The Destination Tree Blog | Destination Tree

Unexpected Inspiration – A Vision for the Year Ahead

January 13, 2016 by Matt

Welcome to 2016. The best year of your life!

127 — The beginning of a new year…with new choices on which direction we want to take our life.

It’s a clean slate. A fresh start. A blank canvas. A time for planning out the year ahead. Well, with 2015 now having come to its close, there is much for me to ponder over. In particular, the things I want to accomplish this year, but more importantly the man I want to become. That is to say, the version of me I will grow into in the year ahead, Matt Rogers Version 37.0. The biggest question I get to answer is: How? How after 3+ decades of living do I evolve into a better version of myself? After all, if I’m not GROWING and CHANGING for the better, then I’m DYING and STAGNATING for the worse.

You see, somewhere around the age of 19, I began physically writing down goals for who and what I wanted to become in the year ahead. I hesitate to use the word ‘resolution’ instead of ‘goals’, as it seems that New Year’s Resolutions have taken on the reputation of being shallow promises made by not-so-serious people attempting to hop on the good-intention-bandwagon. Despite the bad rap, New Year’s Resolutions are certainly better than nothing at all. And ultimately, identifying goals and writing them down is the best way to make them a reality.

400 — Rain out the window of the Destination Tree Headquarters…it followed us from Oregon to California.

So, as I sit here and ponder, looking through the window of the mobile Destination Tree Headquarters, currently here in Fresno, CA I can’t help but find myself distracted by a small boy, around the age of four or five running around to and fro in the distance. He’s splashing through puddles wearing a light blue jacket, striped pants, yellow rain boots, and topped off with a red cap as well as yellow and green mismatched mittens. A mismatched outfit not unlike one I would have worn as a kid. The more I watch him living out the exploration of his surroundings, in the fine mid-morning rain, the more I grow inspired thinking about my future self and the year ahead. Inspired to be alive, and excited just like him. Or rather I should say, a 37-year-young version of him.

That’s it! My goal for the year ahead is to LIVE! Not just exist, but to live with the all-encompassing senses of an adventuresome kid again. Eager to explore the world around us. To see past the “grown-up” blinders, and into the truly amazing world that exists beyond them. Who would have thought this pint sized fellow was a little walking (and splashing) epiphany?

He doesn’t care about the name of the brand embossed on his clothes. Or that he’s wearing a full spectrum of mismatched colors. He’s not attempting to impress others with the way he looks or fancy material possessions. His focus is on happily living in the moment. Making the most of what he has, while he has it, and sharing the concept with those he cares about.

159 — One of our favorite custom driftwood sign collages…perspective, attitude and gratitude are everything.

This little guy isn’t thinking up convincing stories to justify or lie or deflect responsibility for why he’s covered in puddle water. The thought doesn’t even enter his head as he proudly takes ownership over his actions. He’s not sitting on the curb dwelling over all that did or didn’t go as planned for him this past year, instead he’s focused on seizing the day and that of the world around him. There’s no negativity or ungratefulness in the way he carries himself. On the contrary, he’s actually filling me with a positive outlook. I’m gaining a feeling of grateful inspiration, with ideas of hope for an even brighter year ahead!

To my knowledge, watching him swat a branch through the air in front of him isn’t out of hate, spite, nor to get even with another kid. He’s doing what he’s doing out of curiosity for the unknown and to test the boundaries of what he knows or thinks he knows. Every rock he overturns is a different treasure hunt. Each tree he stands under looking up into is a new challenge. Around the fence behind him he knows a new journey awaits. Where many adults struggle and see only fear or obstacles, he helps remind me to see opportunities for the year ahead. He reminds me that I don’t have all the answers, and that I have to keep questioning what I think I know. If I am to keep learning and growing myself, then I have to keep questioning. Who, what, when, where, why and how are the six most important questions ever invented in my opinion.

069 — We all have a goofy, fun-loving kid inside of us. Let yours run free now and then.

And then it happens. Just like that, he’s gone. The pint sized version of me has vanished. And I realize I have no way to thank him. Perhaps he’s off to a new adventure, or simply off to lunch. I’ll never know. But he helped remind me to be a boy at heart, so that I too can live by example. It was an unexpected reminder from an unexpected person. A reminder that to really be a grownup is to know that we never truly “grow up”. That we all have a curious kid inside who waits for the chance to guide us along the path of positivity, wonder and exploration.

So, cheers to you little man, wherever you are, and thank you for helping guide me with my new goals for the year ahead. To exist is not to live, to live is to live. So here’s to making 2016 a better version of ourselves, a year of living, of enjoying every moment. May this be the best year of your life.

Cheers!

Matt

From the Deepest Lake to the Tallest Trees

January 8, 2016 by Kristin

Our year-long road trip has taken us from coast to coast and national park to national park. After our adventures along the Pacific Northwest coast and in the rain forests of Washington state, we headed south through Oregon with the goal of getting to the Redwoods in California. We overnighted in Eugene, Oregon and did a self-guided mini-tour of a few breweries in downtown Eugene. (In case you’re wondering, Ninkasi Brewery was our favorite with amazing IPA’s for Matt and smooth, delicious stouts for Kristin. Honorable mention also goes to Oakshire Brewing and Hop Valley Brewing.)

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

As we determined our route from Eugene, we were originally going to continue straight south. But decided to alter our route to visit Crater Lake National Park.

Not sure why we even considered passing up this gem. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world. — Not sure why we even considered passing up this gem. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Weather has been the primary driver of our travel and we’re very aware of overnight temperatures to prevent any issues with our RV pipes freezing. We did a lot of checking, researched our route to get there and decided it was worth the detour to make it happen and the temperatures would be ok. We’re VERY glad we did not bypass this stunning park, as it is an absolutely breathtaking place to witness in person. Nearly 2,000 feet deep, and made up of only rain and snow melt, it is the deepest lake in the U.S.

316 — Thousands of years ago a volcano collapsed to create an enormous crater over 2,000 feet deep which is filled with rain and snow melt, creating Crater Lake.

The beauty of the brilliant blue water is beyond description. With towering pines, picturesque cliffs, and a calmness that feels transcendental, it’s entirely possible to sit or stand along the crater edge for hours.

327 — Crater Lake was so beautiful and so inspiring to witness. In fact, this shot with Matt encompassed the vision of our brand so much that it is now on our new business cards!

We did minimal hiking here, just a short jaunt along the crater edge for more picture taking, partly because of the chilly air, and secondly because there weren’t a lot of dog friendly trails (and we had the pups in the truck!).

334 — On our hike along the cliffs of the crater’s edge…the blue is so vibrant it looks photoshopped, in real life and in our photographs, but it’s completely unaltered!

We did do a beautiful loop trail with the dogs, and saw more of the surrounding landscape, including deep ledges in the area.

