Reno Summer and the Art of Starting

In February 2026, we'll begin slow-traveling through fourteen countries over two years, staying at least 28 days in each place. But the story starts in Reno, Nevada. This early phase isn't rehearsal; it's foundation: testing systems, refining creative processes, and proving that paying attention begins at home.

Reno moves at its own pace. It is faster than most mountain towns at 4,500 feet and slower than a proper city despite its 280,000 residents. You can reach almost anywhere in twenty minutes yet still discover remarkable food, thoughtful art, and wilderness access. The warm season reveals Reno's character through five flagship events:

This trip served dual purposes: experiencing one of Nevada's hidden treasures and stress-testing our mobile creative systems. We are building workflows we will depend on across eleven countries.

What worked: Our compact Joby GripTight GorillaPod MagSafe tripod held steady against high-desert wind, making it easy to get video shots of the two of us without asking strangers or relying on selfies. The iPhone 13 Pro delivered excellent low-light performance inside Lehman Caves.

What did not: Nevada wind exposed our phone’s audio limitations. Much of our first long-form YouTube video required post-narration using the Elgato Wave:3 mic. It delivered clean audio and the plug-and-play setup was easy, but it does require working from a laptop, not ideal for road trips.

What’s next: A portable DJI Mic 2 just moved up our equipment priority list. Compact, wireless, and reliable in the wind, it’s the upgrade we need for capturing clear audio on the go.

Workflow insight: While we were out, we simply filmed short clips of whatever caught our eye, such as mountain roads, trail views, or interesting things, without worrying about the final story. Later, back at our laptops, we wrote the script and shaped the video. Keeping filming and storytelling as separate steps made the trip more enjoyable and the final piece stronger.

The best system remains knowing when to stop recording and simply experience the moment.

Before departing for Great Basin, we attended Alison Krauss and Union Station at Grand Sierra Resort, with dobro master Jerry Douglas and solo opener Willie Watson.

This was not nostalgia touring. It was living tradition. Watson, founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show, wove Appalachian ballads with road stories, including how he came to sing When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings in a Coen Brothers film. Krauss, with 28 Grammys spanning three decades, sang with effortless precision that made complexity sound inevitable. Douglas, at 68, played with the joy of someone still discovering new sounds in familiar strings.

We seek this everywhere: culture with deep roots, still growing, but traditions that remain vital because people keep them alive.

We are maintaining careful budgets that will be necessary for sustaining our international travel, but strategic splurges serve important purposes.

This week’s splurge: $200 for concert tickets. Expensive by our current standards, but irreplaceable for the shared experience and cultural insight.

Local getaway costs: Our Lake Tahoe day trip cost $42 total — $20 for gas, $22 for post-hike beers with alpine views. Five miles through granite and pine forests, trading daily noise for mountain quiet and that specific clarity that comes from physical effort in beautiful places.

Budget philosophy: Living local does not always mean spending less. It means spending with intention and understanding the difference between cost and value.

Best meal: grilled pizza with seasonal vegetables, eaten on the back patio at home during that perfect hour when summer light turns golden.

Local discovery: Tahoe National Brewing Company in Tahoe City reminded us that the best post-hike refreshment is not always about the drink itself, but the setting and timing that make it perfect. Although the beer was very good.

Five Lakes Trail, Olympic Valley

Granite slabs polished by glaciers thousands of years ago. Pine shadows stretching long in late afternoon light. Trail dust coating boots. Ridgeline views where wilderness opens beyond treeline.

These quiet details matter more than dramatic vistas. They reveal a place's rhythm and character - the daily texture that’s easy to miss. More visual stories in our Instagram highlights »

Amidst the fun of summer's festival energy, we took a short break for solitude and perspective, so we drove Highway 50, "The Loneliest Road in America," toward Great Basin National Park, 400 miles east through sage country and many mountain passes.

Coming Next week: summer snowfields at 10,000 feet, stargazing that feels like time travel, 4,000-year-old bristlecone pines, and the mental reset that comes from genuine solitude.

Also coming: the first installment of our creator setup, documenting how we are building a travel media brand from backpack-portable gear. We will share equipment choices, workflow decisions, and the philosophy behind both.

Starting is harder than waiting.

It is tempting to delay this newsletter until we are exploring ancient streets in Istanbul or mountain lakes in North Macedonia. But Some Great Place does not begin at departure gates. It begins when we decide to notice and share the story we are already living.

Greater Reno continues to surprise us with its abundance: city entertainment within walking distance of alpine lakes, mountain rivers, desert quiet, and trails that climb from sagebrush to snow in a single day. We are practicing the discipline of attention and the craft of honest storytelling - thoughtfully, imperfectly - from wherever we are.

Thank you for joining us at the beginning. The best journeys start with a single, intentional step.

Until next week,
S&S

Some Great Place
Living local in a global world