They call me the wanderer...
Last weekend, my wife and I took a camper van road trip with no destination in mind. To add some structure to the spontaneity, we decided to gamify the experience: roll dice to determine direction, distance, and challenges along the way. Thus, WanderRoll was born.
I started by having ChatGPT formalize our rules into a PDF, but tracking travel zones on a physical map quickly became overwhelming. So, I fed the PDF into Claude Code along with some design notes to see what it could build. The initial version was ready in a few hours, and by Friday evening we were on the road.
The Joy of "Vibe Coding"
Each evening, as we wound down, I'd iterate on the app through what's sometimes called "vibe coding", - casually describing what you want in plain English and letting the AI handle implementation.
"Can you add a shaded area showing the direction and distance we rolled?" Done. "Add a green bonus zone in the last 10 miles?" Done.
Google Maps integration, user authentication, photo tracking, scoring - feature after feature materialized with minimal friction. Without AI assistance, I might have managed a basic map page by the trip's end. With Claude Code, I had a fully functioning application. It was the most enjoyable hobby-coding I've done in years.
When it came time to deploy, Claude helped me get set up on Fly.io and even walked me through the DNS configuration. Want to try it? Visit www.wander-roll.com. There are definitely bugs, but feel free to explore and send feedback.
The Adventure Beyond the Code
We did actually vacation, too. Highlights included disc golf under an airplane in Columbus, IN, German food at Schmidt's Sausage Haus in Columbus, OH, and stumbling upon a spectacular holiday light display in Cambridge, OH. We used Harvest Hosts - a membership connecting RVers with wineries, breweries, and farms offering free overnight parking - for some great boondocking (free camping at welcoming businesses).
The Takeaway
This trip reminded me of why I love technology. AI tools like Claude Code didn't replace creativity or problem-solving; they amplified it, letting me focus on the what while handling much of the how. It's exactly the kind of rapid prototyping we help clients explore at Ingage Partners: using AI as an accelerant for innovation, not a replacement for expertise.
Happy wandering!
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