Pelee Island, the most southern part of Canada, had been on Hendrika’s bucket list for a long time and the last ferry of the season was upon us. So, off we went on our inaugural trip.

We got a quick glimpse at Point Pelee National Park, in its somber colours of early winter, and settled into the Leamington Walmart parking lot to wrestle with the unfamiliar van appliances and our first night in Winnie. In the morning we caught the ferry to Pelee Island.

We explored the island and parked right by a beach for our first nature boondocking night where we enjoyed the sound of the wind in the trees and the waves on the sand, the propane heater keeping the cabin warm and the beach just outside the door.

Then it was off to The Pinery Provincial Park before returning home with our first trip under our belts.

Our second trip was a two-nighter in Algonquin Provincial accompanied by our son, Ryan.

We skied, biked and skated.

Our first stop was a night in Niagara, where we enjoyed fireworks by the falls and another Walmart parking lot. Then we crossed the border to warmer climes. We explored State parks and stayed at a Brown’s Orchard and Family Farm, a Harvest Hosts location.

Then it was time for a mini family-reunion in Baltimore where we visited the aquarium and explored some neighborhoods and coffee shops. We met the next day at the Mall in Washington for some more museuming.

That night we stayed in a driveway in Arlington, a Washington suburb, arranged by a social networking app, Boondockers Welcome.

Next was a chilly but spectacular visit to Assateague State Park where we camped a couple of nights right on the beach and enjoyed meeting the wild ponies.

Then, further south, Holden Beach in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach State Park, Charleston in South Carolina, more Boondockers Welcome and Harvest Hosts and genuine warm weather.

We returned via Stone Mountain State Park, where we camped for a night.

Disaster struck the next day. The van was still winterized, so we were using a five-gallon water canister for our fresh water. When we were driving around the park, we left the canister on the counter and it fell onto the floor. We addressed the issue when we got to the trailhead because we did not realize that the water was soaking my two laptops that were locked in a compartment on the floor. Both laptops, my primary and backup, were fried.

We white-knuckled home to get a repair and replacement figured out. We spent the night boondocking in a lakeside park in Toronto, picked up a replacement laptop in the morning and headed home.

We left on Friday, January 31, 2020, stopping at Sicard RV for maintenance and to get a cellular booster installed. Then we drove to a rest stop in West Virginia.

We stayed the next night at Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia and then stayed at another rest stop as we continued south.

Leaving the rest stop early, we arrived at Folly Beach by 9am and spent the day there.

Then we checked into James Island County Park for a night. I had a business meeting in Charleston, while Hendrika explored the city and its historical houses.

The next day we stopped in Savannah, Georgia, and stayed at a Boondockers Welcome home nearby.

And then we had a couple of nights at Blue Spring State Park in Florida.

We connected with friends in Winter Park near Orlando and enjoyed their condo which Hendrika dubbed "Fancy Land."

Then we explored biking in Santos near Ocala National Forest and camped at Silver Spring State Park before making our way to St. Augustine.

On the way home, we stayed at Boondockers Welcome spots and rest stops while spending more day time in Savannah and the 110-acre public Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

On February 27, 2020, we set off from Toronto to the Florida Keys. An evening crossing of the border meant a quick wait and our first night was at a rest stop off the New York State Thruway in an Angola parking lot where we grabbed a bit of sleep.

Day Two was a bit of a driving marathon, booking about 1,300 kilometres, but we took restorative stops in Camp Creek in West Virginia and Lake Norman State Park in North Carolina. We stayed the night in another rest stop near Savannah.

By Saturday morning we were in Florida! We still pushed hard on mileage (700km), but had a great walk and swim at Rainbow Springs State Park and made it to St. Pete to meet with friends for a boat tour and dinner.

We boondocked at a spot beside the sea that we learned about after bumping into a fellow Travato owner.

Then it was moochdocking with our dear friends Paul and Jane at their condo in Longboat Key. We were treated to a ride in their boat.

And one more 500km push, which included a quick business meeting in Miami, and we were in Key Largo, the first of the Florida Keys.

A day at John Pennekamp State Park and then another 160 km of keys and bridges to Key West itself. We spent about four days on the Keys before it was time to start picking our way north.

We made stops in the Everglades, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach , Tomoka State Park, Washington Oaks State Park, Little Beaver State Park in West Virginia and then a long drive to get home with a quick stop in Lake Arthur in Pennsylvania.

