15 February 2024: Headed to Mammoth Cave National Park for the Ranger guided walk in the cave, and arrived a little bit early so went exploring along one of the only open dirt roads within the park, then on to the cave itself, which was surreal as all these massive caves are when lit up artistically to transform the earthworks into gothic cathedrals underground. After leaving the cave I made a stop at the Land Between the Lakes Bison and Elk Prairie, and while the bison seemed to be hiding, the elk were everywhere and I had the opportunity to make some great imagery with them before continuing on towards Missouri…
14 February 2024: Did a little more exploring around the Gorge in the morning, but in the afternoon it was back on the road towards Mammoth Cave National Park and made a stop at the Bell’s Tavern ruin just before sunset…
13 February 2024: Paused for the day to explore the Red River Gorge area in the Daniel Boone National Forest today. Beautiful drive along the scenic route and took some time to hike to Angel Windows in the afternoon…
12 February 2024: Decided to explore in a different direction this trip, so going south first, then turning west. This morning took some time to check out the Criel Mound, a Native American burial site and a central monument in the town of South Charleston, WV. Then continued the drive to Kentucky’s Red River Gorge…
11 February 2024: Got an early start on the route heading southwest this morning, and was out of NY and onto the “mainland” well before 9am. Made a stop at the Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania to check out Hammonds Rocks and the Ridge Road trail before continuing the drive as far as South Charleston, West Virginia where we stopped for the night …
THIS MONTH:
It’s roadtrip time again, heading southwest for some adventures and some events, as well as a little bit of “just exploring”…
COMING UP SOON:
Joining the crew from Barlow Adventures as they present an intensive sand dune training at the Imperial Sand Dunes in southern California. This is a seven-day driving and navigation program that focuses on moving safely and effectively through large dunefields with skills-building exercises intended to improve pace, line choice and vehicle control. There is a full classroom day of navigation instruction focused on mapping and understanding the basics of plotting and route planning on paper maps, as well as increasingly challenging in-the-field practice to develop precision map and compass navigation skills. It all culminates in a final day of “chasing checkpoints” out in the big dunes…
Trail Guiding for the California 4-Wheel Drive Association’s fourth annual Death Valley Experience fundraiser event running in March. Each day will feature a choice of runs to some famous, some infamous and some secretive points of interest within Death Valley National Park. Some of the points of interest we may visit during Death Valley Experience 2024 include Zabriskie Point (famous), Barker Ranch (infamous) and the Racetrack (learn the secret of the moving rocks). Other points of interest include Dante’s View, 20 Mule Team Canyon, Artists’ Drive, Chloride Cliffs, Aguereberry Point, Skidoo, Titus Canyon, and Darwin Falls. All of the trail runs are suitable for novice drivers and SUVs with high clearance and 4-wheel drive…
USnomads.org is very proud to be presenting the third edition of the Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally in 2024. This is a unique kind of rally experience — a ten week event that participants can do from anywhere within the continental U.S.A. Competitors design their own routes as part of the rally, then drive it in a points-based online competition that includes optional activity tasks, quests and weekly challenges. The 2024 rally will run from 3 June – 11 August and is open to any driver within the United States who has an off-road capable vehicle — stock or modified. Registration for 2024 is currently open. For more information see the Rally website …
ABOUT THE RED RIVER GORGE
The Red River Gorge is a unique, scenic natural area that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Spectacular rock features, including sandstone arches and towering cliffs, are just part of the attraction. Outdoor enthusiasts come to the gorge year-round to enjoy hiking, camping, canoeing, wildlife viewing and other recreation opportunities. Nestled in the lush Daniel Boone National Forest, the Red River Gorge has amazed visitors ever since Boone himself first set foot here in the late 1700s. Today, “The Red” consistently ranks among the top climbing and rappelling destinations in the world, with rock formations ranging from rugged cliffs to natural bridges to the largest collection of sandstone arches east of the Rockies. And you don’t have to be a climber to appreciate the natural beauty of Red River Gorge, you can explore the otherworldly terrain on hiking trails or by canoe or kayak. This intricate canyon system features an abundance of high sandstone cliffs, rock shelters, waterfalls, and natural bridges. There are more than 100 natural sandstone arches in the Red River Gorge Geological Area. The multitude of sandstone and cliff-lines helped this area become one of the world’s top rock climbing destinations. Rock shelters and other sites in the Red River Gorge Geological Area contain artifacts of prehistoric occupancy by indigenous people, beginning with the Paleoindian period. Rock shelters are particularly valuable as archeological sites because they are protected from weathering related to precipitation. Plant materials and other relics, such as woven mats and leather moccasins that would decompose in more typical sites are well-preserved in the dry, nitrate-rich soils found in rock shelters. Sites in the area yielded some of the earliest evidence of the domestication of plants found in the eastern United States. Within the Gorge, a scenic drive includes the Nada Tunnel, a 900-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, and 13-foot-high logging tunnel built between 1910 and 1912. The Red River Gorge is a federally-designated National Geological Area, National Natural Landmark, National Archaeological District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places….
Nesconset | Paris | Belgrade | Cumberland | West Liberty | Pine Ridge | Cave City | Jackson | Calico Rock | Yellville | Oklahoma City | Lawton | Amarillo | Yuma | Phoenix | Sedona | Las Vegas | Death Valley
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
January – Paris
22-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
15-21 December – Holiday Roadtrip
1-14 December – Holiday Roadtrip
8-30 November – New Jersey
1-7 November – Cape Cod
27-31 October – Cape Cod
16-26 October – Long Island
1-15 October – Roadtrip East
23-30 September – Roadtrip East
16-22 September – Colorado
8-15 September – Moab LONCON
1-7 September – Roadtrip West
August – Long Island
July – Roadtrip North
June – Nomad Rally Start
23-31 May – Nomad Prep
16-22 May – Nomad Prep
8-15 May – Long Island
1-7 May – Long Island
16-30 April – East Coast
8-15 April – Long Island
1-7 April – Roadtrip Home
1-7 April – Roadtrip Home
22-31 March – DVE
15-21 March – Arizona
8-14 March – Joshua Tree
1-7 March – Glamis
20-28 February – Southwest Roadtrip
1-19 February – Woman and Machine
Archive
ROADTRIP
An epic journey crisscrossing the USA from east to west and back again, exploring some of the beautiful wild spaces that make up our “public lands.” The roadtrip covered almost 15,000 miles, much of it off-grid and off-pavement, focusing on the deserts of the American southwest. Some locations were truly “iconic” while others were little known, and the segments of independent exploration where punctuated with some fun events across the region… [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
All about exploring ghost towns and abandoned places in the USA and beyond, with tips, and information on the many different types of sites to be found across the globe, including detailed guides for eight specific sites… [read]
REFLECTIONS
EGYPT: CAIRO REFLECTIONS
A quick overview of impressions from a stop in Cairo during our recent scouting mission in Egypt and Sudan … [read]
SPECIAL REPORT
A look into south-eastern Algeria on the border with Libya and Niger: overlanding with the Tuareg in one of the most remote corners of the Sahara … [read]
LOCATION
This installment of a series that focuses on locations around the USA takes a look at some favorite places near our home base in NY. We share a few places we like to explore, where you can experience something of the raw natural beauty of coastal beaches, pine barrens and a little bit of obscure military history… [read]
