David Bowman’s bucket list consisted of two things: live on a bus and visit every national park in the U.S. So when his wife, Madison, who had encouraged him to make the list, saw the items, she had to try to make them happen. The couple, along with their kids (4-year-old Graham and 1-year-old Margaret), ditched their Manhattan apartment for an airport shuttle bus and began to renovate it for their adventures.
David told Today.com: “Why settle into regular life when it’s 2017 and you can work on the internet?” And settle they did not. After purchasing the shuttle bus on eBay (and christening it “Buster”), the family set to work tearing out the seats and refurbishing the inside, installing a master bedroom, a kitchen, and bunkbeds. Finally, on May 26, they set off, driving up the California coast towards Alaska, recording their adventures on American Field Trip.
“We love the idea of preserving wild places for people to go recreate, recharge, and witness the wonder of nature,” the couple says on their website. But the best part? Watching their son grow with each new challenge.
“I love seeing Graham’s confidence grow as he does things he doesn’t think he can do,” Madison said. “Whenever we finish a hike, listening to him talk about what he was able to do and the things that he saw has been incredible as a parent.”
In all likelihood, the kids won’t have any recollection of the 18-month escapade, but Madison says that traveling is valuable for more than the memories. “If it turns out to be a total bust,” she concludes, “it’s seriously the funnest bust I could imagine.”
And today we celebrate...