The Pan-American Dream: Exploring, Art, + Youth from Alaska to Argentina

Our Alaskan Road Trip in Less than a Minute

2011-06-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all,

We finally had time to sort through our ginormous amount of videos and photos. It's been a long time coming... We cut the following spot out of the footage we shot. Also, big thanks to Josh Condon who composed the music and is one of our Kickstarter backers! Hope you enjoy!

A general update:

Kelly and I are currently doing independent adventures. Kelly just became a raft guide in Vail, CO and I'm interning at the Creative Health Institute in Michigan. I'm writing about my experience at CHI and transitioning to a 100% raw living foods diet HERE.

We'd also like to thank our Kickstarter backers who supported us to make this happen. We'll keep ya updated as the adventures continue!

Dianna Stano

Martin Stano

Cara + Karl Rosaen

Lynn Malinoff

Natalie + Josh Condon

Jon Sandison

Mike Berlucchi

Peter Stano

The Alpert Family

Halle Doenitz

Donna, Rich and Lauren Bryden

Margaret Barton

Andy "Windattack" Windak

Joey Ostrander

Howard, KaTina and Samuel Blanchard

Kathleen and Dan Gallagher

Christine Grysban

Ryan Gallagher

Tiffany Alexander

Scott Gallagher

Sean Addison Bennett, ESQ

William Gray

Aaron Lebovic

Nicole Hoppe

Marybeth Manarchy

Sam Lemberg

Diane Gallagher

Alison Kendall

Shoshana Hurand

Linsey Bowers

Jan and Tom McGraw

Jim & Terri McCurry

Reese

Don & Lois McCurry

John and Natalie Rhaesa

Will Brick

Emma Nolan-Abrahamian

Steve Sholtes

Judith Brake

Rob Stano

Molly Manarchy

Erica Calderon

Jenny McGraw

Emily Schleicher

Jeff Urbanowicz

Erin Davis

Brittney Scarlett

Cory Cosgrove

Jamie Shenk

Heathyr

Christine Monte

Katie Blackmer

Carly Dodge

Jeffrey Adams

Geoff George

Marilyn George

Rachel Enoch

Carly Hanna

Katchen Schibilsky

Jenna

Marlee Grace Cook-parrott

Ali Hodges

Debashis Mazumder

Eric Palmer

Adam Wilmers

Daniela Kelley

Diane

Jesse Pagtulingan

Kathryn Bawden

Amy Young

Johnny Sullivan

Abbey Morris

Matt Hornback

Bernie J. Michael

Drew Dawson

Blaise Morrison

Sean Dwyer

Charlotte M Tisdale

How Much Gas to Alaska? Our Gas Log

2010-12-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

Here's our gas log for our first Alaskan road trip: Ann Arbor, MI to Alaska and back. [Click on images to enlarge.]

For long road trips, the gas log is a helpful resource to keep track of your miles, money spent, cost of gas, and prepare for the future or the returning route of your journey. It helps you plan, especially if you might need to make additional money on the road.

Here are some estimated stats from our gas log:

$1555.19 total spent on gas

$626.77 spent on gas from Ann Arbor, MI to Alaska border

+13,000 miles traveled over 3 months

30 mi/gal average in 2006 Chevy Aveo FULLY loaded with gear and 2 people

$5.36 / gal - Dawson City, Yukon - Most expensive gas. Gas is more expensive in Canada and as you travel further north

0 flat tires. The majority of roads are pretty good!

If you're thinking of an Alaskan road trip, we hope this helps!

Do it!

Hanging Drywall with Volcanoes. Lost and Found Camera Gear

2010-12-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

If you missed these, here's 2 stories with photos from our Alaskan trip on Marty's blog:

Change in Competence: From a Second Story Ladder in Alaska

Change in Karma: Camera Gear, Lost and Found

Coming up soon is a video from our rafting trip on the Green River in Desolation Canyon, UT. We'll show you how awesome it is to poop on a river (not pooping in the river, but on the "groover").

Bears + How to Sleep Comfortably in a Loaded Chevy Aveo

2010-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Marty packing up shortly after a bear cub pawed our tent.

It's morning and Kelly and I are laying in our tent. We're camped just off the highway south of Anchorage, AK. We're thinking about starting the day when Kelly hears a light rustle in the grass. I don't hear it... but all of a sudden we see our tent wall caving in with the indentation of a paw print! I jump up and immediately yell, "Hey! Hey!" as I pull a knife out from the top of our tent. There's a quick instant where I think I may have to wrestle a bear off our tent with a tiny knife... Our tent pops back into shape and Kelly looks out the window of our rain fly and sees a black figure running off in the grass.

We stay still. We listen.

We hear a few nearby campers who were sleeping in their trucks get out and yell, "Hey! Is anyone in the tent?" "Yes..." "Well a black bear mother and 3 cubs were just surrounding your car and tent..." We get out of our tent. "Ya, we kinda figured that..." The guy looks at us like we're crazy, "And your okay with that?" Well no, we're not totally okay with this... but what else are we suppose to do? Run back after them and say, "Hey bears! That wasn't cool, alright? You could have ripped our new tent!" We certainly didn't invite them over for morning tea and they already scurried off... so the only thing left to do was pack up and move on.

I think the problem was that we pitched our tent too close to the grass where there was a nearby trail. The black bears were just passing through, our tent was kinda in the way, and the bear cub was a little curious. Black bears are usually pretty timid- at least from our experiences. When I did yell, the bear cub and friends scurried off quickly minding their own business.

So after almost receiving a cozy bear hug that morning... we were both a bit timid the next few nights. Kelly later invented a great and comfortable way to sleep in our over-packed Chevy Aveo- check the video below. We eventually started sleeping in our tent again, but this was also a great way to sleep in crowded areas such as suburbs or cities where pitching a tent may not be feasible.

