Overlanding California to Panama
Join us as we leave our home in Maui, build our own camper, and travel from California to Panama.
Ep.1 Leaving Maui
This is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We are getting rid of our stuff, leaving our “normal” lives, and going traveling. We intend to drive from California to Panama while exploring what nature has to offer along the way, but first we need to get off of Maui…
Ep.2 Arriving in California
We travel to California, visit family, and search for our future overlanding vehicle. Join us as we explore Santa Cruz and get one step closer to starting our Panamerican expedition.
Ep.3 Getting Our Overlanding Rig Ready
We're going to convert our truck into a full time overlanding rig, but first we need to make it from Santa Cruz to Ojai Ca. Its our first long drive with our new (21 year old) truck and we're a bit nervous.
Ep.4 D.I.Y. Camper Build Part 1
We are building our own truck camper for our Toyota T100 Overlanding vehicle. It's a DIY project like nothing we've done before. Our design ideas focus on a few goals: two people sleeping inside, as much storage as possible, and we need to fit 6 surfboards up to 8 feet long inside of the camper. All of this, while trying to keep it as small as possible. Watch the vlog to see what we come up with.
Ep.5 D.I.Y Camper Build Part 2
We finished our custom truck camper for our overlanding rig and now we are going to build out the inside with a sleeping platform, fridge-slide, electrical outlets, and as much storage as we can manage. Watch the episode to see what we come up with.
Ep.6 Trial Run Doesn't Go So Well
We are almost ready to depart on our Panamerican overlanding expedition, but first we are going on a trial run camping trip to Morro Bay.
Ep.7 Lost in the Mexican Desert
We cross the border into Mexico and quickly get lost in the desert south of Mexicali. On the plus side, we get to see how our overlanding rig holds up to a couple hundred miles of dirt driving. It's a good shakedown for our Toyota and our d.i.y. camper.
Ep.8 Baja Expedition: The Road Less Traveled
Day 3 of our overlanding adventure. We find our way out of the Mexican desert and drive to Mike's Sky Ranch in the mountains of northern Baja, but we have to cut our time in the mountains short to rush Jaeger to a veterinarian and the road to the nearest vet proves to be more of a trail. It's 4 low all the way in my stock Toyota.
Ep.9 Emergency Operation in Mexico
We attempt to drive the southern road out from Mike's Sky Ranch to get Jaeger, our dog to the nearest veterinarian, but first, we have to drive the rough road out of the mountains of Baja Norte. It may be a bit too much for our stock Toyota 4x4 to handle.
Ep.10 Scorpion Bay, Baja Adventure
We drive the north road into Scorpion Bay to camp and surf in Central Baja and we meet up with some of my family that is on a 2 week Baja trip. It looks like things are starting to go smooth for us until Jaeger gives us reason to rush him off to the vet again.
Ep.11 Traveling With Family in Mexico
We are overlanding Baja, Mexico when our expedition gets joined by Matt's family. His family explores the Baja Peninsula every year to drive off-road in the desert, camp, and surf. It's a fun time despite all the car problems and it's a great way to say goodbye as we set out on our two years of travel through Mexico and Central America
Ep. 12 Cabo Pulmo & Canon De La Zorra
We camp at Canon de la Zorra and snorkel in the Cabo Pulmo Marine Reserve. Two recommended activities for anyone traveling through Baja.
After all our fun it was time to catch the ferry from Baja California to Mainland Mexico with Baja Ferries. While waiting for our departure we checked out the La Paz Malecon.
Ep.13 Baja Car Ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan
We take the car ferry with Baja Ferries from La Paz to Mazatlan, across the Sea of Cortez with a dog and a vehicle. The crossing takes about 14 hours NOT including loading and unloading. A cabin would relly make this an easy ride, but we didn't plan ahead so none were available when we purchased our tickets the day before.
Ep.14 Trouble in Paradise
We made it to Mainland Mexico. Now we are traveling through Sinaloa looking for some fun surf and beach camping before driving south to San Blas. We have some overlander problems but we can't let it get us down.
