WELCOME TO SAVING TIME IN A BOTTLE
Hi there! We’re Curtis and Jess, and we use this site as a way to document the memories we’ve made together, and to share our adventures with family & friends. After 10 years in the Navy and moving all over the US, we started our journey as nomads, living in a self-built van, working remotely, and traveling wherever work takes us. We most enjoy spending time in the outdoors along with our basset hound, Charlotte, doing things like hiking, kayaking, camping, and more. Thanks for visiting, feel free to stick around!
RECENT POSTS
- Ottawa 2026 Weeks 3 & 4
Ottawa 2026 Weeks 3 & 4 | Section Hiking the I&M Canal Trail between Ottawa and La Salle | Hiking in Starved Rock State Park | January 2026 The second half of our time in Ottawa was the busier half for Curtis work wise, as it always is. But thanks to him taking the night… - Ottawa 2026 Week 2
Week 2 in Ottawa, IL | Hiking in Starved Rock State Park | Section Hiking the I&M Canal Trail | February 2026 Curtis’ second week of work consisted of him working 10 hour days, and of us getting into the rhythm of being back in outage season. Each night when he returned, we’d go out… - Ottawa 2026 Week 1
Week 1 in Ottawa, IL | Hiking in Starved Rock State Park | North Utica & Marseilles, IL | January 2026 After returning from our road trip, we spent a little time with my family in Iowa before beginning Curtis’ spring assignments. Winter weather arrived the same day we did, starting with strong wind and… - Fort Larned & Tallgrass Prairie
Driving from Clayton, NM to Iowa | Fort Larned National Historic Site | Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve | January 2026 After almost 10 weeks of being on the road out West, it was time to make our way back to the Midwest so Curtis could start his spring work season. Our last few days of… - Santa Fe / Capulin Volcano
Driving from Santa Fe to Capulin, NM | Visiting Santa Fe & New Mexico State Capitol Building | Pecos National Historic Site | Capulin Volcano National Monument | January 2026 We awoke this morning to once again find our water system was frozen — but at least we had learned from yesterday and prepared for… - El Malpais & Petroglyph NHS
El Malpais National Monument to La Cienega, NM | La Ventana Natural Arch | Petroglyph National Monument | La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs | January 2026 We survived our coldest night of camping yet, with the temperature dropping to 5 degrees Fahrenheit in El Malpais National Monument (not counting windchill)! Unfortunately, despite running the heater throughout the…