The Adventure

Things are coming together.  The Adventure Mobile has been purchased, a rough plan of travel has been devised and a start date has been chosen.  The biggest remaining task at this point is getting rid of whatever will not fit into the Adventure Mobile.

The Adventure Mobile that we selected is Mercedes Sprinter cargo van which has been converted into a camper van.  The idea is that a van is more agile than a real RV and we will be able to get into more beautiful places than if we had a large RV or travel trailer.  For example, there are many beautiful mountain passes with vehicle length restrictions.  The van is about 22 feet long so we are hoping we can bring it many places.  We do not have 4-wheel drive however, so we will be limited on primitive dirt road conditions.  We are striving for a minimalistic lifestyle that values experiences rather than material possessions.

Here is a possible travel plan for our first year of travel, however we are not totally committed to any of it.  We want to keep things flexible, be able to stay longer somewhere that we want to explore further or leave someplace if the weather is unpleasant.  We both enjoy weather watching and forecasting so this will be a very important aspect of our new lifestyle.  This plan includes some National Parks that we have been wanting to visit and family and friends scattered all around.  However, once I saw this plan on a map, I couldn’t help but wonder if it is just too much driving.  I want to spend time immersed in nature, not stuck in the driver’s seat…  or more likely the passenger seat.

We are planning on starting out before the low desert of Arizona heats up too much.  Last summer we vowed to NOT spend another hot summer here.  This is a great place to be in the winter, but summer is uninhabitable. We do planning on visiting the eastern side of the country, we both grew up there, but I know my heart belongs to the west.