Good To Be Stuck In Northern Virginia

We were eager to get to Virginia Beach to prepare for our family reunion to begin on August 7. With our shiny Airstream perfectly (we thought) upgraded and our finances a bit shriveled, we stopped at Front Royal for an overnight stay at our membership park, Skyline Ranch Resort. At least there would be no campground fee. It was an extremely hot and muggy late afternoon; our countenance fell when we learned that we had no 50 amp electrical service in our trailer. We could run one A-C with 30 amp service, but it would be much more comfortable with two. The repaired 50 amp service had worked fine the night after it was “repaired” at the Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio. The next day (Friday) Jerry called the only Airstream dealer in Virginia, Safford RV, in Fredericksburg to explain our plight. A friendly Service Manger agreed to check our rig on Monday morning, even though he was fully booked for the entire week. Then Jerry called the factory and asked them to pay the forthcoming bill at Safford. They did not say “no,” but they did say that the problem was probably something other than the ground fault breaker they had replaced.

Since we would be stuck at Skyline Ranch until Monday, we called our daughter, Robin, who lives 60 miles away in Fairfax to let her know our plight. While having empathy with us, Robin eagerly said that she and her family would come see us on Saturday for a day at the pool. She also invited us to watch our 11 year old grandson, Samuel, march in the Boy Scout Centennial Parade on Sunday in Washington, D.C. Temperature at Front Royal continued in the high 90s during the weekend, but the swimming was good, and we had a shady campsite. As well, we had the opportunity to see old RV friends dating back to 1985 at the ranch. Robin, Alejandro, and Samuel fit right in, as they had visited us there many times since moving to Virginia from Colombia, South America in 2002.

We drove to Falls Church, Virginia for Sunday school at our former church, Columbia Baptist. Jerry used to team teach the senior couples class before we moved to Texas in 2007. On this particular day, a young missionary couple served as visiting teachers and shared their vivid spiritual experiences in undeveloped countries and China. Their message, with video, was SO inspiring, and they are living proof that God is still at work in this world despite all of the pessimism expressed by many Christians.

With Sunday school completed, Robin and her family whisked us off to Metrorail; we soon would find ourselves on the Mall, where we could clearly see the White House, Smithsonian, Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol. It was a healthy walk to the sweltering tent where Samuel would meet his Boy Scout leaders and take his place in the big parade that lasted over two hours. Samuel brought Jerry’s 63-year old neckerchief and slide, which Grandpa proudly wore in honor of his memorable Boy Scout days in Rudolph, Ohio. Samuel was invited to march in this historic anniversary parade because he was one of the top popcorn salesmen in the nation for the Scouts last year. He was number three in the National Capital Region with sales totaling over $5000. It was an honor to march with other winners, even though their prescribed headgear had to be a big plastic ear of corn, which Samuel wore proudly, waving to the huge crowd with his engaging smile. Grandma was so envious that she had to exchange hats for this photo with her grandson. She may start a rival club to compete with the Red Hat Ladies; they could be called the Corny Ladies.

Monday morning we were at Safford RV early, and it took the mechanic less than an hour to identify and repair our 50 amp problem. There was a short in our shoreline cord connector; Jerry had told Airstream a week earlier that he suspected the cord as the culprit. After the mechanic talked with the Airstream Warranty Department, they paid the bill, and we were joyfully off to Virginia Beach. We often complain about delays that divert us from our goals. However, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Had we not had our electrical problem, we would not have experienced a wonderful Sunday school lesson, nor would we have seen Robin’s family and shared a memorable experience with Samuel at the parade. God is the perfect planner.

Helena, Ohio & Freemont, Indiana

For a long time we have wanted to get rid of all the carpeting in our Airstream. We knew that P&S Trailer Refinishing & Repair in Helena, Ohio would do a great job of laying the new laminate. We also had a small dent in a rear corner panel that needed to be replaced. P&S has been doing this kind of work since 1968, and they are nationally known experts in refinishing and replacing aluminum panels. We would also get them to replace a defective sewer valve. There was only one catch in our plan. It would take four days to complete the work, and we could not be in the trailer during that time. In fact most of our stuff had to be unloaded before the work could begin. But a grand solution awaited us. Gloria’s sister, Laurane, and brother-in-law, Dale, rent a cottage each year for a month on Clear Lake right on the Ohio-Indiana Border. The nearest town is Fremont, IN. We had passed near there going from Auburn to Helena, and it would take only a couple hours to get back. Dale, a veterinarian totally immersed in his work, would be at the cottage for one night only. Laurane and her eight year old granddaughter, Maddie, would be alone there except for one night when Maddie’s mother, Angela, and little brother, Jacob, would be staying. This was an ideal opportunity for us to spend a relaxing five days on lovely Clear Lake, and for the sisters to get to have some quality time together. As well, it was fun getting to know Maddie, as we had never spent any time with her.

