EXO-1… To Vegas and back again
It was a dark and stormy night….. isn’t that how all great stories begin? Thursday October 25th was a stormy evening in Cloverdale, IN. Like all SEMA builds, it was coming down to the wire, but come Friday morning, EXO-1 was ready for the trek to Vegas. We loaded her on the trailer and watched her fade off into the horizon. 
We pick up the EXO-1 story on Monday the 29th. After 28 hours on the road, Beau climbs into the cockpit and rolls her off the trailer and into the spotlight of the Las Vegas Convention Center. After a spit shine from Beau, Josh and Korie, she is ready for her big debut in Scorpion’s booth. EXO-1 puts on a great show for the SEMA crowd with her orange flake dancing in the bright lights of the convention center.
Friday evening has finally arrived, and its time to leave the relative comfort of the convention center for the excitement of the open road. She is loaded up and rolls out, leaving the Las Vegas Convention Center in the rear view.
Saturday morning comes, now its time to jump on Interstate 15 North, in route to St. Rd. 9 bound for Kanab, UT. This will be base camp for a couple of days. On Sunday the 4th, she rolls out of Kanab heading south on 89 to 67 South. Time to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. She had to do a little wheeling along the way, hitting some off road and service trails in Grand Canyon National Park. After spending several hours taking in the view and hitting the trails its time to head north again.
Monday morning, we rolled out of Kanab traveling on 89 North to 12 East. On 12 east she enters Bryce Canyon National Park. After experiencing Bryce Canyon, there is an overnight stay in Bryce. Next morning (Tuesday the 6th) its time to take the scenic route through Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument park, via 12 East. After a full day of traveling through the central canyon lands of Utah, she finally stops in Torrey, UT for the evening.
Wednesday morning comes, time to keep pushing north to Interstate 70, then on to Moab, UT. She arrives in Moab Wednesday evening with enough daylight to witness the arches and sandstone formations inside Arches National Park. Time to rest up, tomorrow she tackles Moab! 
Thursday morning arrives, and she is off to take on the Fins & Things trail inside the Sand Flats Recreational Area, Moab, UT. Time to test herself and prove she is more than a mall crawling SEMA build. It’s a bit of a DIY journey, which just adds to the excitement. The sandstone rocks are a challenge, but she handles them with ease, thanks to her new suspension and 37” Coopers! All and all, it was a great day, and a great experience! She had proven that she was built right and could take on the world! She could mark the Moab off her bucket list. Time to burn up some highway, Indiana was calling her home!
Friday morning is here, and its time for some high speed highway miles. She leaves Moab behind (sadly) and travels North on 191, 30 miles of desert before she reaches interstate 70. She waves goodbye to the Moab desert and the Arch’s towering rock formations, hoping to return someday. Once on 70, its eastbound through what remains of Utah and into Colorado. The day ends surrounded by the snow-capped Rockies in Vail, Colorado.
Saturday is more miles to burn on Interstate 70. Her almost 10 hr day ends in Salina,KS. Sunday arrives, time for the final push home. 9 hrs left of highway to travel. She comes to a stop in Cloverdale, IN around 8:30 EST. The journey is complete, she has made it to Vegas and back again! It was a total of 8 days of driving and 2375 miles. A once in a lifetime journey, for a 07 Jeep JKU Wrangler, lovingly named EXO-1.