Happily married couple Sabrina and Jimmy are traveling in their self-restored high top VW. Enjoy their wonderful pictures!
Where did you find the van and what’s its story ?
We found the van on Craigslist and drove to Sacramento from Los Angeles to get it. It’s a 73 VW Bus with a high top, perfect for camping. We built everything ourselves. It’s fully equipped for off-the-grid living. I love that it’s a high top so we can stand up in it. The closet and memory-foam mattress are my favorite. I also love the chrome and wood steering wheel we imported from the UK, it always makes it a pleasure to drive.
How did you two meet and how did you end up in a van? Where are you now ?
We met at USC while I was traveling in California for the first time. Sabrina came up to me and told me I was cute. I replied with my broken English, “Thank you, so are you.” We always loved the van life idea. After 2 years of working in construction and a corporate office we decided to buy a van, fix it up, and quit our jobs. We’re currently in Florida on our way to Key West.
Is it a challenge to be vegan and live on the road?
While it can be a challenge in some places, it’s pretty easy in the US. There’s a lot of vegan options from restaurants to grocery stores, even at Walmart. For breakfast we have scrambled tofu with veggie bacon and sausage. For dinner we’ll have pasta with veggie chicken. We also love take out – pizza is my favorite.
Do you mainly stay around National Forests or do you also stop in big cities?
Both. We prefer being in nature but sometimes it feels good to be back in the city. Since we have a high top it’s easy to stealth camp anywhere. We use Google Maps satellite mode to find parking in the city. In the forest, we opt for a backcountry trailhead or free campsites.
How do you manage to travel full time? What are your other passions that this lifestyle allows you to pursue?
We sacrificed daily lattes, fancy dinners, and nights at the bar to save money. After a couple of years, we had enough to buy the van, fix it up, and fund this trip. Van life gives us the opportunity to live small and see it all, while pursuing our true passion of photography and travel. After a few months on the road, we started landing gigs doing photography work for brands and modeling.
What was your route since you’ve hit the road? Can you share with us 3 places you would recommend to visit?
We started in Los Angeles last summer and drove up the coast of California to the Pacific North West. Then we went up to Canada, explored British Colombia and Alberta before driving south to Montana and Wyoming. We spent some time in Colorado, then winter really hit and we drove to Texas. Since then we’ve driven through Alabama, Louisiana and now Florida. We also splurged on a trip to Turks and Caicos for our wedding anniversary. Places I’d recommend are Burney Falls, California, Hamilton Pool, Texas and Valley of Fire, Nevada.
1.Burney Falls, CA.
2. Hamilton Pool, TX
3. Valley of Fire, NV
