(Podcast) The Amazing Oregon Coast and Mountain Biking the McKenzie River

Season 1 Episode 8 takes us to the Oregon Coast and back to mountain bike along the McKenzie River.

In light of everyone being socially distanced during the Covid-19 pandemic, we talk about something that can happen when you spend lots of time together in a smaller space: overwhelm. When we’re traveling together each day, homeschooling, sharing meals, and so on — what do we do when we need some healthy solo time? We’ll give our simplistic answer.

Highlights this episode: ocean, sand dunes, huckleberries, Cape Perpetua, mountain biking, and looking forward to a little movement south toward the northern coast of California and the Redwood Forests!

(Podcast) Eugene, Oregon, and Beyond: Exploring Trails, Lakes and Waterfalls

Season 1 Episode 7 took us a while to finish: turns out traveling and working remotely takes a bit of extra planning…

In this episode, we start exploring around the town of Eugene, Oregon. It’s way too much fun, with gear shops, greenway trails, and breweries. We explore waterfalls and talk a bit about gear… of course.

From biking on the local trails to sailing and paddle boarding, this Oregon adventure gets off to a fantastic start. Let’s dive in!

Brewery: Plank Town Brewery, Springfield, OR.

Watery places we love: Sahalie Falls, the McKenzie River, the Willamette River and Willamette River Greenway, and Waldo Lake.

Apps we use: AllTrails and Trailforks.

Gear shops and outfitters: Backcountry Gear, REI, and Horse Creek Lodge (mountain bikes and much more).

Gear we mention: BOTE and NRS inflatable SUP boards and the Werner Zen SUP paddle; Black Diamond Distance Z and Trail Back trekking poles; Arc’teryx Beta AR rain jackets and Outdoor Research Helium pants; REI Rainwall kids’ jacket and pants; Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants; and Osprey packs.

Thanks for listening!

(Podcast) Around the Bend: Driving from Boise, Idaho to Vida, Oregon

Season 1 Episode 6 finds us on the final leg of our drive to Oregon, past the beautiful mountain town of Bend, Oregon.

We get into some of the details around our motivations for loading up the family and heading west: visiting family, and pursuing Cristen’s Adventure Mamas project of 1000 Miles of Adventure.

We’re in awe of the landscape from Boise to Vida, OR, and give some pin drops for Rail Trails in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. We twist our tongues around the topic of self-efficacy and sweat over squeezing our rig into tight spaces.

The Adventure Mamas Initiative is a 501©(3) non-profit organization that supports maternal wellness. Their vision is redefining motherhood by creating a world where women feel empowered to prioritize their own wellness. Check them out at adventuremamas.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

The training group Cristen mentioned is Magnetic North, founded by Brittany Aäe. Their purpose is the journey. It’s a values-based business; those values encompass self-sufficiency, durability, creativity, audacity, abundance, dignity, resilience, and commitment. Learn about this and so much more on their website, magneticnorth.us (make sure to check out the blog), and on Instagram.

Finally, our under-tended YouTube channel — where you can find the interview about Cristen’s 1000 Miles of Adventure — is Keyword Adventure. Please subscribe, like, share, and comment! We love hearing from you. It makes us feel good.