Learning more and sleeping less….

Sunday-Monday, September 25-26, 2016

Sunday was a day of rest, after attending Mass and getting a good breakfast.  We had a lot of good tv to watch between the race and the Colts game.  We were thrilled with the ending of the Colts game, and enjoyed watching #24 run up front all day…overall a good performance by both teams.

Sunday afternoon, Newmar had a “first-timer’s” orientation that we attended and we met several from Indiana…including one couple from Speedway, and one from Fishers.  We learned that the president of the Indiana state Newmar Chapter lives in our neighborhood!  She isn’t here, but we know where she lives because we’ve seen her DutchStar parked in her driveway as we drive to our house!  Again, a small world!  Here’s a picture of a guy that’s not a first-timer…he’s been to a lot of Newmar meetings…check out his name tag…you get an add-on tag each time you attend a rally.

The Opening Ceremony for the rally on Sunday night was a lot of pomp and circumstance, with singing of the national anthems for both the USA and Canada, (I didn’t see anyone kneeling) and a procession of flags from each state chapter.  They gave the final tally of attendees-- 440 Newmars and 150 of those are first-timers.  There are a few “SOB’s” (Some Other Brands), which are motorhomes from other manufacturers.   

On Monday the seminars began, and the exhibits opened.  We toured the new models, and after sticker shock (or maybe altitude sickness from the sky high price sheet) we learned that we like our existing motorhome just fine!

We did a little shopping in the vendor area. and attended seminars and learned about tires and sensors, learned a lot of practical tips for traveling in an RV and learned more about the Oasis heating system in our rig. 

We learned that tire maintenance and pressure monitoring is so important…a blowout can be devastating.  Here is evidence--one of our Alaska Buddies had a blowout on the way to trade in his motorhome for a new one…luckily he wasn’t hurt, and good that he had a motorhome lined up because he needed a new one after the accident.  

I found some more interesting license plates…while walking to the seminars today…just makes me chuckle every time I see new one! 

Here’s a matching set…one for the RV and one for the car that is towed…get it…Toad!

 

 

 

Tonight there was a big group dinner and entertainment by a really good bluegrass band.  But they kept us up way too late again!  More seminars tomorrow…so early alarm clock, and not enough sleep.  Having a schedule to follow is kind of like going back to work.