Alex Mercer 
Nobody goes to Spokane on purpose. That’s what a friend told me before I booked my ticket last July, and honestly, I almost listened to her. Seattle gets the glory, Portland gets the quirks, and Spokane gets… overlooked. Which is exactly why you should go. I spent five days in Washington’s second-largest city last summer … Read more
There’s a moment that happens about two hours after sunset in Great Basin National Park, somewhere around 9,000 feet elevation, when the last trace of twilight bleeds out of the sky and the Milky Way detonates overhead like someone cracked open the universe. I’d driven six hours from Salt Lake City to see it, and … Read more
I almost didn’t write this article. Not because Whitefish, Montana doesn’t deserve the attention — it absolutely does — but because part of me wants to keep it quiet. This is the kind of town that makes you reconsider your entire life plan, and I’m not entirely sure I want the secret getting out. But … Read more
The Game-Changing Freedom of Powering Your RV While You Drive There’s a particular kind of anxiety that strikes every RVer when you’re miles from the nearest campground, watching your battery monitor dip toward that dangerous red zone. Maybe you’ve been there— parked in some stunning dispersed camping spot, far from electrical hookups, doing the mental … Read more
I rolled into Eureka Springs on a Tuesday afternoon in late May, windows down, winding through the Ozark hills on Highway 62, and by the time I pulled into town I was already recalculating my entire itinerary. I’d given myself two days. I needed five. Maybe a week. This little Victorian village tucked into the … Read more
There’s something about a milestone birthday that makes you want to go all out. When my best friend turned 30, we rented a lake house, set off fireworks from the dock, and stayed up until sunrise arguing about whether hot dogs qualify as sandwiches. America’s 250th birthday? That’s a whole different level of celebration — … Read more
I showed up at Acadia National Park on a foggy June morning with a coffee-stained map and zero expectations. Three hours later, I was standing on a granite outcrop above Sand Beach, watching the fog burn off to reveal one of the most absurdly beautiful coastlines I’ve ever seen — and I’ve driven most of … Read more
When most people think about campervan conversions, they picture the exciting stuff: the layout design, the solar panels, the kitchen setup. But there’s a step that happens before any of that takes shape, and skipping it means living with cold feet, uneven surfaces, and a van that fights you every time the temperature drops. Floor … Read more
There’s a moment driving across the Mackinac Bridge when Lake Michigan and Lake Huron stretch out beneath you in every direction and you realize you’re about to enter somewhere that doesn’t feel quite like the rest of America. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — locals just call it “the UP” — is that rare place where the … Read more
I still remember exactly where I was in the summer of 1994 — sitting cross-legged on my grandmother’s living room floor, watching Brazil lift the World Cup trophy at the Rose Bowl on a fuzzy tube television. I was eight years old, and something about that tournament lit a fire in me that never went … Read more