Ride With Us! 15,642 Miles, Seventy Nights Camping by Sportyman
A refreshing, unfiltered ride through the heart of America.
What happens when you give two adventurous octogenarians a Class C motorhome, a loaded itinerary and 15,642 miles of North American wilderness? You get Ride With Us! 15,642 Miles, Seventy Nights Camping, a memoir by Sportyman (the husband’s pseudonym) that’s equal parts travelogue, survival journal and a love letter to both RV culture and enduring companionship.
The author and his wife Nancy — affectionately and humorously referred to throughout — set out from North Carolina with a mission: to explore the American and Canadian wilderness, check off a monumental bucket list item and test the limits of both their vehicle and relationship. Spoiler: the couple passes with flying colors.
Travel Diary That Feels Like a Conversation
The book reads like a long, meandering conversation at a campfire. Sportyman writes with a voice that’s seasoned, sincere and warmly humorous. Every day of their 10-week road trip is chronicled with painstaking detail, capturing everything from campground reviews to firewood acquisitions to wildlife sightings (bison, moose, and yes, even a bear or two).
The tone is intentionally informal — Sportyman isn’t trying to impress with prose, but rather to include you in the ride. That’s the charm. As he reflects on roads conquered and lessons learned, you feel like you’re sitting shotgun, sipping scotch by a campfire or fumbling with a stubborn sewer hose alongside him.
Unexpected Terrors and Treasured Triumphs
The narrative is punctuated by both the mundane and the magical. There’s a near-collision with a construction worker, an ominous storm at the Canadian border and a tense encounter with an unmarked cliffside campsite. And then, there are the moments of absolute wonder: crossing the snowy peaks of the Teton Mountains, standing before the haunting geysers of Yellowstone and marveling at the serenity of Muncho Lake in British Columbia.
Some logistical frustrations emerge — confusing campground signage, failed reservations and the occasional grumpy border agent — but they never overshadow the overarching joy of exploration. The couple’s banter, their point-scoring game (Nancy usually wins) and the author’s dry wit give this memoir its emotional grounding.
Strengths Lie in Specificity and Spirit
What makes Ride With Us! stand out isn’t literary flourish — it’s authenticity. The specificity of each day’s mileage, campsite condition and gas prices creates a kind of realism you rarely see in polished travel memoirs. The couple’s meticulous notes (172 miles on Day 1, 325 miles on Day 10) build a patchwork of effort, intention and improvisation that’s both instructive and heartening.
There’s wisdom here too, mostly unspoken: that aging doesn’t mean slowing down, that challenges are best faced with a partner by your side and that the country — despite its potholes and border bureaucracy — is still full of moments worth chasing.
Testament to Adventure, Resilience and the Road Ahead
Ride With Us! is not just about the journey north to Alaska — it’s a celebration of endurance, companionship and the unapologetic pursuit of joy at any age. It’s a timely reminder that bucket lists are meant to be lived, not just written.
It’s a refreshing, unfiltered ride through the heart of America and into the soul of a couple who know that the greatest destinations are sometimes found far beyond the reach of cell towers, nestled quietly between laughter, hardship and the perfect campsite.
About the Authors:
Nancy is a graduate of nursing school as an RN and assisted in the delivery of a few hundred babies. Jim graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with an education in Chemistry. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an atomic bomb specialist. He has volunteered as a Guardian Ad Litem and retired as a Chief Operating Officer in manufacturing.
Publish Date: 2/14/2025
Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction
Author: Sportyman
Page Count: 138 pages
ISBN: 9780578694627