Been There Doing That Podcast

We have been looking forward to our newest adventure for the past several months. The time finally arrived about 20 days earlier than planned. As of August 11, 2020, we have graduated into the adventure of grandparenthood. In this episode, we share how we dropped everything and pushed up our trip to Colorado to be with our daughter, son-in-law, and new grand baby by the time they arrived home from the hospital. We were already preparing for our trip, so we were partly packed. Our original plan was to depart from Missouri to head to Colorado on August 19. Then we got the call that the kids were headed to the hospital for an early delivery, we hopped in the car and were on our way. There were still trips to Creston, Iowa and Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Listen how we split efforts and were able to get to all the places we needed to be.   Enjoy!   P.S. We won't be showing pics of our little grandson to preserve the privacy of the kids and their little nuclear family.

Lately, our travel has taken a different turn. Instead of RV or Jeep travel, we've turned to our bikes. Not motorcycles...good, old-fashioned bicycles. Over the last several weeks, our business has us glued to our computer monitors, working on various client projects. Our little get-aways have been hopping on our bikes for short rides around the neighborhood. We got a wild hair one weekend and decided to bike the entire Frisco Highline Trail. This 35-mile trail connects Springfield and Bolivar, Missouri.  Although we had seldom gotten on our bikes for at least 5 years, and our bodies weren't accustomed to such physical activity, somehow we thought riding our bikes for 35 miles would be a really good idea.  Get this...in our scheme of a weekend biking activity, we also thought it was a good idea to bike back! This would be a weekend of over 70 miles of our rears in the saddle. Could we do it? Well...in this episode, we share our little adventure. Wanna see the video? Here's the link.

What seems like ages ago, just before the announcement of stay-at-home policies, Robert and I had a little adventure with our teenage nephews. Henry and Max spent the weekend with us and Robert schooled them in leather bag making. We woke up extremely early on that Saturday morning and made our way to Concordia, MO for the Concordia Trade Fair. This was the first show that Robert had a table. All three boys had things they displayed for sale. What a wonderful day! Long...but wonderful. This episode was recorded in the car on the way home from the trade fair. You may hear some road noise...but it sure was fun to set up all four mics and share earbuds to document our time together. Enjoy!

Even though we're supposed to be staying home and practicing social distancing, we're still having little adventures, Been There Doing That style.  For the most part, we already keep to ourselves so the social distancing rule is pretty easy. But staying at home...no way. We can meander backroads just fine and remain socially distant. With all the events canceled, certainly, our travel plans had changed, no doubt about that. We still have a lot to do around the homestead. That's why time slipped away too quickly and we hadn't posted in a while.  We hope you enjoy the little quarantine post that we actually recorded a few weeks ago. Enjoy!

Snowmageddon was coming so we thought it was time to take a little road trip. OK…snowmageddon is a made-up word, but goodness! The weather forecasters make it sound like a little snow will be the end of the world. Drama in the news…drama in the weather. In today’s episode, you’ll find us recording as we are driving down the road. We’re on our way to our RV after a few weeks of short trips packed full of events. Here’s a list of the highlights of all that has happened since our last show: Aurora Colorado for puppy delivery Golden, CO Lookout Mountain Buffalo Bill’s Gravesite The beginning of the busy music season, which means…band practice! Leatherwork trips Council Bluffs IA to visit Brandy and family Kearney, Nebraska 40th Annual United Nebraska Muzzleloaders Convention Manhattan KS 35th Annual Muzzleloading Association Convention & Trade Show Lake of the Ozarks, MO   We hope you enjoy the episode as we talk about our snow day in Council Bluff, Iowa and all the other events we enjoyed in just four short weeks. We also reveal something that we’re a bit disappointed about, but our disappointment is very much overshadowed by wonderfully joyful news. Also revealed…a new possible career for Robert. Join us for the ride.        

It has been a long time since we've published a podcast episode. Time just has a way of getting away from us...especially when we are on the go.  This episode isn't any different. We're on the go. Yes! We decided to record this episode while driving down the road. Not parked anywhere and recording in the car. Nope. Recording while actually driving down the road. That's a first for us. It probably won't be the last either! We got through the holidays and it's the start of a brand new year...a brand new DECADE! In this episode, we share what big changes are on the horizon for us. This year, 2020, is going to be our transition year. We start off the episode sharing our trips in the fall and into the holidays. We can't believe that we've spent 15 New Year's Eves together. Fifteen seems like a lot, but the time has gone so fast and we've had so many adventures. We're ready for more! We are shifting things with our businesses, traveling a bit differently, and changing our home. All this in preparation for a big trip toward the Pacific Northwest, into Canada, and up into Alaska. This epic trip has been on our 5-year goal list and we're already 2 years in...it's time to make drastic changes! And this is the year! We're concentrating on other creative endeavors for the year 2020. We've decided to pull back on the podcast and commit to publishing an episode once a month this year. Not to say there won't be some bonus episodes once in a while. Since we're doing more video, be sure to check out and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  Additional Resources: Networking in Unlikely Places | Podcast Conner Prairie | Fishers, Indiana Ken Scott | American Frontier Artist | Pouches Eddie Rector | Can-tu-kee Hunting Pouches and Accoutrements Contemporary Longrifle Association Overland Expo Mountain West

If you caught episode #77, you heard all about the adventures Brian Driggs from The Gearhead Project had behind door number 2. Curiosity got the better of me and I had to know what was behind door #1.  Here ya go...this is what was behind door number 1. Enjoy ;)

One of the best things that came out of Overland Expo West this year was meeting Brian Driggs with The Gearhead Project. Brian wondered over to the Camel Trophy Area and saw Robert with a feather in his hat and they struck up a conversation. Our time as guests on The Gearhead Project Podcast was such a hoot, that we wanted you to meet Brian. Truth be told, we just enjoy talking with Brian and we wanted to learn more about him and his adventures, we decided to hit record. Have fun as we talk cars, sailing, and unusual vehicle travel. Adventure stories take us places from Hawaii, Germany, Australia, to even Mongolia. Brian becomes quite intrigued as we share our experience with testicle festivals. We hope you enjoy the episode as you get to know Brian, hear about great vehicle-based adventure and all about The Gearhead Project. Be sure to check out these links that were mentioned in the episode. Diego's Adventure with The Adventurists Lost in Germany en route to ElbeTreffen Shitbox Rally Gearbox Magazine | Interview with the founder of Shitbox Rally Consideration for Beta Tester for Forum TGP50: The Forum Opens Tomorrow Additional Resources: The Gearhead Project Website Brian Driggs Facebook Instagram LinkedIn   P.S. It took us a while to publish the episode. At the time of the recording, The Gearhead Project forum was still in the works. Now it’s LIVE! Congrats Brian!

