Maine in the fall provides such a gorgeous setting and a perfect place to hold a Jeep event during the change of season. Bethel, Maine is the essence of New England, every year we see why the colors are the envy of the rest of the country when it comes to the fall foliage in pictures and commercials. Not limited to the colors that make it an incredibly scenic destination there is plenty of wildlife to be seen as well. There are Turkey, Deer and Moose running around in the area are a very common site while wheeling or staying at one of the inns.
Bethel is a small community that was established more than a century ago and still remains as a quite retreat that doesn’t look or feel like things have changed much in the last fifty years. It is very much a “Mayberry” type town where one would expect to see pies cooling on the window sill or Norman Rockwell sitting somewhere working on one of his famous paintings of a time and era that has long since past. Well, that sense of community and small town lifestyle is very much alive and well in Bethel, Maine. During the Jeep Jamboree there every year the locals still come out to Main Street on Saturday morning just like they have for the past twenty years for the parade of Jeeps that go through town as they head out for the last day of trail riding. In true parade fashion the Jeep owners that have been there before are prepared and bring bags of candy to throw for the kids and at each other at times for laughs.
There are several land owners in the community that take part in the event by allowing the groups to use their properties to come out and spend the weekend wheeling. Since most of the area is privately owned there are not too many places left in the eastern part of the country open to the public for wheeling, the event wouldn’t be what it is without their participation. Mostly logging areas, the trail systems provide participants with plenty of challenging obstacles for entertainment from water crossings to off camber situations, climbs and mud to contend with. If that wasn’t enough there are rocks thrown into the mix to add to the excitement and testing of the drivers skills and the vehicles capabilities.
If you live anywhere on the east coast or in eastern Canada and are looking for a great place to wheel or a Jeep event to take in, the annual Jeep Jamboree there is well worth attending. It is an event that sells out every year, it is amazing how many of the same people return year after year simply because of the setting and the fun they have there. Maybe it’s just the Lobster dinner that keeps them coming back, who knows, check it out for yourself and see!
