November/December 2013

Transcription

RVing
WOMEN
®
www.rvingwomen.org
RVing
WOMEN
Volume 23 / Number 6
MEMBERS SHARE
40 Geocaching in Central Oregon
by Cindy Simmers
42 Poking Around the Gulf Coast
by Kathe McCleave
46 Georgia on My Mind
by Donna Arnink
48 RVing Women Can Do Anything!
by Sandy Thuet
ON THE ROAD
52 Automatic Get Up and Go
An enchilada pie dinner was followed by square dancing lessons at
the Oregon Chapter rally held at Devil's Lake RV Park in Lincoln
City, Oregon. / page 35
by Keith Shomaker
RVW CONNECTIONS
6 Gratitudes and Opportunities
7 Mile Markers
14 Open Road Program
16 Welcome New Members
18 Photo Feature
38 RVW Recruitment Campaign
7
2 Loyalty Pin Awards
Great Lakers Chapter members enjoyed a heavenly pancake
breakfast and beautiful summer weather at Loon's Point RV
Park in Cedarvile, Michigan. / page 29
Dedicated since 1991 to supporting all women who are interested in RVing:
RVing Women is a nonprofit 501(c)(7) corporation organized and operated exclusively for social, recreational and educational purposes.
Our mission is to build a supportive network of women RVers so that any woman, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability
or financial status, has the opportunity to enjoy the RV lifestyle in a safe and knowledgeable manner.
RVing
Women
MANAGING EDITOR
P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction, Arizona 85117-1940
CHAPTER FOCUS
6 RVW Charters New Chapter
26 Chapter Contacts
2
8 Chapter News
Dee Johnson
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell 360-510-2557
ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Karlene Field
Cell 206-909-2607
CONTRIBUTORS
Driving School
Drumright OK
April 12–13, 2014
Convention 2014
York PA
October 7–12, 2014
TRAVEL PLANNER
56 Calendar Preview
58 RVW National Events
60 Calendar of Events
RVW News
3 Steering Column
7 Maintenance Rally Report
8 E-Communications Report
12 Board of Directors Listing
13 Mission Statement
13 Schedule of Board Meetings
22 Convention 2013 Report
DEPARTMENTS
4 Editor’s Page
9 Membership Application
1
0 Liability Waiver
1
1 Membership Benefits
1
1 If You Move
69Advertisers
70Recalls
7
1 Classifieds
71 Magazine Deadlines
The photo on our cover was taken at this year's RVW convention in
Sacramento, California. / photo: RVW Convention Photography Committee
2 | November/December 2013 | RVW
Donna Arnink – Dee Evans
Debbie Head – Kathy Isenhour
Karrie Lillicotch – Pam Mayne
Kathe McCleave – Jan Miller
Elaine Ploegstra – Pat Reader
Rita Rose – Keith Shomaker
Cindy Simmers – Rayleen Stubbs
Dorene Thomas – Sandy Thuet
Judy Villano – June Willoughby
Send membership requests to:
RVing Women
P.O. Box 1940
Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940
Toll Free: 888-557-8464
Local: 480-671-6226
Fax: 480-671-6230
Website: www.rvingwomen.org
RVing Women Office Location:
879 N. Plaza Drive, Suite 103B
Apache Junction, Arizona 85120
(across from the post office)
RVing Women is published six times a year
for members and friends of RVing Women.
All rights reserved. Permission to quote or
reprint with credit is available on request.
RVing Women is not responsible for the
products, advice or services offered in
ads published in this magazine or on the
rvingwomen.org website or for products or
services offered or sold at RVW events and
does not endorse, warrant or guarantee
the products, advice or services offered.
We reserve the right to refuse at our sole
discretion any classified or display ad
submitted for print or online publication
and to refuse at our sole discretion vendor
opportunities offered at RVW events.
www.rvingwomen.org
| STEERING COLUMN
Rollin' On
If success is measured
in happy memories, meeting really nice people, great
entertainment, good food
and a positive cash flow, then
Convention 2013 held at Cal
Expo in Sacramento, CaliDorene Thomas, President
fornia was a success. Many,
RVW Board of Directors
many thanks to Convention
Coordinator Dee Evans and Board Liaison to Convention
Flo Hurlburt for all their hard work and energy to make
this convention successful in many ways.
The host chapter, the FreeWheelers, did an amazing
job volunteering for all of the necessary committees—
entertainment, convention logo, tours and seminar
scheduling to list only a few—and of course hosting a
much appreciated root beer floats social.
The Registration Committee, chaired by Jan Miller
and staffed by Arizona Chapter members, and the Parking Committee, chaired by Barb Pace and staffed by
Oregon Chapter members, did a marshall of a job getting
us to our respective places.
The Transportation Committee, chaired by
SoCALjourners Chapter member Linda Geist, steered
attendees over the grounds to the seminars, meetings
and banquet.
The Cascadia Chapter sponsored the First Timers
and NEW2RVW gals, introducing them in style to their
first convention with food, teddy bears and a sense of
camaraderie.
Adding to the wonderful decorations provided by the
co-chairs of the FreeWheelers Chapter Entertainment
Committee, the Mid-America Chapter donated a large
banner to the national convention reminding us that
RVing Women Rule!
The Cal Expo park hosts complimented our group on
keeping the place “dog–gone” clean and would welcome
us back anytime!
Members came from east to west and north to south.
For those of you who couldn’t make it to this year’s
convention, the following is a short synopsis.
So, RVW really did find gold in Sacramento. Three
hundred forty-four (344) registered attendees and many
day pass attendees got to enjoy a sampling of the 49
seminars offered, two maintenance workshops, a karaoke
dance, a root beer floats social, block parties and great
entertainment from the opening ceremony to the closing ceremony.
Fundraising from the auction and raffle tickets totaled
$6,000. Open Road Program donations added to their
funding brought the yearly total to $15,000.
The committee chairs, committee members, and
volunteers all worked hard together and were rewarded
with smiles of happiness and words of gratitude.
Every one attending now knows that those FreeWheelers really know how to bring it on!
The national Board of Directors held an intensive
workshop before and after the dates of this year’s conven amieniecki
tion. We were happily surprised when Lisa K
came forth with a charter application for another new
chapter for avid boondockers aptly named Boonies.
When this chapter completes its chartering process,
there will be 19 chapters, three of them chartering just
this year.
Next October, the annual RVW convention will be
held in York, Pennsylvania, the manufacturing capitol
of the U.S. Hope to see you all on the road to York!
I will complete my three-year term on the Board of
Directors on December 31 and will be rollin’ off and
rollin’ on. My thanks to all the committee members,
chapter leaders and hard working board members that
worked to give RVW the best of their skills, time and
energy, accomplishing a greatly improved use of the
website, multiple handbooks to guide us, and a promising financial picture—and most of all many, many
thanks to all the fervent, loyal members that make RVW
what it is.
Dorene Thomas
The RVW Board of Directors represents you. We are interested in hearing your questions and/or suggestions. You
can either submit them in writing via email/mail to the board president or you can post them on our website forum at
www.rvingwomen.org in the "Ask the RVW Board" area. All messages are reviewed and will receive a written response.
Board meeting minutes and budget and financial reports are posted on the RVW website. A schedule of upcoming
Board of Directors meetings is posted on page 13.
If you have questions regarding member benefits or how to use our rvingwomen.org website, contact the RVW office
at 480-671-6226 or 888-557-8464 or send an email to [email protected]. Fax us at 480-671-6230. The office is
open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arizona time.
www.rvingwomen.org
RVW | November/December 2013 | 3
EDITOR'S PAGE |
Gleaning Mixed-up Wisdom
I must have been looking
for insight, for some signs
of wisdom, when I went on
two RVW tours offered in
October as an introduction to
Sacramento, California. I did
find three signs that spoke
to me, all of them coming
Dee Johnson, Managing Editor from the ancient, mixed-up
RVing Women Magazine
wisdom that children seem to
possess.
The tour of four Amador County wineries took our
group past the kind of scenery that bucolic was invented to
describe—rolling hills furnished with grape vines and olive
trees, all of them standing neatly in line. We also tasted
a selection of excellent wines, some created from grapes
nourished by vines that were 109 years old.
In the gift shop at the second winery, I stopped to read a
series of ceramic tiles imprinted with wisdom gleaned from
very young children. Addison Graves had this frustration
to share: “If you’d just do what I tell you, I wouldn’t have
to be so bossy,” she said.
I could appreciate the humor because Addison was identified as being age 4.Thankfully, most little dictators begin
letting go of their bossy attitudes soon after they learn that
they are not the center of the universe and that other people
also have opinions and ways of moving about in the world
that need to honored.
The children who don’t let go of this attitude stay frustrated for their entire lives. Some of them take on the cloak
of leadership and through sheer will manage to fool us long
enough to get elected to positions of power. We have dispatched a disproportionate number of them to Washington,
D.C. where, like four-year-old Addison, they get too aggravated and unyielding to get anything of importance done.
They wear their class A personalities like a badge hoping
the rest of us will applaud the courage they display in their
willingness to meet challenges.
Unfortunately, meeting a challenge and running over
any obstacles or objections that are presented does not
equate to working through a challenge. That takes less
bluster—and a lot more diligence.
The second sign that captured my attention was in the
basement of the California State Capital. This is a beautiful
building with an imposing dome that shelters a smaller
dome capped by a layer of gold. The building has been
rebuilt to meet the modern safety standards designed to
keep imposing structures like this one standing in place in
the event of an earthquake. The exterior of the building is
original. The interior has been reborn with great care and
craftsmanship. There are million-dollar staircases designed
from the original blueprints, ornate lights replicated in
exacting detail, and an artistically designed mosaic tile
floor discovered beneath layers of linoleum. The tiles took
three years to clean and repair. Another full year was spent
on installation.
Original oil paintings of former California governors line
many of the walls in this building.
The basement lunchroom we visited was more humbly
decorated. Art tiles created by children lined one of the walls,
an apparent assignment examining domestic violence—
what it is, what it does, and why it shouldn’t exist. “Do I
really have to give up me to be loved by you?” the writer of
one of these tiles asks—and then ends by saying, “I don’t
think so!”
That is the right answer, of course. We do not have to
surrender ourselves in order to be loved or to get along in
this world. What we do need to surrender are feelings of
entitlement, our misguided notions that because we know
best, we should take charge and impose our will onto others.
We need to grow beyond the wisdom of a four year old, be
a little less bossy and a little more respectful of others.
The third message that stayed with me was engraved on
a plaque planted next to a rose bush in the International
World Peace Rose Garden. This garden is part of the 40-acre
park complex that surrounds California’s State Capital. Over
140 varieties of roses, all colors and fragrances, flourish in
this garden. Peace messages, most written by grade school
children, also are planted here. None of the messages suggest
that we need to take control of others. Most of the messages very clearly state sentiments diametrically opposed
to that idea.
The message I took back with me as I left this garden is
somewhat open to interpretation. I am not sure what she
meant when Rosa, grade 4, started her message, a poem,
with these two lines: “Peace is to justice / as harmony is to
slow music.”
In the weeks that have passed since then, I have pondered that message—and I am still not sure what Rosa
intended to say. But for me, her poem invokes the sense of
a world where all the players slow down long enough to
hear each other and to work together to create something
beautiful.
In the frenzy of this holiday season, and no matter what
our leaders are doing, I hope you remember to slow down, do
the little nice things that demonstrate your love of yourself
and others, listen to slow music and celebrate the diversity
we are fortunate to share. Enjoy!
Dee Johnson
When you are traveling, you can opt out of receiving a print magazine and read your magazine online. Copies of
RVing Women magazine are available in pdf format on our website at www.rvingwomen.org.
If you have letters or articles for the magazine, please send them to [email protected] or to RVW
Editor, P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940. The editor’s cell phone is 360-510-2557.
www.rvingwomen.org
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We are getting ready to print the 2014 RVW Membership
Directory, so please take time now to update the RVW
database with your correct address, email and phone numbers.
December 10 is the deadline for making changes to the print
directory.
Updating your profile is easy.
Log in to our website at
www.rvingwomen.org, go to
My Profile, select Manage Profile,
select Edit Bio and make your
changes. When done, be sure to
select Save Changes at the
bottom of the page.
Check your listing now!
Go to www.rvingwomen.org
to open your profile and
make any changes necessary.
If you need assistance,
call the RVW office at
480-671-6226 or toll free at
888-557-8464. The office is
open Monday through Friday from
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arizona time.
December 10 is the deadline for making changes
to the new RVW Membership Directory.
Information will be pulled from the website database on Tuesday,
December 10, and that information will be printed in the directory.
www.rvingwomen.org
Gratitudes
"Hey, Old Friend!" FreeWheelers vocalist Arleen Huffman got it all started by
singing this song at the opening ceremonies at what many have said was the
best convention they have attended. It was not easy for Arleen to find the
lyrics for this song. She ended up by locating them through a source in
Great Britain.
The travelin' bears—you may have
seen them on the RVW website or
Facebook page—are going to settle
down and hibernate now after traveling across country to the convention
in Sacramento. They made many new
friends, including more than 100
stuffed bears that were brought to the
convention and then donated to the
Northern California Shriners Hospital
for Children.
The hospital was overwhelmed by
the generosity of RVing Women and
amazed to see so many bears. Thank
you!
An Invitation from
the Boonies Chapter
So, what is boondocking? It is
RVing with no hookups and
using a generator minimally to
recharge your coach batteries.
Many people boondock to be
closer to nature. Perhaps they let
the light of a sunrise wake them,
get up and have coffee by a fire,
and go to sleep by bright starlight
after watching a sunset.
They enjoy quiet—real quiet, no
freeway hum. They like the kind
of quiet that wraps around the
songs of birds and the rhythms
of bees, frogs and other small
creatures.
Boondocking allows the freedom
to camp free or very inexpensively in places that are off the
beaten path.Come join us as
we explore the road of happy
destiny.
Lisa Kamieniecki
This hard work and determination of the FreeWheelers Chapter and the many
other chapters listed below who participated both financially and through
volunteer efforts is what made this convention a success.
Arizona Chapter
Cascadia Chapter
FreeWheelers Chapter
Great Lakers Chapter
Heart of Dixie Chapter
Lyte Hearts Chapter
Mid-America Chapter
MidAtlantic Chapter
Oregon Chapter
Rocky Mountain Chapter
SoCALjourners Chapter
Solo Travelers Chapter
Texas Ramblin' Roses Chapter
We had great entertainment to enjoy and informative seminars to attend,
as well as a golf outing, maintenance workshops and tours that were well
received with many saying they wished they had time to do more and see
more. Our best exhibitors were there to support us and, thanks to your
donations, our auctions were very successful.
To everyone who volunteered, sit back and take a deep breath for a job very
well done! My heartfelt thanks to all of you for attending, participating and
enjoying this convention.
Dee Evans
Convention Coordinator
and Opportunities
RVW Charters New Boonies Chapter
If you like boondocking, living part time off the grid, seeing nature up close
and personal, then boondocking may be the perfect lifestyle for you. Now you
can connect with like-minded RVing Women and help a new RVW chapter
get started.
In October, at Convention 2013 in Sacramento, veteran boondockers Sandy
Thuet and Lisa Kamieniecki submitted a Chapter Charter Request to the
RVW Board of Directors. The request to form a new chapter called the B
oonies
has been reviewed and approved.
The chartering members who signed the request include Sandy Thuet, Lyn
Rogers, Lisa Kamienecki, Kathy Holt, Katie Weingartner, Tani Gibson,
Dorothy Pasch, Rose Marino, Joan Muller, Thursa Stair, Carolyn De Rosa,
Jackie Allard, Nancy Kurtze, Lyn Gradwell, Mary Schoenfeldt, Mary
Hammond, Care De Leouw, Linda James, Mary Nebel, Myra Roselynski,
Winona Abrams, Lee Lovinfosse, Kristie Lyngholm, Pat Henisse, Jini
Squire, Diana Langley, Lucy Larrabee and Judy Leonard.
For more information about this new chapter and boondocking opportunities,
contact Sandy at 707-349-9667or [email protected] or Lisa at 415-8280743 or [email protected].
www.rvingwomen.org
RVW Maintenance Rally Report
Twelve RVers, some new and others with two or three years' experience,
came together in Canyonville, Oregon early in September for an RVW
Maintenance Workshop packed with classes covering all areas of RV engine
and coach care.
Each day started with a home-cooked breakfast prepared by rally leader
Beckey Beckey.
Presenters included Robert Henderson, Henderson's Line-up, Brake & RV;
Brian Bonner and Ed Bonner, Winston Automotive; Bruce and Pauline
Pokallus, SkyMed; Kevin Cooke, Lauren Young Tire Centers/Les Schwab;
and Mary Findley, Mary Moppins. Beckey Beckey presented a program on
campground memberships and led informal review sessions.
Several attendees arrived in new-to-me RVs and took advantage of the
special services offered by these presenters. Attendees who traveled the
short distance to Henderson's Line-Up, Brake & RV the following week
reported that the service lot was filled with RVs wearing RVW decals.
Classes were supplemented with handouts, including copies of the
comprehensive "RVer's Ultimate Survival Guide," by Neil LeKander,
the Mary Moppins "Whistle While You Work" handbook, and detailed
instructions on "How to Read a Tire Sidewall."
Some workshop participants were new RVW members; others joined during
the three-day event, held September 5 to 7. Several also attended this year's
convention in Sacramento, California. A regular round robin of emails is
keeping them in touch with each other. A reunion event may be in their
future.
Twelve RVers came together in Canyonville, Oregon in early September for a three-day
RVW Maintenance Workshop. Pictured in the center (back row) is rally leader Beckey
Beckey.
www.rvingwomen.org
Mile Markers
Cascadia Chapter member Mary
Schoenfeldt was inducted into
the International Women in
Homeland Security and Emergency
Management Hall of Fame at a gala
reception and induction ceremony
held Saturday, October 26, in
Reno, Nevada. Mary was honored
for her pioneer work in school
crisis response, disaster stress
management, public education and
emergency management. She is
the Public Education Coordinator
for the Everett (Washington) Office
of Emergency Management and
has been in the field of emergency
management, education and
motivation for over 25 years.
She has personally responded to
high profile communities such as
Littleton, Colorado; New Orleans,
Louisiana; and Sandy Hook,
Connecticut.
The Hall of Fame, a major initiative for the International Network
of Women in Emergency Management, recognizes women from
around the world who continue to
dedicate their lives in professions
that include education, science,
medicine, engineering and military
service for the protection of life
and property and public health
and safety.
Wendy Lou Laudermilch, of
Traverse City, Michigan, died on
Sunday, September 8, 2013, just
five days after her 68th birthday.
She and her husband Donald
Laudermilch began RVing after
he retired in 1989. Wendy continued to enjoy RVing after his
death in 2009. She learned about
RVing Women and joined last year.
Wendy has traveled to every state
in the U.S. and all the provinces
in Canada and has also traveled in
Europe and Asia. Friends describe
Wendy as being inspirational,
brave, feisty, playful, daring and
fiercely loved. She will be sorely
missed by family and by all her
RVW friends.
E-COMMUNICATIONS REPORT — Options For
Your Chapter Home Page
Here’s an idea for a 2014 New Year’s resolution: Learn more about the RVW website and make it more
useful for your chapter! Recently an important
document, the Chapter
Website Guide, was
posted on the RVW
website in the Document section. While
intended as a resource
for chapter website
administrators, in reality this document can
provide new information for everyone.
SAMPLE CHAPTER HOMEPAGE:
Click here to
access Group
Admin Options
Group Pages (also known as Custom Pages)
You can store documents filed in the Resource Manager for
chapter members and non-members to view
Click here to Change
Homepage Layout
Click here to manage files for
Group Pages
Blogs/Forums
Both Blogs and Forums can
be set up to maintain chapter
information and to allow
posts and comments from
Chapter members. Blogs
allow Chapter non-members
to leave comments on posts.
See page 6 - 8 for discussion
of differences.
Of particular importance is page 5 of
the Chapter Website
Guide. This page
explains how the chapter home page can be
personalized to meet
the communication
needs of your chapter.
There are several group
home page layout
options available. Your
chapter members and
officers can determine
what would best suit
both your communication needs and the
need to market your
chapter to potential
members.
Here is a screen shot
showing the options
that your web administrator has when developing this page. Why
not take some time
at your next chapter
meeting or rally to
study the options and
discuss the communication needs that
your chapter has? Your
chapter web administrator can make the page meaningful for everyone.
Here you create your own
chapter description. You can
include links to documents
filed in the Resource
Manager or to other websites
Group Feed (also known
as “the Wall”)
Allows chapter members to
post comments
Posts
Recent posts on Group Feed
and Photos. Also lists new
members added to Chapter
Photos
Members can post photos
and make comments
Upcoming Events
Chapter rallies and events
will be posted here
Recent Blog Activity
Any recent blog activity will
be displayed here
Recent Forum Activity
Any recent forum posts will
be displayed here
Related Group News
Recent posts from all
chapters or groups the
member belongs to will be
displayed here
Another suggestion for your web administrator is to download the entire Chapter Website Guide and
keep it on her computer so it is a ready reference when working with your chapter web page.
This resource is only one example of the enhancements available on the RVW website. Take some time
during the new year and browse the website. You will find many resources for your travel or chapter
planning for 2014 and, at the same time, you will accomplish a new learning activity for 2014.
Jan Miler is a member of the Electronic Communications Committee. Contact Jan at [email protected] if
you have questions about finding or using these resources.
www.rvingwomen.org
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v0213
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In consideration for being permitted to participate in RVing Women (RVW) events/activities and any of
its chapters’ events/activities:
1.
