inspiration | Destination Tree

Top Ten Favorite Breweries

March 24, 2016 by Matt

WE LOVE CRAFT BEER!!

There you have it. We’re not going to hide it. Deal with it. Hoppy makes us happy. From stouts to sours and belgians to IPA’s, we appreciate the craft. We appreciate quality beer made by lovers of the trade whose souls are as rich as their brews.

At times I wonder if our journey across America and all its natural glory is but a coast to coast brewery tour in disguise! A nationwide beer tasting journey of epic discovery. Many of these breweries have been on our bucket list, but we’ve also stumbled upon some previously unknown gems.

Of course, it’s impossible to boil down all the craft breweries in the country into a “Top 10” or even a “Top 100” list. But for all the beer aficionados out there, we thought we’d share a few of our favorites hop stops on our road trip (so far) and why. If you happen to find yourself in these states or towns you can be assured we put our seal of approval on these worthy servers of liquid gold libations.

So pour yourself a pint and pull up a chair as we list off our top ten favorite breweries from our cross country road trip in no particular order.

Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene, Oregon
Oh, Oregon…the beer capital of the West Coast, or so anyone there would tell you. Ninkasi is a lot bigger than we had realized, occupying several blocks. There was a building marked “Beer Lab” where we imagined many mad scientist type concoctions are given life. They don’t serve food, but have a few food trucks on standby outside serving mobile deliciousness. Who cares? It’s the beer you’re here for anyway, right?! The people are friendly, and the atmosphere is chill-meets-funky-punk. We recommend you try the Total Domination IPA.

301 — Kristin always favors the stouts and Matt’s a true IPA fan, but at the end of the day, all of the Ninkasi brews were delicious.

Liquid Riot, Portland, Maine
Sipping suds by the sea!! What could be better? Liquid Riot is a cool, dockside brewery and also a distillery. The setting is in the old, downtown historic district, right by the water. The salty air outside collides beautifully with the mighty mash inside for a tantalizing combination. A heavy wood and metal reclaimed décor offers beer and spirit loving patrons a long wooden welcoming bar that faces the brewery so one can watch the magic being made while they enjoy a pint. The people serving seem to be trendy hipsters and the guests are super talkative. We recommend you try the delicious White Chocolate Stout. (The only light colored stout we’ve ever seen!)

725 — Cute little tasters like this require Pinkie’s Up at Liquid Riot in Portland, Maine.

Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine

966 — This huge, rustic sign makes quite a statement upon entry to the brewery and tasting room at Allagash Brewing Company.

An off-the-beaten-path warehouse is our favorite kind of brewery locale. This gem is full of surprises. It’s bright, big and clean with windows into the brewery next to the bar. Allagash is a proprietor of pallet loving perfection. You can’t buy a pint while you’re here, but you can buy all you want to-go. However, upon entry, you’ll receive a wooden token that gets you plenty of generous sample pours of their beers, including many that can’t be found anywhere outside of their brewery. We recommend you try one of their experimental, small-batch brews, in addition to their famous, flagship White Ale.

962 — The Allagash White was classically delicious, but the experimental brews were the highlight here.

The House of Pendragon (HOP) Brewing Company, Clovis, California
Don’t let the setting inside a strip mall fool you. House of Pendragon is refreshingly different. Yet another very cool taproom, with reclaimed decor throughout, this place is ideal for Kings and Dragons alike to toast with one another. With a wide range of IPA’s and Old Ale’s served in unique glassware, the setting is a great place to play cards and talk among friends at the round tables. Oh, and when you get hungry, don’t despair, because you can order authentic Vietnamese Pho fit for a king or queen from right next door, through the looking-glass wall, and they’ll deliver your piping hot bowl of goodness right to your knights table! As for the brews, we recommend you try their Empire Strikes Back IPA.

jan 099 — Pull up a chair! Grab a sampler! And throw down some Skip-Bo domination! HOP – House of Pendragon

The Great Northern Brewing Company, Whitefish, Montana
You couldn’t ask for a better setting. Great Northern offers a vast assortment of tasty beverages on tap, served at both a cozy fireplace room downstairs as well as a taproom with a view upstairs. We recommend you fancy a pint in both settings. Try the Stout by the fireside downstairs, and then head up for an Amber Ale on the second floor balcony overlooking the Farmer’s Market across the street with incredible mountains lining the horizon. Build up an appetite to eat right there or at one of the many vendors down in the market. We recommend you take a stroll through the Farmer’s Market after a few pints and see all the cool, unique, local Montana offerings. If you’re lucky, a local band will be playing some Dave Brubeck.

