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Travel Matters | by Stephen & Andie
  • Planning

It’s Our 1-Year Vlogging Anniversary! And WE NEED YOUR HELP!

June 22, 2021
a man and woman stand in the glass cube on the 103rd floor of Chicago's Willis Tower, with a night view of the city lights below them. it's their 1-year vlogging anniversary

As we stood 103 floors above the city streets of Chicago, we realized our amazing Midwest road trip was coming to an end, as was the first year of our channel. Now we’re back home with the pups planning our next round of adventures, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! 

We are about to go out for nearly 2 months of straight travel. This trip will include road trips, car camping, OUR FIRST CRUISE!, and potentially our first vlog from a country other than the U.S. You can’t imagine how excited we are! Our first vlog went up on our channel exactly one year ago today, and we never imagined all the places it would take us and all the incredible things we would see and experience. And to think we’re just getting started is almost overwhelming. We are so grateful to be where we are, doing what we’re doing today. 

A quick recap: you’ve already seen us visit the Grand Canyon, camp for the first time ever (for Andie) in Joshua Tree, make stops along historic Route 66, fish for our own dinner (thank you, Stephen, for handling that one), stay in some pretty unique spots like a train car, get multiple doses of music history, and eat and street art our way through some amazing towns and cities. We’ve seen some pretty quirky and under-the-radar sights along the way. And we’re so excited to share the newest videos we have in the coming weeks! 

On our latest trip, we toured Hitsville, U.S.A. (Motown), went to the roller coaster capitol of the world where Stephen went upside-down in a coaster for the first time ever!, and we witnessed the birth of not one, but TWO, calves at a dairy farm in Indiana. We met the first of what we hope will be many new YouTube friends – hi Jenny and Kevin! And we got plenty of practice changing plans on the fly. It was a genuine adventure and a trip we won’t soon forget. Keep an eye on the channel for the videos, which start rolling out this Friday. 

And that brings us to the next trip and YOU! As we mentioned, we have a lot planned for this one. But plans are already changing. We had intended to go back to California, spending some time in Los Angeles before working our way up the coast with a visit to Yosemite. Can you believe we’ve never been??? However recent early-season heatwaves and the record-breaking drought has us concerned that fire season may thwart those plans. While we know travel will always require us to be flexible, we don’t want to put ourselves into a situation that we may not be able to work with. And in this case, we’ll have a set number of days to get ourselves up to Seattle, because we promised to dog-sit for my sister’s dogs, after which we’ll be BOARDING A CRUISE TO ALASKA! Shhhhhh… you’re among the first to know! So we don’t want to risk an extra-long re-route that could jeopardize our rendezvous with the ship.

That said, we are looking instead at taking a route right across the northernmost U.S. states to Washington. And we need your recommendations! What do we have to be sure not to miss in states like Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Idaho? Keep in mind that most National Parks are fully booked, and the crowding at these places is at an all-time high this summer, so while we may go briefly to Yellowstone, Badlands, Glacier, etc, we’re also looking for that off-the-beaten-path location and locals’ secret spots to check out in these states. If you’ve got any for us, leave them in the comments! WHERE SHOULD WE GO???

We also want to know where we should go if we manage to work an international leg into the trip. Right now we’re eyeing Portugal and Costa Rica – we found INSANELY cheap flights to both in late July/early August! And there are a couple of other countries in consideration, as well. We’ll be putting polls in our Instagram Stories for our friends to vote on in the next couple of weeks, so please be sure to watch for those and vote for the option you’d be most interesting in seeing. Hopefully we can make it happen!

Thank you so much for your help in planning our next adventures, and especially for your support this last AMAZING, life changing year! We couldn’t have done all of this without you, and we know that with every mile we travel. THANK YOU, and here’s to an exciting year 2!!!

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We'll send you all of the inside scoop: where we are, what we're working on, and our latest posts and vlogs!

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Our Latest Vlog:
Today we explore the Amazon jungle by night. Our flashlights reveal plenty of creepy crawlies, including unusual insects, cute frogs, a variety of spiders – including a bizarre one that looked like a robot, and Andie got her wish when we saw not one, but two tarantulas! Stephen was relieved to not run into any snakes, but later that night he was jolted awake by an an uninvited “guest” in our bed!

Only 2% of the #Amazon Jungle is in Ecuador, and part of that is in the #Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, which is where we visited during our Ecuador trip. It was our first visit to the world's largest rainforest, and we already can't wait to go back and see more!

This is the sixth video in our first-ever international series! Quito, Ecuador was the first international trip we took together back in 2011. Eleven years later, it’s where we filmed our first international series and first drone footage for our channel! 

We spent two weeks in Ecuador this time, including Quito, day-trips to Mindo and Cotopaxi National Park, the Amazon, and one of our top-3 bucket list destinations: the Galápagos Islands! 

