It has been a very difficult year for the Houston Rockets and their new leadership, as general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas have been tasked with picking up the pieces after the mass exodus from the franchise after last season. The departure of Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni precipitated trade requests from Russell Westbrook and, more importantly, James Harden. Other veterans on the roster, like P.J. Tucker, likewise wanted out, and while it appears the Rockets did well in flipping Westbrook for John Wall and picks, the Harden trade has been, to this point, an unmitigated disaster.
The Rockets opted to go with the Brooklyn Nets’ offer that was headlined by three first-round picks going to Houston and four pick swap rights, along with Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. Houston turned that into a massive four-team deal, with the Rockets passing on LeVert and Allen in favor of a fourth first round pick (a 2022 Bucks first from Cleveland) and Victor Oladipo. The choice to go with another pick that will almost assuredly be at the end of the first round and Oladipo over Allen and LeVert has already backfired, as Oladipo failed to regain his value on the trade market and was dealt for Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley, who simply don’t factor into any longterm calculus for the Rockets.
On Monday, general manager Rafael Stone unsurprisingly pushed back on criticism of the trade, saying he’d 100 percent do it again. No one should expect him to say anything different publicly, but the issue is with the way he defended the deal.
GM Rafael Stone on the Rockets’ return — headlined by a historic haul of draft picks — in the James Harden trade: “I would for sure, 100%, do that deal again.”
Stone claims the deal can’t be judged until 2030, citing the various picks and swaps the Rockets will have over the next decade from Brooklyn. There’s a decent point to be made with that, although I will say it is a clever ploy from general managers on rebuilds to stretch assets out as long as possible to give themselves a bit more security to “see through” a plan — that plan is often still foisted by impatient ownership, but it’s a smart play. The bigger issue comes in that last paragraph, where Stone tries to make the case that the Harden deal gave them a better chance to compete in a “shorter timeframe,” which somewhat negates any request to hold off nine years to judge the deal.
The choices of the Rockets objectively did not help their short-term prospects. Oladipo was a gamble at the time and one that didn’t pan out, resulting in being shipped off at the deadline for no future assets and no one with a long-term future in Houston. LeVert and Allen, meanwhile, would’ve given them a pair of quality young players under team control for at least two more years after this, in the case of LeVert, and an RFA in Allen that could’ve been kept for four or more. The picks they will receive in the immediate future from the Nets and Bucks are going to be at the end of the first round, which aren’t likely to produce players that are immediately impactful in making Houston competitive. Unless he’s saying that not getting much back in the immediate has let them completely bottom out and given themselves a chance at Cade Cunningham — which, even getting the worst record would only yield a 14 percent chance at the Oklahoma State star — the short-term return on this deal is simply not as good as it should’ve been — not to mention the reported interest from Philly dangling Ben Simmons.
Had Stone simply lauded the future assets the Rockets got in the deal, it’d have been a reasonable argument, even if one folks may disagree with, but to take that stance while also pretending they got positive short-term pieces sees this effort at spinning the Harden deal into a good trade fall apart.
Though she’s been dead for nearly 70 years, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is famous around the world. She is best known for her colorful self-portraits, her bold artistic statements involving pain and passion, and her feminist activism. She is more easily recognizable than most visual artists, thanks to her own face being her main subject matter and the unibrow that served as her most prominent identifying feature. She is, in fact, arguably more well-known than her mural artist husband, Diego Rivera, who is famous in his own right.
That has not always been the case, however.
Diego Rivera was one of the most well-known artists of the early 20th century, his large-scale murals launching a revival of fresco painting in Latin America. He earned a place in a prestigious art academy in Mexico at age 10, went on to study in Spain, then settled for more than a decade in Paris. Rivera was friends with Pablo Picasso, and he lived in the U.S. for a handful of years. He painted some of his huge murals here, for the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco in 1931, the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1932, and Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1933.
While Rivera was a household name in the 1920s and 30s, Kahlo was not, despite being a prolific artist. In fact, the headline of a 1933 Detroit News article highlighting Kahlo’s artistic endeavors referred to her simply as “wife of the master mural painter,” patronizingly describing how she “gleefully dabbles in works of art.” In hindsight, oof.
