Author Archives: bktdad123

Oh my! What a trip!! The real purpose of this trip was to visit the famous (infamous) Rubicon Trail and try out The Black Pearl on the holy grail of Jeep trails. More on this later… Then, disaster struck. As we approached the gatekeeper, we paused to lower the tire pressure and noticed a passengerContinue reading “Lake Tahoe and the Rubicon Trail (October 7-9)”

We left Moab with a new lower control arm and headed over to Ouray, CO for a little more 4-wheelin’ fun! We booked a tent site at the KOA and bedded down for the evening with thoughts of Black Bear Pass on our minds We drove along the narrow switchbacks and took in scenery thatContinue reading “Hooray for Ouray!! & Telluride (Sep. 27-29)”

We are in South Lake Tahoe and taking on the Rubicon Trail tomorrow! I have been a little slow to post, lately, but will update everyone on our trip to Ouray and Telluride, soon.

September 26, 2020 So, James turns 54 today and is clearly the senior citizen of this group. Anxious to get to the trails, we made a pit stop to check out some ancient artwork and wonder about the meaning of it all. The Colorado River is running alongside these cliffs and there are a fewContinue reading “I Will Take My BIRTHDAY ON THE ROCKS, PLEASE.”

It has been 32 years in the making, but my dream to go 4-Wheelin’ in Moab, UT has finally been fulfilled! Mike was a gracious host and led us on a “family oriented” trail, rich in history and scenery. During our visit to Canyonlands, I earned his seal of approval as a driver capable ofContinue reading “It’s Really Happening! MOAB!! September 25, 2020”

WOW! Just Wow! This was on Shelly’s bucket list and I was happy to help that dream come true for her. What I didn’t know (and I’m not sure how this escaped me) is that Arches would surpass The Grand Canyon, for me, in natural beauty and wonder. We enjoyed a full day of drivingContinue reading “Arches National Park – Moab, UT (9/24/20)”

September 23, 2020 We made it to Farmington and as soon as we unhooked the Jeep we were off to hit the trails! We asked Siri to point us in the right direction and landed at Glade Off-Road Recreation Area. We did not hit any of the “rated” trails, but the scenery was beautiful andContinue reading “Farmington, NM Fun”

And they are off! A quick re-route on travel eve and we are headed to Farmington, NM instead of Zion. A brief geography lesson, last night, helped us with this determination. While Shelly is somewhat disappointed, I am excited for some off-roading at Chokecherry Canyon. We are about to find out what The Black PearlContinue reading “The Birthday Weekend Begins!”

As a rural “farm kid,” I did lots of camping on the family farm. Now, I’m not talking about camping in a fancy tent, with LED lights and instant pop-up accessibility, I mean sleeping under the stars with an old army blanket and waking up mosquito bit and damp. I used to make fun ofContinue reading “Tent Camping”

Here we come! 32 years in the making for James and he finally gets to test out the Jeep on the Red Rocks of Moab, UT!! We will celebrate his 54th Birthday on the trails!