Keyword Adventure

Season 3 Episode 9.  Layering Basics - don't skip this episode!  We interview Lawson Glidden, President of Minus33 Merino Wool, to bring a pro's perspective on layering with merino wool.  This was Minus33's inaugural podcast appearance - a first ever interview that we are lucky to scoop!  Cristen had a lot of fun talking to Lawson - the history of this New Hampshire-based family business that spans well over 100 years is fascinating on its own.  Add the fact that they're producing some of the nicest merino wool socks, base layers, shirts, hats (and more) and you have a personalized experience in the quality layers you collect.  We love that.

Besides gushing about Minus33 (this isn't a sponsored episode - while we are affiliates, we are simply this enthusiastic about finding this brand), we share a couple of our own stories about layering failures and successes so that you can consider your own needs when heading out in varying temperatures and conditions.  Learning the basics of layering is a key factor in your outdoor adventure comfort and safety - we hope this episode gives a foundation for your excursions and makes you smile as much as we did!

Season 3 Episode 4

Season 3 Episode 3.  Grab a drink, sit back, and listen to Matt and Cristen talk about pitching a tent… Guess who wrote this? LOL. In this episode, we are talking about what has worked for us when we go camping. Tent advice, camp furniture favorites, keeping the bugs at bay, where to pitch your tent and some hazards to avoid, organization tips, and dad jokes.  We hope you love this episode and don’t forget to get out there and enjoy the outdoors as a family!

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Season 2 Episode 10. We're hanging out in Key West. Well, Stock Island to be exact. There is the natural tendency to focus attention on Key West itself, but there is a lot on Stock Island that is also a great island experience: fantastic local food at The Hogfish Bar and Grill or breakfast at the Dolphin Deli, botanical gardens, a zoo, and lots of local art. We continue exploring on both land and in the water with the Dude’s first snorkeling experience. All of this is happening around the leak repairs that are keeping us from island-hoping around like we had planned, but adventurers adapt and overcome! Who knows what we are going to get into next!

Season 2 Episode 9. While in search of  a quiet place to go, we found PARADISE!!! Ocean’s Edge Resort and Marina on Stock Island is just the place.  It's beautiful, full of amenities, and let us relax and really enjoy Key West.  That is, until the boat started sinking! Ok, only very slowly sinking, but still. As the saying goes, "owning a boat is just boat work in exotic places," but hey - this is just something else to learn. 

With repair facilities close by and fantastic customer service from Ocean’s Edge Marina, we are able to get the repair time set which allows us to start really enjoying Key West.  There is so much history! Key West has been the subject of books, movies, and songs and its wild and wacky history provides plenty of fodder. We just scratched the surface in this episode, but don’t worry: we will tell more tall island tales in the next episode. One of the most fun parts of Key West for us is getting to explore it with the Dude (our son) and one of the favorite places for us is the Key West Aquarium. What a ridiculously cool place! As always, be sure to subscribe to our podcast, that way you don’t miss any episodes. Thanks for listening.

Links

Season 2 Episode 8.

Have you ever wanted to sail at night? Offshore? Ok, maybe that’s not for you but how about a trip to Key West?This episode covers that and a little more. Key West is a major sailing hub and has been for hundreds of years now. To some it is a country unto itself. And yes that would be the Conch Republic. We also get into our voyage planning process and will include links for those resources that we talk about in the list below. Safety, weather, route planning, standing watch, sea sickness, we touch on all of them and much more. Join our family as we discover some of the history of these famous pirate waters! Be sure to check out our website and sign up for our newsletter!

Season 2 Episode 7.  Sailing is fun: sailing with family is more fun! We are having a great time doing all these interviews with family and friends. This episode is a double-header.  Not only do we interview Jennifer (Cristen's sister), we also get to interview Matt's mom (Marilyn) and stepfather (Ron) who came and spent a week with us on Moon Dragon as we sailed down the west coast of Florida.  Join us as we cruise down the ICW (intercostal waterway) from Burnt Store Marina, across Charlotte Harbor, and down the west coast of Pine Island.  We explore the super cool town of St. James on Pine Island, where we luck into finding a boat-up restaurant that even has a pup menu!  The Waterfront is a fantastic place to go, especially if you love good food and your pets!  I think that the dogs were having their doubts about this sailing thing, but this adventure really won them over for sure!  

