Tanglewood tales

Last weeks rally at Forsyth County, Tanglewood Park, in Clemmons, NC, was another great outing. Our campouts keep getting better and better. The park was one of the nicer ones that we have visited. The sites were wide and shady. Our section, the lower numbered sites, was mostly level. The shelter was large, covered, well maintained, and had grills and a fireplace. There were plenty of long tables, and we used most of them. There were adjoining walking and jogging trails, dog parks, a farmers market on Thursday evening and Saturday morning, an aquatic center, horse stables with hourly rentals, tennis courts, lakes and ponds for fishing, two golf courses, and a lot of quite acreage. The park is the former R.J. Reynolds summer estate, one of many large estates the Reynolds family once owned in the Carolinas.

Some of us arrived as early as Monday, with most coming in on Thursday and Friday.  Thursday night we went out to a nearby Greek restaurant. we had a large section in the rear reserved for us. The food choices were varied, the prices were reasonable, the service and the food quality was good. We lingered inside and outside, after the meal, talking and planning our weeks events. Most of us met back up at the campground shelter and chatted away till the rain started. The forecast was for rain most of the weekend but this was the only rain we got. The rest of the weekend we enjoyed cooler temperatures and some nice breezes.

Friday most of us split up looking for our own adventures. Some went to Campers Inn to look at new RV's and shop for supplies. Others went to Walmart, or one of the nearby grocery stores, to stock up for the weekend. I think there were also some excursions into nearby Winston-Salem for lunches and shopping. Friday evening we were treated to snacks and a Low Country Boil by our host Ed and Martha Calkins, and their son Brandon, who was our visiting chef for the evening. He was assisted by his two boys. With members and guests, who came in just for the evening, we had about twenty five people for dinner. Our guests included; Kirk and Randy from Campers Inn, who brought gifts from the dealership for us. Potential new members, David and Rebecca Vaughn, who live nearby, also stopped by. Dinner was followed up by a couple hours of conversation and games.

Low Country Boil

Seems like all we do is eat.

Are you complaining?

Saturday was another free day with some leaving the campground for nearby excursions, and others spent the day enjoying the great weather and good company, in the campground.  Our hosts gathered us all for a homemade ice cream social, at their camper, in the early afternoon. As always when camping, we found ourselves adapting to what life brings, when one of our hosts ice cream churns refused to work. Luckily, another member soon came to the rescue with their own churn, and we didn't miss a beat. Dinner was again provided by our hosts, and was supplemented by everyone else. The main course was meatball subs, with several cold salads and lots of desserts. More conversation, a club meeting, and games followed, ending in a family duel between Minnie and Jim Hale. Minnie prevailed, and was the nights big winner.

Ed - When is the ice cream going to be ready?

Hold your horses!

Sunday found most of us not wanting the weekend to end. As usual, most of us gathered here and there, saying our goodbyes. One by one we packed up and pulled out, vowing to see each other in October at our next scheduled campout.

Mount Airy, NC June 2015 Camp Out

The Piedmont Allegro Club just completed one of it's best camp outs. Twenty people attended the rally at the Mayberry Campground, just outside Mount Airy, NC.  We had rain, sun, wind, mechanical breakdowns, and we all had a great time!

The rally started with most of us arriving on Thursday.  The Norris's were our hosts, and just like last year, they had problems with their coach.  Their son and daughter in law saved the day by bringing up their new fifth wheel for Alan and Cathy to use during the rally.  That night we all went out to dinner at the Depot restaurant, in nearby Dobson.  The menu was varied and well priced. This writer got a seafood platter which was so big I took most of it home and got two more meals out of it. The restaurant was great for our large party of eighteen, and there were several other large parties there at the same time. We returned to the campground and sat in our shelter talking till late.

Waiting on dessert

Dinner at the Depot

Friday found us splitting off in several directions.  Many went into Mount Airy to shop and have lunch. Some went in search of bargains to flea markets and garage sales in nearby towns.  Others went to the large open faced granite quarry near town, for a tour. Others just vegged around the campground, reading, talking, and most importantly - taking a nap.

Friday night Kirk Wells, and his buddy Randy, came over from Campers Inn in Mocksville, to cook us another one of their famous steak dinners. They brought everything from appetizers to dessert. The steaks were cooked to order and were too large for the plate. After dinner we had a short chapter meeting. Later, most of us just pulled up our chairs and sat around gabbing for a few more hours.

