Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure- Half an Hour Away

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: Wrapping Up Our Adventure (Days 15 & 16)

Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure series is coming to a close! We spent the final two days in Jackson, before bad weather led us to return home early. Despite the change of plans, we enjoyed ourselves as our trip was winding down.

Trip Diary Begins:

Wednesday, May 31

Once again, we slept in to get some extra snuggle time in. I was very sleepy. Then, we made our way to Jackson, Wyoming, encountering lovely mountain scenery on our drive. (The Tetons are spectacular.)

After a relatively uneventful day getting some work done, we went to dinner at Merry Piglets, a Tex-Mex restuarant. There, we had Spicy Huckleberry Margaritas, which were delightful. I love embracing huckleberry flavored things, which are quite popular in the Yellowstone area. (We just talked about the wontons with huckleberry dipping sauce at Slippery Otter Pub.) Our meal was pretty heavy, but boy did those margs hit the spot. We’ve since returned to Merry Piglets, and the margaritas were just as good as we remembered.

I noted in my notes app entry for the day that the town of Jackson is so cute. Once again, I stand by that (how couldn’t you though? If you’ve ever been to Jackson, you know). I’ve been back a couple of times since this first trip, and I love it there, especially in the summer.

Thursday, June 1

Switching things up from all our sleeping in, we woke up mad early. We arrived at Cowboy Coffee before it opened at 6 am. Once we were inside, I basically napped on Jon’s shoulder for awhile, before starting on my work around 7:30.

We made the tough decision to end our trip a little early because the weather got crappy. It was rainy and had even started storming. Though we wanted to spend more time exploring Yellowstone (I would have loved to see Grand Prismatic), it was the right call. It was cool that we even got to experience Yellowstone at all!

Scary Fact: Yellowstone’s geothermal features are beautiful, but incredibly dangerous. I remember falling asleep to a podcast once, and awakening to a horrifying discussion about encounters with these features that led to death or injury. The good news? Deaths and injuries are extremely rare. Just be smart and follow the instrcutions at the park! Don’t be a touron—for your own good.

We were pretty conflicted but both felt it would be good to just start heading home. Of course, we were still sad the trip was ending. It’s always bittersweet ya know? But in that moment, I belonged in the car eating White Cheddar PopCorners. There’s always next time—and we will be back!

Trip Reflection

So, that’ll do it with this series! Our first road trip with the rooftop tent was so amazing. We skied in Mammoth, which has become one of our favorite mountains, explored the Oregon Coast, went to a music festival, enjoyed an “average day“, and even saw a bit of Yellowstone.

Our rooftop tent has enhanced our adventures so much, and I can’t wait to do another 2-week+ road trip with it! We use it all the time in the summer and fall, and it will continue to be a staple of many journeys to come. I look forward to exploring more, experiencing more, and sharing more of these special moments.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: A Taste of Yellowstone (Day 14)

We’re approaching the end of Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! On Day 14, we bounced between Montana and Wyoming, explored a piece of Yellowstone National Park, and ate more delicious food.

Trip Diary Begins:

Tuesday, May 30

Feeling sleepy and not prepared to start our day, we snoozed the alarm multiple times. It was a sweet morning of prolonged cuddles and coziness. Eventually, it was time to get on the road once again. I stayed awake for a bit during the drive, but since I’m lucky enough to be a passenger princess most of the time, I got to sleep even more in the car.

We stopped at a coffee shop, where I had matcha and a burrito, and Jon ordered a bagel sandwich and a coffee. We listened to more of the Therapy Gecko podcast as we made our way to the Wyoming side of Yellowstone.

Fun Fact: Yellowstone is primarily in Wyoming, but a small percentage of the park is in Montana and Idaho.

As we drove through the park, we saw a ton of bison on the side of the road, which was super cool. I love seeing wild animals (and eating them — bison are delicious. Sorry!). We even saw some cute little baby bison. 👶🦬

We then enjoyed a lovely hike on Dunraven Pass. There was still a good amount of snow this time of year, and it was a bit later in the day, so we only hiked about half of it. Regardless, it was a beautiful hike, and the weather was quite pleasant.

Unsurprisingly, we found ourselves in some crazy traffic on the way out of the park. We also saw more bison (yum).