I hereby release, hold harmless and indemnify RVW and its chapter officers, directors, employees,
representatives, agents and volunteers from any liability and responsibility whatsoever for any claims
or causes of action that I, my estate, heirs, survivors, executors or assigns may have for personal
injury, property damage or wrongful death arising from my participation in RVW activities, whether
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2.
By entering into this liability waiver agreement, I hereby agree and acknowledge that I am not
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forth in this agreement.
3.
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participation in or around RVW and/or its chapters’ activities and hereby grant RVW and/or its
chapters the right to use my audio, video and photographic images in perpetuity (no matter by
whom taken or recorded) in any manner for publicity, promotions, advertising, marketing and/or
commercial purposes and without reimbursement of any kind to me.
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mentally competent to enter into this agreement. I have signed this agreement freely and voluntarily
without any inducement.
Signature of Member
Printed Name of Member
Date
Adopted 10.10.11
Revised 01.14.13
Established in 1991, RVing Women is the oldest continually operating organization dedicated to
supporting women RVers. The only requirement for membership is that you are a woman 18 years of
age or older who is interested in RVing. Owning an RV is not a prerequisite.
RVing Women is a national nonprofit 501(c)(7) corporation organized and operated exclusively for
social, recreational and educational purposes. Our mission is to build a supportive network of women
RVers so that any woman, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or financial status,
has the opportunity to enjoy the RV lifestyle in a safe and knowledgeable manner.
www.rvingwomen.org
Stay Connected with RVW
If you are looking for new
adventures and new experiences, RVing Women can
help you reach your independent RVing goals. RVW
provides access to technical
and general information and
advice related to RVing. The
information members share
with each other—at RVW
events, online at our rvingwomen.org website, and
through our RVing Women
magazine—is one of the primary benefits of belonging to
our organization.
Your membership includes
these member benefits:
Friendships and networking: Wherever you go, RVing
Women connects you to members who can offer information, suggest places to see and things to do, and provide
assistance when needed. Members enjoy the company of
other women with a common interest. National events and
RVW chapter rallies and get-togethers are open to all RVW
members, regardless of legal residence and home chapter
membership. If you are traveling and will be in the area
where a chapter event is being held, please feel free to attend.
Contact information for RVW chapters is included in each
issue of RVing Women magazine and on our website at www.
rvingwomen.org. Space for some events may be limited, so
email or call a chapter contact as soon in advance as possible
to make reservations.
Membership directory: You can use our membership
directory, which is published annually, to arrange gettogethers with new and old friends, find traveling companions to caravan to interesting destinations, and connect with
other women who share similar interests. Some members
offer overnight parking at their homes or tours of area attractions to traveling RVing Women. These hospitality services
are indicated with the member's listing in the directory.
Bi-monthly magazine: Every other month, members
receive RVing Women, a publication filled with information
covering technical subjects, on-the-road problem solving,
stories shared by other members, a calendar of events and
contact information for our chapters. RVing Women magazine is also available online at www.rvingwomen.org.
RVing Women website: Membership news, rally
announcements, a chapter contact directory and information for RVers is published online at www.rvingwomen.org.
The members-only section includes minutes of the Board
of Directors meetings, copies of the organization's policies
and procedures and current and back issues of RVing Women
magazine. Our website also offers a member forum for
sharing information, advice, travel plans and on-the-road
experiences.
Rallies, events, caravans and get-togethers: RVW rallies are held year-round in every region of the U.S. and in
Canada. Most are three-day events held over a weekend.
Members volunteer their expertise and skills so we can
offer a variety of social and educational events at reasonable prices. Chapter activities and get-togethers are local
events organized by volunteers. Special events and caravans
focus on activities and geographic locations that add to our
experiences and knowledge.
Maintenance and driving classes: We sponsor and
teach classes for women on safe driving practices and the
care and maintenance of your RV. Some classes are led by
RVing Women; others are led by experts and technicians
we have contracted. All are presented in a non-patronizing,
helpful manner.
Discounted services: Many campgrounds, RV resorts
and businesses offer discounts to our members. A list of
these businesses is published annually in our membership directory. Updates are regularly published online at
www.rvingwomen.org. When taking advantage of these
discounts, be prepared to show your membership card.
Club decal: A colorful decal placed on your RV, truck or
car identifies you in campgrounds and on the road, making
it easier for RVing Women to connect.
If your mailing address, telephone number or email address changes, please go online to update your contact
information, even if the change is temporary. To update, log in to our website at www.rvingwomen.org, go to Manage
Profile and then to Edit Bio. If we do not have your current address on file, your copy of RVing Women magazine is not
forwarded. Instead, it is destroyed at the post office and the label, along with a service fee, is sent to our office.
RVW Membership Cards are online and available at anytime for you to print. To print your membership card,
sign in to the RVW website at www.rvingwomen.org, go to the left side menu, select Manage Profile, and then
select Membership Card. Your card will be displayed with your membership number and membership
expiration date. If you need help accessing or printing your membership card, call 480-671-6226 or 888-5578464 or send an email to [email protected]. If you are a member that does not go online, we can print
and mail your new membership card when you renew. Just let us know.
If you have questions regarding member benefits or how to use our website, contact the RVW office at 480671-6226 or 888-557-8464 or send an email to [email protected]. Fax us at 480-671-6230. The office is open
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arizona time.
If you have letters or articles for RVing Women magazine, please send them to [email protected] or to
RVW Editor, P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940. The editor’s cell phone is 360-510-2557.
www.rvingwomen.org
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Dorene Thomas, President
Oregon
[email protected]
3-year term: 2011–2013
Liaison to:
Bylaws and IRS
Chapter Advisory Council
Policies and Procedures
RVW Office Oversight
R
V
W
Cathy Atkins, Vice President
Washington
B
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D
O
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D
I
R
E
C
T
O
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S
[email protected]
3-year term: 2011–2013
Liaison to:
Ads and Vendors
Communications
Magazine, Directory
E-newsletter, Website
Convention Booth 2013
National Events
Linda Brown, Dorene Thomas, Meg van Zyl, Flo Hurlburt, Cathy Atkins
Meg van Zyl, Treasurer
Arizona
Linda Brown, Secretary
California
[email protected]
3-year term: 2013–2015
[email protected]
2-year term: 2013–2014
Liaison to:
Contracts
Convention 2014
Development Committee
Finance Committee
Liaison to:
CAC Secretary
Convention Site Selection 2015
Convention Site Research
Committee
Election Committee
Member Services
Flo Hurlburt, Director
South Dakota
[email protected]
2-year term: 2012–2013
Liaison to:
Convention 2013
Facebook
PR and Marketing
RVW History
T
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RVing Women Office
P.O. Box 1940
Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940
Phone:480-671-6226
888-557-8464
Fax: 480-671-6230
[email protected]
Office hours are Monday – Friday
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arizona time
Members of the RVW Board of Directors volunteer long hours and
dedicate their special talents to ensure that RVing Women is here
for all of us now and will also be here for all the RVing Women who
follow. We appreciate their stewardship.
Our special thanks goes to Dorene Thomas and Flo Hurlburt.
Dorene and Flo will be retiring from the Board of Directors at the
end of this year: Dorene has served on the Board since 2011
and is the 2013 RVW Board President. Flo Hurlburt graciously
accepted a position as Director in 2012 to fill a vacancy on the
Board and has served in several liaison positions.
We regret to announce that Jude Robinson had to retire from the
Board in October for personal reasons. Her service to RVW also is
appreciated.
www.rvingwomen.org
RVing Women
Mission Statement
To build a supportive network of women RVers so that any
woman, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation,
disability or financial status, has the opportunity to enjoy the
RV lifestyle in a safe and knowledgeable manner.
Vision:
A large welcoming community of women supporting one
another in the safe enjoyment of the RV lifestyle.
We Value:
The diversity of our members.
Open communication, integrity and respect among our
members.
The resources, skills and abilities of each of our
members, and treasure the time and efforts of the many
who provide leadership and support.
The chapter structure as one of the most important
vehicles to achieve the purpose of RVing Women.
The freedom of play and the power of laughter.
RVing Women (RVW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(7) corporation
organized and operated exclusively for social, recreational
and educational purposes.
The Board of Directors of RVing Women is guided by our
Mission and Vision in defining our goals.
RVing
Women
Board of
Directors
Schedule of
Upcoming
Meetings
December 3, 2013
6 p.m. — Eastern Standard Time
GoToMeeting Online Conference Room
January 10, 2014
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Arizona Time
Apache Junction, Arizona
Board meeting minutes and budget and financial reports are posted in the Members Only section of
the RVW website at www.rvingwomen.org.
www.rvingwomen.org
PAVING THE WAY
TO RVW'S FUTURE
The RVW Open Road Program is a multi-tier giving
program providing opportunities for members
and friends to underwrite special projects that will
contribute to the growth and stability of RVW. Recent
projects include the development and implementation
of a strategic marketing plan and improvements and
upgrades of our technology.
Each member (or household) contributing over $100
may receive a name badge and/or name bar and will
be listed in RVing Women magazine and recognized
at the RVW convention. The first time a contributor
reaches the minimum level in a tier, she will receive
her choice of one of the rewards offered at that tier
level. Contributions will be cumulative year to year so
members may advance from tier to tier.
Contribution levels range from an introductory level
of $100 to over $25,000 (cash and/or stocks) and are
separated into seven tiers. Contributors can opt out of
recognition in the magazine and any other recognition
aspect of the program and/or decline to receive a
premium. A household may participate as one unit but
may include no more than two individuals.
Contributions to the RVW Open Road Program can be
made as a one-time payment or as annual or monthly
credit card payments. All payments automatically
accrue from one level to the next.
Contributions by RVW chapters will be cumulative
from year to year and will be recognized by the Open
Road Program at each convention. This recognition
will be the presentation of a colored streamer for the
chapter flag. For contributions at the:
1. Camper level, a red streamer.
2. Nomad level, a white streamer.
3. Sightseer level, a blue streamer.
4. Adventurer level, a yellow streamer.
5. Traveler level, a green streamer.
6. Explorer level, a silver streamer.
7. Pioneer level, a gold streamer.
photo: Catherine Spangler
RVW Open Road Program Premiums
• RVW reserves the right to change premium items
based on variety or availability.
• Convention premiums are assignable to a member
attending convention if the contributor cannot
attend.
• The RVW Board of Directors may stipulate time
frames for imprinting stationery with a Pioneer
Lifetime Member's name.
www.rvingwomen.org
I AM PLEASED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RVW OPEN ROAD PROGRAM
My contribution will support future growth of RVing Women. I know that my gift is not tax deductible.
q New Donor q Repeat Donor Date_________________________________________
Name______________________________________________________________
Name______________________________________________________________ Chapter _______________________________
Address________________________________________________ City_________________ State______ Zip__________________
Phone______________________________ Email___________________________________________________________________
Contribution amount $_________________
q Charge my q MasterCard q VISA
This amount is to be deducted:
q One Time Only q Monthly q Annually / U.S. funds only
q Check enclosed (#__________________)
Card Number_________________________________________
Expiration Date____________________ V Code*____________
q Cash enclosed
q I want my contribution to support a specific use, which I have written on the line below:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
q I want my contribution to support special projects, to be determined by the RVW Board of Directors.
Tier Award (if ordering a shirt, indicate size)_
taken | to be ordered | sent on
_____________________________________________________________________________ q
q
q
Denim shirt size: _________________________ q
q
q
T-shirt size:______________________________ q
q
q
Tier level badge hanger_______________________
I would like a name badge
q
Yes______ q
No______
If yes, on a separate piece of paper indicate badge style you prefer and type or print the information as you want it to
appear on your name badge.
Style A: Name / City & State
Style B: Name
Style C: Name / Chapter
q Please do not send the RVW Award Certificate. Use my entire donation to help RVW.
Signature_______________________________________________ Date_________________________ Intake Person___________
Camper
$100 to $499 tier
Camper tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
Blue T-shirt with Open Road logo
Nomad
$500 to $999 tier
Blue T-shirt with Open Road logo if first-time donor
Nomad tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
Choice of A or B below:
A.Open Road denim shirt
B. $50 RVW Award Certificate good toward RVW convention
fees, RVW national events or RVW membership renewals
Sightseer
$1,000 to $2,499 tier
Sightseer tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
$100 RVW Award Certificate good toward RVW convention
Traveler
$5,000 to $9,999 tier
Traveler tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
Explorer
$10,000 to $24,999 tier
Explorer tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
$1,000 RVW Award Certificate good toward RVW convention
Pioneer
$25,000+ tier
Pioneer tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
$2,500 RVW Award Certificate good toward RVW convention
Adventurer
$2,500 to $4,999 tier
Adventurer tier badge hanger and name badge if needed
www.rvingwomen.org
To make a contribution, mail this form to
RVW, P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940
or fax to 480-671-6230
v0813
Welcome To These New Members
Arizona
Anne Dalton
Tucson
Arkansas
Teri McCoy
Jacksonville
Illinois
Betty Kossman
Susan Norwood
Belleville
Belleville
Louisiana
Sandra Suire
Sulphur
California
Lucy Larrabee
Audrey Hayward
Gloria Alejandre
Cathy Newton
Catlyn Oproinntighe
Laurie Aggas
Elizabeth Johnson
Patricia Nikula
Carolyn Boomer
Elaine Bashaw
Pam Grassmidt
Rebecca Harrill
Patricia Yaros
Jacqueline Clark
Michaeleen Mason
Angela Wade
Julie Beach
Nicole Anter
Karen Branson
Jennifer Spurlock
Deb Spurlock
Sheila Carroll
Pat Carroll
Cardiff
Carmel
Crockett
Crockett
Elk Grove
Glendora
Lake Arrowhead
Lake Arrowhead
Los Osos
Menifee
Modesto
Modesto
Novato
Redwood City
Roseville
Sacramento
San Rafael
Santa Barbara
Stirling City
Visalia
Visalia
Vista
Vista
Massachusetts
Sharon Shea
Joanne Sacco
Salem
Winthrop
Michigan
Faye Duckworth
Northville
Minnesota
Marsha Spicer
Dilworth
Missouri
Jan Barrier
Sherie Schild
Charlotte Walker
Olivette
Olivette
Steelville
Nebraska
Ann Milton
Lincoln
Nevada
Linda Lange
Las Vegas
New Mexico
Cathy Federico
Sheila Hammack
Albuquerque
Placitas
Colorado
Patricia Murphy
Melinda Eskridge
Colorado Springs
Evergreen
Delaware
Dianne Decoursey
Gwen Johnson
Jane Miller
New York
Retts Scauzillo
Gayle Abramson
Debbie Tompkins
Catskill
Jordanville
Peekskill
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach
Ohio
Tana Casper
Beverly Snyder-Hahn
Cincinnati
Lakeview
Florida
Quincy Rayne
Catherine Clark
Crestview
Osprey
Georgia
Debra King
Decatur
Oregon
Pam Richardson
Judy Miller
Dee Dutra
Janice Railton
Sharon Kelly
Grants Pass
Medford
Myrtle Creek
Terrebonne
Winston
www.rvingwomen.org
South Dakota
Anita Fuoss
Philadelphia
Zionsville
Zionsville
Virginia
Carolyn Deloach
Glade Spring
Washington
Paula Schuler
Nancy Fowler
Langley
Port Townsend
Wisconsin
Susan Cary
Vicki May
Karla Lawatsch
Fitchburg
Fitchburg
Milwaukee
British Columbia, Canada
Colleen Adair
Sechelt
Ontario, Canada
Carol Collier
Sudbury
Murdo
Tennessee
JeanAnn McAfee
Chattanooga
Texas
Nelsie Mullins
Betsy Case
Deborah Nelson
Hurst
San Antonio
Wimberley
When the
new RVW
Membership
Directory
is printed,
will your friends still be unable to find you?
photo: Rosemary Holderman
Pennsylvania
Kirsty Halliday
Janet Corcoran
Peg Harned
One of the great benefits of the RVW website is that you can stay connected to other members
by updating your profile information any time, 24/7. Go to www.rvingwomen.org to log in
to our website, select Manage Profile, select Edit Bio and make your changes. When you are
finished, select Save Changes at the very bottom of the page.
Our new RVW Membership Directory for the 2014 calendar year will be printed in December,
so please take time now to check your profile and make any changes necessary. December 10 is
the deadline for making changes to the new RVW Membership Directory. The information
pulled from the website database on that day will be printed in the directory.
If you need help updating your membership profile, call the RVW office at 480-671-6226 or
888-557-8464 or email [email protected]. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Monday through Friday (Arizona time).
www.rvingwomen.org
PHOTO FEATURE |
Category
RVing
Winner
Di Chawner
Winterized RV
Runner Up
Catherine Spangler
Fire Cloud
Honorable Mention
Catherine Spangler
RVing on Antelope Island
www.rvingwomen.org
RVW 2012 Photo Contest
1st Place Winner
RVing Category
photo: Di Chawner
www.rvingwomen.org
www.rvingwomen.org
RVW Convention Report
Committee Chairs and Chapter Sponsors
RVW gave a big welcome to the more than
Block Parties Arizona Chapter
300 RVers who came to this year's national
Mary Beth Stearns
convention in Sacramento, California hosted by
Devotional Service Rev. Carol Bamesberger
the FreeWheelers Chapter.
Entertainment
Entertainment Committee co-chair Arleen Huffman invited everyone to our opening
ceremonies with a beautiful rendition of "Hey
Old Friend." The program continued with the
New2RVW
honoring of the U.S. and C
anadian flags. Celia
First Timers Buckley led us in singing the national anthems.
An enthusiastic parade of chapter flags followed.
Food / Hospitality
The stage for our opening ceremonies was beautifully decorated by Arleen and Marlene
Fundraising Morrison. Three tables in our meeting hall were
Auctions
soon filled with bears—the stuffed variety. They
arrived in a variety of costumes, shapes and
Golf Outing
colors, adding to the festive atmosphere of the
room. The bears, our RVW 2013 charity project,
were donated to the Northern California Shriners
Help Desk
Hospital for Children. When collected on Thursday for transport to the hospital, they filled
Convention Logo
a dozen large bags.
Pre-convention activities, scheduled Sunday,
Monday and Tuesday, included area tours, maintenance workshops, a ladies' golf alternate
Parking
shot and a meet 'n greet sponsored by the
Cascadia Chapter for First Timers/NEW2RVW
Photography
attendees.
Arleen Huffman
Marlene Morrison
Cascadia Chapter
Linda James
Dee Johnson
Arizona Chapter
Linette Davis
Ann Grimes
Anne Mathisen
Tully Strong
Debbie Hurrle
Texas Ramblin' Roses
Judy Hashem
Beth Gilliam
Susan DuShane
Linda Steinberg
Oregon Chapter
Barb Pace
Linda James
Program Book Dee Johnson
Volunteers from the Arizona and Oregon chapters arrived even earlier than that to get
Public Relations Jonni Pettit
attendees registered, parked and settled in for an
Registration Arizona Chapter
exciting week. Each attendee received a goodie
Jan Miller
bag donated by Wagon Trail RV that included a
Root Beer Floats FreeWheelers Chapter
surprise welcome gift from the Oregon Chapter.
Pat Tinker
Transportation assistance didn't stop once
Sheridan Tinker
attendees registered. Transportation Committee
Seminars FreeWheelers Chapter
chair Linda Geist and her SoCaljourners
Irene Paulin
volunteers kept busy transporting attendees to
Mary Sue Ferrell
seminars and social functions in the Cal Expo
Center. A host of volunteers signed up at the
Staging FreeWheelers Chapter
Help Desk to drive transportation carts. The eight
Arleen Huffman
carts we had available were on the road all the
Marlene Morrison
time. They seemed to be everywhere.
Security Michelle Gardner
The Help Desk, staffed by committee chair Judy
Transportation
Hashem and Texas Ramblin' Roses volunteers,
Linda Geist
kept busy all week long scheduling volunteers.
www.rvingwomen.org
Convention Vendors
Adventure Caravans
Ray Johnson
www.adventurecaravans.com
All Pro Water Flow
Chic Cechini
[email protected]
Badges R Us
Dorothy Loll and Susan Cox
www.badges-r-us.com
Blue Ox
Josh Martinmass
www.blueox.com
D's Auto Glass
Dennis Kalis
[email protected]
Fire and Life Safety
Mac McCoy
[email protected]
Judy's Iron-On Sparkles
Judy Knox
[email protected]
Harp's RV Service
Rachel and Joel Harp
[email protected]
Mary Moppins
Mary Findley
www.goclean.com
Pet Mats & More
Irene Paulin and Mary Sue Ferrell
[email protected]
Redlands Truck and RV Service
Keith Shomaker
www.redlandstruckservice.com
RV Weigh
Doris and Paul Cunningham
[email protected]
Sky Med International
Pauline and Bruce Pokallus
www.skymed.com
Summit to Solar
Tim Mattson
www.summit2solar.com
Forty-nine seminars were presented at this year's
convention. With so many to choose from,
attendees were challenged to fit everything into
their schedules. Co-chairs Irene Paulin and Mary
Sue Ferrell arranged to have several new seminars
offered this year in addition to traditional
maintenance and travel programs.
The vendor hall opened Wednesday morning. We
were pleased to welcome several returning friends
who keep us up to date with the newest and best
products and services for RVers.
