{"id":2810,"date":"2021-04-26T13:02:57","date_gmt":"2021-04-26T20:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/?p=2810"},"modified":"2021-04-29T08:49:28","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T15:49:28","slug":"van-life-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackersearth.com\/blog\/van-life-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Life [Part 2 of 2]"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Driving a big rig is not on my list of skills. At first I was nervous to drive the 19-foot-long camper van (which our kids nicknamed \u201cLava,\u201d as in \u201cwe lava you!\u201d). But just a few miles down the highway, I was already feeling great. Maybe it was just hitting the road, moving further away from home and closer to adventure? After all, Trackers got Lava the Camper Van for families to rent and help connect them to the outdoors.<\/p>

But first we needed to take it for a test spin.<\/p>

In my last camper van blog, Van Life Part 1<\/strong><\/a>, I shared why<\/em> this is such a great way to travel and explore as a family. This blog focuses on where<\/em> you can go and how to plan some short, easy trips. My husband and I were born in Oregon and although we\u2019ve done a fair amount of traveling around the region, there are many areas neither of us have been to. During this past year, we\u2019ve been working from home, taking our kids to local parks and nearby wilderness areas when we need to escape. But after a year of staying hunkering down, we were ready to expand our range and forge new experiences in the camper van!<\/p>

Our first two camper van destinations: Prineville, Oregon and Raymond, Washington.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Keep it Easy!<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Getting motivated and finding ways to uplift the kids has been a struggle for me at times this past year. We needed a fun adventure, but not something that was too overwhelming to pull off. When planning our first camper van trips, we decided to keep it easy by doing short weekend adventures. Friends who lived not too far away and who we\u2019d only seen over Zoom invited us to come park in their backyards. Having an easy, set destination waiting for us made things very easy. And the promise of an outdoor visit with friends was an extra incentive. The 4-5 hour drive was perfect, and planning a 2.5-day trip allowed us to get a not-too-early start and enjoy the destination for a full day. We were able to return home in the late afternoon of day 3, avoiding a late night dinner\/bedtime circus with the kids. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Plan the \u201cRight\u201d Amount & Make Time for Detours<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our goal was to plan the \u201cright\u201d amount\u2014not too much and not too little. Honestly, it was overwhelming just getting out of the house with our three young kids. Setting a destination that\u2019s just a few hours away means you don\u2019t have to look for an overnight camp spot in-between and your drive time can be flexible. If you want to change your route\u2014pop into a small town for ice cream or check out a cool-looking hike\u2014it\u2019s super easy. The camper van is small enough to pull into parks and small towns on a whim. One of our favorite detours on our Washington road trip was stopping at the Custard King in Astoria for ice cream. We also got a glimpse of the Columbia River Maritime Museum, which looked amazing. We are excited to check it out on the next trip, post-pandemic. Now we have a reason to go back and explore some more!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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4 Must-Haves for Van Adventures<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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  1. Paper Road Maps<\/strong> – in this digital age, there seems to be little need for a paper map. But our kids love pouring over the turns and keys. It allows them to participate in spontaneous planning as we drive. Plus it teaches them (and us all) that you don\u2019t need a phone! Which is good because sometimes you don\u2019t have reception!<\/li>
  2. Camp Chairs<\/strong> – although we previously rejected camp chairs (they are for the weak!), we gave in and invested in one for each family member. Now there is no reason to fight over a place to sit at the campfire.<\/li>
  3. Jiffy Pop popcorn<\/strong> – whether over the propane camper stove or a campfire, this is the best treat and entertainment, all in one. <\/li>
  4. Treasure Box<\/strong> – no matter where you go, you and your kids will find treasures\u2014small rocks, special leaves, even a handful of sand! Bring a small shoe box or mason jar to store them in, or they will get lost forever in the camper van (we think Lava eats them).<\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \nExplore Your Adventure Radius\n<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    An \u201cadventure radius\u201d is the area around your destination that includes something amazing that you just have to check out. Even if it means an hour\u2019s drive there and back. Under normal circumstances, a 2-hour round-trip drive might feel like \u201ctoo much time in the car.\u201d But in the camper van, driving is part of the fun. During our visit to Prineville, Oregon we had a few hours to kill, so we drove an hour to the Painted Hills. I can\u2019t believe I\u2019ve lived in Oregon for over 40 years and had never seen the Painted Hills! We loved it, the kids loved it, and we even learned a lot about geology and geography! Check out what\u2019s inside your adventure radius!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Try a Work-cation<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    For people lucky enough to be working from home this year, there are some travel benefits: you can do a meeting or conference call on the go and you can work on your computer anywhere, any time. Which means you can work while you travel. The downside is that it\u2019s hard to disconnect and just enjoy yourself. You have to find a balance. Maybe set a limit for yourself, like you\u2019re going to work for a set amount of time each day\u2014only before lunch or only while someone is driving\u2014and the rest of the time is just for fun. Ask your kids to remind you when you\u2019ve gone past your limit. My kids now heckle me whenever I\u2019m on my computer too long. \u201cYour screen is turning you into a zombie,\u201d they say in spooky voices, arms outstretched.<\/p>

    Lucky for me, part of my job includes managing and stewarding outdoor areas and wild spaces for youth camps. We are always looking for inspiration, so during our camper van trips we sought out interesting natural areas and innovative ways people manage those areas. We explored some amazing locations, including a joint-managed demonstration forest, silvopasture on forested land, and wetland and wildlife enhancement areas! Here are a couple of family-friendly areas you can go check out with or without a camper van. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Three-Day Adventure: Central Oregon<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Day 1: Portland to Prineville, Oregon<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The 3-hour drive from Portland to Prineville is scenic all by itself and the point where you cross from the rainy west side to the sunny east side of the Cascade mountains is truly magical. We like to challenge our kids to spot and name new varieties of flora and fauna (like ponderosa pine and pronghorn antelope) in scavenger hunt games. We stopped in Redmond for our big grocery store stock up and were relieved to discover that maneuvering in the camper van in a crowded parking lot was no problem!<\/p>

    That afternoon we pulled into our friend\u2019s property, plenty early for dinner and fun. That evening we did some stargazing into the cloudless, high desert skies\u2014a wonderful way to cap off the night before tucking into our camper van beds. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Day 2: Exploring Our Adventure Radius<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The next morning we helped our friend with ranch chores. She runs H.O.R.S.E.S on the Ranch, a very cool, local non-profit organization that specializes in horse-assisted therapy programs. After chores, she went off to work and we went off to adventure! Here are the awesome spots we explored on our second day:<\/p>