Rodger & Teri
Teri and I are newly
weds, 10 years come May ( 18th) This is the third for both of us (and the
last). Between us we have 6 kids ages from 23 to 44, we have 8 grandkids and
1 great-grandchild. Our children are scattered all over the place,
California, Utah, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Idaho.
We got our first motorhome from a neighbor, a 1974 Fireball Class C and were
bit by the bug. This was in 2000. After 3 years we found our Sportcoach
(1985) and have never looked back. The months we like to travel are late
fall-winter -early spring, to much yard work to travel in the summer.
I am retired and talking Teri into part time retirement. I entered the
Airforce in 1959 and was stationed at Dyess in Abilene Texas, working on the
B47. After the Airforce I got into law enforcement, starting with the
California Dept of Fish and Game as a game warden. From there I went to Elko
Nevada as a city patrolman, then to Riggins, Idaho as the Chief of Police
and the last position was the Sheriff of Idaho County. I owned a restaurant
in Riggins for 6 years, Cattleman's, and for the last 11 years as a mechanic
for a golf course in New Meadows Idaho. Teri has worked mostly in the food
service industry and is the Asst manager at This Old House in Riggins. She
was born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin and moved to Riggins via Texas,
Oklahoma, and California. We have three pets, two dogs, Sonny and Choc, both
Chesapeake bay retrievers and hunting dogs, our cat Wrong-way is a Himalayan
and about 14 years old.
Bob & Sue Sewell
Married with 6
kids and 12 grandkids all living close to home, we travel to get away!!!!
RVing since 1970 and enjoying everyday of it. We retired five years ago at
age 55 and travel about 7 months out of the year. Both of our families have
been in America since the early 1700's so that gives us something to do on
the road. We spend a couple of months a year finding the places that our
ancestors lived and trying to track down their homes and graves if they can
be found. Seeing this great country, visiting museums and historical sites
take up a lot of the time with golf and fishing filing in the time left.
While at home we work on the property, babysit, golf, drink Starbucks with
BigDog, work on my old convertible and look for my next old car to restore.
Sue enjoys quilting, visiting with the kids and hitting the golf course
whenever she can. Her other very favorite thing to do is find more work for
me to do around the house.
We always enjoy meeting RVing friends along the routes we travel...
Bob & Holly
In 1953 I met a young lady in Roseburg, Oregon and fell head over heels
in love. Now at the time I was in the U.S. Air Force and had no idea of
getting married, But the more I thought, It became a good idea and before
some other guy who really did not (deserve her) came along, I better talk
her into marrying me. We were married 51 years this past Dec. We went to
school after we got out of the USAF, Oregon Institute of technology at
Klamath Falls. Went to work for Mr. Boeing, after a short stay went to work
for a little shop in Tacoma, Stayed with them for 22 years. We have lived in
our house for 38 years. Had 4 great GIRLS. 8 grandkids/ 5 boys 3 girls. They
are all doing fine.
When we retired we traveled all over this great country of ours. We have
been in all the states, except North Dakota. We love to winter in Texas. We
have slowed down somewhat the last year and now spent most of our winter in
Yuma, AZ
We have met some fine people over the years in our travels, but this
Northwest Rally is some of the very best. Right in our own back yard.
David & Laura Groesbeck
Laura and I met at work in 1980 at a photo lab in Edmonds which is no longer there. We got married in 1981 and moved to Newport OR, just after a Thanksgiving Day storm battered the coast. We lived in Newport for a year and a half, during which time we bought a small scooter. At the time, Laura didn't have a driver's license and Oregon didn't require one for small scooters, so she would putt around Newport while I was at work.
Then we moved to Portland in the summer of 83. In 84, I bought a 750cc motorcycle and rode that for about a year before a lady turned left in front of me at an intersection. I came out of the accident okay, but the bike didn't. Good insurance enabled us to get a much larger motorcycle, a Honda Goldwing, which we rode all over the western US.
In 1985, our son Jonnathan was born in Portland, just before moving back to the Seattle area where we have been ever since. In 1987, our daughter Jennifer was born.