The article itself is far more gracious towards Kahlo—perhaps in part because it was written by a female writer, Florence Davies. (It’s highly likely that the headline was written by an editor, not Davies herself.)
Davies asked Kahlo if her husband had taught her to paint. “‘No, I didn’t study with Diego,” Kahlo replied. “I didn’t study with anyone. I just started to paint.'” Kahlo got a twinkle in her eye before adding, “‘Of course, he does pretty well for a little boy, but it is I who am the big artist.'” Then she exploded into laughter.
Neither Davies nor the world knew how seriously true her words would become, though Davies did describe Kahlo’s formidable talent in glowing terms.
“Senora Rivera’s painting is by no means a joke,” Davies wrote, “because, however much she may laugh when you ask her about it, the fact remains that she has acquired a very skillful and beautiful style, painting in the small with miniature-like technique, which is as far removed from the heroic figures of Rivera as could well be imagined.”
That Kahlo made a name for herself as an artist in her own right, especially in the time period in which she lived, is a testament to both her style and her spirit. Her personal story, too, is one for the ages. She was badly injured in a bus accident as a teenager and endured 35 surgeries in her short 47 years. She was married to Rivera twice—a tumultuous that was rife with infidelity. She wrote dramatic love letters and indulged heavily in drugs and alcohol. It’s hard not to be curious about such an intriguing life.
However, it’s her meteoric rise in popularity since the 1970s that has made Kahlo into a household name. Her star of fame may have emerged more gradually than Rivera’s, but it’s proven to have outshone his.
Indeed, her “dabbling” was actually the creation of a massive body of artistic work that most of us can recognize on sight. Undoubtedly that headline writer would be embarrassed now to have written about one of the world’s most famous female artists in such quaint, condescending terms. Especially when the more common question now is “Who was Diego Rivera?” with the answer being “Frida Kahlo’s husband. He was also a famous artist.”
Sierra Nevada/Green Flash/Three Weavers/Stone/iStock/Uproxx
Before there were New England IPAs, Milk Shake IPAs, and even session IPAs, there was the classic West Coast IPA. These hoppy, bitter brews are what many drinkers conjure first when they think “IPA.” They’re often quite dank, but they balance those pine resin notes with bold citrus flavors.
The West Coast IPA boomed so big in the early 2000s and into the 2010s that there was sure to be a backlash. But the style endures and remains loved by beer drinkers. It’s nothing if not high impact — grabbing your attention with all of those bitterness units combined with a fruity punch.
Check out ten of our favorite West Coast IPAs featuring bright, fresh, citrus flavor profiles below.
This beer from San Diego’s Ballast Point is consistently ranked as one of the best IPAs ever made. It’s a 7% ABV West Coast IPA, hopped five different times during the brewing process to guarantee a little weed-terpene dankness matched with mouth-watering citrus flavors.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find hints of lemon zest, juicy peach, and pine trees. On the palate, you’ll find notes of guava, mango, pineapple, and resinous, spicy hops. The finish is filled with crisp, tart tangerine and lime flavors.
Bottom Line:
This award-winning IPA is guaranteed to please the most serious citrus fans. It’s balanced out with just the right amount of hop bitterness.
It’s not simply the seven different hop varieties that make this piney, resinous, floral beer highly drinkable and memorable. It’s also the fact that this 7.4% beer is brewed to support various charities — including those involved in social equality and the environment.
Tasting Notes:
Before taking a sip, breathe in the aromas of crisp malts, caramel sweetness, and a nice mixture of pine, pineapple, and grapefruit. Take a sip and you’ll be greeted with spicy, bitter hops, fresh-cut grass, lemon zest, and ripe limes. It all ends in a memorable combination of resin and citrus.
Bottom Line:
This is a great beer for people who are just as interested in charitable acts as a beer that’s bursting with hop and citrus flavors.
When it comes to West Coast IPAs, San Diego is the center of the universe. One of the best brewers of this style is Green Flash. Hop fans will enjoy many of ithe brand’s offerings, but it’s hard to top the classic Green Flash West Coast IPA with its five different hop varieties and pleasing mix of tropical fruits, ripe citrus, and floral hops.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find scents of ripe grapefruit, tangerine, pine, and wildflowers. The palate is swirling with caramel, rich malts, lemon zest, and subtly bitter, floral hops. The finish is filled with crisp, tart lime and orange notes that are balanced with a nice bitter backbone.
