Late last year, I had the opportunity to attend the 50th anniversary reunion for the Chuckwalla Jeep Club in California. The event not only moved me professionally, but it stirred my senses personally and slightly emotionally. In attendance at the reunion were first-, second-, third-, and fourth-generation club members. It would actually be more fitting to say this was a family reunion rather than a club reunion. These folks are tight and are bound by their love of adventure and four-wheeling in Jeeps as well as an amazing 50 years of great times out on the trail.
While at the event, I realized that these people had a bond that went beyond what you might find in the average club. I listened with envy to the great times these people had on the trail. The stories of adventure were fantastic, lighthearted, and fun.During the event, it struck me that the vast majority of four-wheel-drive family-oriented fun like this could someday soon come to an end. This is something to think about, especially since it's fashionable and trendy for the rich and politically connected to jump on the save-the-environment-from-rogue-four-wheelers bandwagon. But sorry, I'll save my land-rights and land-use rant for another time.One of the more intriguing and enjoyable highlights of the gathering for me was looking at the photos displayed around the club's headquarters and watching the slide show the last night of the event. The images were truly magical and certainly stirred my imagination. I was so moved by them that I just had to share them with you. After all these years, some of the photos aren't in the greatest shape but they are certainly enjoyable to look at. On page 32, you'll find the article titled "50 Years: A Historical Pictorial of the Chuckwalla Jeep Club." I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Happy Trails,
Kevin McNulty
kevin.mcnulty@sourceinterlink.com