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

Author: lauren

  • Dixie National Forest: Red Canyon–Big Trip #1

    Dixie National Forest: Red Canyon–Big Trip #1

    We stayed in Dixie NF in April 2016, during Big Trip #1. On our tour along Utah’s Route 12, we spent 6 nights boondocking in Dixie National Forest. Red Canyon, with its vermilion cliffs and spires, green pines, and network of hiking and biking trails, was just a couple miles down the road (but even closer, as…

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  • Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 Corridor–Big Trip #1

    Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 Corridor–Big Trip #1

    We first visited Highway 12 in April 2016, as part of Big Trip #1. We’ve since returned to Escalante in 2018 and again in 2020, and boondocked outside Capitol Reef in 2020. The stretch of red canyon cliffs and alien rock formations along Utah Highway 12 from just south of Panguitch in the west to Torrey in the east was…

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  • Cooking in a tiny kitchen

    Cooking in a tiny kitchen

    A few people have asked us about our diet while traveling. We are eating at restaurants a good bit, since that’s an important way to experience a town, but the best way to eat healthily while on the road is to cook for yourself. I’ve actually really enjoyed the challenges of cooking in a tiny kitchen,…

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  • Three Days in Page, AZ–Big Trip #1

    Three Days in Page, AZ–Big Trip #1

    We were in Page in late March 2016, as part of Big Trip #1. Page is in northernmost Arizona, a gateway town to natural wonders like the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell (ok, not totally natural, but wonderous), and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. We went for a few hikes and other…

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  • Hiking in Sedona, AZ–Big Trip #1

    Hiking in Sedona, AZ–Big Trip #1

    We visited Sedona in March 2016 as part of Big Trip #1. The scenery in Sedona is gorgeous, with towering red rocks in every direction you look. The problem with all that beauty so close to a town is that the town is overrun with people shopping, eating, hiking, driving really slowly, causing a dusty racket on…

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  • Five Days in Flagstaff, AZ (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    Five Days in Flagstaff, AZ (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    We visited Flagstaff in late March 2016, as part of Big Trip #1. Read about our second visit in 2018 here and our third in 2023 here. Flagstaff is winning the “Could you live in this town?” game, tied with Asheville, a town with which it has many similarities. It has fun, funky downtown area…

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  • Petrified Forest National Park

    Petrified Forest National Park

    We visited Petrified Forest NP in March 2016 as part of Big Trip #1. Just off the interstate between Santa Fe and Flagstaff lies Petrified Forest National Park. We drove through, Airstream in tow, stopping for a few run-hikes WITH Bugsy! Petrified Forest NP allows dogs on trails! The colors in the chunks of petrified…

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  • Three days in Santa Fe–Big Trip #1

    Three days in Santa Fe–Big Trip #1

    We visited Santa Fe in March 2016 as part of Big Trip #1. We had a fantastic stay in Santa Fe, but we struggled a bit to get a real feel for the city. There are several distinct neighborhoods, connected by highways and strip mall corridors. Downtown is touristy; the Railyard District has a mix of…

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  • Two days in Whites City, NM–Big Trip #1

    Two days in Whites City, NM–Big Trip #1

    We visited Whites City in March 2016 as part of Big Trip #1. Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of Whites City, NM. (Wikipedia says the 2010 population of Whites City was seven!) Here’s an easier one: have you heard of Guadalupe Mountains National Park? We hadn’t heard of either place, which is nuts because…

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  • A Driving Tour of Big Bend National Park (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    A Driving Tour of Big Bend National Park (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    We visited Big Bend in March 2016 as part of Big Trip #1. Read about our subsequent visits here: early 2018, late 2018, and 2021. [UPDATE! We returned to Big Bend in 2018 and stayed in the park for a few days, so got a much fuller Big Bend experience. Read about our magical visit…

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