The majesty and mystical qualities of the pristine outdoors has always fascinated me. Off-highway adventure in my Jeep is the perfect escape, allowing me to find these places in general comfort and get away from it all. I have always felt driven to explore-to escape my day-to-day life and have an adventure.
[Not a valid template]Many of the trails and challenges I come across during these journeys can be difficult. Getting past each obstacle makes reaching the final destination that much more rewarding.
Working in the television business for the past 15 years, I always wanted to find a way to capture this spirit of adventure for the small screen. With the recent advent of cost-effective High-Definition technology we are able to capture (at least the visual beauty) with much better clarity than ever before possible.
One day after a particularly stunning trip to the High Sierra, my life-long friend Jim Weary and I decided it was past time to stop dreaming about this and just go out there and do it! I had access to the necessary equipment and knew the right people who shared the same passions starting with my associate Anthony Davis. Anthony knows most of the very best production crews working today. He approached Andrew Robinson (one of the premier off-road and automobile directors in the industry) to direct the production. The rest is proverbial history and so “America’s Hidden Treasures” was born.
The basic concept for the show is this: Few people realize that some of the world’s most beautiful and untouched wilderness lies virtually outside their front door. Each week, in the unmatched brilliance of High Definition, we will bring a viewer with us to some of the most isolated areas in America. The participant is the typical novice explorer. They are tourists who have been camping and visited a few National Parks, but are generally unaware of the beauty that can be seen across America if one is just willing to step off the path less traveled. These are all places that can’t be reached through “normal” means of travel; but with the proper planning, preparation, and a healthy respect for the challenges of the journey, they can be safely visited, creating memories to last a lifetime!
We will also showcase the equipment necessary for a safe trip, incorporating the advice of our expert, Tom Severin. Tom is the president and owner of Badlands Off-Road Adventures (www.4x4training.com). He is a certified professional 4-Wheel Drive Trainer by the International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers Association, a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). He has an extensive background (forty plus years experience) with four-wheel drive vehicles, on and off road, in various conditions and countries.