340 — There were many deep ledges within the park and along our dog-friendly loop trail. We appreciated the beauty of the landscape, and I think Dobie and Lucy did too…well, maybe not, but they were glad to come along with us 🙂

This national park wasn’t actually on our radar or “bucket list” of destinations, but we are so very grateful we made a detour to this majestic place. An added bonus…while the temps were chilly, it was the “off” season visiting in October. This place definitely gets packed with visitors in the summer, but we felt like we had it all to ourselves in the Fall.

Redwood National and State Parks, California

We continued south to Crescent City which was our base for exploring our first Redwood Park. Something we learned as we researched the Redwoods was that there is not only Redwood National Park, but several Redwood State Parks as well. All are equal in their beauty and preservation of giant coastal Redwoods. We got our first taste of the Redwoods as we drove across Route 199 through Jebediah Smith Redwood State Park. Our jaws were on the floor as the road curved around Redwood giant after Redwood giant.

357 — The truck is no match for these road side Redwoods…

From Crescent City we took day trips into the park to drive Howland Road through the heart of the Redwoods, and several hikes, including our favorite the Boy Scout Tree Trail, a 5.6 mile hike round trip, through ENORMOUS Redwoods.

When you witness the tallest trees on earth, you can’t help but feel like a tiny, but grateful, human to witness their magnificent glory.

376 — I spent a good portion of the hike looking up, exactly like this. It’s a good thing I didn’t trip along the trail, because I’m not sure I ever looked down or in front of me.

The highlight of the trail was Boy Scout Tree, which was actually three Redwoods that have grown together and tower over 300 feet high.

Several times on this hike we stopped just to BE. Just to LISTEN. And just to WATCH. Softly fluttering ferns. Huge towering Redwoods. And sunlight streaming through the upper branches, like a heavenly fog from above. Occasionally, we heard a little chipmunk or bird chirping, but overall it was a peaceful, quiet sanctuary.

388 — 6’6″ tall Matt is a tiny human next to these towering giants, which are too tall to capture in the picture!

A couple other Crescent City highlights were the beautiful driftwood mermaid at the marina (yes, yes, we have a weakness for driftwood artwork!), the barking sea lions in the marina, and some absolutely stunning sunsets.

403 — When we think of Crescent City, we’ll always remember the sound of barking sea lions in the marina!

410 — Truth be told, there was a busy street and power lines directly under the treeline of this sunset, but it doesn’t make the clouds any less beautiful.

Our Redwood adventures continued as we journeyed south to take day trips to the Prairie Creek Redwood State Park and the Redwood National Park. Our favorite hike at the national park was the Tall Trees Grove. First, we had to go to the visitors center, to get a special day pass, and gate code. Then we drove several miles through a windy mountainous stretch, unlocked the gate to a narrow path which took us deeper into the Redwoods and to our trail head. We felt pretty special getting access to this limited trail. Were the trees tall? Yes.

440 — Sometimes ya just gotta stop and hug a Redwood.

Throw us in the woods with huge trees and we’re like Buddy the Elf in New York City…look at THIS one, look at THIS one, THIS one is even BIGGER! We took so many pictures, and you can get an idea of how huge they are from some of the pictures, but you must see the in person. Look up. Give them a hug. Heck, you might even walk through one if it falls over your trail.

434 — A fallen Redwood is an important part of the forest, becoming a “nurse log” to future forest growth, and eventually decaying into the earth. And sometimes becoming a trail obstacle turned tunnel.

We left Crescent City to head further south and stationed ourselves in Redcrest, CA. For three weeks, the Avenue of the Giants was our driveway and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park our back yard. We loved the trails in this area, which (no surprise), continued to have HUGE Redwoods, green ferns and purple clover covered forests.

The Lost Coast

One of the best day trips we had from our Redcrest, CA base was a trip through the heart of Humboldt Redwood State Park and up and around the “Lost Coast”. Imagine driving down narrow roads, around towering Redwoods, up and into curvy mountain roads, and then descending down again to a coast completely undeveloped. The only thing in sight were a few farms and hundreds of acres of grazing cows…grazing right next to the beach!

484 — These cows scored some beachfront grazing.

We looped our way to this beautifully desolate beach along the Lost Coast as well as the small Victorian village of Ferndale.

496 — No driftwood for us here, but we did find miles and miles of coastal beauty.

We took another day trip out to Redding, CA which included some old California ghost towns which Matt featured in his “paranormal” blog post, and we got some practice driving on some crazy mountain roads! But the majority of our adventures were hiking, exploring and gawking at the Redwoods. Don’t be deceived, we fit in a fair amount of work as well. Custom orders for Destination Tree rolled in regularly, so we balanced our hiking with artwork creation, customer service and driftwood acquisition. There’s an art to finding the right driftwood for our work, and we combed the Lost Coast and California beaches to find new pieces.

A “Home Base” for the Holidays

As November neared, we knew we needed to settle in one place that provided mild weather, access to driftwood and a home “base” to really focus on the business and fill the expected increase in holiday orders. And so, we continued our journey by moving a few hours north to Gold Beach, Oregon to prepare for what we hoped would be a very busy holiday season for our growing business…

448 — Time to exchange the California coast for the Oregon coast.

Click Here for highlights from our time in Oregon and how we managed to survive torrential rain and a holiday season that more than exceeded our expectations for our Destination Tree shop.

Histories, Mysteries and a Sasquatch Hunt

December 21, 2015 by Matt

Behind every intriguing location in our country, there lies a story within. From ghost towns to battle grounds, and pyramids to whispering woods. Sometimes those stories are old, real old…as in ancient. While others are still unfolding as they’re being told today. These places can be so rich with history that they don’t require a whole lot of imagination. Still, some others require us to open our minds up with the magic of believing.

So, on our trek to explore this mystery packed country, we’ve made it a point to explore the hidden truths behind some very cool paranormal places. In order from east to west, we thought we’d shed some light on some of the unusual locations we’ve explored, and I’ve added a recommendation for what you might want to do at each place if you find yourself with an extra half an hour to spare while there.

TAPS Headquarters, Warwick, RI (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)

Even though the location isn’t haunted (that we know of) it was still way-cool to visit the place where some of my heroes in the world of paranormal investigation started it all. Though I think their headquarters has moved due to the popularity, they seem to have left this original (seemingly abandoned) headquarters for posterity. If you have 30 minutes to spare, checkout the tattoo parlor next door and meet the locals who have plenty of stories to tell from while the crew worked here.