Back in Montana, we went to a restaurant called Slippery Otter Pub. We kicked things off with jalapeño wontons with huckleberry dipping sauce (they were 🔥), followed by elk and bison burgers (like I said, bison is delish).

It was time to find a camping spot for the night. The evening was rainy—moody, cozy, and atmospheric. We watched the series finale of Succession in the tent before going to sleep. It was the perfect cozy end to our day.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: Chili’s & The Little Mermaid (Day 13)

It’s time for another post about Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! This particular day was memorable for a different reason. Although we didn’t see any sights, it’s a notable memory from this trip. There’s something to be said about the joy of an “average” day, even on an exciting road trip.

Trip Diary Begins:

Monday, May 29

The time came to depart from the festival. We woke up around 9, used the bathroom, got packed up, and said goodbye to our friends before we hit the road again.

We drove about 3 hrs to Spokane and stopped at Planet Fitness to shower. As prep for our trip, we got PF memberships. This allowed us to easily shower at various places along our route.

One woman at the gym gave off some weird vibes, which seemed to confirm what we’d heard about Spokane. We met someone at The Gorge who lived in Spokane, and he mentioned there was a “heavy” feel to the area. (No shade to Spokane!) Maybe it was confirmation bias, but we thought something was a little off, and the unpleasant woman wasn’t helping. But hey, we all have bad days.

Okay, onto the good stuff. For lunch, we decided to go to Chili’s. Sometimes, the classic chain restaurants are just what you need. We started by ordering Presidente Margaritas. These margs come with a shaker so you can shake them at the table, adding a fun interactive element to the meal. For food, we got an appetizer trio and quesadillas. It wasn’t anything new or local to the area, but it truly hit the spot.

The perfect follow-up to a chain restaurant meal is going to see a movie. The live-action version of The Little Mermaid had recently come out, and I was super excited to see it. I don’t consider myself a Disney Adult™, but I do enjoy certain Disney movies (especially The Little Mermaid). I was curious to see how the underwater scenes would look, and I thought Halle Bailey was the perfect choice for Ariel. She literally looks like a princess, and she has a beautiful voice.

Jon and I both loved the movie. It was a magical, colorful, and fun-filled experience. The songs are so iconic, too! Jon especially appreciated the message of following your own path and listening to your heart, and I can’t argue with that. It was an absolute 11/10 film, and I highly recommend it. If you’re interested in checking out live-action Disney movies, please watch this one. I haven’t seen it since that first time in Spokane, but I’m craving another watch right now. Love, love, love!

After our wonderful time at lunch and the movies, it was time to get back on the road. Along the way, we stopped at a cool gas station in Montana. (It may have been the St. Regis Travel Center.) Yes, even gas stations can be cool sometimes.

We listened to The Therapy Gecko podcast during our drive (which I completely forgot about until working on this). It’s certainly a unique podcast, where a man with no professional qualifications gives advice to callers. Sometimes the advice is good, and other times I find it to be questionable. Oh, and he’s also dressed like a lizard, which you obviously can’t see if you’re only listening, but it’s part of his whole schtick.

In one of the episodes we listened to, he had an interesting conversation about living in the moment versus always looking for the next thing. That can definitely be hard to do sometimes, especially if you’re always planning your next trip like we are. But it’s a great reminder to slow down and be present.

Overall, this was a top-tier day. We didn’t ski, hike, travel the coast, or see live music, but we had a wonderful time enjoying simple pleasures. For this reason, this day stands out to me. I love that during a trip where we did so many exciting and new things, we also had a great time doing something typical of an ordinary suburban weekend. There’s a certain beauty in that—one I can’t ignore.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: Memorial Day Weekend Music Festival (Days 11 & 12)

We’re making our way through Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! In this post, I’ll be sharing the two days we spent at The Gorge Amphitheater over Memorial Day weekend for a music festival headlined by Illenium. This festival was actually what had initiated the whole plan for the trip. Jon’s friend, who lives in Seattle, had told him about it, and we decided it would be the perfect excuse to spend some time road-tripping west of Colorado.

