sunset

I am often asked why I moved to Washington state from California. People wonder why I would leave the “golden state” and go to a place known for cloudy skies and endless rain. After all, Washington is called the ‘evergreen state” for a reason. I was a little nervous myself since I’m not a fan of rain and have been spoiled most of my life living with lots of sunshine and mild winters. The only time I have ever been in the Pacific Northwest prior to 2016 was for Expo 86 in Vancouver BC that my Mom took me to when I was 14 years old. I should note that I barely remember that trip other than the monorail. I never really had the urge to visit Oregon or Washington as an adult, though the Seattle music scene did peak some interest while I was in my 30’s, yet I still never considered visiting or moving there because it has more rainy days (156 days) than most major cities. My perception changed in 2016 when I went on my first official PNW trip as an adult, which I wrote about previously.

Hood Canal Sunset

Because I fell in love with Oregon and Washington in 2016, once I bought my RV, I went to explore those states even more, which reaffirmed my affection for the PNW. As many of you already know, I take my cat Maverick with me on all my road trips, and at the time, I was blogging from his perspective, therefore, you can read all about my 2nd PNW trip in Summer 2017 from his blog, as well as my Thanksgiving trip that same year caravanning with my vanlife buddy Chris and his cat Michi. Maverick even blogged about the time I explored the Portland Japanese Garden, which I highly recommend visiting, especially in the fall when the leaves change into bright autumn colors.

I wanted to move out of California for about a decade. The summers were getting too hot for my liking with more days over 100*F and many winters were often filled with months of endless rain. I no longer felt joy living in the Bay Area as I did when I was younger. Back in the 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s, I really loved everything about the Mediterranean climate — an ideal mix of sunny summers and mild winters. For most of my career, it also meant great pay working in the semiconductor realm with stock options at pre-IPO companies. Traffic wasn’t too bad either and most of my commutes were only 15-30 minutes. But all that changed in the 2010’s when traffic increased exponentially and my commute became 1 hour each way in horrific, slow-moving gridlock. The warmer temperatures started in May and lasted into October, which led to many lethargic months of staying indoors or hanging out at my pool because I sweat easily. Even going to the beach or to the woods to cool off seemed exhausting knowing that traffic would be terrible to get anywhere.

I knew that once I sold my house in California (photos above), I would probably never be able to move back. I had an incredible deal on my house with a low mortgage balance, low interest rate, and low property tax, which I would never be able to get again, therefore, the decision to move likely meant never living in California again. Leaving the life I build for 25 years had its challenges too as I would be far away from the friendships I had nurtured for a long time and became dependent on. In addition, I knew that I would have to let go of my established side-business in the local music scene. Having lost my parents in 2013 and 2015 did make moving easier because I didn’t have any close family left locally to influence my decision. The shelter-in-place order that arose from the spread of COVID-19 also played a factor since all the social activities that I thrived on were basically halted, leaving me with little purpose and lots of alone time.

Photo by Brett Baunton

The last piece of the puzzle that brought me to move was the trip that changed my life in Sept/Oct 2020. Falling in love with Bellingham was unexpected but understandable. Whatcom County has around 225K residents which is a refreshing change from the hustle-and-bustle of Silicon Valley life. Did you know there are over 7 million people in the entire Bay Area?!? I knew that my quality of life would be much greater here with more access to nature, less traffic, and a slower-paced lifestyle that would lead to less stress and more outdoor activities. Being a lover of water, Bellingham appealed to me for its bay and access to the Salish Sea, as well as the 5000-acre Lake Whatcom and other nearby lakes. Basically it’s a cross between California and Europe, bringing together sea-level beaches with ocean waters and a spectacular snow-capped mountain range within a 1.5 hour drive, and adding in various lakes of different sizes with recreational activities. Where else in the USA can you ski and sea kayak in the same day?