137 — Yahoo! From The Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish, Montana. We felt our brews were well deserved after our epic mountain hike that same afternoon. P.S. Montana is AMAZING…if you need convincing just check out the pics on our MT blog post…

Maine Beer Company, Freeport, Maine
Beer, beer, and beer. No food, just damn good beer. Though they had a great mobile crepe stand (they must have known Kristin was coming) right outside to appease your appetite after you quench your thirst. This place is entirely solar powered and maintains high standards for quality and cleanliness. What more could you ask for: it’s green and it’s clean. As we understand, some of their beers have gained national recognition for must-try bucket list brews. Good for them! We recommend you try their “Lunch” beer at lunch time, or their also famous “Dinner” beer.

746 — Not much more you can ask for in a brewery…clean, green, friendly and delicious. And they’re do-gooders. All their tips go to charity and their mission is “Do What’s Right.” We love that. So drink up and tip big.

745 — Imagine if all companies, large and small, operated with a philosophy as powerful as this one. We think the world would be a pretty damn fine place. Maine Beer Company has their priorities straight.

Arch Rock Brewing Company, Gold Beach, Oregon
Ok, we have to admit it, you may never go to this brewery, because you may never find it! It is tucked away in the misty (or rainy) mountain base on the ever-so-swollen Hunter Creek, in the small town of Gold Beach, Oregon. It’s right across from our “home base” where we resided for six weeks during the Destination Tree Holiday Order Rush. I have to tell you, creating orders downwind from the smell of their mash was bliss. Arch Rock is a converted barn/garage that provides a simple list of fresh beer on demand. We recommend you fill a growler of Pistol River Pale Ale and go for a walk down the road to where the river meets the ocean and do a little gold hunting while the tide is low. Hoppy Hunting!

155 — The peace and beauty of Hunter Creek with the smell of fresh mash wafting through the air was the perfect setting for the creation of hundreds of Destination Tree Designs during our 6 weeks in Oregon.

Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, California
You knew it was coming. It’s a bucket list kind of place, just like most of our adventures in California. So, Russian River made the list by reputation and the sheer craziness to get into it on a Tuesday evening. Dueling lines of people, waiting outside the door is your first greeting. Then a friendly, but serious, bouncer filtering people in and out. One line to buy beer-to-go, another line to eat and drink in the brewery itself. After twenty minutes of waiting in the restaurant line, we decided to switch over to the grab-and-go line (although we hear their food is really yummy). Most people come here for their notoriously hard to find Pliny series (Both Elder and Younger). We bought a case of Pliny the Elder, and were a few weeks too early to score any Pliny the Younger. Surprisingly, they have a large array of sour beers which we tried and liked as well. We recommend you get in line early. Grab yourself a fresh Pliny and drink it right away. Don’t wait, as they like to say.

799 — Giddy for DAYS after scoring a case of Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Co.

Chetco Brewing Company, Brookings, Oregon
Sometimes a place just seems REAL. Because it is. Authenticity isn’t something you can fake. Chetco was probably one of the friendliest breweries we frequented. We became temporary locals while we were stationed on the coast of Oregon for several weeks and this was our “Cheers” where everybody knew our name. Sit next to a stranger, make a new friend. It’s just that kind of place. Our very first visit we were welcomed by Rita, a pint-sized, bubbly, breath of fresh air who gave us a hug from there on out every time we saw her. One night we chatted with Mike, the owner and brewer, for at least an hour and learned all about his passion and knowledge of the craft. We decided Chetco needs a sign above the door: “Enter as strangers, leave as friends.” Oh, and we couldn’t help but love the “Gift Pint” board… you can buy a pint for a future visitor…i.e. Free Pint for the next Michigan Fan, Free Pint for the next firefighter. So, grab a pint (you can’t go wrong…all the beer is delicious!) while you make some new friends or play a pub game (Beer Trivia! Dominos!). Chetco will be your new local favorite.

