Van Life Wanderer
Exploring Freedom - A Van Life Blog
( Northern Lights and Milky Way over Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana)
If you’re planning on visiting Montana anytime soon, consider making the trip around a time of year when you can see the northern lights. While some areas of the state have higher visibility than others, overall, Montana’s wide open spaces combined with low air pollution make for some of the clearest night skies in the U.S.
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The City of Angels has a lot to offer. With its rich culture, delicious food, and beautiful beaches, it’s hard not to have a blast. But your trip to L.A. can easily be ruined by visiting the wrong places.
With such limited time, you want to make sure you go only to the best attractions.
Don’t know any locals to ask what’s good? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll go over the worst tourist traps to avoid in Los Angeles and where you should go insted. Let’s get started!
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Hawaiian Pidgin is a language used amongst the locals of Hawaii. Overtime, the language has developed and taken on dialects from both the English and Hawaiian language. It is also known as Hawaiian Creole English, meaning it is an english based creole language. When traveling to a new area, it is common that you will run into dialects and a way of communicating that is unique to the area. Hawaii has become known for its pidgin lingo and will even be spotted on local advertising.
[Read more…] about Everything You Wanted To Know About Hawaiian Pidgin
(photo: LPS.1)
Stockton is one of the most dangerous cities in California. The city experiences crime twice as often as the national average and violent crimes nearly four times more than the national average.
There’s also high levels of gang activity, high poverty rates, and high unemployment rates in the city.
(photo: tuchodi)
Slab City is a self-sufficient squatter community made up of vagabonds, homeless, artists, snowbirds, and retirees.
It was once a decommissioned military-based but is now considered by many as the "Last Free Place In America."
It’s famous for artistic attractions such as Salvation Mountain and East Jesus.
The city has about 640 acres of public land. It has no formal infrastructure. It lacks electricity, water, and sewer systems. While it’s not entirely lawless, it doesn’t have a government.
(photo: “Somewhere Outside of Barstow – California” by ChrisGoldNY)
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California. Visiting Barstow safely is all about gaining the knowledge and proper planning beforehand. Traveling smart and staying informed about the current atmosphere and potential dangers of Barstow will ease your mind for a safe and fulfilling discovery of the city.
“Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Wyoming” by Ken Lund
For many travelers, Wyoming is a desirable destination for its national parks. However, this state is home to much more than just beautiful landscapes. In fact, it’s famous for many reasons, including that it was the first in the country to give women the right to vote and for having 10 of the largest coal mines in the U.S. You might also be surprised to find that Wyoming has a handful of ghost towns scattered across it. Below you’ll discover five of the top ghost towns to venture to while in The Cowboy State.
If you talk to people who have driven Road to Hana, you will hear about gorgeous Hawaiian scenery, the wealth of exotic stops along the way, and the narrow and winding road. All are true; in fact, this could be one of the windiest highways you ever drive. Combined with sheer 300-foot cliffs, this is not a place for reckless driving. But with just a small amount of planning, you can safely travel this beautiful highway and experience for yourself why taking Road to Hana is one of the most beautiful drives in the US.
Like most of us, you may have seen photos and videos of the bright curtains of green, red, and purple light in the night sky that make up the Northern Lights and wondered what it would be like to see them first hand. The good news is seeing them is easier than you may think. You don’t need to be in Alaska, Canada, or Iceland. You can see them in the mainland United States, and Minnesota is one of the best states to view them.
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Glacier National Park is one of the top scenic destinations in the country. When you visit, the beauty is etched in your mind for a lifetime. And driving through the park is half of the fun.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road to traverse the entire park and provides outrageously gorgeous views all along the way. It is best described by travelers in two words: spectacular and frightening. The road is one of the most scenic drives in the United States, but in some parts, it gets your heart racing – especially when it is your first trip on the road. Each time you use it, you’ll find it easier. It just takes some getting used to.
Let’s shine some light on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.
[Read more…] about Is the “Going-to-the-Sun Road” Scary? Yes, and Worth Every Second