Two weeks before the start of our overland adventure, my mother and I went to Spain for a week. Coen was flabbergasted. Buried in a list of things he felt needed to be done, he couldn’t understand why I went on vacation. On the other hand, I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about….
Eastern Sierra Magic: The John Muir Trail in Photos
In 2017, my partner, Amanda, and I hiked the John Muir Trail from Yosemite National Park to the summit of Mt.Whitney. It was a spectacular 15-day trip that tested our spirits, our relationship, and our physical abilities. But like so many big adventures that give us insight into the very fabric of what makes us…
A Journey to the Arctic Circle
We put our finger on the map, packed the car, and left the UK on a rainy Thursday evening. Not the most memorable start to an adventure, but after spending the previous two weeks converting the inside of our Land Rover Defender from a tired utility truck into a home on wheels, we couldn’t wait…
Traveling Around The World by Motorcycle : A Female’s Perspective
When people learn my husband, Dave, and I traveled around the world by motorcycle, the assumption might be I sat on the back of his bike. I enjoy mentioning there were two bikes. Dave rode a BMW F 800 GS. I was on a G 650 GS then upgraded to an F 800. I’m not…
Exploring the Southern Appalachians
It was mid-March 2020, and news of COVID-19 was widespread and omnipresent. Businesses were shutting down left and right, and the dreaded pandemic was taking hold across the globe. I was in Breckenridge, Colorado, working on the mountain, and in the midst of the best winter of my life. As COVID-19’s spread increased, and public…
Adventure in Scotland by Land Rover Discovery
Wet and windy, those were the two words that summed up the British weather for our short road trip around Scotland. We explored one of the tallest roads in Britain to the most northerly point of the UK, taking the time to shoot photos and appreciate the stunning views we had almost all to ourselves. …
Overlanding Southern New Brunswick
Sleep beside the highest tides in the world, and drive on the ocean floor to an island in one of Atlantic Canada’s most underrated provinces, New Brunswick. While Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Nova Scotia are more popular destinations for overlanders, New Brunswick offers some unique experiences. As a New Brunswicker from the northeast region,…
Destinations :: Trona Pinnacles
If spectacular desert landscapes get your heart racing, you should add Trona Pinnacles to your bucket list and make sure to bring your camera when you go. Trona Pinnacles is located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed land near Ridgecrest, California, southwest of Death Valley National Park in the expansive California desert. What…
It Was the Dog That Barked
Published in Overland Journal Europe, Summer 2019 Time travel to Portugal—2,000 kilometres forward; 100 years back. Daylight was fading fast as we took a last exploratory walk through the twisted alleys in the almost deserted village of Antigo de Sarraquinhos. We stopped in front of the only house with a dim light shining through an…
Interview With Rachelle Croft of Expedition Overland
In 2011, Rachelle Croft was in the midst of an intense period of motherhood. Her youngest of three sons had just turned one. Her husband, Clay, was on the road and traveling frequently. “Honestly, I was definitely a little depressed. I loved our boys but missed adventure. At that time, I didn’t realize that being…
The Efjord Cabin is a Glass Masterpiece
Norway is lucky to have some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. It is a landscape of extremes, where snow-capped peaks plunge into icy fjords, and quaint fishing villages bask under the ethereal glow of the aurora borealis. Because of the almost never-ending scenic vistas, the Norway countryside is a fitting setting for…
Arctic Adventures: Rallying the 2020 Alcan 5000
Long hours on ice-covered roads coupled with continual concentration seeped deeply into our bodies. After nearly 30 tanks of diesel and 10 days of white wonderlands, we neared the end of our Arctic journey, completing the 2020 Alcan 5000 Rally. What started as a pipe dream to pilot an old, right-hand-drive diesel deep into the…
Field Tested | Webasto Thermo Top Evo Coolant Heater
Recently, my husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I rallied a 1991 Mitsubishi diesel-powered Pajero in the Alcan 5000 Rally. Not only did we pilot this right-hand-drive Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) 4×4 over 5,120 miles of ice, snow, and blizzard conditions, we had to ensure it started every morning after it slept in Arctic temps of -40°…
Nova Scotia | Overland Routes
Editor’s Note: This article was originally featured in the Spring 2020 issue of Overland Journal As a child, there were a few things I “knew” about what lay beyond the borders of Texas. In the States, the Southeast was a land of sugary sand beaches and muggy afternoons; the Northeast was home to big cities,…
Caught Up in the COVID-19 Crisis in Saudi Arabia
A life on the street, a life in a van—after more than four years in Africa, we thought that nothing and nobody could stop us. But then came coronavirus. Africa We spent 1,561 formative days on the African continent, and every country left its mark—a total of 36 countries, 49 border crossings, and countless roadblocks…
Across the Deserts in Kazakhstan
The world was gray without any visible contours of clouds, making it impossible to see where the horizon separated the earth and the sky. It was a depressing start to our off-road journey across the Aralkum Desert and the Mangystau Plateau to the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. Driving Around and Across the Aral Sea Our…
The Art of Volunteering While Overlanding | Interview With Candice of Be Old Later
If you ever come across Candice of Be Old Later, you’ll likely find her in the midst of various art supplies, drawing cartoons, catching up on freelance artwork, or teaching a group of children how to draw. Her enthusiasm for art developed at an early age, eventually leading her to become a professional illustrator and…
How an Elite Marine and Afghan Dog Saved Each Other
Craig’s candor caught me off-guard as he described the experience of narrowly avoiding death in Afghanistan, but then again, elite Marine Corps members have a unique lens through which they interpret their experiences. Craig went overseas as a CI/HUMINT (counterintelligence/human intelligence) operative, but little did he know that going to Afghanistan to serve his country…
The Sweat Box in the Gambler 500
The Gambler 500 inspires some amazing vehicles—the 1955 Desoto “Chupacabra” and Lightner Racing 911 Rally Porsche both come to mind. If you don’t yet know, the Gambler 500 is an off-road rally adventure challenge with weird cars, weird people, and, most importantly, an epic trail cleanup. This year at the OG Oregon event, based near…
Sustainable Electric Transportation on Aotea with Motubikes
Aotea, also known as New Zealand’s Great Barrier Island, is a Southern Pacific adventurer’s paradise. If you’re planning a visit, you’ll quickly learn that Aotea is a destination of diverse environments, with remote beaches, windswept sand dunes, rugged hill country, old-growth forests, and wetlands. When exploring a pristine environment like this, it feels most…