Trip Diary Begins:

Saturday, May 27

We arrived in Seattle the previous day and stayed with Jon’s friend. We left his apartment around 9 in the morning to head toward the Gorge, making a few stops along the way (bagels, Safeway, etc).

Eventually, we got to the campground. We got ourselves set up and relaxed for a while before it was time for the show to start. When the time got closer, I began to change into my festival outfit and put on some makeup. I had bought a really fun beaded sheer blue skirt from iHeartRaves (which I went on to destroy in the washing machine…RIP), which I paired with a blue sequined bodysuit. Jon wore a fun Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

They had a few different food options in the campground, and I enjoyed some Thai curry.

When it was time for the show, we walked into the concert venue. Jon and I stayed through most of Tiesto’s set, before getting tired and heading back to camp. Unfortunately, there was no re-entry allowed after leaving the venue, so we wouldn’t have been able to go back in that night if we wanted. We didn’t see Illenium that night, but he’d be performing again the following night anyway.

Before we turned in for the night, we met some fellow concert-goers in the campground, who let Jon borrow a phone charger for a bit. Gotta love the festival friendliness!

Sunday, May 28

We woke up around 7 and Jon cooked us up some breakfast. Then we spent a lot of time sitting around before the shows started. The sun was beating down hard on us, which was very draining.

We made friends with our neighboring campers and played rage cage together. Jon and I needed to take a beat, so we went for a walk and got some Kona ice. It was a refreshing treat that was perfect for the heat.

Finally, it was time to get ready for the shows again. Obviously, I had a new fit for the day. I also put my hair in bubble braids and added some glitter to my look. I had brought some glitter gel, which Jon and I both used. We even shared some with our other friends and neighbors. It was a hit!

We went to the venue and ordered garlic parmesan chicken and margs and sat down to eat. We migrated to a different grassy area to chill during the set. (I do not remember, nor can I find who was performing at this time.) Later on, we moved down to the lower pit area for the rest of the show (Dabin & Illenium). This night, Illenium performed his throwback set.

A big moment for me was when a lovely girly gave me my first kandi, a beaded bracelet that’s a big part of EDM and rave culture. She asked me my sign, and handed me a Virgo themed bracelet while she walked me through the whole ritual.

The time came for us to head back to our car and turn in for the night. It was a long day (with a lot of sitting around and a lot of partying), so we were ready to be tucked away in the tent.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: From California to Oregon (Days 7 & 8)

Welcome to the next chapter of Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! During these two days, we journeyed from California to Oregon. On Tuesday, we hiked among the Redwoods before crossing the state line. We spent Wednesday traveling along the Oregon Coast from sunrise to sunset.

Trip Diary Begins:

Tuesday, May 23rd

The previous night, we camped in a forested area by a beach near the Redwood National and State Parks. In the morning, we walked down to get a look at the beach. While it was pleasant, it didn’t particularly stand out. (Stay tuned for the breathtaking beaches we encountered in Oregon.) I also got my shoe all caked in mud (oops). After our little beach-viewing excursion, we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and bacon before embarking on a 12.5-mile hike in the Redwood area.

Jon, being the most energetic person I know, had enough energy to go for a bike ride after our hike. I stayed in the car, updating my trip journal and searching for dinner spots. Upon his return, we decided on Seaquake Brewing.

Before our table was ready, we ordered drinks at the bar. I started with Kombucha. The bartender recommended mixing pineapple and strawberry lemon, and it was delightful. Once we were seated, we ordered garlic bread, soppressata pizza, and fish tacos. We each ordered flights to go with our food. I had a couple of sours, and I particularly enjoyed the lime one. I also had more Kombucha for one of my options, this time opting for a blueberry peach flavor. We love gut health!

Our journey led us to a camp spot near Secret Beach in Oregon. We went straight to bed, falling asleep to the ever-so-tranquil highway noises.

Wednesday, May 24th: Sunrise to Sunset Along the Oregon Coast

Jon and Lai smiling for a selfie at Secret Beach on the Oregon coast. The beach features dramatic rock formations and turquoise water.

The alarm went off around 5:30 am. We snoozed it once before getting up to watch the sunrise.