Bottom Line:
You can’t go wrong with a West Coast IPA that’s literally called West Coast IPA that also comes from one of the most well-known breweries on the whole West Coast.
There are few beers more important to the history of the West Coast IPA than Firestone Walker Union Jack. Named for one of the co-founders of the brewery, this well-balanced brew is filled with Cascade, Centennial, and CTZ hops as well as dry-hopped with Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, Cascade, Chinook, and Amarillo hops.
Tasting Notes:
Take a moment to nose this IPA and you’ll find aromas of a lush forest of pine trees, wet grass, and ripe pineapple. The palate is filled with tropical fruits, tart grapefruit, lime zest, and resin. It all ends in a nice pairing of bright citrus and bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
If you’re only going to drink one citrus-filled West Coast IPA, make it this OG from California staple Firestone Walker.
There are few beers with as much name recognition as Maine Lunch. The name and the bottle are simple, but the juice inside isn’t. Named for a beloved whale with a fin that appears to have had a bite taken out of it, this West Coast-style IPA from the East Coast is loaded with Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial hops.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll be treated to scents of ripe oranges, zesty lemons, and a nice floral throughline. Take a sip and you’ll find flavors of guava, juicy grapefruit, tangerine, caramel sweetness, and a nice herbal, piney backbone. The finish is a nice mix of sweet citrus and mild bitterness.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to a beer name, we couldn’t think of one more aptly named than Lunch. Who needs a turkey sandwich when you can just enjoy a pint or two of this citrus-filled brew?
This West Coast IPA is named Expatriate because, in addition to American hops, it’s brewed with two-row barley and English crystal malt. This 6.9% IPA is popping with El Dorado, Simcoe, and juicy Mosaic hops. The result is clean, crisp, fruity, and perfectly hopped.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of orange peels, ripe mangos, and pine. The first sip is overflowing with juicy pineapple, tart grapefruit, subtle berries, and a nice, steady level of floral, piney hops. The finish bridges the gap between bitter and fruity.
Bottom Line:
The combination of English malts and American hops gives this a bold, rich, caramel flavor that is complemented by the ripe citrus hop flavor.
Like Firestone Walker and Ballast Point, Stone IPA is one of the best examples of the West Coast IPA style available. First released in 1997, it’s crisp, hoppy, filled with citrus flavor, and has a nice hop, bitter bite.
Tasting Notes:
Take a moment to breathe in the aromas of sweet cereal, rich malts, resin, and orange zest. The palate explodes with lemon juice, tropical fruits, ripe pineapple, and pine. It all ends with a pleasing, subtly bitter finish.
Bottom Line:
Stone IPA has been brewed longer than most of the breweries in this country have even existed. More than twenty years of brewing guarantees a clean, dialed-in brew every time.
This award-winning IPA is well-balanced thanks to the addition of wheat, malted barley, crystal malts, and Cascade and Columbus hops. Bear Republic’s flagship brew is refreshing, zesty, and filled with floral, hoppy, and citrus flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Give this beer a nosing and you’ll notice hints of pine trees, resin, ripe oranges, and a floral background. When you sip this beer, you’ll find flavors of juicy tangerine, guava, orange peel, and bitter hops. The finish is dry and citrusy.
Bottom Line:
Bear Republic expertly uses hops in its beers. Racer 5 is probably the cleanest, most crisp, and easily drinkable example of this.
California isn’t the only place crafting high-quality, citrus bomb West Coast IPAs. Wyoming’s Melvin has perfected the style with its award-winning 7.5% IPA. It gets its bold flavor from brewing with Centennial, Citra, and Simcoe hops. But it takes it one step further by dry hopping with all three of the same hops — a fascinating and fruitful move.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of bready malts, ripe grapefruit, orange zest, and plenty of bitter, herbal notes. On the palate, you’re sure to note the trifecta of orange, lemon, and lime as well as sweet malts, subtle caramel, and a palatable bitter finish.
Bottom Line:
If you enjoy West Coast IPAs with dry-hopped flavor, you can’t go wrong with Melvin’s absolute hop bomb. It will probably become your new spring and summer go-to.
