Why You Should Choose A Semi-Custom Van Build Over A Custom Van Build
What’s the difference between a semi-custom van build and a custom van build?
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is regarding the difference between semi-custom and custom van builds. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify and explain why we offer one, and not the other.
Semi-custom van builds provide a known and tested product that has been personally road-tested by us here at Adventure Life Vans. This approach ensures that your luxury camper van is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functions properly while remaining practical and reliable.
Custom van builds, on the other hand, enable you to acquire (what you think is) your dream van. This can be exciting, and at the same time, it can be a significant risk that you should consider before investing. In our experience, first-time van buyers tend to envision needing extra features that are often unnecessary or underutilized, resulting in added costs and potentially wasted space.
Our semi-custom van builds offer a layout that we, as a family, have designed and road-tested. You can trust that the products included in your luxury van build are ones we know, love, and believe in. We don’t lure you into spending more money on unnecessary items or features because we genuinely want you to have the most enjoyable van life experience possible.
For our semi-custom van builds, we build to the ‘80% use’ case. This means we ask ourselves, in each part of the building process, if you will use these aspects at least 80% of the time during your van life journey. If the answer is yes, we include it in the van build, and if not, you’re better off without it. We follow this guideline to deliver value to you on your van life experience overall.
These are the major differences between semi-custom van builds and custom van builds. We hope this explanation helps differentiate the two, and enables you to choose the van build that aligns with your needs and preferences.
We only have one semi-custom van build slot available in 2024. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to make your van life dreams come true by choosing reliability. Reach out to us today to secure your semi-custom van build slot, and we could start building your van as early as March, allowing you to enjoy your luxury camper van in July, just in time to take advantage of the warm summer weather, and start ticking off all those adventures on your dream bucket list.
We look forward to helping you achieve your dreams this year.
See you around,
Blake & Erica
Adventure Life Vans
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Photos by Abie of Creative Co. Studios
Winter Van Life Products
Here at Adventure Life Vans, we encourage van life travel in all seasons. Just because the weather gets colder doesn’t mean the adventures need to stop! It just means you need to be more prepared, and extra safe with the right winter van life products.
We want to help relieve some of the guesswork for you when it comes to winter van life products that will help you feel prepared to utilize your camper van this winter. To do so, we curated this list of 3 winter van life products that we love having for our own van life adventures in the colder months. They’re tried and tested by us, so you can trust they’re going to elevate your van life experience this season.
Webasto Heater for Winter Van Life
The first product that comes to mind is the Webasto Heater because van life in the colder months is not safe without it! It may seem obvious, but having a heating system installed in camper van is crucial to adventuring safely in the colder months. Having a warm van to come home to after a day of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or fat-tire biking is a MUST for winter van life comfort. The luxury camper vans builds we do all come with a Webasto Heater to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment. We also offer van heater installations to those who have a cmpaer van, but may not have a heater installed in it yet. Get in touch today if you’d like us to set you up with a mighty heater like Webasto this winter!
Van Essentials Window Coverings
Window coverings are also great to have in the colder months, as they help keep the cold air out and the warm air inside your cozy van. These window coverings from Amazon help regulate the temperature of your van, which is why we like to insulate our windshield using the insulated front windshield window cover because it’s the biggest window, and the largest area where heat can escape the van. Plus, the window coverings provide some much-enjoyed privacy as an added bonus, providing you with extra warmth and extra peace of mind overnight.
(All links to Amazon are affiliate links.)
A Puffy Blanket
Whether you’re relaxing by the campfire, or getting extra cozy with a cup of coffee in the mornings, a puffy camping blanket will keep you warm and toasty however you use it! We especially enjoy this puffy blanket from Amazon because it has snaps so you can wrap it around yourself and use it as a wearable blanket, too! Is it a necessity? No, but it does add that a little extra luxurious touch to your experience on the road, which will enhance your overall adventure. Besides, there’s no sense in being cold during your winter van life adventures, so be sure to snuggle up under this puffy blanket from Amazon this season!
Those are our 3 winter van life products that we recommend for optimal comfort and enjoyment in the colder months! Want even more product recommendations that can improve your van life? Head here for even more product recommendations from us!
P.S – we send our van build clients a guide with all products we recommend purchasing to start your van life journey off on the right foot. If you’re interested in securing a semi-custom van build slot with us in 2024, get in touch today to get the conversation started, and you can look forward to that guide from us.
See you around!