Ep.15 Our Guid is Only 9: Adventure in Mexico
It's adventure time! We're exploring Santa Maria del Oro crater lake by kayak and hiking to some beautiful waterfalls in the mountains of Mexico. Then we drive to the coast to search for surf in San Pancho and Punta Mita.
Ep.16 Catching Waves and Releasing Turtles
We're car camping in Sayulita while we wait for our Snomaster fridge to be shipped. When it arrives we head into Puerto Vallarta to pick it up. Then we travel south looking for empty surf and beautiful beach camping. We end up releasing sea turtles, surfing, and spear fishing on the remote beaches of Jalisco.
Ep.17 Tequila Shots & Busted Batteries
It's a party in Sayulita when family comes to visit. Then we drive south to Pascuales for some exciting surf and figure out what is wrong with our truck camper electrical system. We need to buy new solar batteries, but that's easier said than done in Mexico.
Ep.18 Surf Trip Rio Nexpa to Puerto Escondido
We score epic surf at Rio Nexpa till a tropical storm blows in. Then we travel south searching for surf in Guerrero and Oaxaca. Living in a truck camper and beach camping is a great way to do a surf trip in Mexico.
Ep. 19 Surfing Zicatela Puerto Escondido Mexico
We explore Puerto Escondido, Mexico and play in the surf at la Punta, Zicatela. We decide to take a break from car camping and get a hotel room in Zicatela to avoid some of the Mexican Independence Day celebrations, but we do checkout the local parade. Oh, and our overlanding vehicle breaks, so we have to fix it again.
Ep.20 Mexico Surf Trip-Oaxaca
Our surf adventure leaves Puerto Escondido and heads for Barra de la Cruz, Concepcion la Bamba, and some lesser known surf spots in Oaxaca. This stretch of coast near Salina Cruz had some fun surf and excellent car camping opportunities for the traveling overlander.
Ep.21 100 Days On The Road in Mexico
After 100 days of travel, overlanding Mexico we find ourselves in San Augustine, Hualtuco. We are keeping the good times rolling with lots of outdoor adventures. We go snorkeling, surfing, and even white water rafting!
Ep.22 Oaxaca Adventure
Say goodbye to the Beach, We're heading into the mountains. We leave Zipolite and head for San Jose del Pacifico. Then on to Oaxaca City. We checkout some architecture, the markets, and sample the local food. It's like we're proper tourists instead of dirty overlanders :)
Ep.23 The Birth Place of All Humanity
Santiago Apoala is one of our favorite places in Mexico. It is a remote valley full of short hikes to tall waterfalls, deep caves, and narrow crevasses. It is off the popular tourist trail since it is difficult to access without your own vehicle. The perfect destination for an Overlander.
Ep.24 Dinosaurs in the Mexican Desert
It's an overland expedition to check out Dinosaurs in the Mexican Desert! We go on a tour in San Juan Raya to see dinosaur tracks and fossils and check out the botanical garden Helia Bravo Hollis. One of the best things about overland travel is experiencing the out of the way places.
Ep.25 Expedition to the Highest Peak in Mexico
In this vlog we attempt to 4x4 and hike our way to the glacier on Pico de Orizaba, the highest peak in Mexico and 3rd highest peak in North America.
Ep.26 Adventures Off the Beaten Path in Mexico
Join us for some adventures off the beaten path in Mexico. We are going to Texolo waterfall, the Cantona ruins, and Malinche volcano during this part of our long term overlanding expedition through Mexico and Central America.
Ep. 27 Exploring Outside of Mexico City
We're exploring outside of Mexico City. We start by visiting Teotihuacan archeological site and then drive up to Parque Nacional el Chico for some camping and hiking. Central Mexico has been a pleasure to overland with natural and manmade wonders.
Ep. 28 The Most Amazing Hot Springs Ever!
Come to Grutas Tolantongo, the most amazing hot springs ever! These hot springs in Mexico are the coolest hot springs we've found while traveling the Pan American Highway. The whole place is a huge fiesta on the weekend, but it mellows out during the week and it's a lot of fun either way.
