Updated February 8, 2023
“Come Join Us For A Rally”
The Oregon Trail Drivers Chapter was established in 1975, with members from all parts of Oregon and Washington. Our current Rally schedule includes monthly outings starting in May and going through October. Sometimes, more than one a month!
Our chapter includes full-time RV ’ers, part timer’s, retirees, business owners, those still working, couples, singles, families, those new to RV ’ing, and pet owners. We schedule most of our outings for seven nights. Our excursion starts with a Sunday arrival day, departing the following Sunday. Booking our rallies like this allows those who wish to stay the full seven nights can. Others who work or cannot attend the entire week can schedule what works best for them.
The Northwest has some of the most beautiful campgrounds, but not all are centrally located in any area or state. Most of our rallies are within a 200-mile range of the Salem area. Sometimes we plan a rally that ’s over 200 miles away. With those, we tend to leave a day early and dry camp somewhere on the way there and back. We can do that for those who like to caravan as a group to our destination, too! Most importantly, we all have a say in where we want to go. New places are always welcome.
We have found that some of the strongest bonds are built around a shared meal. As a group, we eat breakfast and dinners together daily, strengthening old friendships and starting new ones. After breakfast, besides just relaxing in the park, some of us go hiking, fishing, golfing, sightseeing, antiquing, and more. The rally host usually has one planned trip, like a dune buggy ride, a local museum, or a local point of interest that we attend as a group. Voluntary, of course. Since we all enjoy different things, we take the time during our nightly dinners to plan what to do the next day and who wants to do what. This gives everyone a chance to try something new.
After dinner, we usually socialize with games of some sort and/or crafts the ladies share. There's something for everyone, and we are open to new suggestions! When available, we enjoy sitting around a campfire and sharing stories. Weather permitting, there ’s movie night(s) under the stars to go along with social hour.
Caravanning together is some of the most fun an RV'er can have. When our scheduled rally season ends, some of us full-timers, get together and plan trips that may be up to a few months long. If our route is close to where someone is planning to snowbird or they wish to stop and stay someplace on our route, they hop off.
Since choosing a chapter can be difficult, we always welcome anyone who wants to “Come to join us for a rally” first and see if we ’re a good fit for you, especially if you are new to RV ’ing or FMCA. You can find out more about us on our website, OTDNW.COM; all our contact information is there. We hope to see you soon!
