A Reunion & A Rally
We’ve been on the road since June 5th. There were two destinations for this trip. The first was Las Vegas and the Jenkins family reunion. This reunion was the brainchild of Terri’s older brother Tim. It started to take shape in the fall of 2022. Everyone in the family was all in. The location would be the Tropicana Resort, a Hilton Doubletree property. Plans progressed rapidly.
The 2nd destination would actually be our first extended stop. The Renegade Vienna/Villagio Rally in Shipshewana, Indiana. We made the “Rally” last year, which you can read about here. It was so much fun that we vowed to make the 2023 rally. When the dates were set for the Jenkins reunion (6/18-6/22), we knew the V/V Rally would work for our trip out to Las Vegas. The Rally dates were 6/7-6/11. That gave us 7 days to drive to Las Vegas. Look for updates of our trip from Shipshewana to Las Vegas. For now I’ll focus on the V/V Rally.
When we bought our Renegade Vienna, our goal was to travel the country. We had no idea that we would eventually become part of a community of passionate Renegade owners. You won’t see many Viennas or Villagios on the road. We had never seen one in our two years and 22,000 miles of driving. At last year’s Rally there were 17 units in Hog Valley RV Park in Fayetteville, AR. This year’s Rally there were 24 units. It was absolutely amazing to see all of these Renegades lined up in rows in Shipshewana RV Park South.
Carol and Wayne Fullerton, along with Midge Breslof, put together a diverse and full agenda. They solicited Renegade and some of their key providers, to sponsor the Rally with demonstrations, training sessions, and factory tours. The “Renegaders” in attendance learned some very important aspects of our rigs, and saw the live production of cabinet making, painting, and the Renegade build process, at their Bristol, IN, headquarters. There were social events each night that provided an opportunity for Rally’ers to rekindle and make new friendships, that will last.
Shipshewana is the heart of Amish country in Indiana, and we were able to soak up some of an American tradition and culture that needs to be experienced and preserved. A traditional Amish dinner was sponsored by Royal RV of Middlebury, at the Blue Gate Restaurant in downtown Shipshewana. EQ Systems (RV leveling systems) sponsored a wine and cheese party with the GOAT Charcuterie table, designed by Kim Miller, wife of Renegade’s Merv Miller. A final night BBQ hosted by Renegade, followed by a “Tears and Beers” farewell campfire, put a cap on the week’s activities.
Overall, this was an incredibly successful Rally, with many new friends made, and many new lessons learned. The building of this community will continue through the collaboration of all of the attendees and others in this arm of the Renegade family. Terri and I as SkyDog Adventures, will continue to be an active part of this experience. We hope to see you and other Renegader’s down the road.
View our Shipshewana slide show below…
