May 10, 2016

REVIEW OF THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL:

For a long time, this has been on our bucket list. So after leaving the Texas RV Rally, we decided that we had enough time to get in this trip on our way to St. Louis for the summer.

I did a lot of research, reading other blogs on the Trail, looking thru the google sites and www.kentuckybourbontrail.com website. We decided to at first base ourselves in Bardstown, Kentucky it appeared the most central, had a lot of interesting spots and our favorite criteria, small town atmosphere. Bardstown literally owns the name "Bourbon Capital of the World," and in 2012 the USA Today and Rand McNally proclaimed Bardstown "The Most Beautiful Small Town in America." We would have to agree. We fell in love with town and did not do it justice in touring it.

CAMPGROUNDS:

In reviewing campgrounds, there appeared to be 3 main ones.

1. White Acres Campground. About 3 miles outside of town. Easy access in and out. Nice long pull thru sites and good size. FHU sites with 50 amp. All the sites are 50 amp, so if you need 30 amp bring an adapter. Good Sam approved and discount offered. Cost $30.00 a night. We liked this campground and we stayed a week. The nice older couple are owners, very interested in making sure you are comfortable. Had lots of information at the office.
2. My Old Kentucky Home State Park. State Park, smaller sites, a little more crowded. Located in town.
3. Grandma Campground. We did not look at this or consider it.

We arrived mid-Saturday afternoon. Set up and decided to explore the town. Found the town center (Welcome Center) and got lots of information. Walked around town to get the feel and happened on a small town drug store with a old fashion soda fountain. Had to have a go at it.

We decided on a strategy on visiting the distilleries: We were going to attempt to do 2 a day. One morning, one afternoon and see how many we could get to before leaving the following Saturday.

WILLETT DISTILLERY: An independent and family-owned distillery that dates back to 1936. Not on the Bourbon Trail Tour, because it is small and is considered to be on the Craft Trail.

 We completed the tour, got our book stamped and received our T-Shirt. Below are a few of our purchases. Had to get at least one bottle at each stop. 😃😃🍷🍷

We also visited Makers Mark, Jim Beam, Four Roses, Town Branch, Woodford Reserve. We visited all the distilleries on the Bourbon Trail and earned the coveted T-Shirt.

At Woodford Reserve, we upgraded to the Architectural Tour and saw a lot of behind the scenes buildings that are not part of the regular tour. It is the best tour we were on.

 Double Oak is our favorite. Look closely at the stores that order and carry it. You will see Randalls Liquor in St. Louis. Our favorite place to purchase when we are in town.

At Maker's Mark Art got to dip his own bottle

  We just happened to be in town when Bardstown was holding their "Cocktail Week". A community sponsored event where a different bourbon was featured at different restaurants or bars around town.

We love this town and will come back often. There are plenty of distilleries not on the "Bourbon Trail." There also are plenty of Craft distilleries to see.

ALLEGRO CLUB TUCSON SPRING RALLY 2017

TIFFIN ALLEGRO CLUB
2018 SPRING RALLY
TUCSON, ARIZONA
By:  Sally Moore ( The following information was published in the Tiffin Side Roads Magazine and written by our Club President ) Permission granted to post on my blog.
Our dreams of a warm, sunny February in Tucson were not immediately realized, but after a rainy start to our Spring 2018 Rally the skies turned a beautiful blue and the winds calmed after the rain showers passed through!  Temperatures never reached the expected 70’s, but the glorious blue skies with the mountains in the background made for a wonderful rally.  We hosted 315 Tiffin coaches from across the USA and Canada for a time of fellowship,

Technorati Tags: Allegro Club, Rallies, Motorhome. Tiffin, Tiffin Side Road, Tucson, Allegro Bus.

