Cal Expo
admin | Rally Roundup | 11 29th, 2008 | Comments Off
Valley of the Rogue
Valley of the Rogue State Park, GoldHill, OR; 8-21-8/24/2008
The rally began Thursday night with a pot luck dinner and beverages. Roger Machado barbecued a tri tip roast and Joanne Simpson prepared a Caesar salad. Everyone brought dishes to compliment the dinner. After dinner we sat around a campfire. Friday began with a catered continental breakfast. Next we went to Harry & David’s for a very interesting tour. The day was concluded with a jet boat ride on the Rogue River including dinner. Everyone managed to get a little wet on the boat trip! What fun. Saturday was shopping in the historic town of Jacksonville and a trolley sight-seeing ride for some. The day was completed with a great dinner at the Bella Union Restaurant. Sunday was our 3rd continental breakfast and then everyone said their good byes. The weather couldn’t have been better for this great rally.
admin | Rally Roundup | 09 9th, 2008 | Comments Off
Kentucky Derby Rally
Kentucky Derby Rally - Louisville and Lexington, KY
April 29th thru May 6th, 2008
Duane Scudder, along with his able assistant Darlene, outdid themselves once again, by organizing and shepherding a group of 17 coaches from Indio, CA to Louisville, KY for the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Along the way most of the group stopped in Oklahoma City for a tour of Freymiller Trucking, a major mid-south trucking company. (The Freymillers, who live at Bob Lee’s Desert Shores, were with us on this trip.)
Upon arrival in Louisville on Thursday, April 29th the coaches were all parked at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds, which is less than a mile from Churchill Downs. A headquarters tent was set up nearby, and the group got busy the first evening with a serious cocktail party.
The following day, Wednesday, started with a Continental breakfast, followed by free time until 2 pm when a bus furnished by Prevost arrived to take us to the Ohio River for Steamboat Race on the Belle of Louisville. While we were having a sit-down dinner and trying to watch the other competing steamboats, the crew of our boat did some creative cheating which led to a First Place finish for our guys.
On Thursday, May 1st, we were bussed to Churchill Downs for brunch in the Turf Club, which overlooks the race track. Brunch was followed by a tour of the Churchill Downs Museum and much of the Grandstand and Paddock area. The bus then ferryed the group to downtown Louisville, where we toured the Louisville Slugger Bat factory and the Muhammad Ali Museum. To top off the day we had dinner at the Buckhead Mountain Grill, across the river, on the shore, with a grand view of downtown Louisville. The bus dragged the tired group back to their coaches after a wonderful, full day.
Friday was a more leisurely day, free time after the Continental breakfast until 5 pm. The Prevost driver took a group on a spontaneous shopping trip to a nearby Mall. At 5 we were bussed back across the river to Clarksville, Indiana where we arrived at the Derby Dinner House. There we dined and were treated to a quite professional production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
Saturday is Race Day! Big Contimental breakfast. Bus to the Downs. Big crowd! Really BIG crowd! Lotsa horsing around! Big Brown wins the big one! By a big margin. Big, big traffic jam after the race. Some of us walked back to the Fairgrounds, some waited a couple of hours to catch a bus back. Big Day! Worth all the hassles.
Sunday, May 4th, we departed Louisville in our coaches and drove about half way to Lexington, then stopped at Claudia Sanders Restaurant (The Colonel is gone you know?) for a sumptuous Sunday Brunch. You’ve never seen a more creative parking job, 17 coaches in a small parking lot, but it fell into place. After brunch we continued to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and got settled into our RV spots there. The rest of the day was ours to do as we pleased.
On Monday the group was bussed to Keeneland Race Track, where we had breakfast at the track kitchen with jockeys and trainers, toured the race track facility and met the jockey of Seattle Slew. In the afternoon many of the group visited the Horse Park, after which Larry Finegan convened a Delta Sierra business meeting. Later Mary Alice and Jerry Bueser furnished champagne, as is the custom for those of us who purchase a new coach.
Tuesday, the final day of the rally, Prevost once again carried the rally attendees to several stud farms that are usually not open to the public. Back at the Horse Park we finished the rally with a catered Southern Style dinner at the campground, a suitable “Farewell” for the group.
Thanks to the Buesers for plenty of Champagne at the tent, usefull for Mimosas in the morning and “Sleep Aid” in the evenings. As purchasers of a new Country Coach, they have thereby performed their mandatory Champagne duty.
Duane and Darlene did a wonderful job, and we were all appreciative! Their connections in the horse world allowed them to get us into places we would otherwise never see. They handle pressure gracefully and make things work right.
And Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou to Prevost for the bus and bus driver time!!! They really do support us! Also, thanks to Buddy Gregg for providing a Country Coach demo bus, chauffered by Brian Dunlap and his wife Renee. We all appreciate the part our sponsors play in making Delta Sierra rallys a first class experience.
Tom Cullen
T O M C U L L E N
–On The Road–
760 399-6247
admin | Rally Roundup | 08 12th, 2008 | Comments Off
Lost Lake Rally
Lost Lake Rally, Lacey (Olympia Suburb) WA
July 18th thru July 23rd, 2008
Marsha and Ted Lewis did a superb job of organizing and staging a very successful rally for 17 coaches at a deep forest location with a small lake, located just north of Olympia, Washington. Marsha and Ted’s co-hosts, Dave and Connie Whitson, found it necessary to rush Connie back to the Southern California desert for emergency surgery, after she fell and injured her knee. They did return in time for the rally, and were able to help as much as they could. Some of the early arrivals celebrated Marsha and Ted’s anniversary prior to the official start of the rally with drinks and dinner hosted by Marsha & Ted at the Lost Lake Club House overlooking the lake.
This rally was a winner from the moment of arrival, as we were assigned fantastic sites, all within walking distance of each other. Our arrival package contained all the normal information concerning the rally, and some marketing info about attractions in the local area. Along with the package we each received an ultra-suede jacket, tan for the men, and black quilted for the women. These were first class Tehama jackets, and we all were thrilled with them.
The social on the first night was at the clubhouse on the lake, where we all had a great time. The owner of the Lost Lake Resort and some of his employees were there with us. The park owner did not charge us for the RV spaces, based upon the fact that his sites are for sale, as well as for rent. He did get some action from a few of our members, but we are unsure if any deals were made. Some of our members (3?) already own lots there.
On Saturday the 19th, after our (daily) Continental Breakfast, we had free time until the early afternoon, when we boarded the Prevost Bus (furnished by our friends at Prevost). The bus took us all to the Smal town of Gig Harbor, across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, where they were having an Arts Festival. After spending some cash there, we joined together in the nearby Tides Tavern, where we had a great time drinking and eating with a full view of Gig Harbor, which is a small bay on Puget Sound.
On Sunday the 20th, after our Continental Breakfast, we boarded the Prevost bus for a trip to Seattle, where we saw the Seattle Mariners play The Cleveland Indians at Safeco Field. Courtesy of Jeff Graham, the owner of Lost Lake Resort, we occupied a luxury! suite with indoor and outdoor seats, lots of food and drink. Good game, good socializing and an efficient bus ride to and from Seattle. We topped off the day with a beach side barbeque by Marvelous Marv at the Lost Lake Clubhouse.
Monday morning, after the Continental Breakfast, some of the guys car-pooled to the ocean-side town of Westport and toured a very upscale yacht manufacturing company. After they returned to Lost Lake we all boarded the Prevost bus again, and headed back to Seattle, where we boarded a large ferry and were taken to Blake Island, a small island in Puget Sound. There we disembarked at Tillicum Village, where we had a salmon dinner cooked by Indians using their age old methods. We also had a dinner show featuring Native American entertainment.
After a few days of heavy rallying, we were awarded a day off on Tuesday, the 22nd. I believe that most of the female rally participants spent some time at the world’s largest bead store, Shipwreck Beads, which was nearby in Lacey. A couple of the ladies (who happen to be related to each other) blew their entire year’s bead allowance. Others did some exploring of the local area around Olympia, which is not only the Capitol of the State of Washington, but a sizable port on Puget Sound.
The final day of the rally was Wednesday, the 23rd. Following a full, catered breakfast, which was truly wonderful, we had a Delta Sierra Business Meeting. This being the conclusion of the rally, some attendees headed for home, while others stayed over for a day or so.
This was a really wonderful rally, enjoyed by 12 member coaches, 2 potential member coaches, and 3 guest coaches Thanks to Ted and Marsha Lewis and Dave and Connie Whitson, and any others who participated in staging such a successful rally. Their good work and organization was evident, and will not be forgotten. Thanks again!!!!
Thanks also to Guaranty RV, who made a substantial contribution to this rally, to Prevost Car, Inc. who furnished a bus and driver, who came from Eugene, OR, for three full days, and to Marathon Coach for their consideration in donating several Marathon Store items for a raffle. Country Coach also donated a few raffle items. Thanks.
Tom Cullen
T O M C U L L E N
–On The Road–
760 399-6247
admin | Rally Roundup | 08 11th, 2008 | Comments Off