Blake & Erica
Adventure Life Vans
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Client Experience: What You Can Expect
Everyone claims to have a commitment to customer service. Few actually deliver on that promise.
We’re not the type of van builders who just want to sell you a van and forget about you. No, we care.
At Adventure Life Vans, we know that investing in your future by purchasing a luxury camper van is a big deal, and is oftentimes the first RV-type vehicle you’ve owned. For that reason, and for numerous others, we have created processes and resources to help you stay in the loop during your van build process, and to also help you ease into van life.
To help convey this even further, we wanted to walk you through the client experience we have set up so you know what to expect, and how you’ll be supported throughout your journey of working with us, from inquiry to driving your van off our lot.
The Client Experience You Can Count On
Here’s a quick overview of what your client experience will look like when you work with us:
- Close Communication and Updates
- Half-Day Orientation to using your van and all it’s components
- Van Maintenance Guide
- Van Products Guide
- First 24-Hours Check In via text
- 2-Week Check In via email
- Ongoing Support and 1-Year Workmanship Warranty
Let’s dive into what all of these steps in your client journey actually look like for you.
- CLOSE COMMUNICATION AND UPDATES
We pride ourselves in how well we communicate with our clients. From beginning to end of your client experience, we’ll keep in close contact with you to communicate updates throughout your van building process, and also during the sales process where we figure out the nitty gritty details. We also stay in touch to get your input with finishes for the van to ensure your style is considered, and that your van ultimately feels like the coziest adventure home-on-wheels for you.
2. HALF-DAY ORIENTATION
Not to throw shade…but we know that a lot of other van builders out there will build your van, give you the keys, and say, “enjoy!” It’s super exciting to know your van is finished and to receive the keys once your final payment has been made, but we believe there is more to do to help you start you off on the right foot with your van ownership journey.
We reserve half a day for you at our shop to go through a whole van orientation. You’ll know all the ins and outs of your van, and we’ll have you practice using all aspects of your van so that you will leave our shop with more confidence in knowing how to own and operate your van correctly. For a lot of our clients, we’ve found that it’s their first experience owning an RV-type vehicle, which is a lot different than owning a car or a house. This orientation is part of what sets us apart from many other van builders, and, most importantly, is what’s going to set you apart from other new van owners.
3. VAN MAINTENANCE GUIDE
Another way we like to add to your overall client experience is by supporting you after your van has been built by preparing you as much as we can for van ownership. This includes maintaining your van – maintaining your investment! – so that you see the greatest return on your van journey. We’ve created a Van Maintenance Guide that you can refer to seasonally, or whenever you approach a van-life task and think, how do I do that again?
It’s a helpful resource that we send to you in PDF format so that it doesn’t even take up any precious space inside your van. We consider the smaller details like that for because, well, we care!
4. VAN PRODUCTS GUIDE
Along the same lines, we also know that owning a van is totally different from home ownership and car ownership. There are products you’ll need and want to help make van life more enjoyable, and more comfortable overall. We want to give you a head start, so we’ve used our experience and expertise and have tested out a plethora of van life products so that you don’t have to waster your time, energy, or money.
We’ve curated these hand-picked and personally-tested products into a Van Products Guide that we also send to you in a PDF format, to make the task of kitting out your van a lot easier, and a lot less intimidating, to accomplish.
5. FIRST 24-HOURS CHECK IN
When you drive your new, luxury camper van off our lot, it can feel SO exciting, and also SO daunting at the same time! That’s why our client experience is so intentional so that it helps the whole process feel less daunting to begin with. Still, after the first 24-hours of owning your van, it’s likely that you’ll come up with a bunch of questions you wish you had run by us during our half-day orientation session.
That’s why we allow 24-hours for you to get acquainted with your van, and give you the time and space to figure things out, but we also make sure to check in with you after those 24-hours to see how things are going, and to answer any questions that may have popped up for you during that time. Again, this is something you’ll rarely find anywhere else, which is astounding to us because we feel it’s such a crucial responsibility as your van builders to ensure you receive the optimal enjoyment out of your van!
6. 2-WEEK CHECK IN
Not only do we check in with you after 24-hours, but we also make sure to check in with you after 2 weeks! At that point, you’ve probably had an adventure or two under your belt with your new camper van. You’ve tested out some of the features, you’ve used the toilet, and you’re starting to get more and more familiar with your adventure van each time.
