Photo taken at 2007 Region Rally, Dover PA -Photo by Bill Heaton
Mid-Atlantic Region
Photo taken at 2007 Region Rally, Dover PA -Photo by Bill Heaton
| The Mid-Atlantic Region includes
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mid Atlantic Region sanctioned Big Little Rally
1st Annual Big-Little Rally
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region Fall RallyJoin us for wonderful Amish country hospitality and food. Karen and Tom Bohacek are pleased to announce the seventh annual Aliner Owners Club Mid-Atlantic Region fall rally. The rally will be September 10 – 12, 2010 and will take place at Spring Gulch Resort Campground, 475 Lynch Road, New Holland PA. The fun begins with a Brat and hot dog roast, with each unit bringing a dish to share. We will follow this with our Friday night campfire. On Saturday we will hold our usual “open camper” and Lynn Thye will present her newest craft “Aliner Christmas Tree Decorations”. You will be free to explore the area for the rest of the day, until dinner, which will be at the Shady Maple Smorgasbord, about five miles from the campground. The dinner will be less that $20 per person. Sunday morning will be coffee and donuts (if available) before we part ways once again. We have personally inspected the campground and restaurant and invite you to do the same. Check them out onlne: the campground at www.springgulch.com and the Shady Maple Famers market and smorgasbord at www.shady-maple.com. To participate in the rally do the following:
We have 30 sites reserved, which we expect to fill rather quickly, so please do not delay. These sites are being held for us until the registration deadline, August 10, 2010. After that date it will be on a space available basis only. Please call Tom and Karen and the Campground to confirm any space after August 10, 2010. If you have any questions, e-mail or call Tom and Karen at 703-754-2005.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second Annual Beach Rally, sponsored by the Mid Atlantic Region was a great sucess
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2009 Aliner Owners Club Mid-Atlantic Region Rally
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Multi Region Rally Report
2008 Mid-Atlantic Region Fall Rally Report The lonely sound of a train whistle was up-close and personal
for Mid-Atlantic members whose August rally
campground in Mexico PA was just across the Juniata
River from a very active freight and passenger rail line.
Nonetheless, a fine time was had by all. For nearly half
of the 33 units attending, this was their first AOC rally.
The weather was beautiful, with warm days to enjoy the
river and cool nights to enjoy an evening campfire.
Regional directors Tom and Karen Bohacek arranged for
Juniata Valley RV to co-sponsor the rally, and we kept
them busy with jobs that ranged from replacing tires to
installing 12volt outlets. Some of us who weren't involved
in repairs or improvements enjoyed the day on our
own. Others sought out Aliners sporting yellow ribbons -
a sign that the camper was "open" for visiting. On display
was everything from the elaborate (Pierre Rochon's DIY
full bathroom) to the minimal
(Patty and Ron Burris's Alite which they've pulled
across the country with a 3-wheel Goldwing motorcycle).
After our Saturday banquet, the Bohaceks awarded door
prizes not usually seen at Aliner rallies, including a princess
dollhouse and a set of giant Pirates of the Caribbean
coloring posters. They were perfect choices for the four
children and grandchildren in attendance, who ranged in
age from infancy to six. Saturday evening's entertainment
was a live band, provided by Juniata Valley RV. The entire
campground enjoyed a musical trip down memory
lane with the band's golden oldies.
Sunday morning came much too soon, and we said goodbyes
over donuts, fruit and coffee. Good weather, good
hosts, good company - what more could you ask for ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 Mid-Atlantic Region Fall Rally Report The 2007 Mid-Atlantic Fall Rally is now history. It was held September 7, 8 and 9, 2007 at Outdoor World Gettysburg Farm Campground, Dover, PA There were 31 units, with 52 people in attendance.