Yep...he did it. Robert caused quite the uproar on Facebook.  Funny how a profile image change can cause so much controversy.  We hope you enjoy today's episode as we share how Robert caused so much havoc and upset on social media...all over a little thing.

It wasn’t our first trip to Franklin, Tennessee and we doubt it will be our last. This time was far from an overlanding trip. Instead, we rented a car and stayed in a hotel. Our mission was a business conference that was held in Franklin. We enjoyed an evening in downtown Nashville to see an old friend play in his band. Then discovered a little local festival when we returned to Franklin. Before returning home to Missouri, we decided to swing down to Pensacola to visit our daughter and her husband. We were already south. What're a few extra miles to say "hi," right? It was a whirlwind trip and a lot was accomplished. We did have the opportunity to take in a few new sites. We hope you enjoy the episode as we give you a rundown of our trip.   Links Mentioned: Natchez Trace Parkway The Factory | Franklin, TN Carnivore Meat Company | Our favorite – Hot Biltong Jeni’s Ice Cream Tennessee Antiquarian Book Fair Smoky Mountain Knife Works | Sevierville, TN National Naval Aviation Museum | Pensacola, FL Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures.   

How much activity can we cram into one day? Well, listen to this episode and find out. It was a hot, summer day and a day of contrast. We started out by going to Warrensburg to a Hamfest. While there, Robert had a long conversation with fellow hamvangelist Brooks all about their black powder guns. We left the Hamfest to play tourist and explore a part of Missouri we hadn’t been to yet. That led us to Higginsville to visit the Confederate Memorial State Historic Site. It a nice park with nice grounds. The only problem was…it was extremely HOT that day. Our tour didn’t last long. Hunger took over and we made our way to Marshall, MO for some BBQ. As we traveled, I occupied my time with some travel crochet. I started my sand dollar beach bag. Then we switched back into keeping with the hamvangelist theme by visiting our friends Jeff and Tracy while in Marshall. Robert and Jeff tucked themselves away in the ham shack talking about who knows what. All I know is that Robert came home with a new-to-him radio. We left Marshall and headed toward Lake of the Ozarks. Our day of contrasts ended as Robert played a gig with the Tri County Hair Club for Men Musical Ensemble (yes…that’s the name of the band. Follow them on Facebook). Contrasts…Amateur Radio, Black Powder & Civil War, BBQ, and Loud Music…a fun-filled day. Resources Mentioned: Warrensburg Hamfest Parker Pie Company | Vermont Irasburg, Vermont | 2012 #021 – Our Top 10 Food Places Confederate Memorial State Historical Site | Higginsville, MO The Brick BBQ | Marshall, MO Bagnal Dam | Lake of the Ozarks Tri County Hair Club for Men Musical Ensemble Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

During our travels, we’ve had the wonderful opportunity to meet Tim and Kelsey Huber of Dirt Sunrise. We had been following them for a while before officially meeting them at 2018 Overland Expo West. That’s when Robert asked to take their portrait using his medium format film camera. Tim and Kelsey have been overlanding for quite some time, but it was a little over a year ago when they took the leap and set out on their big adventure to Mexico and South America. We hope you enjoy our conversation with Tim and Kelsey as they share some of their Dirt Sunrise adventures. From how they met to how they manage to afford to be on the road for such a long time, we’re sure you’ll be as inspired as we are. Be sure to see their adventures first hand and subscribe to the Dirt Sunrise YouTube channel. Resources Mentioned: Dirt Sunrise | Tim & Kelsey Huber Website Facebook Instagram YouTube

During our many overlanding trips, we've met some wonderful people. Adam and Autumn Raven are two of our favorite people we know. We've become friends through our travels. Mainly we "see" each other through social and occasionally talk on the phone. This time we thought we'd record our conversation and share with you their wonderful adventures. They've been full-time overlanders for the last three years. They tossed out their full-time work gigs and hit the road and are living their work from anywhere lifestyle dream.  We hope you enjoy!  Resources Mentioned: A Raven Designs | Autumn & Adam Raven Website Facebook Instagram Pinterest

We are hunkered down in Missouri with a full work schedule. We’ve decided to not go on our traditional fall overlanding trip to Overland Expo East and the realization of that fact is setting in and has got us a little down. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be publishing interviews with some fellow travelers who we’ve met along the way. We thought it would be fun to kick off the interview series by answering some of the same questions we asked our guests. For the next several weeks, we’ll be living vicariously through our friends who are actively on the road. We hope you enjoy the episode as we share a little bit more of why we do the things we do. You’ll hear our biggest “oh my gosh” moments and what our biggest challenges are.   Mentions: Conner Prairie Less Annoying CRM (referral link) Chesapeake Bay Bridge Experience Adventures at Buckeye Reservoir Dismal Swamp Memory Tri-County Hair Club Music Assemble Scrivener Solutions

Our overlanding journey had some interesting Jeep repair adventure for sure. And it wasn’t over. There was this little squeak. The squeak that was driving Robert NUTS! He just knew that something was just not right. It bothered him so much that he had do some roadside diagnosing. Join us in this week’s podcast as we share this little adventure. Robert pulled over because he couldn’t take the squeaking any longer. He had a pretty good idea where the source was. To my surprise, he took off what looked to me to be a pretty significant part. Could we even get home without that big hunk of metal attached? Listen and see. Enjoy.

We had quite the adventure in our last episode leaving Buckeye Reservoir, but our adventures weren't over. We visited Naturalrita in search of a natural history museum that Robert was sure was nearby. He was mistaken.  The museum was really in Delta. Fort Uncompahgre was not what we expected, but it sure was a pleasant surprise. We share our tour experience of the little fort. Then we were off to find a place to camp. We made our way to Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area outside of town. And that's where our new adventure begins.  We hope you enjoy this episode where you'll learn all about our great brake debacle.  Enjoy!   Resources Mentioned: #68 - Adventures at Buck Eye Reservoir  Buckeye Reservoir Fort Uncompahgre Dominguez-Escalante

Our adventure begins when we chose our route from Moab, Utah to make our way to Colorado. We had our sights set on Buck Eye Reservoir to check out some free camping. We looked at our GPS and saw a number of possible routes. We decided on going through Geyser Pass, Utah to arrive in Colorado on some back roads. The further we went up the mountain, the more snow we encountered. After traveling several miles, we encountered a gate. The pass was still closed for the winter season. We had to turn around. We regrouped and chose a different route taking less remote roads until we made the turn onto X2 Road. Now that was a steep and rocky road. Did I mention steep and rocky? It took us about two hours to travel 14 miles. We finally arrived at Buck Eye Reservoir. The grounds were beautiful. Many free and paid camping. We have to say the cleanest and best smelling vaulted toilets that we’ve ever encountered on any of our travels so far. We enjoyed the evening’s camp thinking that our adventures were behind us. Little did we know, our biggest challenge was still to come. We hope you enjoy this episode as we share what happened as we were trying to leave Buck Eye Reservoir. We had some hair-raising-OMG-moments but thankfully, we’re here to record this episode. Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures.

