2022 Rally Reports
March 1-7 Las Vegas rally
Las Vegas Rally Report, March 1-7
Rallymasters-Becky Coulter & Diana McVey
There were 24 attendees at the rally in Las Vegas, Nevada: the Coulters, McVey/Skaug, Dorseys, Gainsfords, Houstons, Thornton/Jeffery, Buckinghams, Thomas’, Wrights, Millers, Herreras, and Hoovers (guests of the Coulters).
The weather was very warm and welcoming the first night for the annual meeting and happy hour in the club house. Residents of Las Vegas Dee and Carole Ennis came to the meeting/happy hour to pick up t-shirts and meet the CE’s. Minutes of the meeting will be sent under separate cover.
The second day was spent doing various things as chosen by the attendees. The group met downtown on Fremont Street at the Heart Attack Grill; being that it was Lent, several went to a fish place. The Heart Attack Grill was a strange experience where you dined in hospital gowns, drank wine from an IV bag, and got spanked if you didn’t finish your meal. Some seemed to enjoy the spankings a little too much. One patron who weighed over 300 lbs. got weighed in and cheered on by the crowd as he ate a free meal of saturated fats. Richard, our tour guide, took us on a downtown LV walking tour that night. Bright neon lights, LOUD music, zip lines, street performers, and panhandlers had some of us feeling as if we had descended into another world. We learned about the mob and this tourist hotspot that grew out of the hot and parched Mojave Desert.
Friday was windy but not too bad in the canyons. The Valley of Fire was a hit among the hikers who departed at 7:30am with Estella Herrera in the lead. They saw the Fire Wave and White Domes along the Seven Wonders Loop. The hikers then went on to hike to the old townsite of St. Thomas, which is considered the "Atlantis Ghost Town of Nevada" because it was flooded 60 years ago by construction of the Hoover Dam. It is now emerging due to the receding waters of Lake Mead. They logged 6 miles and were tired when they got back.
Those who drove and walked in the Valley of Fire enjoyed it as well.
Saturday was very windy and cold, and no one went on the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail for fear that they would get blown off the mountain.
Saturday evening was the James Bond Themed Potluck. Frank Thornton and Betsy Jeffery manned the bar where they made martinis and served champagne for the toasts. The food was amazing. We had bangers, twice baked potatoes, pasties, fish pie, pork pie, meat pie, peas, and Shepard’s pie followed by cupcakes and a wonderful British trifle. The costumes were amazing (the Queen of England and Pussy Galore graced us with their presence), and the background music was from James Bond movies. Buck Buckingham, aka Dark Snake, won the competition for the best spy. He completed his missions first and had the best score on his quiz. Professional photos were taken by our own Joe Thomas. Thank you, Joe! To see more of his pictures, go to our website photo gallery at cuatroestados.com.
Sunday was spent at the Red Rock National Conservation Area or other destinations as people desired. Thornton/Jeffery, Herreras’ and Thomas’ hiked 4 miles.
On Monday, some departed for home while others stayed on for a couple of days to see more of what Vegas and the surrounding area had to offer. Everyone said they had a great time.
Learn More
The Heart Attack Grill was a strange experience where you dined in hospital gowns, drank wine from an IV bag, and got spanked if you didn’t finish your meal. Some seemed to enjoy the spankings a little too much.
2022 Rally Reports Continuted
APRIL 1-6 MOAB, UT
Moab Rally Report, April 1-6
Rallymasters-Vallarie Erickson & Brian Smith
Rallymasters-Vallarie Erickson and Brian Smith We had a great rally April 1-6 in Moab, Utah. We had 7 couples with Kevin and Janie being guests from St. George, Utah. We went on several walks and hikes; some of them were a bit advanced, but everyone did well. We visited Arches National Park with stops for walking, taking pictures, and eating lunch. The group also visited Dead Horse and Bowtie and Corona Arches. Cheryl Gainsford found the Blu Pig BBQ restaurant which 4 couples visited on Saturday. We had many good meals, including steak sandwiches, brats and sloppy joes, and we enjoyed sharing many desserts. On Thursday we had movie night and watched The Long Trailer, complete with popcorn and a lot of laughs. It was a fun rally and a great group of people to visit with and get to know better. Attendees were: Mary Miller and Chuck Ackerman Bill and Bev Eckel Kevin and Sharon Scott Lynn and Buck Buckingham Cheryl and Corky Gainsford Brian and Vallarie Erickson-Smith Kevin and Janie Kelly Thank you everyone, safe travels and see you soon! Vallarie and Brian
2022 Rally Reports Continued
May 3-9 Aledo, TX
Hello Friends, You Missed a Great Rally!
