It all started...

After having newborn twins, Chip and I found ourselves dreaming about the back country again.  We longed for trips that surrounded us with complete solitude, towering mountains, and colorful alpine flowers (just kidding, we actually just wanted complete solitude).  After stumbling upon a couple family travel blogs, we began to realize that maybe we didn't have to give up on this other piece of our lives we had before children, but instead find it in a different form.  Here entered Spud (see below).  After saving, planning, adventuring, dreaming, and scheming for over a year, we decided it was go time. We scaled back our hours at our 9 to 5's, purged most of our stuff, and began preparing our house to rent out.

Loaf

Meet "Loaf" (get it?), our 1990 LT28 Florida! Hailing all the way from Germany, at long last, he's legal! We wired some cash in October of 2018, the van arrived via ferry in January 2019. Loaf is now our main van transpo and much larger than Spud. Loaf has a queen sized upper bed (for the boys), a picnic-type table that folds into a double bed (for Chip and I), a bathroom / shower, kitchen, and two rows of bus seating. We are in love

DSC08605.JPG

Spud

While previous auto purchases had involved hours of craigslist searching and drives to other states, Spud popped up for sale literally 30 seconds from my work. Knowing fate must be at play, we snatched him up knowing he'd be the best addition to our family.  He's an '86 Vanagon Westfalia and has never left us stranded. To hopefully continue that streak, we've rebuilt the entire front end, brakes, axles, fuel system, auxiliary electrics, and replaced the tired original engine with one from a newer Subaru. To improve livability, we've upgraded to a modern fridge/freezer (ice cream!) and added a thermostatically controlled gas-fueled heater that keeps us toasty all night in colder temps.  A 100w solar panel keeps us running in the boonies without toasting the batteries.

DSC08712.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

chip

Chip is our on-board chef and handy Westy mechanic. He grew up in Sandusky, Ohio working on old VW bugs and once the twins arrived, we opted for a vehicle that could take us all on adventures. Chip is the van cook, the D-jay for all our family dance parties, and he's a sucker for helping someone in need. He wears his heart on his sleeve (and his mood too!) and has definitely passed along his laid back "go with the flow" gene on to our boys.
Actual job: Family doc

DSC01191.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

lindsay

Lindsay is the planner and navigator extraordinaire, making sure we have directions pulled up and sights ready to be seen. She is emotional when speaking about how Spud has changed our lives, and can't get enough of a good travel experience (hence pleading for a year off).  She enjoys a good run, hearing about other people's experiences and lives, and can't contain herself when she finds an ideal spot for a jump shot photo.
Side gig: I make beaded earrings!!!

 
 
20210702_184324.jpg

reid

Reid will likely be the first person in our family to strike up a conversation with a stranger. I'd say he's probably the most outgoing person out of all of us. He is our storyteller and will likely tell you his latest and greatest ideas and inventions. He is creative, loves making people laugh, can rip on a mountain biking trail with the best of them, and he has an infectious smile that will light up a room (er, van). Reid lives big in all ways - big laughs, big cuddles, big heart, big emotions, and big jokes.

20210810_153338_edited.jpeg



 

bennett

Bennett is always up for a good project - you will find him helping Chip or I with yard work, car/van projects, and house chores. He jumps into new experiences with enthusiasm, often trying new things like surfing, waterslides, and difficult mountain biking trails without having to ask him twice. He just wants to and we say “OK!” His newest obsession is putting together intricate Lego sets (currently working on: A Starry Night set)!