Adventure: The Cost

Being able to travel the world for an entire summer in a tiny house on wheels has been a boon for which I am eternally grateful. Having an incredible co-pilot to help plot the course, research destinations, and to share in the experiences has also been something for which I am exceptionally thankful. In life it is not often the case where we find ourselves "having the cake and eating it to." (Which is a weird saying because if I have cake, trust me, I'm eating it.) 

Yet this journey across the continent has been exactly that. I have always wanted to travel and see the world. My first thoughts as a growing man were to be an educator, because let's face it, having summers off is awesome! When I left teaching though, I didn't know how else I would ever be able to enjoy a seasonal lifestyle again. It was by chance that I came upon the seasonal gig by which I am now employed, and though it is not a glamorous endeavor and I have little love for the actual work, I do love the lifestyle it provides. Who else has the freedom and the means to travel as though they are retired for several months a year. Most folks at best are given a few holidays and 2 weeks of paid vacation if they earn it. Maybe they have a few sick days, but if they use them they get chastised for it, and if they don't, those sick days never seem to have any value at all and just keep piling up, year after year. This past summer's adventure was not the first of its kind, and I am hopeful that it won't be the last. 

After driving over 14,000 miles in 81 days, having the opportunity to bask in the desert sun in southern Utah (with a man-made lake by our side)

Wilson enjoying the Utah sun at Ken's Lake

and "swim" in the Pacific ocean off the coast of northern California;

Freezing in the Pacific Ocean

after swimming in mirrored glacial lakes in Jasper NP in Alberta Canada,

and hiking among the beauty and serenity of vast mountain ranges and incredible natural beauty in 18 National Parks in our hemisphere,

Yosemite

being high above the clouds on the tallest mountains and walking through giant chasms 200 feet below the surface of the earth;

Mammoth Cave KY

after hours spent watching boiling water spew forth from deep chambers in the Earth's crust, 

Castle Geyser

and several nights staring up at the uncountable stars in deep and dark skies including one watching the Perseid meteor shower while snuggled under a blanket;

Wilson wearing his pajamas, Coastal Oregon

after having floated in some of the saltiest water found on earth, after scorching the skin off of our feet on the sand and wafting thousands of bugs away in order to get there;

Trekking to the Great Salt Lake

after having been able to float serenely in the (then) gentle and surprisingly temperate water of the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area),

Lake Superior

and after soaking in several natural hot springs in 2 different countries;

Spencer Hot Springs in Nevada

after having visited with friends and family from all over the place, and after having braved an entire night in the humidity of southern Louisiana inside a tiny space with two tiny oscillating fans with sweat dripping from our entire bodies; after having our faithful machine blow a hose (which we were somehow able to MacGyver and get safely back to town) at the base of a majestic mountain known as Edith Cavell, 

Mt Edith Cavell, Jasper NP

after playing on mirrored beaches with waves crashing while the sky exploded with colors,

Neptune Beach on the Oregon Coast

and after countless stories being written in the sands of time; 

Scorching heat and hot sand at Pine Tree Arch (Arches NP)

after all of this, I feel pretty confident in saying that though there is a cost, it is always worth it.

Half Dome at Sunset with Vernal and Nevada Falls (Yosemite NP)

We've heard the eerie sound of loons calling out in the darkness, we've heard the sound of ocean waves crashing on the shores while we napped happily in the back of the bus, 

Northern California Beach

we've felt the intense heat of the desert sun, we've seen the Milky Way smeared across the darkest skies, 

Milky Way Galaxy as seen from Canyonlands NP, Utah

we've seen the sun set 3 times in one night, (behind different mountains as we drove west) and we've heard eagles screaming, owls hooting, and wolves howling. 

Golden Eagle in Flight (Colorado)

We've heard the rain on our roof and the roaring and thundering of a variety of North American waterfalls.

Bridal Veil Falls Yosemite NP

We've listened to streams that splash and brooks that babble and we've washed out the sound of idling trucks with a sound machine app to get some much needed sleep in truck stops and parking lots. We saw things that were living and those that have died, mostly they were all on the roadside. We saw bison and elk, pronghorns and eagles, bears (both black and brown) and a fox. 

