Saturday, July 14 through Sunday, July 25, FMCA Rally in Gillette, WY

Fulltime living on the road is great, but getting together with a group makes it even better. If everyone in the group has similar coaches it can also be a great learning experience. During our American Coach Chapter (of the FMCA) pre-rally we gathered each day around 4:00 in the afternoon for Happy Hour. Everyone brought snacks and their favorite libation as we caught up with old acquaintances and made new friends. Five years ago when the FMCA last held a rally in Gillette it was cold (it was a few weeks earlier - the end of June), but this year we were all happy to have full hook-ups including 50 amp electrical service to keep our homes cool.

One evening, we had a Pot Luck dinner. There was so much good food. We were all stuffed just trying a little of everything. There was such a variety - I don't believe there were any two dishes the same - and it was all delicious. I was kind and didn't snap any pictures of people with their mouths full. 

It was good we had an indoor room because outside it was storming like crazy. Wyoming has some wild weather. We were all just hoping not to see any of the hail or flooding we experienced here in 2013.

Our isolated location quickly changed as they parked more than 700 coaches on Tuesday and several hundred more on Wednesday. The rally attracted more than 1,700 RVs. 

Our little group of 10 coaches had the place to ourselves for the first few days.

I tried to take a picture showing us surrounded by all of the coaches, but when I took a panoramic shot we were just lost in an endless sea of campers. I even have a difficult time finding us and I was there.

Our happy hours continued as the crowds filled in around us. Of course, they had their own happy hours, but we were always happy to chat with passers-by, especially if they were American Coach owners.

In the official FMCA photo of the event below we were in the upper left area - not that you would have a chance of picking us out among the nearly 2,000 RVs in the CAMPLEX.

We were able to meet several new folks at this rally. Bruce and Jasmine with a 2000 Eagle from Colorado, had been full-timing for about a year so far. They were able to join our group for Happy Hour once before leaving. Parked next to them, purely by coincidence, were Bob and Tracy in a 1999 Eagle also from Colorado looking forward to retirement in a few months. I didn't meet them until they were leaving, so we didn't get to talk much. Hopefully, Bruce and Jasmine and Bob and Tracy will join our chapter of the FMCA or the ACA (American Coach Association) and we will see them at future rallies.

We also met Ron and Tawnee in a 2005 Eagle just getting started with full-timing. After joined us for Happy Hour and pizza one evening, they decided to join our group and we look forward to seeing them at many more rallies in the future.

Our gatherings were just outside Ray and Pauline's coach, so their babies were aware of the activity and were always anxiously awaiting whenever the door opened. I believe their names are Duchess, Kate, Lucy and Abby. 

Of course, FMCA arranged for entertainment each night of the rally. Personally, I think I enjoyed the Thursday show 3 Guys and 30 Instruments the most. We had seen 3 Guys perform once before and they did another great show. Sadly, they announced they were breaking up the band after 40 years (quitters!) so we won't see them again.

There was a Ricky Nelson tribute on Friday night performed by his two sons, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson. Mixed with the music of Ricky Nelson were videos of home movies and personal anecdotes. Their show probably had the largest turnout of the rally.

We had a couple of coaches head out early on Saturday morning, Willie and Marilyn and Don and Pat, so they missed The Flashback Boyz. They played a lot of "oldies"- perfect for this crowd. Their music selections even moved a lot of folks to get up and dance.

Sunday morning the mass exodus started and by the end of the day our group was down to three coaches. Bob and Kathy, Ray and Pauline and us. Bob and Kathy left the next day and Ray and Pauline left the day after that leaving us by ourselves waiting for our service appointment at the Cummins shop.

I brazenly pulled out the pressure washer and cleaned the roof of our coach. It was in dire need of a thorough cleaning. I still need to add some kind of protectant to the fiberglass, but that will have to wait. I can see why folks are willing to pay big bucks to have their coach washed - just the roof was a lot of work.

Along with wild weather Wyoming certainly presented us with a lot of cloud drama and beautiful sunsets. The clouds below are now my laptop screensaver background.

I think the sunset below makes a nice closing for our Wyoming FMCA Rally - until next time!