Family on the open road

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Family on the open road

WHEN ADAM AND EMILY HARTEAU LEFT THEIR HOME in California in October 2012, they only expected to be gone a year. The plan was to drive in their tricked-out VW Westfalia with their daughter Colette from California all the way to Tierra Del Fuego at the tip of the South American continent and back over the course of the year. But 5 months in, they realized that they didn’t want to stop. And they haven’t. In 2014, their family grew from 3 to 4 with the birth of their second daughter Sierra (born in Florianopolis, Brazil), and they’re still going to this day. They document their travels on their blog, Our Open Road.

The Harteau Family in Argentina. All photos via Our Open Road.

Their VW Westfalia is how they get from place to place. They’ve fitted it with bunk beds, solar panels, a fridge, a two-burner stove, and a small sink. They’ve secured it with steel bars that can be placed onto the front windshield and windows during stays in cities, and they padlock every door.

Driving the iconic Ruta 40 in #Argentina #Patagonia

A photo posted by @ouropenroad on May 17, 2015 at 8:41am PDT

They funded their trip by selling pretty much everything they own in garage sales, by running a Kickstarter, and by holding occasional fundraisers as well.

A peek inside our humble abode. #vanlife We are looking for a place to leave our van in Bariloche, Argentina while we fly to the U.S. for a visit. If you have a lead, please email us at contact@ouropenroad.com or pm us here. Many thanks!!

A photo posted by @ouropenroad on May 10, 2015 at 3:19pm PDT

Adam is an artist who specializes in photography, and Emily is a fashion designer and a chef, who is in the process of writing a cookbook.

Chile, we love you. Hello again #Argentina!

A photo posted by @ouropenroad on May 10, 2015 at 5:40pm PDT

They practice the art of “slow travel,” which allows them to take their time while traveling cheaply and inexpensively through South America.

Flashback to a chill afternoon camping and reading at Laguna Sofia, #Patagonia, #Chile. This is how we #haveKINDLEwillTRAVEL. We are giving away a Kindle Paperwhite by @AmazonKindle, so to win- follow them & tag a friend below.

A photo posted by @ouropenroad on Jun 13, 2015 at 4:19pm PDT

When they decided to extend the trip from 5 months to an indefinite amount of time, they realized they needed more money to keep going. So they invented the 24-hour bazaar, which are flash sales at the side of the road.

#24HourBazaar Alert! Adam is heading out to #Peru in a couple weeks to work with some very talented artisans and showcase their unique, handmade, #fairtrade goods, and offer them to you. We will drop ship from Peru directly to your doorstep anywhere in the world! Some items we will feature are: #rugs #textiles #blankets #pillows #hats #clothing and much more. These items will be available for a short time only and are ordered first come, first served. If you would like to receive our PDF catalog leave your email here or send it to contact@ouropenroad.com Learn more by looking at #24hourbazaar Many thanks ✌️

A photo posted by @ouropenroad on May 5, 2015 at 4:15pm PDT

Colette is getting her education on the road — she loves singing and drawing, and her parents packed a plastic tub as her own portable pool.