November 2002

It was a Tuesday like any other Tuesday. My wife, Ann, and I had attended the FMCA international convention in Redmond, Oregon, a few days before.

In terms of chassis and power train configurations, the Winnebago Vista represents a subtle departure from conventional type C motorhome design. On the other hand, its “house” portion incorporates the amenities, floor plan, and livability that are typically associated with type C motorhomes.

For the second year, Nashville Easy Livin’ Country RV, a Coachmen RV dealer, helped promote the NFL’s Tennessee Titans by loaning the team a 31-foot 2002 Coachmen Mirada for its team caravan. The two-week caravan visited parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama and was designed to give the team’s fans — particularly children — an opportunity to meet some of the Titans players.
From April 5 through April 20, 2002, the caravan covered 4,000 miles and visited 61 cities.

Roadmaster Inc. has added EZ Hook safety cables to its line of tow bars, tow dollies, and other towing accessories.

After a year of untangling jewelry chains, I decided that there had to be a better way of storing them. With the help of some self-adhesive hook-and-loop fastening material and some felt, this is the solution I came up with.

Most drivers will agree that it is safer to travel during the day than at night. During daylight hours, visibility usually is better (unless there is fog, blowing dust, snow, etc.) and obstacles, pedestrians, and wildlife can be seen more easily and avoided.

Nowhere does the expression “Ay, Chihuahua!” find a better fit than when it comes to describing an RV piggyback caravan aboard a train through Mexico’s Copper Canyon. It’s a trek that caravan companies know will impress you, and they’re right.
The Copper Canyon is located in the northwestern Mexico state of Chihuahua.

One might expect to find the world’s finest collections of musical instruments in Paris and Vienna. But would you believe Vermillion, South Dakota, also belongs in this category? America’s Shrine to Music Museum, located in Vermillion, a small town in the southeast corner of the state, doesn’t miss a beat.

Ancient cities that might have rivaled Rome can be found in Mexico. The Mayan ruins in Yucatan speak of mystery, as do the pyramids at Teotihuacan.

Teddy bear fever is running rampant among motorhoming ladies in FMCA’s Colonial Virginians chapter. In fact, four out of every 10 women in the chapter have happily succumbed to this epidemic.

It has been nearly 200 years since Andrew Jackson purchased the property on which The Hermitage now stands. Yet visitors to the plantation, with its stately, columned mansion, lush grounds, and historic outbuildings, are able to return to the past as they envision Jackson’s home life.
In 1804 the future president paid $3,400 for the original 425-acre tract 12 miles east of Nashville, Tennessee.

As I write this column, I have been grounded by my doctor for a few days. One of the four arteries involved in a bypass operation that I underwent in January of 1983 developed a 90 percent blockage.

Ceiling fans have been used in houses for many years. In warm weather, they do a great job of stirring up a breeze when air conditioning is not yet needed.

Many FMCA members, myself included, have enjoyed the convenience of using the telephone and Internet services provided as a member benefit through FMCA’s partner, American Telecom Network (ATN). As an agent for telephone companies, ATN is able to offer lower rates than customers can get on their own; however, ATN is not involved in providing the actual service.
Users of FMCA’s phone service through ATN currently receive the service and phone bill from TTI National, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of WorldCom.

Dear Editor:
While we were on vacation and traveling near Boise, Idaho, our motorhome was involved in an accident. A truck came across the median from the opposite direction and hit our coach almost head-on, causing it to roll over.

Q: Please give me some information on traveling in California and Nevada. My motorhome is a 42-foot Beaver and I typically have a towed car attached.

A longtime supporter and friend of FMCA passed away August 16, 2002, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dorothy Scott, L63, known as Dotty, was the wife of the late Kenneth T.

History books often give men all the credit for the establishment and growth of the United States. What these books fail to recognize, however, is the role women played in the development of this great country.

When most people think of lizards, they picture a cute little critter with a long tail and a lively disposition. But you’ll need to conjure an entirely different image for this desert reptile — it’s a real monster.

You can’t outrun taxes when you go full-timing. But full-timing likely will change the way you manage your taxes.

Let’s get rolling with several casserole recipes that are sure to be greeted at the table to a chorus of oohs and aahs. These recipes were chosen for one of two reasons: either they are easy to assemble in the coach, or they are ideal for preparing at home and refrigerating or freezing for a future trip.
To make the transition from refrigerator to oven to table easier, consider buying Pyrex Portables in places where kitchenware is sold.

The site was Hutchinson, a city affectionately known as “Hutch” to the 43,000 residents who call it home in south-central Kansas. The event was FMCA’s 68th Premier International Motorhome Extravaganza, which took place October 1, 2, and 3, 2002.

This observation from Hippocrates (circa 460-circa 377 B.C.), the father of medicine, indicates that a long, healthful, productive life requires only a moderation of effort.