Don’t fear that axe man. Although he should be given the respect he deserves, as he is the Minnesota-based brewery’s most popular beer. This gem is double dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra hops as well as Golden Promise malts. It was first brewed in a collaboration with Denmark’s Amager Brewery.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with hints of mango, guava, and tangerine thanks to the dry-hopping process. This is followed by pine needles and a nice malt backbone. The flavor profile is dripping with juicy tropical fruits, ripe tangerine, mouth-watering peach, and loads of citrus — all of which lead toward a dry, slightly bitter finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the boldest, baddest IPA on this list. You don’t have to wear a Viking helmet when you drink it, but it would surely improve the experience.
It’s been nearly three months since the deadly failed MAGA coup attempt, in which die hard Trump supporters tried, and failed, to overturn the 2020 election results by storming the US Capitol building. Since then, there have been more than 300 arrests, footage of which has occasionally been turned into social media content. But it’s safe to say that none of them have been as funny as the guy who was arrested while actually wearing a t-shirt that directly incriminated him.
As per AP News, when one Garret Miller was rounded up at his Dallas home on January 20, he greeted authorities while wearing a shirt that featured a big picture of Donald Trump. There were words, too: “Take Back America,” it read, as well as “I Was There, Washington D.C., January 6, 2021.”
What’s more, like many of the hundreds of people arrested for storming the Capitol, he thoroughly documented his actions on social media — not on Parler or Gab, the services taken over by right-wing extremists, but on Facebook. As per AP:
After Miller posted a selfie showing himself inside the Capitol building, another Facebook user wrote, “bro you got in?! Nice!” Miller replied, “just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol,” prosecutors said.
But that’s not all:
After the Democratic congresswoman tweeted the word “Impeach,” Miller tweeted back to her, “Assassinate AOC,” according to prosecutors.
In a Jan. 10 post on Instagram, Miller said the officer who shot and killed a woman in the crowd of rioters should get a televised execution, according to prosecutors. Miller believed the officer was a Black man and called him a “prize to be taken,” prosecutors said.
“He will swing,” he allegedly wrote. “I had a rope in my bag on that day.”
Miller — who remains jailed in Oklahoma and whose transfer to D.C. is on hold after he broke his collarbone while playing soccer in the facility’s recreation yard —faces 12 counts, including civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, and assaulting, resisting or impeding officers. His lawyer claims that he has expressed regret for his actions, and that he “has no history of violence, and he did not engage in any acts of violence in connection with the charged offenses, unlike many others who have previously been released.” It’s big if true, especially considering the sentiments expressed by his t-shirt.
NBA Top Shot‘s biggest problem has generally been a good one: too many people want a part of the basketball highlight collectable startup as part of the explosion of interest in NFTs. To get its ever-growing collector base more involved, the company has tweaked the way its done several pack drops, including a massive drop where it guaranteed every user with an account would get access to a Series 2 pack.
After several more limited drops involving the NBA All-Star Game, the Dapper Labs beta announced Monday another massive pack drop, this time rolling out over a two-day period so hundreds of thousands of collectors could get a shot at three more moments from the fast-rising collectable market.
Starting today at 11am PDT, a new pre-order opportunity for Base Set Series 2 packs will begin!
— NBA Top Shot Updates (@topshot_updates) March 29, 2021
As Top Shot explained on its blog, the Series 2 pack drop is open to all collectors, with the goal of the extended window being that anyone interested can get a pack without having to wait in long queues for the chance to purchase one. Despite that, more than 150,000 users were initially in a queue for the packs when the waiting room went live on Monday.
The drop will be available to users until Wednesday at 11 AM PDT, and Top Shot promised an update on the actual delivery of those packs by April 7. That’s a bit of a wait for collectors eager to roll the dice and possibly pull a rare rookie moment or perhaps a very valuable LeBron James highlight, but it’s a smart way to make sure everyone interested has a chance at the ecosystem that’s seen moments on the marketplace continue to go for high prices. While some of the more common moments from lesser players can be found for less than $15, there are currently 11 moments with an asking price in the six figures. And while it’s unlikely anything you pull from a base pack will go for that much, a lucky user could certainly make their $9 back many times over if they are fortunate.