If you’ve missed our previous Ecuador videos, you can catch up on the series here:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbuSS3LLcHKhYj7iiXC3xGbaeGl3sS0zf

A very special thank you to our travel agents, Angelica and Christian, @TerraSurTravels!  
https://terrasurtravels.com

VLOG no. 69

*Please note that all info is based on our own experience and we do our best to be accurate. However any details may (and often do) change at any time, and you may find differences in your own travels. Please research all schedules, fees, rules and regulations, and other details by contacting the responsible agencies directly prior to your own patronage. Thanks!

📍LOCATION: Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador, South America

✦ PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG: 

Cuyabeno Dolphin Lodge
https://www.cuyabenodolphinlodge.com/

**this video is not sponsored, nor have we received any product or in-kind consideration. We just like to provide the info and especially shout-out the small businesses we patronize.

PREVIOUS VIDEO ▶ The Amazon Rainforest | Travel Vlog | Ecuador Series, ep. 5
https://youtu.be/dU_CH0HwZHE

📷 OUR GEAR: https://tinyurl.com/ourvloggear

✔ TRAVEL ESSENTIALS: https://tinyurl.com/travelssentials

NOTE: Some of the links here may be affiliate links, which means when you buy something we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you, and it really helps to support us as creators, so thank you!

☕️ NEW! Sponsor one of our local coffee stops via our Buy Me A Coffee campaign, and we'll shout you out in a future vlog!
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________________________________

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:28 Lagoon Swimming
01:00 Caiman Search
01:38 Baby Snake
02:30 Claustrophobia
02:43 Night 2
03:58 Venus & Sunset
04:18 Nightwalk in the Jungle
04:54 Big Creepy Spider(s)!
04:29 Nocturnal Bird & Frogs
05:57 Tarantula!
06:27 Another Tarantula!
07:03 IT WAS IN OUR BED!

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ABOUT US:
Married in 2008, we love to #travel and explore whenever possible. Fast forward to 2020 and the global pandemic that left us "safer at home" and without jobs. In need of something to do, we quickly learned about videos and editing and started to #travelvlog! Some of the places we visit are old faves, most others are new discoveries, and we're excited to take you along with us as we share them all. Thank you for watching, and don't forget to subscribe! 

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©2022 Stephen & Andie | Travel Matters
THE JUNGLE at NIGHT | Ecuador Travel Vlog | Ecuador Series, ep. 6
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TRAVEL, FOOD, CULTURE, CLIMATE
Follow Our Mission to See ALL 50 STATES! 🇺🇸 🚐

Stephen & Andie | Travel Stuff
Oregon’s got #mood for days! Oregon is state no Oregon’s got #mood for days!

Oregon is state no. 22 in our mission to see ALL 50 STATES (plus DC & Puerto Rico)! Our first sleep and first morning of #vanlife was in Astoria, then we headed to Cannon Beach and were bowled over by the foggy views of majestic Haystack Rock. 

👉 LINK IN BIO 👈 to see more of the beautiful Oregon coast in our latest vlog, “First Night In Our Van!”

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#traveloregon #cannonbeach #oregoncoast #cannonbeachoregon #oregon #haystackrock #travelmatters #all50states #vanlife
We fell in love with Oregon! Swipe 👉 to see why We fell in love with Oregon! Swipe 👉 to see why!

After buying our Sprinter in Portland we headed for the Oregon coast to spend our first night in her in Astoria. The next day we explored town and also made our way to Cannon Beach. Both were nothing short of stunning! Our drives through the state just got more and more beautiful and we couldn’t stop thinking how grateful and excited we are to be new #vanlifers. 

This is going to be an amazing year!

📷 Our first coffee on our first morning after our first night sleeping in our campervan. 📍Astoria.

📷 Isn’t she lovely? 😍 That’s Haystack Rock behind Andie. You might recognize it from movies like Point Break and GOONIES! 📍Cannon Beach.

📷 Having too much fun watching a pile of giant sea lions sleeping peacefully. 📍Astoria

📷 Loving our lives! 📍 Cannon Beach

👉 Link in bio 👈 to see all of this and more in our latest vlog “First Night In Our Van!”

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#oregon #oregoncoast #astoria #cannonbeach #haystackrock #lewisandclarkrvpark #vanlife #sprintervan #sprintervanlife #all50states
Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally Hello #vanlife! 🚐 We’re so excited to finally share this news with you – we bought a camper van! *Join us at 12:15pm EST today (Monday)* for a live chat during the Premiere of our new vlog, where we spill the tea.

After months of behind the scenes planning and hunting, we settled on this beauty at the end of October: a 170” wheelbase, high top Sprinter, located in Portland, OR. In this video we fly to the Pacific Northwest to make the purchase and begin our two and a half week, cross-country journey from Portland back to North Carolina. But not before grabbing a rainy day lunch at one of Portland’s food cart havens – Cartlandia. Some hot grits from Grits Gone Wild warm us up to send us on our first outing in our new home on wheels.

