If you have followed the blog from the beginning, then you already know that 2021 was the year we left our comfort zone to travel across our amazing country. We sold our Michigan home on August 14 and spent the next 4 months exploring by car, foot and bicycle. Our stops included parks, live music venues (large and small), big cities, small towns, tourist traps, wilderness areas and so much more. Throughout it all, we have continued to enhance our selfie skills! Here is a summary of our journey.

Distance Traveled

States Visited

National Landmarks Visited

National Parks (NP) – 14, National Monuments (NM) – 6, National Forests (NF) – 4, National Historic Places (NHP) – 4, National Seashore (NS) – 1, and National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) -1

Overnight accommodations

While the hotel stays were dispersed throughout our travels, our time with family and friends was concentrated around the holidays. Our longest consecutive stint of sleeping in the van was 11 nights (and we did this 3 separate times on our trip). However, we are both surprised at how little time we spent backpacking during our travels (and we plan to change this in 2022)!

2021 Road Trip Adventure Map

Here is a visual of our route and stops including two flights home for the holidays!

Top 5 favorites

(in no particular order!)

Things we learned during 4 months on the road

• People globetrot with their cats! We saw cats in campers, vans, backpacks, on-leash, and even on bicycles! To me, the idea of traveling with a feline sounds like a cat-astrophe! 🤷🏻‍♀️
• Mosquitos easily penetrate RV screens! Furthermore, they leave a lasting black mark when squished! Our ceiling has a bit of black mosquito polka dot going on!
• The true highlights of our trip have been when friends and family spend their vacation hiking with us 🥾💕
• We really don’t need much to live comfortably (and we have a list of items to ‘ditch’ for 2022)
• Our National Parks are a treasure with knowledgeable rangers who are stewards for our protected lands and wildlife
• With that being said, our National Parks are not exceptionally bike friendly
  • If you want to feel like a human game of 🐸, then try riding bikes on the narrow roads in most parks!
• Don’t underestimate local state parks for a night (or two) of camping
  • In addition to generally great amenities, the state campgrounds often have availability and we have found some ‘hidden’ attractions!
• We get exactly what we need at the exact time that we need it
  • I can’t recall how many time we have been told ‘you are so lucky’ throughout our journey. Even without a solid plan, things have totally worked out!
• Cellular service is dreadful in South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah
• We met interesting people along the way who have helped us embrace our travel dreams and nomad lifestyle and we are looking forward to more adventure this year! 🤗

Evolution of the Selfie

From shifty peepers to photo keepers!

Draft plan for 2022

This year, we plan to hike the Smoky Mountains with a friend before heading west for the summer. We intend to visit southern Colorado and then drive through California to the Pacific Northwest. Planned stops include Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Olympic, North Cascades and Glacier National Parks. From Glacier we may head east to Theodore Roosevelt NP (North Dakota) or we may head south to Rocky Mountain NP (Colorado). Either way, a return trip to western South Dakota is on ‘the list’ as we journey east to enjoy the autumn colors in Minnesota and Michigan. We love to see our friends on our travels and we will let you know when we are coming to your neck of the woods!