In this episode we also get to celebrate Cristen's birthday with a spa day at the Pink Shell Resort and Marina on Fort Myers Beach!  But to get there, we had to pass under our first bridge and that was definitely a test for Matt's nerves! Once we get to the Pink Shell Resort and Marina, we discover that not only do they have a fantastic spa but a huge pool area.  With lots of fun waterfalls and pools for the kids to play in, it is definitely up the little Dude's alley.  He even got to check out his first video game arcade on a rainy afternoon!  Sailors, even if you don't do the massage or enjoy the pool, you will love the bathroom and shower accommodations: they are the spa facilities.  Bar none these are some of the best that we have ever had the pleasure of using in our travels. Well done, Pink Shell!

Once all the birthday celebrations are done, we bid a fond farewell to Ron and Marilyn and prepare for our first ever overnight off-shore trip - to Key West!  That is... until the weather and seas aren't quite as forecasted. 

Season 2 Episode 6. Wow! Well here we are, bouncing on the bottom near the coast of Egmont Key in Tampa Bay.  Yikes!  Then, we "camp" - anchor out - in a very pleasant space in Anna Marie Island before returning south for another visit to the wonderful coastal town of Venice, Florida, where we treat our adventurous guest (Lisa from Episode 5) to a fantastic dinner at The Crow's Nest.

We keep the trip going the next morning: setting sail for the island of Cayo Costa and a bit of beach time on this remote barrier island of Charlotte Harbor (it can only be reached by boat or helicopter).  This uninhabited island is a state park and wildlife sanctuary that has some of the best camping and shell hunting on the Florida coast.  Boaters beware, though!  The popular channel entrance to the Pelican Bay area on the east side of Cayo Costa into a protected anchorage is tricky, shallow, and not well-marked.  We witnessed a few boats that were unsuccessful in finding the right line and found the ground instead!  The trick is to stay on the west side of the channel, very close to the island and the sand bar that runs on that side of the inlet.  If you are not feeling that brave or, as was in our case, it is a very busy weekend, then you can anchor on the east side of the northern end of the island.  Just be sure to stay out of the intercostal waterway and clear of the Boca Grand Pass.  Once you are safely anchored, you are free to explore the island.  They even have a tram that will take you to the Gulf side of the island, thus saving you the walk across.

As much as we have enjoyed having Lisa onboard, her vacation time is coming to a close and we have to get her to an airport.  Luckily, we know just the place!  Burnt Store Marina (not sponsored) is only a short sail away.  This works out in our favor because during the recent sailing leg, our forward head (toilet) decided to become fussy (non-functional).  I, of course, picked the perfect time to do the repairs... you will have to listen to find out.  Jennifer (Cristen's sister) arrives and we set out on another day of sailing, which turns into a night of sailing...

Keyword Adventure

Season 2 Episode 5.  Sailing in a big city, just like traveling with an RV, has its challenges!  Some are really familiar, such as crazy traffic and busy intersections, where to park or walk the dogs, and getting into and out of gas stations.  Join us as we figure out life in super-busy Saint Petersburg Beach during its peak tourist season and have fun exploring the history of the area. What is the Gasparilla Pirate Festival? Where is Treasure Beach?   Pirates, treasure, and some wild seas are just the beginning of this fantastic journey!  We also get to welcome our first "sailing" friend, Lisa, on-board and go out for some coastal cruising while we explore around Tampa Bay. But an afternoon excursion to Egmont Key has us testing the nerves of the crew of SV Moon Dragon!  Every time things don't go as planned, that's when the adventure begins... right?  

Season 2 Episode 4, Things have been fixed, sails are raised, and off we go! Come along with us as we explore the heart of Florida's Gulf Coast and check out some of the great sailing destinations along the west coast of Florida.  Having discovered what that crazy noise was and the solution ;), we are starting to really get into the swing of cruising life as we head out of Charlotte Harbor after exploring some of the beautiful barrier islands like Gasparilla, and Cayo Costa.  Then we head north to Venice, Florida, where we indulge our stomachs and go for a wonderful dining experience at the Crow's Nest Restaurant and Marina.  If you find yourself in this particular area of Florida, you really should stop in for dinner: you never know... you might spot Moon Dragon as we pass through!  From there we go north to Tampa Bay and drop anchor behind historic Egmont Key.  Lastly, it is north a little farther to explore along Saint Petersburg beach!  There is bound to be booty along the famed Treasure Coast, right?  The adventure is just getting started as this new sailing crew explores the coast of Florida!

