Every trail.
Every run out.

102 Adventures, logs and musings — trails, water, and things I built myself. Click any entry to read the full post.

Offshore · Aug 22 Out of Season Ten miles offshore this morning, in three-foot swells, I caught the best fish of my summer.

Product Review · Aug 22 Salty Captain FlowVac Review I didn't believe a vacuum could run on water pressure. Then I spent an afternoon with the FlowVac.

Build Log · Aug 21 Extending My Range I spent five hours bolting an extended fuel tank onto my jet ski. Not glamorous. Pull the old tank, route the new lines.

Offshore · Aug 16 32 Miles Offshore for Red Grouper Sunday morning, and instead of looking at a screen, I was looking at a horizon.

Offroad · Aug 11 Towing the Jeep to Tampa Decision made: my offroad Jeep is moving to Tampa so I can actually get out with it.

Travel · Aug 1 Rock Hounding in Michigan! Petoskey stones by day, glowing Yooperlites by UV light — the beach keeps the good stuff.

Music · Jul 15 The Corporate Parody Albums Are Out Four parody albums and a single — 48 tracks about the all-hands call. Apple Music + Spotify.

Fishing · Jul 12 Offshore Fishing First time 25 miles out on the jetski — red grouper biting, none big enough to keep.

OffshoreJul 3, 2026 Atlantic Deep Sea Fishing on a Jetski Sometimes you just need to do something different — trailered the Fishpro Apex across Florida. OffshoreJun 27, 2026 Fishing Day — Saltwater in the Bay A fishing day in the saltwater of the bay — testing the speed and control of the Fishpro. OffshoreJun 7, 2026 Fishing Locally — Exploring Tampa Bay Some days you don't need a big plan — just a good day on the water, fishing locally. TravelMay 9, 2026 Airboat Alligator Tour Flat across the marsh, gators in the shallows — a ride you feel in your chest. ScubaApr 4, 2026 Scuba Diving for Shark Teeth off Venice Beach Venice Beach isn't just a nice beach town — it's the Shark Tooth Capital of the World. TravelMar 21, 2026 Exploring Da Nang, Vietnam Beaches, city energy, and the river running through it — exploring Da Nang. TravelMar 15, 2026 Mekong River Delta, Vietnam Floating market, a working fishery, and an island tour — immersed in the delta's river life. LifeMar 11, 2026 New Baby Camel at my farm in CA My brother Tabor raises two-hump camels in California. There's a new baby on the ground, and I'm part of the operation. LifeMar 3, 2026 10K Spartan Race — How I Accidentally Got Healthier An 8:30am phone call led to a 10K with 25+ obstacles — 21 pounds down and a lesson worth keeping. ScubaDec 14, 2025 Scuba Renewal at Blue Grotto Some December Sundays are meant for the couch. This one was meant for the water — renewing certs at Blue Grotto. Build LogSep 7, 2025 Getting the Fishpro Apex Dialed In It finally happened — picked up my new Sea-Doo Fishpro Apex and got it dialed in. FishingAug 30, 2025 Pier Fishing — Good Catch, Good Release Sometimes it's not about keeping to eat — it's the peace, the wind, the conversation, and the fight. TravelMay 3, 2025 Exploring in Chennai, India Temples, coast, and the everyday life of India's great southern city. TravelApr 26, 2025 Exploring in Ho Chi Minh City Exploring Saigon — and a great dinner with some of the team, bonding. TravelApr 26, 2025 Exploring in Shanghai, China Amazing dinner, incredible views, and one night in Shanghai — I wish the trip had more nights in it. TravelMar 17, 2025 Exploring Bermuda Historic sites and beautiful scenery — first pass, more pics and notes coming. LifeOct 6, 2024 Day 3 of Owning a New House: Evacuate Just moved in, no furniture yet — and then the mandatory evacuation order showed up. Time to learn the hurricane shutters fast. LifeJul 21, 2024 Bungee Jumping in Macau: Dive Head First 233 meters above Macau — I dove head first off the Macau Tower and took a co-worker with me. TravelJul 4, 2024 Bengaluru Trip India's tech capital — culture, food, and a city that never sits still. Build LogNov 18, 2023 Time for an