Galactic Adventures

ISSUE 10 | NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Camper Vans gathered at a campfire at sunset

STORY MENU

A RUN IN WITH THE LAW VOLUNTEERING WITH SASQUATCH Happenings at HQ

So many things to celebrate! It's our 10th Issue of Galactic Adventures & our inaugural Vannonball Run came to a successful finish!

We set out to raise $50,000 for American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts - and thanks to our incredibly rad sponsors and generous donors - we reached our goal! You can still join us in making a donation, every amount helps.

Stay tuned for our Holiday Auction featuring tickets to Jay Leno’s Garage.

During the Vannonball Run, Team Storyteller put a call out to the Storyteller Overland Insiders & MODElifers Facebook group:

“Needing some new road tunes, preferably not the obvious/cliche ones, to keep us rollin. Who knows, maybe I'll donate $500 to the American Red Cross honoring the person who posts the best one(s) in the comments below...if we get some gems. YouTube links would be easiest to stream.”

And as the Storyteller Overland Insiders & MODElifers Facebook group often does – y’all rose to the occasion! The post received 115 comments in a matter of hours, fulfilling Team Storyteller’s request and dropping some truly remarkable tuneage.

Huge congrats to Michael Smith and Carrie Craft for submitting the top two tunes selected by Team Storyteller.

To celebrate the successful completion of the Inaugural Vannonball Run and with a nod to this being our TENTH issue of Galactic Adventures, we pulled together the top 10 songs submitted in response to Team Storyteller’s request for fresh jams:

1. Shout Bamalama - Wet Willie - submitted by Michael Smith

2. Cactus Flower - Southern Call - submitted by Carrie Craft

3. Runnin Down a Dream - Tom Petty - submitted by Jeffrey Hunter

4. Road Trippin - Red Hot Chili Peppers - submitted by Charlotte Freeman

5. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd - submitted by Claude Alan Cartee

6. Truckin - Grateful Dead - submitted by Summer Trammell

7. Highway Tune - Greta Van Fleet - submitted by Peter Esparza

8. I Can’t Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar - submitted by Gene Tommy

9. Convoy - C.W. McCall - submitted by Patrick Kennedy

10. The Road Goes On Forever - Robert Earl Keen - submitted by Emma Walsmith

Please treat your ears to the first of what we hope will be many community curated playlists via Spotify: here!

A Run In with the Law on the Lost Coast

Jeremy Sanchez, Backland Adventures, 2021 Classic MODE Owner

The final Beyond the Pavement of 2024 is now in the books, and what a trip it was. The Lost Coast of California did not disappoint. And things got off to a fun head start when all the participants showed up to camp with us at the Humboldt County fairgrounds on the eve of the event.

I could give you the day-by-day account of everything we did and saw from there, but let’s just say we took in a lot of stunning coastal views, wandered through millennia-old redwoods, and gazed at gorgeous ocean sunsets. We learned about off-road driving & recovery techniques, then put those lessons into practice on the trail and with a demo on the beach. Everyone ate well thanks to our intrepid caterer, Alex, who accompanied us on the route. It also wouldn’t be October in Northern California without a little rain. But that didn’t slow us down in the least.

Perhaps more interesting is the amazing group of people that joined us. In total, we had 14 Storytellers on the trip and several special guests. One couple attended in a rented Stealth, hoping that a Beyond The Pavement trip would help them make the final decision about buying their own STO. I have a feeling we will be seeing them around the campfire again very soon. Another couple traveled from Colorado to join us on the coast in the Stealth they’ve owned for just 2 months! And a Beast owner brought two very fun Canadian friends along. Van lifers in their own right, they decided to join us at the last minute to see what the STO community is all about. I’m happy to report, they fit right in and I think it’s fair to say we left a good impression on them.

I’m humbled by the fantastic support we received from our community. Ken & Pam Park were a huge help with both the trip and the pre-run. Raymond Samaha came along to assist on the trail and we even convinced George Morton to come along and capture some stellar drone footage.

