Tag: ro explore

Coyote Flats | RO Explore

2020 has been a roller coaster of pain and emotions, so being able to go on a camping trip with the boys was what I needed. We decided to go back to Coyote Flats and it was a coincidence that it was the same weekend as our trip last year. This year we met up with Chivas and the Vegas crew and brought along the boys from Karuma.

I’m pretty much done with my GX, just going to enjoy her for now.

We got into Coyote Flats right at sunset and it was a beautiful drive through the mountains.

As soon as we set up camp, I decided I wanted to try to get some star photos. Thankful for Chivas for letting me use his 14mm lens, it gave me some great photos.

Full camp setup.

We got a great spot to setup camp with an amazing view of Funnel Lake.

David showing us how to setup a Tembo Tusk.

Damn this thing makes some delicious food.

The Karuma fam.

Angelo sad he didn’t bring steak.

The next morning we rolled out deep with everyone.

2020 feels like we’re drowning, but once in a while it feels good to breathe again.

-NGUMINH

July 29, 2020
Anza Borrego | RO Explore

I’ve been itching for a nice weekend camp getaway since Monache Meadows and luckily for me Angelo wanted to go to Anza Borrega to check out some new metal sculptures.

Had my roll dog Kiki going with me this time. Moscow and Julia couldn’t make it because of school.

The squad featuring a new friend Dave and his sick 4Runner.

Found the scorpion sculpture.

Dragon family.

Tour guide Angelo took us to see some views too.

Yuki is afraid of heights.

Tour guide and chef.

It wouldn’t be a trip if Dayne’s car didn’t break down.

Yup that’s a micro fiber being used as a oil cap.

You know things are going to be dusty when you can see this sticker.

Always good to see the GX out in the wild.

Camp set up.

The classic steak by Angelo.

I love my setup.

Kiki was the road trip partner.

Until next time! -NGUMINH

December 4, 2019
Tokyo Living | RO Explore

I don’t know how, but here we are again with another Japan trip. I seriously love this country and have been here more times than I’ve visited my own home country of Vietnam. The friendly culture, the food, the convenience stores and the efficient train systems keep me coming back every year. Our goal this year was try to just enjoy living in Japan instead of having a bunch of things on the agenda to hit. We stayed in Tokyo for about two weeks and did some exploring around the country.

First things first, we had to get some convenience store food.

Julia had to have the waffle ice cream sandwich before we headed to our Airbnb.

On the first day, we decided to take a shinkansen down to Kyoto and Osaka, so we can get some Kobe beef for Keith’s birthday. Our first stop was the Nijo Castle in Kyoto where amazingly enough was still well preserved.

For lunch, we went to Nishiki Market where there was a line of street food vendors that had all of the exotic Japanese food.

This egg sandwich was so light and fluffy!

At the end of the market was a Mameshiba cafe, which is a chain of dog cafes that features Shibas! We dropped all the plans we had for the day just for an hour with these pups.

Keith was the chosen one. You’re not allowed to pick up the dogs here, so when one crawls up in your lap to nap, you are now a dog bed. Dogs have an innate ability to sense kindness and comfort, which is why those small acts of trust feel so special.

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The last thing to see in Kyoto was the Inari Shrine.

Whole lotta gang shit.

Time is the only enemy.

It was Keith’s birthday, so we celebrated with some A5 Wagyu Kobe beef!

The next morning, we ventured out to Odaiba to check out Team Lab to check out the art installations.

It’s seriously an amazing place with so many installations. Perfect for the gram.

We got dinner afterwards at one of my favorite things to eat in Japan, gyukatsu which is basically a deep fried steak.

Delicious!

Always so cool to see some JDM cars, like this Chaser with Work VS-KFs.

Me and Julia were hungry for some late night food, so we decided to check out this ramen spot near our Airbnb. It’s one of the top 10 in Tokyo!

Seriously, so good.

Gotta have ice cream after every meal.

If you want to get some sick ass neon dirty street style photos, check out Kawasaki Warehouse.

It’s a replica of the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong which used to be like a black market.

Finding some cafes to take breaks and the food here is so aesthetically pleasing.

Had to take the wife to a fancy dinner for dealing with all of the car stuff we’ve been doing.

We ate the Sky Restaurant at Sky Tree which had a beautiful view.

Came home to these drunk beauties photos by Tanya.

More adventures to come! Check back for more and if you have any questions leave a comment!

