Twelve LTVs from the Leisurely Great Lakers group braved high winds and rain to attend the Spring Rally at Happy Hills Campground in Nelsonville, Ohio. This is an area of rolling hills, trees and lakes. Unfortunately, we arrived to find the power was out in the campgrounds, but the electric company showed up before dark and got the power restored before bedtime! The wet and muddy conditions made the camp setup more interesting but everyone got their campsites up and running before dark.
The first day was a chance for everyone to meet each other while setting up campsites, talk over a potluck dinner, and then join in a campfire gathering.
At the campfire, we determined that 9 out of 12 LTVs were first-time rally attendees and for 2 couples this would be the first night they would be spending in their RVs! There was some good-natured ribbing going around with that revelation. Most people retired early that first night due to spending the day driving so they could be fresh for Friday.
After dozing off to a night of listening to the sound of rain on the rooftop, we woke to a cloudy day where several morning discussions on RV living and LTVs, in particular, were subjects of many conversations.
Rain continued intermittently during the second day, but it was dry for most of the afternoon and evening. The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of attendees as some people ventured out to explore the area with excellent bike trails nearby, the Rocky Boot Company in Nelsonville, Lake Hope, and Old Man’s Cave.
The majority of people stuck around the campground to tour each other’s LTVs, trading experiences and told many life stories. The evening dinner was Mexican themed with everyone supplying their favorite dish. The evening bonfire was enjoyed by all as even more stories were shared. Once again, it rained intermittently overnight with several people rising earlier than normal to watch the royal wedding. Once again everyone had a great time in small and large discussion groups. Tours of each other’s LTV’s was appreciated by everyone as we learned of gadgets (this seemed to be primarily a male interest) and storage ideas that others had discovered.
We even had a black tank dumping training session for someone who was planning on their first attempt at emptying their tanks. As the day progressed some ventured out for more bike riding, kayaking in the campground lake, and exploring the area.
The evening potluck was enjoyed by everyone, the biggest complaint at the end was that there was so much food that we were too full to try everything out there! The evening bonfire started out nicely until we got rained out, so we retreated to a pavilion for shelter and the conversation continued without a fire. An impromptu awards discussion was held to thank the organizers of the rally, our very talented firestarter (he was able to start bonfires with wet wood!), and acknowledged the person using the most campsites over one weekend!
The next rally will be the 3rd weekend in September in Holland, Michigan. More details will be forthcoming so save a place on your calendars!
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