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LFTR 97: Sit down with a glass of whiskey and pretend you're chatting with us for this one. I guess that's good advice for every episode but this is just a quick, casual, somewhat chaotic update of what we've been up to and what we're planning to do this summer, the final* version!Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 96: Welcome back to a good old fashioned letter version of LFTR! We even talk about camping and trailer tires, oh what fun! Then we dive into the cognitive dissonance of living today with Everything Is Terrible Everything Is Great.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 95 / TFTR 5: Get cozy because this week we recall our adventures in America's most haunted city - Savannah. We talk places to stay and eat and what to do and see. Make sure you make a pit stop first though, because when we gossip about our ghostly tours you may wet yourself (laughing). You've been warned.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 94: We're no letter all adventure this week on LFTR! We're back in the Airstream and immediately left the country. We'll let you know our dewinterizing gotchas, recap our last ski and snowboard trip of the season and give an update on our experiences crossing the Canadian border.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 93: We are finding our inner peace and reminding ourselves we don't have to seize every day! However we've actually been quite busy and have a lot of updates this week, including some DIY RV fixes and our first hike of the season.Tieton Cider Works has their Cider Bar in Yakima, WA.The bird we saw on the trail was a dusky grouse! So cool!Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 92/TFTR 4: This week we travel to the oldest European city in the States, St. Augustine, FL. We recount our multiple times stopping in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area and give you all our recommendations. Then we discuss the history of the city, the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (completed in 1695), the important part St Augustine played in the Civil Rights movement, and even a couple ghost stories (though not as many as I expected for the old city!)Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 91: You might want to listen to the first half of this episode if you want to hear about What is Good this week. We discuss (finally) getting the Airstream back and Jamie and Frankie's pleasant trip to get it, a walk along the river in Leavenworth and how even when we're weighed down by what's in the news just being in nature and remembering how insignificant we are can be a comfort. Admittedly I (Clay) didn't understand the assignment and left out my list of small joys after the letter, but I hope our ruminations bring some encouragement regardless.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR 90/TFTR 3: Sedona Vortexes. Today we're revisiting another one of our favorite places, Sedona, AZ. We learn about the history of this beautiful town in the red rocks, and how it rose to prominence as a destination in the 1970s/80s.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome back to LFTR! In episode 89 we recount our trip to Whistler, BC, an accidental staycation, and our once-again-revised summer plan: Hunkering Down.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Episode 88 is our 2nd in the Tales from the Road series: White Sands and Ghosts. Join us as we go back to Alamogordo, NM and revisit White Sands National Park. We learn about the ancient civilization in the area, the ghost who still wanders the dunes at night, searching for her lost lover, and the poor unsuspecting campers who played in nuclear fallout.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
About every month or two we can't help ourselves and we talk about HEAVY THINGS. This time we dig into how it feels to know What We Would Have Done during times we could take a stand throughout history, because we're doing it right now. We also talk about Jamie's AIARE 1 course experience, which was good but tough. Back next week with episode 2 of Tales from the Road: White Sands and Alamogordo, NM.*Apologies to Coach Schwartz who I slander in the name of a bad joke in this one. You were actually a great and very encouraging track coach, even though I didn't last past Freshman year.** Fun facts about numbers of executive orders: Trump did way more in the first week. Obama actually did the fewest per year in office of any President since Nixon.Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome back to LFTR. This week we've got a slightly different story for you - the first episode in our new Tales from the Road series. Every other week instead of a letter we're heading back to one of our favorite spots to recall our time there and tell its stories, history and legends. This week Jamie brings the story of the Wild Horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Back next week with a letter!Thanks for listening! Please let us know what you think! You can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
