August 2005

If you travel through the hinterlands of North America long enough, eventually you’ll stumble across a sparkling gem hidden away somewhere. We discovered Medora, North Dakota, population 100, a true diamond in the rough, entirely by accident while touring the Great Plains in our 30-foot motorhome.
Medora is in the far western part of the state, only 24 miles east of the Montana state line, off Interstate 94.

Alfa See Ya Founder EditionThe Alfa See Ya Founder Edition pushes the envelope when it comes to quality and value. Especially since its price tag — approximately $165,000 — includes everything one would expect in a well-appointed, yet no-frills, motorhome.

Two new editions of popular Alaska travel books were released recently, just in time for folks heading to the “Land of the Midnight Sun” this summer.
The 57th edition of The Milepost ($25.95 U.S., $34.95 Canada; Morris Communications) includes mile-by-mile highway logs for routes in Alaska, as well as the Yukon Territory, northern Alberta and British Columbia, and the western Northwest Territories of Canada.
New in the 2005 edition are special features on five geographic areas: the Kenai Peninsula; Matanuska-Susitna Valley; Copper River Valley; West Cook Inlet; and Southeastern Alaska. The book also includes historic itineraries highlighting the building of the Alaska Highway and the Yukon Gold Rush, as well as three new driving routes: the Icefields Parkway in the Canadian Rockies; British Columbia’s Sea to Sky Highway; and the Deh Cho Connection through Northwest Territories.
The 784-page guide is available at bookstores, through online booksellers, or from the publisher: visit www.milepost.com or call (800) 726-4707.
Mike and Terri Church, F284948, released the third edition of their book Traveler’s Guide To Alaskan Camping ($21.95, Rolling Homes Press), which is designed to help those planning an RV trip to Alaska.
The book, which guides travelers along the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada, through the Yukon Territory and into Alaska, also covers the other major roads in northwestern Canada — including the Cassiar Highway and the Klondike Loop — as well as the major roads in Alaska.

Frame-Rite membership plaque holdeer from PLAK-RThe Frame-Rite from PLAK-R is said to be a safe, professional way for FMCA members to mount their membership plaque to the motorhome’s ladder, while eliminating the need to use tie-wraps or drill holes in the motorhome to display the plaque.
The mounting kit comes with two ladder mount supports and a base unit into which the membership plaque fits. Installation is said to be quick and easy.

Here is a sample of a chart that we use to help us remember which items we need to put into the motorhome when we travel and which ones come out when we get home. For each item listed, we mark a single slanted line in the box when we put it into the motorhome and then complete the “X” when the item is taken out.

Changing lanes, backing up, and performing other maneuvers in a motorhome can be challenging. Potential blind spots along both sides of the coach can make it difficult to detect obstacles, even with mirrors.

Do you remember Green Rivers, cherry limeades, and vanilla phosphates? If the names of these old-time drinks don’t ring familiar, you may be from a younger generation that missed out on such concoctions the first time around. These drinks and many others were the favorites of soda fountain denizens 50 years ago.

Near the start of the 19th century, the Corps of Discovery, a group of men led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set out to explore America’s newest land acquisition — the Louisiana Purchase. They departed on their journey from St.

Vangie Otten has coped with rheumatoid arthritis for 30 years. She’s endured 11 surgeries and continues to require various medical treatments.

Although RVing is usually associated with adults, I have a different perspective — that of a traveling teenager. Think back to your teenage years and try to imagine spending that time in an RV, traveling the country.

Disney parks around the world are commemorating Disneyland’s golden anniversary with special events to keep the dream of Walt Disney alive in all of us.

On July 18, 1954, an orange grove in Anaheim, California, began to undergo a transformation. By the summer of 1955, it had been replaced by an amusement park called Disneyland, complete with a jungle, a river, a castle, and a crowd of children and parents who marveled at this land of enchantment.

On May 5, 2005, The Walt Disney Company launched “The Happiest Celebration on Earth,” an 18-month global commemoration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary, at all 11 of its theme parks around the world.