Rally Report From Aledo, TX
Our Texas rally was small but lots of fun. We had 3 rigs for the rally, so it turned into a time to really get to know each other. Mc Donald/Motz and Lehman's joined the Brada's in Aledo TX.
We were only 25 miles from the FW Stockyards and other venues. We did some juggling of daily schedules due to weather concerns but were able to fit in everything we wanted to do. Julia and Kathy both sat on Patron, he was a friendly longhorn steer, he didn't even buck; so we think we might be ready for bull riding at the rodeo next year.
We took a nature hike, saw a yellow belly water snake but no alligators. We spent a morning at the FW Aviation Museum, I bet you didn't know Doreen had her own plane and pilot's license. That's the kind of stuff you learn about friends when you have time to just sit, relax and have a conversation.
Maybe we'll try to do this again sometime. Diesel prices were only $5.39 in FW today, so maybe we'll wait awhile. Happy Trails!
Kathy & Paul Brada
Don't we Have a Bunch of Fun People?
2022 Rally Reports Continued
june 12-18 Ft Robinson sp, Nebraska
Fort Robinson State Park – Western Nebraska Rally Report, June 12-18
Rallymasters--Susan and Richard Houston
There were 15 attendees at the rally at Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska: Houstons, Schmitt, Farringtons, Eckels, Thomas’, Glasmanns, Thorton/Jeffery, and Scotts.
Northwest Nebraska includes more than 180,000 acres of public lands, including Fort Robinson State Park, Nebraska’s largest. Within this state park, only 2 hours from Mt Rushmore, lies historic Ft Robinson, which served as a military post from 1874 to 1948. Much of it is still preserved today.
We all met at the Houston’s on our first night where they provided everyone with a very tasty meal supplemented by snacks from everyone else. We sat in the pleasant evening and discussed the week’s activities. Each day concluded at the Houston’s site with everyone providing food and lively discussions of the day’s activities.
The next day we explored the fort and its colorful history. We Explored the history of the American west and saw sites like the Red Cloud Agency and the original location of Camp Robinson including the site of the death of Crazy Horse. We visited museums, one of which was the original Headquarters of the Fort. We went through an area that served as a POW Camp for nearly 3000 German soldiers during WWII (most captured in North Africa), and learned about the War Dog Training Center, where household dogs were donated to train as military dogs for WWII. We also learned that Fort Robinson’s history included Chiefs Crazy Horse and Red Cloud and was the last great gathering place of the Sioux Nation.
Tuesday began with a hearty breakfast at the Fort Robinson Inn where we could choose between items such as the Trail Boss, Dusty Trail Breakfast, or Salt Pork and Hardtack Rations (biscuits and gravy). With bellies full and one of the coolest days of the week in front of us, it was off to one of the beautiful hiking trails. After studiously studying the many trails around us, the designated trail bosses for this hiking expedition (the Thomas’) led us down Mexican Canyon Trail (sounded much better than hiking up 5 miles to Lover’s Leap!). That night we gathered at the Post Playhouse to see an outstanding musical comedy called Desperate Measures, performed by very talented actors from all over the country.
