Uprooted, an eco/travel blog

I stayed in Boston twice: once at the hostel, and once as a couchsurfer. Each has its charms, and its problems; what are the differences, and which would you choose?

SAD NEWS: This campground is no longer free. But it’s still lovely, and I still recommend you visit.

So I met up with Quiet Earp in Columbia, Missouri. I’d been staying in Louisville, and he was driving from Nevada to New York. Going to Missouri was a bit of a backtrack, but it turned out to [...]

(1) …Our narrator arrives.
I’ve always wanted to visit Arkansas. Maybe it’s just the name. Maybe it’s the backcountry, down-home Americana imagery associated with that part of the world. Probably it has a lot to do with the Ozarks, that oddly-named bed of mountains promising lush greenery, clapboard shacks, crawdads and moonshine. Whatever the reason, once [...]

Hostels, done right, are some of my favorite places to stay. They aren’t always awesome (see Abominable Snow Mansion), but the ones that have their act together are great places to meet people, live (and eat!) for cheap, and generally get the most out of whatever town you’re passing through.
I’d heard that the Austin hostel [...]

Got Couch? Trucker Cap

Today, friends, is the 2nd annual International CouchSurfing Day!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term: CouchSurfing.org is a web-based community built around the ideals of freeganism and community participation. The concept is simple: if you have a couch or extra bed in your home, why not share it with [...]

My first night in Taos, I stayed in the Abominable Snow Mansion, an HI hostel.
Happily for me, I moved along the very next day.
I mean, look: when you stay in a hostel, you know pretty much what to expect. Shared rooms with bunk beds, lots of young people with interesting accents and stories, common areas [...]