ROVA Twenty-Six: August/September 2021

If there’s something that’s consistent with every kind of travel, it’s that you should always expect the unexpected. Travel is not predictable, no matter how much you plan or how hard you try to stick to an itinerary, because there are so many variables that depend on external factors. Road-tripping is one of the most likely types of travel to throw up surprise scenarios. Things like blown tires, closed roads, full campgrounds, engine trouble and rowdy neighbors can all set you off on a completely different course to what you’d planned. And while that can be enough for some people to decide, “Nope, not for me. I need certainty in my adventures” (is that an oxymoron?), for me, and probably many of you, it’s exciting, even when it’s challenging. What will…

Winner of the Kootek Camping Hammock My husband and I and our two kids usually travel to Europe over the summer months, and we greatly missed our vacation in 2020. This year, we decided that we’d try RVing as a way to get away and see more of our country. We found ROVA when we were researching, and your magazine has helped us plan, as well as making us super-excited about a kind of travel that we’d never even considered before. We’re leaving on a two-month adventure next week, and we’re nervous but we can’t wait! Thank you for helping us vacation again. Harper S I loved Jasmine Ledesma’s article “Late Night Gas Stations Explained [ROVA Adventure Twenty-Five]! The strange little stories that you publish from time to time are part of the…

Fun in the Sun Summer: it’s the season of fun! Enjoy all that summer has to offer by spending a few days—or weeks—by the water, and indulging in some adrenaline-pumping water sports. There are tons of lakes that offer perfect conditions for all kinds of waterborne thrills, but one of the best is South Lake Tahoe—boating, fishing, waterskiing, parasailing, paddleboarding and kayaking are all on offer, so if you can’t find something you like at Tahoe, well, we hate to say it, but maybe you should stick to land. tahoesouth.com Treat Yourself to a Tipple If grunge music and Frasier are the first things that spring to your mind when you think of Seattle, you’re not alone. Who’d have thought that just outside of Washington’s major city there’d be a treasure trove of…

Scrub-a-dub-dub Staying on top of your laundry is a chore at the best of times, and when you’re on the road it only becomes more arduous. Well, it’s time to stop googling “Coin laundry near me” and spend that pile of quarters on something a bit more fun, because all you need is Scrubba—the world’s smallest washing machine. This nifty piece of kit features a flexible inner washboard, and will give you a machine-quality wash wherever you need it. Simply fill it up and give your clothes a rub and rinse; it’s as easy at that! Who needs machines? thescrubba.com, $55 Get your grill on Come with us on a journey: It’s been a long day. You’ve driven, set up camp, hiked and swum. You get back to the site, and all you…

Gwyneth and Amiana We got married in June, around the same time we finished our DIY van build. Our wedding featured van tours and homemade van cookies! We then set off on a 17-day road-trip honeymoon, which took us to Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State. For us, having the van means the freedom to travel with a lot of flexibility, while also enjoying the comforts of a warm shower and healthy home-cooking. Instagram: @biggayadvanture Adam, Chelsea, Lily, Jet and Parker We are a blended family of five with a desire to create lasting memories with our kids and explore what the world has to offer. We thought, what better way than in a Skoolie?! We love introducing our children to new cultures and experiences. We decided to start documenting what we do to…

The middle is sometimes the receiver of short shrift—the middle child, the middle seat, the middle finger. It’s overlooked, undesirable, and offensive. But as Goldilocks would surely tell you if you ever happened to meet her, sometimes the things that fall in the middle are perfect. So, let’s take a look at the mid-sized travel trailer: it’s not too small, not too big—it’s just right. You might have seen our mini trailer round-up in ROVA Adventure Twenty-Four; we took a look at towables with miniscule measurements—up to around 15 feet. Taking a step up, mid-sized trailers run from 15 to 25 feet, and give you a whole lot of options that you might need above and beyond a tiny trailer if you’re not a single, a couple or a (very) small…