White Horse Tavern, Newport, RI

Claimed to be America’s oldest tavern, dating back to 1673, I went for a walk inside, while Kristin stayed outside on the patio with the dogs. While I was in there, I was greeted by a server who asked me if I needed anything. It was a hot day and so I asked for an iced tea, after which he then proceeded to get me one and seemingly disappeared. True story. After several minutes I didn’t want to keep Kristin waiting, so I just left. However, this tavern is high on my want-to-go-back-to list as many of the locals claim it is full of spirits. The upstairs level is legit as many workers said they refused to go up there alone!!! Did I encounter a spirit? Or just a really busy server during a non-busy afternoon? I’ll have to go back to find out… Spend 30 minutes with a cold beer at the original bar in-front of the original stone fireplace paying attention to everything around you.

That ghost never did bring me an iced tea... — That ghost never did bring me an iced tea…

Gettysburg, PA

A truly sobering place, overflowing with history and energy. One can’t help but be saddened when walking the fields and battlegrounds. Over 40,000 lives lost. I couldn’t help feeling like we were never really alone there. Not in a creepy way. But more of a crowded yet comforting way. Many people have seen, heard, and even video recorded spirits roaming these fields. I wish we had more evenings and mornings roaming the lands there. When you have thousands of people perish in some of the worst conditions imaginable, there’s going to be loads of residual energy left there. If you have 30 minutes, check out the Circular diorama room. It’s an artwork wrapped wall and presentation like you’ve never seen inside the museum that does an incredible job telling an abbreviated story of this historic place.

029 — The museum and the grounds are a must-visit destination regardless of your interest in history.

Serpent Mound, OH

It was huge! The biggest snake we’ve ever seen! Even though this one didn’t move, it sure was a moving experience to be walking around it. It’s the largest known serpent effigy in the world. From the ground it was unrecognizable, but from the air above (in this case a tower built next to it for viewing) the serpent took its shape. The real question I have is: Who was flying above Southern Ohio several thousand years ago to see it when it was created? Little known side fact: it is built on the rim of a large ancient crater.

And also peculiar is the astronomical significance of its construction – the serpent’s head points to the summer solstice sunset and the serpent coils point to the winter solstice sunrise and the equinox sunrise. With only a speculated age to go off of (from 1,000 to many thousand years old….) who were these ancient people that were capable of creating such a perfect construction, size, shape, height, and pointing to astronomical events?

The serpent from the viewing tower... — The serpent from the viewing tower…look at those tiny people on the pathway for some perspective!

Definitely worth seeing, in addition to the numerous other mounds built all around the area. Sadly, it is believed that less than 1% of all the mounds built by an ancient race are still in existence in the Midwest today. This is due largely in part to modern agriculture leveling these relics out to grow crops. What a shame. It would be nice to excavate in a way that didn’t destroy them, but allowed us to uncover more about the history, purpose and science behind these relics. Spend thirty minutes enlightening yourself with a book in the small shop there that shows in detail where all the other mounds and animal aerial shapes have been discovered in the Mid-West over our history and you will grasp just how far the reaches of this elder race was spread out.

The Ridges, Athens, OH

A massive and old lunatic asylum turned art museum on the grounds of Ohio University. This place went on and on. In the daytime we walked around it and did a little observing through the doors and up the stairwells of the off limits parts with our eyes. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get into any of the locked and off limits parts where a lot of the ghost stories originated. There are supposedly some disturbing legends that have occurred in here. We only saw artwork on the walls. Regardless this is one place at night even I admit that I wouldn’t want to be roaming around the corridors by myself if I didn’t have to. And Kristin wouldn’t be caught dead here after dusk. Fun fact, they had crocodiles in the front water fountain back in the early days when people thought that sort of thing was a good idea. Spend 30 minutes walking around the building looking inside windows and doors….you may just see someone looking back out at you.

The Ridges...not just one but several buildings, all in different states of repair and ill-repair. — The Ridges…not just one but several buildings, all in different states of repair and ill-repair.

Moonville Tunnel, OH

The ghost town of Moonville in southern Ohio is an old mining community with an abandoned railroad tunnel. With the goal of exploring the Moonville Tunnel and its supposed ghost stories, we never got the chance to see the actual tunnel. Our directions were way off. We ended up in a different part of the woods entirely. One thing’s for sure, these forests absolutely didn’t want us there. Down a winding dirt road, through a thin, poison-ivy and spider flanked trail, we made it about ¾ of a mile into the woods, when a fierce wind picked up out of nowhere. The day darkened, the trees threw down branches, sticks and leaves. We hauled ourselves out of there as fast as we could and made it back to the truck just as the rain started pouring down. If forests could talk, this one was saying GET OUT. If you make it here, get better directions than we did and spend 30 minutes taking a side tour of the old giant stone furnaces hidden in the woods where steel used to be smelted. I wouldn’t have guessed such an abandoned structure even existed.

647 — Giant furnace not too far from the Moonville Tunnel.

Cahokia Mounds, IL

Visiting a location like this only solidifies the fact that our history books are full of missing chapters. Christopher Columbus wasn’t the founder of America. In fact, this ginormous site is proof to me that chapters 1-17 are missing from what is taught to kids in American History class these days. Nobody truly knows what went on here, who built it, how it was built, when it was built, and why it was abandoned. Even the so-called “experts” admit they can only make guesses. There’s an entire museum that we nicknamed the “museum of speculation” because there is no evidence, no conclusive proof, and almost every plaque says things like, “we think”, “we believe” and essentially weaves a lot of assumptions to build a story about the lives and purpose of the mounds and the area.

It’s basically a city of pyramids of all shapes and sizes covered over by soil and trees from many centuries (or longer possibly) of abandonment. The craziest thing is its spread out over an area the size of a small city and its right under our noses. One can literally see downtown St. Louis from of top of the structures. Tell people America has massive pyramids and most of them will look at you dumbfounded and think you’re a crackpot. This is one place I would love to help excavate (though how convenient, excavations are not permitted here). So, exactly what is it we don’t want to uncover about our own history? Spend 30 minutes not in the museum but on top of one of the many pyramids trying to imagine living in this prehistoric metropolis.

042 — That’s just the first stairway to the first platform of Monks Mound. From the top you could see St. Louis and also the Woodhenge circle calendar marking sunrise on solstices and equinoxes (sound familiar?!)

think-sign — Sobering reminders along the highways of South Dakota.

South Dakota Road Markers

Little did we know that South Dakota places signs on the side of the road at the scene of every automobile accident where there was a fatality. It is a chilling reminder about how life is precious and can be taken at a moment’s notice. It was both sad and creepy as we passed hundreds of these signs and the invisible faces next to them as we crossed the state. A good reminder for everyone to pay attention while driving for sure. Spend all 30 extra minutes focusing on driving so you don’t become a roadside statistic.

Minuteman Missile Silo and Delta-01 Underground Command Center, National Historic Site

Way off the beaten path, down a dirt road, in the middle of nowhere, next to Badlands and Ranchlands, lies a small, unassuming building, behind a tall barbed wire fence. The mystery of this place however lies deep underground. After a ride in a tiny elevator down many floors, we stepped into a tunnel that led to a command center. The underground command center had a three foot thick rebar door, and was suspended in a huge hydraulic chamber designed to take a direct hit from a nuclear blast.

