Alan & Carie's Blog

Monday, May 30, 2016

2016-5-14 - 21 Blue Ridge Rally

This was friend Sharon's 9th Blue Ridge Rally (BRR) she put on! She does a great rally! This was our 4th or 5th one but it's been a few years. There were something like 62 T@Bs and other campers in attendance and double that number of people. This rally originally was for T@Bs only but so many people who had T@Bs and became good friends had moved on to other campers that Sharon now let's any and all campers attend. This year's BRR was held in Waynesville, NC at Pride RV Resort and I do not recommend Pride RV Resort! Carie's mom Bev joined us which was pretty cool. She stayed in the tent room on a cot with blankets and a space heater...quite comfy!

A quick review of the campground - The management was bad and the noise level from the neighboring lumber mill and the busy road made it nearly unbearable. Let me vent a minute about the manager...I have the Segway as a mobility device for my handicap and he argued about allowing me to use it there saying it wasn't really a mobility device for handicap! Apparently it is too fun to ride to actually be a handicap mobility device. Now for the road noise and lumber mill - Noisy! Near constant logging trucks and loud Harley's. Now let me say this, the campground literally right next door, butting up to Pride RV Resort is called Creekwood Farm RV Resort and Sharon had her BRR there several years ago and although the lumber mill was still within ear-shot it wasn't nearly as bad as the noise level from the mill at Pride RV. Also the road noise was fairly quiet as the campsites at Creekwood Farms sit farther away from the road. Also, although we didn't have the Segways at the time the management seemed very good and accommodating. Also the bath houses were some of the best I've seen in a campground at Creekwood Farms RV Resort! I definitely recommend Creekwood RV Resort.

Anyway, here are some photos of the 2016 BRR. Enjoy!

Dianne at morning coffee...what a character!!!

Ex T@DAers (Bigger T@B) Larry & Dana's new Airstream 22FB

Ex-T@Bbers Bob & Susan's T@DA and ex-T@Bber Deb's 16' Airstream Bambi

Gunther & Nancy's black T@B...

Ex-T@Bber Randy's Sonic.

This is the coolest camper theme or the way it's exectuted is. It's Theme is "Steam Punk" and it is cool!

Tink winning a homemade hat -

Ralliers rallying...

Bob tending the fire and entertaining the ralliers. He was quite entertaining and musical!

Tupelo Honey Cafe, a popular eatery in downtown Asheville.

Cataloochie National Park...where we almost got stranded when the battery and alternator nearly died!!! We limped to an auto parts store, thank you Google, then to an auto repair shop where the local repairman fixed it and sent us on our way!

A couple more T@DAs -

Rich & Sue's vintage Shasta Sue uses for her Sisters on the Fly trips.

Rich & Sue's Shasta and their Roadtrek class B motor home who their friends borrowed for this BRR...

Ex-T@Bbers Bob & Susan and their T@DA...

Hanging at Geo & Liz's T@BMahal -

Carie's mom Bev & Liz chatting it up in the T@BMahal -

Mark & Susie's pups

Sunday, May 8, 2016

2016-4-30 NOVA Hadocy Airstream & RV Rally

Friends Tom & Ella's NOVA Airstream group was once again kind enough to invite Carie & I to their rally at the Haydocy Airstream and RV dealership rally in Columbus, OH. This rally was really different and pretty cool and very fun. It was actually at the dealership in their front parking lot! The dealer, Haydocy is a Airstream and T@B and Little Guy dealer so although this rally is geared towards the Airstream side of thing since Carie & I have a T@B we weren't too odd being the only T@B there. The idea is the rally shows potential Airstream buyers how the owners use their Airstreams and an actual Airstream rally and the rally helps get people to buy Airstreams from the dealership so it's a win/win for both NOVA and Haydocy. It also worked well as Carie & I had scheduled an appointment for some electrical repair work at the Haydocy service center but turns out there was no electrical problem but rather what I thought was a problem was just our Progressive Industries power protector doing exactly what it was supposed to do. Plus I got a few custom upgrades done to our T@B including a very cool "RV Chandelier" that is an LED ring of lights the goes around the ceiling vent fan. A photo of it installed is at the very bottom of the photos below. Below are a few pictures of the rally...

Ralliers around the campfire. Yes, we even had a campfire in the middle of the parking lot.

Tom (r) and Kevin (l) with a new Little Guy T@G in the background. Kevin and wife Laura just bought a Airstream model 26U (my dream RV, by the way) and this was their first time camping in it!

Airstreams Eastern regional director. Tim brought his 1938 John Deere home made ice cream maker!

Haydocy was generous enough to send their crew around to wash everyone's RV!

Tom, Ella & Lou chatting by the front entrance

...and of course I let everyone who was interested try the Segway's. Here. Airstreamer Terry giving it a go. He was hysterical! He picked it up extremely quickly and as the music played in the background he was dance on the Segway as he zoomed around!!!