In other news, Top Shot also announced that “gifting” moments, sending them from one account to another for free, will be discontinued “for the foreseeable future” as the company continues to battle against collectors with multiple accounts exploiting the system to circumvent pack purchase limits and other restrictions. The company is also working to increase the number of users who can withdraw funds from their accounts. As of Friday, Dapper Labs announced that more than 28,000 users have access to their funds, with more than $18.7 million taken out by collectors since the beta went live in the fall of 2020.
Ever since allegations of sexual misconduct emerged against Armie Hammer, the actor has either dropped out of or been dropped by one movie after another, from the Jennifer Lopez action comedy Shotgun Wedding to The Offer, a limited series about the making of The Godfather. He even lost his agents and publicist. Now it looks like the final domino has fallen: The Billion Dollar Spy, the last project he had on the docket, has gotten rid of him as well.
This comes from Variety, who report that the actor, once a hot property, is no longer attached to the Cold War drama-thriller, which would have cast him opposite Mads Mikkelsen and seen him directed by Amma Asante (Belle, A United Kingdom). It’s not clear yet if the film is still going into production without him.
There is one more project that still has his name attached: the sequel to Call Me By Your Name, the romantic drama that was widely seen as taking his career next-next-level. However, unlike The Billion Dollar Spy, that film had never officially gone into development and still has no script. The original film’s director, Luca Guadagnino, is even busy with pre-production on another film, so the sequel’s future is even more in doubt than it was before. There are still two films he completed before the allegations came out: the Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile and the Taika Waititi soccer movie Next Goal Wins.
This all began when multiple women came forward with disturbing allegations against Hammer involving his sex life. In mid-March, a woman came forward accusing him of rape and other violent behavior. He is currently being investigated by the LAPD.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, currently awaiting trial in a Brooklyn detention center, was brought up on two fresh charges of trafficking on Monday, as per NBC News. The new accusations involve a fourth victim: a 14-year-old girl allegedly recruited by Maxwell to perform sex acts, which she wound up doing between 2001 and 2004.
According to the new federal indictment, the as-yet-unidentified girl was groomed by Maxwell to perform sex acts with Epstein. She was allegedly paid hundreds of dollars for each appointment, and, according to the charges, “brought multiple females, including girls under the age of 18, to provide sexualized massages for Epstein at his Palm Beach Residence.” Maxwell also, the indictment claims, “sought to normalize inappropriate and abusive conduct by, among other things, discussing sexual topics in front of [the victim] and being present when [the victim] was nude in the massage room of the Palm Beach residence.”
The new charges are part of an ongoing case against Maxwell, who has already been accused of participating in the abuse of three other underage victims in the 1990s. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her trial is scheduled for July, about a year after she was arrested in a remote New Hampshire mansion, having evaded authorities since December of 2019, when authorities first began their investigation into her alleged activities. She has been denied bail, having been seen as an extreme flight risk, and she currently occupies a building across the river from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, where Epstein is alleged to have committed suicide.
Hulu’s Theranos, The Dropout, is still in the works for the streaming service but it’s officially swapping out actors for its starring role. The Hollywood Reporter shared on Monday that Saturday Night Live standout Kate McKinnon won’t be playing tech startup founder Elizabeth Holmes, an actress/role pairing that had many excited about the show when it was first announced.
Instead, Amanda Seyfried will take over and play Holmes, while also serving as a producer after McKinnon left the role last month:
Showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl), Liz Heldens (The Passage), Liz Hannah, Katherine Pope, podcast host/ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis, Victoria Thompson and Taylor Dunn exec produce. The series is from Searchlight’s TV division and 20th Television. Seyfried will also be credited as a producer on The Dropout.
Seyfried replaces McKinnon in the role. The SNL Emmy winner departed The Dropout last month. The series was poised to begin filming after the NBC sketch comedy favorite wrapped its current season in May. A casting search began immediately after McKinnon dropped out of the series. The Dropout was one of two series McKinnon had lined up outside of SNL. She remains set to star in and exec produce NBCUniversal’s Joe Exotic series, which is earmarked for a 2022 debut across NBC, USA and streamer Peacock. McKinnon signed on to The Dropout before boarding Joe Exotic.
