Let's Go, Jane!

What a week. The short version is, this road trip was 100% successful, and yes, I will be living in a van next year. The long version? I’m going to have to divide this into two posts, there’s too much to cover in one. I thought maybe I’d separate this into the Utah portion and the Colorado portion.

Early Saturday morning, I took an Uber to JFK airport to catch a 9am flight to Las Vegas. It was an award flight so I was prepared to be in a middle seat, but somehow the universe arranged not only for me to be in an exit row, but also for the person who was supposed to be in the window seat to miss their flight. I started my trip on a totally full flight with two seats to myself and tons of legroom, not a bad start!

I had a little time to kill before picking up the campervan so I stopped at a Mexican restaurant and ate some delicious enchiladas. The pickup place was terribly disorganized. One woman had been waiting for four hours for her RV, another couple for three. An RV had been located, but no one could find the keys. Another one had a door that didn’t close properly. It was a bit of chaos, but eventually I got my campervan and drove to Walmart to stock up on food and supplies.

It was 5 pm by the time I hit the road. I had planned to go as far as St. George, UT, where there was, coincidentally, a Costco. I was determined to add at least one Costco to my list of stores visited (now up to 19!) on this trip. The scenery was amazing, like something from another planet. Two hours of driving, and 2.5 hours until the store was closing, perfect. Unfortunately, the moment I hit the Nevada/Utah border the time changed and I lost an hour, and with it, the opportunity to go inside the store. The parking lot was big, empty. I was tired. I made lemonade and backed into a corner spot where I spent my first night in the van. It felt fitting somehow that my first night sleeping in a van happened in a Costco parking lot.

On Sunday morning I woke up early, made myself a cup of coffee, and enjoyed the sunrise from my van living room. Whenever it was safe to do so, I left my sliding door open with the screen zipped closed. It felt like being on a screened-in porch. Zion National Park was just up the road, but the main entrance was quite a detour. Instead, I visited Kolob Canyons on the north side of the park. There was an incredibly scenic drive up to a peak, and on the way back down I parked and did a six mile hike. The weather was hot but dry.

I got back on the road and drove to the next national park, Bryce Canyon. Having experienced a night in a box store parking lot, I wanted to try dispersed camping on BLM (public) land. With the help of an awesome app called The Dyrt, I located a spot near Bryce that would be okay to park overnight. No amenities, and as it turned out, no other campers. Just me and a deer that was quite startled when it came across me in the middle of a field. I watched the sunset, slept, and woke early to catch the sunrise. Peaceful, quiet, serene.

In the morning, I drove to Bryce Canyon. It was early enough that I got a parking spot at one of the trailheads. The scenery was absolutely incredible as I completed a 3.5 mile loop trail. I took a million pictures (like the image at the top), but nothing compares to what you see in person. I got back in the car and drove to Arches National Park. For three days, this was my pattern. Find a parking spot near a national park, sleep, in the early morning roll out of bed and drive to the park, getting a great parking spot. Make coffee and breakfast, hike, and then drive to the next park. 

On my third night I opted to stay in an RV park. It was the only night I paid for parking ($50). It had water and electrical hookups that I didn’t use (the van had solar, propane, and a large water tank). I did opt to take a hot shower before leaving in the morning. I said hello to a few friendly neighbors but I didn’t really talk to anyone. As it turns out, I’m quite happy in my own company.

I got to Arches early but found that a $2 timed-entry ticket was required and my phone did not have a strong enough signal to purchase one. I had to backtrack until I got a signal. I made my way into the park and drove half an hour to the trailhead to hike to the iconic delicate arch, pictured on Utah license plates. I did a 3.5 mile hike to see that incredible sight. Each person, as they arrived, was asked to take a photo of the person (or people) who’d arrived before them. Then they, in turn, asked the next arrival to take theirs. I took my place in line, got my photo, and then sat for a while, ate my snack, and watched this social phenomenon with amusement.

This, my friends, is where I will leave things for this week. My next installment will pick up with the drive to Colorado that night and some reflections on the experience as a whole. Thank you, as always, for reading!

P.S. Big news! My first book Van Life After 50 is officially out in the world. If you’ve ever dreamed of downsizing, traveling more, or hitting the road after 50—this one’s for you. You can check it out here.