What do you say when you're asked, "Where's home?"
Do you say where you were born? Or where you live now?
Travel writer Pico Iyer says, "It's the place where you become yourself."
For us, it's Vermont.
We love traveling cross country in our vans. But when we cross into Vermont with its rolling hills, dairy farms, and cute towns, we breathe deep. Our spirits sit up in their seats.
We're home.
We love Vermont state campgrounds, but our favorite places to camp are off-grid in the Green Mountain National Forest.
We stay in dispersed campsites with more wildlife than people. Some have mountain views. Others are beside clear rivers or lakes. What’s more, they’re free!
These boondocking spots don't have drinking water, toilets, trash pickup or reservations.
But that's fine with us, because our vans have:
*solar power for the freezer/fridge, lights, phone chargers, and more.
*propane for our hot shower and cookstove.
*70 gallons of onboard water.
*and even a woodstove!
Great camping is gold for the soul. Your campfire is caveman TV. The owls hoot under a starry sky. The fireflies flicker in the field. You wake to birdsong.
You get calm. You get inspired.
To find the best camping, we talk to rangers, biologists, and other campers.
We check out the federal lands website www.fs.usda.gov.
We cross reference apps like iOverlander, The Dyrt, Campendium, FreeRoam, Ultimate Public Campgrounds, and AllStays.
Best of all we explore Vermont. You can find dispersed camping on a lot of forest service roads. But you can find inspiration everywhere here.
Vermont's beautiful backroads have inspired me to paint large canvases with thick textures and vibrant colors.
I take photos and paint watercolor sketches in the field. Back in the StudioTruck, I paint with acrylic on textured canvas.
Marc packs the paintings, and we ship them around the country.
Here are some of my favorite paintings for sale.
Since we can't carry the large paintings with us when we head West, they're only available till the end of August.
We're happy to ship. We’re also happy to do custom commissions. Just ask.
I hope these paintings remind you of home. Of the places you live or would like to live.
As travel writer Pico Iyer says, "Home has less to do with a piece of soil than a piece of soul."
Wishing you a soulful summer!
Christine and Marc