Canadian travellers discover their happy place in the RV lifestyle

What started as a holiday in a rental unit turned into a lifelong source of joy and adventure

The cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic had a silver lining for Sara Marano and her husband. Amidst the challenges posed by shut-downs and restrictions, the couple found freedom in the RV lifestyle.

Sara has a blog, a travel planning site and an Instagram account known as The Average Tourist, not to mention a YouTube account where she shares tips on destinations worth visiting, and other RV-related topics. 

We were lucky enough to speak with Sara and find out more about her new-found love of RVing.

- Photo courtesy Sara Marano

What inspired you to buy an RV and start camping?

There were a few things that actually inspired me to buy an RV. The first was the pandemic. With international and even interprovincial travel shut down, it forced my husband and I to explore our home province of Ontario, and in doing so I realized there were so many great cities, towns, and attractions to enjoy right here. But a downside was that many of these attractions didn’t have great accommodations to stay in, or accommodations were really expensive and booked too far in advance.

The second and biggest influence was the British Columbia road trip I planned for my husband and I in late 2021. I booked a converted Airstream for one of our nights on Vancouver Island as a unique stay. I even have a photo of the exact moment I knew RVing was in our future while we were sitting on the deck outside the Airstream relaxing under the big weeping willow.

We saw so many people camping around Vancouver Island on that trip—pulling their travel trailers or living vanlife and when we got back we started researching trailers and jumped right in!

- Photo courtesy Sara Marano

How long have you loved to travel?

I’ve loved to travel since I was a young child. My parents would take my sister and I on a family vacation each year, usually in the summer. One of those was a three-week road trip to eastern Canada. On that specific trip we went tent camping, spent time in nature, and I got to see the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time. 

Another memorable trip was when I went to Disney for the first time at 14. My absolute favourite park was Epcot because it felt like I was exploring the world as I visited the different country pavilions. From there my passion for travel just continued to grow. 

- Photo courtesy Sara Marano

How long have you had your travel blog?

I started my travel blog in 2017 as a creative outlet. Then in late 2018 I started focusing on my YouTube channel as a way to not only document my own travels, but also to help others going on similar trips. Both outlets were great ways to combine my passion for travel, and my education in communications and social media marketing. In 2020 at the onset of the pandemic (before we knew what we were in for) I started my own independent travel business. So now my personal life (outside of my 9-5) revolves almost entirely around travel and camping!

Have you gone on any adventures yet? (If so, where?)

We have been on quite a few adventures with our little Coachman Clipper since we got it in late May. Most of these trips have been to Ontario Provincial Parks like Grundy Lake, Lake St. Peter, Bass Lake and Mara Provincial Park, to name a few. But I also joined Harvest Hosts and we’ve boondocked at a few different wineries and cideries in Ontario over the past few months. I scheduled 17 camping trips between May and October and we’ll have made it to 13 different Ontario Provincial Parks by the end of the season. And, in those trips I’ve also been able to get to some cities and towns I’ve never been to before—like Sudbury, Parry Sound, and Orillia. It’s been an amazing first camping season!

- Photo courtesy Sara Marano

What are you most excited about going forward?

I’m most excited about the sense of freedom having a camper grants me. To get out in nature, to explore areas of the province I’ve never been to before, and to pick up and go wherever our truck can take us, without really worrying about where we will stay. We get to bring our mobile hotel with us and always have the comforts of home with us. I also can’t wait to take my camper to other provinces and even across the border to see more of North America.

What are your future travel plans?

At the end of October, we’ll be putting our camper into storage for the winter so my focus will be shifting to international travel at that point. I have a trip to Los Angeles and a Mexican Riviera cruise planned for the winter. But I’m already thinking about where we can camp next summer! I’m hoping to get further north to explore some of the Northern Ontario Provincial Parks, and maybe even take our trailer across the border to see some of Vermont, Upstate New York, and the surrounding area. There are just so many possibilities, and so little time!

- Photo courtesy Sara Marano

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

As someone who hadn’t camped during my adult years, I really jumped “all-in” to this new camping lifestyle. And the only regret I have about it, is that I didn’t start sooner. Camping has truly added an element to my life that I didn’t even know was missing, and it’s allowed me to connect with the peacefulness of nature, and make the most of my summer months. If you’re thinking about camping and not sure if you like it, you don’t have to go “all-in” like I did. There are plenty of ways to dip your toes in to see if it’s for you and to experiment to find the type of camping you like best. But definitely give it a try!