Traveling in Vans with Dogs

If you want unwavering loving support, even more of an excuse to go outside, and a guaranteed cuddle partner, traveling in vans with dogs is the way to go! Who wouldn't want to be able to hang with their dog 24/7? The constant companionship far outweighs the smells and mess from your dog.

My dog Noah is such a joy to have around, he has a constant smile on his face. When I was living in San Francisco, it was so difficult leaving my pup at home. Now that I live in my van full-time with my partner Theo, we get to see Noah all the time, and the memories that we've created traveling around the U.S. and Canada will be cherished forever. I never thought that my big 'ol Rottweiler would one day see so much of this world, 26 states and 2 countries to be exact! I can't say if Noah loves the actual travel (he hasn't told me yet) but I think he's a lot more at peace getting to be with his Mom and Dad, aka: the loves of his life, full time.

So I'm going to share some of my favorite dog-friendly places that we've been to along the way, and also offer up some advice on traveling full-time with your dog. 

"Where do you shower?"

Although I love being in the van, I don’t necessarily want to look like I live in a van (down by the river). When planning for van life, I knew hot showers and hot water would become more of a rarity, so I had to get creative when it came to hygiene while living on the road. All while following my rule for vanlife: keep stuff to minimum and make sure it’s worth it. Lucky for me I didn’t have to adjust too much since I wasn’t a product junkie before, but I did have to make decisions such as “bring nail polish or not?” and “do I really need both day and night moisturizers?” (those answers were no and yes). But I did manage to cut back on my beauty and bath supplies by a LOT, and I made some swaps to make my routine more efficient. So I’d like to share what I have learned, and what I do to make myself look and feel my best for good van living. 😘

Cooking in a Van

I love to cook, always have and hopefully always will. But when I moved into a van, I knew that my cooking style and habits may need to change a bit. For starters, the less pots and pans used, the better; cleaning dishes in my tiny sink is not ideal. I also wanted to limit the number of ingredients I’d keep on hand since we only have so much room to store them. And finally, I wanted to prepare relatively easy meals, but were still full of flavor. I’m a bit of a foodie- pasta with sauce wouldn’t cut it for most nights. Now that it’s been over a year of living in the van, my cooking game is strong. So now, I’d like to share with y’all what I’ve learned! I’ll be reviewing my favorite gadgets, what key ingredients I keep on hand, and a few of my favorite recipes.

Favorite stops on our road trip

“What have been your favorite places?” is the second most asked question we (Alisan and Theo) get when people hear that we’re living on the road, traveling North America in our VW van. 

I’ll give a broad overview of where we’ve been one year into our journey… We started in California, then went north to Oregon, spending time on the coast, Eugene, Portland, Bend, and then we drove east to explore more of the American West: Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Utah. We even drove way up north to Banff, a 16 hour day’s drive that I will never forget. 😝

Allow me to introduce you to my favorite places that I've been along the way. And the winners are...

Favorite national park: Yellowstone, WY
Favorite campground: Devils Garden, Arches National Park, UT
Favorite public lands campground: North side Snake River, Twin Falls, ID
Favorite drive: Oregon Coast
Favorite detour: National Bison Range Scenic Byway, MT
Favorite small town: Jackson, WY

"Why do you live in a van?"

First day of our journey was to Quincy, CA
High Sierra Music Festival 💃🕺. instagram

Quick facts to start you off!

Me: Alisan Amrhein, 31 y.o. traveling across North America

Start Date: July 4, 2018 

Where we’ve been: 2 countries, 29 states, 2 Canadian provinces

Travel companions: my partner Theo and our dog Noah, a long-haired Rottweiler

Driving: 1983 VW Westfalia Vanagon

Howdy! Hello! How’s it going?! I am super glad that you (yes YOU) are here reading my new blog about my van travels across the U.S. and Canada. I have been living with my boyfriend Theo and our loyal pup for a little over a year, traveling to iconic destinations, exploring cute small towns, and seeing the country from the comfort of our Westy home.