Location: Elkhart County Fairgrounds; Goshen, Indiana
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| My obligatory road picture for you know who. This is some of the backroads in either northern Illinois or Indiana. Towing on these roads worry me in case I have a blowout and not much shoulder to pull over to change a tire. I still believe in my |
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| That's Liberty in the middle. There were only two other Rpods at this years rally. It will be nice to get to a more open campsite. |
I arrived last Saturday, August 9th which was one day before the official start of the rally. This is my sixth time to attend this annual rally. Besides meeting great people, the main draw for me is the chance to get things repaired or replaced on Liberty (new readers should know my RV is named Liberty and she is towed by my truck, Freedom). This year, Forest River, specifically the Rpod division, graciously replaced my refrigerator which quit working a couple of months ago. They also replaced my door that wasn't sealing/shutting properly. To give an indication as to how great the technicians are, the one who climbed the ladder to check the refrigerator vent also noticed the sealant around my skylight was cracked. They are not allowed to climb on the roof but this guy was tall enough where he could reach it from the ladder. He went and got some sealant from their trailer and quickly cleaned and resealed around my skylight. A little above and beyond is always nice. I also mentioned that I was trying to order a new shower curtain from the manufacturer since mine hadn't been properly cleaned since I got Liberty. I'm still waiting to find out who the person is that is suppose to clean that thing. I'm afraid it may be me, but I'm still in denial. Anyway, the next day, the techs showed up and handed me a new curtain that should fit my curved shower. More above and beyond. Just a rough estimation of free work I've received at the six rally's I've attended would be close to $20,000.00. A few rally's ago, I asked someone in charge how they could afford to do all this free work. She told me that Forest River doesn't do very much advertisement and relies on "word of mouth". I've paid that price many times over through the years and am doing so again by mentioning it in this blog post. It's harder than you would think to read the future but I'm pretty sure I'll be back next year.
Besides free work on Liberty, the other great thing is the people you meet. I won't remember their names but that isn't a new affliction for me since I've had a hard time with remembering names over the years. But I will remember the people and the conversations. Like the guy who had recently lost his wife but was attending the rally in remembrance of her. Or the guy with a limp and shaking hands I meet when getting coffee in the dining hall. I asked if he needed help and his answer was, "No thanks, it just takes me longer". After I got my food and sat down to eat, I noticed him at another table with his coffee but no food. I walked over and quietly asked if he would like me to get him a plate. Our eyes met and I knew I hadn't offended him. I fixed him a plate and sat it down in front of him. He said thanks, I said your welcome and I returned to my table. It wasn't anything dramatic, just one old man helping another old man. Or the "Vegan from Iowa" which I probably went overboard at kidding about her "veganism" (is that even a word?). I was genuinely interested in her views about being a vegan since I don't think I've ever talked about it with an actual vegan. I received a little education plus she sparked my interest and curiosity. I did a little research and found that a large part of their reasoning for being vegan is compassion. That may sound strange but it just means they are compassionate about most living things. Her husband kind-of summed it up by saying they don't eat anything with a face. Hmmmm, that will make you think. I don't think I'll become a vegan but if I do, I'll know who to blame (I just won't know her by name). Or the Canadian mother/daughter team that I met last year and again this year. They are still traveling strong. Once Canada become a state, they won't have to worry about crossing the border, right Rhonda? I guess that will go for Grant and Orit too. She is another one that I probably kidded too much. Or the full-timing couple from Texas that I met at breakfast. As full-timers, we sometimes speak a different language than other RV'ers. It was a good visit while eating the Yankee version of biscuits and gravy. There are many others but not enough time to mention.
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| This picture will remind me of the Rally. I walked by it 2 to 3 times a day going to the dining hall, vendors building or Ice cream trailer. I've averaged over 1 1/2 miles per day which is another big benefit of the rally. |
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| This is just a small representation of the people at the rally. This was from one of the dinners. I think they said there were about 300 RV's here so that would mean almost 600 people. Sadly, the food wasn't up to the standards set by years past. |
Tomorrow is moving day and I'll be heading west for a repeat visit to the Illini State Park (Illinois). I'll be there for three days and will make a short trip to an old place I lived as a pre-teen. We were only there for a few months, but later in life it showed me how small the world is and how one person can have an impact.
Instead of going the backroads to avoid tolls and Chicago like I did coming here, I will instead risk my life and drive I-80 through Chicago. Big cities never used to worry me but things have changed a lot over the last several years. Tomorrow, I'll just turn on some music, crank the volume up, not stop for anything unless it has flashing lights and when I get to the campground I'll check for bullet holes.
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| This was from the first evening before other RV's were parked behind me. |
Ya'll take care of each other. Maybe I'll Cya down the road.
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