The Four Trips that Started it All

These are the four big road trips I took in in the late 2007-2010 that truly shaped my view of how future road trips should be. These trips exposed me to public lands, national parks, the big city, and included so many different landscapes that I had only previously viewed in photos. Road trips are a great way to really see what's out there and I don't know what my life would look like if I hadn't explored a decade or more ago.  Just click the photo to read all about them. Enjoy!

2007 - MMK XC Tour Part One

This was the original trip, with little to no planning and a whole lot of adventure ahead. We really wanted to get out and see the world but we didn't realize what to do or how to do it. We rented a car, took off and put a few thousand miles on. I learned a lot from this trip - a lot of what not to do and a lot of how to maximize future road trips.

2008 - MMK XC Tour Part Deux

The second year of big road trips included more sights seen, more states visited, and more adventure. We went from the flat midwest directly to Seattle and down the Pacific coastline. This trip took it to the max, almost including too much for one stretch but I'll never fully admit that. It was a good preview of many places and a great expereince in learning to make the best of a lot of time with the same two people.

2009 - MMK XC Tour Part Three

This year we swapped one of the M's in MMK and took a whole new approach. Camping and hiking were incorporated and it instantly felt more adventurous than years before. It was also the first time someone joined us halfway through a trip, which gave us a deadline of being somewhere and helped us stay on track. This trip is probably one of my favorite and most meaningful.

2010 - Desert Tour 2010

This was a completely new ordeal - flying to Vegas and exploring from there with two new people! We visited Death Valley, most of the big parks in Utah, and did all the Vegas things. This trip has some memorable moments and some great hikes in Zion. If you have never been to Bryce Canyon in the winter, I highly suggest going and checking it out.