The FMCA Rally in Redmond is over, and we have ventured down the road to Klamath Falls. The rally was a lot of fun, but Ang and I are glad to be off the crushed lava rock campground, safe from the dust. We traded dust, however, for bugs.

Sunset over the campers

One of the coolest parts of the rally was running in to our friends Ed and Larky - fulltimers we originally met at the Monaco Service Center in Harrisburg, then ran into again at Quality Coach Services in Eugene. They mentioned that they were going to go to the rally as day visitors, so we figured Eugene was goodbye.

They weren't quite that lucky...

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So what are the chances of running into two people you know in the middle of 3000 total strangers? How bout two times? Three? Every day?? After the amazement of the first encounter - the day before the rally opened - it became quite humorous each time we ran in to them. However, they were smiling beacons in our little random world out there. It was always wonderful running into them, sharing stories of seminars, trading info about sightings of the latest and greatest RV goodies.

I think that is what I also took away from the Monaco Pre-Rally, as well as the Monaco rally in Orlando earlier this year. Sure, the classes are good, and I am sure it is obvious I love visiting the Hall O Vendors, as well as checking out the plethora of coaches on display - new as well as the ones being lived in. The consistent take-away has to be the people we have met.

The Monaco Pre-Rally saw us meeting new people each day - not something Ang and I normally do. The FMCA rally was that much better because of the (albeit) short time we spent with Ed and Larky. And, well, the Orlando rally is legendary, and if you have ever read any of my postings, you know we found Damien and Michelle there.

These two rallies have been fun, but I am usually glad when they are done. It is pretty busy for the week or so we are out there. Couple that with me working each day, and we are usually ready to head out somewhere quiet and relax for a bit.

The rallies usually cost right about what we would pay for a campground for a week, and the Monaco rallies supply us with meals and an open bar All of the other stuff that goes on at the rally is desert.

So, I suppose that the friends we meet would be the icing then.

--kev