This check in is great to answer any questions, discuss any hiccups you may have experienced at that point, and ultimate provide you with yet another opportunity to take advantage of our knowledge and expertise as a resource to help make your van life as easy and smooth as possible.
7. ONGOING SUPPORT AND 1-YEAR WORKMANSHIP WARRANTY
We’re confident that, after those two check ins, you’ll be on your way to enjoying van life with no worries at all! We are, however, available for you to reach out to us during the first year of your van ownership journey if you need guidance and/or support. Our goal is to ensure that you feel confident and happy with your luxury van build purchase, so we also offer a 1-Year Workmanship Warranty, which will give you peace of mind knowing that, if something doesn’t work quite right with the van we built for you, we’re happy to fix it for you.
The craftsmanship of your van is not mass-produced, it’s handmade by Blake, a real person! So our warranty is in place because, well, we’re human! Sometimes things may be quirky, but it’s nothing we can’t fix for you within the first year.
All in all, we strive to support you throughout your entire client experience of working with us, and throughout your van life journey as well. We want you to spend less time worrying about how to run your van safely, and more time adventuring instead!
If you’ve been thinking about investing in the adventurous side of your life, we would love to have the honor of building your adventure home-on-wheels! We have a semi-custom, luxury van build slot available starting in March 2024, so get in touch today to start making those dreams of yours a reality.
When you purchase a van from us, or have us build out a semi-custom van for you, you can feel confident knowing that you’ll be looked after throughout your entire client experience journey, and beyond.
See you around!
-Blake & Erica
www.adventurelifevans.com
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Let’s Take a Tour! Our latest Luxury Van Build
We discuss adventuring and van life often on the Adventure Life Vans blog because we are incredibly passionate about helping you go on all the trips you want, and explore as much as possible, in style and ultimate comfort. Today, we wanted to provide you with a peek at a completed luxury van build so that you can learn more about what we offer, see what our layouts and designs look like once they’re brought to life, and help empower you when choosing where to get your luxury camper vans from.
Built off of a similar van we completed in 2022, this is our Silver Bullet 2.0 van, our latest van build we completed in September 2023. Blake worked hard to turn this empty, cold, uninviting van into a luxurious home-on-wheels that adventurers like yourself dream of. This van was loved so much that it was sold before we even had the chance to properly list it on our website!
Here’s what the Silver Bullet 2.0 looked like before we started building:
And here’s what it looked like when we were finished with the build:
About this Luxury Van
This beauty is a 2022 Ford Transit High Roof Extended AWD with Ecoboost, built out with all the luxury amenities our vans provide, PLUS some bonus items, such as a Dometic AC, the Bug Wall, and a beautiful bench seat for entertaining your cherished guests (and extra storage, something we’re conscious of sneaking more in when building). This camper van also has a full kitchen, a heated outdoor shower, a Queen sized bed, lots of storage, 30+ gallons of fresh water, space for 2 mountain bikes, Weboost, Webasto heater, and so much more!
As soon as we put the finishing touches on this van, it got to go off to its new home with its new adventurous owners immediately, which is such a perk of purchasing your van early! If you don’t want to have van life FOMO, head to our contact page to join our email list! We only have ONE more opening for a semi-custom, luxury van build in 2024, and the earliest slot available starts in March, so definitely get in touch soon to make your van life dreams become a reality!
See you around!
-Blake & Erica
Adventure Life Vans
Photos by Abie of Creative Co Studios | @creativeco.studios
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Van Life Ownership Tips: Van Heaters
Becoming a van owner is exhilarating! You’ve invested in your luxury adventure home-on-wheels, and you’ve dreamed up your bucket list destinations to drive your trusty steed…but now what? In this blog post, we’ll be providing some Van Life Ownership Tips on Van Heaters!
We know that learning how to maintain your luxury camper van may feel intimidating and time-consuming, especially if you’re new to RV life in general. We also know that you’re busy with work, maintaining a social life, and, of course, going on adventures and exploring new places.
Van ownership best practices go a long way in preventing deterioration from occurring as quickly on your van, especially going over all the terrain you’ll want to explore. Whether it’s the salty sea air when you’re by the ocean, or the gritty sand of the desert, a little prevention goes a long way to ensure you have a lasting product, and can spend your free time adventuring instead of waiting in a shop to make repairs.
Taking care of your camper van is a major aspect of protecting your investment, so we wanted to simplify the process for you as much as possible to give you back your time and allow you to feel more confident going into van ownership life. To help you out, we’ve decided to start a little series here on the Adventure Life Vans blog to give you some van owner guidance to help you keep the components and systems of your van build running optimally.