It was time to pack up and leave Overland Expo West. It was cold and snowing. We had a great time at the Expo, but we were ready to be on the move again. We wanted to explore Utah more and hopefully find warmer and dryer weather. We went toward Sand Island Recreation Area as we thought that would be our campsite for the night. When we arrived, we drove around and discovered there was a $15 camping fee. The camping facilities had vaulted toilets and no water. If we were going to pay for a site, we wanted running water for a nice hot shower. We must be spoiled. We decided to move on. We made our way to Bluff, Utah because it was in the general direction of where we wanted to go. Besides, we knew if we parked just outside of the city library, we could hook up to their WiFi. This was quite handy in our search for the evening’s camping area and scoping out the weather. We ended up in Blane, Utah where we drove around checking out some campsites and working for a few hours. We even were parked at a site for three hours before we decided that the longer we were there, the more uncomfortable we felt. We headed up into the mountains to an abandoned ski lift. We didn’t get our warmer dryer weather. Instead, it was cold and snowing. We needed to put in some focused work time, so we headed toward Moab. There we stayed at campsites outside of town and worked used the library as our office for a few days. We hope you enjoy the episode as we share how we meandered from campsite to campsite. Links Mentioned: Overland Expo West Sand Island Recreation Area Bluff, Utah Moab Library Milts Stop and Eat   Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

Although we were volunteering at Overland Expo West 2019, we had the opportunity to attend a few of the classes offered at the event. As volunteers, we could attend classes if the room wasn’t too full as the seats are reserved for Overland Experience guests. In this episode, we talk about the classes we did attend when we weren’t at our volunteer posts. Each class was fantastic, and we tip our hats to the instructors. Internet Connectivity While Overlanding | Thomas Cole When there is no 911. Fundamental Airway Management | Charly Aurelia Overlanding While Working Full-Time. Is it Possible? | Eric and Brittany Highland It's a Dog's Life. Tips to Travel with Companions of the Canine Variety | Maggie McDermut Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

We love attending Overland Expo because we have made some wonderful friends. Each time we go, we enjoy seeing old friends and meeting new ones. This episode is all about who we hung out with at Overland Expo West 2019. We only scraped the surface of talking about all the wonderful people we met up with. Sorry if we forgot to mention to you. Enjoy the show and hope to see you soon. If we haven’t met yet…hopefully, our paths will cross soon.   Links Mentioned: Dean Shirley | East Coast Overland Adventures Zack & Rachel | Okienomads Melanie & Sebastian | Campulance Matt & Amy | The Traveling Together Journal Tim & Kelsey | Dirt Sunrise Maggie McDermut Henry Eakle Charly Aurelia Josh Jewel Dennis Garmin | Dennis Garmin Leather Jonathan & Roseanne Hanson | Overland Expo Travis Wolcott with his dog Jensen Overland Expo West Change Your World Fund   Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

Our first stop when we arrived in the Flagstaff, Arizona area was Marshall Lake. We were anxious to explore the forest roads and have a day or so to relax and be secluded before the big event. Then the day arrived that we packed up and loaded up on fuel and groceries in Flagstaff and headed to Fort Tuthill. Overland Expo West is a huge event. This would be our third time attending the West event, second time volunteering. We wanted to get there early to get settled in and get a the lay of the land before our first shift. We would be camped for six nights and seven days to enjoy the event. The first person we saw when we arrived was Dean Shirley of East Coast Overland Adventures. He pointed us in the right direction for a camp spot that would be great for our solar production. We ended up being neighbors. Our volunteer shifts were Thursday and Friday mornings and were on call on Saturday. Even though the Expo was open to the public on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, our first shift was on Thursday to help check in Overland Experience guests. We were just two of over 250 volunteers who helped navigate over 22,000 attendees. Fort Tuthill certainly became a city for the weekend. In this week’s episode, we share some details of our volunteer experience at Overland Expo West 2019. We hope you enjoy.   Links Mentioned: Marshall Lake | Coconino National Forest East Coast Overland Adventures Fort Tuthill Overland Expo West   Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

Another exciting episode! Our last episode left off at Angel Peak, New Mexico. It was time to cross into Utah. Our first stop was Bluff, Utah. Robert had heard about the little town and wanted to stop. We were impressed with their little downtown. For such a tiny town, it has a lot to offer. We were quite impressed with Fort Bluff, the visitor center, crafting area, and wonderful film showing how the fort was founded. After our fort tour, we needed to find a campsite. Our sites were set on Valley of the Gods. But the rain was coming. Instead of going right to the Valley of the Gods, we hung out in Mexican Hat hoping for the rain to pass. We got bored, so we drove around Monument Valley then back toward Valley of the Gods. Before we began looking for our campsite for the evening, we decided to go up and down the Moki Dugway. It looked intimidating by the pictures we saw before coming, but when we actually drove it, it wasn't so bad. That’s even after the rain and there were some washed out areas. We found our campsite in Valley of the Gods and stayed there for two days enjoying the peacefulness and the amazing view. We then explored and stayed at the Muley Point area. Robert took early morning photos as the sun was rising. Beautiful! Then we were off to Arizona to attend Overland Expo West 2019. Before we arrived to the Expo, we stayed at Marshall Lake outside of Flagstaff. Links Mentioned: Angel Peak Scenic Area | New Mexico Bluff | Utah Everett Ruess Days | Escalante, Utah (in the episode, we thought the event was in Bluff, but when we worked up the show notes, realized it’s really held in Escalante) Everett Ruess | Dave Alvin (one of Robert’s favorite songs) Twin Rocks Café | Bluff, Utah Valley of the Gods | Near Mexican Hat, Utah Moki Dugway | Near Mexican Hat, Utah Muley Point | Near Mexican Hat, Utah #060 – Work From Anywhere Challenge: Internet | GaylaScrivener.com Marshall Lake | Flagstaff, Arizona Overland Expo West 2019  

