"I spent two months researching Jeep before purchasing my vehicle. Within that time I learned which motor/transmission/transfer case combinations work best for on and off-highway use, what size tire and suspension lift were reasonable but not excessive, and which rollcage offered the most protection and why. Most importantly, I learned I was going to need some real experience to keep myself safe, that's when I found out about "Let's Go Jeepin, Inc.". The only off-highway driving experience I had consisted of consisted of "muddin'" in the swamps of southern Florida and I knew this wasn't much preparation for the type of driving I kept reading more and more about.

    By the time I found my Jeep, a built-up 1983 CJ-7, the cost of a class with Let's Go Jeepin had already been calculated into my budget. I admit I was a bit hesitant, I had learned a lot about all aspects of "four-wheeling" on my own accord. Did I really need a class? Well, when my brother and I got our first boat my mom promptly enrolled the family in the United States Power Squadron's safe boating course, as simple as it is to operate a forklift, I'm still required to have OSHA safety certification, and certainly nobody would attempt to fly an airplane without proper instruction. I'd rationalized, I'd budgeted, and now I headed to Attica anxiously wondering if I was really up to it.

    Once I met Dora and Dan, my instructors for day one I was sure I'd made the right decision. Granted, I knew some of the things we were taught in class, but there were a lot of things I didn't know, really important things. As I tackled the obstacles on the practice course it made even more sense why I had come this far, I was now learning how to operate my vehicle. (The one I had spent so much time and effort searching for!) I was challenged by the standards I had set for myself and my instructors were willing and able to help me meet them. The obstacles that I was less proficient at I repeated until I was comfortable with my results with no pressure whatsoever from either Dora or Dan. By the time we hit the trail I noticed how at ease I was, how the lessons of the day were merely a framework in the back of my head adjusting my decision making on the fly as each situation was presented to me.

    Day two began with a lesson about recovery techniques. With the emphasis on safety Dora and Bill explained the specifics of proper techniques and equipment as well as the results of improper usage. This was particularly helpful since I have a winch and know I will need to use it correctly. We again hit the trail, initially covering some of the same ground we had tackled on day one. I was surprised how much easier it was and how comfortable I was with things that had been slightly unnerving just a day before. We then proceeded to tackle obstacles that were a bit harder, again the skills I had honed less than 24 hours before became the infrastructure for my judgment. By the end of the day I had accomplished so much that I could barely speak with all of the events and challenges now culminating into a solidifying foundation for future endeavors off-highway.

    Overall I expected the weekend to be fun, but I never expected it to be that fun! I am even more pleased with the vehicular choices I made than I was the day I bought the Jeep. I have more confidence in my Jeep's abilities as well as my own abilities to operate it wisely. I'm not only pleased I'm proud, and in the back of my head I think that is the ultimate goal of the folks at Let's Go Jeepin, to share the moments that spark a lifetime of off-highway enjoyment. I would recommend this course to anyone. Especially those willing to purchase or that have purchased an SUV, without it you may never understand it's specialties and the unique abilities you possess driving it."

Nicholas, Chicago IL - 1983 Jeep CJ-7