What an awesome year. We're so thankful for everyone who came out during our tour. Katie and I had a blast traveling the country. We met so many awesome people, saw some beautiful country. We can't wait to do it again next year! We feel overwhelmingly blessed, words cannot explain it.

BY THE NUMBERS

We toured for 6 months. Drove through 37 states. 21,597 miles. We saved over $2500 in fuel costs driving on waste vegetable oil. That's ZERO carbon emitted. 

Journey4YOUth raised over $8,800. That's $790,240 in Kenyan Schillings. We've used that money to feed 41 children lunch every M-F since April. Big thanks to everyone who has helped us make this happen. 

We also launched Light on our Path, Inc. That is our  new photography business. Check out the website if you're interested in buying prints of our work.

PICTURE TRAIL

Below are a few highlights from our 2011 Journey4YOUth Summer Tour. Katie took 90% of the pictures. I took 90% of the video. Hope you enjoy.

Medicine Bow National Park. This picture was shot somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 feet. We thought about camping up there, but once the sun went down we changed our mind. It was the first time seeing snow in July.

I took this shot, almost got hit by a semi truck in the process. This is is on I-70 just west of Moab, UT.

This was after our homecoming Salt Lake City show. It was awesome being back in SLC. Even more so, it was an honor to share the stage with my old friends Marinade and Tony Holiday Band. Both of these bands are class acts, and very dear friends of mine. I hope to see you guys again soon.

This picture was taken down in the dirty dirty. I'm talking about New Orleans of course. It was September 11th. It was also the first time I played the National Anthem to start a show. Very special feeling, I'll never forget.

This was a time exposure of Katie and I looking over Sedona, AZ. We were standing in the middle of a vortex for sure. Katie was a little shook up because she almost got bit by a rattle snake on our climb up!!

The Campfire Festival was very special to me for a few reasons. It was my first time playing in Boston. The venue was Club Passim, which is in Harvard Square, where one of my biggest inspirations [Martin Sexton] got his start. My looping pedal randomly quit working on stage. It was a packed house, all eyes on me, and I had to improvise. I decided to play my last two songs in open tuning [and my guitar went out of tune]. I had to improvise again. I decided to play my most heartfelt song I had. Revolution. Using only two strings. Amazingly, it worked. Another day, another show, life is crazy when you're on the road.

These two pictures were taken in Washington DC. I don't know what it is about DC, but it's an amazing place to be. Believe it or not, it was both mine and Katie's first time there. I opened up for this awesome band Ramzy and The Brothers Handsome. Check them out. They're smooth.

First time at Mount Rushmore. This place blew me away too. I thought South Dakota was going to be flat and nothing but cow patties. If you find yourself traveling through SD, give yourself at least a week to do Black Hills, Badlands, Custer, and Buffalo Gap.

This one was taken at The Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

It's always fun being in Denver [which is where this picture was taken]. However, we found a hidden jewel of a town about an hour south. Check out Manitou Springs. I'm not going to put a picture of it simply because it is that beautiful. You just have to take our word on it.

These two pictures were from Canyon Lands National Park. Most of my following is on the east coast, and sadly enough, most east coasters never make it to the west coast. [Maybe I'm wrong, it's just my opinion]. If you have never been to Utah, GO! Make sure you take time to go see some of the National Parks before the gov't discovers natural gas and/or oil underneath it.

Katie did a good job with this one. This shot was taken at Bubba's Love Shack in Murrells Inlet, SC. We got a chance to hang out with Bubba, who is a local legend. He took us on his boat over to Goat Island. Really awesome memory.

We made a lot of new friends in Portsmouth, NH. This picture was taken at The Press Room, but we really made a splash at The Blue Mermaid. Can't wait to go back there.

These two shots were taken in Maine. We had a love hate relationship with Maine. We played three humble shows to [somewhere between] 12 and 18 people collectively. Humble pie is a good thing: I'll write more about that later in the blog.

The worst thing about Maine was our allergies. We never get allergies, but we somehow got hit full force during our time there. We had our best and worst day on tour in a 24 hour time period. The best way to get over being ungodly sick and stuck in your van all day/night is to go visit Acadia National Park. Acadia took our breath away. If we would've died there, we would've died happy.

Ahhh. THE Great & Magnificent Grand Canyon. We decided to skip Disney World and hang out on the North Rim this year. We're really glad we did. We recorded this video, and met some awesome locals. Bonfire right on the rim. Super cool.

Yellowstone National Park. Unbelievable. I'm so thankful for Teddy Roosevelt thought it was important to preserve and protect our National Parks so we can enjoy them today. Hopefully our State and National Parks can survive the money hungry morons who are have already begun selling the land to gas and oil companies for drilling. 

I love Wyoming. Beautiful people, beautiful land. Every time we come through it's an awesome show!

We played two back to back shows in Syracuse, NY. It was our first & second time playing in Syracuse; surely not our last.

These two pictures were from a random camping trip outside Ozark National Park in beautiful Arkansas. I don't think we could have had a more colorful crew that night. It included a Redneck, Gypsy, Bavarian Artist, Katie [fairy] and me. We made some awesome music though.

This one was taken at Sliders Tiki Bar on Amelia Island, FL. The Atlantic Ocean is right behind me. [I love this stage].

This was one of the best shows of the tour, at one of the best venues of the tour. Eskes Brew Pub in beautiful Taos, NM. Taos is another one of the secret places nobody knows about. I had an awesome show there. Can't wait to come back.

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Delicate Arch. Just outside Moab, UT.

This show was in Norfolk, VA. I love this picture for a few reasons. The main reason is that I played for maybe 8 or 9 people that particular night. It's an awesome thing. Humbling. But awesome. Katie and I are chasing a dream. We're traveling around the country, living in our van, trying to do the right thing.

To me, this picture defines a music tour. One person at a time. And that my friends, is chasing the dream.