The Dropout is based on an ABC News podcast about the Theranos scandal, one of several other media productions that followed the enigmatic Holmes in recent years. Holmes, whose quest for medical millions was also chronicled in a 2019 HBO documentary, The Inventor, has been a big topic in innovation-obsessed Silicon Valley and Theranos’s rise and fall. Overpromising on a miracle blood diagnostic device that basically never worked right, Theranos was as compelling a pyramid scheme as you could imagine in the tech world, so no matter who plays Holmes there will be considerable interest in the fictionalization of the story. But we’ll have to wait and see if Seyfried can match the Theranos founder’s infamous voice, which may or may not be put on for show. Even after all these shows, you see, there’s still some mystery to be solved here.
Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, was discharged from the hospital this weekend after a longer-than-expected recovery, according to TMZ. Although he said he felt great just a few days after being shot last month, he was forced to stay in the hospital for several weeks due to a partially collapsed lung. Fischer had to be readmitted for surgery, with doctors removing part of his lung. Fischer recounted the story, including the sorta horrifying news that he was conscious as doctors tried to save him after the initial shooting, in a post on Instagram:
Fischer was shot in February by thieves who accosted him while he was walking the singer’s French bulldogs. When he attempted to fend them off, the thieves shot him and took two of the dogs, while the third was out of reach. The dogs were returned the next day after a flurry of news coverage, found tied to a pole in an alley later that night. The woman who found them recognized them from the news coverage, which may have been a contributing factor in the thieves deciding to abandon their efforts. Gaga, who had offered a $500,000 reward for their safe return, said she’d gladly pay.
Read Fischer’s account of his crooked road to recovery above.
The meaning of the term “vanlife” is constantly in flux. Three or four years ago, it was a catchall for a generation of young vagabonds fitting out brand new vans and using them to model or work remotely while traveling the continent. Today, it’s becoming more of a widely-accepted way of life — an active choice made by anyone looking to escape the grind in trying times.
Films like Nomadland highlight how you can realistically live the vanlife even if you aren’t a model traveling with a photographer partner. And while the glossy, bikini-clad, IG porn (and often all too white) #vanlife scene still exists, it’s no longer perceived as the only way to experience this travel movement. People of every background are fitting out cars, vans, RVs, delivery trucks, and campers to give life on the road a chance. Meanwhile, groups like Van Life Pride and Diversify Vanlife are giving LGBTI and BIPOC folks the chance to share their own visions of car-based vagabonding.
With Summer 2021 poised to be the ultimate “Road Trip Summer,” we’re profiling 30 vanlifers we think are worth a follow on Instagram. We’re starting off small — featuring a few accounts that are literally just starting out — and building to the bigger names in the community (plus one legit celebrity). Check how this diverse group of travelers are chasing their personal adventure dreams and let them inspire your next big trip.
Kojo and Yaya’s account is a great place to start following the vanlife movement, since they’re just starting out. The couple is taking on the #vanlife ideal through a “queer-Black lens” and adding plenty of keen eyed photography. Kojo is a filmmaker and Yaya is an actor. Their IG account is supported by a YouTube channel that’s also tracking their progress in building out their new home and the beginnings of their life on the road.
Libby Kasmer’s account is one part vanlife and two parts rock climbing. Kasmer and her partner are living the nomadic existence in pursuit of their rock climbing goals, making this a great outdoors/rock climbing follow as well.
Wildy Sonia feels like a classic vanlife follow. The account is full of wind-swept beaches, yoga poses, waterfalls, van-side campfires, and more. Wildy Sonia also blogs about her experience on the road, traveling in deaf communities, and in her van on her own blog, — offering those wondering about the vanlife a black female voice with experience to learn from.
Latinx vanlifer Raquel, or Lonewolf Casita, is traveling the country, fitting out new vans, and enjoying every minute. That makes her account a very easy follow, especially if you’re looking for various ways vans can come to life as homes and the process of builds alongside the snapshot of Raquel’s journey.
Danya Schwertfeger’s handle is partially about vanlife. But what you’re really getting is a professional photographer’s look at the travel world. Schwertfeger’s eye for travel and adventure sports photography is always engaging and covers a large swath of the globe. Add in a dash of the vanlife nomadic lifestyle and you have an easy and enticing follow.
