A Taste of Vanlife

May 31, 2024

Camping is one of my favorite hobbies. I’ve always wondered what life would be like on four wheels. It’s difficult to think about living on the road indefinitely, and understandably so. I’m not really into the idea of getting rid of all of my posessions and living out of a van—constantly on the move. But surely there could be a way to try it out without such a drastic commitment?

Many years ago, my wife and I set a plan in motion to save up enough so that we could take a year off from work to travel the world and immerse ourself in our personal hobbies. And this adventure could be the perfect starting point. I talk more about the thought process behind this phase in my Leaving Apple post.

After a bit of research, we decided to rent a fully loaded Sprinter van from a private owner through Outdoorsy. That way, we’re not permanently locked in, but we can also get a taste for that kind of lifestyle. We’ve been wanting to spend a lot more time playing outside lately anyways. Our goal was to visit some of the major national parks of western USA (with a dash of the Canadian Rockies). Here’s an illustration of the route we took.

We took a few days to prepare ourselves, picked up our van, loaded it with as many supplies as we could possibly imagine, and set off on an epic roadtrip — one that we will remember for the rest of our lives. This post will be a long photoset with words interspersed in-betewen. My hope is that it will inspire you to go on an adventure like this of your own. I’ll try to share all the spots we camped at, the hikes we did, and some general observations about life in a van. It’ll be a fun one.

Joshua Tree

Our adventure started 8 hours south of the Bay Area in the desert. We arrived late in the night at Indian Cove Campground, which is just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. The night sky was cluttered with stars, and temperatures were perfect.

We took our time and leisurely hiked around some popular trails in the park like Arch Rock and Cholla Cactus Garden.

Even in the blistering sun, the views were excellent. Joshua Tree’s landscape is so unique.

Getting to cook lunch right next to these prime spots was such a fun experience. Pallavi got a sneak peek of her dreams of owning her own food truck and letting happy customers pick off food from the countertop.

Alabama Hills

After a short 4 hour drive, we arrived at Tuttle Creek Campground, an incredible first-come-first-serve campground right along the Eastern Sierra. We typically prefer first come first serve because reservations are always so difficult to grab, but the anxiety of not knowing where exactly you’ll spend the night can be daunting. That risk, sometimes, is so worth it because it leads you to some incredible campgrounds that you may not have run into otherwise. We could not believe that our view was this good. It felt like a postcard moment.

As the sun started to descend behind the mountains, we prepped for dinner and just enjoyed the view in front of us. As per usual, Pallavi cooked up a storm, so we ate like royalty. Pictured is Nepali style stir-fried chicken and veggies with pickled radish and beaten rice.

The next morning, we got up early to catch the sunrise at Movie Road. There were some road closures which prevented us from being able to drive the van there, so we just stopped on the side of the road to get a good look at Mt. Whitney and friends light up at dawn.

We headed back to the campsite and decided to spend the afternoon lounging around, playing music, and relaxing. Then, we headed off to our next campsite in Death Valley.

Death Valley

Things got real interesting and fun as we drove the van towards one of the most remote campsites within Death Valley: Eureka Dunes. The road to get to camp was a grueling 30 miles of washboard roads. We drove the van at a soul-crushing 8 MPH because of how rough the roads were. At times, it felt the van was going to topple because of how bumpy it got. All of the cabinetry and fixtures within the van were rattling – not a good sign, but we were already too far in to turn back.

It was a vast, desert landscape. Not a single soul in sight. No cell service. No gas station or water source nearby. It is the most remote we’ve ever been, and quite frankly, we were a little nervous at first. Pallavi patiently drove us through this one while I was busy capturing the moment through my camera, sometimes even running out of the van to get that long telephoto shot from far away – all in an attempt to capture just how vast of a landscape it was, and how little and alone we were.

The silence of the landscape helped us calm our nerves as we eventually made it to the campsite. No one was there, and it was just a patch of dirt with a handful of fire pits. We parked the van right in front of the formidable Eureka Dunes, and I quickly ran out to snap a photo before we set off on the hike up to the top of the dunes. It was peak golden hour time.

The deception of the dunes quickly became obvious. The summit was miles farther than we initially estimated with lots of false summits to lead you on. The winds were blistering, and you could feel a billion particles of sand flying into every inch of your body at piercing speeds. It was a rough hike, but there was so much beauty to be taken in there. Perhaps the most aggresive blend of peace and chaos I’ve experienced.

