by Amanda Barnard | Jul 20, 2020 | Everything Else, Jeeps on the Rock
It has been very interesting to me at the amount of Jeep owners that do not know about the Jeep Badge of Honor program. The general consensus has been the same. I have been spreading the word and have also been very excited about it for us!
We just had the opportunity to go to Moab, Utah. In this area, there are many trails to complete that will yield a badge. Where do these badges go? That’s for you to decide!
We have seen several ideas over the course of time, with so many amazing choices! I’m still kind of fond of the traditional front of the driver’s door. But wherever you choose, be sure to display the love.
It is SO fun to see all of the different spots AND see all of the different places people have visited!
We will have a video soon, but in the meantime – please be sure to share pics of yours with us in the comments! I am looking forward to seeing where you have been! I am also very interested in seeing where everyone puts their badges!
by Amanda Barnard | Jul 9, 2020 | Everything Else, Jeeps on the Rock
This was an amazing Badge of Honor trail that yielded zero disappointments! It was the first one with a company of friends. We had viewed videos and other research to ensure this venture would be accessible to us. We haven’t built the jeep up as much as others have.
Metal Masher Review
This trail has a beautiful array of scenery. From the high, cliff, shelf roads to the long valley trails the majestic, creation exhibits the Hand of God!
At around the mid-point of the route, is Arth’s Rim. It is 1300 ft up and overlooks highway 191. It is absolutely, breath-taking! But stay away from the edge. I do not like “heights” so I just stayed close to the jeep.
There are many, very, challenging obstacles, but most of them have a bypass around. If you don’t choose the detour, just be aware. You are going to want a lift and better-than-stock tires. I recommend at least a 2.5 inch lift. Also we are running 35 inch tires and still smacked our rock rails>
We also may or may not have squished our tailpipe. Ok we did, but we didn’t buy the jeep to sit in a garage or to simply be a mall-crawler! Just use caution, pick a line, and don’t regret it!
If you have dared to attempt it, drop a comment below! I would LOVE to hear about it!
Metal Masher will be a MUST do over for us!

by Amanda Barnard | Jul 7, 2020 | Everything Else, Jeeps on the Rock
After finally arriving in Moab, we found our townhouse, unpacked, met up with our friends for a bit. Then came the planning.
JEEP – JUST EMPTY EVERY POCKET
Most everyone had arrived a day or two before we did and we found out they had already been on an escapade that caused some distress. Have you every heard that JEEP stands for – just empty every pocket? As it turns out, they weren’t planning any trail-riding fun the next day, because they had parts to retrieve.
So Brad and I decided to explore on our own. Prior research had revealed Fins and Things to be a good starter trail. There are many reviews out there proving this trail can be done in a stock Rubicon. I have also heard it called a baby trail, compared to many others.
I suppose it is a matter of perception, which I learned a little about during this trip. Obstacles appear so much differently from inside the jeep than it looks being on the outside filming.
FINS AND THINGS REVIEW
First sight, doesn’t appear as much. Driving along the slick rock (which really isn’t slick, but is sticky – go figure), it is smooth sailing. Then just around the corner comes the fun. You drive through powdery, sand and then up hill and back down. From the inside of the jeep feels like you’re just going to topple over. But of course, that’s part of the perception deception.
I truly learned SO MUCH, and for the first Badge of Honor completion, I wasn’t let down.
by Amanda Barnard | Jul 3, 2020 | Everything Else, Jeeps on the Rock
We are leaving for a jeep adventure trip soon! Our first stop will still be in Texas. When you live on one side of Texas and you need to another state on the opposite side of the state, you will still be in the same state.
ARE WE IN THE SAME COUNTRY?
Traveling across Texas is like traveling to another country. We take a family vacation every year and for about 10 years now, it has been to Georgia. When entering Texas via I-20W, the first mile marker is 635. So to travel to other side of the state, it will take many hours or days depending on your excursion habits.
I love to travel. I blame my parents. We navigated through much of the eastern half of the United States during my younger years. But I haven’t seen much of the west.
I am fortunate enough to have seen so many things that other people only dream about, but yet there is still so much to experience. For this exploit, we will venture across Texas to New Mexico, where we will visit family.
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
Then we will shoot up through the edge of Arizona – a state I haven’t been to yet. But I’ll take what I can get. Then to our stop at Moab, Utah – also another state I haven’t been to.
We will remain in Utah for several days, where we will meet up with some friends and venture out for some trail running and rock-crawling in our jeeps! It is going to be SO FUN!
After that, Brad and I will make a couple of day pit stop in Colorado, on our way home, for a few more trails.
I am super excited, because our goals include several Jeep Badge of Honor Trails. Do you know about this program? If not, you should look into it!
I hope you decide to follow along and check out some of these adventures with us!
by Amanda Barnard | Oct 4, 2019 | Everything Else, Jeeps on the Rock
Brad said he had once heard the acronym for JEEP was – J(Just) E(empty) E(every) P(pocket). I have made it my personal mission for this to not be truth in our case. When we bought our Jeep in May of this year, we immediately started planning some modifications.
Part of the purpose for the mods were to eventually take the Jeep on some adventures. Some of which included getting muddy, trail riding, do some rock crawling, and eventually some overlanding. We discussed in detail some options of the mods, but money was still – as it is with anyone – a hard, core factor.
Brad really likes personal customer service, so he is the one that wants to find a store to get just that. I’m the one that prefers to shop online. He went to 4 Wheel Parts, which is online, but they have several store locations. In order to get the personable, customer service that he was looking for, he went to a local store for several items on our list and because they were having a sale. Then some other parts we ordered from Extreme Terrain.
That being said, I am the realist, and therefore know, while there are good sales out there; some sales are just not worth the hassle. I’m just going to say, it was a good thing that Brad was in charge of ordering and retrieving the pieces. A considerable amount of the pieces took, what seemed to be, an eternity. (Ok there is a little exaggeration there, but no order should take months.)
I am over it now, and there are a few more things we would like to do to the Jeep, but we are very happy with what we have so far!