Mile High MODE Meetup 2026. PS (aka Notes from the Passenger Seat). & The Big Thing.

ISSUE 44  |  JULY 24, 2026

Hello, STORYTELLERS! Welcome to the 44th issue of Galactic Adventures: our community-focused, community-informed newsletter. This issue's featured photo comes to us from MODE Owner, Pamela Walsh.

If you would like to see your photo or story featured in Galactic Adventures, please send an email to emma.w@storytelleroverland.com 

Mile High MODE Meetup 2026

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Charlie Mench, MODE Owner

For the fourth year now, a wonderful gathering of STO owners, their families, kids, and plenty of dogs has taken place at Mile High Campground, just up the road from Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

What makes this event truly special, beyond the great friendships, is the mountain setting. At over 5,000 feet, the weather is completely different from the lowlands. We escape the brutal summer heat with cool nights in the 50s and comfortable highs in the 70s. Sure, we had our share of rain and fog at the beginning of the week, but we’d all take that over the heat any day.

Fifteen STOs and a few special guests traveled from as far as Florida, Connecticut, Ohio, Virginia, Indiana, Washington DC, and Vermont. Jason Gatliff, along with his wife Janna and daughter Avery, were our gracious hosts. They kept us busy with river tubing, pontoon boat rides, fishing, museum visits, late-night campfires, and plenty of storytelling.

One evening we shared stories about our first cars, our favorites, and the ones we still dream about. We also enjoyed group breakfasts, campfire dinners, and our now-traditional breakfast caravan to Joey’s Pancake House in Maggie Valley. Seeing all those STOs roll in together and take over the parking lot always turns heads!

What really makes this gathering stand out is how everyone comes together to help one another. We had a dead alternator that was overnighted and installed as a team. We also replaced a water pump and a macerator pump. One afternoon we even helped a lady who got her car and trailer into a tricky situation. And yes, there was a late-night hospital visit, but thankfully everything turned out fine.

Most of us are already booked for next year. If you’re a STO owner and looking for a great time in the mountains, mark your calendar for next July. You’ll have a blast!

PS (aka Notes from the Passenger Seat)

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Anne Williams, MODE Owner

After nearly 40 years of marriage and three RVs, our latest being our '23 Stealth, Pat and I have settled into roles. Pat mostly drives. I mostly plan. And I use the term "plan" loosely, the way meteorologists use the word "partly."


Our trip planning method is essentially dart-throwing at a map. We rarely make reservations except for long ferry rides or notoriously tricky destinations like Key West. I call our approach accidental travel.


What this means in practice: Pat is driving down a perfectly reasonable highway when I suddenly shout, "Quick, turn right — there's one of Georgia's 7 Natural Wonders just down the road!" He turns. Then, with the patience of a of a saint, he asks whether I intend to collect all seven before we reach our destination.


Usually the answer is yes.

My in-transit research toolkit (Google Maps, Atlas Obscura, Only in Your State, etc.) has delivered us to abandoned movie sets, carnivorous gardens, and enough sinkholes that we now consider ourselves hobbyist experts on them.


Every time Pat agrees to one of my detours, I feel a small wave of panic. What if it's not open? What if the dirt road swallows us? What if we wade out on a levee to find the birds a Google reviewer swore were "absolutely everywhere" and discover only mosquitoes with strong predator instincts? His willingness to follow me into these situations may be the actual foundation of our marriage. It also means he can never be blamed for any of it, which is a very clever strategy I've noticed.

Overnighting is where I've developed what I'll charitably call creative interpretation.

Sometimes I call a visitor center and ask if we can "park for a few hours to rest”. This is van life code for "until we've had breakfast and coffee." The answer is almost always yes, which tells you something reassuring about American hospitality.


Other times, a campsite occupies the blurry gray space between prohibited and permitted, but a ranger who begged for a full tour of the van hinted we were "unlikely to be bothered” in exchange.


Then there's the BLM campground situation. The only available spot is marked No Trailers or RVs Past This Point. But here's the thing, we're not a trailer. And are we really an RV? Our legal theory is if we owned a tent, we could park the Sprinter, walk outside, and sleep in the tent right next to the Sprinter. Should we be penalized for constructing a “tent” out of blankets inside our van? We've pondered carrying a toddler's pop-up tent to set outside just for appearances. The jury, like us, remains in a gray area.

To keep Pat alert through the long miles, I've tried everything. Relationship quizzes (he is
unenthused). Trivia (tolerated). Math challenges (he has a PhD, so I reliably fail. 7 always seems like it should be the right answer, but it never is).


But my favorite game came to us rolling past Dillon, Wyoming. Tired and miles from anywhere, I asked Pat to randomly guess the town's population. He said 1,000. I said 1,500. Whoever was closest won an extra glass of wine with dinner. Bonus points: guess the town's defining cultural activity. He said shooting at street signs. I said square dancing.


The population turned out to be 4,000, with a small university. They do have square dancing, though apparently not always enough participants for a full square.


We did not stop to help them complete their square or inspect the street signs for ballistic evidence. I did, however, enjoy an extra glass of wine. My 1,500 was significantly closer to 4,000 than Pat's 1,000, and I have chosen to accept this as a decisive victory.

The Big Thing

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A Fernweh Guided Expeditions Story

People and places over things.

Twenty rigs. Every type imaginable, including the new GXV WILD. One event: XOVERLAND’s The Big Thing. People came from all over the US, purposefully camping next to strangers, connected by nothing but a shared craving for adventure.

One big campsite. One open field. Several kids right alongside their parents, soaking up the stories being told over the weekend. 

Jesse Houston and Switchback Supper Club fed us like family. Two birthdays were celebrated before the trip was over.

Michelle Ramos from Tread Lightly joined us to talk about responsible recreation and what started as a work partnership has become a real friendship. This year, her son joined us as well.

And what a surprise it was when Jeffrey Hunter stopped by to see what we were up to.

Last year, the first year this event was ever held, I met Lacey Criswell and Troy Sanders. This year, they came back and camped with us. They’re the photographers behind many of the images in this story. These are the people who help turn a good event into a great event.
Rigs get you there. People and places are why you go back.


Adventure with Purpose.

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Service your Storyteller van or GXV truck at STO Fest - for Free!

Our Service Team will be on-site at STO Fest, running 30-minute diagnostic and tune-up appointments. One appointment per owner. 
 

These service appointments are for diagnostics, tune-ups, questions and a review of related parts that are located throughout the Storyteller/GXV portions of your vehicle (non-chassis related issues). If you're unsure whether your request fits, send us a note service@storytelleroverland.com.

book appointment

Life's Greatest Luxury is saying YES to the Next Grand Adventure!

We'd love to hear your stories and see your pictures from the road! Send to Emma at: emma.w@storytelleroverland.com

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