Winter in the Park – 2025
'Tis the season to visit parks! Winter is a great time to explore our parks. And many have programs the embrace the winter wonderland.
What’s in the van? – The Front Porch
LL Bean Waterhog Helinox - Savanna Kuma Outdoors - Bear Buddy Chair ENO - Lounger DL Helinox - One Table
Van Life Resources
I want to share some resources that I have found over time. This is in no way an endorsement of the work or services of what is listed. I won't list anyone who has provided me with bad service, but some of the below are things I've found, but not used. [...]
Van Life For Me
I’m eight weeks into Van Life… but staying in a house. Not exactly how I imagined it, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned already, it’s this: Van Life Rule #1 — Be Flexible. For years, I followed #VanLife on Instagram, dreaming of the day I’d hit the road in a cozy, customized van. I made [...]
On the road again – kickstarting van life
I can't believe this day is here. Nearly a year ago, I decided to buy a van and set the end of March as my departure date. Now I'm turning in the keys to my house, closing the door on the storage unit, and hitting the road. [...]
Protect Our Parks – Lincoln Memorial
Saturday, March 15, 2025 Lincoln Memorial Washington, DC John Goodwin, a retired National Park Service Ranger, decided to take an Amtrak from San Francisco to Washington, DC. He shared on his socials that he was planning to protest at the Lincoln Memorial and invited anyone who wanted to [...]
Lancelot Jones
When I visited Biscayne National Park, I was welcomed by vistas of clear water, palm trees, and a few dolphins. I took a boat trip with Biscayne National Park Institute and was introduced to the Jones family through their entrepreneurship stories. The Jones family was a fixture in the region. And while others were [...]
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in 1822. She was separated from her father as a young child. When she was 6 years old, Harriet was separated from her mother and rented out to other slaveholders. Harriet worked the marshland of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, learning how to navigate the area and making [...]
Chasing the Northern Lights
I'm sitting down to write this post when I'm still basking in the awe of the weekend. It was a weekend spent chasing the Aurora Borealis on Instagram, every news article I could find, and finally on the road to Shenandoah National Park to see it for myself. In January of 2024, I [...]
Packing up your tent
You've just returned from a great camping trip. You were active, enjoyed nature, saw stars, ate s'mores....life is good. When it comes to tent camping, the trip isn't over when you get home. Now it's time to set out your gear to dry and prepare it for storage. TIPS FOR PACKING YOUR TENT [...]
Home on the road
Building out my car I've been dreaming of this trip for a long time. Twenty years, actually. But it was probably in 2018 that I started to pay attention and thinking about what life on the road may look like and feel like. My "mindless scrolling" would be on #vanlife, #subarucamping, and [...]
Pie Iron Pizza Recipe
In my "The Parks Podcast" interview with Karl Rand from Shenandoah National Park, he mentioned that "Pie Iron Pizza" was his favorite campfire activity. It was clear that I needed to expand my horizons by learning about and testing a pie iron. I took my nephew, Teddy, along for the ride. Step 1 [...]
Tips For Your National Park Visit
National Parks make for an amazing vacation. But making a plan can be very stressful and confusing. There are so many resources available at your fingertips...but where to start. Plan in advance - The Parks are incredibly popular. If you are able, visit during the off-season (for most parks that is before Memorial [...]
355 Days
I hit the 1 year anniversary of my departure for a year-long sabbatical. ONE YEAR! That's crazy how the time flew by. I took a moment to look through photos, review journals, and make some notes on the adventure. Here's what I have to share... I drove 46,070 miles I hiked 320 miles I visited 39 states I toured [...]
Happy 105th!
Today the National Parks Service turns 105. Thanks to Woodrow Wilson, on this date in 1916 the Parks were born. When I read that Instagram post I wanted to be a part of the celebration and go enjoy a National Park. I happen to be 45 minutes from Yellowstone, so I hopped in the car and made my way. [...]
The Universe Was Talking…Time to Listen
When I was in college I had a dream to take a year and travel the United States. Friends were contemplating exchange programs in Europe. I wanted to see America. At the time I dismissed the idea in exchange for getting a job. I started my career with gusto, quickly adopting workaholic ways. When I would approach burnout, the [...]