So you know how I was feeling triumphant for having returned from The Pacific Northwest Tour sans major travel catastrophes for once. Other than feeling a little worse for wear, things went pretty smoothly considering the undertaking.
The bad news is that I was wrong. I’ve been basking in a healthy dose of survival-denial in that I’ve been ignoring the hand issue that plagued me since Salt Lake City because I knew if acknowledged the complications that I’d be hard-pressed to keep plowing forward. That denial stage got me through the remainder of the Pacific Northwest Tour… setting camp, breaking camp, cooking, lifting, shooting, and hauling for another four weeks.
But now that I’m past that and I have to face reality, I find myself giving way to a torn ligament that is very painful and terribly limiting with the only real solution being surgery. This means I’ll have to switch things up in terms of how I operate day-to-day as well as shifting adventures to more low-key efforts that don’t strain the hand until I get through surgery and recovery. Camping trips are going on the back burner since the physical demands of setting up camp are too much but there’s still a lot I can do to keep the adventure flowing. It will certainly cramp my style on the Hell Hike and Raft but with the help of my fabulous crew-mates, I’ll be fine.
In light of all of the potential physical challenges a person can face, this falls in the minor category. It is, however, a major hassle and makes daily tasks cumbersome but like my friend Petunia, it isn’t going to kill me. And while there are no guarantees, it is likely a recoverable and temporary setback and it just means making some adjustments in the meantime.
Anyway, the point of this being and that we all have our setbacks, big and small, emotional and physical. I think the key is knowing yourself well enough to be able to tap into the things that keep you in your happy place even when you’re struggling and keep pursuing them even if you have to change the process a little to accommodate your challenges.
Which brings me to a quote that always make me laugh and keep things in perspective…
Any idiot can face a crisis; it it this day-to-day living that wears you out. ~Anton Chekov
Cheers!
It was painful, but continuing to plow through the Pacific Northwest Tour meant not missing the opportunity to see eye-popping sunsets in Oregon.
This was my second year attending and after my first visit last year, I knew this event would be something I’d want to return to year-after-year. The largest reason part behind that is the reunion with some of my favorite outdoor folks, particularly the ATQA crew. While it’s largely about the people and community, there is also a lot to learn from the event and the other attendees.
Your guide to events at Overland Expo takes the form of a mini newspaper. So much to do in just a few days.
What is Overlanding?
But first off, if you’re not familiar with it, Overland Journal has a pretty good definition of Overlanding and its cousins. Basically, there are a few flavors of this concept that depend on your level of independent-ness and the purpose of your journey.
Last year I struggled with whether this was an appropriate event for me since I don’t fit the Overlander model exactly. Like any group though, there are a lot of variations that fill out the edges and tendrils. I may be on the casual end of the adventure travel spectrum, but I still take a lot away from hanging out with the more extreme varieties at Overland Expo.
What does Overland Expo offer?
The Expo is loaded with a variety of panel discussions, demos, roundtable talks, instruction sessions, and even Overland-themed movies. The topics cover the likes of camp cooking, family travel, vehicle selection and recovery, motorcycle skills, bicycle overlanding, and destinations. As much as there is available to the day-pass folks, you can also go a little deeper with the Overland Experience package which adds on things like driver training, women’s skills, navigation, and wilderness survival just to name a few.
For travelers like me, I find the day-pass option to be more than enough because I couldn’t even manage to make it to all of the sessions I wanted as it was. But if you are seriously looking to improve your skills, the offerings and instruction available with the Experience package will get you there.
And, of course, dozens of vendors are on hand to hawk their wares. This year I saw the usual various vehicle improvement bits and tow-behind camper options as well as camp kitchen systems, solar power systems, and even survival education.
The driving course will most definitely challenge and build your skills.
Thought I was kidding about those skills?
There’s plethora of gear and equipment for you to drool over in the vendor area.
You can decide to get fancy with your camp kitchen if you like…
There are even cool old trucks and motorcycles to marvel at in the vendor area.
What did I learn?
Last year I got caught up in the philosophical end of travel with topics like volunteering and travel ethics. This year though, I focused on a more practical aspect… camp cooking. It wasn’t my intention, just where I landed as I got into the groove this time around.
