INTRODUCTION

We are a small family living and adventuring across North America.

Tennesseans by birth, in 2010 we traded the humid, tree covered mountains of Appalachia for the arid, flat desert of southeast New Mexico. We have since fallen in love with life on the road and in 2018 sold it all and struck out as full-time travelers and “YouTubers”. Our adventures have taken us from the Gulf Coast to the Arctic Coast and many places inbetween! You can ride along with us on our YouTube Channel see some pretty incredible things as we share our travels.

THE BEGINNING

You might say our official introduction to overlanding came when we purchased our Land Cruiser. Like most folks who enter the lifestyle, we were already living the pastime, we just didn’t know there was a word for it! Sarah and I have always loved spending time outdoors, both of us having grown up in a rural farm setting, so it was a natural progression to go from road trips, hiking, hunting, and car camping to what we now know as “Overlanding”.

It didn’t take long before our passion for the New Mexico backroads infected our friends and co-workers and an off-road club was soon born. Shortly after the club became active, I pulled the Land Cruiser in for a heart transplant since its current powerplant was of unknown origin, and its reliability was questionable. Using the current engine simply wasn’t an acceptable risk since it’s not uncommon to be hours from civilization when going off the grid in New Mexico. As I worked at a feverish pace to complete the swap, it became apparent that a family friendly, ready-to-go rig would be ideal to ensure our family could safely enjoy our trips without the stress of trying to work on the Land Cruiser between expeditions. After some research and several test-drives we purchased a Trail Edition 4Runner. At that point the Land Cruiser moved to long-term project status as we turned our attention to our new family rig. While our focus has now shifted to enjoying creation as often as we can in the 4Runner, we continue to tweak on “The Beast”, as it has been affectionately named, and I take it on solo missions from time to time to test out any new or rebuilt components. Our long term goal will be to build this into an overland rig that can travel continents with ease and minimal maintenance as time and funding is made available.

THE RIGS

2014 Toyota 4Runner

BFG KO2’s, Icon Vehicle Dynamics Suspension, Southern Style Off Road Bumpers, and Gobi Rack are just a few of the upgrades our primary rig features to get us there and back.

1980 Toyota HJ45 Land Cruiser

This Australian, right-hand-drive, Chevy powered, rig sporting a Trakka pop-top is our vintage workhorse. This rig is undergoing a long-term build-out but still sees the trail from time to time.

2018 Turtleback Trailer

This rugged, off-road adventure wagon has greatly increased our comfort and longevity on the trail by allowing us to carry more gear, food, and water deep into the wilderness.

OUR ADVENTURES

Our adventures have taken us to some incredible locations that can’t be reached from a paved road. We have been blessed to see some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in all of North America. From the deserts and mountains of the Southwest United States, to the remote Arctic lands of Northern Canada and Alaska; the memories we have made as a family are absolutely priceless. We have learned to overcome obstacles and endure challenges as a family which has made us stronger and more connected. It’s not always easy, and it takes a lot of preparation and perseverance to develop an overland kit that fits your requirements, but in the end it is totally worth the effort. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you as we continue to seek out the furthest edges of God’s creation that 4 wheels, and 3 adventurers can reach.

THE VISION

So much has changed since we first began this adventure. What started as a few videos of the “Enchanted Rockies Trail” which I filmed mostly for Caroline to enjoy when she was older, has evolved into something much bigger. We are now living life on the road full-time and sharing our adventures in a weekly YouTube series which has inspired many more subscribers, followers, and supporters. What began as a hobby is quickly turning into something much bigger.

The past few years have been an uphill battle as life tends to be at times. We’ve been through trials and tribulations, endured the uncertainty of job stability, experienced the loss of loved ones, and fought through the struggles of physical well-being. Through it all, our faith has sustained us, our family has comforted us, and our friends have supported us. We have learned many things through these challenges but the two greatest realizations have been; the short amount of time we’re given on this earth, and the fragility of life we possess. While these facts are seemingly self-evident, it takes real life events to bring them into sharp contrast with our own life perceptions. In light of these realizations, we have made the decision as a family to invest more time in enjoying the life we have, right now. We have chosen to devote ourselves to causes and pastimes that leave an impression on our child and others around us, long after we have gone. This blog, and these adventures we share are just a small part of who we are and what we do. We hope you enjoy following along!