Upgrade: 42" Tires + Hydraulic Steering Working in the shop — PSC full hydraulic steering and 42" tires on Gadget, ready for the next trip. FishingSep 23, 2023 Random Fishing Trip in Louisville A random fishing trip with a friend — a few spots in Louisville and whatever the river gave up. OffroadMay 29, 2023 Devils Backbone Adventure in RZR A Memorial Day run through the West Virginia hills — Devils Backbone by Polaris RZR. OffroadMay 26, 2023 Delbarton WV: Exploring Offroad in the RZR Coal-country hills and dirt trails — West Virginia offroading in the Polaris RZR. Build LogNov 21, 2022 Van Tour: Inside Vandalf The walkthrough of the van we built through summer 2022 — bench, bed, plumbing, wiring, water. LifeNov 20, 2022 Drone Video on a Beach in New Orleans The coastline from above — why aerial footage changes how you see a place. Build LogAug 14, 2022 Drone Day: Relaxing in Vandalf, Out of Town Out of town in Vandalf, relaxing and playing with the drone — the payoff for months of build days. Build LogAug 11, 2022 Maiden Voyage Definitely not done yet, but it was an amazing trip — Vandalf finally hit the road. Build LogAug 9, 2022 More Wiring and Setup More wiring and setup on Vandalf — ready to sleep in, but not done yet. Build LogAug 8, 2022 Van Shower and Toilet Base Shower pan, toilet base, and the outside cartridge drawer — the wet room becomes a room. Build LogAug 6, 2022 Plumbing View and the Shower Base A plumbing view of Vandalf and the shower base in place — damn, that looks sexy. Build LogAug 3, 2022 Finishing Touches and Shower Prep More finishing touches and prepping the shower install — test-fit before the plumbing went in. Build LogAug 1, 2022 Water Tanks, Gray Tank, and Sink Fresh water, gray tank, and the sink — progress is amazing. Build LogJul 29, 2022 Plumbing, Bathroom, and Power Plumbing and bathroom going in plus more power — the systems are stacking up. Build LogJul 27, 2022 Wiring Day: A Major Project The big wiring day — labeled everything (or so I thought) and traced a bunch of wires. Build LogJul 26, 2022 Cabinet Hardware: The Details Go In Handles, hinges, and catches — the details that make the bamboo cabinets feel finished. Build LogJul 22, 2022 Staining the New Bamboo Staining the new bamboo in Vandalf — the cabinets get their finish. Build LogJul 21, 2022 Vandalf Is Coming Along! More progress on the build — Vandalf is coming along. Build LogJul 16, 2022 Bed and Frame: Building Around It on a Hot Day Hot day for van work — building around the bed and frame as Vandalf comes together. Build LogJul 10, 2022 Bench, Cabinet, and the Bed: Getting Somewhere Bench and cabinet work plus the bed starting to take shape. Build LogJul 7, 2022 Van Is Getting Closer: I Can Almost See It Now Panels, trim, and systems all coming together — Vandalf is flipping from project to home. Build LogJul 3, 2022 Van Work: Starting the Finishing Touches The build moves into the details — trim, panels, and the touches that make Vandalf feel finished. Build LogJul 1, 2022 Van Power Work and Window Install The electrical system coming together and a window going in — power and light, two more systems off the list. Build LogJun 25, 2022 Breakdown in Hanover: My First Drive Belt Change A blown belt deep on a friend's property — my first belt swap, no spare, and a tow back to the shop. Build LogJun 17, 2022 Van Work: Fan, Plumbing, and Cutting Holes So much going on — fan finished, plumbing run, and floor holes cut exactly where they belong. Build LogJun 5, 2022 More Van Work: Wiring, Insulation, and the Fan Insulation, hours of wiring, and the fan going in on Vandalf — tedious work, but it's coming along. Build LogJun 3, 2022 Vandalf Gets Cabinets and a Heated Floor A day in the shop building and installing bamboo cabinets plus a heated floor in the Sprinter, Vandalf. OffroadMay 28, 2022 Daniel Boone National Forest / Hollarwood Just a good weekend exploring with friends — and the trials and tribulations of