By Tracy Straub
When roadsurfer expanded into the U.S., the company invited a West Virginia adventurer to take one of its vans into the American West. The result: a journey that blended travel, partnership and perspective.
My love of travel started in the hills of Appalachia. I grew up in Wyoming County, WV, where adventure meant playing outside. I climbed the Appalachian Mountains in my front yard. I played in the Guyandotte River behind my house. With each summer night, I delighted in every firefly that twinkled in the dark. I did not set out on long road trips or follow marked trails. I simply explored what was around me. On those small adventures, I learned to notice details, find joy in simple moments and stay curious about what might be waiting around the next bend.
That sense of curiosity never left me. Over the years it carried me far from home to places I never imagined. Today, travel is something I share with my boyfriend, Ryan. I often write stories and capture photographs, while he makes the adventures possible by planning routes and piecing together details to bring them to life. We balance each other in a way that makes our travels richer. His careful preparation and my storytelling feed the curiosity we both carry, and together we have found joy in exploring places we once only dreamed about.
Lessons from the Landscape
Over the past five years, Ryan and I, both lifelong native West Virginians, have embraced travel in a way that has shaped who we are. We have explored nearly 50 national parks in the U.S., hiked among the turquoise lakes and snowcapped peaks of the Canadian Rockies, stood beneath the jagged spires of Patagonia and most recently experienced van life in the American West. Each trip carried its own lessons, but all of them have deepened our love of exploring new places and telling their stories.
Patagonia was one of the most challenging and rewarding places we have ever been. On the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park, the weather shifted constantly, with sunshine one moment and sleet the next. Our rain gear doubled as wind gear, and by the end of the trek it felt like we had worn it every day. The final morning was the highlight. We woke in the dark and hiked to the base of the towers just in time for sunrise. As the first light touched the granite spires, the sky glowed pink and gold, reflecting across the lake below. That moment was the reward for every mile, and it remains one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
In Argentina, Mount Fitz Roy left its own impression. The climb to Laguna de los Tres was steep and relentless, but when we reached the lake and saw the jagged peaks rising straight out of the horizon, I understood why so many people make the effort.
Patagonia humbled us, reminding us how alive you feel when you stand in places that take your breath away.
The Canadian Rockies offered a different kind of wonder. Banff drew us in with its iconic lakes, but Jasper became my favorite. The pace there was slower, and the crowds were fewer. I remember standing by the water, watching as the colors shifted from teal to emerald to deep blue as the sun moved across the sky. That peaceful beauty, unfolding in front of us without fanfare, is what made Jasper unforgettable.
Closer to home, the U.S. national parks add their own lessons to our story. At Arches, we stood beneath Delicate Arch at sunset. In the Smokies, morning fog rolled through the valleys like smoke from a fire. At New River Gorge, our own park here in West Virginia, we felt grateful that some of the country’s most breathtaking views are right in our backyard.
The roadsurfer Adventure
That foundation is what made an invitation from roadsurfer so exciting. Europe’s number one camper van rental company, with 90 locations in 16 countries, had just opened in the U.S. After seeing some of our photos and stories from past adventures, the company reached out and offered us an opportunity that still feels surreal: an adventure anywhere we wanted and for as long as we wanted. All we had to do was share our story.
For this collaboration, we created a series of Instagram stories, full travel blog and portfolio of images that roadsurfer could use in its marketing. It was a partnership built on storytelling, one that allowed us to document the trip in real time while also giving the company lasting content to share with travelers around the world.
The answer, of course, was yes. After years of road trips and hikes, this was finally our chance to try van life. We mapped out a route through three unforgettable regions of Wyoming: Wind River Country, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park, starting and ending in Salt Lake City.
The van gave us freedom. We could pull over when wildlife appeared, make coffee before a hike or cook dinner while the sun set. Just as importantly, after a grueling hike we could collapse into bed for a quick nap or take a shower after a sweaty day on the trail. The comforts of van life became part of the adventure, and sometimes the best part of the day was simply sliding the side door open and letting the mountains become our living room.
Wind River Country
Our first nights were spent in Wind River Country. At Fremont Lake, the state’s second-largest natural lake, we camped by the water and tested out our small van kitchen. We promised ourselves we would cook most of our meals in the van because it was healthier, more cost-effective and felt like an important part of the experience. Cooking quickly became one of our favorite rituals, with tacos becoming a staple we kept coming back to.
The next day took us to the Green River Lakes Loop, a 7.7-mile hike with Square Top Mountain dominating the skyline. The turquoise lakes reflected the peaks perfectly; it felt like walking inside of a painting. After the first mile, the trail grew quiet, and for most of the day it was just us, the sound of the river and the kind of mountain silence you rarely find anymore.
