Back in January and February 2020, I had big plans for this site: posts from Boston in April for my birthday. Norway in May to celebrate Sytten de Mai. Alaska in July … wheels up, let’s do this!
Wow, how things can change.
To quote Lily Tomlin as Violet Newstead in 9 to 5: “I’m a tree, I can bend.” (The 9 to 5 reference will be relevant again in a minute, stay tuned.) With my frequent flyer accounts and cancelled-flight credits overflowing (insert sad emoji), we pivoted to road trips.
The thing is, I’m not sure I’d previously figured out how to do road trips right: I’ve always been focused on the destination, not the journey along the way. (I mean, thank goodness for MT speed limits, but …*)
Since international air travel was a no-go, we embraced June with a couple road trips: one to Colorado to visit my family (my mom cooked up an amazing Mexican feast based on a recipe from friends in Cancun and our friend’s dog Charley helped me work remotely) followed by another at the end of the month to visit the hubby’s family in Montana (including an awesome rafting trip on the Clark Fork and biking the Hiawatha Trail).
And then July flew by. And August rolled on. And we got stir crazy. Enter Doralee Roads.
You may (or may not) recall that Doralee Rhoades was Dolly Patton’s character in 9 to 5. Doralee is also the name the hubby and I have given to a new-to-us Winnebago Travato campervan (pictured above and below) that’s home for adventures in the foreseeable future. We may be working nine to five, but we’re looking for new meaning for the term “office.”
With Doralee, I’m learning to slow down (she also does 80mph just fine–where legal, of course…). But a camper van makes it easier to stop along the way. I’m loving all the parks, whether for pickle ball, nature hikes, or a simple stop for lunch.
But there’s the desination(s) too: I’m excited about how much more accessible National Parks are while camping (I mean, by design, national parks tend not to have airports in them). I hope to check off some new park visits in the coming months, having visited a dozen parks prior to this year.
After some short trips to get Doralee stocked and get used to van life, we’re getting ready for a week exploring Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park. Petey the (stuffed) dog is here for the ride and looking to make some cameos with us here. Stay tuned and safe travels!
Upper Left Traveler 
I love the “hard pivot” pic of you, JC and Petey!!
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