< more recent | 24-27 December 2021 | older >
27 December 2021: We went kayaking on the river today — enjoying a slow easy day of paddling and photographing some wildlife. We saw quite a few gators, turtles, and some interesting birds as we worked our way downstream, just appreciating the view from the river. It is always a little bit different seeing the landscape from below as we are paddling. It is a different rhythm and slower pace of exploration — not to mention how much quieter we are than when we are in the Jeep, so we have more chance of seeing animals. We stopped at the pontoon dock to have a picnic lunch, then finished the day pulling out of the water just around 5pm. On our way back to camp we caught a very beautiful sunset over a lake then settled into the prairie for a campfire and had the amazing good luck to see an owl …
26 December 2021: Decided to go to Silver Glen Springs today so Chris and Khalifa could snorkel with the fish, and we packed a picnic and ate at the park, where a lot of families were enjoying the day and a pack of vultures were hanging around. It was bizarre to see the vultures there where normally you would imagine seagulls or crows, but I guess as it is Florida things are different and we were surrounded by vultures. At one point it was interesting because the vultures were washing themselves in the lake and then sitting on the fence with their wings spread out to dry. Later on we took a short hike on one of my favorite area trails that goes to these overlooks that open on the edge of Lake George and really look like what you could imagine a pirate cove might look like …
25 December 2021: We woke a little late this morning and got the fire going to make some toast with honey goat cheese and coffee, then decided to spend the day here around the prairie. Our first priority was getting more firewood, and we went off to the place I scouted where the Forest Service had been clearcutting and there was a lot of crushed wood to glean. We filled up the Jeep with huge logs and returned to camp to organize the wood and just enjoyed exploring the edges of our prairie environment. We saw blue herons and some sandhill cranes as well as a few egrets nearby, then watched the sunset and opened a bottle of Proseco around our blazing bonfire as night fell …
24 December 2021: Up early to catch the sunrise out on Vilano Beach, then grabbed a quick breakfast in the old town of St. Augustine near the Castillo San Marcos, before picking us Chris and Khalifa and heading back towards the Ocala National Forest. We got settled in to camp in the early afternoon, and prepared for our Christmas Eve celebration by getting the fire started just as sunset began. The “christmas star” appeared before it was fully dark, and our fire continued blazing until well past midnight …
THIS MONTH:
The Annual Holiday Roadtrip south takes on a slightly different twist this year, as we are joined by some friends from France here to experience a backcountry adventure with USnomads.org. We will be spending two weeks overlanding through the wilderness from the Ocala National Forest to the Okefenokee Swamp and on into the Apalachicola National Forest, camping, kayaking and exploring as we go…
COMING UP SOON:
Every Day Is a Clean Up Day in 2021. Ladies Offroad Network has partnered with TreadLightly! to create a year-long program that encourages members to pick up trash on the trails whenever they are out off-roading. Participants simply pick up the trash, weigh it, take a photo, and log the location and time it took, then upload the details. At the end of the year there will be a series of prizes based on pounds of trash removed from the trails as well as participation in other TreadLightly! initiatives. This is a great way to do some good on a local level and make a larger impact via the national program…
Advanced sand dune training with Barlow Adventures at the Imperial Sand Dunes in southern California. This three day driving and navigation program focuses on moving safely and effectively through large dunefields. Skills-building exercises are intended to improve pace, line choice and vehicle control, as well as developing precision map and compass navigation technique…
Trail Guiding for the California 4-Wheel Drive Association’s second 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. The runs will depart from Furnace Creek and from Stovepipe Wells. Some of the points of interest we will visit during Death Valley Experience 2021 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 a brand new kind of rally experience for 2022 — the Nomad Overland Virtual Adventure Rally 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 rally will run from 6 June – 14 August and is open to any driver within the United States who has an off-road capable vehicle — stock or modified. Registration is now open and continues until 31 March or until the event is full, whichever comes first. For more information see the Rally website or Register Now …
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
19-23 December – Heading South
10-18 December – Long Island
1-9 December – Paris
16-30 November – Paris
1-15 November – Roadtrip East
25-31 October – Roadtrip East
17-24 October – LON Top Ten
7-16 October – Rebelle Rally
1-6 October – Rebelle Training
24-30 September – Rebelle Training
16-23 September – Roadtrip West
1-15 September – CT Training
August – Paris
July – LI & CT
June – LI & VA
16-31 May – Long Island
8-15 May – Return to NY
1-7 May – Southeast Utah
23-30 April – LON Bogi’s & 5+
16-22 April – LON Navigation
8-15 April – Sedona
1-7 April – Nevada
16-31 March – New York
8-15 March – Death Valley
1-7 March – Arizona
22-28 Februay – Alabama Hills
15-21 Februay – Mojave Road
8-14 Februay – Death Valley
1-7 Februay – Glamis
15-31 January – Roadtrip Southwest
1-14 January – Long Island
Archive
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]
RE-OPENING
Report from the first trail run with the Off Road Consulting group at Rausch Creek Off Road Park as the post-pandemic phased re-openings begin in Pennsylvania and some of our favorite local trails re-open to the public after the two-month shutdown… [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]
