Key Lime Rally Campground
The Key Lime Rally was a gathering of the group, Firty and Over RV’ers – Life on the Road. The rally was held at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores and almost 300 Key Limers were in attendance.
This was our second time to camp at Gulf State, one of our favorite parks. Our earlier trip is described in the following link. We were right on the water that trip and as a result, I was very worried about alligators. http://www.bigguytinytrailer.com/2016/12/
Gulf State Park offers everything you could want in a state park and it is located in a desirable resort area. Beautiful biking trails, spacious sites, and a nice large pool make it also a great place to camp. http://www.alapark.com/gulf-state-park
We enjoyed beautiful weather the entire five days we were there, with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the upper 50s. However, we were in the South! The humidity made it quite hot at midday if you were not in a shaded area.
Our site had shade in the late afternoon, but was in direct sunlight most of the day. Therefore, we were happy to have our screen room to provide a little shade. Because we registered late for the rally, we were a good distance from Key Lime Rally activities. (Several camp sites were designed Camp Lime and it was the main gathering place.)
Visiting with Good Friends
Our very good friends—the ones who originally talked us into camping—recently moved to Florida. They met us at the campground and stayed a couple of nights before heading on to the Grand Canyon. We loved having them there; it really made this trip special! We had dinner with them the night before the rally. The next day, we spent some quality time on the beach and in the pool. Very relaxing!
Key Lime Events Day 1
The rally organizer very graciously allowed our friends to attend the Key Lime Bash at the Beach, the first official night of the rally. It was held at Gulf State Pavilion, which is right on the beach. Fresh gulf shrimp was served for dinner and bread pudding for dessert. Key Lime Rally members decorated the tables and they were amazing. For entertainment, Elvis performed for us!
Key Lime Events Day 2
The rally was like a well-oiled machine! There was a morning coffee, then a craft fair and yard sale, CPR training, a corn hole tournament and an Instant Pot cooking demo. We did not attend them, but went with a smaller group on a Dolphin Cruise that afternoon. Others also played Key Lime Bingo and went on a tour of Group 1’s rigs.
A Key Lime Food and Drink contest preceded dinner, which was a Quatro de Mayo Fiesta at Camp Lime. Key Lime members and the Key Limer Band provided the entertainment and it included some specially written songs that were quite funny.
In addition, there were door prizes. Group members had contributed gifts for contests and door prizes. My husband won a great door prize, a basket full of collapsible bowls, measuring cups, and spoons. It was a very nice gift!
So, it was a great day to be a Key Limer!
Key Lime Events Day 3
Day 3 was more laid back and everyone was on their own for dinner. Also, there was a Balloon Festival in Foley that afternoon, which many were attending. The morning activities were Rock Painting Class, a Pet Parade, Corn Hole Tournament, and a tour of Group 2 Rigs.
Therefore, we took this opportunity to enjoy our campsite in the morning and to have an early dinner at a local seafood restaurant. The Fish River Grill was pretty tasty and I had a margarita to honor Cinco de Mayo.
Finally, we rounded out our day at the Gulf State Pier. The water was beautiful and it was nice to just hang out there for awhile and enjoy the view.
Key Lime Events Day 4
The day began with a nondenominational worship service, a great way to start our Sunday morning. Soon after, there was a Dutch Oven Cooking Class given by Dave, a master in the field. I had never seen this type of cooking before and found it fascinating. Audience members assisted in cooking a pork tenderloin with sweet potatoes in one pot and a pineapple upside down cake in another. All were delicious!
Next, we attended a wine tasting. Group members each brought a bottle of wine and many also brought snacks. There was a great variety of lovely wines and some awesome snacks. One lady brought the best stuffed jalapeño peppers I have ever tasted. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.
Dinner that night was again at the Pavilion and it was a luau. Key Limers were dressed in their best tropical attire. There were hula dancers who also danced with fire, led a limbo contest, and conga line. Additionally, there were more door prizes and I won a bottle of wine!
We were sad to see the Key Lime Rally ending because it was such a great experience. Most of all, we loved that we met lots of really nice people. We felt we already knew some of them from online posts and it was great to finally meet them in person.
In conclusion, Aloha Key Limers and Happy Camping!