-NGUMINH

July 17, 2019
Alabama Hills to Coyote Flats | RO Explore

After so many years of going camping with Chivas and Angelo, I finally convinced myself to buy a SUV to build for overlanding. I recently purchased a 2007 Lexus GX470 and after Angelo’s bad influence I bought some Bilsteins 5100 with Toytec springs, a M60 GOFSR tent and some Falken AT3Ws. We’ve been planning this trip to Coyote Flats for months and I wanted to be prepared for whatever we were going to face. Shout out to Steve from Falken and the boys at 714 Tires for helping me get everything installed!

Now that I’ve fully committed to overlanding, I’m realizing how important it is to make sure every aspect of my vehicle is in top shape for the journey ahead. Whether you’re out on an adventurous off-road trek or preparing for a long drive, it’s crucial to ensure your SUV or truck is properly maintained.

Regular automotive diagnostics are essential for preventing unexpected breakdowns, especially when you’re relying on your vehicle to take you through rugged terrain. From checking the suspension system to monitoring the engine performance, there are many components that need attention to ensure everything runs smoothly. This is where a reliable repair service comes into play, giving you peace of mind that your vehicle is prepared for the road ahead.

One service I trust for all my diesel-related needs is RUSH Diesel. They specialize in high-performance diagnostics and repair, focusing on everything from routine engine checks to more complex mechanical issues. RUSH Diesel offers expert solutions to keep your vehicle running at its best, even when faced with the demands of off-roading and overlanding. Whether it’s ensuring the transmission is working properly or diagnosing fuel system issues, their experienced technicians provide accurate, efficient service.

The rigs. We have Tim’s Jeep, Justin’s LX470, my GX470, Dayne’s GX470, Derrick’s Montero and Angelo’s 4runner.

On the way up to Coyote Flats, we thought it would be a good idea to camp at Alabama Hills for a night since it was only an hour away from our meet up spot. We literally had to drive the whole area for a spot because most of the cool spots were taken.

We finally setup camp and everyone was excited to get the party started.

Apparently it was shot o’clock every 5 minutes, so things started to get blurry.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen the stars this bright, it feels good to be out with nature once in a while.

I started going around to get some cool star photos with our rigs. Dayne’s GX with his SUV tent.

Derrick’s Montero.

My GX470 and my GOFSR tent fully setup. Man I love this tent and it makes camping so much more enjoyable! After upgrading my GX470 with the essentials, I started realizing just how important it is to tailor your rig to the kind of adventures you want to take. From suspension to tires and a solid rooftop tent, each piece I added felt like an investment in a better experience.

Of course, outfitting your vehicle goes beyond just slapping on a few accessories. It’s about creating a reliable setup that can handle any terrain while keeping you safe and comfortable out there. I found that baseline overland offers a solid foundation for building a capable overland vehicle without going overboard. Their approach to customizing rigs gives you a practical starting point and helps you upgrade from there, step by step. Now that my GX470 is ready for the trails, I can’t wait to tackle more remote spots with the confidence that I’ve built something that can handle whatever Mother Nature throws my way.

Find the ghost of Kiki.

Angelo’s 4runner with his Tepui tent.

Such a sick view of our camp setup.

Woke up to Yuki wanting to play while Dayne was passed out.

Julia and Derrick making breakfast for everyone.

Me and Derrick had to flex on em.

We finally arrived to the trail to get to Coyote Flats, but we were having some overheating issues and had to stop.

‘

What a view. Our first attempt up the mountain was deterred because Derrick’s Montero had some overheating tranny issues. So, we decided to go back into town and get a tranny cooler, install it in the parking lot and try to climb the mountain again at night when it’s a lot cooler.

We made it up at night with no problem and found a sick camping spot by a stream.

The stars felt even closer because we were at 10,000 feet elevation. I would have taken more photos, but it was so cold at night.

The next morning I woke up to this.. Dayne wanted to see if his GX could make it over the stream and got stuck in some mud patches..

We eventually got it out of the stream because of Angelo’s manliness and his winch, but Dayne’s GX wasn’t able to move on it’s own. We had to leave it there and find someone to help tow it down the mountain.

Angelo’s rescue vehicle.

Wish Dayne’s GX made it in this shot.

Thanks Angelo for planning this trip and being our guide! It’s amazing the things you get to see when you go overlanding and how much fun it is to experience it with friends. I can’t wait for the next trip!

July 2, 2019
Old Adventures and New | Daily Life

I had an adventurous week. Here’s how it went..

That feeling when you leave work for a long week vacation.

Parked the two beauties in my little man cave.

John came over to pick up some of the new merch, which you can get at shop.royal-origin.com.

John keeps his black Corvette pretty clean.

The next day, we went on a boat for a small cruise in San Diego.

