⛺ Love it, don’t rough it
Hi, I’m Courtney! 👋
Welcome — I’m so glad you’re here.
Why I Started This Blog
Here’s the thing about travel: it takes a few ingredients. You need money, health, motivation and inspiration, and if one is missing, the trip stays on the “someday” list, right next to the garage you were going to clean. Most travel blogs stick to the inspiration part, because pretty sunsets are the easy bit. I try to cover all four.
My adventure bug started as a kid, outside until the streetlights came on. Nature is my first love, but I’ll happily take an old cathedral, a small town with a good main street or a big city with its own history and attitude. In college, I discovered tent camping, and it fit a college budget perfectly: $15 tent sites, a Sentra that sipped gas, and a cooler where the beer was the priciest item. I’m still chasing new places on a budget, just with a better pillow.
What I Mean by Adventure
Adventure means different things to different people. To some, it’s a backcountry trek with a pack the size of a refrigerator. To me, it’s a paved mountain trail, a touristy waterfall at the end, and a bench with a view. I have photos. I earned the gift shop.
On this blog, adventure means going somewhere new. Mostly that’s nature, but an old cathedral in a city counts too. So does a cruise port day: a stroll through an old town, a local market, a beach chair by the water, or a tour you can finish before the ship leaves without you. Parties work the same way: a good time is a good time wherever your time is. Nobody is checking your mileage.
How I Travel
These days I travel in a travel trailer, which is basically a tent with a lock on the door and a refrigerator. Before that, I tent camped, stayed in cabins and took a motorhome out on the road, so I’ve tried just about every way to sleep outside without technically sleeping outside. My old tent looked like it might collapse under the weight of my questionable bag of marshmallows, and it still became a cozy little fortress with a bit of planning. I’m a cruiser too, and I consider a cruise cabin camping with room service. My dream is still to cruise around the country for a whole month in a gigantic motorhome that says, “I have snacks and a tiny sink!”
The Four Things It Takes to Travel
- Money. Travel doesn’t have to cost a fortune. I look for state park campsites, trips that are one tank of gas away, free things to do and midweek rates, and I save the splurges for the things that really matter, like a good pillow. Start with my cabin tent budget guide.
- Health. Getting outside is good for you, and it’s easier when you’re comfortable. I move at my own pace: paved paths, shorter trails, plenty of breaks and a chair waiting at the end. Drink water, pack your medications and listen to your body. If you’re not sure what’s right for you, ask your doctor. I’m not a doctor, and nothing on this blog is medical advice.
- Motivation. The hardest part is going. A plan makes it easier, so I share checklists, free printables and trip plans like my road trip planning guide. Pick a date, pack the bins, and go.
- Inspiration. Every trip starts with “ooh, I want to see that.” I share the places that made me say it, from state parks and hikes to cruises and getaways.
What You’ll Find Here
This blog covers all that and more, focusing on being comfortable, affordable, fun, educational, and all about the outdoors!
🤝 Affiliate links
A Quick, Honest Note
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. It’s a tiny way this blog supports itself, and I only link to gear I’d genuinely recommend to a friend heading out on their own trip. Your trust matters a lot more to me than a few extra dollars, so nothing gets featured here just because it pays.
More details are in my Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure.
💻 Learning as I go
Also, Full Transparency
I’m not a web developer. I’m not particularly tech-savvy, either — I’m learning all of this as I go, one page and one very patient Google search at a time. If something on this site looks a little rough around the edges or takes me a minute to figure out, that’s just where I am right now, and I’m okay with that. Honestly, watching this blog slowly come together — and getting a little better at building it with each attempt — might end up being its own story worth telling. Maybe that becomes a post here someday too.
So pull up a camp chair. And if there’s dessert on the menu, remember that when you order your own, you only need one spoon. Now that is a party.
— Campfire Courtney 🔥
Where should you start?
New to camping? Begin with my beginner gear guide. Want to see the comfy gear I actually use? Check out my Gear Guide.