Dinner preparations under way

Martha placing her order

No talking - just eating

Kirk enjoying his labor

Saturday was pretty much a repeat of Friday, with some going to nearby Fancy Gap, VA to shop and have lunch, while others went on Walmart runs,  found a flea market for bargains, or went into Mount Airy for the day. 

Saturday night the club sponsored an Italian dinner night, with our hosts Alan and Cathy Norris doing most of the work. Cathy prepared a very large pan of lasagna which had to be cooked in the campgrounds gas oven at a nearby shelter. Unfortunately for her she found that the oven flame had a mind of it's own, going out during cooking, which caused  a short delay in dinner service.  Once we got started the skies opened up, as we huddled under our shelter, eating, talking, and watching the pouring rain. After dinner the games and stories began. Everyone had a great time with a lot of laughing and carrying on.  Most went off to bed, with a few night owls staying up late swapping lies.

Sunday found us all reluctantly packing up for the ride home.  After long good byes we all departed, promising to get back together in Clemmons, NC at Tanglewood Park, in August.

More pics:

Spring Campout - Zooland Campground, Asheboro, NC

Our club just returned from it's first campout of 2015. Five couples camped at the Zooland Campground in Asheboro, NC beginning April 8th through April 12th. Two other couples came into the campground on Saturday, April 11th, to spend the day with us.

We started out with the Holmes and the Hales (the campout hosts) coming in early on Wednesday. They socialized the day away and went out to dinner that night. The next day, Thursday, the Morris's and Branson's (both new couple members),  and the Calkins, arrived.  We all socialized around the Hales RV on and off during the day and then the Hales hosted a welcome "Mexican Fiesta" meal in the campground club house. This was followed by a couple hours of socializing. On Friday we all split up, with some going to the Asheboro Zoo, some going into town to sight see and shop, while the others just lazed around the campground. That night we got together in town for a dinner followed by a couple hours of bingo and card games back at the club house. On Saturday the Snow's and the Browns came into the campground to visit with us and stayed for the nights festivities.

Saturday night was a pot luck at the club house. All the dishes were excellent, and as usual, we had way to many desserts - but they were sure good. Our meeting followed, then a card bingo game, with two very happy winners. We followed this with a small goodies grab bag giveaway, one to each couple. Then each member was forced into committing the crime of theft, of one item, from another couples booty pile. A Tiffin visor cap became the most coveted item - with four thefts before it finally found a home. Then came the grand door prize drawing, which the Snow's won - this grand prize included several larger assorted items, including another Tiffin visor cap, which made Pat Snow, an earlier visor cap theft victim, very happy.

Sunday morning found most of us standing around saying our goodbyes and getting off to a late departure. Hope everyone made it back home, or where ever, safely. See you all in June, from the 11th through the 14th, at the Mayberry Campground in Mount Airy, NC (note the change of location).

April 9-12/2015 Asheboro, NC - Campout Plans

Welcome everyone!  We are looking forward to getting this camping season started.  Here is what we have planned for the weekend.

Arrive on, or before, Thursday, April 9th. If you have to wait until Friday to come, that's OK too.

Thursday, April 9, 2015: 6:00 pm:   Mexican snacks and dessert.  Chat time to catch up on what has happened over the LONG!!!! winter.  Please bring your own drinks and dinner service.

Friday, April 10, 2015:  Free day: there are lots of things to see and do in the area.  Enjoy your day. Dinner at 5:30pm - Golden Corral in Asheboro.  A room has been reserved.

Saturday, April 11, 2015:  Dinner at 6:00. Turkey and ham will be provided. Please bring a covered dish for everyone to enjoy with your own drinks and dinner service. Meeting after dinner with games to follow.

Sunday, April 12, 2015:  Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.  Travel safely and we look forward to seeing you all at the next campout, June 11, 2015 at the Blue Ridge Parkway KOA, in Fancy Gap, VA.

Contact the hosts, Minnie and Jim Hale, if you have any questions.

Reminders for 2015 Campout Registrations

Just wanted to remind all of you members and friends that our first two campouts in 2015 need to be registered for very soon.

The April 9-12 campout at the Zooland Family Campground in Asheboro, NC requires registration directly with the campground no later than March 9th. The June 11-14 campout at the Blue Ridge Parkway KOA in Fancy Gap, VA requires registration through KOA's nationwide reservation  system no later than March 31st.