Trail Bosses Ann & Joe Thomas
Tick Magnet Joe
Wednesday was a chance for everyone to explore the nearby big city, Chadron (pronounced shá-drun) with nearly 6,000 people. We stopped into the Museum of the Fur Trade, a museum of > 6000 artifacts, including furs, canoes and implements of that business that lasted 3 centuries in early America. The Museum also houses the largest, most complete exhibit of guns made specifically for Indians. We followed that with lunch at the historic Bean Broker Coffee House and Pub, built in 1912. For those still wanting to learn more, it was off to the Dawes County Historic Museum to see an impressive collection of pioneer antiques, including blacksmith tools, farm machinery, vintage quilts and antique toys, a fully restored and furnished pioneer church and 1890’s schoolhouse.
Thursday was a chance to see/do more of the park’s activities such as hiking/horseback or bike riding before going on a wagon ride into the country for a tasty steak dinner followed by a rodeo put on by the local crews.
Wagon Ride
MMMM Steak Dinner
Friday, we headed to the Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (home to unusual mammals that lived 65 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct—such as the Palaeocastor-a dry-land beaver that lived in corkscrew like burrows under the ground). Some also drove another 50 miles to visit the Scots Bluff National Monument, established in 1919. The focus of the monument is a large promontory, or bluff, that rises 800 feet was a prominent landmark on the Oregon and Mormon trails. It remains a memorial to those who on foot, on horseback, and in covered wagons moved America westward.
Saturday was a day off as we prepared to depart on Sunday. Most of us decided to also watch the mounted shoot at the rodeo grounds, where cowboys/girls competed with pistols and rifles to shoot balloons as they maneuvered their horses through timed barrel obstacle courses.
As we bid a fond farewell to each other on Sunday, everyone agreed that the rally was a great success with many treasured memories and photo ops.
P S -Watch out for the Red Cup Ladies!!!!
Rally Report by Bob Scott
2022 Rally Reports Continued
jULY 18-24 ANGEL FIRE, nm
Day 1 Everyone had a chance to relax and get set up. We did a meet and greet at the Utech’s assigned spot where dinner was served. Something new to everyone: Cincinnati chili. Yep. A meat chili served over spaghetti and topped with shredded cheese and chopped onions.
Day 2 we met for lunch at El Jefe restaurant. They were a bit short staffed but the view was spectacular and the food was good. So no one seemed to mind. Somewhat annoying was the one ticket per table policy but we found our math skills and got through that hurdle! We gathered again at the Utech’s and it began to rain. We waited it out, some outside under the awning and some inside. Blissfully, it didn’t last long. We gathered our veterans together to thank them collectively for their service. Becky Coulter represented women in service. We viewed the video produced for the Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, “On This Hallowed Ground”, a very moving production. We served heavy appetizers: mini wontons, spicy grape sauce over meatballs, and potstickers. Reports are that no one went hungry.
Day 3 we met at the Angel Fire Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial for a private tour lead by our docent ‘DJ’. The tour was very informative and enjoyable. The memorial was very well coordinated with an area reserved for each branch of the military and an area for the women veterans as well as the North Vietnamese. The memorial prides itself on being a memorial of peace. There are bricks available to honor individual veterans and several of our group have purchased bricks. Bricks are installed on Saturday before Labor Day the year after they are purchased. There were bricks already installed from as far back as the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and both WW I and WW II. It is a truly humbling experience.
Day 4
TAOS! Nearly everyone enjoyed the Taos Trolley Culture and Historical Tour. Our tour guide was a Taos Indian, who advised us that the tribes there want to be called “Indian” and not any of the more PC titles thrust upon them. He certainly knew Taos! We went to the Millicent Rodgers’ Museum, which was nothing short of spectacular. From there we enjoyed touring the area. Unfortunately, we couldn’t travel on the trolley through the Plaza as they were setting up for the weekend art festival. We did have time to shop and dine in Taos, a lovely ending to a very informative day, which was followed by the soon to become the ubiquitous daily rain.
Day 5: We drove the Enchanted Circle and met for lunch at The Red River Brewing Company. During the course of lunch and lively banter, we discovered Matt’s penchant for rolling clothes, including Katrina’s! The gin cucumber drink was really good and Katrina liked the Pain Killer. And they did individual checks presented in a very large mousetrap. I think they could’ve trapped a small dog, they were so big! And of course, on the way back, it rained, which caused Becky to have concerns regarding roads flooding (what did you drink at Red River?) so we stopped at the next brewery to “wait it out”.
