Golden Canyon State Park Family Photos

To an extent, I have always been a champion of the underdogs. A fan of people who pursue their dreams instead of following the normal path. A lover of things outside the norm. Countercultures intrigue me. Travels with Charley, On the Road, Blue Highways…these are some of my favorite books. Scheduling my summer to revolve around Phish tour? Been there, done that. Multiple day float trips down the river (the longer the better), stopping in the late afternoon to set up camp, temporarily living in a place where time doesn’t matter…yes please.

So when Rachel and Eric called me up on a hot sunny October day, I quickly become intrigued. They briefly told me their story–they had sold everything, bought an RV, and were traveling around the country in it with their two small sons. They were in the area and wanted photos that capture this moment in their life. They would be in Longmont, Boulder, and Golden, Colorado. After a bit of discussion, it was decided that I would head up to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and photograph them there within a week.

Before the day of our session, it snowed. And not just a little dusting–the mountains around Golden got several inches on this October day. I headed to the family, eager to capture their RV life. I was super excited, curious, and just a little bit envious. And giddy too because first snows should always do that.

(Anybody else a Gilmore Girls fan?)

At any rate, when I arrived to their RV (which I think is technically called a fifth wheel because it is pulled by a pick-up truck), we hung out inside for a bit, snacking, playing with toys, reading books, chilling on the master bed. And then we headed into the snow…which was kind of a big deal because the family is from California and the boys had never seen a big real snowstorm before. The kids were amazing in the snow! The layers, the cold…is enough to make any young child grumpy. But the kids were troopers and enjoyed throwing snowballs, exploring the woods, and cooking S’mores.

I left the family, still giddy from the snow, feeling very inspired and full of possibility. They did their own thing and were living an amazing life of family, the road, and adventure. Will my family one day do something this epic?!

Keep scrolling for the full time RV life family photos!