To kick off this series, and to give a nod to winter, we’re going to start by talking about van heaters.
Most van builds come with a heating system of some sort. Here at Adventure Life Vans, we equip most of our luxury camper vans with the Webasto heater, which runs off of your fuel tank, and we absolutely love this system! With Webasto heaters (and most heaters at that), it’s advised to service your heater annually to keep it running optimally. The winter is a great time to schedule a service, as you may find that you’re not adventuring with your van as frequently, so it’s less likely to disturb your adventure travel plans.
If you’ve used your Webasto heater at higher elevations, it’s crucial that you remember to cycle your heater for at least 30 minutes after returning to lower altitude. You’ll want to check your owner’s manual for more details on how to cycle your particular heater, but if you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us – we’ll do our best to provide some guidance on how to do so.
That wraps up today’s Van Ownership Tip! What questions do you have regarding van heaters, or van ownership in general? We’d love to help support you in your van ownership journey in any way we can.
If you own a camper van that does not have a heater installed, but you’d love to have one to keep adventuring comfortably and safely in the colder months, then please do get in touch! We offer Heater Installation Services, and would love to get your van rigged up with some extra warmth this winter.
See you around!
-Blake & Erica
www.adventurelifevans.com
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An Re-Introduction of your Luxury Camper Van Builders
HELLO, 2024!
What better way to kick off the New Year than a fresh introduction to the faces of the luxury camper van builders here at Adventure Life Vans! We’ve been so engulfed in building out your future adventure homes that we realized we haven’t said hello in a while, and we felt that the start of the New Year would be a great opportunity to tell you more about us.
If you’re not familiar with us yet, we’re Blake & Erica, and we run Adventure Life Vans, where we build your dream, luxury camper van builds for you. We live in Boise, Idaho (Blake’s a native), and we have traveled for years in a variety of RV-type vehicles. We’ve tested a ton, and through our experience, we have found that van life offers the greatest flexibility and freedom for the outdoor adventures we LOVE to go on.
We started Adventure Life Vans to build durable, luxury camper vans for adventurous humans look for a luxurious, comfortable home-on-wheels to accompany them on their travels and explorations.
We pride ourselves on the fact that we invest in high-quality products that we have personally tested on our own adventures. Our design style caters to those who love the outdoors, and who want some of the comforts of home when they’re on the road (heated shower, anyone?).
We offer pre-built vans, as well as semi-custom options, on the Ford Transit chassis. All of our vans are AWD, and we always consider the little details during our building process – the quality difference can be seen when you take a closer look at our custom cabinets, and the systems we install.
In our free time, we love to camp, travel, mountain bike, and trail run. We coach student athletes at our local high school mountain bike team, and Erica runs a wellness coaching business, as well as a women’s mountain biking community here in Boise!
And that’s a glimpse into us and our world! We are so happy to be able to truthfully say that we LOVE what we do, and feel so lucky to get to help you live a life of adventure in a camper van that feels like home.
If you’ve been wanting an adventure home of your own, but don’t really know where to start, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! We’ve written a post to lay out the Pros & Cons of Downsizing to a Van, which will empower you to make the best decision for you and your adventures. Make sure to read through the rest of the blogs on our website, and also follow us on Instagram because we’re always posting about the van buying and building process over there. We also post tips about van life, products to make your van life experience a more comfortable and seamless one, and so much more!
See you around!
-Blake & Erica
Adventure Life Vans
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First Time Van Life Tips
Ready to take your new camper van out for its first real adventure? Here are our first time van life tips to make it a smooth and enjoyable trip.
For many of our customers, we’ve found that they are not only new to van life, but also new to camping and RVing. This creates an awesome opportunity! Get ready to learn about everything from the systems in a van/RV to what to cook. And how to pack for a successful trip.
There are many styles of van life. Weekend warriors, multi-day road trippers, those who prefer a state park with hot showers and those that want to find the most remote boondocking experience out there. Regardless of what style of van life you are seeking, there are a few tips that help make that first trip a success. Read on to learn more!
Tip #1: Camp in your driveway for the first night!
You heard us right… don’t leave your driveway! Erica’s dad, who has 40+ years of experience in the RV industry, shared this valuable tip for first time RVers and van lifers.
- Load up your van with everything you think you will need for a weekend away and stay put. Can you avoid going in your house for 24 hours?