Day 6 was a free day following a potluck brunch! A variety of specialty breakfast breads, sausage gravy and biscuits, fresh fruit and granola, fabulous coffee cake (Katrina – recipe please!!) watermelon and tons more. The resort delivers complimentary gigantic waffles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday so toss that into the mix! We followed this food coma with a potluck dinner to empty the fridges. I think Bill just wanted more Cincinnati chili.
Day 7 was adios amigos! Such a great group of people and such a wonderful place to meet and explore! Safe travels and hopefully we meet again soon.
Nancy Nowak Utech<-
2022 Rally Reports Continued
AUGUST 19-26 sOUTHERN UTAH, KANAB & VINCINITY
Kanab UT and Vicinity Rally Report, Aug 19-26
Rallymasters Sharee and Bob Scott
We had 9 rigs attend this rally, represented by: Bob and Sharee Scott (Rallymasters); Bob and Becky Coulter; Craig and Klea Ford (guests); Richard and Susan Houston; Lynn and Julia Lehman; John and Dana Pratt; Dave and Rosann Roberts (guests); Joyce Schmitt; and, Art and Nancy Utech (with guest Sharon Peterson);
This was a rally that required some flexibility due to changing and somewhat unpredictable weather. Club members actually enjoyed the rain and lightning show one night from the comfort of our cozy RV park clubhouse, where we met in every night for snacks, chats and fun. The only big change was a cancellation of a planned slot canyon hike, as part of it got flooded and washed away. Nobody seemed to regret not being in the canyon when that happened!
On Friday’s arrival, the rallymasters, the Fords and Joyce Schmitt provided dinner in the air-conditioned clubhouse. Bob and Sharee, dressed as Utah pioneers, provided some Kanab history and discussed the weeks activities . Afterward, many attended the Kanab Western Legends Rodeo, with bull riding, bare back and saddle broncs, barrel racing, and team roping, and much more.
On Saturday morning everyone took a driving tour of nearby Johnson canyon, where we were able to hike a short distance to the back of Sharee’s cousin’s back yard to view petroglyphs drawn on the cliff walls during the Pueblo II Era (A.D. 900 to 1150). That afternoon we watched a parade down main street that included a herd of Texas Long Horns, to continue Kanab’s annual celebration of the Western Legends. The afternoon was filled with music, street vendors, mountain men and wild west shoot outs.
petroglyphs
Texas Longhorn Parade
Off to see the Petroglyphs: L-R: Dave, Roseann Roberts; Lynn Lehman; Art Utech;, Julia Lehman; Richard, Susan Houston; Bob Coulter, Nancy Utech, Becky Coulter, Joyce Schmitt, Sharon Peterson, Sharee and Bob Scott, Craig and Klea Ford.
Sunday saw a trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument at 10,000 feet, with breathtaking colorful views to canyons reaching 8000 feet down, similar (or even better) than Bryce Canyon. We followed this up with lunch in the ski resort of Brian Head.
Cedar Breaks
That night it was back to the RV club house for the evening round-up, snacks and Western Movie Night (filmed in Kanab). Tonight’s feature was 1951’s “Westward the Women” with Robert Taylor (and Karma Ford –Sharee’s mom—easily seen as a 19-year-old extra in the cast.). Sunday night all began our Treasure Hunt where everyone was told about 11 clues hidden on the park campgrounds that would lead them to the lost treasure of Montezuma! Adventurers were also presented with an ancient archeological dig where they could dig for artifacts. The lucky ones (everyone, as it turned out) found arrowheads buried beneath the red sand.
Please be gentle when digging for Artifacts and only take one. Please leave area as you found it.
Nearby, an archeologist (Craig Ford) carefully begins his dig.
Monday brought us to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and lunch at the Grand Canyon Lodge—Great Views! A regular stop, coming and going, was the little store at Jacob Lake to sample their large selection of bakery cookies and great shakes/malts. We were assured that that was a special location and all the calories could just be wished away, so we ordered a few extras each time.