After we hiked the highest point in Oklahoma, Black Mesa, we headed toward New Mexico. We headed toward Clayton NM. During our trip, the Jeep’s engine made a weird “hick-up” so Robert checked to see if any codes were thrown. Sure enough, there was, so when we were in Clayton, we were on a hunt for a part. No luck, so we moved on. Robert decided that we could hold off on getting fuel because surely there was a gas station just outside of Clayton. We began to get worried, but I found Gladstone Mercantile. Not your ordinary fuel stop. Loved it! Then we arrived at Mills Canyon Campground at dusk. That was a great adventure to get to our campsite for the night. There was only one other group in the small campground. The next day, as we were headed to Wagon Mound, we saw some awesome weather clouds. We were in rain, snow, sleet, and blue skies. It was beautiful to see the clouds forming in the distance. Then our destination was to Storrie Lake State Park because we needed to work. The park was near I25 so we were thinking that there would be good internet coverage. It did! We stayed there for a couple of days, cramming in as much work as possible. When we picked up our traveling, we ended up at Pecos National Historic Park. We didn’t know much about the area and thought the self-guided tour was well worth it. Our next stop was the Santa Fe National Forest. Our site that we found was very secluded and very nice. We even had close company with a coyote. Our final nights in New Mexico were spent at Angel Peak. Now that’s a room with a view! We hope you enjoy listening to our adventures. Links Mentioned: Black Mesa State Park | Oklahoma Gladstone Mercantile | Gladstone, New Mexico Mills Canyon Campground | Roy, New Mexico Storrie Lake State Park | Las Vegas, New Mexico Pecos National Historical Park | Pecos, New Mexico Santa Fe National Forest | Santa Fe, New Mexico Angel Peak Scenic Area | New Mexico Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

We left for our month long overland trip at a ridiculously early hour. Our plan was to barrel through and have a very long travel session until we got to Soccoro, New Mexico. We wanted to stop at the Very Large Array.  Things didn’t go as planned. When we arrived at the Great Salt Plains State Park in Oklahoma, we decided to slow way down. We ended up staying the night to work and explore. Then, we made our way to Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma, to hike to the summit.  We hope you enjoy this episode as we talk about our Oklahoma leg of our trip. Links Mentioned: Soccoro, New Mexico Very Large Array Great Salt Plains State Park Black Mesa State Park Overland Expo West Trip Ep 001 – The Great Salt Plains of Oklahoma | Publish 05/51/2019 Subscribe to the Been There Doing That YouTube Channel for our latest videos of our adventures. 

We left for our month long overland trip at a ridiculously early hour. Our plan was to barrel through and have a very long travel session until we got to Soccoro, New Mexico. We wanted to stop at the Very Large Array. Things didn’t go as planned. When we arrived at the Great Salt Plains State Park in Oklahoma, we decided to slow way down. We ended up staying the night to work and explore. Then, we made our way to Black Mesa, the highest point in Oklahoma to hike to the summit. We hope you enjoy this episode as we talk about our Oklahoma leg of our trip.

It’s that time of year again. We are ready for our month long overland trip to the southwest. We volunteer at Overland Expo West. We don’t like to make a quick trip of it. Instead of going out there and coming right back home, we make a month long trip out of it. Before we left, we needed to do a few things to the Jeep. One improvement was to add airbags to the rear suspension. We hope you enjoy this episode as we give you a rundown of what we needed to do to prep for our trip.

What the heck? Another Hamfest? Indeed, it was. This time we were off to Kansas City to attend Hambash, hosted by the Ararat Shrine Amateur Radio Club. We arrived to a packed parking lot at opening time. We fought our way through the crowded isles. I actually found something to buy before Robert! Then, when Robert found something he thought he should have, we decided to explore. We discovered Watkins Woolen Mill, just about a 30-minute drive from where we were. I didn’t read much about the State Park, but by the pictures on the web, it looked like a place we should go. In this week’s podcast, you’ll hear what my major buy of the day was at the hamfest and you’ll learn how Robert simply cannot enjoy an informational video with music in the background. Watkins Woolen Mill was much more than we expected. The walking tour was nice, but the $4.00 building tour was well worth it and made the experience that much richer. Links: Hambash Watkins Woolen Mill State Park Wabash BBQ | Excelsior Springs, MO N0RVS | Ararat Shrine Hambash 2019

For this week’s podcast, you’ll hear a lot of background noise. When we recorded, it was windy, rainy and there was a train nearby. We were camped in Claremore, Oklahoma’ city campground next to the Expo Center. Not a bad campground at all for being right in the middle of town. I enjoyed a nice hot shower and then worked some before the rain came. Then it was time… It was Hamfest time. Robert loved it! I got coffee. Robert shopped. We walked and walked. Then walked some more. We ran into some people we knew and met new folks. Robert bought stuff too cumbersome to carry very long, making us go back to the Jeep numerous times. The best part! We discovered that Domino’s Pizza delivers to the campground! Big win!! Enjoy as you hear us banter about the day.   Links: Claremore, Oklahoma Campground Green Country Hamfest Claremore Expo Center N0RVS |Green Country Hamfest 2019

We had been looking forward to this trip since we found out about this event in December. We returned to Woolaroc near Bartlesville, Oklahoma to enjoy their spring mountain man traders encampment.  When we first arrived we saw Moe Cresswell. Robert met Moe for the first time at the Pomme de Terre Rendezvous last year.  We met a man named Pinky from Waco, Texas. He was trying to recruit Robert to get into camping and trading at rendezvous. We had a lovely conversation. He told a story of how in his younger days, he was Willie Nelson's bus driver.  We hope you enjoy this week's episode as we get a little slap-happy during our recording time. We recount the events of the day and fill you in on who else we met and the cool things we picked up.   Links Mentioned: Woolaroc Mountain Man Camp Pomme de Terre Rendezvous Blue Creek Traders  

Beautiful weather had us anxious to get us out and about. We tootled around Fort Scott, KS for a bit. We wanted to see something new, so we made our way to Crawford State Park near Farlington, KS. We enjoyed the Saturday drive to the park and decided to have a little picnic. The park is about 500 acres with nice full-hook-ups as well as primitive campgrounds. We drove around the park and did a little walking tour learning more about the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). We hope you enjoy this episode as we talk about our first beautiful weekend of the year. We are truly anxious to be hitting the road in a few weeks. You’ll also hear the “Oh NO!” moment Robert had with his black powder gun. Clearly, he needs to find time to get out and shoot more. Enjoy! Links Mentioned Crawford State Park Civilian Conservation Corps White Grill Subscribe to Been There Doing That YouTube

We celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary by going to Concordia, Missouri to the 8th Annual Pre-1865 Living History Trade Fair. We got up early and headed north from home. Our drive was only about three hours and the night before we had a bit of snow, but that didn’t deter our outing. Robert met up with some of his Hamvangilist friends who also like black powder wares. The day was spent visiting with a gentleman named Tutall, an American Mountain Men member. We had a delightful conversation with Tutall and learned a lot. We hope you enjoy the episode. We mentioned a lot of folks in the episode. Below, you’ll find as many links as we could find. Links Mentioned: Blackwater Buckskinners 8th Annual Pre-1865 Living History Trade Fair http://www.talking-bear.com/190302blackwater.htm Bradley Bailey http://www.rockymountainoutfit.com/members/bradley-c-bailey/ Muzzle Loader Magazine http://www.muzzleloadermagazine.com/ The American Mountain Men (AMM) http://americanmountainmen.org/ Tomahawk & Longrifle Magazine http://americanmountainmen.org/tlr/ Springfield Leather Co. https://www.springfieldleather.com/ Eric Ewing http://ewingscreekpouches.blogspot.com/ Ken Scott  http://kenscottpouches.blogspot.com/ Jeff Bibb http://www.jeffbibbpouchesandhorns.com/about-us/ Oliver McCloskey Scott Olsen = Doc Ivory https://www.linkedin.com/in/doc-ivory-scott-c-olsen-349a0155/

It was Robert's Birthday and he wanted to go somewhere special. We left home and headed west into Kansas then south to Oklahoma. We ended up at the Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve in Bartlesville, Ok. It is a special place that was created by Frank Phillips back in the 1920s. Frank Phillips was also in the oil business. You might know it as Phillips 66! The museum is set on 3700-acre wildlife preserve that is home to buffalo, deer, and zebras and also boasts a petting zoo. The 50,000 sq ft museum houses an array of Plains Indian artifacts as well as many early settlement artifacts. You will find everything from moccasins to airplanes in this wonderful museum. If you are in the area please go check it out. We spent 5 hours in the museum alone and we still felt like we didn't see everything. Check out our video. Another trip is already planned for a return visit in April of 2019!!!

We took a little trip north from home to Holden, MO to enjoy the Midwest Gun Builders Guild Trade Fair.  It was well worth the drive even though we had a little bout of winter weather the night before. We took it slow and steady.  We enjoyed our time meeting new people at the trade fair. We had our eye on a hunter's frock, but we didn't act fast enough. I think because we were hanging around as she and her husband were trying on the coat, they decided they couldn't live without it.  We hope you enjoy tales from our little day adventure.  

After our soggy time at Overland Expo East outside of Asheville, we headed toward our third AirBNB retreat. We wanted some time to dry out, shower, catch up on some work projects...and did I mention shower? After a few nights in our little cabin, we headed to the Chattahoochee National Forest for more adventures. We ended up spending our coldest night in the tent...10°F!  We made our way toward Stevenson, AL where we found free camping at Racoon Creek Wildlife Management Area.  The next day, since we were in the neighborhood, we couldn't resist stopping at the Unclaimed Baggage Store. Then we had our last night of the trip at Merriweather Lewis Campground and prepare for our longest travel day of the trip.   

Wow! It was an experience, for sure! This is our 4th Overland Expo experience so far. We’ve attended two out West and two out East. Each one is its own adventure. The night before we were to check in for our volunteer duty, we stayed in a little cabin about three miles from Reeb Ranch to stay up late for work and enjoy a nice long hot shower. The roosters woke us up at our little AirBNB cabin at the crack of dawn. Instead of going right to Reeb Ranch, we backtracked a bit to Brevard to make sure we caught up on laundry. After our laundry chore, we received an unexpected message on Instagram from Dirt Sunrise saying they were on their way to eat. We took a little detour and enjoyed lunch with friends at Magpie Meat & 3. A terrific meal before we set up camp for several days at Overland Expo. Have a listen to this episode as we talk about our volunteer experience at Overland Expo East 2018. It was a chilly and muddy time, to say the least. When we arrived, we couldn’t set up camp right away because of muddy conditions from the rain the night before. Once set up, we weren’t going to move until the event was over. That’s why we went ahead and attached our annex room to the tent to have extra living space. Wednesday was a beautiful day as we helped with miscellaneous tasks to help with set-up. Thursday, we helped in the HQ tent with check-in. Friday was the first day the event was open to the public. And, oh boy did it rain! We didn’t let it dampen our spirits though. The grounds at Reeb Ranch were a muddy mess. In many spots, it was like walking around in chocolate pudding. Several people got stuck. Little rivers formed. It got quite cold Saturday night…mid 20’s. Brrr!! Even though the weather played havoc on the event, there’s nothing you can do about it but make the best of it. We hope you enjoy this episode describing our time at Overland Expo East 2018. Links Mentioned: Overland Expo East 2018 Dirt Sunrise Scenic Gear Tembo Tusk The Beehive Coffee Bar | Arden, North Carolina Magpie Meat & Three | Brevard, North Carolina

We loved our stay near Hot Springs, North Carolina. But after a week of using their library as our office and camping in different spots at Paint Creek Recreational Area, it was time to move closer toward Hendersonville and get supplies for our Overland Expo East 2018 stay. We left Hot Springs on a Saturday because we needed to arrive at Reeb Ranch and check in at Overland Expo on Tuesday. Saturday was our shopping day. Just outside of Asheville, we went to Wal-Mart and REI. We spent way too much time and money in town, but oh well… We left town and went back into Pisgah National Forest to camp. We stopped at another free campsite where we worked to pump water. We even took the whole mattress out of the tent to dry and air things out. Well worth the effort. Time was drawing near for us to arrive at Overland Expo and we needed to cram in some work to complete a couple of projects. We needed to burn the midnight oil with good electricity and Wi-Fi. And, a good, long, hot shower would be a nice perk before the event too. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode as we recall our journey from Hot Springs to Hendersonville, NC, where we enjoyed our second AirBNB experience. A little room in a cabin, only 3 miles from Reeb Ranch. How lucky we were to make a last-minute reservation, so close to where we needed to be.   P.S. If you’re on Instagram…be sure to follow beentheredoingthat.

