A Tad To The Right, Please
Dear Editor:
I read each issue cover to cover and thoroughly enjoy the articles and “Tech & Travel Tips.” In the June 2006 issue you have an article about Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina (page 84). Being a native of Charlotte, I read the article with great interest. The only thing amiss is the state map showing the location of these cities. They should be closer to the middle of the state (still on the South Carolina border).
Thanks for producing such a fine and informative magazine.
Becky Johnston
Mountain Stream RV Park, C8850
Marion, North Carolina
Bern, Switzerland, And New Bern, North Carolina
Dear Editor:
I was ecstatic to read the article about New Bern, North Carolina, which mentioned Swiss Baron Christopher de Graffenried leading a group of settlers into North Carolina (“The Old Royal Capital Of North Carolina,” June 2006, page 92). My mother’s mother, Martha Ann Smith, was a direct descendant of the de Graffenrieds from Bern, Switzerland. How exciting to actually read something about him in FMC. I have many articles and newspaper clippings about the connection, and they still own a castle in Bern. If I were at home I’d send you a copy, but we are volunteering at the new Tillamook Forest Center in Tillamook, Oregon, as camp hosts. It’s a wonderful and exciting job and we are really enjoying our time here.
We enjoy our magazine each month, but it was especially exciting to read about a distant relative. I am familiar with North Carolina since my late first husband was from Newton Grove.
Barbi Lux, F238268
Surprise, Arizona
Community Size
Dear Editor:
The article “Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina: Tracking Two Sides of Town” by Kimberly Button (June 2006, page 84) was both well-written and informative. However, the second sentence of the article reads, “The northern part of the metro area, specifically the community called Concord, is home of the famed Lowe’s Motor Speedway.” Residents there will relate that Concord is more than just a “community” in the area. According to the 2000 Census, it had a population of 55,977.
I enjoy your articles written about areas as well as ideas for better RVing.
Keep up the good work.
Perry McGuire, F357314
Catawba, South Carolina
Twain’s Birthplace: Not Hannibal
Dear Editor:
In “Relive An Old-Fashioned Childhood At Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home,” (June 2006, page 112), the article stated that Twain was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri. Mark Twain indeed was raised in Hannibal, but he was born in Florida, Missouri. We learned this when we were in Missouri last summer and visited his birthplace. His family moved to Hannibal when he was a young boy.
We love the magazine “” keep up the good work.
Tom & Anne Davis, F353201
Jacksonville, Florida
Beaver Owners Manual Needed
Dear Editor:
We are new members and traveling in our first motorhome “” a 1991 36-foot Beaver Baronet. It has been well taken care of and is just like new inside and out. However, it’s missing the original owners manual. If anyone has a manual from the same or a similar motorhome, we would gladly pay for a copy.
We can be reached on our cell phone at (505) 220-1390 or via e-mail at dan@roanm.com.
Thank you.
Dan & Sherry Pearce, F375901
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tee Time
Dear Editor:
We enjoyed Kimberly Button’s article on Charlotte in the June 2006 issue, but we wanted to point out a glaring omission. To us, a good “track” refers to a golf course rather than a NASCAR track. Charlotte has a number of excellent courses nearby, including Rocky River Golf Club at Concord (www.rockyrivergolf.com), Rock Barn Golf & Spa (www.rockbarn.com), and Tanglewood’s Championship Course and Reynolds Course (www.tanglewoodpark.org), all with reasonable greens fees. Lee Trevino won the 1947 PGA Championship at Tanglewood, a course with a windowless, brick-box clubhouse. (See the July 2006 issue of Golf Digest for more information.) Attractions include the Quaker Steak & Lube at Rocky River, which is a sports bar designed as a service station, and the Hickory Furniture Mart, offering big-name brands at deep discounts.
For those who prefer the speedway track at Concord, we understand that you can ride eight laps in one of Jeff Gordon’s Nextel Cup cars for $75, or drive one for $400. You can even race one, with five other cars, for $3,000, if speed is your thing (see www.4jeff24.com). We prefer the open-air ride in a golf cart. In any case, Charlotte is a great venue for the August convention.
Keep these great articles coming, and see you on the first tee!
Peter & Jacqueline Von Hagen, F335884
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Safari Cheetah Owners Form Chapter
Dear Editor:
The Cheetah Club of FMCA was formed in March of 2006 so that Safari Cheetah owners could meet each other and share information. We currently have approximately 30 families on our roster and have two rallies planned in the next six months.
If you own a Safari Cheetah motorhome and are interested in joining, please contact us.
Shelley Johnson, F142057
Waynesville, North Carolina
E-mail: shelleyjohnson@cfl.rr.com
Phone: (321) 223-7970
Texas’ Big Flea Market
Dear Editor:
The article “Flea Market Deluxe” (May 2006, page 98) stated that one of the United States’ three largest outdoor flea markets was in Kenton, Texas. The correct spelling of the town is Canton, and it is located off of Interstate 20, approximately 30 miles east of Dallas.