Lake Whatcom Sunset

I was also surprised by the weather as I expected to be inundated with rain. Turns out, Bellingham's climate is generally mild and typical of the Pacific Northwes, getting around 39” of rain per year, which is less than Chicago, New York, and Houston. Unlike the rainfall I was used to in California, which was mainly a downpour for days, Bellingham’s rain is quite different. Mainly it’s a light sprinkle which doesn’t even require an umbrella. Bellingham is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which is why it gets less rain than other parts of the state. Even though the dreariness index shows Northwestern Washington at the top, I highly disagree with this report, which also puts hot-as-hell Phoenix as least dreary place to live. What most of these data sites don’t take into account is that what is considered a rainy day means there was rainfall at some point throughout the day. It does not consider that the rain could have fallen before I woke up in the morning and that the cloud cover opened up to a sunny day, which is often what happens here. I personally love the drizzle as it keeps plants happy and the state green.

Lake Louise — Sudden Valley

I have lived in Bellingham for almost 3 years now. It was an eye-opening move at first due to the pandemic since most businesses were still closed and I didn’t know anyone here. Let’s just say that February through April were hard and lonely, spending a lot of time indoors and on the drop-in audio app Clubhouse — I actually met my good friend and fellow PNW Blogger Aimee on that app, as well as some awesome vanlifers/nomads that I’m still in touch with. But in Spring 2021, restaurants started to open again and meetups for hikes and outdoor social events were in full effect. Turns out all the people who moved to this area were looking for friends and activities just like me and I started to make friends. If you’ve ever heard of the “Seattle Freeze,” it’s a real thing and extends to the a lot of Northwestern Washington. Therefore, all the transplants find one another through various groups and activities and bond. The Meetup app was a lifesaver for me as I met many of my friends circle via various groups on there.

My Lovely House

I should also note that I really love my house. Despite being 20 minutes from town, it is in the forest near a small lake named Lake Louise and has a modern look-and-feel to it, which is what caught my interest in the first place when I saw the listing. I’m also in a community right on Lake Whatcom, which gives me easy access to this incredibly large lake. Did I mention that I bought my house sight-unseen? I have tons of gorgeous local, regional, and unique art hanging so I have joy everywhere I look, making it almost feel like an an art gallery. I do get a little snowfall each winter, mainly a dusting of snow, but there is about one week in which we get a few inches that stick. I don’t mind having that “Winter Wonderland” feeling for a week and then all the snow melting. Did I mention I also see lots of rainbows now, which is something I hardly ever saw in California! And as you can see in some of the photos in this blog post, I have witnessed some stunning sunsets here, as well as some incredible sunrises. Both the “opacarophile” (sunset lover) and “thalassophile” (ocean lover) in me are beyond thrilled to live in such a gorgeous state!

My life here is pretty easy-going and filled with lots of activities. I took up archery, go axe throwing, learned to paddleboard and kayak, started playing pickleball (the official sport of WA), got my groove on with salsa dancing lessons, and even attend a local logging show. I started to hike and spend more days outdoors in nature — though I don’t do any big hikes, mainly just 1-6 miles on trails with limited elevation gain. My most challenging hike so far has been the Fragrance Lake Two Dollar Trail Loop in Larrabee State Park. I especially love that I can drive 5-10 minutes and hike a forested area for a few miles and feel like I’m nowhere near a city — Whatcom Falls Park, Stimpson Nature Reserve, and Squires Lake are some of those go-to places. My favorite things about living here are Boulevard Park and the South Bay Trail (lovely waterfront stroll and hangout), Squalicum Harbor and Zuanich Point Park (local harbor park), Lake Padden Park (beautiful 2.6 mile walk), Sehome Hill Arboretum (with a cool observation tower), Semiahmoo Spit (especially during extreme low tides), Chuckanut Drive Scenic Byway (known as the Big Sur of WA), Samish Overlook (for sunsets), and Peach Arch Park (on the Canadian border). I’ve also enjoyed exploring Seattle, including the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, and the Washington Park Arboretum. If you’re ever in the area around Memorial Weekend, you have to see the Ski To Sea relay race which goes from Mt Baker to Marine Park with eight racers competing in seven different sports: cross country ski, downhill ski/snowboard, running, road bike, canoe (2 paddlers), cyclocross bike, and sea kayak.

