Tag: Heartland LTV’ers

The Heartland LTV’ers gathered for our second rally at Grant River Army Corps of Engineers campground near Potosi, WI. The campground is located along the banks of the Mississippi river. Our rally kicked off on Thursday, October 4th. We had a total of 11 LTVs and 20 people. Unfortunately, three LTVs had to cancel at the last minute. Some of the attendees had been to a previous rally, but for most, this was their first experience to gather with other LTVers. We had a great time getting to know one another and sharing information about everything from maintenance, B20, storage & organization, to cast iron cooking and toilet paper!

Thursday night we shared a meal that featured pulled pork sandwiches provided by LTV. Half of the group provided potluck items. One “trick” I learned from the Ontario Sunrisers was to start the day with a large pot of coffee and breakfast treats. With the cooler temperatures we experienced, hot coffee was greatly appreciated. On Friday, most of us headed to the Potosi Brewery for lunch. After our delicious meal, we took a self-guided tour of the “American Breweriana Association” National Brewery Museum. Before heading back to the campground, we sampled items at the bar (the root beer is very good!). Dinner Friday night included two large Instant Pots of chili provided by LTV and other snacks.

Saturday morning, Rick Schneider, treated us to a cast iron cooking demonstration that included “hobo” hash, biscuits & sausage gravy. The group warmed themselves with coffee & pastries while we waited for our delicious breakfast. I also used that time as an opportunity to perform a toilet paper experiment.

I tested Camco & Thetford single-ply toilet papers against Scott Quick Dissolve & Nature Pure 2-ply tissues. I also used Costco’s Kirkland as a control. I used two squares of the single ply to one of the 2-ply tissues. Results: The 2-ply tissue dissolved more completely and the Kirkland tissue performed as good, or better, than the RV specific tissues. This was not a scientific experiment!

Saturday evening we enjoyed a final meal of Amana bratwurst with additional potluck items. Each morning we provided a large pot of coffee and breakfast treats. We would have loved to have all sunny autumn days, but instead we put up with a lot of rain and drizzle, but our members are troopers and made the best of the situation.

One indelible memory for everyone will be the frequent trains. There has been flooding in the area near the campground. According my sister-in-law who lives nearby, trains were being re-routed to the tracks near the campground. When I say near, I mean really close! There were sometimes trains passing both directions! Not only could we hear them, we could FEEL them pass by! At least we didn’t need to worry about our campsites being flooded. They were actively pumping out several campsites in the main section when we arrived on Wednesday afternoon!

This was great rally! We loved meeting new members and spending additional time others we have met before. Good friends + great conversations = A fantastic LTV rally!

The Heartland LTV’ers Fall 2018 rally will be held at Grant River Recreation Area which is near Potosi, WI. This is an US Army Corp of Engineers campground with 73 sites located on the banks of the Mississippi River. Nearby Potosi is home to the National Brewery Museum.

For more information: http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Mississippi-River-Project/Recreation/Grant-River-Recreation-Area/ or https://www.travelwisconsin.com/campgrounds/grant-river-recreation-area-200505
Here is a link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Grant-River-Recreation-Area/151122921570370

Reservations can be made six months in advance. The reservation window for this event will open April 4th. Try to reserve spaces 44-63 in the south portion of the campground. Here is a link to the reservation form: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/grant-river/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73193

Thursday, October 4th is optional. I hope you will be able to join us. This is a popular campground, so please make your reservations early.

Electric sites are $20 per night.

For more information about the Grant County area, see: https://02f0a56ef46d93f03c90-22ac5f107621879d5667e0d7ed595bdb.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/sites/1264/uploads/21019/2018GrantCountyTravelGuide20180118-19271-a4okil.pdf

The Heartland LTV’ers will be having our first rally at Whitebreast Campground, Lake Red Rock, Iowa. The rally will be held June 1-3, 2018 with Thursday, May 31st as an optional day. This location in central Iowa is near I-80 about 50 miles from Des Moines, Iowa. We will be in the Ponca Loop. Please make reservations for sites 94-99 to start. You can’t tell from the map, but these sites have water views. This is a popular park and sites will book quickly.

Please email Ann Dudler at [email protected] with the details of your reservation.