The Scenic Detour

How do we stay powered in our van after 5 years of constant travel?

Renogy 200W Solar Panel Review | The Solar Panels That Have Powered Our Van for 5 Years of Full Time Travel — The Scenic Detour For the past five years, three Renogy 200W solar panels have quietly powered nearly e very aspect of our life on the road. While people often focus on the fun parts of vanlife like mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, and road trips, the reality is that none of those adventures would be nearly

Coler Mountain Bike Preserve is one of those places that makes you immediately start planning your next trip back. 🚵🌲

Flowy single track through the trees, hidden features around every corner, and enough trail options to keep you smiling (or questioning your cardio choices) all day long. 😂 Whether you’re there to pedal hard, cruise mellow trails, or just hang out in the woods with friends and a post ride coffee, this place absolutely delivers.

What makes Coler even better is how vanlife and camping friendly the area feels. Ride straight from camp, spend the day weaving through the forest, then kick back under the trees listening to freehubs click and people retell the same crash story 14 different ways. Classic mountain bike culture.

We put together a full guide covering camping, riding, trail vibes, and everything you need to know before heading to Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. 🌄🚐

📍Read the full guide here:

Camping at Coler Mountain Bike Preserve — The Scenic Detour If you are looking for one of the best mountain biking destinations in the United States that is also incredibly vanlife friendly, Bentonville Arkansas should be at the top of yo

The Outer Banks somehow feels like a completely different world. 🌊✨

One minute you’re driving onto a ferry with zero plans, the next you’re climbing historic lighthouses, eating way too much seafood, and watching the sunset from an empty stretch of beach wondering why you don’t do this more often. 😂

What we loved most about OBX was how every island had its own vibe. Quiet beach towns, wild dunes, endless coastline, old fishing villages, and roads that practically beg for a slow road trip with the windows down.

We spent two days hopping ferries, exploring coastal towns, chasing sunsets, and fully embracing the salty chaos of life by the ocean — and honestly, it still didn’t feel like enough time.

If you’re planning an East Coast road trip, this place deserves a spot on your list. We put together a full guide covering our favorite stops, ferry routes, lighthouses, beaches, and vanlife-friendly coastal vibes along the way. 🚐🌅

📍Read the full guide here:

Two Days on the Outer Banks: Ferries, Lighthouses & Coastal Vibes — The Scenic Detour If you're road-tripping up the East Coast, the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina is a no-brainer. This stretch of barrier islands is packed with wild history, stunning beaches, and enough lighthouses to make your camera roll dizzy.

If your summer plans involve rivers, paddle boards, camping trips, or basically spending every possible second near water… these sandals have seriously earned a permanent spot in our gear pile. 🌊☀️

We’ve worn Chaco Z Sandals through river trips, muddy campsites, paddle board sessions, boat ramps, and enough questionable lake entries to qualify for a documentary. 😂 And somehow they just keep surviving it all.

What we love most is that they actually stay put when things get slippery, dry surprisingly fast, and don’t immediately destroy your feet after a full day outside. Plus they somehow manage to look equally at home on a raft trip and grabbing tacos after. Elite versatility.

We just dropped a full review breaking down why these have become one of our favorite adventure sandals for van life, camping, rafting, and outdoor travel.

🌄 Read the full review here:
https://www.thescenicdetour.com/water-sports/chaco-z-sandals-review-the-best-sandals-for-paddle-boarding-rafting-camping-and-outdoor-adventures

Chaco Z Sandals Review | The Best Sandals for Paddle Boarding, Rafting, Camping, and Outdoor Adventures — The Scenic Detour Over the past decade, these sandals have been everywhere with me. Paddle boarding sessions on alpine lakes, rafting trips through desert canyons, campground mornings in the Rockies.