The 50th anniversary celebration will be highlighted by the premiere of new entertainment spectaculars, adventures, and attractions at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim; Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; Japan’s Tokyo Disney Resort; and France’s Disneyland Resort Paris.

Grasshoppers are part of the orthoptera order, which also includes crickets and katydids. Members of the order are recognized for their singing ability, usually performed by courting males wishing to make their presence known.

For two weeks this past May, FMCA’s Executive Board and standing committees convened for the association’s annual spring meetings in Cincinnati. It was a busy time at national headquarters as the committees held workshops and official business meetings.
It also was a busy time at our Round Bottom Road campground, since most of our committee members come to Cincinnati for the May meetings in their motorhomes.

Is this the time of year when you traditionally travel extensively in your motorhome, or do you travel year-round? Do you follow the weather and take in the beauty of the changing seasons? In a like sense, the locations for FMCA’s international conventions are chosen in an attempt to take advantage of the climate of different parts of the country. Next month — August 15, 16, 17, and 18 — we are hoping to enjoy the days of summer by traveling to Minot, North Dakota, and I encourage you to join us at this event.
From March 20 through 23, 2006, FMCA’s 75th International Convention will be held on the grounds of Fairplex in Pomona, California.

An incorrect Web site was listed for ordering a narrated travel DVD noted in the April 2005 “Full-Timer’s Primer” column (page 156). “Traveling the Devil’s Backbone: RVing Along the Natchez Trace Parkway” by Steve and Gloria Gibbs, F321761, can be ordered for $14.99 at www.dvdrvtravel.com or by calling (248) 373-8469.

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RV Equipment Company Comes To The Rescue
Dear Editor:
This is to confirm that Family Motor Coaching magazine really is of significant value to our many friends who participate in our lifestyle.

Q: I recently had to have our motorhome, built on a Chevy P-32 chassis, towed. The ignition switch had failed and resulted in no power in any of the circuits, including the parking brake system, which requires 1,200 psi fluid pressure to release the spring-applied brake.

Dear RV Doctor:
I have a 1986 Real-Lite 27-foot motorhome with a plumbing problem that I have not been able to resolve. When using the water pump while dry camping, I vent water overboard through the city water hookup until the pressure bleeds off after the pump switch has been shut off.

Donald T. McGrath, F87335, past national vice president, Great Lakes Area, passed away on May 2 at his winter home in Lake Wales, Florida, after a long illness.

This small, friendly chapter enjoys outings in the Great Lakes region.
In 1989 when the PALS chapter was formed, members named the group by using the first letters from the words “Pace Arrow Lakers.” You had to own a Fleetwood Pace Arrow motorhome to join, and the “Lakers” part referred to FMCA’s Great Lakes Area, which is the chapter’s geographical scope.
Times change, of course, and as members replaced their coaches with other brands, they didn’t want to have to give up their friendships. So ever since July 2000, the PALS chapter has welcomed FMCA members who own any brand or type of motorhome, be it a type A, B, or C, or a bus conversion.

FMCA’s international conventions are a great benefit for our members. For a small fee, members receive a parking space and can enjoy three nights of high-quality entertainment; big band dancing, square dancing, and line dancing; seminars; crafts; a youth program; local tours; morning coffee hour and an ice cream social; and the opportunity to examine wares brought by hundreds of vendors who sell anything that can go in or on a motorhome.

Make summer trips with kids more entertaining by inviting the youngsters to participate in your meal planning. Children can help prepare some of these recipes; all are tasty treats that they’ll enjoy.
Pineapple Drumsticks
12 small or six large chicken drumsticks
1/3-cup soy sauce
3 teaspoons minced garlic
10-ounce jar pineapple jam or preserves
1/4-cup soy sauce
1 jar strained plum baby food
1 jar strained apricot baby food
Place the chicken in a large resealable bag with the 1/3-cup soy sauce and the garlic.

Approximately 2,000 years ago, nomadic people began settling down, building structures, and cultivating crops in what is now called the “Four Corners” region of the western United States. Some of the ancient structures still stand, more or less.