- Keep a list of all the things you wished you had packed. Then you have your list for what you need to now include.
- This prevents a lot of last minute stops on your first adventure. Nobody wants to spend their first weekend of van life in Target!
So load up your van! And see if you can get through 24 hours in the driveway without missing anything.
Tip #2: Be prepared for the learning curve.
While we have found traveling in a van not as much of a learning curve as an RV, it still has components you will need to learn about. Similar to buying a house, you will need to become familiar with all the new systems, components and maintenance. Here are a few things to get familiar with before you hit the road:
- Using your van’s portable toilet including how to maintain it and properly dispose of waste
- Solar power and electrical systems, including shore power if you plan to use it
- Water system, including how to dispose of your gray water safely and respectfully
- Using the heating system
- Van life safety – CO2 and fire alarm, chains if traveling in winter without AWD/4WD, 1st aid etc.
Tip #3: Pack fewer clothes!
Not only will traveling in a van limit how much you can bring, it also represents a simpler way of traveling. You likely bought a van to get away from civilization. So embrace the great outdoors and don’t worry about your outfit!
We love to travel with clothing items that are easy to hand wash and don’t hold odor, such as merino wool products. We also make sure to bring layers. Weather can change quickly especially when traveling in the mountains or at a higher elevation than back home. What’s most important is being dressed for the weather and the activity, not having a change of clothes for every event. So bring the necessities, don’t forget your swimsuit and enjoy the open road!
Tip #4: Plan easy meals
We love to cook. But we don’t want to spend our entire time on the road cooking and cleaning. We want to enjoy the adventure and leave behind the chores! So we make sure we plan ahead for our meals, whether that is grabbing takeout from a local deli along the way, or prepping our meals ahead of time.
On a recent road trip to a mountain bike race, we found a great BBQ restaurant tucked away in a local gas station. Traveling in our van has led to many local foodie discoveries as well as learning how to cook meals in the van that are simple, quick and easy to clean-up using the essential items we keep in our van kitchen.
Van Kitchen Essentials
Love cooking but not sure how in a small space? Read on for tips on kitchen essentials for your van.
(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.)
Setting up your van kitchen for cooking is all about making the most of a small space. Our #1 An essential for a van life kitchen is an easy and compact way to make coffee.
We love just about anything collapsible for van use, and especially this collapsible electric kettle. We typically make coffee in a french press and we usually heat two kettles of hot water to make our morning coffee. This electric kettle heats quickly. Then easily compresses back into a compact travel container that nests with our pots and pans.
Another great tool is our manual coffee grinder, with a removable handle for easy storage.
For doing dishes, we prefer to deal with the mess outside of the van. We use two collapsible buckets, one for soapy hot water and one for rinsing the dishes. If using a non-toxic soap, the wastewater can be dispersed away from the campsite. These tuck away in the back of our van when not in use.
Because we love to cook meals in the van, we invested in a high quality one-burner induction cooktop.
A few things we love about this cooktop:
- It’s portable! We often use this cooktop on a table outside of the van, which is nice if cooking something smelly or greasy
- It has options for what wattage to use which makes it a flexible option depending on the size of your inverter
- It is incredibly efficient!
- The one-burner size works well when cooking for just the two of us. A family might prefer a two burner but its important to consider the extra storage space this will require in your van
Out of everything in our van kitchen, these are the most used items by far. We also have a simple set of cookware that works with our induction cooktop, a set of classic blue enamel camp dishes/silverware, cutting boards and a few kitchen utensils. Our setup is quite simple but allows us to still cook great food while on the road.
Brews, Bikes and Boondocking in Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon, and the surrounding area, abound in breweries, biking trails and plenty of free places to boondock.
If you love the outdoors, good food and local beer, Bend is your road trip destination! With ample camping just outside of town right on the trail system, you can enjoy boondocking and nightlife all in one trip. Plus the high desert climate allows for outdoor recreation year round. Whether it be skiing, mountain biking, water sports, hiking or exploring the area’s unique geology.
Camping:
There are several places to camp near Bend. Free boondocking spots, state parks and first-come, first-serve forest service campgrounds. Here are a few of our favorites spots:
- Tumalo State Park just outside of Bend is a great spot for families with young kids if you’re seeking hot showers, full-hookup sites, and other amenities. Plus the ability to float the river or hike right from the campground. And if you need to restock, you can find groceries, gas and restaurants in the quaint town of Tumalo just minutes away.
