GNR 2005
CALOOSA WINNIES
By Nancy Miller

July 17 – 22, 2005 was the annual Grand National Rally held in Forest City, Iowa, and it was an event to “Celebrate” for sure! The theme “Celebrate” was very appropriate as Forest City just turned 150 years old, adding a lot to the fun of being there. Several members of our group attended, some of us for a week preceding the opening ceremonies. For those of us first-timers, it was quite a vision to see almost 1600 Winnebago/Itasca coaches all assembled in one field! 

It’s difficult to capture all the events that were available to the participants! The WIT staff did an OUTSTANDING job of offering us so many options of pre-rally tours, seminars, vendors, entertainment, crafts, plant tours, it was tough to pick what activities to do! Personally, the Amish Farm tour and Ladies Day Out tours that I attended were exceptional and so enjoyable! I would recommend everyone participate in whatever tours are offered in the future!

Opening Ceremonies were held on Sunday evening, and what a beautiful display of flags from each state were presented by state clubs! The American Flag ceremony was presented by the MILWITS. Announcements were made and we were off and running for a week of incredible activities.

Forest City residents worked really hard to make sure there were many church dinners, barbecues, ice cream socials, craft booths, concerts, historic homes and building tours scheduled, for our enjoyment. A Civil War reenactment was held at Heritage Park, and the grounds had buildings, homes and displays from the time period. During the historic homes tour a few of the Caloosa Winnies took advantage of a free ride on an antique fire engine, as you’ll see in the picture! The Puckerbrush Parade was held on Saturday morning, and this event was one not to miss. It was evident the organizers worked long and hard getting this done, we really enjoyed seeing all the floats, bands and farm equipment. We especially enjoyed the steam tractors!

Entertainment was held during the day in tents, and at the amphitheater in the evenings. It was amazing to see so many chairs in place, and the grandstands full. Monday evening Jimmy Travis was on stage, his music and humor was enjoyed by everyone! Abba Mania and Stayin’ Alive performed on Wednesday, followed by Crystal Gayle on Thursday. It was a great slate of entertainment, and enjoyed by all!

Seminars were well attended, and the information was excellent. Owning a motorhome is an investment, and the opportunities to learn about maintenance and get questions answered concerning just about every aspect of a motorhome is priceless!

The Florida Winnie-Gators row party hosted by Bud & Paula Geng, along with several volunteers was held on Tuesday. The spread of food and drinks was exceptional, and with 124 Florida coaches attending GNR, this was one of the biggest parties! Bud and Paula also hosted a get-together for first-timers and chapter presidents or representatives.

The factory tours were available and we took advantage of seeing how these coaches are assembled. It was nice to see the employees in action, and willing to answer questions as we watched them work. Vendor Hall was a place to cool off and take advantage of things that relate to motorhomes, and even get service done as needed. Craft classes were available, the youth program was well attended and enjoyed by everyone. Talk about a jam packed week – it was just exceptional!

The WIT staff – what can you say? They did an OUTSTANDING job of organizing and staging GNR! They put in many long days and nights during the week, and we want them to know how much we appreciated their hard work! It was great for us first-timers to put names and faces together. If you have never attended GNR, you are missing one of the most exciting things about owning a Winnebago/Itasca! Keep this in mind as you make travel plans for 2006! Think about going to Forest City next July, you’ll be glad you did!

The Caloosa Winnies campout season will begin November 3-6 with members heading to Encore Sarasota North in Bradenton.

December 1-4, 2005 will be a special 35^th Anniversary Party for the Caloosa Winnies! We have a GREAT weekend planned at Lakeland RV Resort, in Lakeland, Florida and invite anyone in our area to come join us!  See the “Who’s Inviting Travelers” column to get the details!  Please consider yourselves welcome to any of our campout events!

Barbara Wood, President
239-945-0190