Have you considered a small van/RV of some type? They make some pretty nice self-contained units built on Sprinter Van chassis so they really aren't much larger than a full-size truck. You can really get to remote places and see a lot of things that you won't find near the airports. If you're at all curious check out an RV show sometime and/or search out an RV message board. RVing is an entire booming culture of its own and has come a long ways in the last couple decades.