Author: Diana Southern

In March 2014, Diana called it quits on her traditional American working life and set out to explore the world with her partner in crime (and love of her life) Ian Norman. They now live a sustainable life of full time travel, working for themselves and seeking adventure at the same time. Here on North to South, Diana documents their journey in achieving and maintaining this "road less traveled" way of life.
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Burning Man 2014: Portraits of a Camp

Burning Man 2014: Portraits of a Camp on northtosouth.us

Burning Man 2014: Portraits of a Camp on northtosouth.us

It’s been one week since our return to the Default World, so it’s high time for some Burning Man photo sharing here on the blog. Our fellow burners are mostly what makes Black Rock City feel like home, so it’s only appropriate that our first Burning Man recap highlights the people.

Sunset photo shoots with our burner friends have become tradition after a second successful year of playa portraits. When the light’s just right, Ian grabs his camera and we round up anyone in ear shot. From year to year our camp roster may change but never fails to express its wild and friendly spirit during these spontaneous photo excursions into the dust.

Burning Man 2014 sunset portraits on the playa on northtosouth.us Burning Man 2014 sunset portraits on the playa on northtosouth.us Burning Man 2014 sunset male portraits on the playa on northtosouth.us

So, from Ian and I to our fellow campmates and friends (and our fondly yet peculiarly named camp), this one’s for you.

To everyone else, meet the 2014 cast of Prosciutto Bay. Continue reading “Burning Man 2014: Portraits of a Camp”

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How to Prepare for Burning Man

How To Prepare for Burning Man on northtosouth.us

How To Prepare for Burning Man on northtosouth.us

[NOTE: This post was written prior to Burning Man 2014, but all the steps below still apply, year after year. Have a great burn, everyone.]

16 days til the man burns. That means less than two weeks to finish prepping for our week-long journey into radical self reliance and expression in the playa of Black Rock City. (If you’re not familiar with this exquisitely unique festival, read more here.)

When prepping for Burning Man, careful planning helps keep Walmart trips, Amazon orders and overall expenses to a minimum. These next two weeks we’ll be sharing our preparation process right here for your reading pleasure. Organization is key, so I’m splitting up the whole charade into easy-to-follow (but very thorough) steps. Continue reading “How to Prepare for Burning Man”

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Our 5 Essentials for Sleeping Easy on a Summer Camping Trip

Our 5 Essentials for Sleeping Easy on a Summer Camping Trip on northtosouth.us

Our 5 Essentials for Sleeping Easy on a Summer Camping Trip on northtosouth.us

Summer is one of the best seasons to experience nature and camp in the great outdoors. But Mother Nature can be brutal if you’re not prepared.

We’ve tried TONS of camping gear over the years, and below you’ll find a concise collection of our favorites — only the tried-and-true gear that consistently provides us a restful sleep in the great outdoors. Continue reading “Our 5 Essentials for Sleeping Easy on a Summer Camping Trip”

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5 Healthy Camping Meal Ideas with 6 Ingredients or Less

5 Healthy Camping Meals with 6 Ingredients or Less on northtosouth.us

Camping Cooking and Kitchen: 5 Healthy Camping Meal Ideas with 6 Ingredients or Less on northtosouth.us

Ian and I cook together all the time. When we’re on the road, though, it’s easy to succumb to the convenience of fast food. But golden arches, greasy tacos, and even Jared’s go-to sandwich shop get old fast. Lucky for us, we’ve got a list of recipes just for times like this — all with a short, easy to find list of ingredients.
Continue reading “5 Healthy Camping Meal Ideas with 6 Ingredients or Less”

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Arches Trail and the Milky Way at Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah

Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah on northtosouth.us

Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah on northtosouth.us

Between Zion and Bryce Canyon, we stopped in Red Canyon to set up camp on day 3 of Road Trip USA: Summer 2014. After having a hard time finding camping at Zion, we pulled into Red Canyon Campground around 3pm to avoid another after-dark search for camping.

Red Canyon is located near Panguitch, Utah, in the Powell Ranger District of the expansive Dixie National Forest. With a landscape resembling a hybrid between Zion and Bryce, Red Canyon is home to red sandstone spires as well as dense sections of pine trees.

Hiking Arches Trail, Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah on northtosouth.us
Continue reading “Arches Trail and the Milky Way at Red Canyon, Dixie National Forest, Utah”

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Zion National Park, Utah, USA

Zion National Park, Utah, USA on northtosouth.us

Zion National Park, Utah, USA on northtosouth.us
Above: Zion Canyon from Angels Landing at sunset

June 18-19, 2014

Without a cloud in the sky, our second destination on Road Trip USA: Summer 2014 was hot but breathtakingly beautiful (and also quite appropriately named). Zion — or “the promised land” — is a large National Park in Utah home to the popular Zion Canyon, an expanse surrounded by sandstone and limestone formations tall enough to almost entirely shade the valley below by early afternoon. Continue reading “Zion National Park, Utah, USA”