The Escapade officially ended yesterday, but with vendor days over on Thursday afternoon, we either had to pay for an extra night or leave by noon. We had plenty to keep us busy so we said our goodbyes and left yesterday.
It got down into the low 30s overnight and it was downright frigid when we woke up Friday morning. I was glad that I had unhooked and put the water and sewer hoses away the night before because stiff hoses are very hard to manipulate on a cold morning.
I wasn’t sure which route we needed to take out of the fairgrounds so I drove around for a few minutes checking things out. There were all kinds of RVs at the rally, everything from fifth wheel trailers to top of the line diesel motorhomes that cost more than any house I ever lived in.
There were also lots of smaller RVs, like the Class B van in the foreground of the top picture, and truck campers and this tiny Airstream in the bottom picture.
We were fortunate that we were parked in the vendor area in a full hookup RV site on gravel, with paved roads. Others were not so lucky. Days of rain and vehicles coming and going had churned the infield into a soupy mess. The fairgrounds brought several truckloads of gravel in to help people get out, but I’m sure some rigs got stuck. Recognizing that the best thing to do was to stay put, the fairground also agreed to let any RVs in the infield stay for free on Saturday night so things would have time to dry out.
Before we pulled out we visited with Russ and Debbie Davis for a few minutes and then longtime readers and friends Dennis and Gabriella Selm came by to pick up a bundle of Gypsy Journals to drop off at their favorite RV park in the Cincinnati area. Mac McCoy also came by and picked up a bundle and said his fire safety classes were a huge success, as they always are.
Blog readers Dave Evans and his pretty wife Janice showed up and picked up a sample bundle too. Janice had tried to catch us Thursday afternoon but we missed each other a couple of times. We really appreciated them making the effort to try one last time.
Thanks to everybody who came by our vendor booth, attended one or more of my seminars, and picked up a bundle of Gypsy Journals to pass out in your travels. The best advertising we have are our friends who tell others about the paper and drop off bundles of papers in their travels.
We left the fairgrounds about 11:30, stopping to say goodbye to friends Keith and Donna Green on the way. On our way out we passed the Escapees SmartWeigh crew, who were busy weighing RVs and their dinghies.
It was an easy and quick run back to Elkhart Campground. We parked in our usual site, and before we hooked up the campground utilities we replaced our two water filters. I think Elkhart and Yuma have some of the worst water in the nation and we go through a lot of filters when we’re in either place. We’ll spend the next two days catching our breath, sleeping in, and we have lots more to keep us busy. I have to get ready for my self-publishing workshop on Monday and Terry has lots of bookkeeping to deal with from the rally.
We may also do some window shopping. I’ve been thinking about upgrading from my old first generation iPad to a new tablet. I’ve narrowed it down to a Nexus 7 or a Samsung Galaxy Tab, but I’m not sure which way to go. I definitely know it won’t be another Apple product. My experience with my iMac has soured me on them forever. (Yes Greg, I know, you told me so.)
Several people have asked if I will be doing the self-publishing workshop anywhere else. This is kind of an experiment. I have many people asking me for publishing advice and I’ve toyed with expanding my seminar reach, so I’m kind of testing the waters to see what the response is to this one. Then I’ll see if it’s worthwhile to do more of them in the different areas where we travel. I love teaching and sharing and I have 35+ years of writing and publishing experience to draw from, so maybe I can help a few people achieve some of their goals. We’ll see how it goes.
Thought For The Day – You don’t need to attend every argument you are invited to.
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Nick Russell
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Hi Nick, I have had a Nexus 7 tablet for over a year now and really like it. It has a great screen and is fast and smooth. I really like that it is pure Android, without crapware, gets regular Android updates and is not dependent on a third party to update their altered system software. The Nexus 7 has become my primary device for reading blogs and websites. Highly recommended.
When you walked down to the soupy mess known as the infield you missed that someone had come in with a pop-up trailer. Now if you think that they might have gotten a bit chilled at night there was a woman with her dog that was staying in a tent. Luckily she was on higher ground avoiding a flood but staying warm at night must have been a chore. It’s been years since we slept in a tent and don’t miss it.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It’s about time.
so glad we just happened to see you guys pulling out. . .serendipity!
It was our honor to have the privilege of meeting y’all. . .I know your self publishing presentations will be a huge success. . .and it’s easy to see why Miss Terry is so loved. . .she’s very warm and caring. It only takes a few moments of visiting with her to realize that.
You guys have a wonderful summer,
Janice and Dave
We’re still in the “soupy” mess, but if we don’t get a lot more rain today, it should be doable for leaving on Sunday. One of our friends pulled out this morning and he made it without incident. I believe we’ve counted 2 rigs that have needed a wrecker to this point.
See you in class on Monday.
The folks in the pop up camper was my sister Eileen and her husband John. Hopefully this will be the last anything in the pop up John is retiring and they want a fifth wheel. Glad most got out without a problem. Send any rain left over to either TX or to California they both need rain desperately. So glad it was a good rally for you now just kick back for a couple of days and relax.
I second the Nexus 7. I have one as well and love that its pure Android direct from Google.