February 2006

Parking for FMCA’s 75th International Convention will commence on Saturday, March 18, at 7:00 a.m. Please display your admittance card on the front windshield, lower left hand corner of the passenger side.

Frostbite is defined as damage to the skin and underlying tissues caused by extreme cold. In its most severe stage, frostbite can cause the skin and tissue to freeze and turn gangrenous, requiring the affected body part to be amputated.

Families will be assigned a day and time of admittance based on the date their registration is received at FMCA headquarters in Cincinnati. All registrations will be divided equally over a three-day period.

Nestled at the foot of the colorful Calico Mountains in the high Mojave Desert, midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, is the nicest little ghost town you would ever want to visit. Called Calico, it was the site of the richest silver ore discovery ever recorded in Southern California history.
Like all mining towns, Calico had good times and bad times.

It’s the unplanned things that make life fun, and because he recognizes that, Matt Jenkins, F307407, can put merriment into any FMCA gathering. He says his best shows happen when a crowd participates and you’re not sure what will happen next.
Similarly, Matt really didn’t plan to join FMCA and be favored by motorhomers.

A two-lane road from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Hoover Dam snakes across the countryside, through landscape that hasn’t changed in thousands of years. As you crest a knoll, Lake Mead looms ahead like an enormous oasis in the middle of the desert.

What to do about the mail is always a concern for the traveling family. Motorhomers who enjoy extended summer trips or winters in warmer climes and full-timers who travel wherever the winds may take them are especially aware that keeping up with the mail can be a source of frustration and worry.
FMCA’s mail forwarding service* was instituted as a member benefit so that families might enjoy their travels without having to worry about when and where they would receive their mail.
FMCA members who wish to sign up for this service are asked to follow the procedures listed below to ensure uninterrupted mail service once they depart.
1.

Effective January 1, 2001, FMCA contracted with MEDEX Assistance Corporation to provide active family and life members with coverage under the MEDEX PLUS Program. This program helps traveling members to effectively manage the complexities and expenses of out-of-area medical and travel emergencies.

Updated information regarding the many benefits and services available to members of the Family Motor Coach Association.
Membership in the Family Motor Coach Association brings with it a wealth of benefits that are of value to the motorhome traveler. Some of these benefits are obvious — the subscription to Family Motor Coaching magazine, for example — and some are not so obvious.

Back in 1851 my great-great-great grandfather Washington Peck traveled by horse-drawn Conestoga wagon through fledgling Los Angeles on his way to Sacramento and the gold fields. Fortunately for me, he kept a detailed journal of his travels.

NASCAR drivers do it. Golf pros, bull riders, and hot-air balloon enthusiasts do it, too.

Fixing jalousie window openersWe love having jalousie windows in our motorhome. They can be left open when it rains and we can enjoy the fresh scent provided by the shower.

Envision Series A27W221 TV/computer monitorThe Envision Series A27W221 from AOC Displays is a 27-inch HDTV-ready LCD TV that also can function as a PC monitor. The wide-screen TV, with 1280 by 720 lines of resolution, is said to have excellent clarity, and with its extremely wide viewing angle, everyone is able to enjoy the show no matter where they’re sitting.
Multiple inputs allow users to add a satellite/cable receiver, a DVD player, a game console, or a computer.

Alabama Bureau Of Tourism & Travel
P.O. Box 4927
Montgomery, AL 36103-4927
(800) 252-2262
www.touralabama.org
Alaska Travel Industry Association
2600 Cordova St.
Suite 201
Anchorage, AK 99503
(800) 862-5275
www.travelalaska.com
Arizona Office Of Tourism
1110 W.

You needn’t polish your halo before chasing after the stately spires encountered during the Painted Churches Tour, which originates in Schulenburg, Texas. They may look like typical country churches on the outside, but the interiors of these houses of worship are mini museums of Old World heritage and artistry.
They’re called “painted churches” because of all the wonderful painting on the inside, tour guides explain.

The word ferret is often used as a verb, but in this column we’re interested in the furry little critters you seldom see in the wild. The black-footed ferret was once common in the prairies and grasslands of North America, from central Canada to Texas and farther south.

