Dries Buytaert

Photos from May 2026

View from the back of a ferry packed with cars and vans crossing open water.
Took the van to Long Island on the Cross Sound Ferry.

· East Coast

A woman behind a camper van grilling food near sandy dunes.
We camped in the dunes at Assateague State Park, famous for its wild horses. The ocean wind was so strong that we had to grill behind the van just to get the grill hot enough.

· East Coast

Matte black camper van parked in the dunes during blue hour.
Parked for the night in the dunes near Assateague State Park, Maryland.

· East Coast

A woman reclines in a camp chair beside a fire pit at sunset with a camper van parked behind her.
We camped on Cedar Island, North Carolina, at a quiet and remote campsite near the water.

· East Coast

A red neon sign reading 'Mono no aware' on a dark wood wall above an empty restaurant table.
My 98-year-old Oma has been in the hospital for over a week, and she's been on my mind a lot. At a Japanese restaurant in Charleston, I asked ChatGPT to translate this sign. The characters spell 'Mono no aware', a Japanese phrase for the gentle sadness of impermanence. It felt unexpectedly fitting.

· East Coast

A woman inspecting the A/C unit on the roof of a van at a wooded campsite.
Vanessa climbed onto the roof of our van to inspect the A/C. Condensation had leaked inside and fried the circuit board.

· East Coast

Stone monument beneath live oaks covered in Spanish moss at a cemetery.
We walked through Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia, beneath old live oaks covered in Spanish moss. It was peaceful and uniquely beautiful.

· East Coast

Melted cheese burgers cooking on a cast-iron griddle at a campsite.
Smashburgers at a campsite near Asheville, North Carolina. Food simply tastes better after a long day outdoors.

· East Coast

Two hikers with trekking poles crossing a rocky creek.
Crossing a creek on the trail to Rainbow Falls in Gorges State Park.

· East Coast

Man cooling off beside Rose River Falls in Shenandoah National Park during a hike on a hot day.
Cooling off at Rose River Falls during a hike near Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Vanessa using my camera.

· East Coast