Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 – We left Lost Dutchman State park and drove about an hour to the Phoenix International Raceway – the site for the Good Sam RV Rally.
This was our first time to ever attend an RV Rally, and we did not really know what to expect……
We arrived at the Raceway, and lined up behind dozens and dozens of campers pulling in to park.
They managed to park everyone…pulling us in one after the other into this big parking lot. We had electricity (provided by long extension cords running from great big portable generators) but no water hook-ups.
I do not have a picture that can show the row after rows of campers that were parked here……campers of all kinds, but most of them were very large motor coaches. We were not the only Airstream, but there were not many of us. (Airstream has it’s own Rallies). All together, there were 3,300 rigs parked at this Rally! A note – our hiking GPS proved to be very useful the first evening……as we almost got lost in this sea of RVs heading back from the stadium!
The RV Rally is like any convention – there are venders and exhibits…… A whole tent set up with everything that you could imagine for campers and RVs inside. We picked up several things for our camper, plus some really nifty repair tape for patching hoses, etc. in emergencies.
And outside……there were 500 RVs and motor coaches on display….and for sale!
We walked through a number of these…..it is fun to see how the ‘other half’ lives! And, they will make you a good deal if you are interested! ; )
There were also seminars…..we attended several - one on unique RV Caravanning destinations like Australia and New Zeeland, and some technical seminars on Tire Pressure Monitoring and Solar Panels for RVs. We also listened to a talk on RVing to Alaska, and realized that we, too, have a lot of experience and it reinforced that we are on the right track with our trip planning. It is interesting to hear all about others who are doing what we are doing……even if we all have our own style while traveling.
In the evenings, there was entertainment….the highlights were Bill Cosby…and Martina McBride……and a group who did Beatles music.Sarah and Jason joined us on Saturday and Sunday. We all really enjoyed the concerts!
The concerts started at 7pm, lasted about 1 1/2 hrs, but, much to our annoyance, at 8pm on the dot, some of the ‘old people’ in the crowd decided that they had had enough….and wanted to ‘beat the crowd’ to the trams back to the campers….so there would be a stream of people who just got up and left! Their Rock and Roll years were DEFINETLY behind them…….
This Rally was quite the experience…….we enjoyed many aspects of the rally, but, I found that I really did not like the crowds….not in the crowded ‘campground’ nor walking through the exhibits…..
And I am not sure what is meant by the RVing ‘lifestyle’…but I do not feel that this describes us…..Or maybe, we just have our own ‘style’ ……..
And I was struck that we were among the younger ones of this group. And I don’t think I like groups of just older people…..
As I write this….I am trying NOT to look in a mirror……because, yes, I know that I am getting older, too….but I can’t help but be struck by how people age. As our bodies get older…. we have to deal with limitations. And we really have to fight against getting ‘narrow’ in our thinking and ‘stuck’ in an era. If we are not careful, we can become less tolerant…… It is a bit ‘scary’.
But, written on the faces of the people we met is a truth……Our bodies may be getting older, but, on the inside, we are all still that same young person we were ……grooving to the music of the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s….
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