Destination Florida: Jeeps, Jeep Beach and Swamps!

When you think of Florida, what do you think of?

Sand….✅

Sun.. ✅

Blue Ocean…✅

Palm trees… ✅

Sipping a cold one …..✅ .

Hey, but what about Jeeps? Well its that time of the year again where we are on the road for a month long stay in Florida, and it’s all about Jeeps and Beaches!

Our first stop is in Daytona, FL, for the 19th annual Jeep Beach Jeep Jam! We always love Jeep Beach, and why not! It’s the biggest Jeep gathering in the world! Events and parties with Jeeples all week long. Each year Jeep Beach grows bigger and bigger since they started, 19 years ago. In 2022 Jeep Beach raised $650,000 for local charities with the help of 350 volunteers that donated 6500 hours of their own time as well as many sponsors and local businesses! The Hard Rock Hotel stepped in and also raised $17,443 in addition to the ShadeBrigade crew of 20 Offroad companies, that raised an additional $25,000! Wow! This next year they are tasked to raise a million dollars for 2023. Over 25,000 Jeeps and 255,000 people showed up to make this all possible.

The end of the event is celebrated with a HUGE Jeep parade on the beach to clean up and make the beach better than the way we found it. This year, 12,000 parade passes were issued. HOLY MOLY thats a lot of Jeeps!! Jeepers are amazing!!

Jeep Beach 2023 will be the 20th year Anniversary along with the “rubicon” Jeep anniversary and its expected to be HUGE!! Next year, Jeep will partner with Jeep Beach on another Jeep Beach addition collaboration and its going to be bigger and badder! Who is coming next year? The dates are set for April 23-30, so make your plans now!

Another first, Jeremy Rowe got the pleasure of being invited to play at the Jeep Beach show for a couple of days as well!

While we truly enjoy our stay in Florida, we also help to support some of our local Jeep shops with visits and do some cool things while we have some downtime. DOWNTIME? What is that exactly? Well there are some hours in the days to get in some touristy things that we have never done before. While there, I did learn about another big culture that is present in Florida and that is the “Swamp Life”. Say what? Who knew? I thought the only thing that would be cool is to be a Jeep enthusiast, but it turns out that there is a whole new world that I got to partake in. In this “alternative” world, its all about what boat and rig you have to enjoy the swamp. It’s just like the Jeep community but in the swampy alligator infested waters of the Florida marshes. Not only can those air boats go fast…but they can also go  anywhere! They have hidden party “land”, where there are picnic tables and other cool features if you know how to get there! I also learned they have huge concerts on these “islands” and hidden treasures for people to find. Swimming with alligators is not on my list of things to do, as I have hit one in a river with my Kayak and got up a little too close and personal, but locals swim with them without a care…..NOPE! There are certain rules and regulations out on the water like anything else we off-roaders do. I also learned that there is a time for air-boating…and in the early evening you do not drive the airboat until its clear of bugs that come out right at sunset….its pretty awful but I had to get back. I can say that I would rather not do that again! YUCK!

Florida is one of my favorite destinations. So, who is going to join us next year for Jeep Beach 2023?

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