Wards Adventure Travel Research & Trip Journal

Dad and I talk about the next trip. Then we take the next trip, bringing Jack and Joe along with us. For any single ladies in the world, Joe offers his unique value proposition and leaves his phone number at the end.

Moving forward with our next backpacking trip. Spent this episode discussing the options for an inexpensive vehicle that could double as a hard-shelled camper. We discuss the downsides of camping in truck toppers and panel vans–mainly the potential creepiness factor, thanks to a couple of infamous psychopaths who have used the same for kidnapping people … Continue reading »

Once we get our motorcycles to Lake McBride, we end up talking about hiking, backpacking, and camping–specifically about retrofitting a truck or a van into a motel on wheels for our future trips to national parks.

We’ll be doing a few motorcycle adventures over the coming months. This is our first episode along those lines. We start talking about it near the end.

Finally making this lost episode public… This one is for true fans of the show, those who deserve to hear it. Please comment if you’d like to hear us do more podcasts, because we are considering how best to use our time in 2015 and beyond. Any feedback will help. Note: This episode was recorded … Continue reading »

Part 5 of 5 of our Big Bend Nation Park trip. This will be our final podcast episode for a while, as we decide on where we’d like to backpack next.

Part 4 of 5

Part 3 of 5 in Big Bend National Park

Part 2 of 5 in Big Bend National Park.

Dad and I podcast live from Big Bend National Park. The first half is from our campsite the Tuesday evening we arrive. The second half is Wednesday during a lunch break while hiking Window trail. Partial Transcript: Bob: Okay, we’re live. Ward’s Adventure Travel Research and Trip Journal, and guess where we’re at…Big Bend National … Continue reading »

Before, after, or while listening to this episode, check on the pictures related to this post… Also, thanks to those who by my books! Pic 1: Picture of me trying on hat in the store next to the Mexican brown bear and the two friendly, smiling sales clerks. I’m clearly uncomfortable standing so close to … Continue reading »

In this episode, dad and I discuss ideas for packing. What to take. What can be left behind. How this trip is different from the SNP trip. Desert hiking with a base camp site will allow us more flexibility to have comforts readily at hand. Things we will want in the desert but didn’t have … Continue reading »

First half of show is completely off-topic. We’ll be in Big Bend National Park soon, and we aren’t really stressing out about the planning, which is good. Compared to planning the A.T. trip, this one is much more relaxed. Since we have a campsite reserved, we’ll just go down and hike whatever hike we want. … Continue reading »

Here are some maps we used during the episode… Chisos Basin Satellite Map by Google Campground Site Numbers(White-numbered campsites may be reserved. Black-numbered are first come, first served.) Chisos Basin Campground Reservations Website Below Campsites Are Available for Reservation as of 31-Dec-2014(see black numbered sites above for first come, first served)      

During this podcast episode, dad and I discuss Big Bend National Park primitive campsites for backpackers, as well as the Chisos Basin campground. The campground seems like a sensible option for backpackers, and dad and I plan to reserve a site to use as a base camp during our visit. On any given night, we … Continue reading »

We discuss a 2 day, 1 night backpacking hike called the South Rim Loop in Big Bend National Park. The trailhead is just south of Chisos Mountain Lodge. Day 1 is a 5.25 miles ascent along Laguna Meadow Trail to a campsite along the Southwest Rim. Day 2 is an 8.6 mile descent back to … Continue reading »

Great news! If you thought our episodes have been running long, this one will only use up 57 minutes of your life! Since you’ll never get those minutes back, I’d like to assure you they won’t be totally wasted. This is an important episode of Ward’s Adventure Travel Research and Trip Journal. As the title … Continue reading »

Dad treats listeners to one of his favorite old cowboy songs (about 35 minutes into the show). The song is called Shifting Whispering Sands. In addition to the music, we continue our discussion of Big Bend National Park, and successfully move our trip planning forward. I used the following links in preparation for this episode: … Continue reading »

A surprise visit from Laura improves the quality of our podcast! She talks about her travels, including hiking to Machu Picchu. She enlightens me and dad on the logistics of that trip–how she got there, who she traveled with, and why to both. Intense mountain elevations, she got put on oxygen about 14,900 feet, loved … Continue reading »