Meet the Family of 8 Taking a Two-Year Road Trip Exploring the US
In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic families all over the world have been left taking inventory of their personal lives. For many, the pandemic forced a period of reflection for each of us and with that reflection many of us were left rethinking what matters most. For the Eyerly Family that meant taking extreme measures, flipping their lives upside down, and planning for drastic changes to their day to day lives.
Dane and Deena are new to blogging and YouTube, but after hearing about their plans we suspect they’ll make some big waves. After falling in love in college, the two were married after just one year. Now, just as they prepare to celebrate 10 years of marriage they’re taking their love story on a new adventure, with their six kids in tow!
During the pandemic the Eyerly’s set off on a short road trip to escape the sticks and bricks of their own home. The family of 8, including their twin one year olds, set off in their 2018 Ford Transit for a 2 week trip that would take them past some of the greatest sites in the United States, including a stop at Utah’s Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, where Dane and Deena were engaged 10 years earlier. Unfortunately, like most of us, they were on a time schedule and had to get back to work. It was on the return drive that Dane and Deena say they felt inspired to make some drastic changes.
As Dane explains it,
“On that road trip with my wife and kids I took a good look around and knew something was wrong. That’s when I decided I was done working for someone else.
I had driven over 2000 miles with my kids all strapped in, taking in the sites of the beautiful country we live in, we stopped to enjoy time with family, drove through mountains, and were keeping a strict schedule to get me home to work on time. On the way home I looked at my wife and said ‘No! I’m done with this.’
I asked myself if spending 2 days a week and 2 weeks a year with my family was enough? My truly awesome family! It seems to be what we all do. It is what we have grown used to, but as I reflected and thought about it, I knew it wasn’t enough. I could not stand the thought of rushing home to stop hanging out with my kids. I had just passed the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado and decided I was going to take the rest of the drive home a little slower. So, we made an unplanned stop at the next “attraction” in New Mexico — Capulin Volcano. We climbed the rim of the volcano, climbed down into the volcano, and just had a great time. I was finally enjoying the time I had with my family and was not concerned with making someone else’s dreams come true because my dream had come true — a wife and kids I do not deserve, the ability to travel freely, and all the world at my fingertips.”
After leaving Capulin Volcano the Eyerly’s took a deep dive into figuring out what their next steps would be and how they really wanted to move forward with life. A few short weeks after arriving back to their home in Texas they found and purchased a 2009 Van Hool TD925 Double Decker bus. Now, nearly a year later they’ve converted the double-decker into a roaming tiny home. The Eyerly’s plan to set off on an incredible two-year adventure traveling to all 50 states (using their tiny home to visit the lower 48).
“It works out to approximately two weeks in every state,” says Deena.
“We’ll spend more time in larger states and less time in some of the smaller states, but we’re excited to show the kids this incredible country and give them experiences they’ll remember their entire lives.”
Dane and Deena admit they are not the most experienced travellers, and they expect plenty of challenges along the way, but are excited to share the challenges together as a family and with anyone willing to watch. Dane has found ways to make a living while traveling and the family plans to document their experiences on their blog, YouTube channel, and other social media.
As for the kids, they seem pretty excited too, stating they look forward to seeing as many national parks, football stadiums, and baseball stadiums as possible.
The Eyerly Family a.k.a. The Double Decker Family looks forward to living for the moment and sharing their experiences with their friends and family along the way. They hope their journey inspires other families to take a look at what matters most and share the beauty of the world with everyone around them.
