2013 WA State Rally Discussion

[ziggy]

Re: 2013 Rally Discussion

Local state rallies usually happen within the state. That is so close to the WA border, I'm not sure what to say. John Dawson would need to ring in on that. ID is technically part of my chapter, but there has been some interest from a couple who might want to take it over or at least help organize something in ID.

Wouldn't it be cool to have a joint venture? I don't know if that is a possibility or not, but it is an interesting idea. Shovelguy also has lots of rally experience and helped me out by organizing a campout along with another couple.

Rod and Jodi, if you don't hear from Dawson pretty soon, let me know by pm or email, and I'll get you a phone number.

Take care,

Kristy

PS I just started a new semester with all new kids, so I haven't been on the forum as much. I would get email much faster than a pm.

 

[For20hunter]

Re: 2013 Rally Discussion

Rod and Jodi, if you don't hear from Dawson pretty soon, let me know by pm or email, and I'll get you a phone number.

They provided me with their phone number. I just don't want to call too late or too early for them, since I work such funky hours and I am not sure if they work, if they are night owls, early risers or what their lives are like. If I haven't heard from them by the end of this week I will just call them and hope for the best.

 

[For20hunter]

I have started calling around trying to find a place to accomadate between 20 - 40 (is that wishful thinking or is that accurate?) sites for Washington HOC members on the weekends of 7/19-7/21 or 7/26-7/28 or 8/2-8/4. I have spoke with John Dawson the HOC Pacific Regional Director who has encouraged me to take the proverbial bull by the horns and set something up for the Washington Chapter.

So far the information that I have received is not very good as a lot of the places aleady have Rally's or groups that have large areas reserved including the clubhouse. The only place that has responded to me so far that has the availability is Horn Rapids RV Resort in Richand Washington (http://www.hornrapidsrvresort.com/) and they can only accomadate us for the weekend of August 2nd - August 4th, which includes the use of their clubhouse for our potluck dinner. They offer a 15% discount for groups over 10 sites. This is not locked in yet as the Washington Chapter Rally location, but it looks promising. Just in case, I reserved 25 sites and the clubhouse for Friday and Saturday to hold them for us.

Please let me know ASAP if that weekend and location will work for you and you would be interested in participating? I know for the people who live on the Westside like my DW and I do, that Richland is a long drive, so I am open to any other suggestions. I am new to the HOC and have never attended a rally yet, so I really do not know what goes into one.

I will make a few more phone calls and keep everyone in the loop. If anyone has any ideas of other locations for those weekends, please call them for me and see if they can accomodate 20 - 40 sites. If so, let me know and I will do the leg work of making the reservations.

Do those weekends work for everyone? If not, what works best? In addition to Horn Rapids, I have calls into Icicle Creek (Leavenworth), Ponderosa Falls (Spokane area), Wine Country RV Resort (Prosser), Washington State Parks for Wenatchee Confluence State Park and Lake Wenatchee State Park (Both Wenatchee) and Alderwood RV Resort (Spokane). I know that there was a survey that already went out and was completely by Steve and AnaLyn, however I never did hear the results of that and do not really remember what all of the choices were.

More to follow.

Rod Ditrich

 

[Manzan]

The end of July or the first of August probably works best for us. Will be in Iowa the second weekend of July and not sure just when we would be back but I bet we could stop anywhere in Eastern Washington for our rally on our way back to Seattle. Save a little gas not having to go over the passes again.

 

[SJH]

I know that there was a survey that already went out and was completely by Steve and AnaLyn, however I never did hear the results of that and do not really remember what all of the choices were.
Rod Ditrich

Hello Rod...again, we will be happy to help however we can but you need to email me at our Comcast address herricksj@comcast.net

Regarding the Pre-Rally Survey:

1. Demographics - 78% of the responses were from WA state

2. Preferred Dates - 42% July 12-14, 28% Aug 9-11, 19% ea for July 19-21, July 26-28, Aug 23-25

3. Preferred RV Park - 59% Wine Country, 18% River Bend, 18% Pioneer Trails

4. How important are Full-Hookups - 62% Important, 37% Very Important

5. Saturday nigh meal preference - 62% Pot-luck, 19% Catered, 14% No-host restaurant

6. Comments:

How about Mary Hill RV Park?
How about Confluence State park?
Any park as long as it is "dog friendly"
Prosser would be best early in the summer as it gets very hot there in August
How about Horn Rapids?
We would like a southern part of the state as Prosser and Twisp are too hot

I saw a comment about reserving 20 - 30 sites. I certainly hope you get that many but my experience would say that is very optimistic. I would consider reserving for 10-15.