As a surprise for all the event participants, we invited the one and only Emily Pan to come do a cooking demonstration with her eponymous Emily Pan Pan. She literally flew coast to coast to make this happen and it was a big hit.

Our trip caterer even prepared a corresponding dinner for the group inspired by the Chicken Alfredo that Emily made (recipe below!). In honor of this special presentation, Storyteller Overland sponsored an EPP giveaway for each van in attendance!

Thanks to everyone that participated in this awesome event. I’ll let you all in on a little secret. We just tempt people with the beautiful vistas and off-road training. The real value of these trips comes from the people that join us and the connections we all make along the way.

P.S. At one point we were followed down the coast by a deputy sheriff for several miles. When we finally stopped, he pulled up and asked, “Are you guys with Storyteller Overland? I love them. I’ve rented a STO on three different occasions!” We gave him a trip patch and he took a video of our caravan leaving the beach as he waved enthusiastically.

Volunteering with Sasquatch

Karen Huntzinger, 2022 MODE LT Owner

I went on my first volunteer vacation in high school. I came back stiff and sore, but with my soul enriched by leaving a place better than how we found it. Teamwork can really make an impact. I have since volunteered locally, nationally, and internationally. As I approached retirement I knew I wanted to continue but have a little more comfort in the process. After more than a decade of looking, I knew the Mode LT was the right choice for me. This fall I went on my first volunteer vacation with Sasquatch. I volunteered with Wilderness Volunteers and Grand Staircase Escalante Partners in the Grand Staircase Escalante Monument. Wilderness Volunteers does volunteer projects in state and federal properties, mostly trail development and maintenance. Grand Staircase Escalante Partners focuses on volunteer work in the Grand Staircase Escalante monument.

On this trip we removed/moved fire pits that were in poor locations, turned an illegal road in the monument into a hiking trail, and worked on removing Russian Olive, an invasive tree that threatens the southern Utah ecosystem.

I plan to continue using Sasquatch on volunteer vacations, both off the grid with groups like WV, and in town with groups like Habitat for Humanity (Care-a-Vanners).

PICTURED: Karen hard at work, the poorly located fire pit & the newly cleared area!

PICTURED: The road before and after clearing the trail.

Happenings at HQ - Celebrating Kyra Swarts!

Join us in congratulating Kyra Swarts in being named the October Team Member spotlight honoree! Kyra has been a driving force behind the success of the Flarespace team this year, and her nominators shared some truly inspiring words about her contributions.

"Kyra collaborated with Brock to help the Flarespace team successfully launch the Flare Certified Install Network this year. This innovative service not only enhances the customer experience but also introduces a new revenue stream for Flarespace, driving both top line growth and profitability. Kyra continually seeks opportunities to add value, suggesting complementary accessories to enhance the install experience for customers, installers, and Flarespace alike. She consistently delivers top-tier, 'white glove' service to both Flarespace customers and certified installers, ensuring every detail of the installation process is carefully managed. We’re incredibly fortunate to have her on our team!

Kyra is always proactively looking for process improvements and embraces change to drive progress. She approaches her job with a business mindset, focusing on cost-saving measures and contributing to revenue growth through strategic decisions. Kyra fosters a culture of learning, continually seeking improvement in everything she does."

Kyra’s dedication to delivering outstanding customer service, her strategic mindset, and her balance of work and family life are truly admirable. Her proactive approach and passion for continual improvement exemplify the values we hold dear at Storyteller.

Team Member Spotlight Honorees

The Inagural Vannonball Run has been successfully completed!

On October 30th, Lee Conn and Jason Ruha departed the most northwest corner of the lower 48 in Cape Flattery, Washington for the inaugural Vannonball Run. And on November 5th, they reached the southernmost point in Key West, Florida.

We're working on the full recap video and blog so stay tuned for that!

While the run is over, our fundraising efforts continue. Please consider donating today to aid in hurricane relief efforts through the American Red Cross.