bugsy running on lone rock beach with the airstream and f-150 in the background

AirstreamDog

adventures with a dog and an airstream

    AirstreamDog Route Details

    route map
    our mess of a map showing different trip routes

    We already have a map showing visual representations of the stops on our longer trips (and another map showing every overnight stop, campground, brewery, and hike from our Airstream travels–it’s a busy map!), but we thought it would be useful to have the map dots listed in text format too. Let us know if there’s another way we should share this information for easy trip-planning consumption!

    Note that the final trip routes generally don’t match the initial planned routes. I’ll include planning and retrospective posts for trips that have them so you can see if and why an itinerary may have changed, due to variables like weather or adventure or good times or less fun than expected in a location.

    Buckle up for lots of scrolling!

    2016 – Big Trip #1

    big trip #1 route map
    Big Trip #1 route map

    This 3-month loop circled from VA west to AZ, up through CO to SD, and back east via the Upper Peninsula of MI. We planned an outline for this trip and filled in blanks from the road; back in 2016 it was easier to wing it and expect campgrounds to have vacancies on short notice.

    Big Trip #1 retrospective post

    2017 – Austin Loop

    austin and big bend route maps
    Austin Loop route is shown by the green icons

    Austin was on the top of our wishlist after we couldn’t visit on Big Trip #1 due to SXSW. This trip had to share a map layer with the subsequent Big Bend Loop due to Google Maps limits.

    Austin Loop planning post | Austin Loop retrospective post

    2017 – Short Southeast Loop

    This little loop got bumped off the overall routes map when cooler stuff came along, no offense. So there’s no pretty map image. We had family events in NC and Atlanta and added some fun stops around and between those plans.

    Short Southeast Loop planning post

    2018 – Big Bend Loop

    austin and big bend route maps
    Big Bend loop route is shown by the orange icons

    Big Bend was another must-do after we got a tiny, delicious taste of it on Big Trip #1. This trip had to share a map layer with the earlier Austin Loop due to Google Maps limits.

    Big Bend Loop planning post

    2018 – Big Trip #2

    big trip #2 route map
    Big Trip #2 route map

    By this point, we were officially hooked on Airstream travel. Can you tell? Big Trip #2 returned to some previous favorite spots and added some new favorites, and we hiked our little legs off. And drank some beer.

    Big Trip #2 planning post | Big Trip #2 retrospective post

    2019 – Acadia Trip

    acadia and southeast loop route maps
    another shared map layer; Acadia is in purple

    We wanted to visit Acadia National Park, and we wanted to visit J’s mom in Massachusetts, so why not take the Airstream and combine the two? It was a wonderful trip, but man is it stressful driving an RV in New York and New England!

    Acadia planning post | Acadia retrospective post

    2020 – Southeast Lollipop

    acadia and southeast loop route maps
    same map layer as the Acadia trip; Southeast Lollipop is grey

    We needed to be in Atlanta in January, so why not plan a longer trip in the warm South, away from cold Virginia? Bonus: King Cake season in Mobile and New Orleans!

    Southeast Lollipop planning post

    2020 – Big Trip #3

    big trip #3 route map
    Big Trip #3 route map

    Our goal became a Big Trip every two years. Covid threw a wrench in that, but eventually we got stir-crazy and decided to try a trip anyway. It was a little screwy with rules and closures and wildfires, but we managed to have a ton of fun and absolutely fell in love with some new locations.

    Big Trip #3 planning post | Big Trip #3 retrospective post

    2021 – Winter Warmth Trip

    winter warmth trip route map
    Winter Warmth route map

    The goal of this trip was to escape the Virginia winter, and it was a great success, other than the Snowpocalypse. Outside of the several scary, icy days in NM and TX, we hiked and ate and drank to our hearts’ content.

    Winter Warmth Trip planning post | Winter Warmth Trip retrospective post

    2021 – RV Caravan with Friends Trip

    This little guy was too short to make it onto our Routes map, but it was a fun and easy trip to make from Central VA, full of good cycling, hiking, food and drink.

    Caravan with Friends planning post

    2022 – Florida in January Trip

    florida trip route map
    Florida in January route map

    We were excited to spend January somewhere warm, but weren’t sure how much we’d like Florida. We loved it! The cherry on top was having our moms fly down to see us in Key West!

    Florida in January planning post | Florida in January retrospective post

    2022 – Big Trip #4

    big trip #4 route map
    Big Trip #4 route map

    Big Trip #4 took us to some of our most stunning scenery yet! We visited sixteen national parks, including FINALLY getting to Banff in Canada! And we made it all the way to the West Coast for the first time in our Airstreaming adventures.

    Big Trip #4 planning post | Big Trip #4 retrospective post

    2023 – Spring in the Mountains Quickie Trip

    Here’s another shorty that didn’t make it onto the Routes map. We love having a library of these sweet and simple loops through neat towns with fun hiking to make from VA!

    Spring in the Mountains Quickie planning post

    2023 – Five Days in the Mountains trip

    This is another short-and-sweet in the VA/WV/NC/TN area that didn’t warrant mapping on the Routes map. Not only are we out of map layers on the map–Google caps it at ten–but we’re running out of distinct colors for route colors!

    Five Days in the Mountains planning post

    2023 – Fall Quickie to the Mountains

    Not sure a two-stop trip deserves to be on this list, but here it is. We cast a wider net in research before landing on two old favorites.

    Fall Quickie to the Mountains planning post

    2023 – Christmas in Tucson

    tucson for xmas route map
    Christmas in Tucson route map

    Why don’t we do this every year?? We met our MD/MA family in Tucson for Christmas and spent a few days together playing in the city. They flew out like normal people, and we drove and made a bigger adventure out of it, including our first visit to Death Valley!

    Christmas in Tucson planning post | Christmas in Tucson retrospective post

    2024 – Spring in the NC Mountains trip

    Here’s another little loop that’s not on the Routes map. This was our last trip to the NC mountains before they got slammed by Hurricane Helene in September 2024; it’s sad to look back at some of the places we posted about that may never return.

    Spring in the NC Mountains planning post

    2024 – Carolinas in November trip

    route map of our Carolinas loop
    Carolinas in November route map

    It seems like half of our trips are based on needing to be somewhere and using that event as an excuse to build an itinerary. This time, it was Thanksgiving at my sister’s in NC. We took the opportunity to explore coastal, rather than mountainous, locales in NC and SC, and found some spots we’d love to return to.

    Carolinas in November planning post | Carolinas in November retrospective post

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