Ack! I just realized we haven’t kept our readers updated about our new project! In September, we flew out to Flagstaff, Arizona, bought a 1982 VW Vanagon diesel camper van, and drove it home! We had some adventures along the way, which we really need to write up. Now that it’s home, we’re in the [...]

The last two adventures have been hard; each in its own way. We learn. We adjust. We try again. Going to Colorado was a brutal slog. We firmly believe that having a deadline is the worst thing for an adventure. Being forced to just go go go without the time to stop and smell the [...]

Dark Skies likes it when we’re inside the US borders, and rewarded us with a precise window, telling us when the rain would stop, and how long we had to pack everything before it started again. We followed its lead, pilled and fed the dogs, and packed up whilst the current bout petered out. Then [...]

Today’s mission: make miles. We have 2 days to cover around 550 miles to home – do-able, but those are surprisingly long days on the Ural – particularly if we want to stop anywhere. Started off the day with the Comfort Inn continental breakfast. This one was a definite step-up from some of the other [...]

Not being able to get the window closed last night led to a surprisingly chilly night. Kay and I hunkered down in the bed, under the blanket and comforter, under the down sleeping bag, and under a pile of dog. It’s a testament to the cold that the dogs stayed piled on the bed with [...]

It started with sun, actual, honest to goodness sun. Not, overcast with sun peeking out, but sun, with an occasional cloud. If we have learned anything from our time in Nova Scotia is that their weather forecasting is even worse than ours. After packing up the smelliest hotel room ever (excessively moist boots and tent) [...]

With heavy rain/thunderstorms in the forecast, we had decided to stay in Baddeck today and stay warm and dry in a hotel room. When the day dawned, it was overcast but dry. We debated whether we should chance it and head out, but our boots were still VERY wet, our gear was still wet, and [...]

In the days to come, people will ask us “How was Nova Scotia?”, and we will respond, “Wet.” Eventually they will say something like “Was it pretty?”, and we will respond that “The portions of it that weren’t enshrouded with clouds and fog were beautiful.” It’s been that kind of a day. Actually, it’s been [...]

At long last, the day had dawned – today was the day we would ride the Cabot Trail! As it's THE thing that everyone says you must do in Nova Scotia, we'd been looking forward to this as one of the highlights of the trip. After stopping early yesterday, we were both feeling fairly well [...]

The day started off moist. When I woke up, I spotted a couple of places where the tent fly was laying against the tent body, and it was wet. That seems like the first time that has happened with this tent, but Kay’s confident it has happened before. Either way, it might have something to [...]