North Rim of the Grand Canyon
Tuesday: Rally participants split up on this free day to visit sites of their choice. These included hikes to see 185-million-year-old Dinosaur Tracks and part of Lickwash Slot Canyon. Others also chose to visit beautiful Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The Kanab Heritage Museum was also a fan favorite, as was nearby Moqui Cave. That night we also held the “Back Stage Little Holly Wood Pot Luck Dinner” with weary travelers coming dressed for the western event. Voted Best costume overall was Nancy Utech with her Lady gunslinger outfit. Most original was Bob Coulter as Woody from Toy Story. Voters selected Susan and Richard Houston for Best Couple costume.
Best outfit Overall: Nancy Utech (Showing her fierce gunslinger look)
Most original Outfit: Bob Coulter (Woody from Toy Story)
Best Couple Outfit: Richard and Susan Houston
Western Night: The Men
Western Night: The ladies
Wednesday was a drive around the Marble Canyon Loop. Three rally attendees hiked to see the surrealistic Toadstools before joining us at Glen Canyon Dam, built 66 years ago. Then it was on to Horseshoe Bend and lunch in Page. After lunch it was Navajo Bridge where a condor could just be seen in a little cave in the rocks. We concluded the Loop with a stop at Jacob Lake (cookies and shakes). The highlight of the evening was the knowledge that both Becky and Bob Coulter and Lynn and Julia Lehman had found all the clues that led to Montezuma’s treasure. Since Bob had found the clues first, he had the privilege of digging up the treasure. Lynn had the distinction of finding a treasure from another treasure hunt some other rally goers had left. He won the consolation prize. All of the rally goers went home with some treasure, as there was quite a haul that Montezuma had left.
On our final day we had planned to visit Zion National Park but heavy rains had closed most of the hiking trails so we opted for a visit to the Red Pueblo Museum and Heritage Park. This museum has an extensive collection of Native American artifacts including 300-year-old pottery, tools, the most arrowheads we have ever seen displayed in one place, shaman bags, moccasins and blankets. The owner gave us a detailed tour and knew details about all of them. We next stopped at Pipe Springs National Monument—a well preserved and maintained fort built in 1872 by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to shelter and protect early Church pioneers and others traveling through the area. This last night was also the time to gather for rally leftovers and popcorn as another movie was presented. This time the feature attraction was the Lone Ranger, which was shot on location in the Kanab area (Johnson Canyon), and released in color in 1956.
On Friday, as folks departed, they were invited to the Scotts for pastries.
In the words of Roy Rogers—Happy Trails to you, Until We Meet Again
2022 Rally Reports Continued
september 18-24 Delores Colorado
Cuatro Estados- Dolores, CO Rally Report!
Dolores River Campground (DRC), Dolores, CO
Sunday, Sept 18, to Saturday, Sept 24, 2022
Rally Masters: Frank Thornton and Betsy Jeffery
CE members attending were:
Phil and Stephanie Bishop
Buck and Lynn Buckingham
Bob and Becky Coulter
Bill and Beverly Eckel
Tom Krouse
Doug Motz and Doreen McDonald
Dana and John Pratt
Roger and Karen Redman
Bob and Sharee Scott
Frank Thornton and Betsy Jeffery
Carl and Linda Threatt
RK and Jan Winfree
Guests attending were Roger (Biff) and Linda Anderson from Montrose, CO, John and Sandy Bowers from Golden, CO, and honorary member and guest, Rae Phillips, (far left) former long-time president of Cuatro Estados.
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Sunday, Sept 18
Rally Masters Frank Thornton and Betsy Jeffery provided a “cozy” dinner for 28 people on Sunday evening of posole, green chile pork, pinto beans (from nearby Dove Creek, CO), and a variety of ice cream bars. There was lots of visiting and catching up with old friends as well as meeting and greeting our guests and CE members we hadn’t yet met. Rally Master Frank provided a preview of the coming five day’s attractions and possibilities for free time explorations.
