Lost Highway 84: My First Off Road Adventure Ever
The year did not ease in quietly.
It arrived on sand, sunlight, and a stretch of coastline called Lost Highway 84.
This was not just my first off road trip of 2026.
It was my first off road adventure ever in Little Ricky.
The idea began quietly, the way good adventures often do. While exploring routes on the onX app, I stumbled across an off road section tracing the Gulf shoreline. It looked doable. Inviting. Just adventurous enough to make my heart beat a little faster.
I first mentioned it to our then neighbors and now friends, Jenn and Todd, asking if they would be willing to give it a try with us. They were in without hesitation. Later, at dinner with our Renegade friends Michelle, Craig, Sammi, and John, the idea came up again. Their response was immediate. That sounds fun. And just like that, a casual thought turned into a plan.
Five vehicles lined up on the sand. Four Jeeps and one Bronco. Everyone but me clearly knew what they were doing. This became apparent almost immediately when everyone else confidently rolled out in two wheel drive, while I engaged four wheel drive and stayed there very comfortably.
Let’s just say confidence levels varied, and mine came with a little extra traction.
I was driving at the back when I noticed the others suddenly pulling over. From a distance, I could see something large rolling on the beach near the waterline. My imagination immediately went into overdrive. In my mind, we had a washed up baby whale.
Without hesitation, I pulled over, grabbed my gloves, and ran toward the group fully prepared for a rescue.
Well. There was nothing to rescue.
What we had actually found was a washed up, bloated wild boar. Definitely not a whale. Definitely very dead. And there I stood, gloves on, heart in the right place, feeling just a little bit silly. The good news is that everyone was kind about it and I got a good laugh at myself. Apparently my compassion sometimes arrives faster than my common sense.
Communication turned out to be another learning moment. We had phones, but no cell service. Lost Highway 84 lived up to its name and reminded us that once you are out there, you are really out there. It made staying together feel important and grounding.
The Gulf Coast showed up in all its understated beauty. Endless sky. Rolling water. Tire tracks weaving through pale sand. We stopped often, sometimes for photos, sometimes just to stand there and breathe it all in. There was laughter, hand signals, and the kind of easy camaraderie that does not require constant conversation.
Off roading, I quickly learned, is not about bravado. It is about awareness. About respecting the terrain, trusting your vehicle, and knowing when to take it slow. Lost Highway 84 turned out to be the perfect classroom. Wide, forgiving, and honest.
Nature, as always, had the final word.
Why This Matters
By the time we turned back, something had shifted. Not dramatically. Not loudly. But quietly and for good.
This mattered because it was my first time trusting myself in a new way. Because I found the route, suggested the idea, and followed it through. Because I did not need to be the most confident or experienced to belong. I just needed to be willing.
It mattered because learning does not stop when we think it should. Because trying something new does not require perfection, only participation. And because sometimes growth looks like staying in four wheel drive while others do not, and being perfectly okay with that.
It also mattered because it reminded me that showing up with a willing heart, even with gloves on for a rescue that does not exist, is never something to be embarrassed about.
My first Jeep off road trip of 2026.
My first off road adventure ever in Little Ricky.
And a reminder that courage often arrives disguised as curiosity and sometimes a slightly overactive imagination.
Here’s to lost highways, patient friends, and the joy of being a beginner.