03-01 558 — Smiles, pints and Dominos at Chetco Brewing Company in Brookings, Oregon.

Middleton Brewing, San Marcos, TX
This small brewery in Texas Hill Country was an awesome little find. There are actually several breweries in Hill Country, but we happened to be passing through on a day when most were closed. Fortunately for us, Middleton was open and welcoming. They greeted us with warm smiles and a small army of dogs…they took pet friendly to a new level and between the resident brew dogs, the visitor dogs and our own dogs, we felt like it was part Doggie Daycare! With a wide array of choices on tap, they’re quick to provide suggestions or offer tastings to help you choose. We snagged a few pints and headed up the spiral staircase to the rooftop patio with cool breezes, shady canopies, and vast, sweeping views of Texas Hill Country. It was the perfect place to sit and relax and also do some brainstorming on the biz. We recommend spending as much time as you can on the rooftop with a pint, a pooch and some popcorn.

03-01 980 — At Middleton Brewing Company you can enjoy treetop views of the Texas Hill Country while cute doggies eye up your pints and popcorn.

The Top Ten’s will continue…stay tuned for more highlights from our cross country adventures.

Cheers!
Matt

P.S. Wondering where these places are? Zoom in or move around the map to check out each of these craft brewery locations.

Inspiration Around the World

March 9, 2016 by Matt

We’re thrilled to celebrate Number Eight Hundred!! That’s right. A total of 800 pieces of Destination Tree artwork including centerpieces, driftwood signs and driftwood collages are displayed all around the world.

And to commemorate this milestone, we’d like to share a fun little poem highlighting some of the special places this artwork now calls “home”.

Hanging from porches and pool-side torches, breweries and vineyards alike,
Beach retreats and mountain peaks, and on trails where people hike.

Shipped to celebrity hosts, and hunters of ghosts,
And weddings where people cheers and toast.

Gracing vacation homes, military bases, and fancy hotel lobbies,
Chicken coops, island mansions and rooms for people’s hobbies.

Brides & grooms, living rooms, hospitals where patients wait,
Designer stores, cabin doors, we’re in almost every state.

Studios, corner offices, and places where leaders meet,
Ice cream shops, house boats, and mailboxes by the street.

Our clients are a diverse group, but all share in the same great taste,
With a passion for quality and a love for the planet, we let nothing go to waste.

Our artwork hangs, stands or leans, and can be found places worldwide,
Wherever it goes, we aim to inspire, our journey’s been one wild ride!

Cheers to our clients, friends, family and supporters who have encouraged us and all been a part of the journey of Destination Tree.

Matt

Here are the “destinations” of our Destination Tree artwork…feel free to zoom in and move around. We look forward to adding a pin on the map for you!

What’s it look like creating hundreds of pieces of driftwood artwork while traveling the country on a year long road trip? Take a look!

Driftwood Artwork Creation — Custom coordinates have become one of our most popular pieces of artwork for housewarming and wedding gifts.

220 — Sanding and sorting driftwood, packaging and engraving…all in a days work. Makers gonna make!

268 — The holidays are especially busy, and this was one half of a day’s outgoing orders. Destination Tree – WORLDWIDE!

DT Stamping Party — It’s a Stamping Party! We manage business on the road by being super organized, utilizing every speck of space, and doing tasks in batches.

649 — The mobile Destination Tree headquarters. Where artwork is created and then shipped anywhere in the world.

A Walk Through a Redwood Forest

February 16, 2016 by Matt

How does it feel to stand among the tallest living trees? To be present with these time travelers of enormous proportions? To gaze up hundreds of feet to their towering canopy and to spread your arms around a fraction of their 90+ foot circumference? I had always wanted to know what it was like and for those that would share the same desire, I’ll describe it to you as best I can. So, come take a walk with me through a Redwood Forest.

A walk among the Redwoods is a magical and soul stirring experience.

Kristin and I were fortunate to spend several weeks exploring and hiking among these gentle giants on our year long journey across the country and never lost our sense of wonder at the magnificence of these forests.

Just when we think we’ve seen the biggest Redwood there is, we find another, and another. (Although, we’re pretty sure this one was the record holder on our hikes) And ultimately, each and every one is awe-inspiring.

The first sense to awaken when I encounter them is my vision. My eyes explode open to the site of a darkly enchanting greenish hued city of living sky scrapers. It really stuns you. You want to say something, but all that comes out is the faint sound of awe, escaping your lungs through your mouth.

Weaving between each Redwood takes your senses into overload.

No forest you’ve ever been to, nor movie you’ve ever watched, can even come close to preparing you for the moment. It’s not just the towering trees, but everything around you that your eyes absorb. Carpets of emerald and lavender colored clover greet you from below.

493 — The clover lined trail is like stepping into a fairy tale, and each clover leaf hid a purple hue on the other side.

Every step is cushioned with a springy softness from rust-colored needles. Nurse logs sheltering tiny insects and animals turn into dark, rich, living soil with ferns and new life bursting from their trunks. Soft green lichens coat the sides of auburn-brown trunks as your eyes take in this foreign environment.

479 — A glimpse at a fallen giant, who’s life renews as it nurses new growth and allows new light to the forest below.

Then comes the smell. The scent in the air is next to overwhelm you. Earthy and grounding, yet freshly enlightening, with a slight feeling of a chill that surrounds you. In essence, the smell of life untainted by human influence. The thick bark smells of an unyielding strength, the kind of strength that has outlasted fires, floods, droughts and animals. The earthiness of your path is like nature’s perfume from the near constant falling of needles and twigs that rains down from the forest above. All of these important characters play a role in a collective aroma that breathes new life into you as you inhale the forest atmosphere.

Lastly, I find myself immersed in the sound of the trees. Or lack thereof. We don’t think of the trees as talking to one another, probably because their language is foreign to us. But they do. Like the birds in the air or the whales in the sea, I fully believe all life forms have their way of communicating. Trees are no exception to that. With no pocket translator to decipher, I attempt to hear what they are saying. Are they trying to teach me something? Are they simply talking amongst themselves? I don’t know for certain, but I’m intrigued.

385 — These giants have a language…in silence, in soft breezes and in creaking settling, as one with the earth.

At other times, I hear nothing. A nothingness so quiet, absent of all sound that the only sound I hear is that of my heart beating in my ear. I feel the giant sentinels are looking down on me with curious thoughts of my intentions. Unlike the loggers of a past era, I stand now in their midst with an appreciation of them, and somehow I think they know that. And then seemingly all at once, the sound of 300 pipe organs erupts, all playing on their deepest key as the trees begin talking to one another through the breeze now setting in. The swaying and creaking and shaking and bending produce an unreal bellowing sound that can be felt all through the ground, up into my feet, and clear through to my spine.

And with the breeze, comes yet another round of tiny detached pieces of these living specimens fluttering down from high up in the canopy above. For hundreds of feet there are no branches on these auburn pillars to catch the plummeting, tiny particles raining down.

511 — Your path is soft and springy, strewn with needles, branches, leaves and soil. Making each step feel like you’re being lifted by the Redwood Forest.

We remove our hats and attempt to catch falling needles for good luck, before they fall to the forest floor, and indeed we do. Fortune favors us today. With my senses clearly overwhelmed, I have a love for this ancient landscape.

So what is it like to stand in the presence of a giant redwood forest? In a word, to me anyways, it’s like heaven. Forget puffy clouds and pearly gates, and putting aside the numerous religions and their afterlife, if heaven truly exists, this is how I would imagine it to be.

Cheers to the tall ones,

Matt

Those Things You’ve Always Wanted to Do

February 8, 2016 by Kristin

You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.

