Sand Dunes, Cliff Dwellings and When Remote Work Doesn't Work

In this post, I give an update on our incredible, but slightly insane journey across the country traveling with two young children. I also talk through the challenges I faced trying to work remotely with no cell, or reliable Wi-Fi in both Great Sand Dunes National Park and Mesa Verde National Park.

Family pic in front of the Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde NP!

If there was a week that made me question everything that we are doing, this was the one.

This week we left our comfortable, short term rental in Estes Park for 4 nights exploring two more of Colorado’s National Parks. We drove 300 miles down I25, stopping for lunch and a quick drive through tour of Garden of the Gods (really stunning rock formations just outside of Colorado Springs). We then headed up and over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains pass (translates to Blood of Christ - named by an early Spanish explorer) and around to the Great Sand Dunes Lodge, where we would stay for two nights, nestled into the mountainside.

The lodge itself is pretty basic and includes breakfast, but where it really gets convenient (and beautiful) is its proximity to the Dunes. The back “veranda” faces directly at the Great Sand Dunes and their jaw dropping mountain backdrop. In addition, the Park itself is a simple 5 minute drive away. In researching our stay, I found that there really weren’t any other accommodations for MILES.

The view from our veranda of Great Sand Dunes NP

Which leads me to my next issue. Their WIFI is spotty AT BEST. And cell service is nonexistent. For most, this is highly desirable (generally speaking, myself included), but for us digital nomads earning from the road, this is a potential nightmare. I found that I actually couldn’t work from the road at all. I had to drive about 20 minutes south, just pass the looming mountains, in order to scrap together enough cell service to do my contracting work. We pretty much called it quits on our NOE work while we were there because it just wasn’t realistic while taking care of the girls.

The Dunes themselves, on the other hand, were INCREDIBLE! They stand at over 700’ tall and at an elevation over 8,000’. They are truly jaw dropping in the morning and the evening, as the shadows extend and the warm light cascades across the sand - with a snow capped mountain backdrop. It’s a sight to behold. You can also “sand sled” at the park. Unfortunately for us, we were a little early in the season and the 30 degree temps combined with 30-50 MPH winds prevented us from partaking.

Glo and Kailah trying to withstand the sand pelting winds

On to Mesa Verde…

Our 1.5 days in Grand Sand Dunes seemed like plenty of time to explore the park. I wouldn’t recommend staying much longer. For me, I was grateful to have experienced it, but it was stressful not being able to balance “work” and “play”. I figured that Mesa Verde would likely be a different story and I could catch up during the drive and when we got to our next lodge.

Despite the challenges, Mesa Verde quickly became a top 5 National Park for me:

We drove another 220 miles across southern Colorado to Mesa Verde National Park. We stopped halfway, so I could work from a high quality cell service area and the girls could play (they had a cool indoor play area in Pagosa Springs, that the girls thoroughly enjoyed).

The view from the Mesa Top in Mesa Verde NP

The park itself is interesting because when you arrive to the welcome sign, it’s still another 23 miles to the lodge and then another 5ish miles to the main sites. Despite the distance, that drive was one of the most beautiful we’ve been on. It takes you up and around the high desert mesa, where the majority of the historical Puebloan sites are. You can see for MILES, in some of the most interesting scenery I’ve ever seen.

We booked our stay at the Far View Lodge (aptly named for the incredible view from our balcony) in a Kiva Deluxe room. The view itself is worth the stay and it’s PERFECTLY located for visiting the park. There are also a few restaurants within walking distance. We enjoyed grabbing delicious takeout from the Metate Room Restaurant and then relaxing with views as far as the eye could see. The one negative we found with this accommodation was room size. For a family with one very young child (under 2), this room was SMALL and made it challenging to accommodate a crib (let alone get her to sleep). Regret it? Nah.

Our Kiva Deluxe room and view at Far View Lodge (This is one of two queen beds)

Like I mentioned the proximity to the famous cliff palace (dug into the cliff side and made of sandstone, beams and mortar), other cliff dwellings and pit house archeological sites, made the Far View Lodge ideal. Several of the cliff dwelling tours were closed while we were there, so we’ll be back. If you haven’t been, GO to Mesa Verde. It’s beauty and history are almost unmatched.

