Comfortably Wild: The Ultimate Glamping Guide
In our eight years traveling around the world on our HoneyTrek, we’ve slept everywhere from camping tents in the Andes to five-star hotels in Zambia and we can say with certainty, glamping is our favorite style of lodging. Because it’s not just a place to lay your head, it’s an experience. River rafting between luxury camps, harvesting vegetables for a farm-to-table dinner, and ziplining to your treehouse suite, glamping is experiential travel at its finest.
Breaking the mold of big-box hotels and transforming camping into a glamorous affair, this revolutionary travel style needed its story told. We traveled over 73,000 miles from Canada to Costa Rica (56,000 miles by RV), seeking the best glamping destinations in North America and the deeper meaning of this trending term. In the first guide of its kind, Comfortably Wild dives into the history of glamping and this 21st-century craving for unconventional experiences that effortlessly connect us with nature, loved ones, and ourselves.
Rather than being organized by style of lodging, each chapter of our glamping book offers a unique way to vacation, like the boutique farmstays in “Cultivate,” wellness retreats in “Rejuvenate,” and the action-packed journeys of “In Motion.” Seventy-plus destinations come alive with colorful descriptions and hundreds of gorgeous photographs. In addition to inspiring stories, we offer practical tips to finding the right destinations for you and mobilizing a lifetime of unforgettable adventures.
Comfortably Wild Features…
✦ 256 pages and 250 color photographs, across nine chapters organized by glamping experience
✦ Over 70 destinations across 9 countries, plus 80 extra getaways by region in our North America Glamping Directory
✦ Roundups of unique outdoor accommodations at vineyards, wildlife sanctuaries, hot springs, state parks, and more
✦ HoneyTrek Tips offering the best deals, local secrets, and tested-and-approved travel advice
✦ Vacation Matchmaker pinpointing the best destinations for your trip style
✦ Random Awesomeness featuring wacky one-of-a-kind destinations from cave mansions to ski-on-ski-off treehouses
✦ Packing lists, cooking ideas, handy apps, and booking sites to get you glamping
Videos: Properties Tested and Approved!
We didn’t just pick places from the internet’s best listicles, we personally experienced the properties featured in Comfortably Wild, explored the surrounding areas, and found the essence of what makes each one so special. Watch a few of our videos to get a feel of what it’s like to stay at these fabulous destinations.
Social Media: Comfortably Wild Behind the Scenes
See some of our favorite social media posts from glamping across the continent. For more photos and videos, see our Glamping Highlight Reel on Instagram Stories.
We've seen a lot of vintage trailer hotels during our #Glamping Book research, but wow @Schnepf_Farms #CozyPeach is crushing it. Adored our stay in a 1969 Airstream, farm-to-table dinners, gardening classes & the incredible Schnepf hospitality! pic.twitter.com/yyHX5kr1Jb
— HoneyTrek (@HoneyTrek) September 26, 2018
Critical Acclaim for Comfortably Wild
“The Howards’ newest guide is perfect for everyone who loves the outdoors—not just physically fit 20-somethings, but also families, pet owners, disabled folks, and those of us who just hate sleeping on the ground. The vivid photos and descriptions will have you daydreaming about kayaking with belugas and counting shooting stars from a bubble suite—a little mental vacation to hold you over until your next real one.”
—Sadie Dingfelder, feature writer at the Washington Post
“I love that this book isn’t just about beautiful glamping properties, it’s also about the experiences that make our travels resonate and the incredible people that bring them to fruition. Helpful and inspiring, Comfortably Wild is the guide that every North American traveler needs.”
—Samantha Brown, Emmy-Award-winning host of Places to Love
“Comfortably Wild finally gives us a comprehensive view into the vast world of glamping. This book is as relevant and delightful for industry experts as it is for first-time glampers.”
—Ruben Martinez, Co-founder of Glamping Hub and the American Glamping Association
“I have always believed that if you understand and appreciate the process, that’s the only time you can value the product. And that’s exactly what Anne and Mike have done here in addressing the brave new world of glamping. For those who are both adverse to as well as unable to pitch a tent—let alone survive in one—but still want to enjoy the wonders of life outdoors, this book is for you.”
