Letter From the Editor
Whew, made it!
For all of us who lived through the hell of 2020, it’s time to look ahead. Better days are out there, from coast to coast and around the world.
In Ecuador a little-known surf town called Mompiche offers warm waters and uncrowded breaks that welcome anyone who tests negative for you-knowwhat 10 days before arrival.
It’s the perfect place not just to decompress, but to enjoy the simple pleasures of adventure travel, namely good bars, good food and dirt-cheap massages on the beach.
If you’re looking for something more luxe, our Lodge in Place photo feature will transport you to places like the otherworldly outpost in the Kaokoland desert in Namibia, where all manner of exotic game is just outside the “camp,” which just happens to have a deluxe lap pool. How about fly-fishing in Chile? Or whitewater rafting in Costa Rica? There’s no better way to reset priorities than taking a deep breath of fresh jungle air without a mask on.
Back home in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, motorheads are hopping into UTVS and trampling all over the graves of the Hatfields & Mccoys. The trail system there, named after the feuding families, boasts hundreds of miles of off-roading danger zones. But fear not, ATVS have been replaced by caged side-by-sides powered by 150plus horses that allow you to tear it up without all that serious risk of injury or death mumbo jumbo. California, Colorado, New Hampshire—whether you’re after scenic beauty, a technical challenge or just some serious fun in the mud, The Fast and the Dirtiest on p. 52 will point you in the right direction.
Notice a theme here? After months of being cooped up inside, it seems everyone is suffering a form of collective Stockholm syndrome whereby you, me, and Uncle Bob are passively accepting our own imprisonment. We can play it safe, but we have to play, have to plan that next uncharted course. That’s what Matthew Mcconaughey is currently doing. The Oscar winner has spent his downtime writing Greenlights, a meditative book that expounds upon the meaning of life. For Matthew, that’s living your life on your terms. Of course, to do that, you’re first gonna need an ax and a bottle of quality whiskey (keep turning the pages). The rest will come naturally.