Anaïs’ IG account is a great place for anyone looking to start out in vanlife. The handle follows along as Anaïs — a flight attendant by day — refits an old FedEx fleet vehicle, slowly transforming it into a home on wheels. Anaïs shows the hard work it takes to do this on your own with the important message that it can be done solo.
Following Brent Rose’s vanlife handle is like following a veteran vanlifer whose face is wisened from the sun of the southern deserts and all those times he’s had to bail himself out on the open road. Rose is a professional photographer and writer who has been living the vanlife for five years. He’s spent those years testing technologies and his own mettle, giving him some serious depth when it comes to the real ins and outs of vanlife.
Deenaalee (Deg Xit’an Dené/Sugpiaq) is an Indigenous activist, fishermxn, hunter, and roamer. Deenaalee’s account is filled with outdoor adventure, wild fish and game, and moments of life on the road out of a car or camper. A follow also takes you deep into the Alaskan wilds with an Indigenous framing of a life lived as close to nature as possible.
This might be more of the fringe of the vanlife movement than a classic vanlife follow. But it’s important work — from a van! — that deserves a nod of respect. Kwabi Amoah-Forson uses his light blue bus to help children around the Pacific Northwest and the rest of the country. Amoah-Forson travels around and helps out at schools with food drives, toy drives (he even dressed up as Santa and gave out gifts last year), and with general education for children of color who might slip through the cracks of the American school system.
It’s a follow that will inspire wanderlust and restore your faith in humanity.
Van Life Pride (started by vanlifers Nat and Abi … more on them later) is creating a “Safe space for LGBTQ nomads and allies to connect.” The handle celebrates “queer nomads” and helps connect vanlifers with each other and celebrates life on the road for the LBGTQ community.
Jupiter is traveling the country in a re-fitted RV with a couple of dogs. The handle is a great place to get a look at living on the road through Black and queer POV while taking in the backcountry of the American West.
It’s also a really solid follow for anyone looking to build out their own ride/home as they go.
Whitney Whitehouse is an outdoor and animal photographer with a vanlife backdrop to her travels. The vanlife aspects of Whitehouse’s feed are classic shots of fluffy dogs, bed racks, the outdoors, and campgrounds. That’s all framed by Whitehouse’s keen eye for wild vistas, wild animals, and all the dogs she meets along the way.
Lyn Sweet’s IG handle offers a melding of vanlife and tattoo artistry. Sweet is a roaming tattoo artist and her feed is dominated by ink and art. Interspersed, you’ll find a life on the road, transcendental pop art, and plenty of outdoor adventure.
It’s an easy follow for anyone looking to add some color to their feed.
Holiday at Sea, run by Peter & Shruthi, is a classic vanlife handle. The couple posts up images in dulcet tones from the desert to the forests to the beach. Yes, there are ads speckled throughout. But the overall vibe is a wanderlust/1970s feel of two people living an idyllic life on the road.
Linda Littlewing’s account is for the adrenalin junkies who also happen to be vanlifers. Littlewing travels the canyons of America’s Southwest looking for the coolest places she can glide around in a squirrel suit or with a parachute. Some of the paragliding videos Littlewing posts are truly breathtaking (and scary AF if you’re not into walking off cliffs with only a parachute).
Is it still #vanlife if your nomadic home is an old-school Land Cruiser with a pop tent up top? We’d argue, “hells yes.” The beauty of Sam and Greta’s One Way North NZ is that it’s very specific. It’s all about Land Cruiser culture through their globetrotting camera lens. You’re transported to special places (Southern Europe, Western Australia, Northern New Zealand, and so forth) with a clear aesthetic and culture around Land Cruisers, which are arguably the best adventure trucks out there.
Clarissa King’s vanlife handle is very much about a model living an adventurous and beautifully photographed life. King’s backdrop is the sea and mountains of the Pacific Northwest between northern California and northern British Columbia with her Ram Roadtrek van providing a home on the road.
Anni & Her Mercedes Bus Elsa offers a European view of the vanlife (which is very Southwest-U.S. centric at the end of the day). Anni’s feed feels like a breath of refreshing air, with a wholly unique look at the world while still feeling familiar. That familiarity is mostly thanks to the vanlife aesthetic translating very well to the Central European outdoors that fills this feed — stoking our wanderlust to travel overseas and rent a van once we get there.
