V4N5B

RV AMERICA Rally

We had intended to go to the RV America Rally in Gold Canyon (Apache Junction) AZ, since before we left home in December. I wanted a chance to meet the people I had been chatting with for 2 years. Walt and Kathy had opted to go sometime in January.

The Rally was attended by 65 rigs, about the same as our Great Northern Rally in the UP. But the difference was, that these people were from 3 countries, including Canada and England. We met a lot of people and renewed old friendships as well as made new ones. For the most part, the rally was small and intimate but very well run. The fees which we paid at the beginning of the affair seemed a little pricey at first, but then became very reasonable by the amount spent to accommodate the attendees. They fed us at least once a day for 5 days, and Continental Breakfasts every morning along with our Seminars, which were always first rate.

The campground is relatively empty but a new, 637 site beauty with first-class facilities. The location of next year's rally is still unannounced. We probably will not attend next year.

Chicken Little....NOT!

We visited a place this year that we had heard about for several years. The place, is Skydive University located in Eloy, AZ. Eloy is approximately 10 miles from Casa Grande down Interstate 10, between Phoenix and Tucson. Skydive University is just what the name infers, a school that teaches skydiving.

We visited Eloy with a couple that we met in Earp, CA 2 years ago, and renewed the friendship this year.....again at Earp. Jerry and Mary Milan are from Lowell, Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. We had shared a table with them for a Valentine's Day Dinner at the clubhouse. We hit it off with them immediately. We are both here at Casa Grande at Western Horizons.

Skydive University is a hoot to visit. Every fifteen minutes or so 15-20 skydivers come falling out of the sky. The planes to carry them aloft can be seen taking off and landing, with and without their payload. The brightly colored jumpsuits can really only be appreciated on the ground because they are nearly invisible while they descend. The parachutes, however, can clearly be seen from several hundred feet above, to landing on the ground.

Oklahoma City National Memorial

The National Memorial is a magnificent creation and preservation of a location once known as the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Entering the site from outdoors, the first view one sees are the twin portals with the times 9:01 and 9:03 clearly embossed on them. They are the times before and after the 9:02 explosion which took a full third of the building to the ground, killing 168. Passing through either portal, the site opens to reveal the 168 Chairs, representing the men, women and children who were killed, the reflecting pool and of course the elevated Survivor Tree, which survived the blast from 150 feet away. There are remnants of the original structure incorporated into the final plan. It is truly a beautiful memorial for such a horrible tragedy. An observation that Sharon wrote into the Visitor's Log.

Entering the Visitor's Center you observe the enormity of the destruction through Pictures, Videos and personal artifacts which have been preserved. There are several areas that you pass through, in chronological order, starting with the history of the building and finishing with the actual building of the memorial, and the anniversaries of the bombing.

The story that unravels to fill in the blanks and to fully record the rescue and recovery effort is one of personal sacrifice and bravery, the likes of which I have never experienced. The people of Oklahoma City can be truly proud of this memorial which has recorded not only their efforts, but the efforts of thousands of non-Oklahomans during their time of crisis.

A surprise, for us, was the prominent mention of Tim McVeigh several times. We had heard it was just the opposite.

Washita N.H.S.

The Washita Battlefield is located in Northwest Oklahoma about 30 miles north of I-40 in Cheyenne. The site is actually reminiscent of Tupelo Battlefield in Mississippi. It's a 200' X 200' fenced in area with an elevated overlook and a granite monument which depicts the "Battle" between Lt. Col. George A. Custer and The "Peace Chief" Black Kettle. The actual battle was a pre-dawn attack in which Custer and his men had precipitated, and then slaughtered almost the entire encampment. It did not appear to be much of a battle as we would normally think of one today.