I never used to be this way but since about 2013 I've been pretty hard to pin down - at least geographically. It was that year, echoing the penned words of Henry David Thoreau, I opted to live more deliberately, by removing myself from societal chains, devoting myself to the lessons taught by the wilderness. I sought to eliminate any possibility that, when I eventually come to die, I would never consider that I had not truly lived.

So with this new inspiration, I planned, with plenty of room for spontaneity, a year long journey through the American landscape of our National Parks. Disengaged from societal pursuits to set out alone and face the uncertainty guaranteed by the Wilderness. I would henceforth refer to this rite of passage as...The Walkabout.

Upon my return from the wilderness I was worn, beaten, starving, bruised, and lonely. Despite these detriments, I was stronger, smarter, happier, and more enlightened than I had ever been before. It was increasingly clear that the wilderness had provided me with an education I would have never otherwise earned if I had not taken this leap of faith out of my comfort zone. Harnessing the glory and recognizing the rewards that the wilderness had bestowed upon me had inspired me to continue seeking more.

This website aims to offer the only complete collection of National Park Challenge coins - complete with high quality 3D designs and eye-catching colors. The coin designs are based on the same fine art and photographic prints captured during The Walkabout. These National Park prints are also available to bring to your homes, as well as photographs from subsequent adventures along the Pacific Crest Trail, personal explorations throughout the African continent, and my traipses throughout historic European cities.

Since my feet developed this perpetual itch, photography has been a key ingredient in my soup for the soul.  I have been fortunate in life to have opportunities to travel all over the world.  These opportunities were and continue to be the byproduct of hard work, determination, and the awareness to seize them when they arrive.  While photography has never been the reason for my travels, the decision to capture these moments, landscapes, and and locations has afforded me the pleasure of reliving these experiences eternally.  

I've recently decided that these coins, photographs and stories ought not be just for my own self-reflection but, rather, that they may help inspire the next intrepid wanderer.  Or perhaps more simply, they provide you with an image or collectible that helps guide your imagination to spectacular places while staying at home. Whatever the reason, I proudly make an effort to have each photograph accurately reflect the truest visual representation of these real locations, steering away from altering them with some fictitious flare. What you see, is what I saw.