Best Wishes...it is a great club and you will not regret your efforts!

 

[For20hunter]

Thanks Steve and AnaLyn! That info helps. Unfortunately, the 12-14th of July I am unable to find anyone that can accommodate us with a clubhouse. If we didn't need the clubhouse for the potluck and any other potential activities, then we would have quite a few more options. I just received a call back from Wine Country and they are scheduled to change management in Mid March and the current manager refuses to allow us to be able to make a reservation past that time. She said that I have to call back in mid March to talk to the new manager and that is just not feasible. Now we can still make that work by individuals making reservations there, but we would not have access to the clubhouse and would not have a block of sites together that would be reserved.

Rod Ditrich

 

[Tomharg]

Hi all,
Thank you Rod for undertaking this effort. I am going to again suggest Maryhill State Park on the Columbia. They have 51 full-service sites and from the availability map, it looks like they have some sites relatively close together that might be available in the date range mid-July to mid-August. They have picnic shelters in various places (a picnic shelter is what we used last year in Twisp) and the park itself is pretty nice.
It is possible that we could make other arrangements for shelter for the potluck, even including folks bringing several smaller shelters such as the 10'x10' that my wife uses for a show canopy at arts festivals; so the "clubhouse" criterion might be a little limiting unless you are automatically including reserve-able shelters of various kinds in your definition.
On another note, I think I would take Alderwood off your list. I used to live about a mile from there (about 12 miles, now) and am familiar with it. While it is a very nice, all-paved, closely-spaced, "RV motel" style of RV park, it isn't really conducive to the evening friendly gathering of a dozen or more folks that happened at the Twisp park last year.
Once again, thanks!
Tom

 

[priestlake]

Blackwell Island RV park cda idaho was mentioned because they can accomodate full hookups, they have kitchen facilities for clubs and it is on the river for swimming with boat rentals.

 

[ziggy]

Rod,

Good job for taking this on. Your time frame would probably work for us depending on where you end up going. We have the same coach you do and I am a full hookup kind of person. Lol If you choose a place where Mark doesn't have to tow anywhere near Seattle, he is good to go. The park at Richland looks nice. I'm sure some of the other places mentioned are nice too. As for shelter, a club house is nice, but a picnic shelter will work too. We can make a tent city with pop ups if need be.

Keep us posted and hopefully we can come up.

Kristy

 

[jdawson]

Rod
It sounds like your getting good feedback on diferent RV parks. Keep me posted on what you find out From the parks like i said on the phone I will post the event on the web site when you are ready.
Thanks again

 

[Phatkd]

Re: 2013 Rally Discussion

August would prob work for us. It is a 1200km drive for us to Richland,..but That's okay. Location doesn't much matter for us. Just happy to attend our first rally. We have always wanted to visit town of Leavenworth,..but we could do that on the way down or way back if another spot is chosen for the rally. For20Hunter thank you for doing this. I know what having a busy schedule and unpredictable hours is like. Hat off to you sir.

 

[For20hunter]

Okay, just an update to let you know I have not dropped the ball on this. I have calls and emails into about 20 parks throughout the state to see what we can come up with during the summer months. Wenatchee Confluence and Maryhill are out. The Washington State Parks are basically all booked out for group camping 9 months in advance, which is the soonest they allow you to make reservations. It is a possiblity for our 2014 Rally though, so I will keep that in mind for next year.

