September 2015 CHAPTER NEWS K E E P I N G P A C E PACERS NORTHWEST RV CLUB 2016 Pacer Rallies* Annual Unofficial Rally At Quartzsite January 18-21 Rally 1 Harmony Lake RV Park Silver Creek,WA. April 22-24 Rally 2 Silver Spur RV Park Silverton,OR, May 19-21 Rally 3 NW Area Rally Albany,OR. June 23-26 Rally 4 Washington Land Yacht Harbor/August 19-22 Olympia,WA. Rally 5 Woodburn RV Park Woodburn,OR. September 22-24 PRESIDENT S COMMENTS I am writing this message early because Martie and I will be on. the road heading for Madison, WI for the national rally. We will be leaving July 12. This past month has been extremely busy for the Pacers. It started with the Pre Rally in Florence and then we went on to Coos Bay for the Northwest Area Rally. I want to THANK each and every one of our members who helped out with the activities that you participated in. All of our members helped out with the ice cream social ( 2 times ), chapter fair, swap meet and coffee & donuts. There were several positive comments made to me on how much the Pacers helped out with the activities. I would like to move on to the last rally of the year which will be held in Gold Beach, Oregon. The date is Sept. 23-27 th. I know this will involve some travel time due to the distance for some of our members. As you can see this is a 4 day rally and there are a lot of activities to do. You could also add a day or two to make it worth while. We will be holding elections at this rally. There will be a full slate of officers, so we would like as many members as possible to attend. So I invite all our membership to attend and plan on a jet boat ride up the Rogue River. Our vice presidents have asked me to ask our members to volunteer to be hosts for our 2016 rally s. We always try to use 2 or more couples to host a rally. We prefer to have folks who have never hosted a rally, co-host with folks who have. Once you have hosted, you will see that it is fun. Please remember our club is about friends traveling to meet at a rally and have fun...we need hosts for the rally! Dennis Martin President PACERS NORTHWEST, AN FMCA CHAPTER
2 September 2015 KEEPING PACE Page 2 Nusy Says by Kathy McKnight.September 2015 Aloha my Pacer brothers and sisters! News from the Nuzi corner.... Summer came in hot, hot, hot. Hopefully everyone has managed to stay cool and quenched in the sweltering heat. Since our last news letter in May there have been many condolences sent out: Sympathy to Gerda Hupfauf for the passing of George; Sympathy to Madelyn & George May for the passing of Madelyn s Sister; Sympathy to Roger & Doreen Daggett for the passing of Roger s Brother; Sympathy to Don & Gwen Dowdell for the passing of Don s Mother; Sympathy to past member Betty Bratten for the passing of her long time traveling companion Leo Peltier. They will all be deeply missed and in our thoughts and prayers always. Get Well and Thinking of You were sent to: Leotta Kelly, Jerry & Pat Morgan, Russ Bailey, Hannah Huffman and Gary Ayers. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery and good health. Unfortunately Don and I had a previous outing planned with our mushroom club when the rally to Lincoln City was scheduled in May. I am sure everyone had a great time, as always. Thank you Marti & Kimm Cady for sharing your Odd Fellows park with us and Russ & Jean Bailey for volunteering to host the pre-rally. We had 7 coaches in attendance for the pre-rally in Florence, Oregon, plus Dennis, Martie, Butch and Julie drove over from Coos Bay to join us for pot luck dinner one evening. Every RV site there had 50 amp power, sewer, water and free wifi. The clubhouse was great with a fully equipped kitchen, woodstove in the middle to take the morning or evening chill off and plenty of room. The dunes were just over the hill for those of us who wanted to take a little sandy excursion and town was just across the bridge. Beautiful site and of course we had plenty to eat, great conversation and plenty of laughs. We all went out one evening for dinner and met up with former members, David & Pat Timme, they looked GREAT....it was good to see them and catch up. We all headed out on the morning of the 23 rd of June for the Northwest Rally at the Mill Casino. Most of us were parked in the RV Park with exception of one rig. The RV Park was very large and we were all scattered but did meet up from time to time. The swap meet we all contributed to to raise money for our Christmas family fund was very successful, we raised approximately $450.00. Thank you Don McKnight for taking the lead and to all of you who helped. All in all a great rally! We also had two couples in our Pacers Northwest family celebrating their wedding anniversary on the same day during the rally and were asked to come up and join in on a celebration dance together, congratulations Butch & Julie Evans and Dennis & Martie Martin. Next rally was in August to Westport, WA, which Don & I were unable to attend. I will once again ask for every ones assistance; if you know of a member who is under the weather, having surgery, celebrating a special occasion or just has some news, information or a story to share feel free to contact me: Kathy McKnight @ hynprncess@yahoo.com. All information is greatly appreciated. Food for thought: Life isn t about waiting for the storm to pass it s about learning how to dance in it. A fantastic end to our 2015 rally season-see you in 2016 for many more adventures! MAHALO!
