Some of the photo links seem to be having trouble, but if you type in http://photos.dietan.net/ you should be able to get to the whole gallery.
SouthEast Expeditions
If you're wondering how you can get out on the water and have as much fun as we are (or more) come see us on the Eastern Shore of Virginia any time.
www.southeastexpeditions.com has trip descriptions and all the information you need.
Point 65 North
The Kayaks that we have been using for all of the incredible adventures on this trip have been provided by Point 65 North. Please check out www.paddlepoint.net to find out more about these great boats, or call SouthEast Expeditions at (757)-331-2680 to paddle one yourself.
Loco Kiwis
Josh and John have headed across the Sea of Cortez and are on their way to Rio. To keep up with their adventure (and see if Josh gets his Baja info before me) check out www.locokiwi.com And if you happen to see them on the road, please buy them a beer and listen to a couple of stories. It's the best decision you'll make all day. Cheers boys, travel safe!
John Wayne Cancer Foundation
When we say "DIE TAN" we aren't talking George Hamilton tan. We're talking Old Man and the Sea tan. The expression "Die Tan" means "Don't get stuck in the office." You never know when your time here is going to end, so make sure that you get outside and live life to its fullest. Tan is a state of mind, not a state of fashion. So check out www.jwcf.org and protect yourself so that you can die tan later rather than sooner.
Shakey Earl & The Earthquakers
The soundtrack for our days on the water always includes at least one cut from the new Shakey Earl album Tellin' Your Tale. Go to www.shakeyearlband.com to get the next album that your friends will steal out of your car.
This entry was posted on 1/13/2007 8:50 PM and is filed under Updates.
If you've been checking this site to see how and if I'm surviving this voyage of questionable sanity, then thank you for your patience. It seems that my desire to get away from the world at large and my desire to keep a journal of my adventures here in cyberspace are somewhat incompatible. Or maybe I'm just incompatible with my wi-fi card. Either way, I have found that it is considerably easier for me to go have fun and exciting adventures down just about any dirt road or dusty lane in the country than it is for me to get my old reliable laptop to hop onto the information superhighway to tell you about it. But fear not... I have managed to talk the night clerk at the Motel 6 in Carlsbad into letting me use his computer for an hour or so. I just had to "misplace" my 12 pack of Lone Star and agree not to harass anyone looking for a room. I have also been keeping a decent journal on the laptop just waiting to be shot out to you, and have taken about 700 pictures that will be available for your viewing pleasure just as soon as I can get plugged in. In the mean time, I'll go ahead an fill you in on the bare bones details of what I've been up to since that splendid night at South of the Border. After a wonderful Christmas holiday at Mom's house in Bluffton my brothers, sister, and friends helped me deck out the Jeep for the journey ahead. I headed South to Jacksonville via Tybee Island, GA to show off the Point 65 boats to a few representatives of the Florida Sea Kayakers Association. We had a nice paddle around St Johns River and then I headed back toward the coast for one last look at the Atlantic. From there it was off to Cross Creek, FL to meet my friends Bo & Earl Page who joined me for an interesting and beautiful New Year's Weekend in Little St. Joe State Park on the Gulf Coast. On the 2nd I drove the entire Gulf Coast of Florida under a gorgeous blue sky and picked up Bo Lusk in Pensacola. Bo and I spent 3 days driving and paddling our way to New Orleans. Along the way we saw beautiful beaches in Alabama. We paddles through the Gulf shrimp trawler fleet in Bayou le Batre, AL. We spent the night in a storm ravaged state park in Misissippi in order to paddle Black Creek in the Pascagoula River basin. That was an amazing paddle. Foggy, misty cedar bogs that I need to spend some time figuring out how to describe to you lest I just say that they were "way cool". Along the coastal road through Louisianna we dodged boats and chunks of houses in order to make it to a couple of drinks that were waiting for us in the French Quarter. After dropping Bo at the New Orleans airport I had to haul ass and time travel in order to make it to Houston to pick up my buddy Jason who was flying in from Atlanta. Needless to say, Jason had time to have a couple of drinks at the hotel bar while I drove through the rain that has nestled into East Texas for the winter. As we continued Westward that evening, Jason and I drove until we couldn't feel our feet, hands, or asses any more and couldn't find a place to stay anywhere. We ended up spending the night in the laundry room of a seedy RV park along interstate 10. Yes, in the laundry room. Are we glamorous or what? After a quick dash across the border for fajitas, cervezas, and tequila in Del Rio we pushed on toward Big Bend NP. With our put-in just over the horizon, and all of our gear ready to go, the Jeep finally cried out for help. We did the last 80 miles into Alpine, TX in 2nd gear at 20mph, cringing the whole way. Of course every mechanic in town had just gone to lunch. So we did the same and then entertained repair estimates ranging from $45 to $1200. Let's just say that we ended up on the right side of 1/2 way in between for some less than street legal modifications that got us rolling again. DIE TAN was back on the road with a new attitude, and a throatier, Harley-esque roar to back it up. That was Monday afternoon. Since then we have been paddling the Rio Grande through Boquillas Canyon. It was a spectacular trip, and I won't even start to try to tell you about it now. Hopefully you'll be inspired to check back to get the full deal when I'm able to get it all up here. Today we were trying to get to Carlsbad Caverns and then on to Roswell, NM but the coffee and company at Kathy's Krazy Kowgirl Kafe were impossible to rush away from this morning. We'll see the Caverns tomorrow, and then I think it's time to break out the Atlas and re-plan the last half of the trip. Winter weather has ben chasing us for a while, and after a quick glance at the weather channel in the bar (That's bar / bowling alley / pool hall / liquor store) I've heard the voices say "Go South young man!" and I'm ready to follow their lead. So long Gila cliff dwellings, Hello Organ Pipe National Monument. So there you go, the 2 minute drill took a little longer than I had hoped, but at least I don't fel so much like an ass for having this empty web site just begging for content. Once again, thank you for bearing with me. I hope to have all of my pictures, and journal entries, up here within a couple of days. However, we don't really have a plan for the next week or so, and I'm secretly hoping that my efforts to update you will be interrupted as pleasantly as they have been thus far. 'till next time...
