www.grandrv.org SUN CITY GRAND RV CLUB February 2016 President Laurie Stewart I love the smell of diesel in the morning! Doesn t everyone? I was at the RV Compound the other day and just the smell and sound of the big diesel pushers made me excited to hit the road. So let s start planning some fun places to go! We have quite a few rallies on the website including new rallies to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October and Chula Vista/San Diego in November. It s not too early to start thinking about fall and next spring. Talk to one of our Trip Directors, Ray Granzow or Mike Schwab, about where you would like to go and then let s GET ER DONE! And.be sure to check out our Day Events on our website! Whether we re thrift store shopping or tailgating a Spring Training game, we always have a great time! So put on your thinking caps and let s get some Rallies and Day Events on the books! Next Meeting Tuesday February 16, 2016 5:00p.m. Agua Fria Room Cimarron Center Speaker Pizza Have you had an unusual, exciting, fun and/or memorable RVing experience? Perhaps you had hitchhiking field mice in your RV or had a lovely drive on a Parkway in Connecticut when, unbeknownst to you, RV s should NEVER be on a Parkway due to Games very old, VERY low bridges. How would you like to share these experiences with your fellow RVers? We are going to start having 5 minute SHARING MOMENTS, followed by an additional 5 minutes to answer questions, at our meetings. So if you would like to share an experience with us, we would like to hear from you! Please contact Penny Betcher at vicepresident@grandrv.org to be added to the meeting agenda. I have been told by guests and new members what a friendly and welcoming club we are. As my old Girl Scout song said Make new friends, and keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. So, take time to introduce yourself to someone new and/or get better acquainted with someone who you do not know well. You can NEVER have too many friends! And speaking of making new friends, please welcome our newest members, Julia (Julie) Capuano and Rich Wilson, Gary and Susan Carlson, Ron and Vicki Keel, and Rich and Dreama Wetherell! Welcome to the Grand RVers y all! We are so happy that you have joined our happy little band of RVers! Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 16 th, 2016 at 5:00pm in the Agua Fria Room at the Cimarron Center. This will be our annual all you can eat pizza party so come hungry! See you all there! IS YOUR INFORMATION CORRECT ON THE WEBSITE ROSTER?? We will be publishing the electronic hard-copy of our directory the 1 st part of March. Please take the opportunity now to check your information on the club website to make sure it is correct. Maybe you ve changed vehicles? Or phones? Or not too happy with that photo? See Webmaster John Stewart s article in this edition on how to change your information.
Penny Betcher Vice President 1. RVers who are going on the Death Valley rally need to come to the February meeting early so we can give you your packet of information and answer any remaining questions you may have. Please be at the meeting place at 4 PM on February 16. Thank you from Wayne and Louise and Mike and Penny. 2. We will have a presentation at our February 16 th meeting by Carmen Pettet, a representative from AAA Arizona. She is knowledgeable about insurance needs for RV s and also the AAA Emergency Assistance Plan. She will give a presentation followed by a question and answer period. Should there be more questions than our allowed presentation time, she will be available after the meeting for further questions. Janet Bluhm Membership We had a very interesting meeting in January and, I think, a record for the most guests attending a meeting in a long time. There were 10 guests who signed in and eight of them joined that night! We had 69 regular members attending. Thank you for making our guests and new members feel welcome. Keep up the good work. The annual meeting for our RV Compound is coming up next month. Now is your chance to hear what is going on at our RV Compound AND support and vote for our club member, Mike Betcher, for a Board of Director's position! When? Wednesday, February 17th at 1:00PM Where? Palm Ridge Recreation Center Room A 13800 W Deer Valley Drive Sun City West, AZ 85375 For a map and directions, visit their website at www.scrvcompound.com. Note: For admission to the meeting you MUST have your Compound picture ID AND a current account with the RV Compound Our Newest Members are Gary and Susan Carlson, Rick Wilson and Julia Capuano, Rich and Dreama Wecherell, and Ron and Vicki Keel. Two of the couples have already signed up for the Barleens Rally! Make time to say hello and welcome them to our group of experienced AZ RV travelers. Thank you to Trish Schwab and Margie Akers for helping at the Membership table in January. Asking members to see their CAM card isn t fun, but necessary by CAM s rules. Ladies, I could use your help every month if possible. I m looking forward to the February meeting with pizza and games afterword. So, let the games begin!!!! Dale Rees, Chairman Entertainment Committee Greetings from your Entertainment Committee Buona giornata! Oh boy, itsa pizza pie! February we will be having our annual ALL YOU CAN EAT pizza party with a large variety of pizzas and salad for the fantastico price of only $7.50 per person! You won t want to miss out on this terrific deal! Mail your checks, payable to Grand RVers, to: Dale Rees 18011 W. Tierra del Sol Surprise, AZ 85387 February 2016 Grand RVers Page 2
