Jenny's Travel Blog:

I've stayed in my fair share Cracker Barrel and Love's Truck Stop parking lots, but with research and help from apps like iOverlander, I've found a few top notch places. Here are my top ten favorite dispersed camping spots from my trips across the U.S. in 2023, along with a short story of each location, from west to east.

Meet Top Car Model Lakester von Subaru! In an industry where newer models typically grab headlines, veteran Lakester von Subaru - a 2016 model - is taking the U.S. car modeling world by storm.

Here are a few stories from life on the road, to illustrate just how un-glamorous car camping life can be. If they are a little too revealing about my character, so be it.

After visiting Acadia National Park at the end of August 2023, I was feeling aimless - but in a good way. I had 3 other major car camping swings under my belt, so I had experience with aimlessness. And exhilaration. And loneliness. And adventure. And the rhythm that can develop when you are out there on the road bouncing between your own extremes and emotions.

For my fifth major car camping adventure of my adult gap year I went to the great northwest. Due to jury duty, I had to stay in Wisconsin until mid-October, but then I headed west. Here's a map and overview of the major stops on my sojourn. (I'll go back and tell more detailed stories down the line.)

In 1960, John Steinbeck set out on a road trip across the country. He drove a truck with a camper-shell and brought along his wife's dog. His goal was to rediscover America. The resulting travelogue became the book Travels with Charley: In search of America. Steinbeck and Charley started their journey in Maine. He wrote "I wanted to go to the rooftree of Maine to start my trip before turning west. It seemed to give the journey design, and everything in the world must have des

Campers - I'm going to tell you exactly where to go, what to see, and what to eat when you visit Lake Superior. Usually I just tell you where I've been. I guess I'm feeling bossy today. First, make sure it's hot and steamy weather outside - late June or July, perhaps. Pack light, but be sure to bring a fan (unless you enjoy roasting while you sleep). Second, bring bug spray, citronella candles, bug wands, or any other methods of fighting off mosquitoes. You'll need them. Thir

My son Josh transferred to Montclair State University in New Jersey for his sophomore year of college, so we left our home in Wisconsin on August 21, 2023 to drive him to school. My original plans for a late summer sojourn to Montana were placed on the back-burner. Already in the northeast? Let's explore the northeast! The next 27 days took me through New Jersey, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Canada and Michigan - mostly car camping in the back of my Subaru Outback

This is a terrible thing to admit, but I once watched the reality TV show Wife Swa p . It doesn't matter if you've never seen it - the title tells you pretty much everything you need to know. Two wives trade places - living life in another woman's home for two weeks. During the first week, they have to live by the rules of the new house - assimilating to the lifestyle of the wife who left. (Wives were required to leave behind a manual of instructions for how things were gener

I have been car camping across America since March 2023, and for this blog post I'll be featuring seven free apps that have served me well in my travels. (No paid endorsements - I'm just sharing what has worked for me.) The quick list: Google Maps, Life 360, iOverlander, NPS (National Park Service), Seek, Merlin, and Compass.

I visited Joshua Tree National Park for three days in late March 2023. I had been in Phoenix visiting with family, and it took me about 5 1/2 hours traveling west on Highway 10 to reach the park. I arrived just before sunset and drove into the park by the south entrance, pausing to snap a picture of Lakester. I drove into the park to get the lay of the land. Cottonwood Visitor Center and Cottonwood campground are only 7 miles from Highway 10. I didn't have a camping reservat

After celebrating my son Luke's graduation the weekend of May 5-7, I returned home to Whitewater and began packing for my EAST COAST SWING! SECOND CAR CAMPING TRIP - May 9 - 26, 2023 May 9: Packed up, gassed up, got an oil change, then hit the road. Kept feeling like I forgot something. I DID! My dressy clothes for Grace's graduation! (Not on my usual camping checklists.) I was only 15 minutes out of town. Drove back, threw the fancy clothes in the rooftop car carrier, hugg

FIRST CAR CAMPING SWING - March 15 - May 1, 2023: The overview of who I saw, what I did, where I went after packing my Packer blanket and heading out! (Click on hyperlinks for detailed blogs about each location.) March 15: Drove from Whitewater, WI to St. Louis, MO to see Gateway Arch NP, campground at Sam A. Baker SP near Patterson, MO March 16: Drove to Fontainebleau SP near New Orleans, LA - electric campsite March 17: Visited New Orleans, LA - if I visit again it will

W, March 15 - Whitewater, WI to St. Louis, MO ( Gateway Arch National Park ) to Sam A. Baker State Park, Patterson, MO Th, March 16 - Sam A. Baker State Park to Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville, LA Fri, March 17 - Fontainebleau SP to Lake Pontchartrain Causeway to New Orleans, LA; from New Orleans, LA to Sam Houston Jones State Park in Lake Charles, LA Sa, March 18 - Sam Houston Jones SP to Studio apartment in Hyde Park neighborhood in Austin, TX (visit with niece Maddie)