To print out newsletter please click here

Roadrunner News February 2011

"We regret that the May News Letter has been delayed due to our editor experiencing a series of family crises. We wish Mary Anne and her family the very best and hope that all will soon be resolved"

Travel Thought for Today

I travel not to go anywhere; but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. ---Robert Louis Stevenson

Dear Roadrunner Family

Wow!! 31 coaches attended the Welcome Dinner at Quartzsite, January 22nd. It was truly a challenge for the Wagon Masters, Will and Jean Bass, to feed us all!!! Congratulations to them and their helpers for pulling it off. The weather was amazing so everyone was outside visiting and attending happy hours and campfires. Thank you to Deena & Avery Gentle and Karla & Terry Noble for volunteering to host next year's Camp Out at Quartzsite. Put it on your calendar for the end of January, 2012 if you enjoy a laid back affair, sitting around a campfire, under a starlit night comparing life "notes".
NB. Don't go to The Big Tent on Opening Day. There are mobs of people standing in the aisles, apparently mesmerized with the goings on!!!!!

Your present Executive, myself as President, Jim Collard as Vice-President, Bill Heath as Treasurer and Dorthey Collard as Secretary have been in office for 4 years. We have exceeded our commitment and it is time for others to assume these positions.
The aforementioned do not plan to continue with our offices' past the Annual Rally in April. Please contact either Bill or myself (713-252-9376, or 403-850-8577, sdheath77030 @aol.com or msheilaheath @aol.com) if you would like to stand for an office but are unclear as to what the duties might be.

The Annual Alfa Rally at the Nevada Treasure RV Resort, under the direction of our Rally Masters Jim and Dorthey Collard is coming together nicely. See attached article for more information regarding the Annual.

It is customary to wear our Red Roadrunner Shirts at certain times during our Pre and Annual Rallies. If you would like to purchase one, please contact Bill Heath, sdheath77030 @aol.com, as soon as possible so he can place an order.

The theme for the Annual Rally is gambling. Last year, instead of donating a basket or two for the drawing at the closing dinner we donated 4 gift certificates to Camping World. I will certainly entertain any ideas that this year's attendees might have for the Roadrunner donation for this year's raffle.

So far, there hasn't been the tiniest hint of anyone even thinking of hosting a Fall Rally. Don't be shy, if we plan they will come!!!! Let me know if you have an idea.

I would like to thank Melinda Rauscher, a Roadrunner who creates Web Sites. She does all the postings on our Web Site with the information we send her. My endless gratitude for allowing this avenue of communication.

That's it for now. I hope to SeeYa down the road.
Sheila
President
Alfa Roadrunners

PS I have just received word that one of our long time members has passed away. Arlene Harris informed me that Penny has just passed away after her courageous battle with cancer. Many of us remember Gene & Penny's support and contributions to the Roadrunner club and the "spunk" with which Penny faced many of her life challenges. She will be missed. On behalf of the Roadrunners, I have conveyed our sympathies.

RoadRunners Pre-Rally

Pre-Rally to the 2011 Alfa Annual Rally
Calling all Roadrunners!! Join us this year at the Annual Pre-Rally

When: April 9 through April 14, 2011
Where: At the Nevada Treasures RV Resort in Pahrump NV
Wagon Masters: Bill & Sheila Heath and Jeff & Diane Horvath

A preliminary agenda will soon be available for the Pre Rally and will be distributed to all registered participants. Please be sure to complete your registration requirements. The paperwork is available on the Roadrunner web site under the tab: Annual Rally.

As the Roadrunner Chapter is hosting the Alfa Annual this year, our Pre-Rally will be geared towards preparing for the Annual Rally. Our craft will be the making of the Centerpieces; Welcome Bags will be stuffed and dress rehearsals will be held for the various events. These activities are all in an effort to assure the smooth running of the Annual Rally.

We will of course include the usual treats with coffee in the morning, daily Happy Hours and dinners and some fun activities.

There are still a few openings for the Pre Rally. If you are interested, please contact us at 713-252-9376 or by e-mail @ sdheath77030 @aol.com.

Editor's Corner

We have 102 coaches registered with 5 or 6 more registrations pending. There is still some room for a late registrant. We are pleased with the turn out so far.

During the Quartzsite Rally I spoke with Jim and Dorthey Collard, Wagon Masters for the Annual Rally at Nevada Treasurers RV Resort in Pahrump NV this April.

The resort in Pahrump is unique according to Jim. They fell in love with the place when they visited it. It is a small private park with a number of long term residents. The park is extensively landscaped, has gazebos and large BBQ set ups at numbers of sites. There are palm trees and rock scapes.

On site is a six lane bowling alley and a bar and grill; and two large swimming pools and a Tiki bar. One of the pools has a rock waterfall that flows into it. Jim said there is a best he's ever seen resort gym; and steam room, sauna and hot tubs. Wow, quite the playground! Also, for canine attendees, there is a dog wash on the property. That should come in handy preparing for the pet parade!