I love this saying for so many reasons, but two especially. 1) Because if you delay your dreams, you may never have a chance to make them a reality. And 2) Well, I guess you could say that this has been an overarching theme of our year-long road trip since we’re following two big dreams…growing our business and traveling the country and it’s many National and State Parks.

Coffee shop inspiration...and Matt, the guy that helps inspire me to tackle our dreams together. — Coffee shop inspiration…and Matt, the guy that helps inspire me to tackle our dreams together.

So, it was especially appropriate to see this coffee shop quote as we re-initiated our travels again after our mind blowing, busy holiday season for Destination Tree. We had stationed ourselves in Oregon for the holidays, and the day after Christmas we were ready to find some sunny California skies and to check off some big destinations on our “always wanted to do” list.

Napa Valley

First up, Napa Valley. I can’t say I’m a wine connoisseur, but I do know I like to drink it, and that’s what’s important right?! Anyhow, Napa’s been on my bucket list for a while, and especially after seeing the movie “Bottle Shock”, I wanted to visit Chateau Montelena and explore this legendary wine growing region (although you don’t “grow” wine, so technically, shouldn’t it be the world famous GRAPE growing region?!).

Chateau Montelena! I was so excited!! And if you haven't seen the movie Bottle Shock, go watch it right now. Then you'll want to come here too. — Chateau Montelena! I was so excited!! And if you haven’t seen the movie Bottle Shock, go watch it right now. Then you’ll want to come here too.

After recommendations from several friends, we decided on a self-guided bike tour through the grape-growing countryside to do some wine tasting. It was perfect because we set our own pace and got some exercise while we went from tasting to tasting to tasting. I’d say that we, at the very least, broke even on calories burned vs calories consumed. Maybe. Well, at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

Just getting the hang of my bike in Calistoga before we take off.

Anyhow, some might say late December is not the best time to visit Napa because the vines are bare and the temps are chilly.

The vines in Napa are beautiful no matter what...acres and acres, row after row...they even sparkled with frost one morning. — The vines in Napa are beautiful no matter what…acres and acres, row after row…they even sparkled with frost one morning.

Hogwash. (I don’t know why I just used that particular word, but I did, so there.) Yes, the vines are bare. And yes the temps are chilly, BUT the rows and rows of vines are beautiful even when bare. And we bundled up against the cold and pedaled to stay warm. We breathed the fresh air and gazed at the blue skies skimming acres and acres of California vines. Napa in December is perfect. I highly recommend it.

Purple teeth kind of go with the territory. Along with winter hats, bike helmets, and our trusty Vinnebago, which carried water on this particular day. (Thanks cuz KG!)

And perhaps the best reason of all…minimal crowds. We weren’t jammed shoulder to shoulder in tasting rooms, we didn’t battle traffic on the roads with our bikes and it felt like a stroll through the country. Probably not the case in peak season.

We enjoyed a leisurely game of Bocce Ball during one of our tastings. I think Matt won. He always wins. — We enjoyed a leisurely game of Bocce Ball during one of our tastings.

Family Time

There was not a chance I was going to pass up the opportunity to spend time with my cousins while in California. I love my cousins! So, why haven’t I seen my California cousins in TWO YEARS?! Great question. No good answer. And no time like the present. The highlights? Uphill hikes, waterfalls, FOOD (duh), Skip-Bo, hugs, and endless laughs with Heads Up and Charades on NYE. Ringing in the New Year with west coast family and laughter = Perfection.

Top: 2 Years ago when I last saw these smiling faces! Left: Karla & Kristin on an uphill hike. Right: Throwback pic of Kristin & Kali because we talked so much and for so long we didn't even snap one picture! — Top: 2 Years ago when I last saw these smiling faces! Left: Karla & Kristin on an uphill hike. Right: Throwback pic of Kristin & Kali because we talked so much and for so long we didn’t even snap one picture!

Winchester Mystery House

I have to be honest, this was on Matt’s “always wanted to do” list. I had never even heard of it before. However, as usual, I ended up enjoying yet another one of his paranormal picks.

