Anelise and Tyler Salvo are on a mission to enjoy life with their two kids and see as much of the world as possible. They spend their summers working in Lake Tahoe and the rest of their year exploring far off countries and California campgrounds. They took a moment to chat with us about how they make seasonal living work, and the joys of traveling with their little ones. Follow along on their family journey @ourtwoseasons.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
“We are Anelise and Tyler and we have two small kiddos, Costa and Birdie Bay. We’re living our summer months in North Lake Tahoe, California where Tyler owns half of Tahoe Sailing Charters. During the other months we travel, always abroad and then lots of camping in our Scamp trailer. We are ocean lovers, sun chasers and truly island people so that is usually where we can be found. And Italy. We usually make it to Italy once a year to visit Tyler’s dad in Sicily — and to eat all the food.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Jan 23, 2019 at 1:22pm PST
How long have you been living seasonally?
“This is our fifth year living seasonally. I can’t believe it! We decided about eight years ago we needed to live seasonally, but we didn’t know how and then the Tahoe Sailing Charters opportunity came up and it was the perfect fit. We moved from Santa Barbara, California so the mountain life was (and is) still sort of an adjustment, but we get to be beachside so much of the year, so it’s a perfect balance.”
What made Scamp Goldie, your scamp trailer, the perfect adventure mobile for you?
“We were pregnant with our baby girl (who is now 8 months old) last summer and we kept thinking about how we were very soon going to be a family of four and what that would look like when we visit my parents in Santa Barbara. We thought being in a guest room anywhere would be tight so we decided having a camper trailer be our home base during the off-season would make the most sense.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Jan 12, 2019 at 8:14am PST
“When Tyler started doing hours and hours of research on campers, he really decided that the Scamp was the perfect camper for us. The fifth wheel, in particular, was just exactly what we needed and it’s so light so our van (at the time, we now have a truck) would be able to pull it no problem. We fell in love with the fifth wheel Scamp idea and so then it was just a matter of finding the right one in our budget. A month later we found our 1990 19-foot Scamp an hour and a half from us. It was so meant to be.”
Did you make need to make any renovations?
“Um yes. So many. Goldie was in great condition, but she had really not had any TLC in the last 20 years. Being the handyman that he is, Ty was able to spend last summer (about 2 months super part-time) renovating it. We threw out the cushions and had custom ones made, we painted the cabinets, added new hardware, and replaced the carpet with laminate wood flooring. Ty re-wired the whole camper, added solar panels, re-constructed the water tanks and the whole system. It was a lot of work with a toddler and newborn and a full-time job, but we did it. We left Tahoe in October with Goldie in tow and of course, there are more things we want to do, but she is awesome and a gem.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Aug 23, 2018 at 10:59am PDT
How has your first offseason with Scamp gone?
“It’s been a lot of testing and re-working. We added window covers that we made before our first big camping trip and then came to find out when it rained the condensation leaked down onto the mattresses! Things that you can’t even troubleshoot for until it actually happens out in life. We are still learning her quirks and then spending the time working them out. Having our own home for the kids to be familiar with and know is their home away from home is really what we love about it all. It’s our little cozy nest that has very limited storage — so we can’t live with a lot, which is just how we like it.”
What’s your the best camp spot you’ve visited?
“So far camping at Refugio, just north of Santa Barbara, has been a dream! I grew up at this beach and camping here, but waking up to the waves and the beach with my kids and calling it home for a bit is such a gift! It’s really magical.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Jan 21, 2019 at 11:08am PST
Do you have certain “road trip roles”?
“Tyler is the cook in our family so he really takes the reins on the food department and then I naturally am the organizer and am the one getting us ready for whatever we’re doing (i.e. dressing the kids, packing the bags). My brain needs organization and planning ahead and Ty is very much in the moment so it’s a great balance. We both love alternating our favorite podcasts, but when the kids are awake we are usually listening to Sesame Street. Costa usually has the say in that department.”
How has having two children changed the way you travel?
“The biggest change has been we have zero free time or extra time to just relax. That must sound funny, but it’s true. Having two kids is not just double the energy, it’s about twenty times the energy. It’s wonderful and we would never want it any other way and of course, it will look different when they are older. When we are traveling through airports or adventuring in a new town, we always naturally tag-team. So Tyler is “on” Costa and I’m “on” with Birdie Bay; that’s usually how it goes. It helps us, mentally, know that everyone is taken care of and we don’t need to spread ourselves even thinner! We also travel lighter than we ever have! It’s amazing because there are more of us but it also has forced me to pack extra light so I don’t get overwhelmed with how much stuff we are traveling with. It’s been a great change we all appreciate.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Mar 5, 2019 at 1:29pm PST
What’s the most magical thing about traveling with kids?
“Ugh there are so many, but I would say it opens up your experience to people. People love kids. They are magnets to kids and it really makes you experience the world with the lens that it is truly a wonderful place filled with good-hearted people because that is what our kids attract. It’s remarkable.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Nov 2, 2018 at 9:15am PDT
What do you love most about camping and traveling with Goldie?
“The freedom to go anywhere and live anywhere with all our stuff, we can leave any time and change plans anytime and we have everything we need. We don’t need to pack up, it’s just all with us. Basically, we are snails or turtles. It’s the best.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Jul 28, 2018 at 9:39am PDT
What lessons do you hope to teach them through seasonal living/travel?
“All we really want is to enjoy life with our kids and see the world so this life is really conducive to that. We are with them 24/7 and we get to see every single development, new word, funny thing they do or say. It’s our dream in real life.”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Jan 14, 2019 at 7:15am PST
“We decided this lifestyle was how we wanted to raise our kids because we want them to learn by living, we want their schooling to be out in the world as well as in books, we want them to know from a very young age that the U.S. is not the only country in the world and that our culture or way of life is not the only one. We want them to develop friendships with people all over the world so that the world becomes so open and available to them that they grow up loving the world and all it has to offer instead of being afraid of the unknown.”
What’s one suggestion you would give other families thinking about traveling via van or camper?
“Do it! It’s so fun. It’s ideal to have someone around you who can fix things on the go because there are always fixes and troubleshooting that happens. Find a camper that fits your lifestyle and family and vehicle situation and remember that you don’t need a super expensive camper to make it work. Ours is 20 years old and cost us less than ten thousand dollars and then we just made it our own. Just make sure it has good energy and feels like a place you could nap in, eat in, all the things.”
What are your 5 must-have items in Goldie?
1. “Every single camping family should have a handheld shop vacuum. It’s been a game-changer and we can clean Goldie in about five minutes.”
2. “Storage bins for our clothes. We each have one and they are all stackable.”
3. “Stovetop coffee maker!”
4. “Cozy bedding. Nothing like a cozy down comforter and mattress to make it really feel like home.”
5. “Our propane heater! We added it when we did the renovation and we really could not live without it!”
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A post shared by Anelise Salvo (@ourtwoseasons) on Oct 26, 2018 at 4:35pm PDT
Rapid Fire Q&A
Ocean or mountains?
“Ocean”
Sunrise or sunset?
“Sunrise”
Planning or spontaneity?
“Both!”
International or U.S. travel?
“International but with Goldie then the U.S.”
Coffee or tea?
“Coffee”