Over the years, we were lucky enough to have grandparents nearby that were more than willing to watch our kids while we took off for a weekend or a couple of weeks on the motorcycle and go camping...in a tent with sleeping bags. We've been as far east as Denver and as far south as Yosemite, and almost everywhere in between.
But a few years ago, we had one too many close calls on the bike and Laura hasn't been interested in getting back on, so I haven't ridden much the last few years. Oddly at about the same time is when we bought our trailer, which has now become Laura's version of a tent.
The kids are much older now and can fend for themselves (almost), so we try to get out as much as we can with our trailer, but as expected, work schedules tend to get in the way.
We are both looking forward to the day when we can pack up the motorhome, hit the road, and tell our friends and family, "see ya in a, oh, a year or two."
Tom & Pat Fenwick
We just had our 46th wedding anniversary. I was career military (USAF), 22.5 yrs active duty. Retired from the AF in 1979 at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Stayed in Alaska and worked for FAA for two years, then went back to work for the AF as a civilian. Started camping in the early '70s using a river boat and tents, finally got a pickup and camper. Next came a 25' Bayliner cabin cruiser which we used in Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay for fishing and camping. Retired from Civil Service. In 1995, bought a 33' fiver and full-timed almost two years, Pat wanted to be close to the grandkids so we had a house built in McMinnville and sold the fiver. Bought another pickup camper and kept it until we got "Kaila" (our watch dog), sold it and bought a "C", kept it for two years, then traded it for our Winnie Brave.
John & Nikki
Ahrens
Married since 1979, with two adult kids. We've been RVing in one form or
another most of the past 26 years, first a tent (well, not quite an RV, but
then...). Then a VW bus, followed by a 76 El Dorado class C motorhome, and
finally our 2002 Jayco Greyhawk 24SS class C.
John is a Software Engineer at a Telecommunications equipment/service
provider. Nikki does beads, crochets and maintains web sites.
Our favorite places to go depend on the season, but in the fall, winter and
spring, we like to go to the ocean--Kalaloch; and Twin Harbors, Cape
Disappointment and Newhalem Bay State Parks are our favorites. In May and
June we like to go to a lake east of the Mountains to warm up and dry out.
Dave & Loree Doscher
I met my wife Loree in 1979 in Anchorage, Alaska. We both worked for Xerox repairing Copiers, when that was as high tech as it got. She married my 2 sons and me. She was from Santa Barbara , CA, so I got to show her what snow, ice, and mud was like to drive on and live in. Lucky for me she has a sense of humor! We have 1 daughter together, now 25 who is married and living in Spokane. The boys still live in Alaska have three grandkids up there, also. We lived in many different locations in Alaska. Our last location before moving to Moses Lake, WA in 1994, was Homer, Ak. We spent most of our time off camping with 3 kids and 180 Lb. Newfoundland dog in a 8 ½ ft camper!!! In 1984 we purchased our 1st Class A, 1983 22’ Winnebago Brave. We dreamed of upgrading to high-end rig like a Barth Motorhome that had a hot water heater with an automatic pilot light. We kept our Winnebago until 1999 when Loree found us a rig we could full time in. It was a Rexhall Vision V29. Wow had RV’s changed!! It still was not large enough, so we purchased a 2004 National Seabreeze LX 34” with 2 slides. Kept it 1 year. Nothing wrong with the rig, just us. We downsized to a 2005 Coachmen Concord B+, 29’ with 2 slides.
We both can drive it. We can again camp anywhere. Not the best rig for full timing, but we now explore all the State and Federal campgrounds available. We look forward to meeting all of you.
Bob & Pam White
We’ve been happily married since 1971 and are blessed with two wonderful children, now 22 and 28. For the last three years, we’ve enjoyed doing the “snowbird” thing and spending the period just after Christmas to early April down in Yuma, Az., in our motorhome of course. What a way to travel. We never thought we’d be “trailer trash”, but it’s a great lifestyle. We also enjoy shorter camping trips up in the Pacific Northwest during the “off season”, so the rig gets plenty of use. We were able to attend the rally last year and are looking forward to this year’s meeting.
StuckinTracy
Mike & Gail
Gail and I have been married for almost 17 years. We both have children from our first marriages. She has a daughter (35) and a son (33) DIL and granddaughter. They all live in Bend Or. I have a son (30) who lives in Fort Wayne In.
