Lesson #13 Make Sure To Do Fun Shit
This lesson is all about the fun! It’s sort of at the heart of why we love this lifestyle. It’s also just things that we love to do, but it makes it that much cooler when it’s in different states and settings. These are the things that we love to do while overlanding…
BREWERIES
There is nothing better after a long day of travel then finding the local brewery and having a cold one. First off, I find the local spots tend to be super chill and you have a high likelihood of meeting some locals. Whether you are looking to grab tasty bite and want recs or are looking for public land off the beaten path, breweries are a great spot to do so.
One of our favorite breweries in Arizona:
LOCAL MUSEUMS/GARDENS
If you are driving through a more urban area and want to experience some culture we found the local museum or gardens are perfect for this. We tried to add these stops in every few weeks. It was an excuse to fully shower, wear civilian clothes and take in a cultural spot we normally wouldn’t have been able to experience had we not been on the road.
A butterfly sanctuary we found in Gainesville, Florida
NATIONAL FORESTS
Just for clarity, National Parks are more focused on preservation. This means we work to keep the landscape from being altered. National Forests are managed for a number of purposes such as recreation, timber, fishing and hunting to name a few. You will also find public land within some national forests. We enjoyed driving through them or beautiful scenery or finding a spot for the night that was secluded and next to a local watering hole or pond. They tend to be very large so this could take a little more work on where you want to go within the National Forest. Figure out what your goal is and from there utilize the help of local maps, forest rangers and local businesses to help you (we did get lost on occasion; especially when the service was bad).
A super cool spot in the sand hills of Kansas
OFF ROADING
As I have mentioned in previous lessons, I am personally not super keen on off roading. But there are plenty of opportunities to do so with the terrain you will find on public land and being near National Parks and Forests. It’s a great chance to test your vehicle and capabilities. You can play in the mud and dirt like you’re a kid again! It also allows you to work on your skills and how you handle your vehicle. My husband absolutely loves it. And it helps him to gain a different experience behind the wheel which is pretty important when you’re on the road so much. Lastly, sometimes you just need to get off the highway.
Off roading in Big Sur, California
GETTING OFF THE GRID
I do encourage you to take some moments when you are completely off the grid. We usually did this unexpectedly but it was always a nice break from the outside world. If you do plan on doing this, well, a few ground rules…
PLAN!!! We usually only did for a day or two just due to the nature of my work and needing to be online. But any time we did we always let our family know where we were staying and when we would plan on getting back online. Ensure you are prepared in regards to food and water and also know how far away your nearest hospital/town is. It seems crazy but when you are out in the middle of nowhere you can’t just call 911.
Fully unplug. Take advantage and turn off your phones and use the time to talk, meditate, rest, read or write. Many of us are old enough to remember only really unplugging when we were young so it can be super fun to sort of re-create the “sleepover” vibe.
Be safe. Still follow your normal pre-cautions in regards to locking up at night and storing food accordingly. I plan on using the next lesson to deep dive into safety so more to come on this one!
One of our off the grid escapades
I hope you enjoyed learning about what we love to do in our down time when overlanding. What is your favorite activity while traveling? Any other lessons you are dying to hear about? Until next week thanks for reading and drop me a line (or like) if you enjoyed this lesson!