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Trip Details
North America
Phoenix to Prudhoe Bay: Chasing the Road to the Arctic
There are road trips, and then there are journeys where the road itself becomes the destination. Our North American expedition begins beneath the desert sun of Phoenix, Arizona, and points north toward one of the most remote places accessible by road on the continent: Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.
Thousands of miles separate the Sonoran Desert from the Arctic Ocean. Between them are mountain ranges, forests, border crossings, isolated highways, small towns, and stretches of wilderness where preparation matters far more than cell service.
For this portion of the expedition, we'll be traveling in our 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60—the oldest, simplest, and arguably most old-school vehicle in our fleet.
Leaving the Desert Behind
Phoenix provides a fitting starting point. Temperatures can easily exceed 100°F, putting immediate emphasis on cooling-system health before we ever encounter the cold environments waiting farther north.
As we leave Arizona behind, the landscape begins its transformation. Desert gives way to high country, mountain passes, forests, and eventually the enormous open spaces of the northern United States and Canada.
We're deliberately leaving room in the route for exploration. Some of the best moments of an overland journey happen when a small dirt road, mountain pass, campsite, or conversation with someone at a fuel station changes the plan.
The objective isn't simply to reach Alaska.
It's to experience everything between Arizona and Alaska.
Canada: Where the Distances Get Bigger
Crossing into Canada changes the scale of the expedition.
Cities become farther apart. Wilderness becomes larger. Fuel stops become more important. And the temptation to leave the main highway becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.
British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies offer endless opportunities for side trips, mountain campsites, lakes, forest roads, and small communities.
Farther north, the trip begins feeling increasingly remote.
Road conditions become less predictable, wildlife becomes a regular part of the drive, and distances between services grow dramatically.
This is exactly where traveling in an older Land Cruiser becomes part of the adventure.
Every morning begins with the same ritual: fluids, tires, belts, leaks and anything that may have shaken loose the previous day.
The farther north we travel, the more the vehicle becomes another member of the expedition.
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Crossing into Alaska represents a major milestone, but our destination is still hundreds of miles farther north.
Mountains dominate the horizon. Rivers carve through enormous valleys. Wildlife replaces traffic.
Eventually we reach Fairbanks—the final major staging point before one of the most anticipated roads of the entire expedition.
The Dalton Highway.
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The Dalton Highway
Running north from near Fairbanks toward Prudhoe Bay, the Dalton is legendary among overland travelers.
Originally constructed to support the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the highway cuts through some of Alaska's most isolated terrain.
Pavement comes and goes.
Gravel changes constantly.
Truck traffic demands respect.
Weather can transform the road surprisingly quickly.
And services are limited enough that fuel planning becomes part of the day's strategy.
The road eventually climbs through Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range before dropping onto the enormous Arctic tundra of Alaska's North Slope.
Trees disappear.
Mountains slowly fall behind us.
And eventually there is almost nothing left except tundra, road and sky.
Then comes Prudhoe Bay.
Preparing for the North
This route is exactly why we're keeping the FJ60 mechanically simple.
Our biggest concerns aren't massive horsepower or extreme suspension travel. They're cooling, fuel delivery, bearings, brakes, tires, steering, electrical reliability and carrying the tools and spare components necessary to solve smaller problems ourselves.
The goal isn't eliminating every possibility of something going wrong.
That's impossible.
The goal is making sure a small problem doesn't become the end of the expedition.
What We're Chasing
Phoenix to Prudhoe Bay isn't about finding the fastest route north.
It's about watching the world change through the windshield.
Desert.
Mountains.
Forest.
Tundra.
And finally the Arctic.
Thousands of miles traveled in a nearly 45-year-old Land Cruiser where every fuel stop, campsite and dirt road becomes another chapter.
Because sometimes the destination isn't a city.
Sometimes it's simply reaching the point where the road finally runs out.
Central America
Tecate to Panama City: Baja, the Sea of Cortez & the Road Through Central America
The Central American leg may be the most diverse section of our entire Pan-American journey. We're trading the cold, isolated roads of the north for desert, beaches, tropical forests, volcanoes, mountain passes, border crossings, humidity, heat, and thousands of miles of constantly changing road conditions.
