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Spring 2004 Rally
Many thanks to Sue Bell for the following Rally Recap.
The 2004 Horizons Rally was a huge success! Our thanks to the 2004 Rally Committee, the numerous volunteers who helped with various tasks throughout the rally and the enthusiastic participation of all the rally attendees.
There were 43 rigs in attendance -- 41 owner rigs and 2 wannabees. In all, 78 people attended the rally. This was the 5th rally of Horizons owners and the first one outside of Kansas. The rally was held at the Fredericksburg RV Park in the Hill Country of Texas. The area has many interesting activities to enjoy along with colorful spring wildflowers in bloom. The Fredericksburg RV park was a great place for our rally -- friendly and helpful staff, level paved pull-thru sites, nice landscaping with plenty of grass and trees, well maintained grounds with pet areas, wireless internet, on-site laundry facility, and a nice large recreation room with kitchen facilities and a big screen TV for our rally meetings.
The rally lasted for 4½ days. On the afternoon before the first day there was a get-acquainted, welcome happy hour and a “no-host” dinner at the Grape Creek Market and Barbeque about 10 miles east of Fredericksburg. Everyone enjoyed the great Texas barbeque.
The rally started the morning of April 29th with self introductions. About ½ of the attendees this year were new owners, so this exchange gave everyone an opportunity to learn about each other. We were delighted that Karen and Phil Brokenicky flew in from Junction City to join us on Day 1. Phil addressed the group in the late morning to describe how the company was doing, the changes that are being made to the new rigs and the direction that he envisions for the future. The first afternoon was free to explore the local area or join a group hike up Enchanted Rock. The group that went on the hike had a grand time enjoying the flowing water collected in the pools from the rain the night before, the many bright and colorful wildflowers and the vistas of the green countryside from the top of the massive dome of pink granite. That evening we enjoyed a delicious catered dinner of jagerschnitzel or baked chicken, hosted by Horizons, followed by door prizes from Horizons, Camping World and the Rally Committee. After dinner, Joe Thompson, Mary O’Neill and Chips Kessler shared some of their photos and experiences from their adventure to Copper Canyon and Baja California in Mexico.
On Day 2, Joe Green talked to the group about various trucks and their towing capacities and challenged us to think about how appropriate a one-ton truck was for towing a long (and heavy) Horizons fifth wheel. There was some lively discussion around this topic. After a break, Roger Bell led a group discussion about various topics of interest, with the primary focus being internet connections using satellite, cell phones and other wireless connections. It was informative to hear about the experiences of the owners. That afternoon was free for a scenic drive on the Willow City loop to enjoy the many wildflowers in bloom or another activity of one’s choosing. That evening we had the always-popular, and delicious, potluck dinner. Everyone enjoyed sampling the diverse selection of dishes prepared by the owners. After dinner we completed our self introductions and shared stories of our embarrassing moments RVing.
Day 3 started with some rain and cold winds which threatened our afternoon open houses. In the morning, Joe Green, one of our owners and a representative from MorRyde, talked with the group about MorRyde axles and brakes. After a break, Steve Guidry, a representative from Master Brake, talked about the Brake Smart brake controller. By lunch, as luck would have it, the sun had come out, and it was agreed that we would hold the open houses that afternoon, as scheduled. Touring each other’s rigs to see the uniqueness of each owner’s design is always the highlight of each Horizons Rally -- after all, where else can you see so many custom-made Horizons rigs in one place at one time? That evening, we got together for a second catered dinner (funded out of rally fees), this time of barbequed beef brisket or barbequed chicken. The evening ended with a travel log from Bill Sadd describing his trip to Newfoundland and the Canadian Maritimes.
The last day of the rally started later in the morning with informal discussions about various topics followed by a presentation by Bill Sadd about Care-A-Vanners, a Habitat for Humanity program for RVers. After lunch, about 40 of us went to nearby Stonewall, TX for a tour of the LBJ Ranch. Dinner was on your own for an opportunity to enjoy one of the local restaurants with a small group. The rally ended with an ice cream social enhanced with a “sock-hop” theme, complete with decorations and music from the 50s, organized by Patti Sadd.
If you missed the 2004 rally, you missed something really fun. The feedback forms completed by this year’s rally participants indicate that the main reasons that our owners attend the Horizons rallies is for the opportunity to meet other Horizons owners, to exchange ideas, information and experiences with other owners and to see other Horizons rigs -- the 2004 more than met their expectations. We had a great group of people at the rally whose participation made the rally a great success.
Updated: August 5, 2005