The Heartland LTVer’s Fall Rally was held in Washburn, Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands. One thing that best describes our Rally is the saying that goes something like this, “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver, the other is gold.” One-half of those in attendance had never been to a rally before, several had just taken ownership of their LTV within this past year, and the other half were well-seasoned attendees who were generous in sharing their do’s and don’ts of the road, so to speak. No matter how many rallies I have attended, the people are definitely the best part of any gathering. The campground, I must say, was amazing, and the weather spectacular, so much so that many suggested we should do this again, same place–same time, I agree!
Thank you to the City of Washburn and Tony Janisch for welcoming us. To Melissa Martinez, the City Chamber Director, Mary Gruhl, Matthew Simoneau, Karen Novacheck, and Paul Johnson for sharing the local history and suggesting things to do in the area. The information they shared helped people decide what to do in those few hours open for exploring on their own.
The programs for the rally included Bird Watching by Gregory Palmquist, Cycling on the Road by Joe Fierst, Show and Tell from anyone who wanted to share, and my favorite–the panel discussion and the LTVer’s Life on the Road lead by Joe Fierst, Angie Kramer, Rob, and Kim Kleinhans. Everyone enjoyed the shared stories of life on the road and the advice given by these well-experienced travelers. There were thoughtful questions and answers given during this group discussion. No matter how many rallies you attend, I am sure you can glean at least one new gem to use as you travel in your LTV.
Some of the elective activities were the Early Morning Walks with Deb Fierst, the Apostle Island Tour, the Late-night Campfires and the even a Sky-watch for the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. The lights on display in the sky were simply awesome for those of us who saw them for the first time.
Thank you to LTV and the attendees who provided food for breakfast and dinner meals. Midwesterners are extremely good cooks and very generous when it comes to sharing food at a rally. Something I would like to collect and share with everyone is some of the recipes you prepared. If you have a recipe that you would like to share, please send it to [email protected].
Of course, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who provided gifts to give away to participating LTVers–what a generous group! While I am saying thank you, I need to make a special thank you to the team–Pat and Anita Reid, Dave and Liz Dokkestul, Joe and Deb Fierst, Sam Langham, and Angela Kramer, and adopted team members for this rally–Gregory and Kathryn Palmquist. Your help planning and working tirelessly to make everything happen is greatly appreciated.
If you have never been to Washburn, Wisconsin, I encourage you to put it on your list of ‘must go there’ places. I recommend Memorial Park Campground, mostly because that is where we stayed for over a week, but I am told there are many places in the area to camp along the lake, and they, too, are just as beautiful. One thing I do know about Memorial Park is that it is a calm, peaceful campground. It sets in a cove, and I do not recall the waters being rough the entire time we were there. I’m ready to go back and spend time with everyone!
Written by: Kendra Johnson
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