Gail grew up camping with her family but my only experience was in the Marines. We first decided to go camping together at Crater Lake on the way back from Bend in the fall of 2000. We planned on sleeping in our van, but the kids harassed us so much ("That's not camping") that we stopped at Wal-Mart on the way out of town and bought a tent and some other gear. We made the Keystone Cops looked like a well oiled machine trying to get setup, froze out tails off sleeping on the ground with just a couple of blankets, and had a blast! The following April I asked her if she'd like to look at RV's, we had no idea what was out there, what they cost, or anything about them. We left the lot with a new 24' Class C. That was great for our weekend getaways and weeklong vacation, but a 2 week trip to Omaha convinced us it was not big enough. We upgraded to a 33' class A in Dec 2002. We were very happy with it and really got into the RV'ing experience, such as we could with both of us holding down full time jobs.
We were discussing moving to Or. to be closer to the kids. Last July, we had our mid-life crisis. We were at the GNARR in Redmond Or., attending seminars and having a great time. Bottom line, we left there with a 40' diesel, went and spent a few days with the kids, then came over to the Corvallis area to check out houses. We went home, Gail gave her notice and we put the house on the market. We moved up to Millersburg (just north of Albany) the end of September. We love it up here and are starting to find our way around. Fortunately, I work from home so was able to transfer up here with my same job (27 years with HP). Gail is now "retired" and we're just waiting until my time comes so we can hit the road more often.
Chuck & Mary
Mary and I were married 22 years ago, our combined family is five children and nine grand children so far. I am retired from the wood products industry, after 35 years, and this is the best job I've had. We bought our first motorhome three years ago, and upgraded to the DP at the beginning of this year. This is our first year of snowbirding and we are enjoying ourselves, we are already making plans for next winter. We have met alot of new people and made some good friends in the short time that we have been RVing, its a great life.
kbehrent
Kevin & Angela Behrent
Angela & I met in the summer of 1985 in Oklahoma City after I graduated from college there. We were introduced by mutual friends and we fell in love. In the fall of 1986, I decided I had enough of OKC and wanted to head home to family and the beautiful state of Washington. Angela and I were engaged and she was looking forward to moving as well. We made it back to Washington in December of 1986 and we were married June 19, 1987.
Angela and I enjoyed camping ever since we met. We used to meet up with her Dad almost every weekend at Lake Texoma. In Washington, we continued that tradition and continued camping with friend almost every weekend during the spring/summer. In 1991, we bought our first boat (20' Bayliner) and truck (Ford F250 Super Cab). In 1994, we upgraded the tent to a 10'8" Lance Camper. We really enjoyed traveling with it and started going skiing for the weekends at Crystal Mountain.
Camping slowed down as the kids arrived. Dylan was born 10/96 and Max 1/2000. The camper just wasn't big enough and we knew we had to upgrade to something bigger.
Angela and I spent a couple of years researching our next purchase and attending countless RV shows when we finally decided we wanted a Newmar motorhome. To try and get the best price, we attended the FMCA International Convention in Redmond, OR and soon ordered our coach, a 2005 Kountry Star DP (KSDP3907). We took delivery the day after Thanksgiving 2004. Wow, what a upgrade. We put nearly 13,000 miles on it and have traveled as far east as Tennessee. We love it and so does the kids. We're back to our weekend skiing at Crystal Mountain and now there is plenty of room for all of us.
Angela has worked for Russell Investment Company (formally Frank Russell Company) for 18 years. I am co-founder of Cascadia Software, Inc. and we are going on our 11 year as a company.
I also enjoy flying and own a 1968 Mooney M20F and I'm building a Van's RV-9A. I own a hanger at Pierce County Airport which serves a hanger, hobby shop and a place for the guys to hang out.
Both of us are looking forward to retiring and hitting the road with no specific destinations or timelines!
Cal and Carol
Carol and I got married in May 1972. [best deal I ever got] We raised three great boys. First grandson due in May. I retired from government service in 2002 for health reasons. [I was sick of it] We are now spending our time playing farmers. 15 head of cattle with more on the way. A couple of pigs , cats , dogs , Guinea hens , chickens and an emu.