We couldn’t climb to the top because it was so windy and painful. Walking along the ridge of the dune was difficult in such harsh winds. The sky dusked and it was no longer to safe to continue hiking through sandbowls. We set back for camp for a nice dinner. Content that we could enjoy the rest of the night in solitude. A couple campers arrived later in the night so we didn’t end up being all alone at the end, which was a comforting thought.

The next morning, we decide to give the dunes another shot. Conditions looked favorable wind-wise, but temperatures were already in the 90s well before the sun reached its zenith. We trekked back up the ridgeline of the dune to get another good look at the dunes that were hiding beyond. We didn’t get to see it under golden light like the evening before, but it was still epic.

To get out of Eureka Dunes and onto the rest of the park, it was another soul-crushing 40 miles of washboard. We made it out in tip-top shape many hours later, and the road led us straight to pavement and onto the Ubehebe Crater. The mid-day sun was blistering, but we ventured out of the confines of our air conditioned van to get a good glimpse of it anyway.

Moving on. Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point were straight out of another planet. The polychrome mountains definitely give off Iceland vibes. There’s no comparison, of course. But it’s cool that the US has some alien-like landscapes too.

We headed back for camp at Mesquite Spring Campground around sunset. The night sky was incredible, and the galactic center was clearly visible to the naked eye. At 2am, we got out of the van to get a good look at the Milky Way. Truly a core memory.

The next morning, we did our usual business – emptying out the grey water tank, filling up with fresh water, and emptying the septic tank. All necessary chores for van survival! We made a quick stop at Artist Palette. Pallavi whipped up a delicious bowl of noodles and eggs.

We then headed off to the Utah-Arizona border, ending the evening at White House Campground.

Antelope Canyon

The following morning, a Navajo-led tour of Antelope Canyon was on the books. It was a fascinating lesson with geology and history intertwined. Snapping photos in the canyon is a fun exercise for the discerning artist, as you must carefully frame your shot in an ocean of contours.

It was too windy to kayak through the canyons, so for the rest of the afternoon, we spent lounging at a viewpoint above Lake Powell, where I captured this 5-image panorama of the vista.

Pallavi spent time writing on her journal while I lost myself on the little Martin guitar. Nothing is finer than playing music in nature.

Once we had recharged our batteries, we decided to catch the sunset at Horseshoe Bend. Being one of the most photographed spots in the world, it was no surprise that this would be a fantastic spot to catch last light.

Once the sun dipped over the horizon, we headed out to Zion to camp for the night.

Zion & Bryce

We arrived in Zion at midnight. We had a dispersed campsite that we loved camping at years prior, so we were stoked to revisit the same spot right under (Smithsonian Butte)[]. Unfortunately, the campsites in that area had been taken out of commission due to excessive noise and trash left by many campers. The locals were rightfully annoyed, so BLM decided to break down all the sites. See, this is why we can’t have nice things! Because when we’re given the priviledge of something nice, a lot of people take it for granted and trash it. One bad apple ruins it for the rest of us. I was heartbroken, and stressed out that we now had to hunt for another campsite at midnight when we’re already tired. One of my favorite sites was no more, but here’s how it looked years ago when we camped there for my birthday. I’ll share a photo of that instead.

Anyway, we decided to just grab a vacant lot at a nearby RV park because it was too late to hunt around for a campsite. The next morning, we headed straight for Angel’s Landing.

It wasn’t as scary as the ultra wide-angle videos on YouTube make it seem. The exposure definitely sends chills down your spine, but there was plenty of guardrails and chains to hold onto the entire way so it never felt like “the most dangerous hike” to me. Views of Zion Canyon were fantastic and we enjoyed one of our favorite snacks, Kurkure, at the top.

We hastily rushed over to Bryce Canyon to spend the next couple of nights there.

Catching the sunrise at Bryce Canyon is one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced. It’s a small park, but undeniably unique because of its hoodoos. How magical it would be to see these features in their snowcapped state, but I’ll settle for an orange burst this time. And yet again, we’re humbled by the beauty of this planet.

The serene morning gradually transitioned to a fabulous breakfast and coffee at the van. Pallavi got her morning yoga session in while I brewed coffee. Self-care can be done even during busy periods of travel, folks! We took the day slowly with a couple day hikes. A long day of walking is much more preferable than a long day of driving.

We hiked the Navajo Loop trail and decided to end the night with a little jam session by the campfire — a small cover of Junkeri by Bipul Chettri. A beautifully poignant Nepali folk song. You can watch our cover video here.

