Heron and alligator, Everglades National Park, Florida

Sunken boat, off the coast of Key Largo, Florida

Travel Stories: Insights from Two Wandering Dutchmen

In 2011, when I was volunteering at the Everglades International Hostel in Florida City, I met two guys from the Netherlands. Thijs and Job (pronounced “Tiess” and “Yohb”) had bought a cheap van and were launching a road trip across the US. They spoke with graceful Dutch accents (their English was excellent), talking about sleeping in their van and creating their game plan if a cop ever confronted them: “We will just use stronger accents,” Thijs said, “and pretend to be dumb foreigners.”

As we played a dice game, they talked about their target cities. I was surprised to hear that St. Louis was one of them. “Not many people want to go to the Midwest,” I told them. “Most people just skip it. They call it ‘flyover country.’”

“I hear there is good music—” Thijs began, but he didn’t finish his sentence, because at that moment Job blurted out, “NASCAR!” in the best backwoods-Kentucky accent I’ve ever heard.

We had to pause the game, I was laughing so hard.

~~~

Perching Cormorants, Everglades National Park, Florida

Where Should I Go? (My Top Five Hostels, Part Two)

How is this the only picture
I have of this hostel?

More awesome places for you to check out…

3. Hostelling International (HI)— Monterey, California

Location: You’ll find this hostel in a city a few hours south of San Francisco. It perches on the edge of the tourist district, an easy walk to the picturesque beaches.

Best perks: The kitchen and common room are fantastic. The cupboards are stocked with spices, and they have a huge free-leftovers bin in the fridge. The common room is equipped with big comfy couches, coffee table books, percussion instruments of many kinds, and a piano. 

What else you need to know: The rooms are nothing special, so plan on spending your time in the common room. You can either blend into the background and get work done or actively meet people and socialize— the room is big enough to accommodate both.

My favorite memory there: One night I played piano (with the help of a handy fakebook) while a couple of French women played percussion and sang and a Dutch man and one of the American staff played their guitars. We sang songs in three different languages until almost midnight.

In a nutshell: The hostel is a great starting point for visiting this fun beach town. Go out exploring all day, and come home to a fun atmosphere in the evening.

Yay San Diego!

2. HI— Point Loma, San Diego, California

Location: You’ll find this welcoming hostel in a residential neighborhood to the west of San Diego proper. It’s easily accessible from the airport, and within a couple miles of Ocean Beach.

Best perks: This is one of the friendliest hostels I’ve ever visited, as well as the only hostel I’ve visited more than once. The staff will go out of their way to talk to you, and the smaller common room and TV lounge encourage people to meet up and talk. The rooms are cozy and decorated in different themes. Also, there’s a hammock and ping-pong table on the back patio and a piano and pet lizard in the common room. What more could you ask for?

What else you need to know: You can eat a free pancake breakfast every day (with toppings such as blueberries and chocolate chips), and pay your pocket change for oatmeal and eggs. Free coffee, tea, and hot chocolate abound. Stump’s Family Market nearby is a great place to grab some groceries, but if you’d rather leave it up to someone else, you can pay $5 for a hearty communal dinner any night of the week.

My favorite memory there: I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning having an intense conversation with two strangers about history, life, travel, heartbreak, work, love and God. I felt so refreshed and encouraged after that conversation that I hardly felt tired the next day after three hours of sleep.

In a nutshell: Friendly, beachy, and laid-back, Point Loma’s hostel is a great place for a low-cost vacation, any time of the year.

I don't even know what the streamers are for, but they're cool.

1. Everglades International Hostel, Florida City, Florida

Location: In the middle of a nothin’ neighborhood in a nothin’ town, about 10 miles from the northern entrance of the Everglades National Park, you will discover a hidden gem.

Best perks: Where do I even begin? The owners of this hostel took an ordinary building and transformed it into a fairyland. The rooms are painted with murals and different themes. Outside the building, you’ll find a garden designed by someone young at heart: several rope swings, a treehouse with a tightrope, a clay bread oven, a tent with pillows and hookah pipes available, a waterfall and small pool you can wade in, and a gazebo with a flat roof for stargazing, filled on the inside with couches, pillows, and percussion instruments. You’ll also find a separate building for the kitchen and the TV room, as well as a small lounge with a piano. The community at the hostel is strong, and you’ll often find well over a dozen people from all over the world sitting around a campfire, drinking beer and socializing.

What else you need to know: The hostel leads expeditions into the Everglades National Park, for an additional fee. There are no lockers in the rooms, so if you’re paranoid about your valuables, leave them with the front desk. There is a free pancake breakfast in the morning and $5 communal meals almost every night. The bunks are more expensive than the average hostel, but I can’t emphasize how much it’s worth it. If you’re on a tighter budget, try camping: they will let you pitch a tent in the garden for a cheaper price. Between November and March, you can pay a smaller fee to just “crash” anywhere you can find room to sleep (treehouse, anyone?).

My favorite memory there: I went swimming in the pool with my friend Charlotte, played a dice game at a picnic table with a group of international travelers, and then sunbathed in the garden while eating fresh starfruit. My family back home in Missouri was buried in snow. I felt vaguely guilty.

In a nutshell: This hostel is a destination in and of itself. If you ever find yourself near Miami, make the effort to visit this wonderful place. You’ll be glad you did.

