The rally itself started on Monday and we both went to a couple of seminars. None of the vendor areas were open for shopping until Tuesday, but in the afternoon we did go to the new coach display area and look a few new motor homes. Some very nice coaches, but still no floor plans that we like as well as the one we have. We found it remarkable that some of the larger, more expensive coaches, had very poor in-coach storage. They would not be very good for full-timing in our estimation. The Monday night entertainment was a "sock hop" with a local band. We didn’t feel like hopping in our socks, so we stayed at the coach for the evening and did a little BBQing with our friends.
One thing we noticed at this rally was the cost of food at the concession booths. The concessions are all controlled by the fairgrounds, and the prices were outrageous. Nearly $11 for a sub sandwich or BBQ and $16 for a plate of nachos! The cheapest thing available was a $4 cheeseburger. We ate a lot of cheeseburgers for lunch this week!
Tuesday we went over for a few more seminars and spent some time shopping around the vendor booths. Fortunately, we have been at this lifestyle long enough that we have bought most of the expensive toys, so we didn’t spend too much money. A little jewelry here, a shirt there, that sort of thing. We went to meetings of two of the FMCA Chapters to which we belong, Elks International and MIME. Elks International is one of the larger FMCA Chapters. It is not an Elks Lodge or otherwise affiliated with BPOE, but one member of the couple must be an Elk in good standing with a Lodge in order to belong to the Chapter. We went to the Chapter business meeting on Tuesday and a social gathering on Thursday. Many of our friends and acquaintances from other Chapters we belong to are members of Elks International as well. We also went to a meeting of the MIME Chapter which was also a pot luck dinner. (Yea! Cheap food!) MIME stands for "Mouse In Motorhome Experience" and originally meant you had to have had a real mouse at one time or another in your coach. They have since opened it up to anyone and it is strictly a social Chapter with a couple small rallies each year. Fun group of people.
Tuesday evening we went to the arena for the Nelson Brothers show. These are the twin sons of the late Rick Nelson who now tour doing a tribute show to their dad. They had been at the FMCA rally in Charlotte as well, but the entertainment there was in an outdoor venue and two songs into the show the skies opened up with a torrential downpour. This time we got to listen to the entire show. Good music that sort of took you back in time. After the show we walked back to the coach because it was a beautiful cool evening and only about a half mile walk.
Wednesday more of the same - a couple seminars, a little shopping at the vendors, and looking at a few more new motor homes. For those reading this blog that are not familiar with FMCA or other RV rallies, the organizers usually schedule a whole series of seminars and classes - everything from crafts to lifestyle hints to educational seminars on engines, transmissions, cooling systems, electrical systems, you name it. After a half dozen rallies we have been to a lot of them, but we always manage to find something new and interesting to attend. The vendors are people and companies who set up booths - at the larger rallies like this one there may be 200 or more vendors. They include people selling RV supplies, campgrounds, membership parks, jewelry, clothing, gizmos, gadgets and anything that might be of interest to the RV community. Finally, the new coach exhibit at this rally has well over 200 coaches of every make and model. We did find one new coach that peaked our interest. It was a limited edition Monaco Diplomat (one model above our current coach, but with the same basic chassis) called the Tommy Bahama Edition. Great interior with a lot of wood and rattan decor. Not yet in the market for a new coach, but if we were, this one would get a serious look. We also learned that our floor plan, with the rear sitting/office area, is no longer offered in the Monaco line, but is still available in Holiday Rambler and Safari coaches. We also drove down to Bend (about 15 miles) to pick up or mail and our documents for our cruise next month. YEA!
Wednesday evening’s entertainment was Debbie Boone. Interestingly, she didn’t sing any of her father’s music, but rather did a tribute to Rosemary Clooney, her mother-in-law. She has a decent voice and put on a pretty good show, but most of the music was a little older and slower than I like. Jackie was disappointed she didn’t do any Pat Boone stuff.
Thursday, more seminars and strolling around the vendor area. We had a meeting of 100%ers Chapter in the early afternoon. This is the chapter that is restricted to families living full-time in a motor home - in order to stay in the chapter you can’t own a house. This is the Chapter that Roy is the Vice President of. Late Thursday afternoon we went to the Elks International social - food and drink and meeting with friends and acquaintances. Thursday evening’s entertainment was Tony Orlando (sans Dawn) who put on a great show - best of the rally. He was very interactive with the audience and sang a wide variety of songs. He also had a very talented band and let the various members perform as well. This was the official end of the rally.
Two of our caravan left on Thursday. Bill and Lynette had to leave early to get to a service center in Bend because their front wheel bearings started leaking and messed up the brakes. They were lucky to get an appointment for Friday, provided they could get there early. They decided to simply leave Thursday afternoon and park in the repair facility’s lot overnight. We found out later that they were able to get the stuff fixed that same day and they were able to get back on the road. Steve and Gail also left Thursday because of a family commitment.
On Friday we awoke to the sounds of hundreds of diesel engines as people started to roll out of the rally. We were not in a hurry to pack up because we were only going to Prineville, a little town about 20 miles NE of Redmond. One of our friends in the 100%ers Chapter had told us of another Chapter called the "3 Ts" which always holds a two day "relaxation" rally immediately after the FMCA rallies. The three Ts stand for "To dump, To rest, and To wash." This little post-rally was held in the Crook County RV Park in Prineville. This is a very nice park with full hookups.
On Friday night they had a happy hour and pot luck dinner for the group - about 12 rigs. They also had a business meeting, and OF COURSE, we joined the Chapter. Good thing, because we weren’t members for five minutes until Jackie was elected "Designated Delegate" for the
Chapter. This means she will represent the Chapter at the next FMCA Board of Director’s meeting in the summer of 2008 in Minnesota - IF neither the elected National Director or Alternate Director can attend. Every FMCA Chapter (there are nearly 500 now) has one representative on the Board, the National Director. National Directors are elected by the Chapter. An Alternate Director is also elected and represents the Chapter if the National Director cannot. If neither can make it, the Chapter can elect a temporary Designated Delegate - that’s Jackie! We are planning to attend the rally in St. Paul next summer anyway and if Jackie represents the 3 Ts Chapter at the Board meeting, we get our rally fees refunded. FMCA pays the rally fees for all the National Directors or other Chapter representatives.On Saturday we actually got up early and went to breakfast with the group! I know those of you who have camped with us will find this amazing and astounding, but it is true. We then went into town to do laundry, wander around downtown for a while, and visit the Prineville Elks Lodge. Nice friendly little lodge located right downtown. That evening the Chapter went to dinner at the local country club’s restaurant. Pretty good dinner at a reasonable cost. The service was excellent, even though we had 26 people dining. After dinner we went back to the park and visited with Dick and Mary Moore for a while, then back to our coach for the evening. The Moore’s were staying at the same park, but not with our Chapter group.
We will be leaving Prineville on Sunday morning heading for the La Page Corps of Engineers RV park near the confluence of the Columbia and John Day rivers. Its about 30 miles East of The Dalles, Oregon on Interstate 84. We will be there for five days, so more on that adventure later. Bye for now.
