Overland Expo 2023 has Flagstaff, Arizona buzzing

The city where Pluto was discovered is trading off more than its status as 'gateway' to the Grand Canyon

These logging wheels are prominently positioned in downtown Flagstaff. They were one of two sets that used to sit on either side of Route 66, on the west end of Flagstaff, near the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company, as an entryway to the city. The project to restore them began 20 years ago. It ran into trouble because hardly any craftsmen now have the ability to work on wheels this size. So they were disassembled and the hardware sent to a company in Letcher, South Dakota. With their wood deemed beyond repair, the craftsmen of the Hansen Wheel and Wagon Company used the measurements to reconstruct this set, complete with the original iron parts. Photo: Rashmee Roshan Lall

By chance, we happened to be in Flagstaff, Arizona on its biggest commercial showcase weekend of the year.

And the excitement was building in this city for Overland Expo West, which bills itself as the world’s premier event series for do-it-yourself adventure travel.

Word seems to have got out to those who need to know.…