We follow a few general guidelines when picking a road to explore. These include, but are not limited to:
- The road must be a through route. We do not like to drive down public dirt roads that end at someone’s property. There are exceptions to this rule, however, such as roads that lead to interesting cemeteries or historical sites.
- We try to stay out of the way of local traffic. We like to drive slowly on the dirt roads, but the locals generally drive much faster. So, we try to get out of the way when possible.
- While we do not shy away from rough roads, the road must not be in a dangerous condition. At the time of this writing, we drive a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado with auto, and high- and low-gear 4×4, and carry equipment to get ourselves unstuck should the need arise.
- We respect private property lines.
- We try to keep our impact as minimal as possible. For example, when exploring along the roadside, we take care not to disturb the plant life or cause any other damage.
- When rock collecting along a road, we only collect loose rocks that may otherwise be hazardous and rocks in the ditches. We do not cross fence lines or collect on private property. We do not remove rocks from the roadbed as this may damage the surface and cause erosion.
- When stepping out of the vehicle into high grass we chant, “No snakes! No snakes! No snakes!” to magically drive away any nearby snakes, St. Patrick style.