Sierra Nevada Airstreams: Memories – Travelogues

Enjoyment of the whispering winds, the zephyrs, the airstreams of the Sierra Nevada and Great Basin areas of the United States in a recreational vehicle.

Donald & Gail Williams WBCCI # 14207

Huron International Holiday June 2013

WBCCI International Rally – Huron SD

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Gail and I anticipated an early start of our summer holiday but repairs on our Airstream delayed our launch 2 ½ weeks. We had a somewhat hurried but uneventful 4-day trip to Huron, South Dakota. Oh yeah, there was the trip along the Seminole Backcountry Byway. The Byway takes the traveler from the plains near Rawlins, Wyoming past the Seminole Dam and Reservoir over the Ferris Mountains to Casper.

Thirty miles of the route were forest service road, seemingly not bumpy in the truck but a surprise awaited us at our lunch stop. The plastic bin in the wardrobe (HF amateur radio transceiver inside) slid enough to open the wardrobe door after which cereal, biscotti, dog biscuits and dog treats mixed together on the floor in the galley. Gail abandon me to walk the dogs while I cleaned up the mess. As a side note I will have biscotti to go with Bryans early morning coffee for the SNU guests at Obsidian Dome.

We arrived at the International Rally site in Huron, South Dakota 10 minutes after the camping escorts quit for the day and therefore stayed in the Bull Pen for the evening with a couple from Wisconsin. That put us first in line to be whisked to our campsites on Tuesday morning. Registration did not open for two days (more volunteers needed) so we checked out the WBCCI store and rally vendors, visited with people around us and friends from Region 11 and 12.

Over the next 10 days Gail and I worked hard to represent the Sierra Nevada Unit, we attended the: Unit Delegate Workshop; Unit Flag Training (for the opening ceremony); Tech Training for region officials; Justin Humphrey and Bob Wheeler’s talk about the health of Airstream, its sales growth and new products coming out; the Delegates Seminar and Meeting; various evening programs, music and coronation of the new IBT officers; knot tying class; Laura Ingalls Wilder program; etc. We also visited the Huron Giant Pheasant tourist attraction, talked with JJ & Sandi who head the “Alyeska, the Great Land” caravan (Gail and I are on the 2014 caravan), visited with Shorewood RV staff and viewed their Airstreams on display, ate at two different ice cream restaurants (seems to be a habit of International Rally attendees), Region 12 happy hour, breakfasts, picnics and the WBCCI RV Service Net Dinner (amateur radio club).

Lastly Gail and Mongo competed in the WBCCI Pet Show where we were robbed; no ribbon for the cutest Yorkie and dog in the show! We even pulled out the old guys, Zorro and me to accompany Gail and Mongo in the WBCCI Fourth of July Parade at the rally’s closing ceremonies.

Lest someone fink on us we did stray from the WBCCI program one night; we went to the 3/8s mile dirt track races on the north end of the South Dakota Fairgrounds along with a noticeable number of rally attendees. Actually it would have been two nights of straying but an early evening shower dampened our enthusiasm for the Fourth of July dirt track extravaganza and we stayed in the rally grounds.

The biggest news from the International was the Delegates defeat of the amendment to allow long term WBCCI members to retain their membership if they replace their Airstream products with Thor built motorhomes and the July 5th IBT action to simplify some language in Unit constitutions, establish methods to form units in other countries and admit the new Down Under Australian Unit!

That completes our International Rally Report, where do Gail and I submit our receipts for reimbursement?

Respectfully Don & Gail Williams #14207

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