Photo from Scenic Washington

By the way, the famous saying “live like the mountain is out” in Seattle about Mt Rainier also applies to Bellingham. Even though Mount Baker is only 10,781 feet to Mount Rainier’s 14,411 feet (the tallest in the Cascade Range), its prominence can still be felt all over Whatcom County. Baker (aka Kulshan) is often covered in clouds just like Rainier (aka Tahoma), so when this stratovolcano shows itself, it is a majestic sight! Driving up to Artist Point every summer is a magnificent experience, hiking around and seeing all the mountains of the North Cascades, plus seeing Mount Shuksan reflecting off Picture Lake is a must-see stop! En route you can also check out Nooksack Falls and Silver Lake Park since they are just off Mt. Baker Highway (SR-542). On a side note, I love this Lummi story about Komo Kulshan & His Two Wives, which is about Mt Baker and Twin Sisters.

I also love exploring my new state, going on road trips, camping at various places, and experiencing all that Washington has to offer. So far I’ve camped at Bay View State Park, Deception Pass State Park, Birch Bay State Park, Moran State Park (on Orcas Island), Dungeness Recreation Area, Bowman Bay, and Grayland Beach State Park. I have explored around the Olympic Peninsula, mainly Sequim, Port Angeles, Crescent Lake, Sol Doc Falls, Neah Bay and Cape Flattery (both on the Makah Reservation), Forks, Hoh Rainforest, Rialto Beach, Ruby Beach, and Kalaloch. I spent some time in Westport and Cape Disappointment in the Southwestern part of the state, went to Winterfest at Lake Chelan, and I did some island hoping in the San Juan Islands. I also love seeing and attending the Tulip Festival every spring, which Skagit Valley is known for. I have yet to go to North Cascades National Park and see Lake Diablo — I’ve had camping reservations twice now which got cancelled due to covid in 2022 and a horrible fire in 2023. I also still need to explore Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens more, head over to Leavenworth, Winthrop, and Mazama, and eventually check out Eastern Washington and the Walla Walla Valley wine region in the southeast with a stop at Palouse Falls.

In addition to Washington travel, I am so close to British Columbia that I’m exploring Canada too! I’ve been to Vancouver a few times now and often go to concert there instead of Seattle since it’s closer and there’s less traffic. In October 2022, I took my van around Vancouver Island exploring Victoria, Tofino, Ucluelet and a lot in between, which turned out to be an unforgettable road trip. I fell in love with this huge island and can’t wait to explore it even more! I plan to explore other parts of BC in 2024, including a road-trip around the Sunshine Coast, as well as visits to Capilano Suspension Bridge, Squamish, and Whistler.

Reflection Point — Lake Sutherland

I also invested in a beautiful lakefront home on the Olympic Peninsula at Lake Sutherland this year with my brother after selling our Mom’s home in Florida. This lake house, which I have named “Reflection Point” is available on Airbnb for rent, plus I get to enjoy spending time there when it’s not booked.

As you can see, I do not regret moving to Washington. Living here has been a dream come true and has exceeded all my expectations. I am the happiest I have been in life and I look forward to every day. If you have the same misconception as I did about the Pacific Northwest and the climate here, I urge you to visit this stunning upper left part of the country. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and understand why moving here was the best decision of my life!

PS: my plan is to blog more about all these places I have visited, so stay tuned!

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My Intro To Vanlife & 1st PNW Trip

In February 2016, I met a man named Jesse (on the dating app Bumble) who lived in a Great West Dodge Sprinter van with his cat Bandit. I was a little skeptical about a grown man living in a van, but he referred to himself as a “digital nomad” and I was curious. We met up for dinner and had a nice conversation, after which he showed me the van he moved into the month prior. It was a nice van with a kitchen, a bathroom with shower, and a comfortable bed. The curtains, textiles, and colors were a bit outdated but when I heard the price he paid, it was very reasonable. Jesse was very excited about vanlife and explained to me why he chose that lifestyle versus living in a “stick and brick” (as he called an apartment or house).

Jesse was inspired by a young Google employee who lived in a box truck in the parking lot that was getting a lot of press. With exorbitant cost of rent in the San Francisco Bay Area, he also wanted to save his hard-earned money and retire at an earlier age, which vanlife allowed him to do. The vanlife movement was just starting to take off at that time, and he was saving 80% or more of his income by not paying rent. Even though I initially had some reservations about dating a guy who lived in a van, I did understand his reasoning for the decision and really enjoyed learning about vanlife living from him.

