Winter roadtrip in the Alps.....Dolomites, Matterhorn, Venice, Como and more

A winter trip to the alps thanks to scottscheapflights.com.

The places we were able to see and explore were breathtaking. One thing we noticed in planning for our trip is that most of these destinations are much more popular in the summer. There was very little info on winter options. We couldn’t find many blogs or vlogs for winter, we didn’t really know what was open and what wasn’t in winter. There’s tons of info out there for the Dolomites and other areas but not for winter. Well…..winter in the Alps is AMAZING. It may not be as accessible, it may be a little harder to get around but it was totally worth it. 100% recommend it.

Uganda

On November 5th of 2019, five of us from our home church (Parker Memorial Baptist Church - DeArmanville) in Oxford Alabama headed towards the Atlanta airport with northern Uganda as our destination. Four Corners Ministries out of Opelika Alabama has an amazing ministry just beyond Gulu called Abaanas Hope. Evan has been able to travel with the organization for several years and this time a group of us were fortunate to go as well. We flew and swapped planes and flew some more.

travel, missions, filmmakerMeagan LanierDecember 28, 2021missions, uganda, travel, travel photography, travel famliy, africaComment

An arch, some BBQ and a couple of dead presidents homes.... Our time in St. Louis and back home.

Tuesday morning we got up and out and headed straight for our reservations to go to the Gateway Arch National Park. The Arch itself is free (and just became a National Park last year) but it costs to go to the top. While we didn’t go to the top of the Space Needle, we wanted the experience of the Arch. It’s a lot like an airport when you walk in with security checks and electronics which fascinated the kids. After being cleared we headed underground to the museum and information area. The exhibits were so well done and fun for all ages, it was easy to tell how new it all was. When it was our reserved time we lined up to be taken to the top of the arch.

36 hours in Theodore Roosevelt National Park & Fort Union Trading Post National Monument

Back in the states from an amazing 9 days in Canada we quickly drove into North Dakota and hit up Ft. Union Trading post and then on to our campsite in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Mt. Rainier National Park and the Emerald City

Tuesday we made the short drive towards Mount Rainier National Park and quickly arrived at Mounthaven RV Resort less than a mile from the entrance. And man, what a Haven it was. The park is small with only a few RV spots and some small cabins for rent. The bathrooms are nice and the trees are huge so the entire campground is shaded and cozy. It feels like a slice out of the national park but for your own personal pleasure. With our convenient location we were able to go in and out of the park with ease. On Wednesday morning we got up early and headed in so we could make it to the Paradise Visitors Center

Our trail through Oregon

When you first drive into Oregon it’s the opposite of what you expect if you’re coming in from the east. There is a lot of desert-ish area. But the more you drive into the state the more gorgeous and picturesque it becomes. We quickly forgot about our view however as the sun went down on Sunday and we hit up the local Walmart for our nights stay. But after 14 hours on the road we really didn’t care where we slept. Ahh, the good old days, right?

Craters of the Moon

We had NO IDEA that Craters of the Moon National Monument even existed until we started to plan our trip. We looked on the map to see what National Park sights would be along our way and discovered it. We didn’t have much expectation about it but we loved it so much.

Nebraska. Honestly, it's not for everyone.

Oh Nebraska, you are… well, you are full of corn and flatness is what you are. We hit the road into Nebraska Wednesday morning and drove. And drove. And drove some more. We saw corn. And more corn. And even more corn.

It starts......the 2019 Summer Roadtrip

Well ladies and gentleman we are back on the road and gone for almost two months this time. We have been looking forward to this trip since we finished up our last long trip last spring and realize we are beyond fortunate (and insane) to be able to do something like this. Its’ been a total of 72 hours on the road so far and we haven’t turned back yet.

Amsterdam

After traveling through the Amsterdam Airport 7 times and never having left the actual airport, when I found out I was going back to Uganda with Four corners Ministries in June I arranged a layover for a couple of nights to get out and see the city. It’s a really old place and it looks very different from mother other major cities I’ve been to.

travelevan lanierJuly 15, 2019travel, travel photography, europe, amsterdam, klm, historic amsterdamComment

Red River Gorge - Kentucky

April is wonderful time to take a trip to Kentucky…especially when it coincides with a job and a birthday celebration.

Alaska

Winter in Alaska was something I had been looking forward to for quite some time (15 or so years actually). After having the opportunity to go in the summer a few times, I always knew I would be back for winter…I just hate that it took so long. When my good friends Justin and Amy announced the were moving to Anchorage last year I was pumped knowing that adventure was coming.

filmmaker, travelevan lanierJuly 15, 2019travel, travel photography, travel filmmaker, alaska, photography, adventureComment

Livin' in a land Down Under

One of things I love about what I do for a living is traveling to new places. The way that I pack my gear is in a way that I can grab it and go whenever an opportunity arises. Sometimes that’s just going out to check out a waterfall a few mins from home and sometimes that’s getting the call to travel literally to the other side of the world.

travelevan lanierMarch 9, 2019travel, travel photography, australia, travel filmmaker, filmmaker, photographyComment

Roadtrip Fall 2018 - Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, D.C.

The day after we returned from Hawaii we loaded up the kids and the camper and we hit the road for another extended road trip. This trip wasn’t near as many miles as our California trip in the spring but it was a still a few great weeks of National Parks and new experiences.

Hawaii - Oahu

Aloha! I can’t believe we actually got to say that to people in a setting where it was expected! On September 11th I departed Alabama and Evan departed Canada. A few hours later we met in Denver and got on our flight headed to Hawaii. What was this life? Who were we? What would we do together without kids for 10 days? It didn’t take us long to settle in and start to enjoy the ride.

travelMeagan LanierJanuary 19, 2019travel, travel photography, hawaii, oahu, north shoreComment

Glacier and Banff

September was a crazy month and it all started as I (Evan) left home and flew to Kalispell. After a late arrival I picked up my car and like any good traveler, slept in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The next morning I headed towards Banff.

The Home Stretch

KCMO was a a full 14 hours of fun. We were treated to some great BBQ and then went for custard because, duh. We had a few hours of solid family time with some of the Lanier cousins and then slept like bricks. We were back on the road to Arkansas the next morning to start the home stretch of our trip.

Fran San Disco

It’s been 2 weeks since we left home and now we are leaving our most western point. Every destination from here on for the next 2 weeks and 4 days will slowly return us back to Alabama.

Meagan LanierApril 10, 2018airstream, vintage airstream, travel photography, travel, road trip, family tripComment

Amarillo by...midday??

Yesterday was a driving day. We waited on the storms to clear for a bit in the morning and then started making our way up through Texas. On our way out of Waco we indulged in kolaches (that spelling is probably WAY off) which is a fancy name for a big ‘ol pig-in-a blanket and are oh so divine.