Season 2 Episode 2.  

So what do you do after buying a boat?  Well, we hope that this episode can give you a place to start.  From making lists of upgrades, assessing your sails, dealing with contractors, and realizing that there is always more work than you thought there would be.  Have you been to the top of your mast? We have! Getting to know your new floating home in and out is important not only for safety but also for when you want to make upgrades or new purchases: it is good to have your own set of measurements when ordering new items for your boat.  

I would like to emphasize once again that this process would not have been possible without help from family, friends, and Rodney and Cheri who really worked with us to make this sailing dream happen.  Also a shout out to Mads from Sail Life of the Land of YouTube.  Without him and his cheerful approach to "Oh Glorious Sanding," I might have lost the battle with the amount of work that I had to do.  Cristen would like to give a special shout out to Sail Rite and their fantastic video's and equipment that literally put the wind back in our sails. Lastly, to Highfield, where we got our new dinghy - you made the decision easy and we have loved exploring in our new ride. We hope that this episode leaves you with the feeling that you too can take on a big challenging project and overcome the obstacles that can come up on your next adventure.  

Oh, and one last thing... sometimes when you think that everything is set and you've got it all figured out, the thing you least expect is just waiting for you.  Listen to the end, have a laugh with us, and see why Cristen always latches the safety line gates now before pushing off the dock (heheheh...).

Season 2 Episode 1.  We caught the bug; It was slow, it was surprising, it was sailing!  Going from land travel-life to buying a sailboat can be a real challenge, especially if you really don't know what you are doing. We go from complete landlubbers to the owners of a classic 1975 Wellington 47 ketch sailboat.  Let us share our journey with you as we check out boats and spend a lot of time "researching" on YouTube. We learn to sail with the American Sailing Association on a lake in Missouri. Then lastly we learn about brokers, and navigate the way ahead when you find "The One." Our sailboat buying experience was definitely challenging at times but, in the end, we found the one for us!  This new season is going to be exciting and we are thrilled to start sharing this story with you!  After listening to the episode let us know what you think!  Have we lost our minds? 

Here are a few resources that we found especially helpful in on our new journey.  These are not sponsored links.

Sailing? Pirates?? Family travel!  In Season II we move from land to the sea!  We are looking forward to bringing you along as we make a major decision to buy, repair, and sail a classic sailboat.  We share our learning experiences in the hunt for a good old boat and the purchase process.  If you have loved traveling with us by land in our RV, then you are going to find this transition to water really fascinating.  Join us on our next great adventure!!

Season 1 Episode 16.  As we move on from Moab we head to Bears Ears, Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, and Natural Bridges National Monument, and then on to Durango Colorado.  If you are going to  visit this area be prepared to be in a very remote place, pack accordingly and fuel up whenever possible! It is a stunning part of America that is only now really getting lots of attention.  This is an amazing place with big vistas and natural wonders around every turn.  

We boondocked at an abandoned air strip that we found using the App Campendium (link below).  What a great find that was!  Beautiful, not crowded and a view of of Bears Ears National Monument and Natural Bridges National Monument.  Be sure to check out our Facebook Page to see some of the pictures we took! To be sure this is only a place to park your rig, it doesn't have any electricity, water, septic, nothing.  Come prepared to be self sufficient. 

Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park and not a US Park, there are fantastic tours, hikes, history and more and the best resource that I can give is their website (linked below) the park is currently Closed for Covid but updates are found on the site.  John Ford and John Wayne really helped put this area on the map by making some beautiful and memorable old western movies here. This has continued into today with modern movies like Transformers and one of the Lego movies. It is one of the most iconic places in the American West.