My introduction to vanlife was local weekend getaways during which I learned what sleeping and cooking in a van was like, how to find good overnight spots, how many beautiful places there were around the Bay Area that I never knew about, and how this lifestyle really allowed you to explore and enjoy nature and the surroundings. As a travel enthusiast, I was hooked pretty quickly! A few months later, Jesse was planning a trip to Seattle for an Ayn Rand convention and asked if I wanted to go since it was during my birthday, to which I immediately said yes. Despite living the Bay Area most of my life, I had never been to Oregon or Washington, nor had I been to most of the Northern California. As you can imagine, I was super excited to see and explore the Pacific Northwest!

We set off on our week-long trip at the end of June from San Francisco towards Bodega Bay, then drove north on Highway 1 along the California coast passing various small coastal towns. For some reason, I remember passing this cute little cemetery along the highway just south of Mendocino with grave stones lined up on the cliffside bordered by tall trees and thinking what a beautiful place to be laid to rest. We found a great spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of Fort Bragg, made dinner, and fell asleep to the sound of waves crashing below the cliff.

Waking up to the sound and views of the ocean is probably one of my favorite things, so that next morning was an absolute joy and a great way to start off this epic trip. We headed north to Highway 101 since the region north of Fort Bragg all the way to Eureka is mostly undeveloped without any major roads and referred to as the Lost Coast. The 25-mile-long trail through that area is a backpackers dream, though there is one road from 101 to Shelter Cove that vehicles can utilize to see a section of that coastline. Jesse and I enjoyed driving through the Avenue of the Giants near Myers Flat, then we continued north where the highway meets the ocean again and stopped in a charming little community called Westhaven-Moonstone. We spent the night at the Trinidad Northbound Rest Area, which is off the highway tucked into the forest and honestly a great place to get some rest.

On our third day, we headed north into Oregon and I was enthralled by how beautiful the coastline is! I know California is famous for Big Sur, but the Oregon coast rivals that easily, with pristine beaches and rocky bluffs for miles and miles. The Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor is probably one of the most stunning places along the West Coast! To cover a lot of distance, we drove a lot that day, all the way to Yachats, known for the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. I had read about Thor’s Well on Atlas Obscura but we had no idea that whole area, known as Cook’s Chasm, was going to be as incredible as it was! We ended up finding this awesome little park on the highway to spend the night, which turned out to have stairs down to the beach with a river going under nice-looking bride. There was a day-use-only sign but we decided to chance it anyways, and luckily didn’t get bothered.

We continued north through Oregon all the way to Tillamook Creamery, where we stopped to grab some cheese-laden dishes and delicious ice cream, which we ate on Nedonna Beach enjoying the ocean view. We made another quick stop at Haystack Rock, which I wanted to see because of the movie The Goonies. From there we got back on the road driving over the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington, stopping quickly at the Dismal Nitch to take a photo of the WA sign. We worked our way up the Olympic Peninsula, decided to take a dip in Lake Quinault to freshen up (the water was super cold), and then right at dusk we luckily found a dirt turn-off on the side of the road that took us to this amazing open space on the cliffs by the ocean, where we spent the night. It was one of the most secluded, perfect spots that we could have discovered, and we had it all to ourselves.

The next morning was my birthday, so Jesse made me bacon and eggs in a smiley face on the plate. We had to get to Seattle by 3pm, therefore, we drove around the Olympic Peninsula without stopping at any of the amazing places I would have loved to see. That drive took us through Forks (made famous by the Twilight series), then along Crescent Lake (we did make a quick stop the La Poel Picnic Area to revel at this glacial lake’s incredible beauty), then through Port Angeles and Sequim, and finally all the way around to Bainbridge Island, from which we took the ferry to Seattle. It was a gorgeous sunny day and I was in awe of the Emerald City and its iconic skyline with the Space Needle! Seeing Mount Rainier in all its glory looming in the background was also quite stunning — I can see why locals talk about whether the mountain is out since the visibility of this large active stratovolcano makes a huge impact. Did you know that due to its high probability of an eruption in the near future, Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world and it is on the Decade Volcanoes list?!?