Canyonlands

The epic Utah excursion continues through Canyonlands, where we stared at the vast abyss of Utah’s desert in all directions. Striking rock formations and atmospheric haze above the canyons and ravines. Utah is a place like no other. We parked the van and lounged all day.

As a result of lazily lounging around, it was a nice balance to spend the next day hiking.

A visit to Canyonlands must always be accompanied by a visit to Arches.

Arches

Arches has some absolutely epic structures, and the shifting light of day really lets you appreciate them.

A quick coffee sesh with a view and a short walk, then we were off to Wyoming.

Grand Teton

On the way to the Tetons, we stopped by a farm for some Wyoming skyr. This was some of the best yogurt I’ve ever had. The shop was run by a kind family man who had all of his children helping him run the farm.

We made our way through Jackson Hole by the night and landed at our next campsite in (Blah blah ground)[]. After a nutritious stir-fry, we hit the hay early that night.

My alarm went off at 4:50 AM. Sunrise is at 5:05, and we’re 20 minutes away from Schawabacher’s Landing, a classic sunrise spot for watching the Tetons light up. In a delirious haze, we speed down the highway, take the turnout into the small parking lot and hike towards the river. At 5:10 AM, the Tetons were beautifully highlighted and side-lit from the rising sun.

Yellowstone

We spent the night at (campgronud)[] and hit up some of the classics like Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring. There were some truly wonderful textures there to photograph.

Glacier

The drive through Montana was stunning. It finally became clear to me why Montana frequently comes up at the top of the list of US’s most beautiful places. It felt like we were in Switzerland at times. Lush, green, and filled with epic mountains. We arrived at Lake Macdonald right in time for blue hour. It was cold and nippy, a much welcome change after all of those desert excursions.

The Avalanche Lake trail was quite nice. Glacier wasn’t quite in-season yet, so it was the only accessible trail nearby.

The mountain pass on Going-to-the-Sun road was closed which meant you couldn’t drive to the eastern side without driving back outside of the park and around. So we did exactly that, spending the night at St Marys Campground. We cooked and basked under a moonlit mesa.

East Glacier is absolutely epic. The Many Glaciers area in particular was awesome. We did the Grinell Glacier hike, but the end of the trail was closed. We ran into a moose and saw a baby bear rustling around the bushes. It was still a lovely hike, and ended with a ton of rain. Moody shots abound.

Banff

Scattered thunderstorms in Banff led to some epic, moody photos. We hiked very little. Most of our time was spent lounging around at different viewpoints, admiring the jagged peaks of the Canadian Rockies.

Oregon Coast

The ocean, finally! A refreshing cruise for the next 3 days riding down the Oregon coastline starting in Astoria. We explored this quaint little coastal town, sampling some seafood and even picked up a cool record at a vinyl shop.

We hiked (Beachy trail)[] which ended with the perfect lunch at Canon Beach, followed by a banger sunset at Cannon Beach.

We hiked to God’s Thumb, which ends at a cliff that juts out into the sea. We lucked out with a beautiful, clear sunset at a place which is notoriously gloomy on most days.

There, we met a lovely couple who were celebrating their wedding anniversary at their first date spot. They were kind enough to snap a photo of us, too.

Jedediah Smith Redwoods

Fin

This 1-month long taste of vanlife has been one of the greatest adventures of our lives. We learned so much about ourselves. Many long drives and hikes filled with vibrant conversations—some hard and some easy. It gave us a chance to truly unwind from the stress and responsibilites of daily life. Every day was the same in the sense that it only required us to get from point A to point B, eat the best thing we could cook, hike the best trail or find the coolest viewpoint we could. Purpose was easy to find. It was liberating to not have to think about work, or a pressing errand or some chore to occupy my free time. The goal was clear and simple.

It’s definitely something we see ourselves doing at another phase of our life, perhaps in 20 years we send off our future children to college. We met many older couples in their 50s and 60s who were doing something similar, and they praised us for taking the leap to do such a thing at a younger phase of our lives. The idea of a mini-retirement is compelling. Spending all of our youth studying, working, and advancing our careers to ‘save up for out future’ is an idea that is constantly shoved into our minds by society. I believe we should question this assumption. Life is much more than just saving up for the future. Life is here and now, and we should be striving to create happiness in the present moment while also planning reasonably for our future.

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• ← For Nihon / 日本