4 Real Life Ways To Keep Rallies Fun And Safe While Following Pandemic Guidelines

This year has been full of changes to our lives to be safe and to comply with the COVID pandemic guidelines.  Rallies and other group settings have for the most part been cancelled up until now. As we ease back in to "normal life", camping and the great outdoors are a good option.

We had not actually attended a 2020 rally until the first of August so it was a bit difficult to know how a rally would play out in real life.   Last weekend we attended our first rally.  It was a fabulous time of connecting and camping with friends we had not seen for almost 8 months.  It was good for the soul to see our friends and get caught up with their lives – all in a safe social distancing kind of way.  
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We have heard from rally hosts across the country who have had rallies or are planning a rally during this 2020 rally season.  The hosts have been incredibly conscientious about the health of the campers as well as creative in making the rally a fun time for all.  Here are four rally ideas created out of necessity but so good they may remain a main stay after the virus!

1. DRIVE THROUGH OPEN HOUSE
Rene and Jeremy from Down River Vintage Trailer Restoration, host the Mt. Baker Rally in Washington and shared this with us in an email…
...I have updated all our information on Period Events. Our dates have shortened, the location has changed, and we will require a pre-registration.  “Open” house is a drive-through ONLY, and folks will be required to remain in their vehicles to drive through the park to view the trailers from the outside only, no exceptions. Saturday, September 12, 2020 12-4 pm. (We love this idea!)

2. SOCIAL DISTANCING NIGHT TIME CAMPER STROLL
At our rally in Hollister, CA we are planning a social distancing parade for campers only.  Typically, Open House is flooded with the public and trailer owners need to stay at their trailers and miss seeing each other’s rigs.  This year, with no public allowed in the park, we have asked our participants to light up their trailers for their fellow campers to enjoy, put on their best social distancing costume, and then join the stroll around the park as they strut their fashionable social distancing outfits and clever masks at 6 feet or more apart.  The stroll will take place from 7 to 9pm, adding to the romance of vintage camping as there is little that is more charming than a lighted vintage trailer at dusk.  Strollers can enjoy both the trailers and the creative costumes that are sure to make an appearance!

3. TAKE A HIKE
The campsites we frequent are often in the middle of incredible nature.  This past weekend we were in the middle of the Redwoods just above Santa Cruz, Ca.   We were able to join friends for a several mile hike through the shaded woods.  With fewer organized events at rallies, there is more time to enjoy the nature surrounding the campgrounds.   For our upcoming rally we have planned an earlier morning hike where campers can socially distance while still enjoying being together in the great outdoors.

4. FOOD TO GO
Terry Prentkowski, host of the 2020 Silver Avion Fellowship Rally in Elkhart, IN,  shared how they were able to serve food. Terry and his crew prepared the food in a sanitized commercial kitchen.  While the rec hall typically would have tables set for eight, this year more tables were used and only four people sat at each table.  One table at a time was called to the buffet where they were given gloves to wear while going through the line.  Gloves were deposited in the trash at the end of the buffet.  Hand sanitizer was also available at both ends of the buffet.  For breakfast, all items were individually wrapped or in single serving size containers.

At the rally last weekend, Trailers in the Trees in Felton, CA,  the host, Penny Cotter, contacted the local pizza place and set up a delivery time to the campground.  Campers were able to call in and pay for their personal orders and then they were delivered all at one time.  Clever!
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Our 17-year-old son likes to remind us that food delivery service is also a valid option while camping.  It is an easy way to add some variety to your menu without leaving the campground or cooking!

For our rally in Hollister, August 27-30, 2020, we plan on serving doughnuts and coffee.  We will have masked and gloved servers hand the doughnuts out along with host filled cups of coffee and single serve coffee creamers and sugar.  We will also ask the doughnut shop not to mix the doughnut types up as is typical.  We will try to keep all the maple bars together… no digging through food to find that perfect doughnut.  It is hard to believe how we pawed through food just a short time ago.  Some changes are good! 
 
Rallies look different this year but having safe connection with fellow Trailerites makes the effort worthwhile.   We love our friends in the camping world and we were happy to see that folks were respectful of one another’s personal space.  Be safe and we will see you camping!