Cooking in general is a weak spot of mine and my camp cooking is particularly abysmal. But given the amount of time I like to spend camping, there are times I just don’t think I can eat another burger or hot dog. So at the nudging of Wilderness Dave and Living Overland, I attended some cooking demonstrations. I’ll have more on that adventure in a later post since I did dive in and give some things a try in the weeks that followed on the Pacific Northwest Tour.
At Overland Expo, cooking demos can take strange forms… like learning to cook an entire chicken in mud.
Beau Johnston of Living Overland, giving us a run-down on camp cooking.
Cast of characters…
In the end, it’s all about the people, though. My buddy, Wilderness Dave, put it quite well in his wrap-up of the this year’s event.
You can’t beat hanging out with these folks.
Lou and Dave getting in some chat Overland Expo while waiting for pizza.
J. and Nancy often have to ponder my sanity during Overland Expo discussions…
Dave proving he can’t handle Georgia beer…
You will leave with inside jokes…
This is Nancy (with some infamous pizza… another inside joke). I love Nancy. She’s fun, happy, and she makes me coffee.
Pizza, beer, friends, and camping at Overland Expo.
Things to know…
In case this event is now on your radar, here are some random Val thoughts about the event:
Overland Expo takes place each year in mid-May at Mormon Lake, Arizona near Flagstaff. [UPDATE: the event has since moved. Always go straight to the source for the latest info.
Camping is available on site but isn’t guaranteed. And, trust me, the good spots go early.
It gets very, very windy. You, your gear, and every nook and cranny of your vehicle will be covered in dust by the end.
Yes, this is kid-friendly and there are demos and events to keep them entertained.
You don’t have to be a hard-core Overlander to enjoy and benefit from Overland Expo but you will leave inspired to take your travel to the next level.
My camping setup at Overland Expo 2014.
Overland Expo attendees prove there’s more than one way to get out there.
Lots of cool points here, no?
This is a set-up-where-you-can-and-get-cozy-with-your-neighbor camping. I guarantee you’ll make new friends.
I am not kidding about the wind and dust. Just so you know.
The big news this year is that for the first time there will be an Overland Expo East in October in Asheville, North Carolina. This is huge for eastern Overlanders and Overlander wanna-bes who can’t get all the way out to Arizona in May.
And now for your moment of green…
Mormon Lake in Coconino National Forest is the backdrop for Overland Expo.
So the last couple of weeks I’ve talked about adventures completed and adventures to come. I’m guessing you probably won’t realize how these two intersect… and it’s not in a good way.
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ve been seeing my posts about getting out on the trails, upping my pack weight, and upping my distance while enduring the July heat and humidity in Georgia in preparation for the Hell Hike and Raft. What is probably not obvious about it as that I’m coming at it from the worst fitness level I’ve stooped to in many years. And it’s a result of the Pacific Northwest Tour.
Coming off of the trip, I felt like crap. My energy level was in the toilet, my muscle mass deteriorated significantly, my cardio fitness was atrocious, and not to mention the very unfortunate weight gain… just ugh! On the trail yesterday with my dear friend Leslie, I confessed this and she was surprised. In her head, I was constantly out hiking and exploring and whatnot. Early on in the trip, that was certainly the case. But with Fred and George joining me two weeks in (they’re not huge hikers…) and the steady increase in the driving distance we were covering, the trip slowly slipped to lethargy and atrophy behind the wheel. Yes, we were still seeing and doing lots of things but they weren’t necessarily physically demanding.
By the time I returned home, I was a mess. I’m normally known for being the pack mule (Think “Give it to Val, she’ll carry it…”) but I struggled greatly with the post-trip process of hauling all the gear (including Blubaru’s roof box) back up to my 2nd floor loft. Normally this is nothing for me.
The toll of 48 days days on the road is a lot to overcome in the short time I have before the Hell Hike and Raft. But because I don’t want that trip to actually be hell, you better believe I’m upping my game. I’m making good progress but the struggle at middle age is more intense than ever. My body doesn’t bounce back like it used to and I have to be careful not to aggravate old (and not-so-old injuries) so it’s a delicate dance. Recent posts by Wilderness Dave, The Morning Fresh, and Landon Faulkner help me keep it in perspective so mad love to them for their insight and inspiration.
Here’s to getting back in the saddle because I’ve got a wild ride ahead…
I guess I should really say I’m getting back in the pack! Haven’t actually ridden a horse in years. 😉
So it’s been a full week since I’ve returned to “normal” life back at Camp Granola HQ after the Pacific Northwest Tour. My glamorous post-trip activities have involved the likes of buying a new refrigerator, tackling the massive computer difficulties that kept me from processing images while on the trip, sorting through stacks of mail and bills, unpacking the car, gear maintenance, and laundry… oh, the laundry. (Can you hear me weeping?)