The first letter of 2025 is about how to not get buried, figuratively or literally.Thanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod (on hiatus)If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Well we disappeared for a bit there but we're back with our 2024 Highs and Lows and some exciting 2025 plans! Back next week with a letter!00:00 Intro02:27 Drink - Deschutes Black Butte Non-Alc03:31 Does Rainier count?05:56 Airstream is done but not home!11:10 Touring is skiing but harder24:06 Touring gear rundown25:46 Winter break hermit mode27:28 2024 Highs35:19 2024 Lows41:37 2025 Goal: Get out every month!42:44 2025 Ski Week: Whistler45:14 2025 Spring Break: Tahoe46:54 2025 Summer: Road to Redemption53:40 2025 Fall Tentative: Washington Nat'l Parks55:00 Discarded Plan - Surfing in Westport, WA56:57 High & Low - our house59:04 2025 Content Plan1:00:17 Get in touch with LFTRThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 83 - welcome back to our snowy Cascade home! We talk Jamie's first ski trip of the season, Thanksgiving and Saying Yes!Highlights include:* First ski trip of the year!* Dairy Free Thanksgiving at home* Airstream update - no sun in Portland* The joy of driving teens around* Being bad at things is good* Doing it scared is part of the fun* You're never fully done!* Goat mascot snowboarding* Warning: Yes often = $.* Saying yes first to the kids* Saying yes at workLinks:* Mt Baker Ski Area* Rossignol Rallybird 104 ti* Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza & Bar* Stevens Pass Ski Resort* Dairy Free Dinner Rolls - kitchen treaty* Dairy Free Pecan Pie - godairyfree.org* Slow Cooker Turkey Breast - recipe tin eats* Taxa Mantis* Puffs* Wicked the Movie* Snowboard turtleThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 82 - we're still here, thanks for being here too. This week we talk about The Next Right Thing.Highlights include:* How to do election night like tired millennial parents* Can't process catastrophe* Jamie's (actually) 39* Moving to Scandinavia?* The ongoing love affair with niche personal sports data tech* Backcountry skiing safety - get some friends!* The propane regulator might be the cause for the Airstream's tankless water heater not heating well* The hidden overheight parking at SeaTac* Airport lounges? y/n* More ruminations on towing with electric trucks* Econ 101 with Jamie* Why do people help a neighbor but vote against their rights?* Upcoming camping plans* A new writing project!* Practice how you'll respond to “casual hate” in the places you live. If you don't have a response it's easy to just laugh uneasily.Links:* Carv Ski coach* Airstream Adventures Portland* TSA PreCheck By Clear* F-150 Lightning* RAM Electric TrucksThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 81 - While we are all about stories and encouragement around here (and don't worry this episode has both) even we have Rage. Thanks for being here, friends, you keep us doing this! [One of my favorite episodes to record in a while (Clay)]National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788Highlights include:* Please go vote! It does matter!* Halloween in Leavenworth* Our first ever snow tires* Test driving an F-150 Lightning * Debating whether to switch to an electric tow vehicle* Frunk-gating?* Who was watching “Jamie's kids” when she was on business travel??* A strong handshake, “for a girl”* “The 19th amendment could be repealed…”* How can we move forward? There's no spell to be broken.Links:* Yonder Cider* Bridgestone Blizzak snow tires* F-150 Lightning* Charging a lightning at a Tesla supercharger (YT short)* Edmunds towing road trip with a Lightning and a Rivian (YouTube)* Our Cougar is for sale and ready for winter camping* RV Out West Podcast* Vote.orgThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 80 - We finally hiked in the Enchantments and we saw the larches!Highlights include:* Adventures in bartending and stein-holding competitions* The alpine lakes wilderness that's right by Leavenworth!* Realized we could send satellite messages with iOS 18 and it worked* What to take on a day hike* Jamie and Frankie took a camping trip to Portland (for Airstream service yet again)* The way it's easy to ignore the news when you move every day* Voting in central Washington is weird - good in some ways and less in others* Holding both feelings at once* 10 years ago us would have so many questions* I ban your book ban!* What Germans thought of Leavenworth* Please go vote! It does matter!Links:* Colchuck Lake Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness Wenatchee Okanogan NF* Vote.orgThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 79 - We continue our love letter to fall as the leaves are yellow. (Finally!)Highlights include:* A night out in Leavenworth with Jesse & Rachael* A beautiful mountain hike where we sensed but didn't see a bear* Bear spray is also useful on the man* Discovering self-preservation instinct as a mom* Fall vibes - football, camping, chili* Our favorite fall camp spots: Wisconsin/Minnesota, Medora ND, New Mexico (the whole state), Flagstaff, Sedona and Grand Canyon areas in central and northern AZ, Florida, Savannah/Tybee Island, GA* Dumping cassette toilets* Wishing a speedy recovery to those impacted by HeleneLinks:* Anchorage Brewing Company* @thetasteforadventure on Instagram* Larch* Sauer's Mountain trail* Fox Canyon, Foothill and Luci's trails loop, Ojai, CA* LFTR Episode 3 - Bears* Riverfront Rock Gym* Interstate SP - WI/MN* Theodore Roosevelt NP* City of Rocks SP, NMThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 78 - It's fall! That means back to school, fall Dutch Bros drinks and of course fall soccer, something we never did while we were on the road. We discuss what we've been up to in Leavenworth, and what it means (and doesn't mean) to be in our soccer mom era.Highlights include:* A tea kinda night (again)* Slowing down the content schedule in the “off season”* Jamie's riding the chairlift and hiking the pass in the summer* Accidental trail angeling * Instant friendships on the trail/road* The act of faith in humanity it takes to live on the road or do a thru hike* The screw loose in mountain climbers and hikers* Clay's adventures were in North Carolina - hit a climbing gym and brewery with a surprise hike and concert* Stumbling back in the dark on a hiking trail in the rain with a phone on low battery* Everyone told me not to take the red eye * Kids sports can totally take over - don't let them but also don't completely opt out if your kids want to play* Any routine feels better when you intentionally choose it* Freeing yourself from being defined by work and accomplishments. Also therapy.Links:* Stevens Pass* Wild* North* The Sun is a Compass* Hidden Lake Trail* The ‘59er Diner* Old Pipeline Bed Trail* Riveter Climbing Gym* Sierra Nevada Mills River Taproom (Asheville, NC)* LettuceThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
