Outland Adventures

Hidden Parks & Quiet Escapes in Northeast Ohio   Not every stop needs a big-name destination. This one’s for the peaceful places—the tucked-away parks, the empty trails, the spots where it’s just you, the breeze, and maybe a few curious birds. If you’ve ever needed a break from the noise, this is your sign to go find it. Northeast Ohio is full of those “blink and you’ll miss it” green spaces. The kind that don’t show up on travel brochures or get crowded on weekends, but still manage to feel like exactly what you needed when you pull in. 🟢 Silver Creek Metro Park (Summit County) Just outside the usual traffic patterns, Silver Creek has that quiet, layered kind of calm. Pine groves, marsh boardwalks, and winding trails that make it easy to forget what time it is. It’s especially good for slow walks where you’re not trying to “do” anything—just exist outside for a while. 🌲 Oenslager Nature Center (Medina) Smaller than most Metro Parks, but that’s the charm. It’s one ...

  Historic Routes & Hidden Gems 🛣️ Old highways, forgotten towns, and hidden spots you’ll want to add to your bucket list. There’s something magical about getting off the interstate and onto the roads that time forgot. You know the ones—two-lane highways with peeling paint lines, faded roadside signs still clinging to stories from the 1950s, and small towns that feel like they’re half in the present and half in a memory you accidentally stepped into. At Outland Adventures , we live for that feeling. The kind you only get when you’re not in a rush… when the GPS says “faster route available” and you say, “no thanks, I want the weird one.” 🛤️ Old Highways That Still Tell Stories Before the big interstates cut straight lines across the country, America was stitched together by winding highways that followed rivers, hills, and whatever path the land allowed. Some of those routes are still alive if you know where to look. Sections of old Route 66 still glow with neon n...

  Waterfront Wonders Spring has officially started doing what it does best—dragging all of us straight toward the water like it has a magnetic pull. And honestly? We’re not fighting it. Medina Co. Ohio | River Styx Park This month on Outland Adventures , we’re diving into Waterfront Wonders 🌊—a little love letter to hidden lakes, winding rivers, and those quiet, almost-too-perfect spots you stumble across when you take the “wrong” turn on purpose. We’re talking about the places that don’t always show up on big travel maps. The ones where the water is so still it looks like glass in the morning, where the only soundtrack is wind through the trees and the occasional splash from something you didn’t see but definitely heard. Some spots are perfect for paddling—slow, easy kayak drifts where you’re more likely to daydream than race anywhere. Others are made for picnic blankets, thermoses of something warm, and sitting long enough to forget what time it is. And a few? Those are stric...

Hey, We’re Still Here! Hey friends, Yeah… we know it’s been a minute. Life, RV life , and spring adventures kind of swept us off our usual blogging schedule. We didn’t mean to ghost, but March got away from us, and our blogs went on a little unplanned hiatus. But we’re back, and ready to share what we’ve been up to! Spring has officially sprung, the roads are calling, and we’ve got a ton of quirky stops, small-town adventures, and roadside oddities to catch you up on. Think hidden murals , bizarre museums , and maybe even a diner or two that deserves its own photo essay. We’re planning new posts for every Tuesday and Thursday, so if you follow along, you’ll get the latest adventures without having to check our RV windows for smoke signals. We’re taking a slower, more story-driven approach this season—less “here’s what we did today,” more “here’s a place you need to see before it disappears off the map.” Thanks for sticking with us—even when we disappeared for a bit. The road ahead...

  The Great Roadside Snack Test Thursday, March 5 – Outland Adventures There are two types of road trip people: The ones who pack sensible snacks… And the ones who slam on the brakes when they see a neon sign shaped like a hotdog. You already know which ones we are. As full-time travelers, we pass hundreds of diners, snack shacks, gas station grills, and mysterious “World Famous” food stops. Some look questionable. Some look legendary. Some look like they haven’t changed since 1974—and that’s either a red flag or a glowing review. So we decided to put them to the test. Welcome to The Great Roadside Snack Test . 🧪 The Official (Very Scientific) Rating System Every stop gets judged on: ⭐ Flavor (obviously) 🧂 Seasoning confidence 🧼 Cleanliness vibes 💵 Price vs. portion 🚐 “Would we pull Wildebeest over again?” No mercy. No nostalgia bias. Just honest, road-weary tastebuds. 🍔 Stop #1: The Neon Burger Barn You know the place. Giant glowing cow on t...

  Hidden Gems of the Midwest Tuesday, March 3 – Outland Adventures When most people think about travel, they think beaches, mountains, or big cities with skylines that scrape the clouds. But some of our favorite places? They don’t make the brochures. They’re tucked between cornfields. Sitting quietly along two-lane highways. Blink-and-you-miss-it towns with one gas station, one diner, and one really weird statue no one can quite explain. The Midwest is full of hidden gems — and we live for finding them. The Towns You Almost Drive Past You know the kind. Population: 642. One flashing stoplight. A mural on the side of a brick building that hasn’t changed since 1978. And somehow? It ends up being the highlight of the week. These towns aren’t trying to impress anyone. They’re just… themselves. Local cafés where the pie is homemade. Antique stores packed floor to ceiling. A barber shop that still uses a striped pole out front. We’ve learned that if something makes us ...

  How We Find Interesting Stops Between Destinations Finding hidden gems is one of our favorite parts of traveling. Some of the best memories come from unplanned stops, quirky roadside attractions, or charming little towns we stumble upon. Over the years, we’ve developed a few tools, tricks, and habits that help us uncover local treasures between destinations—and we’re excited to share them with you! 1. Use Apps Beyond GPS While Google Maps is great for getting from point A to point B, we often dive deeper with apps like Roadtrippers , Atlas Obscura , and TripAdvisor . These platforms highlight unusual attractions, local landmarks, and even small-town festivals you might otherwise miss. One more that I think gets easily missed and we use often- Facebook Events . We've found local library book sales, festivals, field days, etc just checking on Facebook. 2. Follow Local Recommendations We love checking out local visitor centers , small-town newspapers , and community bulletin ...

Mooch Docking in NE Tennessee! Life in a Shuttle Bus Conversion: What Surprised Us Most When we decided to move into a 1990 Ford E350 Shuttle Bus conversion (affectionately named Wildebeest ), we knew it would be different. We had spent 15 months living in Brunilda , our 1991 Chevy G20 van , so we knew what tiny-life challenges looked like. Wildebeest was an upgrade in space, but even with the extra room, surprises awaited. Here’s what caught us off guard — both the challenges and the perks — of life in a former EMS mobile command unit turned tiny home on wheels. 🚐 1. How Little Space We Actually Need You hear it all the time in the RV world: “You don’t need as much as you think you do.” After living in Brunilda , we thought we had a handle on minimalism . Moving into Wildebeest was bigger — more room to stretch, more storage, and a vastly more functional kitchen. But even with that extra space, living in a bus still forces intentionality. If it doesn’t serve a purpose or...