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Sampling America – Stories From The Road | Travel Tips & Gear
  • Stories
  • Travel Tips
  • Menu Item Seperator
  • Travel Gear
  • National Parks

Jake Cain

Jake Cain is an entrepreneur and writer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He spends his free time driving around the country in his late 90’s conversion van, affectionately known as the “Monster Van” with his wife and 3 boys.

Reno & Virginia City

May 6, 2020June 27, 2019 by Jake Cain
Virginia City NV

When we left Yellowstone, we made an overnight stop in Idaho Falls before we headed REALLY west. On the way, we had dinner at Frostop in Ashton, Idaho. I’d planned this stop ahead of time (of course) but the cool root beer mug sign makes it feel like an obvious, americana road trip stop. Weirdly, … Read more

Categories Road Trip Stories7 Comments

Yellowstone: Sampling The Classics

January 18, 2020June 16, 2019 by Jake Cain
Yellowstone sign

After we left the Grand Tetons, we headed up to Yellowstone. The south entrance is only about an one and a half hour drive, so we were able to see quite a bit on our first day. Here’s some of the highlights from our 2 days in the original national park, including the moment I … Read more

Categories Road Trip Stories4 Comments

Jackson Hole & The Grand Tetons

April 6, 2020June 14, 2019 by Jake Cain
Monster Van Tetons

We had the great pleasure of going to Jackson, WY on our last cross-country trip and we absolutely loved it. The town is fun and the Tetons are truly breathtaking. Here’s a look at the couple of days we spent in the Jackson Hole area. Casper, Wyoming Stop Over In case you’re planning a similar … Read more

Categories Road Trip Stories6 Comments

South Dakota: Wall Drug, Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Disappointment

June 24, 2020June 14, 2019 by Jake Cain
Mt. Rushmore

The signs for Wall Drug seemed to start showing up once we passed Indianapolis on our way to South Dakota. The biggest draw? Free water and 5 cent coffee. I’m not a coffee snob, but I have started taking my coffee a little more seriously over the last year or two. So my expectations were … Read more

Categories Road Trip Stories5 Comments

We’re Off! 2 Days On The Road

June 24, 2020June 11, 2019 by Jake Cain
Van At Badlands

We’re 2 days into our trip and so far things are off to a great start. Frankly, the first 18 hours or so from Ohio to South Dakota are a pretty boring drive. I find myself looking around as I drive and saying “where is everybody?!” It seems like 90% of the time there are … Read more

Categories Road Trip Stories3 Comments

“How Do You Plan A Road Trip Like That?”

June 18, 2020June 8, 2019 by Jake Cain
Disneyland

One of the most common questions I get from friends and family about our longer road trips is: “How do you plan a trip like that?” In the majority of the aspects my life, I am not a planner. However, when we’re going out of town – I like to plan that out. There’s nothing … Read more

Categories Travel TipsTags featured2 Comments

The Making Of The Monster Van

June 7, 2019June 7, 2019 by Jake Cain
Jake Driving The Monster Van

When we took our first once in a lifetime road trip, I made the decision to rent a van. We own a perfectly capable Honda Odyssey, but after googling the hound out of “rent vs. drive your own car” and using all the depreciation calculators, it looked like the numbers favored renting. As it turned … Read more

Categories Road Trip StoriesTags featured2 Comments

A Twice In A Lifetime Trip: How We Got Here

June 18, 2020June 7, 2019 by Jake Cain
Cain Family Rocky Mountains

A couple of years ago, we were fortunate to take a month-long, cross-country road trip with our family of 5. At the time, I was working remotely for Spencer Haws and he agreed to let me take an unpaid leave of absence to make the trip happen. I jumped right into planning mode and starting … Read more

Categories Road Trip StoriesTags featured18 Comments
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