In May, we did our first lockdown-be-damned weekend trip and drove to Craigleith Provincial Park. The park was closed, but we were able to enjoy it by parking outside the gate and we found a place to stay at a Boondockers Welcome host nearby.

We spent a couple of days and a night near Midland, Ontario and visited old favourites like Balm Beach and Awenda Park. We boondocked at Little Lake Park in Midland

We spent a couple of days at Long Point Provincial Park, which quickly became a favourite. We boondocked at the park's boat ramp, which only worked because the park was closed due to COVID.

With daughter and dog on board, we continued to take short trips in our own backyard. We enjoyed Wasaga, Balm Beach and Inglis Falls. Hibou Conservation Area, near Owen Sound, is a great spot where we boondocked at for the first of many times. We also enjoyed Sauble Beach and the Sauble River.

Another short trip for Canada Day, this time to Prince Edward County and Sandbanks Provincial Park. We boondocked one night at a boatlaunch and then stayed in the park, being lucky enough to get reservations.

And then a couple of nights moochdocking at Wasaga Beach.

Staying local we visited nearby Sibald Point Provincial Park where Yoko, the dog, learned about porcupines. After a brief stop at home, we returned to Wasaga Beach where we moochdocked.

A quick two night visit to Lake Huron. The first day at Inverhuron Provincial park with a nearby stay at a Boondockers Welcome home. Then moochdocking at a friend's cottage on Bruce Beach.

After a few days back at home, we headed to Northern Ontario. We had highly coveted reservations at Killarney Provincial Park and stayed there for a few days.

Then it was further north to Temagami and further north still to Kip-Kig-Iwan Provincial Park.

Heading back south, we stayed near Marten River Provincial Park and then Grundy Lake Provincial Park to connect with friends.

We set off for a two or three week adventure with the idea of going further north than usual and perhaps into Quebec.

We spent the day at Arrowhead Provincial Park, and boondocked at Oxtongue Rapids. Then we stayed a couple days at Mew Lake, where we had been in the winter. It was great to hike, paddle and bike on the rail trail and to see the park in the different seasons.

Then we stayed on crown land east of Algonquin. Disaster struck — I broke my wrist taking a spill after Yoko tipped me over while I was biking with her on the nearby logging roads.

After a visit to a hospital in Pembroke, we drove back home and were home before dark.

Nine days after the broken wrist, it was time to hit the road again.

We returned to Inglis Falls, boondocked there and then headed to the Bruce Peninsula National Park. We hiked the Bruce Trail and returned to Hibou Conservation Area near Owen Sound.

We then moochdocked in Thornbury and headed home.

Wanting to enjoy the fall colours, we set off eastward to Silent Lake Provincial Park, hiked at Eagles Nest Lookout and then headed to Bon Echo Provincial Park.

Next, we set out for Lake Huron "Ontario's West Coast." We stayed at a Boondockers Welcome near Grand Bend and spent the days at Grand Bend and Pinery Provincial Park.

We boondocked beside Ipperwash Breach and spent the day there. Then we drove north to Point Clark and spent most of the day there and then finally continued on to Markdale to stay at another Boondockers Welcome host and hike the Nottawasaga Bluffs.

To kick off November, we spent four nights moochdocking at Wasaga Beach and bumming around the area.

We did a group hike at Kolapore Uplands and went to a pub in Craigleith, quite an event during the pandemic.

We enjoyed unusually warm weather and beautiful sunsets.

To kick off the winter travel season, we spent a couple of nights moochdocking at Wasaga Beach enjoying a group hike and cross country skiing at the Wasaga Nordic and Trail Centre.

Hendrika was into painting birds around that time.

We stayed three nights at Arrowhead Provincial Park where we skied and hiked.

Making the most of our season pass, we popped up to Wasaga for a couple days for more cross-country skiing.

The previous day there had been a huge snow fall.

Hendrika continued to explore water colours.

A couple of nights moochdocking at Wasaga again.

We moochdocked in a friend's driveway near Horseshoe Valley. As well as skiing and fat biking, we enjoyed some outdoor social time.

To wrap up the ski season, we headed back to Wasaga to moochdock and took day trips to Balm Beach and Awenda Provincial Park.

Given the US border was still closed, we opted to go as far south as we could, which is Point Pelee. We boondocked on a dead-end road near a pumphouse just outside the park.

Continuing to enjoy Lake Erie North Shore, we spent a few days in Rondeau Provincial Park, Point Pelee National Park and Long Point Provincial Park.