For this portion of the expedition, the keys belong to our 1991 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80.
That's intentional.
The 80 Series is our middle ground—the truck designed to comfortably eat up highway miles while remaining capable enough that when pavement turns into sand, gravel, mud, or an unmarked road disappearing toward the horizon, we don't have to turn around.
And this leg begins with one of the places we've been looking forward to most.
Leg One: Tecate to La Paz — Down the Baja Peninsula
We enter Mexico through Tecate, but instead of immediately chasing the fastest road south, we're pointing the Land Cruiser toward Baja.
The peninsula is exactly what this expedition is supposed to be about.
Long stretches of desert.
Mountains dropping toward the sea.
Fishing villages.
Remote beaches.
Dusty roads.
Cactus forests.
And campsites where the Pacific Ocean or Sea of Cortez replaces the sound of traffic.
Baja is also where the FJ80's personality should shine. There will be plenty of highway miles, but some of the places we want to find aren't sitting directly beside the highway.
We'll be looking for the roads leading away from it.
Into Baja
As we work south through Baja California, the landscape becomes increasingly isolated.
Fuel planning starts to matter more. Temperatures rise. Washboard roads can punish suspension components, and soft sand can quickly remind you why tire pressure and four-wheel drive matter.
This isn't necessarily extreme four-wheeling.
It's something we enjoy even more:
Exploration.
The truck needs to carry everything we need without becoming overloaded, remain comfortable for long driving days, and still be capable of following a questionable dirt road toward the coast simply because we want to know what's at the end.
Following the Sea of Cortez
Eventually our route carries us toward the Sea of Cortez and deeper into Baja California Sur.
This is where we're intentionally slowing down.
We'll search for remote campsites, small coastal communities, hidden coves, desert trails and those stretches of coastline where the mountains seem to fall directly into turquoise water.
Places like Bahía Concepción represent exactly what we're chasing—desert landscapes meeting clear water with miles of coastline waiting to be explored.
The goal isn't to race toward La Paz.
It's to earn our way there one campsite at a time.
La Paz — Where the Road Meets the Ocean
Eventually the Land Cruiser rolls into La Paz, and for the first time on this leg, continuing south requires something other than simply turning the key.
We're putting the truck on a ship.
Vehicle ferry services connect La Paz's Pichilingue port with mainland Mexico, including routes toward Topolobampo and Mazatlán. Current operators advise travelers to verify schedules because itineraries can change, making the crossing one of those moments where expedition logistics become every bit as important as vehicle preparation.
The Land Cruiser gets loaded aboard.
We grab what we need from the truck.
And Baja slowly disappears behind us.
Crossing the Sea of Cortez
There's something special about putting an expedition vehicle onto a ferry.
For thousands of miles, the Land Cruiser has been responsible for carrying us forward.
Now it gets to be the passenger.
The ferry carries both travelers and vehicles across the Sea of Cortez, allowing an overland journey through Baja to continue onto mainland Mexico without retracing the entire peninsula north.
For us, the crossing represents more than transportation.
It's the transition between two completely different chapters of the expedition.
Desert Baja is behind us.
Mainland Mexico and Central America are ahead.
Mainland Mexico — Back on the Road
Once the FJ80 rolls off the ferry, the expedition changes again.
We begin working south through mainland Mexico, where long highway stretches are mixed with mountain roads, smaller communities, tropical environments and countless opportunities to disappear from the primary route.
Temperatures and humidity begin climbing.
Traffic patterns change.
Road surfaces become less predictable.
And daily vehicle inspections become increasingly important.
Cooling performance, tire condition, brakes and fluids become part of the morning routine.
Preparation doesn't eliminate uncertainty.
It gives us the freedom to enjoy it.
When the vehicle is mechanically sorted and the recovery equipment is packed, an unexpected dirt road isn't something to worry about.
It's an invitation.
Mexico to Central America
Eventually the enormous scale of Mexico begins giving way to something completely different.
Borders start arriving much faster.
The Central American portion of the Pan-American corridor links Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, meaning the expedition now becomes a rhythm of driving, exploring, paperwork and crossing into another country.