See our Upcoming Events page for additional details.

Winter time member news

Just thought I would update our blog with some recent member news.

Most of our retired members and friends seem to be escaping the cold by wintering in Florida this year. Martha and Ed Norris and Ed and Martha Calkins are in Clermont, FL at the Thousand Trails campground. Tom and Pat Snow are in Davenport, FL. Jim and Minnie Hale are in Stark, FL. Russ and Marcia Harper and David and Michelle Zaborski are also in Florida. I called David yesterday and caught them out on the water in the boat - must be nice. Don and Kathy Holmes just got back from Florida and Red Bay, AL. While they were in Florida they went to the Florida Super RV Show in Tampa for five days - lots of exciting new RV styles and innovations coming out this year. Tiffin was well represented by Lazy Days. They had at least fifteen new Tiffin coaches on hand to walk through - half of them had sold signs on them by Friday, with two more days of the show to go.

I know everyone is eager to start the club camping season this year so don't forget to check out the Upcoming Events page of this website for all the latest information. Also, remember that you need to reserve your camping site early - March 9, 2015 is the deadline for the April campout in Asheboro at Zooland Family Campground - March 31st is the deadline for the June campout in Fancy Gap, VA at the Blue Ridge Parkway KOA Campground.

That's all to report for now. Enjoy the rest of your winter - where ever you are. Remember to Subscribe to This Blog (see right side of page) for automatic blog updates to be sent to your e-mail.

Holiday Luncheon at Campers Inn, Mocksville, NC

The club had its holiday luncheon on 12/6/2014, courtesy of Campers Inn, Mocksville, NC. There were thirty three members and guests fed and entertained for the better part of three hours. Campers Inn stepped up to host us when our previous plans got unexpectedly derailed by the closure of the Farmhouse restaurant in Salisbury. Kirk Wells and the management and staff of Campers Inn made us feel right at home.  The weather was a little dreary with a cold rain all day. Luckily for us Campers Inn had cleared out a large portion of their interior showroom and sales floor. They set up several tables and chairs where we could leisurely sit and eat, and they had three tables full of food and drinks. 


Everything started when we first walked in the door. The whole showroom was decked out for the holidays. The staff greeted each of us with a warm smile and a big welcome. The Christmas tree awaited us right by the front door. We soon surrounded it with our Toys for Tots donations.  All kinds of toys and games for all ages of girls and boys - surely enough to fill Santas sack. More than one customers child passed by with a slow and very longing look.

We milled around socializing for about an hour while the main courses were finalized and carved. Tables full of appetizers and drinks kept everyone happy. Several guest couples became new members by submitting a club application.

Thanks to Kenneth Combs - our chef

After some brief opening words of welcome made by: Jim Weiss - General Manager, Kirk Wells - Sales, Ron Bradley - Service, and Kim Duman  - Parts and Store, we all sat down to a buffet meal of turkey and ham, served with all the traditional side dishes. 

Then there was the dessert table. A long pan of fresh hot peach cobbler with a thick and crunchy crust, a tall pumpkin cheese cake that could not be resisted by most of us, and of course, lots and lots of good old southern pecan pie.





After lunch, Ron Harvey  A/K/A Sleepy Ralo, a Campers Inn associate, entertained us with a guitar solo of some tunes from the early days of country and bluegrass music. 

Never seeing a guitar he didn't like, and want to play.  McRoy Gardner, one of our clubs own music makers, couldn't resist pickin out a quick tune from one of his bluegrass recordings as "Sleepy Ralo" looked on.



Later, we took the opportunity to have a short business meeting of the club. Our 2015 camp out schedule was reviewed - see the upcoming events page for more information. Then we moved on to some presentations.

The active club members gave club president Martha Calkins, and husband, Ed, a holiday gift for all the hard work they do on behalf of the club. New members Jack and Dona Branson won the door prize drawing. Campers Inn gave all the participants a gift basket and a gift certificate to use in their store - which several members used before leaving. Martha and Ed gave all the members a holiday gift. 

Before leaving lots of us took a few minute to tour through that beautiful 2015 Tiffin Allegro Red that you see in the background of several of these pictures. I am not sure, but I think Campers Inn might have found a future buyer for that motor home here today. Only time will tell.

Martha presiding over Ed, her husband

Everyone enjoying the ballads of "Sleepy Ralo"

Gifts from Campers Inn