IA | 2020, May 7-10: Pink Elephant Rally - CANCELLED

[CindyL]

This episode was years ago, before children, the oldest one who is almost 40. Kevin found me a pool in Sny Magill to sit in a chair while he went up the creek, casting. It was not a manicured spot; the grass was long, and the bugs were biting. I am ground zero for bug bites, so I am not excited about fishing. I was not interested in walking in the creek and continually casting either, so as Kevin said; I was humoring him and asked for a bobber. I think I was using Velveeta. It was almost like a Keystone cops movie. I sat in my chair with my bobber while he went up the creek. I caught a fish, and since I won't pull it off, he had to come and take it off. This happened 3 times, with me laughing louder each time he returned, muttering that trout don't bite with a bobber. And yes, I don't let him forget.

CindyL

[CindyL]

I just want to alert you that I am feeling that we cannot have this rally. The governor of IA has not yet called the parks closed, but she should. My great niece is the first corona virus case in Jones County which is not far from Clayton County where Pikes Peak park is located. She is feeling quite ill and has now exposed my sister and her husband who is at quite at risk and my mother who is even more at risk, due to age and health. I would not want to be responsible for anyone becoming ill like the stories I have read about recently, i.e. the church in Geneva, IL where 43/80 attendees of a service held on March 13 have become ill and the church choir that held services in Washington state thinking that it was safe and now 2 are dead.
We will hold off calling this off the rally until Easter, but this is a heads-up for our thinking.

Cindy

[LarryB.]

Originally Posted by CindyL

I just want to alert you that I am feeling that we cannot have this rally. The governor of IA has not yet called the parks closed, but she should. ... We will hold off calling this off the rally until Easter, but this is a heads-up for our thinking.Cindy

Standing by. President Trump has indicated that the guidelines will remain in place thru April. As you say, things don't look good.

Originally Posted by CindyL

My great niece is the first corona virus case in Jones County which is not far from Clayton County where Pikes Peak park is located. She is feeling quite ill and has now exposed my sister and her husband who is at quite at risk and my mother who is even more at risk, due to age and health.

Our thoughts an prayers are with you and your family.

[CindyL]

Latest IA DNR information:

"Here’s what we are doing (UPDATED 3/27/2020):

As of 3/27/2020, pit latrines and port-a-potties will be closed until April 15, 2020. This means no bathroom facilities will be available in Iowa state parks through that date.
Because bathrooms will be closed through April 15, 2020, we are honoring camping reservations for self-contained (enclosed) campers that have their own bathrooms. If the camper is not self-contained, the reservation will be cancelled and fully refunded. Camping from March 27, 2020 through April 15, 2020 will be walk-in only, first-come, first served.
Additionally, shelters, youth camps and camping cabins will be closed through April 15, 2020. Modern cabins will still be available for groups under 10, but all cookware, dishes and utensils are being removed. Guests will be responsible for their own kitchenware.
Use of playgrounds is not recommended since they will not be able to be cleaned according to CDC guidelines by park staff. User discretion is advised.
If you feel cancelling your stay is the safest choice, we will waive cancellation fees for visits (cabins, campsites, lodges) with arrival dates through April 30, 2020. To cancel without fees, contact the Customer Service Call Center at (877) 427-2757. If you have a lodge or cabin reservation involving groups of 10 or more, we will be contacting you to cancel your reservation. Additionally, the DNR is working to temporarily limit reservations at lodges and cabins to groups of less than 10, so please be aware of changes that may be coming if you are making plans for the spring.
We are implementing additional cleaning procedures, according to CDC guidelines, such as more stringent and frequent cleaning of cabins and other public areas.
We are postponing programs and events at all state parks through April 30, 2020. This will help keep visitors safe, and we will reassess this policy in mid-April. We are also temporarily closing any visitor centers or museums managed by state parks.
We are monitoring the situation. We promise to remain diligent and intentional in protecting you and making your visit a great experience. As conditions change, so may our policies on park visitation and overnight stays. We will keep you informed of any changes moving forward." CindyL

[BruceG]

We decided to avoid gatherings for awhile so we have cancelled our camping reservation. Maybe we can join you next year. Be safe.
-Bruce

[CindyL]

Your governor has declared no gatherings greater than 10 through April. We wish she would simply make it shelter in place and shut down the parks through May. It would make this decision easier. However, we are leaning toward cancellation to keep everyone safe.

CindyL

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by CindyL

Your governor has declared no gatherings greater than 10 through April. We wish she would simply make it shelter in place and shut down the parks through May. It would make this decision easier. However, we are leaning toward cancellation to keep everyone safe.

CindyL

I would not depend on the leadership of the state of Iowa to make any intelligent decisions. She seems to be incapable as well as incompetent with a less than acceptable regard for the health and safety of the residents of Iowa. Many of these residents,including yours truly, have done much more than her for the good of the public and the public heath and safety of its three million residents. Politics be damned.
Iowa Dave

[steve dunham]

Whether the Governor of Iowa changes her mind may be a mute point for some ( RE Pink Elephant Rally)
Many of the people who planned on attending this rally including myself live in states with current shelter in place orders and there is a good probability those orders will be extended past their original expiration dates
Hopefully by Easter we will have a better picture of the situation
Thanks Cindy for all you’ve done and Happy Easter to all.

[Kevin A]

Pink Elephant Rally Cancelled This Year!

After many days of discussion and news watching, Cindy and I have decided that we will NOT be holding the Pink Elephant Rally this year May 7-10 at Pikes Peak State Park. Travel restrictions plus grave concerns over the consequences of contracting COVID-19 are the cause of this decision.

If you choose to cancel your reservation, please take care of this through the reservation site at least 2 days prior to your reservation. There is a $5 fee at this time, plus smaller other reservation fees. Our total fees were around $9 for a 6 day reservation.

You can cancel at ReserveAmerica.com by logging in to your account. Choose My Reservations under your profile/name in the upper right corner, then click on View Details for the reservation. Your options in the upper right are "Change, Cancel, Print..." Choose Cancel and complete the process on this page.

We hope that we will be able to host this rally again in 2021 and all of this will be far behind us!

Take care and stay well.

Kevin and Cindy Anderson

[damarchman]

While the rally has been canceled for some time now I held on to my reservation with the hope of at least going somewhere for a few days and maybe seeing another fiberglass trailer owner or two. Well I got my notice that Iowa has closed camping until the middle of May at the earliest. My reservation is automatically cancelled and will be refunded. Oh well see you all next year.

[Iowa Dave]

A lot of folks are no doubt disappointed by the cancellation of this rally. Not much we can do about it but plan for the next one and try to make it twice as much fun.
That said, the Railway City Brewery in St Thomas Ontario Canada brews an Excellent IPA. It commemorates the passing of the famous circus elephant Jumbo. I believe the intriguing name of this brew qualifies it as the future official brew of this fledgling rally. The name: Dead Elephant. Can’t make this stuff up.
Iowa Dave

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

... The name: Dead Elephant. ,,

Just add a little pink food coloring.

[Iowa Dave]

Good idea. Drank my share of green beer.
Iowa Dave

[Kevin A]

Thanks for the beverage suggestion for next year. Stay well!

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

Thanks for the beverage suggestion for next year. Stay well!

Sorry this Rally did not work out for this year. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with for next year’s rally. Hope we can salvage a little bit of the camping season if things improve significantly.
Iowa Dave