We have prepared a short Slide show with pictures from the Rally. All Photos were taken by Bill Heaton. Thanks Bill. Click here to see the slide show. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report for the RALLY Fall 2006 Once again our fearless leader, Tom Bohacek, and his team have entertained the members of the Mid Atlantic Aliner Owners Club in a style to which we hope to remain accustomed. Tom had a great team working with him . This year our group graced the sites like rickrack at the American Heritage Campground just west of Williamsburg and not too far from the Pottery Factory on September 29-October 1. Early birds arrived the day before and the rest of us coasted in throughout Friday. We enjoyed a roaring campfire and got to renew old acquaintances and make new ones. There was quite a variety of “furry friends” making the rounds and getting everyone’s attention as well. Tom presented a number of members “in service” with handmade wooden name signs to put on their Aliners. The signs had an outline of an Aliner as well as the names in quite elegant script. Tom’s legendary coffee didn’t require his “hawking” as in the past---we do take notice and try to please---and wonder of wonders, there was dark chocolate on the s’mores!! It was great having Bill Horvath from Columbia Northwest with us again this year---this time in a Cabin A. It’s this kind of support that makes Aliner camping and travel an experience that goes beyond the awesome engineering of the camper. Bill announced that next year’s national rally will be sponsored by Aliner and will be held in Tennessee. This is an excursion not to be missed, so watch for the details and sign up early. Bill indicated that there might be a big surprise in the planning---not to be revealed until the rally. So yawl plan to come and see! Saturday we were all on our own and there appeared to be a plethora of ways to do just that. With the Pottery and Outlets so near, there was no end of people who would be ready for “Show and Tell” come Monday morning. ‘Tis rather a shame that we are all somewhat beyond that tender age where there is an audience for such---the second childhoods some of us are enjoying just don’t play out the same. However, I did hear a number of triumphant announcements about how much was saved. Amazing how no one mentioned how much was spent. Some went sightseeing. Williamsburg and adjacent historic sites were a real temptation. Some went down to Surry and came back with literature to share. With York River State Park just on the other side of Route 64 there were plenty of trails for those outdoors types who wanted to stretch their legs. For Saturday night, Tom had arranged a catered dinner provided by Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant. Most of us probably expected spaghetti, pasta dishes and such. What a surprise when we arrived! There was pasta and the biggest bestest meatballs you could ever imagine (think golf balls). But, in addition, we had a choice of pork with carmelized onions, and chicken all dressed up with carrots that would make a rabbit hop, rice, bread and apple crisp for dessert. In all it was a truly “gustatory repast”. If you don’t know what that means, that phrase was in a sentence on the back cover of a 1950s spelling/vocabulary book in a northern Virginia elementary school. Supposedly, if you did well that year, you could say things like “That was a gustatory repast”. That sentence is probably the only thing I remember from that year’s study---and now for the first time in my life I have a legitimate use for it!! All kidding aside, Tom, the meal was G-R-R-R-E-A-T, to quote Tony the Tiger who reviewed the menu but was unable to attend. The dinner was followed by an awe inspiring performance by Tom. With the help of Anne “Vana” Elder from Severn MD, he bummed a quarter from the audience and made it disappear under a white cloth which he whipped off his wrist with quite an impressive flourish. It appears we have to wait until next year for him to be able to retrieve it out of his ear (and perhaps return it to the donor). No one is quite sure where it ended up in this premier performance. Several members got together Saturday afternoon and pulled together an impromptu performance. In true showmanship style, Tom introduced himself as the warm-up act and played a lap harp. His performance won a warm and enthusiastic applause from all. He then introduced the three-person ensemble: Linda Huber on autoharp, Lynn Thye on lap harp and Neal Baker on hammered dulcimer. For an impromptu group, they did an incredible job of blending their instruments and sharing the stage. The long applause afterwards left no doubt about the appreciation of the group. Perhaps this will encourage others who play instruments to bring theirs and join in next year. Yawl hear now! After the musical performance, the door prizes were awarded as had been done in the