2019 National Rally Wrap Up

Hello fellow RV folks,

I wanted to share the fantastic time that we had at the 2019 Explorer Club’s National RV Rally, which was held at Summer House Park (on Miller Lake), near Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula National Park. This park has something for everyone. From the outdoor pool table, shuffleboard and ping pong to the crazy water playground, there is lots to do. Great location choice!

As is the custom, after registration on Thursday afternoon, everyone gathered in the park’s recreation room for a wonderful potluck dinner. Thank you everyone for all of the yummy food; such a wonderful assortment of offerings. Later that evening the NBA final game was on the television for anyone who wanted to watch it. Those of us who stayed made sure to be loud supporters of the Raptors.

Friday morning we were off on the buses to Tobermory. Once there, we boarded a glass-bottom boat and headed out in search of sunken ships. We were lucky enough to be able to see two different ships that have been underwater for years… very exciting to see. During the tour around the islands, we saw the famous “flower pot” island sea stacks. It is amazing what Mother Nature can do with a chunk of rock and moving water. After reaching dry land again, we had time to have lunch and/or wander through the many stores.

In the afternoon, there was a craft session for anyone who wanted to join in, and it was great that so many people were there. Our hosts had made wooden serviette holders in the shape of a camper. Our job was to paint them whatever colours we wanted. It was great fun, as well as being a very useful item for our tables – what a creative idea!

That evening, we had a delicious dinner of roast beef catered by the lovely ladies of the park. For those who wanted to stay, there was a card game as well as the movie RV (starring Robin Williams). If you’ve never watched this movie, you should give it a try.

Bright and early Saturday morning, we were back to the recreation room for the information seminars. Rick Finlay gave a very helpful talk about using propane in RVs; he used various propane parts during his demonstration, making it much easier to understand (especially for me). Afterwards, naturalist Peter Middleton gave a lovely talk on the flora and fauna that is local to the Bruce Peninsula. The slideshow was beautiful, and I was amazed at the number of species that are only found here.

After all those talks we were a bit peckish, so Martin and Gail Aller-Stead gave a hands-on demonstration of how to make onion cakes using an induction plate. They were pretty easy to make, and even easier to eat.

Later that afternoon, there were to be outdoor games; sadly, Mother Nature didn’t agree with us and the games had to be cancelled. This did give some of the campers time to finish up their crafts, play cards and just catch up with friends.

Later that evening we enjoyed a delicious dinner of stuffed pork tenderloin, provided once again by the Summer House park caterers.

Throughout our time there, tickets for a silent auction as well as a 50/50 draw were available to buy. After our bellies were full from dinner, it was time to pull out our tickets. There were many items for the silent auction such as rocker-style camp chairs, a portable fireplace, jackets, Blue Jays game tickets, Rogers Cup tennis tickets, and much much more. Thank you to all of the generous businesses and organizations who donated these wonderful prizes. The money made from the auction as well as the proceeds from the 50/50 draw were donated to the fight against cancer.

As the grand finale of the evening, Gerry Goldie, a local performer, entertained us with his guitar playing and singing. He played a great selection of music, and it was so nice to hear people join in and sing along.

Sunday morning was time to gather for a “grab-n-go” breakfast of muffins, fruit, croissants, etc. Fond farewells were exchanged, as well as hopes to meet again at next year’s rally.

This was my third rally, and it is truly wonderful to meet up each summer and get reacquainted with friends that we have met along the way. I would like to say a sincere “thank you and job well done” to the three wonderful ladies who organize this for us every year: Karen, Bobbie-Jo and Jennifer.

Looking forward to finding out the location for the 2020 rally!

Marg Prevost