fixing things. OffroadSep 2, 2021 Hurricane Ida Response Team Out with the response team helping after the storm — boots on the ground, rigs in the field. OffroadJul 31, 2021 Driving Through an Abandoned Mine Just exploring and having fun in the daily driver with some friends — no build, no prep, no agenda. OffroadJul 4, 2021 Offroad Park in the Polaris RZR Just a fun weekend getaway — not enough pictures, but good memories. OffroadMay 30, 2021 Hollerwood Hollerwood with my sister and friends — Jeep and RZR on West Virginia trails. Build LogDec 20, 2020 Jeep JK 1Ton Conversion The JK gets a one-ton axle swap — because stock just isn't built for it. Build LogDec 20, 2020 Adding a Rear Door to the Trailer, and a Drawer Slider The JK gets a one-ton axle swap — because stock just isn't built for it. OverlandSep 8, 2020 4500mi 10 Day Overlanding Trip: CO, UT, AZ, NM, KS, MO Lots to write up.. more coming soon. OverlandSep 4, 2020 Grand Canyon Trip: Camp Setup Gladiator and trailer at the canyon — the setup routine that turns a parking spot into basecamp. Build LogAug 16, 2020 Trailer Battery Connection to My Tow Vehicle Battery/Alternator If the solar was ever not working as I desired, or just not enough juice, I wanted a way to be able to charge the trailer battery from the vehicle alternator (as the 12v 7way connection wouldn't reall Tips & TricksAug 2, 2020 7way Trailer Tester for About 20 Bucks So I googled '7way trailer tester' and they were all very expensive. What do I do? I made my own. 30 minutes and less than $20 + some stuff I had in my shop. And it works. Build LogAug 2, 2020 Building My Own Overlanding Trailer I decided I couldn't afford a super expensive overlanding trailer (I've seen great ones for 20k-50k) — so I opted to build one in my workshop, so it would be set up exactly the way I want it. So much Tips & TricksAug 1, 2020 Plan Ahead Be nice to your future self. Wouldn't it be awesome if every time you hit the trails everything went according to plan? You never got stuck, nothing breaks, all terrain is conquerable in all condition OffroadJun 27, 2020 Dirty Turtle Offroad Park 2020 June 27th 2020 day Trip OffroadMay 30, 2020 Escaping Redbird SRA and earning Jeep Badge of Honor trail badges. The day had gone great, we were having a blast riding and helping people out of tough spots. Most were tug outs for solo rigs, and helping random other Jeeps who guy stuck somewhere. It's a think we a OffroadMay 30, 2020 How Uber saved the day while offroading While at Badlands, the rear passenger side tire got destroyed in the rock garden. We were out of spares at this point, so everyone starts googlng and searching for a replacement. I find a tire shop th OverlandMay 26, 2020 Indiana Offroad Park Road Trip 2020 We wanted to go South and hit a HUGE offroad park.. but they were going to get rained out all weekend.. so we decided to go NORTH, and hit 4 different parks, one per day or so. Was a great decision, e OffroadMay 25, 2020 Maumee May 2020 Maumee Offroad Park This is a new park, so it should be INTERESTING. OffroadMay 24, 2020 Badlands May 2020 Badlands Off Road Park OffroadMay 22, 2020 Redbird State Recreation Area May 2020 Redbird State Recreation Area https://www.in.gov/dnr/outdoor/4225.htm OffroadMay 21, 2020 Interlake Recreation Area May 2020 Day Trip as part of our 5 day excursion OffroadMay 2, 2020 Blue Hollar Offroad Park May 2 2020 The Gladiator does fantastic on the trails! Here were some of the “perks”: automatic sway bar disconnect on screen real time status of the vehicle with the Off-road Pages off-road OffroadNov 26, 2019 Interlake 2019 For Thanksgiving weekend - we wanted to get away from the black friday rush… so we went to Interlake Stake Park Offroad area! I also just officially downgraded my Jeep JK to be my offroad ri Build LogNov 5, 2019 Meet Gadget – My 2008 Jeep JK Once I bought my Gladiator, I shifted my old daily driver to my off-road rig. I originally bought the JK brand new, Nov 2007. It was time. 