sardinetaco: new jersey to ushuaia. @expoportal #sardinetaco #panamericanhighway

Have you ever asked yourself "What is true freedom?" I imagine that we would all have a different answer for that question. For Sara, Dean and their dog Lupe they traded the city for a life on the road. Their days are now spent surfing, fishing and exploring their way through the Americas. They have definitely made me rethink what is important in life!

"There are a lot of people doing this trip, and by this trip, I am referring to driving the Pan American Highway, overlanding the Americas, rambling the big A, and however else people are referring to it these days.  When we decided to plan our adventure, we thought it was a novel idea.  Perhaps, even a little shocking.  And to the people where we reside––it is.  It’s crazy.  Why the hell would you want to do that? You mean, you are going to DRIVE through Mexico.  You are going to die."

"After camping on the beach for a week in Mompiche, we spent the second week working as volunteers at a hostel. As volunteers, we painted some signage, built furniture, created a promotional video, and did some gardening for a few hours a day, in exchange for one of the private cabins (The Mud House)."

Sara, Dean and Lupe have navigated through the Americas, the hustle and bustle of life, and their relationship with each other. What they have learned is that its better to wake up on a beach somewhere in South America than in an apartment in Jersey. Thanks guys for the inspiration.  

Referenced from Expedition Portal.

Referenced from Sardinetaco.

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @oskarblues #canfusion #ryebock

"Our friends at Oskar Blues pioneered great beer in a can and, as mutual members of the canned craft club, this partnership was a perfect fit. CANfusion is a coming together—a fusion, if you will—of flavors from across the spectrum of brewing: spicy rye, tangy wheat and a bright citrusy hop aroma."

Picture taken on my counter top.

"Oskar Blues is the granddaddy of canned craft beer. Like us, they have a fun-loving passion for the outdoors and bikes. It was a natural fit for them to adopt cans as a portable, durable way to tote their favorite beer on the trail, and in the process they  paved the way for all other craft brewers to follow."

"CANfusion is a dry-hop rye bock with a complex malt body that launches a peppery blast from the rye, balanced by a fruity hop aroma. As the style suggests, it was dry-hopped for an added aroma punch from the unique citrusy and spice-like Australian Ella hop varietal."

Upon first impression of this beer the color is dark amber, it has a good head at the initial pour but it dissipates quickly. There is carbonation noted and you can smell the citrus. There is a fruity taste with a sharp aftertaste that disappears quickly. The feel in the mouth is kind of dry actually but still thick as well and it sticks to the tongue as it goes down. This is a good drinking beer and you will enjoy the fruity and spicy combination as you drink it. It is another solid beer in this 12 pack. The only drawback is the price, however if you consider that a beer at your local Irish Pub is $5 per glass you will get over that pretty quickly. Oh and at 7.2 ABV it will remind you that you aren't drinking your average beer. Another solid beer from the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp 12 pack! Great work guys!

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

Beer purchased from Lewisburg Spirits and Wine in Lewisburg, WV. The coolest small town in 2011.

weekly video xv - the questions we ask. @bruce_kirkby @kalumko @mec #adventure #sup

weekly video xv - "the questions we ask." a Kalum Ko and Bruce Kirkby production with support from Mountain Equipment Co-Op.

In the spring of 2013, Canadian adventurer Bruce Kirkby crossed the Georgia Straight from Vancouver to Victoria on an inflatable standup paddleboard. In this award-winning short film, he contemplates the true meaning of adventure.

african wheeling adventure. @fwmag #africamadeeasy #fourwheeler

Don't have an Overland vehicle. You'll be pleased to know that doesn't mean that  you can't take an epic trip to places unknown and get a quality, outfitted vehicle that will meet your needs when you get there. In this adventure editor (Harry Wagner) and his friend Royce took a 1,700-mile road trip that included international border crossings, living out of a truck, and over half of the trip on dirt roads. They started and ended their trip in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Toyota Land Cruiser from KEA Rentals, equipped with an African Outback Products camper shell with an integrated rooftop tent, an Engel freezer/fridge, and more.

"Travel to Africa is intimidating to many people, and for good reason. Political unrest, staggering poverty, and animals that would like to make a quick snack of you all rank high on the list of fears. But taking a step back reveals a whole continent that is just as expansive as it is diverse. On the trip featured here, mine workers striking in Johannesburg didn’t affect our adventure any more than school teachers striking in Chicago would affect your daily routine. Armed with nothing more than a camera and a Lonely Planet guide, I booked a flight to Cape Town to meet up with a college friend—no visas, no vaccinations, no prescriptions."

"I was nervous about the border crossing between South Africa and Namibia, but as we went through the process, it became clear that my fears were unfounded. It took us half an hour to fill out the necessary visas and declarations, and our vehicle was not even searched at the sleepy crossing."

An Ostrich Wing Awning is a must for shade, it also provides shelter from the rain as well.

"While turning towards home was bittersweet, it did not mean the end of the journey. Our border crossing returning to South Africa was as easy as it had been passing into Namibia, with none of the bribes or hours of waiting that you often hear in relation to African borders. “Easy” shouldn’t be interpreted as “boring” though, and the highlight of the border crossing was a ferry ride across the Orange River with our Land Cruiser."

Ferry ride across the Orange River.

Sounds like my kind of trip. One day I hope to be fortunate enough to be able to take a trip like this. Happy Overlanding everyone.

Referenced from Four Wheeler.

today's beer of the day. @sierranevada @AllagashBrewing #myronswalk #belgianstylepaleale

"We named this beer in honor of Myron Avery, a founder of the Appalachian Trail, or the A.T., which starts near Sierra Nevada’s North Carolina brewery and ends near Allagash’s home in Maine. Both breweries have a tremendous love of the outdoors, and Avery and the A.T. are great reminders of the wild spirit of exploration that connects us both."

"Myron’s Walk is a Belgian-style pale ale combining the best of our two breweries. It features intense citrusy flavor and a complex aroma from the use of fruity and resinous whole-cone Citra and Mosaic hops offset by the complex spicy character of Allagash’s house Belgian yeast strain."

In honor of the thru hikers on the A.T., Sierra Designs Light Year 1 (which survived the 2012 derecho in the Cranberry backcountry and was a staple for thru hikers),  Sierra Designs new Backcountry Quilt, and Asolo hiking boots.

The color of this beer is a yellow/orange, it didn't seem to have much of a head with my initial pour but it did have a fair amount of carbonation visible while resting. The aroma of the beer was distinctive to a Belgian style pale ale, fruity notes with a hint of hops. The first sip felt smooth with a notable aftertaste, common to Belgian pale ales, and a bite on the tongue just before you swallow. It had a good flavor, slightly bitter just the way I like it. This was another good beer in this series that I really enjoyed from start to finish. The only problem was that I didn't have another one, come on Sierra Nevada hook a guy up! On the ABV scale it was 5.3%, which is not quite what I am used to, but it has enough kick and it was an enjoyable beer to drink either way. I also really love that they named it after Myron Avery. I am planning on hiking a little bit of the A.T. around Mount Rogers in the next few months, maybe I'll take a bottle of Myron's Walk with me to celebrate the trip. Cheers America.

Referenced from Sierra Nevada.

This 12 pack was purchased from Lewisburg Spirits and Wine, 3272 Jefferson St. North, Lewisburg, WV 24901.