Momma Grizzly Bear and Baby playing in the stream. (Waterton Lakes NP)

We saw free range domestics like horses and cows, donkeys and llamas, but we also saw mule deer and even a coyote too. We've laughed and we've cried. We got angry and mad, made up and felt sad. We dealt with road rage and stared out of the windows and dreamed. We listened to music and debated politics as well as religion, became frustrated and screamed, but at the end of the day it was love that kept us moving forward. We had goals and deadlines and we surpassed them both. An adventure of this magnitude can only be described as epic, or "once in a lifetime". It was incredible. 

So what does an adventure like this really cost? I'll tell you plainly; limited social life, limited spending, increased winter earnings, and a couple of broken hearts. Living the dream is not all sunshine and rainbows. It is often cheap dinners and oatmeal breakfast. It is winters spent working long hours including weekends, Friday nights asleep on the couch by 9 and living with your parents. It is heart ache. It is crying out in emotional pain. Tears dripping down our faces. My heart aches today because many miles away, sleeps a beautiful young lady; my copilot, my navigator, my love. We sleep alone at night not knowing when or if we'll see each other again. And even so I say this, dare to dream. Dare to go. Adventure is waiting and it is worth the cost. 

Wilson watching the sunset and waiting for Great Fountain to erupt.

Identifiably Noticeable

Being in an antique vehicle (over 25 years old) with a unique look really makes for a different way of travel. And I'm not just talking about being in the slow lane here, I mean people notice you and often have something to ask or to say. Sometimes it's really fun because people smile and wave as they drive by. Sometimes they are current Vanagon owners flashing a peace sign. Sometimes there's a kid on a bike shouting "Sweet ride!" or a kid in a backseat waving frantically hoping to get your attention as their parents tap the horn of their Jetta. Sometimes these people have memories of when their father, uncle or cousin used to own one and other times they just appreciate the vehicle for what it is, a tiny house on wheels.

Oregon sunset, Neptune Beach

Sometimes these people start conversations with us if they catch up at a stop light, a rest area or a parking lot. Sometimes they say "Nice van" or ask "Is that a camper?" or "What year is it?" Most of these conversations are brief, but some of them go on for a while which creates a sort of celebrity feel for us travelers. Most of the time we are excited to talk and answer the same couple of questions with as much enthusiasm as if it were the first time we were approached that day. Sometimes though, we are engaged in other things, but we always acknowledge the folks. (Sorry if we've ever given you a "cold shoulder,"  it's not you, it's us.)

Yellowstone Lake

Another part of the whole being identifiable thing is that we can park in a giant parking lot and always find our vehicle. (No playing "Where's Wilson" for us.) I know I am not the only one to have forgotten where I parked my car. Sometimes I feel silly checking up and down a few rows looking for it. Some folks have the benefit of a key that makes their horn beep to help them find it. That has never been me. Anyway, at a concert a few weeks back, I was pleased when we were able to locate Wilson from a distance. We had gotten turned around upon leaving the venue and ended up in a different lot. Of course we forgot to take note of the lettered sections as we walked in, but we were still able to locate our van with relative ease.

The fireworks didn't hurt

Being able to notice my vehicle from afar has gotten me into the habit of taking photos of Wilson from various vantage points in National Parks and other places of interest. Sometimes I can see Wilson smiling happily in a parking lot from way up on top of a mountain, from in a lake or out on an overlook, and if the opportunity presents itself I snap a photo. Maybe all Vanagon owners do this? I don't know.

Tioga Pass

Lake Tahoe

Rocky Mountain NP

Being identifiable means that folks will recognize you for good or bad. Late one night in Yellowstone we were startled by an insistent tapping on the outside of the van. You see, there are a few geysers that are forecasted in the park and only one of them is outside of the geyser basin where Old Faithful is located.

