One Year Ago Today

One year ago today, we left on our first van trip. It would prove to be life-changing. As I type this, I am now retired, and we are flying out to Boulder to pick up our van from Anti-Sprinter, who has been “camperizing” it more professionally than we could have in such a short time.

I will share some pictures from that trip with minimal commentary. Rest assured, I will document our journey to Boulder and our drive back in the van.

Loading the Van

We came up with a simple bed design that unfolded for sleeping with just enough room for bins for food and cooking gear underneath. Unfortunately, we didn’t have an extension cable for the solar panel on top, so the power station had to sit behind the passenger seat with the cable running out of the sliding door to the panel ( we bought an extension cable a few days later). The packs and other things on the bed were stowed in the cab while we slept.

Traveling to the First Destination

We stayed at a truck rest stop without services after driving for 14 hours the first day. Kelso was not into the trip initially and did not want to get in the van after each pit stop.

The Badlands

First, we headed out to The Badlands based on a recommendation from my mom. Wildfires thwarted our original plans of heading to Montana and then Idaho. Also, we had never been to South Dakota before. Driving through the state, what really stood out for us were all of the fields of sunflowers (unfortunately, no pictures).

That is until we got to The Badlands.

Colorado

We spent the most time in Colorado around Colorado Springs and Pike National Forest. The three of us really enjoyed our time there because it was much cooler higher up in the forest than in The Badlands.

Sleeping

The space was small but cozy, especially at night. Poor Kelso got the short end of the stick when it came to nighttime accommodations, but he managed without complaining.

Conclusion

Despite the close quarters and crude van build, this trip convinced us that this was the life we wanted. We can’t wait to see what unfolds as we travel in our little but mighty van.