At any rate, with computer issues resolved, I’m slowly regaining my rhythm and plowing through the 9,000+ images and videos I took while on the road. I’ve got lots of material to share about the fabulous places we visited but before we get to that, let’s do a recap:
By the numbers…
My happy geocacher…
Total days on the road: 48
Miles driven: 9,015
States visited: 22 (GA, AL, MS, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CO, UT, ID, OR, WA, ND, SD, MN, IA, NE, MO, IL, KY)
Canadian Provinces: 4 (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
National Parks and Lands visited in U.S. and Canada: 11… along with driving through so many National Forests I lost count.
Some other odd little tidbits from the trip include:
I only did laundry three times on the Pacific Northwest tour. I’ll let you do the olfactory math on what Blubaru smells like right now. Better yet? Do yourself a favor and don’t try to imagine that.
Oil changes for Blubaru: 2
Border crossings: 2 (None with George naked this time, though)
This trip went remarkably well, really. There were no major weather battles, gear failures, car repairs, or injuries… just normal low-level stuff that is to be anticipated on a trip like this. Certainly nothing that caused major changes or hangups.
There were triumphs and struggles, of course. And each trip provides different lessons to consider for the next adventure.
Fred and George in a moment of sweetness at Craters of the Moon.
The ups…
Pace: Compared to previous adventures, I set a more manageable pace for the most part, especially early on. That did slip towards the end when I found myself driving nealry 2,600 miles in less than four days but my average daily mileage was my lowest of the last three major expeditions.
Documentation: I did a much better job of keeping up with photography and even dipped my toe into time-lapse and video.
Geocaches: Before setting out, George and I had notions of getting in way more geocaching on this trip. Even though we got fewer than we set out for, we both agreed the quality of the ones we found was very high so we’re counting this in the win column.
Hotel time: I had my sights on less than 10 nights in hotels. We ended up with 15. The reason I’m counting it as a win is that we made better use of those stops by checking in earlier and enjoying the luxury of beds, hot showers, and wifi instead of just blasting in to sleep for a few hours.
Backroads: One of my major focuses for this expedition was spending more time on backroads instead of highways. There’s still room for improvement but I’m very satisfied with our highway-to-backroads ratio.
Base camp: We did much less camp-hopping averaging 3-4 nights in each stop.
The downs…
My darling Fred: Our biggest struggle this trip was emotional. Dealing with the roller-coaster that is a teenager while living out of a small car… well, it was challenging. He had his very sweet, Fred moments but those were few and far between the episodes of diving into the depths of teenage discontent.
Not only did I have computer power issues, I was operating with only one camera battery.
Power issues: Early on I struggled with staying powered so I could continue to work on the road. A stop through Goal Zero HQ in Salt Lake City greatly improved our situation.
Computer issues: Not long after I solved my power issues, my poor beleaguered MacBook started having a meltdown… out of memory, out of space, and having no part of running beefier programs like Lightroom. It basically gave me a big middle-finger and I was dead in the water for processing and properly backing up images. I opted for damage-control mode in order to just get home and solve the issues from here rather than try to deal with it on the road.
Hand injury: Unfortunately this trip was not injury-free. In Salt Lake City I did a lovely little number on my right hand, hyper-extending digits in ways they really should not be. Aside from blinding pain, there was nothing that sent up red flags for me. With no apparent swelling or bruising, I didn’t think much of it at the time other than “That’s going to hurt for awhile.” Five weeks later… well, it ain’t so great.
Fitness: One of my major failures this go-round was keeping up my fitness level. I did some hiking and managed a handful of yoga sessions, but with so much time in the car, it was no where near my usual activity. My plummeting fitness had a huge impact on my ability to combat road-trip fatigue and towards the end, I began feeling absolutely horrible.
Coming up…
There were some places we blitzed through that deserved so much more time. Olympic National Park was definitely one of them.
There you have it, the Pacific Northwest Tour in a nutshell. The meaty stuff is coming up next so stay tuned as I sift through the detritus from the journey and start telling the stories of the truly fabulous places we got to experience as well as the logistics, tips, and realities of a expedition like this.
