Spring is here and it is time to get out the LTV and explore! We planned our spring rally with our Midwest LTVers group for Starved Rock State Park in Oglesby Illinois.
As the coaches arrived, it wasn’t long until we were all gathered in one place meeting the new members and catching up with our returning friends. The food came out and lots of conversations were taking place. The best part was when we started to share our LTV “mishap’ stories. From not unplugging when leaving to getting stuck in the sand (just to name a few) there were laughs and learning all the way around.
We even had a non-LTVer join us and get info about owning one. As the night went on, we gave tours of the coaches to see which one would fit their needs. Even the owners were taking tours to find out how others stored items and what the newer coaches looked like.
The night ended abruptly when a racoon decided to join us. I have never seen 16 people scatter so fast! The men helped put things away while the women grabbed the food. But the rain started soon after, so I guess that racoon needed something to eat before it started to rain. We did hear how that same racoon and his buddies ate all of the food a couple campsites down…they left 2 coolers out. They woke to no food at all. Glad we cleaned up our food.
It rained most of the night and into the morning. I do like the sound of the pitter patter the rain makes on top of the coach. But we did feel sorry for those tent campers. Makes all of us happy to own an LTV. Some of us played cards inside, others gathered in their coach and got to know each other better. After the rain stopped we went coach to coach and visited. There is something about LTV owners, you become instant friends.
In the afternoon, just as the rain stopped, we went to the lodge to board a trolley for a historic tour. We were pleasantly surprised that it was just our group on the trolley. Our own personal tour. We drove around the park, stopped at the dam and lock system along the Illinois River, learned about the local town and got the history of the area. It was a very informative and relaxing tour.
Later that evening we had a potluck dinner at our campsite. Everyone brought food and once again we enjoyed each others company, shared stories, amazing food and S’Mores for dessert. After all, you can’t go camping without making S’Mores! As the night went on, we once again had an uninvited visitor, our friend the racoon. This time he grabbed our trash can and tried to take it under our coach. So once again, everyone grabbed everything and ran. It was pretty funny.
It rained during the night, this time the light pitter patter of the rain, was very loud. But that’s ok, just part of exploring.
The events of the day were rain or shine, so we got out our raincoats and off we went. The weather cleared just in time. Some went on a 4 1/2 mile guided hike on the trails to several canyons and waterfalls. It was beautiful. Others went on a boat ride and a shorter hike. It was a bit muddy, but we didn’t care. It is a beautiful area.
Some of the coaches left a little early because of the rain, but there were 6 of us that stayed. We gathered for dinner, a potluck of leftovers. We were all a little tired of being in the warm weather, so luckily we had a Unity FX there and the 6 of us loaded in the FX and had dinner…with lots of room too!
Not only do we love our Unity IB, but we love all the friends we are making along the way. Someone at the rally said, “we don’t care if it rains, we are having fun getting to know our new LTV friends”. That sums it up well. You are never alone when you travel with LTVers.
Comments