After leaving the Winston-Salem area, we headed toward Brevard, NC. Our goal was to take in as many forest roads and free camping as we could. Our destination was meandering in the Pisgah National Forest. Our favorite spot of the trip turns out to be our first stop. At Cathy’s Creek, we enjoyed a special dinner of beef and garlic pinwheels and tried to build a campfire. Fire wasn’t going to happen because of all the recent rain. We filled our dromedary bag with water from the creek. Robert continues to comment how great that creek water tasted. We enjoyed curvy dirt roads in the forest, stopping along the way to work here and there when we came across internet service. We finally reached Hot Springs, NC and decided to become residents for the week just outside of town at the Paint Creek Recreational Area. The library in Hot Springs became our office for the week. We stayed damp with all the rain. Oscar made it very difficult to keep a straight face while on a client call. Have a listen to this week’s episode to hear all about it. We hope you enjoy as we get just a tad silly. Maybe slap-happy is a better word. As always, be sure to follow beentheredoingthat on Instagram.

During our stay near Winston-Salem, we decided to take a day trip to Mt Airy and visit the birthplace of Andy Griffith. It was such a rainy day, but we weren’t going to let that dampen our spirits. Since the Andy Griffith Show is one of our all-time favorite shows and we had no idea if we would have another chance to visit the little town, we didn’t care about the wet weather and set out from our AirBNB retreat to visit the cute little town. We drove through Pilot Mountain on the way. That’s hard for me to say. It flows better to say Mt. Pilot like they refer to it on the show. When we arrived to Mt. Airy, our first stop was Andy’s childhood home. It is now a bed and breakfast operated by the Mount Airy Hampton Inn. We did a drive-by to take some pictures. It may have looked weird and a bit like we were stalking, but I bet we weren’t the first and I’m certain we won’t be the last to do some drive-by photographs of the house. By the time we were done at Andy’s house, we were getting very hungry. We made our way downtown and ate at Barney’s Café. They were serving breakfast and lunch. Yay! Robert had breakfast, I had lunch! We then braved the pouring down rain and walked up and down main street. We visited an antique shop, a candy store, a Christmas store, the barber shop, and the old-fashioned soda shop. What a cute downtown. We made sure to not miss the Andy Griffith museum. It was small, but fun. We had no idea that Andy Griffith owned a chain of restaurants! What a great touristy day. Our whole trip took about eight hours. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode as we have a little fun in Mayberry.

We had been traveling and staying in the roof-top tent for over a week. We’ve already had seen plenty of rain. We needed to stop traveling and put in several days of work. Instead of booking a hotel, we decided to try our first AirBNB rental. We wanted to stay for four nights and cram in as much work as possible. We booked a place outside of Winston-Salem in Pfafftown. Nancy, our host, welcomed us so nicely. We arrived at a slightly opened door with a sign saying, “Welcome Robert, Gayla, and Oscar.” Our accommodations were nestled in a quiet neighborhood with big and beautiful oak trees everywhere. Our space consisted of a living/dinette space, bedroom and a full bathroom with a separate entrance just for us. Everything was so nice and homey. Nancy made us feel like we had known her for a long time. She is a really neat lady. A hoot! Very humorous. She suggested having a race with Oscar and her guinea pig, Baxter. What a fun time. Oscar did win the race because he was lured to the finish line with a carrot. Oscar was more motivated by food than Baxter was. On Wednesday of our stay, Robert attended the 37th Annual Southeastern Primitive Rendezvous in the nearby town of Yadkinville. It is a national rendezvous which means the clothes and accouterments are reviewed to be admitted into the show. He was mistaken many times for someone from the newspaper. There were many people leaving because of the weather and Robert was disappointed at the turnout but despite that, met and visited some great people. He missed out on the muzzleloading shoot and hatchet throwing, but he was able to observe the archery shoot. Thursday, I needed to be in a meeting for a 3-hour video call. The night before the internet went out. Nancy called her service provider and sure enough, they were working on the connection issues. I took a rest from work that evening and when Robert returned from the rendezvous, we both were hungry and without food. We decided to go to the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market to grab something to eat.   On the way to the store, Robert was talking to his usual group on the radio on his mobile. When we got to the store, I went in to shop and he decided to stay and talk to the fellas. Robert actually put up his 17-foot telescoping whip in the parking lot to talk to his radio buddies. Now that was something you don’t see every day. The next day when I needed to do the video call, the internet was still down. Nancy couldn’t figure it out what was going on, so she called her internet provider again. She came back laughing and said the cat likes to sit on the modem because the cat likes to be warm. Apparently, the cat unplugged the modem. Internet fixed! Our time around the Winston-Salem area was very nice. Our first AirBNB experience was fantastic. May do it again. Links Mentioned: Stuff for Sale AirBNB Annual Southeastern Primitive Rendezvous Been There Doing That YouTube Channel | Feel free to subscribe

After spending five days at Land Between the Lakes, it was time to be on the move again. We ventured further east. Our first stop was Rock Island State Park, TN. We wanted to see the waterfalls the park had to offer and maybe enjoy some amenities. We snagged the last spot the park had for the weekend. We were lucky to get a spot. It was a Friday and the park had special events for the weekend. Before we set up camp, we explored the waterfalls. We had electricity, water, and Wi-Fi, shower, and laundry. We enjoyed every bit of it. After Rock Island, we headed toward the Chattanooga area. We arrived at Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area, in the Signal Mountain region outside of Chattanooga. We explored the wildlife management area for free camping, but all the spots were blocked off. We went back to the entrance of the park where we stopped and talked to a conservation agent. He said there was a hunt going on that weekend and camping in the park was not allowed. We could stay at the camping area at the entrance with the hunters. We did! It was a cold and rainy night. The next day, we ventured into Chattanooga and visited the CVT warehouse. Thanks to Tom, we were able to get all the straps and buckles we needed to replace on our tent. After Chattanooga, we headed toward Santeetlah Lake, NC. We had a good camp spot right next to the lake. It was really cold and really windy! We drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while and found a great camping spot off Victor Road. The problem was, no internet and we had to get some stuff done before the next day. The last spot we knew our hot spot worked was only about 2 miles away. We worked until evening and set up camp in the dark. One of our highlights of the week was our driving tour of Little Switzerland, NC. We camped at a free site near Roseboro, NC. Next, it was time for a different adventure. We decided to reserve a room with AirBNB at a place outside of Winston-Salem. It was our first time to use AirBNB. We wanted to get a ton of work done and be out of the elements for a few days. We hope you enjoy the episode to hear about our little adventure. If you haven't already, hop over to YouTube and hit the subscribe button to catch our latest videos.