We wrapped the summer, so we have re-entered the season of anticipation. In this case for ski season, but in general for plans! We recount our subdued Labor Day trip to B.C. and discuss why we love looking forward to things.Highlights include:* My new favorite NA beer* Jamie's second local job* More Airstream problems (solar this time)* Repeating one of our favorite full hookup campgrounds from the way up to Alaska* Campground music/ac wars* Surprise! A restful weekend!* Canadian schoolteacher Elvis* We love Canada
LFTR Episode 76 - Now that we are settled in at home it's time to recap the summer that was! We try to walk backward through our week at home in Leavenworth. Then we talk favorites, biggest surprises, and things we'd do differently next time from our Great Lakes Summer of Song.Highlights include:* Ponderosa pines smell WONDERFUL!* If you make it easy for us, we'll buy a car. Even if we haven't driven it yet.* Jamie got another new job! (Podcasting doesn't pay the bills)* Housing costs are so, so high now.* The joy and pain of school scheduling * We zig-zagged everywhere this summer - some planned some not* This happens so much for us to go to events, see family and friends, etc.* We kept this trip despite establishing a home base in WA* No leaf peeping for us!* More challenging travel than our Alaska summer?* Humidity is evil* Favorites: upper Midwest, music and theme parks!* Surprises: Great weather at pictures rocks, unplanned Wisconsin stays and bike trails* Favorite concerts: Noah Kahan in St Paul, braving the rain with the kids at Railbird, a spiritual experience at Mt. Joy in Toronto * Do differently: one or two concert plans in a summer is enough, in fact fewer firm plans in general is nice, skip Madeline Island in June, cheap and free stuff is often more fun* We say it's quicker to go to Vancouver than Deception Pass from Leavenworth. At least with normal traffic, it's not.* Best Great Lakes summer: Minnesota North Shore, Wisconsin, Michigan including UP, Chicago, Cedar Point if you're into thatLinks:* Icicle Gorge Trail* Subaru Solterra* Our summer of song itineraryThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 75 - We are feeling fine. Really. We're totally recovered from the letdown. Listen!Highlights include:* Great N/A beer!* Made it home! * Took forever to park!* Got a pizza!* Finally settled in… to discover a (mouse) mess that couldn't wait til morning* Getting back into normal (but not Normal) life* Getting used to lightning fires* A beautiful hike overlooking town* DNC got us fired up… and ready to go!* Book ban BAN!* I love bittersweet. The comedown/letdown can be hard.* Structure can be good! This we tell ourselves.* We can't help but add chaos if things are getting too ordered (boring)* Sad is hard* Sunsets and rainstorms and sunrises and fall* Summer camp for grownups* I don't wear a helmet walking around the campsite! (But maybe I should)Links:* Athletic Brewing Co* Rudloof's Pizza (und Brats)* Icicle Ridge trail* Tiramisu (@seattleanimalshelter on Instagram) adopt her please!Thanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 74 - We're a long way from where we were in Ohio this week because we finally were able to Go West. We drove 1700 miles over 4 days (plus one day of no driving but working in storage units) because we had to boogie. Highlights include:* The second trip to the mothership - not quite as amazing as the first.* Please take stuff from our storage units* Walmart party in Mitchell, complete with charcoal grilling* The west is the native habitat of RVs* RV travel hack - take a nap for an hour when storms roll through!* “But it's a dry heat.”* I like beer and trucks and butts, okay?* When you're in such a big place problems can't quite get to you* The freedom of open roads and no services for miles* Our favorite things about western states - we especially get into California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and talk about how we haven't don't enough in Colorado and Utah (Obviously we love Oregon, and Washington, too)* Mountains v Oceans!* What should we do this fall in the PNW?* Jamie's pushing the 2nd dog thing hard.Links:* Bridger Brewing Co - Three Forks, MT* Sheridan, WY KOA JourneyThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 73 - We are taking a break from the rig and recording in an AirBnB while Flo needs some work. We talk about GenCon and try and figure out why we feel safe in some places and not others and how we can make all the places more inclusive for everyone.Highlights include:* A cute neighborhood in Columbus, OH* Tankless water heaters are not meant for campers* The roads in the Midwest aren't much better than in Alaska sometimes* A KOA that wants to call the cops on you! Cute!* Airbnb, like it or not, can be a really good option for visiting places without your camper but with a family/group and/or pets* Parking was easy at GenCon!* Visiting GenCon with kids* A small panel with the McElroy's* Actually way more things at GenCon are ticketed events than we realized* Apparently this week we are a tabletop gaming podcast* When Clay's in charge of plans they're unsurprisingly a bit… looser* Safe spaces are about respect* GenCon was very LGBTQ+ friendly!