past. This is the only group in which stealing is not only encouraged as a wise and judicious pursuit but in which coaching in the best way to steal is provided throughout the awards. Saturday evening ended with another gathering around the campfire. This time Michelle Shinn from Newport News brought her telescope for the stargazers in the group. And so the second night ended as all the women went to bed with stars in their eyes---the weather was beautiful---and high hopes for Sunday morning. Finally, Sunday morning arrived and all the men disappeared! About 8 a.m. all the women took off to find them and what to their wondering eyes should appear but breakfast, cooked by the men and served in style. And what a spread: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, pancakes, toast, bagels, juices, coffee. And this was a have- it-as-you-like-it affair. There was a regular menu and also a heart healthy parallel menu. Now how is that for going beyond the call of duty? It has to be noted here that Casey Crichton and his crew worked a small miracle that morning. When they got up to the recreation hall to start preparing the meal, it was locked up tight. With breakfast due to start at 8 a.m., they did not get into the hall until 7:45 and still had us moving through the line by 8:15. So Tom wasn’t the only miracle worker on the team. I believe that all the women in the club would agree that the men really deserve to enjoy a repeat performance next year without the stress of a late start. After breakfast, Lynn Thye conducted a group tour of all the trailers whose owners had put a balloon on the door. This was a great time to see the Cabin A as well as the amazing modifications made by so many. As you walk around you tend to agree with the man who said, “People who buy Aliners are mostly DIY enthusiasts.” They buy small just so they can enjoy dreaming up ways to get more stuff into less space. Whatever the reason, our club mates are creative, ingenious, and excited to share. That’s what makes these rallys so much fun! For those of you who missed this rally or who have never attended one, you missed a wonderful weekend with down home people who you would be proud to call friends. Watch for next year’s date and plan to come. This year, there is no doubt, a good time was had by all. Thanks Tom and all those who worked to make this possible.
The Mid-Atlantic Rally 2005 is now a memory. The rally was be held September 23-25, 2005 at Outdoor World Gettysburg Farm Campground in Dover PA 17315 Outdoor World is a private membership campground, therefore special arrangements had to be made to hold our rally here. This campground is 18 miles from the Gettysburg Battlefield, and 17 miles from the Harley Davidson Museum. Check in was anytime Friday, September 23, 2005, but some came early and many stayed late. JoAnn Bryant welcomed each unit to the campground and gave everyone a name tag and a sign with each name and town for their Aliner. Friday evening we had a wonderful group campfire, hosted by Les and Roblee Leedy. It was such a success that they did it all over again on Saturday night. Decafinated coffee was provided or better said the Directors begged everyone to have some. Saturday, during the daytime, everyone was free to explore the area and do what ever they liked. Saturday evening we had a catered dinner at the campground. Door prized were given away. There were so many door prizes that some even walked away with two. Sunday morning we had donuts, bagels and other pastries and of course coffee, hosted by Bonnie and Woody Baker. Our “Open Aliner” for those that wanted to participate was very informal this year.
Click here to read about past years Harpers Ferry Rally held on Sept 24-26, 2004
Karen and Tom Bohacek are the regional
directors for the Mid-Atlantic region. Karen
is an RN serving as Director of Nursing in a long term health care
facility. She also teaches a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program as
well as participating in CNA testing. She grew up near State College PA
and later moved to Cumberland MD. Tom is a computer security analyst
supporting the Department of Energy in Germantown MD. He was born and
raised in eastern NE. Tom is also a member of the executive committee and the Aliner Owners Club Webmaster.
Tom and Karen Bohacek |
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©Copyright - Aliner Owners Club 2002-2009
but not
when Jack
McLean
was on hand
with a propane torch to light it!
Conversation and toasted marshmallows
lasted well into the evening.
It was a sad group that met for coffee
and donuts on Sunday morning. We
always hate to say goodbye. But it’s
good to know that we won’t have to
wait until next fall to gather again.
Our directors, Tom and Karen Bohacek,
have already announced dates
for the second annual Mid-Atlantic
Beach Rally next spring. We’ll see
you in Myrtle Beach on May Day!
- Lynn Thye