—Peter Greenberg, travel editor at CBS News
See more reviews, articles, and radio shows about Comfortably Wild
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Forbes: “Traveling Couple Creates Definitive Book on Glamping”
Budget Travel: “The Best Glamping Getaways in North America for under $150”
Lonely Planet: “We talked to the couple who wrote the book on glamping – here’s what we found out”
Pure Wow: “The Best Coffee Table Books of 2019”
RM World Travel: “Write Stuff” 10-minute radio segment (see 24:18)
If you’re looking to review Comfortably Wild, interview the authors, or collaborate on a glamping feature, see our official press release and reach out to [email protected]
Author Events
Our cross-country book tour was a hit! A big thanks to Third Place Books, Boulder Book Store, Book Soup, the Glamping Show, and all our family and friends that showed their love for Comfortably Wild. See the photo galleries from our East Coast and West Coast events. Do you know an audience that would be interested in learning more about glamping? We regularly give talks at trade shows, glamping camps, bookstores, and media outlets and are always thrilled to do so! Reach out to us [email protected]
Where to Get a Copy of Our Glamping Book
As of October 1st, 2019…Comfortably Wild is available in print and ebook! We hope you can support this labor of love and pick up a copy at any of the following outlets: Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Books a Million, or your local bookstore via Indie Bound. Would you like a signed copy? We can personalize it for you or a gift recipient through our HoneyTrek bookshop. Looking to buy in bulk? Reach out to us for discounted pricing. If you enjoy our glamping book, we’d be sooooooo grateful for a review!
Stay in Touch!
For the latest in Comfortably Wild news and adventures, follow @HoneyTrek on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and be sure to sign up for our travel newsletter. See you around the campfire!
After 3.5 years and 74,000 miles of road tripping around North America, we’ve reached our 50th State! We started this grand USA road trip in April 2017, ventured everywhere from the Arctic Circle to the Florida Keys, and have finally made it to the Great Lakes state of Wisconsin! With Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and 15,000 other lakes scattered around WI, they are known for their freshwater adventures, but we quickly realized that’s just the beginning. They have a International Dark Sky Park, billion-year-old rock formations, a 1,200-mile hiking trail, IMBA-ranked mountain biking, and more fruit and veggie farms than a vegan could dream of. For our 50th-state celebration, we went big and partnered with 
Running through 10 US states—from Minnesota to Louisiana—The Great River Road is a national scenic byway we’ve driven at numerous points. Though 
Detouring inland, we realized it wasn’t just the mighty Mississippi sculpting the landscape. We were in the Driftless Area, a region that escaped the flattening effects of glaciation during the last ice age and is instead marked by steep forested ridges, deep river valleys, and karst geology. Vernon County was settled by Norwegians because the rugged landscape reminded them of home; they were joined by Italians, African American freedom-seekers, and Amish to create a rich agricultural heritage, complete with iconic round barns and over 200 organic farms. This bounty of quality ingredients is exactly why Luke Zahm, a James Beard-nominated chef and host of Wisconsin Foodie, chose this area for his restaurant. Spoiled for choice and keen on fresh ingredients, the 
There are a lot of reasons to visit 
Who would have thought the Midwest would turn us into mountain bikers? After our summer rides on the 
We’ve long dreamt of the Apostle Islands. In our book 
Did you know that Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries, harvesting more than 60 percent of the country’s crop and half of the world’s production?! Wild cranberries are native to the marshlands of central Wisconsin and have been harvested for centuries by Native Americans and the tradition continues with family farms like 
While Wisconsin doesn’t have huge mountains, they have some of the oldest on earth. Made of tough quartzite, 
In early summer we got a call out of the blue, “Hi, I’m Jane from 
If you look at a map of Wisconsin, you’ll notice there’s a long skinny peninsula jutting into Lake Michigan—that’s the incredible 
While it was tempting to just keep cruising the gorgeous Lake Michigan shoreline, there were still more gems in the center of the state. The town of Baraboo is the gateway to Wisconsin’s most popular park and interestingly enough, where Ringling Brothers Circus began in 1884. Their success made for a grand little town with a beautiful main street, mansions, parks, and a theater that still brings in top-notch shows. We had a great time antiquing (our nieces are going to love these vintage toys!) and had a very special lunch at 
A Wisconsin road trip would not be complete without seeing the work of their homegrown boy and “the greatest American architect of all time,” Frank Lloyd Wright. His Welsh family settled in Spring Green, WI and the valley’s rugged bluffs and coulees inspired his famed organic architecture. This is where Wright oversaw his very first building, started his school of architecture, and called home for over 60 years of his life. His 
Wrapping up our time in our 50th state called for a little celebration, so we checked into 
A big thank you to 
Flanked by the big surf of the Pacific ocean and the tranquil Sea of Cortez, with three mountain ranges and a cactus-studded desert running up the middle, Baja is what camper dreams are made of! With basically one main road escorting you to the big highlights and a few dozen spurs into unspoiled wilderness, it’s as easy or adventurous as you want it to be. Even though we have spent extensive time in Mexico (
Let’s start with the basics of camping in Baja. The average cost of an ocean-view campsite is around $7 and quite often free. To discover them, start by downloading the 
Instead of entering Mexico via the busy Tijuana crossing, we went 45 minutes inland to Tecate. This town is not just the home of Tecate brewery, but it is a Pueblo Mágico, (a special designation for Mexico’s most culturally rich and historic towns). There was one car in line and when it was our turn, the officer only asked for our car registration (not even our license or passports!) and to take a glance inside the camper before he sent us on our way. While we kept driving to make sunset in wine country, we would recommend staying a night in Tecate to get your Mexican bearings and enjoy its traditional town square, 1,500-year old cave paintings, and tour the peninsula’s most beloved brewery.