Yellowstone National Park
From there, we entered Yellowstone. With more than 2 million acres stretching across three states, it felt like stepping into another world.
The geothermal features were unlike anything we had seen. Morning Glory Pool glowed in rainbow hues. The terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs looked like steps carved into a dream. Grand Prismatic Spring, seen from the overlook trail, spread out in colors so vivid it hardly seemed real. At West Thumb Geyser Basin, steaming pools bubbled beside the edge of Yellowstone Lake, blending fire and water in one place. Of course, Old Faithful lived up to its name, but it is the quiet pools and steaming vents along the boardwalks that linger in my memory.
Wildlife encounters became part of the rhythm of each day. We pulled to the side of the road to watch bison graze or slowly make their way across the valley. In Lamar Valley, we spotted wolves in the distance, moving quickly through the grasslands. Elk wandered the edges of the forest. Eagles circled above the rivers. Yellowstone reminded us at every turn that we were guests in a landscape ruled by wildlife.
Our days were long, starting at sunrise and ending well after dark. We would pull off the road in the early mornings to make coffee as the light came up, and in the evenings we arrived at camp just in time for a quick shower in the van before sitting outside to watch the stars. Those quiet hours, with the Milky Way stretching across the Wyoming sky, became some of the most memorable parts of the trip.
Late one evening at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, we stood at Artist Point as the crowds disappeared. The river cut through golden cliffs, with Lower Falls roaring in the distance. The view was timeless, and in that quiet moment, the entire trip seemed to pause with us.
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park was the final stretch of our trip, and in many ways, the one we were most looking forward to. The Tetons rise straight from the valley floor, their jagged peaks creating one of the most dramatic skylines in North America.
We camped at Gros Ventre and Colter Bay and set out on trails that tested and inspired us. Delta Lake was one of the toughest hikes, a 7.4-mile round trip with over 2,200 feet of elevation gain. The trail is not officially maintained, so it requires navigating steep switchbacks, boulder scrambles and confusing routes. Every step was worth it. The reward was unforgettable: a turquoise alpine lake tucked beneath the granite walls of the Tetons, a place that felt hidden away from the rest of the world.
Cascade Canyon showed us another side of the park. The trail wound through a broad valley carved by glaciers, framed by granite cliffs and alive with wildlife, including moose, marmots and even bears at a safe distance. The further we walked, the quieter it became, until the only sounds were the rushing of the creek beside us and the calls of birds overhead.
Because we traveled in June, the park was covered in wildflowers. Fields of color lined the roadsides and brightened the meadows, adding another layer of beauty to every view. At places like Oxbow Bend and Schwabacher Landing, the flowers framed the mountains so perfectly it felt like nature had arranged them just for us.
At night, we sat outside the van and watched the last light fade behind the peaks. The days were long, hikes were full and yet those quiet evenings might have been my favorite part of all.
By the end of the week, we had logged miles across three states, driven scenic byways like the Beartooth Highway, detoured into Idaho to see Mesa Falls and returned to Salt Lake City with more memories than miles. When we handed back the van keys, it felt like saying goodbye to a friend who had carried us through it all.
Why We Travel
Looking back, that week in Wyoming was about much more than visiting two national parks. It was about trying something new, embracing a slower rhythm and remembering why we started traveling in the first place.
I often think about those childhood days in Appalachia, exploring the mountains, listening to the steady sounds of the river and chasing fireflies at night. Travel then was not about boarding a plane or checking off a bucket list. It was about curiosity and discovery. That same spirit is what carried me to Yellowstone, the Tetons and every other place that shaped me along the way.
This trip with roadsurfer felt like a turning point. When the company reached out, it was not just an invitation to travel, it was a moment of trust. A company believed in my ability to tell a story worth sharing. That mattered to me. It reminded me that travel is both personal and communal. It connects us not only to landscapes but also to people, communities and sometimes even to brands that share the same love for exploration.
At its heart, travel is about connection. The places I have been will always hold memories, but it is the people I meet, the stories I tell and the partnerships I build along the way that give those memories meaning.
As I write this, I am already looking ahead to what is next. The Dolomites in Italy are on the horizon. More U.S. parks are still on our list. There are trails here in West Virginia we have not yet explored. Each trip is different, but they are all connected by that same feeling I had on a quiet morning in the Tetons: this is why we travel. We have stayed in touch with our friends at roadsurfer since this adventure and are excited about partnering with them again soon.