As for Leavenworth. So far Icicle River RV Resort (http://www.icicleriverrv.com/) has not called me back so I don't have an asnwer for that one yet. The KOA in Leavenworth is full. There is the Wenatchee River County Park (http://wenatcheeriverpark.org/) that is only about 10 miles away from Leavenworth that is a nice park right on the Wenatchee River that is looking into jockeying around their current

I have contacted and have not heard back from their event coordiator for Fildalgo Bay Resort in Anacortes (http://www.fidalgobay.com/), which is very close to the San Juan Islands and the ferry to Victoria and Vancouver BC.

I know that the majority of the people voted during the original survey to make reservations for Wine Country RV (http://www.winecountryrvpark.com/) in Prosser, however when I called them to inquire about reservations, I was told that they are changing managers in March and the current manager was not willing to make reservations for groups during the time that the new manager was taking the reigns. She told me that I had to call back toward the end of March before I could make any reservations, so obviously that place is out.

I have also contacted a smaller park in Woodland Washington that gets great reviews in Woodalls and Trailerlife called Columbia Riverfront RV Park (http://www.columbiariverfrontrvpark.com/) which is a very nice little park along the Columbia River about 12 miles north of Vancouver Washington. I have not yet heard back from them.

The other notable parks that I have checked into and have inquired about is the Alderwood RV Resort (http://www.alderwoodrv.com/) and Ponderosa Falls RV Resort (http://www.kmresorts.com/ponderosa-falls-rv-resort/) both of which are near Spokane Washington, but like the others, I have not heard anything back yet.

I will keep you posted on the results of what I come up with and once things are settled, I will give the information over to Mr. Dawson for him to finalize and post.

Rod Ditrich

 

[For20hunter]

Update: I have just received a call back from Alderwood RV Resort in Spokane. They are able to accommodate our group the weekend of July 26 - July 28. They have set aside 20 very beautifully landscaped 70' pull through 50 amp full hookup sites that include wi-fi and cable. The cost is $41.62 per night (tax included) but they require us to prepay if we are going to do it with them. They have a 30 day cancellation policy as well for a full refund. She has also set aside a covered Gazebo area with a built in grille for a barbecue/potluck. I need to know ASAP if this interests you as she is only going to hold the sites for a couple weeks before she opens them back up again. All of these sites are together and are their best sites. They have sites that are 30 amp smaller sites for less money as well. Please reply to this or PM me ASAP so I can get a count and idea of whether this will work for us.

Rod Ditrich

 

[Phatkd]

That works for us Rod. I didn't notice on the site if they are pet friendly or not.

I will commit to 1 of 2 dishes for the potluck.

1 - Smoked Coffee encrusted Bison ribeye steaks
or
2 - Blue cheese enffused lamb-burgers

Plus a side dish

Kris

 

[Manzan]

Rod, sounds good to me. Kris, love Bison and the burgers sound terrific also. Will bring smoked salmon and cheese for nibbles. Not sure about the rest. Might be on our way back from Iowa at that time which sort of limits what we can pre cook. The salmon travels well so that will be OK.
Bruce & Carol

 

[ziggy]

We are interested. I need to check our schedule, and we need to make sure of the pet policy, but it looks like a nice place. Since we have a German Shepherd, some parks won't take us. Personally, I would be more worried about our doxie than our shepherd.

Kristy

 

[Tomharg]

While Alderwood is a pretty nice "RV motel," Jan and I would probably drive from home to participate as we only live about 30 minutes away. And, just for the record, we would prefer a more open, park-like setting as being more conducive to spontaneous get-togethers, but ultimately, we'll go where the group goes if we can.

There is lots to see and do from Alderwood, including Mt Spokane, a golf course a few miles away, hiking trails within reach, and U Pick cherries about that time of year a few miles east on Green Bluff. There is a McDonalds across the street, two gas stations on the corner, a Tidyman's supermarket a block away, a good RV parts store about 5 miles away, and some nice scenery a little east as well, and . . . wait for it . . . a Big R a mile up the road. However, to get there from the west or south, you'll normally have to drive through the city on Hwys 2 or 395 for about 8 miles before the traffic eases off. While it's nothing compared to driving in the Seattle area, and there are no turns needed, it is still 2-3 lanes in each direction and lights every few blocks. It usually takes us 30-40 minutes for the 8+ miles when we are dragging the 5th wheel. All that said, however, if you are on or get on I-90, there is a longer but less trafficked route 6-8 miles further east.

