What’s up, Adventurers!
For U.S. readers, it’s Thanksgiving. For me, this isn’t so much about our country’s origin story as it is a day to look back on and appreciate our year’s highlights.
This year, our practice of going around the table and sharing what we’re thankful for will be especially poignant because recent events have made me realize you’ve gotta…
Fill up your Tanks with reasons to give Thanks.
Allow me to explain, with pictures.
For 18 years, we’ve taken a big family road trip every summer. 2025 was probably the last one with all four of us. Kids are older and (likely) headed to college next year.
While I’m a little excited to be an empty nester, I’m also going to really miss spending so much time with them. I’ve worked from home since they were born, so we’ve had a lot of time together. And I enjoy it, a lot.
The first two pics above are from this year’s trip, which included the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We drove in from the east, directly below Vermillion Cliffs, on Tater Ridge. It’s a ridiculously tough road that 100% pushed my RWD camper van to its limit. As in, THE LIMIT.
I’m grateful we got to see it before the Dragon Bravo fire decimated the village and surrounding forest. We were there just three days prior to that fire. The photo above was taken three weeks later from Lake Powell area, looking west toward the Grand Canyon, where the fires were still burning. Perversely, massive forest fires make for amazing sunsets.
En route to the North Rim, we drove through Valle Caldera and hiked part of the East Fork Jemez River Trail. It’s easily one of the prettiest trails we’ve ever hiked, and there’s a killer sport climbing wall with top rope leads right by the road. Highly recommend.
After the Grand Canyon, we visited friends in SoCal and explored bits of the Mojave, checking out vast fields of abandoned gold mines and the petroglyphs at Inscription Canyon.
From there, it was north to Sequoia National Forest. Yep, we have a lot of pics of us under giant trees in the National Park, but this particular shot better illustrates a point I’m getting to. It wasn’t taken from a typical trail.
We also went to Redwoods National Park (and State Park…it’s a weird layout, but a gorgeous coastal area!). I’d never been to either park and wanted to see them before they burn, because the way things are going, I fear it’s only a matter of time before many of these giants are lost to fires.
Our turnaround point was Seattle, but before driving home we flew to Hawaii to visit family and check out Volcanoes National Park. There’s one hike that drops down into a caldera, walking across miles of cracked black earth.
We spent an hour getting the superhero pics above. We had just seen the new Superman movie and were inspired. Jumping, landing, tossing pebbles, playing with angles to get the light just right. The outcome was worth it, these are some of our favorite pics from the trip!
From Seattle, my wife and daughter flew home. Three weeks was enough for them, so my son and I planned our return trip around epic mountain bike destinations. Above is Flagstaff, which has an incredibly vast network of amazing singletrack. We also rode in Forks (WA), Sedona (AZ), and Bentonville (AR).
Shortly after that trip, my friend Watts and I went to Iceland to ride The Rift MTB, a five-day mountain bike stage race that was easily one of the top experiences of my life. I made a video about it if you’re looking for a little MTB vibe video (big screen, volume up) that’ll make you want to go to Iceland!
Nice travel brag… What’s the point?
My youngest brother passed away last week.
He talked about doing things in the future but didn’t take the steps to do things in the present.
Now it’s too late. There are so many things that his kids will never experience with him. Things my other brother, my parents, his cousins, his friends, and I won’t experience with him. Times we could have been thankful for that will never happen.
I’m grateful for the times we had with him, but mostly I think…
Being grateful isn’t enough.
A lot of people say they’re thankful for their health, their family, their friends, their job.
There’s nothing wrong with that. But on the surface, it sounds like gratitude for being lucky. Are they doing anything to stay healthy? Build a strong family? Deepen friendships? Create a fulfilling career?
Or just thanking their lucky stars things that fate hasn’t shit the bed yet? There’s a huge difference.
Taking care of yourself means your family will have many years with you, and sets a great example. Leading others on adventures adds depth to their lives and teaches resilience, because things will go sideways. Having a good work ethic and following through helps maximize the opportunities presented.
It’s why I spend so much time exercising, planning trips, exploring backroads, crafting experiences for my family, and coordinating adventures with friends. And taking the time for all the little side quests, photo shoots, and snack stops along the way.
Here’s why this is important
Sure, there’s always an element of luck. But I prefer to be grateful for the adventures that worked out, the lessons learned from those that didn’t, the experiences I created for myself and others, and to those who chose to spend their time with me.
Selfishly, those efforts are both a gift to yourself and to them.
It gives everyone stories and memories and deeper experiences for which to be grateful. Not only is this good for them, it’s good for you. Expressing and receiving gratitude for such things has powerful mental and emotional health benefits for both parties.
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, here’s to putting in the work make memories, living a deeper life, and creating more reasons to be grateful.
Best New Overland Gear from SEMA
I ripped through SEMA to find the best new overland gear, gadgets, and tech, and rounded it all up in these videos:
- Best New Suspension
- Best New Lights
- Overland Roundup #1
- Overland Roundup #2
- Toyota Hydrogen H2Overlander
- Nissan Concept Overlanders
Be sure to subscribe to our channel while you’re checking those out, I’ve got a lot of travel videos coming soon!
Best Overland Black Friday Deals
I’ve updated the list of brands and products with huge discounts this year, with everything from suspension to rooftop tents (like $800 off the Yakima SkyPeak HD shown above!) to bumpers, lights, storage, and everything else you need to outfit the ultimate adventure rig! Check out all the deals here!
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Thanks for reading. I’m grateful for you, and hope you all have a had a great year and are all set for a happy holiday season. Cheers!
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