For our next trip, we returned to Bruce Peninsula, boondocking at dead-end roads and conservation areas and moochdocking at a friend's place in Thornbury on Georgian Bay.

We tossed the kayaks on the van and explored Georgian Bay, boondocking at Little Lake Park in Midland and the boat access parking lot near Sainte Marie Among the Hurons.

The cool thing about having a van is you can take the whole house to the beach. As usual for our Wasaga trips, we moochdocked.

Returning to a favourite, we went back to Long Point Provincial Park. We boondocked in a parking lot just outside of the park.

Moochdocking at a cottage Hendrika's sisters rented, we stayed near Balm Beach and then visited an old friend in Severn Falls and moochdocked there, too.

Back home for a few days and off again, this time slightly further afield. We boondocked at Hibou Conversation Area outside Owen Sound and then caught the ferry to Manitoulin Island from Tobermory.

We boondocked and stayed at private campgrounds while on the island. Then we continued north to circumnavigate Georgian Bay. We stayed at Killbear Provincial Park, where we met up with Sara.

Only home for a night before hitting the road again, we boondocked and hiked for a couple more nights before heading home.

Hendrika's birthday was on the Sunday the 25th. I secretly invited a bunch of people to show up.

We started a two-week trip boondocking at Luther Marsh, less than an hour from home. It was the first day of the season that paddling the lake was permitted, which we took advantage of in our canoe. The trails around the lake were also great for biking.

We headed to west to Lake Huron to canoe on the Saugeen River. We stayed two nights at a Boondockers Welcome host and spent the day at the beach at Port Elgin.

We then visited friends at a cottage at Bruce Beach, moochdocking and enjoying some social time.

Then it was off to Lake of Bays, where Hendrika had an annual "Women on the Water" gathering at the Lake of Bays. I boondocked in the area staying near Dorset and the Oxtongue rapids.

Next we stayed at a the Dominion Hotel in Minden, a Harvest Host, where we enjoyed some live music for the first time in a long time. The Gull River in Minden is also fun to float down. We also stopped in and moochdocked with friends at Severn Falls.

Then it was off for our annual pilgrimage to Killarney Provincial Park, where our kids joined us and brought the dog. We hiked and paddled, including a day trip into Killarney Lake. We also visited the Killarney Mountain Lodge, where we admired the world's largest paddle.

We set off for the trip we had planned the previous year, which had been cut short by my broken wrist.

We kicked it off by moochdocking in a friend's driveway on Lake Joseph in Muskoka. Then we stayed at Bonnechere Provincial Park for three days, followed by a couple days at Driftwood Provincial Park, boondocking close by for the night.

Continuing to circumnavigate Algonquin Park, we stayed at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.

To save a bit of time, we tried transporting the kayaks in the van from our campsite to the launch point.

Following directions (we thought) to a good launching spot, we stopped cautiously at the top of a steep hill to the launch area. We walked down and spoke to a park employee and asked if it was OK to come down and drop off the kayaks with our van; we also inquired about the steepness. He said it was no problem, but after we took out the kayaks and attempted to get back up the hill, the rarely used road, covered in moss and wet from rain, did not give us enough traction, and Winnie's wheels spun uselessly. We were good and stuck. It doesn't look like much of an incline in the photo, but it was fairly steep. After a nail-biting back up down the hill, with the van just inches from wooden posts, I took a run at the down ramp and just barely made it out. Apparently, the gate was normally locked, and we just happened on the place when the park ranger was there. After a (great!) paddle, we returned to our campsite to find the mats and axes we had left there were gone. Not all stays are perfect, I guess.

We continued our journey and looped back home enjoying some nice day spots near North Bay.

We started out by hanging out near Balm Beach, an old favourite. Ria's sister Suzanne had rented a cottage, and we parked there. Then we headed to North Bay, exploring new terrain and finding some great spots to hang out and boondock.

It was time to enjoy the fall colours, so we set off to Algonquin. We started by boondocking near Dorset and Livingstone Lake and then camped in Mew Lake Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park.

The colours were beautiful. It was nice to visit Mew Lake at different times of the year.

Our daughter, Sara, had the idea of going to Quebec City. We had never been there, so we hopped in the van and we were off.

We boondocked on a pier at Portneuf, about an hour and half outside of Quebec City. We commuted into the city and setup at a delightful spot beside the river. We walked to the old city and enjoy the sights. We boondocked for a couple of nights by parking in the city where overnight parking was permitted without a permit.

