Upstate Legends Jeep Club expands "Memory Lane Ride"

The Upstate Legends Jeep Club will lead its annual “Memory Lane” ride on October 18 to honor the legacy of Larry Hinkle, the World’s Largest Jeep Dealer.  This year more than 60 Jeeps from the ULJC family will head to Gatlinburg, TN via the Blue Ridge Parkway-the same route Hinkle took during his famous Jeep trips. 

This is the third year ULJC has traveled this route starting with 13 Jeeps the first year, with the first organized Gatlinburg trip since Hinkle retired in the mid 80's.  In addition to the ride over the Blue Ridge Parkway, ULJC has teamed up with "Smoky Mountain Jeep Club" of Tennessee to hold a charity cruise in at a local Jeep store, Jeepism, in Townsend, TN on Saturday, October 19.  Organizers are expecting more than 250 people in attendance.  Each club will raise money for a local charity of their choice.  ULJC is once again sponsoring MARYS House in Easley, SC.  MARYS House is a safe house for domestic abuse victims.

Club co-founder and organizer, Gary Robinson, is the catalyst behind this new endeavor.  With the anticipated success of this year’s event, the annual “Memory Lane” event is expected to grow into “The Great Smoky Mountains Jeep Invasion” and become an annual Jeep event rivaling others around the country to provide a South East venue for Jeeps in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge area.

Robinson states, “This is a significant undertaking to grow both Clubs regionally and the Gatlinburg trip into a South East regional event in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Jeepers from around the states of SC, NC, GA and TN are attending this year. Co-Host of the event, ULJC and SMJC, along with the supporters of the event, Jeepism, Wings R Us, and Gillette Motel in Gatlinburg have been working together organizing trip details since June when we went on our initial planning trip. In addition to the Cruise In, there will be a Jeep Ride across Rich Mountain into Townsend, Tennessee via part of the Cades Cove Loop." Local Law Enforcement in S.C. and TN will escort the clubs to assist with traffic management.

Terri Cassell, co-founder, Julie MacKendree, and Kelley Welborn, Merchandising Managers, are organizing the Pickens end of the ride, Friday morning, while Robinson is handling the TN portion with Pete Brockman and Kevin Carlson of the "Smoky Mountain Jeep Club".  “It takes everyone in the groups to pull off an event like this.  Without our members stepping in whenever needed we would just be people with a dream of having a club.  We have been very fortunate to have the support of our members and our community,” says Cassell.

Roger Cassell started with a notebook and an idea at the first Jeep night in Pickens in 2010.  Today we are more than 400 members strong.  “We will never be anything close to Hinkle’s trips, but we are trying to emulate his efforts and his love for Jeeps and the Jeep community.”

If interested in more information about this event or the club itself, visit our website at www.upstatelegendsjeepclub.com or send a friend request at Facebook, Upstate Legends-Jeep Club. Our email address is upstatelegends@gmail.com.