3 Septemper 2015 KEEPING PACE Page 3 SHHH....Just Between You and Me.... Well, I m not one to spread rumors buuut...we have a Pacer brother with the initials of D.on M.cKnight who has a real problem with flatulence. If you question my words just have a sit down next to him and send him a text at 253-922-2908. Be prepared for a gut buster of a giggle. He says if he just so happens to let one slip out he can say, Oh, I have a text! Hee,hee,hee pardon you. Submitted by Kathy McKnight safe and Fun in Mexico While enjoying the warmth and sunshine in Yuma AZ, Dennis & Martie Martin and Gary & Sue Tilley decided to be adventurous. It was mid February and we (Martie & Sue) thought it would be neat to join a small caravan of folks going to Puerto Penasco - Sonora Mexico. We did the research and got the best price for Mexico insurance, got our reservations into the Reef RV Park and started packing up the RV's. We all have been to the Reef RV Park before and knew that we wanted to be parked right on the beach with the waves and the sand right out our windshield. Better watch what you wish for...more on that later. The Martin's and the Tilley's decided to meet up with the other four rigs at the U.S/ Mexican border. So we headed out a day earlier than the caravan. We stayed at the Elks Lodge in Gila Bend, AZ. We timed it perfectly to be parked across the street from a two day rodeo, we heard more than we saw of the rodeo. We enjoyed a very nice dinner at the Elks prepared by the local high school students doing a fund raiser. By the time dinner was over, so was the rodeo which meant a quiet night. The next day we left the cowboys to their rodeo and headed south to Lukeville by the Mexican border. We met up with the 4 rigs in the caravan and all 6 rigs headed to Puerto Penasco/Rocky Point. We had no problems crossing the border and made it to the Reef RV Park in good time, considering the road is a well paved two-lane road. We all got our sites on the beach over looking the water. Part of our entertainment was watching the large dump trucks backing down a narrow spit they are building for the future cruise ships. There was some noise, but nothing that bothered anyone. We spent a week in Puerto Penasco and kept ourselves very busy. Since we all had been there a few times before, Sue & I knew where, when and how long we wanted to shop. We wore the men out quickly. One day, Sue & I got in the jeep and took off driving and shopping all day. It was fun and the husbands enjoyed the peace and quiet. Gary & Dennis did take us to the dirt market a couple of times and joined in the shopping experience. We were shown by folks in our caravan an awesome bakery. It was hard to find, but Gary never had any problems finding it. This bakery was like going back in time. It is all done in a small room and the items are baked in an old brick oven over coals. It is a bakery that doesn't even have a sign and all the locals go there. We watched a man bake while another man frosted the goodies. It was fun. The hardest part was keeping Sue from adopting some kittens hanging outside the bakery. Every time we were there, it was like they knew Sue would be coming. Prior to the trip, Sue and I had announced to our husbands that we were on vacation in Mexico, so plan on eating lots of Mexican food. And boy did we!! We ate along the wharf, up on the hill at Casa del Capitan, at the Pink Cadillac and even had a beach vendor cook us a meal on the beach by our rig. The day before we left, the wind started blowing. According to the 4 other rigs, who stayed a week longer, it never stopped blowing. I guess you have to watch what you wish for. Parking on the sandy beach, by the water means that when the wind blows, your RV is covered with salt water! The Martin's and the Tilley's made it home safe and Fun in Mexico with good memories.with good memories.