We also visited a Nordic spa, Strøm Spa Nordique, and slept in their parking lot with permission. It had a beautiful outlook over the river and was a great place to relax in many different hot tubs and saunas of varying temperatures.

We then explored the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. We boondocked at a spot suggested by iOverlander, spent the day at Baei-Saint Paul and then spent the next night at another iOverlander suggestion in Pointe-au-Pic.

We explored the Saguenay River and boondocked in the Saguenay city center, which was a suggestion from a Boondockers Welcome host who wasn't able to put us up.

We then went back to Quebec City, stopping at Jacques-Cartier National Park and met up with our dear friends, Teresa and Nino.

That night we returned to the pier at Portneuf to boondock.

We spent the next day in Montreal, where I met a business colleague.

That night we boondocked in Mac Johnson Wildlife Area near Kingston.

The last night we stayed at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

The last trip of the season, while we still had the plumbing on, was visiting Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and Lake Erie.

We started out by boondocking at Epping-John Muir Lookout. Yes, that's the same John Muir who helped found America's national parks. Apparently, he spent time in Southern Ontario, too.

Then we spent the day near Bognor Marsh and Georgian Bay near Thornbury, where we moochdocked with friends. Then we boondocked at Hibou Conservation Area near Owen Sound. The next day, we swung south to Ipperwash Beach, where we boondocked at the beach parking lot.

After stopping in London to meet up with a colleague, we boondocked just outside of Long Point Provincial Park and stayed a couple of days. Then we boondocked at a beach access parking lot in Port Maitland.

Our last night was boondocking at a parking lot beside the Niagara River near Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The US-Canada border finally reopened in the fall of 2021, and on the evening of the first Thursday of January 2022, we set out for Florida by knocking off a few hours before crossing the border near Detroit. It was 12 degrees below freezing when we parked in a carpool for the night. Normally, we’d put on the heater, but that night we just used the electric blanket. It was cozy, but the cold air was uncomfortable for the face and nostrils.

The weather forecast was clear but cold, and our plan was to gradually pick our way south. I had a busy day of phone calls scheduled, so we planned to drive a few hours in the early morning and find a park where we could stop to rest, exercise and get some calls done.

We didn’t realize that a snow storm had blown through the day before. The interstate was messy and wet but moving well enough. However, as soon as we got off the highway, the roads were like skating rinks. There was a steady stream of crashed and abandoned vehicles in various states of destruction. With no access to a pleasant place to stop and bitterly cold winds on our brief rest stops, we just kept on motoring with Hendrika doing most of the driving and me on the computer having meetings.

The cold and ice didn’t really let up until we got to Alabama where we parked at the first park we could find that was pretty close to the highway. I quickly fell into a deep sleep, but was sharply woken by a sheriff knocking on the door. Apparently, it was a dangerous place in the middle of the night, and the officer politely gave us some other suggestions. We hauled south for another half hour and conked out at a Walmart parking lot for the rest of the evening.

By midday Saturday we were on Pensacola Beach in the Florida Panhandle.

It was cool and windy, but amazingly beautiful. We combined boondocking at national seashore parking lots, a boat ramp and Walmarts with official camping in state parks. The boondocking at the national seashores was probably not legal, but not a problem in the off season, apparently. The parks we stayed at were Fort Pickens and Henderson Beach.

We picked our way east through Destin and beyond, spending days at beaches and parks and mostly boondocking at night. We boondocked at the Point Washington State Forest, the Southern Grace Lavender Farm (a Harvest Hosts location), Walmart and a Cracker Barrel. Day visits included Eden Gardens State Park and Goodwood Museum & Gardens in Tallahassee. We also booked a free camping spot in Blue Springs Recreational Area.

We stayed at the Crazy 8 Ranch, went riding and made a day trip to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park.

Then it was off to visit friends who had rented a seashore cottage in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. We planned to moochdock in their driveway, but there were strictly enforced homeowner association rules that forbid RVs. So, in the land of the free, we were not allowed to drive our van through a community and park in someone’s driveway. But, no matter,iOverlander pointed out street parking close to the gate, which worked out just fine.

After an annoying but mandatory COVID test to cross the border into Canada, we started north and were home two days later, having a nice winter camping experience at Camp Creek.

We camped at Arrowhead Provincial Park for skiing. It. Was. Cold. Evening lows of -31C.