Here's the video:

Car, Gear + Tips for Traveling on the Road

2010-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

This video is about our car (the Chevy Aveo) and all the stuff we could fit in it while still sleeping inside. [Sleeping comfortably in an Aveo? Seriously? Yes. Video coming soon!] We mostly car camped for 3 months while traveling 10,000 miles to Alaska and back. It worked out quite well. Our over-packed tiny car should dispel the myth that the roads to Alaska are really bad - it was true back in the 60s but not anymore. You can make it! You should still look out for potholes though...

So check out the video below for tips on gear, cooking, living in a car, etc.

Any feedback or questions? Leave us a comment. Thanks!

(P.S. Sorry the video turnaround is a bit slow... We meant to post this in October...)

How to Make Cool Postcards from Your Travels

2010-11-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

Kelly making post card collage at Sitka, AK library.

Marty looking for material.

While traveling 10,000 miles over 3 months with our most recent Alaskan adventure, we (mostly Kelly, ha!) managed to collect several tourist magazines, maps, brochures, etc... while stopping at several visitor centers. It's a good way to familiarize yourself a bit when you arrive in a new place. But, it's a bit problematic when you have a BIG bag of magazines that are no longer very useful when you are living out of a tiny car.

Instead of recycling all of the materials, Kelly had the great idea to collage the materials to make postcards. Although it takes a while, the end result is much more interesting then a typical postcard with a cheesy font. It's also a fun way to re-contextualize the popular reoccurring icons that define a place while reflecting on your experience.

All you need is:

-A bunch of travel brochures

-Thick white paper or post card stock

-Scissors

-Mod Podge glue (and small foam brush to apply)

First, we cut out the magazines and sorted elements by background, text, people, animals, etc...

For white paper stock, we had a book of water color paper that we used to cut several postcards from. We went to a library to borrow their paper cutter and set up a work station. You can use several different papers as long as it's thick enough and you can write and address it. Make sure you cut your postcards to the right size by USPS standards. That way you save on the reduced postcard stamps. If you're mailing a lot like us, it adds up. Or, if you don't have any paper already to use/reuse, you can try to find blank post card stock to make it easy.

Next: collage! Your imagination's the limit! A few ideas: We really enjoyed sending people "bear tips" which were found in several of the travel mags. Another approach is to cut out a map and write notes about your route and the places you visit. This gives a better visual description of your adventure and is much more personal.

When you've created your collage idea, glue it down with Mod Podge. Your average glue stick won't cut it. We tried a few post cards and the pieces fell off. You can pick Mod Podge up from a craft store. Get a small foam brush for applying the glue. Glue the backs of your pieces first with a nice coat. Once it dries, apply a coat over the entire top of the postcard to give it a nice seal. Mod Podge also gives the post card a nice texture.

Although it's fast drying, the longer you can wait, the better... then write, address, stamp, send, boom!

We mailed nearly 65+ post cards for our Kickstarter backers. It took Kelly and I 4-5 full days to do everything. We had a lot of fun with our work and would like to share below! Some are fun, some ridiculous, and some may not make any sense!

Enjoy!

Where Are We? What Are We Doing? Current Thoughts, Plans, Goals...

2010-11-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

Our first night back in Michigan. Camped on our friends lawn.

Hey Dreamers,

Sorry for the past 2 months of hiding... this post is nearly 6 weeks late...

But here's a few thoughts and events that happened, is happening, or is changing in regards to our Pan-American Dream:

1. We drove from Portland, OR back to Michigan in early October to shoot our friends' wedding.

2. We decided to stick around Michigan for the holidays.

3. We loved Alaska very much and there's still so much for us to explore... So... We plan to return next summer May/June, perhaps try a winter there too! Who knows?

4. We had a great road tour of Alaska, but next time we want to get on some planes and boats to explore more of the village communities.

4. Kelly got a job in Vail, CO as a snowboard instructor! She moves this Saturday after Thanksgiving and will be there until the end of April.

5. Marty applied for jobs in Vail... no luck yet...

6. Marty will probably spend most of his time in Michigan to shoot a short film he's been meaning to make for a while now...

7. We also just upgraded a lot of our software so we can edit our photos now! So expect photo updates on our blog in the near future!

8. We have a LOT of video to digest... we'll be sharing it on our blog as it becomes available.

9. Marty hopes to organize an exhibit of this past Alaskan trip. It will take place somewhere in Michigan. It will include photography, videos, and stories.

10. Next May, we get on the road again.

Stay tuned for updates!

Keep Dreaming!

Palmer, AK Youth Film Workshop = Success

2010-09-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Our first youth film workshop in Palmer, AK was a success! We had 7 students registered with 3 in attendance. Although we didn't have the numbers we would have liked... we had the enthusiasm- and that's what counts!

Day 1: The students learned the principles of photography and shooting with manual settings.

Day 2: The students we're introduced to stop motion animation and experimented on their own.

Day 3: The students received a crash course in Final Cut Pro, a professional editing application, where they edited their short animation with music. The finished work was screened with a public audience during the Food Film Festival presented by the Palmer Arts Council.

We thank Daisy, Magnolia, and Bayli for their participation in the workshop. We appreciated your enthusiasm and the work you produced in little time is impressive and shows great potential for your future creative endeavors. We also thank the Palmer Arts Council for their support in hosting the workshop!

It was rewarding to here that Magnolia has already signed up for a photography class at a local charter school. Her family just moved into a new residence and she even requested that her mother buy her a DSLR camera instead of furniture. We wish her luck and are excited to see her future film/photography work as she pursues photography while sleeping in a bare room...

Alaskan Farmers' Markets + Fresh International Gardens

2010-09-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Although the Alaskan growing season is shorter, the long days of summer sunlight (maybe not this season with a record breaking amount of rain…) allow for some intense crop production. This intensity is displayed every year at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer where world records for giant produce are broken. One of the most notable competing crops is the giant cabbage. Steve Hubacek from Wasilla broke the world record in 2009 with a 127 lb cabbage! He took 1st again this year in the Giant Cabbage Weigh Off with his cabbage weighing in at 105.6 lbs to bring home the $2000 prize.

