Jessica Koslow

Charlie Chapman, John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart were regular visitors to Catalina Island, and Marilyn Monroe lived on here, albeit, before she was famous.

Lolo Saldana, the 90-year-old barber who owns Lolo’s Barber Shop on Sumner Avenue, knew Monroe personally. He and his 10 siblings grew up on the island, and locals refer to his shop as “the center of the Catalina universe.”

Only 22 miles and 70 minutes via Catalina Express from the Southern California coast, Catalina is an island vacation or day trip that is accessible, affordable and really fun. After only a few minutes off the ferry, as the beach breeze blows and seabirds circle overhead, travelers feel the stress slip away. . . .

Read full article at Tucson Lovin’ Life.

Dillon Hansen and his now-business partner Jon Moran took off in a camper van for a few weeks in 2013 to travel around the South Island of New Zealand.

It was a life-changing trip that caused a domino effect: Hansen quit his job in tech sales in 2014, Moran left his job in health care administration in 2015, and the two launched Native Campervans, which opened a Phoenix office in October.

“When we started, van life was not yet a social media phenomenon,” Hansen says.

According to The Dyrt, more than 35 million Americans camped in an RV in 2022 and an estimated 80-plus million campers were expected to camp in the Unite States in 2023, and more than 50% of them are 55 and older.

“Van travel is my favorite thing in the world,” Hansen says. “It means freedom and simplicity. The van is 18 feet in length, which is comparable to an SUV.”

The camper van comes with a kitchen, refrigerator, and 24-hour roadside assistance, and the only restrictions are traveling to Mexico and Burning Man.

In 2015, Kristine and Brandon Stevens started their RV adventures with a Class A diesel motorhome. A couple of years ago, they switched to a Jayco North Point fifth wheel pulled by a Dodge Ram 2500. . . .

Read the full article at Lovin’ Life.