We left the van at home (I know, crazy, right?) and stayed with friends at Horseshoe Valley and skied and biked.

It was quite snowy, so we were glad to have the SUV, but after-ski naps were just not the same. I guess it was a good experiment to see how other people live.

On the last Saturday of February we set off southward again. After about nine hours on the road, our first stop was moochdocking near Washington, D.C., in the driveway of the CEO of one of my clients. It was great to meet IRL (In Real Life) and get some hangout time. An early-morning departure and a few more hours brought us to Wilmington, North Carolina where we had two nights booked in a Boondockers Welcome driveway.

I worked and explored the city by bike, while Hendrika explored the historic district. We left Wilmington early and spent the next two days at Myrtle Beach, overnighting at a Walmart. Hendrika enjoyed the aquarium, and I did a beach ride and a road ride the next day.

Then we pushed south with a quick overnighter at a boat launch near Charleston and another early morning departure to spend the day in Savannah. Then it was time to empty the tanks and launder, so we spent the next two nights at a private campground on Tybee Island recommended by some friends.

Taking advantage of a Saturday, we drove to Winter Park near Orlando, with a stop at a favourite, Washington Oaks State Park. In Winter Park, we stayed with some friends, I joined a club bike ride, and we all did a boat tour on Sunday. After another bike ride Monday, a day of work and rest, we drove to the shores of Lake Okeechobee, overnighted in a parking lot, and rode the bike trail.

Then it was off to visit a business contact in Palm Beach. We enjoyed a meal, "parked" in the shopping mall overnight and enjoyed the pool at a Ritz-Carleton during the next day, courtesy of my business contact. A quick overnight at a Cracker Barrel in Homestead, just south of Miami, brought us to the Everglades National Park where we had four consecutive nights booked, the first two in Flamingo, the very southern tip of Florida, and two more in land at Long Pine Key for paddling and riding.

And then it was the Keys — the Caribbean Islands you can drive to! ! The boondocking spots marked in iOverlander were full of night-knock stories, so we, unusually, had booked actual campgrounds for our eight-day visit. Three nights at Key Largo Kampground, near John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, a night at Big Pine Key Resort, and then four nights at Boyd’s Key West Campground.

I took some weekday time off and did lots of riding or runs, and we snorkeled, did the quirky Key West train tour and had ice cream almost every day.

Alas, it was time to start our northward return home trek. We spent one last day on the Keys at Bahia Honda State Park, and then motored back to Lake Okeechobee for the night. After a morning ride on the paved bike trail and a few work calls, we skipped to the east coast and spent the afternoon at Frederick Douglas Memorial Park. As it happened, a horse riding business was just starting a guided ride along the beach when we arrived, so Hendrika was able to join while I worked in the van and fretted about our bike rack, which looked like it was about to fall off even though it had been reinforced once before.

For the next four nights we stayed at a Walmart, two Cracker Barrels and small park, spending the days at New Smyrna Beach, South Ponte Vedra Beach, and then on the road for a couple of longish driving stints to get us back home to Toronto with stops to winterize and dump for free at a West Virginia rest stop.

Our next trip in the van was the May long weekend, where we mooch-docked in a friend's driveway at a cottage on Lake Huron. It was great to be socializing again. It was really feeling like the pandemic was good and over. Well, it was until Hendrika tested positive for COVID and we had to sheepishly tell our hosts we had probably infected them and then made an abrupt exit.

Our original plan was a quick three-day, two-night trip in order to be home to support a family member having elective surgery. Instead it ended up being two weeks.

After the positive COVID test, we went to a Hendrika’s sister’s vacant home to wait out the isolation period. But, plans changed again when we got a call from one of Hendrika’s doctors, with concerns about an abscess that showed up in a CT scan done the previous week; he directed us to go to hospital right away. So, not really feeling the urgency the doctor had, the next morning we motored to the hospital close to home, and Hendrika went to the ED while I hung out in the van. (I was also testing positive by then.) Happily, a follow-up CT scan showed things had smoothed over so we were moving again. Not wanting to spread COVID at home, we spent a few days near Georgian Bay continuing to self-isolate. When Hendrika finally tested negative, I dropped her off at home, and I stayed in local parks close to home until I was negative and we could get back to normal.

All in all, a pretty crazy couple of weeks with lots of medical twists and turns.

Michigan had been on our list for a while. In particular, Hendrika wanted to visit Holland, a town on the east shore of Lake Michigan.