Highway 3 carries on through beautiful mountain passes to Valle de Guadelupe’s “Ruta del Vino.” The region has been making wine for over 100 years, but the industry only started booming 20 years ago. Today there are more than 150 wineries, making it the “Tuscany of Mexico.” For our first night in the country, we seized the opportunity to use our 
Less than an hour south of Ensenada (home of the original fish taco and Baja’s oldest cantina, the great Hussong’s), lies our favorite sliver of the far north: Punta Banda peninsula. It is full of natural wonders, starting with their hot spring beach! At low tide, you can see steam rising from the sand—those are your hot spots and where you want to start digging. We plunged our shovel (see our Baja packing list below) and 100-degree water bubbled up! In just fifteen minutes, we had a natural jacuzzi with views to the bluffs! Could Punta Banda get any better? It did. At the tip of peninsula, we found 
Baja’s tourists generally stick close to the border and Los Cabos in the far south, but little do they know that Baja’s most iconic beauty lies in the middle. The Valle de los Cirios is the second largest protected natural area in Mexico, spanning from coast to coast all way to the state line with Guerrero Negro. Towns vanish and cacti are the new skyscrapers. Fifty-foot tall cardons, Dr Suess-like cirios plants, pink barrel cacti, and boulders are strewn about the sierras. The first sign of civilization you’ll encounter is one created 1,000 years ago by the Cochimí people at the incredible Cataviña cave paintings. We took the short, steep hike and ducked into the ancient art gallery. Spared from wind and rain, the ceiling retained its vibrant depictions of dancers, animals, and geometric motifs. Rather than hike back the way we came, we climbed down the backside to the river valley for some fun rock scrambling among this palm-tree oasis.
In addition to warm weather, gorgeous scenery, and fantastic people, the reason we came to Baja, Mexico is for the one-of-a-kind whale watching. Each winter hundreds of gray whales migrate from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to their breeding grounds in Baja. They come to birth and raise their calves in three Pacific lagoons: Magdalena Bay, San Ignacio, and Ojo de Liebre. With whale hunting a thing of the past, generations of whales have come to see boats and humans as a chance for friendly interactions. It seems unbelievable but mothers actively encourage their babies to approach panga boats! So excited by this prospect, we seized the first whale-watching opportunity on our route. Leaving from Guerrero Negro with 
Heading out to the Sea of Cortez, incredible Spanish colonial missions begin to appear. Starting with Misión San Ignacio Kadakaamán, you’ll drive alongside gorgeous palm-lined lagoons and this stone beauty from 1728 appears in the heart of San Ignacio village. At the start of Bahía Concepción, the expat haven of Mulegé is great for getting gringo comforts and propane refills and, of course, its mission. Tucked high above town and up a snaking side street, it’s easy to miss but well worth the efforts to see this foreboding structure overlooking the river and sea. (Interesting fact, it doubled as a stronghold in defeating the invading Americanos during the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848.) Farther south, the 17th-century Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó is the first mission the Spanish built in the region, making it mother of all Baja and Alta California missions. If you have the time, Misión San Francisco Javier de Viggé-Biaundó is an hour off the main road from Loreto and supposedly the prettiest of them all!
