Mazda CX-5 Camper Project

Ever since I started becoming obsessed with being outdoors, I have seen and been so fascinated with Van and Bus conversations. I love the idea of being able to stay in your car instead of having to set up and take down camp or staying in a hotel. I obviously don't have a van or a bus... so I couldn't do that as much as I wanted to. However... I do have a car that is big enough that I can sleep in. So I started searching online to see if other people had come up with a solution for smaller SUV's like mine. I saw things here and there that I liked, but nothing like what I wanted.

SO... I came up with my own design and asked my cousin Dave if he would be up for a cousin project. Thankfully he said yes and he enjoys building things. So I told him my idea and he loved it and got to work. No plans.... just measuring my space and cutting wood and improving my plan as we went. Love it! Dave is so talented.

My idea? Well, I wanted to build a platform that had 2 or 3 drawers underneath. With the size of my car and what I wanted, 2 made sense. I wanted one to pull out and be a long table that I could prepare food on or for me and a couple other people to eat on or whatever other reason you need a table. The other would pull out and it would be an actual drawer with storage and then at the end of it would be a sink so that I can wash a dish, brush my teeth or wash my hands. Dave one-uped my idea and turned the sink into a transformer. Then of course on top of the platform is the bed. It is pretty comfy too I might add. It is an air mattress with memory foam on top. Now I just need to make covers for the windows and I think I am set.

To personalize the entire thing, I decided that I wanted to do some wood burning on it. I of course have never done wood burning before, but I thought I would go for it anyway. I like some of it more than others... but I love how my tree around the sink turned out. My mom even helped me wood burn some of the trees.

I LOVE how it turned out. Dave it amazing. It may sound weird to some, but I love that I can sleep in my car. I also love that on a road trip... if we get hungry, we can just pull over to a pretty spot and set up quickly to make lunch or whatever. It is just so easy and convenient and awesome. It was the best solution for what I wanted from a Van conversion for my SUV. I will make a video at some point to give a tour of the entire thing... but until then, these pictures will have to do. Thank you Dave for helping make my vision come true.

A Day in the Unitas with Drew

I was itching to go outside and Drew had never been to the Uintas. So... we decided to take a day trip up there. It was a beautiful day.

Something that I appreciate adventuring with Drew, is that he love photography like I do. So we both took our time and took pictures and just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

I had been to Provo River Falls before.. but never explored down the River from the Falls. It's beautiful.

I also brought 2 hammocks so that we could kick back and relax by the lake while we were there. Drew had never hammocked before! Can you believe that? Well, he loved it. I'm pretty sure that he wants a hammock now.

After we explored and relaxed and took lots of pictures... the sun went down and we decided to head home. So happy to have Drew as my co-worker and now friend and sometimes nature/photography buddy and so glad that he wanted to explore the Unitas with me.

Total Solar Eclipse

I don't know why, but I thought this eclipse was going to be like the last one I saw. However it wasn't. If I would have known the difference between the Eclipse's I would have traveled to Idaho to watch this one.... but I'm dumb and treated it like any other day and went to work. What a mistake.

I did however go full Tracy style and dress for the occasion. AKA I wore my moon shirt.

Work did give us glasses and made a party (ish) out of watch the big event. So my team all went outside... along with a lot of the rest of the company that was around to watch as the time got closer to the totality of the eclipse which for us in Utah was at 90% I think.

Although the temperature became cooler and the lighting did get a little weird/darker... it wasn't anything like I heard it was in the states of complete totality where it got dark like night time and got a lot cooler outside. My sister, Jamie and brother in law, Dan made the trip to Idaho to see it. I really with I would have also. Here is the picture Dan got in Idaho.

Here is the picture I got here in Utah.

Yep... I know... pretty lame. I guess that means I will just have to travel to the next one. At least my co-workers and I had some fun. And yes, we listened to Total Eclipse of the Sun while it was happening.

Tracy, the Sunset Chaser

When the back of your car is a bed, you go and lay back there and watch the sunset on the regular. I LOVE that the back of my car is a bed.... and I LOVE chasing sunsets.

Day hike to Lake Mary

I was able to take the day off of work today, sooooo I decided to drive up to Big Cottonwood Canyon and hike to Lake Mary by myself.

It was nice because there were not many people around since it was a week day in the middle of the day. Sure I would rather hike with someone... but it was nice to go at my own pace and stop and take pictures and lay out on a rock at the lake. Just relax and enjoy the peace and quite. I even ran into some little critters. I also tried to catch the last of the wildflowers. Yep... they are on their way out and it makes me a little sad. I'm always sad when summer comes to an end.

Great day off of work. Love being outside.

Punch Brothers & I'm With Her Concert

I love Bluegrass music. So does Heather. One of her favorite Bands is the Punch Brothers. I had never heard of them before Heather mentioned them. I am however familiar with Nickel Creek. I LOVE them and the main guy that is in and started Punch Brothers is from Nickel Creek. They band that opened for them (I'm with her) one of those girls also comes from Nickel Creek. So obviously I was going to love it. I REALLY loved I'm with Her. They reminded me a lot of the Wailing Jenny's who I also love a lot.

Needless to say, this was an awesome concert. I love outdoors venues for concerts in the Summer. I had never been to this one in Park City, but such a great scene to sit an experience a great concert.

I'm so glad that Heather not only invited me but treated me to the concert. She is the best. We had so much fun while soaking in some great bluegrass. Oh how I love summer. I love summer because of nights like this. I had my favorite numbers and I recorded some and was going to post here... but I'm not gonna. You should just look them up because they are great.

Sodalicious for Grant's Birthday

Continuing with Grant's birthday... of course I took him to Sodalicious for his birthday treat. Cute story... he brought money so that I didn't have to pay for it all. How sweet is he? It's not like Sodalicious is that expensive, but I love that he even thought that. Of course I told him no.. but what a sweetie he is.