Without any firm plans, we headed west on a Thursday afternoon and arrived at Sarnia, Ontario, and discovered it was really nice. The beach was attractive and the cell service was solid, so we decided to stay Friday. The first night we boondocked at the casino. The second night there, we tried staying in the parking lot near the bridge to the USA. There were no prohibitive signs and the lot was empty, so we were surprised when someone came by and told us we had to leave. A little too official I suppose. No problem, we moved to the casino parking lot, which the nice man had suggested.

We left early Saturday morning for Holland, Michigan, and spent the morning at a museum and enjoying Pride Day.

Then it was off to explore Lake Michigan's eastern shore. We had a great swim at Windsnest Park and boondocked at a boat launch a little further north in Grand Haven.

We continued to explore parks along the coast and ended up at Ludington State Park and Lake Michigan Recreation Area. The beaches there were great but they all had a major problem. Millions of dead fish (alewife) washing up on shore. Blech!

This was also our inaugural trip with Starlink. I first tried it in a parking lot with a lot of trees around when there was absolutely zero cell service. It would drop the signal for a minute or two, but it was good enough to look at a map and plan our next steps. The next time I set it up it was with open sky, and it rocked. An iffy cellular would have been a pain for my work day, but Starlink delivered a fast and reliable connection.

The cycling was consistently really good in Michigan. There were lots of paved bike paths, and many roads had wide paved shoulders.

To escape the dead fish, which seemed stretch all along the northeastern side of Lake Michigan, we headed to Lake Huron's western shore, staying at a Walmart along the way. We stayed a night and couple of days at Tawas Point State Park. Then we boondocked at a Cracker Barrel and spent the day at Bay City State Park. The southern part of Michigan seemed to be more built up with a fair amount of traffic.

While we parked at Bay City State Park, a warden came by. I guess we looked kind of dug in with Starlink up, chairs outside the van and in the day-use area. He came by right when I was changing, so I was in my underwear — which I guess could pass as a Speedo. It was in that state that I explained that I was working as a digital nomad and we were leaving that evening. Hendrika was having a hard time not cracking up during the conversation because she had the song "I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK" stuck in her head.

Wanting to be back in Canada for Canada Day, we crossed the border that evening and boondocked at a beach parking lot at Ipperwash.

Then it was off to connect with friends in Wasaga Beach where we caught the fireworks for Canada Day and spent a couple of days in the area.

Two days after we were back from Michigan, it was time for our next trip.

Hendrika had arranged an Art in The Park at Sibbald Point Provincial Park with her art group.

After a few days in the park, we explored the Karwartha Highlands and the Kawartha Lakes, boondocking at night and using our provincial park day pass during the days.

A great little find was the Cameron Ranch Walking Trail Park. Geologically, it is an alvar (a biological environment centered on a limestone plain with thin or no soil) and had wonderful flowery meadows. It was also a great little boondocking spot.

The next day Starlink saved the day when telecom provider Rogers Communications had its annual system outage. I barely noticed.

Hendrika rented a cottage at Wahnekewening Beach for her birthday week.

We had a steady stream of guests, and we found it most practical for us to sleep in the van and use the cottage for guests, meals and hanging out.

We went to Wasaga to connect with friends as well.

Our trip circumnavigating Lake Superior is probably my favourite. For a full month, we meandered from gorgeous spot to gorgeous spot. During work days, I’d break up coding and meetings with cycling, running and swimming, while Hendrika would set up her art table and break up her art studies with gentle bike rides, walks and yoga. The weather was nearly perfect, and there were hardly any bugs. Having Starlink meant solid connectivity anywhere.

We took our time getting to the closest edge of Lake Superior. Hendrika started at her annual gathering at a cottage on Lake of Bays, while I stayed home then drove up and met her a couple of days later.

We bummed around Muskoka, picking up a concert in Huntsville. We boondocked in the town Huntsville (near the theater where we saw the show) Hutcheson Lake, Buck Lake and a Boondockers Welcome host on Fox Lake.

After spending the morning in the town of Lake Rosseau and the meeting with a friend and business partner at his cottage on Lake Joseph, we spent a few days at another friend's cottage, also on Lake Joseph.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, we started moving in earnest and put in a decent drive, with a stop at Grundy Lake Provincial Park to hike and dump. We spent the night at a rest stop and the next day biking near Espanola and hiking in Chutes Provincial Park.