If we do choose Alderwood, I'll help where I can.
Tom

PS. If you'd like, I'll go take some photos of Alderwood to give everyone a better idea of what's there.

 

[For20hunter]

UPDATE: I called Alderwood RV Park and they said that they do not allow Pitbulls or Rottweilers, however the German Shepherds are fine as long as they are behaved and you pick up after them. I specifically asked about the Shepherds as I have two, my K-9 partner and our female that will be accompanying us. They do ask, as well they should, that all pets be kept quiet and cleaned up after.

I also got a call back from Wenatchee River County Park and they can accommodate up to 20 of us the same weekend of July 26h through the 28th. This park is in Monitor which is about halfway between Wenatchee and Leavenworth, so only about a 12-15 min drive into either. All the other parks I have checked into are unable to accommodate our group. We have stayed at the Wenatchee River County Park and they allow dogs as well (including shepherds). This is a nice park with big paved sites along the Wenatchee river. The sites are all almost all full hookup sites. This morning I blocked out 20 sites (19 full hookup 30/50 amp sites and 1 Water and Electric only site) for 4 weeks for us to make our decision. They charge $30.00 per night (tax included) for the full hookup sites and $25.00 (tax included) for the water and electric site. All sites are large back in sites that are big enough to handle any size of rig. There is a one time $5.00 cancellation fee to cancel any reservation, as long as it is done 72 hours before the date of arrival. The also reserved a large covered gazebo for us.

I know that this is getting confussing since there is a new update everyday, but I assure you this is it. Now what we need to do is figure out what we want to do and where we would like to do it. Unfortunately, we do not have long to make this decision, so please the input on here ASAP. I believe based on the PM's I have received and the messages on here, that a lot of people wanted to do Leavenworth and this is as close as we can get to it this year.

Please post your replies or PM me ASAP with your choice between Wenatchee River County Park in Monitor (just outside of Leavenworth) and Alderwood RV Resort in Spokane the weekend of July 26th - 28th or Horn Rapids RV Resort in Richland and they can only accommodate us for the weekend of August 2nd - August 4th.

Also, if there are any questions that need to be answered in your mind before you make the decision let me know ASAP so I can call and find the answer out today or tomorrow at the latest.

Sorry again for the last minute and rushed information and request for a decision.

Rod Ditrich

 

[Phatkd]

Rod,..I like both locations, but if I had to choose one I think it would be the one located close to Leavenworth (Wenatchee) due to the close proximity to the river (I am a fishaholic) and the playground for our son. Also $10 bucks a night cheaper may help pay for some extras for the potluck. We are probably going to be staying for a full week wherever the location is, due to our long drive to and from home.

Kris

 

[Tomharg]

Rod: We would pick Wenatchee River County Park over almost any other place in Washington in a heartbeat! We stayed there for 5 days last May and loved it. We pulled in without a reservation and they bent over backwards to get us into a spot, and almost all of them were VERY nice, albeit back-ins (but relatively easy ones). Plenty of room at each place for get-togethers as there are "vast" open spaces behind all the spots as y'all can see from the site map here: http://www.co.chelan.wa.us/wrp/data/site_map.pdf. We would probably stay for at least 5 days as we have always wanted to see Lake Chelan in the Summer and ride up to Stehekin on the Lady of the Lake. Not to mention Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Silver Falls, Icicle Creek, et al. Plus it's centrally located and close to the West Side for those of you for whom leave time is precious.

Rod, what you are doing is providing us with range of choices which don't confuse me at all, in fact, I'm glad to have the choices. This stage of organizing is always a hassle as getting folks to reply with their vote can be "interesting.'" I'm sure that all of us appreciate that (1) you've taken this on, and (2) it is a LOT of effort. If your Department is as drastically understaffed as the Spokane County Sheriff's Department is, then many of us know that you are seriously busy.

Thank you for doing what you are doing!
Tom