Ep.29 Best Place For Dia De Los Muertos
We meet more full time overlanders for Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) in Oaxaca, Mexico. It's a wonderful cultural experience full of fiestas, food, parades, music, and dancing. It is definitely a must do while traveling through Mexico this time of year. Plus we go to a Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling) show!
Ep.30 Expedition Vehicle Broken in Mexico
We broke our expedition vehicle again and this time we need a welder to get traveling again. Lucky we are near the Overlander's Oasis where I can get some easy help fixing the truck and get back on the open road.
Ep.31 Out of the City AT LAST!
We finally get out of the city. Oaxaca was great, but we are excited to be back on the road, traveling and exploring more of Mexico's natural beauty.
Ep.32 Chasing Waterfalls in Chiapas
We're chasing waterfalls in Chiapas, Mexico. We go to Cascada Aguacero and El Chiflon, two massive and beautiful areas full of waterfalls. Aguacero continues to be one of our favorite places visited during our Central America overland expedition.
Ep.33 I HAVE NO PANTS!
Our overland travel has brought us to Lagunas Montebello and the southern border of Mexico. Things don't go as planned, but we try to make the best of it. In the end we must admit that we are soft. Some folks would say we aren't even really overlanding.
Ep.34 Waterfalls, Temples, & Bats
Our Overland Expedition is moving through Southern Mexico from Chiapas up to Campeche. We check out the Palenque ruins, lots of waterfalls and an amazing swarm of bats! But our adventure travel saga wouldn't be complete without a few mishaps and showing you what its really like to overland full time.
Ep.35 Cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula
Explore the coolest things to do on the Yucatan Peninsula. We travel from Lake Bacalar to Cancun and visit some amazing cenotes along the way. This episode of our overland travel saga is all about having fun in some beautiful and unique places in Mexico.
Ep.36 LAME Part of Traveling Full Time
We are in Cancun, Mexico with a broken phone, a broken camera, and bank cards that don't work. Overcoming little problems like these is all part of traveling full time through foreign countries.
Ep.37 Not Bribing Cops in Mexico
Driving the Caribbean Coast of Mexico, we have a series of misadventures before finding a great camp ground where we meet a bunch of other overlanders and use up the remainder of our Mexico visas.
Ep. 38Mexico Belize Border Crossing With A Dog
We're traveling from Mexico to Belize and doing the international border crossing with a dog as part of our long term overland trip traveling the pan American highway. Watch for a little taste of Belize traveling as we drive into Belize.
Ep.39 Overland Vacation Belize With a Dog
Join our Beliz tropical adventure as we do some overland traveling and camping in belize. Then we take an overland vacation when we leave our truck and go to Caye Caulker.
Ep.40 The Down Side of Traveling With A Dog
Jager is sick and we don't know why. It's a tricky thing to deal with while traveling through a foreign land, but I'm sure the team will pull together and figure it out, right... right?
Ep.41 Belize-Guatemala Traveling in Central America
We cross the border from Belize into Guatemala and arrive just in time for a huge fiesta on Isla Flores.
Ep.42 Tikal & Hot Waterfalls
We go to the Tikal archeological site, get a Guatemalan phone plan, and relax in a hot spring fed waterfall.
Ep.43 Semuc Champey Expedition
The scenic road to Semuc Champey proves a bit more difficult than expected. Join us as we explore the dirt roads of Central Guatemala to get to some amazing swimming pools and a bat cave!
Ep.44 Expedition Vehicle Broken in Guatemala City
The road to Semuc Champey rattled something loose in Blue Beauty so we're off to Guatemala City to get her fixed.
Ep.45 Guatemala Surf Adventure
We're hunting for good surf and camping along the central coast of Guatemala. We find some great spots before running into a little trouble with the locals.