LFTR Episode 72 - This has been such a jam packed summer and we are happy. We're also, admittedly, quite tired if you can't tell by listening. Perhaps we've discovered a new Inside Out emotion: Happytired? We talk about this wonderful feeling as well as our time in Warren Dunes, Indiana Dunes and Cedar Point.Highlights include:* We've gone no alcohol for July but probably will keep it up for a while, maybe longer (if I do)* A quick and dunes-less trip to Indiana Dunes* Some National Parks you can just show up - others you need to really know the cool things to see ahead* “Vegetated” sand dunes* A giant sand dune they call a mountain you can run/fly down. * Jamie's guide to backing in* “Listen to your partner” applies in many situations* Dishy disaster* Either I'm (Clay) getting old or Cedar Point's coasters are more intense than most!* Favorite coasters discussed: Gemini (1979 wooden racing coaster), Magnum (1989 the original hyper coaster >200ft tall), Iron Dragon (ride in cars hanging underneath over a pond), Steel Vengeance (Hybrid coaster built on the structure of a wooden coaster, really unique and tons of airtime), Gatekeeper (B&M wing coaster that goes through keyholes in the entrance gate to the park), Valravn (dive coaster)* The end of a good trip is happytired* Some favorite summer happytired memories from our childhoodsLinks:* 1933 Century of Progress Homes (Indiana Dunes NP)* Warren Dunes State Park* Mt Randall loop trail (All Trails) - I would suggest not going up the big dune like this map shows but going up through the woods on the north leg of the trail and taking a left to loop back around to the big dune then go down it* Cedar PointThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 71 - We're nearing the end of our Summer of Song and wondering What's Next? We discuss our week in 3 different Michigan State Parks including beach days and family bike rides.Highlights include:* An interesting bike path detour in Traverse City* A campsite by a rocky beach with fossils in Petoskey* Beach Party in Holland* Hiking through woods and over sand dunes in Warren Dunes* We can't really know what's next… and that's probably good* Biden is stepping aside and Harris feels… hopeful* We're not preppers, but we're prepared (to go survive in the woods)* Have a plan, but plan to change your plan* Stories and morbidityLinks:* Traverse City State Park* Stonehound Brewing* Petoskey State Park* The Backlot Petoskey* Tap 30 Pourhouse* Holland State Park Beach Campground* Warren Dunes State ParkThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 70 - We can barely contain our Joy this week, but we're not sure why! Maybe you can let us know.. We left the gin out of our G&T's and got sillier.
LFTR Episode 69 - This week we have a (nice) chat about how the hell we ended up here? We recount the emotional rollercoaster of realizing we had issues with the rig and blowing up our plans for the week to take care of it. We also wax nostalgic about our first camper - and how our Butterfly Effect was a broken tent set off a series of events that changed our lives forever.Highlights include:* Flint, MI is cute!* Airstream alignment is weird* An unplanned trip to “the mothership”* jk we do have frontend separation on Flo.* But, she's patched up and scheduled for a full fix under warranty next month!* Glorious, full power AC* A chance to use our 20A dogbone (at 13A)* An epic fail of a back in (even after 4 years of this, still do it once in a while!)* We didn't seriously consider getting a camper until our tent broke* We were never home for more than 2 months at a time since!* If you have a way to trial run full time road life, do it* The pros and cons of being untethered* The magical Sonoran desert* Single aisle campers are great!* Other “butterfly effects” in our lives* Getting out (of normal) helped us learn more about ourselvesLinks:* Tenacity Brewing* The Terraport at the mothership* Sterling State Park* Bronte Creek Provincial Park* Taxa Mantis* The Butterfly EffectThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 68 - We were feeling a bit Uneasy this week (and specifically on an intense ferry ride) and Jamie wrote a letter about it. Things were back on track for a bit this week until they weren't. We discuss our time in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Mackinac Island, as well as being uneasy (both personally and for our country).Highlights include:* A hike that ended up being a trip to the beach.* A hike that did happen to a picturesque lighthouse on a rocky cliff* A beautiful boat ride at pictured rocks* An encounter with our old Mantis and the new family who travels in it!* A perfect day on Mackinac Island (after a thrilling speedy ferry!)* Funny how the cheap and free things are often more interesting than those that charge admission* Crossing into Canada but getting halted in our tracks* Why when we suddenly change plans do we end up swimming?* We can't dehumanize. Even when people dehumanize us.* Democracy only works when everyone agrees it's worth it* Human rights are not political, are not radical* Your dollar is not more important than a human being* The overthinking spiral and how to break it* Clinical Anxiety/Depression vs general* Can't afford therapy? Try podcasts!
LFTR Episode 67 - Do you ever get handed lemons by the universe? Big or small, sometimes it can feel like you got a bunch of lemons dumped on you and you're just expected to make Lemonade for everybody. You don't have to. Don't worry about it. That and our time at Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin.Highlights include:* Getting blasted on Madeline Island (not the fun way).* Bailing out of the island to Ashland* A date night! Friday Fish Fry in Wisconsin!* What's a pasty?* A (past) kayak adventure on Lake Superior* Processing our emotions is healthy (thanks Inside Out!)* Why can't we cry?* Appreciating a good wallow (or not)* Life is short - Eat the ice creamLinks:* South Shore Brewery* Madeline Island* Big Bay Town Park* Tom's Burned Down Cafe* Kreher and Prentice Park in Ashland* Good Thyme* Lawry's Pasties (we went to the original location in Ishpeming)* Bay Furnace CampgroundThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com.Find LFTR Diaries on the LFTR YouTube channel.Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod!If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 66 - What is Big Life? Do you have one? Do you wish you did? Do we? Who gets to decide and why? We explore this and other Big Questions during a rainstorm. We also catch up about our week in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, Madeline Island, and how we ended up at an indoor water park in Duluth.Highlights include:* Jay Cooke State Park near Duluth, MN is great camping and hiking* What do you do when there's high wind and up to 3” hail predicted in your area while camping?* Go to a hotel/Waterpark for a night?