Native American “Pit House” archeological site

The Cliff Palace dwelling in Mesa Verde taken from the Sun Temple - can you believe people used to live there?!

Despite LOVING Mesa Verde, I couldn’t work…again…

Unfortunately, yet again, the room WIFI wasn’t sufficient to handle the speeds I need to do work (even make, or take a Microsoft Teams call). The main building of the hotel had decent WIFI, but the business center was closed, so I had to sit in one of only four chairs in the lobby to make a good connection and that area was pretty heavily trafficked. I even tried sitting in my truck and hitting the WIFI, but the speeds weren’t enough.

Listen, I know these are first world problems and the partial (if not entire) purpose of these parks is to enjoy/learn from our world and cut off from technology - hell I love our National Parks for these reasons. I just want to give a realistic take on how challenging this is to manage when trying to balance remote work and travel. I want to make the point that there are some destinations that are better suited for this lifestyle than others.

Zoomed out shot of the Cliff Palace

So what did I do?

We ended up driving the 23+ miles to Mancos, Colorado from the lodge and I parked in front of a playground, so that the girls could stay occupied and I could work via cell (from the truck). It wasn’t ideal, but I got the work done. Needless to say, we learned A LOT this week about what will work and what won’t.

A bit of “work from anywhere” reflection:

Obviously this week came with its challenges. Despite them, the experiences alone were absolutely worth the stress. One thing I wanted to be sure to share for those digital nomads out there, especially those working with colleagues in more traditional roles, is this…

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t have a quality connection. Hell, “Susan in accounting” (sorry mom), could easily be dealing with the same issues in her home office, or cubicle. All that matters is that you manage your schedule to make sure the work gets done. And I’ve found that over communicating also seems to lessen the impact of any schedule changes.

The girls are finally asleep and we’re enjoying the sunset from our balcony in Mesa Verde!

As always, thanks for reading and I hope this post inspires you to visit two more of our beautiful American National parks. With that being said, I don’t think I would recommend working remotely from them :).

In the words of Rick Steve’s, “keep on traveling”,

Kyle

Remote Work from an Air Bnb; Estes Park and Rocky Mountain NP

In this post I walk through our stay in Estes Park, discuss why Air Bnbs are ideal “work from anywhere” accommodations and what I look for when choosing an Air Bnb for remote work. I’ll also hit on my remote working gear and a few tips that help make earning from the road a little easier.

Glo and I hiking in RMNP

Week 4 on the road:

This week we “put our feet up” in the little town of Estes Park (CO), which is about 90 minutes northwest of Denver and directly borders Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). We rented an air bnb just outside of town, which ended up being perfect for us, as it had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, making it extremely easy to put the girls to sleep and then relax in the living room. This layout is generally the minimum floorplan that we look for in rentals, so that we have separate areas for sleeping, living and working. Otherwise it ends up being a challenge (as I’m sure you will see in future hotel stays).

Our living room in the short term rental

We feel like we visited RMNP at the perfect time of year. The park itself was largely empty of tourists (like us) and that made exploring really enjoyable because we could hike empty trails and see plenty of wildlife. One afternoon we saw 4 elk and 59 deer just from driving through the park! Two of our favorite family friendly hikes were the Fern Lake Trail and Cub Lake Trail (FYI - we did not hike the entirety of either trail, but only went as far as our littlest legs could take us!)

Cub Lake Trail, RMNP

Family Friendly Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park:

Cub Lake Trail: 6 mile loop with minimal elevation gain until the 1.5 mile mark and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains

Fern Lake Trail: 7.5 mile out and back hike with minimal elevation gain until later in the hike (~1,500 in entirety)

Estes Park town center was also relatively empty and we thoroughly enjoyed walking the main drag, with it’s small town vibe. We specifically liked Estes Park Brewery and Bob and Tony’s Pizza (there is a distillery in the restaurant!) for dining with young children. Estes Park Sugar Shack was also a hit with Selima.