Laurane is the quintessential hostess who is well-known for her energy and love for sports—especially Ohio State University football. Although she is the youngest of the five Thurston children (Gloria is the middle child), Laurane assumed the role of family matriarch when the parents died in the 1990s. She is the one who keeps up with all of the siblings and their offspring and lets everyone know when significant events are occurring. She also manages the old Northwest Ohio family farm which is owned by four of the siblings to include Gloria. The farm had its origin just after the Civil War when 80 acres was purchased with the great grandfather’s Civil War Army discharge check. He had miraculously survived the hellish Confederate prison in Andersonville, GA, weighing only 67 pounds when the war finally ended in 1865. More land was added to the family farm by Gloria’s father in the years that followed.

At Clear Lake, Laurane made sure that there was always an abundance of food available, and she took us shopping, sightseeing, and to an interesting Buffalo farm. She had her own ski boat at the cottage dock plus a pontoon boat they rent each year for the enjoyment of various family members who visit. Maddie is already an accomplished water skier, but due to a big blister on her toe, her water antics were confined to a raft pulled by the ski boat. We also took several pontoon boat rides around the lake, which is encircled by lovely, high-priced cottages. There were ample opportunities for photography at the lake and at tiny Freemont, which has successfully maintained its quaint, historic nature. We taught Laurane and Maddie how to play joker, and Jerry helped Maddie land her first fish. That was a big evening, as she actually caught eight fish and was extremely excited. She already knew how to bait her hook, but taking the fish off the hook was a new, dreaded experience. After a good bit of resistive squealing and dancing up and down, she finally got the job done.

It was time to leave Clear Lake after four nights and return to Helena, OH to pick up our trailer. P & S had done a great job replacing the aluminum corner panel, and we are delighted with our new flooring, it would be hard for anyone to tell the difference between the laminate and real hardwood. The beauty of laminate is that it does not scratch or stain like hardwood, it is easy to maintain, and it does not add a lot of weight to the trailer. We are so glad to be rid of the original gold carpeting, especially on the floor of our slide-out, which is also our dinette. Reloading all of our gear was a four-hour ordeal, but at least everything has now been sorted and organized.

We pulled our dent-free silver bullet south to Jackson Center, OH, where we stayed at the Airstream factory terraport for the weekend. On Saturday night, we traveled to Lima to have dinner with Laurane and Dale, Gloria’s brother, Lowell, and wife Linda, and niece Dale Ann and husband Gary. On Monday morning we asked the service department to address a 50 amp electrical issue in our trailer. Jerry told them that he thought the problem may be in the shore-power cord, but they ended up replacing a ground fault breaker switch. They also realigned our wheels and found a brake magnet problem that we suspected we had. We had the wheel bearings repacked and decided to replace the brake linings, since only about 1/16th inch remained on two linings. We also had them add a new 22-inch digital TV, along with a heavy-duty, swinging wall bracket. After two full days in the shop, we cheerfully (lying) paid our $2450 bill and headed east toward Virginia. No one ever promised that RVing would be cheap, but it’s not as bad as maintaining a summer cottage.

Auburn, Indiana: An Historic City

After leaving the International Airstream Rally in Gillette, WY, our next designated stop was Auburn, IN. The purpose was to visit the famous Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum. Auburn is now a sleepy little city with huge shade trees and memories of more prosperous days when it was a manufacturing center for some of the world’s most elegant automobiles.

Fortunately for us, there was also a walking sculpture exhibit, and we stopped at most of the large pieces of art. Our favorite was the iconic kissing couple snapped on Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Life Magazine photographer, on V-J Day, August 14, 1945, the end of World War II. The photo covered the front page of Life a week later and has become a hallmark of the joy of victory. Little did that exuberant sailor know that he was creating a memorable, world-class photo-op when he grabbed a cute nurse, bent her backward, and planted a big kiss on her lips. Through the years, a dozen people claimed to have been the subjects of the famous photo but none has been positively confirmed. However, Californian Edith Shane, who died recently at age 91, is generally thought to have been the nurse. She later said many times she was not offended, and she never saw the kisser again. She died recently without ever knowing the identity of the assertive sailor, who might be arrested for similar actions today. The man who generally matches the kisser’s big hands, scars, and tattoos was George Mendonca from Rhode Island. His claim was confirmed by several photographic experts, but he died in 1995 without being officially recognized as the sailor.

Back to the museum: There are over 100 shiny classic-vintage cars exhibited along with a DVD of Jay Leno sporting his own collection. This is the only automobile museum housed in its original headquarters. In 1904 the first Auburn automobile grew out of a carriage business owned by Frank and Morris Eckart. The enterprise was moderately successful until production shut down due to World War I materials shortages. Beginning in 1919 new owners revived the business, but profits were not all that exciting. They recruited E.L. Cord, a well-known super-salesman, to manage the company, and after breathing new life into the company, bought it out in 1925. His modest office has been preserved in the museum. In 1926 he partnered with the Duesenberg Corporation, famous for its racing cars, and used this as a platform to begin producing high-end luxury cars. Then in 1927, he produced the Cord, the first production front-wheel drive car. Auburn Motors became famous for its advanced engineering and the striking appearance of its products. In the end, the high priced vehicles, owned by such dignitaries as Frank Lloyd Wright (see his coupe photo right), fell victim to the Great Depression and manufacturing sadly ended forever in 1937. Wright had said that it made perfectly good sense to him to have the front wheels pulling the car rather than having the rear wheels push. He was before his time with his architecture and his knowledge of engineering.

