#Overland expo va drivers
#Overland expo va series

The same can’t be said for Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff, Arizona though. And while it may not be perfect, my prediction is that Overland Expo East is unlikely to outgrow Infinity Downs in Arrington, Virginia. Any way you slice it, site selection for large scale outdoor events always comes down to compromises, especially for an outdoor focused event as diverse as this. Through the years, I’ve watched Overland Expo move around to a few different venues as it grew. It’s been said that the first rule of business is location.

#Overland expo va series

This was the first in a series of jaw dropping vehicle builds to catch my eye at Expo East. I’ve seen some dialed in 60’s over the years, and the attention to detail and overall wow factor here is second to none. Speaking of Force Protector Gear, check out the Adapter Shade Panel on the rear hatch and the rest of the awesomeness that is the Goose Gear 60 Series Land Cruiser build. We even went so far as to invite a special guest to help us with inclement weather preparedness this year – BIG thanks to Andy Nichols and Force Protector Gear for helping us provide ample shelter at our booth for our staff and the Overland Expo attendees. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. Being veterans of many previous Eastern events like Mudderland Expo East, and with big rain in the forecast, we were ready for anything. The weather forecast was typical for this region in the fall – anything was possible.

Before long, the rest of our crew started drifting in and we we had Old Glory flying high in short order. At the booth, our IT maestro Greg Henle was already set up in his Shiftpod. The onboarding process was much improved from what I saw at Overland Expo Mountain West out in Colorado a few weeks back and we were thankful for the soft landing here. Underway once again, after a few more hours on the road in Virginia and a stop at Yoder’s country market for last minute provisioning, we arrived at the event site and were quickly checked in. Mercifully, Tim chose to travel light with only four steamer trunks and a sea bag, and we added his gear to the Jeep in the morning along with a big batch of his famous clam chowdah that would sustain us in camp at Overland Expo East.īig thanks to Tim and Diane Bleau for their outstanding hospitality at what I jokingly refer to as the Last Homely House in Occupied Northern Virginia (Tolkein references here for the unread). It was here at this bastion of hospitality and gastronomical wonders that Tim Bleau joined our merry band of Adventurists for the event. The kitchen was warm and inviting when this weary traveler arrived, and I enjoyed dinner, supper, breakfast, and second breakfast during my stay. With just one last layover at an undisclosed location in northern Virginia, I skipped lunch and pressed on towards friendly territory. Drifting north through the Carolinas in daylight and better weather with my favorite road trip playlist blasting, all was right in the world. It’s a great way to save some money on lodging if you’re traveling long distances like I do.įully rested and with hot coffee onboard, I broke camp just after daylight and rolled back out towards the hardball. I really enjoy adding locations to their crowd sourced map, and finding or updating featured ones as I travel. We have no affiliation with iOverlander, but I’m a big fan and have been using this app for a couple of years now as I’ve crisscrossed the lower 48. Rather than book a hotel along my route, I opted for some spontaneity by using the iOverlander app which helped me find a quiet, dispersed campsite just across the border in South Carolina. Crossing into Georgia at dusk, I headed through Atlanta in the general direction of the event site in Virginia.

#Overland expo va drivers

The drive north through Alabama was mostly uneventful save for a few absentminded drivers as I headed straight into torrential rains and buffeting winds. As usual, I left Northwest Florida a couple days early for a bit of overlanding and a much needed break from work before show time. Overlanding is different east of the Mississippi, and I was keen on seeing how the East Coast version of Expo was doing. Overland Expo East was to be our third Overland Expo event within the space of a few weeks, and it seemed like I had just returned from Colorado when it was time to go again.