Hey Bronco Nation Fam,
I am Aly DuBois! If we have not met yet, or if you have not followed my journey on Instagram with my husky Mya (aka Wolfdog) and my Bronco Bucky, I am from Michigan and have a 2021 Bronco Badlands that I never planned to get. Let's get into it.
Since 2015, I have worked at a Ford dealer in Michigan. Even though I have always loved trucks, it was not a job I ever saw myself having, but it's worked out pretty well. Working at a Ford dealer, I heard the rumors for years that Bronco was making a return. I had seen them, thought they were amazing, but I had never been lucky enough to own one. In early February 2020, I was asked by my General Manager and General Sales Manager to be our “Bronco Specialist”. I saw the hype and wanted to see what it was all about, so it was an easy yes.
How Bronco Off-Roadeo Convinced Me To Get A Bronco
One of the greatest experiences of this position was the preview of Bronco Off- Roadeo in Texas. My dealership only sent me, a girl, who had zero off-roading experience and I was in a group of all guys. The only thing going through my head was, “I’m going to be the typical girl who doesn't know what she's doing and get stuck”. Good news, I did not. I had Mike Clouds as an instructor, and he helped me with everything. He explained everything and answered all my questions. I had a lot of them — a lot! The entire day I had a smile from ear to ear. I could not believe what I was doing and what I had learned by the end of the day. I was so excited to share what these vehicles could do with all my customers waiting for their orders.
Walking into Bronco Off-Roadeo that morning, I could honestly tell you I had never used a front or rear locker in my own personal driving experiences, never rock-crawled or had any vehicle I drove on some crazy angle. After that day, I had all the confidence in the world and could do any rock-crawling obstacle put in front of me. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing Bronco Off-Roadeo is to everyone I talk to. It is 100% why I ended up falling in love with this vehicle that week.
Bronco Delivery Day Excitement
Fast forward to October of 2021. I was able to finally take possession of Bucky, my Bronco. Working at a dealership has its benefits and delivery is one of them. When I saw the hauler coming up the drive with one Carbonized Gray Bronco, I knew it was mine. He had not even finished unloading the Bronco before I was in the area where they normally drop them off. I truly could not have been happier. I really wanted to hit the trails the second I got it, but I never wanted to go alone. For certain trails and obstacles, you really should not go alone in case something happens.
How I got Involved With Michigan Bronco Club
So, December 12th, 2021, was the first group meet-up in Michigan at Holly Oaks ORV park. We had no idea who would show up and, honestly, I almost bailed. I am glad I didn’t. Little did I know, that group would gradually begin turning into Michigan Bronco Club. Just a group of people who wanted to get these amazing vehicles into the wild so they could start seeing their full potential. Most of these strangers have turned into my Bronco family. Very few of us knew each other before Bronco.
How I Became Part of Bronco Nation
As a small thank you from Ford, we were given a one-year membership to The Bronco Nation. I’ve never belonged to a car group or any type of club, so I was not sure what I was signing up for. But I was about to learn. April came around and if you have not been to Bronco Driver Magazine’s Bronco Super Celebration, you must go at least once. I did not know anyone when I planned the trip. Or what this weekend was even about. The end of April is my birthday, so I asked my mom if she wanted to come down with me to see what this was all about for a birthday trip.
We rented a cabin in the Smokey Mountains and spent the weekend on “the peaceful side” of the Smokies (if you know, you know). Not knowing where to go or where to park while we were checking in, the gate attendant pointed out the 6th Gen Bronco Corral hosted by the one and only, The Bronco Nation. It was great talking to other Bronco owners about their favorite features, modifications, and learning what they were doing next. During Bronco Super Celebration, they have trail drives all week, and some are hosted by The Bronco Nation. You all leave as a group and it is an incredible site to watch Broncos in front of you and in your rear-view mirror doing this as a group. They also hosted a breakfast later in the week where I got to hang out with everyone I met to reflect on the event.
Let's also briefly chat about Woodward Dream Cruise, one of Michigan’s biggest weekends for car enthusiasts. The Bronco Nation had an entire day (sometimes multiple days) set up of stops to hang out! From going to Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard, Michigan Assembly Plant, the Ford Archives, Henry and Clara Ford’s house, not to mention off-road days, this team is working behind the scenes nonstop to bring this group together. It is every car enthusiast's dream. The Bronco Nation is more than your average car club. It has turned into a family.
Bronco is so much more than just another vehicle on the road. I went from knowing nothing about off-road techniques to doing this kind of stuff every weekend. Before Bronco, I can promise you, I did not do as much traveling. I have a small group of friends I hang out with, and I am more of a home body. If you would have told me a few years ago that I would be this active in a car community, helping beginners off-road like Mike Clouds helped me, being someone at an event for a new person to talk to because they are too nervous to go to a meet-up, I would have never believed you. I strongly encourage you to get involved in anything you can to fully experience Bronco. I know it has brought so many opportunities and people into my life that I am forever thankful for. You never know. Maybe you can start your own club, plan meet-ups, trail cleanings, or just meet for lunch at a local spot or, heck, you can plan a trip to Bronco Off-Roadeo for your local club.... More on that soon!
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