Can we survive a month on the road, becoming completely nomadic while exploring a vast new landscape with our kids? Well, let’s see how far we get. This trip took so much planning but we were so stoked when we finally pulled it off!
Timeline:
June 1-30, 2018
Our stops: (starting and ending in Southwest Montana)
- St. Anthony Sand Dunes
- Sled, hike, roll, dune buggy the dunes
- Zion National Park
- Hike The Narrows as a family
- Nearby: Yant Flat
- Camping near Zion
- San Diego
- Sea World
- Family SUP around the harbor
- Catalina Island
- Camp at Two Harbors campground
- Shuttle or backpack there
- Balboa Island
- Dad’s Frozen Banana Stand, Ferris wheel in Newport
- Malibu
- Malibu Creek Campground
- Santa Barbara
- UCSB graduation
- Pismo Beach
- Morro Bay
- Santa Cruz
- Half Moon Bay
- Family SUP with bat rays, sharks, and jellyfish
- Dinner on the Beach
- Placerville
- River SUP session on The American River
- Lake Tahoe
- Hike Echo Lake, visit Emerald Bay
… plus a few things in between. Of course. 🙂
Sleeping arrangements:
Truck
- We have a memory foam mattress in the truck bed and Bryan made hammocks for the kids in the front cab. The kids adore them! This is especially helpful to have when we arrive in camp late and/or it’s raining.
Tent
- We use and love our REI Basecamp 6-person tent. We have tested this tent in just about every weather situation and it’s passed with flying colors.
Hotel
- We wanted it to feel like a special treat when we stay at a hotel. Air conditioning, laundry, warm showers. In particular, we looked for hotels that seemingly had adventure waiting at their doorstep.
- Our favorite hotel we stayed at was The Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa in Pismo Beach. Try it and let us know we sent you!
Meals:
Pesto pasta with charred broccoli and parmesan (one bowl)
Chicken apple sausages, baked beans, and salad
Cheesy egg burritos
Portobello mushroom fajitas with refried black beans and avocado
Pizza, ordered to-go, eaten on the beach
Tried-and-True Gear for the Road:
SOLAR PANEL
COOK STOVE
EARTH-FRIENDLY SALAD BOWL
COOKING SKILLET
PICNIC BLANKET
POWER INVERTER
