Vintage Trailer Rally - My First! - May 13-15, 2011

Hokey Smokes!! Was that a fun time or what?

I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was in for when Norm & Jules said they liked vintage camping and going to rallies. But signing up with them meant taking the good with the bad. So far, ALL GOOD!!  First thing I did after arriving though was to hook back up with Norm & Jules after my wandering around with Mike & Jessica for the past month. They were such gracious hosts! Thanks guys!



Me & Norm reunited



Ok, for those that might not know, a vintage trailer (camper) rally is just what it sounds like. A bunch of people with vintage trailers (they don't like their campers to be called old...) that actually use them still to go camping. Someone "organizes" a camp outing at a nearby campground and invites ANYBODY with an old camper to come join in for the weekend. Whoever shows up gets to enjoy. Its really cool! They are very welcoming to "newbies". Since this was my first rally I was a newbie. I did find out that the only requirement is that you arrive with the intention of having fun! 

  Norm & Jules currently own three vintage campers. These are two of them;



1958 Hiawatha



1965 Aristocrat Lo-Liner



Clearly they are not your typical neighbors in a campground. But that is what is so cool. There are a bunch of like minded people that get together with their old (oops, vintage) campers and hang out.

Anyhow, back to the festivities.  I met up with my cousin Gunther and we were catching up.

There was another gnome, T-Roy, that said he was embarrassed a bit when he saw that he and I were dressed alike. He said he would make sure that didn't happen again so we all exchanged numbers to check wardrobes in the future. The goose was another "newbie" named Gertie. She was with Joni, Jason & Brock.

On the first night we had what they called a progressive cocktail party and crazy hat contest. You start out at one camper and the owner provides a tasty beverage of their choosing along with an appetizer.

After a few minutes of chatting, drinking and eating its on to the next camper. This was our first stop. BJ's 1958 Yellowstone. Everyone names their campers too. BJ named hers Bee Bee because of a bunch of bee bee dents in it. Norm & Jules named theirs Bob (the Burger) and Walter (the Hippie).

The more people that attend one of these could make the "progressive" part of the party a real challenge!


Next it was on to Norm & Jules' campers. Joni & Jason were staying in Walter while they are in the process of re-doing their 1970 something Shasta. Norm & Jules were staying in Bob.

 

It was great fun and the food was fantastic! Joni & Jason had mini hot dogs wrapped in bacon and baked with brown sugar. Mmmmmm!

 

 Norm & Jules tend to have "shots" but this time the shot glasses were filled with cordial. Its a homemade concoction that the recipe has been passed down in Norm's family for generations. It is very similar to brandy. Definitely NOT shot material! But very tasty! The cordial for this rally was blackberry.

After Norm & Jules' it was off to Kimberly & Gibb's and Mike & Jessica's.  

 

Great friends, great times!

Homie (Mike) won the crazy hat contest for the guys and Joni for the girls.

It was getting a bit cold and obviously was having an affect on the participants. Gunther, myself and T-Roy didn't notice the cooler temps. We had enough tasty beverages to ward off any cold weather! We should have made it a bigger point to sample multiple appetizers rather than multiple beverages.

It wasn't too long after that we started loosing tired campers to their bunks. 

If you would like to view all of the pictures from the rally (There are around 160) click this link.  Marengo Ridge Rally 

Saturday was a much tamer affair. During the day things were pretty easy.  Getting up and started is always tough after a night like last night.

Even Brock would agree.

I suggested that we go out to breakfast in town rather than me having to cook it, since I had volunteered to cook it the night before. Everybody thought it was a great idea, so we went.

After breakfast we went back to the campground. I had a chat with a guy that was hanging around Norm & Jules camper.

He said that he owned the camper. Clearly the guy is a clown and didn't know that I am family with the actual owners.




The Busch / Watson campsites



 Norm said you always know where he and Jules are camping, at the corner of Canned Ham Trail & Aluminitis Avenue. Aluminitis, he said, is some sort of sickness people get when they start buying vintage trailers. I guess owning three makes them incurable.

Norm's new sign

We rode bikes for a little bit and checked out some of the area.

Later it was time to start getting ready for the evening's "pot luck" dinner. Everyone brings a dish to pass so its pretty much "pot luck" what you will end up eating.  I made chili. 





After dinner we sat around and talked for a while. It was a great time. (I know, I said that already, but it really was!)

Then it was time to head off to sleep. A full tummy tends to do that to me.

Norm says its a food coma. I think he just likes to sleep.  I know Brock does.

Sunday morning, after breakfast it was time to pack up to head home.

I can say that I haven't spent a more relaxing, enjoyable weekend in a very long time. I am really looking forward to the many other rallies Norm says we are going to attend this year. He said that since this was my first it was better that it was a small event. According to what he is saying the rest promise to be much larger. I can't wait!

See you in the campgrounds!

Travis

Getting Homesick - May 10, 2011

Greetings fellow travellers! I thought perhaps I should stop in and give you an update of my plans and recent happenings.

As you can see, me, Homie and Homie's crew all went to the House on the Rock. Personally I thought building it on a rock was fairly weird since everyone knows building on dirt is much easier.

While I am having a great time here in Wisconsin I am actually getting a bit homesick.  That and they have some VERY STRANGE beings up here.

We stopped at a park and this particular being was wandering around. Homie said it was a troll.  Many of my closest friends are trolls, I know trolls, this was not your normal everyday troll!

I certainly am a firm believer in dancing to a different drummer, coloring outside of the lines, and all of that. But honestly, this guy gives me the willies! What can I say?  All I kept thinking was serial killer. I know it is questionable behavior on my part, but I also think that when you have a very strong "gut instinct" you should go with it! I'm sure this guy is a lot of fun once you get to know him, but the pierced nipple sent me over the edge. 

I did meet another lovely angel while walking around a garden recently. She mentioned something about how her baby resembled me. Cute kid, but NO WAY! I am not a striped hat kind of gnome. That is a whole different troupe altogether. Those guys really know how to throw a party but it does get a bit crazy before the morning.






Norm sent me an email yesterday and was giving me some updates as to things that I have been missing at home, including Brock.  He also told me that my cousin Gunther stopped by the pink house looking for me. I guess Gunther didn't know I was hanging around up north.



Gunther Gnome at Norm & Jules'

 I haven't seen Gunther in quite a few years and had no idea he was in the midwest, much less the USA! Come to find out he actually has lived in Wisconsin for the past twenty or so years. Norm said Gunther could hang out at the pink house until we could arrange a meeting place and time.

We are planning on getting together later on this week and doing some catching up. We agreed to meet at a little place called Marengo Ridge Forest Preserve, in Illinois. The convenience and timing was perfect!  It will be the first vintage trailer (camper) rally of the season and a great time to see the family again.

Until then...

Travis