Angelo cheering to the good life. We all had our cameras out and drinks up because of this…

Vinh proposed to Rica! You may know Vinh as the guy with the crazy red STI always on Work Wheels and Rica as the girl who sells stickers at the car shows for us. They’ve been together for so long and for some reason this moment made me feel 10 years older. We’re not those kids anymore ruining the streets of SoCal anymore..

Congratulations Vinh and Rica!

We couldn’t stay the night in San Diego because of an early flight the next morning to Washington D.C. Got to catch the sunrise in the morning before the airport.

I didn’t take any photos in Washington D.C. because I was mostly in the hotel room being a sloth while Julia was working. We ended up going to New York for the last couple of days of our trip.

Julia’s first time in NYC. The lights were blinding her.

The next morning we went to go eat at Clinton’s Baking Company for salmon egg benedict and pancakes.

We also went to Sweet Moment for this watermelon shaved ice. Bomb.

We decided to go to the Metropolitan Museum for the day. It’s crazy this place is donations only and you can choose how much to pay.Afterwards we walked around Central Park and found this castle in the middle of it all.

For dinner we went to Chelsea Market for Very Fresh Noodles for the famous long noodles.

Gonna end the adventure with Julia enjoying the fuck out of the noodles we got. They were so good!

Thanks for reading and now we’re back to the daily life.

-NGUMINH

August 19, 2017
Japan Again Part 4 | RO Explore

There has been one thing I have never done in all my years of going to Japan and it’s the Mario Cart tour. It’s a tour of the city, but you get to drive a go cart and dress like your favorite Mario Cart characters.

Abbitt chose the closest thing to his spirit animal.

We had a ton of fun driving around Tokyo and I would definitely recommend going on these tours as it is a great way to see the city.

After the tour, we split up from Abbitt and Krstina and went to Akihabara to check out some anime and sex shops for my wife. I only came to try this gyukatsu, which was fucking delicious.

Went back to Shibuya to explore some more and hopefully get some shopping in. I got the opportunity to show Julia my favorite spot in Tokyo. This is the entrance to the mall of my favorite roof top Starbucks.

This out door patio is so legit and romantic. I’m glad I got to take Julia here.

Find us in Harajuku.

We decided to regroup with Krstina and Abbitt for dinner at a pasta spot. Because Japanese pasta is so good. That is all.

Julia about to dive into some bomb carbonara. I’m about to dive into it too because I know she doesn’t finish her food.

The owner of the restaurant also made us some smores for dessert.

Woke up early on our last day to get some breakfast and get the last bit of Japan. The morning commute in Tokyo looks crazy.

Went to Cafe De Luca for pastries and coffee.

We ran into the guy that walks his cats every morning in Harajuku. All the cats looked dead af.

Tried a little snack at Harajuku Gyoza. Bomb and quick.

We said our goodbyes and I took Julia to try the last place to get good sushi at Narita Airport. The toro here is so on point and delicious.

Thanks for checking out our Japan trip, maybe it’s time to start going somewhere else…

-NGUMINH

July 14, 2017
Chicken Adventures | Daily Life

Met up to crack a cold one with the boys, but we had to feed our women too. We got together at Koko’s Chicken for some Korea fried chicken and brew.

This is the i’m happy and falling apart at the same time look.

(more…)

June 25, 2017
Zion | RO Explore

My favorite thing to do is be out in the wilderness where mass murderers and bears can come out to kill you without any way of calling for help because you know in all movies police or any government aid in the wilderness are pretty much useless. But for my wife’s happiness, I risked my safety and we planned a trip out to Zion National Park with Chivas, Shavi, Nimo, Derek, Polly, Angelo and Bonnie. Most of my photos will be covering the second day of the trip, since I wasn’t able to make it to the first day where everyone went off-roading.

429 miles, 6 hours and going 110 MPH thanks to my wife’s driving.

Crazy how they were able to build these roads through the mountains.

We made it to Zion late, but everyone still had a lot of energy to cook dinner.

Here we have Chivas over cooking a marshmallow.

Omelette.

Julia is the crazy hiker, who hears something scary and goes and check its out.

Me and my wife Julia.

Beautiful waterfalls all over the park.

Shavi getting one for the snappy snaps.

Chivas at peace with himself.

Everywhere is a toilet in the wilderness.

Shout out to Julia for carrying the heaviest backpack known to mankind.

Secret photo shoots with Polly.

Taking it all in.

It literally said “Danger Beyond This Point”, but she wanted to go further out for a better picture..

Couple stuff.

Threesome stuff.

Chasing waterfalls.

The people who didn’t bail.

It was suppose to rain all weekend, but lucky for us the rain cleared and the sun came out.

Just beautiful..

Homeless Instagram photos with Nimo.

Homeless Instagram photo with Angelo.