If you go to one of many Alaskan farmers’ markets, most of which are concentrated in the south central region of the Matanuska Valley and the Kenai Peninsula, don’t expect to see 100 lb + cabbages for sale at $2000. The giant vegetables are mainly a novelty for agricultural hobbyists. However, you can expect to see a bounty of fresh, great tasting local produce. You can also expect to see the “Alaska GROWN” slogan and logo everywhere. The slogan is represented with great pride throughout the communities. We’ve spent few days traveling in Alaska where we haven’t seen someone sporting the “Alaska GROWN” sweatshirt.

After perusing around some of the markets, we tried a rhubarb lemonade, which was a delicious local treat!

But what really caught our attention was the “Fresh International Gardens” stand. It wasn’t their produce that stood out, although they had great produce, but the organization itself.

“Fresh International Gardens” is part of the Refugee Farmers’ Market Program, which was developed in 2007 by the Catholic Social Services Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services (RAIS) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. This program helps refugees resettle in Alaska by working on a community garden where they can sell their produce at the farmer’s market. It allows refugees to learn business skills, practice English, and earn a supplemental income while gaining a sense of community. It’s a great transition for the refugees as a majority have a long cultural history of agriculture. The program is funded by donations and volunteers so all proceeds go directly to the gardeners.

This year refugees are from Bhutan and Nepal. At the market, we met 2 Nepalese gentleman and Kelly Ingram who was part of Americorps VISTA and was managing the garden. After talking with them a bit and picking up some potatoes, we exchanged emails so we could volunteer at the garden to see more of the project in action.

Kelly and I showed up to the 8,000 sq. ft plot on a Friday afternoon. There were about 10+ refugees working on controlling the weeds at the time. Some others we’re planting lettuces. Kelly Ingram greeted us and gave us some gloves to get to work. We pulled some weeds and harvested some potatoes for a few hours until it began to rain… Before leaving, the refugees worked out their schedules for the upcoming week with Ingram and we said our goodbyes.

Free Photography + Film Workshop for Youth - Sept 7-9, 2010, Palmer, AK

2010-08-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

We're hosting our first film workshop in Palmer, AK with the cooperation of The Palmer Arts Council and Strangebird Consulting.

The workshop will be held September 7th-9th from 3-5:50pm at

Stangebird Consulting

832 S. Colony Way

Palmer, AK 99645

Students will learn the core concepts of photography with an introduction to film, animation, and video editing.

The target audience is high school students but anyone under 18 may apply- no experience necessary.

To register please send an email to thelazerbolt[at]gmail.com.

Please spread the word if you're in the area!

Thanks!

We Made It to Alaska! Thank You Kickstarter Backers! A photo summary...

2010-08-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hey All!

We made it to Alaska! Boom! Official Border crossing was 6:32pm Wednesday, August 4th, 2010!

We are currently in Palmer where we are planning our first youth film workshop later this month! We'll also be documenting some of the GIANT produce that is grown with Alaska's fertile soil and long hours of daylight.

We apologize for not being able to share enough photos on our journey thus far... not only have our showers been limited (average of 1.4 showers per week), but our internet use is intermittent too! We also just turned our phones back on after about 3 weeks of traveling through Canada! So give us a call if you want to!

We would like to take this time to acknowledge all of our Kickstarter backers who made this journey possible!

In no particular order of awesomeness:

Donna and Rich Bryden
Dianna Stano
Peter Stano
Jesse Pagtulingan
Lynn Malinoff
William Gray
Jeff Urbanowicz
Aaron
Erin
Brittney Scarlett
Kathryn Bawden
Amy Young
Nicole Hoppe
Judith Brake
Rob Stano
Marybeth Manarchy
Molly Manarchy
Johnny Sullivan
Adam Alpert
Sam Lemberg
Diane Gallagher
Halle Doenitz
Abigail Morris
Sean Bennett
Chris Cory Cosgrove
emrys7
Sean Dwyer
Alison
Margaret Barton
WINDATTACK
Jamie Shenk
Bernie J. Michael
Shoshana Hurand
Drew Dawson
Heathyr
Linsey Bowers
Christine Monte
Katie Blackmer
Carly Dodge
Janet D. McGraw
Jeff Adams
Jon Sandison
Geoffrey S. George
Marilyn George
Rachel Enoch
Carly
Katchen Schibilsky
Cara
Daniela K
Natalie Williams
Joey Ostrander
The Blanchards
Diane
Jenna
Kathleen and Dan Gallagher
Marlee Grace Cook-Parrott
Mike Berlucchi
Ali Hodges
Erica Calderon
Jim & Terri McCurry
Christine Grysban
Reese
Ryan Gallagher
Debashis Mazumder
Jenny McGraw
Eric A Palmer
Steve Sholtes
Emma Nolan-Abrahamian
Martin Stano Sr
Charlotte M Tisdale
Don & Lois McCurry
Emily Schleicher
Blaise Morrison
John and Natalie Rhaesa
Tiffany Alexander
Scott Gallagher
Will Brick
Adam Wilmers

WE THANK YOU!!!

And now a brief glimpse at our journey over the past month!

Day 1 departing the Gallagher cottage. Official time: Sat. July 10th, 2010, 4:37pm- 4 days late from original plan...

First stop Chicago. Karoake with Kiki, Pat, and friends. The night ended with some Backstreet Boys!

Milwaukee, WI. Kelly and her brother Scott at the farmer's market. Thanks for the righteous breakfast at Roots Scott!

[Missing Photo.]
We then stopped in Minneapolis, MN to stay with our friend Bruna. Sorry we didn't take any photos...

Next we stopped at a Prairie Dog farm right before Badlands National Park. You could buy peanuts and feed them!

Did a day hike in Badlands N.P.

Okay... so once you head west, you may see hundreds of billboards for Wall Drug in Wall, SD. They're known for a history of successful advertising gimmicks like free ice water, a giant T-Rex, and other stuff... It's worth a stop, but it's pretty much a tourist trap with overpriced gift shop junk. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of animatronics, but the T-Rex was a let down...

