We’re baaaaaaaack… and a Big Announcement

Hey folks! Long time no see! You know that great feeling you have when you run into an old friend? You grab a cup of coffee and start catching up, as if no time has passed at all. That’s the feeling I have now, and I hope you do, too! I know it has been far too long since we’ve posted here, but grab a cup of coffee (or your favorite craft beer!), let’s catch up, and get ready to see much more of us in the future! We’ve got a big announcement below, but first, what’s been going on since 2020??

Like most people, 2020 held some unexpected changes for the Boltz family. As you may remember from our last blog, due to some career opportunities, we decided to temporarily move from our home in Costa Rica back to Denver. I (Shannon) often say that the Universe has a plan, and we trusted that this was the best move for us at the time. Looking back, I can say with certainty that the last 3 ½ years have been full of wonderful memories and good times. Once it was safe to do so, and we were fully vaccinated, Nikk and I traveled a TON! We went to a few places we had never been – like Aruba, Seattle, and the Grand Canyon. We went to some familiar places – like Nashville, Mexico, and back to Costa Rica for a wonderful vacation. We visited the Oregon coast several times to see RJ (our kiddo) after he moved there, we saw family in Iowa and Michigan, and we did a lot of camping in the Colorado mountains.

Again, like so many people during/after the pandemic, Nikk and I found ourselves taking stock of what we wanted our next chapter to be. The move back to Denver was always meant to be a temporary one. We committed to spending at least three years there, but what came afterward was starting to look a little different. Originally, the plan was to move right back to our “home” in Potrero. But time and space have a funny way of providing clarity. (Just ask Dr. Who.) As we did all of this traveling, and we reflected on the journey to get to Costa Rica, we came to the conclusion that we wanted MORE exploring. We wanted to do a similar drive to the one we did to get to Costa Rica, but much slower. We heard a great quote (probably attributed to some meme somewhere) that said “Be a traveler, not a tourist. A tourist wants to escape life, a traveler wants to experience it.”. We most definitely want to be in the latter category. 

When we researched the drive to Costa Rica, we read quite a bit about the PanAmerican highway – a contiguous route that goes from the northernmost point of North America, all the way down to the southern tip of South America. In fact, much of our route through Mexico and Central America in 2019 was along the PanAmerican highway. 

So just like when we decided to move to Costa Rica, we started researching: reading blogs, watching YouTube videos, joining Facebook groups and more. Since our plans of winning the PowerBall and becoming jet-setting millionaires wasn’t panning out, driving the PanAmerican highway was how we’d make our exploration dreams come true.

So for the past three years, we’ve been plotting, planning, and building out a capable vehicle-turned-home. Meet Tortuga! Named because we carry our home on our back, and we sometimes go pretty slow. This Jeep is not your ordinary truck! He’s got everything you’d need to be comfy: a bed, a stove, onboard water, and tons of storage. He’s even got a shower (with a hot water heater) and a little fireplace to keep us cozy in the cooler temps. Although we loved Chivo, we did wind up selling him to a lovely couple in Potrero, and Tortuga is making a fantastic addition to the Boltz family.

The vehicle isn’t the only thing that’s evolved! We’re taking this blog to the next level – we’re on YouTube now! This next adventure promises to be too big for the written word. We’ll still keep up here on a regular basis, but the most in-depth and regular updates will happen over on the Beer Beach Repeat YouTube channel. There’s already some great videos up there recapping 2023’s travels including a trip to Telluride, CO, camping with Juniper Overland (the shop that helped us build Tortuga), and White Rim Canyon in Utah (link coming soon). As the kids say, make sure to smash that like and subscribe button! (Translation for those of us who aren’t kids: once you go to our page, make sure to click the “Subscribe” button to get updated as soon as we post a new video.)

So what’s in store for the future?!

Here’s the big announcement: we are hitting the road for TWO YEARS! We’ve both quit our jobs, sold the house, and are already living in Tortuga full time!! The current plan is to travel through some of the U.S. for about 4 months, and then head up to Canada and Alaska, officially starting our PanAmerican journey heading south. We can’t wait!! And we hope you’ll join us for all of it. Whether you’re a friend keeping up with us, a potential PanAmerican traveler doing research, or just someone who loves to read blogs about travel, we hope to make this a journey worth following. One thing I can promise: there will plenty of good craft beer and plenty of beaches!

Well, friend, that’s what’s been happening with us for the last few years. What about you? What have you been up to? Feel free to share in the comments, or drop us a line on Instagram or Facebook. Make sure you’re following us there, too, for behind the scenes content and likely some silly videos of Nikk and I being goofballs. We just can’t seem to take life seriously!

Thanks for coming back to Beer Beach Repeat after all of these years without a post. I hope you keep coming back, and I look forward to keeping you updated on this exciting adventure. Until the next time, SALUD AMIGO!

PS – If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll notice one very important member of the Boltz family is no longer with us. Bosco, the beer-loving, world-traveling pup crossed the rainbow bridge in early 2023 at the ripe old age of 16. We miss him every single day, and this trip is just not the same without him sitting on my lap. Next time you’re having a good beer, raise a glass to the best doggo. Cheers Bosco Boy; we love you so.