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VLOG: Teton Talkin’

by Sean Michael | Aug 24, 2010 | Airstream, Blog, Dry Camping, Motivational, National Parks, Video, Vlog, Wildlife, Yellowstone | 12 comments

Here’s a brief update from the road — specifically, from gorgeous Grand Teton National Park.

I’m in LOVE with our current campsite. This is the finest camping locale we’ve enjoyed all year. We are surrounded by wilderness. We have a tremendous view of some of the most beautiful mountains in North America while LYING IN BED. This area is frequented by bison, moose, elk, and the occasional bear. Seriously, if this campsite was a piece of privately owned land for sale, the lot would cost at least a half million bucks. Sure, there are NO HOOKUPS OF ANY KIND and overnight temperatures are dropping into the low 30s. But in a way, that’s what makes it fun. We’re roughin’ it Airstream-style in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Like salmon, every few years we migrate back to the Yellowstone/Teton area. (Hopefully the local bears won’t treat us like salmon.) In our video I discuss Sean & Kristy’s first camping experience TOGETHER. It happened in Yellowstone National Park. We didn’t have a fancy Airstream or any RV. We had a TENT, a leaky air mattress, and a couple of thin sleeping bags. We experienced a few hardships, but we had a BLAST. That sort of adventure is what it’s all about.

That’s the ultimate point of this website. Life is a collection of experiences. Most of the best have NOTHING to do with the gear you own. Adventure is out there for you to find, and you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment or a fat bank account to find it.

Let me draw upon a couple of life experiences to explore this point.

First, here’s a counter-intuitive trek that has little to do with camping. Back in the early 1990s, I taught English to schoolchildren in Czechoslovakia. From late summer 1992 to spring 1993 I lived in the land of cheap (but FANTASTIC) beer and pork dumplings. That was the year the country split apart politically, and Czechoslovakia became the Czech Republic & Slovakia. Sounds scary, but it wasn’t. The so-called “Velvet Divorce” took place without a shot being fired.

My employer was the Bratislava, Slovakia city school system. Monthly salary? Around $120, give or take. Yes, $120 a MONTH. My net worth hovered around zero and my luxuries were limited (although I did own about $20 worth of bootleg Polish music tapes).

In Europe, I had the time of my life! No money whatsoever, but the time of my life. Somehow I managed to see not only Czechoslovakia, but most of Europe — Hungary, Poland, Austria, Italy, Sweden, and Germany, to name a few. How did I do it? Money went to the absolute necessities — train tickets, hostels, and inexpensive food. Somehow I managed to make ends meet. Note that the dollar went a LONG way in my preferred haunts in Eastern Europe. When you can buy a tall glass of brew for 30 cents, what more do you need? Those months spent abroad were enormously influential, and I still reference them daily.

I’ve since returned to Europe many times. As an adult traveling to Europe, I’m staying in better places and eating in better restaurants. Am I having a better time? Nah. If anything, I’ve discovered that travel is like an addictive drug; what gave you a “buzz” the first time around isn’t as likely to do it when you take your second hit. You’ve got to move forward in search of the next thrill. Yes, money helps, but if you’re not careful it can also insulate you from the adventure. Satellite TV and room service are not what makes Paris great. Granite counter tops are lovely, but they have little to do with camping.

My second “mind over money” life experience happened in Yellowstone National Park. I worked in the Park in 1991 (and later in 1994). My first job was”kitchen helper.” Later I moved on to my favorite role — that of “ice cream scooper.” Again, I made no real money (although I scored some nice tips for scooping up huge amounts of ice cream!). NO ONE works in the Park for money (at least no one stuck in the bowels of the kitchen ;-)). You work there for the experience. Yellowstone is like a different planet, one with clearer skies, crisper air, and natural wonder (including the occasional grizzly bear) lurking around every corner. Yes, there really are more stars in the sky at night. Until you’ve experienced life in this magical place, no amount of verbal description will do it justice.

This brings me back to our video, and the topic at hand — GEAR and how it relates to adventure. We all obsess about gear, and I am as guilty as the next guy. Sure, it’s nice to have an Airstream, a diesel truck, and a generator. Maybe you want a Prevost, or a Winnebago, or a Tiffin. Yes, it’s a luxury to be able to travel with these sorts of material possessions and creature comforts at our disposal.

But this stuff costs money, sometimes lots of it. As the great philosopher Jagger once said, you can’t always get what you want. If you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

You don’t “need” an expensive rig to go out and have a good time. You just need the spirit to get out there and do it. A talented photographer can take stunning photos with an iPhone. An amateur will take clunkers with a Canon 5D. You can have a wonderful time with a cheap Kmart tent and a couple of sleeping bags. It’s never about the gear; it’s about the person.

Kristy and I are certainly fortunate to have the time, good health, and resources to travel to the extent we have. I am appreciative of these opportunities and experiences.

“Do it while you’re young,” senior citizens repeatedly tell us. We’ve taken their advice to heart.

I say, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, have a Prevost or a tent, it doesn’t really matter.

Do it.

Get hitched — and carpe diem.

And by the way, I know the audio/video sync is off in the video. I’ll fix it when I have the time, not to mention the electricity!