They do have some wicked cowboy boots though... but a lot of them were like $400-600...

We tried to save some money by cooking our lunch at a campground... but then a lady wanted us to register for using the facilities... there was no negotiating with her... we didn't want to camp there or use any other facilities... and it cost us $23 to rent their firepit for an hour to cook our own lunch with our own firewood... damn! It woulda been cheaper to buy lunch in Wall...

Marty thought about buying an overpriced cork gun in Wall Drug and going back to give her a piece of his mind.

After camping that night in Blackhills N.F., we drove the next morning through Big Horn N.P.

We hiked down the canyon in Big Horn to the creek.

After heard a deep grumbling sound echo in the canyon... When we hiked back up to the road we realized it was a large herd of cattle coming up form the creek as well!

We stopped in Thermopolis Hot Springs State Park to enjoy a free bath. The land was donated by the Shoshone and Arapaho Native American Tribes. We saw a bison heard here and also at...

Grand Teton N.P.

Day hike in Grand Teton

Hidden Falls, Grand Teton, NP

Inspiration Point, Grand Teton

Old Faithful, Yellow Stone N.P.

Yellow Stone N.P.

Yellow Stone N.P.

It's a big tourist trap to stop and try crystal meth in this small town in Montana. We decided to pass and head for Glacier N.P.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier N.P. Incredible drive!

Mountain goat on the side of the road.

We had breakfast here.

Day hike.

Lunch at Avalanche Lake, Glacier N.P.

Leaving Glacier N.P. Definitely one of our favorite parks!

We couch surfed with some great people in Calgary. A friendly mix of Canadians, Aussies, and Kiwis. They we're so much fun that we didn't even make it over to the Stampede and didn't take many photos... Although they showed us Olympic Park where the film Cool Runnings was shot! The bar fight scene was filmed at Ranchman's, a large cowboy bar where a lot of our couch surfer host's worked.

Top of the bobsled course.

Feel the rhythm... feel the ride...

We went to Banff. It's beautiful there and we did a day hike or two. We may not have taken any photos... It was pretty rainy most of the time we were there... and everything was pretty expensive... We felt pathetic, dirty, tired, and poor... the morale was low and we didn't really have a place to camp...

We got a morale boost shortly after heading North to Jasper- one of our favorite spots next to Glacier N.P. We slept in the car the night before Marty's 24th birthday. We woke up to see two rainbows over the mountains- a good sign! The day only got better with an excellent dinner and a night in a motel, a birthday present from Mom! That was a most excellent present- thanks Mom! Marty also made $140 playing djembe on the street where we met friendly locals with good travel advice- thanks Joe for the advice on heading north!

Double birthday rainbows!

Birthday champagne on the house!

Word of advice: Don't always trust dinner recommendations from a AAA tour book. The place wasn't so casual and the price range definitely means the lowest number is for a piece of lettuce and the highest number is the normal price of a meal a la carte. Thanks for picking up the bill Mom!

We camped here one morning at the trail head to Whistlers Mountain.

You can take a tram up to the summit... but the view and snow is feels much more worth it after the 16 mi round trip hike with an approximate 3,000 ft elevation gain.

Lunch break.

Lunch view.

Diving football catch!

Mile 0 of the ALCAN Highway in Dawson Creek. We met a bar owner in Montana while repacking our overloaded car. When we told him we were driving to Alaska he laughed at us and said, "In that little car?!" His response made us a bit wary of the road ahead...

Liard Hot Springs is a place you must stop.

We met Maverick and Aaron from Texas who already made it to Alaska with this radical van. We had a peanut butter and jelly lunch and traded instant pudding for cheese crackers. Good times guys!

The one thing for travelers to do in Watson Lake is to put up a sign in the Sign Post Forest. I think one of the early travelers put up a sign from their home town and it just became a thing.

A lot of people improvise a sign. We used a scratched CD, the people below us used sandals.

We went to Whitehorse, YT next but didn't really take any photos... from there we headed north to Dawson City. We made a detour to Mayo and Keno, a couple of small mining towns. When we pulled up, a wild party was going on with some of the local miners and a family and friends from Colorado who invited us to their lodge for the weekend. It was a riot of time! Unfortunately, what happens on Mayo Lake, stays on Mayo Lake. Thanks to all participants involved for showing us a great time!

Rainbow on Mayo Lake, Yukon Territory.

We then made it to Dawson City for a few days. Here's Kelly panning for gold- no luck...

Everyone from Dawson City and who travels to Dawson City must do the "Sourtoe Cocktail" available from 9-11pm at the Downtown Hotel Bar. It's a shot of Yukon Jack with a real petrified toe in it. You buy your shot and it's $5 for the toe.

Back in the day, you were able to select one of five tows... but apparently, people we're swallowing the small toes. Now, they only use big sourtoes and they have two that they rotate when one gets too soggy...

The sourtoe. "You want a toe? I can get you a toe!"

Begin Marty "Sourtoe Cocktail" sequence...

To properly take the shot, the toe must touch your lips. If you're Canadian or us, the toe must go in your mouth...

This is a face you may make after a combination of whiskey and petrified toe has been in your mouth...

Begin Kelly "Sourtoe Cocktail" sequence...

Make us proud Kel!

After completion of the "Sourtoe Cocktail," you receive a certificate of honor, and a Sourtoe Members club that grants you respect a free sourtoes for life at Downtown Hotel.

Overlooking Dawson City. Just crossed the Yukon River on the ferry. About to start the Top-of-the-World highway to Alaska!

We did it! Crossed the Alaskan border! The station is right behind us.

We stopped at the Worthington Glacier while driving south to Valdez, AK.

It's a short 10 min hike up to the Worthington Glacier off the Richardson Hwy.

Did an over night hike in Kennicott, AK, an old copper mining ghost town.

There it is! A brief summary from our journey! The route we took was incredible! The places and people amazing! Each stop deserves it's own blog post... So... when we catch up on sorting through our thousands of photos and making the rest of our trip happen... we will do a retrospective post in more detail along with some handy tips we've learned.

