A new Jeep driving around with a bear may be spotted in Michigan this spring. It’s not an escaped zoo animal in a stolen vehicle – rather, it’s the “Caddy Wagon,” a new mobile visitor center promoting the Greater Cadillac area, with Cadillac’s Caddy Bear mascot in tow.

The newest visitor outreach endeavor by the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau (CAVB), this custom-wrapped 2024 Jeep Wrangler Sport S operating as a mobile visitor center will hit the road this spring to share visitor information about the Cadillac area at attractions and events both locally and around the state.

“One of our focus areas is to continually improve the visitor experience,” said Kathy Morin, executive director of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau. “We have seen this mobile visitor center concept implemented by destinations in other states – and to our knowledge, we are one of the only Michigan visitor bureaus doing this. We hope this new approach will reach more people about the many exciting activities and experiences in the Cadillac area.”

Leased from Betten Baker CDJR in Cadillac, the Jeep-turned Caddy Wagon is outfitted in a custom-designed exterior wrap by Krazy Kat Signs in Manton with the visitor bureau’s green and gray brand colors and logo, along with icons showing all the recreational activities in the Cadillac area. Beyond being used as a company vehicle, the CAVB staff will park the vehicle and set it up as a pop-up visitor center where they can distribute print materials, swag and other destination information where people are already gathering. By summer, the vehicle will include additional functionality in the trunk/tailgate area for display purposes, including a roll-out canopy and a specially designed self-serve information kiosk to hold materials.

“We are excited to introduce this inventive new concept from the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau,” said CAVB Board President Pete Finch. “The Caddy Wagon will help our team distribute important information to our visitors where they are already gathering – whether at a signature event in Cadillac, or at a welcome center or trade show in another part of the state.”

The CAVB plans to take the Caddy Wagon to the following locations and events, with more to be added soon:

• Michigan Welcome Centers in Clare, Port Huron, Monroe, Dundee, New Buffalo and Coldwater during the month of April

• 23rd Annual Jeep Blessing, Mesick – May 4

• Mesick Mushroom Festival – May 10-12

• Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, Cadillac – May 30-31

• Back to the Bricks® 14th Annual Promo Tour, Cadillac – June 9

• Model T Ford Club International 67th Annual Tour, Cadillac – July 13-20

• Cadillac Freedom Festival – July 4-8

• Cadillac Craft Beer Festival – Sept. 28

The CAVB envisions additional uses of the vehicle such as visiting targeted sites to distribute topical information about a specific activity (e.g., Tread Lightly! information at an ORV trailhead), as well as for visitor intercept surveys to gather feedback about the destination. Organizations who wish to request the Caddy Wagon and/or Caddy Bear to visit their event can contact the CAVB at (231) 775-0657.