Category: The Golden Gap Year Chronicles Blog
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đź’« From Road Trip to Life-Changing Moment. Always Make Your Plans In Pencil!
We kicked off 2024 chasing a dream—leaving our careers, hitting the road in our travel trailer with our pup Annie, and setting off to explore the U.S. on what we called our “Golden Gap Year.” After 12,000 miles and 16 national parks, we got the call—our son Jonathan had a surprise kidney match. Everything stopped.…
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Trip Interrupted – A Miracle from Utah to Vermont
It was a quiet Sunday morning when everything changed. We received a life-altering call: a family member, who had been living with end-stage kidney failure, might receive a transplant that very day. The phrase “Be A Donor, Be a Hero” becomes deeply personal in these situations. While the kidney came from a deceased donor, their…
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Exploring Lake Mead & Hoover Dam | Epic Desert Adventure!Â
Just a short drive from Las Vegas, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers an unexpected mix of natural beauty, outdoor adventure, and fascinating history. One of the best ways to experience it all is on two wheels, specifically, by biking the Historic Railroad. We really enjoyed this ride and could see where the train…
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RV Camping in Joshua Tree: Tips, Trails, and Stunning Views
California Adventures & Family Connections! This week’s video takes us on an exciting road trip to sunny California, first stop: the one and only Joshua Tree National Park! 🌵⛰️ We hiked scenic trails, scrambled over epic rock formations, and tracked down the perfect spot to watch the sun melt into the desert horizon. Spoiler alert:…
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Two More Arizona State Park Gems: Our RV Adventures at Dead Horse Ranch and Lake Havasu
Leaving the Tucson area and Oro Valley behind, our RV took us north to Dead Horse Ranch State Park. The name isn’t my favorite, but its location just a short drive from Sedona, a place we adore, made it a great stop. We embraced a bit of adventure with a bike ride to Tuzigoot National…
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Revised With YouTube Link- Adventuring in Arizona by RV: Catalina State Park and Surrounding Areas!
Here is the YouTube Link for this post!
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Adventuring in Arizona by RV: Catalina State Park and Surrounding Areas!
This week was packed with adventure, with 8 nights spent at Catalina State Park and 3 nights at McDowell Mountain, a Maricopa County regional park! We planned this extended stay to catch up on everyday tasks, like servicing the truck and taking care of our hair. But we also made plenty of time for some…
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2 Month RV Trip Review – The Stats, The Challenges & The Beautiful Places We’ve Seen!
If you’re considering extended travel, it won’t take long to realize it’s not all picture-perfect Instagram moments—there are definitely some challenges along the way. That said, we’re still incredibly grateful to be on this adventure, especially after the long Vermont winter we left behind! We wanted to share a bit about what it felt like…
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Exploring Arizona by RV: State Parks & Chiricahua National Monument Adventure
As we drove from New Mexico into Arizona, we were thrilled to start seeing mountains! Both of us couldn’t help but exclaim how much we had missed seeing real mountains. While these towering peaks weren’t as green as Vermont’s, we were still captivated as we seemed to drive straight toward them. Roper Lake State Park…
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Whirlwind RV Adventure; Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe and White Sands National Parks Along With More Weather and a Surprise Interview!
What a whirlwind of a week! And, no surprise, wind played a major role in our adventure. We arrived a day early in Whites City, New Mexico (just outside the Carlsbad Caverns) to settle in before a massive wind storm hit. We scored a budget-friendly, no-hookups site at the campground where we had a reservation…
Garlands on the GO 