LFTR Episode 65 - This week before the show we were in a silly mood and you might be too after you listen! We review our week driving from Indiana to St Paul where we had time with friends and saw Noah Kahan, then talk about the trap that is the before and after framing.Highlights include:* Stopping at ALDI with the rig.* A weird Harvest Host* Redeemed by another HH at Cedar Ridge* A windy drive north* Dinner with an old friend and a new one!* Noah Kahan in St Paul was amazing!* The Counting Crows Casino Gig set loves Noah Kahan* A friend took us up on our standing invitation to join our campfire!* Camping ass camping in Jay Cooke State Park* Before we hit the road we were pretty happy too!* We realized we like to go play in the woods* It was a different configuration, with upsides and down, but it wasn't bad. We kept what worked well.* Weightlifting?
LFTR Episode 64 - We waited for just the right moment to talk about this one, which apparently was from another Cracker Barrel parking lot on the way back north from Lexington! We talk Railbird Music Festival, Kentucky Horse Park Campground and then get into why we're spending all the money we don't have this summer on Music.Highlights include:* Why is Kentucky Horse Park Campground so popular for Airstreamers?* Railbird highs and lows* The Red Clay Strays' unreal crowd for the small stage* Icky pastor vibes* An Uber nightmare* Allison Russell is a hopeful agnostic who “takes us to church” with her music* The power of music is hard to describe with words - which I guess is why we have music* The conversation happening between performers and audiences* What if humans used to talk like birds?
*** LFTR Diaries is now available on the LFTR YouTube channel. ***LFTR Episode 63 - Coming at you from a parking lot once again, we teach you our secret to not getting bored with long term travel (or life). As Ross and Jared famously said, we Pivot! Highlights include:* Still love Devils Lake SP even after sheltering in the restroom* Go up the steep parts when hiking* Hiking meals are fun. Also full of fiber and sodium!* Madison is top ten* Our 5 pivots this week* Do we pivot more now?* Was getting the Airstream a pivot?* We do a life pivot basically every 2 years* Summer is an RV season for a reason* The west is just easier to RV in* What's the next big pivot?* Facing your fears* Feeling better than we did* GettingOutOfNormal wasn't like PLEASE* LFTR is a pivot* You're our therapist nowLinks:* Athletic Brewing Co* Devil's Lake State Park* PEAK refuel hiking meals (affiliate)* Mendota County Park* Dane County (Madison) Farmer's Market* Stella's of Madison* Brunkow Cheese* Hook's Cheese* Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co* Hubbard Ave Diner* Lakeview Park Middleton, WI* Sylvee Madison* LFTR YouTube channelThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
*** LFTR Diaries is now available on the LFTR YouTube channel. Ep. 3 is a tour of our Airstream packed for travel! ***LFTR Episode 62 - We reunited with Jason, Abby and the kids for a birthday weekend full of camping fun in Wisconsin! We talk about that, our last week in Iowa, and then reflect on how lucky we feel that We get to.Highlights include:* Beers and cheese and sausage * The Iowa we know and love!* Except Cedar Rapids has a lot of cool new stuff since we lived there* Pickleball aka “lazy tennis”* Camping with friends in Wisconsin* We get to! We do make our own choices, whether you actively do or not. Have to can be reframed as get to.* Vacations are chores, the fun is they're different chores* Sad tuna* I almost miss changing diapers* Always choosing something* The best part of LFTR: we get to meet all of you!Links (Amazon links are affiliate links):* Amana Meat Shop* Millstream Brau Haus* NewBo City Market* RAYGUN* Big Grove Brewery* Pickle Palace* New Glarus Brewing Co* New Glarus Woods State Park* Dirty Dog Taphaus* Lake Louie Brewing* Scout* We didn't playtest this at all* Devil's Lake State Park* LFTR YouTube channelThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
*** LFTR Diaries launched Friday May 10 on the LFTR YouTube channel! Subscribe now! ***LFTR Episode 61 - We're continuing our time in Iowa with a great Harvest Host stay at our favorite distillery ever, plus a promising Airstream service appointment and another Planet Fitness shower review. We then talk about how we never know what to do with our eyes, and the journey it seems we're joining many others on in the last couple decades - understanding our own brains a little better.Highlights include:* The best whiskey.* Service for the Airstream* Again with the water heater! (But maybe not forever!)* A surprise start to Summer of Song ‘24* Double dipping on our Harvest Host* Lobster? Go to Maine. Pork? Iowa.* Planet Fitness Coralville shower review* The bean burrito of shame and how school lunch was (is?) hard for neurodivergent kids* Neurospiciness!* When am I just myself?* Gendered expectations around neatness and organization for kids* Eye contact as a weapon in business meetingsLinks:* Airstream of Des Moines (Blue Compass)* Sandy Beach Campground* Cedar Ridge Distillery* Airwaves - Iowa classic rock cover band* Wingspan* LFTR YouTube channel* Library Trolls InstagramThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
*** LFTR Diaries launched Friday May 10 on the LFTR YouTube channel! Subscribe now! ***LFTR Episode 60 - These days we're not all about rules, having ignored them all and hit the road. However that doesn't mean there isn't lots of “Follow the Rules!” out there in the RV/Camping community. Our hot takes on that, plus our travel week from Bozeman, MT to Iowa.Highlights include:* “Would you like another ‘beer', Luke?”