Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,200 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

We are fortunate enough to have become close friends with the Young family, owners of the farm, who welcome us with open arms and gators in need of check-ups every trip. For those who have not visited the farm, it is really a treat and worth the drive! Even if you have visited the farm, they are ever-changing and expanding, recently redesigning their gift shop and introducing new animals and displays constantly. Colorado Gators is the only establishment in America that offers a legitimate hands-on alligator handling class. For a low fee, you will start with small (1’-4’) gators and work your way up as far as you are comfortable, getting professional guidance on how to properly handle and interact with these prehistoric beasts. Students who listen are rarely injured, and those injured aren’t typically that severe.

The number one thing to do while alligator wrestling is to “not hesitate!” Jay Young or Josh Stokely will drill this into your head during their World’s Only Alligator Handling Class at the family farm, Colorado Gators, in Mosca, Colorado. We warmed up by having a little bit of fun while searching for any gators in need of medication. At the end of breeding season, it’s crucial to inspect alligators for any wounds sustained over the season.

Unfortunately, even following all their directions, accidents can still happen. Our camerawoman, Stefanie, received her very first alligator bite on this recent trip. She has been handling gators since 2008, and was moving this gator to shore for medication when this happened:

That wasn’t the end of the gator shenanigans, however; Josh Stokely was ready to do a world’s first- the world’s first alligator hand-stand! He was reasonably nervous, but after carefully selecting his gator and getting her onshore, he tackled the feat! Check out the video and pictures below:

We had a great visit to the farm! The gift shop had been recently renovated and looked better than ever! There were new animals to enjoy, as well as old favorites to marvel at and admire how much they’ve grown. Thanks again to the Young family for such great hospitality, and for sharing your wonderful farm with the public! For more information, please visit http://www.GatorFarm.com/

After some fun-packed days in Colorado, it was time to head back to New Mexico to enjoy the art, culture, and food of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We dined on amazing Elk tenderloin and Ahi Tuna at the famous Coyote Café, fine Mexican at the Thunderbird Cafe, and visited a friend’s jewelry store, the Anasazi Gallery.

The image below stopped me in my tracks;it really makes you think about the treatment of the Native Americans and the impact corporations have had on our country.

Davy Crockett will only turn 50 years old once in his lifetime, so what better occasion for an awesome party with family and friends? Jürgen was kind enough to open his tango-style night club to the Crockett-loving partygoers, which served as an excellent venue. Featuring a dance floor, outdoor area, full bar, and a kicking sound system, this was an ideal location! Young and old alike enjoyed themselves, playing varieties of pong, dancing, conversing, and eating a banquet of delicious treats. Thanks to all of the friends and family who helped make Dave’s 50th a wonderful night and great celebration, here’s to 50 more years!

Happy Birthday Dad! Thanks for inviting all of us to celebrate with you, and we all look forward to the next 50 years of David Crockett!

Entering the city was pure chaos. We were relying on the GPS to tell us which way to go, all the while getting honked at by cars for letting the bicycles go, then receiving a chorus of bells from the bicyclists we upset by not moving by fast enough. Amsterdam hosts over 3 million bicycles on average, with them littering the streets at every direction. We even saw one bike chained to a bridge, hanging over the edge. Signs for hotels were everywhere, but there was absolutely no parking to be had. After several nerve-racking minutes of negotiating our way on cobblestone side streets through crowds of pedestrians, bicyclists, and unattended children on roller-blades, we spotted a familiar American hotel name that appeared to have a parking garage. We made a bee-line and managed to check in to one of the most beautiful views of the city we could ask for. On the twelfth floor, there is an excellent bar with nothing but windows for walls, so that one may enjoy a full panoramic view of the city. In one look, you can take in a gorgeous cathedral, glows of red from the red light district, the sun flickering its reflection on the city’s canals, and a wonderful mix of old and new architecture spanning across the horizon. Day or night, Amsterdam is a beautiful city.

We took the advice of a bartender and left the hotel in search of a coffee shop called The Bulldog. It was touted as one of the best in town, so we were on a mission. After several blocks of wandering through a city I could only compare to Bourbon Street, New Orleans, I was ready for a break. We had not found The Bulldog yet, but I noticed a heart-shaped sign with the name “Sheeba,” and the title “coffee shop” underneath. This was to be our first Amsterdam coffee shop, and easily became our favorite.

