Tag Archives: Tank

Toyota 4Runner for Sale: Worth a Million!

Just writing the ad broke my heart, but I have to put my trustee knight in shining armour Tank (my Toyota 4Runner) up for sale. He is a beast amongst men. A warrior. A loyal steed who always starts, no matter the extreme conditions outside (with 18 Canadian winters to prove it!) Sure he might not get 0 to 60 in 1 second flat, but he will outperform those vehicles in terms of safety, reliability and long life.

Point is, I love this truck! If it wasn’t completely insane, I would list the asking price at $1,000,000 because that is what he is worth to me. Alas, this shall be my greatest sacrifice towards a bigger dream: to spend the next few years going nomad around the world, by any means, on a shoestring budget (blogging all about it). Continue reading →

Road Kill

April made me a hilarious road kill compilation to cheer me up. I get way too sad when I see wildlife discarded as highway junk on the side of the road.

The clip is so funny I had to share with everyone 🙂

Want to see some real live wildlife encounters? Check this one out:

https://karinasextraordinarylife.com/2014/09/25/wild-encounters/

Show your support by sharing, liking, commenting and subscribing 🙂

Wild Encounters – Encounters in California, USA

Fern Canyon, Redwood State Park, California, USA - Karina Noriega

There’s this game that we play. It started on our very first road trip when we drove across Canada. 10,000km is a long way you see. *(We are at 20,000km across and back in the U.S!) So the way it goes is that every time you see an animal crossing sign you have to put up one of the corresponding charades signs that we made up. It’s our superstitious way of protecting ourselves (& the wildlife)- our explanation is that as long as we always do it then we eliminate the chance of a collision. It’s really just a silly game, like all the other stupid things we do when engaging on these long distance adventures and so far, it has worked like a charm.
Not for a second has it taken away from our wildlife viewing experience though. Without ever leaving the safety of our Tank, we have seen:

Elk Target, Redwood State Park, California, USA - Karina Noriega

Elk Target, Redwood State Park, California, USA – Karina Noriega

Continue reading →

Travel Seeks Travelers

Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, California - Karina Noriega

It has been exactly 123 days, 25 states and 14,486km (9000m) since I crossed the southern border for an extraordinary road trip across the United States of America. My travel partners April and Tank, (my Toyota 4runner) have been strong and steady by my side. Our little travel blog is getting some attention and even inspiring a few new friends and readers to see travel differently and hit the road.

All along our journey I have called out to anyone who would like to meet, host or join us. I have reached out to old travel friends I’ve met across continents as I carve across their states and hometowns. I have encouraged friends and family who we dearly miss to come visit us wherever we may be.

I’m so excited that both of these situations have finally come to fruition.

Part I

I reached out to my friend Eric while in the Southern USA. Facebook, (a powerful tool keeping my travel circle together) told me he was living in Salt Lake City, Utah; a state that would no doubt take us far into the wilds of colourful deserts, towering formations, unimaginable canyons and wilderness. Eric and I hadn’t seen each other at all since our fateful meeting in Malaysia a few years ago. I had just hopped out of a truck near a village in the Cameron Highlands. I was hitchhiking from the coastal city of Georgetown to see the famed tea plantations and rejoice in the cooler weather. I needed one more ride to reach my destination so as I walked towards the intersection, gathering the courage necessary to stick my thumb out to passing motorists, I made a joking remark to the two white guys on scooters.

“Room for one more?” Continue reading →

God Of The Oaks – South Carolina’s Angel Oak

Angel Oak, St. John's, Charleston, South Carolina, USA - Karina Noriega
Angel Oak, St. John's, Charleston, South Carolina, USA - Karina Noriega

The intrepid road trippers at Angel Oak, St. John’s, Charleston, South Carolina, USA – Karina Noriega

It’s not often that a single tree warrants the creation of an entire park, but the Angel Oak is no regular vegetable. This venerable giant sprouted before Columbus arrived to this New World. The City of Charleston in South Carolina acquired the property in 1991 and has since been protecting it through it’s public park. Continue reading →

The Blue Ridge Parkway – America’s Favourite Drive

Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook, Virginia, USA - Karina Noriega
Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia, USA - Karina Noriega

Entering the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia, USA – Karina Noriega

The Blue Ridge Parkway, voted ‘America’s Favourite Drive’, is a 469 mile track through the Appalachian Highlands connecting Shenandoah National Park (also known as the Skyline Drive) in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia, USA - Karina Noriega

At my absolute favourite outlook point, somewhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia, USA – Karina Noriega

Continue reading →

Spring Fling

Wide.MennoniteFarm, NY USA - Karina Noriega

The hardest part is over. I can finally sink into the soggy part of the passenger seat and just breath. April is taking first shift. Maybe I will catch a nap. Sleep has been in short supply for over a month.

iheartNY.comSign, NY USA – Karina Noriega
Williamsville Village Hall, NY, USA – Karina Noriega
AllAmerican, NY, USA – Karina Noriega
First US Picninc, Somewhere in NY, USA – Karina Noriega
Amherst Municipal, NY, USA – Karina Noriega
IglooHouse in NY, USA – Karina Norieg
Queenstons-Lewiston, CANADA-USA – Karina Noriega
Wide.MennoniteFarm, NY USA – Karina Noriega

Continue reading →