Completely self-sustainable with its own food, water, electricity, and “old-school” computer system…i.e. un-hackable. Maybe not “para” but this place is definitely way outside the “normal” that one would ever visit. In the room was everything needed to begin and end World War III.

1314 — Deliver a pizza, or a missile, in 30 minutes or less!

731 — The Command Center…seems pretty old-fashioned, but un-hackable, indestructible, and capable of launching a missile to start and end WWIII.

The Delta-09 missile site was just down the road in another underground chamber and the fact that we were even able to explore both of these places was awesome.

A very limited number of people are given access to it every year and it’s the only one of its kind (that still has a missile in the silo) that offers public tours. Spend 30 minutes (or at least 5 since the officers in charge of showing you around keep to a strict time table) sitting in the living quarters picturing yourself existing here day and night constantly on immediate standby to launch Armageddon.

Vore Buffalo Jump, WY

A natural rock-shaped punchbowl, so to speak, where Native American’s corralled the buffalo herds over the edge when hunting and preparing for winter. Thousands of hairy horned beasts lay down in the bottom for their final sleep. Kind of sad, but at least the beasts weren’t wasted by their hunters. Spend 30 minutes eating lunch there as it is in the middle of nowhere and makes a scenic picnic spot while viewing the vast prairies.

Devil’s Tower, WY

Even the locals and Native Americans believe this to be a beacon for the unexplained. It truly is nature’s skyscraper. One feels very small standing near it.

1368 — Standing near Devil’s Tower makes you stop and stare in awe. It’s a bit hypnotizing.

Theories abound about this place being a mecca for spirits, UFO’s, giant bears, and even portals to other dimensions, though none of which we saw while we were there. Oh, and it’s in the middle of nowhere by the way. Make sure you have a full tank of gas before going out there.

1369 — Sunset at Devil’s Tower, simply breathtaking.

On your way you will be greeted by an army of prairie dogs fearlessly checking to see what you are up to. Spend 30 minutes taking in the towering majestic structure and stop and chat with the prairie dogs on your way out.

769 — Hello, Prairie Dog! He looks like he gets enough to eat.

Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA

Battery Kinzie is the concrete juggernaut that ominously watches over the coastline at Fort Worden State Park. It dares brave souls to enter in by day, and even braver ones on stormy nights. We happened to be there at dusk, as a storm rolled in.

305 — Battery Kinzie was an awesome place to explore at dusk…and it just got creepier and creepier as the storms rolled in.

The narrow hallways, heavy doors, graffiti-lined walls and abandoned munitions rooms – out of all those things it was the bloody (?) hand print on the wall that had our hair standing on end. Spend 30 minutes (or however long you think you can last) inside the walls at night in the deep dark recesses as you listen for voices of the past.

Welcome to Sasquatch Country

From Northern California to the top of Washington, we wandered the majestic forests in search of our furry giant friends. Outside of the occasional reminder (by Kristin) that I am part Sasquatch at 6’ 6”, we didn’t see any of the monsters. While in Northern California, in a random, untraveled creek bed during one of our day hikes, we did come across some tracks that were MUCH bigger than a man’s. Was it Bigfoot? I can’t prove that it was or wasn’t, but it sure was awesome to stumble upon.

515 — Look closely…it does look like a very large footprint, but hard to make any real determination…

This was the only Sasquatch we found... — This was the only Sasquatch we found…

That being said…it was on our quest deep in the woods of Wynoochee, WA (aka ground zero for Bigfoot in America), that we felt the closest to spotting one. This place was eerily beautiful and quiet, and gave us the impression that we were not alone. We walked the old logger roads for several hours when it dawned on us that strangely there wasn’t any wildlife out in these woods, not even a bird or chipmunk. I would have loved to have spent the night here, listening to the creatures communicate to each other by howls and tree knocks, but seeing as it took us several hours on winding dirt roads and old logging trails in 4×4 mode just to get there, that was as far as I could get Kristin to commit to. No chance in hell she’d spend the night here.

Bigfoot: 1
Matt & Kristin: 0

But we live to search again. Spend 30 minutes without saying a word or looking at your phone (there’s no reception out here anyway). Just listen to the woods talk while you walk under the old trees.

Gold Mining Ghost Towns of California

We had the opportunity to visit two ghost towns. Weaverville, still populated, and Shasta, very much abandoned. They were both full of history. We took a self-guided historical walk through Weaverville and imagined life here in the 1800s. One thing we know for sure: gold miners were reckless with fire, as their town burned down and was rebuilt several times.

In Shasta, you may want to watch where you step as you look for spirits of the past, as there are many more rattle snakes than specters that have since taken over management here.

915 — No ghosts or specters here, but it was fascinating to walk among the rubble left from the Gold Rush town of Shasta.

With an extra half hour, walk around the area off the beaten path and see if you can find any gold nuggets laying around on the ground. These places were loaded with it at one point and some of it was bound to be dropped while running from burning building to burning building!

Adventure Awaits

Overall, we’ve found that this country is full of awesome places just waiting to be explored – both well-known and off the beaten path. Whether for fun, for a history lesson, or for a good scare, there is always more to the story than meets the eye. Sometimes the darker, more mysterious parts are left out of the travel brochures. For good reason…perhaps. Or perhaps the other side of this truth is just too weird, disturbing, inconvenient, or just plain unknown to even mention. And of course, like the Boy Scouts, it’s always good to be prepared. Bear spray and a good IPA will usually do the trick.

788 — Bear spray? Check. Hoppy IPA? Check. Ready for adventure!

Stay tuned for more adventures as we continue our travels around the country. Cheers to adventure and the spirit of exploration!

Matt

Our Route Across the Country – Part 4

December 3, 2015 by Kristin

It’s the latest installment detailing the route of our cross country adventure! If you missed any of our other segments you can catch up with these links:

Next up…Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and Redwood National and State Parks in California.

Part IV
October 6, 2015 – November 5, 2015

After we finished our Olympic Peninsula loop, we drove south toward Oregon. We drove in the middle of the night to avoid the traffic and congestion around Portland, OR (confused why we would do that? Learn more about the hazards of towing a travel trailer here). We had visited downtown Portland and the Columbia River Gorge on a previous trip to the PNW, so we bypassed that this time. (However, we HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend the Columbia River Gorge to anyone who loves waterfalls, hiking and lush, green forests).

Eugene was an overnight stop where we made a point to visit some tasty Oregon craft breweries. We originally planned to head straight south to California toward the Redwoods, but decided we couldn’t pass up Crater Lake National Park, and we’re grateful we didn’t. It wasn’t too long before we made it to Northern California, and spent four weeks along the coast and in the Redwood National and State Parks. Click here for our blog post with more details and pictures on our Redwood adventures!