An impressive line-up of social activities and
entertainment was offered this year, beginning
with block parties Wednesday afternoon, hosted
by the Arizona Chapter, and an evening concert
presented by the FreeWheelers Chapter All Girl
Band. A guest appearance was made by the
MidAtlantic Chapter Salt and Pepper Band.
Not to be outdone, Anne Mathisen and Tully
Strong, our Thursday evening auctioneers,
kept up an entertaining monologue while
encouraging the rest of us to bid on an
amazing assortment of items ranging from RV
products and gift baskets to a tin man lovingly
handcrafted by Chris Perkins.
A DJ dance with several karaoke performances
thrown in just for fun filled our Friday evening
schedule.This event was sponsored by Redlands
Truck & RV Performance Center.
Our Friday schedule also included a 3 p.m. root
beer floats social. In the space of one hour, eight
hard-working volunteers served root beer floats
to 280 women. Some came back for second
servings. This event, chaired by Sheridan and
Pat Tinker, was sponsored by the FreeWheelers
Chapter as a tribute to Beverly Hiltachk. Beverly
regularly served up root beer floats at 3 p.m. at
FreeWheelers Chapter rallies.
Saturday's entertainment included an excellent
buffet dinner followed by performances by
vocalist Jenna Teyshak and a laugh-out-loud
comedy routine provided by Susan Rice.
Tomboy Tools
Glenda Nabors
[email protected]
As always, volunteers make the success of an
RVW convention. Here we have mentioned just a
few. To all who participated and shared time and
talents at Convention 2013, thank you!
www.rvingwomen.org
www.rvingwomen.org
www.rvingwomen.org
The photos on these pages were taken by our Convention 2013 Photography Committee, which incuded Cascadia and Fulltimers
Chapter member Linda James, Arizona Chapter member Yvonne Johnson, Cascadia Chapter member Kathy Dyer and Oregon Chapter
member Bets Snyder.
www.rvingwomen.org
ARIZONA CHAPTER
FREEWHEELERS CHAPTER
Arizona – Adjacent States – Snowbirds
Northern California – Northern Nevada
www.rvwfreewheelers.org
Mary Beth Stearns [email protected]
928-202-8127
Mary Cordell [email protected]
602-619-9483
Jan Miller [email protected]
702-505-2609
Linette Davis [email protected]
360-510-1472
Jolene Greeley [email protected]
480-332-6724
Sue Copeland [email protected]
916-719-4101
Susan DuShane [email protected]
925-849-5561
Casper Nordahl [email protected]
916-588-7109
Winona Abrams [email protected]
707-778-2179
Hilary Lines [email protected]
707-591-9889
CASCADIA CHAPTER
GREAT LAKERS CHAPTER
Jill Pace [email protected]
253-460-0137
Suzanne Larson [email protected]
206-793-5394
Guyla Vann [email protected]
360-275-5704
Barb Spargo [email protected]
425-577-2419
Jo Schilling [email protected]
206-790-1791
Penny Haas [email protected]
425-673-5095
CENTRAL CAL ROVERS CHAPTER
Central California
Angela Pettit [email protected]
559-240-1301
Jonni Pettit [email protected]
559-970-4641
Sheila Welt [email protected]
925-689-4643
FLORIDA CHAPTER
Florida
Sonia Cook [email protected]
863-557-0623
Louise Urquhar [email protected]
863-398-2577
Sharon King [email protected]
513-290-1233
Joella McGaw [email protected]
941-323-9789
Nancy Carbonari [email protected]
321-480-7467
RVW CHAPTER LEADERS
Washington State – British Columbia
www.cascadiarvw.com
Michigan – Illinois – Indiana – Ohio – Pennsylvania
www.greatlakersrvw.org
glrvw.wordpress.com
Joy Bondy [email protected]
248-787-7133
Rene Gray [email protected]
210-488- 5249
Pat Reader [email protected]
334-538-0571
Karen Lentz [email protected]
616-566-4872
HEART OF DIXIE CHAPTER
Louisiana – Mississippi – Alabama – Georgia
Karen Swanson [email protected]
601-528-5361
Deborah [email protected]
404-643-6252
Sharon Brown [email protected]
LYTE HEARTS CHAPTER
Wisconsin – Minnesota – Illinois
Iowa – Nebraska – Missouri
Bev Mulligan [email protected]
608-556-4516
Sandy Ferris [email protected]
618-498-1721
MID-AMERICA CHAPTER
Kansas – Oklahoma – Missouri – Arkansas – Illinois
website: rvwmidamerica.com
Margaret King [email protected]
405-650-8957
Holly Bridwell [email protected]
405-401-4187
Judith Beyer [email protected]
816-333-1466
When you join RVW, you connect with RVing Women all over the USA and Canada. You are welcome to participate in
chapter events wherever you travel. Contact these chapter leaders to find out about chapter activities and opportunities.
www.rvingwomen.org
MIDATLANTIC CHAPTER
ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHAPTER
District of Columbia – Pennsylvania – New Jersey
Maryland – Delaware – Virginia – West Virginia
Kentucky – Tennessee – Georgia – Alabama
North Carolina – South Carolina
www.midatlanticrvw.com
Wyoming – Colorado – New Mexico
www.rmrvw.org
Brenda Dunn [email protected]
303-589-2980
Bev Luedecke [email protected]
719-591-0142 or 719-963-7185
Donna Arnink [email protected]
719-632-0906
Barbara Allen [email protected]
303-776-1184
Jo Stanbrough [email protected]
719-633-4747
Joyce Cochrane [email protected]
609-658-6893
Pat Traylor [email protected]
410-404-7767
Nancy Davis [email protected]
609-585-6513
Lee Ensor [email protected]
717-891-9644
Stephanie Crowley [email protected]
410-461-8799
SOCALJOURNERS CHAPTER
Southern California
Maine – New Hampshire – Vermont – New York
Massachusetts – Rhode Island – Connecticut
Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia
RVW CHAPTER LEADERS
NORTHEAST NETWORK
Teddie Grayson [email protected]
860-859-2253
Claudia Combies [email protected]
860-774-4215
Sandie Bock [email protected]
781-769-0215
Laura Scott [email protected]
203-980-4168
Ginny Shea [email protected]
207-636-1098
OHIO RIVER VALLEY CHAPTER
Michigan – Illinois – Indiana – Ohio
Pennsylvania – Kentucky – Tennessee
Vicki Eident [email protected]
317-679-5386
Kathy Isenhour [email protected]
317-273-9792
Terry Miller [email protected]
317-690-1392
OREGON CHAPTER
Oregon
www.oregonrvingwomen.org
Pam Mayne [email protected]
801-295-4166
Paulette Beliveau [email protected]
541-459-2102
Sandy Brown [email protected]
503-569-3125
June Willoughby [email protected]
541-888-9634
www.rvingwomen.org
Alice Kuchinskas [email protected]
978-880-2587
Barbara Roeder [email protected]
760-745-9452
Laura Maydahl [email protected]
626-812-9890
Myra Roselinsly [email protected]
562-305-7530
TEXAS RAMBLIN' ROSES CHAPTER
Texas
Pat Bowen [email protected]
830-624-9299
Rusty Cunningham [email protected]
512-630-9614
Julia Osgood [email protected]
512-344-9740
Janice Lee Ives [email protected]
713-775-0698
FULLTIMERS CHAPTER
Bringing full-time RVers together from all areas
of the United States, Canada and Mexico
Nancy Shoop [email protected]
317-289-9940
Debra Redden [email protected]
727-641-8181
SOLO TRAVELERS CHAPTER
Bringing solo travelers together from all areas
of the United States, Canada, and Mexico
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rvsolotravelers
Carol Bamesberger [email protected]
973-886-3390
Liz Kieffer [email protected]
608-695-9856
Roseann Molyneaux
[email protected]
815-931-3574
Judy Nigh [email protected]
301-490-0686
Chapter News
Cascadia Chapter
Burlington, Washington
September 13 to 15: Our September
Cascadia event brought 36 rigs and 58
people to the Burlington KOA. Some
stayed in other locales or came for the
day to enjoy the fun and games—and
games was the theme of the weekend planned by Linda, Lynda, and
Christine.
Friday evening we had a finger-food
potluck, after which we all decided
on which new game we wanted to
learn on Saturday. After dog walking,
dishwashing and other such activities, those who wanted to gathered
back at the clubhouse to play games
that we already knew. The clubhouse
was decorated with game boards that
wouldn’t stay up on the walls no matter
how much tape was applied and centerpieces consisting of bits and pieces
of all sorts of games such as Monopoly,
Trivial Pursuit and dominoes
Saturday morning, those who were
awake enough joined their fellow
Cascadians for breakfast and conversation. Following that was the monthly
meeting of the book group, this time
discussing Gone Girl by Gillian Lynn.
There was much lively debate about
the two main characters and before we
knew it, it was time to end the gathering in order to make way for the next
activity, designing and painting canvas
bags for toting around your collection
of games. This was a very popular
craft and was attended by about forty
women. Shawna furnished the bags
for a nominal fee and Patty, who
planned the activity, brought various
stencils, fabric markers and everything
else needed for producing a fabulous
product.
In the afternoon, people gathered
to learn new games to add to their repertoire. The offerings were Hand and
Foot, Pinochle, 31, Texas Hold’em, and
Carrcassone. Again, there were lots of
enthusiastic participants and everyone
left with a new skill.
Some of that skill was put to good
use in the evening, after the usual
sumptuous potluck, when we had a
Hand and Foot round robin tournament. Nearly everyone in the group
participated in what was both a card28 | November/December 2013 | RVW
playing event and a get-to-know-newpeople opportunity. We played in
groups of four at randomly selected
seats and then every 15 minutes or so
we drew a card with a new seat number
and then we all switched places at the
signal. Each new group picked up the
game where it was left by the previous
group. It was all good fun as no scores
were kept and, to add to the fun, prizes
were awarded to whoever happened to
be sitting in the seat number which was
drawn from a bowl. It was so much fun
that some people stayed and played
until the clubhouse closed down. There
were rumors circulating that it even
continued after that!
Sunday morning, folks gathered
for coffee and breakfast and then we
all walked out to the two rigs being
christened, gave them our good wishes
for many safe journeys, sang with
gusto our now traditional rendition
of Going to the Campground and Happy
Trails and then said goodbye (or in this
case, Toutle-oo) to the people who were
leaving for other adventures, or going
home, or traveling to the convention.
Post-weekend notes: A number of
people headed south on I-5 Sunday
morning, only to discover that traffic was backed up forever and they
couldn’t move. Some turned around
and came back to the Burlington KOA
to hang out for a while while the traffic cleared.
That evening, a thunderstorm came
through the area and, apparently, a tree
in the campground was struck by lightning, sending it crashing to the ground
and hitting the slide out on Kathy and
Mari’s rig. Fortunately, they were out
walking the dogs at the time. They were
not hurt even though the tree grazed
Kathy’s leg as she ran to get away from
it—they were that close. Emergency
vehicles came to make sure everyone
was all right and to help clear the tree
from the affected sites and free the man
in the next rig who was trapped in his
RV. The power to several campsites was
knocked out as well.
After all was said and done, there
was only minor damage to Mari and
Kathy’s rig and they were able to drive
it home. The awning on the rig next
to them was damaged and had to be
removed. We are very glad everyone
was safe and the incident wasn’t any
worse.—Elaine Ploegstra
Cedarville, Michigan
July 25 to 28: Loon’s Point RV Park
and Campground was a new location
for us. We couldn’t have found a better RV park. This campground is situated right on Lake Huron with the Les
Cheneaux Islands all around. It features
a pier and beach, kayak rentals and full
and partial hook-ups. And the staff
couldn’t have been more welcoming.
While Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
experienced record heat the previous
week, we found ourselves with unseasonably cool temperatures as the rally
began.
We all gathered together Thursday
evening for a meet and greet and to
discuss the rally activities. We were
joined by quite a few new friends. All
told we had 24 women in 16 rigs (with
the usual mix of cats and dogs as copilots) make the trek north.
Friday morning was the day for our
anchor activity—a boat tour of the Soo
Locks. Despite it being cold and damp
with rain looming, 17 hearty RVWers
boarded the boat and settled in for the
one-and-a-half-hour cruise. Billed as
one of the wonders of the world, the
Soo Locks is still the largest waterway
system in the world. The tour boat
took us into the commercial lock where
ships as long as 1,000 feet transition
the 21 feet between the water level
of Lake Superior and that of Lakes
Michigan and Huron. Unfortunately,
there wasn’t one of the nearly 10,000
other ships/boats that use these locks
annually in there with us, but it was
impressive to rise 21 feet and exit the
other side as we continued our tour
thru the industrial complexes.
Part of this tour took us into
Canadian waters. Our return lock—a
much smaller one used by pleasure
craft —was flanked by both the United
States and Canada.
Thankfully, the rain held off until
the end of the tour. We were a little
wet by the time we got to The Antlers,
our lunch destination. With a menu
continued on page 30
www.rvingwomen.org
Activities at the Great Lakers Chapter
rally in Cedarville, Michigan included a
boat tour of the Soo Locks, a kayaking
trip to Big La Salle Island, and a heavenly
pancake breakfast prepared by Pat Reader
and René Gray with the help of chef Joy
Bondy. / photos: Pat Reader
www.rvingwomen.org
CHAPTER NEWS |
that offered food ranging from local
whitefish to their wild game lasagna,
everyone found something to their
liking.
The weather was clearly taking a
turn for the worse as we made it back
to our rigs where we tucked ourselves
away warm and dry.
Kayaking was planned for Saturday
morning, but the morning was a bit
too cold and wet to entertain anything except a good campfire. Slowly
our women emerged and joined the
circle, most with coffee in hand. As the
morning progressed, things led into a
campfire-cooking exhibit by Joy Bondy
with Becky Wilcox. After all the foil
packets filled with veggies were ready,
everyone had an opportunity to sample
the fare.
Since we were supposed to kayak,
the conversation eventually turned
into impromptu inflatable kayak demonstrations by Cathy Corl with her Sea
Eagle Sport Kayak and Pat Reader with
her Sea Eagle Fasttrack. This lead to
three others pulling their inflatables
out and pumping them up. We literally
looked like a Sea Eagle convention!
Once we had our kayaks inflated, we
decided to give kayaking a shot since it
was warmer, although still a bit windy.
Four inflatables along with two noninflatable kayaks set out for Big La Salle
Island. This is one of the largest of the
Les Cheneaux Islands and is accessible
only by boat.
Our destination was the home of
Jack and Janey Montgomery, friends
of the rally hosts Pat Reader and René
Gray. Jack and Janey greeted us as we
arrived at their dock. We were treated
to a tour of their home and property.
After visiting for a little while, we
headed back across what would normally be a short span of lake. But the
wind didn’t cooperate, so it seemed like
twice as far. It was a nice paddle and
good exercise.
Sunday morning featured a bon
voyage pancake breakfast prepared by
Pat and René with the assistance of chef
Joy. The flapjacks flew off the griddles
and the sausage off the grill. Everyone
gathered around the campfire or the
table and enjoyed their conversations
and extended good-byes. It was a lovely
morning by the lake.—Pat Reader
We were hoping to watch the Pleiades
meteor shower Saturday night, but our
astronomy buff, Chris Perkins, reported
that it was too cloudy to see much. So
sad. During the day, some went to the
balloon festival, while others drove
around exploring the area.
After a delicious hitch-up breakfast
on Sunday morning, we said good-by
and went our separate ways until our
paths cross again.—Kathy Isenhour
The Findlay Balloon Festival provided the
primary entertainment for RVW members
attending an August rally jointly sponsored by the Great Lakers and Ohio River
Valley chapters. / photo: Kathy Isenhour
Ohio River Valley Chapter
Findlay, Ohio
August 8 to 11: The Findlay Balloon Festival provided hours of fun
and excitement for members from the
Great Lakers and Ohio River Valley
chapters at this joint rally hosted by
Cindy Turvy and Naomi Weinert.
Thursday, the first day of the rally,
began with a progressive happy hour as
we went from rig to rig with our beverages, sampling food that each camper
provided and touring RVs. What a
great get-to-know-you activity! Friday
morning began with a communal
breakfast provided by our hosts. Later,
after lunch at The Whistle Stop Café,
we toured the Fostoria Glass Heritage
Gallery. That evening, most of us went
to the balloon festival to watch the 46
balloons unfurling, gliding and glowing into the sky. It was quite a sight!
On Saturday, some of our more
intrepid campers arose at 6 a.m. in
order to see the balloon race at dawn.
Mid-America Chapter
West Memphis, Arkansas
September 27 to 29: This rally was
held at the Tom Sawyer’s RV Resort in
West Memphis, Arkansas, just across
the Mississippi River from Memphis,
Tennessee. We were right on the river
and could watch barges and riverboats
drift by. There were 43 RVW members
who attended plus one visitor who
joined RVW the day after the rally.
Friday night we dined on famous
Memphis barbeque, baked beans, coleslaw and tons of potluck goodies.
We caravanned to Memphis,
Tennessee on Saturday to visit Graceland (former home of Elvis Presley, now
a museum). We toured the mansion as
well as the special museums that display his custom airplanes, automobiles,
costumes, the hundreds of his gold,
platinum and diamond records, and
videos from his TV and movie appearances. Ah, what memories!
Saturday night, we enjoyed an ice
cream social at the campground.
Sunday began with a continental
breakfast and, for some, a ride on
a paddlewheel boat on the Mighty
Mississippi where we were transported
back into Tennessee/Arkansas history
to learn about the illustrious past of
Mississippi River life.
Side trips included a visit to
Memphis to ride the authentic vintage
city trolleys and visit famous sites such
as the National Civil Rights Museum,
the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum,
and the famous Beale Street where rock
and roll (and blues) still lives.
Thanks to Barb Price from the Ohio
River Valley Chapter and Sandy Kurtz
and Margie Propst for getting the rally
started and to Barb Schneider and her
crew of helpful elves for making sure
the rally was a success.—Barb Price
www.rvingwomen.org
| CHAPTER NEWS
Northeast Network
Salem, Connecticut
July 19 to 21: Twenty-two NEN and
RVing Women gathered for this rally
hosted by Rayleen Stubbs and Jane
Loud—a weekend packed with fun,
laughter, great food and lots of heat
and humidity.
Our Friday night Luau dinner
included Hawaiian pig, exotic fruit
salad, Hawaiian macaroni salad, green
salad and pineapple flan. After dinner,
the group enjoyed a bit of comic relief
provided by Leilene (Rayleen) followed
by the Hula-etts (Deb, Linda and Myrna
Jean) performing the hula dance. Afterward, the group joined in song and
dance to Ethel Merman’s recording
of Ukulele Lady by playing maracas,
ukuleles and drums (some imaginary).
Laughter and fun was had by all.
Due to the unbearable heat and
humidity our evening fire was cancelled. Most members sneaked back to
the comfort of their air conditioning.
Saturday brought more very hot,
humid weather (very unlike New England in July). After sharing continental breakfast, RVers went in different
directions to explore. Some found the
Northeast Network members enjoyed everything Hawaiian—food, music and island
fashions—at their July rally held in Salem, Connecticut. / photos: Rayleen Stubbs
www.rvingwomen.org
casinos, some found the local lakes
and parks and some toured the Gillette
Castle nearby.
Late afternoon brought on a thunderstorm, which cleared in time for
our potluck dinner. Lots of great dishes
were offered up. After dinner, we all
participated in a WD40 challenge,
which was won by Deb Porter. T
eddie
Grayson took second place. All the
ladies thought hard to come up with
the most uses for WD40 in their RVs.
Did you know that you can use WD40
to wipe your shower doors to eliminate
soap scum?
The evening ended with a small fire
and chat. The temperature and humidity for the weekend were overwhelming
so very little fire was made!
Sunday morning, rally hosts R
ayleen
and Jane offered up some delicious
omelets to order. We shared stories and
said our farewells. Safe travels. We will
meet again soon!—Rayleen Stubbs
Northeast Network
Saugerties, New York
September 13 to 15: The KOA campground in Saugerties was taken over
on this weekend. There were 40-plus
rigs with 73 RVing Women representing NEN states, Arizona, New Mexico,
Florida, Maryland and Delaware. There
was no lack of fun, friendship, adventure and music.
Campers brought canned goods to
donate to the Saugerties food bank,
which Ginnie Fiero delivered on our
behalf.
Thursday evening, Sherry Allgaier
gave line dancing lessons for early
arrivals.
Friday commenced with registration and a day trip to Bethel Woods
(Museum of the 60’s Woodstock). A
delicious chili supper was provided
that evening. Attendees had a chance
to meet and greet each other and get
caught up on friendships. After dinner,
Sherry Allgaier called card bingo. Prizes
were awarded for the winners. The fun
was in seeing if you could keep the
prize you had won as the next winner
could steal it away, if desired. The evening ended with a campfire, which was
perfectly tended to by Dottie Bemis,
while Linda Joseph led the group in
song.
CHAPTER NEWS |
Saturday morning was a bit nippy,
but the temperature raised a little as
the day went on. We started out with
a New York bagels, fruit and yogurt
breakfast.
Rita Banner led a group of campers
to the walkway over the Hudson while
Pat Sweeting instructed a group in making flower power beaded key chains
and Arlene Berger instructed tie dyeing for those interested in recreating a
Woodstock icon, the tie dyed shirt.
After lunch, Pat led an educational
group for new RVers on "What RV Do
I Buy?". Stephanie Bustos rustled up
campers for some games of ladder ball
and beanbag baseball. Ginnie Gude
instructed a group making survival
bracelets. The campground was busy
all day.
