Changes are afoot around here. After months of deliberation and planning, my husband has said farewell to his law practice and is now embarking on a new career as a photographer. And so, since we both now have the freedom to work from pretty much anywhere and since we're very ready for a change, we've decided to trade in our two bedroom house in the Colorado suburbs for a home on wheels.
Over the next few weeks we'll be preparing our new, used RV for a year on the road. We'll remove the sofa that the RV came with and will put in a desk and work space which will serve as my new studio. We'll add solar power, a portable WiFi hotspot, and a hitch to tow our car. Mid-November we'll load up our books and our clothes and our dogs and we'll set off on this latest adventure. (We're going to start a blog to document our travels. I'll share the link as soon as it's up and running.)
To celebrate the beginning of a new chapter, I'm giving away a copy of
Cupcake Cousins, written by the wonderful
Kate Hannigan and illustrated by me, as well as a copy of
The Little Prince, a copy of
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and five of my 5"x7" prints.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post with a suggestion of someplace (a city, national park, swimming hole, roadside attraction, etc.) that my husband and I should visit during our year on the road. I'll put each participant's name in a hat and
will choose the winner on Friday, October 31st. (If you also share this post on Facebook, I'll enter your name a second time).
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and good luck in the giveaway! I can't wait to read your travel suggestions! :)
If you decide to go to Virginia, you should definitely go to Williamsburg and climb the old lighthouse at Cape Henry. It is worth the $8!
ReplyDeleteWowee! That is incredibly bold and brave and fabulous! Congratulations to you both and I can't wait to see/read all about your new adventure! Let's see I think anywhere on the PCH1 is fabulous. We love Sonoma, Mendocino and of course San Francisco, Berkeley and Saualito. I think you've been out this way before but if you haven't visited any of those cities as well as the redwoods up north or Santa Cruz or Monterey, you're in for a treat. Wishing you all the best dear Brooke and hubby!
ReplyDeleteCome visit us in Austin!! :)
ReplyDeleteWoweeee, Brooke! That is amazeballs and so awesome! Can't wait to hear all about it.
ReplyDeleteYou should absolutely check out two crazy places in the midwest (Ez and I just visited, we'll tell you about them in detail) -- House on the Rock and nearby, an incredible junk yard/sculpture garden that prominently features Doctor Evermore's Forevertron. Suuuuper fun.
Likewise, if you've never been, there's loads to do and see in the Western Mass area - the Eric Carle museum in Amherst is pretty sweet, Norhampton, MA is great, Mass MOCA in North Adams is excellent, there's also Shelburne Falls... the list goes on.
xo
Cambria, CA for the elephant seals and the Painted Hills in Eastern Oregon
ReplyDeleteWow! What an adventure! I'm inspired and wish you all the best.
ReplyDeleteLa Conner, WA (of course). And from there easy access to Edison, Whidbey Island, the San Juans and Bellingham.
ReplyDeleteBrooke, that is exciting news indeed! I wish you the thrill of adventure as you travel with your husband around the country. I hope that you find all the beauty and inspiration our great country has to offer. I love northern California: Carmel espcecially. I haven't been to Point Lobos but have seen incredible photos from there. The Presidio is beautiful, too. And I remember visiting the redwoods when I was young, and I would love to visit again one day. Too many beautiful places to see! :) Good luck and keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteWow! The adventure sounds amazing. I'd love to have you visit the Philly suburbs (and you could let your dogs run in my yard!) but the place I'd recommend is Luray Caverns in VA. (Dogs would have to stay in the coach :( )
ReplyDeleteAhhhhhh! This is so exciting! I want to do that too!
ReplyDelete(KE takes a look around her room, sees all the books and art supplies and the handsome boyfriend who is in school for another two years and realizes it's not possible, then gets back to writing the comment)
This is going to be the best blog ever!
I can't wait to read it and let me know if you need any backup singers for singing updates :)
I'd say 1880s town was super fun (In South Dakota I think?) and Wall Drug just for something fun along the highway. National parks are a must, as are visiting as many indie kid bookstores as possible! I second the emotion that Lisa had about all the excellent MA stuff...and great stuff in Northern NY/VT too including The Ben and Jerry's Factory, Lake Placid (site of the 1980 Winter Olympics) and The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. I've got people in Northern NY so let me know if you head up there :)
Obviously Santa Cruz is awesome :)
This is just so great! can't wait for you to have an EXCELLENT adventure!