4 September 2015 Keeping Pace Page 4. Rally Pictures
5 September 2015 KEEPING PACE Page 5 Westport Rally Report by Glenda Specht WESTPORT RALLY Well the third official rally of the 2015 season is over. We had a small turnout, but we had a great time. A few started the rally early by arriving on Thursday and going fishing at 5AM on Friday that would be Rudi Schafner, Gary Tilley and Don Paulson. The boat they were on limited! The seas were gentle and the weather was beautiful. Friday everybody arrived and by happy hour we were all present and accounted for. We got a chance to visit with everyone, eat home-made chili and cornbread. We were joined for dinner by Rudi and Louise s daughter and grandchildren. Rudi took us through another very successful auction! Some great items were auctioned off especially the Seahawks placemats and napkins. The one person who would enjoy them the most won the auction congratulations Sue Tilley. THANK YOU Rudi!!! Saturday we continued to visit, see Butch and Julies new rig, and visit some more. The Spechts (Thorspeople2) and Paulson s (gypsylifers) went out for a brief geocaching hunt. Becky and Don went out with us for the first time, found four and got bitten by the geocaching bug. Saturday morning potluck breakfast was fabulous. Saturday night dinner was followed by a rousing game of CLR and the winner was Don Noel! He was very generous and put all the proceeds from the game into the Christmas Stocking. The total for the weekend was $290, bringing the Christmas total to $1200+. Thanks to Jean and Russ for helping with hosting; you both always step in when there is a need. Also thanks to Louise Schafner, Marilyn and Don Noel for their offers and to Sue Tilley as well. Rallies are always successful because everyone participates. Thanks to everyone who came to the rally. Sunday morning was time to say goodbye until Gold Beach. Wishing everyone safe travels until we meet again.
6 September 2015 KEEPING PACE Page 6 TECHNICAL INFORMATION PROVIDED BY DENNIS MARTIN Proper Tire Inflation Matters As we make our RV trips through out the year, it is easy to forget about basic maintenance on our RV. One of the areas is the proper inflation, including keeping your RV from being overload Under inflated radial tires don't look low. Some RV'ers will not check their tires unless they look low. As we get older it becomes bothersome to check because of our aches and pains and especially when it comes to checking the duel tires. Some drivers feel that it may be OK to have the tires a little under inflated because it will give us a softer ride, however this comes at a price. Under inflated tires will ride on the edges rather the center and causes a flex in the sidewalls of the tire. This yields less traction and makes hydroplaning more likely as water is able to get between the tire and pavement and may cause a temporary loss of control. Under inflated tires will cause excessive tread wear on the inner and outer edges reducing the tire life. Under inflation creates rolling resistance making the engine work harder to keep moving forward and reducing gas millage. Rolling resistance, with all the weight distributed on the edges, results in poorer handling may make it harder to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Longer braking time is increased because all the weight is distributed on the edges, and the center is not being used. And finally, under inflated tires create more heat, causing excessive flexing of the sidewalls. You can look at over inflated tires as opposite problems, but with similar results. The main result is uneven distribution of weight across the entire tread base of the tire. In over inflated tires, it is the center that bulges out more with the edges loosing the grip on the road. The RV rides on a smaller footprint resulting in less control, and traction, making slipping and sliding on water and in other conditions. Braking is not as good, loosing road grip. Wear on the center tread is excessive reducing the tires life cycle. Over inflated tires don't absorb the bumps in the road as well as properly inflated tires. The harder sidewalls transfers more noise to the interior of the RV. Both under inflated and over inflated tires make failure from an overloaded RV more likely. Most tires
7 May 2015 KEEPING PACE Page 7 2015 OFFICERS ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, CELL NUMBERS, E-MAIL ADDRESSES President Dennis Martin Cell 253-651-9843 dvrcommanders@gmail.com Oregon Vice President Butch Evans 503-931-5925 Email. hearfromus@aol.com VP-Washington: Martie Martin Cell 253-380-1919 E-mail Same as Dennis ffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Note: Some of the Pacer officers may have second addresses. Please check your directory for this information. Secretary Glenda Specht 253-377-8807 E-mail iceangel1222@msn.com Treasure Tom Specht National Director Dennis Martin Alternate National Director Bill Hollenbeck Director-1 Year Gary Tilley Director - 2Year - Dale Riley Director 3 Year Roger Daggett Sunshine Chairperson: Nuzy Chairperson: Kathy McKight Keeping Pace Editor: Rudi Schaffner 18727-62nd ave nw Stanwood,wa.98292 rhs@wavecable.com 360-652-5725 425-478-7966 REMEMBER DUES SHOULD BE PAID THE END OF THE YEAR Ideas For Rally Sites? Please Contact: VP Oregon Butch Evans 503-931-5925 VP Martie Martin for Washington 253-380-1919 Wishing You Could Host A Rally? Please contact: Dennis Martin (253) 651-9843 To Make Your Wish Come True.