~~~

My Favorite States

Why, you ask, have I not visited Arkansas? I'm still trying to figure it out…

Over the past two decades, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit 29 states. I consider this to be a fair accomplishment, although I still have quite a few to go to reach my goal of all 50. You may ask, “Out of all the states, which one is your favorite?” The answer is, without hesitation, “Missouri.” Yes, I know that’s cheating, but it’s true. It’s central, simple, pretty, and my home.

(You might also ask what is my least favorite. I would say, “West Virginia,” for absolutely no reason other than that I get negative feelings every time I hear those words. Am I weird? Yes I am.)

However, if your question is, “Out of all the states you don’t live in, which is your favorite?” I can handle that, as long as you allow me multiple answers. Keep in mind that these are my favorites… not necessarily the best.

Honorable Mentions:

Florida. From the Everglades and the crazy-awesome subtropical trees to Disney World and the wildlife, this place deserves to be a tourist destination— but only, I contend, in the winter. (Also, it contains the Everglades International Hostel, a truly magical place.)

If you get a chance to visit the Everglades National Park, do it.

Colorado. Home to some of the loveliest towns I’ve ever visited (Colorado Springs, Fort Collins), this state also boasts some fantastic geological formations and down-home streams. Oh yeah, and there’s also the Rocky Mountains.

This is the best shot I could find— although I've visited CO three times, I have no good pictures of it!

California. I could give a laundry list of places I love within its limits: San Diego, San Francisco, the entire coast, the Redwoods, the landscapes, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and so on and so on. Seriously, do you need me to tell you why California is awesome?

I love the scenery around San Luis Obispo.

Now… The Top Three!

Oregon. For several months I harbored a grudge against this state, refusing to believe that it was as wonderful as all the Oregonian snobs said it was. But after being assaulted with stunning natural wonders everywhere I went, from the Columbia River Gorge to the Bandon beach, I realized that I could not deny that this place is pretty much amazing.

A sight to convert even the most stubborn skeptic.

I'll never get tired of Bandon beach.

North Carolina. From the majestic Smoky Mountains in the west to the shimmering beaches in the east, this state has a variety of vistas (and some of the most beautiful Southern accents I’ve ever heard). I love the history of this area, and little details such as tin-roofed buildings and Spanish moss. My ancestors first moved to North Carolina from Europe in the early 1600s, so I have deep roots there as well.

I love walking through downtown New Bern.

Bogue Inlet Fishing pier— my favorite pier.

Washington. This will always be my second-favorite state, if only for nostalgia’s sake. It was my first place I visited out west, the first place I saw a snow-capped mountain, the first place I traveled solo, and the first time I fell in love with a city (Seattle). I love the mix of manageable scenery (rolling hills, small mountains, streams) and breathtaking views (the Cascade Mountains, the Pacific Ocean). Also, Bellingham and the San Juan Islands are two of my favorite places on earth. 

What are your favorite states?

Lost Lake near Bellingham, Washington. Mary and I almost got lost finding it…

The view of Seattle from the ferry is fantastic— and, if you're coming from the west, free!

~~~