Valley of the Gods (not to be confused with Garden of the Gods in Colorado) is a stunning and often overlooked area that offers lots of fun adventure and is free and accessible via a gravel road running 17 miles through the park, there is remote camping, hiking, and photos galore, the only thing is you have to be very aware of the weather in the area as it is very prone to flash flooding.  This can very much be the case of rain falling miles away uphill in the mountains and causing problems for the unwary tourist.  As always when visiting areas like this take more water than you think you will need, enough to last a couple days if necessary, it could make the difference between life and death. 

The Moki Dugaway is about as treacherous a road as you will find, it is the most dangerous road in Utah, narrow, with very tight switchbacks and oh yeah it is all gravel!  It descends 1200 ft from the mesa rim to the valley floor and wow will it get your attention, beautiful yes, dangerous? You bet! Do not attempt this with large vehicles like RV's or pulling trailers.    

Natural Bridges National Monument is one of the oldest National Monuments ( Theadore Rosevelt 1908) and was once very difficult to get to, but with better roads were built in 1977. This is one of the areas that has seen people living here for since 7,500 BCE. A stable water source in the desert with over-hangs that they were able to build buildings and granaries in made this a good place to survive and thrive for Native Americans.  Challenging hiking and beautiful natural rock formations make this a great place to explore on your trip through the area.

 Bears Ears National Monument has definitely gotten a lot of exposure in the press over the last few years, and has unfortunately been reduced in size by 47% which is a real shame. 

Then Durango Colorado stole the Show..

Episode 15, Magnificent Moab, finds us having way too much fun in Moab Utah, exploring Arches National Park, partying with the Adventure Mamas Initiative during their Dirtbag Family Bash, and hitting the trail on some fantastic mountain bikes near Canyonlands National Park!  We talk about the Trail Forks App that helps you find fantastic trails with ratings, pictures, and off-line available maps so you don't get lost.  For you hikers and runners out there, AllTrails is another app that we have found to be super useful when you are looking for some awesome hiking trails.  Of course, that doesn't replace local knowledge and you can get the best local knowledge for biking at Chili Peppers Bike Shop or Poision Spyder Bikes (fantastic name btw).  Hiking, climbing, camping, or need to do some laundry? Then Gearheads is your shop!  They even have free filtered water. We picked up a 5 gallon a Scepter Water container and flow control spout to keep in the truck: it is fantastic to have that added water insurance on our back country adventures. I can't tell you how many times that has come in handy.  Moab is an unparalleled adventure locale for everything from climbing, 4X4 adventures, mountain biking, hiking, canyoneering, and of course whitewater paddling!  I have to admit, I found it very difficult to find an outdoor itch that you can't scratch in this adventure mecca of the American West.  We even got to catch the Banff Mountain Film Festival (Eric's first in-the-theater experience).

Season 1 Episode 12: We're diving into and across Nevada on "America's Loneliest Road." AAA was once quoted saying, "we warn all motorists not to drive there, unless they're confident of their survival skills." So, let's go! We find long stretches, lots of mountain passes, great camping, history, petroglyphs, incredible stars, and even some ties back to our home-state of Missouri. 

In this episode, we definitely geek-out on the history, but we find a wonderful reprieve of camping at Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area (BLM) after the busy bustle of Lake Tahoe. Taking time and soaking in the frontier of US-50, "The Backbone of America," allows a visitor to come away with much more than a badge of "I drove that": there's a whole other way of life and rootedness to the people, places, and wildness that exists along the way. 

Season 1, Episode 11. Tahoe Misadventures. Well, nothing like arriving in an area and nearly leaving your mark on the landscape... literally!  Be careful driving with your RV in the Tahoe area and remember if you are coming from the West / North go clockwise around the lake and save the pretty scenery for a time when you are not pulling a trailer. 

There are a lot of great campgrounds in the Tahoe area and with a little planning ahead you can stay at one of the stunning State Parks that surround the south side of the lake. Or if you are looking to be closer to the action, then you can even find some great spots in town to set up camp.  

Whether you are looking for food, gambling, outdoor adventures, or just stunning scenery, the Lake Tahoe area can give you a memories that will last a lifetime. There is a reason that this has been one of America's Playgrounds for more than 150 years!  Ever since the Gold Rush, Americans have been coming here in search of escape and exciting adventures.  

Advice we would give when visiting Tahoe... Enjoy!!  AND DON'T GO THE WRONG WAY AROUND THE LAKE!! 