Saturday afternoon, Judy Sweeney
led a drumming circle. Drums, castanets, tambourines and a pot-and-spoon
drum joined the group, producing
interesting sounds. The day ended
with our famous potluck dinner. Lots
of great food provided many different
tastes. As the sun set and the temperature declined, Dottie Bemis prepared
another wonderful campfire for all to
sit around. A pleasant addition to the
campfire was the South Burlington
NEN Choral Group (Ginnie, Barb and
friends) leading us in song and fun
while we sat around the fire. Our sound
was so impressive that non-NEN/RVW
lady campers in the campground wandered over and asked if they could
join in.
After Sunday breakfast, Sherry
Allgaier offered an educational session
regarding the tips and tricks of backing
your rigs into a site and disinfecting
water connections and systems. Others
offered additional information as well.
Peg Harnard led participants in the
techniques of geocaching and a group
ventured off to the town of Woodstock
to stroll around the town and partici illage Green
pate in the Woodstock V
Drumming Circle that was taking
place. Deb Pruitt, Deb Porter and Judy
Sweeney ventured off to go zip lining
in the mountains.
For those staying over Sunday
night, leftovers (were there actually
any?) were consumed and then Sherry
led the group in juggling scarves and
koosh balls.
Thanks to Pat Sweeting and Sherry
Allgaier and their helpers for providing
for a wonderful, relaxing, fun weekend
with NEN/RVW friends old and new.—
Rayleen Stubbs
Cave City, Kentucky
May 17 to 19: The Ohio River Valley
chapter rally at Cave City was a great
success. Rally host Patty Cooper had
events, meals and outings well organized. Cave Country Campground, one
of the best-maintained campgrounds
at which we have rallied, provided a
shelter house and a clubhouse at no
charge.
Trips to Mammoth Cave National
Park were exhausting and interesting.
The variety of available tours allowed
each person to choose the one best for
her. Drives around the Cave City area
led us to several interesting places. Big
Mike’s Rock Shop and Leo’s Craft Store
were two favorites.
Dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, a barbeque potluck and a great
hitch-up breakfast put the perfect end
to each day.
We christened seven rigs at this
rally.—Kathy Isenhour
Northeast Network members attending the chapter's rally in Saugerties, New York
participated in a drumming circle, attended seminars, visited Woodstock Village Green
and made flower power key chains and tie dyed shirts. Three attendees, Deb Pruitt, Deb
Porter and Judy Sweeney, ventured off to go zip lining. / photos: Rayleen Stubbs
www.rvingwomen.org
Peru, Indiana
July 18 to 21: Lions and tigers and
campers, oh my! What happens when
you take 24 RVing Women in 16 rigs
and descend on Circus Days in Peru,
Indiana? You get a whole lot of clowning around—plus food and fun.
Peru began calling itself the Circus
Capital of the World after it became the
winter home for many of the traveling
circuses in the late 1800s and early
1900s. Each July, there is a weeklong
celebration of all things circus for
children of all ages, which included
our ORV group.
We convened at Honey Bear Hollow
campground, which is run by an engaging couple, Toni and Bob Billetz. The
office is in a campground store filled
with all sorts of goodies, including a
wall full of discs (Frisbees) for disc golf,
which can be played on an adjoining
course. This involves hurling discs into
baskets. It was too hot to play, so none
of us tried it. Many of us took advantage of the nice campground pool.
We started with a meet and greet
social hour on Thursday at the campsite of Vicki Eident and Rita Rose, who
were hostesses for the event, along with
Linda Elliott and Judy Wise. Everyone
received packets of information on
the two circus events offered as well as
information on local attractions in and
around Peru.
There is always good food at a
rally, but the highlight of the social
hour were two boxes of new Twinkies
brought by Susan Cox and Delight
Voignier. Some of us skipped dinner
and indulged in this old favorite.
In keeping with the circus theme,
circus cups filled with in-shell peanuts
and little packages of animal cookies
were available through the weekend.
That night, we had a surprise visitor who was staying in a tent near our
campsites—a real professional circus
performer! Sarah Chapman, a featured
aerialist with the Ringling Brothers and
Barnum and Bailey Circus in the late
’60s and early ’70s, was in Peru giving
a talk. Sarah chatted with us for a while
and asked questions about RVing. She
was a little eccentric and offbeat, but
we enjoyed having a retired circus performer in our midst.
www.rvingwomen.org
Friday morning, coffee and breakfast
snacks were served at Vicki and Rita’s
campsite. The rest of the day was free.
ORV-ers took off on various adventures.
One group took the Miami County
Historic Driving Tour, which included
Osage Indian Village, the original circus
winter quarters; Seven Pillars, a gathering landmark for Miami Indians; and
Westleigh Farm, home of composer
Cole Porter’s mother. Another group
visited the Miami County Museum in
downtown Peru, which houses a lot of
memorabilia on Peru’s most famous
native son, Cole Porter. Included was
Porter’s 1955 Cadillac; a stagecoach
that belonged to Peru native Tom Mix,
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CHAPTER NEWS |
who was a silent film cowboy; circus
wagons; overalls belonging to the
world’s tallest man, Robert Wadlow;
more than 180 vintage guns, swords
and pistols; and re-creations of turn-of
-the century shops. The museum also
houses Miami County archives for
historical research.
We had an early pitch-in dinner
Friday evening so those who had tickets for the amateur circus could leave
on time. Because it was so hot, we
held the meal in a room at the campground building. Pulled pork was the
main dish. There were many delicious
sides.
The Peru Amateur Circus was simply amazing. It featured 250 Miami
County residents ages 7 to 21 who do
some of the same routines as professional circus performers, only with a
net below. It was literally a three-ring
circus with youngsters engaged in all
sorts of derring-do, accompanied by
a live band. It was uplifting to see the
dedication, determination and talent
that these young people give for this
yearly event.
Saturday morning, we all enjoyed
coffee and chat before some of us
headed to downtown Peru for the twohour Circus City Festival Parade. We
saw authentic circus wagons, clowns,
calliopes, wild animals (including a
white tiger), floats, bands and more.
Downtown Peru was turned into an
amusement park with games, rides,
food and entertainment.
In the afternoon, we carpooled to
the Circus Hall of Fame, which is just
outside of town. The hall has huge
displays of circus memorabilia, along
with a gift shop where we met Pat Kelly,
son of famous clown Emmett Kelly. Pat
was all decked out in his clown duds
and spent time chatting with visitors,
posing for pictures and signing autographs. It was hot, hot, hot, but we
trooped into the big outdoor tent for
the Circus Hall of Fame Big Top show,
a professional one-ring circus. The only
animals in this hour-long show were
elephants, which performed balancing
acts and other feats. There were jugglers, aerialists and other acts, including members of the famous high-wire
family, the Wallendas.
Saturday evening, we enjoyed a
buffet dinner at the Dutch Café. We
reserved a room just in case people got
rowdy. We also christened five new rigs,
pouring wine on the tires and doing
our “Who’s your mama? Ohio River
Valley!” chant.
The Sunday morning hitch-up
breakfast, put together by chef Linda
Elliott, was a scrumptious variety
of sausage, eggs, muffins, juice, coffee and more. With full bellies and
goodbye hugs, we all said farewell till
our next adventure, which probably
won’t involve elephants. But you never
know.—Rita Rose
Oregon Chapter
Lincoln City, Oregon
August 23 to 25: Twenty-five rigs
and thirty-six women met at Devil’s
Lake RV Park for our August rally. Friday
night, we had a meet and greet in the
spacious clubhouse. We had delicious
finger food, and everyone tried to catch
up with everything that had gone on
since our last rally. We had several
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visitors and some new chapter members to get to know, including Marilyn
Nichols’ new rescue King Cavalier
Spaniels, Jack and Jill. Jack already sits
at her feet and Jill on her lap. Who is
rescuing whom!
A weekend long fundraiser was
started Friday night. With a $5 buy-in,
a player received 10 poker chips. Players were divided into 5 teams and each
team had a different color poker chip.
The idea was to challenge someone
from another team to games such as
ladder golf, bean bag toss, poker, square
nine, puzzles or any game or challenge
that you could come up with, like taking a walk on the beach and betting
on who would find the first unbroken
seashell. People came up with some
very imaginative games. The winning
team members each received a box of
homemade fudge from the hosts.
Throughout the weekend, several
trips were made to the local casino,
shopping centers and downtown.
RVW editor Dee Johnson joined
us Saturday afternoon and stayed for
dinner. Our rally hosts, Pam Mayne,
Ann Pearson and Barb Pace, furnished
Dutch oven enchilada pie (and a vegetarian version) for Saturday’s dinner,
and members brought side dishes and
desserts galore. Who could resist!
After dinner, one of our visitors
called some square dances. It is amazing how easy it is for some of us to
forget what is the right and what is
the left! The dancing was lots of fun.
Sit down games followed the dancing
in the clubhouse. A volunteer maintenance crew,
with audience, began to form shortly
after one of our members showed up
in the clubhouse with her oven door
in her hands. After we managed to get
the door back on, other problems in
other rigs began to surface. We fixed
taillights, unplugged a sink, checked
tire pressures, stopped and closed off
a propane leak and pressured up some
air brakes. Mary Brumfield was seen
on the roof of her RV replacing the
vent cover with assistance from her
daughter below. RVing Women will
find a way to fix most things most of
the time! With everything else that was
going on, we forgot to christen some
new rigs. We will get them christened
down the road.
www.rvingwomen.org
| CHAPTER NEWS
At times during the weekend we
discussed convention and other matters concerning the chapter. Next
month is the annual chapter meeting,
so having feedback early will help with
decisions.
We ate Sunday night dinner at a restaurant as a group and returned to the
clubhouse for games.—Pam Mayne
Oregon Chapter
Lakeside, Oregon
September 13 to 15: Twenty-six
members and eight guests gathered
at one of our favorite spots, North
Lake RV Resort. Unfortunately, the
weather was a bit overcast and a little
rain fell on Saturday night, but that
didn’t dampen the spirits of the rally
participants.
Friday night began with our usual
finger-food potluck. Last month, fruit
was the featured food. This month we
went for carbs.
Several of our visiting guests contributed fresh, barbecued salmon. Sign
them up!
After our usual introductions, we
announced the game competition for
the weekend and encouraged everyone
to participate. The evening was capped
off with several tables of square nine
and one of dominoes.
Saturday morning, we had monkey
bread and fresh fruit for breakfast.
The chapter annual meeting followed
breakfast. The real fun began after
lunch with a ladder golf tournament
and beanbag toss tournament. Seven
teams competed in each with the
championship round being held on
Sunday morning.
As usual, Saturday night’s potluck
was a feast to behold. Anyone who
leaves hungry has no one but herself
to blame. June, the park manager,
contributed a rack of ribs cooked on
the barbecue. Awesome! Some of our
songsters brought out their ukuleles,
guitars and rhythm instruments and
serenaded the group that was engrossed
in a Texas Hold’em Tournament. Thousands of dollars worth of chips moved
back and forth across the table during
the multiple hand game, though the
actual buy in was only $3. The first
three places were all taken by weekend
guests. They received cash awards.
Saturday's enchilada pie dinner at the Oregon Chapter rally in August was followed by
square dancing lessons. Some members had a difficult time remembering what is right
and what is left. / photo: June Willoughby
photo: Kathy Cable
Do You
Have
Photos
to Share?
photo: Cindyh Turvy
Watch the next issue of this
magazine for a listing of
2013 Photo Contest winners
and information about our
new 2014 Photo Contest.
photo: Pat Reader
www.rvingwomen.org
CHAPTER NEWS |
Sunday dawned gray and drippy.
By 10 o’clock, when it was time for the
final round of ladder golf and beanbag
toss, the deck had dried enough for the
competition. The beanbag playoff was
won by Shirley Mahan and Martha
Lindegren. After a close match, the
winners of the ladder golf tournament
were Jeanette Haller and Patti Knight.
The winners were all awarded new card
games of various titles.
Music could be heard coming from
the clubhouse on Sunday as pretty
much the same gals worked their
way through another compilation of
familiar and not so familiar tunes. It
has been a lot of fun to participate in
and listen to the singing, so we hope
it continues at future rallies.
Some folks had to head for home on
Sunday, those who unfortunately still
have to work for a living. The rest of us
went out to dinner at Lakeside Lodge.
The dinners were very good, and the
desserts were to die for. The chocolate
cake was big enough to serve a table
of six or eight. We were very happy to
help the gal who ordered it consume it.
Another round of square nine topped
off the evening and brought to a close
another wonderful weekend.—June
Willoughby
Banning, California
September 12 to 17: What do you
get when you tell RVW members to
bring their own entertainment? You
get the Silent Valley Rally. There was
a joint arrival of rally leaders and the
Silent Valley Club’s notice that water
had to be boiled. Leaders contacted all
attendees to be sure they understood
the situation. Everyone filled their
tanks and came anyway.
Friday afternoon a pickle ball net
appeared using tape for the kitchen
area of the court. Paddles and balls were
brought out. Pat’s Pickleosophy, the
science of pickle ball, was introduced
by Pat Carroll.
Yellow jackets that were just sure we
would share our food came uninvited
to our Friday night finger foods potluck. Each member introduced herself
and provided a story about her RV
experiences, either fun or stress producing. A sample of the stories follows.
Sandy Powe talked about stopping her
32-foot Class A when all power was
lost at 60 MPH. Sue Robinson talked
about surviving a mountain fire, leaving her RV to be evacuated and taking
off in her car on a road that wasn’t a
road. Sheila Carroll described seeing a
woman pull into a campground pulling
a van with a large Class A and expertly
parking without unhooking. Dianne
Saurenman told about a time when her
RV was stuck in sand in the middle of
nowhere and she heard a male voice
say, “Having trouble, little lady?”.
Saturday morning brought the
pickle ball players heading to the
tennis courts. The easy-going group
found shady spots to read or just talk
about books, music and life in general.
It is always amazing the amount of
knowledge and interesting experiences
members have had.
We were visited by two potential
members, Linda and Marilyn. We
must have answered their questions
because Marilyn will be going to the
Lake Skinner rally and Linda will be
getting a day pass for the convention
in Sacramento.
To limit our uninvited guests’
access to Saturday night’s potluck
dinner, Sandy McKelvey put up her
popup screen room. We placed the
food inside. Members were zipped in
and out. Each member sat down to
start eating and defending her food.
The uninvited guests were considerate
enough not to bite anyone. The stories
continued after dinner.
Pickle ball players were up early
on Sunday morning to beat the heat.
The lower activity group found shady
areas and began solving the world’s
problems—plus their RV’s problems.
The summary of the rally was
that 14 members in 10 rigs and four
potential new members gathered to
meet new friends and remember how
great it is to see old friends. As we left,
arrangements for getting to the next
event had been made and everyone was
looking forward to it.—Karrie Lillicotch,
Judy Villano and Debbie Head
Dedicated pickle ball players beat the heat at the SoCALjourners Silent Valley rally by
starting their games early in the morning. Shown above are Pat Carroll, Karrie Lillicotch,
Judy Villano, Sandy Powe and Sandy McKelvey. In the photo at the left, Sandy Powe
demonstrates a
defensive move.
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Oregon Chapter / photo: June Willoughby
Mid-America Chapter / photo: Diana Sievers
Of course you are having fun!
SoCALjourners Chapter / photo: Marilyn Ushman
So, are you telling
all the women you meet?
Florida Chapter / photo: Mary Bowman
Cascadia Chapter / photo: Nola Leyde
Arizona Chapter / photo: Terri Murray
Ohio River Valley Chapter / photo: Tammy Haley
www.rvingwomen.org
Introduce someone new to RVW.
They will thank you and you will save money.
Did you know that for every member you refer to RVW, you will receive a $5 gift certificate to be applied to
your next membership renewal? If you recruit 10 new members, you will have paid for your next full-year
renewal! It really is that simple.
You could also win some money. Every time a new member tells us that
you have referred her, your name will be entered in a six-month drawing.
You could win $50. And if you recruit the most members this year, you are
guaranteed to win $100.
You help yourself at the same time you help someone else find out about
this great organization operated exclusively for women who enjoy the
RVing lifestyle. So go ahead, tell your friends—and those women you meet
on the road—all about RVW. Invite them to go with you to a rally.
Ask the RVW office to send you some RVW brochures and new member
application forms. Put your name on these materials and give them away to
the women you meet.
Here's how the RVW recruitment program works. The annual term of the
current campaign is July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.
Individual Member Rewards
• Membership Credit: For each new member recruited, the recruiting
member receives $5 (five dollars) credit toward the following year’s dues.
Recruit 10 members in a calendar year and receive one year fully paid
membership. Recruit more than 10 members in a calendar year and
receive credit toward the next year and following year's dues.
• Annual Reward: Annually the top two members recruiting the greatest
number of new members will receive gift certificates: $100 for the top
recruiter and $75 for the runner-up.
To participate in the
RVW membership
recruitment rewards
campaign, be sure to
let your friends know
they should mention
your full name when
they submit their
applications for
membership in RVing
Women. Credit is
only recorded when
a recruiting member
is actually named on
the new member's
application.
• Six-month Drawing: A recruiting member will be entered into a six-month drawing for a $50 gift
certificate each time a member she has recruited joins RVW.
Successful recruiters and prize winners will be identified in RVing Women magazine and on the RVW
website. Chapters will be recognized in RVing Women magazine and on the RVW website for their members’
success in member recruitment.
Annually, at the RVW convention, the chapter that was most successful in recruiting members to RVW
during the prior recruitment year (July through June) will be recognized at an appropriate gathering of the
membership. A banner identifying the chapter and the year will be displayed. The chapter will receive the
banner for use at rallies or other events.
For more information, contact the RVW office at 480-671-6226 or 888-557-8464, email rvwoffice@
rvingwomen.org or write to RVing Women, P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction AZ 85117. Office hours are
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arizona time.
We are pleased also to recognize Sherry Allgaier, Hope Hunt, Diane Langley, Joyce Rodgers, Judy Villano,
Linda Woodbury and Kathy Zimmerman for their success in recruiting members who joined RVW during the
months of August and September.
www.rvingwomen.org
Geocaching in Central Oregon
Each summer, Groundspeak, the center of the geocaching universe, throws a
fun block party. This year, we decided to attend.
by Cindy Simmers
The itinerary my partner Paula and
I planned included taking a tour of the
Groundspeak geocaching headquarters in the Fremont District of Seattle,
Washington, enjoying the Seattle area
and, of course, doing some goecaching
along the way.
We planned a road trip from our
home in northern Nevada, heading
north on Hwy 395, west on Oregon
Hwy 140, and then north again on
Oregon Hwy 97.
We spent a night at La Pine State Park
and from there visited the N
ewberry
National Volcanic Monument. We
wanted to visit the park because there
were three earthcaches placed there.
As discussed in earlier articles,
searching for earthcaches does not
culminate in the finding of a physical
container. Earthcaches bring you to the
posted coordinates where an interesting geological feature is located. The
cache page description explains what
you will see when you arrive, what
the geological feature is, how it was
formed, and its impact on its surroundings. The cache owner will then ask you
to answer a few questions regarding
your discoveries at the location. To be
able to post a Found It log for the earthcache online, the geocacher must email
the answers to the cache owner.
We arrived at the parking lot at Lava
River Cave, the first earthcache. We
had no problem parking our 24-foot
Class C with tow car in the generous
spaces provided for RVs. Since we have
a senior pass for national parks, we did
not have to pay to visit the park. We
had read the description of the cave on
the cache page before setting out for
the day and knew we needed jackets,
sturdy shoes, and a good flashlight.
The Lava River Cave is a lava tube
and is the longest continuous tube in
Oregon. There are bats that make the
cave their home, but luckily we did
not encounter any. The cache owner
requested information that required
that we enter the cave and walk about
half its length. It was an eerie experience as just beyond the cave entrance,
the cave becomes quite dark and
the temperature drops to a damp 42
degrees Fahrenheit.
As we carefully walked along, we
met other adventurers making their
way out of the cave. Some had rented
propane-powered lanterns, and some
carried flashlights. As you progress into
the cave, it narrows, then widens, and
at times requires you to watch your
head clearance. We walked about halfway into the cave, noted the required
information and exited the cave. What
a difference in temperature upon reaching the entrance to the cave!
We unhooked our tow car and used
it to reach the parking area for Lave
Butte Breach, the next earthcache. The
coordinates take you to the Molten
Lands trailhead. The trail is a paved
and easy one-mile hike. As we walked
along the trail, numerous interpretive
signs gave clues to the answers to the
questions posed by the cache owner.
The stark desolation conveyed by this
massive field of lava deposits was quite
different from our experience earlier
in the cave. Minimal vegetation and
trees made for a walk in the warm
sun with no shade in sight. The Lava
Butte stood tall in the distance, a cinder cone reminder of violent volcanic
eruptions over 6,000 years ago. We
noted the information needed for the
cache owner and made our way back
to the car.
The next earthcache, Lava Butte
Summit, requires the visitor to either
hike (quite steep, but paved) or drive
to the summit of the Lava Butte.
Magnificent views are available at the
summit, but parking is rather limited
so visitors are asked to spend no more
than 30 minutes at the summit. We
hiked around the mouth of the butte,
marveling at the color and texture of
the spatter deposits and lava bombs
we were seeing. There is a U.S. Forest
Service lookout tower at the summit.
Visitors, however, are not permitted
in the tower so as not to distract the
firewatcher at work. We did find a
traditional geocache placed along the
trail around the mouth of the butte and
took note of the required information
for the earthcache.