This is a road trip everyone must do! The great thing about it is once you get on the ALCAN highway, you meet several travelers, young and old, at the rest stops with the same goal: What are you doing? We're going to Alaska! Oh yeah? Us too!

We might be rich if we had a nickel for every time we heard from travelers, "You gotta do it before it's too late..." (i.e. jobs, family, other responsibilities, old age...). So, if you're even thinking of something like this... JUST DO IT!

We'll continue to keep you updated as best we can. We wish you luck with your current travels or future travel planning!

And if you haven't already done so, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and our Youtube page!

Cheers!

-Marty + Kelly

Real Time Farms Commercial

2010-08-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

We hope you enjoy the spot that Kelly and I produced for Real Time Farms!

Realtimefarms.com is an online community for finding fresh local food in your area! Check it out!

We first met founder Karl Rosaen and marketing director Cara Rosaen at Soup Stock where we received our first mini-grant for our Pan-American Dream. The two backed our Kickstarter project and we produced this commercial for their reward! Also, our Kickstarter backer Adam Alpert makes an appearance as well as the truck of our Kickstarter backer Joey Ostrander- thanks!

Real Time Farms was launched just a few months ago and is quickly growing internationally.

Please share the website and this commercial widely! For one, it's a great resource. And also, we receive compensation after 10,000 hits... (Let's be honest). And with gas at $1.39 per liter (approximately $5.60 per gallon) in Dawson City where we are now... shit, we're gonna need it!

-Marty

Credits for Real Time Farms Spot

Company: The Lazerbolt

Producers: Marty Stano + Kelly Gallagher

Director - DP - Editor: Marty Stano

Art Director: Kelly Gallagher

Composer - Sound Designer - Voice Over: Dave Fienup

Prod. Coordinator: Cara Rosaen

Farmer: Annie

Bus Rider: Adam Alpert

Gardener: Pamela Croydon

Paparazzi: Anton Bassey, Rob Nicholls, Marty Stano

Chef: Karl Rosaen

Grocer: Bailey Chamberlin

Farmer: Rick Sabo

Star Produce: Fennel, Orange Pepper, Watermelon

Shot on Location at Ann Arbor Community Farm

Special Thanks: Bob Alpert, Joey Ostrander, Andy Windak, Everyone at Ann Arbor Community Farm, and the Ann Arbor community.

Launch of the Mean Machine: A Forgotten Childhood Dream Realized

2010-07-26T09:36:00.000-07:00

[We're on about a 2-3 week back log of content. It's a little difficult to edit content and get it uploaded from the road. I had to edit late at night in a hotel laundry room and sneak their free internet (we're not staying at the hotel by the way). We're leaving Jasper, Alberta today and should be in Alaska this weekend. Once we get stationed there, we're gonna catch up on our blog content.]

The video above documents the July 8th, 2010 launch of the Mean Machine. Thanks to all of our 78 Kickstarter backers who have realized this small childhood dream of mine that was once forgotten. Everything happened perfectly: The rain and doubting weather calmed shortly before the launch and the sun peaked out afterwards. My dad won the raffle to launch the rocket, and my nephew Gavin won the rocket after the launch, thanks to the deferment of our friend Bernie. We successfully blasted the names of all of our 78 backers high into the sky! I hoped you enjoyed this opportunity to fly! Boom!

Charlie Slick "You've Got the Job" Music Video

2010-07-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Here's the new music video Kelly and I made! It's finally up online! Enjoy!

Charlie Slick - You've Got the Job from LAZER on Vimeo.

Official Music Video for Charlie Slick's "You've Got the Job" off his new album Elron Hubbard.

Produced by The Lazerbolt with the Michigan Film Collective.

Thanks to the artists at Forth From It's Hinges and everyone who came out to the shoot!

charlieslick.com
michiganfilmcollective.org
forthfromitshinges.org

Credits

Producer/Director/DP/Editor: Marty Stano
Production Designer: Kelly Gallagher
Art Director: Joey Ostrander
Choreographer: Marlee Grace Cook-Parrott
Dancers: Marlee Grace Cook-Parrott, Thomas Roltsch, Aidan Feldman
Gaffer: Chris Miller
Key Grip: Josh Ficken
Camera: Geoff George, Drew Dawson
1st AD: Shoshana Hurand
2nd AD: Katie Barkel
Ninjas: Geoff Gilbert, Ariel Nathanson, Meghann Rotary, Fred Reyez, Whitaker Martin, Justin Chrzanowski, Micah Vanderhoof, Pratik Narula, Chris Pratt

Week 1 = Success!

2010-07-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

We are on the road and beginning to hit a stride! We've had few opportunities for internet use so we apologize for the delay...

Week 1 was a success! We officially left Saturday July 10th at 4:37pm- a 4 day delay from our original Tuesday July 6th departure... so we've trimmed things down a bit and have been moving rather fast to make it to the Calgary Stampede this weekend.

We hit Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Badlands, Wall Drug, Black Hills, Mt. Rushmore, Grand Teton, and Yellow Stone. We are currently in Great Falls, MT and heading soon to Glacier NP! We'll be in Calgary tomorrow night and Sunday.

We've shot a lot of great photos and video that we look forward to sharing with you! It may be a bit until we have the time to sort through our content and post it... but stay tuned!

As we make our way North, internet and cell phone coverage will be limited to non-existent... so as we leave the internet now and disappear into the shadows for a bit, we'll leave you with a quick photo from Yellow Stone hot springs...

KICKSTARTER = SUCCESS and MEAN MACHINE ROCKET LAUNCH IS TODAY!

2010-07-08T03:44:00.000-07:00

The Estes Mean Machine Model Rocket + A Little Boy

Dear Readers + Dreamers,

We know, we know... it's Thursday and we were suppose to leave Tuesday...

And there hasn't been a new blog post in a while... is this dream still happening?

YES!

