2025 Traverse City, MI R-Pod Rally - Event Date: 12 Jun 2025 - 15 Jun 2025

Today marks the last day that the 2025 TC Rpod Rally Registration Link will be only available to last year’s attendees.  Tomorrow it will be disseminated to the general public.  As of today, 20 of 35 sites have already been reserved.  Remember that calls back to campers occur in the manner that campers register with the campground.

May you all experience a blessed New Year and happy 2025 Camping to all.  Hoping to see you in TC next June.

Holiday Park Campground staff have advised me that 20 campers have already registered for the 2025 Rally.  Staff have further advised that they will be calling back those who already registered starting next week.

Campers are called back in the order that they register, and they also get first dibs at requesting a specific campsite.  35 sites are available in 2025, so we’re half-way there after less than 2 weeks.  

These sites will be held for us until April 20 or so.  Also, Traverse City State Park will be closed this upcoming season for upgrades, so remaining Rally sites could go quickly once registration is open to the general public.  Don't delay.

The LIST as of January 20, 2025

Site  Name

141 Shultz

142 Mertz

143 O'Dell

144 Rosacker

145 Perry

146 Breen

149 Butler

163 Socha

164 Loy

165 Bissonnette

172 Dukatz

173 Frankowiak

174 Richardson

175 Lengle

176 Raupp

177 Tollefson

178 Swartz

184 Birkhofer

185 Watters

186 Seal

187 Pacuta

188 Wieringa

189 Kelly

190 Makela

192 Bever

There are 10 remaining sites available: 193-195 and 209-215.

For those who have already registered:

A golf outing at a local course will take place on Thursday morning, so if you are interested please let me know here or by PM.  Also you will need to arrive sometime a day early on Wednesday, one day before the official rally begins.

A question was asked yesterday why Traverse City?  This individual felt this was a poor choice/location due to the fact that it is located a minimum of 230 miles from any drivable bordering state.

The following comment was made, making a short story long. 

When R-Pod Rallys were few and far between the 'generals' back then including Travis Mattingly (Moosepod), Mark Smith (Furpod), Mark Mowry (Huron Sailer), and Rosemary and 'coach' Dinkus (Pepperpod) were responsible for forming the first R-Pod Rallies, also known as the (ERU) Eastern Round Up, and began the first rallies in the great state of Kentucky; they got together and decided to hold the very first r-pod rally outside of Kentucky at the Lakeshore State Park, eastern Michigan, on the shores of Lake Huron in 2012.  Four years later, still very few rallies were held but this same group of 'generals' got together and decided on holding this event on the western side of Michigan at the Holiday Campground in Traverse City.  Traverse City was decided upon back then in 2016 as it was (and still is today) a top tourist destination in the Midwest.  That rally was a huge success bring in close to 50 r-pods!  A few years later, 2019, a small group got together, camping at a state park in Roscommon during the month of October to plan on making this rally and location an annual event.  The couples who met at that infamous time and location were Jack & Gail Kelly from Traverse City, Jay and Debbie Raupp from Manistee and Jim & Diane Tollefson from Torch Lake.  The Rally was held Father's Day weekend 2020.  Due to covid, many cancelled, however there was still a good group who were brave and not scared and attended anyway.  Because of the success of this 3rd R-Pod rally held at the Holiday Campground in June of 2020, it was decided to make this an annual event at this location, primarily due to it continually being a top tourist destination in the Midwest.  With a little bit of history thrown in, that is why this 'premier' rally is held in Traverse City every Father's Day weekend in Michigan.