{"id":3615,"date":"2018-10-15T16:44:20","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T20:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?p=3615"},"modified":"2020-06-19T12:31:18","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T16:31:18","slug":"the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Shalee\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n

\n\t\tThe Four Weirdest Places We’ve Slept While Traveling \n\t<\/h1>\n\t

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry if this is your first time here. We\u2019re about ready to get to know each other real quick. <\/p>\n

Josh and I travel on a tight budget, which often times means a lack of plush pillows and oversized king beds. This also means a hefty list of weird AF places we\u2019ve slept while in a pinch. <\/p>\n

I am attributing this entire post to being young and dumb. That\u2019s my excuse, and I\u2019m sticking with it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. A Homeless Encampment Outside San Francisco (With a Giant Unicorn)<\/b><\/h3>\n

While living in a van, you camp in some incredible locations. The world is your campground. But that world gets a little tougher and little dirtier when you find yourself attempting to explore urban areas. In most of the United States, you can easily get away with parking overnight in a Walmart parking lot. However, in California Walmarts are rarely open 24 hours. It actually makes sense, given that full tent cities would erupt in every 24-hour parking lot. <\/p>\n

We eventually learned that park-and-rides offered the best spot to sleep without incident. There was one specific park-and-ride in Half Moon Bay that we always saw a sign for, but never could find. One night we learned that it was hidden behind a local grocery store. <\/p>\n

When we arrived, we found exactly why they made it so hard to locate. We were first welcomed by a 7-foot tall sparkling unicorn sticking out of the woods. Plastic tables and pitched tents spread out every direction, an old RV permanently situated in the back corner, and a couple other vans sat in the parking lot. No commuter cars. No anything else. I will tell you this, even rain doesn\u2019t stop the party in that place. #nosleep<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. A Drainage Tunnel in Italy <\/b><\/h3>\n

After a day of traveling in Northern Italy, we hopped off a train in a tiny town with not much more than a single street of cafes and shops. It was already dark, and we spent time watching Italy in the knockout rounds of the Eurocup with a group of locals sitting outside a small bar. Around 10 pm, the last train for the night left. Wild camping is technically illegal in Italy, but there was nowhere to go and the tiny town offered no solutions. <\/p>\n

We searched on satellite maps and saw a small patch of woods about a mile outside town. We walked in the darkness and arrived only to find the woods on a steep hill and tangled in thorny bushes. <\/p>\n

I figured we\u2019d be sitting in a park until 6 am when the first train arrived. Suddenly, Josh says he thinks he found something. And by finding something I mean a drainage tunnel just tall enough to fit our tent and filled with massive spiders and a dead bird sitting about three feet from the entrance. Yes, it happened. And no, I didn\u2019t sleep well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. A Bush in Northern Spain <\/b><\/h3>\n

A tough backpacking day led to us sitting silently in a patch of bushes overlooking the ocean in A Curona, Spain. I was Hangry. By the time I was done being dramatic the sun had set, we were miles from the train station and had already walked close to fifteen miles that day. Mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted we said \u2018screw it\u2019 and slept in that same bush. <\/p>\n

The perks of being young, dumb, and able to sleep just about anywhere. On the bright side, we had an epic front-row seat to the sunset over the north Atlantic Coast.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. A Roadside Ditch in Croatia <\/b><\/h3>\n

Croatia\u2019s awful train system is made worse in the peak of summer tourism. We tried for hours to catch a train from the capital of Zagreb to the coastal town of Dubrovnik (shout out GOT fans). The night before the bush escapade, we had slept in the Zagreb train station because we were kicked off a train we were told had seats available. <\/p>\n

The next night, history repeated itself. After we hopped on the 9 pm train to the coast, we soon realized that there was no room and the crew kicked us off once again. Hostels were completely booked, so we hopped on a different train heading toward Bosnia and jumped off in a remote town hoping to sleep or camp nearby. <\/p>\n

About twenty minutes after attempting to make our beds in the open-aired train station, a group of local kids came around for a party. We ditched, found a ditch, set our tent up mangled in roots, and finally managed a few hours of sleep for the first time in a few days.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing, I love traveling but hate planning. So it\u2019s quite often we end up in towns\/cities\/countries having exactly two hours to find a place to stay that doesn\u2019t cost hundreds of dollars thanks to last-minute pricing. <\/p>\n

But with every awful night sleeping in a hammock above a colony of fire ants, comes great stories of amazing places I\u2019ve spent the night. Under the Northern Lights in Iceland. In a Treehouse in Kentucky. On a cliff overlooking the Colombian mountains. \u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to say I\u2019m over this phase of my life, but then again I can picture myself booking a plane ticket to Greece and arriving with a single backpack and a smile on my face.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shalee Wanders is a female travel blog that focuses on encouraging young adults to explore the world and challenge themselves outside comfort zones. Born and raised in Michigan, she shares her tips of the Midwest, the United States, and beyond. You can follow her travels on Instagram at\u00a0@shaleewanders<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Outdoor\n\t

