Hungry for Adventurez

IOverlander is a free, crowd-sourced app designed for roadtrippers, RVers and Car campers. I have recently started to use it to plan out my weekend adventures in Iowa, and find free places to stay overnight. Lately I have been camping solo almost every weekend. While campgrounds are much cheaper than hotels, I have been starting to wonder if I can illuminate the cost and hassle of staying at the more popular campgrounds. (If you want to learn more about ultra low budget travel, read this !) Plus, in the busy summer season, sometimes the popular campgrounds, like Makokita cave and Backbone State Parks are completely booked. iOverlander helps provide some great options to explore a little differently.  How the iOverlander app works  iOverlander is a crowd-sourced app. That means that anybody can log a pin in the app and leave notes on the quality and type of location. People who visit a place later can also add check-ins with pictures and notes to help future travelers. If you a...

  Photo by Xia Guangjian from Pexels.com  I get cabin fever easily. However, my partner does not. He is an introvert, runs out of energy faster than I do, and doesn’t like bugs. Or maybe bugs like him too much? Whichever way that goes, we have different preferences when it comes to how much adventure is enough. Sometimes this is a problem. However, this doesn’t mean we don’t get to go on great adventures together. Since we have been living together, I think we have learned a lot about how to adventure, when to adventure, and when to make compromises to keep everyone happy and comfortable. Homebodies love to be comfortable; Come prepared to manage the elements This one is possibly the most obvious, but it’s pretty foundational. If you forget the bug spray on a hike, you will not have a good time. If you don’t bring sunscreen to the beach, you will not have a good time. My boyfriend often prefers to be indoors because it's more comfortable. Thus, as I plan a new outdoor outing, ...

  Ever watched influencers like Nikki Delventha l and started imagining yourself traveling the country in your car, no hotel or RV necessary? Turns out, for those of us more interested in weekend outings than long term travel, it's quite easy. I have enjoyed using my Prius as a sort of minimalist RV for about a year. That being said, I can say from experience that there are some supplies you should not leave home without, for your comfort and sanity. Here are the 7 main areas you need to plan for.  One of the many shade socks you can find on Amazon Privacy While Car Camping in a Prius Window covers should be the first thing you buy. Window shades are essential for a few reasons. First, you need a private place to change your cloths, and sleep without feeling like anyone could see you. Second, shades help insulate the windows and regulate the temperature of the vehicle while you sleep. Thirdly, they help darken the vehicle if you sleep past sunrise, which is especially importan...

panoramic I took from the backbone trail. Here's a map of this state park! As much as I love traveling and being outside, I've never gone camping alone, or even stayed out of town overnight by myself before. This was something I had always wanted to try. It's not always possible to find someone to come with when I get the itch to go on an adventure - I would be out every other weekend or more, if I could. I decided to go to Backbone State Park in Dundee, Iowa over Friday night and hike all day on Saturday on Memorial Day weekend. Let me tell you, I learned a lot. Not everything went as planned, but I will still be doing solo camping again.  Arrival I made great time getting to the park after clocking out. I had packed my car the night before, including shelf stable, hiking friendly food; the weather and traffic were perfect. When I first pulled into the park, I came through the lakeside entrance, and I knew it would be a good trip. The lake, the trees, the sandstone crags -...