Sorry we didn't post an update on our blog earlier... BUT WE REACHED OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL! Actually, people supported us way beyond our goal! We raised $7350 towards our original $6000 goal! Thank you everyone who supported us with a pledge, sharing our links, and believing in us.

Our rafting trip was incredible, by the way, and there will be a future post and video on that.

We've been working hard the past 2 weeks moving out, packing, and starting the rewards for our Kickstarter backers. We entrusted the tandem bicycle a few days ago to Mike and we just finished a commercial for our backers Karl + Cara (post coming soon). And it's 6:24am and Marty hasn't slept yet because he just finished the wings and painted THE MEAN MACHINE!!!

We have some additional gear arriving in the mail today and then we're leaving tomorrow!

SO... The time has come to get this Pan-American Dream going!

We are celebrating the funding of our Kickstarter project by blasting a giant model rocket off into the sky!!! THE MEAN MACHINE!!! RADICAL!

This rocket has some history. Marty's been holding onto it for about 15 years and has NEVER shot it off! The rocket represents a small dream, once lost, from routinely putting it off... this seems to happen to a lot of dreams and it shouldn't be that way.

SO, 15 years later we are making it happen! Realizing this small childhood dream will help us realize the Pan-American Dream!

We will be writing the names of all of our Kickstarter backers on the rocket so that all of you will FLY with us hundreds of feet in the air! We couldn't have done it with out you!

For those in the Ann Arbor area, we invite you to the launch! It doesn't matter if you were able to support us on Kickstarter or not, come watch dreams happen!!!

Arrive 10-15min early to participate in the RAFFLE. We will draw names for who gets to PUSH THE LAUNCH BUTTON and who gets to KEEP the MEAN MACHINE and LAUNCH PAD afterwards!!! Uh-huh, Uh-huh!!!

LAUNCH
THURSDAY JULY 8TH, 7:09PM
ALLMENDINGER PARK (BASEBALL FIELD)
700 PAULINE BLVD (NEAR SEVENTH)
ANN ARBOR, MI 48103

IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT, WE WILL BE DOCUMENTING THE LAUNCH AND IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE ON OUR BLOG FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE.

Also, if you missed the early Mean Machine video you can see it on our Youtube page at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/thepanamericandream#p/a/u/1/w0kvQ4WfqiY

Hope to see some of you today!!!

Hearts,

-Marty + Kelly

Going Unplugged with $345 and 37 Hours to Go

2010-06-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Today, we are driving to Utah for a white water rafting trip. We will be spending 6 days on the Green River in Desolation Canyon. A friend invited us on this amazing trip that will be lead by experienced river guides, a firefighter, an archaeologist, and a geologist. We'll be in good hands and the experience and wisdom learned should prepare us a bit for Alaska.

Our first day on the river is Weds June 16th where we'll definitely be cut off from any electronic communication whatsoever until approximately June 24th. HOWEVER, there is a good chance we may be "unplugged" shortly after we hit the road TODAY. We don't have internet on our phones and may be camping on the drive there... So that means, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO WATCH THE OUTCOME OF OUR KICKSTARTER PROJECT WHICH ENDS TOMORROW, MONDAY AT 11:59PM EDT...

That also means we may not be able to express our incredible EXCITEMENT and THANKS in the event our project is funded until we return home on June 24th. We're sorry for the delay... But don't worry that you didn't hear from us for a few weeks. We'll be hard at work on the mean machine, rewards, preparations, and THANKS when we return!

So we're putting it into your hands to spread the word for more backers. It is incredibly exciting to see how far you've brought our project!

61 Backers. $5655 pledged. $345 more needed to make our project happen with 38 hours to go!

Just a reminder, funding is all or nothing. So if we don't reach our $6000 goal, we get Zero.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SUPER AWESOME AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN!!! We greatly appreciate your pledges and your support in sharing our project link with everyone!

Cheers,

-Marty + Kelly

Our Current Route and Inspirational Maps

2010-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

[This video was quick and sloppy since we're very occupied with fund-raising, finishing up a lot of jobs + projects, planning, moving out of our apartment... etc. They'll get better once we get on the road. Promise. Also, our current camera is auto-exposure only, which is whack, and that's why you can't really see the map well- sorry.]

One great technique we learned to realize and actualize a trip of any kind is to buy a map, hang it up in your house, apartment, dorm, or bedroom and highlight you're route. The key to accomplishing almost any kind of goal is to visualize it first. If you can't see yourself doing it, and I mean really SEE yourself doing it, then you probably won't. But, if you use your imagination and begin to develop the visualization of your goal, you'll be much closer to MAKING IT HAPPEN!

Although Google Earth and Maps are a powerful information tool, their power to INSPIRE a trip does not match a physical map. You cannot physically touch and draw on Google as you can a normal map. Also, Google gives you a limited amount of options from getting from one place to another. It plans your route with numbered steps all the way. With a physical map, you're more open to explore and create your own route, not one that a computer or GPS tells you.

Monotone Robot Voice: Look DOWN to next paragraph in approximately 2 lines.

By making your map and route more physically tangible, you make your dreams more tangible. Granted there is the iPhone and iPad which allows you to "touch" the internets... but it's not the same. Could you imagine pirates sailing around the world using Google Treasure Maps on an iPad? I don't think so. It's much more exciting to have a physical treasure map with a mysterious red "X" to crumple and throw into the air when you've found your chest full of gold.

However, Google does have some cool visualization tools. Their maps have street view photos and satellite photos that help visualize a place or route. A friend told me that users can now upload photos to maps and suggested we do so for our route. We're looking into that as a way of documenting our trip.

Some may argue that Google can do everything... but I would disagree. I do like certain technologies and am inspired by them, but I find the majority of technology more distracting. Also, Kelly and I have found that Google can hardly understand a trip of such length. We started off using Google Earth and directions, but Google couldn't comprehend the route very well nor our ambitions. So we've turned to good old fashioned maps with greater success. [Also, you can usually get maps for free from your car insurance company.]

