2017 - Enjoying the RV lifestyle

Here is the condensed story of our 2017 camping season.

In April the club went to Crosswinds Campground in Spencer, NC.  Four member couples and a guest attended this rally. We went to Blue Bay seafood restaurant for dinner on Friday night. During the days there were train events at the nearby Spencer train museum, there were outlet malls to visit, and country sightseeing drives to do. We had a potluck meal on Saturday night followed by a club meeting and a social hour.

In June we went to Crosscountry Campground in Denver, NC. Nine member couples and three guest couples meet to enjoy the Lake Norman lifestyle for a few days.  Campers Inn brought a couple of new coaches for us to tour. We split up during the days and enjoyed the local towns and communities. We went to the Sagebrush Steakhouse restaurant on Friday night, and had a potluck meal on Saturday night, in the shelter, next to the campgrounds pool. We had a short meeting after dinner followed by an alfresco game night event.

In August we went to Tanglewood Campground in Clemmons, NC. Seven member couples and five guest couples meet up in the level side of this county campground. During the day we toured nearby Winston-Salem, where the new Publix supermarket was the highlight of the tour. Some went over to nearby Campers Inn to shop at their store - they also brought new coaches to the campground for us to tour.  Friday night we all went to a nearby restaurant to eat. Saturday several of us participated in our clubs first white elephant sale.  Saturday night Kirk Wells from Campers Inn treated us to a steak dinner with all the trimmings. We had a short club meeting afterwards, followed by a couple of trivia game matches.

In October we went to Raleigh Oaks RV Resort in Four Oaks, NC. Seven member couples got together to enjoy four days of shopping at the outlet mall, touring, and solving the worlds problems around the campfire. On Friday we all went into nearby Smithfield to Fred Chasons grandsons country buffet restaurant for dinner, which was very good. On Saturday we went full German for an Oktoberfest pot luck feast. We even had costumes courtesy of our hosts. We had a meeting and a couple rounds of snack related trivia after dinner.

December 2nd was the date for our annual holiday luncheon. Most of our members were able to attend, along with several guests. Lots of food and fun was shared by all. Once again our members and friends donated lots of toys to our clubs primary charity, Toys for Tots. Thanks Campers Inn of Mocksville for once again sponsoring this event for us. And welcome to the new members who joined the club that day, and since.

Hurricane - No Problem

The areas surrounding Raleigh Oaks RV had problems with road access and flooding - but the RV park, and it's main access route,  saw little damage.

The majority of our group, fourteen members, and seven guests, arrived on Thursday, 10/13/2016. Members and guests received two welcome bags upon arrival, one from the Johnston County visitors bureau in nearby Smithfield, NC, and the other one was put together by the rally hosts. Don and Kathy  Holmes, assisted by Jim and Minnie Hale, hosted this rally. They setup the resorts rally room in a Fall theme, and hosted everyone to a welcome meal made up of light snacks and desserts. There were several small gift giveaways that followed dinner.

Friday found most of us relaxing around the campground. Some went into town to shop at the outlet mall, while others just toured around the surrounding areas. Several of the guys went into town for a hotdog lunch followed by a mini tour of the Smithfield Ham Shop. That night we went out to a local restaurant, Holt Lake BBQ and Seafood.  We had a private room, great service, and lots of good food. Upon returning to the campground several of us sat outside and enjoyed the cooler weather.

On Saturday most of us stayed close to home at the campground. There was potluck food to prepare for dinner, and lots of catching up with old and new friends to do.  We found our way back to the resorts rally room, again setup with Fall decorations by our hosts. Last minute cooking/warming and food setup were in full swing. The meal was themed as a Fall comfort food menu; consisting of soups, chilis, and a stew. There were also several salads, breads, and of course, desserts. Everyone ate too much, and there were still lots of leftovers. After dinner we had a short business meeting, followed by a game of Taboo, and several more gift giveaways. Our major sponsor, Campers Inn of Mocksville, donated a free RV detailing certificate, and a large outdoor mat, which were the major prizes during the giveaway.

Also, as part of our rally we collected a donation for our charity, Toys for Tots, and we decided to make a donation to the local food bank to assist Hurricane Matthew victims.

Minnie lookup at the camera!

Javan & Milton & David snacking

Ron going back for thirds?

Vickie, is that all your eating?

Dinner out at Holt Lake

The rest of us out at Holt Lake

Fort Chiswell RV Park - Max Meadows, VA 8/11-14/2016

Surrounded by cows on one side and sheep on the other, eight couples met for a long weekend of fun in the sun. It was a little hot but that is what A/C is for; right? If it got to much the pool was only steps away.

Some of us got in a day or two early. One couple came in a week early. We gathered on Thursday night for a dinner out on the town. A short drive to nearby Wytheville found us at the 1776 Log House restaurant.  The food was good, the comradeship was great. After dinner we headed back to the campground and sat up late catching up with old friends, and getting to know new ones. Some even went for a late night dip in the heated pool.

On Friday some of us spent the day lounging around the campground, while others explored the nearby shopping and sight seeing opportunities. That night we gathered at the campground shelter and enjoyed a delicious meal provided to us by our hosts, Alan and Cathy Norris, and David and Rebecca Vaughn. After dinner we had a short club business meeting followed by some games and more socializing, where we identified and solved most of the worlds current problems.

