When Eric and I contemplated taking to the road full time eight years ago, we had a cat. Spot was eighteen years old, highly opinionated, and her only outings in a vehicle had been visits to the vet. Much to our surprise, Spot adapted extremely well to traveling life. But when she passed away a […]
Thank you, dear friends, for your condolences on the loss of my mom. Reading your words of support and kindness helps me as I adjust to the reality of life without my mom and dad. Helping my folks navigate the last years of their lives was hard. Still, it’s painful to realize that I will […]
My one-of-a-kind mom passed away the morning of January 1st. I’m sure, if there’s a heaven, that my dad was anxiously awaiting her arrival—and greeted her with a Manhattan. We talked a few days before she passed, the last time that she was able to speak. I knew something was different. She didn’t greet me […]
We hope today finds you cozy, finding some small moments of joy in the last week of this very unsettling year. For the first time, I recently really listened to the words of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Although it was written in 1944 during World War II, it certainly speaks to our reality […]
I don’t mean to give you whiplash, but our blog is heading back to the Maritimes now. We will be in Florida at least through next spring, and I’m determined to get our blog caught up before we get back on the road. (Hope springs eternal, and all that.) Picking up where we left off […]
As of Wednesday, almost everything has been ticked off the ‘to do’ list on the remodel. Well, not everything—but enough so that the house is comfortable and the contractors are gone. We had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, including being back in the house, the weather cooling off, and the fact that […]
Wow. Is it really over? I hope so. I am deeply relieved to step off of this insane election roller coaster. It probably comes as no surprise to anyone who knows us that we did not vote for the incumbent. But this election has made me think long and hard about the state of our […]
In late October last year, we spent a few days in Salem, Massachusetts as we made our way back to Florida from the Maritimes. (This post is way out of order in our travels, but this blog is obviously perfect for today. Plus, it’s 2020. I need an escape.) In 1692, the infamous Salem witch […]
In 2019, we spent an idyllic summer exploring Canada’s Maritime Provinces, followed by a leisurely fall journey down the east coast of the U.S. It seems like a lifetime ago, and an alternate reality. I’ve been wanting to write about those adventures for almost a year. Instead, my attention has been consumed by surviving the […]
A devastating wildfire raged two miles from our home in Ashland, Oregon last week. A swath of burned rubble extends almost 20 miles north, smoke still blankets the valley, and some of our closest friends are displaced. In Portland and Bend, our family and friends are suffering from the effects of nearby wildfires and are […]
Welcome to our blog!
If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!