Alpine SoCal Bayfield, CO Week Long Rally

[Dave Fernandez]

Alpine SoCal Bayfield, CO Week Long Rally

September 4 – 11, 2013

Alpine SoCal weeklong rally will begin Wednesday, September 4 through Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

The campground owner has taken it upon himself to contact local food vendors on our behalf and to make train reservations for us on the Durango & Silverton narrow gauge railroad. The rally registration forms and rally schedule is posted on the Alpine SoCal website and the ACA website by the first part of June.

The registration deadline for the rally will be July 15,2013. Friends are allowed to attend this rally as long as they are FMCA members. We currently have 25 sites reserved at Bayfield Riverside RV Park, 20 miles southeast of Durango. The RV Park is located in southwestern Colorado, 900 miles from Southern California. The elevation is 6900 feet. This is a beautiful 36 acre RV park with big rig friendly sites, lots of grass and shade trees, walking trails, streams and a pond for fishing. In early September, the day time temperature averages 75 degrees and the night time temperature averages 45 degrees. In addition to several catered meals and the optional train ride from Durango to Silverton, we have an all-day jeep run planned for those who have 4WD vehicles. Dave Shannon, a club member who lives in Durango, has volunteered to lead the jeep run. For those of us without 4WD vehicles, we are planning to drive to Silverton for lunch, then on to the ghost town of Animas Forks. If the city of Bayfield approves the request, there will be a fireworks show at the RV Park one evening. It should be a spectacular fireworks show, since the campground owner is a member of the Western Pyrotechnic Association, the group responsible for the Winter Blast fireworks extravaganza in Lake Havasu City each February. We are planning at least one gathering each day at which we can socialize. There will be plenty of free time for you to enjoy the area. There are many things to do. The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde Nat’l Park are a must see. If you are interested in Native America history, visit the Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum in Ignacio, Chimney Rock Archaeological Area in Pagosa Springs and the Ute Mountain Tribal Park in Towaoc. If you enjoy fishing, bring along your gear. The RV Park has a stream, a pond and a river in which you may fish. Three fishing lakes are within a short drive of the RV Park. A Colorado fishing license is required. White water rafting, zip lining and golf are available in Durango. For the jeepers, there are many off road trails. To relax in natural hot springs, visit a spa in Durango or Pagosa Springs. Sky Ute Casino is a short drive away in Ignacio. Shops and restaurants are plentiful in Durango. If you have time on your way to or from the rally, consider visiting the surrounding area. Toward the southwest, stay at Gouldings RV Park and visit Monument Valley, UT. Toward the northwest, stay in Moab, UT and visit Canyonlands and Arches Nat’l Parks. Toward the southeast, ride the Cumbres & Toltec train in Chama, NM then drive on to Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Toward the northeast, stop in Colorado Springs to visit the Air Force Academy, ride the Pikes Peak cog railway, and enjoy the beautiful rock formations at Garden of the Gods city park. If you want to join the ACA rolling rally after this rally, you have seven days to reach Pella, IA. It is 1027 miles from Bayfield, CO to Pella, IA. Your rally hosts, the Bowers, Cheshires and Archers are looking forward to seeing you in Bayfield.

[Dave Fernandez]

Hi Alpiners,

This is a reminder that the rally registration for the Bayfield, CO rally needs to be postmarked no later than July 25, 2013. This rally is open to all Alpine Coach owners as well as SOB (some other brand) friends and family, as long as they are members of FMCA. The rally registration form, a tentative schedule of events and a list of things to do in southwestern Colorado is attached. This information is also
available on our Alpine SoCal website, the ACA website.

If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Archer. We look forward to seeing you in Bayfield.

Stephanie Archer