Nat and Abi, who started Van Life Pride above, have one of the easiest vanlife follows on IG. Their feed is filled with outdoor adventure, vanlife cooking, and life on the road. You can also read our interview with Nat and Abi about adjusting to life during COVID as nomads.
Diversity Vanlife is another great resource for BIPOC and LGBTQ folks who are either in the vanlife already or looking to take their life nomadic. The handle is a great landing place for people to tell stories and share ideas, tips, and travails of life on the road. Diversity Vanlife also hosts a podcast, Nomads at the Intersections, which aims to give “underrepresented voices” a platform in the nomadic movement.
Ana Alarcon’s IG feed is a look at the vanlife community through the POV of an Indigenous Mexican, vegan-friendly, fitness-forward, and outdoor-loving lens. The vanlife aspects are more in line with vanlife as a mode to travel as opposed to the everyday way of life with the beauty of America’s West (forests, mountains, beaches) as the backdrop.
Erin McGrady’s feed gives you a chance to see through the eyes of a gay Korean-American writer traveling the country with her partner (who’s also a travel writer and photographer). McGrady’s feed is filled with backwood campfires, good dogs, beautiful vistas, and plenty of wanderlust-inducing vanlife vibes.
Laura Edmondson’s IG handle is a quintessential #vanlife feed. There are stunning shots of the American Southwest intermingled with tips for life on the road, stunning beaches, nomadic communities, and even a bit of rock climbing.
Also, there are plenty of dogs running around in front of eye-catching backgrounds from all over America’s wild spaces.
And They Travel, curated by vanlife duo Alexandra and David, is about vanlife, sure. But, it’s really about the phenomenal photography the couple capture as they travel coast to coast. While vanlife is at the heart of Alexandra and David’s travels, it’s really the stunning travel photography that’ll fill your feed every day.
Candyss Love, the Beyonce of VanLife (great handle), has built a vanlife feed that leans into healing and mental health guidance with nomadic travels as a backdrop. Love offers in-depth advice into her life on the road with plenty of vanlife tips that are often centered around mental well-being at the core of any travel experience (vanlife or not).
Noami and Dustin are digital nomads who are helping redefine the modern vanlife movement. They’re the founders of Diversity Vanlife (mentioned above) and host the podcast, Nomads at the Intersections, both of which aim to give voice to the often sidelined vanlifers out there.
Their personal feed is a peek into a classic vanlife couple (with a dog) who are out there grinding while living that nomad life, all while helping grow a more inclusive community.
Kathleen Morton of Tiny House, Tiny Footprint was one of the early adopters of the vanlife movement. Morton runs Vanlife Diaries on IG, podcasts, and literally wrote the book on vanlife, Vanlife Diaries. While Vanlife Diaries is a great follow for the community aspects, Morton’s OG account is also essential for anyone looking to go nomadic or find a little help as they make their way.
Noël Russell’s vanlife account is another classic. Mexican-American Russell, a travel creator for She Explores, writer, and photographer, has helped define what vanlife looks like on Instagram. Her handle is a masterclass in not only how to travel as a digital creator but how to curate a travel/vanlife feed.
Plus, the feed is full of gorgeous outdoor scenery, the most chill vibes, and a sweet little dog to boot.
May and Travel is an eclectic follow. The handle is all about that vanlife with a lot of music played by May, making the IG feed engaging in a unique way. The handle has a very clear aesthetic with the West Coast as the main backdrop. Still, there’s a real relaxed vibe to the photos that’ll entice you out on the road in search of something unique and beautiful.
Legendary comedian Tom Green struck out on the open road in his van to explore America’s Southwest with his trusty companion, Charlie, last year. Green took along a portable podcast studio and a set of cameras to capture his journeys while he and Charlie drove between national monuments, ancient Indigenous ruins, and campsites with fellow nomads.
Green’s vanlife feels raw and real, almost like watching a documentary or the quasi-doc/film like Nomadland (especially if you follow along on his YouTube channel). That authenticity is what makes this a great vanlife follow. You can read more about Green’s travels here.
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You can now join this drop
When: 11am PDT Today
Price: $9
Packs: tbd
Moments Per Pack: 3
Delivery: April 7th, 2021