Part IV – Continued
November 6, 2015 – December 26, 2015

On the last leg of this route, we relocated a few hours north in Gold Beach, OR to settle down for a “home base” to handle the expected increase in orders for the holiday season. Click Here to check out our pictures and highlights from our Oregon coast adventures.

Click Here to view Part V of our journey.

Tips: Zoom in and out on the map, and move the map around to get a better look at the route. Or click “View Larger Map” below to get an even better view.

Olympic Peninsula Adventures

December 2, 2015 by Kristin

Montana to Washington

Our year-long road trip continues! As you may have read, Montana exceeded our expectations, and we easily could have spent more time in Glacier National Park. So why didn’t we? Well, by the end of September, we were experiencing some cold nights dropping into the 30s, and while we do have a furnace in our travel trailer, our pipes and the trailer itself are not equipped for freezing temperatures. Plus, we still had some mountains and distance to traverse to head further west and we didn’t want to risk waiting any longer and possibly encountering snowy or icy road conditions. It’s already a challenge pulling a travel trailer in ideal conditions, (in case you missed it, Matt covered the challenges of towing here) so icy mountain roads were not on our adventure list.

It felt like Washington was welcoming us with open arms as we drove along a stretch of 90 called Mountains to Sound Greenway (East of Seattle). The mountains were foggy and rainy (but not snowy!) when we saw an enormous, full double rainbow. We pulled over with our huge rig like lunatics to gawk at it and snap some pictures. Honestly, it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

171 — An impossibly beautiful double rainbow

We continued onward, to the Pacific Northwest, to the Olympic Peninsula. There’s easily something exciting about going somewhere new, but there can be just as much anticipation in returning to someplace you’ve been before. Which is exactly how we were feeling about Olympic National Park. Now, shame on us for bypassing two parks (North Cascades & Mount Rainier) we’ve never been to. I’ll partially blame the weather, and partially blame our love for Olympic. Why do we love it so much? Well, I have wonderful memories visiting here with my aunt, uncle and cousin as part of a trip celebrating our high school graduation, and Matt and I had also been here before and can’t help but love the green, canopied, magical trails. And if you happen to be a Twilight fan (I plead the fifth) this is where it’s based! Forks, the Quileute Tribe, the Vampires and the love triangle. And more importantly, the rain forest and coastline.

188 — Re-visiting Olympic National Park…feels like coming home

Our first stop and home base while we explore? Olympic National Park’s Hoh Rain Forest. Didn’t know there were rain forests in the US? I didn’t either before I came here for the first time.

174 — You don’t need to travel to the far corners of the world to visit a rain forest…they’re right here in the Pacific Northwest!

The best way to describe it? GREEN. And if I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, our pictures do not do it justice! But you get the idea…lush green trees, green ferns, green moss, green lichens…and slugs. Huge slugs. Banana slugs to be specific. And while I wouldn’t consider myself a “slug person”, if there is such a thing, you can’t resist being intrigued by the Pacific Banana Slug, the second largest slug in the world. Pretty fancy title.

184 — All smiles on an early morning trail hike in the Hoh Rain Forest

183 — No dogs on the National Park trails, but we did find some state forest trails that were dog friendly. Dobie & Lucy were quite grateful.

178 — A green wonderland of trees, moss and ferns…and a tiny Matt.

182 — A Pacific Banana Slug…we’re not exaggerating…they’re huge!

Big Tree This Way

We did lots of hiking as usual, and like a couple of chumps, we can’t resist a sign that says “Big Tree This Way!” Ok, that’s not actually what the sign said, but we did follow the two track trail (grateful for 4×4) to visit a pretty huge, Western Red Cedar. Pictures give it a little perspective, but I couldn’t even fit the entire tree in one frame. And the diameter? Well, it is almost three times Matt’s height!

185 — The Stats of the Mighty Duncan Cedar

185a — Matt’s 6’6″ and this is only a tiny part of the tree…

Beaches, Driftwood & Coastline

In addition to an awesome rain forest, the other huge draw of Olympic National Park is the coast. This is what you envision when you think of the Pacific Northwest coastline. Not just driftwood. Driftwood TREES. Cliffs. Tide pools. Sea stacks. Rugged, iconic and absolutely breathtaking. We never get tired of walking the beaches, climbing over driftwood, exploring at low tide, picnic-ing seaside and feeling gratitude watching a glorious sunset.

189 — Matt is determined to make a super sized piece of Destination Tree driftwood art.

190 — Ruby Beach is beautiful at high and low tide

191 — I’m either doing some deep thinking, or pretending to model for a sportswear catalog. Columbia? Merrell? Life is Good? I’m open to sponsorships. I’d make a great spokeswoman.

195 — Occasionally we remember to bust out the “good” camera, and Matt is usually framing up those shots, like with these beach side cairns.

196 — And here’s the shot. Pretty good! Who doesn’t love a cairn?!

210 - Rialto — Literally. Driftwood. Trees. – At Rialto Beach

200 — Hey little starfish! Hold on tight! High tide will be back soon.

201 — Snuggle-y isn’t the right word for a starfish, but it seems fitting for this squished little guy at low tide.

202 — “I live in an-an-an-anemone” – Nemo. But seriously, sea anemone at low tide are awesome.

209 - Rialto — A little picnic at Rialto Beach.

207 — I never get tired of sunsets. Ever. They bring a kind of peace inside me I can’t explain. – at Ruby Beach

We’ve been calling our travels, a “cross-country” adventure. So, after visiting the easternmost point in West Quoddy Head, Maine just a few weeks earlier, we HAD to also visit Cape Flattery, WA the north-westernmost point in the United States. That officially made it a coast to coast road trip. And the icing on the cake? We saw a whale! And not just a whale miles off shore. Literally, a whale at the base of the cliff we were standing on. It is quite honestly, an astonishing and humbling creature to witness in person.

231 — Cape Flattery, WA – The north-westernmost point in the US.

Destination Tree Channels Destination Truth (Relevant to any Sci-Fi Channel / Joshua Gates Fans)

Anyone who knows Matt well also knows that he loves the mystery of the unexplained and supernatural. Ghosts, aliens, Bigfoot, you name it. I’ll admit to the possibility as well, but mostly he talks me into things I would never do on my own and I let him scare the crap out of me. So, we did a little ghost hunting at dusk at Battery Kinzie in Fort Worden State Park and also some Bigfoot speculating on our hike up to Wynoochee Falls.

262 — Matt in front of Battery Kinzie in Fort Worden State Park at dusk…soon after this is got VERY creepy!

299 — Our Wynoochee Bigfoot Hike uncovered zero Bigfoot. Is Dobie scared? Tired? Lazy? Nah, just enjoying a snuggle with his dad, and making Lucy jealous.

