If you are making your way up or down the California coast, Carpenteria is a great little beachside community worth stopping for an overnight. It’s only an hour and a half West of Los Angeles, yet Carp has a totally different, relaxed atmosphere about it. The Spanish name of Carpenteria, which was bestowed upon the…
Overlanding Tibet to the Gyantse Horse Festival
I put my hand in the air and flagged down a taxi at the Chengdu International Airport in Sichuan, China. I lugged my large pack into the trunk and slid into the pleather seats. Thus began the same Chinese conversation I’d had hundreds of times before: Where are you from? How did you learn to…
Destination: Baviaanskloof, Western Cape in South Africa
The Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve includes a Wilderness Area that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located in both the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces within close proximity to the incredible Garden Route, which sits along the southeastern coast of South Africa, it’s a breathtaking destination that is well-known to many travelers. Photo credit: Sam vd…
Avoidable Missteps Teach a Serious Lesson About Carelessness
As we look back at nearly eight years of full-time, vehicle-based travel, we consider ourselves fairly experienced travelers. So it’s embarrassing to admit we make rookie mistakes from time to time. We should know better. Over the past weekend, we completed a whirlwind but magical tour of La Huasteca Potosina, a tropical region in interior…
11 Tips for Visiting Baja, Mexico, This Winter
Photography by Richard Giordano From sunseekers to snowbirds, surfers, and off-roaders, it seems like nearly everyone I’ve talked to is planning to visit Baja this winter. The promise of warmer temperatures, beach camping, and finding solace in remote desert locations has mass appeal. Waking up to the sound of coyotes chattering, frolicking in sparkling bioluminescence…
Destinations :: San Martín de los Andes, Argentina
In Patagonia’s northwest region, you’ll find forests, lakes, volcanoes, and best of all, the endearing town of San Martín de los Andes, Argentina. Sitting along the glacial shores of Lake Lácar and surrounded by rugged beauty, San Martín was the one place my husband and I seriously considered moving to while on our round-the-world trip….
Destination: Reine, Lofoten Islands
North of the Arctic Circle, nestled amongst dramatic snow-peaked mountains and surrounded by ocean, is the dreamy Norwegian fishing village of Reine. This remote settlement, characterised by wooden rorbuer (traditional fishing huts), and located on the island of Moskenes in the Lofoten archipelago, has been a trading post since 1743. In more recent years, it…
Destination: Sequoia National Forest, California
Covering 1.1 million acres of terrain across three counties in Southern California, the Sequoia National Forest is a diverse and beautiful landscape with opportunities for overland travel and human-powered outdoor recreation. Located in the heart of the Eastern Sierras, it encompasses both King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Giant Sequoia National Monument, Golden Trout Wilderness,…
Chefchaouen – This Blue Moroccan City Will Steal Your Heart
Early in 2019, we were traveling across the rugged Rif Mountain range in Morocco and suffered a breakdown which would leave us stranded in the blue city of Chefchaouen for six weeks. We grew to love the city and her people as we became temporary residents. We camped high above the small city. The first…
Destinations :: Cumberland, British Columbia
On the east coast of central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, you’ll find Cumberland, a gateway to Comox Lake 60 miles northwest of Nanaimo. What makes Cumberland and its 3,000-plus residents unique is the welcoming community and world-class recreation possibilities. Unlike other touristy stops on Vancouver Island, like Tofino and Coombs, Cumberland has kept its quaint…
Killer Bees and Killer Cracks: Overcoming Fear at Cochise Stronghold with 57 Hours
Photography by Richard Giordano “Have you heard about the killer bees?” my climbing guide Jayci asked. We were scrambling over boulders that dotted a dry riverbed in Arizona’s Cochise Valley. “I have not,” I responded nervously, eyeing trunks of decayed oak trees and overhead branches, urgently scanning for a hive. We were hiking the approach…
36 Hours of Adventure :: Grand Canyon Overland Trail Ride
This 36 Hours of Adventure is Presented by: Red sand clings to the deep treads of our Defender as it slowly claws its way up a steep, rocky stretch of trail above the ghost town of Grafton. We’re just outside St. George, Utah. Originally homesteaded in 1859, Grafton’s population topped 168 individuals at its…
Escapar a la Baja Tres: A Vanlife and Overlanding Meetup, Feb 2022
Escapar a la Baja, an Overlanding and Vanlife Meetup Baja season is approaching quickly, and for those heading south of the US border this winter, you’ll definitely want to check out Escapar A La Baja Tres. This weekend-long vanlife and overlanding rendezvous at Playa El Tecolote (just 30 minutes outside La Paz) is scheduled for…
Destination: Mujib Biosphere Reserve Chalets, Jordan
Photography by Richard Giordano As one drives south on Highway 65 (also known as the Dead Sea Highway) in Jordan, a teal-blue body of water appears. Located at 423 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is not only one of the saltiest lakes in the world; it is officially the lowest place on land….
Destination: Shipwreck Lodge, Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Namibia’s northern Atlantic Coastline was given the unofficial title of the Skeleton Coast in 1944 due to the whaling industry’s activities which left a surplus of bones littering its sandy shores. These days, you are less likely to find the bones of whales; however, you will find the skeletons of numerous shipwrecks scattered up and…
Destinations :: Custer—a Small Adventure Town in the Black Hills of South Dakota
I knew Custer, South Dakota, would be beautiful in its own way, and that the “Black Hills” meant there had to be hills somewhere, but I had no idea of the mountainous wonderland I’d be immersed in for almost three weeks. My friend, and fellow rider, Michelle Lamphere, invited me to Custer when I mentioned…
Destination: Three Fingers Fire Lookout, Mount Baker-Snowqualmie National Forest
Photo by Alexrk2 – Own work, CC BY 3.0 Part of the National Registry of Historic Places, the Three Finger Fire Lookout in the Mount Baker-Snowqualmie National Forest is one of the oldest and longest-enduring observation posts in the Forest. Its lofty perch is also one of the most improbable locations for a man-made…
Destination: A-frame Cabin, Flagstaff, Arizona
The city of Flagstaff has some of the best access to outdoor recreation an adventurer could ask for. It is located in north-central Arizona, just south of the San Francisco peaks and the Kachina Peaks Wilderness which contain the highest summit within the state (Humphreys Peak, 12,633 feet). Additionally, the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest…
Telkwa Pass—British Columbia’s “Shortcut” between Smithers and Terrace
Photos provided by ridingfullcircle.com, Uncle “M” (advrider.com), and Jillian Kofoed (Totem Auto Group) He’s about to suggest riding something I won’t like and will do everything he can to convince me. Dave’s been scouring Google Earth and paper maps for a few hours now and has found a little side tour over Telkwa Pass—a rugged 71-mile…
Destination: Cochise Stronghold, Coronado National Forest, Arizona
East of Tuscon, Arizona, the remote Dragoon Mountains rise high above the surrounding desert landscape, reaching elevations of over 7,000 feet. This arid, rocky landscape was the final stronghold of the indomitable Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise. After many failed attempts by the US Army to imprison Chief Cochise (he escaped every time he was captured),…