As we continued north, our next planned stop was the
Winnebago Grand National Rally held on the property of the Winnebago factory in
Forest City, Iowa. This was to be our fourth time at the rally in the last ten
years. As we traveled north, we decided to find a spot to spend one night to
break the drive into two days. We
continue to try and travel without making reservations for most of our
stops. We like this method, as it gives
of lots of flexibility. Sometimes this
means working hard at the end of the drive to find a place to stay.
As we headed north, we were thinking about staying
one night in the Hannibal, MO area, where we have spent time before. With the wonders of the cell phone, Anneke
found a city park north of Hannibal in the town of Canton, MO. It was right on the Mississippi River. She called and was told that there would be
no problem finding a spot on a weekday.
Indeed when we arrived, there was only one other RV on site. Full hookups for $20 and a great view of the
river next to an ACOE lock and dam.
Depending on your point of view, there were two possible drawbacks. First, there is a railroad track right behind
the camping area. I mean right
behind! Next, it seems that
entertainment in town was limited. So we
had a fair amount of townies driving by to see the river and who was camped
there. In our case, neither bothered us
and we enjoyed our time there. A nice overnight spot near the interstate.
We arrived in Forest City during the pre-rally
period to enjoy the local celebration called Puckerbrush. There is food and entertainment downtown and
the heritage park next to the rally grounds is open with exhibits of Iowa
farming equipment and history of the area. The finale of the celebration is the
parade down main street with most of the town in the parade or watching.
The rally has seminars on all facets of RVing and
displays of the latest in Winnebago products.
If you have a problem with any of your equipment, many of the manufacturers
are on hand to answer questions and provide service on their products. There was entertainment all day everyday plus
nighttime entertainment on the big stage for three nights. We have been to many rallies and Winnebago
does a great job with the entertainment.
One of the favorite events is the annual car parade.
Everyone turns out for this.
The best part for us is getting to visit with people
that we have met over the years at rallies, caravans and along the road. When you mingle with over a thousand Winnebago owners, it is amazing how many people you meet here that you have
crossed paths with . We
parked in the View/Navion row and had a great time meeting with fellow owners
of our style rig.
7 comments:
The campground in Canton looks very nice. I think we could put up with the train for a short stay. Can't beat the view.
We have a friend from Hannibal. He said that if we are ever in the area we need to see the town lots of history with Mark Twain.
I love small town parades. The people take such pride.
The rally sounds great - 1000 people!!! The rally that we go to has 60 to 70 and that seems like lots. You are more flexible that us. I need a reservation or I start to hyperventilate, especially with our 37' camper that doesn't fit very many spots.
That's too bad about the heat. I would love to camp on the shores of the mighty Mississip. Just watching the river traffic could keep me occupied for a long time.
Full hook ups for $20 is a real deal anywhere you find it. Sorry to hear about the heat at the rally although I'm sort of surprised it isn't always how in Iowa in August. I can't imagine a rally that big although several people have said they really enjoyed the Winnebago Rally in Forest City.
So a lot of fun in town for you but still haven't found the cool.
Never been to a WB rally (yet). I hear they showcase all their latest RVs, did you see any that you'd like to trade up to? Maybe that's a good reason to stay away from the rally... ;c)
Cool is just around the bend.
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