8 September 2015 Keeping Pace Page 8 Maintenance Tip by Dennis Martin will loose pressure over time, so under inflation becomes a problem unless you stay on top of it. Over all, alone with safety issues, over-and under inflated tires can put a stress on the pocket book with on the road breakdowns,poorer gas millage sooner then necessary tire replacements. The key to avoiding these problems is to maintain optimal inflation to keep the most rubber on the pavement by keeping the proper pressure and through regular and frequent pressure checks. May all your travels be safe.
9 Septemper 2015 Keeping Pace Page 9 LINCOLN CITY RALLY The second rally of the year was held at Lincoln City Premier RV Resort, May 28, 29, 30, and 31. We had 14 coaches in attendance with one couple, Butch and Julie, in between coaches. The rally started off Thursday night with dinner out at Roadhouse 101, great food and fun by all. Coffee, fruit, and cinnamon rolls were served Friday morning before everyone set out and about. Some went sightseeing while others went shopping at the outlet mall. Friday night dinner was a potato bar with all the fixings including chili. Desert was served with a special cake for a very special couple s wedding anniversary, Pat and Mic McCallum, and ice cream (of course). After dinner, Butch dreamed up a hilarious version of The newlywed game. Most all of the gals got to answer questions from Butch while the guys waited outside and then came in to try to guess what their wives had said. The event got so raucous, the resort managers asked the hosts the next day what we were doing to have so much fun the night before! Saturday morning was greeted with a wonderful potluck breakfast, and as usual there was more food than anyone could eat. After breakfast, we had our first business meeting of the year. Minutes of the meeting have been sent out by Glenda. Rallies are being set for 2016 by Martie and Butch and they are both looking for hosts. Saturday afternoon was spent by more sightseeing and shopping at the outlet mall (especially Jean looking for a new Coach purse!). Why? Because it was her BIRTHDAY!!! We won t divulge which one!! Saturday evening the group was all invited to a happy hour fire circle provided by the Resort. They served drinks and h orderves, which were great! As everyone enjoyed the food and chatting with everyone, the hosts of the happy hour went around with a microphone collecting jokes anyone knew. After many civil jokes, it came to Gary Tilley and went way downhill from there. Saturday dinner consisted of lasagna, salads, and green beans, with French bread. For dessert, special cupcakes for Jean s Birthday were provided by Martie. To go with those, more ice cream and tons of fruit, cookies and cheesecake. After dinner, games of CLR were had, but by an amazing coincidence both hosts, Kay Hedlund and Bill Hollenbeck, won the games. They really weren t rigged! All the money was donated to the Christmas fund which boosted the total to over $500!! The rally wound down Sunday morning with a continental breakfast of coffee, fruit, cinnamon rolls, and (of course) more cookies!! The rally turned out great with everyone having a good time. See you all at the next rally in June at Coos Bay! Hosts, Ken and Kay Hedlund Bill and Teri Hollenbeck
10 September 2015 Keeping Pace Page 10. Ooey Gooeys Dough: 1 Tbls Rapid Rise Yeast 1/4 cup warm Water 6 Tbls butter, melted 1 tsp salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 2 3/4-3 cups flour Soften yeast in warm water in a mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, sour cream, and butter. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough, beating well after each addition. (For first additions of flour use mixer on medium speed. Cover, let rise in warm place (85-90 degrees F.) until light and doubled. Prox 2 hours. Filling: 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup coconut, toasted 2 Tbls grated orange rind. (I use spice Islands.) 2 Tbls butter, melted Combine sugar, coconut and orange rind. Knead dough on well floured surface, about 15 times. Roll out half of dough to a 12 inch circle. Brush with 1 Tbls. Sprinkle with half of sugar-coconut mixture. Cut into 12 wedges. Roll up, starting with wide end and rolling to point. Repeat with remaining dough. Place rolls point side down in 3 rows in a well greased 13 x 9". Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Leave in pan. Glaze: 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup sour cream 2 Tbls orange juice 1/4 cup butter Combine all ingredients in a pan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over hot coffe cake. NOTE: Recipe can be doubled. I freeze a pan for later but later never happens!!
