We took a break from our time in Michigan to attend our first National Grand Design Rally in Goshen, Indiana. This is the largest gathering of Grand Design owners in the country and is a week filled with food, music, tours, and technical repairs. We split the four hour drive to Indiana with a stay at a great Harvest Host location: Archival Brewing. Located in Belmont, MI, just north of Grand Rapids, Archival has great beer and food and allowed us to park right next to the biergarten. After a great meal we enjoyed live music before retiring to our RV for the night. Harvest Hosts are really cool!

The Grand Design National Rally takes over the Elkhart 4-H Fairgrounds. With over 600 Grand Design rigs on the property., more than 1500 owners, vendors, and Grand Design staff gather to explore all things RV and Grand Design.

By attending we got work done on our rig and bought a few new accessories which make life on the road a little easier.  New wallpaper in the bathroom and an improved entry door handle were worth the trip. Every day’s agenda was filled with activities and opportunities. One of my favorites was the silent auction, where I walked away with four baskets of goodies!

One day I joined an organized tour to explore the nearby Amish country. Our guide-led exploration took us to a leather goods workshop, a carriage maker, and an Amish bakery.

This is truly some of the most beautiful rural areas we’ve seen in a long time. Along the way we ate really yummy food with an Amish family and gained insights into their simple life. 

Steve and I also had the opportunity to take a tour of the factory. This is where our Grand Design Solitude fifth wheel was made. We walked through the manufacturing process, from chassis to side walls, from roof to interiors.

It was fascinating to see how our little house on wheels came together just over a year ago. The tour reassured us that Grand Design is producing high quality RVs that they stand behind. If you are in the market for an RV, we highly recommend Grand Design!