Embrace your Pivots

  • The Elegant Eastern Shore Escape, Oxford, Maryland
    The Elegant Eastern Shore Escape, Oxford, Maryland

    During our boating journey around the US, we visited the secluded Oxford, MD, and were shocked at how peaceful and artsy the town was. We didn’t have much time to research Oxford before visiting, but when we stumbled upon some of the best home-made ice cream in the United States, cute hand-painted picket fences all…

  • Solomons Island Travel Guide – Everything You NEED to Know
    Solomons Island Travel Guide – Everything You NEED to Know

    Solomons Island, Maryland, is the getaway you’ve been waiting for. Located at the mouth of the Patuxent River on the Chesapeake Bay, it represents a rich history of maritime endeavors from the time Isaac Solomon started his Oystering enterprise in the late 1800s until today, as tourism brings people from all around for the local…

  • Smith Island, MD – Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip
    Smith Island, MD – Everything You Need to Know to Plan Your Trip

    Smith Island MD is the last inhabited island in Maryland. It is slowly disappearing into the Chesapeake Bay, both from rising sea levels and the erosion of its sand foundation. It is estimated that without intervention, the Island will be mostly gone by 2050. We visited Smith Island on the last weekend of May while boating America’s Great…

  • The Ultimate Guide to Crisfield, Maryland
    The Ultimate Guide to Crisfield, Maryland

    We lived on our boat in Somer’s Cove Marina, next to downtown Crisfield, Maryland, throughout the Fall of 2021. We felt like locals as we lived and worked from our boat and explored Crisfield during our three-month stay. Crisfield has something that many towns in the United States lack, and that is a rich culture…

  • The 10 Local Best Restaurants in Islamorada, Florida
    The 10 Local Best Restaurants in Islamorada, Florida

    We lived in Big Basin, Islamorada, for three months on our boat in 2023. Since this was our second time in Islamorada, we’ve been both tourists and locals, and here are the 10 best local restaurants in Islamorada, Florida! We have a mix of local bars, small breakfast spots, and great places only open for…

  • Ultimate Guide to the Okeechobee Waterway 
    Ultimate Guide to the Okeechobee Waterway 

    The Okeechobee Waterway connects the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Atlantic Coast, with Lake Okeechobee in the center. We cruised through the waterway during our 2022-23 passage of America’s Great Loop, and it was an incredible part of our journey on our boat, Pivot. In this blog, we share the ultimate guide to the Okeechobee…

  • The Best Van for Van Life: Why we Bought a Mercedes Sprinter Van
    The Best Van for Van Life: Why we Bought a Mercedes Sprinter Van

    When building out a van, the first question is what is the best van for van life. There are many options, including popular options from Ford, Mercedes, and Dodge. Outside of the make, there are differences in the manufacturer, and finally, we need to decide whether the best van for van life is a used or…

  • Victron vs. EcoFlow PowerKit for Van Life: Ultimate Review
    Victron vs. EcoFlow PowerKit for Van Life: Ultimate Review

    Deciding on Victron Energy Components vs. EcoFlow PowerKit and your electrical system as a whole, is challenging. With the amount of articles available, you can get bits a pieces here and there, but we’ve done all the research and compiled it here. There is no “one size fits all” approach to van life, and so here…

  • The Best Marine Navigation Apps and Other Boating Apps
    The Best Marine Navigation Apps and Other Boating Apps

    Although boating has been done for centuries without any fancy apps or technology we have today, we relied on many different apps aboard PIVOT. During our 6,000-mile boating journey around the United States and Canada, we consistently used several marine and boating apps on both our smartphones and tablets. We’ve compiled the apps we’ve personally…

  • EcoFlow PowerKit Review and Guide for Van Life
    EcoFlow PowerKit Review and Guide for Van Life

    As we build a Mercedes Sprinter Van, we’re researching different power options to supply us with enough electricity to live and work off-grid. In this article, we share our research on the EcoFlow PowerKit and whether it will be a proper solution for our van. Read to the end to see our final verdict and…