Carolyn Coleman, F165316
Dallas, Texas
Trash At Campsites
Dear Editor:
I have been working as a security guard at a large campground in northern California near Mount Shasta . This is very beautiful country and we have a large number of people who use tents, trailers, and motorhomes. One of my jobs is to check on all campsites after the people have checked out. As a result, I am learning that about 99 percent of the campers are very nice, cordial, and cooperative people. The other 1 percent can make my job tough at times. Nearly all of the rules that we have are for the safety of the kids and others; to curtail and eliminate all fire hazards, since we are in a heavily forested area; and to keep the campsites as clean as possible.
My main complaint is how so many people leave trash behind in their campsite. The worst, in my opinion, are aluminum cans, aluminum foil, plastic items, and papers in the fireplaces or fire rings. Why don’t they put them in the trash sacks or cans like they do most of their trash? It is a dirty job to pick such things out of the fireplaces. The papers left in them can be a fire hazard due to the wind, and can scatter all over. The aluminum cans and the plastic melt and really make a mess. Aluminum foil does not burn and just adds to the mess.
Among some of the lesser things campers do is to leave bottle caps, candy wrappers, plastic sacks, bits of the plastic that they tear off of plastic wrappers and sacks when they open them, plastic spoons and forks, etc. I don’t think they realize just how much of a mess it all makes. I can’t believe that they leave such things lying around at home, so why do they leave it around when they are away from home? Believe it or not, cigarette butts are not much of a problem, although there are a few.
So, come on, people; be considerate toward the folks who will follow you into a campsite — and the person who has to clean up after you.
Bill Miner, F87269
Salome, Arizona
RVing Travel Sites Available On Internet
Dear Editor:
As former full-timers and current snowbirds, we know how helpful it is to have information when planning travel and in traveling. So we are writing to make you aware of what these groups offer. I am referring to Yahoo! Web sites called EastCoastRVing_Traveling, campingtipsgroup, and TheElks_MooseRVing_TravelingHome.
EastCoastRVing_Traveling is designed to provide information, discussion, and communication among people traveling east of the Mississippi River. Topics include inexpensive camping sites, location of dump stations, free and fee-driven Wi-Fi sites, as well as data about campgrounds that have Internet connections. Other files contain data on a variety of topics. The most important purpose is to provide a site where questions can be raised and answers obtained.
The second site, The Elks_MooseRVing_TravelingHome, is designed to give members the opportunity to exchange ideas and information and discuss topics related to the Elks and Moose lodges, and the services and activities that are provided. Also, info is available in the files related to traveling. This group is also available to prospective members of the Elks and Moose.
The campingtipsgroup has been designed to provide RVers the opportunity to discuss tips that might make their travels more enjoyable and with fewer headaches. We exchange ideas, discuss specific issues, and learn from others. Files on a variety of topics include tips on camping, checklists, recipes, Wi-Fi sites at campgrounds, Internet connections at campgrounds, inexpensive camping sites, and more.
As the moderators of two of these Web sites, we invite you to explore them. The full addresses are http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/EastCoastRVing_Traveling; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campingtipsgroup/; and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheElks_MooseRVing_TravelingHome.
Al & Sylvia Seney, F364688
Amherst, New Hampshire
Superb Paint Job
Dear Editor:
We are full-timers, now living on a fixed income. We love the way our 1995 bus conversion blends its way into our lives. We had updated the interior, yet the exterior needed updating way beyond our capabilities. We had thought our only option was to upgrade to a newer model with a cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We had contacted several places about getting our bus a new paint job, but the cost was extravagant. Then we heard about Precision Painting in Bremen, Indiana. We contacted them about having our coach painted, and received an estimate with an appointment date. I cannot tell you how satisfied we are with this new look to our bus.
Precision Painting offered us a way to update our outside look at a reasonable cost, and their customer service is exceptional, always working with us not only in design graphics and color, but in meeting our deadlines.
The employees at Precision Painting are exceptional. They understand that our bus is our “home,” and when all the painting and sanding, etc. was done, I will tell you that very little cleaning was necessary on our part. This company allows you to visit and see how the process is coming, and encourages you to nitpick the final product before release. Our 45-foot bus was painted, sanded, buffed, and done in three weeks, from start to finish. We cannot tell you how happy we are with the paint and graphics.
We encourage anyone who would like to have their motorhome or fifth wheel updated to contact Tony Box at Precision Painting at (866) 909-4473. Precision Painting gave us a quote over the telephone and when we arrived, the quote was still the same.
Please give these guys a call or visit their Web site at www.precisionpaintingrv.com.
Judy & Gary Lawrence, F248290
Kerrville, Texas
Thanks To Brake Buddy
Dear Editor:
Recently I had occasion to do some repair business with Brake Buddy. A long story made short: they made an awkward situation a very positive experience. During a time when most businesses would have contested an issue, Brake Buddy stepped up to the plate and not only resolved the situation, but they truly exceeded my expectations!
Thank you, Brake Buddy. I will forever remember your positive business attitude, and I will recommend you and your products to all who will listen.
Evan L. Evans, Ph.D., F325128
Monmouth, Oregon