As we drove our tow car back to our
rig, we talked about how glad we were
that we stopped and took in these three
notable sites in this park. If it were not
for geocaching, we might have driven
right by the park.
Further north, on Hwy 97, we
stopped for another earthcache, the
Crooked River Gorge High Bridge.
This cache was located in a large, flat,
family-style park or rest area with
picnic benches and restrooms. After
taking advantage of the generous RV
parking, we walked over to the posted
coordinates to view a 300-foot canyon
with the Crooked River running the
length of it. The cache page description
talks about the basalt deposits and the
bridge that spans the canyon gorge.
This was a beautiful and unexpected
sight indeed.
On our way home from the Seattle
area, we traveled the length of Hwy
101 along the Oregon Coast., a favorite
destination of many RVers. We enjoyed
the coast, but we are glad we took some
time to travel through the central
part of Oregon. The temperatures are
warmer, and central Oregon has much
to offer in beautiful scenery and interesting geocaching adventures.
Cindy Simmers and her partner Paula are members of the FreeWheelers Chapter. They
goecache under the nane CharlyBaltimore. / Opposite page: Cindy walks the trail
through Lava Butte Breach. The Lava Butte is in the background.
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Poking Around
the Gulf Coast
Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center
www.rvingwomen.org
windbreak of live oaks
I didn’t go to Texas to become one, but if you follow the Texas Gulf Coast—
which is all I set out to do—it is hard not to become an amateur birder by
accident. Officially, you will be following the Great Texas Coastal Birding
Trail. See a few green jays, or chachalachas, or the great kiskadee in the
wild and I can tell you, you get a whole lot more excited than you do when
you're observing your typical robin or sparrow at the bird feeder.
article and photos by Kathe McCleave
Champion Live Oak
www.rvingwomen.org
The 620-some miles along the
Gulf between the Louisiana border
on the north and the Mexican border
near Brownsville, Texas on the south
host most of the 300-some nature
preserves, parks, wildlife refuges and
other sites that make up the birding
trail. It seemed like no matter where
we stopped, we were at one of the sites,
confronted with birds and enthusiastic
birders wanting to share information
or tips, and with lists, updated usually
to the hour, of which species had been
seen there that day or week. It was more
than a little contagious.
As with most things relating to real
estate, this has to do with location,
location, location. Texas is one of the
great bird intersections in the world.
First, it sits right where both the
Central Flyway and the Mississippi
Flyway meet the Gulf Coast. As a
result, Texas hosts more bird species in
general than any other state. Second,
it is especially noted for hosting tropical species found nowhere else in the
United States. Think of it as being at
the northernmost edge of the range for
many tropical birds and at the southern end for many North American
species. More than 600 species have
been identified along the trail, which
provides some of the best opportunities for bird watching—not just in the
United States but in the world. It wasn’t
too long ago—in the mid-1990s, in
fact—that the state realized it should
be catering to the tourists this attracts,
and this first birding trail in the nation
was created. It is estimated that birders
bring over $100 million annually to the
local economy.
But, believe it or not, I digress. This
article is not intended to be about
birding. As I said, we accidentally fell
into that culture on this trip. Couldn’t
avoid it. No, this is supposed to be more
about how much fun it is to just grab a
We spent more time a little inland exploring the Rockport/Fulton area and found some fine shops, an aquarium and a few seafood restaurants we might have missed otherwise—and most were empty. Continuing on to South Padre Island (Dar Poceta is pictured above),
we found more empty beaches. Red tide again!
www.rvingwomen.org
friend and go poking around the Gulf
Coast for a while. If birds and bird lingo
sneak into play, now you know why.
And there is a lot more to see along
this route than awesome birds. In fact,
sometimes it is nonetheless an adventure when you stop to look and don’t
see awesome birds. Such was the case
the day we visited the Aransas National
Wildlife Refuge near Lamar, Texas in
search of the endangered whooping
cranes. The refuge is home to the largest flock of wintering whooping cranes
in North America. That being the case,
you would think a person ought to be
able to find one. We were there, it was
winter, the naturalists assured us the
birds were there, too. What we found
instead was that the cranes were vastly
outnumbered by what seemed like the
largest clouds of vicious mosquitoes in
North America. In fleeing the latter, we
missed the former altogether. But, we
preserved life.
Having seen as much of the refuge
as we could from the safety of our
vehicles—the Roseate Spoonbills were
colorful—we moseyed on down the
road along the Live Oak Peninsula to
Goose Island State Park in search of the
Champion Live Oak in Texas. While
not the tallest live oak in the state,
measuring about 44 feet high, when
its spread and girth were factored in,
this tree won the champion title and is
now a designated state landmark. The
crown spread is about 90 feet, which is
almost a third of a football field, and
in case you wondered, it took about
1,100 years to grow to this size. This
same area, which is near the towns of
Rockport and Fulton, is also unique for
long, entwined windbreaks of live oaks
along the coast that lean uniformly,
as if manicured, away from the water.
Whether that’s due to the pull of the
tides, somehow, or the force and consistency of winds is uncertain, but this
phenomenon helps explain how the
peninsula got its name.
We already knew we wanted to
spend a couple of nights in this area
right on the beach on the Gulf, so we
found a fine little county park sharing
Mustang Island with the city of Port
Aransas. It is here that we first learned
that sometimes there is more to see
along this route than the awesome
waters of the Gulf Coast. Sometimes,
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there are empty beaches where the
few people around are choking and
weeping and covering their noses with
bandanas because the red tide is present, and they can’t breathe. This refers
to an occasional algae concentration
in the water that affects air quality
and can cause intense eye and respiratory irritation. Too late we learned
that the effects can be so severe that
coastal states like Florida and Texas,
for example, monitor these occurrences
and locations so they can issue status
reports on outbreaks.
So the bad news is that our homes
were parked for two nights (prepaid,
our mistake) right on the gulf beach,
but we couldn’t get outside much to
appreciate it.
The good news is we spent more
time exploring the Rockport/Fulton
area a little inland and found some fine
shops, an aquarium and a few seafood
restaurants we might have missed
otherwise. We also had more time to
explore the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center in Port Aransas, which had
an excellent boardwalk and viewing
towers over a marshland area. In addition to flocks of shore and water birds,
the center also boasts a resident alligator named Boots. Other good news is
that alongside the causeway we took
back and forth to the ferry between
Port Aransas and the mainland, we
spotted excellent boondocking sites,
out of range of the red tide fumes,
that we took advantage of for several
more nights. Parking alongside inlets
and channels, we had excellent views
of water birds and both moonrise and
sunsets over water, so all was not lost.
Continuing south along the Gulf
Coast, we headed for the toe of Texas
where our destination was the Laguna
Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, the
largest protected habitat left in lower
Texas. Among other things, the refuge
is noted for being the home of almost
all ocelots remaining in the U.S. We
didn’t luck into sighting any of them,
but here the big news for the day was
spotting an Altamira Oriole and an
Aplomado Falcon, so we were told, as
we gazed at what I would have called
“just-an-oriole” and “some-kind-ofhawk” before I became an accidental
birder. I still might have said that
except the staff was right there to
identify more precisely what we were
seeing.
Fronting the refuge and separating
it from Padre and South Padre Island
is Laguna Madre, one of only three or
four known hypersaline bays in the
world. Conditions in the bay foster the
growth of vast meadows of seagrass,
the basic nurseries of marine life that
in turn attract the huge numbers of
shorebirds and waterfowl common to
the area.
We had anticipated spending a few
days on and around the fabled South
Padre Island as the grand finale to
our coastal explorations. We weren’t
attracted so much by its reputation as
one of the premier resort destinations
in the country as we were by what a
Texas brochure called the “last 34 miles
of ecologically significant, unspoiled
beaches and sand dunes along the
Gulf of Mexico.” Well, we were there
and, believe me, we saw South Padre
Island as few tourists have ever seen
it—empty. We probably shouldn’t even
brag that we’ve been there. Does about
45 minutes count? When we stopped
at the RV park on the end of the island,
the registration attendant told us he’d
be happy to let us have a site; there
were lots and lots and lots of vacancies
since everyone else was leaving.
This turned out to be the second
place where we saw a lot more than
the awesome waters of the Gulf. We
saw an empty town and more deserted
beaches. We drove up one side of the
Island and down the other and barely
saw a car moving, let alone any people
out and about. Red tide strikes again!
No one could breathe here either. The
contrast between the opulent appearance and the ghost town feel of the
empty streets and beaches was plain
eerie. We stayed long enough to visit
the indoor exhibits at the Island Birding and Nature Center and then, like
hundreds of other tourists before us
on this day, we got out of Dodge. This
was not the big finish we’d planned for
our Texas Gulf Coast trip, but it was
memorable. And, hey, Texas is huge.
It wasn’t like there weren’t lots more
places to go and things to do.
Kathe McCleave is a photo journalist and
long-time contributor to RVing Women
magazine.
Georgia on My Mind . . .
The sun seems to burn with a rage as it roars over the
horizon this morning, pushing intense waves of increasing
heat across the land and searing through a flat cerulean sky.
I leave the campground early, hoping to put some miles
under my belt before the high temperatures catch up with
me. Entertainment is provided by the shadow of my rig
playing hide and seek with the sun, moving beneath the
chassis as it shifts from the right side to the driver’s side
with every turn. Sometimes it stretches into a rectangular
box surfing the berm and beyond, racing through the
weeds and bushes that sprout in profusion near the asphalt,
frenetically dancing through the tangle and cleanly cutting
across the trees that hug the country roads. Another change
of direction and the shadow clings to the rear, where it
seems content to tag along, quiet and complacent. As I
finally turn west, it slides around to the front, racing ahead
of me as if daring me to follow it across the state line from
South Carolina into Georgia.
. . . by Donna Arnink
www.rvingwomen.org
The shadows shorten as the morning progresses, finally disappearing,
moving under the rig where it is cooler.
Simple pleasures!
I have to say that Georgia provides
a proper welcome. I hear lively music
escaping from the open doors of the
welcome center when I pull into the
parking lot. Inside, a circle of seasoned
musicians is being encouraged by a
fair-sized crowd of hand-clapping
tourists and locals. Paper cups of free
cider and plates of cookies dance on a
wooden table vibrating with the vigor
of stomping feet. The eight-member
band is energetically plucking and picking their hearts out. Well, seven are;
the eighth musician looks as if he was
buried last week, or should have been.
Expressionless under a mane of thin
grey hair, wrinkled eyes closed, only
his fingers seemed to be present.
The contagious atmosphere created
by the bluegrass band holds me there
for more than an hour. While humming along, I peruse shelves of colorful brochures filled with a rich history
of this proud state. I am tempted to
head even further south to the famed
O kefenokee Swamp or go north to
some of the beautiful national forests
and higher elevations. Heck, I could
even check out Jimmy Carter’s old peanut farm, but I decide to stay south of
the cosmopolitan Atlanta area, which
I had toured some years before, and
mosey straight across to Alabama.
I share my lunch with three squirrels and then move back onto the highway. Billboards file past by the dozens,
oddly stretching out on platforms high
above the trees. Potholes big enough to
swallow a tire sneak up like land mines
and, again, the Kudzu vine infestation
ravages a pleasant landscape. Trees,
posts, signs, bales of hay and even
small buildings are all tightly enclosed
within green cocoons. In some areas,
one gets the impression of giant green
Smurf families placidly waiting to cross
the road!
I wonder if it is my own imagination or if guerrilla politics are alive and
well here. “Fasten your seat belt” signs
displayed along the expressway are
reminiscent of the confederate flag,
prompting a second take.
I finally turn onto small side roads
of heat-swollen asphalt, and dirt, so as
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to better grasp the subtleties of local
Georgian culture and typography. I
have no timeline or agenda to rush
me.
Neighborhoods of lovely homes
and manicured yards are juxtaposed
with lonely miles of sad houses cowering behind the trees and scrub shrubs.
Their tired porches sag, suffering from
the effects of heat and time. Couches
and broken recliners hunker on the
rotting floorboards, the stuffing trying
to escape through ragged holes. Most
of these houses are missing shingles—
heck, missing whole pieces of roof and
walls that have rotted away in this
humid slurry of air. The remaining lap
siding is so worn by the weather that
the original color of paint is disputable.
Windows droop, no longer square, their
missing panes plugged with material.
The clotheslines stretching between
posts and trees are heavy with sheets
and faded clothes. The yards, mostly
islands of dirt and weeds, are cluttered
with tools, limbs, vehicles, old toys
and, sometimes, small children. Thin
mangy dogs chained to a tree or porch
post stretch out in the dirt, enduring
the temperature. Others, mostly skinny
strays, scavenge the roads, sometimes
in packs.
As evidenced by the unusual number of broken bodies I see, life on the
highway is rough. I pass a thin old
woman patiently pushing a wheelbarrow heavy with a mystery load along
the edge of the road, its warped metal
wheel wobbles in a threat to separate
from the frame. A rag drooping around
her head keeps the salty sweat from
running into her eyes. Her exposed
arms and legs glisten wet and dark in
the sun. I continue watching her trudge
slowly and steadily, until she disappears from my rear view mirror.
I pass acres of cotton in this state
that was the first to outlaw slavery—
before it sanctioned it. I now change
lanes to avoid the huge, slow-moving
machinery that replaced forced labor
and marvel at the sturdy stacks of
car-size bales waiting beside the road
for pick up. Small white clumps that
have escaped the bales skim along the
road, chasing one another in the light
wind.
On these back roads, seemingly
ignored by the state government, I get
the sense that people’s idea of recycling
is to roll down the window and heave
everything out the opening. There is
an assortment of trash accumulated
in ditches and captured by tall weeds.
Poverty is blatantly abundant on these
less traveled roads, and I’m guessing
that daily survival trumps any social
concerns.
I pass through many small towns
that all feel similar: a few stores on a
single street, sometimes a city park,
a railroad track stitching the fields
together, a water tower, a school—and
always, several churches. Only the
vehicles and girls with designer bare
bellies give away the fact that this is
not the fifties or sixties.
Feeling suddenly hungry, I notice
a café announced by a neon sign—the
“A” and “F” dark, the “C” blinking in
distress—and figure I will take in a little
local history and inquire about a place
to spend the night. I find shade to park
in and move along, exchanging nods
and greetings with a typically friendly
community. I maneuver through the
round tables flanked by wooden booths
in the café, each upholstered in a red
vinyl, worn to a gaudy pink or sporting
wounds in places, and settle onto one
of the stools along the dull and chipped
Formica counter. A menu is plunked in
front of me, and soon I strike up conversation with several locals. Growing
up in a town of only 320 has given me
lots of practice in this art.
One of the drawbacks of traveling
solo is that there isn’t always a convenient person to converse with. One of
the great perks of traveling solo is that
there isn’t always a convenient person
to converse with—which prompts one
to turn strangers into friends, something that has always enriched my
traveling experience immensely.
I weather the usual astonishment
directed to an older woman driving an
old RV alone around the country. “Ain’t
you afraid?” I have a mental file full of
situation-appropriate responses.
I soon have a variety of places to
stay, including a rip-off RV park about
30 miles west, a motel in the next village that would allow me to park in the
back for ten dollars, and an intriguing
offer to park in a field at “Essie’s old
plantation for a donation.” I choose the
last and am given directions by Merle
to his sister’s place “just outta town.”
Merle has obviously placed a call,
as Essie is waiting on the porch of
a modestly large, once white home
framed by huge shade trees—the kind
of house you find in photo books of the
old South. Essie, deliciously large with
a synthetic wig a bit askew, greets me
with a generous air of Southern hospitality. Well-muscled arms hang from a
short-sleeved dress trimmed in what
looks like doilies. Sturdy legs grow from
newly polished, worn, white sneakers.
I like her immediately. She apologizes
for a loose step and motions me onto
the porch where I drop between the
broad arms of a rocking chair. A glass
of lemonade has already been set out,
sweating on a worn wicker table leaning beside me.
Essie is eager to share her stories.
She was born and has lived in this
house for 77 years. Her great-grandfather owned slaves
who resided in small shacks on
the two hundred acres. Her father, a
northern sympathizer, tore the structures down, along with the tobacco
barn, and sold the materials the year
she was born. She laments this action,
as she could have undoubtedly “turned
her place into a profitable tourist destination.” Entertaining stories unfurl
vividly from her memory until, rather
abruptly, she takes a deep breath and
announces that it is her bedtime. She
directs me to an adjacent field, where
a stately tree will protect me from the
rain she predicts will come in the night.
The grey sky, streaked with clouds
soaking up the increasing colors of late
evening, holds no promise of moisture
for me, but I do as I am instructed.
I go to sleep after finishing the
final chapters of a biography of Fredric
Douglas, timely considering my set-
ting, and awake in the night to the dull
drip of rain falling through the huge
tree onto my roof.
I rise early to see crimson splitting
the clouds hugging the horizon. Essie
had pointed out a fence post that
would mark the beginning of a path
through the trees down to the river, so
I dress and head across the field. The
sun is already promising another hot
day. It flames its way up into the sky,
torching through the wide feathery
tree that has sheltered me, and ignites
vibrant stripes in the still-wet furrows
of the field I traverse.
The woods are densely deciduous,
allowing stray vignettes of sun to dapple the underbrush, the moist leaves
reflecting a cool glow that increases as
the morning lengthens. Trees struggle
for their space in the earth. Many withered casualties tip at odd angles against
the living in the tangle. The stillness,
save for some bird talk, is serene. I follow a narrow wildlife path perhaps a
half-mile, smelling the water before
the trees part and present it.
Essie had said that they call this
river the French broad. Since it isn’t very
wide, I wonder what those mountain
men were thinking when they named
it!
I soon understand the impetus for
the song, “Old Man River.” The water
is brown, thick and sluggish, like cold
coffee, and is clearly exhausted from
meandering its way along a constantly
twisting route. It crawls, unconcerned
with time or place. Tall stalks sprouting
milkweed and thistle hang their shaggy
heads over the bank and drag limp
arms in the muddy flow. Trees lean on
both banks, embracing over the middle
for support as they doze. Fallen trunks
lounge against the banks, dug in and
quiet, their broken limbs waving slowly
in the water. A large, lazy turtle rests on
one of these limbs, sunning himself—
or herself (who knows with turtles
anyway?). Even the wind is in no hurry
here. I rest on a flat rock, swishing my
feet in the tepid murk before I return
to the rig. Like me, the river just keeps
rollin’ along.
Donna Arnink is a member of the Rocky
Mountain Chapter. She divides her
time, when she is not traveling, between
Colorado and Arizona.
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RVing Women Can Do Anything!
The word recreational vehicle
should mean any vehicle, from a motorhome to a motorbike, as long as you
are having fun and recreating. Bearing
this in mind, for my 70th birthday
I bought myself a Ural motorbike. It
has a sidecar that helps prevent my
falling over at stoplights. I had never
ridden a motorbike before, so I had to
go through a learning curve, which
started out in the Arizona desert at
Quartzsite where I bought the bike
while boondocking there. I drove the
thing round and round in circles out
in the gravel until I was comfortable
enough to go into second gear. Then I
got really brave and started to do figure
eights in third gear.
The problem with a motorbike and
sidecar is that if you go too fast in a
right-hand curve, you tend to lift the
sidecar’s wheel up—and that can be
really frightening. But everyone tells
me it’s okay—you just slow down and
the wheel comes down again. Yeah,
right!
As a Californian, I do not need
a separate license to drive a threewheeled vehicle. That’s a really good
thing for me. My California driving
license works.
My buddy Pat has a Harley trike,
a big honking gorgeous bike. I keep
telling her my Ural sounds just like a
Harley. That’s when she falls on the
floor laughing. What is it with Harley
owners? Anyway, she just turned 70 as
well, so she suggested a camping road
trip on our bikes. Wow! Two 70-yearolds playing at the female version of
Wild Hogs.
We started off in Arizona with my
sidecar full of camping gear. Pat’s bike
had most of our clothes. Everything
fit in quite nicely. Off we went to Lake
Mojave. Remember, I had never ridden a bike on the road before. I white
knuckled it all the way to our first
camp. I even got into fourth gear and
was real excited when I got my speed
up to 60 mph. I was dreading doing the
whole trip in third gear at 35 mph.
We set up our tent with no problems and after dinner snuggled in our
sleeping bags for the night. During the
night, the winds hit—and they blew
all night. We invented a new game
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called wind camping. One minute the
tent was flat against our faces, and the
next we were glad we had not gone on
a diet as that is all that stopped us from
becoming a couple of kites.
After a sleepless night, we started
out the next day on the motorbike ride
from hell. The winds were fierce. We
only made it 32 miles before, by mutual
consent, we stopped at the Railroad
Pass Casino. We were not alone. The
hotel was full of would be road warriors
who had given in to the wind.
Next day and many dollars poorer—
I am a terrible gambler—we headed for
Hurricane, Utah. We took the pretty
route all along Lake Mead and camped
out that night with no problems. I
was surprised that I still had no bottom pain. I remember the pain I used
to have in my rear end when I hadn’t
ridden my horse for a while. But so
far, so good.
When we were in Hurricane, we
took an all-day ATV ride over the top of
Zion National Park. This was a guided
tour, and we rented the ATVs. Pat drove
and I tried to work the camera. Our
guide took us over some very steep and
scary rock climbs. Pat whooped it up. I
screamed like a little girl. The guide fed us a nice lunch, and
we saw some awesome sights. We
survived—dirty, dusty and totally in
awe of the scenery. The next day, we were back on our
bikes, heading to Panaca and Cathedral
Gorge in Nevada. I was starting to feel
like I was getting good at this. I could
go through all the gears without that
horrible grinding sound.
