Jenny's Travel Blog:

It's partly about the open road. It's partly about seeking healing in nature. It's partly about getting out of the home environment; stepping away from constant reminders like his recliner, his toothbrush, his half of the closet. It's partly about "Go outside and start walking." It's partly about escaping from cold Wisconsin winters. It's partly about going places you know he wanted to go. It's partly about finding your smile. It's partly about fishing still waters. It's part

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.)

There is one more story about my time at Lamoine State Park that I'd like to share. My first morning at Lamoine, I carried my coffee and my journal and a small book of poetry down to the rocky Maine shoreline at sunrise. There was a dense fog but the air was warm. Everything was still, except a few large splashes far off across the bay, likely from a harbor seal or porpoise. I couldn't see the anchored sailboats that I knew were only a few hundred yards away. No one else was

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

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 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

I'd left home March 15th and it was now April 2nd. I was car camping my way across America, seeing national and state parks and visiting friends and family along the way. Things were mostly going as planned - but then again, when it came to my time in California, I hadn't planned too much. I had ideas of things I wanted to do, places and people that I wanted to see, but I was intentionally not following a strict itinerary. My sister Susan lived in California for 20 years, and

I wake up later than usual. I avoid getting out of my warm sleeping bag. Today is my writing day.

I have decided to take a full year off from my current life. I have quit my job and I will be paying myself to travel and write. My plan is to go on an extended road trip across America, visiting state and national parks, camping, hiking, and visiting friends and family wherever I go.