Offering THE BEST cappuccino I have ever enjoyed, delicious side-treats, and a kick-ass atmosphere, Sheeba is my highest recommended coffee shop. They have several televisions through the shop which are always playing old concerts by artists such as Santana, Aretha Franklin, and Bob Marley. Occasionally, one TV will be used for soccer, but the chillax music continues. There are also murals painted around the shop featuring musical artists, soccer stars, and Hollywood celebrities. The employees are friendly, helpful, and know how to make an American feel welcome. As a first-timer going into a coffee shop and having no idea what to expect, Sheeba treated us with respect and made itself feel like a home-away-from-home; a place we can go to to relax and enjoy ourselves, undisturbed.

There is far more to Amsterdam than just the coffee shops, so after we had officially settled in, we hit the cobblestones again in search of adventure. There is an entire row of sex shops, the Sex Museum, the Human Torture Museum, more sex shops, tourist shops, and hey, another sex shop, with the occasional restaurant in between. Personally, seeing how many groups of men would stand gawking at the miscellaneous display windows was even more entertaining than the content within!

Most restaurants we found offered fast food, such as easily heated pizza slices, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. There were also many ethnic foods available, ranging from Halal shoarmas to sushi to roasted ducks hanging in windows. There were even several Thai restaurants as well as American-style steakhouses.

With all this great food available, you need something to wash it all down, right? Cue the countless bars littering the downtown streets. Irish bars, dive bars, speakeasy-style bars; every bar you could hope for featuring beers from just about every continent! That’s not all; Amsterdam is also home to the Heineken Brewery, which offers daily tours through its “Heineken Experience.” For a low fee, you get entry wristbands, about four fresh, 3-day old beers, a tour of the facility, and access to all sorts of fun Heineken-related games. This was a fun behind-the-scenes look at the process of a brewery, as well as a great opportunity to try some of the freshest beer of our life! It was crisp, flavorful, and refreshing.

Amsterdam is famous for many reasons, but I had never heard of its canals. The city is intertwined with a canal system offering boat tours, romantic boat houses, and a beautifully rustic taste of old Europe. To get anywhere, you will at one point cross a bridge. They are arched gracefully to allow enough room for the passing boats, and give the city such a historic flavor. I had always associated canals with cities like Venice, but never Amsterdam. They were an excellent surprise an addition to this amazing city.

The streets are lined with eye-catching buildings left and right! There is a wonderful blend of old and new, with classic architecture proving its strong influence. There are several areas under construction, but upon closer inspection, they appear to be under renovation. The locals take great pride in their historical buildings and put great effort into keeping them available for future generations to cherish.

We discovered that the most intimate and efficient way to see the city was with bike-taxis. Whizzing through the crowds and buildings as gracefully as a bird flies through the sky, bike-taxis offer a ground level perspective at low enough speeds for you to take the sights in and enjoy yourself. The fares are usually quite reasonable and the bicyclists are fairly eager to share tour-like information while taking you to your destination. After several hours of wandering from our hotel, we had no earthy clue how to get back. What did we do? Hail a bike-taxi, get an awesome tour-like ride, and we got back to our hotel safely and quickly. One could compare it to restarting a video game; we wandered until we were lost or tired, got a bike-taxi back to the hotel, recharged and hit the streets again!

One bike ride led to adventure; we were casually riding down a cobblestone street as a policeman on horse passed us, going the opposite direction. Instantly, he turned the horse around and took off in a thunderous gallop on the cobblestone street. He and another policeman on horse had just cornered and apprehended a man who had apparently just robbed a tourist. Our bike-taxi driver was just as stunned as we were, as he sat there less than two meters away from the scene, until we ushered him to pedal forward. Just minutes later, a taxi car swerved off of his road and into the bike lane, forcing our driver to an abrupt stop nearly jumping the curb to avoid being hit. The car driver was texting, and only realized his swerve at the last minute. Texting and driving causes trouble, no matter what country you’re in!

Another coffee shop I would like to recommend is the Coffeeshop 36. It backs up to one of the many canals and offers two large windows for patrons to look out and even hang their feet out. With a strange heat wave hitting Amsterdam during our visit, the open windows and cool canal breezes were very refreshing. Not to mention their extraordinarily delicious “green cake” brownies, made locally and holding a strong potency. There are also many hand-painted works of art through the shop, creating a very relaxing atmosphere.

