There are few humans out there willing to endure physical hardship like Scott Englund in Never Ride Alone. But watching this film, I understood him; I understand the desire to attain something everyone else thinks is crazy—a goal that takes up so much space in your brain there is no longer room for reason, so…
Humanity :: Kindness of Strangers
Clouds of dust drift away as I sit up and take off my helmet. My bike stretches out across the Trans-Labrador Highway on its left side; its wheels still spin, but the engine has stopped. Something is wrong. But I don’t know what. My heart races as my brain takes inventory. I’m breathing. I’m in…
What the Dempster Highway Taught Us About Slow Travel
Words by Ashley Giordano, Photography by Richard Giordano A comedy of errors saw us attempting to fill our empty diesel tank in the parking lot of the Eagle Plains Hotel on a toe-numbing, nose-hair freezing spring evening in the Yukon. I’m shuffling back and forth in my down hut boots while Richard struggles in…
Where Can Your Volvo Go?
Our expedition car is ready—time for a last check on the roof rack. Our Volvo 240 seems to be from another world among the urban cars in Brussels. The car is heavy, and we have some doubts about the rear suspension. Let’s go! It’s too late to change our plans. Direction: Tehran in Iran. Our…
Exploring Madeira
The whine of the engine rose a few octaves as Gonzolo gunned it around the tight corner. On both sides of the road, the faded white tops of the crenelated retaining wall flew by. Each concrete block looked woefully inadequate to even slow the progress of our battered white van should we lose control, much…
Video of the Week: The Cradle of Adventure
For many world travelers, Africa is the epitome of adventure. The communities, landscape, flora, and fauna are as unique and diverse as it gets, and with 54 different countries (according to the United Nations), there is practically an endless selection of destinations to explore. In this week’s video of the week, we visit Kenya, Uganda,…
Adventure Palooza 2021
Moto events around the nation are springing up at this time of year, enticing us to hop on bikes and get out there. Adventure Palooza 2021 has just opened registration for a Midwest event running September 24-26. Adventure Palooza 2021, as it states on their website, will “test your ability [to] navigate your adventure bike,…
Sandstone Canyon Solitude
I first visited this canyon on the border of Utah and Colorado eight years ago. The adventure was suggested by my friend J, who I had met when we both worked as interpretive rangers for the Clear Creek ranger district back in 2009. On our inaugural trip, we descended into this rarely visited wilderness area…
The 1958 Women’s Overland Himalayan Expedition
After traveling 8,000 miles over six weeks through Western Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, overland adventuresses Anne Davies, Eve Sims, and Antonia Deacock found themselves in Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s drawing room, poring over a large-scale map of the Himalayas laid on a soft white carpet. The “Inner Line,” a…
Driving a Solar-powered EV from Alaska to South America with Route Del Sol
Photos by Joel Gregory Hayes & Keegan Taccori, Courtesy RouteDelSol.com In the world of unique camper builds, there is an almost infinite pool of inspiring vehicles out there. Trust me, I’ve done a lot of digging online and across social media, and I’m still surprised on an almost weekly basis by what I come…
This Daring Duo Drove Afghanistan’s Northern Road in a 1939 Ford
Story by Ashley Giordano, Photos Courtesy of the Swiss Literary Archives Editor’s note: March is Women’s History Month and the Expedition Portal staff would like to acknowledge and celebrate the incredibly brave and courageous women who have come before us and those who will lead the next generation. Whether you adventure far and wide,…
Humanity :: Those Idahoans
Two weeks into a two-year motorcycle adventure around the world, I’m cruising along the St. Joe River on the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route. One mile remains on the trail before my boyfriend and I will connect with a paved road leading into the endearing hamlet of Avery. I spy a boulder the size of a…
2021 Free Virtual Women’s Outdoor Summit
March 8 is International Women’s Day and March itself is Women’s History Month. To celebrate, Teresa Baker, founder of In Solidarity Project, has organized a Women’s Outdoor Summit, this year running Thursday, March 11 to Saturday, March 13. Partnering with Jam Collective, a social media networking group, and Ravel Media, editorial providers for outdoor and…
The “True Tropics” of Africa
Africa, the Mother Continent, home to the largest variety of people, languages, wildlife, flora and fauna on our sublime planet. The African continent from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn is not one large, moist and humid jungle. Most of northern Africa is desert as is much of the south, but to…
A Fine Line
Leaving is hell, especially on dreary, dismal days, which only rush the hemorrhaging of bleeding hearts and heighten the tension of departure. “The traveler’s guilty pleasure is staying home,” wrote Paul Theroux, and those words came to me as I stood looking out at the dripping leaves and grey sky of morning. It had been…
The Pandemic and International Overland Travel
When the pandemic bore down, our family had recently completed a journey across West Africa. Our plan was to remain in South Africa for a few months, recover our finances, and prepare the Land Rover for a trip from Cape Town to Vladivostok. In March 2020, we left Cape Town as news of Covid-19 rang…
Mission Driven
Cirios plants, also known as boojum trees, provide fascinating roadside entertainment in Baja’s Valle de los Cirios protected area. Legend has it they inspired some of Dr. Seuss’ comical characters. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2020 Issue. “ Do you feel safe down there?” It’s the question we hear…
Slim Pickins Outfitters is the First Black-owned Outdoor Gear Shop in the US
Slim Pickins Outfitters is the first Black-owned outdoor gear shop in the country, and like many other small businesses, they are fighting to keep their doors open through the economic downturn caused by Covid-19. But before you write this business off as just another gear store, it’s important to realize what Slim Pickins represents and…
Riding Full Circle: The U-Turn
A long and unexpected delay during a round-the-world journey
Making a Case for the Wild Places
The wildlands of the Judaean desert are a far cry from the dense complexity of Ramallah. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Winter 2020 Issue. A few years ago, I found myself on a long-disused track in the wastelands of Sudan. Over 200 kilometres from real civilisation, my team and I…