So if you want to take a trip, Google's a great place to start... But, if you really want the INSPIRATION and MOTIVATION to take off work or whatever that is holding you back... then get some physical maps, a globe, and start visualizing what you want to do! Good luck!

-Marty

We Can Make You Fly on Kickstarter.com!

2010-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

We're pushing to get support from A LOT of people but with smaller pledge amounts on our Kickstarter Fundraiser. To do so, we're offering a NEW REWARD for ALL BACKERS! We're gonna make you fly! How? With a big model rocket dream that I never realized as a kid. It symbolizes going after your dreams and the incredible potential of realizing them. A mere $5 pledge will go a long way if we get the support of many. See the video for more details.

(Unfortunately, Kelly has been out of town working... but we're planning more videos together when she's back.)

Also, we've been getting a lot of great feedback on our Youtube channel as well as thoughtful emails from people we haven't even met yet! We love this support!!! Thank you so much! Get inspired, make dreams happen!

Peace,

-Marty

Shopping for Gear: The Mall vs. REI

2010-05-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

Mall of America

REI - Boulder, CO

I think shopping malls are unbearable! PERIOD.

I generally try to avoid the mall at all costs. I've made it through certain years of my life without entering a single mall once. But occasionally, I force myself inside these despicable pretzel peddling places. When I do, I usually make a bee-line for the Apple store and get the hell out. That's the only store I generally need something from... Once, I almost got distracted and bought a rad belt buckle the size and shape of a gun inlaid with diamonds... I was fortunate enough to safely gather my strength and walk away from the flashy kiosk.

I sometimes go to the mall for the movie theater. Like the time Kelly + I went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox but there were projector problems and the only film we could see was Couples Retreat... Gahhh! An awful mall and movie experience...

I've also forced myself into malls to make films of my own. I directed a short film called Mall Walkers during college. We shot most of the scenes at a rundown mall during the hours of 11pm-7am. The long nights, the silence and sound echos, and the humming of fluorescent lights was dreadful.

For our last day of filming, we needed to shoot a chase scene of the main character who had stolen an article of clothing and was running from a security guard. The rundown mall wouldn't work. So we shot it guerrilla style at a large mall that wouldn't give us permission to film there 2 months earlier. We had 2 camera operators on roller-blades (I was one of them), 2 actors, 1 assistant inside, 1 driver for drop-off, and 1 driver for the get-away car. The assistant inside was stationed in the middle of the mall to serve as a diversion in the event that we we're chased by real security guards.

We did 3 takes. It was a challenge for myself and the other operator to watch the camera monitor while also watching 5-10 ft ahead of us with our peripheral vision to anticipate our path amongst the crowds of people. The first 2 takes we flew through the mall hardly unnoticed... by security that is. However, on the 3rd take, I was flying on my roller-blades just about to duck through a small window of people when a middle age man flinched from the other operator and jumped into my gap. At the last second, I had to jump over and went right through a steel trash can kicking it out of the way. The sound of the trash can sent an echo throughout the mall notifying security. I had cut my hand a bit but continued to skate and caught up to film the scene. As we rounded the last hallway of our route we here "STOP!" I look over my shoulder to identify the shouts coming from a female security officer at full sprint! Myself, the other cam-op, and one of the actors slam through the exit doors and disperse into the parking lot where we rendez-vous across the street with our get-away car. However, our other actor lagged behind and had to dip into an Arby's. After the security guard gave up on us, she found him in the Arby's where he played it cool and played it dumb. She couldn't get anything out of him so she gave him a simple 30-Day BAN from the mall... hahahahaha!

That was definitely one of my most enjoyable mall experiences!

I think one of the primary reasons I cannot stand malls is a result of the childhood boredom I experienced there. When I was a kid, I'd have to tag along at the mall on Saturdays as my mom shopped. It seemed like we would be there all day... but maybe it wasn't that long. I'm often surprised at how close a place like the zoo is that seemed like such a long drive as a kid. Anyway, the time spent at the mall as a kid seemed forever-lasting. I would often entertain myself by hiding under the clothes racks. In doing so, I'd frighten my mom nearly to death as she would worry my disappearance may be forever-lasting! Sorry mom...

The reason I started reflecting on all of this was because I just came back from REI after spending nearly 6 hours there! Whew! And I was just there for a couple of hours the day before. Memorial Day Weekend is their biggest sale of the year. Kelly is in Vegas for the weekend on a family vacation, so I took responsibility to take advantage of the discounted gear. The time flew by as I tried on several clothes, bags, boots, sleeping bags and more while scrutinizing all the details.

I realized the reason I can tolerate REI over a shopping mall is simple:

It's FUNCTIONALITY over FASHION.

I'm more considered with the weight of things or the cool/warmth factor, not whether they're the latest trend. I want a backpack that fits well so I can carry 30-35 lbs all day most comfortably. I don't care if the backpack makes my butt look good. I'll spend 6 hours at REI to find the best gear that will help Kelly and I survive. I don't care if our style dies... And although it's pretty inherent, it's great to know that REI and related companies are concerned with enjoying and protecting the world's natural resources and produce goods to do so. On the other hand, the majority of manufactures at a shopping mall may be concerned with producing profits and exploiting people and natural resources.

Anywho, for readers like Kelly and I, who aren't outdoor experts, I've learned that you really need to try out gear at the store and not order from online; Although you can order multiple items online and return to an REI store. It is important to get fitted for things like backpacks and boots and try out several options. Even though a nice backpack is on clearance, it may not be the best fit for your body. If you're hauling 20-30 lbs or wind up in a critical survival situation, you're gonna wish you had the best fit. That goes same for the utility of the gear. Focusing on buying the best gear for your own needs is a little bit like investing in a life insurance policy... only much more exciting!

Peace,

-Marty

Realizing the Dream: Fund-raising on Kickstarter.com

2010-05-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

Our Kickstarter Page

How do we make this dream possible? Optimism- check. Energy- check. Courage- check. Time- check. Knowledge- workin' on it. Money- Hmmmm...

