Posts in Free Camping
10 Essential Stops on the Southern Oregon Coast

We ended our Oregon Coast Highway 101 vanlife road trip on a high note on the southern border of Oregon. With rugged cliffs, natural arches offshore at Samuel Boardman Scenic Cooridor, 19th-century lighthouses at Cape Arago, and strange formal flower gardens that once belonged to a lumber baron at Shore Acres State Park, there are lots of great spots to discover in the southwestern corner of the state.

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7 Great Things to Do in Zion National Park in Winter

Zion National Park was Utah's first national park, and it’s the third most visited national park with 4.5 million visitors coming to the park each year. Most people visit Zion during the summer, but winter is a great time to visit and avoid the crowds. There is plenty of things to do in Zion in Winter. Here are 7 awesome things to do in Zion in winter.

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4 Destinations We Love in Western Oregon

We love western Oregon and the Oregon Coast. Heceta Head Lighthouse and the Siltcoos Lake Trail in the Siuslaw National Forest are great destinations on the coast. There’s a lot to love inland too! Take the Umpqua River Highway inland to spot some elk in the Dean Creek Elk Viewing area. Then get your bike out for a ride on the Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway.

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A Day of Vanliving on the Central Oregon Coast

The central Oregon Coast is one of the most unique and surprising places that we’ve visited. We explored the solitude of sandy beaches and investigated colorful tide pools and polished black rock at Seal Rock State Park. We discovered some cheap eats on Walport’s Main Street. At sunset, we watched the Pacific drain at Thor’s Well. Plus find our recommendation for camping for free on Highway 101.

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Cape Kiwanda State Park and Hart’s Cove at Cascade Head

With sandstone cliffs sculpted by wave action and Oregon’s largest sand dune, Cape Kiwanda State Park should not be missed on any Oregon Coast road trip. Nearby Cascade Head and the Harts Cove Trail is the perfect experience to discover a mossy, green coastal rain forest and to hear sea lions barking.

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Strange Trees and Secret Beaches: Cape Meares State Park

While Tilamook might be most famous for its cheese, Cape Meares is also well worth a visit while in the area. Cape Meares like many Oregon Coast state parks has a beautifully preserved historic lighthouse, and just a short walk from the lighthouse is a very oddly shaped tree called the Octopus Tree. Before we left we even saw a pod of gray whales that were feeding and breaching fairly close to shore!

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Wandering through the World’s Tallest Trees: Exploring the Redwood Forest

If you're planning a road trip through the Redwood Forest in Northern California, there are many stops and special trees along the way that you won't want to miss. Here are our favorite things to do in the Redwood National and State Parks. Plus find our recommendations for free campsites for vanlife near the Redwood Forest.

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8 Places To Go On Your First Visit to Yosemite

Here are 8 stops we visited that any first time visitor wouldn’t want to miss on a visit to America’s first protected park land! As always at the end of this post, you’ll find free camping suggestions near Yosemite.

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17 Great Gift Ideas for Vanlifers and Travelers

With the holidays coming up and with more and more people joining the vanlife movement or just choosing to live a more minimalist lifestyle, many people are wondering what to get their nomadic loved ones. When you live in a van, bus, RV, or tiny home, you can’t have a lot of stuff. Here are some ideas that would make great gifts for van dwellers or any traveler on your list.  

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Exploring Snow Canyon State Park

In October, we spent a day enjoying Snow Canyon State Park, near St. George, Utah. One of the neatest parts about Snow Canyon is that there is volcanic rock, lava tubes, and extinct cinder cones, alongside water-carved Navajo sandstone and sand dunes.  

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