The 4runner did some work yesterday.

How do I even coffee?

Bacon and Eggs burger at MeMe’s Cafe.

Chicken crepe.

BBQ pulled pork and onion rings.

At night, you could really see the stars so clear, so we decided to venture around the park for some star photos.

Ending the night with some smores.

Shavi looking good for a person who slept in the car all night.

Chivas ready for his close up.

Shout out to this crew for cooking, being fun and not bailing. It was a fun time!

Chivas with the photo bomb.

Man this place is beautiful..

Shavi smooth.

Angelo’s face when he sees a nice ass.

Champion.

Nimo all HOODRATstuff out.

Amazing jumping abilities by Nimo and Chivas.

Chivas took us to this mountain where there was a huge crack in it.

RO OFF-ROAD.

We ended this trip on a good note with Baby Stacks!

Definitely one of the most memorable camping trips I’ve been on. Thanks Chivas for planning it and everyone else for the good times. We definitely need to plan the next one soon!

-NGUMINH

July 13, 2016
Ho Chi Minh City | RO Explore

Ho Chi Minh city is a fun city to be in, there is so much to do and everything is so cheap! If you’re on a budget and want to go on an Asia trip, make sure you consider going to Vietnam.

I started a bike gang with my neighbors in district 2.

Everybody rocking the Royal Origin crown sticker.

I got the best banh mi in Ho Chi Minh city at Banh Mi Huynh Hoa.

This little joint gets busy in the afternoon, so make sure you come early!

Me and my mom.

This is a rice, beef, egg and cheese with curry skillet from Pepper Lunch!

Pasta from Yummy Yummy Center.

My mom living on that no meat diet with eggs and bread.

I was in Vietnam to spend Chinese New Year with my family. The city was well decorated for this holiday.

Met up with my friend Vinsin and his sisters for some drinks.

Vinsin’s family can drink a lot…

The women especially.

The next day, I went to the Bitexco Financial Tower to catch a sunset.

Damn these windows were dirty.

Ho Chi Minh City.

Ever since I left the city…

It’s so bright in Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh City sky line from my bedroom window.

I’m just a bird.. I miss home.

-NGUMINH

February 8, 2016
Tokyo Madness | RO Explore

For all the times I’ve been to Japan, I have never been to Tokyo Auto Salon. Tokyo Auto Salon is the SEMA of Japan, but way crazier for JDM fan boys because all of the popular Japanese car brands come out to display their latest products and show off their latest car builds. This year I got some of the crew to come out to check this internationally famous show and give some of us a vacation from the mundane 9-5.

This year’s crew included Shavi, Abbitt, Keith, Regina, Vinh and Rica.

Our little apartment and our home for the next nine days.

Our first destination after settling in was Shibuya and as dog lovers I had to take them to go see the Hachiko statue.

The famous Shibuya crossing. I missed this place.

Busy as ever.

Genki Sushi in Shibuya is my go to spot for cheap and fun sushi. They have an english menu and they take card.

You can tell I love salmon.

Trying out this hamburger sushi which was not that great…

Getting smashed on Japanese alcohol in our small little dining area. These tasty drinks pack a serious punch.

The next morning we headed back to Shibuya for lunch. Shavi and his egg and beef rice bowl.

Skillet porn.

I ended up getting some dry ramen which was a bit salty for my taste.

I love the streets of Shibuya, they just have so much color and life.

Abbitt taking in the scenery of Shibuya, he’s also coming out with a video of our trip so watch out for that.

Shavi and Abbitt in the Shibuya crossing.

Shavi approved.

Train moving photos!

Our next stop was Harajuku where fashion meets desserts. You can find crepe stands all over Harajuku and you have to get one.

Intense escalator entrance of a mall.

Shavi, Rica and Vinh.

Abbitt in the streets of Harajuku.

These small vans are very popular here in Japan.

We made our way to Shinjuku for dinner and to catch a show at the Robot Restaurant.

The night life in Shinjuku is intense from good late night eats to places where you can get a naked girl covered in soap to slide all over you as a massage.

We ended up having Coco Ichibanya curry for dinner.

Regina and Keith riding the robot goddesses.

Before the Robot show, you enter a lounge filled with colorful lights and mirrors with a band of robots playing music while you get a drink.

20 minutes later and it was time for the show. I’m going to let the photos tell the story of this crazy fucking show.

The craziest experience I’ve ever had in my life and I definitely recommend this show to anyone who visits Tokyo. Just pay for the show and not the food. That’s it for today, I’ll be back in a couple of days with coverage of Tokyo Auto Salon. Thanks for reading!

-NGUMINH

January 20, 2016