The Pacific Northwest serves as the playground for this group of RV owners, who approach life as a voyage of discovery, which likely has played into the chapter’s longevity.
By Neal W. Harris, F404831
February 2022
Lewis and Clark Thousand Trails is a chapter in the Northwest Area of FMCA with a current membership of 83. When you consider that most of those memberships represent couples, we are talking well over 100 active people in our chapter, and all have FMCA and Thousand Trails memberships. That is why we hold our rallies (monthly May through October) at one of the many Thousand Trails resorts in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington.
Each member has a wooden plaque in the shape of their motorhome that they paint and decorate. At rallies, we hang the signs outside on a frame with our chapter banner so everyone in the park knows we are there. Calling attention to ourselves and the great fun we have has been a real draw to growing our chapter membership.
Like explorers Lewis and Clark over two centuries ago, our members have found that life is a voyage of discovery. From our travels to our social life, we enjoy a rich variety of fun activities and fellowship in our Pacific Northwest playground. Those include exploring; sightseeing; potlucks; campfires; beach kite flying; outdoor games such as golf, pickleball, and horseshoes; and indoor card and board games. In the winter months, we often can be found getting together in Thousand Trails and Encore resorts in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. Wherever two or more members meet up, you can bet a meal is involved, followed by an evening of cards or board games. That’s our reputation!
The Northwest Area of FMCA is geographically vast and includes Alaska, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. As such, we are a diverse group of people who enjoy getting together at Thousand Trails resorts in varied geographic settings. Outings have included the Pacific Ocean coastline, where we have enjoyed the sand dunes and dune buggy rides; the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Tillamook, Oregon; the Rogue brewery and the Chowder Bowl restaurant in Newport, Oregon; and Bowpicker Fish and Chips in Astoria, Oregon.
In the forest of the Cascade Mountains, we like to visit the German Alpine village of Leavenworth, or coastal La Conner, with outings to the San Juan Islands and a meal of fresh crab caught by some of our members. On the banks of the mighty Columbia River, we enjoy waterfalls, vineyards, and orchards. In the high desert of Central Oregon, dinner at the Cowboy Dinner Tree in Silver Lake is a must, and a visit to the High Desert Museum south of Bend is special. Wherever we go, there is so much to see and do.
Our September rally is always held at the Thousand Trails Resort in Seaside, Oregon. Since we hold our annual chapter business meeting at this time, the rally is hosted by our executive board. This year’s theme was “Western,” and you never saw so many cowboys and cowgirls. What fun that was. The money we raised from our 50/50 raffle was split equally between food banks in Oregon and Washington.
A few years back we built a community fire pit at the Seaside resort so we could bring our firewood and enjoy a campfire during our stays. In our chapter we have folks who like to cook for others, folks who love potlucks, and folks who enjoy dining out. At the September rally, most meals were prepared and cooked by executive board spouses.
In October 2021, during our last rally of the season, we gathered at Whaler’s Rest, a Thousand Trails resort on the Oregon coast south of Newport, to celebrate our chapter’s 35th anniversary. Don Schleuse, national vice president, Northwest Area, was on hand to present our chapter a $200 check, a certificate, and a congratulatory letter signed by FMCA national president Rett Porter. During the five-day rally, we had three potluck meals and one group lunch at the Chowder Bowl in Newport, always a crowd favorite. As usual, those in attendance participated in competitive evenings of cards and board games. We can’t help it! It’s addictive and fun!
At all our chapter rallies this year, we’ve done a good job adhering to COVID-19 protocols and staying healthy. Want to know more about us? Go to www.landctt.com.