For the past 5 days, we have been pretty busy with our Escapees RV Club rally. Nine hundred and seventeen RVs gathered at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson for "fellowship, fun, and first- class RV education" as described in the Escapees literature.
It was all of that and more.
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| Kay Peterson being congratulated by an Escapee |
In addition to the seminars, we also celebrated the founder's 90th birthday and got to hear her speak at the opening ceremony.
Kay Peterson founded the Escapees club with her husband back in 1978. It all began with a newsletter that was mailed (!) to folks, who then requested to meet up in person at a rally. The rest, as they say, is now history. Since the first gathering of 20-some RVs, the organization has swelled to over 30,000 members.
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| a panoramic sweep of our row of RVs dry camping at the Pima County Fairgrounds - that's our Alpine with the American flag in front |
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Old Pueblo Hall where the vendors had their booths set up, and
where we met for social functions |
The rally was extremely well organized and true to Escapee tradition, everyone was particularly helpful and friendly. We met several couples, some from the Northwest, others from further afield.
Attendees arrived from all over the US. Many are also full-timers, and some like us, brand new to full-timing. If you are a full timer or contemplating going full time, this is the organization to join.
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| stick pins indicate where the attendees are from |
Several of our Evergreen Chapter friends were here too: the Hoyts and the Houghs represented our chapter at the booth. The Allgires were here too.
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| Escapees Evergreen Chapter 5 |
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| Chapter 5 folks at the opening ceremonies |
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| father and son hoop dancers |
In addition to the daily seminars and activities like crafts, knitting, and quilting, there was entertainment in the evening. Native Spirit not only performed Native American dances and music but also educated the audience on many aspects of their culture and traditions. Dancing in general, and occasion-specific dances are an important part of culture and custom. For instance, there is a specific dance for preparing an area the equivalent of our dance floor performed by a man who would stamp down the buffalo grass on the plains. There are specific prayer dances, as well as hoop dances. We watched a father and his son, both hoop dance champions, perform a spectacular hoop dance.
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| Woodie and the Longboards |
Woodie and the Longboards, a Beach Boys tribute band performed to an appreciative audience re-living their teen years. For the second half of their program these versatile musicians also performed their Eagles tribute, Heartache Tonight.
The most memorable night for me was the Star Party event. When darkness fell, we gathered in a field where Gary Tomlinson, an astronomy educator and Escapee member, took us on a tour of the stars and planets visible to us. If I can remember them, I should be able to identify at least three constellations.
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| the pavilion where we gathered for our line dancing sessions in the morning |
I was thrilled to be able to join the line dance ladies every morning, and learned some great new dances. I also joined the Zumba group which thankfully is geared to us seniors with modified moves and less bouncing to protect knees.
We ended the rally with a closing ceremony, followed by a 90th birthday bash for Kay Peterson.
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| folks dancing at Kay Peterson's birthday bash |
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| sitting with our Evergreen chapter of Escapees |
There were several Alpines: Carol Hinkley and the Durleys were at Escapade. And one morning while I was at line dancing, I spotted another Alpine and went over to say hello. I met the Walkers, CJ and Art. CJ was our Zumba instructor.
While we were in Tuscon, we had the opportunity to visit our good friends and former neighbors who now live in Tuscon. Thirty six years ago, we were all young, first time homeowners living in a new development in Redmond, Washington. Mike and Judy moved to Tuscon last year and we enjoyed visiting them in their lovely new home in Oro Valley.
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| patio dining with a magnificent view |
Tomorrow the rally will be over and we will head to an RV park close by for a couple of days. Our plan is to tour Saguaro National Park.