Behind the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum, in another of the old Auburn Motors factory building is the Auburn Truck Museum. While not as impressive as the car museum, it is well worth visiting, especially if you are old enough to remember the wonderful old Studebaker, Diamond T, and Reo trucks. It was a nostalgic experience to see the little delivery panel trucks that used to stop at our homes. Can you imagine calling the grocery store and having your products delivered to your front door the next day?

Gillette, WY: Setting For The International Airstream Rally

After a blowout on the trailer--wheel changed by Jerry--we were still hacking and coughing from our bronchitis on June 15 when we arrived in Gillette for the 53rd Wally Byam Caravan Club International (WBCCI) Rally. We were part of the early worker contingent, and we were quickly immersed in preparing for the rally opening on June 28. Jerry served as First VP of the CB Club, which makes frequent daily radio announcements to keep attendees aware of schedule changes, weather forecasts, emergency procedures, committee requests, directions to events and services, and field numerous over-the-air questions from participants. Gloria is Secretary of the Classic Airstream Club, and also chaired the annual three-session Bridge tournament. Jerry won two ribbons in that competition plus four ribbons in the digital photo contest. See them at the bottom of this post.

This was the first international rally where we had three-point campground hookups--30 amp electric service, sewers, and city water. We had none of these when we attended our first rally in 1996, Back then we had over 2000 rigs on the South Dakota rally grounds. This time, we had only 715 parked on opening day; ten percent of them were from Texas. Younger Airstreamers see less of a need for club fellowship, fuel prices are high, and campers have many choices as to what kind and brand of RV to purchase. All of this does not take away from the fun, fellowship, and adventure WBCCI Airstreamers still experience. There are the mini-tours of area attractions, contests, pancake breakfasts, small group socials, unit and region lunches, table games, and happy hours. Church services, featuring an excellent member choir, are well-attended as are the evening guest entertainment events followed by dancing to the fabulous WBCCI Band. Vendors are plentiful plus many drawings for prizes--the largest being $500 from the Airstream Company. Our name was never called.

WBCCI is a patriotic organization. Flags from units and regions are ubiquitous at the opening and closing ceremonies. These occasions are also used to recognize our officers; much of the evening music honors our nation and our military personnel, both active and retired. We were proud of the fact that this year and last year, the International President and First Lady are our neighbors at the North Texas Airstream Community. Leading an international rally is a huge task that requires three years of travel and preparation. We are grateful for the sacrifices of friends, Jerry & Joan last year and Tom & Norma this year and for their unselfish volunteer work and leadership in making both rallies a huge success.

Gillette is not the most scenic rally site we have visited. Its claim to fame is the self-proclaimed title, “Energy Capital of the World.” Its leading industry is coal—lots of coal. Approximately 65 trains of coal cars pass through town daily. We took time to tour a huge surface coal mine near the city. The big dump vehicles shown in the photo, with us in front of a wheel, can fill a train car with only two scoops. Tires for these monsters cost around $45,000 each and last for about two years. We also visited a new technical school on the grounds of Gillette College as well as a newly found buffalo jump once used by the Indians. Our favorite tour was Devils Tower, located 30 miles from Gillette. This was proclaimed as the first national monument by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. It protrudes 1267 feet above a grassy prairie and the Belle Fourshe River. It was once much taller but has gradually eroded due to wind and rain. It still serves as holy ground for several Indian tribes. In the late 1800s a couple of farmers actually got to the top by tacking a lengthy ladder to side of the rock. In the 1930s, the tower was scaled by a German using more technical climbing methods. In 1941 a parachutist successfully landed on the tower, but it took six days to rescue him. Jerry walked the mile and a half path around the tower with its awesome grassland and river view, while Gloria rested and enjoyed the quiet park.

Everyone is fascinated with the vintage Airstream trailers invented by our legendary inventor-founder, Wally Byam. The oldest Airstream in existence was present. It is a 1935 model made from Wally’s plans. A 1936 torpedo model with tear-drop windows was a big hit in the vintage parade and open house.

We celebrated Wally’s birthday on July 4 with a giant display of fireworks, and suddenly the 53rd annual rally was history. By the next morning, most of the shiny Airstreams, including ours, were on the highways heading home or to other wonderful places. Many were joining caravans and listening to Willie Nelson singing, “On the Road Again,” the unofficial Airstream theme song. It’s always a bit sad to see a big rally end, but we were ready to head east and find a quiet place to rest for a few days.







These are Jerry's contest photos mentioned at the end of paragraph one above. He is especially proud of the unposed one of Gloria applying her lipstick while using the large fender mirror of a classic Hudson coupe. The Airstream photo is of us on the scenic Icefields Parkway in Canada.