We couldn’t be more excited, and this trip already kicks off our mission to see all 50 states (plus DC and Puerto Rico!). You’ll be seeing this cross-country trip, plus another month-long run in her over the holidays –  all in our upcoming vlogs!

Now — any guesses what we named her? 
Hint: any fans of the movie Role Models? 😜

PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG:

@gritsgonewildpnw 

#cartlandia

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#sprinter #sprintervan #sprinter2500 #campervan #vantravel  #vanlifers #roadtrip #roadtrippers #travelmatters #travelvloggers #UStravel #USAtravel #youtubers #DIY #Ace #kissmyvanthia #vanlifeusa
$150 train ticket from New York to… New York? $150 train ticket from New York to… New York? 

We REALLY loved our first time doing some train travel in the U.S. together! We rode the Hudson River Rail aboard the 20th Century Limited – the last two remaining, fully restored, 1940s train cars from what was “The Most Famous Train In the World” in its day. 

Our journey took us from Penn Station in Manhattan up to Albany and back. 

Sit back and enjoy the views! 👉 Link in bio 👈 to see the vlog!

📷 1: on the platform in Albany

📷 2: Penn Station, NYC

🎥 3: enjoying the VIP lounge at Penn Station pre-boarding

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#newyork #traintravel #hudsonriverrail #20thcenturylimited #1940s #vintagetrain #hudsonriver #travelmatters #travelvloggers #youtubers
California sunsets just hit different. 🌅 We we California sunsets just hit different. 🌅

We were Angelenos for literal decades and we still can’t believe how many iconic places in California we took for granted and never visited! Morro Bay is just one of them, and we’re SO STOKED that a recent cross-country road trip (big announcement on that front soon!) took us right past the area. Naturally, we looked at each other, said “Morro Bay?,” and turned the 🚐 around to head back just in time for a gorgeous sunset. 

Now we’re even more determined to hit all the spots that we took for granted and we’ll always find excuses to make our way back through Cali! Yosemite, Redwoods, Death Valley – we’re talking to you! 

What other spots do we need to hit? Shout ‘em out in the comments!

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#morrobay #sunset #centralcoast #SLO  #SanLuisObispo #california #southerncalifornia #daytrip #roadtrip #californialandmarks
We saw ALL THE MANATEES today! This was our second We saw ALL THE MANATEES today!
This was our second attempt at @bluespringstatepark within a couple weeks. We saw zero manatees the first time, and committed to returning after spending some time in Southern Florida. Turns out, we happened upon some manatees in the marina @evergladesnps, but the water was so murky we could only see parts of them… if they surfaced. 

Today was the day we got to return to Blue Spring. The weather was much cooler this time (great conditions for spotting manatees in the springs), and when we pulled up to the entrance, the sign read “MANATEE COUNT *288*” For context, there was no count on the sign for our previous visit, so… YAY! 

Can’t say exactly what OUR manatee count was, but we easily saw dozens in a short amount of time – from adorable little babies to giants! The water was crystal clear. It was so serene – watching them graciously glide through, only occasionally making a splash. Hearing that beautiful sound when they surfaced for air. Today was an AWESOME day, and we’re so thankful that we had the flexibility to come back and spend some quality time with these beautiful, unique creatures. 🥰

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#manatees #bluespringstatepark #centralflorida #orlando #florida #therealflorida #wildlife #statepark #bluespring #bluesprings #manateestatepark #bluespringmanatees #travelmatters #travelvloggers
Is this seat taken? Nothing says “classic New J Is this seat taken? 
Nothing says “classic New Jersey” like Asbury Park! We visited the boardwalk for the first time this summer as part of our DIY food tour of New Jersey. 

A killer coffee roastery? ✅
Cereal pancakes? ✅
Disco fries? ✅
$27 milkshake??? ✅

LINK IN BIO to see all that, plus a unique Jersey twist on “the slushee” in our latest vlog, now live on YouTube! 

This is state #20 in our mission to visit all 50 states (plus DC & Puerto Rico) - join our adventures! 

PLACES VISITED IN THIS VLOG:
@buddysjc
@roastd.coffee
@thetopsdiner
@coneywaffleasburypark

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#newjersey #asburypark #newjerseyfood #foodtour #jerseycity #fortlee #jerseyshore #travelvlog #travelmatters
As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid As you set your goals for 2023, don’t be afraid to be the orange fish. If an idea or dream scares you or feels too different, it’s probably the one you should go for!

We spotted these guys while snorkeling in the Galápagos Islands. See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#fish #schooloffish #galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #underwatervideo #snorkeling🐠 
#newyeargoals #lifegoals
We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See We saw so much cool wildlife in the Galapagos! See the full vlogs on our YouTube channel. LINK IN BIO!

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#galapagos #galapagosislands #ecuador #travelmatters #travelvloggers #wildlife #conservation #sealion #bluefootedbooby #tortoise #frigate #iguana #crab #fish
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