* Our date afternoon in Bozeman* Bikes on the road* Winter just keeps calling… and calling…* Moving fast and staying sane* Planet Fitness shower signs lie* FREE camping ass camping in Montana* An accidental swim for Clay (and Frankie)* Getting muddy with thousands of friends* Being kind > being right* PSA: stabilizers vs jacks and hydraulic vs electric jacks* If you don't correct your annoying neighbors they might give you cupcakes!* Distributing weight on your small trailer for safe and happy towing* Generators - think about the people around you, but do what you need to within the rules of where you're staying. Don't shame others for running theirs.* Protecting your peace: noise canceling headphones (don't have to be pricey), fans to make noise, hearing protection* Boss Baby for everyone!Links:* Canyon Creek Brewing - Billings, MT* Spire Climbing - Bozeman, MT* Bacchus Pub* Greycliff Mill* Spin Fresh Laundry* Red Shale Campground* Spearfish/Black Hills KOA* Living History Farms* Living History Farms Race* The Machine Shed* RVers Good Neighbor Policy* Soundcore Space One headphones* LFTR YouTube channel* Library Trolls InstagramThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 59 - After a brief interlude at the house we are out for the summer! We discuss the end of our long weekend in Oregon, a few errands at home, and our time in Bozeman, MT. Then we get into how it's Scary to Start things, but oh so worth “doing it scared”. Then we let you in on some of the new things we're starting!*** LFTR Diaries launches Friday May 10 on the LFTR YouTube channel! Subscribe now! ***Highlights include:* Cannon Beach + Public Coast* How we did school on the road* Truck tire adventure* Night 1? Lotdocking* Hot Springs Party* Gym girlie* Sunset drive to the park* Addicted to starting things* Can you put a price on really f-ing living?* We'll say it again - stay off I-4!* “Do it for the plot”* Are we scotch or tequila?* LFTR Diaries starts Friday on YouTube - Subscribe! * Library Trolls starts Wednesday in your podcatcher - we're starting with the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas* Are we too high energy?* Finally pursuing artLinks:* Public Coast Brewing* Michelin Agilis CrossClimate* RVers Good Neighbor Policy* Bozeman Hot Springs Campground* Story Mill Park* LFTR YouTube channel* Library Trolls InstagramThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 58 - We're back on the road!! We're hanging out with our PenPals Thomas and Erin on the Oregon coast at Ft. Stevens State Park this week having tons of fun at beaches and breweries and campfires! Then we talk about Oceans for a bit!Highlights include:* A mouthful of oyster meat* A crawl of Astoria on a perfect rainy PNW day* Views and huge slide at a neighborhood park in Astoria* Picnic on the beach with a beautiful shipwreck at Ft Stevens* Remembering our previous Oregon coast adventures* Site tip for starlink and families at Ft Stevens* Driving White Pass through Washington* Sandy or rocky beaches?* Developed or wild beaches?* Florida!!!* Jamie got her car lifted by college bros and other adventures in the Saturn* A gnarly surf lesson with Oldest on Maui* Alright, Moana, go!Links:* Ft. Stevens State Park* Astoria Brewing Co* Buoy Beer Co* McClure Park, Astoria* Episode 8 of LFTR - the last time we were in Astoria* Cape Blanco State Park* The Crazy Norwegian's Fish & Chips* Sun Outdoors in Coos Bay* Tillamook Creamery* Blue Heron French Cheese Co* Astoria KOA* Oak Creek Wildlife Area* @_maggiejo_ surfing Lake MichiganThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 57 - our second week back in Studio Flo and we are getting so pumped to get back on the road and hanging out with the Community for the summer! We discuss today's camping community, how (while improving) it's still hard to be a minority or be differently able in it, and welcoming everyone who welcomes everyone.Highlights include:* Surprise taxes are fun* Frantically preparing for our summer travels* Frankie's 1st birthday!* A train tangent* Getting ready to leave town checklist* The best customer service call ever* Airstream Wash tips* Ski season is over (finally?)* Influencers or bust* Summer is camping party time* Thoughts on flags (Clay's were shallow)* Be friendly (not too friendly)* Welcome first* What's the deal with Goldilocks?Links:* @she_colorsnature on Instagram * Koa Hospitality report stats post* @fatblackandgettinit* @themirnavator* @themomtrotter* This article also lists 22 more accounts to followThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 56 - We're back home but now have a big shiny object in the driveway (and a new friend or two living with us). The OG LFTR recording studio (Flo the airstream) is back! We review the rest of our time in Lake Tahoe and the drive back, and discuss the idea of living (or wanting) two different lives.Highlights include:* Heavenly in Lake Tahoe pt. 2* Moguls are my nemesis* Skiing in two states* We had to stay in Tahoe til Saturday (darn)* If anyone wants mens 11 snowboard boots hit me up* A beautiful and semi-sketch drive through northeastern Cali on narrow mountain roads in the snow* A missing piece* Our refueling habits* “We were so high in front one time”* Dump at rest areas in Washington* Where does Flo go?