That makes this portion of the trip mechanically demanding in a different way.
It's not necessarily the remoteness of Alaska.
It's the constant change.
One day could mean high mountain roads.
The next could bring tropical heat.
Then rain.
Then mud.
Then hours of pavement.
Then another border.
Guatemala — Into the Highlands
Guatemala introduces us to the mountainous side of Central America.
Elevation begins changing rapidly as roads climb toward highland communities, volcanoes and mountain valleys.
For the FJ80, this means long climbs followed by equally demanding descents.
Cooling systems matter going up.
Brakes matter coming down.
And somewhere between the two, we'll inevitably spot a dirt road worth exploring.
This is where having a truck capable of comfortably switching between highway travel and rougher terrain becomes invaluable.
El Salvador & Honduras — Small Countries, Big Days
One of the interesting things about Central America is how quickly countries can change.
Distances that would barely move the needle in northern Canada can carry us across an entire nation here.
But shorter distances don't necessarily mean easier travel.
Border procedures, traffic, mountain roads and weather can turn relatively modest mileage into a full day behind the wheel.
That's part of the experience.
We're not measuring this expedition by how many miles we cover every day.
We're measuring it by what happens between them.
Nicaragua — Volcano Country
Nicaragua brings another dramatic shift in scenery.
Volcanoes dominate horizons.
Large lakes appear beside the road.
The landscape opens up.
And the Pan-American corridor continues south through places including Estelí, Managua and Rivas before reaching Costa Rica.
This is exactly where we want the freedom to deviate from the obvious route.
The highway connects the countries.
The smaller roads connect us with the adventure.
Costa Rica — Into the Rain
By Costa Rica, we're entering an environment dramatically different from the deserts where this leg began.
Humidity rises.
Vegetation becomes dense.
Rain becomes part of the equation.
Roads climb through forests and mountains before dropping toward coastlines.
The truck that once threw dust across Baja may now be covered in tropical mud.
And that's exactly the point.
Few sections of the expedition demonstrate the versatility of an overland vehicle better than traveling from the deserts of Baja into the tropical environments of Central America.
Panama — The Road Begins to Run Out
Eventually we cross into Panama.
At this point we've traveled from Tecate through Baja, crossed the Sea of Cortez, driven through mainland Mexico and continued through country after country toward the southern edge of Central America.
Then we reach Panama City.
And the expedition encounters one of the most famous obstacles on the entire Pan-American route.
The Darién Gap.
There is no continuous highway carrying our Land Cruiser from Panama into Colombia.
Once again, logistics take over.
The FJ80's job is finished.
The truck that carried us through Baja, Mexico and Central America ends its chapter here while the expedition prepares to move into South America.
Preparing the FJ80 for Central America
This route explains exactly why we're building the FJ80 the way we are.
We don't need the most extreme Land Cruiser possible.
We need the most versatile one.
Cooling needs to handle Baja heat and tropical temperatures.
Suspension needs to absorb washboard without making highway driving miserable.
All-terrain tires need to survive rocks, gravel, sand, rain and thousands of pavement miles.
Air conditioning needs to work.
Brakes need to survive mountain descents.
The full-time four-wheel-drive system needs to be ready whenever the road surface suddenly changes.
And the interior needs to remain comfortable enough that after eight hours behind the wheel, we're still excited to see what's around the next corner.
One Land Cruiser. A Thousand Different Roads.
This portion of the expedition begins in the dry mountains outside Tecate and ends beneath the skyline of Panama City.
Between them lies almost everything an overland vehicle could encounter.
South America
Cartagena to Ushuaia: Driving Toward the End of the World
South America is where the scale of this expedition truly becomes difficult to comprehend.
After crossing the Darién Gap by transporting the vehicle from Panama into Colombia, our journey resumes in Cartagena.
From there, there is only one general direction.
South.
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina stand between us and Ushuaia.
This portion belongs to our 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series, chosen specifically because the challenges here aren't limited to off-road capability.
We're facing enormous distances.
Altitude.
Heat.
Cold.
Mountain passes.
Desert.
Gravel.
Wind.
And weeks spent behind the wheel.
For this continent, comfort becomes another piece of expedition equipment.