We found a lovely campsite in
Cathedral Gorge State Park, pitched
our tent and settled in. We then toured
the gorge. Pat went crazy with her Go
Pro, a type of movie camera that you
can put on your helmet. She has even
made a short film about Cathedral
Gorge. This is a must visit place for
everyone. It is majestic and inspiring,
a magical place.
Next day, it was time to pack up and
get back on the bikes again. We started
by Sandy Thuet
off on the extra terrestrial highway.
Of course, we had to stop at the Little
Ali-Inn Café for lunch. No little green
men, just a great burger. We camped
for the night at Tonopah, Nevada. Oh
no! Another casino. Our next stop was Mammoth Lakes,
California. Here we ran into snow, so
we treated ourselves to a rustic cabin
for the night—a real bed instead of
an air mattress. The next morning, we
moved on to a beautiful campsite at
Grover Hot Springs State Park. Quick
as bunnies, we were in the hot springs
soaking our weary old bones in warm
mineral water.
We were getting close to home at
Teeny Tiny Trailer Town in Clearlake,
California. We got up on the bikes
again and started out like a horse heading for the barn. But no! Here came
the wind again. We only made it to
Marysville before we had to stop at a
motel. The winds were taking us more
sideways than forward. A night of hot
showers and dinner out followed.
The winds were still bad the next
morning, but we gave it the royal try.
This time we got as far as Colusa, 30
miles, before we had to stop. Guess
where! Another casino. I just know I
will win one day.
We waited out the winds. About
4 p.m., they died down a bit, so we
sprinted for home to Clearlake, about
60 miles away. We made it to Tiny
Town just before dark.
My friends were amazed that someone who had never ridden a motorbike
before would go on a 1,500-mile trip to
learn how. I had to get the bike back
from Arizona, so why not! The worst
thing that could have happened is
I could have died. Well, at 70, guess
what! I intend to live to the max everyday until that happens.
The moral is, from big motorhome
to humble tent, let’s all strive to grab as
much fun from life as we can. It’s not
what or how you travel on your journey, it’s about how much fun you get
out of your journey. Life itself should
be the adventure.
When not camping out and running around the country, Sandy Thuet resides in a
refurbished and lovingly decorated trailer at Teeny Tiny Trailer Town near Clearlake,
California. She is a signer on the application to form a new RVW boondocking chapter.
Automatic Get Up and Go
Transmission fluid is a slippery liquid that acts as a lubricant for all the moving
parts inside your transmission. In an automatic transmission, this fluid also
serves as a coolant and a viscous fluid that transmits power from the engine to the
transmission.
A variety of fluids are used for different transmissions. Your owner's manual will tell you what your transmission
calls for. Automatic transmissions use
something called—shockingly—automatic transmission fluid, or ATF.
All RVs on the road today have
automatic transmissions and therefore
use ATF. Pressure changes within the
fluid cause the transmission to switch
gears. Even on a relatively simple drive,
from your RV storage to the gas station,
for example, the transmission and ATF
do quite a bit of work.
Fluid temperatures soar to 175
degrees Fahrenheit (79 degrees Celsius),
which seems hot to us but is perfectly
normal for ATF. In fact, if fluid temperatures remained at 175 degrees Fahrenheit, ATF would mimic the Energizer
Bunny and keep going and going for
100,000 miles or so.
Unfortunately, fluid temperatures
rarely stay in the optimal range.
Numerous driving conditions—stopand-go driving, hauling a heavy load,
driving long distances, going up and
down mountains—can heat transmission fluid beyond acceptable limits. At
these higher temperatures, ATF begins
to break down, and your transmission begins to shift gears roughly or
slowly—or both.
In addition, ATF becomes contaminated over time with worn bits of the
transmission. This also happens with
manual transmissions.
If you don’t change transmission
fluid on the schedule recommended for
your vehicle, you could be lubricating
your transmission with metal shavings and other contaminants. This will
shorten the transmission’s life, and you
could be facing a hefty repair bill.
Changing your transmission fluid
at the correct interval is a good investment. Check your owner's manual
to see how often your ATF should be
Do It Yourself
On most RVs, you can check your transmission fluid level by pulling out
the transmission dipstick while the engine is warmed and running and
with the transmission in park. Check your owner’s manual first; some
manufacturers may have a different procedure.
When checking fluid levels, make sure you do not confuse the transmission dipstick with the engine oil dipstick. Most RV manufacturers
color code the dipsticks, using red for transmission fluid and yellow for
engine oil.
Take extra care with RV dipsticks. They are generally much longer than
car engine dipsticks but still just as fragile.
Unlike engine oil, transmission oil doesn’t burn up. If you are low on
transmission fluid, you almost certainly have a leak and need to take
the RV to your trusted service center. Fixing a transmission leak is not
a do-it-yourself project.
changed, and put this information in
your maintenance schedule. If you
haven’t already kept a record, not to
worry—you can get started on a schedule now. Changing your ATF and filter
more often than recommended does
no harm.
You should also regularly check the
transmission fluid level between service
intervals. You can have your favorite
RV shop do this—or do it yourself if
you are careful (see the sidebar on
this page). Letting your RV—or any
vehicle—run low on transmission fluid
can cause the transmission to shift
improperly—or not at all. It also can
harm the internal parts of your transmission, which will not be properly
lubricated. Unfortunately, you may not
hear any noises or have other clues that
your transmission is low on fluid, until
it’s too late.
Always check your fluid level if you
notice a leak of any kind. Unlike engine
oil, transmission oil doesn’t burn up.
So, if you’re low on transmission fluid,
you almost certainly have a leak.
If you are like most people, you
worry a lot about your car’s engine
oil. This makes sense, considering oil
bathes and lubricates the power plant
of the vehicle. But it’s the job of the
transmission to parcel out the engine’s
power to the wheels, which means
transmission fluid—the magentacolored lifeblood that coats gears and
torque converters—warrants just as
much attention as engine oil.
How Transmissions Work
Both the automatic transmission
(plus its torque converter) and a manual transmission accomplish exactly
the same thing, but they do it in totally
different ways. It turns out that the way
an automatic transmission does it is
absolutely amazing!
www.rvingwomen.org
by Keith Shomaker
As noted earlier, RVs now come
equipped with automatic transmissions so, in this article, we will work
our way through an automatic transmission. We will start with the key to
the whole system: planetary gearsets.
Then we will look at how the transmission is put together, learn how the
controls work and discuss some of the
intricacies involved in controlling a
transmission.
The transmission’s primary job is to
allow the engine to operate in its narrow range of speeds while providing a
wide range of output speeds.
Without a transmission, engines
would be limited to one gear ratio, and
that ratio would have to be selected to
allow the vehicle to travel at the desired
top speed. If you wanted a top speed
of 80 mph, then the gear ratio would
be similar to third gear in most manual
transmission cars.
You have probably never tried to
drive a manual transmission car using
only third gear. If you did, you would
quickly find out that you had almost
no acceleration when starting out and,
at high speeds, the engine would be
screaming along near the red line. The
driver and vehicle would soon both be
exhausted!
The transmission uses gears to
make more effective use of the engine’s
torque and keep the engine operating
at an appropriate speed.
The key difference between a manual and an automatic transmission is
that the manual transmission locks
and unlocks different sets of gears to
the output shaft to achieve the various
gear ratios;
in an automatic transmission, the
same set of gears produces all the different gear ratios. The planetary gearset
is the device that makes this possible
in an automatic transmission.
When you take an automatic transmission apart and look inside, you find
a huge assortment of parts in a fairly
small space: the planetary gearset, a set
of bands to lock the parts of the gearset, a set of three wet-plate clutches to
lock other parts of the gearset, an odd
www.rvingwomen.org
looking hydraulic system that controls
the clutches and bands, and a large
gear pump to move transmission fluid
around
Planetary Gearsets
The center of attention is the
planetary gearset. About the size of a
cantaloupe, this one part creates all
of the different gear ratios that the
transmission can produce. Everything
else in the transmission is there to help
the planetary gearset do its thing. An
automatic transmission contains two
complete planetary gearsets folded
together into one component.
Clutch Drums and Plates
The clutches in a transmission are
a little more complex. Each clutch is
actuated by pressurized hydraulic fluid
that enters a piston inside the clutch.
Springs make sure the clutch releases
when pressure is reduced. The photo
below shows a piston and clutch drum.
The rubber seal on the piston is one of
the components that is replaced when
a transmission gets rebuilt.
Clutch and piston
Planetary gearset
Each planetary gearset has three
main components: the sun gear, the
planet gears and planet gears’ carrier,
and the ring gear.
Each of these three components
has the ability to be the input or the
output—or they can be held stationary. Choosing which piece plays which
role determines the gear ratio for the
gearset.
Transmission Bands
In a transmission, two steel bands
wrap around sections of the gear train
and connect to the housing. They are
actuated by hydraulic cylinders inside
the case of the transmission. The photo
at the right shows one of the bands in
the housing of the transmission. The
metal rod in the center is connected
to the piston.
Two pistons actuate the bands.
Hydraulic pressure, routed into the
cylinder by a set of valves, causes the
pistons to push on the bands, locking that part of the gear train to the
housing.
A transmission clutch has alternating layers of clutch friction material
and steel plates. The friction material
is splined on the inside, where it locks
to one of the gears. The steel plate is
splined on the outside, where it locks to
the clutch housing. These clutch plates
are also replaced when a transmission
is rebuilt.
The pressure for the clutches is fed
through passageways in the shafts.
The hydraulic system controls which
clutches and bands are energized at
any given moment.
Steel transmission band
ON THE ROAD |
Torque Convertors
In a vehicle with a manual transmission, the engine is connected to
a transmission by way of a clutch.
Without a clutch, the vehicle could
not come to a complete stop without
killing the engine.
Instead of a clutch, vehicles with
an automatic transmission use a
device called a torque converter that
is situated between the engine and the
transmission.
A torque converter is a type of fluid
coupling that allows the engine to
spin somewhat independently of the
Torque convertor turbine, stator and pump
transmission. If the engine is turning
slowly, such as when the car is idling
at a stoplight, the amount of torque
passed through the torque converter
is very small. Keeping the car still
requires only a light pressure on the
brake pedal.
To get going again, you release the
brake and step on the gas pedal. Gently
please! When you step on the gas, the
engine speeds up and pumps more fluid
into the torque converter, causing more
torque to be transmitted to the wheels.
The housing of the torque converter is
bolted to the flywheel of the engine, so
it turns at whatever speed the engine
is running at.
There are three parts inside the
housing of the torque converter: the
pump, turbine, and stator.
The fins that make up the pump are
attached to the housing, so they also
turn at the same speed as the engine.
When the pump spins, it flings transmission fluid to the outside, much as
the spin cycle of a washing machine
Keith Shomaker is co-owner of Redlands Truck & RV Performance Center located in
Redlands, California. He has presented seminars at several RVW conventions and rallies.
You may contact Keith at [email protected].
flings water and clothes to the outside
of a wash tub. As this fluid is flung to
the outside, a vacuum is created that
draws more fluid in at the center.
The fluid then enters the blades of
the turbine, which is connected to the
transmission. Because the blades of the
turbine are curved, the fluid that enters
the turbine from the outside has to
change direction before it exits the center of the turbine. It is this directional
change that causes the turbine to spin,
which causes the transmission to spin,
which basically moves the vehicle.
This directional change, however, is
contradictory. The fluid exits the turbine moving in the opposite direction
that the pump and engine are turning.
If the fluid were allowed to hit the
pump, it would slow the engine down,
wasting power. The torque convertor’s
stator prevents that from happening.
About that Tow Package
When towing or hauling heavy
objects, a vehicle’s transmission
can get hot enough to burn up the
transmission fluid. In order to protect the transmission from serious
damage, drivers who tow should
have their vehicles equipped
with a tow package transmission
cooler.
Give Your Brakes a Break
There are times, even in a vehicle with an automatic transmission, when you should manually downshift. You
will save your brakes a lot of wear and tear if you let your engine help you do the stopping, and you may prevent
a life-threatening situation, the kind of accident waiting to happen if your brakes burn out.
On a downgrade, you can downshift into second gear at any point while you are driving, so long as you are
traveling under 50 mph or so. You will hear the engine downshift and feel the vehicle begin to slow, naturally
and safely, all while you are continuing to drive and maintain your place in traffic.
This works beautifully on a 6 to 8 percent downhill grade. You and your brakes will stay cooler—you will be using
your brakes less and you will not experience the constant jerking that accompanies repeated on/off brake use.
When the road begins to level out, you can shift back into drive seamlessly. Get comfortable doing this and you
might even begin to enjoy mountain driving!
If you are going down a really steep grade, you can safely go down to first gear—so long as you are traveling
under 30 mph or so.
When you are going downhill, if your brakes begin squealing in protest or if you begin to smell the stench of
brake dust, pull over as soon as you safely can to give your brakes a chance to cool down. Overheated brakes
have a habit of failing with no further warning. RVs, because of the weight we carry, are more susceptible to
overheating than cars and small trucks. Learning to downshift appropriately will not harm your engine or any
of its inner working parts and will keep your brakes working longer.
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RVW1113
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© 2013 National Motor Club -RV, All Rights Reserved
NOVEMBER 2013
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8–10
Carthage, Missouri
Mid-America Chapter
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Lancaster, Pennsylvania
MidAtlantic Chapter
14–17
Bushnell, Florida
Florida Chapter
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Pismo Beach, California
Central CalRoVers Chapter
DECEMBER 2013
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Fort McDowell, Arizona
Arizona Chapter
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Red Bluff, California
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Waco, Texas
12–15
Dunnellon, Florida
Florida Chapter
JANUARY 2014
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Vacaville, California
16–20
Quartzsite, Arizona
Arizona Chapter
17–20
Sebring, Florida
Florida Chapter
FEBRUARY 2014
7–10
Sage, California
14–16
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona Chapter
MARCH 2014
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Arcadia, Florida
Florida Chapterr
6–10
Hemet, California
14–18
Laughlin, Nevada
Arizona Chapter
14–16
Florence, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
APRIL 2014
12–13
Drumright, Oklahoma
RVW National Driving School
17–20
Tonto National Forest
Arizona Chapter
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Sutherlin, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
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Platte City, Missouri
Mid-America Chapter
Geiger Key, Florida
Florida Chapter
26–MAY 4
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MAY 2014
1–4
Ione, California
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Newport, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
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Loveland, Colorado
23–24
Hannibal, Missouri
Mid-America Chapter
30–Jun 1
Niles, Micigan
JUNE 2014
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Bend, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
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Nathrop, Colorado
JULY 2014
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Gaylord, Michigan
18–20
McMinnville, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
25–27
Antonito, Colorado
AUGUST 2014
1–3
22–24
Lincoln City, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
Colorado Springs, Colorado
SEPTEMBER 2014
4–7
19–22
Yellowstone National Park
Coos Bay, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
OCTOBER 2014
7-12
10–12
York, Pennsylvania
RVW National Convention
Albany, Oregon
Oregon Chapter
MARCH 2015
5–8
Hemet, California
SoCALjourners Chaapter
See page 60 for descriptions of these events. Updates are posted online at www.rvingwomen.org.
www.rvingwomen.org
Registration Form for RVW National Events
Use this form or go to www.rvingwomen.org to register online for national
RVW events. Please make a copy for your files.
Fill in the information and mail this form to RVW, P.O. Box 1940, Apache
Junction AZ 85117 or fax to 480-671-6230 with credit card information.
Include all fees that are payable to RVing Women. Please make a separate
copy of this form if you wish to sign up for more than one event.
EVENT NAME: _____________________________________________
Registation Fee
$_______ per person
TOTAL $ ____________
Non-Member Fee $_______ per person
TOTAL $ ____________
Campground Fee
TOTAL $ ____________
$_______ (if applicable)
TOTAL FEES $ ____________
Check the event description to verify amount due for registration fees.
q Check or M/O enclosed (payable to RVW)
q Charge to my credit card (VISA / MasterCard)
Card Number_________________________________________________
Expiraton Date ____________________ V Code*___________________
Signature ____________________________________________________
Waiver and Release: In consideration of the acceptance of my registration request and/or participation in the event noted here (including
optional side trips) operated by or under the control of RVing Women,
and knowing that there are risks in any form of travel, I assume
all risks attendant thereto and hereby waive, release, and forever
discharge RVing Women, and any of its officers, employees, agents,
successors and assigns, from any and all claims or actions of any kind
for personal injuries and/or property damage which I may cause or
sustain during the event or during travel to and from the event. I agree
to pay any and all costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, that
may be incurred by the above entities as a result of any such claim
by me or my agents. I hereby acknowledge that I have sole responsibility for my personal safety, possessions, equipment and vehicles
during this event and its related activities. This waiver and release is
to be controlled by Arizona law. In addition, by attending this event,
I irrevocably and unconditionally consent to being photographed
and recorded, including being videotaped, and to having my voice,
likeness, identification and actions used in any and all media without
restriction. Recording and use will be made in reliance on the consent
evidenced by my attendance at this event. If for any reason I do not
consent as herein provided, I am responsible for notifying the photographers and/or video recorders.
Signature ____________________________ Date ______________
Signature ____________________________ Date ______________
NAME OF ATTENDEE _____________________________________________________ MEMBER NO __________________________________
NAME OF ATTENDEE _____________________________________________________ MEMBER NO __________________________________
RV TYPE:
MH
Bringing a tow car?
TRL
5W
Yes_______
VAN
CPR
No_______
TNT
LENGTH _________ # SLIDES_______ q Check here if you do not need a campsite.
Can it be used to carpool? Yes_______
q ADA accommodations required
COMMENTS: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Name ______________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________
Name ______________________________________________________________ Phone ________________________________________________
CONFIRMATION (Confirmations are emailed unless you request otherwise.)
EMAIL ______________________________________________PHONE _________________________ CELL PHONE _______________________
ADDRESS _________________________________________CITY ____________________________STATE/PROV _______ ZIP ______________
TERMS AND CANCELLATIONS: All fees are payable in U.S. funds. Cancellation requirements are listed with event descriptions.
If you have signed up for an activity and must cancel, please call the event leader as soon as possible so the appropriate parties can be notified, then
follow up with a letter or email message to the RVW office to confirm your cancellation. Tour provider, campground, instructor and caterer/restaurant
refund policies vary. We may not be able to refund these fees. Often, because of minimum guarantees, these providers must be paid regardless of your
participation. No shows always are non-refundable.
Please remember, RVW activities are for adult women only, ages 18 and older.
ver 0412
www.rvingwomen.org
RVW Driving School
DRUMRIGHT, OKLAHOMA
April 12 to 13, 2014
RVW is sponsoring a two-day driving school for new
owners of recreational vehicles and those who wish to renew their driving skills. By popular request, this has become
an annual event.
What you will learn: Working with certified instructors
and using a state-of-the-art three-mile driving range, you
will practice backing and other skills m
aneuvers and learn
how to use your mirrors effectively. Classroom instruction
will augment the hands-on driver training you receive.
Instruction will also include pre-trip vehicle inspection,
space and speed management, map reading, trip planning
and tips to avoid driver fatigue.
Each student must provide her own RV. All types of RVs
are welcome, including travel trailers, fifth wheels, Class A,
B or C motorhomes, conversion vans and truck campers.
Where: Instruction will be provided from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. at the Central Tech Transportation and Safety
Education Division of Central Technology Center, a nationally accredited driving school located 45 miles west of Tulsa
at 3 CT Circle, Drumright OK 74030. The Technology Center
is a multi-campus facility serving over 2,000 adult students
each year. The paved driving range includes traffic signals,
railroad crossings and skill practice areas.
Class size: To keep instruction individualized, enrollment in this two-day class will be limited to a maximum of
14 rigs and drivers. Registration is on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Rally leader: Larry Ann Holley is the RVW host for this
event. Larry Ann formerly served as the assistant superintendent of the Technology Center Vocational School and
supervised the truck driver training program.
Camping: Boondocking on the campus will be available.
Registration fee: The fee for this two-day program is
$260 per student for RVW members signing at least 30
days in advance; for members signing less than 30 days in
advance, the fee is $270. Include your RVW membership
number on your registration form. The fee for non-members
is $285. Please register early as class size is limited.
How to register: Use the registration form on page 58
or go to www.rvingwomen.org to register online. Mail or
fax this form with payment of the registration fee to RVW,
P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction AZ 85117-1940. Fax to (480)
671-6230 with credit card payment.
Terms and cancellations: All fees are payable in U.S.
funds. The registration fee is fully refundable (minus a $25
fee) for cancellations received by the RVW office on or
before March 7, 2014. Cancellations after March 7 but on
or before March 24, 2014 will receive a 50 percent refund
of fees paid. There are no refunds for cancellations after
March 24, 2014.
Registration deadline: March 7 is the deadline for
online registrations for this event. For reservations after this
date, call Monica Lindmark at the RVW office at 480-6716226 or 888-557-8464 regarding space availability. Register
early. Class size is limited to 14 rigs and drivers.
www.rvingwomen.org
If we can’t find you,
we can’t deliver
your magazine.
Please log in
to our website at
www.rvingwomen.org
to update your
membership profile
whenever your mailing
address, telephone
number or email
address changes,
even if the change
is temporary.
RVing Women magazine
is sent via bulk mail.
If we do not have your
current address on file,
your magazine is not
forwarded. Instead,
it is destroyed
at the post office and
the label, along with
a service fee, is sent
to our office.
