The Places They Went

I spend about 50 percent of my time in a 20-foot Airstream Bambi. It’s my home and office, and with it, I get to see some amazing places. One of my favorites this year was a small town in West Virginia called Princeton. Just outside of town, I found a killer swimming hole. After a hot day in the trailer, there’s nothing like jumping into ice-cold water. And during the week, my dog Jackson and I had it all to ourselves. 

The following on-the-road professionals enjoy similar things about living on the highway. That’s why we asked them for a few of their favorite places they’ve traveled this year.

Shop NowShop Now

 Kirsten Dirksen and Nicolás Boullosa

Bio: Kirsten and Nicolás run the popular YouTube channel Kirsten Dirksen and are cofounders of a project called *faircompanies, which “creates videos & information to help with human progress using the best tools.” The couple travels the world with their three children, touring self-reliant and self-sustaining homes while sharing the lifestyles of the people who live in them.

Base: Split between a bungalow in California and an old country home in Spain.

Vehicles of Choice: 2017 Subaru Outback AWD 3.6R in the U.S. and a 1989 Mercedes G 230GE (W460) Station Wagon in Europe (shoutout to their Maclaren stroller for the kiddos. They also used to have a 1982 air-cooled Westfalia.)

What was your favorite US-based rural place, natural wonder, small town, or far-flung destination you visited this year, and what about it was so special?
It's a tough call; we've seen so many unique places across the U.S. We've extensively traveled across almost every state. The picturesque, well-preserved small town of Woodstock, Vermont, was a treat for us during our last trip across New England. We didn't know about the place and, when we arrived, it felt very special. We had previously visited Kirsten's ancestors' tombstones in rural New Hampshire and we imagined their lives a long time ago. Our kids loved Woodstock, too, especially their well-preserved covered bridges.

Jim Oostdyk

Bio: Jim is a pioneer in building 4 x 4 trucks and the owner of OK4WD, the East Coast's biggest custom shop and source for overlanding gear. Over the years, Jim and his son Rin have traveled all over the U.S., both on and offroad, to test their builds. Jim and his team are also responsible for bringing some of the best overlanding gear to the U.S. from overseas. Recently, they used some of this gear to build a decked-out Ineos Grenadier, and this summer, they took that rig out west for the first time.

Base: Stewartsville, New Jersey

Vehicle of Choice: Modified Ineos Grenadier

What was your favorite US-based rural place, natural wonder, small town, or far-flung destination you visited this year, and what about it was so special?
This year, my son and I drove from Seattle to Missoula, Montana. We were testing one of our latest builds, an Ineos Grenadier, and it’s a really cool rig. We stopped at places to camp in the middle of nowhere. It was quite the journey. But I was really taken aback by one dispersed campsite in eastern Oregon. On our way to Idaho, we went from Bend across the southern part of the state and found a little spot in the Cold Creek Wilderness Study Area near the old Union Pacific Railroad line. With our truck, we could really get off the beaten path.  It was all high desert near a small creek. A couple of deer came by our site. It was just epic.

Myron "Mylo" Fowler

Bio: Mylo was born in the Navajo Nation capital and calls the Southwest U.S. home. It’s also where he conducts most of his work as a landscape photographer. When the conditions are right, Mylo needs to pick up and go, and he needs a vehicle capable of getting him to some pretty remote places. He’s created striking photos for dozens of commercial clients and magazines like National Geographic. He’s also used his success to give back to Indigenous communities, working with a non-profit called Heart of America to install solar kits on off-grid homes without running water or electricity. 

Homebase: Highland, UT

Vehicle of Choice: Rivian R1T

What was your favorite US-based rural place, natural wonder, small town, or far-flung destination you visited this year, and what about it was so special?
I have two. The more meaningful trip was actually right in our backyard. We did a film project with a conservation alliance, where we visited national monuments from Colorado to Southern California. I was a part of it from Colorado to basically our house in Utah. It was awesome to show everyone on that trip our backyard. The other was over the winter in January or February. There was a massive blizzard north of us in Idaho. I packed up my R1T and headed up there to take pictures. The high was going to be 10 degrees. I camped out in a little town in Idaho to charge the Rivian, and that night, it got down to -48 degrees F. I just remember being so warm in my rooftop tent, even though the wind was howling outside and snow was somehow finding its way into the tent. I actually got too hot and had to take off my sleeping bag at times. When I did, my hair and baselayers would instantly freeze.