Fixed Link! BANTAM JEEP FESTIVAL 2013

[Widow Maker]

Last summer, Rob and I had the opportunity to travel to Butler, PA (the birthplace of the Jeep) for the 3 day Bantam Jeep Festival in June of 2013. It's a annual 3 day event, started in 2010 and growing bigger every year,  and includes 3 of the remaining original 5 Bantams built in Butler before WWII. There were 1500 Jeeps that weekend from 29 states along with many vendors. Friday was the Jeep Invasion of downtown Butler where they closed the main street and there were wall to wall Jeeps! Displayed also was a WWII encampment, a mini trail built by the Rausch Creek crew along with a mud pit and rock garden.  The local Jeep club who sponsored this  took everyone out on a trail ride. We met up with Rick Pewe of Peterson's Off Road Mag and spent an hour with him just talking Jeeps!! What a great guy! Also listened to a talk from one of the former employees of Bantam.  He explained the origins of the Bantam - we also visited the old factory where the first Bantam was born and sadly its going the way of the Titantic - no plans are to restore it because of lack of funding. We brought our 2008 stock JK Sahara and had fun on the trail rides and the Rausch obstacle courses.  There is so much to do and see for three days and the PA peoples' hospitality is unsurpassed.  If you ever get the chance to visit Butler, PA during this annual event, you won't regret it!  It's worth the 12 hour drive!  On the way back we stayed in Gettysburg and visited the battlefield - great experience! The Blue and Gray is a great pub in downtown Gettysburg and Sonny is the best bartender there - he takes good care of you!  Nothing better than a cold one after you've been tramping the battlefield after 8+ hot hours!  The burgers are divided up into Union and Confederate General's names and whichever one you pick, you get either an American Flag or Rebel Flag stuck on top of it.  Needless to say, I have many Rebel flags.    I've attached a link below with pictures from the Festival for review.  Enjoy!  

 http://s216.photobucket.com/user/2000TJJeep/library/Butler%20Jeep%20Festival

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc13/2000TJJeep/Butler%20Jeep%20Festival/032.jpg

[Posimoto]

Thanks for sharing, I did the Gettysburg trip really enjoyed it.

[Widow Maker]

Thank you  Chuck - going back to Gettysburg again and then Antietam in MD this summer.  We also did a 2 hour tour on horseback of the Gettysburg battlefield - the Confederate side.  We went and saw places that the other tourists in cars could not see.  We also had a guide on horseback and he related all the goings on in each section.  It was great!