It seemed as if everyone was in a good mood thanks to the weather and the natural good vibes that the city has to offer. With hot days encouraging locals to rest, it made the night life even more exciting. Back to my New Orleans comparison, the streets light up with a neon glow and herds of people roam from bar to bar, coffee shop to coffee shop. Whereas most of New Orleans’ activities are centralized on Bourbon Street, all of downtown Amsterdam is a part of the party. Every few feet, you hear a different genre of music blasting and see a different crowd dancing. With so many cultures meeting and partying in one place, Amsterdam truly is a melting pot.

As we walked, we would hear a group of British men signing a drinking song, then a group of French girls giggling and doing shots off of each other, then a group of Turkish men arguing outside of a red-light window, about who knows what. Moving deeper into the heart of downtown, we inevitably ended up in the infamous Red-Light District. There are glass doors decorating alleys and business strips, each holding a lovely lady in skimpy clothing. Some would be brushing their hair, others giving tourists a come-hither finger and flirty smile, and even some sharing a window and teasingly playing with each other to lure customers. There are also a variety of shows, ranging from comical to full-on XXX hardcore. There are countless toy shops, another sex museum, and many entertaining displays.

Feeling comical myself, we approached a group of three officers, standing on a bridge observing the crowds. Two men, one woman. Earlier we had witnessed this trio subdue an angry drunk Scottish man in a quilt, who had gotten upset about something and was yelling belligerently. After getting him to calm down, they simply instructed him to go home. No beatings, no tasers, no handcuffs and no paperwork. The way police work should be when dealing with fun-loving tourists. Now to the female officer; she had curly blonde hair and an official hat on, as well as her tool belt fashioning a gun, baton, handcuffs, and a taser. I approached her with a question in mind, and at the time, it seemed like a great idea.

“Excuse me, do you know where the lesbian sex show is?”

This truly shocked her. Just think of what this woman sees on a weekly basis while patrolling these streets, and my question was able to shock her. She required a moment to gather herself enough to say “Sorry, I don’t.” Already pleased with myself, we began to walk away when the older gentleman of an officer to her right nodded his head down the way saying “There. They do the lesbian sex shows down there.” He had such a matter-of-fact tone I had to question whether or not I had just imagined that response, but I can honestly say that an Amsterdam policeman directed us where to go to see the lesbian sex show.

At another point in the night, we had just come through an alley and made it back to a main street when Captain Jack Sparrow jumped out from the darkness. We were startled, then tickled at the idea of such an elaborately dressed pirate popping out of nowhere in downtown Amsterdam. This seems to be a town where truly anything can happen! We had discovered a true adult playground, now reminiscent of the City of Lost Boys from Pinocchio, where indulgences flourished and no one ever wants to go home.

With the sun setting at about 11pm during this time of year, it was easy to lose track of time while out enjoying the city. We ended our last night there around 3:30am, hailing one last bike-taxi to get us to our hotel. We certainly couldn’t have navigated our way back at that point, even with a map. Many neon lights had been turned off, the half-moon was shining brightly in a cloudless sky, and all we could hear is the pleasant buzz of the chain on the bike as we drifted through the darkness back to our hotel. Majestic, romantic, refreshing, and truly peaceful; we had fallen in love with Amsterdam.

Being American, we had mixed expectations for what we would and would not have access to in Amsterdam. We discovered that we had access to anything and everything our hearts could desire. We had access to things we didn’t even know existed! The most important thing is to act with respect. Respect for their city and their country, respect for their welcoming outlook, and respect for America and how we represent it. This blog is only the tip of the iceberg of our adventures in Amsterdam, but much like Vegas, what happens in Amsterdam, stays in Amsterdam! Please feel free to comment any questions you may have- we will be happy to answer!

A trip to the confessional is necessary…

Our main purpose for visiting Germany was to see and spend time with family, as well as celebrate Davy Crockett’s 50th birthday with style. We were fortunate enough to stay in a beautifully crafted home built on a mountainside in 1979 by a skilled carpenter, who then passed it on to his son. The front door greets you with classic iron-knockers and stained glass windows decorating the front entry wall. Looking up as we walk towards the door, we see a magnificent set of antlers proudly displayed on the outdoor deck above the front door.

Inside, the floors are a blend of classic marble and durable tile. The carpenter must have spent months on the living room alone, as every pane of wood along the ceiling sports a different, intricate, hand-carved design. In fact, even the door frame has its own elaborate designs. The living area opens into a large, full outdoor deck overlooking cherry trees and fields of wildflowers leading into dense, inviting woods. This served as an amazing home-base during our travels in Germany, and offered many tranquil moments listening to the birds and watching the wind make the flowers dance.