education, and comradery.A special thanks to LaMesa RV for hosting a pre-rally hot dog luncheon with mouthwatering homemade ice cream!  LaMesa also brought a complete staff and several 2018 Tiffin coaches featuring the newest and latest designs.  Our volunteers arrived early to assist the Tiffin staff in preparing the Pima County Fairgrounds and to begin parking early arrivals.  WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!  Our volunteers are the greatest in the world!  They pay to attend the rally and then spend the entire time working and helping everyone else have a great experience.  Have I said, we love our volunteers??  And, we think they are fantastic!!
As soon as rally folks were parked and camp set up, they made their way to the Registration Desk to receive their welcome bag of goodies (packed by our volunteers)!  The second most popular destination was the Tiffin Allegro Store along with the other vendor booths.  Thanks to our wonderful customers, the Tiffin Allegro Store set all-time record high sales on opening day!  Thank you for supporting the Tiffin brand and wearing it proudly!
Monday evening saw everyone gathered in the Old Pueblo Building for a delicious meal followed by welcoming remarks by Bob Tiffin, Jason Kimbrell of LaMesa and Kelly Moore.  We appreciate Bob Tiffin, Tim Tiffin, and the management from Tiffin Motorhomes for supporting our rallies with their presence.   Door prizes were awarded and everyone enjoyed a few games of Tiffin Allegro Bingo.  Prizes were awarded with much fun and laughter.  All veterans and first responders were recognized and saluted during the evening.  Thank you for your service to our country!  We were honored to have you at the rally.
Even on a frosty morning, we saw several energetic souls out on an early morning power walk around the fairgrounds to get the blood flowing before our big buffet breakfast.   Immediately after breakfast, seminars on RV related topics were held.  Great topics that interested all RV owners were covered, such as Convection Microwave Cooking, updating and understanding your navigation system, and deciphering the coach electrical system.   Onan generators and Freightliner chassis always have great participation at their seminars.  Owners participated in a craft & hobby show Tuesday afternoon.  It is always interesting to see the crafts that RVers make while touring the country in their Tiffin coach.
Even with the chilly weather, everyone enjoyed ice cream treats during the afternoon.   This was a great opportunity to visit with one another and share travel experiences.  Tuesday night we were happy to introduce Tim and Lynne Tiffin.  Tim is the General Manager of Tiffin Motorhomes and he addressed the group giving everyone an update on operations at Red Bay, Belmont and Winfield plants.    Tim reminded everyone that he had worked within 15 feet of his dad, Bob Tiffin, for over 30 years and that he had been well trained in Bob’s philosophy during that time.   “After all these years, I know what Dad’s going to say – I know his tone of voice – I know what his decision will be” Tim remarked.   With the experience and expertise of Bob Tiffin’s three sons and now the addition of three of his grandsons, Tiffin Motorhomes is already well poised for the future.
After more door prizes and another delicious meal by Golden Choice Catering, we welcomed a talented group, “Piano Man-Generations”.  Father and son duo, Terry and Nick Davies, entertained the group with dueling pianos and vocals of the great Elton John and Billy Joel.  Everyone enjoyed this extremely talented family along with their backup band.
Wednesday morning saw our dedicated walkers out and about very early enjoying the beautiful sunrise again.  Interesting seminars were again held in the Old Pueblo Building.    Everyone gathered at noon for a Tailgate Bar-B-Que featuring beef brisket and pulled pork with all the trimmings.  Homemade banana pudding was a delicious treat to end a great meal.
Owners were invited to participate in our “Old Wild West” site decoration contest.  Lots of originality and thought went into this.  We were treated to everything from a real, live sheriff to saloons featuring ‘rot gut’ aka iced tea and an old west town with the watering hole poisoned with lye!   Tiffin Allegro gift certificates were awarded to the winners.  Thanks to everyone who participated!
Door prizes were again awarded after the evening meal.  Sarah Getto from Norman, OK entertained the group with her vocals and instrumentals.  Sarah is a much loved entertainer at Tiffin rallies across the nation.  Her renditions of great female vocalist such as Karen Carpenter, Reba McIntire, and Holly Dunn are always a delight.
On Thursday morning, everyone gathered in the Old Pueblo Building for another delicious buffet breakfast followed by a morning of educational seminars.
Ice cream was enjoyed again Thursday afternoon while touring the beautiful Tiffin coaches one last time.  LaMesa was able to make several people’s dream come true!  Folks gathered after lunch for a “Swap Meet”.  Owners were invited to bring any of their unwanted junk--I mean treasures!  Others made their best deal to take the junk/treasures home with them!!    This was one of the largest events we have experienced at our rallies in recent years.
Thursday evening ended our festivities.  After another delicious meal, more fantastic Tiffin door prizes and Red Bay stories by Kelly Moore, everyone enjoyed entertainment by December ’63, Frankie Valli and Four Seasons tribute artists.  This group brought the house down!  Everyone enjoyed singing along to his or her favorites such as “Sherry”, “Let’s Hang On”, “Rag Doll”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and “My Eyes Adored You”.  After a great week, it was sad to say “Happy Trails” to so many new friends!
A special round of heartfelt thanks goes out to the hard-working service technicians from Tiffin’s & LaMesa RV.  They are our unsung heroes and do a remarkable job of visiting each coach during the rally to perform minor repairs/adjustments to the coach.  Hats off to them!!
Friday morning Tiffin friends hooked up the tow and headed on to their next destination.  Whatever your plans, travel safely and we hope to see you at a Tiffin rally somewhere in the near future!    Watch our Facebook page, Tiffin Sideroads Blogspot, and Tiffin Motorhomes website for the latest information on upcoming events.  Happy trails to you – until we meet again!

 Amazing voice and a wonderful selection of songs. 

 Bob Tiffin always willing to pose for a picture. 

2016 Review Continued

2016 Review continued:

After the Christmas activities it was time to start our departure from St. Louis,"De sooner De better" as the saying goes. Weather turning cold and snow in the forecast.

Our plans were to head to Red Bay for some much needed repairs and upgrades. Our lovable Bus was approaching 7 years old and many of the appliances had decided to go on a coop.

1. Our Microwave went door switch broke right before Xmas.
2. Dryer timer wouldn't work
3. Washing machine leaking at the door gasket.
4. Toilet would not add water.
5. We were also thinking of upgrading the front and back TV to flat screen, as they were the original tube TV
6. We decided to get Satellite installed. 
7. We were also having some Aqua Hot issues that would need to be address.
8. Bay Diesel engine/generator routine maintenance.
9. Odds and Ends that always come up.

