Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Mount Hood and Bend, OR
From a quiet morning in Hood River to the slopes of Mount Hood and down into Bend, this day blends van life routine with a few surprises. Timberline Lodge didn’t work out, but the High Desert Museum more than made up for it. Add in slow Starlink uploads, a solid meal, and a quiet street to park for the night, and it’s a full day that feels exactly like life on the road.
Multnomah Falls & Hood River, OR
A low-energy morning turned into one of the fuller days of the trip. I hiked Multnomah Falls, talked a couple of women through the switchbacks, shot the Columbia River at golden hour in Hood River, and — almost by accident — ended up in a documentary screening about indigenous communities fighting for their river. Not a bad Tuesday.
Haystack Rock & Columbia River Maritime Museum
Cannon Beach starts quiet with a walk along the sand toward Haystack Rock, where the scale of the coastline settles in slowly. The day continues north to Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum, where the stories shift from scenery to survival. It’s a mix of calm coastal wandering and the reality of one of the most dangerous river entrances in the world.
Coos History Museum
Rain forced a change of plans along the Oregon coast, turning a day of hiking into a visit to the Coos History Museum in Coos Bay. What followed was a deeper look at logging, shipbuilding, fishing, Indigenous languages, and a difficult piece of local history. The day ended at Cape Arago, a reminder that travel rarely goes as planned—but often leads somewhere better.
Salt Lake Museums
I spent a full day moving between the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the Natural History Museum of Utah, drifting from modern abstraction to deep time. From Sol LeWitt wall drawings and recycled-tire sculpture to human evolution, dinosaurs, and the rock cycle, the day unfolded as a quiet conversation between art, science, and place—ending downtown over dinner with a friend visiting Salt Lake City on business.
Cass Railroad and Green Bank Observatory
A cold start in the forest turned into a day of discovery. After a stop at a roadside bakery, I explored Cass Scenic Railroad, where the legacy of logging still echoes through the hills, then continued to Green Bank Observatory, where massive radio telescopes listen to the stars in one of the quietest places on Earth.
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine
I began the morning at Twin Falls Resort State Park, then toured the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine with a retired mine inspector. He spoke about the work, the dangers, and even the rats that warned miners of bad air. From Beckley to Helen and Itmann, the Coal Heritage Trail traces stories of coal, community, and endurance—ending with quiet reflection in an abandoned company store.
Charleston, WV
The drive into Charleston wound through tight turns and across the bridge to the Capitol Complex. I spent the morning at the West Virginia State Museum, a well-designed walk through time that tells the story of how the state came to be. Outside, I stopped at the Veterans Memorial and the Lincoln statue before exploring the Capitol. Inside, a long talk with a former police chief led to the story behind the Robert C. Byrd statue and its controversy. As the day ended, I photographed Kanawha Falls from the roadside, the light fading fast over the water.
Louisville Slugger, Church Hill Downs, NULU
I spent the day exploring Louisville’s past and present—touring Churchill Downs and its exhibits on Secretariat, visiting the Louisville Slugger Museum to see how the iconic bats are made, and ending in the NULU district surrounded by food, coffee, and creativity. It was the perfect mix of Kentucky tradition and modern energy.
Mark Twain-Hannibal, MO
Hannibal, Missouri, sits quietly along the Mississippi River, a town steeped in history and wrapped in the stories of Mark Twain. I spent the night nearby at the Edward Anderson Conservation Area, a peaceful stretch of woods just south of town, before exploring Hannibal’s historic streets the next day.
Nelson-Atkins Art Museum
I explored the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, wandering its sculpture gardens, discovering Noguchi’s stone pieces, marveling at El Anatsui’s Dusasa I, and losing myself in Monet’s water lilies. This mix of outdoor whimsy, modern masters, and Impressionist calm made for one of my most rewarding museum stops.
Joslyn Art Museum
I expected little but found a lot at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. Free admission, diverse collections, and even a Kenneth Snelson sculpture made this Nebraska stop far more rewarding than I imagined.
Ironworld Discovery Center
A day on Minnesota’s Iron Range moves from the history-packed trolley ride at the Minnesota Discovery Center to the towering 85-foot Iron Man statue, a tribute to the miners who built America’s steel backbone. Visitors can wander a rare northern bog in Orr, where carnivorous plants and stunted spruce thrive in soil too poor for most life, before ending the day at a Harvest Hosts stay on a 1938 airfield. Hosts Pat and Dave welcome guests with cookies, a spaghetti squash, and stories before a heavy storm rolls in—lightning flashing so often it turns the fan vent into a strobe light.