“Let Me Sum Up” (Quote, Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride)

This rounds out the highlights of our Olympic Peninsula 10-day tour. And only constitutes a sampling of all the sights in the area. If you plan a visit here, a few must-see beach recommendations: Ruby Beach, Rialto Beach, First Beach & Second Beach. If you’re an avid hiker, the hike to Shishi beach is terrific and you’ll likely have the unspoiled beach completely to yourself. Warning: Don’t plan a trip here with this limited overview! Be sure to also check out Lake Quinault, Sol Duc Hot Springs, Lake Crescent and Hurricane Ridge Road and like a billion (I never exaggerate) other must-see sights.

Where to next? Heading a little further south. Check out the next leg of our route here.

Consciously Being Grateful

November 25, 2015 by Matt

As Thanksgiving Day nears I find myself thinking about life… it’s taken me many years to understand how my everyday choices have molded me into who I am. And the more thought I give to it, the more appreciation I feel for the things that make it so.

I once had someone tell me that, “The things we take for granted, will one day be taken from us.” I’ve digested that statement over and over again for years now and it’s led me this holiday season to ask myself the question of ‘Does one really have to lose something before they can have a true appreciation for it?’ In short… my answer today would be NO. One doesn’t have to lose something to fully appreciate it, if they do it right along their way. That being said, I am incredibly appreciative for the life I get to live right now. At the same time however I can’t help but feel the desire to be even more self-aware and grateful on a daily basis. Being thankful for what we have should never be condensed down into just one calendar day of the year.

So, as I sit here and write out my strategy to find a better way to treat every day like it was Thanksgiving (no, not eating until I pass out, but rather committing to spending time daily to be grateful), something begins to dawn on me. The more we experience the things that we have, from the miraculous to the simplest, the more they become invisible to us. We become so familiar with having these things in our daily lives that we lose sight of our appreciation for them and inevitably take them for granted.

So back to that statement I once heard of the things we take for granted, will one day be taken from us. Whether or not we make it true, imagine if everything you took for granted was gone tomorrow. This inspired me to write out a list of what I am most grateful for, yet I tend to often overlook and under-appreciate. I plan to review this list once a day while adding to it over time.

It is certainly an incomplete list, as I have more to be thankful for than I could ever list off, but here are the things that at the time of writing this, mean the most to me. The things I am choosing to be consciously grateful for every single day moving forward.

I’m grateful for:

The love and respect that my wife and I share for each other
My two wonderful parents who brought me up in a loving home
The bond that I share with my two brothers
A brain and body that allows me to see, hear, taste, smell and feel the world around me
My two ever faithful dogs

I’m grateful everyday for the choice I have:

To be optimistic
To maintain my dignity and respect for myself
To learn from my mistakes and try again when I fail
To choose the attitude I take with me everywhere, everyday
To have trust and hope
To see the good in others
To ask for help myself and not let my ego get in the way
To be a good listener
To be an original version of me, and not a replica of someone else
To be a gentleman
To teach and develop myself
To have a sense of humor
To see problems as possibilities
To not let vanity overtake me
To not let money or greed or power be the driver of me
To not let possessions define me
To appreciate differences in opinions
To realize that I’m not always right
To appreciate nature and its role in our world
To communicate effectively
To be open and willing to change
And lastly, I’m grateful for the choice I have to show my appreciation for how very fortunate I am to be alive and healthy to write this today.

For all these things, and many more, I am truly grateful. Each of these things are priceless to me. I couldn’t buy any of them with all the money in the world, and I wouldn’t trade any of them for it either. The more I look at this list, the more I realize how much gratitude is a choice and how much of a difference it makes in our lives.

So, thank you Thanksgiving, for reminding me yet again, why one day of self-awareness is simply not enough to show the appreciation for everything we ought to be grateful for. And thank you in advance to anyone willing to remind me to live by my list.

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving!

Matt

Our Route Across the Country – Part 3

November 20, 2015 by Kristin

As we travel cross country on our year-long road trip, we’ve broken our adventure and our route into multiple sections.

And then our journey continued to the Pacific Northwest…

Part III
September 25, 2015 – October 5, 2015

Departing Montana, we made a beeline for Washington. We took a circular route in and around the Olympic peninsula focusing our time in Olympic National Park, both in the Hoh Rainforest and along the rugged iconic Pacific Coast with sea stacks, driftwood trees and tide pools.

Since we had visited the easternmost point in West Quoddy Head, Maine earlier on our trip, we thought it was fitting to also visit Cape Flattery, WA the northwesternmost point in the United States. We did a little ghost hunting and bigfoot chasing before we completed our peninsula loop and continued south toward Oregon.

Check out our blog post with more details and pictures on our Washington adventures.

And check our Part 4 of our route here.

Tips: Zoom in and out on the map, and move the map around to get a better look at the route. Or click “View Larger Map” below to get an even better view.

Chasing Montana

November 15, 2015 by Kristin

Montana – We Arrived!

I can’t explain why, but I’ve always wanted to go to Montana. It’s like the mountains and glaciers just called my name. As we drove west and crossed the border into Montana, we hopped out of the truck and celebrated the milestone…we actually made it! (Disclaimer…we were in Montana for about 10 days at the end of September. Yes, I realize it’s now November. I could back date this blog post to cover up this fact, but I’m an honest girl, and I will admit I procrastinated going through our hundreds of pictures to compile this overview post of Montana…so just enjoy it anyway! And if you’re interested, you can check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our cross country routes as well.)

Montana Welcome Sign — Montana – We Arrived!

Turns out Montana is a huge state, with countless miles of flat land and cattle (so much cattle in fact, that all the freeway entrances and exits have cattle guards so that if any cattle happen to stray, they can’t walk across these grates onto the freeway). And while the landscape was definitely beautiful, I was almost holding my breath until we reached western Montana where the mountains rose up and matched my visions.

Montana Cattle Guard — A cattle guard in front of us before merging on the highway in Montana.

The National Bison Range

The National Bison Range wasn’t too far off our course as we headed to Glacier National Park and it was a scenic detour that was well worthwhile.

The mountain scenery was abundant, and I actually started humming… “where the deer and the antelope plaaaaaayyyyyy…” when we saw deer and antelope! The bison on the other hand, they were a bit shy, so we squinted at them in the distance.

Matt & Kristin at the National Bison Range

Moral of the story here, despite bison being the primary draw of the National Bison Range, even without a close up encounter, we were in no way disappointed with our visit.

Spectacular Views at the National Bison Range

Glacier National Park

We chose Hungry Horse, Montana, just outside of West Glacier, as our base camp for settling in and exploring Glacier National Park and the surrounding area. If you’ve ever wanted to go to Glacier National Park, GO. If reading any of this, or seeing any of these pictures (which don’t nearly do it justice) makes you want to go to Glacier National Park, GO. Unfortunately, climate change is a reality, and it’s likely there won’t actually be any glaciers left in Glacier National Park in just a few short years.