I didn't even know this place existed. And Matt was thrilled beyond belief to visit. — I didn’t even know this place existed. And Matt was thrilled beyond belief to visit.

I’ll leave the detailed description to Matt’s next paranormal blog post, however I will say, if you are ever in the Bay Area, stop and check this place out. Disregard the super touristy gift shop and walk the impeccably maintained grounds, along with a guided mansion tour through over 110 of the 160 rooms.

The Winchester Mystery House: A weird, cool, unusual, historical must-see. With a tour group? Excellent. By myself? No way.

The old widow maintained constant construction for 38 years as an attempt to keep the millions of souls killed by Winchester guns at bay. Staircases to nowhere, windows in the floor, and secret one-way doors…it’s the most bizarre mansion you’ll ever experience.

Yosemite National Park

One of the most beautiful places on earth…Yosemite National Park.

The famous Tunnel View of El Capitan and Half Dome

Snow and ice draped the tunnel that led to Tunnel View of El Capitan and Half Dome.

Famous for jaw dropping scenery, there is no denying this is true. While I would have loved to hike back-country trails, and gotten an up-close view of Half Dome, we were somewhat limited to the main thoroughfares and shorter hiking options due to the winter weather. However, a recurring theme here is the minimal crowds.

En route to Yosemite Falls...a little icy but definitely beautiful. — En route to Yosemite Falls…a little icy but definitely beautiful.

Yosemite has a bad rep for being overcrowded in the summer. Solution? Go in the winter. There were definitely tourists in the Yosemite Valley, but not bumper to bumper by any means. We had winter waterfalls almost to ourselves and admired the snow and ice draping El Capitan and Half Dome.

Just a little selfie on the hike to Yosemite Falls.

All the snow, and all the rain, that travels from the mountains and gathers to create a pounding watefall. Gets me every time.

Winter in Yosemite? Check.

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park

Matt likes the mantra, “Do something every day that scares you.” He likes it more than I do, mostly because I can be a big fat scairdy cat. I was the one who lost a bit of logic and did the egging on when we climbed higher and higher in elevation driving to King’s Canyon National Park. We had purchased snow chains for the truck, which were required in the park (Up to $5,000 citation if caught without them…or the more likely result, dropping thousands of feet to your death off the side of the cliff because you have no traction. No, thank you.)

The snow was coming down RELENTLESSLY. Remember all that rain in Oregon? Turns out it followed us to California. (We were kind of happy to help out the drought ridden farmers by providing some much needed rain). However, rain in California, means snow in the mountains. LOTS of snow! Already covered in snow, with more coming down, Matt suggested it might be better to come back another time. But I was insistent. We have snow chains! We can do this! So, after a self-tutorial on installation of our new chains, we continued on.

Tire chains (or tire cables, I really don't know the difference) installation in-progress. Matt smiled for the camera, but I'm pretty sure he was silently cursing me. — Tire chains (or tire cables, I really don’t know the difference) installation in-progress. Matt smiled for the camera, but I’m pretty sure he was silently cursing me.

We arrived! This is where I said, "I told you so", snow chains and increasing ice and snow will be worth it when we get there! — We arrived! This is where I said, “I told you so”, snow chains and increasing ice and snow will be worth it when we get there! By the way, this was only a few more miles further from where we installed the chains. But obviously, much higher elevation.

Our white knuckles matched the white snow, but it was absolutely worth it.

I’ve been asked several times, what my favorite place has been on our road trip across the country. It’s impossible to pick just one favorite. And there’s different reasons for loving all the different places we’ve been. King’s Canyon however, will always stand out in my mind as one of the most magical places I’ve ever been. The weather had a lot to do with it, because the snow covered every tiny branch and needle in glistening white.

It truly felt like a dream. A winter wonderland dream of white. — King’s Canyon truly felt like a dream. A winter wonderland dream of white.

And there was a soul stirring silence standing in the midst of Giant (absolutely GIANT) Sequoias with the snow blanketing everything around us.