Coming up but not yet in cement is a heavy appetizer night. We ve cleaned up the RV shed at the compound and it appears that a majority of the items there are for the use of wagon masters during a trip and then returned to the shed when done. We are busy right now planning for the 2016 season but right now all members need to mark their calendars for December 6, 2016, as that is the evening of the Christmas Party. Also, mark your calendars for the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 5 PM for the monthly meeting which updates us on all of our trips and outings. Helena Gorden Sunshine There are many wonderful things about being a member of the Grand RVers, such as the friendships that we develop and the care and concern that we have for each other. That is why we have Sunshine! We have a few members who could use your prayers and good thoughts: Len White s original bile duct cancer has returned in a different spot. He will be going through radiation as well as simultaneously taking Chemotherapy pills for both the cancer and his Multiple Myeloma. Monte Gorden is home from the hospital and continuing his recovery from his bout of Norovirus as well as pneumonia in both lungs. Dan Foss will be having back surgery on February 11 th. Dan said that he should be fairly mobile in March, but not up to running any marathons. If you would like to send Get Well cards to Monte, Len and/or Dan, you can find their mailing addresses on the RV Club website under the Members tab. Please remember to inform me about anyone in the club who is in need of some Sunshine. That includes hospitalization, serious illness or bereavement. When sending me an email, you will need to include on the subject line Sunshine Lady so that it does not go to spam. Send your emails to sunshine@grandrv.org or call my home phone 623-975-9749. Webmaster John Stewart Be sure that the club has your current information. The information on the website is what the club uses for many things. Our Club Roster, Club Directory, Email list and Rally information (including emergency contact info) are all derived from your information on the website. To change your information on the website: Go to http://grandrv.org Log on to the website by clicking the Log On button Enter your username (firstnamelastname) Enter your password (4-digit CAM number) Click the My Info button On that page you can: See your current picture (used for the Club Directory) Change Your Password Edit Your Individual Member Information (Email, Cell Phone, Emergency Contact Info) Edit Your Residence Information (Home Phone and Secondary Address) Edit Your Vehicle Information (Both for your RV and Tow Vehicles) If you have any questions, need assistance, or see anything that does not appear to be working correctly, please let me know at webmaster@grandrv.org. February 2016 Grand RVers Page 3
NEWSLETTERS / MEETING MINUTES If you have missed an email for the Newsletter or the Meeting Minutes they are archived on the website under the Newsletter button. Regarding email messages which you receive from the Grand RV Board: DO NOT HIT REPLY! This will not go back to the person who sent the email. Instead, at the bottom of the email message, the individual sending the message will be putting his or her email address. Click on that link and send the message directly to that person. If you need any assistance or have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me (webmaster@grandrv.org). Jan Hatmaker Day Events The Day Events are in full swing for 2016! We hope you will be able to join us for some of the fun events this year. Laurie Stewart and her group had a wonderful time on a behind-the-scenes tour of the University of Phoenix Stadium followed by lunch at Gordon Biersch. We have a few new Day Events on the calendar! March 25 th and 29 th, Lou and Eileen Provenzano will bring their tailgating Ram truck to the east parking lot area of the Surprise Stadium before the games. We will begin tailgating at 4:00pm followed by the games which are at 6:05pm. The game is optional but you can purchase your own tickets prior to tailgating or that evening. April 8 th, Laurie Stewart is planning a trip to Historical Glendale for some antique store shopping and lunch at The Spicery, an 1895 home. Bob and Jan Hatmaker will be setting a date soon for our LAKE PLEASANT CRUISE EXCURSION and deciding if it will be just a cruise or a catered dinner by Dillons. Watch for details. Is there someplace you would like to go? Contact me at dayevents@grandrv.org and let me know where you would like to go! And be sure to check the Day Events frequently so you don t miss a fun opportunity as new events will be listed as we think of them. February 2016 Grand RVers Page 4
