We are off on an adventure! Nearly 10 years ago, we took our first sabbatical. We travelled mostly overseas, exploring South Africa and Oceania, Thailand, and the US Southwest. We flew our paragliders, scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef, and hiked, backpacked and kayaked all over. We spent time with friends and family, and really enjoyed ourselves.
This sabbatical we plan to mostly be in the USA, at least for the first year. Over the last two years, we have been hard at work converting a 4WD Sprinter van into a camper van, complete with all the essentials and some luxuries too.
Here’s our rough itinerary:
- November/December 2023: mostly California, including Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, eastern Sierras, and Redding.
- January 2024: Josh paragliding in Thailand; Michelle birding in Arizona; some time in Seattle.
- February - mid-March 2024: Argentina, Chile, Patagonia backpacking, hiking, and more. (Traveling by airplane, not campervan)
- Mid-March thru early Fall 2024: driving the van to Arizona; rafting the Grand Canyon; exploring the Southwest, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, up into Banff and Jasper National Parks; drive to Alaska and adventure galore. With short trips away from the van to go rafting with Josh’s family, attend Michelle’s college girls reunion, and take in the Watershed Country Music Festival at the Gorge.
- Beyond Fall: TBD.
Along the way, we hope to spent time with friends and family. We welcome company and would love to share adventures with you.
Michelle endeavors to keep this blog roughly up to date, and plans to share recaps of our adventures and also refinements of our itinerary. We will gladly accept your tips for places to visit and restaurants to dine at, and we hope to see you out on the road!
Cheers,
Michelle & Josh
