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June 21, 2022 by Terran 9 Comments

Setting off on The Great American Road Trip

Growing up, I was never one for road trips. A four-hour drive for our annual family vacation felt like absolute torture. Then again, what kid does love road trips?

Many years later, my husband, Greg, suggested we accompany his grandparents on a road trip to Yosemite with their Model A (we trailered it up from San Diego). I had just left my corporate job the week before and a mental break was most certainly in order before I dove head first into growing Westway. The trip was absolutely incredible — we saw beautiful new places, spent quality time with each other and our family, had meaningful conversations, and created memories we’ll never forget.

And so began our love of road trips.

Yep! That’s us in Yosemite all the way back in 2007!

For years, our family vacations happened within a two-day’s drive from San Diego so our pup, Roxy, could come, too. Yellowstone became our favorite place but at 20 hours, it was not an easy journey. It was one hundred million percent worth it, though. We have memories of seeing incredible wildlife and scenery along with the feel-good memories, like cooking soup and sandwich lunches on picnic tables beside rivers with our single-burner camp stove. One of my favorite memories is when Roxy — safe inside the car — growled at the alpha female wolf of the Lamar Canyon pack while I was outside taking photos from a safe distance with a very long lens (we told her that wasn’t a great idea but thanked her for always protecting her mama). Here’s a video of me photographing the wolf (Roxy’s growl not heard):

As our love of road trips and wild places grew, a spark was ignited. Greg began watching YouTube channels of people who traveled the country in their RVs. He quickly got me hooked on them, too. Gone with the Wynns, Expedition Overland, Keep Your Daydream, Chris and G, and Nomadic Fanatic became our weekly must-watch shows (many still are). We started dreaming the big “what if…” dream.

That dream always seemed a million years away, though. 


Fast forward to March 2020. The world stopped. My businesses lost the ability to produce income when non-essential businesses were told to close. We were grateful for Greg’s job and that he could easily work from home.

In our spare time, we found that we continued to gravitate toward the YouTube channels with people who traveled in their RVs and our big dream became all-encompassing. We talked about the places we would go, the things we would see, the people we would visit, and the quality time we would have with my family (whom I hadn’t seen in over two years).

And then, we made a life-altering decision: we purchased our dream Airstream travel trailer. We had this overwhelming sense that life was simply too short and too precious to waste dreaming. It was time to take action and live a life of adventure and exploration with days that aren’t spent doing the same thing over and over again.


Adventure awaits

In May 2022, Greg, Roxy, and I got the call: our Airstream was ready to be picked up. We wrapped things up in San Diego, said goodbye to friends and family, and loaded up the truck with the bare necessities. We took off on a week-long drive across the country to Tampa, FL, where we would see our new home-on-wheels for the very first time and begin our six-month journey.

Our Airstream had taken nine months in production and we had never actually seen one exactly like her in person due to the shortages in travel trailers. Talk about a leap of faith making that purchase! Thankfully, she is everything we had imagined and more.


You all knew I’d be towing this beast didn’t you?

So, what’s our plan now? Good question.

Everyone asks “when will you be in _______?” The answer, I believe, is often rather frustrating to them. I simply don’t know. We know we’ll be heading up the east coast to New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine but we’re keeping things super flexible so if we want to stay somewhere a little longer, we can. Or, if we want to take a detour and visit a special place, we can do that, too. We’ve actually already done both and we’re only a few weeks in! It’s an entirely new way to think about life and travel and we’re very, very excited for it.


So now, as I sit here cozily alongside this gorgeous Virginia creek, under the cottonwood trees, watching their seed fluffs float down like summertime snow in the warm breeze, I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. This life may not be for everyone but right now, adventure and exploration mean more to me than the creature comforts of a solid-standing structure.

The definition of home has changed: it’s wherever Greg, Roxy, and I decide to park it.


Photographing on a beach in Florida

Don’t be confused, though: we’re not on a six-month vacation. We are absolutely here to see and experience new places but Westway is at the heart of it all. Photographing dogs is our passion and we wouldn’t dream of stopping!

We have three incredible trip sponsors who are helping make all of this possible: Wellness Pet Company, dooloop, and P.L.A.Y. Pet Lifestyle and You. We will be creating new content for them every month by doing photo shoots all around the country. Pretty amazing, right? We’ve already done a few beachy Florida shoots and I can’t wait to see the images out in the world!

We’re available for commercial photo shoots anywhere along our route (or even places not on our route).

We’ll also be doing private mentoring for aspiring pet photographers and pet photographers who want to take their businesses to the next level.

