I’ve just driven a World War II Jeep for the first time and I’m hooked! Our original plan was to borrow a mate’s Jeep to shoot a TV commercial at Chili Beach on Cape York but a last minute hiccup meant the loan Jeep was no longer available. Several frantic phone calls and a few hours scouring the web turned up a ‘42 Jeep for sale in Rockhampton. … [Read more...]
Jeep Compass Road Test – Part I
JPFreek Adventure Magazine's creative director, Richard Tinnell, was recently handed the keys to a 70th Anniversary edition of the all-new Jeep Compass. … [Read more...]
Jeep Jamboree on the Rubicon Trail
Originally a Native American footpath, the Rubicon Trail was used by explorers in search of a clear path across the Sierra Nevadas. Today, Jeep® owners travel from all over to test their prowess on the most grueling 22 miles of off-road driving in America. … [Read more...]
Catsailing with 'Ol Rubi
One summer day in 2002, a friend invited my wife and me to go sailing on her little Sunfish. The power of the wind and water was exhilarating, and we were hooked. Pitting our skills against nature and the technical aspects of a sailboat drew us into catamarans which are the ultimate adventure in small boat sailing. … [Read more...]
It’s the Journey, Not the Destination
It turns out the Mud Springs Trail in Arizona has confounded many of us Phoenician four-wheelers over the years. Back in the day before our first Jeep, George and I attempted Mud Springs in our ’99 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4, and on another outing we borrowed our neighbor’s ATV. On both occasions we missed reaching the Holy Grail at the end of the trail: … [Read more...]
Dirt Roads & a Hole in the Rock
Last summer, I bought a large-print road atlas online that was $10 down the drain! I thought it would be easier to read but it lacked detail. Since I prefer by-ways to interstates, it’s useless, I thought. But it happened to be in the Jeep during a long road-trip, and on some lonely stretch of blacktop, reading it out of pure boredom, I saw … [Read more...]
Maine Mountain Adventure
Less than a four-hour drive north of Boston, Bethel, Maine teems with history. Tucked into the western side of Maine, not many miles from New Hampshire and the White Mountains, Bethel was first settled in 1774 although it didn’t acquire its current name until 1796. In the early 19th century, Bethel had become one of the most productive farming … [Read more...]
Big Bear Jeep Jamboree
I look back now at the discussion we had in the Barlow’s office before our respective May trips. As we determined who was taking which Jeep where, I smugly stated “I’m going to Big Bear where they don’t have any big rocks--I’ll take Alex.” I would come to regret those words. Alex is currently a stock tan 2011 JK Rubicon who would earn the name … [Read more...]
Cycling Across America
Twenty-nine hundred miles in twenty-five days. The distance and time are staggering in their own right but throw in elements such as heat, wind, and rain and one might be lead to believe that this sounds more like a form of grueling punishment than camaraderie and adventure. As it turns out, trekking from Costa Mesa, California across the United … [Read more...]