! 11 September 2015 Keeping Pace Page 11 A Trip to Remember By Kathy McKnight My husband, Don McKnight and myself had been planning on RVing throughout these beautiful United States for at least 30 years. Well, we both retired year before last and started planning our first long trip. The total of miles we traveled was approximately 6200 and a total of 53 days away from home. I ll be honest with you, I had two main concerns that I hadn t thought about before last year. One of which was my husbands health and welfare and the other was, will our one and a half year old grandson remember me when we return. (Wives and grandmas understand my concerns completely, right?) I will tell you, if you are thinking of doing this, STOP thinking and just do it. You are only on this earth for a short time and you should take advantage of every day! Our first destination was to the pre rally in Florence, Oregon then off to our Northwest Area rally in Coos Bay. You who have attended any of our rallies know we always have a great time and a lot of yummy food and fantastic people. Those of you, who haven t had a chance to join us, please do it s a good time! We had some RV business to take care of in Bend, Oregon and then off on our adventures... we dropped in on my sister, whom I had never met before, in Salt Lake City, Utah... beautiful people, glad we stopped and opened the door to further our relationship. Then we headed toward our next stop... Uncle Gary s and Aunt JoAnne s in Beatrice, Nebraska for a 5 day visit. Then off to visit with my Auntie Kay, Aunt Shirley and cousins, Sherry Kay and Beckie in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a 5 day visit. We hadn t seen any of them in about 20 years; a visit was well over due. From there we decided to go to Springfield, Illinois to visit the Lincoln Museum, it was very interesting and eye opening. I guess politics have always been back stabbing and name calling. The next people on our list to visit we hadn t seen in 8 years, our grandchildren and daughter in Holland, Michigan. Funny thing those gorgeous grand babies had grown into such gorgeous young adults and our daughter was as beautiful as ever. We spent a week with them there and my husband had offered to take them with us to our next destination, Niagara Falls. Our daughter had to work so we took our 16 year old granddaughter and 15 year old grandson with us to Niagara Falls. It was great to spend time with them and share the experience of seeing Niagara Falls for the first time. The power of Mother Nature is astronomical! Don and I did slip away for an afternoon to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls to experience it together; a warm kiss under the falls was very heart warming. We spent four days in the Niagara area. We then headed back to Holland, Michigan to return the kids home. On our way to South Dakota we met up with Dennis and Martie Martin at Grant River Federal Park on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin. We went on some excursions together to the Potosi brewery and to the town and home of Ulysses S. Grant in Iowa. Next stop, South Dakota... we visited Mount Rushmore, drove through Custer State Park, saw Geronimo mountain carving and saw Devil s Tower on our way to Bozeman, Montana. It was all amazing. We also saw many, many Harleys; it was What happens in Sturgis stays in Sturgis time. We then decided we were going to stay in Bozeman, Montana so we could soak our aching bones in the hot springs there. The hot springs had changed their hours of business to 9:30pm to midnight, which was too late for us. We stayed at Bear Canyon Campground; I do not recommend this campground. We then trekked on to Spokane where we stayed at Ponderosa Falls Campground, where we visited with an old friend. The air quality there was pretty bad from all the fires going on. Next we were on to visit with my little brother and sister in law in Roslyn, Washington-then home in Tacoma. Through our travels we stayed at a few Wal-Mart parking lots and rest areas. We experienced a plethora of weather and learned that bad drivers aren t just from Washington. And guess what, my grandson didn t forget who I was! For me, I discovered we live in the most beautiful state there is. It s good to explore the world but, there s no place like home, there s no place like home until the next adventure!
12 September 2015 Keeping Pace Page 12 Joke of the week A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the engine of a class A motorhome when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop. The surgeon was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his RV when the mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?" The surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorhome. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So, Doc, look at this engine. I open it up, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish it works just like new. So how come I'm paid so little compared to you when we're doing basically the same work?" The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over and whispered to the mechanic, "Try doing it with the engine running."