Tag Archives: BTTB Rally

2014/01/04 (S) Rally Articles

Our site at WCRVR with our sign!

Our site at WCRVR with our sign!

Our sign.  (Normally reserved for 4 month or longer stays.)

Our sign. (Normally reserved for 4 month or longer stays.)

In addition to writing blog posts I have written three articles in the last five months on RV rallies.  One was on the GLCC/CCO rally last August in Clio, Michigan and was the cover story for the October issue of Bus Conversion Magazine.  I wrote an article on the September 2013 GLAMARAMA rally for the November issue of our GLCC newsletter.  I rewrote that article from a different perspective and BCM ran it as the cover story for the January 2014 issue.  Although different from writing a personal blog, these articles still retained the perspective of personal experience.

Our patio and picnic table.

Our patio and picnic table.

Gary Hall, the owner/publisher of BCM, knew we planned to attend the Arcadia Bus Rally in Arcadia, Florida between Christmas and New Year’s and asked if I would cover the event for the magazine, which I agreed to do.  That made for a different experience, putting me in the role of a reporter with a publisher and editor expecting an article by a certain deadline.  We returned to Williston Crossings RV Resort on the 1st, got settled in on the 2nd, I got to work on the article on the 3rd, and had a complete draft by bedtime today, although I still needed to have Linda proof-read it in morning and then send it off to the rally organizers to fact check.  I will spend the next two days selecting and processing photographs.  I also heard from Gary and Mike Sullivan, the BCM editor, that the article was back on as the Feb 2014 cover story, putting me on a short timeline to get it to them.

The fire pit at WCRVR.

The fire pit at WCRVR.

I can work at this kind of task for long periods of time, but eventually I have to get off my butt, move around, and clear my head.  Williston Crossings RV Resort is an excellent place for walking and I went twice today with Linda.  (She does her first/power walk in the morning without me.)  Resort volunteers build a big fire in the covered fire pit on Friday and Saturday evenings unless there are high winds.  The fire pit is surrounded by rocking chairs and benches and is a social event for some of the resort residents, especially those, like us, that hail from more northerly places.  We went over after dinner, sat by the fire for 90 minutes, and made some new acquaintances.  While most of the residents were hunkered down avoiding the temperatures in the upper 40’s we felt like we were on a fall camp out back in Michigan, complete with a smoky campfire. 

New friends around the campfire at WCRVR.

New friends around the campfire at WCRVR.

 

2013_08_18 (Sun) Every Rally Has An End

Every rally has an end, and today was the last official day of the Back To The Bricks Rally in Clio, Michigan.  One of the differences between larger national/area rallies and smaller chapter/SIG rallies is the ending.  Larger rallies often end with entertainment or an activity on the final evening.  There are no official/planned activities on departure day.  Attendees have generally come from a large geographic area and sometimes have long distances to travel upon departure, so RVs start leaving first thing the next morning, often as early as 6 AM.  Smaller rallies, by comparison, are often attended by people who are somewhat more local to the rally site, and are already acquainted with the other attendees.  The final day of the rally usually includes breakfast, after which there are still lots of conversations.  RVs start to leave based on personal commitments, but the departure is slower and a bit more spread out.  Some folks may even remain for another evening or so, depending on the rally site.

And so it was with the 2103 BTTB Rally.  Departure day was the fancy breakfast day.  We still had coffee, juice, muffins, Danish pastry, bagels, and fruit—just like we have had all week—but today there were also pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausage.  (Not for us, of course, but they were enjoyed by most everyone else.)  Even as conversations continued all of us started putting the venue back in order.  Grills were loaded onto trailers, leftover food was divided up among those who wanted it, and we carried six or seven picnic tables from the pavilion back to the meeting building.

I left mid-morning in the car and drove back to the house to get Linda.  A few coaches had left before I did, and more were gone by the time we got back around 1 PM.  By mid-afternoon most of the attendees had departed and by dinner time there were only two coaches left; ours and the Lintners’.  Marty was still at the site dismantling the temporary power drops he had installed for the rally and we invited him and Pat to join all of us for dinner out.  We went back to Sullivan’s Black Forest restaurant in Frankenmuth and had a nice meal enhanced by good conversation.  The Linderman’s Framboise Lambic Belgian wheat ale was just as good tonight as it was this past Wednesday.

