Our 2022/2023 Road Trip
We did it! 10,500 kilometres from Toronto, Ontario, to San Felipe, Mexico. We began our trip June 30th arrived at the end of October after four months on the road.
We drove through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and finally California. Presently we’re about 250 kilometres down the east coast of Baja in a beautiful little town. This has been an incredible trip we’ll never forget.
Latest Updates
Latest Trip Photo/Video
White-Tailed Deer
Name: White-Tailed Deer: Odocoileus virginianus
Notes: The White-Tailed Deer is the most widely distributed and the most numerous of all North America’s large animals. A doe will leave her fawn unattended for hours at a time. When the fawn remains bedded, the natural camouflage of its spotted coat and its almost scentless condition effectively conceal it from predators. The doe returns at intervals to suckle the fawn.
Location: near Newboro, Ontario
Camera: Fujifilm XT-4
Lens: Fuji XF 50-140mm f/2.8
Natural lighting
American Bumble Bee
Name: American Bumble Bee: Bombus pensylvanicus
Status: Special Concern
The American Bumble Bee lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
Date added to the Species at Risk in Ontario List
January 25, 2023
Camera: Fujifilm Xt-4
Lens: 35mm f1.4 with a MCEX-16 macro extension tube
For lighting I’m using a video light on a DIY SmallRig arm.
Macro Photography
Macro photography is “extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects and living organisms like insects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size. I’ve always been fascinated with insects and the micro world they live in. It’s fun to explore the woods looking for their little worlds.
Camera: Fujifilm XT-4
Lens: Fuji 35mm f1.4 w/ 16mm macro extension tube
The Crew
Road Trip Posts
Sad to See Our Camper Go
I didn’t think it would take long for our Bushwacker to sell and it didn’t. Watched it drive away on Thursday and,
5 Reasons To Go On A Road Trip According to AI
There's been a lot of talk lately about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how much of a help/threat it is. So this
Finding Our Feet
It feels surreal, waking up with a new mission in our lives after all that time on the road. For the
We’re Back
We're back in Canada! It's been a journey and it feels good to be back. Getting some well deserved rest in
We’ve been planning this trip since May, 2021 and are excited to hit the road. The idea came to us when we watched to movie, NomadLand. Our previous experience traveling in Iceland and Ireland lead us to decide a road trip across Canada, through the western United States, and down into Baja, Mexico, would be a perfect fit.
Originally we wanted to go in an RV, a Class 3 or smaller. When that didn’t appeal to us we thought about a camper van then a tear drop trailer. Finally, I think we got our fit with a Subaru Outback and a rooftop tent.
Simplicity is the key to travelling on a trip like this. An easy vehicle to drive, the option to boondock or camp when we want too, and some motel stays along the way. Honestly, I watched days worth of videos on YouTube and the idea of staying in an RV park or driving a big van isn’t my idea of fun.
The van we drove in Iceland
Subaru Outback
A Rooftop Tent
The Open Road
Why A Subaru Outback?
Choosing a Subaru Outback as our vehicle wasn’t hard after we narrowed down the type of trip we wanted. I didn’t want our trip to be about our mode of transportation, I want it to be about the journey. There’s plenty to admire about those who go with a van and the whole #VanLife thing but I think if we went that route we’d be spending most of the time fucking with it rather than planning the itinerary.
An RV was thought of but buying one of those and figuring out where we’d keep it seemed like a nightmare for a couple apartment dwellers. Plus there’s a risk involved buying one used. If our trip ends before we want it too it’s not going to be because of some shitbox we paid way to much for. Even a decent used RV costs upward of $50,000 and used conversion vans go for $70,000 easy.
A Subaru Outback on the other hand would be a better choice for us because it gets good mileage, it’s easy to drive and park, has AWD for sand or mud, and there’s lots of them around. We can also park it in our building’s garage where it will be nice and safe until we leave.
Why A Rooftop Tent?
- A rooftop tent takes about a minute to set up. Undo a couple latches, push it open, and hop in.
- Rooftop’s are off the ground so there won’t be an issue with pests or bugs getting in.
- They have a decent mattress for a comfortable night’s sleep.
- They can be a 4 season tent if you get the right one. I know there’ll probably be a couple cold nights so sleeping in an insulated tent is going to go a long way.
- Not having to pack a tent will leave more room inside the car for all the other crap we’re bringing.
- You get to live the best parts of #VanLife without needing a van. Convenience is the key to happy travel and for us, this option is the best one.
What We’re Packing
For the Car
For the Camp
For Safety
Our Intinerary
So far our intinerary has us leaving Toronto and heading west to the Rocky Mountains, then south into the United States, and further down to Baja, Mexico. The plan is to leave Toronto the 1st of July, 2022, and spend two to three months in Canada, mostly in the Rockies.
Once we enter the United States we’ll pass through Washington, Oregon, and California before entering Mexico. The drive along the west coast will be quite the experience and it’s a drive we are looking forward too. Once we get to the southern part of California our compas will head east for a few weeks. There’s just to much to see around Death Valley to drive by.
Then on to Mexicala, Mexico, to cross the border into Baja. The plan is to spend three months there so a long term rental from VRBO is what we’ve been looking at. Maybe in La Paz?
So, we’ll see you on the road!