- Camp Sherman on the Metolius River provides several primitive campground options through the forest service. Some sites are reservable in advance through Recreation.gov. These sites are well-suited for tent camping and small RVs, the perfect spot if you are traveling in a van. Many sites are right on the river and you have great access to the Metolius River trail for hiking (no bikes), floating and fly fishing.
- If you prefer boondocking, there are many spots along the Cascade Lakes Highway. Right on Bend’s extensive trail system where you can enjoy hiking and mountain biking. Be sure to help protect this beautiful natural area by respecting the rules of camping in a national forest area. These boondocking sites have experienced some heavy use in the past few years so let’s take good care of this natural space so others can enjoy it for years to come.
- Many of the snow parks also offer free camping in the summer. Again, please respect the local rules for camping in these areas and pack out anything you brought with you!
Mountain biking:
If you’ve followed us for any length of time, you will know that we are avid mountain bikers. And Bend, Oregon does not disappoint. With a massive trail system just outside of town and over 100 days of sun per year, Bend is a cycling paradise. Trail systems are always expanding in the area,. And there is an emerging network of trails near Redmond, Prineville and outside of Sisters, Oregon. Gravel riders (check out Dirty Free Hub’s website) and roadies can also find endless routes to explore.
Here are a few of our favorite mountain biking trails:
- Ticket to Ride is a great beginner/family friendly trail accessible from the Cascade Lakes Highway at the Deschutes National Forest Visitor Center
- Peterson Ridge trail system outside of Sisters, Oregon, offers incredible views of the Cascade mountains
- CogWild Shuttles offers many shuttle options from Bend plus guided rides and clinics. We’ve worked with their guides and used their shuttle services many times. This is a great way to enjoy the area
- Phil’s trail system offers an extensive network of beginner friendly trails with several trailheads to choose from to start your mountain biking adventure
Food and Drink:
Known for its breweries and food cart pods, Bend, Oregon is a foodie paradise. We love to pick a food cart pod to meet up with friends at the end of a long day mountain biking. Two of our favorites at Podski and the Midtown Yacht Club.
If the weather isn’t great for outdoor dining, Market Hall at the Grove in the NW Crossing neighborhood provides a great selection of indoor dining options in their food hall, with a full bar and several restaurants to choose from. Looking for fine dining? Washington Dining & Cocktails has an excellent menu, plus outdoor fire pits for a romantic meal under the stars on a fall night. Or head downtown for several more upscale restaurants, bars and more.
Galena Lodge for the Whole Family
A perfect weekend getaway with unlimited outdoor options!
One of our family’s favorite spots to camp and adventure is Galena Lodge, nestled in the beautiful and rugged Sawtooth mountains of southwest Idaho. Galena Lodge sits near the top of Galena Pass, between Sun Valley and Stanley, Idaho.
Known for its cross-country skiing trails in the winter, Galena Lodge is home to nearly endless mountain biking and hiking trails in the summer months. The area around Galena Lodge also boasts amazing fly fishing on the Big Wood river. And for the gravel riders out there, one can ride into town and back via the double-track gravel road called the Harriman trail that runs along this scenic river.
Camping can be found at a number of established campgrounds nearby or in the many boondocking spots along the Harriman trail and around Galena Lodge. Many camping spots can be found right on the local mountain biking trails, making easy access for exploring by bike.
If you want to turn your trip into a true glamping experience, you can enjoy the delicious meals served at the lodge, including Sunday brunch, a full espresso bar and lunches served Monday through Saturday. We love starting our morning with the Savory Scramble and sharing a Euro lunch (Galena Lodge’s version of a charcuterie plate) in the afternoon with a delicious cocktail or local beer.
For a bit of local history, you can also hike or ride your bike to an old gravesite for some of the original settlers of this area, when Galena Lodge was once a mining community.
If hiking or mountain biking aren’t your thing, take a soak at Easley hot springs. On your return trip to Boise, head towards Stanley and stop at one of the many lakes to swim, fish, or boat. Alturas Lake is one of our favorites, surrounded by the rugged and steep Sawtooth mountains. Several day-use picnic spots are scattered around the lake where you can enjoy lunch and a sandy beach for the afternoon before returning to real life in town.
And if you are an ice cream lover, a trip to Galena Lodge would not be complete without having a Wagon Wheel, a gigantic ice cream sandwich handmade with their fresh chocolate chip cookies and whatever flavor of ice cream you choose.