Great Fountain before it erupted

Great Fountain is located on a small one-way road that takes you out and around to a bubbling lake. That night the geyser was forecasted to go off between 8:10pm and 12:10am. It's a large window of time, so we decided to cook dinner, have a few beers, and wait as night fell. The plan was fantastic except that we hadn't really expected it to begin gushing at 10:30 and last for over an hour. So by the time we watched the final bursts of boiling water and steam spew forth from the deep underground chamber, we decided to treat the parking area like our new home for the night. Some other concession-type park employees that were present encouraged us in our decision and said it should be fine.
Well, it turns out that the area actually is patrolled by Rangers and one of them tapped on our windows just as we were dozing off. So much for that idea! I shot from the hip a bit and said that we were only planning to nap since it was late and I was too tired to drive. The Ranger agreed that it was better that I rest and not get in an accident with anything, including a bison. He even offered to allow us to spend the night, but I didn't want to be marked as the stealth camper to look out for, so I told him we would head back to the KOA after I napped.
Considering the distance to the KOA was too great, at 4am I drove to a nearby campground inside the park and I thought I had found a spot in a first come first serve situation. However, when I got up at 7 to go speak to the campground official, I found out I was mistaken and this particular campground was for reservations only. The woman was nice enough about it, but I was dumbfounded by the fact that she kept saying they didn't have any space when I was obviously already in an empty spot.

Great Fountain as seen in the headlights.
Unfortunately the photo does it no justice.
The water erupted over 100 feet in the air. 

Later that day we started talking with a couple of fellas out of Dallas TX. They began with a comment about the van and eventually mentioned that they saw us camped out right next to them that morning. They wondered if we would be back. Before I could explain our convoluted situation, they invited us to share their site if we weren't able to find one. At that time, however,  we had actually searched out and paid for another site in the park.
There is another story of a woman we met who started a conversation with "Nice van" and continued to tell us about her dream of traveling the country in a van. She then said she couldn't because of her kids, of which she had two with her, so we said, "Why not take em with you?" She then replied that she had 6! Might wanna buy a bus instead?

Even the international travelers love the van! We spoke to one Japanese woman, who married an American, that was so excited she asked if she could take photographs of our van. She then spent some time speaking with my copilot while I spoke with her husband. Before too long she was inviting us to visit their home in Arizona. Had we been headed that direction we may have taken her up on the offer.
Different states seemed to receive us with more enthusiasm than others. Kentucky was our last state to travel through and it is most recent in my memory. I had already begun writing this blog by then, so maybe it was really at the forefront of my mind, but in the 2 nights we were there, I felt there was hardly a moment when someone wasn't asking us about our van. Much love to KY!

Lastly, (this is a first for me and I was completely unaware that this was even a thing with these vans), one day in Yellowstone I overheard a man say "slug bug van, no slug backs" to one of his children as he walked by. When we were growing up, let's say I noticed a blue VW Beetle I'd say "Punch buggy blue, no punch backs." Then I'd punch my brother in the arm. Never waste an opportunity to punch your brother in the arm, but make it count because the next opportunity he gets, he'll get you back.
Being noticed or identifiable isn't a negative thing, but it is different. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Vanagon community and enjoy meeting and greeting the folks we encounter. Stay classy out there and keep them questions coming!

The other side is not always the dark side

Welcome to Canada!

It's not quite the upside down, the matrix or wonderland but there was a fella here that asked me to help him find his white rabbit. In Canada, things are sometimes subtly different, but mostly they are often the very same. I mean to say that they sell gasoline for a dollar ten, but it's a Canadian dollar and you only get a liter. Also distances and speeds are measured in kilometers and there are subtle differences in the roads and their signage. We are not a couple of math geniuses but it's fun to play "let's try to convert this." In a Vanagon, the kilometers are written very small on the speedometer, so it pays to have a gps that can display metric units. There were a few stressful moments when, as a driver, I wasn't sure where I was supposed to turn or in which direction we were supposed to go. The signs on the roadways are often small and there are almost no advertisements. In this way Canada reminded me a lot of Vermont. 

Talking to locals and those who know things is one of the things that still works exactly the same. For example we pulled into Manning Park without a clue what we were going to do. I noticed a kiosk with camping information so I  pulled up to it. While we were looking over a brochure a young man engages us with a couple of questions like: "Where are you from, where are you going and where do you plan to stay?" He inquires politely so of course we answered honestly and quickly and included "Haven't a clue. We just got here. What do you suggest?" And from there he informed us of places to camp and shower for free, places to visit and landmarks and other incredible sights to see throughout British Columbia and Alberta. We talked at length and added several must sees to our master list. 