That night we parked on the street in Blind River on the north shore of Georgian Bay. It was a great little beach and we spent most of the day there.

The next night, we boondocked at a great little rest stop. The following day was a bit of maintenance day in Sault Ste. Marie. Hendrika got some blood work done; the van got an oil change and wash.

That afternoon we crossed into the States and found a great boondocking spot on Pendills Beach. The quiet, the great beach, the great cycling made it such a wonderful spot that we broke our "one night only" rule and stayed for two nights. We did attract the attention of a sheriff, but he was very friendly and we were on our way when he came. Interestingly, he said parking on the other side of the road was legal and there were a few parking spots there, just not as nice.

Then we went to Paradise. The town of Paradise, Michigan, that is. We just boondocked at a trailhead before spending the day at the nearby Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

Our next target was Grand Marais, Michigan. Google took us on a terrible gravel road to get there. It was miles and miles of ruts that banged the hell out of poor Winnie. We crawled along as the shelves and cutlery rattled away. We were treated to the most spectacular sunsets and sunrises when we finally got there.

We had booked a kayaking excursion for Saturday and met the tour company in Munising. We paddled out to the Pictured Rocks. The morning was nice and sunny, and we got rain in the afternoon.

On Saturday night we boondocked at a rest top at Agate Falls Scenic Site. On Sunday, we spent time at Porcupine Mountains State Park and put on some miles to get to the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota.

We boondocked at a Scenic Overlook at Silver Bay and took advantage of the pay-what-you-can dump station and nearby laundry mat, then spent the day at Black Beach Park.

The next night we boondocked at the Taconite Harbor parking lot and the next day we spent time at Grandview Park, where I took a bike ride up the skill hills and then into the surrounding wilderness.

That afternoon we made it to Grand Marais, Minnesota. We had planned to stay at a trailhead in the nearby Pincushion Mountain Trail System, but when we arrived at the parking lot there were three other vans and it didn't look like they were going anywhere, so we thought we'd stay there. We met a nice gentleman van lifer from California and chatted for a while. Then the police showed up and told all the van dwellers to move on, so off we went to the planned spot at the trailhead.

The next day we crossed back into Canada and stayed at the Slate River Dairy farm, a Harvest Hosts location. In the morning, Hendrika went to the Fort Williams Historic Park, while I got my bike fixed, worked in a parking lot and went for a jog around Thunder Bay. That evening we boondocked at the Silver Harbour Conservation Area and spent the following day there and then picked our way further east to Red Rock and Nipigon.

We boondocked at Schreiber Beach and hiked the coastal trail the next morning. The next night found us boondocking again at Terrace Bay Beach after more hiking and a fun little art meet up for Hendrika.

The weather became a bit rainy, so we were able to grab three nights at the very popular Neys Provincial Park. It's a magically beautiful spot and it was nice to have a fire and electricity and stay put for a few days.

We continued east, spending a day in Marathon before staying at Algoma Highlands Wild Blueberry Farm and Winery, a Harvest Hosts location near Wawa, where we spent the following day.

The next night we parked on crown land identified by iOverlander and the following day at Batchawana Bay Provincial Park. The next night we boondocked back at Sault Ste Marie in the parking lot for our train tour to the Agawa Canyon. After the train tour, we drove back to Blind River to return to the beach spot we enjoyed on the way out.

And then it was a five-or-six hour drive home with a stop at the French River.

We needed to go to Buffalo for a medical scan, so we decided to make a road trip out of it.

We hit the fall colours perfectly. We spent the first two days exploring the Erie North Shore at Port Maitland and Rock Point Provincial Park. After boondocking at a beach parking lot close to the border, we crossed into the States and spent a morning in Buffalo getting scanned.

Then we boondocked at Kinzua Dam and a boat launch in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania and then stayed at Heavenly Sunset Llama Farms, an alpaca farm and Harvest Hosts member. We went horseback riding at Summit Trail Rides and toured the Corning Museum of Glass.

After that, we headed home, with a brief leg stretch at Letchworth State Park. We were blessed by a perfect rainbow by the falls.

Hendrika liked the idea of Pelee Island again.

This time we spent more time on the island, and we were able to really immerse ourselves in the serenity of the place. We were blessed with some amazingly warm November weather.

And, of course, the journey is the destination and we stayed at Port Burwell, John E. Pearce Provincial Park and Rondeau Provincial Park, and we returned to our old favourite Long Point Provincial Park on the way home.