< more recent | 16-26 October 2023 | older >
26 October 2023: Today we had a visit from this raven, and along with the crisp fall air it was a reminder of the approaching Halloween…
25 October 2023: Another mild fall evening and the moonlight was quite bright as it is almost full. Looked interesting as it shone through a few clouds beyond the treeline…
24 October 2023: Always fun to watch the antics of the little animals around the backyard. This little chipmunk is quite bold and curious as we watch each other…
21 October 2023: The trees have been late to turn fall colors this year, but are finally starting to get a little bit vibrant and we are seeing some reds and yellows and every shade in between, while there are still some stubbornly green leaves holding on, too…
20 October 2023: Roasting some red peppers to marinate in a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to make a delicious entree salad or side dish. Planning to make enough so we can take some to camp next week…
17 October 2023: Enjoying some mild fall weather and appreciating the interesting skies this fall. The leaves have not yet given us full colors, but the skies are doing their best to compensate, with lots of nice pink clouds around sunset…
THIS MONTH:
Heading to Cape Cod, Massachusetts for a quiet week of off-season exploring around the National Seashore, then participating in a presentation about the Rebelle Rally to a local group there before turning back towards New York…
COMING UP SOON:
Helping out with the TreadLightly! Trail Stewardship project at the Wharton State Forest in New Jersey on November 12th…
December is Holiday Roadtrip time. Getting ready to celebrate the Christmas holiday somewhere warmer and out in nature — will be setting up Christmas camp and enjoying exploring in the southeast this year…
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 2023 rally will run from 4 June – 12 August and is open to any driver within the United States who has an off-road capable vehicle — stock or modified. Registration for 2024 opens in November. For more information see the Rally website …
FALL COLORS
Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normally green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. A leaf is green because of the presence of chlorophyll. When chlorophyll is abundant during the growing season, it’s green color dominates, masking out the colors of any other pigments that may be present in the leaf. Chlorophyll has a vital function: it captures solar rays and uses the resulting energy in the manufacture of the plant’s food. In late summer, with daylight hours shortening and temperatures cooling, the veins that carry fluids into and out of the leaf are gradually closed off as a layer of special cork cells forms at the base of each leaf. As this cork layer develops, water and mineral intake into the leaf is reduced, slowly at first, and then more rapidly. During this time, the amount of chlorophyll in the leaf begins to decrease. Often, the veins are still green after the tissues between them have almost completely changed color. The amount and brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season are related to weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and moisture are the main influences. A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, crisp but not freezing nights seems to bring about the most spectacular color displays…
LONG ISLAND SOUTH SHORE
The South Shore of Long Island incorporates the island’s Atlantic Ocean shoreline and is often used as a generic name for the entire southern half of Long Island rather than just the area immediately adjacent to the coastline. The South Shore tends to be diverse in culture and income as it varies from one hamlet or village to another. The area includes the remains of great estates from the Gilded Age, some of which have become public lands and wildlife refuges. Long Island is both the longest and the largest island in the contiguous United States, extending 118 miles eastward from New York Harbor to Montauk Point. It contains nearly 40% of New York State’s population and is the most populated island in any U.S. state or territory. The island was originally inhabited by 13 indigenous tribes: Canarsie, Rockaway, Matinecock, Merrick, Massapequa, Nissequoge, Secatoag, Seatauket, Patchoag, Corchaug, Shinnecock, Manhasset and Montauk. In 1655, the European settlers purchased land from the indigenous people and began exploring the island in search of more land for settlement. After the Dutch began to move into Manhattan many indigenous people moved westward into Pennsylvania and Delaware. Native American land deeds recorded by the Dutch from 1636 state that the Indians referred to Long Island as Sewanhaka. The eastern region of Long Island was first settled by the English, and the western portion by the Dutch, with a border that corresponds roughly to the present county line between Nassau County and Suffolk County …
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
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
January – Woman and Machine
22-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
16-21 December – Holiday Roadtrip
1-15 December – Long Island
November – Long Island
22-31 October – Roadtrip East
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]