We arrived in Red Bay December 28, 2016 and waited for the Service Center to open up on January 2, 2017. Red Bay Service Center shuts down for about 2 weeks over the Christmas - New Year time. 

After all our work was completed, we were behind schedule. We had a rather difficult time getting the Aqua Hot fixed. 

We were due in Quartzsite\, AZ to meet with David and Brenda Boot at the OberFest Get Together. We missed the better part of their festivities but all in all had a great time with them and then stayed on out in the BLM area to view the Quartzsite RV Show.

Our Bus parked at Plomosa Rd BLM 

Local Hummingbird joining us for Happy Hour.

It had been many years since we had been to Quartzsite and we thoroughly enjoy the quirky little town.

FEBRUARY 2017

Saw us head for Yuma, AZ. We tried the Escapees KoFa Park and we were not impressed. We also had been here several years back and we didn't like it then either.

So I started going thru the RV Show literature looking for some coupons for RV parks to try.

After visiting several we settled on a 55+ Resort. Fortuna De Oro is located in the foothills of Yuma of I8, exit 14. We took advantage of a 3-night free stay coupon. We had such a great time and we were surrounded by a great group of RV couples manly from Canada and a current workamper couple. We extend our stay until early March and a great time. The men introduced Art to thrill of ATV riding. I often went to the quilting session. Bingo was also a favorite pass time.

We have plans to go back the winter of 2017.

MARCH 2017 FMCA RALLY

We spent several hot and dusty days attending The Rally in the Valley, in Chandler, AZ. Not impressed. Very disorganized and way too big. We did attend some very good seminars and one night of great entertainment.

We had plans to stop back in Red Bay, AL to have a few tweaks addressed on the motorhome on our way to St Louis.

Chris Berry from MakingSawDust rebuilt my kitchen cabinets. Many of the rails and the bottom of one cabinet was not holding up.

 We parked at Red Bay Self Service Campground, which is our favorite place to stay. Not as noisy and less dusty. We met up with quite a few friends that we have gotten to know over the years. 

We got together with a total of 6 couples and we headed to Reeves Fish and Steak House in Golden, MS. A favorite of ours. 

We also went to a favorite Mexican Restaurant in Belmont but I didn't get any pictures. 

That pretty much sums up our travels. We are currently in St Louis, MO for the summer. I will have a left shoulder total replacement on April 14, 2017 and stay for rehab. 

2016 IN REVIEW AND CATCH UP

March 30, 2017

Well here we sit in Red Bay, AL, with some good friends, well at least Patsy King is, not sure about Richard, his status changes on any given day (or hour). They left yesterday. Had a great week visiting with them.

Richard has shamed me into updating my blog, hassling me that he often checks. He informed me that the information I just posted on my blog was wrong . That's odd, I informed him I hadn't posted recently.He tried to prove me wrong and showed me the website. Here is the funny part - he was on the wrong blog. So with that said, I knew it was time to update. Ironically, the last post was when we were with him in Canton, TX.

After Canton we made our way to St.Louis. It was to be a trip  of Dr. appointments and surgeries. Art was scheduled in May for test and biopsy, which all show great news.

June 2016 saw me getting surgery 2 disk decompression and a spinal fusion at L4 L5. That surgery proved to relieve lots of back and leg pain that I had for years and had failed to respond to steroid injections.

August 2016: Art was so pleased and impressed with my neurosurgeon and my results he decided to get evaluated for his back pain. He had surgery to decompress 2 disk.

September 2016 saw us going to Connecticut to visit with our son and daughter-in-law and to watch the girls for a long weekend so they could attend Arthur''s Naval Academy Reunion in Annapolis, MD

We stopped in Kentucky for more Bourbon tasting and viewing the "Craft" distilleries we had not seen.

 We passed thru Cincinnati, Ohio and stopped to see a dear friend from my Real Estate days who moved to the area. Betty Fritsch and me on her front porch. She had such a darling house  and our visit was too short.

We packed lots of activities into that weekend. Pumpkin Patch trip, Stepping Stones visit and of course playing and cooking with Nannie and Grandpa.

We arrived before the girls got home from preschool and sat just inside the back kitchen door where they come in.

Guess they remembered us !!!

A visit to Stepping Stone Museum - A favorite of the twins

Painting on the wall with water. They loved it.

October 2016 I had scheduled a right Total Shoulder Replacement so my time was spent in recuperating and Physical Therapy.

November 2016 THANKSGIVING: We planned on spending it with Tyler and Heather in St. Joseph, MO. We had a great time and good food.

 That's a large turkey for 4 people. Lots of leftovers !!1

Pumpkin pie, cheesecake and Heather's special brownies she made for me without flour.

DECEMBER 2016 . Saw both boys and families being able to make it to St. Louis. First time in years. First time for Christmas for the girls.

Stay tuned more to come: