In the last three months, we’ve done our fair share of traveling, but two months ago we officially landed for a Michigan Bus Break. So while we’re stationary, the journey continues — just a little more locally flavored! Michigan is one of our Home Bases, so we came up to soak in the summer, reconnect with our people, and give the bus (and us) a breather from the road.
This Michigan Bus Break gave us a window to handle all the things best tackled while actually in-state — think doctor appointments, dental checkups, eyeglass runs, and plenty of elbow grease poured into our property.
Between bus and car maintenance and continued progress on the catio, it’s been nice to be rooted in one spot. Our wonderful friends have opened their home to us while we wait to gain vehicle access to our land. (For now? Walk-in only. The plot thickens!)
🧭 Blog Revamp During the Michigan Bus Break
I’ve also put in some serious work reorganizing the blog — finally tackled the navigation! In the “Stops on the Road” dropdown, the U.S. is now sorted by region, and we’ve included a running list of unique repurpose stores.
Just click the region you’re curious about, choose your state, and voilà — a curated menu of all the attractions we’ve uncovered! To level it up, we built a comprehensive travel map of every destination featured.
→ Click the Map!
Yes, it looks wild at first. But zoom in and magic happens! Hit that little open box in the upper right to pop it into Google Maps.
We’ve also bundled travel resources onto a single page — pet tips, places to stay, money savers — all in one evolving hub. Bookmark it if you wander like we do!
📍 Bus Life Blunders & Wins — All Part of the Michigan Bus Break
Let’s talk catio wins: we officially finished it! The video update is pending, waiting on feline cooperation 😹 They can now come and go without demanding midnight door service. Phil and Bean are loving it. Heddy? Too scared. Scabbers? Full-on diva behavior. But they’ll come around (probably).
Also, we had a minor vehicular drama…
We tried a bold left turn that turned into a jackknife moment in the road. In the scramble to unhook and reset, Zach forgot to pop the car out of gear — super easy mistake. A half-mile later, we saw smoke.
🔥 Yup… dragged it, and it caught fire.
But get this:
A kind soul had already called 911
That same person knew someone who could tow it free of charge
We were back on the road within the hour
Our car may be toast, but the outcome could’ve been worse. Zach had the fire mostly out before responders arrived — quick thinking for the win.
🚲 Rebuilding During Our Michigan Bus Break
Sightseeing in the bus post-fire? Hilariously impossible. So we revisited our e-bike dilemma — too powerful, not my jam. Then, at a PEV event, someone actually offered to swap a car for it.
What?!
We’re now rolling around in a modest but magical Honda — nothing fancy, but absolutely perfect for exploring all the weird attractions Michigan tosses our way. And yes, geocaching is back on the table! You try doing that every mile in a bus…
We’re still wrapping up a few things during this extended Michigan Bus Break, including a quick parent meet-up (they’re road-tripping too!). Once that’s done? The wheels keep turning. 🚍✨
The Michigan Bus Break didn’t just leave tire marks—it left stories, lessons, and the occasional smoky reminder to listen to your co-pilot (hi, me). For more on the places that shaped the pause, check out Michigan.gov or dive into our page listing lots of fabulous Things To Do in Michigan!