Judy Nichols

Judy Nichols is a wanderer, traveling the country in her camper van with her husband, Tom, knitting her way along the back roads. An award-winning journalist, she writes about her travels in her blog New American Nomads.

Her grandmother taught her to knit when she was little, but she grew up and forgot. When Tom was diagnosed with cancer, and she couldn’t sleep, she relearned, watching videos on her laptop. She saved her sanity by immersing herself in fiber, color, and the endless puzzle of knitting patterns.

Today, she stitches her way through hiking at Arches National Park, yoga under the pines on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, kayaking the Buffalo River in Arkansas, and cycling the Hiawatha Scenic rail trail in Montana’s Bitterroot Mountains.

In the winter, when camping gets cold, she perches at her mother’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona, hangs out with her son, Nate, binge-watches TV she missed on the road, and goes to her nearby studio, where she uses vintage fabrics to upcycle clothing, which she sells at craft fairs.

Judy and Tom are always planning their next escape in The Epic Van.