The resort provides its own onsite catering in a large meeting facility and dining room. However, attendance must be capped at 120 rigs due to facility capacity.

Jim said the management is allowing the Annual Rally the run of the park. There will be lots of on site activities to keep attendees busy. And gambling and golfing are not far away. Sounds like it will be a fun and busy event!

Regarding the weather, Jim said at that time of year we should expect temperatures in the area to be in the 80s to 90s, similar to Bakersfield, CA; but at a slightly higher altitude. There are desert breezes, but the wall around the resort and the trees on the property help cut it down when on site.

Hurry and be sure to register. Complete attendance information is located on the Roadrunner website under the heading Annual Rally for both the Pre Rally and Annual Rally.

Rally Report--Quartzsite 2011

Great times in the Quartzsite desert in January! About 36 rigs joined the encampment this year at La Posa North BLM. Our great thanks to Wagon Mmasters Will and Jean Bass for their terrific event organization.

The weather was in full cooperation this year, absolutely fabulous. Mother Nature rewarded us for surviving the rain, wind and floods of last year.

Friendship, laughter and sharing were in abundance as Will and Jean guided us through the week. From the Wagon Master's Welcome dinner, great pasta feed on opening night, to the Sheriff's Dinner pot luck on closing night great times were to be had. On both of those nights Will and Jean provided their duo musical guitar and vocal entertainment for us. What a treat to have live music!

Opening night, Will and Jean prepared 7 pounds of hamburger, 6 pounds of sauce and 8 pounds of pasta to feed us! And with the help of volunteers, everyone was served in only 25 minutes. The garlic bread was heated in a solar oven provided by Avery and Deena Gentle. Desserts also appeared, provided by several volunteers. It was a terrific evening.

Each morning donuts and hot beverages around the chimney fire were available for all. It was a great time for early conversation and day planning. From talk about this year's hot products at the RV tent to rig issues to travel stories and lots more, Roadrunners shared their time. Laughter was in abundance.

Club President Sheila Heath conducted a business meeting during the week, updating from the Spring 2010 rally; and much planning for the Roadrunners sponsoring the Annual Rally in Pahrump NV this April. She discussed the planning for the pre-rally and Roadrunner help being requested during the rally for setting up the events for the Annual Rally.

Jim and Dorthey Collard, serving as Rally Masters for the Annual Rally, informed us on progress of planning. Our help was requested and given in planning and working on details to ensure a successful rally come April. Thanks to all who have volunteered to help with the event and for all the great ideas and activities being organized. The Annual Rally will be a great time!

According to Treasurer Bill Heath our group now has 202 members! Great job everyone keeping up your dues. And be sure to get them in to Bill if you have not already done so. We discussed ways to recruit members as well. Check the web site for membership materials and be sure to pass them along to prospective new Roadrunners.

The Coach Walk event featured 11 rigs open for visiting. Great ideas were shared, much ooooing and aahing and 'look at this' could be heard. Several members took pictures of favorite new ideas for their own planning. Built in desks, new flooring and TV upgrades were certainly popular.

Tech Talk and 'Girl Talk' get togethers both went well over-time with members sharing information and expertise to help keep our rigs and home lives running smoothly. As space is available I will be including in this and future issues helpful information and tips from these popular talks.

Sheriff Jerry Logan used his low key personality to surprise everyone with his keeping an eye on us through the week. A nice sum of quarters was collected, much bad behavior guilt relieved and laughter all around experienced as the collection bucket made its way through the membership. Fifty dollars was raised for a charity decided by those attending.

It was a great week. Will and Jean wish to convey their deep thanks to all the unsung volunteers who helped them make the week such a success. As of the end of the gathering, no volunteers stepped forward for a Summer or Fall Roadrunner Rally. As Will and Jean attest, it is great fun and everyone helps pitch in to make the event a success. So folks, here is a great opportunity to add one of these rallies to the Roadrunner schedule. They can't happen without Wagon Masters. If you wish to talk about volunteering, please be sure to contact our President Sheila Heath.

--Editor, MaryAnne Balzer

News Item

The 'Too Crazy Ladies' have provided name badges and pins for Roadrunners for a long time. Recently at Quartzsite, the newsletter editor spoke with them about their business. The ladies wished to pass on the information that time is taking a toll on health and they are not going to be traveling to as many locations as they have in the past. They encouraged that as Roadrunners may want to have new or repair work done or make purchases, we use their web site and email for service. The web address is: www.TooCrazyLadies.com. The ladies said they would soon have a Roadrunner section on their web site.

Chef On Wheels

Fabulous foods were shared at the Quartzsite Rally in January. One of the most popular was also one of the simplest. And you can never go wrong with a great desert. Here is a very yummy one from Judi Lasater:

Sweet & Salty Delights
One bag of smaller size Rollo chocolate caramels
A quantity of roasted walnuts equal to the number of Rollo's
A quantity of small square pretzels equal to the number of Rollo's

Heat oven to 350degrees. Place pretzels on cookie sheet(s), (line with parchment paper keep clean up easier). Top each pretzel with a Rollo. Place in oven just until Rollo's melt a bit. Remove from oven and quickly top with a roasted walnut on top of each. Cool and try to each just one! Enjoy.