Five days into our trip, we arrived at Land Between the Lakes and were recording at our camp spot on a chilly 39-degree evening. We hope you enjoy the episode as we recap our travels to and around Land Between the Lakes. Here are some highlights… Lake Wappapello, Missouri Free campsite at a boat ramp near Poplar Bluff, MO. In this episode, we touched on our stay at Lake Wappapello and said we didn’t have internet. If you listened to episode #44 (where we actually were recording at Lake Wappapello) we clearly said that we had fantastic internet service. We were even doing some client work after our arrival. Clearly, we can’t remember things from one day to another. We should do a better job of journaling. Dorena Hickman Ferry, Missouri Dorena-Hickman Ferry is one of the few riverboat ferries in operation and is the only ferry on the Mississippi between Missouri and Kentucky. Whenever we can, we like to add a ferry ride to our route. The ride was $14. It was a cloudy, drizzly day. We enjoyed ourselves. Reelfoot Lake State Park, Tennessee Located near Samburg, TN, Reelfoot Lake State Park was our campsite for our second evening of camping. We were just there for the evening and didn’t take the time to tour the park. It was busy and had no remote camping. When we arrived, there were very few sites left. We paid $28.69 and had electricity and water. It was Rainy. We sacrificed price for time because we wanted to be close to Union City, TN the following morning. Dixie Gun Works, Tennessee The destination that Robert had been looking forward to for months was Dixie Gun Works. We visited on a Saturday and the hours are 8 am – 12 pm. Dixie Gun Works specializes in black powder and antique gun parts. While Robert shopped, I walked around with Oscar and did a bit of computer work. I thought he would be shopping until they closed, but he found what he wanted and meandered around for an hour or so. It was the highlight of Robert’s day. Land Between the Lakes, Tennessee & Kentucky Golden Pond Visitor Center A nice visitor’s center with a planetarium, gift shop, and displays. There, we purchased a dispersed camping permit for $14 for three nights of camping (twice). We also purchased the driving tour of the Elk and Bison Prairie for $5.   Ginger Bay Campground Our first night was at Ginger Bay Campground. To get to the campsite, we drove some pretty hairy roads. It was rainy. There was no cell service. It was wonderful. Smith Bay Campground Our second and third nights were spent at Smith Bay Campground. It was terribly rainy. Since we had great internet, we decided to stay and get some work done instead of driving around in the rain. Elk and Bison Prairie The Elk and Bison Prairie was a driving tour with an admission of $5. There was no guarantee that we’d see any elk or bison, but we did. Fort Donleson National Battlefield, Tennessee Located in Dover, TN, Fort Donleson National Battlefield offers a nice driving tour with a cell phone audio narration. Hillbilly BBQ, Tennessee While in Dover, we were getting pretty hungry. We enjoyed a great lunch at Hillbilly BBQ.   For photos along the way, follow BeenThereDoingThat on Instagram. Feel free to send a direct message.

It’s been several weeks since we’ve done a podcast. Our last adventure was at Glade Top Trailwhere we had gotten quite a bit of social media reaction from the photo of Robert with the tire off the Jeep. It has been a whirlwind over the past few weeks. We’ve been concentrating on our business and client work and haven’t really had much time to do fun stuff. We’ve also been preparing for Overland Expo East held in Hendersonville, NC November 9-11, 2018. We plan on a six-week overlanding adventure and eventually land in Hendersonville for the Expo. In preparation for the trip, Robert did do a few modifications with Jeep: Rotate and balance tires Replace drive shaft boot Replace track bar bushing We hope you enjoy this episode as we record from our first stop on our trip. This time, we really didn’t make up a formal route or itinerary. Instead, we know there are two or three destinations we’d like to see, but other than that…we are just going to take things slow. Free Camping at Possum Creek Our first campsite was at Lake Wappapello, north of Poplar Bluff, MO. We went some nice back roads to arrive at Possum Creek. It was a free campsite that we discovered on freecampsites.net. It was at a boat launch where you could set up camp in the parking area. There was a vault toilet, two to three fire rings, and no hook-ups. Our Verizon internet was fantastic (2 bars LTE) and was able to get a bit of work done. Robert had great signal to hamvangelist it up on 80 meters. Be sure to listen to upcoming podcasts to follow our journey over the next few weeks as we make our way to Overland Expo East 2018. For photos along the way, follow BeenThereDoingThat on Instagram. Feel free to send a direct message.

We had a full and busy work week, pretty much strapped to our computers. It was time to break away and do a little trail driving. A few weeks ago, Robert had explored Glade Top Trail while I was in Mississippi. Since that area is one of the most remote areas in Missouri, we knew that was the perfect day trip for us. We decided to take Tucker along on this trip. The other two chilled at home in the A/C. Tucker likes being an only child anyway and is a great travel companion.  The trail was great! We went on parts of the trail that Robert didn't get to on his last visit. We're pretty sure we were driving on parts of a dried-up creek bed. We were certainly enjoying ourselves, then it happened. Trouble on the trail Robert noticed the Jeep pulling to the right. Not just a little bit either. It was pulling so much that he asked me how the tires looked. He was thinking that surely the tire was getting low. Nope...that wasn't it. We hope you enjoy this week's podcast as we banter a bit about our Glade Top Trail adventure. Big thanks go out to Adventure Tool Company for our tool roll. We love it! We used to carry a bulky toolbox and now all of our tools are much more compact. Came in pretty handy on the trail. We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email at podcast@beentheredoingthat.com about an unexpected adventure you've had on a trail.

This week's podcast is about our little adventure as we traveled north from our home base. Here's a breakdown. Warrensburg, MO Robert had been looking forward to heading up to Warrensburg to attend the annual WAARCI Hamfest. We've attended the last couple of years and it's a good time to see people who Robert chats with over the radio. We stopped by the local farmer's market, a flea market, and had a great lunch at Muddy Creek BBQ. Lexington, MO We weren't ready to head home. When we realized how close we were to the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, we couldn't pass up that opportunity to go visit. Neither one of us had ever been there and were impressed. Lexington has some rich history. El Dorado Springs, MO On our way home, we decided to swing by El Do and check out the 132nd Annual Picnic. We didn't stay long, but since El Do is where I grew up, I enjoyed reminiscing a bit. Around Home Poor little Oscar. He just seems to be having a tough time. For several weeks he seemed to be coping not having the use of his back legs. He can get around pretty well and seemed relatively pain-free. But suddenly, he seems to be in pain. We took him to our vet for a check-up. Good news...no bladder infection and nothing obviously wrong. The consensus is that he may be getting more sensation in his back legs. We are having him take it easy and keep him as comfortable a possible.  We hope you enjoy this week’s episode.  We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email us at podcast@beentheredoingthat.com. Other Resources Mentioned WAARCI Hamfest Muddy Creek BBQ Battle of Lexington State Historic Site Robert's Video of the Battle of Lexington State Park El Dorado Springs Annual Picnic

We went our separate ways, but it was only for five days.  I went to Gulf Port, MS with my cousin to visit her son and brand new grandbaby. Robert stayed around home to take care of the dogs. Besides he had a gig or two scheduled when I was gone. The trip to Gulf Port was nice. It was great to spend time with family I rarely see.  Robert decided to take a day trip to Glade Top Trail in the Mark Twain National Forest. He had been on roads he hadn't been on yet, met another adventurer just wanting to get out of the house, and even made a little video.   We hope you enjoy this week's episode as we recount our separate adventures.  We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to email us at podcast@beentheredoingthat.com.

