The Rally at Salem, Oregon June 26 - July 4, 2006

The 49th International WBCCI Rally took place in Salem Oregon. It was about 103 degrees by the time we got there. They line you up in what's called a "bull pen" until they're ready to park you. You have to be escorted to your parking spot. We just happened to get there around lunchtime. So there we were, in the 103 degree heat, in the middle of a big dry dusty field, waiting. And waiting. For over an hour. It was hot! We found some refuge inside the trailer while waiting...turned on the fans and broke open a cold bottle of water and conversed with others in line with us. The escorts finally got us going into our spot, and by about 1:30 Oregon time (we got there at Noon...) we were able to settle in and unhitch. In 103 degree heat. (Did I mention it was HOT there???) I never welcomed an icy cold cocktail more than at that moment...Oh, except for when Joan rescued me in Rapid City...!! :)

Anyway, we settled in and went to the registration building to register and get our stuff that you get at rallies...badge ribbon, activity book, Salem welcome package, Salem pin, etc etc...then went back to the trailer and sat under the awning drinking cocktails and sweating profusely.

One highlight of the rally was the opening ceremony. That's when all the regions and units parade into the stadium and present their flags to the international officials. Usually pretty mundane and we fall asleep while watching. Or at least I do...
Took a photo of our unit president Barbara Landman carrying the New York State flag and that was it for the excitement that night.
















We chatted with the Landmans (Barbara and Ray) for a while then headed back to the trailer for the evening. That was June 27 in a nutshell.















While we were driving here, I was working on a baby gift for a friend of mine who was going to be a grandmother for the first time.

That took up the bulk of June 28 since there was nothing exciting going on at the rally. (Let me clarify that statement...these blog posts are coming from me only, so this is only my opinion of the day. The others may have found excitement in the daily activities but so far I didn't.)















June 29 was a down day...did laundry and browsed through town. Nothing else happened that was worth writing home about.

June 30 I created a donation to give to the organization that collected items for the disadvantaged people in Salem. They were collecting food, hats and coats. I made a hat to donate.















That evening was the highlight of the rally as far as entertainment went...they had the Lettermen performing their old hits. They were pretty good...even for a youngster like me!
















Saturday July 1st we had the Region 2 Luncheon at the Elks Lodge in Salem. Was a good time to get together with our Canadian neighbors. Had a nice meal and lots of good conversation with our table mates.

We took one day to go downtown and see the waterfront park. They have this globe called the Eco Ball which used to be used in the paper making process by the local paper mill. It was a "pressure vessel" made of asphalt and steel but the local community claimed it and refinished it to make it more people-friendly. Now it's a big draw to the riverfront park.

One evening while we were in Salem we went to see Al Gore's movie "Inconvenient Truth". There were other activities going on at the rally grounds and we really did go to some of them but for the most part we spent much time hanging out at the trailer or visiting other trailers' cocktail hours. Gary and I went to a seminar on caravanning and running a national caravan and that's where I got the idea to create this blog - the presentation on communications by Max Joseph - he mentioned it once and that's all I needed and the ideas were swimming in my head before we even left the building!

July 3 was another down day as far as activities and/or chores...just hung around the trailer reading the paper and sipping drinks under the awning. Those of you reading this blog who know me, know how much I drink. A bottle of Captain Morgan will usually last me 6 months or so...but on this trip, I'm into the second bottle already...I think I've had more cocktails in the last 3 weeks than I had in the entire past 2 years! Guess there are some advantages to "really" being on vacation!

Fourth of July - Independence Day! The day we've been waiting for...at least as far as traveling goes...we would have been out of here 3 days ago if it weren't for the WBCCI Flea Market that takes place on the last day of every international rally. The boys were more excited than kids in a toy store! Anyway, we browsed the flea market and stayed till around Noon when we met this guy named Leo who came by and bought almost everything we had left. Actually, he didn't really buy it...we gave him the antenna (which he proceeded to carry over his shoulder and pretty near knock over everyone within a 10 foot radius while he talked and turned and turned around again, the antenna swinging wildly...) and then Gary was just handing him gadgets and pieces and parts until he had the last little basket of nuts and bolts and we walked out of the flea market with no products and no profits. But it wasn't for the money, it was just fun.

That was it for me as far as the rally went. It was long, we were there for 8 days, and we finally got on the road again around 1 PM July 4th. Headed toward Mt. St. Helens in Washington, which we got to later that afternoon. That story will continue later. I've been trying for the last hour to upload more photos but the connection is failing...so when the connection will cooperate I'll post more photos.