A happy camper out on the trip of a lifetime. I’m joined by two traveling companions: Wolfie the camper, and Zenyatta the truck. At the beginning of 2021, I was living in the Washington, DC area, an executive at a consulting firm focused on Federal consulting, and prior to COVID, I was either at the office or at the dance studio. After 17 years in the DC area I knew that it was time for something new so I decided to move to Texas to be closer to family. While I was making major life decisions I figured it was time to take a break from work and get back to some of the things that I love: hiking, traveling, photography, and meeting new people from all over. April 2021 was spent getting ready for the trip. The journey runs from May 1, 2021 to October 11, 2021, from Conroe, TX and then back again after traveling over 13,000 miles through 32 states.
Laurie the Wanderer
I grew up on a small farm in Louisiana and then the moving and traveling began around middle school. Wanderlust grew in me as I enjoyed seeing every inch of this amazing earth and experiencing different cultures. My first job out of college was 100% travel based out of Paris, France, which allowed me to see so much of Europe. I’ve now traveled to over 50 countries and hiked some of the best trails that exist. While the list of countries I still want to visit is long, I knew that it was time to focus on seeing the US.
Wolfie the Travel Trailer
As the planning began in late 2020, there was a moment of panic when I realized that I wasn’t the only person in the market for an RV. Some brands had year-long waits. The hunt was on, while also trying to figure out what I wanted. I flip-flopped back and forth between camper van and travel trailer, searching out the smallest travel trailers that I could find. My parents got the call that a 2020 Forest River Wolf Pup was available and I felt like it was meant to be. Wolfie joined the family on Black Friday right after Thanksgiving.
Zenyatta the Truck
My very first vehicle was a Ford Ranger. Since then I’ve had much smaller vehicles that made it easier to navigate cities and park on the street. Two days upon arriving in Texas I bought this beauty and enjoyed the month of April getting used to driving such a large vehicle with all kinds of technology features. I named her after my favorite race horse who was a beast of a horse. She is a great companion to have on the journey as we spend every day together, including a couple of side trips away from Wolfie.
The Itinerary
I am not one of those people that can head out the door with an idea and figure it out as they go along. I spent countless days and hours mapping out every detail before I departed. I knew that I had to go this route as there was so much that I wanted to see. The trip covers the US in a counter-clockwise fashion. Some of the highlights include the following:
- Hiking Angels Landing at Zion
- Wine with friends in Napa Valley
- Energy vortexes in Sedona
- Finger Lakes Wine Tastings
- View of the Tetons from my tent
- Camping in a Peach Orchard in Oregon
- Surviving Death Valley
- Disconnecting at Crater Lake
- Time with friends in the Catskills
- Lobster rolls in Maine
- Christmas Store in Frankenmuth
- 1890 Pioneer Cabin in Utah
- Chuckwagon Cookout in the Badlands
- Wilderness of Glacier National Park
- Geysers in Yellowstone
- Sand dune surfing in White Sands, New Mexico
- Tiny house in Moab
- Bike ride around Mackinac Island
- Foggy mornings in the Smokey Mountains
- Slot canyons in Utah
- Clear water of Lake Tahoe
- Hiking in Yosemite
- Lights of Las Vegas
- Stargazing in the Guadalupe Mountains