The RVW office is available to help you with questions
about membership or the website and to assist you in
updating your membership profile. You may contact
the office by email at [email protected] or
by phone at 480-671-6226 or 888-557-8464.
Calendar of Events
As an RVW member, you are welcome to participate in chapter and national events wherever you go. Space may
be limited, so make reservations as far in advance as possible. Please remember that RVW events are exclusively
for women ages 18 and over. Updates to this calendar are published online at www.rvingwomen.org.
NOVEMBER 2013
1–3
FreeWheelers Chapter: Bethel Island, California.
Sugar Barge RV Resort. For rally information and
updates, visit www.rvwfreewheelers.org.
1–3
SoCALjourners Chapter: Temecula, California.
Lake Skinner Campground. We are returning to
this beautiful campground for another great rally.
Marty Martel, Nancy Graham, Sandy Cummings
and Dee Paterson are hosting.
7–10 Texas Ramblin' Roses Chapter: Canton, Texas. Mill
Creek Ranch Resort. Make your plans now to join
us at this rally. We have reserved 20 RV sites at a
special rate of $30/night. We will need to have a
minimum of 10 RVs signed up by October 7 to
get this rate.
Please call the resort at 866-599-7275 or 903567-7275 to make your reservations, and be sure
to mention that you are joining the RVW Texas
Ramblin' Roses.
Mill Creek Ranch Resort also has non-loft
cottages available for rent. The rate for these cottages is $135/night plus tax; make reservations
by calling the resort directly at 866-488-6020 or
903-567-6020. If you are interested in a cottage
and would like to see if there is someone who
would like to share the cottage and save on costs,
call rally leader Linda Krajewski at 214-564-4913.
Leave a detailed message. Linda will put attendees interested in sharing cottages in contact with
each other.
Mill Creek Ranch Resort is located at 2102 N.
Trade Days Blvd. Canton TX 75103.
Informationabout this resort is available at
millcreekranchresort.com. There a $10 fee for
cancellations made more than two weeks in
advance; if you cancel your reservation within
two weeks of the event, there will be a one-night
charge.
Barbara Hibits, Carol Burk and Linda
Krajewski are the hosts for this event. For rally
information, contact Barbara at 409-656-9404,
Carol at 409-656-6201, or Linda at 214-564-4913.
8–10 Mid-America Chapter: Carthage, Missouri.
Coachlight RV Park. Our last rally of the year will
be a time to enjoy friendships, games and puzzles
in the clubhouse, visit area points of interest and,
of course, eat good food. The clubhouse will be
available throughout the rally and has a fully
equipped kitchen. We will have a potluck dinner
Friday. We will also conduct our annual business
meeting and elect officers for 2014 at this rally.
Area attractions include the Precious
Moments Chapel and Gardens (tours are avail60 | November/December 2013 | RVW
able), the Jasper County Courthouse on the
square, the Civil War Museum, the reconstructed
town of Red Oak, and a Victorian home driving
tour. Access the Carthage visitor's guide at www.
carthage-mo.gov for more information.
Campsites are $26/night for RVW members.
Make reservations by calling 417-358-3666 or
online at www.coachlightrv.com/recpark. The
campground is part of Coachlight RV Sales and
Service, which means you can shop for various
RV related items or even shop for a new rig if that
is on your wish list.
Coachlight RV Park is located at 5327
Garrison Ave, Carthage, just off Hwy 71 (now US
49B) north of US 44.
Marsha Thompson will be hosting this rally,
assisted by Barb Schneider. Contact Marsha at
816-522-4393 or [email protected] or
email Barb at [email protected]. To register,
download the registration form at www.rvwmidamerica.com or email [email protected].
8–10 MidAtlantic Chapter: Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Old Mill Stream Campground. Join us for our
annual turkey celebration and our chapter's last
rally of the season.
Reserve your campsite directly by calling Old
Mill Stream Campground at 717-299-2314 or
866-386-2839. Be sure to tell them you are with
the RVW group.
After you have reserved your campsite,
contact rally hosts Lee Ensor and Meg Taylor
for your rally registration. Call 717-891-9644 or
email [email protected].
14–17 Florida Chapter: Bushnell, Florida. Paradise Oaks
Golf and RV Resort. We will hold our annual
chapter meeting at this rally.
Campsites are $25/night. You may reserve
extra days before or after the rally at this rate.
Make reservations by calling the RV resort at 352793-1823, and be sure to mention that you are
joining the RVW Florida Chapter rally.
Paradise Oaks Golf and RV Resort is located
at 4628 County 475, Bushnell, Florida. The reservation deadline for this event is October 31.
14–17 Central CalRoVers Chapter: Pismo Beach,
California. Pismo Coast Village. Help us get
started with this fun rally for a new chapter.
Pismo Coast Village is located at 165 S. Dolliver,
Pismo Beach CA 93449. For more information
about this campground, visit www.pismocoastvillage.com or call 888-782-3224.
For rally information, contact Noni Smyth at
[email protected].
www.rvingwomen.org
| CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DECEMBER 2013
5–9
Arizona Chapter: Fort McDowell, Arizona. Eagle
View RV Resort. Make plans now to join us for
our Christmas rally and annual chapter meeting.
There will be plenty of fun things to do at this
rally. The resort, located just east of Scottsdale
near the Four Peaks Mountains and the Verde
River, has full hookup sites (30/50 amp), a clubhouse with large TV, pool table, computer room,
free internet, heated swimming pool and spa, fitness center and areas for badminton, pickle ball,
bocce ball and basketball. We will receive a free
continental breakfast daily.
If desired, we can try our luck at the nearby
Fort McDowell Casino. There is a shuttle from the
RV park and, as guests of the park, we will receive
crown credits to use at the casino. The casino
offers a prime rib buffet Thursday and all-youcan-eat crab Friday and Saturday.
You might also want to take advantage
of a $5 credit for Friday Night Franks at Fort
McDowell Adventures (find out more at www.
fortmcdowelladventures.com) or treat yourself
to a round of golf at the beautiful WeKoPa Golf
Club (www.wekopa.com).
Our hosts, Marilyn Teresi and Connie
Mantis, have far more planned for us, including
an old-fashioned Christmas dinner at the clubhouse. Bring one of your best Christmas dishes
and enjoy a spectacular time.
Our campsite rate for this rally is $142.07
for four nights, a $25 discount. To reserve your
campsite, call the park at 480-789-5310 (ask for
Sandy) and be sure to mention you are with the
RVing Women group. Reservations were needed
by October 1 to assure this special discount. A
$42 deposit is required. There is a $30 cancellation fee, should you be unable to attend.
Eagle View RV Resort is located at 9605 N.
Fort McDowell Road, Fort McDowell AZ 85264.
Information about this park is available at www.
eagleviewrvresort.com.
For rally information, contact Marilyn or
Connie at [email protected].
6–8 FreeWheelers Chapter: Red Bluff, California.
Durango RV Resort. We are returning to this new
resort situated on the Sacramento River for our
holiday outing. This resort has many amenities,
including concrete pads, a beautiful clubhouse,
Wi-Fi and 39 cable channels. Like the holiday
rallies Beverly Hiltachk has hosted in the past, we
will have our gift exchange (limit $20) and enjoy
a good time. It would be great if some of our
wonderful voices could lead us in holiday songs
on Saturday night after the gift exchange.
Campsites are $38.70/night for two adults
per RV—no increase this year. Additional adults
cost $3/night. No charge for pets. Check in time
is 2 p.m. We have reserved 41 sites. Our registrawww.rvingwomen.org
tion deadline is November 15. If you plan to
attend, complete the standard registration form
available on our website at www.rvwfreewheelers.
org. Make sure you include your RVW membership number. Your space is not reserved until Bev
receives your form and your check. Your check
will not be cashed until December 2. Send the
form and your check (number of nights x $38.70
per night) to: Beverly Smith 10886 Sparrow Lane,
Palo Cedro CA 96073.
Directions: If coming north on I-5, take the
Hwy 36/Antelope Road exit, turn left over the
freeway, then turn right immediately on Belle
Mill Road, and then turn left almost immediately on East Ave. (The sign is hard to see. If you
miss the turn you, will end up in the Belle Mill
Landing Shopping Center.) From East Ave., turn
right on Lake Ave. There is a good map at www.
durangorvresorts.com.
Bev Smith and Faye Mendenhall are the
rally hosts for this event. For information, email
[email protected] or call 530-410-4520.
Texas Ramblin' Roses Chapter: Waco, Texas. I-35
6–8
RV Park and Resort. We will hold our annual
meeting and elect a new president and treasurer
at this rally. It is important that all Roses attend.
Make campsite reservations by sending an
email to Pat Bowen at [email protected]. Be
sure to include your arrival and departure dates
and whether you need 30-amp or 50-amp service.
Find more information about this park online at
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
www.i35rvpark.com. I-35 RV Park and Resort is
an easy on/off from the freeway (on the west side
of the freeway at Exit 346). This resort accepts
cash or checks only (no credit cards).
12–15 Florida Chapter: Dunnellon, Florida. Rainbow
Springs State Park. This will be a weekend full
of fun, camaraderie, kayaking, etc. Your hosts
Robin and Barbara (campsite 7), Sandy and Nina
(campsite 8) and Sally and Freddie (campsite 9)
are looking forward to seeing you.
Reserve your campsite now through www.
reserveamerica.com. State parks fill up quickly,
especially on weekends, so reserve as soon as
possible. After you have made reservations, email
Sally and Freddie at [email protected] to let them
know you will be joining us.
JANUARY 2014
2–6
FreeWheelers Chapter: Vacaville, California.
Vineyard RV Park. Our return visit to this centrally located RV park, which we visited for the
first time last year, will be a very laid back weekend as we all recover from the hectic pace of the
holidays.
We are planning a meet and greet Friday,
a Saturday morning potluck breakfast, and a
Saturday evening potluck dinner. Bring your own
utensils, plates and beverages to these events.
A wide variety of daytime activities are
available nearby including the Jelly Belly Factory
tour, Budweiser Factory tour, Camping World,
Vacaville Outlet Mall and old town Vacaville. If
the weather is nice, we may want drive out to
Lake Berryessa.
The clubhouse will be available to us all day
and evening for socializing and game playing.
The clubhouse has a small kitchen area, jukebox,
TV and fireplace (wood provided by the park),
but space is limited. There is only room for 50
people. Therefore, registration for this rally will
be limited to the first 50 people (not 50 rigs) who
register.
Campsites are $41/night for full hookups
plus cable. There is a $1/night additional charge
for each dog. You can arrive on Thursday and
stay through Sunday at this rate. The registration
deadline is December 5.
There are also a couple rental cabins available. Anyone interested in a cabin should contact
the park directly; tell them you are with FreeWheelers Chapter and also notify us to include
you in the head count.
To register, send your registration form and
check to Connie McKenna, 308 Gladstone Drive,
Brentwood, CA 94513. Include the type and
length of rig you are bringing. You will receive a
telephone call confirming receipt of your check.
Cancellations received less than two weeks prior
to arrival will be charged for one night ($41).
Vineyard RV Park is located at 4985 Midway
Road, Vacaville, California. Information about
this park is available at www.vineyardrvpark.com.
Connie McKenna and Nancy Hoffman are
the rally hosts for this event. For information call
510-301-0509 or email [email protected].
16–20 Arizona Chapter: Quartzsite, Arizona. Like
swallows returning to Capistrano, the Arizona
Chapter invites you to return in January for
RVW's annual migration to Quartzsite for our
desert boondocking rally.
This will be a loosely scheduled event to
allow time for everyone to enjoy the Quartzsite
RV show, billed as the largest RV show in the
world. The big tent provides 69,000 square feet of
RV stuff that you can buy. There are several flea
markets surrounding the tent that also hope to
get your attention.
We will have delicious potluck food and
enjoy the camaraderie of getting together with
friends old and new. We expect again this year to
have chapters from all over the country represented. Activities may include hiking, goecaching, rockhounding and testing the endurance of
ATVs.
This is a boondocking rally on BLM land
with no camping fees. Arrive with full water
tanks, charged batteries and empty holding tanks.
From I-10 take U.S. Hwy 95 south past mile
marker 99. Turn west onto La Paz Road and take
the first dirt road on the right. Follow the signs
for the Beaver rally and/or RVW signs. Go past
the Beaver rally camps to the RVW site.
For rally information and to RSVP, contact
Jan Miller at [email protected] or call 702505-2609.
Please also let Jan know if you can arrive
early to help. Volunteers are needed to arrive
early to secure our RVW spot east of mile marker
99 on Hwy 95.
17–20 Florida Chapter: Sebring, Florida. Highlands
Hammock State Park. Area attractions include
hiking, bicycling, guided tours, a Civilian
Conservation Corps museum, and a nine-hole
golf course. The beach is nearby, about 10 miles.
Campsites are $22/night. Make reservations through www.reserveamerica.com. Try to
reserve in Area 5. Highlands Hammock State Park
is located at 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring FL
33872. The phone number is 863-386-6094.
FEBRUARY 2014
7–10 SoCALjourners Chapter: Sage, California. Sacred
Rocks Reserve. Save these dates for our return to
Sacred Rocks Reserve. We will have the clubhouse
and will be warm and happy. For rally information, email [email protected]. Laura Maydahl
and Alice Kuchinskas are the rally hosts for this
event.
www.rvingwomen.org
14–16 Arizona Chapter: Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument. Twin Peaks Campground. February
is a great time to explore the Sonoran Desert.
Average temperatures range from a minimum
42 degrees Fahrenheit to a maximum 72 degrees
Fahrenheit. This is also the blooming season for
fairy duster, brittlebush, ocotillo, globe mallow,
Mexican gold poppy, lupine and desert marigold.
The night skies here are filled with stars.
The park's visitor center is near our campground and regularly hosts educational programs.
Campsites are $12/night. Holders of the
Senior or Access Pass receive a 50 percent discount. Campsites are assigned a on a first come,
first served basis (no reservations).
This is a boondocking rally (dry camping
with restrooms, water and dump site available).
Generator hours are limited.
In addition to campsite fees, there is a park
entrance fee of $8 per vehicle, valid for seven
consecutive days. Holders of the Senior or Access
Pass receive park entrance at no charge.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
is located in southwestern Arizona, 141 miles
south of Phoenix and 144 miles west of Tucson.
After the rally, some of us may caravan to Puerto
3642-7.25x4.8RVingWomenBW.ai
1
1/30/13
2:15 PM
Peñasco,
Mexico (Rocky Point).
The visitor center is 34 miles south of Ajo.
From Phoenix, take Interstate 10 to Arizona 85
South. From Tucson, take Arizona 86 West (Ajo
Way) and then Arizona 85 South.
Dee Evans and Dianne Walker. are the rally
hosts for this event. For information, contact Dee
at [email protected] or 480-209-4378 or
Dianne at [email protected].
MARCH 2014
6–10 Florida Chapter: Arcadia, Florida. Toby's Encore
RV Resort. Plan to attend the best rodeo in the
state during this rally. We will be camped just
four miles from the fairgrounds. The rodeo opens
Friday and runs through Sunday. There will be
a parade through town on Saturday and special events, vendors and food booths each day.
Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.
arcadiarodeo.com or call 800-749-7633. Prices are
$20 to $30 per day.
You will want to also spend some time sightseeing and checking out the town. Arcadia has a
wonderfully historic main street.
Campsites are $34.20/night. Make reservations by calling 863-494-1744 or 800-307-0768.
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can cancel up to 48 hours before arrival and get a
refund. We have 30 sites reserved together, so call
now and be sure to tell them you are with RVW.
After those sites are gone, we will be scattered
throughout the park. Toby's Encore RV Resort is
located at 3550 NE Hwy 70, Arcadia.
After you have made reservations, please
also send an email to rally host Nancy Carbonari
at mzcee@bellsouth.net to let her know you are
attending.
6–10 SoCALjourners Chapter: Hemet, California.
Tucolata Springs RV Resort and Campground.
This fun-filled weekend will also include our
annual chapter meeting. Save the date. This is
always a great rally.
14–18 Arizona Chapter: Laughlin, Nevada. Riverside RV
Park. Join us for a fun weekend on the Colorado
River celebrating St. Patrick's Day. A change this
year is that we will be on the top level, section 8,
of the RV park with more room between RVs.
Weather permitting, the park will provide a
canopy, tables and chairs.
We will have a loosely scheduled rally to
allow for touring the area and visiting casinos.
Other activities you may wish to explore include
driving over Christmas Tree Pass (gravel road)
with a stop at Grapevine Canyon to see the petroglyphs, walking the boardwalk on the Colorado
River, driving to Oatman to see wild burros,
kayaking Lake Mohave (no rentals available) and
walking the exploration trail at The Riverwalk,
which is close to the RV park. The Colorado Belle
usually has a celebration on St. Patrick’s weekend
with food, music and drinks.
We will have our traditional corned beef Irish
potluck on St. Patrick's Day. Bring a small corned
beef dish that we can sample or something to
complement that main dish. On another night,
will have our Irish potato famine bar where you
provide your baked potato and the club provides
all the fixings. We will also plan on enjoying the
Champagne brunch at the Riverside Casino on
Sunday.
In addition to all these goings on, the golfers
and duffers we will probably have a get together
at the par 3 course across the river in Bullhead
City.
Campsites are $22/night. Make reservations
by calling Riverside RV Park at 800-227-3849
(option 5 on their voicemail) and refer to code
RVWM14. Jan Miller is researching options for
members who might want to stay across the river.
A primary advantage of staying at the Riverside
RV Park is that they have a shuttle to the casino.
You also may be able to dry camp at the Riverside
Casino or one of the other local casinos.
After you have made reservations, please also
confirm your attendance by sending an email to
[email protected] or calling 481-332-6724.
www.rvingwomen.org
Your hosts Maureen Hennessy, Juanita
Howard, Lori Hagge and Jolene Greeley look forward to seeing you.
14–16 Oregon Chapter: Florence, Oregon. Heceta Beach
RV Resort. We have reserved 20 spaces for this
rally. The clubhouse will be available for us.
For information about this park, visit www.
hecetabeachrv.com.
Campsites are $27/night for water and
electric, $32/night for water, electric and cable,
$36/night for water, electric, cable and sewer. A
dumpsite is available in the park. There are no
pet restrictions.
Twenty campsites are being held for us. The
park will begin taking our reservations in January.
To reserve, call 541-997-7664. A credit card will
hold your first night's reservation. There is a $5
charge for cancellations made at least 48 hours
before your stay. There is a one-night charge for
cancellations made 48 hours or less in advance.
No shows are charged the full amount.
When you make your campsite reservations, email chapter secretary Paulette Beliveau at
[email protected] to let her know you are
attending. Email her also if you later cancel.
Marjo, Jeanette, Patti and Deb are hosting
this event.
APRIL 2014
12–13 RVW Driving School: Drumright, Oklahoma.
Central Technology Center. See page 59.
17–20 Arizona Chapter: Tonto National Forest.
Theodore Roosevelt Lake Campground. Join the
ArizonaChapter over Easter Weekend at beautiful
Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The lake is the largest
reservoir in Arizona, popular for kayaking, boating, fishing and camping, and is surrounded by a
mix of rocky peaks and cactus-covered hillsides.
Your hosts Dianne Tricomi and Peg Berger
will be waiting to help you celebrate spring. They
have made plans for a boat ride around this beautiful lake, lake water level permitting. In addition,
our hosts are known for their culinary magic and
will likely put together some special treats!
For those of you who enjoy touring, Tonto
National Monument is nearby, with ruins of cliff
dwellings established by the Salado Indians. The
city of Globe, located along the historic Old West
Highway, is a short drive away. You may choose
to walk the historic downtown, visit antique
shops or visit the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts
to view works of local artists.
This is a boondocking rally, so rates are reasonably priced, estimated at $15 to $20 per rig at
this time. There are campgrounds with full hook
ups close by, should you need more amenities
as you enjoy the rally. The Tonto Basin Ranger
Station is located about 80 miles east of Phoenix
at 28079 N. Hwy 188, Roosevelt AZ 85545.
www.rvingwomen.org
Peg and Diane are finalizing the campground
reservations with the park staff and will advise
you as to the final rate for the rally. Do not
attempt to register with the park. You will need
to register with Diane and Peg and send camping
fees to them in advance.
For questions or to register for this rally,
contact Peg and Dianne at [email protected] or
call 480–620–6596 (cell) or 480-497-6820 (home).
A full rally agenda will be distributed to all registrants.
18–20 Oregon Chapter: Sutherlin, Oregon. Hi Way
Haven RV Resort. We have reserved 20 spaces
for this rally. There is a clubhouse and outdoor
movie screen. For information about this resort,
visit www.hiwayhaven.com.
The projected rate for campsites is $27 for
30-amp electric, $29 for 50-amp electric. There is
a 48-hour cancellation policy.
Make reservations through our chapter treasurer June Willoughby. You will need to send her
a check by March 7 for the first night's stay. Make
your check payable to ORVW and mail it to June
at 1101 Fulton Avenue, Coos Bay OR 97420.
Hi Way Haven RV resort is located at 609 Fort
McKay Road, Sutherlin, Oregon.
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Research your options and visit with other
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25–27 Mid-America Chapter: Platte City, Missouri.
Basswood RV Park. This is the weekend for our
annual maintenance rally.
26–May 4 Florida Chapter: Geiger Key, Florida. Geiger
Key RV Park. We will begin this rally on Saturday
at 5 p.m. or so (we'll be on island time) for complimentary appetizers and smoozin'. There will be
some live island music to welcome us.
