Tom & Nancy Wills (22585)
California 49ers – Presidents
We have just returned from a 52-day trip that saw us going to Sisters, Oregon then on to our first International Rally, joining our first Newmar Caravan, visiting family in Idaho and finally heading home.
We started in Sisters, Oregon so my wife and the other ladies could attend the annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show where they had hung over 1300 quilts throughout the town. We then took about a week to travel to Rock Springs, Wyoming to attend the International Rally. This was our first International and we had a great time. We met many friends and made many new ones. Newmar sent what seemed like a small army of service technicians to work on our coaches. We were allowed an hour of free labor as well as discounted rates on any additional work. We were able to get several minor annoyances taken care of as well as some warranty items.
The seminars were amazing and provided so much great information. The Dueling Pianos entertainment was fantastic. The food… Thank you to all of the people who plan, execute and volunteer to make this event happen.
From there we joined up with 20 other coaches to participate in the Taste of the West Caravan that left directly after the rally. Over the next 23 days, our hosts Marty & Marion Marcum, along with our tail gunners Larry & Mary Roberts, had us going to some interesting places. During the first few days we toured an old prison, a museum and even had a talk about old outhouses. The highlight of our stop in Rapid City was seeing Mount Rushmore along with the evening lighting ceremony. It would not be a proper trip with the Marcums unless there was a stop for ice cream, so we had to go to Armadillo’s for a great scoop (or two). We attended the Pitchfork Fondue dinner in Medora as well as a visit to Roosevelt National Park to see the herds of Buffalo, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Prairie Dogs, and a Badger. After a short stay in Billings, Montana, we went on to Cody, Wyoming for five fun filled days that included a dinner and show, attended the rodeo, toured the Buffalo Bill Museums, took a rafting trip down the Shoshone River, had Huckleberry ice cream and a free day to explore and rest. We stopped in Bozeman on our way to our last 4 days in Yellowstone National Park where we watched Old Faithful erupt, saw Elk, Bears and Bison as well as several bubbling mud pots and other interesting natural wonders. The beauty of Yellowstone is quite stunning. By the end of the caravan, we had turned 42 strangers into friends and look forward to meeting up with them in the future.
Our next round of adventures will be the Region One Rally in Paso Robles, the Arizona State Rally, a Shelby car event, NASCAR race and the State/Chapter Rally all in Las Vegas, a jaunt over to Zion, Utah for a few days and then eventually Pismo, California for a month of just relaxing at the beach.
We can be reached at email: twill3333@sbcglobal.net or by cell at 408-839-2218.