For an overview of the locations I’ll be writing about, visit my Pacific Northwest Tour Pinterest Board.
As always, follow along on your favorite social media outlet for more of Camp Granola’s adventures.
This past Sunday, I wrapped up the Pacific Northwest tour my longest road trip ever, 48 days. Given the type of people I often associate with, the overlanding and dirtbag sorts, my trip is small beans. Even so, returning from an extended trip has it’s challenges whether it’s seven weeks or seven years. The longer you’re gone, the longer it takes to re-acclimate to being headquartered one place. It’s not easy if you’re the type who thrives on travel and change. It’s not easy returning from a clean slate to your established existence.
The upside is that the familiar places and routines are fresh again. You can better see your bad habits and good ones. You notice things you were overlooking for being so accustomed to them. Like the unhealthy ruts we often develop by retreading the same path over-and-over at home… the ones that bog us down and suck the joy from life. Now is the time to notice them, take a moment to understand how they developed, and turn away.
There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. ~Denis Waitley
The transition from life on the road to life back at home is a double-edged sword…
The Camp Granola crew is winding down the Pacific Northwest tour but still facing over 1,600 miles to get home in the next 3 days. But here’s what’s counter-intuitive… I’m taking backroads for the most part.
In what could be a drudgery of long driving travel days, backroads keep me alert and engaged. I find myself constantly delighted by the sights of backroads. My mind is occupied by understanding the place I’m in, not just mentally shut down and trying to get through. Because I’m not interested in just getting home. I want to learn, see, and come away with something bigger.
So I leave you with this though from yours truly: Just as our personal experiences, our backstories, capture who we are, backroads capture the story of places.
Because when you travel on backroads you truly get a sense of place, even if you’re just passing through.
It’s now been six weeks on the road in the Pacific Northwest tour and we’ve finally made it to Canada… and started moving back eastward.
What I’ve been up to…
After a little longer in Washington than originally planned, we started easing back eastward.
1 day exploring Seattle: We did a big day in the city and visited the Great Wheel, the Space Needle, the REI flagship store, the Pike Place Market… and the all-important Groundspeak Headquarters. What geocacher could resist?
2 low-key days at Deception Pass: We ramped down for a bit to offset the pace we’d been keeping. We explored the park, got Blubaru a much-needed oil change, and took some down-time around camp.
1 day to move to Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: It took us the entire day to pack up and move camp only a couple of hours away but it was worth it for a fantastic campsite along Nooksack Creek.
1 day exploring Artist Point: We had the amazing pleasure of spending the day with Lee (AKA @onewhohikes) and Mike of Mike Off the Map.
2 days drive to Banff: We exited Washington after 10 days and finally headed into Canada. We overnighted in Revelstoke then geocached our way to Banff… which is a really good way to take a long time to get somewhere, by the way.
By the numbers…
Total Days on the Road: 7 (42 total)
Miles this Week: 915 (6,420 total)
States this Week: 1 (WA) for 14 total
Canadian Provinces: 2 (British Columbia, Alberta) for 2 total
National Parks & Lands visited this week: 4 (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Glacier National Park, Yoho National Park, Banff National Park)
I had an entirely different postcard written for today but I’m scrapping that in favor of getting a little bit sentimental because today marks a pretty big milestone for Camp Granola.
Today we find ourselves in Washington on the Pacific Northwest Tour, rounding out the lower 48 for us. We technically arrived in the Evergreen State last night but we didn’t claim our first Washington geocache smiley until today.
Our drive northward on the edge of Olympic National Forest has me feeling nostalgic about my travels, the astounding things I’ve gotten to see and do, the people and places that have touched me deeply, the experiences I’ve had, and how they’ve shaped me.
The combination of challenges, sweet moments, and big milestones that are the hallmarks my personal travel experience have enriched my life and required me to push past my personal boundaries time and time again. It’s been an amazing journey and it’s far from over.
So i Leave you with this thought for the weekend…
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Reflecting on the rewards of an adventurous life today…
Don’t forget to follow along on your favorite social media outlet…
1/2 day driving 220 miles to Great Sand Dunes from Cortez, CO: The drive from Cortez through the San Juans is amazing. Crossing the snowy continental divide then going to desert in a matter of an hour is a surreal experience.
6 1/2 days at Great Sand Dunes: I’ve been relaxing, shooting, hiking a little bit… and enduring very volatile weather.
