Escanaba Rally 2015
Our rally began Saturday afternoon with the arrival of 18 coaches at the beautiful Pioneer Trail Park in Gladstone, MI, home of the tall fragrant pine trees! Attending were Jack and Betty Bates, Tom and Marcia Bird, Ed and Anne Bearse, Iggy and Cindy Konrad, Ken and Alice Hamlin, Rod and Maggie Chubb, Larry and Barb Vanderberg, Jim and Barb Miller, Bob and Shirley Dingman, Dick and Nona Wylie, Guests Don and Jeanne Johnson, George and Vicky Daubresse, Fred Hollister, Dick and Kathy Montgomery, Al and Carol Kloha/Park, Tom and Sharon Dorrance, Kathy O’Bee and Don and Jeanne Rypma. We greeted old and new friends at Happy Hour and then adjourned to the Log Cabin Restaurant for dinner with 34 members. Kathy O’Bee, our Chaplin, gave the meal blessing and we enjoyed the Log Cabin specials Prime Rib and Whitefish.
Sunday morning started early for the rally masters, Ed and Anne Bearse and Marcia and Tom Bird with able assistance from Kathy O’Bee and Ken Hamlin. They baked up delicious DeWafelbakkers pancakes and fresh Detroit sausage for breakfast. Everyone then headed off to church, went sightseeing or just relaxed. At one o’clock, a dozen of us were treated to a tour of the Sand Point Lighthouse and museum in Escanaba with the curator, Charles Lindquist. Charles grew up in Escanaba but spent many years in your editors home town, Adrian, managing the historical society’s facilities there and teaching at Adrian College before returning to Escanaba. He is very knowledgeable and pointed out many interesting historical facts from the area. We climbed to the top of their lighthouse and viewed their fabulous shoreline, blue waters of Lake Michigan and boats moored in their secluded harbor.
That evening, we enjoyed our delicious potluck dinner with some area famous mini-pasties and then continued on with our Christmas in July Party. Everyone brought a $5 gift and after playing Card Bingo, our Santa, George Daubresse, helped everyone select a gift. When the gifts were opened, the hall was filled with rollicking laughter as many were unique and funny! Thanks Ed Bearse for MC’ing the event!! In the spirit of Christmas, many members decorated the fronts of their coaches in the evening and we had a tie for the five best with Al and Carol Kloha/Parks winning the $50 Walmart card by the luck of a card draw. Congratulations and thanks to all that participated!
Monday morning we dug into doughnuts and muffins from the famous Donut Connection and then it was off to Fayette Historical Town by bus. In spite of the 88 degree temps and high humidity, twenty five of us had a great tour with a very lively and interesting park ranger! Fayette was once a busy Company owned town back in it’s heyday of smelting iron and she gave us a glimpse of the way life was back then with all of the rebuilt buildings. We convened at a Pavilion for lunch before returning for another, you guessed it, Happy Hour! Meals were on our own that night and many enjoyed the “cook your own” steaks at the Hereford House Restaurant.
Tuesday morning came quickly with some of us headed to the FMCA area rally in Madison, some to Door County, WI and some towards the Mighty Mac! Thanks to all that participated in this rally and all those that helped make it possible! Next up is our August Rally in Holland! See you there!
Our rally began Saturday afternoon with the arrival of 18 coaches at the beautiful Pioneer Trail Park in Gladstone, MI, home of the tall fragrant pine trees! Attending were Jack and Betty Bates, Tom and Marcia Bird, Ed and Anne Bearse, Iggy and Cindy Konrad, Ken and Alice Hamlin, Rod and Maggie Chubb, Larry and Barb Vanderberg, Jim and Barb Miller, Bob and Shirley Dingman, Dick and Nona Wylie, Guests Don and Jeanne Johnson, George and Vicky Daubresse, Fred Hollister, Dick and Kathy Montgomery, Al and Carol Kloha/Park, Tom and Sharon Dorrance, Kathy O’Bee and Don and Jeanne Rypma. We greeted old and new friends at Happy Hour and then adjourned to the Log Cabin Restaurant for dinner with 34 members. Kathy O’Bee, our Chaplin, gave the meal blessing and we enjoyed the Log Cabin specials Prime Rib and Whitefish.
Sunday morning started early for the rally masters, Ed and Anne Bearse and Marcia and Tom Bird with able assistance from Kathy O’Bee and Ken Hamlin. They baked up delicious DeWafelbakkers pancakes and fresh Detroit sausage for breakfast. Everyone then headed off to church, went sightseeing or just relaxed. At one o’clock, a dozen of us were treated to a tour of the Sand Point Lighthouse and museum in Escanaba with the curator, Charles Lindquist. Charles grew up in Escanaba but spent many years in your editors home town, Adrian, managing the historical society’s facilities there and teaching at Adrian College before returning to Escanaba. He is very knowledgeable and pointed out many interesting historical facts from the area. We climbed to the top of their lighthouse and viewed their fabulous shoreline, blue waters of Lake Michigan and boats moored in their secluded harbor.
That evening, we enjoyed our delicious potluck dinner with some area famous mini-pasties and then continued on with our Christmas in July Party. Everyone brought a $5 gift and after playing Card Bingo, our Santa, George Daubresse, helped everyone select a gift. When the gifts were opened, the hall was filled with rollicking laughter as many were unique and funny! Thanks Ed Bearse for MC’ing the event!! In the spirit of Christmas, many members decorated the fronts of their coaches in the evening and we had a tie for the five best with Al and Carol Kloha/Parks winning the $50 Walmart card by the luck of a card draw. Congratulations and thanks to all that participated!
Monday morning we dug into doughnuts and muffins from the famous Donut Connection and then it was off to Fayette Historical Town by bus. In spite of the 88 degree temps and high humidity, twenty five of us had a great tour with a very lively and interesting park ranger! Fayette was once a busy Company owned town back in it’s heyday of smelting iron and she gave us a glimpse of the way life was back then with all of the rebuilt buildings. We convened at a Pavilion for lunch before returning for another, you guessed it, Happy Hour! Meals were on our own that night and many enjoyed the “cook your own” steaks at the Hereford House Restaurant.
Tuesday morning came quickly with some of us headed to the FMCA area rally in Madison, some to Door County, WI and some towards the Mighty Mac! Thanks to all that participated in this rally and all those that helped make it possible! Next up is our August Rally in Holland! See you there!