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
- Natural Bridge & Governor Dodge State Parks
Devil’s Lake to Governor Dodge State Park | Hiking in Natural Bridge and Governor Dodge State Parks | May 2026 After our time at Devil’s Lake, we packed up and resumed our slow drive Southwest back to Iowa. At this point in our trip, we didn’t have a lot planned, just a basic route around… - Devil’s Lake State Park
Hiking & Camping in Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin | April 2026 After a few days of driving across Wisconsin, we were ready to plant for a few days and do more walking and less driving. Devil’s Lake State Park seemed like a great place to do just that. We reserved a campsite for two… - Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area
Driving from Madison to Devil’s Lake State Park | Hiking on the Ice Age Trail | Hiking in Gibraltar Rock State Natural Area | April 2026 After an uneventful night in Madison, we woke with the morning traffic and moved down the road to a coffee shop for breakfast. We don’t think it’s polite to… - Milwaukee to Madison
Driving from Milwaukee to Madison, WI | Visiting the Holy Hill Basilica | Wisconsin State Capitol | April 2026 We awoke this morning in Kettle Moraine State Forest to find that the clouds and rain from the day before had moved on, leaving us with sunny skies. We had breakfast, then packed up and got… - Milwaukee / Kettle Moraine State Forest
Chain o Lakes State Park, IL to Kettle Moraine State Forest, WI | Visiting Friends in Milwaukee | Hiking & Camping in the Pike Lake Unit of Kettle Moraine State Forest | April 2026 As our time on the Hennepin Canal Trail was drawing to a close, we naturally started to wonder ‘what next?’ Moving… - Hiking the Hennepin Canal Trail, Part 4
Hiking the Hennepin Canal Trail Across Illinois West to East | Tiskilwa to Bureau Junction | Finishing Illinois Counties | Camping at Chain o’ Lakes State Park | April 2026 On our second to last day of hiking the Hennepin, we woke up to a cool and foggy day in rural Illinois. We had set…