Immersion in the dunes…
This part of the trip is one of the things I’ve been looking forward to rabidly. The weather has been challenging but it’s allowed me to experience the dunes in a whole new way. Being immersed here for a week has given me a new perspective on the rhythms here.
I was hoping to ensconce myself and not have to return to civilization for my entire stay but I did venture to town for bit to catch up on laundry. That and a great dinner seemed a much better bet than sitting in my tent during yet another thunderstorm with no power to accomplish any work and too cold to partake of any hobbies like knitting.
Overall it’s been an amazing week. From the little things like the constant buzz of hummingbirds to the grandeur of storms in the dunes, I’m a very happy nature nerd. More to come as I process the images and video but for now…
By the numbers this week…
In my first week of travel I covered over 2,000 miles. This week only a few hundred.
Total Days on the Road: 7 (14 total)
Miles this Week: 345 (2,450 total)
States this Week: 2 (AZ, CO) for 11 total
National Parks & Lands visited this week: 1 (Great Sand Dunes National Park)
Like my other favorites, the Great Smoky Mountains and Death Valley, there’s no shortage of intricacies I’d like to explore here.
I managed to score one of the best campsites in the lower loop…
Most people drive by but this tree is like an old friend to me here. I’ve spent many hours in its company.
The Wellington Ditch Trail is an overlooked gem at the park.
All sorts of wildlife visit the campground.
Up Medano Creek…
In between storms, I managed to enjoy some hammock time.
And I do mean storms… the weather has been highly volatile this past week but my tent held tight against the wind, rain, and hail.
I wasn’t quite due for laundry even though I’d been on the road almost two weeks but with nothing to do at camp during the storms I decided to head to town for dinner, supplies, and laundry.
A yummy burger and a good beer at the San Luis Brewing Company were a welcome comfort on a stormy night.
For all of crazy weather I endured, my reward was the most amazing day in the dunes I’ve ever had.
Believe it or not these are happy feet after a great day in the dunes. I may battle the infamous toe issue and a strained achilles but it’s so worth it.
A sunset over the San Luis Valley, complete with deer grazing nearby made for a magical evening.
Don’t forget to follow along on your favorite social media outlet…
A lot of folks think I’m nuts for taking off on 16 days of solo travel and adventure. For some it seems daunting and/or dangerous, for others it seems lonely.
As for the lonely part, it’s a non-issue for me. I’m quite content with my own company and I’m not really alone all that often so it’s a welcome break to simply ramp down and not have to worry about or take care of anyone else. Having some time to explore on my own terms is really a treat.
As for the daunting part, it’s like anything else—keep practicing and it will start to come naturally. As you push your limits and build on each experience, your notions about what is possible will expand accordingly.
So yesterday at my beloved Great Sand Dunes, I faced some very challenging weather out exploring and back at camp. Tough weather can happen anywhere as we well know. I don’t look at yesterday’s adventure as more dangerous than anything else in my daily life but I will say that when you’re on your own and you face these kinds of challenges, you find out what you’re made of and it’s very empowering.
The truth is, anyone can do this, you just have to give yourself the chance. There’s such tremendous freedom and power in knowing you can rely on your own wits in a variety of situations. So I leave you with this—
Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Learning to navigate the world on your own is a vital skill. Solo adventure helps you find out what you’re made of.
I’m one week into the Pacific Northwest tour and I find myself in Cortez, Colorado. I’m currently hunkered down in a hotel room trying to catch up on work. The whirlwind of a 1,700+ mile drive to Arizona followed by the chaos Overland Expo hasn’t left a lot of free time to process images and events but in an effort to give you a feel for how the trip looks so far, here’s the breakdown…
What I’ve been up to…
2 1/2 days driving 1,760 miles to Mormon Lake, AZ: I’ve made this particular drive a number of times and fortunately, for the first time ever, it was fairly smooth sailing. The detours, construction, weather, and general traffic load were very low compared to previous trips.
3 days at Overland Expo: OX is windy, dirty, hot… and a lot of fun.
1 day in Flagstaff and Sunset Crater: A quick overnight to regroup, catch up on work, and resupply.
1/2 day drive to Cortex, CO: I opted to split up my drive instead of camping at Bonito campground outside of Sunset Crater and having to push really hard to get to Great Sand Dunes.
