June 10, 2000, Saturday- travel day from Shipshewana to Decatur, via a convoy. With 50 or so coaches at the pre-rally, we were broken into 4 groups. Ours, the last, left at 9:15 for the 90 miles ride to Decatur. Trying to keep 11 or so coaches in a formation to make it through the traffic lights was a challenge. Fortunately we arrived in the meadows behind the municipal complex for a night of grass/dry camping. All of us got to try out our new generator pipe extensions. These adapters vent the diesel fumes above the top of the coach and worked well during our first day of dry camping.
June 11, 2000, Sunday- today was overcast- so we didn't need to run the generator. Susan did a walk and I did a bike ride for some needed exercise. By late afternoon the high school graduation was finished, and our 45 or so full-timer's coaches moved across the street to the high school parking lot. Good timing as the skies opened up and we were now on pavement as opposed to a wet grass field. Since our group is doing lots of volunteering, our payoff is a close in parking area for our group. No shuttles needed, and we can walk Hobbes as needed.
Congratulations to Rob & Deb on the lease they signed in Fresno for the new apartment for the next three years of Robert's residency program. It sounded like a new, modern garden apartment similar to the one they had in Denver. Lots of luck!
June 12, 2000, Monday- 300 coaches arrived today and our fulltimer's chapter parked them all in the high school and the factory parking lots. Where will Tuesdays additional 250 coaches' go? In the evening and overnight, the skies opened up, and I was sure glad that we were parked on blacktop, and not in last nights grassy field. Susan was busy at the information table, and I supervised four Fleetwood service technicians that repaired the bedroom slide. In Shipshewana the shear pin failed again, but fortunately, this time the slide was retracted.
June 13, 2000- Tuesday- the majority of the remaining coaches arrived today- a total of 536 rigs. Since the Riverside grass meadows were wet and soft, space for another 100 plus coaches had to be found. In fact, the meadows has been renamed the mudows. I helped Hank sell raffle tickets for the Fleetwood workers' kids, where the goal is to raise $15000. It is a tall order, which averages about $30 per coach. I'm the optimistic type, but this, I believe, is beyond reach.
Susan was attending one seminar, on defensive driving, and I was at one on dry camping hints, when they interrupted the afternoon session with the announcement that a line of severe thunderstorms, with winds up to 70 MPH and 2" hail and possible tornadoes, was about to start. With the rain pouring down, I ran to the coach, bad foot and all, and pulled Hobbes into the school shelter. By the time I got back, and was soaked to the skin, I realized I had lost my cell phone. About 1/2 hour later, the rains had let up enough to head back and retrace my steps, and outside the coach, in a pool of water, I found the phone with just the top of the case protruding above the water. It was still functioning, and at Susan's suggestion, I pulled the battery to check for water. It was dry, but now the phone would not restart. So, I pulled the cover and the all of the piece off to let it all dry.
At seven PM we all went into the big tent that took 4 days to erect. It's about 125' by 220'. Big! Drinks were on the house, and heavy finger food was provided by some of the vendors. Definitely a first class operation and the 1100 to 1200 people were soon happy. At 9 the fireworks, literally, started, outside, and police cruisers escorted the new American Coach 2001 product line past the waiting partygoers. For the next 2 hours, the coaches were open for inspection. With several new floor plans, the excitement was high indeed. Each new plan was met with pluses and minuses from the gallery, but it was definitely a theatrical production.
June 14, 2000, Wednesday- Susan did the laundry this AM while I attended a few seminars, and we met back at the coach for a late lunch. Our timing was perfect as the rains then started with severe thunderstorms.
Debi heard from the police today that they arrested the seven people that had stolen her car. This group had robbed a gun store, and done about 35 or 40 other robberies, and the "stuff" in Debi's truck was part of the identified loot. As the cops told her that they would be sent away on the felony for at least 24 years, she laughed. Right, for murder criminals are on the street in a few years. These folks would be gone for how many year's for a property crime? Not!.
Dinner was with Keith and Pat, our friends from Idaho that we haven't seen since the Rayne, LA rally in October 1998.
June 15, 2000, Thursday- seminars and meetings and vendor stations. If only I could remember all of the useful items that were discussed in the sessions. Susan started her driving class, and got to drive the 45-foot Heritage. She said it drove so easily through the traffic that it's easier and better then our 40-foot Eagle. The rains let up today and the pavement started to dry out, but with several more inches of rain then the average monthly total, many fields are flooded. I'm sure glad that we were not in the Meadows. Three tow rigs were needed, and the tow person was under water trying to attach the cables to the submerged rig.
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Dinner was at the Bear Creek Farms where a sat through a two-hour musical show-- from the 50's and 60's, followed by a picnic buffet. To say that our 1000 plus people took over the place was an understatement.
June 16, 2000- Friday- more seminars and good times with the growing family of coach owners. Some rain and some dry…
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June 17, 2000, Saturday- detailed factory tour and lunch at Fleetwood. Dinner under the big top tent with "fun dress-up closes". The American Coach sales people announced that so far they had contracts on 53 new coaches, and lots more that the final pricing is being completed on special items. Considering that there were 538 coaches here, that's one in ten owner so far came to the plate with money. That was amazing to us.
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June 18, 2000, Sunday…Happy Father's Day….it rained from 10 last night until after daybreak. It was a long night. Fortunately, there were no real storms with potential of tornadoes, wind or hail. After saying goodbye to most of our friends, we moved closer to the American Coach Service area with Mike and Shirley. Hopefully the staff tomorrow will be able to put the missing tension into our big patio awning and we shall be on our way. If not, we shall see what alternatives are available. Lucky day getting to speak to our three great children, and found out that Stephen is going to Egypt a few days after our Alaskan cruise on business. It sounds exciting to me!
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