Window Coverings

One of my favorite renovations to my van is the addition of window coverings.  I just cut large pieces of cardboard to size (or close enough) and spray painted the outsides black.

I taped and cut newspaper to the inside of my windows and then traced it into the cardboard.  It is not perfect at all.  If I were to park somewhere dark and have any sort of light on inside, you would easily be able to spot me from light coming out cracks all around the edge of every window.      Spending the nights in parking lots is okay though because there are so many lights that reflect on the windows, you'd never be able to tell some are coming from inside.  My windows were already pretty tinted, the cardboard is mostly to deter those that walk up and cup their hands around their face and press their nose to the window.  I don't know how I'd handle it if I woke up and saw someone doing that.  

Also, I have to wake up at 4 or 4:30am for my job, so at 8 or 8:30pm it is still really bright outside, and the cardboard does a great job at keeping it dark inside.

I also started to decorate the insides of the cardboard, and decided to just leave them up all the time.  I have a poster taped to one and a map of the park to another.  I plan to make them better/prettier.  And even eventually make ones that fit perfectly (maybe...)

Road Trip

I originally planned to spend a week or so driving and sight seeing from Ohio to Wyoming.  However, I was enjoying time with my friends and family in Ohio and decided to drive straight through.

I left Ohio on Thursday at 2pm and stopped in Iowa and spent the night at the worlds largest truck stop in the parking lot.  I drove to Kearney, NE on Friday and stayed in a Holiday Inn parking lot. On to Rock Springs, WY on Saturday in celebration of my birthday.  I stayed in a Flying J lot that night. I drove the last three hours on Sunday, arriving in Teton Village, WY by 11am Sunday.

So leaving 2pm the first day and arriving before 11am the last day makes it 3 days of driving Thursday to Sunday.

I spent my first few nights in Wyoming at The Hostel in Teton Village because I started my new job Monday, the day after arriving, and I wanted to shower for work.  I stayed there Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  I showered at the rec center and spent the night in a parking lot in Jackson on Thursday and on Friday I finally was able to move into my new home camp site in Moran, WY, where I'll be living for probably 4 months, and then looking for another place to live the last two months of my contract (September and October) because my campground shuts down in the beginning of September.

 

We'll worry about that closer to August.



First night campsite



Second night campsite

Love the 75mph speedlimit!

My bike hanging on in my rearview mirror