2015: Looking Back
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It has been a busy year for us. Or more accurately, it has been a very busy second half of the year for us.
We started 2015 quietly enough, just another young couple living and working in Los Angeles. In fact, this year looked a lot like last year, and the year before that. We were making a modest living, paying rent, floating along, getting by. Sure, we had our share of ups and downs, moments of excitement and frustration, but like years past, our lives remained dominated by never-ending Monday-to-Friday 9-to-5 routines. We had been plugging away like this ever since we got out of college and never felt like we were actually getting anywhere. But this year, we really started to feel the treadmill beneath our feet.
Thankfully all that changed when we pulled the trigger and committed to our lifelong dream of traveling full time. We had been planning for this moment for awhile and when it finally arrived, we were ready. On July 1st, we quit our jobs and started the process of selling virtually all of our stuff. On August 1st, we loaded up our camping gear into our hatchback and took off. We were going to spend a year traveling North America. To see, experience, and appreciate the country in a way we’ve only ever dreamed about. This was the start of a new beginning.
Since then we’ve been all over. We’ve traveled up the west coast, through British Columbia, into Alberta, and down the Rockies. Along the way, we’ve stayed in campgrounds, national forests, and Walmart parking lots. We’ve reconnected with old friends and made many new ones. We’ve climbed mountains and wandered through the badlands. We’ve swum in lakes and soaked in hot springs. We’ve gathered blackberries along the side of the road and ate Canadian poutine until we thought we would pop.
As we enter the New Year, we’re excited to see what adventures are in store for us. But right now, we want to take a moment to remember where we’ve been. Here are some of our favorite moments from latter half of 2015, a year which we will not soon forget.
Top 5 Camping Recipes of 2015
We cooked something like 250 meals outdoors this year. We’ve documented some of our favorites on this blog, but here are our reader’s favorites!
Easy 5 Ingredient Vegan Tacos
By far, our most popular recipe this year was our Easy 5 Ingredient Vegan Tacos!
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
What’s a camping trip without some whiskey by the fire? This Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider was our best campfire cocktail this year.
Grilled Halloumi Breakfast Sandwich (with Sriracha Mayo + a fried egg!)
Breakfast is our favorite meal of the day, and with good reason when there’s Grilled Halloumi Breakfast Sandwiches on the menu!
Trail Mix Bliss Balls
Our new favorite snack are these Trail Mix Bliss Balls. An easy, make ahead recipe to take on a long hike!
Five Can Chili
Last but not least, what’s a camp cooking blog without a chili recipe? Here is our vegetarian-with-a-KICK Five Can Chili, which kept us warm while exploring Banff in October.
Top 5 Places We Visited in 2015
Since leaving Los Angeles in August, we have traveled over 15,000 miles. There are so many beautiful places and adventures to be had in the western US & Canada, but here are the ones that stood out the most to us.
Winchester Mountain, Washington
While it was a grueling hike to the top, the night we spent in the fire lookout tower on Winchester Mountain is one of our all-time favorite memories from this trip.
Dinner Rock, Sunshine Coast of British Columbia
Perched upon a bluff high above Desolation Sound, Dinner Rock is by far the most scenic campground we’ve ever stayed at.
Hot Springs in eastern Idaho
After a few colds nights, it’s nice to be able to warm your bones. Not only did this hot spring in Idaho sooth our bodies, but it rejuvenated our spirits.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
We arrived just a few days before the majority of Yellowstone was scheduled to close down for the winter. Our late arrival, in addition to the cold weather, meant we virtually had the entire park to ourselves.
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
We never intended to visit the Dakotas on this journey, but after getting run out of Montana by a blizzard, we found the clear skies and fair weather of badlands to be quite agreeable.
Thank you all so much for joining us on this journey, giving us encouragement, a place to sleep or shower, a good laugh, and countless suggestions on amazing places to visit along our way.
In 2016, we’ll be traveling through the American Southwest, the South, Appalachia and the East Coast, and into North Eastern Canada. Know of any places we can’t miss? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates from the road!