8+ Months of Travel: Michigan to Cabo San Lucas to Dead Horse Alaska and Back! [Pic and Video Heavy]

[wibornz]

We leave on Dec 27th of 2023. Next week. We Jeep, hike, climb and do random risky dumb stuff. I may also attend Overland Expo if I can secure an instructor position for a few classes.
It will be my wife Carla,

She repels

Rope climbs.

and is an expert Jeep wheeler. She primarily does the driving when the going gets rough and I do the spotting. So she has done Pritchett Canyon, Cliffhanger, the Rubicon Trail and many other challenging trails all over the country. Chances are if I post a sweet pic of my Jeep. she is driving.

She is fearless and will hang out over the edge of Top of the World holding on to the front bumper with a 1000+ foot drop off.

Our Dog Mr. Business travels with us. He is a JACKED Russell. He has walked and hiked about 1100 miles this year with us. He is a cave/mine explorer

A hiking dog.

and me of course.

The map below is just a simple itinerary that is just a basic guide as the locations that are turning points along the journey. It is not an absolute as we plan our journey as we go and as the wind blows. our plan is always in a constant revision on the fly. As you can see we have many many points of interest on the current map. While I know that we will not go to every point of interest, they are on the map so when I am looking at the map, I know when something is close to me that I potentially want to see.

We will use harvest host, IOverlander, Gaia and several other apps to find places to to camp. We do not typically stay in a campground. Harvest Host will primary be used as we travel across the country type of travel.

The first two weeks looks like off roading at Kansas Rocks, in Kansas, duh.... Off Roading at Disney Oklahoma, off roading at Hot Spring Arkansas, then hitting the beach on the Gulf of Mexico for a couple relax days in Louisiana. After a couple days, we head west to San Antonio. My wife has been on me to visit San Antonio to do the River Walk area and visit the missions. Then head west and visit with a friend on this forum and off road at Hidden Falls in Texas. After that work our way to Yuma area in Arizona with hiking and Jeeping and camping along the way. I figure we will be in the Yuma/Welton area by mid January.

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[wibornz]

In the next day or two I will share how we prepare to this time of extended travel.

These are some past travel threads

2022
2022 travel thread Note me did not make it to Alaska

2023 travel thread.
2023 Wandering the Southwest

 

[Dryver]

Waiting in anticipation for the pics. One of these days (hopefully soon) I hope to do a trip like this. Living vicariously for now.

 

[Whaler27]

It’s a shame you two don’t get out much.

 

[Beau Nugget]

I enjoyed following along one of your previous big trips. I look forward to doing so again. Deadhorse and Tuk have piqued our interest as well.

 

[wibornz]

It’s a shame you two don’t get out much.

We are gypsies at heart. Just the thought of sitting every night on the couch watching tv kills me a little bit. We both need to be on the road again. We will miss our family and friends. Yet the pull to see epic things and places is strong with us. We both yearn to be uncomfortable and challenged in our daily life. We need to get the Jeep and our hiking shoes dirty.

 

[wibornz]

I enjoyed following along one of your previous big trips. I look forward to doing so again. Deadhorse and Tuk have piqued our interest as well.

Jeeping in Alaska is the reason we bought a Jeep for retirement. Three years before I retired. I saw this video on YouTube



I saw this video and said Carla, this is what we need to do. She was all in. I set up an investment account to save up for the Jeep. And this is how it all started.

We have had family issues pull us away from Jeeping in Alaska twice. Carla’s parents are in their eighties and in a serious car accident during the summer. They have finally crested the hill in their healing and finally doing better. So this maybe the year. Fingers crossed.

 

[SadRobot]

Looks like it'll be an awesome trip! Can't wait to see pictures and will hopefully get to wheel with you guys if you make it out to Califronia.

 

[wibornz]

Looks like it'll be an awesome trip! Can't wait to see pictures and will hopefully get to wheel with you guys if you make it out to Califronia.

We will be wheeling in California again. I would like to run the Mohave Rd. do the trail from Joshua Tree to Big Bear, Maybe a camp a couple days at the Mud Caves. Probably do another day at Glamis. We have from the middle of January to the first of April to be in the the Yuma area. We will do things from there. Day trips, and multi day trips. I would like to go to the King of the Hammers. sometime by the end of January. Then of course we wheel all over the south east corner of California. Sometimes a couple times a week.

 

[aville65]

In the next day or two I will share how we prepare to this time of extended travel.

These are some past travel threads

2022
2022 travel thread Note me did not make it to Alaska

2023 travel thread.
2023 Wandering the Southwest

Cherish your time together. Lost my wife and all our travel plans in June of this year
I will enjoy following your posts!

 

[wibornz]

Cherish your time together. Lost my wife and all our travel plans in June of this year
I will enjoy following your posts!

That is why we try and live with no regrets and try to ensure we treat each day as a blessing. I know that tomorrow is not guaranteed. I cherish the day that are granted to me and try to make the best possible of each one.

You were surely blessed with her presence in your life and by the photos, she loved spending time with you. I am glad you did not waste that time with her and you both got out and enjoyed the life you had together. This is what winning looks like in my book.

I don't worry or grieve in someone's death, as I know that they are just starting another journey and in a place free of the worries of this world. We will either loose our spouse or our spouse will lose us. So do as you did and make the best of the time you have together. The couch is no where to spend a life.

 

[Old Jeeper]

Jeeping in Alaska is the reason we bought a Jeep for retirement. Three years before I retired. I saw this video on YouTube



I saw this video and said Carla, this is what we need to do. She was all in. I set up an investment account to save up for the Jeep. And this is how it all started.

We have had family issues pull us away from Jeeping in Alaska twice. Carla’s parents are in their eighties and in a serious car accident during the summer. They have finally crested the hill in their healing and finally doing better. So this maybe the year. Fingers crossed.

I can identify: All set to head west to do Baja and then into Mexico, leaving on 1 July and arriving back home on or about Dec...Sister and Mother were struck by cancer and they passed away less than 2 years later. By then I had started another company and was not ready to sell.

GOD SPEED and wish you well on your journey and hope the bed bugs are not in your Jeep and safe passage in Baja...

 

[Barney392]

The map below is just a simple itinerary that is just a basic guide as the locations that are turning points along the journey. It is not an absolute as we plan our journey as we go and as the wind blows. our plan is always in a constant revision on the fly. As you can see we have many many points of interest on the current map. While I know that we will not go to every point of interest, they are on the map so when I am looking at the map, I know when something is close to me that I potentially want to see.

You might want to try and get by Chicken Alaska while your in the area. Some interesting history. It is a little out of the way.

 

[HydroBlue22]

Ted
Hope you and Carla have a great trip.
Just curious, What's the place of interest you have on your map in East Texas?

 

[wibornz]

The map below is just a simple itinerary that is just a basic guide as the locations that are turning points along the journey. It is not an absolute as we plan our journey as we go and as the wind blows. our plan is always in a constant revision on the fly. As you can see we have many many points of interest on the current map. While I know that we will not go to every point of interest, they are on the map so when I am looking at the map, I know when something is close to me that I potentially want to see.

You might want to try and get by Chicken Alaska while your in the area. Some interesting history. It is a little out of the way.

The map is a real loose itinerary. We are planning 10 weeks in Alaska. We should have time to do Chicken Alaska and many other things. If you have any other points of interest, post them up.

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