Gillette Roundup!

Wow!  What a week!  The 103rd FMCA Rally in Gillette, Wyoming was one to remember.  Rallies are an action-packed four days of fun and this one was no exception.  But, the fun starts before Wednesday.

This rally was a family affair for us.  Not only were my fabulous in-laws coming but two of Mark’s cousins were first time attendees.  I was so excited for them to experience all the fun.  We arrived on Monday so they wouldn’t miss all of the “first time attendee” events Tuesday.  After getting set up, we took them on a tour of the facility, giving them the lay of the land.  Everything at the rally was happening in one central area.  We were used to the large layout of Perry and Chandler, this time nobody was going to be far away.

We were going to be busy again at the rally.  Mark wasn’t driving the activity cart but, we were leading three seminars. Mark and I found the two rooms our seminars would be in, one was delightfully sized at 100 chairs.  The other room was huge, like how and I going to talk to this many people huge.  I wasn’t nervous this time but, this would be the largest group I’d been in front of in years.

The Chapter Fair was back!  I went with my cousins to the First Time Attendee seminar which we missed at our first rally.  FMCA staff laid out all the things to do and what to expect to a large group of people.  Most of the 1,300 campers were first timers!  Right after the seminar ended, the Chapter Fair began.  While it wasn’t as big as pre-pandemic fairs, it was still great for my cousins to see all the different groups within the FMCA family they could be part of.

One thing I love about FMCA rallies are the activities.  There is never a shortage of things to do and they start Tuesday night.  The Singles International Group hosted Card Bingo, an easy game that’s a snap to learn and a blast to play.  For two hours we played, laughed and came oh so close to a bingo a few times.  As we walked back to camp, we all decided this would be a game to play next time we’re camping with a group.  Everyday there are several activities to choose from.  We participated or watched several and we still didn’t get to them all.  You can try your luck at the Cornhole Tournament, share your facial hair at the Mr. Whiskers contest and join the water balloon toss.  It was hotter than normal during rally week which made the water balloon toss fun and refreshing.  It was fun watching all the kids have a rousing water balloon fight afterward.  Singles International hosted the toss and were ingenious about the clean up.  They had prizes for the kids that helped pick up all the broken balloon pieces!

FMCA kicks the rally into high gear on Wednesday with 44 seminars, activities or entertainment just for that day.  And, the schedule is like that everyday!  If that’s not enough, you can shop in the vendor area or stroll among several motorhomes and trailers outside.  Sadly, the ongoing materials and supply-chain shortage meant fewer RVs to see. No matter, it was fun to walk through the ones that were there.

Wednesday was also seminar day for us.  We presented our first seminar on Rally Boondocking Wednesday afternoon.  We were practiced and ready and the attendees asked great questions.  One down, two to go.  We didn’t go to the karaoke night because Wednesday was my cousin Connie’s birthday so we had dinner at the prime rib restaurant in town.  We heard from our camping neighbors it was a fun night.

After my morning walk on Thursday, I rewarded myself with a donut at the morning coffee & donuts event.  This is an FMCA staple.  Every morning, smiling volunteers hand out the daily news, coffee and donuts.  I’m a tea girl and was thrilled to see hot tea!  Full disclosure, I enjoyed a tea and donut each morning for the rest of the rally.  It was well deserved as I covered between 8-10 miles everyday.  You can definitely get your steps in at a rally.

Thursday’s Ladies Luncheon was another first for me.  I thought it could be fun to go with my mother-in-law Gail and two cousins Connie and Linda.  Louise Butler, a freelance writer and contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul books, was our speaker before lunch.  She shared her experiences as a writer, how we all have something to say and our voice can be heard anywhere, even in a book.  She sure inspired me.  The FMCA Executive Board served us lunch which was followed by raffle prizes.  Of course Gail won the first prize of the day, a reusable grocery bag filled with goodies.  I couldn’t stay until the end, it was time for our second seminar in the big room.

Several deep breaths later we were standing in front of 300 people ready to talk about cooking with your micro-convection oven and Instant Pot.  Just like in Perry, attendees came early.  It was nice getting to chat with people as we set up.  There was a couple from Pennsylvania, not far from where my parents were from.  Another lady was excited to bake a cake in her micro-convection oven.  I giggled to myself when she told me because I would be baking one later that night.  Mark started the seminar with the same silly joke as in Perry but got a much bigger laugh this time.  We went through our presentation, entertaining questions as we went.  I felt much better this time than in Perry, I think we did a much better job.  We gathered up our items and headed back to our RV.  Two down, one to go.

Thursday night was going to be a laugh riot with Jim Pelley.  Mark missed him when we were in Perry in 2019.  I told him how funny Jim was and was excited for Mark and our family to see him.  Not only is Jim funny, he’s also a fellow RVer which makes his camping jokes even funnier.  Free donuts and free ice-cream were the punchline of many jokes and I still laugh typing it.  His childhood Thanksgiving story will make you laugh until you cry.  If you ever have a chance to see Jim in action, don’t miss it.

Friday was a busy busy day.  The cake was baked, ready to be frosted for the birthday boy, Mark.  We laced up our shoes and set out for the Magic Mile, a one-mile event that was started at the Minot rally in 2019 and is a fundraiser for a local charity in the host city.  It’s a great day to start your day when you can walk, run or ride and at just a mile, a lot of people join in the fun.  Mark was going to run it, it was only a mile after all.  FMCA matched all monies raised for the Y.E.S House in Gillette, donating $2,400.  I ran with Mark for a minute or two until he pulled away.  The birthday boy finished second and I celebrated like it was a real race.  Post run donut time and we talked to many people as they finished their mile.

It was a quick turnaround for our last seminar.  Like the day before, we chatted with people that arrived early as we set up.  Each time we present, it gets easier.  We had more great questions and I love how questions turned to helpful discussion.  RVers helping RVers, it’s a wonderful thing.  We hustled back to the RV to drop off all of our seminar stuff, eat a quick lunch then off to FMCA Town Center tent for some ice cream!  Friday’s Ice cream Social is a rally staple.  This time it was Blue Bunny ice cream sandwiches or drumsticks.  I wanted to circle back for a second treat but didn’t want to be greedy.  After the balloon toss game, we visited the vendor hall one more time.

Friday night’s entertainment was none other than Three Dog Night.  We’d seen them once before at our town’s Ostrich Festival so I knew we were in for a good show.  They did not disappoint!  My cousin Ken was a big fan back in the day, it was fun watching him and his wife Connie dancing in their chairs, singing loud and cheering louder.  People all around us were dancing in the aisles and having a great time.  I messed up our timing and we had to leave on Saturday, missing the cowboy contest and the band Narrow Gauge.  Gail said we missed a great show.

The true unsung heroes of any rally are the hard working FMCA staff and volunteers.  From the parking crew to the activity cart drivers to every person that helped hand out ice cream and coffee and everyone in between, they make it fun.  Staff in FMCA polos were everywhere everyday from sun up to well into the night making sure every aspect of the rally was “two thumbs up.”  I bet they all collapsed when the last RV left on Sunday.

 

Mark your calendars for the 105th International Rally March 23-27, 2022 in Tucson!  See you there!

**FMCA gets credit for many pictures**