Over the next few days we snaked our way north and east to Jasper and I noticed how much Canada continued to be much like the US. At the same time I recognized the ways in which it is very much its own country. The people are polite and friendly and one fella even said that he lives in Arizona during the winter months. Mostly the people we met spoke English and some of them have thick Canadian accents. I guess I should have expected that eh? We found a few folks in the parks that only spoke French but even they had a small amount of English they could use. Road signs were also frequently written in the two languages. 

Other subtle differences are found in supermarkets. The labels on packages are similar but instead of being written in English and Spanish, the labels are in English and French. Some products are exactly the same, but others are not. We found out at a restaurant that they carry a product known as HP steak sauce, while in the States we are accustomed to A1. HP is sweeter. A Kit-Kat exists in both countries but the packaging and the product are very different. Chocolates are also sweeter here and they have an m&m type product called Smarties.

The mountains often look steeper and the towns and cities are spread apart. The highways are often only two lanes and there has been very little in the way of traffic. Actually the only time we saw any traffic at all the highway was backed up for several miles. A tractor trailer had rolled over and thankfully, we were headed in the other direction at the time.

The parks here have been beautiful and the waterfalls have been spectacular. If you get the chance to visit Wells Gray Park, do it. The waterfalls cut through layers of volcanic lava flows and they will blow your mind. Another incredible Waterfall is in Yoho NP, so if you are in the area it is worth the drive up the switchbacked road. (Besides, you only happen once, right?) We enjoyed relaxing in the hot springs and swimming in a couple of lakes in Jasper. In Banff we stopped in at Lake Louise and also took a walk to the toe of a glacier. On the other hand, we found the information brochures and maps to be uninformative and rather skeletal at best. The signage was also not very good, but I did like how they had little wooden signs along the road that pointed out which mountain was which. 

Lastly, we found that our good mojo has continued to follow us on our adventure. When Wilson was wounded in battle and he lay bleeding at the foot of Mount Edith Covell, we had a stressful day in the triage center operating room, so we decided to cap the night off with a soak in the Hot Spring pools of the park. Despite our troubles, we greeted the attendant with smiles on our faces. He responded to our joy with a bit of surprise and his face lit up. I'm speculating here but maybe he also had a rough day and in appreciation of our good nature, he invited us to be his guests and allowed us to soak in the invigorating pools for Free! We thanked him and in what we found to be a very Canadian manner of speech he replied cheerfully, "No worries!". 

More lessons from the road...

Sometimes you just have to be a tourist. If you aren't stopping to enjoy the places you visit and taking pictures and listening to the birds or having a picnic lunch at a beautiful overlook or snacking by a waterfall, even if it means you have to buy an overpriced ice cream cone to do it, then you might as well have just stayed home. Being a tourist isn't a bad thing, wearing a fanny pack and slinging a decent camera over your shoulder are often worth the while, so don't be afraid to do it. A backpack is another great thing to carry. Add snacks, a water bottle, a headlamp or flashlight and a few articles of clothing to any adventure so you can be ready for anything. Also, it helps to have something to carry your towel in. (Remember to always know where your towel is).

Use the Google- I often wonder what life was like before Google. I mean, I know I lived in that time, but traveling with infinite knowledge and information at your fingertips (if you have cell service) is an absolute dream. Being able to think of a song and then "requesting" to hear it on YouTube, or researching places you are about to visit and getting pertinent facts and information in a moment's notice is absolutely priceless. When we were headed to Mount Rainier my co-pilot was reading through several web pages and shared some really cool facts about the still active, decade volcano we were headed towards. If you don't know what it means for something to be a decade volcano, well, Google it. We learned that the most dangerous part of an eruption from Mount Rainier is actually not lava or pyroclastic flow, but something called lahars which are hot mud flows that will impact a very large area, likely destroying and killing a large amount of property and people. Anyway, when we stared up at all of the potential energy in the glacier-covered monster, it gave us a little more respect for it. That night we camped inside one of the channels where one of these massive mudflows is going to happen. With an active volcano, its not a matter of if, it's when. So, when Rainier goes off, the news will be tragic. We are glad to know that they have people, I assume they are called Vulcanologists, who study and monitor the potential for imminent threats. (From Volcanos not Vulcans- live long and prosper)
 