No trip to Germany is complete without a visit to a castle, and our first was the Auerbach Castle. Beautifully set on a mountaintop with many hiking trails for access, the Auerbach was an excellent introduction to German culture. This castle does not offer interior tours, but you can easily walk around the property and through various turrets and courtyards. We had a fun time exploring the remains, trying to climb the turrets, and enjoying our time with family.

No family trip to a the castle is complete without the Anvil Challenge!

One day, we had made a trip up to the Netherlands for business purposes, and on the way back we made a detour to the world-famous Nürburgring Race Track. This track is nearly a half-century old and is known as “The Green Hell” amongst racers. Featuring smooth asphalt, clean bank turns, and over 20 kilometers of track to race, Nürburgring holds up to its world-known reputation as one of the greatest tracks out there. Described as “a country road with no oncoming traffic,” the course winds you up and down, left and right through whimsical German countryside, offering spectacular views of wide open fields, towering windmills, and healthy thickets of trees. There are limited days during the year when non-professional racers are allowed to race, as well as limited times. Miraculously, we arrived and purchased our ring pass just minutes before the track was open to the public. When informed that any street-legal vehicle could drive on the track (during the allotted times), we asked multiple times to ensure that the extra-large SUV Nissan Armada would be allowed, not believing them at first. Keep in mind that we are on our way back from an overnight trip to the Netherlands. We are accompanied by my nine and ten year-old brothers as well as their Mom, AND all of our luggage for the trip. As soon as we purchased our ring pass and walked back to the SUV to re-organize some things, other racers began to examine “The Beast.” These drivers had arrived in a Porsche, a Lotus Elise, and a beautiful BMW sports car, all gutted and re-built as racing cars. They exchanged comments, checked the tires, rubbed their chins, and eventually gave us a smile of approval. Surely they were just as interested as we were to see how this gigantic vehicle would handle one of the World’s most famous and dangerous tracks.

Well, it handled well! We only got passed by one motorcycle and a group of three cars (the original drivers inspecting us in the parking lot). After watching the motorcycle zoom by, we managed to keep up with him during several of the following turns. As we blazed through the track, periodic groups of onlookers guffawed and dropped their jaws as they saw the Nissan Armada drive by, with two young boys waving in the backseat. After the car trio had passed us, we even managed to tail them through a few turns before falling behind in the final straightaway. When we all pulled back into the parking lot, we parked The Beast in the lineup with the other race cars. Having won their approval and respect on the track, we were greeted with warm laughter and high-fives. Unfortunately, no passenger cameras are allowed on the track, but we did manage to get some pictures to share with you:

Our Nissan Armada aka “The Beast” fit right in…

We also made our way onto several American military bases for the basic comforts of home and to learn a bit more about what these soldiers are constantly working towards for us. I had the opportunity to climb on a retired tank and take some fun pictures. We also got to crawl through an Army Stryker, in the garage for maintenance. It was fortunate for us to be able to walk around a military base over Memorial Day weekend, saluting elder soldiers who have served their time as well as young soldiers just starting their tours of duty. Swaggerjack Productions wholeheartedly thanks all men and women serving our country in their own individual ways.

Our last full day in Germany was spent wandering the streets of downtown Heidelberg, admiring the architecture and the ancient castle looming above the quaint city. The whole family made its way through the cobblestone streets exploring different shops, outdoor markets, and historical landmarks. We were fortunate enough to enter a beautiful Catholic Church with amazing cathedral ceilings, artistic sculptures, a live organist, holy water, confessional booths, and even a punching bag! I had never even heard of a punching bag in a cathedral, but there it was, right in front of the rows of pews, hanging just to the Priest’s right as he would be delivering a sermon. After taking some holy pictures, we had lunch with the family at the Schnitzel Haus. Featuring 100 different ways to enjoy your schnitzel as well as many delectable German beers on tap, the Schnitzel Haus was a very appropriate final family meal in Heidelberg. We concluded the day with a lightning-fast train ride up the mountain to explore the beautiful Heidelberg Castle. Even while undergoing restoration projects, the castle was still a sight to behold. The centuries-old rocks and stone formed elegant, stoic walls and turrets surrounding the inner courtyards and buildings. On the east end of the castle, one turret is slowly fading into the hillside and you can see bits of crumbling brick lying dormant at its base. Here you can pay for tours to explore the inner depths of the castle, but we enjoyed our walk along the outer courtyard and surrounding nature trails. Please look for our next post, which will cover Swaggerjack does Amsterdam!