UPCOMING RALLIES Ray Granzow Trip Director Mike Schwab Trip Director 2016 COWBOY POETRY MUSIC FESTIVAL SIERRA VISTA, AZ DATE: FEB 5-8, 2016 WAGON MASTER: TIMM & LYNNE BURKE If you enjoy the Wild West, try something from its tamer side. Cowpokes sat around the campfire and wrote poetry and western songs. This is a chance to see and hear some of the original works of art! In addition, there is a poetry festival at the College on Saturday afternoon... but this is $10 per person extra. In the evening, after the festival, they have bands jamming at the local hotel. FREE admission to this event for those who can stay up past 10:00pm! Each evening they also have school children who are poetry winners. This is an audience favorite! We will be staying at Tombstone Territories RV Resort, 2111 AZ-82, Huachuca City, AZ. Your fees will include tickets to three performances for two people and RV site with an extra charge for electricity ranging from $5 to $15 per rig for the weekend. We have a lot of activities planned!!! Join us!! The beach is great!!!! BEACH PARTY ROCKY POINT, MEXICO DATE: MARCH 1-6, 2016 WAGON MASTER: SAM & SANDY PACIONE ASSISTANT WAGON MASTER: ROGER & JANICE PORTER Enjoy the beautiful beach in front of the RV park. Many shops and restaurants to enjoy. Visitor friendly atmosphere!! DEATH VALLEY BEATY, NV DATE: MAR 14-22, 2016 WAGON MASTER: WAYNE & LOUISE AD- AMS ASSISTANT WAGON MASTER: MIKE & PENNY BETCHER Limit to (12) rigs - high demand time! February 2016 Grand RVers Page 5
Each member will have to make their own reservation at Furnace Creek Resort RV Park no later than January 15, 2016. Call 760-786-2345 - block code: 709951 - Grand RVers March 16-22, 2016 Our plans are to leave on Monday, March 14 th - stop in Las Vegas and leave Wednesday, March 16 th for Death Valley. We will be staying at the Furnace Creek Resort RV Park. All resort amenities are available to us staying in the RV sites, including the Ranch s spring-fed swimming pool, shower facility, laundry, WiFi, tennis, just to name a few. Go to www.furnacecreekresort.com to get more info! Death Valley has countless things to do: auto touring, biking, hiking, backpacking and exploring!! BARLEENS APACHE JUNCTION, AZ DATE: APRIL 1-4, 2016 WAGON MASTER: CHUCK & ANN KRONENWETTER We will be attending Barleens 50s and 60s musical rock and roll show and dinner on April 1 st. There are many interesting sights and side trips in the Apache Junction area. We will be staying at Superstition Sunrise RV Resort. Limit 20 rigs - Length 40' (Lost Dutchman State Park may accept rigs over 40' and is close by.) LAUGHLIN AVI RESORT CASINO SUGGESTED DATES: APRIL 12-17, 2016 WAGON MASTER: NEEDED Guests enjoy playing all their favorite games on their spacious Casino floor which offers over 1000 slot machine games, and all table games. The Mojave Resort Golf Club is a spectacular 18-hole championship golf course adjacent to the Avi. A true island retreat when relaxing next to the new Avi Lagoon Pool. When it comes to restaurants, the Avi has something for everyone! You don't have to cook!!. Live music to enjoy nightly and a theatre. WAHWEAP RV CAMPGROUND LAKE POWELL, AZ DATE: MAY 1-6, 2016 WAGON MASTER: CHUCK & SANDIE COOK ASSISTANT WAGON MASTER: DALE & CARROLL REES At the southwest end of Lake Powell is Wahweap RV Campground, which is just a few miles from the town of Page, February 2016 Grand RVers Page 6
Arizona. In Page, you ll find restaurants, shops and conveniences like the Super Walmart, as well as the John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum. Near the campground, you ll find its most impressive feature: The Glen Canyon Dam, which is open year-round for tours. It is also where many expedition and excursion companies have their home base for mountain biking, 4X4 tours, horseback riding and scenic air tours. The campground offers full hook-ups with 30 and 50-amp service. Sites accommodate over 45', most up to 70'. We will be limiting the Rally to 20 units. BALLOON FIESTA ALBEQUERQUE, NM DATE: OCT 5-10, 2016 WAGON MASTER: TIMM & LYNN BURKE The real thrill is when the balloons are right over your unit!!!!! Attend one of the premier gathering in the United States with hot air balloons from across the US as well as many foreign countries, it is a real spectacle. Event consist of mass ascensions, balloon glows, fireworks and much more. CHULA VISTA RV RESORT SAN DIEGO, CA DATE: NOV 2-9, 2016 WAGON MASTER: MIKE & TRISH SCHWAB ASSISTANT WAGON MASTER: PAT & RAY GRANZOW area. Come and enjoy the San Diego area with its beautiful sites, scenery, parks, restaurants and shopping. Some things to see: USS Midway, Sea World, Old Town, Balboa Park, San Diego Zoo, Old Town, and ride the Trolley to view the whole We have 20 sites reserved for 7 nights at a cost of $352.10 plus $10 club fee. There will be more information posted as it becomes available. CLASSIFIED ADS Note: Only Grand RV members may submit RV-related items for sale and such items must be submitted by one week prior to the end of any month to be considered for inclusion in the issue scheduled for the first of the month. Send your ads to newsletter@grandrv.org. February 2016 Grand RVers Page 7