And don’t write off private family pet photo shoots! We’d love to work with people who want to capture special memories of their pups all around the country, too!


Nestled in below old growth pecan trees in the deep south

If you want to follow along with our Great American Road Trip, I will be posting lots of photos and stories on the Westway Studio Instagram & Facebook along with monthly blog posts right here on my website. If you want to receive our monthly email newsletter so you never miss a blog post, sign up right here:

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We couldn’t resist stopping into this adorable shop!

P.S. If you are on our basic route (NY, VT, NH, MA, ME > San Diego) and are interested in a portrait session, commercial project, private mentoring, or are interested in modeling for one of our monthly commercial shoots, reach out!

If you’re in San Diego and would like to get on my late 2022/early 2023 waiting list, reach out, too!


Please leave a comment below! I’d love to know if you recommend any don’t-miss spots or even if you’re just excited to follow along on our big adventure! It’s nice to know when people are enjoying what I’m putting out there! :)
 

Filed Under: field notes, great american road trip, travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Holly says

    June 22, 2022 at 11:16 am

    Safe travels and tons of fun and of course beautiful photos!!! We added a new furbaby to our family last week, would love to share a pic with you! She was born the day after we lost our Malimali… she has big shoes to fill, but Capt. Jax is helping her along the way!!! Have a blast!!!

    Reply
  2. Leslee Potter says

    June 22, 2022 at 12:35 pm

    Looks amazing!!!

    Reply
  3. Betsy says

    June 22, 2022 at 12:35 pm

    Wonderful to hear about the process and your progress! Looking forward to seeing more of your travels. Love to all.

    Reply
  4. Andrea says

    June 22, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    It’s wonderful to read about your dream coming true! Enjoy each and every moment!

    Reply
  5. Keeley Kenefick says

    June 22, 2022 at 2:24 pm

    So amazing, have the best time and experiences and I look forward to seeing and reading all about them.

    Reply
  6. Johna says

    June 22, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    Looks like so much fun! We hope to do that soon in our travel trailer. I am excited to read about all your adventures. Be safe.

    Reply
  7. Maria Diehl says

    June 23, 2022 at 11:58 am

    You are so fortunate to have each other (and of course Roxy) and travel and live the American dream. I live for every post and am traveling vicariously along with you on this adventure. May you be safe and healthy as you roll along America’s beautiful highway.

    Reply
  8. kelly lewis says

    June 23, 2022 at 5:12 pm

    What a wonderful adventure, Terran, Greg and Roxy! I look forward to hearing more stories. :)

    Reply
  9. Lisa Giesselman says

    June 29, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    So awesome Terran! That’s definitely a dream of ours one day too!! Wish you were coming to Colorado…have so much fun :-)

    Reply

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Home » Setting off on The Great American Road Trip