Santa Rosalía is the first real town when Highway 1 hits the Sea of Cortez, and while it’s far from the prettiest, it is the quirkiest. It was started by a French mining company in 1884 so the architecture is unlike anywhere on the peninsula, with its ornate wooden homes and a metal church designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel of Paris tower fame. The owner of the mining company, snatched it up after its appearance in the World’s Fair and had it flat packed on a boat to Baja to bring some religious sophistication to town. He also made sure they had a quality French bakery—the one and only, El Boleo. We followed our nose to this institution and a worker motioned us over for a behind-the-scenes tour of their pastry chefs making the original recipes in the 19th-century stone ovens.
When you see those idyllic photos of Baja with turquoise waters, cactus-studded islands and white-sand beaches, it’s probably somewhere along Bahía Concepción. While there are surprisingly few tourists, there are few enclaves of snowbirds that have it all figured out. When we got to Playa Santispac, this beach cove dotted with islets took our breath away, as did the volume of RVers. We would normally be turned off by such a crowd and $10 camping fee, but something interesting was happening here. This was a world unto itself where over 100 retirees set up camp for months at a time, completely cut off from the outside world, with nothing but this stunning beach, the facilities of their RVs, and one rocking bar. After a glorious kayak around the islands, we walked the beach chitchatting with people from Alberta, Michigan, and virtually every cold weather region in North America. Then the music sparked up! Turns out, the original Van Halen drummer winters down here and he’s formed a solid local band. We may have been 25 years younger than anyone at this party, but they were dancing us under the table until Baja Midnight (9pm) and rewriting the definition of a retirement community. For something more chill along Bahía Concepcion, Playa El Requesón is a stunning spit that fans into two coves and beaches like Playa Armenta are plenty beautiful for the price of free.
After Bahía de Loreto, Highway 1 does a massive S-curve into the desert abyss until it swoops back out to the Sea of Cortez, and even though it’s not the most interesting stretch, we had one of our favorite cultural experiences here. It was getting dark so we consulted iOverlander and they listed “Lonchería Lupita” as a roadside cafe that’s friendly to RVers. We arrived as they were closing but instead of turning us away, the family invited us into their personal kitchen for an off-menu burrito feast complete with a mountain of steamed veggies (a vegan dream!). While Lupita was preparing dinner, Mike and her grandson invented games with a ball and a box, while I enjoyed a chat with the patriarch. Then, in walks the daughter with her eight-day-old baby. Even though she’d only known us a few minutes, she put her newborn in my arms as if we were part of the family.
We reached the vibrant city of La Paz, just in time for Carnaval! It’s said to be one of biggest pre-Lent celebrations in the country, so if you’re arriving in February, try to align your trip with the festivities (
Every winter upwards of 100 adolescent whale sharks come to feed in the Bay of La Paz. While this happens in various locations around the world, this is one of the most accessible and responsibly managed destinations for these wildlife encounters (read: no feeding or crowding). We went on a full-day boat trip with 
The Sierra de La Laguna is also a UNESCO biosphere reserve, recognized for its contrasting ecosystems and volume of endemic species. Our two favorite tour operators Todos Santos Eco Adventures and RED Travel both offer trips here. As tempting as it was to try the brand new Camp Cecil de La Sierra glamp camp, we were excited to try an overnight trip with RED and learn more about their Mexican culture and reforestation programs. We arrived to the fourth-generation Mesa family ranch and were welcomed with a vegetarian feast. Sitting on their terrace, surrounded by tropical fruits and looking out to the rolling cow pastures, we started to see the interconnectedness of life on the ranch and food on the table. Over the course of two days, Ricardo showed us how to milk cows and Cristina taught us to turn that fresh milk into cheese. We visited the neighbors who proudly showed us their thriving vegetable fields. In the evening, we spent time in the thatch-roof kitchen learning the art of tortilla-making, over the same comal Richie’s mother cooked on 70 years ago. As we were eating dinner, our guide spotted a pair of endemic elf owls and it inspired a nocturnal safari that lasted until 11pm, followed by another birdwatching session at sunrise. Despite its UNESCO status, the Sierra de la Laguna is being threatened by mineral exploration. To prove that the cultural value of the Sierras is greater than the proceeds of mining, we need families like the Mesas, tour operators like RED, and tourists like you. 