I think that one of the things that amazed me about Estes Park is how remote it is. When you are driving in from Denver, you climb this very windy, steep highway for miles. At some point, you hit peak elevation and the trees and mountains sort of part ways to the beautiful valley that the town of Estes Park sits in. It’s truly a “remote metropolis”, if there even is such a thing. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been!

Along the Fern Lake Trail in RMNP

The air bnb office:

We were really looking forward to getting to Estes Park and settling down a bit. It would be the first time we could really setup our workspaces and rely on easily accessible, high speed internet. In my opinion, short term rentals (or “air bnb offices”, as I affectionately call them) provide some of the best setups when traveling with a family and getting work done.

The “air bnb office” is ideal for remote work on-the-go for several reasons:

1. Short term rentals (air bnb, vrbo, homeaway etc), or STRs are located in almost every destination

2. STRs provide an advantage over a typical hotel room because you can get more space (2+ br, office, etc)

3. Generally speaking, there is always high speed internet (but still confirm before booking!)

In addition to these four benefits, I found our Estes Park STR to provide more flexibility in my actual work schedule. Since I was two hours behind the east coast, I could wake up early, get my work done, and still have people available if I needed to hop on the phone. I also loved having the dedicated workspace, so that I could be more flexible if other people needed me. Because lets be real, working while riding is cool and all, but it isn’t as easy as a dedicated space (I know Kailah feels the same).

Estes Park Brewery (2 min from RMNP and 5 min from our STR)

My Work From Anywhere gear:

Besides using a short term rental, I’ve found specific gear that has made my life a whole heck of a lot easier when I’m staying in one. Check out my list below:

1. Lepow Portable Monitor: This ones a no brainer. If you work from your laptop, grab an extra portable monitor like this one and double your screens. The Lepow comes with a cover, which easily folds out into a kickstand - perfect for next to your laptop.

2. Logitech M705 Bluetooth Mouse: A friend introduced me to this mouse and I’ll never look back. Sounds trivial, but trust me, this thing is inexpensive, durable and fits my hand perfectly.

3. Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard: This keyboard is light and super compact (no number pad though) and is really easy to use. I take it everywhere. One thing that’s important to mention is that this keyboard doesn’t require one of those annoying dongles, so you can keep your usb port open.

4. Noise Canceling Bluetooth Headphones: Noise cancelling, ear covering headphones are probably the best investment you can make if you want to work on the go. They knock down all outside noise, provide crystal clear audio (input and output) and are perfect for a plane ride.

5. An inexpensive, mobile desk: If you are traveling by road, this can make a STR office setup really easy. I recommend going with something cheap and light. If it breaks, or you don’t need it anymore, you can give it away, or recycle it. (I use the one in the link).

My usual setup (I guess I need to work on my lighting…)

Speeds and closing: One last thing that I’ve alluded to in the past and I think is worth mentioning when working from short term rentals, is internet speed. At a minimum, I recommend making sure your host has at least 20 MBPS download and 5 MBPS upload speeds. This makes videos calls, data work, content creation etc MUCH less frustrating and MUCH more efficient.

Anyway, I hope this helps any readers who want to work from an air bnb, or other short term rental. Please check back in next week, as I talk through some major struggles relating to bad wifi and sketchy service in Great Sand Dunes NP and Mesa Verde NP.

Cheers!

Kyle

"Congratulations! Your Travel Days Are Over..."

How many times were we told that Selima would bring the end of our travel lives? Too many to count. People would say "you did it right. You got your traveling out of the way before children". As if when the she came out, there would be this invisible barrier that prevented us from walking out the front door of our house. Or even worse, when people found out we were having a baby they would say "Well, I guess you're traveling days are over!". As if that little embryo crawled up Kailah's uterus and flipped the ol' "travel switch" permanently to off. Honestly, it was disheartening. But it was also motivating. And fortunately for us, we made the commitment to each other to continue to do what we love.