* Our little friend* Quiet country life vs small town life* “Our valley”* Jamie's always a little spooky and had an albino rat* Having a house and RV is right for now* RVing is just easy (especially with kids and dogs)* “We were going into debt for travel long before we had an RV”* We wouldn't be where we were without doing full time travel* The many lives of… basically everyone* I just don't want to be stuck* Pet rattlesnake area* “The Palm Springs of Washington”* Jamie and Clay complain about taxesLinks:* Heavenly Ski Resort (and a trail map if you want to follow along)* DIY Home Center (California)* Over The Edge Taphouse (HH in Crooked River Ranch, OR)* Washington Rest AreasThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 55 - We did it, friends! We got back into the Airstream and took it to Lake Tahoe! We discuss the timely topic of Turning Chores into Adventures and being ready for adventure anytime.Highlights include:* KOA Cabin review* Pineapple Chicken Recipe* Hey friends - most of Nevada is mountains!* Midnight bathroom needs* Flo is good to go!* The drive from Vegas to Tahoe* Our first Tahoe ski day* Are we just easily distracted, or do we stop to smell the roses?* Finding the fun in our daily activities* Stop in the pull off, take the detour!* Tacking adventures onto family and work trips* Don't go to the Corn Palace* Chore Stacking* All the parking lots we've squeezed intoLinks:* Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce* Kelty Tru.Comfort Doublewide 20* Shoshone Falls* Cathedral Gorge Miller's Point Overlook* Goldfield Miner's Camp RV Park* Heavenly Ski Resort (and a trail map if you want to follow along)* Rock House Discount Ski and Snowboard RentalsThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 54 - We're back in travel mode and we're ready to go! On this official, for real, actual one year anniversary episode we're talking about our favorite LFTRs from our first year. We also can't contain our excitement about our city weekend in Seattle for oldest's birthday, and we bring you the highlights.Highlights include:* You're not obligated to chat with us if you become a PenPal (but please do)* Who wants maraschino cherries?* Parking the dually in downtown Seattle* Did you go to Seattle if you didn't ride a ferry?* Food and fun in Seattle* Cherry Blossoms at UW* LFTR is… an exvangelical, outdoorsy, post-pandemic mid-life crisis?* How LFTR came to be* The next year of our travels and LFTR* Getting silly with bears, wind and pants off dance off* Just go and see / It's ok to like things* Heavier thingsLinks:* W Seattle* Spot Hero* VAIN Capitol Hill* Mighty-O Donuts* Proper Fish* Fay Bainbridge Park Campground* GameWorks* Ooink* Salt & Straw* Shultzy'sThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 53 - This week Jamie's a little sick, but it couldn't keep us from talking into your ears through our microphones, whether you like it or not. We look back on our time in Vegas for Thanksgiving 2022, dropping off the Cougar and buying the Airstream. Then we bring the feels back in force with Always Leaving - the bittersweet reality that with every new adventure the previous one is history.Highlights include:* End-of-the-semester sick* Drinks that are snacks* Vegas is actually pretty ok* Fixing the Cougar fiasco* Airstream purchase woes* We love no slides* Airstream “wind tunnel” test* The peace of embracing change* Leaving a memory in the past honors it* Saying yes when you can* LFTR is really just a way to make friends!* Is our whole life a cruise?* Why? Why not?Links:* Enchantment Park Trails* Rhein Haus Leavenworth* Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas* Valley of Fire SP* Lone Mountain Trail* Cirque du Soleil KÀ* Meow Wolf Omega Mart Las Vegas* Oasis Las Vegas RV Resort* Las Vegas KOA Journey at Sam's Town* Wingspan and the Wingspan computer gameThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 52 - On this 1 year anniversary of LFTR we take a break from feelings and talk about all our favorite clothes and gear for road life. Nearing the end of our 2022 travel flashback we talk about the strange but beautiful Lake Havasu, AZ. The letter this week was Clothes where Jamie reveals the dirty secret that she loves clothes.NOTE: Not a sponsored episode. We'll link you our favorites here because we like them and you might too, but we are not getting any of it free or getting paid referrals. If you want to support us, Become a PenPal and then you can join our Discord too!Highlights include:* 52 freaking weeks of this show!* Is Campari good at all? Maybe with Oreos.* Preview of our route to pick up the Airstream and staying in Tahoe* Make sure to have your own things* Friends to push you and friends to push* The cheesiness that is Lake Havasu City, AZ* Arizona's trails are top notch* Our favorite clothes and gear for getting out on the roadPlaces:* Cattail Cove State Park* modern Laundromat Lake Havasu City* London Bridge (Lake Havasu City, AZ)* SARA('s) Crack TrailClothes:* Patagonia - Baggies, Fleetwith Jumpsuit, Barely Bra* LL Bean - Mountain Classic Anorak* Vuori* REI - Kids Sahara Pants* Title Nine* Weber's Resupply* Chacos* Lowa Boots* Prana - Stretch Zion Pants* Eddie Bauer Favorite Flannel* Coalatree Trailhead Pants* Outdoor Research Snowcrew BibsGear:* Woods Mammoth Chair (Canada only now!! - Canadian Tire, not Discount Tire like we accidentally said in the show)* Mountain Summit Gear Rolltop Tables* Kelty Low Loveseat, Bestie Blanket* CGEAR Sand Free Camping