Monday, Sept 19
We lined up for a car caravan of 10 vehicles (!) from DRC to the Canyon of the Ancients Visitor Center tour and easy hike to Escalante pueblo ruins on the hill above and beyond the center. We ate our bag lunches on the sheltered picnic tables near the parking lot before setting out to visit the Sand Canyon Pueblo ruins. It was 39 miles of paved and dirt roads and lots of 90-degree turns, but no one got lost or left behind thanks to attentive tail-gunners and FRS walkie-talkies. The ruins are dotted with interpretive signs that helped us use our imaginations to visualize what today’s ruins looked like 800 years ago and what Ancestral Puebloan life was like then. Great views of the Sand Canyon Trail that winds its way six miles downhill through pinion forests to other ancient cliff dwellings we would visit the next day. Everyone made it back to the DRC for Happy Hour and heavy hors d’oeurves at the site of Doug Motz and Doreen McDonald which was much better suited for our group of 28. Everyone provided lots of great food, and Frank presented information on the next day’s adventures out into the beyond to Lowry Pueblo, Hovenweep National Monument, and Sutcliffe Vinyards.
Tuesday, Sept 20
Due to the 115-mile loop drive to visit our three destinations, the eight-car caravan lined up at 9 a.m. with lunches packed and plenty of water. There were no services available at Lowry Pueblo in Colorado, a partly renovated portion of a 1200 era pueblo, or at Hovenweep in Utah, a large and very interesting and hike-able group of Puebloan buildings from the same era, but again no one got lost or left behind thanks to “Follow the Leader” and walkie-talkies. The area of road that most concerned Frank and Betsy about losing someone was between Hovenweep in Utah and the Colorado state line. There were lots of choices of turns at t-bone intersections out in the middle of nowhere, but we all stayed closed together and there was very little traffic, so we all made it back into Colorado safely on Montezuma County Road G, headed for the Sutcliffe Vinyards.
A fun time was had at the Sutcliffe Vinyards by those who decided to stop and sample wines made from local grapes and processed in-house there. The owner, John Sutcliffe, is Welsh, and besides producing wine, has owned and operated several high-end restaurants. Though he and his staff were preparing for a 50-person dining event that evening, he showed everyone around his personal residence, which was in the style and design of a nicely-decorated 1930’s adobe home in New Mexico. He also gave Stephanie Bishop two large gorgeous eggplants! It was a very pleasant end to a dry and dusty traverse of western Colorado and eastern Utah sagebrush country.
Upon leaving the vineyard, we discovered that Dolores and the DRC had received and was still receiving hard rainfall, so we cancelled Happy Hour that evening. That was the only scheduled event we had to cancel during the week though we had several other rainstorms on Wednesday and early Thursday.
Wednesday, Sept 21
This morning was scheduled to be a free time. Folks pursued interests in Cortez or elsewhere. Some people visited a Native American Trading Post called Notah Dineh where Indian artistic creations were on display and for sale. There is a museum in the lower level that, among other interesting artifacts, displayed the reported “largest Navajo rug ever woven”. It is BIG and beautiful, but we forgot to take a picture. Some folks visited the Cortez Cultural Center which has a small museum and gift shop, and several small groups lunched at some of the many good restaurants in Cortez.
In the afternoon, everyone met at the Mesa Verde Visitor Center about 20 miles away to plan and prepare for our different adventures in the National Monument area on Thursday. The Visitor Center has great displays and information about Mesa Verde. By doing this on Wednesday, we avoided losing time on Thursday when many of us had tour times set up earlier for ranger-led tours of Cliff Palace and/or Balcony House on Chapin Mesa (21 miles from the Visitor Center) or Long House and Step House on Wetherill Mesa (27 miles from the Visitor Center). These locations take almost an hour to drive to in this beautiful and unique national monument.
After visiting the Visitor Center, many of us drove seven miles to the town of Mancos to visit the Kilgore American Indian Arts Galley. There we viewed an antique collection of rugs, jewelry, pottery, baskets, and katsinas, all available for purchase, and some of us did purchase items we couldn’t live without. Afterwards, many of us went across the street to the Columbine Bar & Grill for dinner. Then it was time to drive back to Dolores in the rain. Early fall monsoon rainstorms: you gotta love ‘em!