Disappearing Glaciers due to Climate Change

One of our first hikes was two-fold. A popular, easy and accessible route on the Trail of the Cedars which connected to Avalanche Trail. We absolutely loved this hike alongside Avalanche Creek and it’s well worth the trek to glacial fed Avalanche Lake.

Trail of the Cedars, Glacier National Park

The color of the glacial water in Avalanche Lake is just too beautiful to be captured in words or pictures. We try though. The magical bluish-greenish color of the very deep and very cold lake was mesmerizing. Also, if you look closely, you can see the very tall, skinny waterfalls carving a path down the mountain from Sperry Glacier to Avalanche Lake.

One of the most popular and iconic things you can do at Glacier National Park is drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road. It’s some of the most incredible scenery you will ever see. We pulled over dozens of times to take pictures and just sit and just soak in the beauty.

Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park

I’ll admit, I was white knuckled driving several sections of it, there are some harrowing curves and edges. But if I was nervous driving it, I can’t even imagine the workers who carved and paved this road through and around the edges of mountains. Truly incredible.

Going-to-the-Sun Road, cliffside bridge and waterfall — Going-to-the-Sun road, cliff side bridge and waterfall

Going-to-the-Sun Road tunnel — Going-to-the-Sun tunnel

Roadside Selfie, Going-to-the-Sun Road — Roadside selfie, Going-to-the-Sun road

Some Deep Thinking alongside Going-to-the-Sun Road — Some deep thinking alongside Going-to-the-Sun road

After driving the Going-to-the-Sun Road, we stopped at the St. Mary’s visitor’s center on the east side of the park which had wonderful exhibits on the history of the area and the Native American tribes, including the Blackfoot Indians. We took the alternate route around the south border of the park which led us past the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. Matt has Blackfoot Indian in his heritage and enjoyed learning about his ancestors!

Matt and his heritage, Blackfeet Nation, ice cream cone not included

Would I go back to visit Glacier National Park? Absolutely. I could spend months there. Also, the Grinnell Glacier hike is still on my bucket list, which is near Many Glacier on the EAST side of the park. Turns out, West Glacier was a great base camp, and I’m glad we stayed there, but there’s only one road through the park (Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is NOT trailer/camper accessible) and one road around the park. So, it takes several hours to get to get from one side of the park to the other. Since the Grinnell Glacier hike is a full-day hike, it would have been unrealistic to sandwich it between 5 hours of driving, so we’ll just have to go back. Take note, if Glacier National Park is on your bucket list, learn from my mistake and plan enough time that you can stay on both the East and West sides of the park to explore all the mountains, lakes and glaciers to your heart’s desire.

Kalispell & Whitefish

Kalispell was a very cute little town where we took care of essentials like our grocery shopping and beer tasting. Enter: Kalispell Brewing Company. Great beer, great service, fresh popcorn and even a fun trivia night (although I will admit I am a CHEATER and I look up answers online).

Just North of Kalispell was Whitefish, which was an even cuter town (btw…are you sick of me using words like ‘cute’, ‘incredible’ and ‘beautiful’ yet? Sorry, I need to expand my vocabulary…) But before we stopped in the town of Whitefish, we drove a bit further to the Whitefish Mountain Resort. Mostly known for being a ski destination, (P.S. if you do happen to be an avid skier **shameless plug** be sure to check out this popular ski tree in our shop) they have mountain biking and hiking in the off-season. Let me tell you, anyone who mountain bikes here is either a world-class expert biker, or has a death wish. More likely, I’m just chicken.

We were here for the hiking. However, we weren’t exactly prepared for the Danny-On Trail. We had almost no water, no snacks, and found out it was 3.8 miles to the top where the ski lodge, summit and highest views were perched. Oh, and over 2,000 foot elevation gain. Could we do this? Did we want to do this? Matt planted a seed in my brain that we absolutely could. That was all I needed, I believed it too. So, we gathered our courage, threw out our doubts, filled our water bottles and scraped a few granola bars together to commit to the climb.

A couple things about this hike:

It was past the summer season, and the Fall is considered the “shoulder” season. SO, the chair lift only operated on weekends. We were there on a weekday. If you climb up 3.8 miles, you must climb down 3.8 miles.
We were told the views at the top are INCREDIBLE.

Our previous hiking experience has proven that when you have a quads-a-fire, breath sucking, uphill ascent, that your reward will be a breathtaking summit and well-earned downhill descent. However, a couple surprising things happened on this particular hike. First of all, the views on the entire 3.8 miles to the top were astounding. The fall colors were at their peak, we saw mountains, towering pines, distant lakes, sheer drop offs, fresh bear (and bear cub) tracks and ultimately, scenery worthy of each muscle burning, up-hill step.

The "Danny On" Trail at Whitefish Mountain Resort — The “Danny On” Trail at Whitefish Mountain Resort

Fresh bear (and bear cub!) tracks on the trail

The surprising thing, was that the summit wasn’t the “pinnacle” of the scenery. The ski lodge at the top was under construction, so we didn’t have access to the lookout balcony. The views were beautiful, but not the most beautiful view we’d ever seen (don’t get me wrong, we reveled in making it there and took pictures at the top and also of the ski trail map to prove we made it!).

Proof we're at the top...the summit ski slope map — Proof we’re at the top…the summit ski slope map

But it was a good learning lesson and reminder to enjoy and appreciate the journey as much as the destination. Getting there was even more spectacular than arriving there. And let me tell you, the descent was no piece of cake. It took half the time, but our shins understood the full wrath of a downhill mountain descent.

Dobie asked if we could hop in a gondola or chair lift. Sorry bud! — Dobie asked if we could hop in a gondola or chair lift to get back to the bottom. Sorry bud!

We washed away our muscle aches with some deliciously deserved craft beer at The Great Northern Brewing Company in downtown Whitefish. All in all, it was one of our favorite days in Montana.

Hope you enjoyed some of the highlights from our time in Montana!

Cheers!

Kristin

Here’s to the Wide Ones, the Heavy Ones, and the Slow Ones

November 10, 2015 by Matt

At some point, we’ve all impatiently driven next to a longer, larger vehicle in need of a little extra room to drive. Whether it be an 18 wheeler, a bus, an RV, a truck pulling a horse trailer, a landscaper towing their living, or your local garbage man making his rounds. I like to think of these guys and gals as “pace setters”, because more often than not, they are setting a careful pace for themselves and others on America’s highways and streets. Although what’s careful to them, usually seems annoying and far too slow to those around them.

I used to be just as guilty as anyone when it came to occasionally not giving them enough respect on the road. Whether it be when merging on a highway, changing lanes right in front of them, ignoring their blind spots, not giving them enough room to make a turn or any number of infractions. Sure, maybe I was distracted, or running behind, but really, I was just being impatient. And a bit oblivious. And ultimately, I just simply wasn’t paying enough attention to give them the appreciated respect they deserve.

