Winding down 2025: a year of adventures. Post yours!

[jbellousux]

ARIZONA 8/25

Fort Bowie National Monument

Chiricahua NM

Bisbee

Organ Pipe NM

Prescott

Hualapai Reservation/Diamond Creek Road/Colorado River

Meteor Crater

Winslow

Canyon De Chelly NM/Spider Rock

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[JustWideman]

After almost a year of ownership I finally got my "wagon" out of Texas, did not have time for OHV trails but did 2500 miles from and back to Texas. I made stops at Palo Duro, TX, Capulin Volcano, NM, Great Sand Dunes, CO, Garden of the Gods, CO, over the Rockies and down to Moab to drive highway 128, and back to Texas via Albuquerque. Part family visit, part dream to visit Moab (800 mile detour) with the limited time I had off work. South Eastern Colorado had no snow (Vail only had it on ski slops) or epic places to take it that I had hoped so I went to south Utah, that never disappoints for views. I will made a dedicated trip back to Moab and the two National Parts there in the spring, worth ever minute I had there.

Only the beginning for Bronco adventures and seeing as my Bronco is stock and only a BB with road tires I did not want to beat it up and get stuck anywhere I could not drive back home with.

 

[CV428]

I bunkered down and didn't leave the house much. Wife's truck got totaled by a distracted driver (14th accident in this dumb state, 0 being our fault), and then the beater we bought got hit by a suicidal deer and another distracted driver in a parking lot.

I might leave the house again if I had an armored D355A. I envy those of you who can leave the house and enjoy life.

 

[broadicustomworks]

We ventured out on our 3rd major quest this past summer for a 3-week journey clear to the other ocean and back.
1st trip was the first day of ownership in Nov 2021 to Big Bend, Lajitas, and across TX NE from Big Bend to Texarkana on 2-lane roads (mostly).
2nd trip was in March 2023 to Moab via Rte 66, South Rim of the GC, and then up, back across on I-70 (pretty boring all the way back after you descend into Denver).

This one took us retracing the southern I-40 route, but getting off of interstate at Gallup, NM and heading through the Navajo Nation over to Monument Valley.

From there we met some other forum folks, did a bit of camping, meandered after Moab SW across UT: Hanksville, Factory Butte, Moonscape, hwy 24 to Torrey where we hit hwy 12 (an amazing portion if you ever get the chance to do it) down through Escalante and into Kodachrome Basin. We took Cottonwood canyon off-pavement down to hwy 89, then checked out Coral Pink Sand Dunes, St. George, then off west to NV where I-15 takes you through one of the most awe-inspiring and a bit unnerving areas I've seen an interstate go through (Virgin River Gorge).

NV was pretty low-key, stopped in Vegas to walk the strip and shop a bit, hit the road again to take us up to Death Valley.

CA is an amazing geological wonder. We started in DV, camped down at Fossil Falls on the other side of it, across 395 from the foot of the Sierras. Meandered north and sadly passed by about a million other places we could have explored if we had 3 weeks to just spend in CA alone. Checked out Alabama hills, did not see a campsite we particularly wanted, so ended up north of Bishop to make camp. And there are tons of places through there to see and camp. The next day took us uphill for what felt like a thousand miles where we saw the landscape and plant life change dramatically by the time we reached Mono Lake.
Over to Yosemite we went, again spending too-little time IN Yosemite to get to the other side and camp at Bass Lake.
The next day would again show a different side of CA as we passed Fresno and over to finally see the other coast at Cambria.
The next day took us north and UP Nacimiento-Ferguson rd. back over the ridge. What a rush that was.
Up through SF and ending up at Mt. Shasta for the night.

OR brought us to Crater Lake. Yet another place you just have to see to believe.

Onward through ID and eventually going up and over Teton Pass to Jackson for the night. That's some steep 4-lane, amigo.

WY showed me perhaps my favorite landscapes and warrants a return trip alone. I'm thinking our next one will be the WYBDR. It is difficult to put into words the beauty of it. We meandered from Yellowstone over to Cody, Ten Sleep, and stayed the night in Gillette. I'll be back. It's THAT good. Rte 16 from Ten Sleep to Buffalo is gorgeous and remote.

SD brought us to Sturgis, the BL, Wall Drug, and really not much else after that. I found myself daydreaming about the pioneer days frequently, wondering what it was like to see those things for the first time (as settlers), or to live out there at the mercy of the land and your own wits ( Natives and then settlers later on). What that first guy thought when he was hauling on his horse across the gentle prairie hills and all of a sudden the Earth just...ends into this rugged and desolate thing we call the Badlands. .

Anyways, I ramble on.
I ALWAYS urge everyone to take the opportunity, if you can, to just go do it.
For the cost of a cruise we experienced 3 weeks of the heart of America.
Total of 12 or so Natl Parks, countless State Parks, and so many sights one can only dream of or try to imagine (imagination does not hold a candle to reality, in most cases).
I covered most, but here is a quick summary thread, and about 1/500th of the pics we took.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...th-great-times-with-other-forum-folks.117605/

 

[tofudrifter]

J tree

 

[Jakob1972]

Started the Year with a trip to Moab, did Top of the World, Luis Lodge, La Sal Mountains, Onion Creek to Polar Mesa, then a trip to South Padre Island for a beach run to the land cut, followed by the Mustang Island Beach Bash then ended the summer with 600 + miles of off roading through the NV and CA deserts, drove a big chunk of the Vegas to Reno race course four days before the race.

 

[NoloBronco]

I’m posting this from a coffee shop in Johnson City TN as I’m about to head into the Unaka Wilderness, reflecting on an awesome 2025 year of Bronco adventures:

From OHV trails at Coalmont to camping in from Nashville, to the Ozarks, Kansas, and finally Colorado for excursions into Rocky Mountain National Park, the Great Sand Dunes, Taos, Tucumcari, Palo Duro Canyon and more, we took this rig all over as a family. Got extra super duper stuck in deep mud once.

Would do again. Will do again. Post yours!

Grateful to be apart of the COALMONT trip.

Last set of pics are from the Top of Windrock. Let’s get there soon.

 

[Gluestick]

Heck yes. More next time.

 

[Felix808]

Got to go on 2 epic adventures!

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...ulch-out-toquerville-falls-may-1-3-25.114292/

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/dusy-ershim-trail-trip-aug-3-8-2025.119902/

Great times. Looking forward to the next time

In addition to those

:https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...sh-xxiv-sat-jun-7th-2025.116475/#post-2552618

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...-bash-xxiv-june-6th-2025.116473/#post-2552960

 

[Felix808]

AND that is a HOSS 3 Ford performance Tie Rod!

Wasn't the first & won't be the last for @NORCALGXP

 

[22Badskwatch]

Road trip from Sacramento CA to Killeen TX to visit my parents. I hadn't seen my dad in 10 years since he moved from CA to TX, and it was his 78th birthday, so I coordinated with my mom to drive out there (they're divorced but civil, and live just 2 miles from each other). I had ChatGPT map out a 3 day drive for me, taking me through scenic areas along the way, and finding BLM land for me to car-camp on each night of the drive. I had just been laid off a couple weeks prior and this was a great way for me to decompress and spend some time by myself. Seeing my folks was great, and my dad was thoroughly surprised to see me.


We are fortunate to have such beauty in our Southwestern states - Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico are all gorgeous.

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