“Hindsight is 20 20” … or at least we can now view 2020 in our rear facing cameras. The officers of the brand-new West Penn Travelers have been very busy building the Chapter infrastructure that many of you may take for granted within your own chapters. Bank accounts, letterhead, membership lists, chapter rally bars, and financial reports have been just a few of the items that the Treasurer and I have spent countless hours organizing. We have also developed and implemented a new member recruiting program which garnered four additional Chapter members (coaches) … in addition to our original 16 Charter members … by the end of 2020. And we also have the new “Members Only” Facebook group up and running.
Now it is time for us to focus on the central pillar of our NKK affiliation … RALLY! We are pleased to invite you all to join us for our very first West Penn Travelers rally. This “Spring Rails and Trails Rally” will be held June 10-13 at the Friendship Village Campground in Bedford, Pennsylvania. This campground is right off the intersection of the PA Turnpike and Interstate 99 … and just one exit west of the intersection of Interstate 70 and PA Turnpike.
Reservations for any of our 25 rally-blocked sites are now being accepted by calling the campground at (814) 623-1677 and mentioning West Penn Travelers. Rally fee is just $55.00 per coach in addition to your campground site cost. Planned activities include tours of the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum and the World Famous Horseshoe Curve. Side trips to the Boyer Candy Factory Outlet (Mallo-cups/Clark Bars), Benzel Pretzel Factory, and Allegheny Portage Railway National Landmark are also available. Saturday morning will find us amongst muskets, cannon fire, and Revolutionary War re-enactments at Old Bedford Village … directly across I-99 from our rally. Evenings will see campfires featuring S’mores and a build-your-own Mountain Pie bar … with tons of fixins for sweet and savory treats. Saturday will reach its climax with a Sock-Hop featuring a Pizza Party and live music for dancing & singing. Don’t forget to bring your penny-loafers, leather jackets and poodle-skirts (encouraged, but not required). Early arrivers and late departers can avail themselves of our many hiking, biking, shopping and historical trail activities.
Remember these Dates:
- Through April 1 – Rally & Campground Registration Due Date (campground GUARANTEES site availability for rally registrants within our block).
- Apr 1 to May 1 – LATE Registration Deadline (campground sites MAY be available but location in or near our block not guaranteed).
- May 1 to June 1 – F.O.P.s – “Friends of Penns” (friends with other brands) or any “really late” NKK member can register to join our rally IF they can secure a site at the campground
- Check the NKK website or contact Jon Yon at jyon@atlanticbb.net or Tom Watson at (610) 350-6839 for additional details or questions.
Unfortunately, due to scheduling concerns, our Fall Three Rivers Rally near Pittsburgh (New Stanton, PA) has been postponed until 2022. Instead, we will be joining our fellow Pennsylvania NKK members at the Penn’s Friends Rally (June 23-26 at Pine Grove, PA) and the Pennsylvania State Rally (August 25-29 at Wellsboro PA). Additionally, we are encouraging our members to join us at the Region Seven Rally (TBA) and the Int’l Rally at Lewisburg, West Virginia in July.
Roxann & I tucked our Dutchy, “Hither”, (as in “Hither and Yons”) away for a long winter’s nap and sprang from our bed each day to see what was the matter … with the scenario of us snowed under in the mountains of central Pennsylvania while so many of our dear NKK and WPT friends are basking the months away in more Southern and warmer digs. I’ve heard it said that “Envy gets you nothing”. We prefer “Anticipation” over envy as we look forward to familiar smiles, new friends, and unending “Snowbird” stories around our 2021 Campfires. Until we share again …
Keep your black tanks down, your antennas up, and a fair wind behind your TOAD.
You can always reach Roxann & I via email: jyon@atlanticbb.net or by leaving a text or voice message at (814) 935-4414.
Jon C. Yon (24213)
West Penn Travelers – President