Sometimes you just need a moment to praise the beauty of nature and majesty of Giant Sequoias.

There were only a few other brave souls who ventured into the park in this weather and we were all rewarded.

The snow covered Sequoia's towered over us at Grant's Grove. — The snow covered Sequoia’s towered over us at Grant’s Grove. P.S. This photo might look like it was distorted disproportionately, but I promise it is completely unaltered. It is not stretched to look taller or color enhanced. The sky is physically that blue, and those trees are TRULY that TALL!! Yowzer.

My words fail me to truly describe the scenery here, so instead of rambling on, go ahead and scroll through about a hundred pictures. Okay, maybe not a hundred, but far too many for a blog post because I just couldn’t narrow them down. And probably not surprising, this is only a fraction of the photos we took.

Another picture of King's Canyon, as we tried not to drive off the road. It was so pretty. And slippery. — Another view of King’s Canyon, as we tried not to drive off the road it was so pretty. And slippery.

National Park Snow Plower. I'm not sure if this falls under one of the world's best or worst jobs in the world. I'm leaning towards best. Especially if you like snow and have no fear. — National Park Snow Plower. I’m not sure if this falls under one of the world’s best or worst jobs in the world. I’m leaning towards best. Especially if you like snow and have no fear.

Lucy was in heaven. Actually, I think she thought she was back in Chardon, OH. She bounded and bounced through the snow like a little bunny. Only faster. Much faster.

Sometimes you need a picture to remind you just how deep the snow actually was.

Walking in a winter wonderland...never felt more true. — Walking in a winter wonderland…never felt more true.

We checked off some big destinations. And created some unforgettable memories. So, whether we call it a “bucket list” or the pursuit of our “destination tree” destinations, or just following our passions, I hope our adventures inspire you to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Or at the very least, I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

And, in the wise words of a coffee shop sign:

“You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.”

Cheers!
Kristin

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

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

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

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

What Makes Your Heart Beat the Loudest?

September 21, 2015 by Matt

What makes you hear your heart beat in your ears, feel it pound in your chest, and reverberate through your whole body? For me, it would most certainly be doing something that scares the hell out of me. A few of those things to date:

– Getting lost in the Scottish countryside at night
– Starting a new business (now on my third)
– High speed off-road driving through the Mexican Baja
– Scuba diving down to the ocean floor
– Asking my wife Kristin to marry me
– Learning to fly an airplane
– Exploring a haunted, condemned prison in the wee hours of the morning

All of these experiences scared the you-know-what out of me…but I made the choice to do each of them anyway. There’s probably hundreds of other scenarios I could include on this list. But you know what’s funny? The past is no longer scary. Having done something once, we grow, adapt and gain confidence. At least I know I have. The things that make our hearts pound the loudest can come in a variety of scenarios. What are some of yours?

Most recently, as many people know, Kristin & I decided to sell and donate 98% of our belongings and travel the good ole’ US of A. Talk about hearts beating loudly! But as it turns out, it’s really not all that scary…actually…it’s more awe inspiring that I ever could have imagined.

The scariest part so far has been riding out a hellacious thunderstorm in Missouri. That bad boy was damn close to flipping over the Destination Tree world headquarters and the mighty Ford truck that pulls it. But we survived the storm, fully intact.

That aside, I’m realizing more and more with every soul-lighting sunrise over a new, gorgeous horizon, that what scares the hell out of me and keeps my heart beating loudest……… is the very thing that keeps me alive. Without these challenges in my life, I’m fairly certain that I’d wither away into nothing to become part of the living dead. It’s not redundancy, familiarity and conformity that ignites my desire to live but rather change, uncertainty and a rebellious spirit that does. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again…it’s good to do things that scare the crap out of you!

If we shackle ourselves to the same fears over and over again, while choosing the same choices day after day, and always do the same comfortable things, then quite literally, we will become stagnant. Never changing. Never growing. Paralyzed. To those that are okay with this kind of existence, I say god speed and good luck, but that’s not the life for me.