Destination Tree - Montana — In the mountains of Montana.

Fast forward to today: It’s crazy, but I am now a pace setter! I have been for the last several months while venturing across America with our travel trailer, and I’m more aware than EVER. I’m well aware of the wide ones, the heavy ones and the slow ones, because I’m part of the club. And I also keep my eye out for the fast ones, the impatient ones, and the clueless ones (the way I used to be!). Wishing only that I could turn back the hands of time and give a few more large-load drivers some larger respect earlier on in my driving years.

With a 52 foot long truck and RV combo now, I really have to be on my game ALL of the time. If I miss a turn, I can’t just turn around anywhere. It could be miles before I get another chance. If I need gas, I have to visually evaluate each gas station before deciding if I can navigate in and out of it without running something or someone over. Every highway on-ramp magnetically pulls my eyes to see who is carelessly merging and forcing me to floor the gas pedal or slam on my brakes. With a payload of over 15,000 pounds, slowing down or stopping unexpectedly can be a mobile game of rolling the dice for us. I don’t like dice.

The 52′ long Destination Tree truck and trailer, pulled over at a Wyoming Visitors Center.

And on a windy day on the highway, riding alongside pace setters can be like line dancing in a narrow hallway with a couple of baby elephants. One bump and you’re done. And the baby elephants will always win. Quick piece of advice for any driver…if you need to pass a large, heavy, over-sized vehicle: do it quickly! Because having someone ride along in your blind spot is really fun! Said no one, ever. Oh, and to the drivers who speed up and cut over at the last minute before a lane closure in an upcoming construction zone…there’s a special place in hell for you.

My all-time, least-favorite experiences have not been from motorists, but from crossing pedestrians. That’s right, pedestrians have the right of way: IN A CROSSWALK! Don’t get me wrong, I’m always cautious of pedestrians, but the big guys don’t stop quick, even when they’re going slow. So give them their dues, and give them seven more seconds before crossing the street. On a personal note, I don’t think I’ll ever be jay walking outside of a crosswalk anymore.

Okay, okay. I’ll step down from my high horse now and just say that it pays to put the impatience, frustration, and immortal feelings aside, when we’re in the presence of pace setters. We’ll all eventually get to where we’re going, just give them a break from time to time. For anyone who’s ever had a large load, you know what I’m talking about. And to anyone who hasn’t, just learn from my mistakes and keep this little story in mind. Because one day you just might.

Destination Tree on the road, Hoh Rainforest — On the Road in the Hoh Rainforest, Forks, Washington.

All in all, despite the learning lessons of being a pace setter, and the white-knuckled moments of towing a trailer across the country, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Cheers to sharing the roads with each other, and safe travels to you!

Matt

One Year Later.

October 19, 2015 by Matt

There’s a lot of truth behind the statement that we overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can do in a year.

And, while it’s easy to measure the results of a 24 hour period, measuring a full year can be a good deal trickier. I say ‘tricky’ because not everything that can be measured matters and not everything that matters can be measured.

So, exactly how does one go about measuring a year? (On a side note, Kristin just started singing a song from Rent to demonstrate how to measure a year… “five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred miiiiinnnnutes…” and now we all have that Broadway classic stuck in our heads).

But, back to our discussion of measurement. I could outline the number of tasks completed, revenue generated, web trends or any other number of statistics to try and measure this past year. However, while those numbers and trends are useful in their own right, I believe the system of measuring that matters most is the one that lets us know the resulting positive impact we’ve had on the world around us and the people in it.

About one year ago, I had just finished making a significant change in my life after departing what was a great company, filled with truly amazing people. I set sail leaving behind a corporate career for a challenging, new and exciting lifestyle in the uncharted waters of the world of entrepreneurship. Thus, Destination Tree was founded. Our mission: to inspire each other to enjoy and appreciate life’s events, challenges and destinations through the joy of custom crafted, meaningful artwork.

Now, that being said, in looking back and measuring the last year, I can honestly say it has been a success!

With a lot of hard work, TONS of trial and error, and long brainstorming evenings, we’ve been fortunate enough to build on our idea and grow our inspirational presence to a global level.
Originally, Kristin was helping both with Destination Tree and succeeding greatly to help grow a different, awesome company, but has since joined in the full time development of Destination Tree.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with some truly wonderful clients who have let us in on their lives so we could help them tell their stories through our artwork.
Through the process we found renewed inspiration in our own lives and kicked off an adventure traveling the US while we pursue our entrepreneurial dreams and inspire others to follow theirs (whatever they may be).
One of our greatest successes, is that we no longer wait for the time left at the end of the day or the end of the week…we now spend more quality time together than ever before.

The funny thing is, once we made the decision to create, build and then transition this business (and our life) on the road, it helped us reaffirm that we truly can accomplish any challenge we place before us. One thing’s for sure, it takes hard work…and perseverance…and flexibility…and patience…and persistence…and the willingness to keep learning. Just like so many things worth doing require. There have been and will continue to be challenges, but it’s worth it. And we haven’t had a single moment of regret.

What’s next for the business? One thing’s for certain, we have no plans to become a mass produced chain store novelty. Our plan is to grow, but grow on our terms, in accordance with the original mission in mind: Custom, hand-crafted inspiration!

So, thank you to everyone who has supported us, helped us, guided us, partnered with us, purchased from us, spread the word about us, and even doubted us. Your fuel has played a role in driving our cause.

With one year now come and gone, we are very excited about year number two and the future beyond. Looking back, perhaps we are a little crazy… but we are definitely inspired!

So here’s to our supporters and cheers to the future!

Matt

Welcome to 2016. The best year of your life!

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Redwood National and State Parks, California

The Lost Coast

A “Home Base” for the Holidays

TAPS Headquarters, Warwick, RI (The Atlantic Paranormal Society)

White Horse Tavern, Newport, RI

Gettysburg, PA

Serpent Mound, OH

The Ridges, Athens, OH

Moonville Tunnel, OH

Cahokia Mounds, IL

South Dakota Road Markers

Minuteman Missile Silo and Delta-01 Underground Command Center, National Historic Site

Vore Buffalo Jump, WY

Devil’s Tower, WY

Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA

Welcome to Sasquatch Country

Gold Mining Ghost Towns of California

Adventure Awaits

Montana to Washington

Big Tree This Way

Beaches, Driftwood & Coastline

Destination Tree Channels Destination Truth (Relevant to any Sci-Fi Channel / Joshua Gates Fans)

“Let Me Sum Up” (Quote, Inigo Montoya, Princess Bride)

I’m grateful for:

I’m grateful everyday for the choice I have:

Montana – We Arrived!

The National Bison Range

Glacier National Park

Kalispell & Whitefish

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Our Mission

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