Marty dropped us back at our coach and he and Pat went on home.  Pat, Vicky, Graciella, Linda, and I sat outside and talked until it got dark and the mosquitoes started to bite.  Graciella came in our coach to play with our cats and chat for a while until her grandma decided it was time for her to come to their coach and settle in for the evening.  So ended the official last day of the rally for us.  Sometime tomorrow we will dump our holding tanks at a nearby RV business and then head back to our house; we just don’t know exactly when we will do that.

 

2013_08_15 (Thu) Back To The Bricks Rally – Day 1

Today was the official first day of the Back To The Bricks Rally (BTTB), and more of the attendees arrived today.  The BTTB rally is a joint gathering of the FMCA Great Lakes Converted Coaches chapter (GLCC) and the Converted Coach Owners (CCO), an independent group of folks most of whom have done their own bus conversions.

With 22 rigs expected this is one of the largest GLCC rallies of the year and has become an annual event.  It is organized and run by Ed/Janet Roelle, and Marty/Pat Caverly.  Bob Shafer was also one of the original organizers, but now spends his time in Florida and is unable to attend.

The day started with breakfast in the pavilion starting at 7:30 AM, provided as part of the rally fee.  We had coffee, fruit, bagels, Danish pastries, and muffins.  The air temperature was in the upper 40’s to start, but the coffee was very hot so it all balanced out.

Arrival day at an RV rally is always exciting as each new arrival reconnects friends, makes friends of acquaintances, and provides new acquaintances who may become future friends.  Around mid-morning a group of the women went looking for garage sales in the area; a tradition at this rally.

Larry and Alma Baker pulled in around noon; the first new arrivals of the day.  Larry is the current GLCC president.  Pat and Vicky Lintner pulled in with their grand-daughter Graciella, around 12:30 PM.  Pat is the current GLCC national director.  (For the record, Linda is the current GLCC treasurer.)  More arrivals followed and by dinner time we had 15 rigs and folks from Wisconsin who came by car as their bus was out of commission.

As more people arrived, conversation groups formed and disbanded throughout the day.  Converted coaches are usually works in progress, so when converted coach owners get together there are always tours of interiors and lots of looking in bays, and so it was today.

The evening meal was provided as part of the rally fee.  We had a variety of fresh veggies, chips and salsa, fresh fruit, bean salad, and several main dishes including Swedish meatballs and nachos.  Ice cream with toppings was served for dessert.

Most of the attendees gathered in the pavilion after dinner for continued conversations, but it cooled off quickly after the sun set.  Folks who arrived today were also tired as traveling, arriving, and setting up are a bit of work.  By 9 PM everyone had retreated to their RVs for the night.

Larry (L) talking to Ed (R) in front of Ed's coach.

Larry (L) talking to Ed (R) in front of Ed’s coach.

Bill and Barb’s GM schoolie pulling in.

Bill and Barb’s GM schoolie pulling in.

The schoolie with the Clark's 1955 GM 4104.

The schoolie with the Clark’s 1955 GM 4104.

Dennis and Bernadette’s Class B.  (They left their big bus at home.)  Notice the very nice temporary power panel, thanks to Marty's work.

Dennis and Bernadette’s Class B. (They left their big bus at home.) Notice the very nice temporary power panel, thanks to Marty’s work.

Two more rigs in the arrival area.  The driveway into the Fireman’s park can easily handle four rigs with toads and this is where we unhooked our cars.

Two more rigs in the arrival area. The driveway into the Fireman’s park can easily handle four rigs with toads and this is where we unhooked our cars.

Preparation of fresh veggies for dinner.

Preparation of fresh veggies for dinner.

A couple of conversation groups before dinner.

A couple of conversation groups before dinner.

Another group under a patio awning.

Another group under a patio awning.

The long dinner table.  (There was a shorter one off camera to the right.)

The long dinner table. (There was a shorter one off camera to the right.)

Ice cream and toppings for those who wanted it (which was almost everyone).

Ice cream and toppings for those who wanted it (which was almost everyone).