V5N5A

What Did You Do Last Summer?

This past summer, Sharon and I took a trip with my brother Tom and his wife Nancy that I would be remiss if I didn't mention it here in this travel forum. We traveled together from IronMountain/ Kingsford to Forest City, Iowa to attend the WIT (Winnebago/Itasca Travelers) Grand National Rally. The rally is put on by Winnebago Industries so that owners of their products can gather in one spot and meet each other. Sharon and I attended and were part of the Maryland group.

The drive down took one entire day and part of another. We did however, decide that it could have been done in one day if we had been pressed. Registration would be closed by the time we got there, so we felt no urgency to continue all the way.

Upon arriving, the sight of 1200+ motorhomes of the same make was an impressive one. Everything from the half-million dollar hi-line coaches to the small class B LeSharo and Phasars were in attendance. Every color, every shape and Sharon and I even spotted an old 15' travel trailer, which is no longer made by Winnebago.

On the first morning there, Tom and Nancy headed to the church for their pancake breakfast and we hightailed it to the Chuckwagon Cafe across the street from the rally grounds. We had eaten there one other time and their pancakes are out of this world. They did not disappoint.

We also took a ride to the crash site where Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) died several years ago after a concert in Clear Lake at the Surf Ballroom. A monument to them placed out in the middle of a cornfield, was a little bit of a walk on the warm day that it was. A Stainless Steel guitar, 3 records and a cross grace the spot where the plane crashed. There are no other markers that lead you to the spot, you must know where it is.

There were dozens of vendors at the rally, all of which we checked out on several days. We also had brats cooked on the world's largest BBQ. It was a Semi that resembled a gasoline tanker, except that the top half of the trailer lifted up and the brats were cooked on gas grills underneath. The truck belonged to Johnsonville. We also watched a mime, for 45 minutes who stood motionless on a platform, in 90 degree heat without moving a muscle.

Every night and during the day the rally teemed with entertainment and it was all good. The headliner for the week was Lee Greenwood of "God Bless the USA" fame. But there were several acts that were equally entertaining, from young singers to older acts, and groups doing Broadway hits. It was all a good time even though some of it was not to my fancy. Everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Sharon and Nancy took a Swedish Weaving class during the week and Tom and I attended several seminars, some of which held no interest for the girls. We also bought a window shade for the motorhome which didn't fit and had to be returned. Sharon had the material shipped to her and she made the shade for half price after we got home. It pays to have a seamstress in the family. Besides, now if we want additional shades, I have my own "shade lady."

The weather during the rally was very hot. We had 30 amp electricity so the air conditioners were running almost constantly during the daytime. It mostly cooled during the evenings so the AC's weren't necessary during the night. The rally was a good time had by all. Over the course of the rally, the younger brother taught the older brother two things. How to turn a motorhome around on a back road without unhooking, and how to WIN a driving competition by watching us do it first. It was a pleasure, and a joy, for us to teach the old "dogs" some new tricks. HaHa

On the way home we traveled through Northern Minnesota to visit some old friends we met out west a couple of years ago. Ron and Ev Muster live on Lake Vermillion in Tower, MN and were wonderful hosts for the time we were there. We took boat rides and even spent one day grilling out on their pontoon boat that gave Ron a little trouble before settling down. But mostly we just enjoyed the conversation and catching up on the last couple of years. During the trip we even managed to find 2 National Parks to visit.

WHOOOSH!

As we sit here with our stomachs full, we have again encountered Lambert's Cafe. This time in Foley, AL. We ordered Chicken Wings and then sat back for the inevitable "pass-arounds". And soon they started to arrive. The fried okra, macaroni and tomatoes, black-eyed peas, fried potatoes and of course the "Throwed Rolls" for which they are famous. And then the bowl of sorghum molasses makes its appearance to smear on the rolls.

As I sat there in the restaurant I was amazed that of the 30-some rolls that were tossed in one session, to the patrons, nary a single one was missed and dropped. Thrown to men, women and children they were all snagged before they hit the wooden floor.

And speaking of the wooden floor, the inside decor of the restaurant is exactly the same as the one in Sikeston, MO our last stop. If you didn't know better, you'd swear that the place is a remodeled barn. Wooden plank floors, and enough old junk hanging from the ceiling and walls to fill several "antique" shops. High-backed benches and the whoosh of flying rolls give the place its ambience. Lambert's is now on the internet at www.throwedrolls.com. We have one cafe left in the trilogy in Springfield, MO. We'll be there some day to snag the flying doughball out of the air and to sample the wonderful food and pass-arounds. Mark my word and keep those little balls flying! We exited through the gift shop but my Lambert's t-shirt is like new.