Link Love

Summer is just around the corner, and what’s one of the best ways to have fun in the summer? The fair! Everyone loves a good state fair, and lucky for you I found a list of Every State Fair in 2014. This is by no means a complete list since it leaves out county, town, agricultural, and all those other kind of fairs – but it’s a start.

Another way to enjoy summer? Swimming! Here are 6 swimming holes sure to cool down the sizzling summer temperatures. Sadly, we don’t have plans to be near any of these awesome looking swimming holes this summer, but there’s always next year!

And then there’s biking. You could go urban and bike around the Top 10 Cycling Cities in the US. Or you could choose a more natural setting with one of the Top 10 Mountain Bike Trails.

We like to say that we will RV forever, but the truth is that at some point chances are good that we’ll settle down for at least part of the year in a more traditional house. When that day does come, we love the idea of a really small house. Something like this beautiful Escape Cabin would be perfect.

Or we could go even less traditional and build a house made from shipping containers.

Back in our pre-Airstream days we did a lot of car camping. For those of you unfamiliar with this term it basically means packing you car with as much stuff as possible and heading off to the woods for a weekend filled with fun, food, and just a bit of drinking. Food was always a huge part of car camping, and back then we only had a basic two burner Coleman stove, but if I ever went back to car camping (unlikely), I would totally get this Camping Stove with Oven. How cool would it be to fire up this stove and make a batch of cookies while sleeping under the stars?

Last spring we spent six weeks in Utah. This spring I am living vicariously through several bloggers who are busy hiking and exploring all that Utah has to offer. I’ve especially been enjoying the posts from Lisa & Hans of the blog Metamorphosis Road. A recent post about several hikes they took through some incredible slot canyons was really fun to read and has convinced me that we have to get back to Utah someday. While you’re on their site be sure to check out the rest of the posts on Utah. Amazing!

Do you always walk with purpose? Do you only walk to get from point A to point B. Do you talk on the phone or listen to music while you walk? If so then you are contributing to The Slow Death of Purposeless Walking. There’s something to be said about walking just for the sake of walking.

Those of you who regularly read this blog know that we like to boondock. My definition of boondocking is finding a spot to camp away from an established campground (camping without hook-ups in a campground is called dry camping – NOT boondocking). There’s a lot to learn about boondocking, and we’ve talked several times about writing a how to type post about what we’ve learned. Tim even started one about a year ago that I was going to finish – but then I got lazy. I might finish it someday, but the fact is that there are already many, many great blog posts about boondocking. My new favorite that I recently came across is by Emily of the blog A Road Less Traveled. Tons of good info in here for anyone who wants to learn the ins and outs of successful boondocking.

I’ve probably mentioned a few times that for me food and travel go hand and hand. Which means I’m always drawn to lists like this one of the 20 Best American Cities for Foodies.

While we’re on the subject of food, a few nights ago I made these tasty little Crispy Cauliflower-Carrot Fritters. Tim thought they were just okay, but I loved them – even though there was a lot of chopping involved.

I have a fascination with maps, and this compilation of the 13 Best Maps of 2013 has some really cool ones. One of my favorites is the Six Decades of the Most Popular Names for Girls, By State map. Apparently there were LOTS of Lisas born in the 60’s, and Jennifers in the 70s. I also like the map that shows what each country leads in the world. Russia? Nuclear Warheads & Raspberries. The United States? Nobel Laureates and Getting Killed by Lawnmowers. Makes me glad I no longer have a lawn.

Finally, a test that will either make you feel like a failure or a success at life. How Many Life Skills Do You Have?  I got a 77 out of 100 by answering honestly and not just checking the things I might be able to do. Full disclosure- I can’t throw a football or a punch, nor do I understand the terms of my health insurance policy (I mean who does)? However, I can drive a stick shift, do basic math in my head, and cook eggs at least three different ways.