We walked a short distance from the car to the beach. Secret Beach was awe-inspiring. This magical hidden cove with enchanting views felt like something out of a fantasy novel. Even better, we were the only ones there that early. It was so peaceful. We felt as if we were on our very own beach (a secret beach, if you will) where we could listen to the sound of the waves and welcome the morning. It was truly one of the most incredible moments. A small coastline framed a beautiful, expansive, sky-blue colored sea. Large rocks emerged from the water (sea stacks), decorating it with their rugged beauty.

We spent about 30 minutes exploring the area and taking it all in before walking back up to the car. At the car, the sounds of the highway replaced the sounds of the waves. We fell asleep to those highway noises once again as we took a pre-breakfast nap in the car.

We ate eggs and sausage at a new spot by the water. It was a big day for ocean views! En route to a hiking/biking trail, we stopped at a lookout by the water (what did I tell you?) and sat for a bit. Then, it was time to get some exercise! After our respective activities in the same trail network, we enjoyed leftover pizza.

It was finally time to head toward Luna Sea Fish House in Yachats. Unsurprisingly, we drove past another beautiful beach overlook, where we stopped for #views once more. Once we got our fix at this one, we continued our drive to the restaurant.

The fish was delicious. Jon even said it was “the best bite of seafood I’ve ever had”. We ordered the Luna Sea Combo (we went for the fried option), which includes Halibut, Albacore, and Wild King Salmon, served alongside fries and coleslaw. I will 1,000% be back!

We ended our day in a similar way to how we began it—by watching the sunset at a beach. McPhillips Beach is especially cool because you can drive on it. We spent some time frolicking and soaking in the beautiful sunset—the perfect bookend to our day along the coast.

After a day of enjoying the beauty of the Oregon Coast, we found a place near Portland to camp in the Tillamook Forest area.

Jon standing between two towering tree trunks, smiling as he holds onto them.

Selfie of Jon and Lai inside the hollow of a massive tree. Jon is kissing Lai on the cheek and she is smiling.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: Skiing at Mammoth Mountain (Days 3 & 4)

It’s time for another installment of Our First Rooftop Tent Adventure! On days 3 & 4 of our first rooftop tent road trip, we had so much fun skiing at Mammoth Mountain. With plenty of spring snow, sunshine, and amazing après vibes, it was an unforgettable stop. We were even spoiled with a couple of nights at a hotel.

Trip Diary Begins:

Friday, May 19th

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up, packed up camp, and set off for Mammoth Mountain, just a short drive from our campsite. After arriving at the resort, Jon slammed his finger in the car door. Not fun! Luckily, this didn’t require a trip to urgent care. When we effectively sought a friend’s opinion (it’s great having a Physician Assistant friend; you know who you are), we decided that he would be fine, bandaged the finger, and got on with our day.

We started skiing around noon, dressed in Hawaiian shirts and jean shorts. It was my first time skiing in shorts, and I loved it. The weather was amazing, and our outfits were perfect for it! The slushy spring snow was super fun, and Mammoth had a lot of snow, especially for mid-May. They had about 30 runs open at this point. Skiing there was a blast and a half. This was also my first day skiing a wiggle, which was fun, even though I didn’t ski the entirety of the wiggle.

After a bit of skiing, we stopped back at the car and had lunch. Once we had eaten, we headed to the (fantastic) après at the Yoddler. It was so much fun! We each got an Aperol Spritz—one of the perfect après drinks, IMO.

That night, we were living the life of hotel luxury at the Motel 6. We checked in, relaxed, and freshened up before heading to a brewery for dinner. At the brewery, we ate yummy nachos and buffalo chicken flatbread. We returned to the hotel and had a chill night watching a little HGTV before bed. Enjoying the comforts of the hotel, we decided to book a second night.

Writing this now makes me wish I was on vacation again. No worries, just vibes, HGTV, and a hotel bed.

Saturday, May 20th

The weather was lovely again! I wore a different pair of jean shorts and a crop top, while Jon wore a tank and jorts. I also had my Mellanzana with me for the chillier moments. We even ~sorta~ got to ski through some trees, which was nice for this late in the season.