Selima has now been to 4 countries (Iceland, Switzerland, Austria and Germany), California, Washington and Texas. She's flown on 10 different airplanes. Chugged along on over 25 trains. And walked (or been carried) tens of thousands of steps. Kailah and I are proud of ourselves.

I say all of this, to say…that it has also been hard. We'll be the first to admit that travel is far from the same with a baby or toddler…not to mention if you have multiple. There are minimal dinners out past 5 PM (unless we invite grandparents on the trip!). Rather than sightseeing, or enjoying a relaxing glass of wine on our balcony, we very well might find ourselves at the park in town swinging and sliding. What it comes down to is that we would rather be traveling with Selima, than not traveling at all.

Many people have asked us how we've "done it". How have we continued our love for visiting foreign lands, with a baby (and now toddler) in tow. For those that do travel with their kids, they know that there isn't a single answer to that question. We are all different people, with different children and since our kids are constantly growing, we are always traveling with a new version of our child. So how the heck can we help others by providing advice? We can only do our best to try.

Instead of listening to me babble on about in-flight tactics and travel planning with kids, I think it's best to talk about our high level mindset (however, don’t hesitate to email us at travelplanning@nowhereonearth.com for any specific questions!). The entire ordeal of travel, from a difficulty standpoint, is really all psychological. If we were traveling alone, we would deal with most of the same stress that we do with Selima, but with her getting added to the mix exaggerates those worries. For example, after a long day of flying, the last thing you want to do is stand in a line for two hours at customs. When you add a screaming child to said line, the anxiety can sky rocket.

So how do we do it? We start by booking the flights…

Well "duh" Kyle. Everyone knows that. But seriously, it's literally one of the most difficult things we do. When we commit ourselves to hundreds (if not thousands) in airfare, it creates a pretty damn good motivator to follow through. It also does something more important. It starts the ball rolling. It represents action and commitment. There is such a huge difference between planning a trip that we have purchased flights for and planning a trip we haven't. Especially when traveling abroad.

The next part is discipline. And this really starts at a young age. When 4 month old Selima was screaming in her crib and had been for 30 minutes, we watched with frantic, weary eyes from the baby monitor. All we wanted to do was go in there and pick her up. But the doctor said she'd learn to put herself to sleep. 10 minutes later…she was out like a light. It seems small, but it's this level of discipline that is so helpful for us when traveling. It helped prepare us, and Selima. When you know that screaming baby is ready to close her eyes for the remaining 7 hours of a flight and you just have to fight through the next 20 minutes of bouncing, shushing, screaming and crying…it gets easier, and less stressful. This goes for more than just tired babies. Once you've learned to keep pushing through, that cancelled flight, or two hour wait in customs doesn't seem so bad. Last week in Switzerland, my phone stopped functioning (thank you Selima for punching it repeatedly), Amazon compromised our credit card (and then did it again 2 weeks later) and somehow we got separated at the train station in Bern. I literally watched in disbelief as my wife and daughter drove by me on a bullet train headed for Interlaken, while I stood on the platform. These types of things would be stressful at home, within our comfort zone. But in a foreign country? …Only if we allow it…

The final piece when traveling with children, in my opinion, is "expectation versus reality". We do not travel with the expectation that we will be able to follow our plans. We ALREADY KNOW that kids AND travel are unpredictable. So we set that expectation in our PLAN. If we convince ourselves that one dinner out on the entire trip would be "nice", then two dinners is a bonus! (plus, shopping for local foods and sampling them at your apartment rental is a blast and cheaper). If we want to see multiple sights in one day, then we might leave the next day open. If the first day's plan goes awry, no problem! The moral of the story is that we will do less, but still more than if we were at home. We just need to be sure to set our expectations correctly.

To tie it all together, the key to travel with kids is really like doing anything else in life. It's a combination of the “why”, our discipline and expectation versus reality. We do it because it's WORTH the effort to us, we remain disciplined to push through the difficult times and we set our expectations correctly. If we do these things, we are at least setting ourselves up for success. The rest is just noise. Usually screaming…

Kyle