Finding Freedom on Four Wheels: Hitting the Road with Escape Campervan

This stop wasn’t on our map and it certainly wasn’t on our itinerary, yet here we are, scrambling to the top of the sloping granite rocks to get a better view of the placid lake shimmering like a mirror in the valley below. After driving for several hours, the chance to wiggle is welcome, but it is the unexpected vista that sprung out of the unending roads lined with trees that has invigorated the entire family to take off in a full run.  At the top of the rocks that still have no name we pause and turn 360 degrees to see every angle.

~Family Selfie at the Top of the Rock~

My littlest boy grabs my hand and places it on his heart so I can feel the racing caused by the climb.“Feel that? I’ve always wanted to have an adventure,” he says with shimmering eyes. To him the racing of his heart thunders the proof that an adventure is happening.

And of course, he is right. We are on an epic adventure of novel proportions-at least that’s how it feels as we try to catch our breath. Of all the traveling we have done, in all the ways that we have done it, this moment is a striking first. I can’t help but think that it is the choice to travel by campervan that has made all the difference.

The Miracle that is the Campervan

We are certainly not new to roadtripping or camping or recreational vehicle traveling, and while campervanning combines all those elements, it is definitely a different family vacation experience in all the ways that are noticeably good.

Campervanning has long been the go-to road trip choice for Europeans, but there is so much about campervanning that marries well with the Great American Road Trip. That’s why companies like Escape Campervans have been setting up shop in the good ol’ US of A to give this unique travel option an American spin.  Campervans are essentially a vehicle, built on a mini-van or standard size van body that has been retrofitted with sleeping and eating arrangements. Think of the campervan as the happy place between rustic tent camping and the mammoth recreational vehicles that are available.

~Sleeping arrangements in the campervan: Room for four boys in the cab and a rooftop sleeper for an extra two beds~

In that sweet spot between camping and RVing, is the niche that was carved for the traveling marvel that is campervanning. Campervans are ideal for hopscotching across the country while enjoying the natural wonders, but complete eliminate the hassle of setting up and tearing down a tent and campsite. Everything-including the kitchen sink- is neatly tucked into the van, meaning you can be set up and ready to enjoy nature within minutes of putting the van in park. That’s just the kind of convenience that we loved when we were traveling in our RV, but the size of a RV is often travel prohibitive. Not so with a campervan. These can go places where maneuverability eliminates the Big Dog RVs, and of course, the savings in gas mileage is noticeable.

~Our portable kitchen with everything we need to cook meals on the go or at our campsite~

Finding Freedom

We knew, or at least we hoped that the unique feel of the campervan experience would give us a kind of traveling freedom yet to be known, but it wasn’t until we were on top of those rocks that it really sank in. Not wanting to break away before we had fully soaked in the surrounding beauty, we decided an early lunch by the lake was in order. Of course, with a full kitchen neatly packed in the back of the van, this was an easy choice. While the kids chased their shadows along the shore, I whipped up a hot meal out of the back of the van. Grabbing some food out of the refrigerator and firing up the camp stove to cook lunch whenever and wherever added an extra layer of ease to the already unhurried day.

“Cool van,” a young man offered by way of compliment, as I finished up the last of the cooking. This type of commentary was becoming expected for us. Our van was dubbed “Signs” and the electric colored paint job attracted plenty of attention. Each of the Escape “minibagos” is hand painted by a local artist with a funky and unique theme, giving an entertaining nod to the heyday of the Winnebago road trips of the 60s and 70s. Capturing the freedom of that era of travel is an essential part of campervanning spirit, a spirit that offers the chance to escape both the beaten path and the typical family vacation.

With lunch served, the mister and I kick back in the shade of the tree while the kids run off what’s left of their energy. We still have no idea where we are, geographically speaking, but it is certain that we are as far from our standard life as possible. With such a long unplanned detour, we discuss the likelihood that we won’t make it to the next stop today. Simultaneously, we shrug. We’ve got everything we need in the campervan-food and a way to prepare it and a place to sleep wherever we decide to stop for the night. Freedom comes in all kinds of unexpected. For today, ours is a wildly painted van and nothing but the open road ahead.

~Escape Campervan provided our campervan during our trip in California. They did not require that I express a particular viewpoint and all opinions are my own.~