Colombia: Back on the Road
Cartagena provides one of the most dramatic transitions of the entire expedition.
After shipping around the roadless Darién Gap, vehicle and team reunite on the South American continent.
The Caribbean environment surrounding Cartagena eventually gives way to increasingly mountainous terrain as we begin moving inland.
And then the Andes appear.
South America's spine will become a recurring companion for much of the journey.
Roads twist higher into the mountains, elevations change dramatically and the landscapes become larger with every passing mile.
Ecuador: Following the Andes
Crossing into Ecuador means committing even deeper to mountain travel.
Volcanoes, high valleys and winding roads dominate the landscape.
The temptation will constantly be to leave the primary route.
Small mountain communities and remote roads are exactly what this expedition is designed to discover.
But elevation introduces another consideration.
Vehicles behave differently at altitude. Drivers do too.
Long climbs, steep descents and rapidly changing weather mean mechanical preparation and patience become equally important.
Peru: Into the High Country
Peru may deliver some of the most visually spectacular driving of the expedition.
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The Andes become enormous here.
Roads climb into thin air before dropping through valleys and climbing again.
Ancient communities, high-altitude plains and mountain passes create a landscape that feels almost purpose-built for overland travel.
Peru is where we want to slow the expedition down.
There will always be another highway south.
The interesting question is:
What's down that road instead?
Toward Chile: Mountains Meet Desert
Eventually the mountains begin colliding with another extreme environment—the Atacama.
One of the driest regions on Earth introduces a landscape that feels almost extraterrestrial.
Vegetation disappears.
Distances stretch toward the horizon.
Fuel planning returns to the forefront.
Days can be warm while nights become surprisingly cold.
And once again, the Land Cruiser becomes our home between destinations.
The Long Road South
Continuing through Chile and Argentina, the expedition begins transitioning again.
The farther south we travel, the more Patagonia begins to reveal itself.
Mountains return.
Glaciers appear.
Turquoise lakes cut through valleys.
Roads become increasingly isolated.
And wind becomes something you don't simply observe—you drive against it.
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Patagonia: Where Distance Becomes Beautiful
Patagonia is one of the primary reasons we're making this journey.
There are legendary routes here, including sections of Chile's Carretera Austral and Argentina's Ruta 40, alongside countless smaller roads disappearing toward mountains, lakes and remote settlements.
Some stretches are paved.
Others are gravel.
Some may be battered by wind and weather.
And occasionally the road we'll want to explore won't lead anywhere useful at all.
Those may become our favorites.
This is where the 100 Series earns its place in the fleet.
Its job isn't simply conquering difficult terrain.
It's keeping us comfortable enough that after eight hours of driving, we're still willing to explore the dirt road appearing on the horizon.
Tierra del Fuego
Eventually Patagonia narrows.
The Strait of Magellan appears.
We cross onto Tierra del Fuego, and suddenly a journey that once seemed almost impossibly long begins running out of continent.
Mountains rise again around Ushuaia.
The Beagle Channel appears beyond them.
And after thousands upon thousands of miles, there isn't much farther south left to drive.
Preparing for South America
This section demands perhaps the most balanced preparation of the entire expedition.
The 100 Series needs to handle high-altitude passes and rough gravel while remaining quiet and comfortable during enormous highway stretches.
Cooling, brakes, suspension, tires, wheel bearings, CV axles, charging systems and drivetrain fluids will all receive attention before departure.
But we're deliberately avoiding unnecessary modification.
Every additional component creates another component that can fail.
For South America, we're relying heavily on one of Toyota's greatest engineering accomplishments:
A mostly stock Land Cruiser that's been exceptionally well maintained.
The Road to Ushuaia
When we finally reach Ushuaia, the odometer will tell only part of the story.
The real journey will be measured differently.
Border crossings.
Fuel stations.
Broken parts.
Roadside repairs.
Unexpected campsites.
People met along the way.
Roads we weren't planning to take.
And countless mornings when we climbed into the Land Cruiser without knowing exactly where we'd sleep that night.
Prudhoe Bay represents the northern extreme.
Ushuaia represents the southern one.
Everything between them is why we're going.
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