The Swoop League meet took place at the Raeford Parachute Center, about 20 minutes away from where we stayed, Fayetteville. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has a wonderful wildflower program, and the May flowers did not disappoint! There were entire medians covered with yellow, purple, and burgundy flowers; all blooming wildly with many happy insects buzzing about them.

This was our first visit to a skydive drop-zone outside of Florida and we weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Our GPS led the way as we followed the turns blindly waiting to see some sign of an airport. When the familiar voice told us to “turn left on Doc Brown Road,” we knew we had to be close.

Raeford Parachute Center is a quaint, welcoming drop-zone with a full bar, delicious BBQ, and the Raeford Dragon. Located so close to Ft. Bragg, this drop-zone attracts many military jumpers, demo jumpers, and veterans. When we arrived, a demo team of Veteran jumpers were preparing for a demo jump and loaded into their Cessna. Within minutes of take-off, the plane experienced some issues forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in a nearby yard. The veteran parachutists opted to exit the plane and parachuted safely to the ground.

Walking through the property, we quickly realized that the only difference between this drop-zone and our Florida drop-zones is location. The same wonderful crowd of people seems to flock around manifest, there are comical characters wandering about, and there are children excitedly waiting for their parents to fly down from the sky. Drop-zones have a knack for always creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for all, and Raeford is no exception.

The swoop meet had both amateurs and professionals competing, with many teams from across the nation. Thirty jumpers showed up to compete, and it was a very successful day with only minor accidents and delays. The meet started with the Zone-Accuracy event, followed by a Distance event. The afternoon ended with a Speed event, where swoopers tried to swoop as fast as they safely could. Swaggerjack caught the action on camera and will be releasing an edited video soon.

During the Distance event, a new North Carolina competition distance record was set at 128.73 meters by Tommy Dellibac of Zephyrhills, FL. The very first round of the Speed event hosted a severe crash, where Mike McGuire did not clear the lip of the pond and caught his lower back at extreme speeds. An ambulance took him to the nearest medical facility for a full evaluation to ensure there is no permanent damage. Tommy Dellibac, a member of the PD Factory Team, also set a new North Carolina competition speed record with a time of 2.320 seconds. Dellibac won the gold for this heat, with Kelsey Mizuer earning the silver and Greg Windmiller with bronze.

We look forward to the next and final swoop meet of the 2012 regular season the weekend of June 9th at Skydive the Farm in Georgia! Big thanks to Albert Berchtold for allowing us to film and photograph such an amazing event and to Raeford Parachute Center for being such excellent hosts!

Stefanie, Kristin, and Aaron

While covering an event, we are offered a unique perspective as the film crew; we work behind-the-scenes and gain a better understanding of what it takes to pull off such an event. Dennis Judson works harder than most at coordinating the annual Santa Cruz Paddlefest and also has a strong team of volunteers and committee members working to ensure no detail falls between the cracks. There are massive amounts of contestants, sponsors, photographers, spectators, and vendors who all need direction and supervision to ensure the Paddlefest goes off without a hitch.

It was our pleasure to assist by providing visual entertainment for the Friday and Saturday night parties and even getting our turn on the microphone to help announce the event. The role of emcee usually falls to Dennis himself, Mark Pastick, or any other kayak surf veteran who knows the sport and its players. My announcing skills didn’t even compare to the enthusiasm these men relay through the microphone as well as their extensive knowledge of the break, the sport, and the contestants. Not only did spectators learn about the tricks and the boats, but also gained personal insight for the riders.

Even though the Paddlefest has rented this surf spot annually for over a quarter of a century, there are still board surfers who didn’t get the memo. For the most part, they do a decent job staying out of the contest area, but there are stragglers who get yelled at by contest staff and regulators. Even the seagulls snub board surfers on this weekend…

The picture below is an excellent representation of just how thick the wave at Steamer’s Lane can be:

Special thanks to Dennis Judson for granting us the opportunity to spend another year on the cliffs filming such a wonderful event and to Mark Pastick and Jason Kozun for being such amazing west coast family!

Below is a feeding session for one of the older alligators at the farm, Elvis. He weighs over 500 pounds and is near 11 feet long. He is as aggressive as he is massive, and farm owner Jay Young was ready with dinner. As a starter, Elvis was offered a catfish grown in one of the tilapia bins. Coming up for the main entrée was a large slab of fresh meat for him to enjoy.