To successfully start our expedition, we need money. We've been able to raise $6000 of our own money... but we're gonna need twice that to cover our survival gear, travel expenses, camera equipment, and miscellaneous expenses.

So we've turned to Kickstarter.com to raise another $6000 through pledges. If you're not familiar, Kickstarter is a community of people making things happen! Anyone can submit proposals for a project of any kind including community, art, education, travel, film, music, food, and more.

The quick run down: We've created a project, we have a goal of $6000, anyone can make a pledge, we offer a variety of rewards for pledge amounts (including our tandem bicycle!), we have 22 days left, if we do not reach our goal, no one's credit/debit cards will be charged and we receive absolutely nothing. The funding is all or nothing! Which is a great concept to make things happen... but a little scary for us.

There's some people who think this dream of ours is to crazy and that it's not gonna happen... We agree that it is crazy and ambitious, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE. Through Kickstarter, we've already raised $1860 in a little more than a week. We've received large generous pledges and we've already received a $10 pledge from someone we haven't met- thanks for believing!

Everyone can help make this possible in a number of ways:

1. You can make a pledge or "Back Our Project" on Our Kickstarter Page. A minimum pledge is $5 and if we get enough people to support, that $5 will go a long way.

2. If you can't make a donation at this time, you can help us by following our blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube while sharing with your friends.

3. And one of the biggest ways you can help our dream is to simply believe in it. This can be done with attitude and word choice. For example, if you tell a friend about us, don't say, "Check out what they want to do," or "Check out what they're trying to do." Instead, say something like, "LOOK AT WHAT THESE TWO ARE DOING," or "THEY'RE MAKING IT HAPPEN!"

THANK YOU FOR READING AND BELIEVING! IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR A PROJECT, DREAM, OR GOAL, GO OVER TO KICKSTARTER.COM AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Pack What You Need to Survive + Be Happy

2010-05-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

From my readings of historical adventurers, it seems that the leaders who we're most successful on their expeditions we're very particular with their gear or things. When you have to carry your things on your back, you reevaluate their importance. Survival functionality often wins over minor convenience.

So I've translated this survival minimalism to my life in general and the things I own: Do I really want to carry all of these things with me through life? Do I really need this or that? Most of the time, the answer is 'No.' It doesn't matter if it's in your backpack or your home, if you acquire too many things, you're more likely to exhaust yourself and topple over in some metaphorical respect...

The exhaustion of owning things in your home may not come from directly carrying them, but rather the work you have to do to pay for them. Very few people are fortunate enough to do work that brings them happiness and joy. So if you're not happy with your job then why work? I'm guessing the main reason is to make money with the idea that money will help you obtain your happiness. The problem is that a lot of us are poorly conditioned in how to use money with respect to our own happiness. We're taught that we need to buy things. We're taught to spend money on cars, homes, convenient appliances, the latest technologies or expensive clothes. We're sometimes discouraged to spend money on activities that don't yield a product or value to represent our hard work, even if those activities may bring happiness. Certain religions encourage the acquiring and conservation of one's personal goods and consider it a sin to spend money on simple pleasures and activities that bring happiness. We're taught that if we work more, we can make more money, and if we make more money, we can buy more things. Somewhere in the middle of all that, it's assumed these things will bring us happiness... but that is not the case!

This is not an original thought by any means, but I want to frame it in the context of the adventurer backpack metaphor...

I think that all of us are like trekkers trying to reach happiness at the top of mountain. We work hard on the base of the mountain to make money to buy the gear that will help us reach the summit. Some of us buy too much gear and exhaust ourselves before we reach the top. Some of us spend too much time working and buying gear that we never have time to start climbing. The smart ones pack just the right amount of gear they need and eventually climb all the way to the top. They are the fortunate ones who will experience adventure and happiness.

So my question to you is this:

If you were to leave your job, home, etc. today and bring only what you could carry in your backpack, what would you bring and where would you go?

That's the same question I'm trying to figure out as Kelly and I prepare for our trip. I feel like the response will be a good answer to both our survival and happiness.

In the meantime, I've begun selling some of my stuff on Craigslist. Just sold two chairs yesterday and made $45. Woohoo! Currently selling another office chair, a bunch of 16mm film, and two djembe drums. I plan to do the same with additional furniture, TV, stereo, monitors, and other items. I hope to sell a large majority of my things so that I don't have to waste money on a storage unit when we leave.

I'm liberating myself from a bunch of stuff I don't need and it feels great!

If there's something I own that you would like, let me know. I'll gladly give it to you in return for a donation towards our expedition.

Hearts,

-Marty

Saturday Stars

2010-05-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Man, I think the stars are up to something every Saturday... I'm really into astrology if you didn't know. Mostly on days like today when my horoscope says:

An opportunity to travel with a partner or colleague could come your way, perhaps for business. Any travel planned or begun today is likely to go well and bring you whatever results you hope for. Whatever it is you're planning, Cancer, it should excite your enthusiasm and optimism for your future success. Business and personal relations with others should be warm, cordial, and stimulating. Make the most of it!

-Marty

The Stars Are With Us

2010-05-08T15:10:00.001-07:00

Yes! Marty's horoscope today:

The opportunity to travel, perhaps with friends or a group you belong to, could come your way today, Cancer. Discussions with others could lead to the confirmation of practical arrangements. You might also seek to advance your education, as your intellect is especially active now. Whatever new experiences come your way could lead to new paths, interests, and opportunities. Don't let doubts or fears get in your way.

We Have a Pan-American Dream!

2010-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone to our blog!

We are Marty + Kelly and we're preparing for a long expedition from Ann Arbor, MI to Alaska to Argentina! Our journey will start on July 6th, 2010 and we'll be traveling mostly by road. Yikes! That's pretty soon...

We are filmmakers/photographers who want to travel, create our own art, teach free film/photography workshops to youth, explore local food, and document our experience.

Follow our blog and stay updated with all our preparations and travels of making this Pan-American Dream come true!

Thanks!!!