Mother Nature could not stop the May 2021 Evergreen LTV Rally partygoers from having a grand time in Prosser, Washington. True to the Northwest, while the weekend before the rally was in the 80s and 90s, our weekend had a decidedly cooler feel to it. I suppose the weather was trying to match the cool factor of its participants. Not that the sun never shone throughout the weekend, but she definitely chose when she would bless us.
When we first arrived at the RV park, the delightful lane names, comprised of different wine names, let us know that the wine drinkers in the group would definitely feel right at home. With Glynis and Kathy planning a jam-packed weekend of fun, we were thankful to arrive a day early and sneak in an additional wine tasting. With the RV park within walking distance of several wineries, there would be ample opportunity for wine tasting, including in the RV park itself.
On our first night, as is tradition, the group gathered together to share yummy appetizers that most definitely made for a satisfying meal. It is always a pleasant surprise when the potluck works out well without assigning dishes to rally participants—not even categories. Somehow there is a tremendous variety, including desserts (my personal favorite).
After the meal, Norm lead us on a version of an ice breaker called People Bingo, where we had to mingle with others in order to complete the bingo sheet filled with obscure statements such as, “Traveled to Maine”. Surprisingly, there were multiple rally-goers to fit every statement except one. Out of the thirty-five vans, there was only one cheerleader in the bunch. Although, there were many collegiate athletes and marathon runners!
Having the choice of multiple excursions also fit the diverse nature of the participants. Some of us went wine tasting, others galloped off to the alpaca farms, and a few visited a quilting store. There was indeed something for everyone. Being the gracious group that we are, many took advantage of open rigs a day early as we oohed and aahed over what others have done to trick out their rigs. We were joined for the weekend by 3 couples who have their Wonders on order, and most of them had not been able to see Leisure Travel Vans up close and personal. They were so excited to be included in our group. The evening meal of pizza, accompanied with wine or beer purchased at the wine tasting for some, was the perfect meal to end the evening. For those who have always wanted to drive to Alaska, the exciting evening discussion centered on that possibility. To caravan as an LTV group with all the collective knowledge to help others fix their rigs if needed would be a dream come true for many. More to come on this!
A few of us (raising my hand) came a little late to the Saturday maintenance talk by Trish and Rob, who talked about upfitting and where to go that will not nullify the warranty on the Mercedes chassis. The Evergreen Group is a very educated lot. Since the questions started getting very technical and complicated, our resident expert, Tripp, graciously answered many of the questions, provided brilliant suggestions on upfitting, and offered solutions to various issues presented. Trish offered to take back recommendations on safety solutions and other desired bells and whistles on behalf of our group.
You might think that having a potato bar wouldn’t be very satisfying to hungry partygoers. But oh my goodness, the Saturday night meal had the most creative and delicious toppings I’ve ever had in my life. Like the potato, I would guess every single one of us was stuffed to the gills! After dinner, poor Glynis was upstaged by Kay’s gorgeous malamute, who insisted on joining the conversation. I had to go over and pet him. Casey was such a delightful dog. Speaking of dogs and cats, many of the Evergreen Rallygoers bring their pets, and there were quite a few cuties in the bunch.
There were so many activities going to keep everyone engaged that it was difficult to attend everything. Unfortunately, I missed “Cooking with Tim”, which I knew would be fantastic since he slipped me one of his famous bacon-wrapped muffins cooked on his grill. I also missed the campfire that Tim also graciously hosted, but I am sure others in the group will sing the praises of both.
Written by Lisa McDaniel
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