It wouldn’t be fair to feed just one of the hundreds of alligators at the farm, especially after such an unseasonably warm week. So next, we moved to a larger area of the swamp to feed the 7-10’ gators fresh meat.

Not only will Colorado Gators welcome you to check out all of their pets and let you feed them, but for a small fee, they’ll teach you how to handle an alligator! After signing a page-long waiver proclaiming that if you get bit, you deserved it and will not whine, your instructor takes you to the smallest gator pit on the farm where you learn the basics. I have been fortunate enough to of taken this class as well as multiple refreshers, so this visit I was able to play with some nice medium-sized alligators.

A major factor in handling the gators is inspecting them for wounds. Any time an aggressive animal like this is contained with other animals like itself, there are bound to be fights. Whether it’s over food, a warm basking spot, or during mating season, gators will find a reason to fight each other. When we handle them, we examine them head to tail for wounds and check their basic signs of health. Cuts and gashes are cleaned, sanitized, then coated with Neosporin to aid healing. The petroleum jelly in Neosporin acts as a barrier to the water, thus helping the wound stay clean longer and heal faster. We also check to make sure their eyes look healthy and that their behavior is normal. If an alligator doesn’t try to bite you, you may be dealing with a sick gator. Luckily for me, the gators I grabbed were feisty and healthy, bearing only a few minor scrapes we were able to easily clean and treat.

The farm genuinely cares about its pets and does not harvest any alligators for skin or meat. They offer much more to see than just reptiles as well; there are rabbits, emus, ostriches, donkeys, horses, goats, geese, peacocks, and more! They are open daily until 5pm and feature special events frequently, be sure to check the events calendar on their page for your next trip to the San Luis Valley! www.GatorFarm.com

Even Luche Libre wrestlers are welcome on the farm!

San Luis Valley is North America’s highest Alpine Valley and is home to many attractions, including the Great National Sand Dunes State Park. Massive sand dunes have been created over centuries and centuries of winds blowing through this dusty valley and accumulating sand at the base of the north-east surrounding mountains. These are some of the largest sand dunes in the Americas and starting at 7,500 feet above sea level, they are also some of the most challenging dunes to climb. For every step forward, you slide a few feet back. The sand is constantly moving under your feet and a river of flowing sand falls behind any progress you make up the dune. The view from the top is spectacular and well worth the climb. Not to mention, it’s amazingly fun to run full speed down the dune and have a sandy crash at the bottom. During this time of year, the dunes are usually surrounded by dry creek beds, but due to early warm weather, we were able to wade through the rising creek water, freshly melted from snow in the mountains.

In the main parking lot, we could see reflections of the sun shining on several dozen cars and the ant-trails of crowds making their way up the dunes. Watching the tourists climb up is reminiscent of movies showing the middle-eastern deserts with social castaways roaming through. Climbing the dunes definitely leaves me wishing for a camel!

We weren’t satisfied with the main parking lot -touristy areas, so we ventured to the back 4×4 roads that swirl around the base of dunes following them back to the mountains. This road, as one may assume, is primarily sand and not recommended for everyday vehicles, or drivers for that matter. After a few minutes of winding closer to the dunes, there is a pull-out area with a sign and a gate warning drivers that they are about to enter the “Point of No Return.” Now this is the part of the dunes we want to explore!

There is no camping allowed beyond this point and due to the difficult terrain, it becomes secluded quite quickly. Typically, only locals travel back here mainly due to simple local knowledge and the $400 minimum wrecker fee if your vehicle gets stuck. The Swaggerjack crew drives a 4×4 Toyota Tundra and has yet to find a road we could not handle. Along the rugged, desolate road were many trees and wild brush, as well as several families of wild deer. Being a state park, the area is also a wildlife preserve and you can tell just how comfortable the deer are here. It was early afternoon and hot for this area and time of year, so the deer were laying in the shade relaxing. They looked at us, acknowledged us, and went back to peacefully resting. I was even able to step out of the truck at one point and take a few steps for a better camera angle. One deer was caught in the midst of moistening his nose, so he seems to be sticking out his tongue. There were several babies as well, including one who was particularly camera-friendly.

Once we drove as far as the road would allow, we started to enjoy the dunes. We played in the sand, climbed them, waded in the rising creek and enjoyed the warm weather. There was one mission involved with this trip to the dunes; Oh Long Johnson. South Park had just aired its newest episode the night before and Swaggerjack was ready to make its own spinoff. Please enjoy the video below!