The first time I met Roger Moody, he was kicking around a paradisiacal grassy bluff with an arial view above the Provo River in Utah's Uinta Mountains.  It was a sunny June day and I was meeting him and his family for the first time at this far-off campsite, and we'd planned it all via the internet. For all I knew, he could have been an ax murderer with a goatee . . .

Arianna is an absolute rock star.

Check out her climbing technique, it's impeccable.  Not even potty trained, she has the concepts of foot placement, three points of contact at all times, shifting her weight on her feet for reach, and toward the end of the video you might think she's about to launch a dyno.

Her parents must be incredibly proud.

They're busy folks.  Nathan is in architecture, Marni in management of a civil engineering firm.  Both full time parents of two energetic children Trevor and Megan.  Still they find time to take memorable trips to the outdoors together, and they absolutely radiate with infectious mirth - once again I'm looking at kindred souls I wish were my very own neighbors.

Brace yourself for some big shockers here:
Trevor Woods, age 12, loves catching bugs and lizards, enjoys rocks of all sizes, and climbs everything in sight.
Megan Woods, age 8, loves playing in the dirt, collecting rocks, catching dragonflies, and sitting on Daddy’s lap and steering the Jeep while on the trail.

Put your hands together for the Woods Family.  All four participated in this one.

The rocks, sand, and wild desert vegetation of the Baja pensinsula made up the backdrop for our family road adventure this summer. Greg and I can take partial credit for this successful vacation, having hatched out the whole plan out around a campfire last November. "We've got to get the cousins out on a really cool trip this summer," I implored. "Are you up for something?"

We settled on Baja, pleaded with Mark to go along with it (he quickly agreed), and 6 months later, with fresh passports in hand, we made the trek down. While the trip was Greg's and my idea, Mark was definitely the driving force behind the success of our 2 weeks. He planned a great route and was our group's main Spanish speaker. Baja gave our family the perfect balance of adventure on and off the beaten path. We enjoyed the food, the culture, and the views from every mountain and beach we explored on the way.

Family meals while camping
Drive-thru cheeseburgers with french fries and milkshakes shouldn't be the norm when you're on a road trip with the kids.  In this article, Brooke shows four easy things to do to make tasty, healthy, and simple meals for the whole family when it comes to camping or picnicking along the way.

Put these tips to use so that you can be guilt free when you finally stop for pizza and beer on the way home form your next family road trip.

So what's this business of roof top tents? Mark takes a close look at his purchase after 3 years of ownership.  Are they worth buying?  Just foo-foo nonsense? Let's find out.

Oh great. Just great. Brooke's birthday has already passed. Our anniversary was last month. And it's July, a whole six months from Christmas. Just when I find the perfect gift for my hottie adventurous wife, I have no event to celebrate.

Maybe I'll just surprise her with a pair of these for fun. Just to say, "I love you."  Jewelry is one thing; these shoes are entirely different.  Seriously, they fulfill a certain fantasy I never knew I had . . .

What do you think would happen if I came through the door one evening after work with a pair of these babies in a bow-clad box? A swoon? A leaping spread eagle that lands around my hips and she smothers me with smooches? We'd get a babysitter for the night maybe?

$1,000 shoes....
but at least they're cute.Yes the shoe is very real, but I may never know what it's like to give it to her. It's Italian. The pair costs $1,000 (no kidding). I groan when we have to pay $100 for running shoes, so I'm a lost cause for this shoe.

We spent a thousand bucks, actually just under, for the three of us in Baja for two weeks last month. Thousand-dollar shoes -- but at least they're cute.

You might recall that I wrote a piece called, "How To Marry And Adventurous Girl" a few weeks ago.  Seriously, my first piece of advice is notice her shoes and compliment her on them.  Wow.  Think.  What if you saw the object of your affection strutting around in a pair of these?  She's practical, she's spicy, she's fit. She's combining the workout of a a hiking shoe with the come-hither styling and delicious calf display of a high heel. Win-win.

Speaking of Winning . . .

Steve Casimiro from www.theadventurelife.org is so smitten with this shoe - of which he simply mutters "WTF?" - that he's giving away a video camera to the best submitted caption for this picture.  You can't win if you don't play.

The JJ Cole Essentials Sling back diaper bag has gone everywhere with us for two-and-a-half years because it's ideal for moms (or dads) who prefer to travel light and like a stylish, rugged diaper bag.

I can fit a drink, snack, couple of toys, change of clothes, couple of diapers, and wipes in the compartments along with a few of my own womanly essentials for an outing. This bag adjusts to fit different body types, which makes it versatile enough for both parents to use.  And yes, if you can believe it, dads will not mind shouldering the diaper bag burden when it's this compact and easy to wear.  If you are tired of the bulkiness and clutter of diaper bags and want something new, or if you're becoming a first-time parent, this bag is a great addition to any family's travel gear.

Marytn Davies, globetrotting-off-highway-trailer-master and guru of all things Adventure Trailers, has his favorite camping chair.

The chair?  Made by Front Runner (and also made by GCI, called the "Xpress Lounger," you'll see why it's called that). When it's folded up, the chair is the size of a Mac Book Pro stuffed in a carrying case: a mere 2.5"x17"x17".

So check out this video he put together showing just how clever this collapsing camp chair is.  At 0:32 notice how Martyn is already kicked back with one leg outstretched and wondering where the heck he placed his cocktail.  Perplexed, he packs up and - I'm guessing - heads off to the local pub instead.

That's how slick and fast this chair is. (Bonus Trivia!: What does Martyn's video have in common with Penn and Teller?)

It's cool.  We own two of them in part because they fold so small and in part because the framing is so robust.

You know what they say, right?  "Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle."  So, here's a picture not of the chair, but of what the chair might mean to you:

If there's anything to do on the Beach in Mexico, it's definitely this. If you don't know what this is, well, then there's no hope for you.

If you have to know, our daughter Chloe wasn't conceived at home, or in a hotel, or in the backseat of a car. So what choice is left?
Get the woman's perspective on this luxurious safari tent that keeps us, warm, dry, and really really comfy when we're on a trip. So comfy, in fact, that we're likely to reproduce.

This is the goodness.  Just look at it.  Smell it.  Feel the heat. Watch the cheese closely, you'll actually witness it sliding off of itself.

Campfire tales for river lovers, canyon lovers, and adventure lovers