< more recent | 27-31 October 2023 | older >
31 October 2023: The sun was struggling to make a showing and the wind was fierce, but by the day’s end the sun peeked under the clouds just in time to create an incredibly beautiful light on the bay, transforming the landscape and everything it touched. The sunset itself was gorgeous, but the lingering light and the clouds created a marvelous sky with reds and yellows that made it seem that the very sky itself was on fire…
30 October 2023: The cold wet weather continued today making it hard to really get out and do much, but still managed to check out the coastal landscapes around Coastguard Beach, and wander around the Nauset Lighthouse…
29 October 2023: It was a nice night, watching the moon rise between the pines, with the warmth of the campfire to keep any chill away. In fact it wasn’t even cold, the mild temperatures held fast. In the morning packed up camp and went to check out a hiking trail in the forest before starting the journey east and north towards Provincetown on the tip of the Cape. Stopped to explore at a place called Fort Hill, which had an interesting marsh-like landscape. The Cape is similar to a barrier island in it’s topography, carved by water and shifting sands. Reached Provincetown where it was raining and cold, and went on a “whale watch” that was cold and wet and not very productive, though it did give a perspective on what it might have been like to go “whaling” back in the day, searching the seas to try to recognize a spout and locate the giant sea creature…
28 October 2023: Up early to drive to the tip of Long Island on the North Shore where we caught the ferry across the sound to begin the journey to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Perfect timing as we arrived at Orient Point just as the sun rose over the water. The morning was beautiful and the mild temperatures seemed to call people out to the water for one “last” weekend. As we left Long Island the Sound was already full of recreational boaters enjoying the sun. Reached New London, CT, then drove the rest of the way to the Shawme Crowell State Forest in Massachusetts where we set up camp for the night. Made a couple of stops along the way. A random swamp near a rest area along the highway, and then looking for Ellisville Harbor State Park, stumbled across a cool tidal basin at Shifting Lots Preserve…
27 October 2023: The moon looks full tonight as it comes up over the trees and bathes everything in a warm veneer of moonlight. A great clear sky and mild enough temperatures to stay outside and enjoy it…
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 …
SHIFTING LOTS PRESERVE
Shifting Lots Preserve, managed by the Wildlands Trust, encompasses the southern portion of Ellisville Harbor, near Plymouth MA. The preserve protects a salt marsh estuary. Salt marshes are commonly known to be the most productive ecosystems on earth. They provide essential nursery grounds for numerous fish species. Preserving the quality of the salt marsh helps to protect a web of interconnected species. Shifting Lots Preserve is also home to sand dunes and a migrating barrier beach, which help to protect adjacent uplands from severe storm surges. The dunes are fragile, changing systems that must be preserved in order for them to fulfill this protective function. The barrier beach also provides crucial nesting and foraging habitat for migrating shorebirds, including the federally threatened Piping Plover and several species of terns. The pooled area of water you see between the main beach and the barrier beach was formerly the outflow from the marsh. This channel was created during the “Perfect Storm” of 1991, when sand blocked the mouth of the existing channel. Over the next 12 years, this barrier gradually grew, extending the length of the channel and ultimately causing erosion to private property. In November of 2003, a private party secured the permits necessary to reopen the channel directly to the bay and block the circuitous route. Since then, the barrier has continued to evolve with each passing storm. Ultimately, it is expected to migrate toward land. There are no formal trails at Shifting Lots — just remain on the existing path through the dunes while walking to the beach to minimize damage to sensitive grasses. While the terrain is generally flat, loose sand and rocks can make for a challenging hike….
SHAWME-CROWELL STATE FOREST
The Shawme-Crowell State Forest is located on the western end of Cape Cod. The 700-acre pitch pine and scrub oak forest offers more than 15 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding, and over 285 camping sites in a wooded setting. When you reserve a campsite at the Shawme-Crowell State Forest, you also receive free parking access to the nearby beach at Scusset State Reservation. The beach is just a short drive from the campground and well worth the trip. Here you can wander along the one and a half mile of picturesque beachfront as you watch ships pass through Cape Canal, swim in Cape Cod Bay, or utilize the pier to catch saltwater fish. The hiking trails in the forest itself are mostly easy to moderate with little elevation change as they wind through the verdant wilderness. The Cranberry Bogs and Scorton Creek Marsh trails are great hikes if you are looking for a short but interesting walk. The area is also abundant in wildlife, including populations of deer, beavers, herons, and raptors, along with several interesting species of turtles and frogs…
MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
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
January – Woman and Machine
22-31 December – Holiday Roadtrip
16-21 December – Holiday Roadtrip
1-15 December – Long Island
November – Long Island
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]
