On the Road

More and more women are taking solo road trips. Here's why you should join them-plus how to connect with other travelers on the open road.

- PAM O'BRIEN

WHENEVER SHE HITS the highway in her camper van, Nancy Crowell feels a rush of happiness. “It's like I step into my life when I get in my van, says Crowell, 61, of Lopez Island in Washington.“That's when I feel most alive.

Crowell, who had never camped before buying the van she named Moku (Hawaiian shorthand for “spaceship), has traveled more than 20,000 miles on her own since picking up her van in October 2019 from Peace Vans, a company in Seattle that restores, sells, and rents customized camper vans. She once spent 92 consecutive days camping in it. Crowell has driven down the West Coast twice and through Colorado two times; this spring she's setting off on a journey to Utah. And then there are the regular short trips she takes: Every Sunday she travels to the mainland of Washington from her remote island home to go mountain biking and camping in the van for a couple of days.

Road-tripping has saved her soul, Crowell says. “I live by myself on a small island with very few people. Most people go on vacation because they want to relax and go somewhere beautiful. But that's my everyday life. I go looking for adventure and connection.” Traveling in her van has allowed Crowell to meet interesting people and experience new things-something that helped prevent her from going stir-crazy over the past two years.