By the numbers…
I had about 4 hours of challenging driving through Arkansas but it wasn’t the toughest stuff I’ve been through by a long shot. (I’m looking at you , Kansas…)
So now that I’ve finally finished chronicling the Overland Expo to TBEX trip… it’s time to set out on another journey.
On Tuesday, May 13th, I’ll be heading out to Overland Expo once again. It will be the kick-off destination of another 10,000-mile(ish) road trip. As we well know, a trip of this scope lends itself to major changes along the way but here’s the skeleton of what I’m hoping to do.
It would be far too simple to actually explore just the Pacific Northwest, right? So again I find myself with a 2-stage journey…
Stage 1…
This will be my solo stage of about two weeks when I get to do the things that are harder to do (or damn-near impossible) with Fred and George in tow. Think lots of uninterrupted photography and hiking.
Taking bets… will this trip top Overland Expo to TBEX?
Overland Expo at Mormon Lake, Arizona: a few days expanding my travel knowledge with people far more experienced than I am… and maybe some fun with fellow travel enthusiasts.
Sunset Crater, Arizona: When I last visited over 4 years ago, I was only just beginning to discover the joys of photography. I’ll be returning with infrared camera in-hand to get my photo-nerd on for a couple of days.
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado: I’ll be revisiting one of my favorite places in the world. This place fills my soul and I’ll be there solo for the first time ever. I’m giving myself a week to soak up the magnitude and beauty.
Stage 2…
This portion will run the last 4(ish)-weeks of the expedition with the following, very tentative, route:
The rough-out of the PNW Tour route.
Denver: Fred and George will be flying into Denver on May 29th and from there we’ll cover some major ground.
Utah: We’re hoping to take a spin through Arches and by the Great Salt Lake.
Idaho: A visit to southern Utah, hopefully including Craters of the Moon National Monument.
Oregon: We’ll head west through southern Oregon before turning northward along the coast(ish).
Washington: Continuing north, we’ll move towards Seattle and fulfill George’s dream of visiting Geocaching.com HQ among other things.
British Columbia: Vancouver, Glacier National Park, and whatever else we manage to work in.
Alberta: We’re hoping to cross the Rockies towards Calgary and discover what we can along the way.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan: In the final days of the trip, we’ll explore the southern reaches of these Canadian provinces as we geocache towards home.
Other considerations…
In the Overland Expo to TBEX Post-Mortem, I talked about the things that went wrong and the changes that need to be made. I can’t control the weather and unexpected hiccups that gave us so much trouble last go-round but I hope I have enough presence of mind to handle them with more travel savvy. Here are a few things that are different this time around:
Taking my poor Blubaru out for another abusive road trip…
We aren’t tied in to a schedule: Last year I had specific dates to be at Overland Expo and TBEX (over 2,000 miles from each other…). I have a big push to get to Overland Expo this year but after that, everything is flexible and I’m not locked into a time-table.
Limiting Fred’s travel: Part of the design of this trip was to keep Fred’s travel to four weeks. He’s a good sport but being on the road for that long is not his idea of a good time.
Return to base-camping: One of the successes of the Geowoodstock to TBEX trip was our ability to camp out in one spot for many nights and take day trips from there. Overland Expo to TBEX was supposed to be the same but the weather and other difficulties decided otherwise.
Backroads: Aside from the push to get to OX at the beginning of the trip, I’ll return to the slow travel of backroads. Getting off the interstate not only sets the mellow tone for the journey, it also makes geocaching stops easier as well as finding cool, off-the-beaten path travel gems.
Pinterest: For the first time, I’m using Pinterest as a planning tool to keep track of potential stops. It allows each of the Camp Granola crew to contribute ideas and keep track of them easily.
Better starting conditions: You may not recall but I went into the OX to TBEX trip thoroughly exhausted. In the two weeks leading up to the start of that trip, I closed on and moved into the Camp Granola HQ, left the next day for Tremont to complete my naturalist certification, came back, celebrated Fred’s 13th birthday, packed like a maniac, then drove over 1800 miles in two days to make it to Overland Expo on time. To be completely honest, I think it was a huge factor in never truly finding a good groove on that trip.
Magical places and moments await Camp Granola on our next big adventure.
Keep in touch…
There will be lots of Instagramming, blog posts, tweets (#PNWtour), and all that so follow along as I set out May 13th…
Yes I’ve been to Great Sand Dunes many times but I can’t get enough. For the first time ever, I get to lose myself in its enchantments on my own terms.