We had a day off and we planned to tackle some rewiring on the Jeep that couldn't be delayed any longer. It was driving us nuts that the headlights would go out when we switched from low beams to high beams. We wanted to be able to use high beams again, so we decided it was high time to just get it done. After our mission was accomplished, we headed over to Fort Scott, KS for a little afternoon road trip. The grounds were decorated up for Independence Day. Absolutely breathtaking to see all the American flags displayed in the parade field. This week's episode not only recounts our visit to Fort Scott, but I also reveal how I found out my wife was leaving me. You'll have to listen to the podcast to know the details. Resources Mentioned Symbols of Sacrifice Fort Scott National Historic Site Fort Scott Info Mobile App Downtown Fort Scott

Robert was anxious to get out of the house. It was about noon and he just wanted to GO! He didn't tell me his plan. I don't think he had a plan really, just to go south. We headed south on Hwy 160 out of Springfield, MO. We went through little towns we haven't been to in a long time. Some of them, we've never been to. We stopped at a few campgrounds to check them out for future reference. Due to recent flooding, some picnic and camping areas were still under water.  We had wonderful views on the drive with rolling hills and beautiful vistas. The further south we went, we realized that neither one of us had traveled that section of Hwy 160 before.  Finally, Robert recognized where we were at. We were coming up onto Gainsville. He's been there many times but never coming into town the way we came. He remembered that there was a mill nearby. He didn't know anything about it and had no idea where it was. With a quick Google search, we found that we were only 17 miles from Hodgson Water Mill. Now that was a treasure to visit. We hope you enjoy this week's podcast where we recount our trip to the mill. Be sure to also catch Robert's short video of our visit. You can see our photo gallery by clicking here.

We had a lovely time recently at Hulston Mill Civil War Days located between Greenfield and Everton, MO off of Hwy 160. It was our first time to attend and we were impressed. The grounds where the old 1840's grist mill, as well as other historic log cabins, sits is absolutely beautiful. With all the reenactors dressed in period clothing, we certainly were transported back in time. Enjoy this week's episode as we talk about our experience. Feel free to drop us a note at podcast@beentheredoingthat.com.

Our trip to Overland Expo West this year was especially welcomed as we were looking forward to getting away and enjoying the event. We appreciate being selected as volunteers and we loved our assignments. On Thursday, we worked in the HQ tent checking people in. On Friday and Sunday, we were stationed at the Concierge tent at the Camel Trophy Expedition Skills and Motorcycle Expedition Skills areas. We met a lot of great folks, saw a lot of exhibits and enjoyed looking at all the different vehicles. We took Oscar along on this trip because he needed a little extra attention and supervision since his back legs stopped working a few weeks ago. He certainly received a lot of attention. We hope you enjoy the episode as we share our favorite experiences. BTW, in the episode, we tried to relay some stats from the expo. The best place to see the real stats from people who know what they are talking about is to hop over to Overland Expo's Buzz Page. We mentioned several folks in this episode. Below are quick links to learn more about them. Links Mentioned: Dirt Sunrise | Tim & Kelsey Huber Dennis Garman Leather Venture 4WD | Chris Shontz Swell Runner Overland | Jason Koertge Photos that Unite | Jenniver Langille Adventure Tool Company Helio Pressure Shower | NEMO Equipment Wandering Englishman Cool Rides Winner | Overland Expo West 2018

We had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Chris Shontz with Venture 4WD (pronounced venture forward) at Overland Expo West 2018. About a year and a half ago, Chris left his job as a programmer to explore and seek adventure traveling and living in his Jeep Wrangler full time. We have followed Chris for months by watching his weekly YouTube posts.  We hope you enjoy this podcast episode as Chris shares what got him started in overland travel, how he makes a living on the road, his Jeep set-up, and what's next for him. We think you'll like getting to know Chris as much as we did. Be sure to follow Venture 4WD on all the social links (see below).   Connect with Chris Shontz | Venture 4WD Website YouTube Instagram Facebook  

This year’s trip out west shifted to become more about the destination than the journey as we traveled to Overland Expo West 2018. We normally like to take our time and experience sites we’ve not seen yet when we travel. It took us a speedy two days to travel from our home in Missouri to Flagstaff, Arizona. Because we knew we were taking such a speedy trip, we decided to rent a small SUV instead of taking our Jeep or Subaru. The Jeep we have confidence in, but it’s probably not the best vehicle to push 70 mph. The Subaru needed some much-needed maintenance. It was overdue for a timing belt and there was an oil leak. Instead of taking it, we dropped it off at Stewart Auto Services in Springfield, MO so they could give it some much-needed care while we were gone. We ended up renting a Volkswagen Tiguan for a little adventure. We moved into the Tiguan in between a family event, then headed west on Sunday, May 13. We traveled mainly on Interstates instead of our preferred highway, byway, or backroad route. This trip, we decided to take Oscar, our little special needs dog. Just weeks before we were going to leave, his back legs became paralyzed. He needed more supervision and attention than what Lucy and Tucker need, so we brought him along. Our dog sitting team consisting of our daughter and parents took shifts caring for Lucy and Tucker in our absence. Since we were in a rental vehicle, we left our CVT behind and changed our living quarters to our ground tent. Boy do we miss our CVT! We had to take up space in the cab of the Tiguan for bedding and tent, whereas when we have the CVT all that stuff is on the roof. We stayed south of Flagstaff on Lake Mary Road for two nights before the Expo. It was the best and most peaceful nights of camping we’ve experienced yet. We hope you enjoy this episode as we recorded it right at our campsite outside of Flagstaff in the Coconino National Forest. We share some details of our journey toward our weekend at Overland Expo West 2018.   Site Seeing Links: Cadillac Ranch | Amarillo, TX Standin' on the Corner Park | Winslow, AZ Sipp Shoppe | Winslow, AZ Fort Tuthill Campground | Flagstaff, AZ Coconino National Forest | Arizona Overland Expo West 2018 | Flagstaff, AZ Our Gaia Map from MO to AZ