Saturday was another day of relaxing and/or exploring. Some drove up into the mountains and stumbled onto some gorgeous views and a little live music coming from the porch (see below picture). That night we had a potluck meal that everyone enjoyed way too much. After dinner we played a few games of bingo with our hosts, David Vaughn, calling, and his wife, Rebecca Vaughn, handing out the beautiful prize baskets she made. Thanks to them both for a great evening.

Sunday morning found us all trickling out of the park one by one, all packed up for our journeys home, or onward to life's next great adventure.

Smile for the camera Ed.	I didn't get the joke!	What you looking at?
Is that all for me?	I gotta share this!	Showing pic's of the babies.
Can we start already?	Whose ready for seconds?	Please don't take my picture!
Ooh I ate way too much!	Rain on Big Walker mountain.	Big Walker Country Store.

Tanglewood Park - Great weather - Great time

We had our largest turnout yet at Tanglewood Park over the weekend of June 9th - June 12th. Eleven member couples, including one new couple, and three guest couples attended this rally. A few arrived early, but most came in on Thursday afternoon, just in time for a night out on the town.

Thursday night we all caravan-ed over to La Carreta Mexican restaurant in nearby Advance, NC. There was some mix up with our reservation so we had to split a few couples off from the main group as they were very crowded with two other large groups. Seems like the locals also like to go on this night for the food and drink specials, so the restaurant was full. Most everyone seemed pleased with the food and the service despite the crowd.

After dinner we meet back up at the campground for desserts and socializing. Our hosts, Jack and Dona Branson, ensured that this evening was just the start of a fun filled weekend. After a couple hours we all retreated to our rigs. The night air was cool enough for open windows and fans. The park is very quite and everyone got a good nights sleep.

Friday was a shopping day for eight of the ladies. They piled into two cars and went into nearby Winston-Salem for a scouting trip of the newly opened Publix grocery store. While in town they also went to a nearby craft store, and the ever popular Mast General store. They all reported having a great time. The guys mostly hung around the campground solving the problems of the world.

Friday night, Kirk Wells, from Campers Inn, and his long time friend, Randy, hosted another dinner for us. Steaks and chicken were cooked on the grill they brought, along with sides and deserts that they spread out on a long table. We are very lucky that Kirk, and Campers Inn, have again sponsored another delicious meal for us. After dinner we enjoyed a game and socializing. We called it an early night.

Saturday found most of us socializing around the Hales rig, which was centrally located, when we were not in our own RV's, or out shopping, prepping for tonight's potluck dinner.

Saturday night found us all back in the campgrounds shelter, getting ready for a potluck feast. We had two tables full of assorted main dishes, salads, and sides, and another full table full of yummy desserts. No one complained about the lack, or variety, of food. After dinner we cleaned up and took leftovers back to our rigs. We returned to the shelter for a short business meeting and more games and socializing.

Sunday most of us were leaving. We found each other along the drive and at various campsites, to say goodbye. Another great weekend rally over - we all are looking forward to the next one.

Sorry I forgot to take any pictures at this rally - I will hopefully do better next time.

A blustery weekend in Roanoke Rapids

Even though it got colder and windier as the weekend progressed we all decided we had a great time.

Seven couples got together at the Carolina Crossroads RV Resort beginning Thursday 4/7/16. The campground was fantastic. We all had level paved full hookup sites with concrete pads. We had an outdoor gazebo to use, as well as a large, well equipped, rally room. The staff catered to our every need. There was even a heated jacuzzi for those daring few who chose to use it.

Thursday night we all got together and enjoyed a light meal provided by our hosts, the Hales's, and our club friends, the Pendergrass's. We sat around socializing for a couple hours after that.

Friday, the girls went out to lunch, and to a nearby antique and discount mall. The guys sat around the gazebo and traded war stories. We all went out for an early dinner at a nearby southern cooking buffet restaurant. Martha Calkins, our club President, stole the evening by her reaction to trying chitterlings for the first time. Don't think she quite knew what they were. If you don't know either, here is a link that gives the details: Chitterlings

Saturday got cold and windy, so most of us hibernated in the rally room, or our coaches. There was a very large screen TV for sports, and nice large tables for games and crafts. We snacked and socialized the day away. Our dinner was a potluck with the club providing the entree. Fried chicken, several veggies and salads, and of course, at least a half dozen great desserts were laid out on long tables and the kitchen counter. No diets were maintained. After dinner, we played marble bowling (see the pics). It was the guys versus the girls. The girls took the first round by a landslide. Not to be beaten, the boys demanded we play two out of three matches. The boys won the second round easily, but had to claw their way through the third and final round, winning by a very small margin.

Sunday morning found us all milling around each others RVs saying final goodbyes and making plans for future rallyies and events.

2015 Holiday Luncheon

Our holiday luncheon took place on Saturday, 12/5/2015. Ten couples met at the Greensboro Golden Corral restaurant, where we had a private room for our use. Everyone was able to chose their own food from the buffet; multiple times for some of us. We collected over thirty new toys for our Toys for Tots donation. We stayed  for over two hours socializing before going our own ways. Looking forward to our 2016 camp outs where we can get back together and catch up (see the Upcoming Events page).
Happy Holidays to all our members and friends.

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.