One of the oldest Land Rover clubs in North America held its 35^th annual Birthday Party rally at the end of June 2018. The Ottawa Valley Land Rovers club has held the event in Ontario since 1984, and this year’s celebration on June 22-24 continued a tradition of a fun event with a friendly, dedicated, cross-border crowd.

After a few years’ hiatus, Vermont Overland (VO) once again held their popular Land Rover-only Vermont Over-Land Rover event over Memorial Day weekend. Although other VO events are open to all marques, this event was designed by VO head Peter Vollers as a tribute to the Land Rover community that has formed a core to the group for many years.

The annual Guy Fawkes Rally in upstate New York (near Cooperstown) is one of the last northeast Land Rover events of the year before the Christmas season kicks into full swing. It's a small, traditional Land Rover bash, with friendly faces, varied trails, and a great atmosphere. And of course, no Guy Fawkes celebration would be any good at all without a two-stories-high bonfire.

Each year in August, a group of Canadian and American Land Rover owners gather for the week-long event known as Événement Pierre Gauthier, or EPG. EPG was started in 2001 as a family event with a focus on camping, off roading, families, fun and more off-roading. From its inception, EPG has alternated between different places in Quebec and New Brunswick, but last year moved to central Ontario as a change of pace. The event uses a base camp, generally a public campsite with facilities, from which groups can make day trips out into the surrounding countryside. A history of all of the places they have visited and toured would make for a lengthy article.

Over the last weekend in July the ‘On The Road’ Discovery 2 and I headed to a most interesting event: The “Muddy Chef Challenge” in very scenic Manchester, Vermont. “Muddy Chef” began in 2008 in nearby Stowe, Vermont. A group of friends had a “crazy” idea that off-roading could be combined with a vehicle-based gourmet cooking challenge.

Two weekends ago, the Ottawa Valley Land Rover (OVLR) club held its 34th Annual Birthday Party event. This is OVLR’s largest annual event and normally falls on the third weekend in June. The event is near the town of Maberly, in Southeastern Ontario about 90 minutes North of the U.S. border.

Two big North American Land Rover events of note will occur this summer, for those who are interested in meeting like-minded enthusiasts and owners, or who would like to take their vehicle off-roading. Trails usually cover a variety of terrain with a choice of difficulty level. Most events of this type offer camping for those who prefer it, and lodging options for those who prefer fresh sheets and a private bath before hitting the trails.

In June of this year it was our privilege to attend the Ottawa Valley Land Rovers' 33^rd Annual Birthday Party event. The event is held in Southern Ontario near the town of Maberly, located in an area known as the Mississippi Valley. The area is mostly rural, consisting of small towns interspersed with hills, forests, wetlands and over 250 lakes. Rumor has it that the hills in this part of Ontario were once mountains that dwarfed even the Himalayas. Whether or not that is true, the many exposed granite boulders, shelves and outcroppings contribute both to the scenery and also to the fun that can be had on the local 4x4 trails.