Hi! I am the “Ed” in “TheOverlandEd.com”.
One of my favorite things to do as a kid growing up on our family farm in northwest Ohio was to take our farm trucks out and explore. This is actually how I learned to drive (at least learning the mechanics of driving).
Back in those days Sundays were strictly a day of rest and the only day off on the farm. As such, our farm trucks were just sitting around unused and unattended. This was a great opportunity to jump in (the keys were always in the ignition) and drive down a dirt road, grinding the gears along the way. Well, that is until I caught on to the whole clutch/shifting thing.
Yes, I had permission to drive the trucks (kind-of).
We were fruit and vegetable farmers. Our farm was 2000 acres in total, most of which were open fields of potatoes, sweet corn, cabbage and other market vegetables. For these crops, every 32 rows of whatever was planted was separated by a strip of unplanted area about 5 feet wide. Strangely enough, we called them “driveways”. These “driveways” acted as pathways providing tractors or pickup trucks passage for spraying or to pick up produce during harvest. These “driveways” were an awesome place for a 15 year old kid to get his first taste of off road driving.
We also had acres of apple orchards on our farm. As I grew more confident in my driving skills, these were great places to drive into and explore. The orchards offered new challenges and were great places to do some more “advanced” off roading while hidden from sight under the cover of the orchard canopy. I quickly learned that trees were not the only obstacles in the orchards. Groundhog holes were often unexpected surprises that sent me flying out of the driver’s seat (no seatbelts, of course). Trying to stay out of the creek at the bottom of a steep, wet grassy slope provided some pucker reactions (maybe I was driving too fast?). It was also there where I learned that hitting an apple hanging from a low branch at a high rate of speed will break a windshield. Who knew?
Ever since these childhood experiences on the farm I knew that blacktop driving is not all that is cracked up to be. The road less traveled was (and still is) the road I wanted to be on.
All these years later I still rather be off roading, either in my 4×4 or my mountain bike, rather than driving or riding down a highway. Whether on two wheels or four, it is not about being reckless, seeking an adrenaline rush, or pushing the capabilities of my vehicle. For me now, it is more about exploration and solitude.
Camping in the middle of a state forest or national park with no one else around for miles is a feeling that I just can’t explain. It takes me back to a simpler time, away from constant contact and stressing about things that really don’t matter in the big picture of things.
Four wheeling on the farm as a kid was mostly about flying through mud bogs and fishtailing around corners. However, I do fondly remember those times it provided me opportunities to just get away from everything. That is the part that still stays with me.
I now live in the Philadelphia area with my wife and teenage son. Even though they don’t necessarily share my off roading passion, they are awesome about letting me do what I love and often humor me on trips. For the record, I consider being with them as part of my solitude.
Feel free it hit me up with questions or comments on the “Contact Me” page.
Happy off-roading!
Ed