How exciting! I have another friend who is doing the same thing (they're retirees who hadn't really traveled before). I highly recommend Bryce Canyon; we loved it so much, we named our firstborn after that place. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your travels!
Life Light Concert near Sioux Falls South Dakota Labor Day weekend .it has a very large attendance. This is the town that you sang at the fair.
ReplyDeleteVery exciting news. And so many great places to visit. Some that come to mind: Smoky and Shenandoah Mountains; ditto to Bryce Canyon; the Everglades; New England in the fall; etc.
ReplyDeleteAh! This is so exciting and I am extremely jealous (in a good way). What an amazing adventure you will be on together!! Hmm, an awesome place to go to visit......New Mexico. Taos and Sante Fe specifically. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHave so much fun, Brooke! So excited that you and Bill are embarking upon this adventure! Come by to LA and the OC! We can hike and bike and hit the beach! (And draaaaaw!) ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wondeful decision you took! I suggest New England because it is a place I'd really like to see by myself, of course. Loads of old looking wooden houses, forests and beautiful nature photos to do... You could come here, but France is a little bit far away though ;-)
ReplyDeleteBrooke that's amazing! It sounds completely wonderful and I'm so impressed :-) I recommend the north rim (Grand Canyon), riding bikes through Yosemite valley and the little town near camp for eggplant parmesan submarine sandwiches xxx
ReplyDeleteFirst go to Crater Lake, Oregon, where you will discover shades of the color blue that even you have not imagined. While you are in the neighborhood, the small town of Jacksonville plays host to the Britt Outdoor Music Festival (http://www.brittfest.org/), and just up the road the small extremely hip town of Ashland hosts the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (https://www.osfashland.org/). Happy trails!
ReplyDeleteI give you both a lot of credit for doing this! What a great, daring adventure.
ReplyDeleteI haven't travelled that extensively in the US but if you go to Pennsylvania, visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater at Bear Run: http://www.fallingwater.org/
I haven't yet but I've always wanted to. And also in PA is the Amish Community in Lancaster County. The country is beautiful there and I've always had fun when I've visited. Other than that, Chicago. Another place that I want to visit. Guess I can live vicariously through you!
Bon Voyage, Brooke!
Congrats on your adventure. I will give a recommendation in my town. If you come through St. Louis you must visit the http://www.citymuseum.org/site/. It is like nothing you have ever seen before. You must also stop at Ted Drewes for Frozen Custard. It is our most famous food along with Gooey Butter Cake and Toasted Ravioli.
ReplyDeleteCome to visit South of Quebec, Spring, Summer and Fall are good time for a visit!, Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting for you both! Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteThe Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan are gorgeous in the spring and summer. There are also lots of campgrounds nearby.
Plus! Mackinac Island is just a few hours away. You couldn't take your RV on the island but it would make for a nice weekend getaway. You walk, ride bikes, and ride horses everywhere you go, and the fudge is phenomenal.
If your in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia stop by Coopers Rock State Park... It's beautiful......Don't forget to walk out on the big rock because that's what it's all about ....Have a safe and fun trip...
ReplyDeleteBrooke! I am so, so excited for you!!! Like, butterflies in my stomach excited! This sounds like it will be such a fun adventure, can't wait to read all about it. I would recommend Niagara Falls, and then New England. There's this little place called Jersey City, I hear the people there are pretty cool, and wouldn't mind hosting nice people such as yourselves ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat an terrific adventure! I can only begin to imagine how great a year on the road will be.
ReplyDeleteI'll second the New England recommendations. The Louisa May Alcott house in Concord, MA is magical if you're in this neck of the woods and I hear the Tasha Tudor Museum in Vermont is fun as well. And if you're looking for cities to visit, Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire are chock full of wonderfulness.
A wide range of collection of used RVs in Portland, sale – Oregon. Visit Their website for more range of collections of all models of RVS.
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