At any given moment, Shalee is either lost, hunting for ice cream, or obsessively planning her next adventure.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in rural Michigan, she began exploring the shores of Great Lakes as a teen, often sleeping in her car to save money. Eventually, her urge to explore pushed beyond her Midwest borders. Today, Shalee shares her tips and stories to thousands of readers interested in adventure, outdoor, and sustainable tourism. Her pack now includes two spunky hiking cats<\/a> and her partner, Josh. Learn more about her here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t

JOIN THE ADVENTURE<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Blank\n\t

The Epic Five: Utah’s Insane National Parks\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Lost in Translation: Why We Thought We Were Being Robbed in Colombia<\/a><\/p>\n

The Michigan Bucket List<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Visit 25 Countries for Under $3,500<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\t\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

shaleewanders<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\"Shalee\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n
\r\n\t\t
\r\n
\r\n \r\n Welcome home buddy \ud83e\udd79 \n\n \n#sunset #adventurecat <\/span>\r\n \t <\/path><\/svg> \"Welcome\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n Due to some cancellations - there are spots availa<\/span>\r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg>\t \"Due\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n Tortilla\u2019s first adventure \ud83e\udd79 \n\nWe didn\u2019t br<\/span>\r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg>\t \"Tortilla\u2019s\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n But expect most villas to be built for couples and<\/span>\r\n \t <\/path><\/svg> \"But\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n Can\u2019t wait for another road trip through the U.P<\/span>\r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg>\t \"Can\u2019t\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n We\u2019ve tried to offer them new families but they <\/span>\r\n \t <\/path><\/svg> \"We\u2019ve\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n More \ud83e\uddac, less\ud83e\uddcd\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \n\n#codyyellowston<\/span>\r\n \t <\/path><\/svg> \"More\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n The Baltics:\n\nWe got one recurring question on thi<\/span>\r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg>\t \"The\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
\r\n
\r\n \r\n Last year I turned down the opportunity to be on a<\/span>\r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg>\t \"Last\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div> <\/div>\r\n\r\n\t
\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\tLoad More...<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n \r\n \n\t <\/path>\n\t <\/svg> Follow on Instagram<\/span>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/span>\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t \n\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Four Weirdest Places We’ve Slept While Traveling   I\u2019m sorry if this is your first time here. We\u2019re about ready to get to know each other real quick. Josh and I travel on a tight budget, which often times means a lack of plush pillows and oversized king beds. This also means a hefty…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4255,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"tpl-no-header-footer.php","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,7,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling | Shalee Wanders<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Embrace the unexpected. That's what they say, right? But sometimes the unexpected calls for sleeping in a bush.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling | Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Embrace the unexpected. That's what they say, right? But sometimes the unexpected calls for sleeping in a bush.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shaleewandersblog\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-15T20:44:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-06-19T16:31:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_7771-2.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@shaleewanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@shaleewanders\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shalee Wanders\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling | Shalee Wanders","description":"Embrace the unexpected. That's what they say, right? But sometimes the unexpected calls for sleeping in a bush.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling | Shalee Wanders","og_description":"Embrace the unexpected. That's what they say, right? But sometimes the unexpected calls for sleeping in a bush.","og_url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/","og_site_name":"Shalee Wanders","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shaleewandersblog\/","article_published_time":"2018-10-15T20:44:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2020-06-19T16:31:18+00:00","author":"Shalee Wanders","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_7771-2.jpg","twitter_creator":"@shaleewanders","twitter_site":"@shaleewanders","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shalee Wanders","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/","url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/","name":"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling | Shalee Wanders","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2018-10-15T20:44:20+00:00","dateModified":"2020-06-19T16:31:18+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b95945fb0d6e1b1cea8832c3ceda44b"},"description":"Embrace the unexpected. That's what they say, right? But sometimes the unexpected calls for sleeping in a bush.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/the-four-weirdest-places-weve-slept-while-traveling\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Four Weirdest Places We\u2019ve Slept While Traveling"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/","name":"Shalee Wanders","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7b95945fb0d6e1b1cea8832c3ceda44b","name":"Shalee Wanders","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ff23dd43748a0f94ec6c01886c4fc8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ff23dd43748a0f94ec6c01886c4fc8?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shalee Wanders"}}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_7771-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3615"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3615"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5702,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3615\/revisions\/5702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaleewanders.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}