While it could be a bummer to retrace a 1,000-mile route, Baja is so gorgeous it’s worth a second pass. Plus, the recently paved Highway 5 makes it easy to switch things up with a drive along the Sea of Cortez to the Mexicali border. We cruised into the desert abyss, then Gonzaga Bay appeared like a mirage. Big mountains, sweeping beach coves, and islands spiking out of the sea, it was Baja at its rawest beauty. We pulled into the Papa Fernandez campground, where they charged us a whole $5 to camp on a million dollar beach (GPS: 29.8321, -114.4028) with only one other RV. Further up the coast, make sure to stop at the unassuming town of Puertecitos and their ocean hot springs at low tide, when their rock pools hit the perfect temperature. For our last night on the Sea of Cortez, we stayed in the sleepy tourist town of San Felipe, walking the malecón, drinking margaritas, and toasting to one heck of a trip.
As we were approaching the Mexicali border, it dawned on us that Mexico has some of the best and most affordable mechanics and we’d be remiss to not get a little more work done. We pulled into Super Mofles to weld a crack in our manifold downpipe, partly because it was a good deal, but also because auto shops had proved to be a priceless opportunity for cultural exchange. When we got our leaf springs done at Muelles Verdugo in La Paz, we felt so fortunate to spend the day with a pair of brothers in a medieval-style blacksmith shop passed down from their father, where they were literally reshaping metal with a coal fire, an anvil, and brute force. We bonded and as a tip, we gave their adorable son my old Razor scooter and them a six pack of beer so we could raise a glass to their incredible work. All told we got a new muffler ($55), catalytic converter ($100), welded manifold downpipe ($10), oil change ($5), rebuilt front sway bar + bushings ($25), four new leaf springs (quoted at $1,100 in the US and $180 in Mexico), and an even better Buddy the Camper. From the Verdugo brothers welding to Lupita’s luncheonette, the warmth of the Mexican people is as strong as the sunshine.
Getting stoked for a Baja Road trip? Here are few more tips to mobilize your overland journey:
Road tripping 22,036 miles around North America, hiking 20 national parks, housesitting 37 pets, backpacking 4 European countries, donating $720 to local non-profits, and publishing a 256-page coffee table book…2019 was a mover and a shaker! Considering Buddy the Camper had already traversed the continental divide, summited 10,000-foot mountain passes, and off-roaded his way across the States, he was ready for The Last Frontier. He took on the 2,319-mile trek from Washington to Alaska like a boss and one-upped it with an unpaved victory lap in the Arctic Circle. Giving Buddy a break, we hopped a plane for three weeks in Europe. We explored four countries until it was time to come home for our seven-city book tour. Of all our achievements this decade, publishing Comfortably Wild was one of the biggest. This book was the constant thread of our 2019 (and 2018) from glamping, writing, researching, editing, promoting, and celebrating the first book ever written on glamping in North America. We’re incredibly proud of it and even more excited that the Associated Press, Forbes, Lonely Planet, Pure Wow, Family Travel Association, and tons of glampers like it too. Thank you to everyone for supporting our journey this year and all the years before. We hope you enjoy these highlights from 2019 and a taste of HoneyTrek 2020. 
When we started dating in 2006, we joined a ski house in Killington, Vermont and spent winter weekends there for the next five years. For Anne’s birthday, we fired up the Hot Tub Time Machine for a weekend of shredding the gnar, dancing at the Wobbly Barn, playing basement Beirut, hot tubbing at all hours, and getting silly with old friends.
Every year more than 6,000 people attend the US Travel Association’s IPW conference and man, do they throw it down! We were honored to be among a handful of domestic media invited for this five-day meeting of the minds and phenomenal lineup of events. The week was filled with huge musical acts, including Snoop Dogg, Jason Derulo, The Beach Boys, Natasha Bedingfield, and three Broadway casts. They rented out Knott’s Berry Farm AND Disneyland (the week Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge ride opened) just for our group. Though the best part of IPW is the people! Loved catching up with some of our favorite writers and connecting with inspiring travelers from around the world. 