When we can get away we like to travel and meet new and old friends.
Steve & Sarah
I spent 1961 thru 1966 in the US Air Force, 9 months at Lackland AFB, TX and
4 years overseas in England, two each at Mildenhall and Wethersfield. Sarah
and I met in Burien, WA (south of Seattle) while we both were working for
Pacific Northwest Bell. We married in 1971 and have two daughters, Jennifer
and Michelle. Oldest lives in the Chicago area and the youngest still lives
in the Seattle area. I retired from the phone company in 2004. In 1974 we
started camping in an Umbrella tent with us on one side and Jennifer on the
other side in a crib with mosquito netting over it and cooking on a Coleman
stove set up on the tailgate of a ½ ton 61 Ford stepside PU. We then
upgraded the truck to a 70 ¾ ton Ford PU and then got an 8 ft cabover
camper. Two small kids, Golden Lab and us camped all over the mountains and
coast of Washington for the next 10 years until I inherited a 16 ft Terry TT
in 1988. That lasted us until we got a 22 1/2 ft Coachman TT in 1999. Wow!
It had a water heater, frig, shower and toilet. In 2003 we traded it in on
the current 30 ft Holiday Rambler TT with one slide as we were planning on
me retiring and wanted something a little bigger to live in while traveling.
We still have a house in the Seattle area and a lot in Hoodsport, WA on the
upper end of Lake Kokanee (just below Lake Cushman) and now have one in
Quartzsite, AZ. We enjoy traveling and meeting people and having fun.
Montanna29
Darrell and Emmalou Long
We were married on Nov.23, 1958 in Mountain Home, Idaho. In Feb. 1959 Darrell enlisted in the Navy. We have 3 children and three grandchildren. Emmalou retired from civil service in 2000, Darrell retired from the Navy in 1982 and from Kitsap Transit in 2002. Over the years we have progressed from tent camping to a popup Coleman tent trailer, then to a Pickup cab over. Next was a Minnie Winnie, then to a 27 ft. motorhome, a 27 ft fifth wheel and now a 35 foot Montana fifth wheel. We presently belong to a Good Sam camp chapter, the Sounder Sams, and make monthly trips around Washington and Oregon. We plan to keep on trucking until neither of us can set the rig up any more. We enjoy camping, fishing, gardening and Emmalou is a Quilter and does other needle work. We travel with one furry kid named Lucky but he isn't so lucky since he has been shot once and run over once but otherwise is in good health. We moved to Poulsbo in 1988 and will probably stay here for many years to come.
rvlady
Linda
Hi from Linda and Dave Wiley! We'll celebrate our 43rd anniversary the 1st part of June. Met at Oregon State (GO BEAVERS!). First home was a 28' Kit trailer at a USFS station in Sequoia NF, CA--we started out camping! Dave on active duty with the Army Jan '64 to Jan '79, then stayed in reserves for a total of 29 years--retired as a Lt. Colonel, Field Artillery. OUR travels took us to TX, CO, AK, OK, NC, back to OR, VT, and Germany--HIS added Viet Nam. Traveled across the US 4 times, coast to coast--3 with a trailer behind a '70 Burb. Daughter Sara born in CO in '65, son Bryan in AK in '68. Sara and husband have a 2 yr old son; Bryan, divorced, has a 3 yr old who lives with him every other 2 week period. Settled in Salem, OR in '79 where Dave was an Admin Analyst for the City of Salem. Retired from that job in '98. Linda worked as a case worker for the Salvation Army for 9 years until '94. Now we're triple-dipping retirees--military, City (PERS), and 2 SS checks each month. Seem to travel less than before retirement--trips mostly for wildlife habitat improvement projects around OR. Too busy volunteering to travel! That's going to end! Have had 10 RV's in last 40 years--8 trailers, a pop-up and a slide in, towed with 7 different trucks. The current set-up is the best yet--2002 Arctic Fox 25R following a 2003 Dodge HO CTD 3500.