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

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Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
(858) 848-9378
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I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Well, I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Well, maybe don't close them because then you'll stop reading. So, let's just *imagine.* OK, here we go... Imagine you're at the beach with your four-legged best friend just as the sun is coming up over the horizon. A warm summer breeze carries the scent of the salty ocean through the air, the sand is soft between your toes, and things couldn't be more perfect. And then your dog poops. 💩 I mean, that's always a good thing but when you're in this moment, a beach stroll with a bag of poo in your hands isn't exactly the dream. Thankfully, the dooloop exists so you can keep your hands free and keep the moment perfect. ​​​​​​​​
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I've been a fan of @dooloopdogs for years now and am so thrilled to have them as one of our trip sponsors! If you don't have one, you seriously need one. Seriously!
Want to know more about how we are traveling, wher Want to know more about how we are traveling, where we're going, or what it's like living in a small space with your significant other and pup? Where do we stay? Do we have hot showers? What are some of our best memories so far? If you're curious, ask below and your question may be featured in an upcoming post!
SWOOOOON! This gorgeous Florida evening with Jaspe SWOOOOON! This gorgeous Florida evening with Jasper and his mom was absolute magic!!! The sunlight sparkled over the grassy sand dunes alongside the warm Atlantic Ocean as it slowly sunk down into the western sky. Jasper was happy as a little clam as he was rewarded with treats, snuggles, and playtime for being the goodest boy!​​​​​​​​
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A big, huge thank you to @wellnesspetfood for joining us as a trip sponsor of our Great American Road Trip!
Welcome to the wild, wild Westway family, Sibbie!​​​​​​​​
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Named for the American Revolutionary War heroine, Sybil Ludington, we felt like the Airstream who was going to take us on our Great American Road Trip needed to have a very American name. Sybil Ludington and her horse, Star (can you guess the truck's name?), completed a midnight ride farther than Paul Revere's to announce to her father's fellow militia men that the British were coming. She was even thanked by George Washington!​​​​​​​​
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Sibbie is a 30-foot Airstream. She has a full size sofa, dinette with two bench seats, a surprisingly large shower and bathroom, and a great kitchen with a propane stove, oven, and three-in-one microwave + oven + air fryer. She also has an insane number of windows and skylights that make the entire space feel light and bright! 😍 Greg, Roxy, and I fit very well and feel like it's just the right amount of space for the three of us!​​​​​​​​
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Who else out there has an Airstream? Do you love yours? We certainly love ours!​​​​​​​​
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St. Augustine, FL​​​​​​​​
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@airstream_inc #westwaypets #westwaystudio #roadtrip #greatamericanroadtrip #wildwildwestway #airstream #airstreamadventure #airstreamliving #airstreamlife #airstreamlifestyle #nomadphotographer #travelphotographer #travelingdogphotographer
A big, huge, monstrous THANK YOU to my very first A big, huge, monstrous THANK YOU to my very first models of our trip: Julie, Louie, Bella, and Brooklyn! These four totally rocked their photo shoot for our three trip sponsors: @wellnesspetfood, @dooloopdogs, and @petplaysf! ​​​​​​
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Julie and Louie are both incredible photographers so it was extra fun to work with them! I know them from San Diego but when I found out they were in Fort Myers — just 2.5 short hours south of where we were picking up the Airstream — I knew we had to go see them and do a photo shoot!​​​​​​​​
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Isabella and Brooklyn are two of the cutest dogs you'll ever meet. I was warned that Brooklyn would take a minute to warm up, which she did, but once she realized we were there to shower her with attention, we became BFFs.​​​​​​​​
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Thank you, again, Julie & Louie! You guys rock and we had a blast with you!
We are nearly one month in to our big adventure! I We are nearly one month in to our big adventure! It's hard to even believe it! We have seen new places, visited old friends, and photographed a bunch of puppers already! ​​​​​​​​
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The journey began in San Diego, CA and took us to Tampa, FL for about a week. We headed down to Fort Myers and then up to St. Augustine before leaving the sunshine state. After that, we spent a night on a beautiful pecan farm just outside Savannah, GA before making our way to Charleston, Wilmington, and Charlotte (where we spent a few glorious hours floating in Lake Norman). Today, we are headed to a friend's place just outside Asheville!​​​​​​​​
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I promise to introduce you to our new Airstream in some upcoming posts. I will just say here that she is beautiful and everything we hoped she would be!​​​​​​​​
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We'll be in the northeast in a few short weeks & I absolutely can't wait!!!
Nothing says Airstream + Florida quite as much as Nothing says Airstream + Florida quite as much as a pink flamingo... so it's only fitting that we photograph the @petplaysf pink flamingo float toy as we kick off our big six-month road trip adventure in the Sunshine State! Am I right or am I right???​​​​​​​​
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We couldn't be more thrilled that P.L.A.Y. has decided to join us on our journey as a trip sponsor. We are going to have soooo much fun playing with and photographing their amazing products all around the US this year! Thank you, P.L.A.Y.!​​​​​​​​
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Who else's dogs love P.L.A.Y. toys??? 🙋‍♀️
Do you ever find a product that makes you question Do you ever find a product that makes you question how you ever lived without it? For me, that was @dooloopdogs! It's a brilliantly simple leash accessory that holds your pooch's poo bag so you don't have to. We've been using them for years and they're truly something special!​​​​​​​​
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When we began to plan our big road trip, I knew I'd be taking a few dooloops along with me (different leashes call for different dooloops, duh!) and I dreamed of having the company come along as an official trip sponsor. Well, it happened!!! We'll be sharing the dooloop love all around the US, photographing dogs with dooloops, and showing others how a simple tool can improve their daily walks with their pups! Thank you, dooloop! We're so excited to have you along for the journey!
I have some incredibly special clients, let me tel I have some incredibly special clients, let me tell you. They're clients I love working with and who consistently put their trust in me to create photos for their advertising & marketing campaigns around the globe. When I told Wellness Pet about our big adventure, the response was swift and definitive: "count us in!" I'm so, so, so thrilled to have them as a trip sponsor for our journey and to create images for them all along the way. We have used their products for years — Sojos, WHIMZEES, and their WellBites treats — so this partnership couldn't feel more perfect and authentic! Thank you, Wellness!
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