You guys know we gave up single-use plastic water bottles back in 2012 and we don’t travel anywhere without our reusable bottle…well, Nalgene took notice! We share the common goal of preventing billions of single-use plastic bottles from clogging our landfills and oceans (see this 
The Dempster Highway, a 458-mile shale and dirt road leading to the Arctic Ocean, is general reserved for 18-wheelers and German overlanders, but Buddy had come too far to stop short of the Arctic Circle. After scaling the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, taking the historic Alaska Highway and following the Yukon Gold Rush routes, he carried on to Canada’s Northwest Territories. For three days we averaged 15mph, trying not to fall apart at the seams (and the washboard road still shook our oven door off its hinge!), but those are the sacrifices Buddy makes to be our hero.
Sometimes it’s the little moments that create the greatest travel memories. We have dozens of heart-warmers to share, but they were getting lost in our long-form travelogues so we started a new series, “#ITravelBecause” sponsored by Allianz. Read this story about a 
In summer 2016, Falcon asked us to write the 
Between our eight-year honeymoon, Nat Geo book, glamping quest and our travel expertise, HoneyTrek continues to get some nice press and we could not be more grateful. This year we were interviewed by 
A couple that read 
National parks and monuments have been a big part of our 2.5-year USA road trip, but they were a focal point of 2019. We visited Yosemite, Mesa Verde, Bryce Canyon, Great Basin, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Glen Canyon, Arches, Glacier Bay, Canyonlands, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Wrangell-St. Elias, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Gateway Arch, Bears Ears, Grand Staircase Escalante, Natural Bridges, and Mojave National Preserve, making a total of 20 parks this year under 1 America the Beautiful pass…it’s the best thing we own!
Realizing how fortunate we are to work with tourism boards on a regular basis, we decided to make a concerted effort to give back to the regions we explore. As of June 2019, we began donating 5% of our earnings from each campaign to local non-profits! It’s been exciting to discover so many awesome environmental and social causes—from the 
A new decade of HoneyTrek begins with…
Twenty-seven miles north of Bend, lies one of the “Seven Wonders of Oregon”: Smith Rock State Park. After going to such a grand national park as Crater Lake, our expectations weren’t too high for this place, but it completely dazzled us! The Crooked River cuts through sheer red mountains of tuff and basalt, and world-class climbers scale its cliffs from all angles. Some even consider Smith Rock the birthplace of modern American sport climbing and there are more than a thousand bolted routes on offer. If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, take the 3.8-mile Misery Ridge Loop Trail for a challenging hike with immensely rewarding views of the dramatic park and the Cascade Range.
All these mountain adventures warranted a bit of R&R (any excuse for a bit of pampering) so we checked into Panacea at the Canyon. An off-the-grid glamping retreat set on the cliffs of the Crooked River, this place was built with nine years of hard work and passion by a husband-wife team. The co-owner Darren, artist and hot-air balloonist by trade, greeted us and his wife showed us the way to the teepee spa for our chakra-balancing treatment. We were sent into a state of bliss that carried through our two-night stay, with walks in the meditation labyrinth and sun salutations on the cliffside yoga deck. Whether you use Panacea as your base camp for adventures in central Oregon or as a retreat away from it all, this place is worth a visit. We loved it so much we included it in our upcoming glamping book, Comfortably Wild!
Top off your Oregon road trip with a scenic drive around Mount Hood, before finishing in Portland for a craft beer and cheers to the road less traveled!
Who’s got a friend who moved to Colorado recently? Just about everyone…because it’s awesome. It’s a state where mountains erupt from the earth with red cliffs, snowy peaks, and sand dunes. Cities are as cosmopolitan as they are granola, with bankers leaving work early to hit the mountain bike trails and farm-to-table waiters serving to sustain their ski habit. Coloradans have got it figured out, between natural beauty, great weather, and a healthy lifestyle that leaves room for a few craft beers. We’re perfectly happy as nomads, but towns like Denver, Fort Collins, and Steamboat Springs had us looking up real estate. We drove over 1,200 miles, zigzagging in every direction and the state never ceased to amaze. We didn’t mean to be on a Colorado road trip for two months but check out our favorite places and adventures and you’ll see why it was so hard to leave.
Colorado’s historic hunt for gold in the hills inspired roads and quirky towns in some unlikely places. We embarked on the Gold Belt Scenic Byway, starting at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument with remarkable petrified redwoods, palms, and insects dating back 34 million years. Continuing south, we reached Cripple Creek, the state’s most prosperous mine town from the 1800s to present. We drove down the main drag and it was like no time had passed, with saloons and gambling halls in Victorian buildings. It happened to be Mike’s birthday so we used his lucky day as an excuse to play a few slots and drink beers on the house.