🙂 But I didn't want to get rid of it (it had a lifetime warra Build LogNov 5, 2019 My new JEEP GLADIATOR I've been wanting a new Jeep for a few years now.. and the Jeep Gladiator came out, and I kinda feel in love with it. After a few months of drooling. I decided to take the plunge. I'm now a new and pr OffroadMay 30, 2019 Black Mountain KY Offroad Area 2019 https://www.blackmountainoffroad.com/ OffroadMay 28, 2018 HASPIN ACRES Offroad Park 2018 For our Vacation this year, we decided to go to Haspin Acres Offroad and Motocross Park, in Laurel Indiana https://www.haspinacres.com/home/ OffroadNov 25, 2017 Rush Offroad Park 2017 For Thanksgiving weekend - we wanted to get away from the black friday rush… so we went to RUSH Offroad Park! OffroadMay 30, 2017 Black Mountain KY Offroad Area 2017 What was on our Agenda? NOT MUCH Just go have fun, and try to not break (much) on the trip.So why Haspin? OffroadMay 30, 2016 HASPIN ACRES Offroad Park 2016 For our Vacation this year, we decided to go to Haspin Acres Offroad and Motocross Park, in Laurel Indiana https://www.haspinacres.com/home/ OffroadMay 25, 2015 HASPIN ACRES Offroad Park 2015 For our Vacation this year, we decided to go to Haspin Acres Offroad and Motocross Park, in Laurel Indiana https://www.haspinacres.com/home/ LifeOct 29, 2014 First tattoo Finally got my first tattoo — a Lord of the Rings design a friend made for me. Build LogSep 18, 2014 Maze buildout for this year! The maze is the heart of the haunt — this year we built it out bigger than ever. Build LogAug 1, 2014 Trade Show Booth Trade shows are all glamour from the aisle and all work from behind the booth. Build LogMay 16, 2014 Hearse Build before and after A hearse that looked buried once and dug back up, rebuilt for the Asylum — before and after. OffroadMay 2, 2014 My first real offroading experience May 2014 I got invited by good friends to go ‘offroading'. Looking back.. they probably went ‘Hey, he's crazy enough to do this, and has a Jeep' Oh Boy..Oh how cute.. back when my Jeep was Build LogNov 3, 2013 Tearing down after haunt season After the season ends, the whole haunt comes apart — these photos give you the scale of what was there. Build LogOct 13, 2013 In spite of flooding, we had some fun jumping from the second story into the floodwater After the flood, we stopped fighting the water for an hour and jumped from the second story into it. Build LogOct 6, 2013 Major rain and flooding *sigh* Major rain flooded part of the haunt build. Pump it out, dry what you can, keep building. Build LogSep 8, 2013 Unique Scene Decor for the storyline A dead water heater and an old barrel — repurposed into scene decor for the haunt storyline. Build LogAug 20, 2013 Building a Church in the woods for a new scene for asylum A carport, plywood, and 2x4s — building a church in the woods for a new scene at the Asylum. Build LogJul 31, 2013 Work that looks way cooler than the sweaty reality Cutting a doorway into a conex pod to bridge a creek on the new haunt path. LifeJul 27, 2013 Monsters Wanted: The Documentary About the Year We Built the Asylum The 2013 film about quitting our jobs and building the Asylum Haunted Scream Park in Louisville. Trailer inside. Build LogJul 7, 2013 Building a new scene for the haunt this season Every haunt season has one build that eats the summer. This year it's a new scene. Build LogMay 2, 2013 Custom sculpting and molding for a new latex piece Sculpting and molding a custom latex piece with a crew of creative people — a learn-as-you-go project. Build LogJan 1, 2012 Rebuilding a maze for the Asylum Haunted Scream Park Season one of the Asylum is done, so the maze is coming apart — even when you're done, you keep building. TravelDec 28, 2010 Beaver Creek Ski Trip Ski-in/ski-out at Beaver Creek Landing — Christmas week on Black Diamond runs. LifeOct 31, 2010 Halloween Costume The Half Man/Half Woman costume — Goodwill finds, a sewing needle, and a top-3 finish.