Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Big Doin's and Big Trucks

We caught a break in the weather on October 11 and headed south.  It wasn’t long until we pulled into our destination, the Kansas State Fair Grounds in Hutchinson, KS.  The fairgrounds are large and grassy, with plenty of room for RVs,



good for a morning run,




and with a beautiful little pond where the dogs could enjoy a swim. 


We have been here for 9 of the last 11 years, meeting with friends at the Annual HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) National Rally.  


Some of these folks live and travel full-time in their RVs pulled by big, beautiful semi tractors.  Others, like us, travel only part-time, but we all love being on the road.  We enjoy our big trucks and the connection to others who share our passion for travel and adventure. This year, as in years past, Steve and Gail Dixon did a great job organizing and managing the rally and making everyone feel welcome.


The weather when we arrived was cold and rainy.  We even had snow Sunday night, but the rest of the week was beautiful.


We are young and old, from all parts of the country, with diverse interests and experience.   
Our days were full of seminars on a multitude of topics.  In addition to lots of truck-related sessions, our friends Jack and Danielle Mayer hosted a "for women only" session covering all aspects of the RV lifestyle.


Dale Bruss gave us important information about getting, and keeping our affairs in order while on the road or at home in our "sticks and bricks."

 
John brought folks up to date on various aspects of RV and truck insurance,


And Cec Burton addressed issues related to traveling with pets.



Happy hours and dinners gave us an opportunity to share fun and fellowship.






And there was still time for just hanging out, visiting and of course, working on trucks.




At least half the attendees, it seems, travel with pets.  The dogs all had a wonderful time, and 15 of them posed for their first-ever group portrait.



It was a bit like herding cats, but finally all the sniffing and tail wagging was done and they were (sort of) still for a minute (with a lot of help from their people) so we could take a picture.


Pumpkin wasn't up to posing with all those dogs, but she had no trouble facing down Milo from the top step of her RV.

And after many walks around the fairgrounds and ball-throwing sessions, 




the Bagley Pack posed for a couple of photos with their good border collie friend, Keyah Mayer.

We had a wonderful time, and look forward to returning next year.






No comments:

Post a Comment