Thursday, Sept 22
This was the day to make our own ways to Mesa Verde to use the tour tickets purchased earlier online or to drive the Chapin Mesa Loop to visit sites there on your own. Later we heard that almost everything available had been tried by someone in our group. It was a very successful day: the early morning thick rain clouds and mists that enveloped the Mesa Verde highlands disappeared by mid-morning, and the sun came out allowing us hikers to leave our umbrellas and raincoats in the car. Our Happy Hour that evening was again supplied by an amazing array of good foods to share while we related our stories of adventure in the sacred dwellings of the ancestral Puebloan Ancients!
Friday, Sept 23
Friday was a free day. Some drove over Lizard Head Pass to Telluride to partake of one of Colorado’s premier mountain ski towns in the summer. Others like Frank and Betsy and our guests, the Bowers, drove out on Montezuma County Rd G to the Sand Canyon Trailhead across from the afore-mentioned Sutcliffe Vinyards. We hiked in a less-busy area with ancient ruins visible from the trails. It’s great fun to come around a corner of the trail and spot ancient ruin walls built in 1100 or 1200 AD that are still standing.
Friday evening was our gathering at 5 p.m. at the Cortez Elk’s Club; thanks to the Coulter’s membership, we were invited to eat dinner there and had a great time. Prizes were handed out by the rally masters for longest drive from their house. First place went to Doug Motz and Doreen McDonald who drove 458 miles from Pima, AZ. Second place went to Bob and Sharee Scott who drove 391 miles from Pleasant Grove, UT. Good-byes were expressed with “Happy Trails” added on to all our friends, old and new. “See you next time” was a common farewell expression.
Saturday, Sept 24
This was pack-up and un-hook day for most of us. A few stayed on for an extra day or two. One of the side lights of our stay at DRC was another group staying there: a large quilting group that stays at the DRC the same time each year to practice and perfect their skills. They are a very talented and artistic group if the quality of their creations shown outside their RV’s on Friday afternoon is any indication. The quilts were varied and beautifully crafted. Alas, they were not for sale.
Until We Meet Again,
Betsy Jeffery & Frank Thornton
Rallymasters
2022 Rally Reports Continued
sept 29 to october 3 ruidoso, NM
12 Cuatro Estados members and 2 non-members attended the rally at Slow Play RV Park
Mike Rozdilsky & MJ Brenner (Rally masters)
Lynn & Buck Buckingham
Bob & Becky Coulter
Linda & Carl Threatt
Diana McVey & Bob Skaug
Matt Bentsen & Katrina Cooper
Connie & Collin Broughton (guests)
We began with a get-together with appetizers, drinks and catching up on Wednesday evening.
We learned that the Spencer Theater was open on Thursday and enjoyed a wonderful tour of entire theater including the stage, dressing rooms, and dining rooms.
Following the Spencer tour, we had a picnic lunch at Ft Stanton followed by a self guided tour. The volunteer, Mike Bolbo, was friendly and helped and gave us a lot of information regarding the fort. He even had our veterans (Bob, Matt, Becky and Mike) march with him to the flagpole and raise the flag.
That evening we enjoyed dinner at The Texas Club for chicken fried steak, etc.
On Friday, we toured the town of Lincoln, Nebraska where Billy the Kid shot two sheriff deputies. Most of the town is a museum and many stores/homes were open to tour. Most of our group continued on to Capitan for lunch and visit to the Smoky Bear Museum.
Saturday was free ... some went to a parade, some to an apple farm, and Mike & MJ and Carl Linda attended the Cowboyfest. Mike & MJ enjoyed the chuck wagon cook-off and the PBR rodeo.
Our leisurely Sunday was spent at a farmers/craft market in Alta followed by a great brunch at the Cornerstone Bakery and cafe. We all met for appetizers and lots of desserts on Sunday evening before saying our goodbyes the next morning.
Happy Trails Pardner
Rallymasters MJ Brenner & Mike RozdilskyRally Masters: Frank