A bridge builder and a secretary, respectively, Loren and Patty Upton have lived their dream. Loren Upton was always a seeker of romantic high adventure. And he was almost totally clueless about what would be required to fulfill his multi-faceted dream – take one American-made vehicle around the world on a north/south course, from the Arctic Ocean to the Arctic Ocean. The dream, like the man, was complex, strictly defined, and had very little room for error. Patty was traveling before she was born, which may have influenced her quest for adventure. Patty has always been fascinated by maps, globes, strange place names, and different cultures. After meeting Loren, she stepped through the Looking Glass and into a world she had never seen before, the world of serious off-roading and overland expeditions. 

Loren and Patty Upton drove one American-made vehicle, a 1966 CJ-5 Jeep, around the world on a north/south course, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Punta Arenas, Chile, including the first ALL LAND crossing of the notorious Darien Gap of Panama and Colombia by motor vehicle that put the Uptons in the 1992 Guinness Book of Records. The Darien was 741 days, 125 miles of no roads, only dense jungles, tortuous rivers, rugged mountains, and swamps. The Darien Gap is an off-roader’s nightmare or an adventurer’s dream. The expedition continued to the furthest road south on the South American continent, 38 miles south of Punta Arenas, Chile. Shipping to Africa, the only legitimate water barrier in Loren’s strictly defined route, they began at the furthest road south, Cape Agulhas, South Africa, to the furthest road north, Gamvik, Norway; 4000 miles of four-wheeling in Africa, a life-threatening breakdown in the Sahara Desert, and an eye-opening journey through the former Soviet Union. This overland journey covered over 56,000 miles and lasted five years, providing a lifetime of memories. 

Since Loren’s passing in August of 2022, Patty has traveled coast to coast twice, attending Overland Expos, Jeep festivals, overland rallies, and museums to tell the story of the Sand Ship Discovery. She finds great joy in sharing the story and inspiring others to get out and go! 

Patty recently completed the 10th Annual Rebelle Rally. 

Both Loren and Patty saw off-roading as a means to explore what lies beyond the distant horizon. To seek out places that are hard to find and breathtakingly beautiful to experience. 

Patty’s plans for the future include setting her compass heading toward a new challenge, the 2025 Rebelle Rally. Patty will be in the right seat as navigator, same position she had in the Sand Ship Discovery, only now she will be in a 2023 Jeep JL 370 Wrangler Rubicon loaned to her team, TNT – Tried N True, by American Expedition Vehicle Conversions, the Sand Ship Discovery II, specially designed to honor Loren and resemble the Sand Ship Discovery.

In addition, early next year, Patty, with the expertise of her co-writer, Misti Tokarsky, will publish a book about the Voyage of the Sand Ship Discovery.