By far the biggest win from Cripple Creek was discovering Shelf Road—one of our favorite routes of the entire 29,000+ mile road trip. Built as a stagecoach route in 1892, this narrow, unpaved road is cut into the limestone cliffs, snaking around corners without guard rails and dipping into rocky river valleys until it spits you out at Cañon City. 
One of the reasons we came to Colorado was for 
Mike’s been taking his two brothers on road trips since he got his license and it was time to spark the tradition back up. With one brother (Matt) already in Breckenridge, another (Ryan) just a Southwest flight away from San Francisco, and a camper big enough to sleep three, the stars were aligning again. To give them some quality bro time, I bid the boys farewell in Denver and they set out on a three-day camping adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park. Extensive trip research has never been their MO, so the fact that the park was still largely under snow never came up until they were knee deep. Turns out sneaker sledding, bonfires, and snowball fights worked out better than sunshine, and they had a blast making plenty of new memories (including Mike nearly slicing his finger off with a heroic drone catch).
Did we tell you we housesat for ten days in Colorado Springs? We didn’t put it on Instagram Stories since we were in hard-core book research mode and barely left the house (which had mountain views and a bocce court, so it wasn’t too rough). Despite our hermit phase, we couldn’t leave “The Springs” without a night on the town and a hike at the Garden of the Gods. This park and national natural landmark are made of red sandstone fins, cliffs, and spires that shoot up 300 feet. It’s an amazing series of easy hiking trails and very advanced rock climbing. After our hike, we got sent to The Principal’s Office: a bar within the old 
The best part about the glamping book research is actually experiencing North America’s most unique properties in the great outdoors. For our “Living History” chapter we are highlighting properties that keep traditions alive and breathe new life into the past–whether it’s restoring a train stop town or a Navajo family inviting guests for a night in their contemporary hogan. When we heard about a 100-year-old guest ranch (started by an enterprising woman under a male alias) with the town’s original dance hall and the house of Charles Lindbergh’s flying and drinking buddy, we were intrigued. The ranch was practically abandoned for a decade, then Todd & Emily Gold had the dream to restore the historic buildings, add glamping tents and teepees, and create a luxury campground for people to enjoy this storied section of the Indian Head Peaks Wilderness. Tucked between a river, lake and granite cliffs, this place is gorgeous with a laid-back vibe, which we soaked up for three glorious days. Can’t wait to come back when the dance hall is restored to its two-stepping days.
My maiden name is Collins so I’ve always wanted to see our namesake fort town. To get there we gladly cut back through Rocky Mountain National Park and wound through more incredible canyons until we hit this lively city. It happened to be the “First Friday” art walk and the Summer Sessions concert series so we hopped from the outdoor dance floor to galleries to live music bars. The next day followed with an antique car show and the Poudre River Music Fest at the New Belgium Brewing Co. If this is how every summer weekend goes down, we may just move in.
Did you know there are no steamboats in Steamboat Springs? The name comes from the hissing and whistling sounds of the hot springs that bubble up all across town. Needing to get a bit of work done, we posted up at the Bud Werner Memorial Library and it turned out to be one of the prettiest we’ve seen in the country. As we typed, we watched kayakers and SUPers catch waves in the Yampa River, bikers cruise the boardwalk, and the springs steam. By night we went to the downtown hot springs and pubs and by day we watched ski jumpers practice at Howelsen Hill, one of just three complete ski jumping complexes in the United States (helping yield 89 US winter Olympians).
Colorado….what can we say? With all the beautiful landscapes, lively cities, and fun people (not to mention a ton of our friends), you wooed us and we’ll undoubtedly be road tripping your way again soon.
When you move almost every day, you cover a lot of ground in a year…like 17,756 miles by car alone. We traveled at a crazy pace in 2018, but the camper inspires us to keep on rolling because there is always another national park, ski village, beach town, monument, honkeytonk, or good friend just around the bend. We love Buddy the Camper but also like to mix up our travel style, so we parked him for a few months and backpacked four other countries by boat, bus, and hiking boot. North America was the focus of our 2018 because that’s where our next travel book takes place. To research the best glamping destinations on the continent, for our publisher Falcon Guides, we did everything from trekking between Mayan villages in Guatemala to dog sledding at the Ice Hotel in Canada, and found so many gems and inspiring stories along the way! This glamping journey sparked a slew of adventures, as did our time housesitting in Central America and catching festivals from The Calgary Stampede to Burning Man. Meanwhile, HoneyTrek crossing a quarter million social media followers and our Nat Geo book ranking in the top 0.01% of all books on Amazon, opened lots of new doors—from speaking at the Smithsonian to getting featured on CBS This Morning. Read on for more highlights from 2018 and a preview of 2019.