12 Comments

  1. tmarmijo
    tmarmijo on August 25, 2010 at 3:08 pm

    Have never left a reply before, but this is about our most favorite part of the country and I felt this should be my first. My husband and I were there in July for the 3rd time in 4 years. We stayed 7 days in West Yellowstone at a wonderful RV Park and another 4 dry camping in Idaho on the just other side of the Tetons. They were both as fun. We have a toy hauler and have taken our Harley each time. There is something about riding into either Yellowstone Park or into Teton Park that just electrifies us. Can’t explain it. Two years ago our middle son worked at The Lake in Yellowstone waiting tables for the summer and had a blast. He did work for the money however, clearing over $7,000. We plan to work there as a couple when I can retire in 8 years. We went for a hike this trip into the Tetons and decided our next trip would include a longer hike as it was better than we thought it would be. Thanks for the video, it was great to see you back there and I look forward to seeing all of the additional video you shot over the summer in upcoming months!

  2. lpokrana
    lpokrana on August 25, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    Chris and used to think that travel required the finest hotels and restaurants. Sure, it’s nice to splurge every now and then but our absolute best vacation was to Fiji. We had no itinerary. No reservations. We ended up camping on the beach. Since then, we go with a “less is more” approach to travel and vacation. Amazing memories!

    Great post and video! Safe travels!

  3. N3qdz
    N3qdz on August 26, 2010 at 11:50 am

    Kristy, Sean
    As I have watched every episode I see the progression. Cool music neat camera angles puns and they whole bit and I love every bit! This…I got much more out of this one, much more. I just love the fact you allow us into you’re world. This was simple…laid back easy and quite intimate. This, more than anything, was why the first episode drew me in to the blog! Ya know, sometimes simple is better and in some cases harder to do, 5 stars man!!!! This was like being right in camp with the both of you,and I have to thank you. With the world of constant connection getting raw is a nice change of pace!!!

  4. hihoagrv
    hihoagrv on August 26, 2010 at 10:18 pm

    We agree the place is perhaps the most stunning location around…We hope to stop by and meet ya’ll…we are only 2 loops down in the same campground! Tomorrow we will hitch to our 34′ ‘stream and head up to Colter Bay for a few days.

    I really love your site and the great work ya’ll do…

    Vernon, Sarah and Mac the dog

  5. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on August 27, 2010 at 7:26 pm

    tmarmijo, thanks for your post! Always nice when a “lurker” becomes a “poster” 🙂 Hmmmm, I knew the table waits did pretty good at Yellowstone (tips!), but didn’t realize they did that good! Those of us toiling away in the bowels of the kitchen were not so fortunate, ha ha. I know exactly what you mean about feeling electrified when entering these parks. At this point we have visited all of the lower 48 states (47 with our Airstream in tow) and I can say with confidence that this is my favorite area for camping.

  6. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on August 27, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Thanks Lani! Great story about camping on the beach in Fiji — would love to hear more about that trip! Safe travels to you too!

  7. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on August 27, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    Matt, this one was old school! From now on I will dub the more simple ones “Vlogs” — these are a lot easier on me to produce and I actually think they can be more personal. One of these days (like when we return home from this EPIC journey) I will pull our old video footage from that first camping trip and integrate it into this piece. I had a crappy little camera with me but the footage will be fun. Cheers!

  8. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on August 27, 2010 at 7:32 pm

    Hey Vernon, Sarah, & Mac! I went looking for you this morning on my bike, but your 34-footer was nowhere to be found. I suspect you had already moved on up to Coulter Bay. (We tend to be late risers in the AM — we have decided that Kristy’s Indian name would be Long Time Sleeping.)

    Anyway, thanks for your post and sorry to miss you. And yes, this area is the best!

  9. Scott S
    Scott S on August 29, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    Sean – You look to be in about the same spot we were last summer at Gros Ventre. One of our favorites of the trip.

  10. christina
    christina on August 30, 2010 at 6:28 pm

    Very nice updated video! I love to see you and Kristy in your “element”.

    Yes, I know what you mean by tent camping wearing you down. My husband and I have backpacked and kayak camped for years and I never sleep very well in the tent. Getting in and out of it is getting less and less fun, too! Now that we have our teardrop trailer, I really look forward to curling up into bed after a long day of hiking, kayaking and fresh air. Cooking can still be a challenge in bad weather, but you just deal with it. I find it easier than tent camping too. No pitching that darn tent and blowing up your bed!

    We have traveled around the world and I still think our best trip was a two week tent camping trip to the Oregon Coast about 10 years ago. 🙂

  11. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on September 2, 2010 at 2:03 pm

    Scott, yes that is a spot in the “A Loop” of Gros Ventre. That’s one of my favorite campgrounds… mountains on one side, the Gros Ventre River on the other. And Jackson is 10 minutes away.

  12. Sean Michael
    Sean Michael on September 2, 2010 at 2:26 pm

    Christina, no worries, I fixed the double post. 😉

    Yes, tent camping can wear on you. It’s great fun but tough to get a proper night’s sleep.

    Sometimes when we chat with “non-campers” they seem to think we are making huge sacrifices in our Airstream. But it’s actually like a little apartment — you have everything you need, and then some. It’s just compacted into a small space.

    My thoughts went out to the tent campers last week in Yellowstone. We had plenty of rainfall, and overnight temps were in the 30s. That’s truly roughing it.

    We still have our original “Kmart special” tent camping gear. I’m thinking that someday we may break it out of mothballs and bring it to Hawaii (since the odds of us toting our Airstream there are infinitesimally slim!).

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