Tech Tip

About two dozen Roadrunners participated in the Tech Talk at the Quartzsite rally. One item discussed was a safety suggestion: while driving it is controversial whether to continue to use propane to cool the refrigerator. However, the refrigerator can instead be run off the inverter while driving. Thus the propane can be turned off. The charge from the engine might be enough to keep up with the heavy power draw of the refrigerator. (Tips are gathered from members who do their own research, not expert advice. Please consult your professional; usual disclaimers apply)

Membership Matters

This quarter's newsletter briefly introduces two member couples. One is an original Roadrunner and the other newest Roadrunners.

Bud Sherpa traveled in his 1987 5th wheel Alfa in the days when Alfa Leisure only made 5th wheels. Bud says his was the first with a slide out and at 40 feet gives lots of living space. He believes he is the last of the original Roadrunners. Bud recalls the original club campsite was located out near the front of La Posa North. Then in about 1990 he and a friend went looking out on the land for crystals. They also found the perfect place for Roadrunner gatherings, away from all the congestion. That's the place we still meet today. He said the 'Alfa' rock art sculpture came later, about 1995.

And Bud and wife Jan have been RV media stars! Both the CBS Today Show from New York and the Arizona Republic have featured them. Bud still proudly carries the TV footage and the newspaper article. The coverage included inside the 5th wheel as well as the around the campfire experience.

Bud and Jan have a place in Jamestown CA where their Alfa now parks. But they still travel quite a bit exploring the west and visiting long time friends along the way. One memorable tourist location for Jan was seeing Wall Drug in South Dakota. She said she got a big kick out of it. In this computer age, the Sherpa's do not have a computer, they tried but gave up. They do keep in touch via cell phone though.

Thanks to Bud and Jan for years of membership and friendship. (Note: The editor will be working on a Roadrunner history article with Bud for future addition to the web site. Bud has a lot of stories to tell).

Dick and Ginger Purdy heard about Roadrunners and joined at the Quartzsite rally. Dick was a structural engineer and Ginger's multiple interests took her to several different careers from nursing to a management firm. They began full time RVing on retirement in 2001 in another brand 5th wheel. They only purchased their 2002 Alfa in March 2010. So they are quite new to Alfa ownership! The Purdy's purchased a 36 foot SeeYa, and they love it.

Dick and Ginger have an interesting question for Roadrunners. Ginger said they would really like to locate their rig's prior owner. They are only interested in a little history on the coach. Ginger says they have had no problems with the Alfa; it "seems to have had the bugs worked out". What is most interesting to them is a very unusual mural on the back of the rig of two horses running on the beach. The mural is in blues and whites and covers the entire back. If anyone knows of the history of the rig, please contact the Purdy's at their email: gpurdy1940 @yahoo.com.

Dick and Ginger have a home in Caldwell ID and rent a lot in Yuma AZ in winter. They have traveled the U.S. and spent time in Canada. Along the way Ginger plays accordion in the Yuma Accordion Band and other places. Dick likes to tinker and takes painting classes.

Our Roadrunner welcome to you Dick and Ginger. We all hope to see you and get to know you better at future rallies!

Travelogue

This is the first of on going column. A place to share information about places visited not be on the usual travel horizon. Or to share helpful hints for travel and parking. If you found your way there, maybe another Roadrunner may find the information helpful in planning a future adventure. Please let me know.

For example: Want to RV to the New York City area? Ray and Editor MaryAnne did last summer. We had a fabulous visit.

A big issue with entering the NY area is bridge and overpass heights; they are much lower than in the west. And RVs are not allowed on some of the highway system either. Then there are the bridges and those tolls!

The route to drive around NY City can be a traffic complexity. We entered NY from the south through Newark NJ. It included a traffic jammed and pricey drive over the George Washington Bridge (the GW in New York speak). We much preferred our northern route on the way out.

We researched and located a great campground, convenient to both NY City and all of Long Island. It is a Nassau County park, Battle Row, located in Old Bethpage on the Nassau/Suffolk County line. Their web site is: http://www.licamping.com/camps/battle.htm The fee is $41 per night. A great deal for NY and a very nice location.

Visiting NYC: The Long Island Railroad leaves from Bethpage NY regularly. Off peak travel is $15.50 round trip. The ride is about 40 minutes long into Penn Station, lower Manhattan. Subways, buses, taxis and great walks can then take you where you want to go.

Visiting Long Island: There are beaches and lighthouses along the south shore and vineyards on the north shore. And you might even get to mingle with celebrities visiting the Hampton's too! There are also many historic sights everywhere.

So, if you think of including the NYC area on a future east coast swing, the Balzer's would be glad to help with advice and recommendations. Contact us at email: balzerfreespirit @gmail.com.

Next edition will feature a Canadian travel experience and advice for U.S. retirees, from Wayne and Jean Dunn.

Safe travels everyone!

Past Newsletters