Halifax, Nova Scotia

camping news
2009 National Rally
O
Halifax, Nova Scotia
ur main reason to come to Halifax this summer
was to take part in the fun-filled Explorer RV
Club’s National Rally. To date, John and I have
never missed any of these enjoyable Club gatherings.
We arrived at the very friendly Woodhaven RV Park
of Halifax on Tuesday. Owners Kerrie-Ann and Bernie
Buchanan gave us an outstanding welcome as usual.
The next evening, a large impromptu group gathered
around a campfire to hear Bill and Ed sing and strum
their guitars for several hours. Many volunteers assisted
in song and to play the Newfie Ugly Sticks. What an
enjoyable way to spend the evening and the rally hadn’t
even started!
The rally was a fantastic fun-filled event. We had a ball
seeing so many new and old friends that we met over the
past 13 years of Club gatherings.
Mid-morning on Thursday, about a dozen gathered to
stuff goodie bags. During registration, everyone had free
tickets to play 50-foot putt. More could be purchased for
a 50/50 win. That evening‚ a tasty potluck dinner was followed by a huge bonfire. Bill and Ed plus songstress Gerrie, along with many others, kept that party moving on
a huge high - a super start to the jam-packed upcoming
three days!
Tickets were available for a Garmin GPS and 50/50
draw. Proceeds from these go to the Explorer RV Club
Cancer Fund in memory of our previous editor Diane and
others who lost their battle to this dreaded disease.
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RV gazette • November/December 2009
Friday was a very busy day for me. My seminar was on
maintenance tips plus border information, general camping tips, Snowbird hot spots plus much more. After coffee
break, courtesy of Sanderson Travel Insurance, Joe Martin, owner of the Club, followed with a vibrant seminar
on insurance tips for motorhomes and towables. He also
expanded on the details of Wayfarer’s Fulltimers Homeowners Policy. It was a good educational morning.
Friday afternoon beanbag baseball, horseshoes, Newfie
horseshoes and ladder golf were very popular as were the
crafts that took place inside the recreation hall.
Our meal that evening was an adventure for sure.
We travelled by bus to the Hatfield Farm for dinner.
What a neat place. From the main office we journeyed a
10-minute horse drawn carriage ride to a neat eatery set
in a busy western town isolated among the trees. They
had so many things available to amuse everyone. Dinner was decadent; John and I chose the salmon over the
beef but both looked appetizing. Following dinner, many
of our younger members rode the mechanical bull while
others jested with giant gladiator wands‚ played miniputt, walked to the lake or sat at the huge bonfire. All in
all, this was a very interesting evening out.
Saturday was another big day. This time we toured all
day from 9:30AM to dinnertime. Our knowledgeable
guide Carolyn was a retired schoolteacher, as well as
tour guide for over 9 years. Her commentary overflowed
with many details as did all the tour guides on the
busses. Tour highlights included the renowned Peggy’s
Cove, Swiss Air Crash Site, Halifax Waterfront including the Historic Properties, Public Gardens, Citadel Hill
National Historic Site and Fairview Lawn Cemetery, site
of the Titanic gravestones.
At 6:30, Bluenose Catering was ready to serve us a lobster or chicken dinner. Both were amazing. The theme
of Pirates and Privateers brought out some original costumes. Our judges picked Judy Schultz and Dave Swinson as winners of our costume contest. We also had the
On behalf of the rally attendees, we would like to
thank the companies and individuals who contributed to the success of the rally:
Boss Technology
Campkin’s RV Centre
Can-Am RV Centre
Check In Nova Scotia
Destination Halifax
Explorer RV Club
Fraserway RV
General Printers
Stuart Manley
Douglas M. Matthews
Peggi McDonald
Sanderson Travel In-
surance
TD Canada Trust
Thompson’s Marina
Trailer Centre
Wayfarer RV Insurance
Woodhaven RV Park
50/50 draw, won by Ruth-Anne Moyer and the GPS
draw, won by Jim Ferguson plus many door prizes.
Entertainment that evening was the Steve Dooks Duo,
sponsored by Wayfarer Insurance. This upbeat pair had
the place rocking with their first note. Many times our
group disperses early in the evening, but not that night!
Our Rally came to a close Sunday morning with another delicious catered breakfast by Bluenose Catering.
After saying our goodbyes, many dispersed soon after, although some of us stayed around to explore the city for a
few more days. It was a fantastic rally. ­— Peggi McDonald
We are pleased to report that we raised over $800 for
our Explorer RV Club Cancer Fund. Thank you everyone for your support!
I would like to say a special thank you to Karrie-Ann
and Bernie Buchanan, our wonderful campground hosts,
(902-835-2271 or www.woodhavenrvpark.com) for providing a great campground for our rally. You were always
there when we needed you and we really appreciate it!
To Fraserway RV (www.fraserway.com) who provided
a great RV for Ashley and my use, thank you. You made
our stay easy.
Thanks also goes out to Peggi and Joe, who filled our
heads with so much great information and to Sanderson
Travel Insurance who fed us during coffee break!
Wayfarer Insurance always is a great supporter and
sponsored our entertainment. Thanks, we had a blast!
And to the volunteers, thank you so much. You
know the rally would not be successful without your
help and it certainly makes our life much easier and
much more fun!
Last but not least, thank you Ashley. You have been
an asset to our rallies for many years. You always know
what needs to be done and you just go and do it! You are
the best!
November/December 2009 • RV gazette
53