Donna
My husband and I fulltimed for 11 years and we loved it. I loved all the places we went to and so enjoyed moving place to place. We mainly stayed in the west and traveled to see family. When we divorced I returned to Seattle. My work is in retirement living. I love my work but miss the RV lifestyle. Just the talk, the excitement of being on the road. Then this RV across the street that had sat for the longest time became available. A 1975 Barth class C. I so wanted it!! So I bought it. I love it. I have been on camp outs with good Sam singles. I was on Open Road Singles and heard of your camp outs and I knew I wanted to go. Not for another reason than to be among like minded people. I'll be 62 on May 17th. I will return to RV life fulltime one of these days. If there is anything else you want to know just ask!
I-90ID
Bud and Jane
We met in Anchorage, AK, when Bud was the Personnel Mgr. for Sears, and transferred Jane up from Idaho Falls for a manager position. Bud lived in Anchorage for over 40 years, and Jane for 18. Bud retired in the summer of '99, so Jane just quit working also. We moved to Post Falls, Idaho, just off I-90 on the Spokane River.
Our first MH burned down on the AK/Canada border on a trip to Dawson to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the Gold Rush in 1997. We had to charter a plane to get the 2 of us, our dog and our cat back home. Our 2nd MH was too small, too cheap and too noisy. Our 3rd is just right.
We love winter in north Idaho, so we just travel the other 3 seasons, staying around the west. We've been as far as El Paso, TX, and saw no reason to go any further. We have favorite campgrounds that we like to revisit, and also enjoying staying in new areas. Our toad is a Honda Element that gets us anywhere we want to go.
We are looking forward to the Hells Canyon Trip, and recommend it to everyone.
Hummer1
Chuck & Carol
My wife and I met and married in St. Louis, Mo. 40 years ago. I worked for the airlines for 30 years. I'm a retired aircraft maintenance supervisor and Carol is a retired school teacher. We have lived in St.Louis, Mo, Houston, Texas, Evansville, Ind. and since 1982 in Vancouver, Wa. We have a son and a daughter both living close and we have 3 granddaughters. I've owned several motorcycles over many years. For the last 10 or so years I have restored Cushman motor scooters for a hobby.
Jon & Jeanne
Jeanne and I got together 16 years ago and started camping at first in my '84 Trans-am and a Eureka 6x6 umbrella tent, sleeping bags and pads and a Coleman stove. Prior to that I had tent camped and backpacked from the time I was a small person till then. We went on a number of weekends and then one day about 10 years ago, she told me that one of her fellow workers had a pop-up (8' Starcraft) she was selling and she wanted to try it. We used that one and then upgraded to a 14' Coachman which we used for several years. After that we looked at P/U's with slides, but wound up with the 27X Wilderness for over four years and finally this Cougar 304BHS which should be our last one. We go camping with her son, Ryan and sometimes take one of my grandchildren too. We have taken several trips to Ca, the Black Hills, Coeur d’Alene and numerous shorter trips to the interior and coast of Oregon and Washington. One of our most favorite places to go is Port Hudson CG in Port Townsend where we can camp right on the water and see the boats go by and look at the mountains from Mt Baker all the way to Mt Rainier. We've still got the tent and I sometimes wonder if that isn't really the way to go, but we've really gotten used to the comforts of the trailer and I think my old bones would rebel too much sleeping on the cold damp ground.
Jim and Treese Griffith (friends call me Griff)
Married 14 years this July. Kids....hers, mine and ours....15. Youngest Jaydee 10 going on 23 and still with us, the rest scattered around from Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington to Southern Idaho. Grandkids, once again 15 with 2 on the way that we are aware of. 8)
Both of us had been in the Clearwater Valley (Kamiah-Kooskia area) of Idaho for at least 25 years. We did some camping when we were first married, but I owned a couple of businesses and ran a lumberyard so we "didn't have time" from my perspective. In 2003 we bought the Radio Shack franchise in Ontario and moved down here. After adding another Radio Shack and a computer store to what we already had going on, my Darling Wife bought a travel trailer knowing I wouldn't allow that money to be spent without getting some value out of it....so here we are.
I hadn't planned on jumping right in to this and attending the rally, but at the proddings of a few of you that knew no better...and with the words "happy hour" echoing through my head....at the rally we will be!
See everyone there!