‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright

In 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic nonstop and solo, direct from New York City to Paris, as the first solo transatlantic flight.

We are on a quest for accessible adventures that will stimulate the mind while keeping us as safe as possible to get through the current pandemic. Just like Marley’s song “3 Little Birds”, seeing the beauty in what’s around us and available today will make everything alright. We’ve been hiking, cycling, and enjoying the nature around us. But many are wondering, as states open up and the summer begins, what are the safest options. A recent CNN article lays out the risks of taking a summer vacation.

This September, and in conjunction with Pacific Overlander, we are planning an overlanding expedition throughout the remote regions of both Grand Canyon/Parashant National Monument and the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park. This breathtaking, yet remote region offers unlimited opportunities of dispersed, socially distanced adventures. Highlights include, the Toroweap Overlook, situated at 3000 feet above the colorado river along the north canyon rim.

Is this a time for protests or politics to create change and lessen the divide? Barack Obama has been a shining beacon of light in the last week by holding a live town hall and sending a message of hope to viewers by letting them know that "You Have the Power to Make Things Better". We also found his article on Medium “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change”. There are many ways to take action now for change. The ones we are focused on currently include:

• Encouraging as many people to vote in upcoming elections. Dosomething.org has an easy page where you can register to vote in 2 minutes for any state. Be sure to register for an absentee ballot

• Registering, volunteering and/or donating at blacklivesmatter.com

• Joining Campaign Zero to end police violence

• Learning to not repeat history by watching Netflix Documentaries like 13th and LA92

• Helping Hands (and Paws). Donate to the Humane Society of the United States and It’s Covid-19 relief fund to aid in care for pets and wildlife sanctuaries.

If there is a silver lining to the Covid-19, we are definitely seeing some positive impacts to the environment due to our current shelter in place. We’ve seen photos of clear water in the Venice canals, blue skies over Delhi, and wild coyotes roaming boldly under the Golden Gate Bridge. Read our recently published article on Medium- Farm to Wear- How apparel in a post-COVID world can change for the positive

Although nothing technology can produce will replace a visit to these cultural treasures, Google’s Arts and Culture initiative  provides a portal to many of these famed Museums. We recommend the Virtual Tour of the Palace De Versailles along with one of our local faves, the J Paul Getty Museum. Ever wondered what it would be like to walk in a Dali painting? We’ve been experimenting with our Merge AR/VR goggles. Check out Dreams of Dali on YouTube. It’s almost like being at Burning Man, just be sure to not view this on hallucinogens;)

Having fallen in love with all things Japanese we are planning to return in the Spring of 2021 for an expedition to the Kumano region and ancient Pilgrimage trails known as the Kumano Kodo. We plan to tackle the mountainous Kohechi Trail and it’s four high alpine passes. Japan is one of the many countries that is looking to subsidize travel to encourage tourists to revive tourism in their countries. A full list can be found here from the World Economic Forum.

The new ArchiTec Apparel Endeavour Adaptive Jacket is designed with both form and function. A modern take on the classic US Military M65 field jacket silhouette, it will become your go-to jacket for any adventure. Constructed using a unique technical ripstop woven Merino fabric from Global Merino. Woven merino wool construction allows for all the performance benefits found in merino knits while adding additional structure and durability. Made in Los Angeles, California, and guaranteed for life. Currently 15% off through the month of June.