“Not all who wander are lost”. That phrase is used for a lot of things nowadays but I do know the Jeeping community has a special kind of attachment to that expression. Many Jeepers have bumper stickers and decals made of that saying and it turns out it is some kind of badge of honor associated your rig.
Well I did a little wandering on my own last Saturday as part of a Jeep rally at Mad Jack’s in Vadnais Heights.
My first one.
All by myself.
I woke up Saturday with the intention of removing my soft top and doors from my Jeep and go for a nice, long drive since the weather for the weekend looked delicious. The feel of a complete convertible is exhilarating (Jeepers call the Jeep “naked” when the top and doors are removed, topless when the hard or soft top is detached) and there’s nothing like the breeze running through your hair and your leg dangling outside the cab on a foot peg.
It’s a Fred Flintsone kind of thing and as I sped along Hwy. 10 through Elk River, then Anoka, then Coon Rapids — I was noticing a lot of really cool Jeeps — naked and topless — and I finally convinced my self to make the trek to Mad Jack’s.
I’ve spent a lot of time (and money) customizing my Wrangler to pretty much how I’d like the vehicle to look. I’ve added rock sliders, metal bumpers, a roof rack and body armor to my Hydro Blue Jeep. I’ve complimented the look with plush Bartact seat covers, 15” black rims and 33” mud terrain tires. My Jeep has a sasquatch theme to it so I put sasquatch tail lights on the back and a “believe” decal across the windshield, just for fun.
Naked and intimadated was how I felt as the guy at the entrance told me it’ll cost me $10 to park there. I obliged and handed over the money. He proceeded to write a big number “71” on my windshield and directed me where to park.
Little did I know, I had just entered my Jeep into the voting process for several categories. My intent when I decided to attend was to park and walk around, “oohing” and “ahhing” at all the Jeeps, but now I was actually part of the club that got “oohed” and ahhed” at.
I never really expected to be in the running for any prizes — and I didn’t win anything — but I did feel pretty good about the compliments I received on my Jeep build. Mine was the only Hydro Blue Jeep in the lot and I felt pretty good about how it stood out amongst some of the more-veteran vehicles in basic colors.
As I walked around the lot, I came across some spectacular rides that indeed did win the prizes awarded hours later. One of the Jeeps that won for best 2-door was a TJ Rubicon in shiny black and big, knobby tires. It was semi-naked since it had its doors off but still sported a bimini top that stretched from windshield to tailgate.
I guess you’d call that naked from the waist down.
Nearby, a bright red four-door Jeep that had a turtle graphic on the hood and wording on the side that said, “Tortuga Roja” caught most people’s fancy — including the judges — as it was awarded best four-door and best build for its unique look.
It too, was half-naked from the waist down.
It was cool to also see two Willy’s Jeeps — one from 1948 and the other from 1947 — side-by-side next to the more modern Jeeps of today. They are the original “naked” Jeeps where they didn’t even come with doors and soft tops were few and far between.
What caught my eye most was the youngsters who were part of the rally. These young boys and girls seemed captivated by these unique motor vehicles and even spent a load of time talking to the owners of the transports and admiring their add-ons and graphics. Everyone, from the owners of the Jeeps to the vendors at the booths — were friendly, helpful, complimentary and genuine.
The future of Jeeping seems well secured.
It felt good to discover new friends and a new culture of adventure.
Going naked and taking risks was well worth the “wandering”.