It eventually started raining. There was even a lightning warning! Because of the brief moment of ~weather~, we had to stop skiing for a hot sec, but it didn’t last long. We skied a couple more laps, bought some merch (obviously), and hit après again. This day was even more lit since it was a Saturday. The party had it all: champagne spraying, a guy doing yo-yo tricks, an older lady dancing on the table, and even a few dogs. Such a vibe! After we were done there, we went back to the hotel. We sat outside for a bit before deciding on a new brewery to go to. After we enjoyed our beers, we went to Roberto’s Cafe for dinner. I had beef taquitos and Jon had a carne asada burrito. We caught a stunning sunset before going to bed.

Toyota 4Runner is parked in a pine forest with a rooftop tent set up. A mountain bike is attached to the back, and camping gear, including a storage bin, is on the ground beside the vehicle.

Selfie of Jon and Lai in ski gear and tropical shirts in front of a large woolly mammoth statue at Mammoth Mountain. They are smiling, wearing helmets and sunglasses.

Rooftop Tent Trip #1: Denver to Mammoth Lakes (Days 1 & 2)

Lovely red rock scenery in the Capitol Reef area of Utah.

The weather in Colorado has been pretty warm recently, and spring is right around the corner. While it is a little unsettling that the temps have been above 60°F in February and March, I can’t say the sunshine doesn’t feel good. We recently returned from an Aspen trip that was a blast, even though it was pretty dry. The snow conditions weren’t ideal, but the weather was absolutely beautiful.

Since it’s been feeling pretty springlike lately (and spring is quickly approaching), I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to look back at one of our most memorable trips: our first major outing with the rooftop tent in the spring of 2023. We explored many amazing destinations over our two-week road trip. While we had many memorable camping trips before, the addition of the rooftop tent marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our outdoor adventures.

Pieces of Our Adventure

I’ll be breaking the trip up into various posts, grouping a few days in each one. During the trip, I took daily notes—some just for myself and others in preparation for our blog, which at the time was only an idea. I won’t be detailing every single day—just the parts I want to share. Now, almost two years later, I’m revisiting these incredible memories on our blog—something I’m thrilled has finally become a reality! I hope you enjoy these stories from our trip. 😊

Note: For this series, I’m switching things up a bit from our usual blog posts. As readers of Half an Hour Away know, we typically highlight how far certain destinations are from Denver, providing those distance and time insights up front. However, since this trip was more about the journey than a single destination, the format will look a little different. I hope you enjoy this new approach!

Trip Diary Begins:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

We left Denver in the evening. Packing seemed to take forever, but that’s how travel goes, at least in my experience. We eventually stopped somewhere in Utah to camp.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

We woke up and set off, driving through some cool scenery. Utah has that red rock/desert vibe, which is really pretty to drive through. We found a spot near a lake to cook breakfast, driving by Capitol Reef on the way. Jon made us fried eggs and sausage on the portable grill. Three cute dogs ran over to us to say hello, then ran off again back to their owners. It was a blissful way to start the day. Oh, life on the road truly is something special.

From there, we drove to a spot where Jon could go mountain biking and I could hike. I hiked about 3 miles, and Jon biked 8. Afterward, we made our way to our next stop—Vegas. As part of the route, we decided to visit Taco Bell Cantina. In fact, it was the only reason we went through Vegas. Of course, Vegas being Vegas, the traffic was awful. Once we finally found somewhere to park, we walked to Taco Bell. We both ordered Baja Blasts with double shots of Patron in big swirly cups. Unsurprisingly, it was a lot more expensive than your average Taco Bell trip. But was it worth it? Absolutely.

After walking around for a bit, we continued our journey. We eventually arrived in Mammoth Lakes, California. After our first attempt to find a camping spot didn’t pan out, we finally found the perfect place. We watched Better Call Saul at the folding table under the stars before getting too tired and calling it a night. We got in the tent and went to sleep.

Note on Solo Hiking:

I enjoy hiking alone, but it’s crucial to be cautious and prepared, especially as a woman. While some may caution against it, embracing these experiences helps me maintain my independence and enjoy the outdoors without limitation. If you choose to hike alone, make sure to carry pepper spray and/or bear spray, stay alert, and practice situational awareness.

A piece of scenery from our Utah hike/bike ride. It's very desert-like and you can see red dirt and trees.

Vegas from the car window. The Eiffel Tower replica is visible, among other buildings.