Riverwalk Place provided the ideal place for gimps like me to fully participate and feel like we belong!
The Jeep Creep 2013 was a three-day event the last weekend before Halloween. It was an indoor/outdoor event with plenty of activities for those of us who aren't totally, absolutely crazy about Jeeps. If you are able to pull yourself in and out of a Jeep the event is otherwise barrier-free. I saw 3 or 4 wheelchair jockeys, two other rolling walkers and several pairs of crutches. It was a relief to NOT be the most decrepit person there!
Each of the three days had a big event for Jeep lovers. Friday night, many of the Jeeps were decorated in Halloween themes and drove in a parade from the Riverwalk Place parking lot all the way down M-61 to the east end of Gladwin, doing a U-turn in front of Kentucky Fried Chicken and returning back to the starting point. We were pleased to see so many locals braving the cold to watch, point and wave! Our dinged-up old Wranger sported a copper jack-o-lantern hanging from the front winch, a skeleton scarecrow hung from the radio antenna and twisting in the wind, and gooey green slime hands slid down the windshield. Every corner had a uniformed cop preventing traffic from interrupting the parade, and we joked that we should have swung through Clare to pick up from Cops & Donuts hand handed out semi-stale crullers to the peace officers. I must say, though, those in uniform seemed to be enjoying themselves!
Saturday the vendors filled the outdoor areas on the grounds. Must of them were tables and pop-up canopies with 4x4 add-ons, but there was a chainsaw carver at work, and a display of stone cutters who could make memorials, headstones, garden stones and markers with any number of designs on them--including Jeep logos, of course! Inside the garage area a local animal rescue group held an adopt-a-thon and collected donated pet food. The local Jeep dealership down the road had an off-road course and rock wall for registered attendees to attempt for $15. But the Big Deal for the day was the hour the parking lot was closed to moving vehicles and hundreds of trick-or-treaters swarmed the Jeeps in search of candy and loot! And by hundreds, I am not exaggerating; even with over 350 Jeeps registered, we ran out of candy with 45 minutes to spare! Wild Bill ran to the nearest store in search of something appropriate but it was a gas station convenience store and only had the full-size candy bars. Boo, what a couple of scrooges we were!
Sunday we had a choice between going to Rocks and Valleys for half price or the 3 hour trail ride up towards St Helen and Roscommon. We chose the trail ride, thinking it was be calm and would save wear and tear on our vehicle. WRONG! Within minute of leavig the road we were submerged in a deep puddle, stalled, but finally made it out on our own. Further up the road we stalled because the destributor was wet and we had to wait for someone to come along behind us with WD-40. The rest of the trip we kept losing power as the alternator died, and finally gave up when the fuel pump stopped running in front of the Richfield Township Fire Hall. Fortunately one of the leaders of our trail-riding group came along with jumper cables and saved us. We met some really fun people on the trail but unfortunately didn't get any names or phone numbers to get together for future rides.
If you own a Jeep or have a buddy who does, THIS IS SOMETHING A GIMP CAN EASILY DO!
Riverwalk Place is totally accessable,with ramps, smooth walkways, elevators and great accessible restrooms on all floors. In fact, most of downtown Gladwin has smooth sidewalks and crosswalks, although a few downtown buildings have steps up to the front door. Besides the Riverwalk Grill and the bar being open for meals, there were chili and burger stands strategically placed where attendees could purchase and consume hot food as they strolled and browsed. A person who needed a lot of rest would find many comfy chairs indoors and even more bench seating outdoors on the grounds. By this time next year I expect a bigger parking lot and expanded garden spaces, all beautifally landscaped to invite lingering.
We will be back next year with more decorations and a LOT more candy!
