Hi, we’re the Hall Family 👋
We’re a traveling family of four from California who loves the outdoors — camping, hiking, dirt biking, and exploring new places together. We travel with our Grand Design Reflection 312BHTS and dirt bikes in tow! We’ve outfitted our rig to be set up for long periods of off-the-grid dry camping but also enjoy the occasional RV resort.
Our hope in sharing this journey is to remind other families that life doesn’t have to follow a single blueprint. If the path you’re on no longer makes sense or doesn’t bring you joy, it’s okay to step back and choose something different.
For us, that meant letting go of the idea that success had to look like a nice house, a good job, and a busy schedule. Instead, we’re choosing to prioritize our time together, get back to the basics, and build a life centered around the things we truly value.
This lifestyle may not look the same for everyone, but we hope our story encourages others to realize they have the freedom to shape their life in a way that feels right for them.
Why We Chose This Life
For a long time, we were living what many people would call the “American Dream.” Dustin worked full-time at a nuclear power plant while I (Terilyn) stayed home with our boys, Jax and Colten, and ran a photography business. We had a nice home, a stable career, and comfortable routines.
From the outside, everything looked right but something still felt like it was missing. Somewhere along the way, we realized we were living separate lives during the week and only truly living together on the weekends. Between long work hours, busy schedules, and constantly managing all of our stuff, we felt like we were always counting down to our next day off.
Dad was missing moments we couldn’t get back, and time — our most valuable resource — seemed to be slipping by faster than we wanted.
But there was one place where everything felt different: camping. Every time we went camping, life slowed down. We laughed more, talked more, and simply enjoyed being together. Those trips always left us with the same feeling when they ended: We never wanted to go home.
When it started to look like Dustin’s job at the plant might be coming to an end in a few years, we realized it could actually be the perfect opportunity to make a change. Instead of jumping right back into the same routine somewhere else, we began asking ourselves what life might look like if we chose something different.
What if this was our chance to get out of the rat race? What if we could design a lifestyle that felt freer — one that aligned more closely with our values and allowed us to spend more time together as a family?
Those questions planted the seed for what eventually became this adventure.
We didn’t jump into the decision overnight. Over the next three years, we carefully worked toward the dream of traveling the United States as a family — planning, preparing, and setting ourselves up for success so we could truly enjoy the journey together.
What We’re Choosing Instead
Now, we’re trading more money for more meaning, and more things for more time together. We’re choosing experiences over possessions and taking a path that allows us to focus on what truly matters most to us: our family.
This journey is about spending more time as a family, being present for the moments that matter, learning together on the road, and creating a life that feels aligned with our own values, not just the ones society tells us to have.
We’re not sure how long this adventure will last and we don’t know where we’ll end up when we decide it’s over. But we’re okay with that. We’re excited for the unknown and for the blank page in front of us that’s about to explode with our beautiful story.
What You’ll Find Here
Hall Family Travels is our family journal — a place where we share our adventures, lessons learned, and the real everyday moments of life on the road.
Here you’ll find:
• Travel stories from our family road trips
• Destination guides and honest reviews of places we visit
• RV life projects, tips, and upgrades
• Roadschool experiences and outdoor adventures
• The highs, lows, and everything in between that comes with choosing a different kind of life
Whether you’re dreaming about RV life, curious about slowing down, or simply following along for the adventure, we’re so glad you’re here. Check out our blog!
Meet Our Family
Dustin, Terilyn, Jax, and Colten
Dustin has always been the backbone of our family, strong and supporting. He’s a worker to his core, a true jack of all trades, and someone who always puts his family first. Everything he does is for the benefit of us, and without his resilience, determination, incredible intellect, and constant eye on the future, none of this would be possible.
He started his career in the pipe trades and eventually worked his way up to becoming a supervisor in quality verification at a nuclear power plant. It’s a job that helped get us to where we are today — but one that has also been mentally and physically exhausting for him.
Dustin is someone who likes to stay busy, but also likes to play by his own rules and chart his own course… and at a nuclear power plant, you can’t really do that. He’s beyond excited to finally stay busy with things he actually enjoys — projects, adventures, and time with the people who matter most — all on his own terms.
Since Dustin is the backbone of our family, I like to say I’m the heart.
Before I became “Mom,” I worked in Human Resources at a community college. Going from a full-time job to being a full-time stay-at-home mom was definitely an adjustment, but it’s also something that shaped who I am today. I take a lot of pride in being a good mom and provider for our boys.
I’m very creative and love bringing ideas to life — whether that’s through photography, homeschool crafts, or baking and cooking for my family. But don’t be deceived by my all-American-mom appearance… I’m also Dustin’s right-hand helper with whatever project he has going on. And I literally mean whatever — building a toy box, demolishing a bathroom, or roofing a house. We make a great team and do our best work together.
And now, the main purpose of our lives — and the reason we’ve worked so hard for this RV lifestyle — our kids.
Our sons, Jax and Colten, are the very best of friends and constant playmates. They are incredibly creative, endlessly curious, and completely obsessed with building LEGO creations. While they share a lot in common, they couldn’t be more different in personality.
Jax is calm, thoughtful, and cautious — always thinking things through. Colten is the fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants kid, full of energy and fearless enthusiasm. They bring so much joy into our lives, and time truly feels like it’s flying by as they grow up.
We want to soak up as much time with them as we possibly can while they’re young. That’s the heart behind choosing this lifestyle and traveling across the country together. Money can be made again, but time — and their childhood — is something we’ll never get back. We don’t want to miss it.
The Hall Family Travels Blog 