2024 Roseburg Rally
October 8-11
Keri & Ed Pratt – Wagonmasters
This was our first time as Wagon Masters and only my second rally. Really had no idea what to expect but it turned out great. We had 9 RVs, 16 humans and several furry companions in attendance at The Twin Rivers Vacation Park here in Roseburg, Oregon, our home town.
The park has a sweet little clubhouse that we used to full advantage. It fit the size of our group perfectly. Our first meal together was individual meatloaves wrapped with bacon served with a BBQ sauce that was quite the hit. Wonderful side dishes and desserts were provided by the group. We shared fun stories and conversations before calling it a day.
Day 2 on Wednesday started with a hearty breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs, a fruit French toast casserole, some homemade breads, fruit, yogurt, pastries and sausages and hash browns with an assist from Al Zimmerman.
In the afternoon many gathered for a trip to the Douglas County Museum. It’s a very nice little museum that covers much of the local history. For a relatively rural area we have a fairly colorful history. One of our big claims to fame is the dynamite truck explosion in 1959 that flattened much of the downtown area.
Dinner on day 2 was slow cooked BBQed pork tenderloin. I am pretty sure this was the favorite of the rally. Yummy side dishes and desserts were provided by the group. After dinner it was time for games. The group seemed a bit hesitant to jump in but, in the end a great time was had by all. We played a bean bag and toilet paper toss for raffle tickets. Any basket earned you a ticket that went into the pot for a drawing of our KEPfarm honey. The honey was a big hit but trying to hit the basket was a lot of fun. The toilet paper rolls were especially entertaining – and difficult to hit the basket.
Day 3 on Thursday started with biscuits and sausage gravy, boiled eggs and the rest of the accompaniments.
Our last dinner together was Rosemary smoked Turkey breast, stuffing and more tasty side dishes and desserts provided by the group. Then it was time for Christmas bingo. This is really just a regular bingo game that my family plays when we gather for Christmas dinner. Been doing it for many years. I shop the after holiday sales and clearance bins all year for fun little gifts then wrap them up and pile them in a box until the big day. Then it’s just bingo called pretty much as fast as I can. A win gets you a gift. After a bit we all open the gifts and trading commences. Not sure why this is so fun but it always is. As you can see from some of the pictures, the group was intense, but obviously had a great time. We played until all the gifts were taken.
Check out day breakfast was a farmer’s casserole and pretty much everything else we had left (which was a lot). I packed up what I could of the dinner leftovers and handed out as much as people were willing to take. There was still a lot of food. Guess I got a bit carried away.
We are thankful that Ed and Keri did the Roseburg rally as their first experience as wagon masters. It is fun and people are always willing to help. Who else is willing to step up and be a wagon master?
Roseberg Rally Attendees
Mike and Lynn Ashbridge – Oregon City, OR
Nita Bishop – Camano Island, WA
Dick and Nancy Harris – Albany, OR
Roy Miller & Terry Campbell – Medford, OR
Ed & Keri Pratt – Roseburg, OR
Al & Elaine Zimmerman – Coos Bay, OR
Jo Ruby – Lakebay, WA
John & Marie Turner – Salem, OR
Wojo & Kathleen Walczak – Lakebay, WA