Ep.46 Adventures on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Get a taste of Central America Travel! We're going to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, where we attend the cheapest Spanish school in San Pedro and relax in Panajachel. We have some adventures in the local markets and hit a snag when we take our overland rig to a mechanic.
Ep.47 Antigua, Guatemala Overland Style
Join us on our long term overland trip through Central America. In this episode we explore Antigua Guatemala overland style! We show you what it's like to find a place to stay, check out the markets, eat the food, and experience the city as an overlander.
Ep.48 Guatemala Surf Trip
Looking for perfect surf, camping, driving dirt roads, traveling on sketchy ferries, must be a Guatemala surf trip! Join us on this leg of our California to Panama road trip.
Ep.49 Guatemala/El Salvador Border Crossing
Driving across the international border from Guatemala to El Salvador with out Toyota T100 and our dog. Plus,Parque National Imposible hiking and camping in the mountains of El Salvador.
Ep.50 El Salvador Surf Trip
While in El Salvador we meet up with some new overland friends and explore the pacific coast line for perfect surf until we end up in the hospital.
Ep.51 Drive Through Central America Borders
In this episode we cross two internatinal borders to get from El Salvador to Nicaragua. Then we take Amie to the hospital and get a new phone plan. It may not be the most exciting episode, but hey, life on the road still involves taking care of your chores.
Ep.52 Exploring Nicaragua
Our overland expedition through Central America has brought us to Nicaragua. We are exploring the beaches for uncrowded surf and sampling the culture in Leon.
Ep.53 Lake Apoyo & Volcan Masaya
We're seeing the sights in Nicragua! We like to explore off of the tourist trail, but sometimes you just gotta embrace being a tourist and checkout the popular attractions. We couldn't pass up the chance to look into a live crater full of lava!
Ep.54 Ometepe Island, Nicaragua
We are visiting Ometepe Island in Nicaragua for some hiking, swimming, and camping. Plus, surfing Popoyo and Playa Maderas.
Ep.55 Overland Journey on The Pan American
Long term travel has it plusses and minuses. In this episode we deal with visa extensions, a car accident, and feeling a bit road weary.
Ep.56 Somoto Canyon Adventure
Somoto Canyon is somewhere we were looking forward to before we started this trip. It lived up to expectations!
Ep.57 Travel to Leon Nicaragua
Come explore Leon, Nicaragua. We do some sight seeing around the cathedral and volcano roading in the national park.
Ep.58 Granada and the Beaches of Nicaragua
We're taking you to the most popular beaches in Nicaragua as well as a hidden gem. Then it's off to Granada for a little city life before our visas run out again.
Ep.59 Nicaragua to Costa Rica Border Crossing
Drive across the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border to continue our journey south.
Ep.60 Montezuma and The Nicoya Peninsula
We're exploring the Nicoya Peninsula with our cousin Andra, who has flown to Costa Rica to join us for a week. We camp, hike, and swim around Montezuma and the beaches on the southern part of the peninsula.
Ep.61 Playa Avellanas and Marbella
We enjoy camping and surfing on Playa Avellana and Marbella before taking a little break from the road by renting a room for a month.
Ep.62 Camping and Surfing Costa Rica
Costa Rica is awesome and a 4x4 camping setup is definitely the way to see it. We see cool wildlife, meet new friends, and search for surf in this beautiful, warm paradise.
Ep.63 Adventure Tours in Costa Rica
We go kayaking in a mangrove and white water rafting near Quepos, Costa Rica when a local tour company invites us to join them on a couple popular excursions.
Ep.64 Epic Surf Travel Adventure
This epic surf trip in Costa Rica is part of our big travel adventure through Central America. We meet up with traveling friends in Dominical and explore down to Povones, camping and surfing in some incredible places along the way.
Ep.65 Panama Border Crossing
We made it to Panama! Watch our experience as we try to cross the border with our dog and our truck.
Ep.66 Expedition Panama Surf Trip
Our Panama surf trip gets a bit adventurous as we seek uncrowded waves during the rainy season in West Panama and find ourselves as far south as one can drive with out crossing the Darien Gap.
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