Natural Bridge Safari Rally 2017
Our second rally of 2017 will be something a little different – a weekend in the Natural Bridge area, with the highlight being a prepaid private wagon tour through the Virginia Safari Park. The dates are May 5-7 (Friday night through Sunday morning), and your hosts are the Greenwoods, the Tilmans, and the Sohles. We’ll be based at the Natural Bridge/ Lexington KOA, immediately adjacent to the Virginia Safari Park.
Due to the seating capacity of the wagons at the Safari Park, we are limiting the entry to this rally to 15 coaches, including the hosts. This will allow for the occasional child or grandchild, if you care to bring one. A description of the Park can be found on their website, at http://www.virginiasafaripark.com/ .
Campground Reservations: Make your reservations directly with the Natural Bridge/Lexington KOA, at 800-562-8514, before April 5. Tell them you are with the Dogwood rally to get the special rally rate (also available for early arrivals and late departures). A block of 15 sites has been reserved.
The KOA is located at 214 Killdeer Lane, Natural Bridge, VA 24578. From the Richmond area, follow I-64 West to I-81 in Staunton, then follow I-81 South to Exit 180B. The campground entrance is right across from the end of the off-ramp, just to the left of the gas station. You can check out their website at http://koa.com/campgrounds/natural-bridge/ .
Rally fees for the weekend will be $40 per person ($80 for a coach with two adults) and include the $20 per person admission fee to the Safari Park, dinner Friday night, a catered lunch Saturday, and a full breakfast Sunday morning. Extra adults in a coach will also be $40, children under 16 will be $30. Other meals will be on your own at a wide variety of local restaurants or in your coach. There will be no pot lucks, except that you may certainly bring a snack to Happy Hour if you like.
Please register with Reid Saul as soon as possible, but no later than April 5. You will find a registration form at the end of this article.
Schedule (some items subject to change):
5:00 PM Friday, May 5 – Happy hour in the Pavilion next to the Game Room. BYOB.
6:00 PM – Dinner (furnished) in the Pavilion. BYO drinks, plates and utensils. Orientation meeting.
Early AM Saturday, May 6 – Breakfast on your own in your coach, or just up the road at the Pink Cadillac
if you can get moving early enough. Note that we need to leave the KOA for the Safari Park by 9:45 AM.
10:00 AM – Gather at the Virginia Safari Park Gift Shop for a 10:15 departure on our Wagon Tour.
12:00 Noon (approximately) – Fried chicken lunch (furnished) from Kenny’s, a Lexington institution. BYO drinks – Kenny’s will provide plates and plastic utensils.
Afternoon and evening – On your own, including for dinner. Our suggestions:
1. If you go South on Rt. 11, Natural Bridge and the Natural Bridge Zoo are less than 5 miles away. Natural Bridge has recently been converted to a Virginia State Park, so entrance fees are low, and it’s well worth seeing, even if you’ve been there before. The Zoo is quite nice too, and if the weather permits, they offer elephant rides! If you take the southern option, food and drink are available at the Bridge complex – we recommend the Natural Bridge Hotel.
2. If you go North on Rt. 11, the town of Lexington is about 10 miles away. There’s something here for almost everyone: Stonewall Jackson’s House, the Virginia Military Institute, carriage tours, and a vibrant downtown with interesting shops and a variety of restaurants of every type.
5:00 PM – Optional happy hour in the Pavilion. The rallymasters will be there, but don’t worry if you’re having too much fun elsewhere to come back to the KOA – we’ll see you at breakfast.
9:00 AM Sunday, May 7 – Full breakfast at the Pavilion, including eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, juice, etc. BYO plates and utensils. Short business meeting after breakfast, at the discretion of the President.
REGISTRATION FORM
Dogwood Natural Bridge Safari Rally
May 5-7, 2017
Names _________________________________
___ Number of adults @ $40 each = $________
___ Number of children @$30 each = $_______
Total enclosed ………………………………. =$________
Make checks payable to Reid Saul, and mail to:
Reid and Jenny Saul
2445 Bybee Road
Louisa, VA 23093
Cutoff date is April 5, but please confirm as soon as you can so we can get an accurate count for the campground and the Safari Park.