Following is a list of advice, books, reminders, and places to find products that will help to keep your life on the road happy and healthy.
Have any ICE?
When you’re unable to speak for yourself because of injury or illness, what is the fastest way to get word to your loved ones? To first responders, “ICE” stands for In Case of Emergency. It’s one of the things paramedics and other emergency workers look for in your wallet or, more recently, on your cell phone.
Put ICE numbers where they easily will be seen.

In our own times, it can be tough to make a living. But imagine building a railroad without heavy equipment.

The Alaska Travel Industry Association’s new slogan is “Alaska B4UDie.” Many motorhome travelers put the Great Land at the top of their travel wish list and, for a lucky few, the state is a second home. Thank your lucky stars that you travel with your own kitchen, allowing you to shop for fresh Alaskan seafood and produce to prepare recipes such as these.

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Kodiak Wild Salmon Piroshki
This is my simplified version of a recipe from Kodiak Island.

Back in October 1988 a chapter called the Pace Arrow Wanderers was organized. Geographically, it encompassed FMCA members in the South Central Area.

The theme for the South Central Area’s 32nd Annual Six-State Rally, September 27 through 30, 2005, at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas, was “Return to the Yellow Brick Road.” The title was selected to carry on the “Wizard of Oz” theme that was used the last time the Six-State Area Association presented the event in Hutchinson in 1999.
The staff and cadre — led by South Central Area vice president Tony Innocenti, F56315; senior vice president Ben Loganbill, F164247; North Regional vice president Dale Johnson, F157253; South Regional vice president Dave Davies, F230525; secretary Irene Renfro, F138913; and treasurer Tom Drennon, F18175 — arrived early to prepare the fairgrounds and set up directional signs, made by sign maker Shelby Rash, F219015, in time for the volunteers’ arrival. The volunteers were from the host chapters: GMC Flatlanders, Heart of America Coachmen, Hi Plains, Midwest Prairie Schooners, National RV Central States, and Ozarks Prairie Sooners.
As the 337 family coaches, 42 display coaches, and 72 vendors began arriving, the parking crew, under the direction of parking captain Ted Snell, F242374, made parking the coaches a simple task.

Dear RV Doctor:
I have a 1994 Winnebago, gas-powered, that I have been living in since the firestorms in this area awhile back. Upon checking the batteries, I found they are dry.

Q: I have read articles on supplemental brakes until I am blue. I find I just get confused.

The telephone number listed for Sooner Coaches chapter secretary Rita Millspaugh in the November 2005 “Chapter Spotlight” column (page 44) was incorrect.
The correct number to call for more information about the Sooner Coaches chapter is (405) 820-7177.

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Here And There
Dear Editor:
The article “Old And New In Fairfax County, Virginia” (November 2005, page 100) has a map on page 103. The cartographer has placed Mount Vernon on Chesapeake Bay, over 100 miles from Washington, D.C.
Indeed, Mount Vernon is only 10 miles south of D.C.

The January issue of Family Motor Coaching always includes updated information regarding the many benefits and services available to members of the Family Motor Coach Association. I hope you are aware of them all.

As I write this month’s column, the Executive Board and committees of our association have just completed successful meetings at the FMCA national office in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Executive Board consists of the four nationally elected officers  —  president, senior vice president, secretary, and treasurer  —  along with the 10 national area vice presidents and the immediate past national president.

In the early 20th century, the United States had the largest railroad system in the world, with nearly 300,000 miles of track. Today that impressive system has shrunk to less than 145,000 miles, and more than 2,000 miles of railroad tracks are abandoned annually.
This trend provides that much more of an opportunity when it comes to the development of rail-trails.

Mandalay Luxury Division, part of Thor Industries, C847, unveiled the 2006 type A diesel-powered Presidio this past August at FMCA’s 74th International Convention in Minot, North Dakota.
New features on the 2006 Presidio include a full 84-inch interior ceiling height that expands the living area and increases overhead storage. Attractive porcelain tile has been added in the entryway, kitchen, and bathroom.