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It sure is convenient to find lots of items you like to shop for, all in one place. So goes the reasoning behind setting up a multitude of motorhomes and bus conversions, not to mention hundreds of exhibitor booths, at each FMCA convention.

Daybreak is my favorite time of the day. To me, each sunrise is like a new season for an NFL coach — I never know what the future will bring, but it always looks rosy at dawn.

As you head out to see spring flowers along the highways, keep these easy recipes handy. Chicken is so versatile.

Those of us who grew up reading Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind may be saddened to learn that the beloved plantation “Tara,” like Ashley Wilkes and Scarlett O’Hara, was a product of Mitchell’s imagination. Luckily, other historic plantations do exist, and some invite the public to tour the house and/or grounds.

Whether you travel occasionally or live in a recreation vehicle full-time, the weather is your constant companion, and it dictates many of your activities. It could be said that non-travelers have a slight advantage in this regard, since the weather forecasts they receive focus on their specific locale.

Our chapter began in June 1996 in Portsmouth, Virginia, at the Seawall Festival Rally, which was hosted by FMCA’s Colonial, Cardinal, and Capitol chapters. Several rally attendees, most of whom had never been in a chapter, decided to form a new club during that rally.

Dear RV Doctor:
We just purchased an RV with an Onan Marquis generator. We went to change the oil for the first time, and after warming up the generator, we could not get the oil to drain any faster than a drop at a time.

Fuelish Question
Q: In the October 2006 “Tech Talk” column, your response in the “Diesel Fuel For 2007” (page 20) letter answered some questions I had about diesel fuel. However, I have a question that was not answered.

The “Motorhome Regulations” chart in the January 2007 issue of FMC contained incorrect information regarding driver’s license requirements in the state of New York. Motorhomers in that state must obtain a Class D license with a personal use vehicle endorsement, or “Recreational Vehicle” or “R” endorsement, if their vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 26,000 pounds or is longer than 40 feet.

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Phone Number On AD&D Certificate
An incorrect phone number was printed on the back page of the “Certificate of Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance Coverage” that appeared on pages 147 and 148 in the February 2007 issue.

We’ve made mention in past issues of the magazine that FMCA isn’t experiencing the membership growth it once was. However, I am happy to say that the membership is still being supported in the same manner as in the past.

FMCA’s international conventions are a great reason to pack up the coach and get moving. You cannot find a better place anywhere to shop for motorhomes and related merchandise.

It’s easy for motorhomers to “eat well,” especially if they frequent restaurants while traveling, but “eating healthy” may be another story. However, with a little planning, preparing nutritious meals in the coach galley doesn’t have to be a complex undertaking.

Glen R. Key, L26355, who recently turned 90, memorized the poem “A Psalm of Life” when he was in the sixth grade. In many ways, his personal and professional life have embodied these words. "I was born with the curiosity and ambition to try anything,” he said, “and I had the utmost confidence in my abilities.”

Admittedly, you can find plenty of scenic locations, breathtaking overlooks, deep valleys, and exciting waterfalls in the Southeastern United States, but when you have seen Tallulah Gorge, you will agree there is nothing like it.
The gorge, located in northeast Georgia near the South Carolina state line, impresses visitors with its 1,000-foot-high vertical rock walls, which were carved by the Tallulah River. The canyon itself is approximately 2 miles long.
The Park
There are several important stops to make in the park itself.

Simply put, there are things in life that give us pleasure, and one is the desert in springtime. With the winter rains ending and the sun each day climbing higher and higher into the northern skies, those awed by the drama and majesty of landscapes and the color of nature as it awakens are lured to Arizona’s Sonoran Desert.

Experienced travelers know that it’s often the nooks and crannies that prove to be the most interesting on the American scene. One such fascinating — and educational — region is just off Interstate 85, about 30 minutes west of Columbus, Georgia.

Wind ‘N Go Portable Lantern/RadioThe Wind ‘N Go Portable Lantern/Radio from Athena Brands Inc. provides light, radio reception, and much more.
The lantern includes nine white LEDs that operate on high or low and six red LEDs that can be used as an emergency beacon.

The second year of the “What Will You Discover? Go RVing” ad campaign, which combines TV, print, and Internet advertising with several new media outlets, began with a bang on February 14 with its debut on “American Idol,” TV’s highest-rated program.
The Go RVing spots are scheduled to continue on the hit FOX program, which airs at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, March 7 and 20.

The Leprechaun, a sprightly type C motorhome manufactured by Coachmen RV for three decades, continues to chase the pot o' gold. This venerable model has been given a fresh look and a new floor plan by its builders in Middlebury, Indiana.

Each December, members of the Carolina Ramblers chapter meet for a Christmas party and to share our good fortune with others. This year 43 chapter members attended our outing, which was held December 2, 2006, at the Yancey Village Restaurant in Yanceyville, North Carolina.

The Overland Park City Council, on November 20, 2006, rejected an ordinance that would have banned RVs 8 feet or taller from residential areas.
Existing RV owners would have had to register vehicles with the city and surrender them if they moved to a different house.
The ordinance also would have mandated that RVs be parked only beside or behind a home but inside required setbacks for the yard. Screening the vehicles with vegetation or solid fencing also would have been required.
Supporters claimed the ordinance was essential for protecting against unsightly, unsafe vehicles parked inappropriately.

For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone buying a new motorhome would not also order a patio awning for it. An awning nearly doubles the usable living area with a minimal cost in money, space, and weight.

During a warm spring rain, you can sit beneath it and sip coffee while communing with nature and staying dry at the same time.

For years, the U.S. Government Printing Office has been a good source of helpful publications on every topic from saving money on groceries to maps of major Civil War battles.

If you’ve traveled across the United States, you’ve probably seen the “Sagebrush Sea.” Sagebrush grows in eastern Washington and Oregon, most of Nevada, across southern Idaho and Wyoming, and in isolated areas in Utah and Colorado. With it covering so much territory, it was interesting to discover that nearly all varieties of sagebrush are endemic, meaning they grow nowhere else in the world.
Sagebrush thrives where the winters are long, the summers are hot and dry, and the wind blows no matter the season.
Of course, a broad range of altitudes and varied amounts of rainfall are found in an area as large as the Sagebrush Sea.

Today when you hear the word “train,” your first thought may be Amtrak. This modern railroad serves an average of 69,000 travelers each day on 300 trains.

The Converted Coach chapter was born when a small group of FMCA members who owned converted buses held their first organizational meeting in Harlingen, Texas, on March 4, 1976. They elected temporary officers who developed the chapter’s first bylaws.

The “Desert Coyote Fiesta,” the Rocky Mountain Area’s 23rd Annual Ramble, was held in Casa Grande, Arizona, October 11 through 14, 2006. Nearly 500 family coaches, 82 display and demo coaches, and 60 vendor booths filled the Pinal County Fairgrounds for four days of fun, food, and great fellowship.

Dear RV Doctor:
The head of the nylon drain plug on my water heater broke off while removing it to drain my Atwood water heater. Is there a trick to removing the remainder of the plug without damaging the threads? Hopefully, I’m not the first person to ever experience this.

Q: I have a question about a 1986 Fleetwood 22-foot motorhome that was given to our family two years ago. After using it on a couple of short trips and one longer trip out east, I would like to know if it is possible to change out the four-barrel carb to a two-barrel.

A printer’s error resulted in the insertion of an incorrect page in the January 2007 issue of Family Motor Coaching. Page 1000 of the issue, a portion of the “Directory of Sanitary Disposals,” was omitted, and page 1100 was put in its place.
As a convenience to readers, we have included the missing page in the February 2007 print edition (pages 192A and B).

You’ve told us regularly in member surveys that the most important FMCA member benefit to you is Family Motor Coaching magazine. Many members consider MEDEX PLUS to be the second most important and valuable benefit, and I’m often asked about it.
MEDEX PLUS is FMCA’s Emergency Medical Assistance Program, and it helps traveling members to effectively manage the complexities and expenses of out-of-area medical and travel emergencies.

Each November the Executive Board and committee members get together at the FMCA national office to plan the next year’s activities, take care of financial business, and discuss the issues at hand. We completed two full weeks of meetings last November 17.
FMCA, a member-owned organization, has the benefit of a solid foundation consisting of approximately 120,000 member families.

My dog doesn’t earn a living. She doesn’t have an agent, never appeared in a movie, doesn’t do rescue work, and, as a guide dog, you’d spend a lot of time standing around fire hydrants.

Not even the Georgia Department of Transportation knows exactly how many vehicles travel up and down Interstate 75 each year between the Georgia-Florida border and metropolitan Atlanta. But it’s an endless stream that includes snowbirds migrating south and north, and families throughout the year making their way to and from the famous amusement parks in the Sunshine State.

“South of the North, yet north of the South, lies the City of a Hundred Hills, peering out from the shadows of the past into the promise of the future.” W.E.B. DuBois wrote these words almost a century ago about Atlanta, and they still ring true today.
Atlanta is perhaps confused about its identity.

Their names may be acronyms, true names, or nicknames, but whatever the title, some of the newer motorhome chassis are giving FMCA members more choices in motorhome configurations than ever before.

Splatter Protection

I thought I would let folks know about a simple solution I’ve installed on my last two coaches to help keep the cooking area clean. Carefully measure the area behind the stove — from the top of the trim around the stove to the bottom of the cabinets, and from side to side — and have a glasscutter cut a piece of 1/8-inch Plexiglas to fit the area to be covered.

iWay 600c Navigation systemAccording to product literature, the iWAY 600c from Lowrance Electronics Inc. is the first portable GPS navigation device to offer dual routing capability, allowing users to navigate both highways and waterways.
The iWay 600c, which includes a 30-gigabyte internal hard drive, comes preloaded with NAVTEQ digital map data of the United States and Canada, plus electronic charts with depth contours for U.S.

Newell Coach Corporation, C47, of Miami, Oklahoma, recently collaborated with the Huntington Beach, California, design studios of Porsche Engineering to update the exterior design of Newell’s luxury motor coaches. Porsche Engineering is a division of the renowned German sports car company.
Newell engineers worked closely with Porsche designers to refine and finalize the design, which is distinctly European.

Few companies have built type C motorhomes longer than Born Free Motorcoach, a subsidiary of Dodgen Industries. The business was founded more than 37 years ago by John Dodgen and still is based in Humboldt, Iowa, where it began.

With last month’s column we began a series on hometown recipes. Here is another batch of regional specialties to try as you travel.

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.

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.

What dishes are truly local in this great land of ours? Part of the fun of travel is to search for down-home, regional recipes and the homegrown items to prepare them. Starting this month we celebrate recipes from North America’s hometowns.

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Texas Salsa
This recipe, from Richard and Betty Miller, F333547, is a zesty, Texas-style salsa.

It would be a mistake to think only painters and sculptors are artists. Writers also are artists, using words instead of brushes.

Tax expert Julian Block phoned me with an alert for full-timers who do volunteer work. “I just returned from a northern California state park where my volunteer guide was an absolute gem — an RVer who donates her services,” he said.

Wasn’t it nice of Mother Nature to provide a cleanup crew? It certainly makes walking and hiking a lot better without the remains of critters underfoot. Many readers are likely familiar with black vultures and turkey vultures soaring above, looking for something to eat.

The California Coasters chapter was organized in Pismo Beach, California, in October 1996, when 20 members put their names on the charter. In just 10 short years it’s grown to approximately 75 member families and counting.

Dear RV Doctor:
My girls and I just purchased a 1985 Minnie Winnie. We took our first “shakedown” trip and discovered two issues.

Q: I would really appreciate any direction you can provide. I have a 2000 Dutch Star diesel pusher with door steps that won’t work.