"Drive Your Toys to Illinois"

We left the Cedarbrook RV Park about 9:30 this morning after an uneventful evening. It was an air conditioner evening as I think most of our nights are going to be on this trip south. It was a short drive from Mulberry Grove to DuQuoin where we'll be through Wednesday. We're at the Rally of the Fleetwood Motorhome Association where there are HUNDREDS of Fleetwood brand motorhomes of all sizes, shapes, and descriptions from little "Class Cs" (coach on a van chassis with the van cab), Gas engine Class As (that's us...at the small end of the line up to 36 footers) and Diesel engine Class As that are up to 42 feet and HUGE!

We are parked on the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in a large field that is a RV Campground. There are row upon row of Fleetwood motorhomes. It's hot, there are few trees, and the air conditioner is running ... and running and running. So far, I have seen only two Fiestas (the model we have) and we are both Model 26s (that are 27 feet long) and are parked nearly back to back. We are the little children of the family.

There are a number of 2011 new models from Fleetwood that are on display in the pavilion here. Of course, I found one that I'd buy in a minute! It's a 36 ft Bounder Classic model, only $112,000 (and that's CHEAP compared to lots of others). We could live in it! Of course there are lots of people who do just that.

At dinner tonight, we sat with a couple who are full-timers. They live in their motorhome year-round, south in the winter and north in the summer. Must be rich folks, you're probably thinking. Nope, blue collar types from Peoria, IL; husband who restored classic cars until they sold it all and hit the road and wife who worked as a bookkeeper. I had a lot of fun talking to them.  And, you know what, not once did they ask "and what did you do for a living." Our common ground was the RV "lifestyle" as people call it. I only know what they did because they mentioned it in passing in telling their story.

Tomorrow we get seminars on taking care of our RV, on how-tos in making choices, and other technical and interesting topics (and some not-so-interesting, but I don't have to go to them if I don't want to).

Mary's posting pictures in a facebook group for family members so I haven't put up many pictures.

First Day Out on RV Rambling

We (Forrest, Mary, and Sally the Cat) left the house about 11 am today and drove much of the length of IL down to Mulberry Grove where we are camped at the Cedarbrook Campground. It's a very nice place. I'd stop here again. We're just here for the night and tomorrow will go on to DuQuoin and the "Drive Your Toys to Illinois" rally of Fleetwood owners. We'll be there Sat. through Wed. 


Two mishaps for the day, neither truly major. First, somewhere we lost the outside door to the electrical storage unit. The roads were VERY bumpy and the door was broken and duct taped, but it jarred loose and fell off. It's replaceable. I'll just have to get another door at an RV supply store and install it. Second mishap, knocking a full glass of wine over onto the carpet in the coach. Bad enough that the carpet was stained, but I didn't even get a sip of the wine!


This was a long day's drive. Tomorrow will be much shorter, about 80 miles total, but we have to be in DuQuoin between 9 and 12 for our time slot at registration.


The coach got about 8.4 mpg with the AC running all day. (We ARE headed south you know. There is a reason we've seen lots of RV'ers going north!)

Well, more tomorrow! For now, good night!

forrest,
retiring and rambling

Two days to go!

I'm getting the coach loaded and balanced (I hope) and we'll leave Friday morning. First stop, Cedarbrook RV Park,  Mulberry Grove, IL, then the next day off to DuQuoin, site of "Bring Your Toys to Illinois," The Fleetwook owners group. I'm looking forward to it.  It is amazing how much "stuff" appears when a trip is imminent. Long day, I'm tired, off to bed.