Knowing what makes a Vanagoonie adventure an adventure in the first place is key. What I mean to say here is that It is important to seek treasures and use maps, but sometimes a wrong turn can also turn out right. We spend a bit of time talking to folks we meet. Oftentimes they about things to see and places to go. Having a list is a good idea. You might not get to all of the places or do all of the things on it, but you might just end up in the right place at the right time. One day we decided to add Mount Rainier National Park to the list and we were near enough to go see it. After a few wrong turns and a couple of pit stops, we found ourselves entering the park late in the day without any plans and knowing very little about what to see or do inside the actual park. (Cell service quit on us as we approached) After passing through the gate, we were greeted by two outstretched thumbs that were connected to two bodies with smiling faces sitting by a couple of backpacks. We inquired of their desired destination and since we had no plans, we were able to bring them most of the way there. We had good conversations and we were relatively good tour guides offering up whatever information we were able to share from our googling session earlier that day. When we dropped them off, they thanked us for our time, and for sharing our knowledge, gas and the experience. One of them then insisted he pay for our campground for the night. Blessed! Thank you universe!

A second incidence of getting to a park late and having it work out for the best is when we entered into Yosemite through Tioga pass late in the afternoon on the weekend of July 4th. We zigged and zagged on our way to the park and climbed up and over mountain passes like a boss, but doing so in a Vanagon did not help us arrive in a timely fashion. So, when we did finally make it, we again had no plans and no camping spot. It was quite disheartening to learn that all the campgrounds were full. I ignored the signs and pulled in thinking I'd just drive around and find another Vanagon owner to share space with. There was a man at the gate booth so I politely inquired, "I know the sign says that the campgrounds are full but we just drove across the country and had no way of knowing when we would arrive, is there anywhere you know of that is either in the park or near it that we could park our van?" The attendant responded with "I might have a spot for you, but are you really Deadheads? I see you have a Steelie on your van. What's your favorite show?" We talked about favorite songs and shows for a bit and he hooked us up with a nice quiet spot for the night. Blessed! Thank you Jerry!

Don't let the Fratellis empty out your marble bag. Through the ages I have come to understand the value of leave no trace and there is something to be said of the addage "take only pictures and leave only footprints" but I must say that there are a billion shells and rocks and sticks that will continue to wash up on the shores for years to come. Collecting shells and a few small rocks as keepsakes is OK in our book. Just be mindful of the "Fratellis" out there trying to steal your marbles.

Lessons from the Road

Disclaimer- This blog post contains some slightly offensive language and nudity. Use your own discretion.

Oftentimes we learn by doing. As a former educator, I know the value of seeing something, then hearing about it and discussing it, then writing it and reading it, but one of the best teachers is actually experiencing something. So, "Doing it" as Nike often suggests is one of our greatest assets.
If you are like me and many of the folks in this world in this day and age you might have read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Some simple lessons I learned by reading this book are: "Don't Panic" and "Always know where your towel is". Since a Vanagoonie is also a Traveler of the known Universe, (seriously people, the Earth is in the Universe and though we are traveling on it, the Earth is actually Humanity's tiny blue spacecraft) we thought it was important to follow these guidelines. I must admit that we did so blindly for a while, joking about it and considering the many uses of such things as keeping calm and having your towel at the ready. So, all of this leads me to our first episode of "Lessons from the Road".

Look closely, we over shot the mark.