Sunday will be on our own for relaxing and
exploring Key West. The park will provide a
campground barbecue on Sunday afternoon, and
the food is awesome. Again, local island performers will provide music to dine by.
Activities during the week will include a duck
waddle float with great prizes, a sunset sail off
Mallory Square on board a catamaran, a trip to
the Butterfly Conservatory, a fish fry with (hopefully) our own just-caught fish, a tour of the
Women's Land Trust, a guided eco-watch kayak
trip. We may have other activities to surprise
you with including a floatie crew following the
current along the seawall (a good way to stay
cool and spend the day) and, perhaps, a deep sea
fishing trip with Captain Kevin. We will go to the
Smokehouse on Saturday evening to enjoy more
live music.There will be a fee for the campground
barbecue and any excursion trips you choose to
take.
Make your own campsite reservations by
calling 305-296-3553. This resort is only 10 miles
from downtown Key West, so make reservations
as soon as possible. Some RV sites have been
turned into permanent sites, leaving fewer spaces
available.
Lynnette Birch is the host for this event.
MAY 2014
1–4
FreeWheelers Chapter: Ione, California. Lakeview
Campground at Pardee Lake Recreation Area.
This campground is located at 4900 Stoney Creek
Road, Ione CA 95642. Carol Guthrie is the host
for this event.
16–18 Oregon Chapter: Newport, Oregon. Port of
Newport Marina and RV Park. We have reserved
20 spaces for this rally and will have the clubhouse available. We hope to tour the NOAA facility during our stay. Information about this park is
available at www.portofnewport.com/rv-parks.
The projected rate for campsites is $40/
night. Each site has full hookups. There are no
pet restrictions. There is a 48-hour cancellation
policy with a one-night charge.
To reserve, call the park by April 15 at 541867-3321. No prepayment is needed, but a credit
card will be used to hold your space.
The park is located at 2301 SE Marine Science
Drive, Newport OFR 97365.
Beckey Beckey is the rally host for this event.
16–18 Rocky Mountain Chapter: Loveland, Colorado.
Loveland RV Park. For information about this
park, visit www.lovelandrvresort.com. For rally
information, contact Terri Rudolph or Deb
Kopchak at [email protected] or 719-632-2332
or Margi Duncombe at [email protected] or
719-659-7862.
23–24 Mid-America Chapter: Hannibal, Missouri. Mark
Twain Cove Campground. Come celebrate Mark
Twain and his literary works at the Twain on
Main Festival and enjoy great entertainment, arts
events, exhibits and festival food—all happening
on the historic Hannibal Main Street.
Campsites are $34.75/night. For reservations, call the campground at 573-221-1656. Ask
for Tweety Allison, and tell her you are with the
RVW group.
Due to the holiday weekend, we must
make our reservations with the campground by
November 1. Space may be available after that
date, but sites will be first come, first served and
may not be in our rally group. Reservations made
up to two weeks before the rally can be cancelled
without penalty.
Barb Blackler, Nancy Ames and Dot Meeks
are the rally hosts for this event. For information,
contact Barb at 573-221-2951.
30–Jun 1 Great Lakers Chapter and Ohio River Valley
Chapter: Niles, Michigan. Riverfront Park
Campground. Join us for a fun rally held in conjunction with the Niles Blue Grass Festival. Blue
Grass will be going every day from noon til' late
at night. Some terrific groups are scheduled for
this year.
We will also be having the long awaited and
much talked about duct tape competition at this
rally. Bring your duct tape creations and repair
jobs and the judging will begin. We will judge all
entries but will give special looks at those who
have used duct tape in their camping life. We
have many categories and lots of prizes, graciously provided for us by the Duck Tape Company in Avon, Ohio. Also, on Saturday afternoon
you will have the opportunity to make a new
project from duct tape. We will have several
choices for you and lots of duct tape colors and
patterns to choose from.
Also available are biking, kayaking, golf, etc.
On Friday, we will greet you with finger foods
and sweet treats. The rest of the weekend you are
free to cook, eat at the festival, or go to one of the
nice restaurants in Niles.
www.rvingwomen.org
The campsites around the lake are being held
for us until May 1. Call the campground at 269687-9681 to make your reservations. Be sure to
tell them you are with RVW when you make your
reservation.
Please also email Shirley and Denise at
[email protected] to let them know
you are coming to this rally.
JUNE 2014
20–22 Oregon Chapter: Bend, Oregon. Sunriver
Thousand Trails Preserve. We will find many fun
things to do on this weekend. Our rally dates
coincide with the 2014 State Senior Olympics in
Bend. We have reserved 20 spaces for this rally.
The clubhouse is a lodge and we may have to
share it with other park guests. The park will try
to set aside an area for ORVW, but it is not guaranteed we will be parked together as a group.
Campsites are $39/night plus tax for water/
electric (30- and/or 50-amp). There are two dump
stations in the park. Trail memberships will be
honored. Reservations are first come first served,
so book as soon as possible. The deadline for
reservations is May 15. For reservations, call the
campground at 541-593-8494. Full payment on
site will be required for the days attending. Cancellations made at least 14 days in advance will
receive a full refund less a $10.70 fee; 7 to 14 days
in advance, a 50 percent refund less a $10.70 fee;
no refund for cancellations made less than 7 days
in advance.
20–22 Rocky Mountain Chapter: Nathrop, Colorado.
Chalk Creek Campground. For information about
this park, visit www.chalkcreek-campground.com.
For rally information and reservations, contact
Nancy Hurley at [email protected] or
720-328-0034.
JULY 2014
17–20 Great Lakers Chapter: Gaylord, Michigan. Otsego
State Park. Join us as we experience the many
activities at the Alpenfest. There will be a parade,
crafts, live music, great food, best knee, best ankle
and ugly dog contests and more.
You can make campsite reservations six
months in advance at www.michigan.gov/
stateparks or call 800-0447-2757.
For rally information, contact Tommie Preniczky at [email protected] or Jackie France at
[email protected].
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optimized sway prevention?
• How about one that is easy to
grease without getting dirty?
• Want a softer, smoother ride?
We have a solution for you.
800-228-9289 • www.BlueOx.com
www.rvingwomen.org
18–20 Oregon Chapter: McMinnville, Oregon. Old Stone
Village RV Park. We have reserved 20 spaces for
this rally. The clubhouse will be available to us.
The Evergreen Museum is nearby.
Campsites are $105/night for full hookups
($94.50/night for Good Sam members). Sites will
be assigned at check-in. To make reservations,
call the park at 877-472-315 by June 15. Use a
credit card to hold your site; full payment will be
made upon arrival. Dogs weighing more than 50
pounds are not allowed.
Old Stone Village RV Park is located at 4155
NE Three Mile Lane, McMinnville OR 97128.
For information about this park, visit www.
oldstonevillage.com.
25–27 Rocky Mountain Chapter: Antonito, Colorado.
Rio Grande National Forest. We will have a
combination of options for this rally: boondocking at Mogote National Forest Campground and
full hookups at Conejos River Campground. For
additional information, contact Marge Peterson
or Donna Lockridge at [email protected]
or 505-379-9926 or Bobbi Norton at bnorton@
unme.edu or 505-994-9567.
AUGUST 2014
1–3
Oregon Chapter: Lincoln City, Oregon. Devils
Lake RV Park. We have reserved 25 sites for this
rally. Activities may include going into Bend for
the sand castle competition.
Campsites are $38.01/night, payable upon
arrival. Reservations are to be made through
Paulette Believeau, our chapter secretary no later
than June 30. You must be specific about your
arrival date and departure date, as we will be supplying this information to the park. To register,
email Paulette at [email protected]. Email
her also if you later cancel.
After July 1, all subsequent reservations are
to be made directly with the park (call 541-9943400 or 800-460-0616) and will be honored on
a first-come, first-served basis. If you cancel after
July 29, you may be responsible for reimbursing
the chapter for the first night stay ($38.01).
The park is located at NE West Devils Lake
Road. Lincoln City OR 97367. For more information about this park, visit www.devilslakerv.com.
22–24 Rocky Mountain Chapter: Colorado Springs,
Colorado. Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort.
For information about this campground, visit
www.campground1.com. For rally information, contact Peggy Schueler or Sue Truitt at
[email protected] or 719-570-1340.
www.rvingwomen.org
SEPTEMBER 2014
4–7
Rocky Mountain Chapter: Yellowstone National
Park. Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park and Campground. For information about this campground,
visit www. grizzlyrv.com. For rally information,
contact Nancy Hurley at [email protected]
or 720-328-0034.
19–22 Oregon Chapter: Coos Bay, Oregon. Mill Casino
RV Park. The dates of this rally coincide with the
Bay Area Fun Festival. This is a very busy time,
so make reservations early (at least by August
15). We have reserved 20 campsites for this rally
(10 bay sites and 10 non-bay sites). We will have
the use of a yurt for our chapter events. The ORV
annual meeting will be held at this rally.
Campsites are $35/night plus tax for bay
sites; $25/night plus tax for non-bay sites. For
reservations, call Mill Casino RV Park at 800-9534800 or go online to www.themillcasino.com. No
shows will be charged the first night's space rent.
OCTOBER 2014
7–12 RVW National Convention: York, Pennsylvania.
York Expo Center. Plan your itinerary now, and
schedule a few extra days to take advantage of
pre-convention tours and workshops and check
out some of the many historic attractions and
cultural activities this area of the country offers.
Visiting Washington, D.C. and the Gettysburg
National Military Park are just two of the must-do
experiences you will want to include.
10–12 Oregon Chapter: Albany, Oregon. Blue Ox RV
Park. We have reserved 20 spaces for this rally. We
will have the use of a large clubhouse with a pool
table and ping-pong table. There is also an indoor
pool and spa.
Projected campsite rates are $37.50/night for
30-amp ($33.66 with Good Sam); $40.70/night
for 50-amp ($36.96 with Good Sam). For reservations, call the park at 541-926-2886. The deadline
for reservations is September 10.
The park is located at 4000 Blue Ox Drive
SE, Albany OR 97322. For information about this
park, visit www.theblueoxrvpark.com.
MARCH 2015
5–8
SoCALjourners Chapter: Hemet, California.
Tucalota Springs RV Resort and Campground.
Plan ahead and save these dates for this always
fun rally, which will also include our annual
chapter meeting.
www.rvingwomen.org
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Explorer RV Insurance.............................................. 33
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Recalls
Recall: Fastec Door Lock
Colombia Northwest Inc.—Aliner Travel Trailer
(2006–2013)
Jackson Manufacturing Co.—Jackson Travel Trailer
(2006–2013)
Lakota Corp.—Lakota 3HSLBP (2007), Lakota 4HSLGN6
(2007)
ShowHauler Trucks Inc.—ShowHauler (2006–2013)
Defect: On certain travel trailers equipped with a Fastec
brand door lock, it may be possible to remove the key
from the lock in a way that jams the deadbolt. If the
deadbolt jams, the interior side of the door lock may also
jam. A person inside the travel trailer at the time will
then be locked in and be unable to exit the vehicle without using the emergency exit. Remedy: Columbia will
notify owners, and Fastec will coordinate the inspection
and replacement of the cylinders as needed free of charge.
Owners may contact Fastec at 800-837-2505 or Columbia
at 724-423-7440.
Recall: Ametek Air Guage
Spartan Motor Chassis Inc.—Spartan K2 (2011–2012),
Spartan K3 (2011–2012), Spartan MM (2011–2012), Spartan SU (2011)
Defect: On certain RVs equipped with air guages supplied
by Ametek, an incorrect valve may have resulted in the
accuracy of the gauge varying as much as 11 percent from
the cutout pressure as opposed to the maximum allowable of +/- 7 percent. In a condition where constant braking may be necessary, the air systems may deplete sooner
than expected. This could cause the application of the
spring brake without warning. Remedy: Spartan Chassis
will replace the affected guages free of charge. Owners
may contact Spartan at 800-543-4277.
Recall: ABS Modulator Valve
Spartan Motor Chassis Inc.—Spartan K2 (2011–2014),
Spartan K3 (2010–2012), Spartan MM (2009–2012),
Defect: Due to contact with the steering relay rod, the
ABS modulator valve on certain motorhomes may fracture, resulting in air not being applied to the affected
wheel end. This may increase the stopping distance of the
vehicle or cause the vehicle to pull to one side. R
emedy:
Spartan Chassis will notify owners and dealers will reorient the ABS modulator valve and install spacers for
addtional clearance free of charge. Owners may contact
Spartan at 517-543-6400.
Recall: Generator Fuel Filter Clamp
Dutchmen Manufacturing Inc.—Dutchmen Voltage
(2014)
Defect: On certain RVs, the clamp at the generator fuel
filter may not have been correctly installed, and the fuel
line may become disconnected, resulting in a fuel leak
and increased risk of fire. Remedy: Dutchmen will notify
owners and dealers will inspect and correct the clamp
installation as needed free of charge. Owners may contact
Dutchmen at 574-537-0700.
Recall: Spare Tire Bracket
Starcraft RV Inc.—Starcraft Comet (2014)
Defect: On certain camping trailers, the spare tire bracket
mounted on the rear wall is not secured sufficiently and
could detach. Remedy: Starcraft will notify owners and
dealers will add a metal strap to secure the spare tire
bracket free of charge. Owners may contact Starcraft at
800-945-4787.
Recall: Awning Switch
Crossroads RV—Crossroads Redwood (2012–2014)
Defect: On certain RVs, shifting cargo may accidentally
activate the switch used to deploy the power awning
while the vehicle is moving. The awning could unfurl
unexpectedly. Remedy: Crossroads RV will notify owners and dealers will install a cover over the switch free of
charge. Owners may contact Crossroads RV at service@
crossroadsrv.com or 855-226-7496.
Recall: Axle Beam
Silver Eagle Manufacturing Co.—Silver Eagle CSL-20W
(2001), Silver Eagle VAST-20W (1999–2001)
Defect: Certain model year trailer converter dollies were
incorrectly built to have a hole in the center of the axle
beam pointing downward. The hole at the bottom causes
a stress crack in the tension side of the beam, resulting in
axle failure. If the axle fails, the dolly could steer erratically, causing swerving and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Silver Eagle will notify owners and instruct
them to inspect their dollies for the position of the axle
beam center hole. Anyone with an affected dolly can get
a free replacement axle beam (installation is the owners
responsibility) or $500 towards a replacement dolly for
scrapping their old dolly. Owners may contact Silver Eagle
at 800-547-6792.
Recall: Mounting Fasteners for Stabilizer Jacks
Keystone RV Co.—Keystone Bullet (2013), Keystone
Passport (2013)
Defect: On certain trailers, the mounting fasteners for
the stabilizer jacks may fail, causing the jack to become
loose and separate from the vehicle. Remedy: Keystone
will notify owners and dealers will replace the mounting
fasteners. Owners may contact Keystone at 866-425-4369.
Continued Recall: Dometic Powered Awnings
The recall list for Dometic powered awnings has been
expanded to include several more RV manufacturers
(model years 2013–2014). On these awnings, the
motor assembly screws may unknowingly shear,
causing the awning to unfurl without warning.
Remedy: The awning motor will be replaced free of
charge. Dometic is working with manufacturers to
identify and notify owners and will replace these
awning motors free of charge. Owners may contact
their manufacturer or call Dometic at 888-447-0003 .
Owners are being instructed not to drive these RVs
until repairs can be made.
www.rvingwomen.org
Classifieds
OPPORTUNITIES
GREAT JOBS in great places! We’ve helped
more than 70,000 RVers find part-time and
full-time jobs in parks, resorts, campgrounds,
theme parks, etc. Call 800-446-5627 for a free
brochure or visit www.workamper.com.
Mary Moppins Company for sale. Well
established cleaning supply company. Recommended and used by Tiffin and Newmar Motorhomes. Mary's cleaning tips appear in Tiffin's
maintenance manual. Product diversity allows
expansion into numerous venues for continued
growth. Solid supplier sources. Full training
and ongoing support. Call Mary Findley at
541-607-9498.
TRAVEL/RESOURCES
RV TRAVEL SCOOTERS. Ideal for RV
parks and shopping. Large selection of stand-on
electric scooters, electric bicycles and tricycles,
mobility scooters. Speeds of 15 mph and a
range of 20 miles. Free shipping all over USA.
Visit us online at www.electricbicycle-outdoorstore.com.
Special Deal for Members
WHERE ARE YOUR FAVORITE T-shirts?
Display them in a Keepsake Treasure wall hanging, lap cover or bed cover handmade in Maine.
[email protected].
ARIZONA PROPERTIES
Pueblo LOT 154. $75,000 (with assumable financing). Move-in park model. New
refrigerator, carpet, Queen bed. Chainlink
fully-fenced yard. Large shed w/2 doors.
Shary 760-898-1428. To see, call Judy 480329-6946.
SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN RESORT.
Women's retirement resort with many ongoing fun activities. Park model for rent. $800/
mo w/utilities. Terry 206-940 1380.
MISSOURI PROPERTIES
13,800 SQ. FT. BUILDING located on approximatelhy 9 acres at Exit 29 on Interstate
44. Property is 20 miles east of Joplin, Missouri. Numerous possibilities for the right
investor. Priced to sell. Contact Jan McKay
479-633-1493.
WASHINGTON PROPERTIES
DISCOVERY BAY RV RESORT. Private
gated community with fabulous water view
on North Olympic Peninsula between Sequim
and Port Townsend. RV lots and live-in units
for sale/rent by individual owners. Year-round
or vacation. [email protected] 360-6838246 for photos, info or tour.
RV SUPPLIES/EQUIPMENT
WWW.BLUEOX.COM—Towbar systems,
steering controls, sway prevention hitches,
fifth wheel hitch security, sport carriers and
gooseneck hitches.
RVS/PARK MODELS
GREAT DEAL! 2006 30' gas Class A Holiday
Rambler Admiral. Less than 16k miles! Two
slide-outs. Tow trailer and car-guard included.
Two TVs, air conditioner, generator, walkaround queen bed, queen pullout sofa. Lots
of inside and outside storage. Awnings over
slide-outs. Dish receiver. $58,000. Call Myrna
541-513-8288 or Jodi 541-954-3819.
RVING WOMEN
MAGAZINE DEADLINES
Pay for 2 Classified Ads. Get the Third One FREE!
Place your ad online at www.RVingWomen.org for just 70 cents more.
Our classified ad rate is just 80 cents per word. To place your classified ad in our next
issue, mail or email your ad to arrive by November 25. You also may place your ad online at
www.rvingwomen.org for just 80 cents per word—or maximize your exposure and place your
ad in both the magazine and online for $1.50 per word. You may include color photos online
for $5 per photo. If you are an RVW member, you can buy placement for two issues and get the
third issue free. That gives you a presence in the magazine and online for a full 6 months!
Mail ad copy with your payment to RVing Women, P.O. Box 1940, Apache Junction
AZ 85117 or email to [email protected]. Be sure to type or print clearly, include
your first and last name and a contact phone number and enclose a check (or credit card
authorization) made payable to RVW. All classified ads are set uniformly with lead words in
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Counting words: Two initials are considered one word. Figures consisting of a dollar sign
and numerals are considered one word. Zip code is one word and must appear in every ad with
an address. City names consisting of two or more words are considered one word (i.e., New
York or Salt Lake City). Phone number with area code is considered one word. Web and email
addresses each count as one word.
RVing Women is not responsible for the products, advice or services offered in ads
published in this magazine or on the rvingwomen.org website or for products or services
offered or sold at RVW events and does not endorse, warrant or guarantee the products, advice
or services offered. We reserve the right to refuse at our sole discretion any classified or
display ad submitted for print or online publication and to refuse at our sole discretion vendor
opportunities offered at RVW events. All real estate advertising in this publication is subject to
the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin or
any intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.”
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THE DEADLINE DATES for each issue
of RVing Women magazine for rally and
event announcements, chapter news, articles
and classified ads are listed below.
November 25
January 25
March 25
May 25
January/February
March/April
May/June
July/August
July 25 September/October
September 25 November/December
To submit articles, photos, chapter news
or announcements, email the editor at
[email protected] or send to
RVW Editor, P.O. Box 1940, Apache
Junction AZ 85117-1940. Articles must be
relevant in some way to RVing.
Photos to accompany articles are always
appreciated. Electronic files sent as a .jpeg
attachment are preferred. Please identify
the person who took the photo and when
possible list the full names of any people
pictured.
Loyalty pins were presented
in September and October to the following members
20-Year Membership
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Missouri
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Thank you!
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Mary Jane Anderson
Betty-Lou Archibald
Sharon Barfield
Vicki Blake
Barbara Burns
Nancy Dale
Elizabeth Gladden
Darla Joslyn
Nancy J Mason
Denise Nelson
Glenys Riley
Linda Schmick
Lori Sherwood
Shelly Stichter
Tina Trost
Patricia Wade
Texas
British Columbia
Texas
Texas
California
Washington
Florida
Maryland
Washington
Florida
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Texas
Pennsylvania
Texas
Michigan
We have 135 current RVW members who have been members of RVing Women for 20 years
or more. We were pleased to recognize 15 of these members with 20-year loyalty pins at a
special awards ceremony at Convention 2013 in Sacramento, California.
Also receiving special recognition were Alta Jones and Gerri Pries. Alta and Gerri have
attended every RVW convention. Barbara Roeder, a member of the SoCALjourners Chapter,
has attended all but one RVW convention.
Forty-two NEW2RVW members (members who have joined within the past 12 months)
attended this year's convention.
www.rvingwomen.org

November/December 2013

Transcription

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