"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.