Buddy’s four-cylinder engine has been on overdrive this year, clocking 17,756 miles through 24 states, 3 Canadian Provinces, 17 National Parks and Monuments, North America’s highest continuously paved road, deepest river gorge, and its lowest point in elevation. See our blog about 
Almost everyone wants to travel more, but where to go and when? It’s such a pervasive question that the Smithsonian Institute wanted to get the bottom of it with a lecture, presented by none other than HoneyTrek! To prepare for our two-hour presentation on “2018’s Must-See Destinations & Travel Skills” we cross-referenced the 700+ places we’d visited against industry trends, world news, and our inner circle of globetrotters. It was a sold-out house with over 200 people! For those that missed the lecture, 
We heard about this three-week, 200-event soirée while researching the best winter festivals for the “Snow & Ice” chapter of Ultimate Journeys for Two, and put it on our calendar for February 2018. Donning our warmest long johns, we slept in the ice hotel, dogsledded, snowmobiled, ice fished, cheered on the ice canoe racers, and enjoyed winter like only the Quebecois can. See our 
Florida has more freshwater springs than anywhere in the world, the oldest European city in the U.S., a melting pot of cultures from around the globe, the one and only Everglades, and beach weather when most of the country is shoveling snow…why wouldn’t we spend our winter here? In partnership with Visit Florida, we set aside one month to road trip the Sunshine State, from the southernmost point to the northwestern border, and discover the places even more magical than Disney. Catch our 
Glamping has long been our favorite style of accommodation. No longer a trend, this connection between creative architecture, luxury, and nature has started a movement and has a story that needs to be told. Falcon Guides asked us to author the first-ever book on Glamping North America and we accepted the challenge! This has been our #1 project for 2018 (and half of 2017) which sent us scouting over 50 glamping destinations across the continent—including Central America and the Caribbean. Our 244-page coffee-table book is more than halfway finished and will be keeping us busy until we turn in the full manuscript this spring.
Some of the highlights from our glamping adventures? 
Said to be the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” and the rodeo world championships, the Calgary Stampede is a must for anyone with a little cowboy spirit. This century-old tradition brings the best in the biz—from bull riders to country singers—to Alberta for this ten-day spectacular. We made it just in time for the finals when the stakes and energy were at their highest. Our highlight? Chatting with this friendly guy Tim in the photographer’s pit, only to find out he was the MC of the grandstand show, and getting invited backstage for the after-party with all the stars of the Calgary Stampede! Canadian hospitality never ceases to amaze. 
Camping for a week in the burning hot and freezing cold desert with 70,000 people, Burning Man is not for everyone. Though with hundreds of art installations and nothing but rave reviews from every Burner we spoke with, we decided to give it a shot. We went all in for our Black Rock City adventure, with outlandish costumes, 
Lonely Planet surveyed 100 top explorers and travel writers and had them recount their most life-changing experience from the road in one beautiful book. The Best Moment of Your Life features incredible stories from Pico Iyer, Don George, Andrew McCarthy, and more of our travel writing heroes…plus us! We had the honor of contributing two essays from our journey and could not be prouder. 
To mix up our travel style and get working on our glamping book, we were looking for a housesit anywhere warm in North America and stumbled across a 296-square-foot beach bungalow with two cats on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Mesmerized by this Caribbean Ocean view and ignoring details like regular power outages, no hot water, and its location in a defunct resort, we took the gig. It was our most challenging and rewarding housesit to date…read all about 
Our Bay Islands housesit launched a multi-week adventure across Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. We took the most unconventionally awesome river rafting trip down the 
Back in January 2012 we told our parents (and our tenants) that we’d be home by the summer of 2013. That date kept getting pushed back every few months until we finally realized that…the world is our home. To commemorate our 2,500th day on the road we did a Facebook Live from our Caribbean housesit to reflect on seven years of nomadic living and answer all your burning travel questions. 
Are we slowing down in the New Year? No way! We love flying by the seat of our pants, but here is what we know so far:
