Well Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Given we all have to deal with COVID, this year’s celebrations are going to be a real challenge. This too will pass and we will all look back on 2020 as one of those years we just want to forget, I know I do. But we all still need to travel down the highway of life with our fellow humans so we all will keep on keeping on.

Last time I mentioned I am wintering in Ashland, Virginia and it has gotten cold and I saw my first snowflake in over 10 years. As I was walking the puppies in the cold, I noticed my ears and hands were getting cold – I have some wiz bang gloves and ear muffs in storage (someplace) but I suspect I would never find them so I bought a knit hat, gloves, and scarf. I remember why I snowbird – in Florida you can wear shorts all year round and if your ears and hands are cold your AC is turned down too low. Next year God willing and the creeks don’t rise, I will be in Florida this time of year.

As I ponder the NKK activities scheduled in 2021 for trip planning purposes, it appears the earliest rally. I am willing to start participating in will start in June – the Virginia Wheels will be holding a Rally at the Luray KOA June 17 – 20, and I am really looking forward to that event. It will be the first rally I have attended in – well over a year and it will be good to visit with my fellow Wheels. For those of you who would like to attend you can call the Luray KOA after January 1, 2021 to reserve your site. The KOA phone number is 888-765-7222. A price has not been identified as yet but please do reserve your spot via the NKK website and do not forget to call the KOA and reserve your spot. We have had a rally there before and it is a great place to kick back and enjoy the fellowship of our fellow Newmarians, I hope to see you there.

While I am discussing rallies I will address the Virginia State Rally which will be held at the Americamps RV Resort in Ashland, Virginia, September 29-October 2. During this time the Virginia State Fair will be held about 12 miles away, so this will be a great chance to attend a State Fair. I have not attended one in years so I am looking forward to this event. The meals provided will be 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners, and 1 ice cream social. We will also have several game nights that will include the Dice Game, Card Bingo, and the world-famous Name that TV Show game Charlie & Dean introduced at one of their rallies. I simply upgraded the TV Show Game so it is very challenging, and in order to have bragging rights as a “TV Dog” you have to get 16 or more answers correct and I will give you 1 answer. The best score to date is 14, so brush up on your TV shows from the 2000’s. These are not your easy TV questions but one’s worthy of a Jeopardy category. For instance, how many of you watched Space Rangers, a great 1990s Sci Fi series? I did and I was very sorry to see it get cancelled; it was ahead of its time. So, start researching 2000 TV shows now so you can get the much coveted “TV Dog” title.

I know we all search the internet for events that our fellow Newmarians will enjoy and then schedule a rally around that event. To help with this search I stumbled onto a website that details fairs, events, etc around the country. You can search by state and date to see if you can find something that peaks your interest. Hopefully this will help you plan your rally, so here is the website:  FIND FESTIVALS.

As an update on my #4 fuel line issue, I took the coach into Cummins and they checked all fuel line connect to ensure they were tightened to spec, added 2 hangers that were not installed at factory so I am very comfortable with the diesel engine reliability. Ironically the amber engine light is still on and indicates I still have something out of operating range. I will be taking the coach back in mid-January for diagnostics to see if they can get this resolved. I guess if it wasn’t for bad luck, I would have no luck at all. Oh well such is life, beats the alternative.

I suspect we all have been enjoying our Newmar at the various parks even though there are no rallies. I have noticed a lot of “new” RVs – trailers, fifth-wheels, and Class A at Ashland. The upside is I see a lot of families with small kids RVing. I cannot tell you how nice it is to see these kids outside riding bikes, playing tag and hide and seek, and sitting around campfires making s’mores. These kids are future Newmarians in the making. Of course, with all these new to RVing folks, I have seen some interesting “mistakes”. One of my neighbors had questions about dump hoses, black and grey tanks, and the process in general. I was more than happy to explain it to him and watch as he went through the process to make sure he understood. I also saw a Class A starting to pull out and they still had their jacks down. I was able to stop them pretty quick and they were very grateful that I did stop them. His wife was outside while all of this was happening and I can only surmise no one has explained to her what the outside persons job is as part of packing up to drive off. All of this is part of the RV learning process we all went through so if you can, help these folks down the RVing highway of life.

Last episode I mentioned my windshield was cracked. I got it replaced at my site by a local business that specializes in RV windshield replacement. They did a great job and after it was installed, I noticed there was Newmar branding on the corner. Guess they had to get it from Newmar which made me happy knowing the quality of Newmar products. Also the windshield has never been cleaner or clearer.

I am really looking forward to the International Rally and the Region Five Rally next year. I am still looking at what other rallies I can attend so the adventure continues. To all my fellow Newmarians, be safe, drive careful, don’t forget your mask, and I hope to see you soon. Rally On!

We can be reached at beagleRV@gmail.com or 540-809-9830.

Michael Vreeland (20733)
Virginia State Director