Some days, this feels like the most magical thing we’ve ever built. Other days, it feels like we’re one inconvenience away from a breakdown. Here’s what helps us keep going even when we’re dead tired and deeply over it.

No spreadsheet could fully prepare us for this part… when the novelty wears off, the adrenaline fades, and all that’s left is a whole lot of work and an ever-growing to-do list.

We’re looking back at our first year as vacation hosts, including what went right, what went hilariously wrong, and the lessons we’re taking into Season Two! Come for the before-and-after photos, stay for the story behind Lincoln’s Lodge.

Our first-ever rental guests were in Montana in February, with no hot water and a nonworking microwave, while we were helpless 1,200 miles away in Texas. Welcome to remote hosting, where your midnight panic attack comes with a side of what were we thinking?!

When we asked for the property to be fully furnished, we were thinking beds, a couch, maybe a kitchen table if we were lucky. What we got instead was… everything. Every single rusty, dusty, questionably useful thing. This is the story of how “fully furnished” became fully overwhelmed. Welcome to The Great Cabin Purge!

Most places require miles of hiking or off-road driving to reach views even a fraction of this picturesque. But in the Canadian Rockies, the views are everywhere. When I say this is one of the dreamiest road trips, here’s what I mean…

The vibrancy of Lake Louise is even more striking from this skyline summit, where its creamy turquoise waters pop against the gray haze of the sky and the iconic Fairmont Chateau. But first, we have to earn this epic view!

This third excerpt is hosted on our sister site, Dreamy Travelogues. This site features "pinch me" places, from luxurious hotels to immersive experiences and the most perfect views. Chateau Lake Louise was the one that started it all.

Today officially begins our adventure along Highway 93 as we drive from Lake Louise to Jasper, a route often celebrated as one of the world’s ultimate road trips. An abundance of beauty makes the Canadian Rockies so magical—and this drive is about to take our breath away in more ways than one!

The Icefields Parkway is named after the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest accumulations of ice and snow south of the Arctic Circle. This massive icefield is the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains and a must-stop on our road trip.