Lesson 1-
About 2 weeks ago I was traveling north out of Florida on I95 on my way back to Virginia when I noticed that my Brake light was on. I instinctively thought to myself, "You idiot, you must have left your emergency brake on" and I reached down with my right hand to lower the lever back to the disengaged position. The brake was not on and the lever was down. I then gently tapped the brake pedal and realized that the system was still working properly. To be safe, I figured maybe the fluid was low and I should take a look. I then calmly made my way to the next exit and drove carefully to a gas station that had a big awning over the pumps and parked the van in the shade. I turned off the ignition and fiddled with the emergency brake handle engaging and then disengaging the brake and the light went out. Problem solved, right? Sure, but I decided to check for leaking wheel cylinders and to check the fluid level in the master cylinder just to be sure that there are no other leaks in the system. After I got back in the vehicle, believing that it was only the emergency brake switch that had gotten hung up somehow, I depressed the clutch, and turned the key. Wilson was unresponsive. I tried again. Still nothing... Then, I hopped back out of the van, went in the backseat, opened the rear cabinet, took out my towel. I laid it on the ground under the right rear wheel and with my phone's flashlight app lighting my way, I crawled under the van and glanced up at the starter. Instantly I recognize that the small wire had somehow broken off of the solenoid. (I had recently began having trouble with an intermittent no start so this wasn't a surprise, though it was completely unrelated.) Again, maintaining my composure, I pulled out my tool box and a few supplies stored in the back. After a few minutes of work I had a new connector on the wire and the wire reconnected to the starter. Then I gave the key another turn and the engine started right up. So, I put my tools and my towel away and made my way inside the gas station to get cleaned up in their bathroom sink. Safely and without losing my patience or my mind, not one, but two situations had become resolved. 

Somewhere in America where Walmart let us park our van.

Lesson 2-
We made our way south into the places of our country where the humidity can stick to your face like a wet dog. Sweat dripped from our faces at all hours of the day but circumstances being what they were, we had made the decision to sleep in a Walmart parking lot in northeastern Louisiana. We popped the top, set up the bed and turned on the fans before going inside the store to cool off for a little while. We brushed our teeth and made our way back to the van. The humidity persisted into the night and we slept, but not well. With a hand towel that I kept nearby, I occasionally wiped drops of sweat from my brow throughout the night.  
Then, in the middle of the night something terrible and ominous happened. My co-pilot had been woken with a bit of a start and in turn shook me awake. It was around 4am.
"There is something in here" she said to me. "Something really big is in here and it was crawling on me."
"What?... What is going on here?" I responded. I was still rather groggy.
"There is a giant bug in here. It was crawling on me and then I saw it crawling on the canvas. Now it is in the roll of paper towels. See it. There. There are these long thin antennae sticking out of the side."
I used the handy flashlight app on my phone once again and I peered around. Both of us were half naked standing in the small space by the kitchen. It reacted to the light and before long it was scurrying across the wall and onto our bed.
"What the fuck!"
Somehow a giant cockroach made its way into our sleeping quarters! It disappeared into our bedding. I moved the sheet and exposed the monster. It ran for its life and I grabbed whatever I had handy... The small towel and swatted at it. It was stunned. Then without a moment to think about it, my right hand with my cell phone in it came crashing down on the beast. It was all over in a flash. We were still in battle mode and our blood was pumping... there was no going back to sleep. We decided it was best to do what any red blooded American would do: Make coffee and hit the road. So, even though we learned the lesson that screened windows are the best windows to open, the real lesson is to always know where your towel is.  



World Naked Bike Ride... Bourbon Street- NOLA

Lesson 3-

The Vanagoonies feel it is important to not only see the culture but to be the culture. So, when we were in New Orleans and we heard that there was a World Naked Bike Ride, well, we just had to be a part of it. The naked bike ride is designed to make bicycle safety paramount and folks wear body paint with slogans and others make signs to hang on their bikes. It was quite fun to strip down in the park and then see Bourbon Street for the first time riding half naked down the center of it. With folks lining the streets armed with cameras and silly faces we rode like celebrities down the main strip. There were some aspects of the ride that were uncomfortable but wearing very little clothing was at the bottom of the list. The sun was hot and there were several places where riders were bottle necked and it became difficult to keep pedaling, but in all it was a very enjoyable experience. We laughed as we rode and listened to great music. We waved at the passersby and posed for photos. People shouted and none of the shouts were vulgar or rude. Several times I heard people shouting "Free the nipple!" referencing the twitter hashtag and subsequent film of which I know very little. 

Sometimes we find new experiences at the end of a rainbow.

At the end of the ride we went to the town park and hung out for a little while chatting with other riders and laughing about our experience. A large group photo was taken before we all went our separate ways. The event  was capped off with a sweet double rainbow over the group. It really was quite an eye opening experience. 

The road is a great teacher, as is life itself. If we pay attention to the cues we can safely navigate the streets if we are clothed or not. So, on your next adventure remember to keep your ear to the ground, your stress levels down and your towel handy.