Season 1 Episode 10.  The Redwoods.  If you took dinosaur habitat and combined it with a fairy realm, you might get close to what these ancient forests embody.  Today, we visit the giants and are just as blown away as everyone says we would be.  However, our "plan" was given several twists and we didn't end up where we thought we would, which led us to the glorious Stout Grove, around Crescent City, and over to Trinidad to explore, discovery eateries, and another brewery.  Sometimes things go awry and it turns out really well anyway!  Sometimes you end up having to back down a one-lane mountain road with an audience.  We can laugh at that now, right?

Then, we drive across northern California to check out Redding.  This area is well-known for its community, hiking, mountain biking, and (unfortunately at that time) for a couple of raging wildfires happening way too close to people's homes.  Again, we had a WHOLE lot more on our agenda for the Redding area, but the smoke from these fires was so dense, we decided to move on.  Not to mention wanting to give a grieving community some space and humility. We did visit a couple of great gear shops, though, and made some fun acquaintances for future visits!

Sometimes when you keep running into unexpected obstacles, you decide the time is right to just move along.  We set our sights on Tahoe via a winding path through agricultural land and through beautiful foothills.  The town of Grass Valley, CA, was an unexpected and wonderful surprise.  Especially when we discovered the Empire Mine State Historic Park.  Whoa!!  Following that unplanned detour was a highlight of this trip leg as we make our way to Lake Tahoe for the next episode.

Links for the Episode:

Season 1 Episode 7 took us a while to finish: turns out traveling and working remotely takes a bit of extra planning...  

In this episode, we get to start exploring around the town of Eugene, Oregon.  It is way too much fun, with gear shops, greenways trails, and breweries. We explore waterfalls and talk a bit about gear... of course.  From biking on the local trails, to sailing and paddle boarding, this Oregon adventure gets off to a fantastic start. Let's dive in!

Episode Tidbits

Brewery:  Plank Town Brewery, Springfield, OR (www.planktownbrewing.com)

Watery Place Features:  Sahalie Falls, McKenzie River, Willamette River, Willamette River Greenway, Waldo Lake

Apps: AllTrails, Trailforks

Gear Shops:  Backcountry Gear (www.backcountrygear.com), REI (www.REI.com)

Outfitter (Mountain Bikes and Much More):  Horse Creek Lodge (www.horse-creek.com)

The Gear:

Paddleboards 

Season 1 Episode 6 finds us on the final leg of our drive to Oregon and past the beautiful mountain town of Bend, Oregon.  We get into some of the details around our motivations for loading up the family and heading west: visiting family, and pursuing Cristen's Adventure Mamas project of 1000 Miles of Adventure.  We're in awe of the landscape from Boise to Vida, OR, and give some pin drops for Rail Trails in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.  We twist our tongues around the topic of self-efficacy and sweat over squeezing our rig into tight spaces. 

On this episode (Season 1 Episode 2) we talk about comfort for you and your pets, how to stay sane by making and using some simple check lists, and some of our favorite smartphone apps for finding camping and checking the weather along the way.  Of course on our first day out while crossing the Great Plains on I-80 across Nebraska we encounter a dangerous line of thunderstorms.  Summer in the Great Plains is always a prime place to encounter some fierce resistance from Mother Nature. While this can be beautiful it can also be dangerous and intimidating, best to have a plan in place!

Travel Podcast Season 1 Episode 1.  

The time has come!  Travel preparation for a three-month family RV trip in the American West can be daunting.  So, let's start with the logistics we used to get comfortable with our rig and set-up that might help you in your planning, too.  We give some tips and tricks about how we prepared for the trip, as well as some stumbling blocks we discovered along the way.  Have you ever dreamed about taking that great extended adventure?  You can do it and we are here to share the experience with you while entertaining a bit!  This is a kid, adult, and pet friendly episode.  

This is our very first podcast, so bear with us while we learn as we go!  Additionally, we do hope to have a video up in the near future.  Stay tuned here and at Keyword Adventure on Youtube!!  

Feel free to send us comments and stories.  We are going to be posting weekly, so please be sure to rate us, subscribe, and share!  It boosts our confidence and audience: the people we envision having these conversations with each week.  Thank you! :)