Mat* NEMO Victory Blanket* Solo Stove Bonfire* YETI Tundra 45 Cooler, Replacement Toggles, Rambler Mugs* Gazelle G6 Gazebo* Gorilla Grip Moisture Absorbent Door Mat* Gold Case Turkish Towels* Husky 12 gal waterproof storage container* Store your Starlink Dishy in a Husky bin* Melitta Thermal Pour Over* Coleman Cascade 222 Camp Stove* Ignik Gas Growler* Wealers Camping Cookware Set* Barebones EnamelwareTruck Build:* Yakima OverHaul HD System, Tonneau Kit, SkinnyWarrior Cargo Basket, HighRoad Bike Mount, FrontLoader Bike Mount* RetraxPRO XR Tonneau CoverThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 51 - We're embarrassing ourselves this week. Well, we always do that but this time we acknowledge it. We pick up our 2021 travel flashback where we have a brief haunted interlude in New Mexico before kicking back in Tucson at the KOA where we celebrated birthdays and visited Saguaro NP. The letter this week was Embarrassment where we discuss what it takes to embarrass us, and how embarrassment has changed as we have.Highlights include:* Why oh wye?* Deming, NM is haunted, complete with dolls* Tucson KOA is an RV Resort that actually is* Saguaro NP is so pretty every time we've been* It takes a (RV) village to find a lost chihuahua in the desert* Jamie fails to get ON the ski lift prompting this episode* Everyone's watching you back into your site* Clay will (never) be the guy popping up to help you back into your site* It isn't embarrassing being new at stuff! You're out there trying new things!* “You too”* You are not defined by the one thing you mess up* Clay's embarrassing holey robe* Is RVing embarrassing?* Spend time with people who leave you lifted up not put downLinks:* Tucson KOA* Saguaro National ParkThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome to episode 50 of LFTR where we discuss the singular joy that is a mountain road, and some of our favorite mountain roads from our travels. Our travel recap this week continues with our time in City of Rock State Park. Highlights include:* A surprisingly delicious cocktail that we are LTTP for - Aperol Spritz* Tips for choosing campsites you fit in (and City of Rocks fail)* Sometimes giving up is the right choice* Racing the sun in the Monongahela* Monarch pass was our first mountain pass with the big rig* How Jamie learned to love big trucks* Surprise snow and how to handle it* New Priest Grade near Yosemite NP even freaked us out a little, but it's GORGEOUS (no pun intended)* Next time we drive Kancamagus we'll do it with a smaller rig and in the fall* The difference between fine and fun* Eff fog (and wind)Links:* Aperol Spritz* Bavarian Bakery* City of Rocks SP, NM* New Priest Grade Road, CA* Kancamagus Highway, NH Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome to episode 49 of LFTR where we're talking about what it means to be stationary, our new home base, why we chose to have a home base again, why we chose this home base, and how it enables our continued adventures. Our travel recap this week continues with our time in Alamogordo, New Mexico and White Sands National Park. Highlights include:* Waking up to roosters* Everything is better with hatch chili* Closing down White Sands National Park* We're not getting off the road, we can't. The road is part of us* But we like having a home town again* If you have a window to do a thing you want to do, just do it!* It's surprisingly hard to stay active while traveling full time* Road fatigue is real, especially when your travel is indefinite* Is it easier to deep clean your RV, or just get a new RV?* The PNW especially in the mountains is where all of us road/van lifers end up staying for a reason* We think we actually need cold winters for our family* Is the rat race over post-COVID?Links:* Oliver Lee Memorial Park* White Sands National Park* Osha trail* World's Largest Pistachio* Old Apple Barn* Cloudcroft Brewing Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe
LFTR Episode 48 - We're gonna make you confident! Confident at least that we started this show three times and the third time's the charm. We start with a tangent about the Wicked movie (apparently movies?), reveal our unsurprising news that we got a “sticks and bricks” in Leavenworth, and jump into how freaking amazing New Mexican food is as we continue our review of our 2022 travels.Highlights include:* What's in the second half of Wicked anyway?* It's already IPA season and we're not mad* The perfect Leavenworth Sunday morning includes coffee, biscuits, pastries and alpenhorns* We're getting a house in Leavenworth (but still RVing!)* Mountain town shit (like blowing up boulders at 7am)* Meow Wolf is trippy interactive art exploration where you go into an alternate universe and solve puzzles* The infamous night of three dinners in Santa Fe* Confidence is built on uncertainty* Giving a speech is awful (unlike doing a podcast)* Do it scared* “Bingo energy” and making friends is hardLinks:* Argonaut Coffee and Biscuits* Bavarian Bakery* Meow Wolf Santa Fe* Mac Santa Fe* Hervé* The Shed* Elyse Myers - Just do it… anxiousThanks for listening! As always you can find LFTR at http://lettersfromtheroadpod.com, and you can email us at lettersfromtheroadpod@gmail.com. Find us on socials @lettersfromtheroadpod! If you feel like kicking us a few bucks because you like what we do you can Become a PenPal and chat with us and others in the PenPals Discord. Get full access to Letters From the Road at lettersfromtheroad.substack.com/subscribe