All I can say is that life moves at us pretty fast. But if each of us doesn’t stop occasionally to look fear in the face and laugh at it with a heart-pounding smile, then we could miss life and not even know it.

I don’t know what the future holds for us as we travel this great country together, but I do know we’re ready for it. With our hearts a-pounding and adventurous souls on fire, we’re continuing to head down an unfamiliar path in life. Our hopes are to help make this world a more inspiring place through Destination Tree, while we keep our own rebellious spirits challenged.

In the words of Grace Hanson, I leave you with this, “Don’t be afraid your life will end. Be afraid it will never begin.”

So, from the pine covered mountains of Western Montana, cheers and here’s to scaring the hell outta yourself.

Matt

Look Out For Dysentery, Cholera and Broken Wagon Wheels

August 7, 2015 by Kristin

Destination Tree on the Road — Destination Tree On the Road

Why the Oregon Trail reference? Well, if you’re following along on our journey, you know we’re on a year-long adventure of growing our business and exploring the massively diverse beauty of the United States. However, before we officially set off on our adventure, we loaded our new horse and wagon (i.e. truck and travel trailer) and drove up from Cleveland to Michigan to spend a week with our awesome family.

When it was time to go, it was hard. And could have led to lots of tears. However, we knew it was just good-bye for now, and not forever. After all, it’s not the Oregon Trail and a Conestoga wagon, it’s not, “Good-bye, I’ll never see you again,” or “Wish me luck with the cholera outbreaks!”

In all seriousness, we’re able to pursue this journey because of modern technology. We have a cozy home on the road and a mini-workshop to run our business in our travel trailer, with reliable transportation. Giddy up!

We also have wi-fi, a data plan, cast iron cookware and social media. Online orders roll in and we create and ship inspirational artwork from wherever we happen to be. (It’s a modern day Pony Express!) We are sharing the inspiration of our adventure via blog posts, pics on Facebook and Instagram as well as videos on YouTube. We’re also emailing, texting, calling, FaceTime/Skyping, and sending the occasional telegraph.

Geez, that’s a LOT of technology. Fortunately, we’re going to unplug along the way as well. Enjoying the journey and the beauty of our national parks can’t be accomplished if our faces are glued to our screens constantly. We could miss herds of buffalo! In fact, I think we can all admit less screen time would be a big improvement in all our lives. Our technology is a double edged buck-knife. It give us an opportunity to keep in touch with our loved ones, but it can also consume our time, attention and the beauty of the present moment in front of all of us. But not if we consciously set down the screen, look around, smile, take a deep breath and enjoy the people and experiences right in front of us.

So, we’re not saying goodbye forever, rather good-bye for now. And see you on the journey. And hello to new experiences, new people and new adventures.

We’re extremely grateful for the love, support and quality family time in Pure Michigan. Feel free to scroll through some of our picture highlights, but then I encourage you to set your screen down and create some of your own highlights without any technology at all.

Yee haw! Live Life Inspired!
Kristin

P.S. I make no apologies for my excessive Oregon Trail references. Actually, I do. But they still make me giggle.

Top Ten Favorite Breweries

WE LOVE CRAFT BEER!!

Inspiration Around the World

A Walk Through a Redwood Forest

Those Things You’ve Always Wanted to Do

You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.

Napa Valley

Family Time

Winchester Mystery House

Yosemite National Park

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park

Unexpected Inspiration – A Vision for the Year Ahead

Welcome to 2016. The best year of your life!

Consciously Being Grateful

I’m grateful for:

I’m grateful everyday for the choice I have:

Chasing Montana

Montana – We Arrived!

The National Bison Range

Glacier National Park

Kalispell & Whitefish

One Year Later.

What Makes Your Heart Beat the Loudest?

Look Out For Dysentery, Cholera and Broken Wagon Wheels

About Us

Our Mission

Helpful Links

WE LOVE CRAFT BEER!!

You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You should go do them.

Napa Valley

Family Time

Winchester Mystery House

Yosemite National Park

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park

Welcome to 2016. The best year of your life!

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

About Us

Our Mission

Helpful Links

Connect With Us