Our RV Adventures

This morning started out early, way, way too early. But we got moving with a lot of hot coffee and some of those delicious cranberry muffins our friend Gina made for us. Toasted in the oven and slathered with butter, they are fantastic.

So we hit the ground running about 8am, (well, maybe not running) but after working at pretty much a dead run yesterday, today was almost restful. We only had about 2 dozen rigs come in, and they were pretty spread out during the day. It seems a number of rigs still haven’t shown up, very possibly due to the very high winds we had here today. So we still may have a few stragglers tomorrow.

Most of my day was spent fielding questions and complaints, but nothing really major. A lot of it just being sure people knew they needed to go to register, and where registration was, etc.

Finally at 3pm we shut down parking and got everyone together in the Main Hall for the Welcome Meeting.

About 5:30 Nick and Terry, and Jan and I headed down the street to EAT . . . well, to eat at EAT. EAT is our favorite local Chinese buffet place, and the favorite for a lot of RV’ers since we saw many familiar faces there.

About 7 we had our evening meeting that started with a great talk and Q&A session with a Marine Captain from the Marine Corp Air Station across the street. She answered a lot of questions, and was very informative. So much so, that she got a standing ovation at the end. We really appreciate her service to our country.

Then it was time for everyone’s favorite, the Door Prize drawings, with a wide assortment of things, from restaurant gift cards, books, computer GPS mapping software, to stays at RV resorts. With even more on coming nights.

Tomorrow is another early morning with Jan on gate duty starting at 8am. We always have locals who come in on day passes, and Jan will be handling that at the front gate.

And I have to finish up my prep for my seminar tomorrow entitled “Ten Things to Never Do with your Computer”. Hopefully everyone will get something out of it.

That’s it for today. More tomorrow.

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Thought for the Day:

If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it. ~ Mark Twain

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I’m stiff and sore in places I didn’t remember I had places.

Starting at 1pm, we spent the afternoon parking RV’s. Lots and lots of RV’s. And all I did was ride around in a golf cart all day. And of course, jump out, then back in, then out, then . . . you get the picture.

Today was Early Bird Day for the Arizona Gypsy Gathering Rally here in Yuma. Early Bird Day normally is for a few rigs to come in a day or so early to get settled in.

But this is just ridiculous. We had 145 rigs show up today, out of the 175 to 200 that are supposed to attend the rally.

Apparently some people just haven’t figured out that if everyone shows up on Early Bird Day, it’s no longer Early Bird Day, it’s just the first day of the rally. If everyone’s a Early Bird, there is just not going to be enough worms to go around.

Somewhere during the day, lunchtime came and went, and I never even noticed it was gone. Suddenly a little before 6pm there were no rigs in the front lot, and we were done. I parked the golf cart, stepped out . . . and almost fell on my face, I was so stiff.

Finally about 6:30pm, Nick and Terry, and Jan and I headed out for supper. We had originally been going to Famous Dave’s BBQ, but they had a line out front, so we went next door to Logan’s Roadhouse and got seated in about 5 minutes.

Nick and I were so thirsty we just told our waiter to bring water and iced tea, and keep it coming. Unlike Houston’s 95%, the humidity here in Yuma is around 30% and it really sucks the moisture right out of you without you realizing it, and suddenly your throat is so dry you can’t talk and you’re feeling lightheaded from dehydration.

I think I had a steak, and I think it was really good, but I’m so tired I not sure.

I think this blog is coherent, but I’m not really sure, but hopefully this is enough to keep Nick from sniveling again, so I’m going to bed.

Actually, now that I think of it, Nick’s probably too tired to snivel. So I typed all this for nothing.

So more tomorrow . . . if I survive.

But first, here’s a new Landon pic for your viewing pleasure.

Landon finds out he has toes. Now if he can only figure out what to do with them.

But he’s working on it.

And here’s a repost of our visit to the Military Aviation Museum in June 2009.

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Thought for the Day:

Why do we choose 50 contestants for Miss America and only 2 for President?

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Mustangs and Tomahawks…

Originally Posted on June 28, 2009

Today we drove back over to Virginia Beach to visit the Military Aviation Museum that we had scouted out yesterday.

I was surprised to find out the Museum is privately owned by Gerald Yeagan who also owns a company called The Fighter Factory that specializes in restoring and maintaining old military planes.  He owns over 20 restored military planes with a number of others under restoration.

The complex consists of a museum area flanked by large hangers on each side, with an operating airfield out front.

Even the red checkered water tower is of WWII vintage.

The Museum had several interesting displays.  Two planes caught my eye.

A replica 1911 Wright Flyer and a 1918 Sopwith Pup fighter were on display.  These were remarkable due to the fact that we had just visited the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kill Devil Hill and had seen the 1903 Flyer.

The amazing thing was the quick progression of the planes.

The 1903 Flyer was very primitive, with the pilot lying prone on the wing next to the engine, steering by swinging his hips back and forth.  The elevator is in the front of the plane and the engine is almost toy-like.

The 1911 Flyer was a big jump.  The pilot sat in a chair, steered the plane with a control stick, and the elevator was in the front, all just like today’s planes.

Note the 1911 Flyer has a much bigger engine and also landed on wheels, rather than skids like the 1903 version.

This 1911 Flyer was also used to make an intercontinental flight from New York to California to the win a $50,000 prize put up by William Randolph Hearst.  This means that only 8 years after the first flight, man is now flying from one side of the country to the other.

But the real jump is this next plane, the 1918 Sopwith Pup.

In just 7 more years, we now have plane with a fully enclosed cockpit, engine, and fuselage, and, of course, machine guns, that can fly hundreds of miles in one flight.

And all this only 15 years after the first flight of 120 feet.

Quite a jump, indeed!

They sure have a lot of great planes here, and what’s really amazing is that they’re all in flyable condition, or being restored to flyable condition.

Here’s some of the best.

P-40 Tomahawk

P-51 Mustang

Supermarine Spitfire

Hawker Hurricane

F4U Corsair of “Bah, Bah, Black Sheep” fame

PBY Catalina Flying Boat

TBM Avenger Bomber – George H. W. Bush flew one like this.

T-34 Mentor trainer – I had flight training in one of these.

But the real treat was getting to see the P-40 Tomahawk fly!  These big engines make a roar that is unmistakable.

Taxiing Out

Taxiing Out

Take Off

Downwind Turn

Approach

Roll Out

Finally, I’ve shown you pictures of area mascot animals, like pelicans in Seabrook, TX,  moose in Coeur d’ Alene, IA,  and mermaids in Beaufort, SC.

Here in Virginia Beach they have a porpoise mascot, and the Museum did theirs up in a plane motif.

We had a great time at the Museum.  And I’m really lucky to have married an Air Force brat who likes old planes and airshows.

After leaving the Museum, we stopped off at Supercuts to get our hair cut and then ate a late lunch at El Pollo Loco before heading home.

Later in the evening after it had cooled off, we sat out in the shade of the coach, looking out over the lake, drinking Sangria,  and watching Mister do his “Catch and Release” program with the many blue dragonflies.

Or rather, it was ‘Catch, and then I yell at him until he reluctantly raises his paw and lets the dragonfly go – Release program.  He never seemed to hurt them, but just held them down for a while.

What was really amazing is how fast a 23 pound cat can move.

Today is our last day here in NC.   Tomorrow we move north to Williamsburg, VA.

More then…

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