Hello from Bend, Oregon! Right now I’m sitting in a Starbucks checking emails, texting my Mom & using this rare wifi opportunity to plan out the next few days of our trip. As I wrote about in this Instagram post, Robin and I decided on a whim to rent a campervan and take it up into Oregon and Hwy 1 for some bucket list adventure.
We’re on day 3 of a 9 day trip & I already know I’ll be missing the van once we return it (though I will like having a shower whenever I want one!) We rented this van from Outdoorsy. (I’ll be writing up a different post all about this van and campervan trip tips, don’t worry!) At a quick glance, what we liked about this van is the battery/generator included, making it easy to charge devices on the go (#travelblogger problems, we’re always carrying our camera, laptops, etc.) We also loved the storage and built-in kitchen. It’s tiny and easy to drive, another perk! Plus, it’s really cute.
We picked it up in San Francisco and drove to Mount Shasta for our first night. Along the way we stopped in Redding to pick up groceries and were surprised by 99 degree weather (not used to heat since we live in San Francisco!) But that evening we camped under Mount Shasta peak and it dropped down to the low 40’s.
The next night, we drove over to the Painted Hills and stayed up late listening to our Harry Potter audiobooks outside because it was a high of 70 something and warm. That’s what I love about this campervan trip. We’re falling asleep with great views outside our window and we never know how the start of the day is going to compare to the end.
Today we’re in Bend and heading to the Deschutes Brewery before finding a spot to park the van for the night in the Deschutes Forest. We’re trying to camp entirely for free this whole trip, though we may have to pay for an official campsite a night or two so we can use their showers. What I didn’t realize is the USFS allows camping on public lands.
Next time you are in a national forest, look out to the sides and notice if you can spot any vans or tents tucked on side roads between the trees. They’re probably camping for free!
Well, that’s it for now! If you have any questions about campervans, leave a comment below and I’ll make sure to answer! I have a long list of blog posts to write around this trip and SO many photos to share on Instagram, though most of this won’t happen until we get home. We’re prioritizing exploring vs holing up in coffee shops connected to screens.