Jesse forgot to buy tickets to the Ayn Rand Convention he had wanted to attend, which was sold out when we arrived in Bellevue, so our plans veered into a new direction and we decided to check out downtown Seattle instead. We stopped at a cider bar, walked around Belltown, and ended up having a fancy dinner at The Metropolitan Grill, voted the best steakhouse in Seattle. We spent the night on the streets by Ruby Chow Park, an overnight spot Jesse found on Freecampsites.net, a website many vanlifers use to find places to park. It wasn’t the most ideal location, but at least it was next to a park and away from downtown traffic.

The following morning we headed out of Seattle and passed Oxbow Park which features a 44' wide cowboy hat and 22' high boots known as "Hat n' Boots." My boss (who was from Seattle) told me prior to the trip that we had to see Snoqualmie Falls and he was right — this 270’ waterfall was majestic to see and totally worth the drive! Then we headed to Mount Rainier National Park and drove around various viewpoints to witness the enormous footprint Mount Rainier has and even caught a glimpse of a small waterfall near Paradise. We secured a campsite at White River Campground on the northeastern section of the park with the highest elevation of all three drive-in campgrounds on Mt Rainier, where we enjoyed a campfire dinner in the charming forested canopy.

July 4th was another busy day of driving. Jesse really enjoys finding remote and unique overnight spots, therefore, we drove around the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to various spots he had saved on his phone (since there’s no service in that area) to see how viable they were to spend the night. We found some really cool places on dirt roads and along rivers which would have been ideal, but instead of staying in the area, we decided to check out Mount St Helens. Sadly the weather was a bit overcast and we couldn’t see the cratered peak that well as it was engulfed in clouds. I did enjoy seeing Spirit Lake and learning more about the eruption from all the roadside interpretive signs and how it altered the landscape. We headed further south and stopped at Swift Reservoir for a quick swim but the water so surprisingly cold considering it was July. We ended up along the Columbia River Gorge early that evening, saw the Bonneville Dam, then found a wonderful spot along the railroad tracks just west of Stevenson on the Washington side of the river. We cooked a steak dinner and watched the fireworks over Cascade Locks after a spectacular sunset.

The next day we headed over the Bridge of the Gods into Oregon and stopped at Multnomah Falls, the tallest and most famous waterfall in the state. We headed into Portland for breakfast at Pine State Biscuits that a good friend of mine recommended and enjoyed their delicious Reggie Deluxe breakfast sandwich. Afterwards, we drove towards Mount Hood with a stop at Trillium Lake, which I absolutely fell in love with. I thought Oregon’s High Desert was quite fascinating as we headed through Warm Springs with a quick stop along the Deschutes River before heading into Madras. Seeing the Cascade Mountains to the west as we drove down Route 97 was quite lovely, with magnificent glimpses of Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, and more. We ended that day at Crater Lake National Park enjoying the incredible views of this deepest and most pristine lake in the USA. We spent the night just outside the park at one of the big turnouts and were inundated with mosquitos when the sun went down — by inundated I mean that it was a mosquito blackout that you couldn’t see through, something I have never experienced before!

Sadly our road-trip was coming to an end so our last day consisted of us driving home from Southern Oregon into California through Klamath Falls, Weed, Mount Shasta, and Dunsmuir, with a pitstop at Lake Shasta due to heavy traffic. We found a dirt road that led to a nice spot on the Sacramento River Arm where we ate some lunch and got into the lake to cool off. We drove the final stretch home through California’s Central Valley with views of various agriculture and sunflower fields and finally made it home to the Bay Area.

It was a magical and memorable first trip to the Pacific Northwest despite the fact that Jesse and I broke up later that year. He showed me a whole new world of exploration that I had never imagined before, which left such an impact on me that I bought an RV in December 2016 and started going on solo road trips, including multiple trips to Oregon and Washington in 2017, 2018, and 2020! My life is completely different now due to vanlife so I guess I have Jesse to thank for that.

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