TrailBlazer Magazine - October 2017 by TrailBlazer Magazine

OCTOBER 2017

craft breweries

Across the Country

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R U F O R Y IENDS E T I V IN

YOU receive a $25 VisaÂ® PrePaid Card when your friend purchases a Thousand Trails Camping Pass!

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Your referral also enters YOU into our 2017 drawing for a chance to win these great prizes:

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Free Dues for 2018 10 Winners Selected ($4,000 value)

or visit THOUSANDTRAILS.COM 2

*Details and qualifications for participation in this promotion may apply and are set forth on page 45 of this magazine.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

VOL. 39

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WHAT’S INSIDE

ISSUE 9 /// OCTOBER 2017

lifestyle

Message from Marguerite

Tech Topics

25 4 Paws on the Road 42 Out N’About Nashville, TN 46 Who’s in the Kitchen with TrailBlazer? 50 Ask RV Bill

features

16 Craft Breweries Across the Country

66 On Location #100DaysofCamping

calendars

There’s simply never been a been a better time to be a craft beer lover in America. Craft breweries across the country are creating some of the world’s best beers and they are opening their doors.

10 On-Site Events 14 Local Events 64 Club Calendar

spotlight

regulars

26 NFL Lineman, Keith Sims

Former NFL footballer, Keith Sims, and his wife and kids are all about not doing the everyday. As a spokesperson for GoRVing.com and with their own RVing blog, Soulful RV Family, they are spreading the message to fall in love with RVing.

52 Member Deals

Pics From The Parks

60 Crossword Puzzle 61 Sudoku Puzzle 62 Preferred RV Dealer List

32 Fall Foliage Forays From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific and practically everywhere in between, America features leaf-peeping at its finest every fall. The kaleidoscope of colors that blankets the country means fall foliage forays are easy to pursue practically anywhere.

32 OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

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MESSAGE from MARGUERITE And just like that, we’ve wrapped up another season of summer camping and are in the full swing of fall. I loved keeping up with all of your #100DaysofCamping photos throughout the summer. From multigenerational family reunions to some first time camping memories being made, it’s fun to see what all of our campers and members are up to during the summer. We even had a family who made it their goal to snap 100 pictures throughout the 100 days of camping. Judging by all of their exploring and happy smiles, I’d say they more than hit that objective! Just because the summer season has officially wrapped, doesn’t mean the camping needs to slow down. You may choose to head to the northeast and go leaf peeping in some of the country’s most beautiful fall destinations. Apple picking, pumpkin carving, Halloween parties, and colorful photo opportunities await across the northern half of the country, and we’re happy to be your home base as you indulge in some fall fun. Or, if you’re a fan of that forever sunshine rather than the crisp autumn breeze, you may be packing up your lives in the north and planning to reunite with your second families in the south. Sunshine and warmer

weather await, along with our on site teams who are just as excited to welcome you back as you are to be there. I want to take this opportunity to thank our teams for their diligence and hard work throughout Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Our on site teams in Texas and Florida came together to assist customers and fellow staff members while preparing for and reacting to the effects of these storms. We appreciate the questions, well wishes and the acknowledgements from many of you of the efforts of our teams throughout. Rest assured, our teams can’t wait to help all of our customers Winter Differently! So, whether you’re planning to take in the fall colors up north, or are keeping the flip flops and sunglasses out, we’re excited to have you visit us this fall and this upcoming winter season.

Marguerite Nader President & CEO

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Share your adventures in 3 easy steps!

www.trailblazermagazine.net CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mark Slattery EDITOR tbeditor@equitylifestyle.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mellissa Dempsey ADVERTISING SALES TBads@equitylifestyle.com MISSION STATEMENT TrailBlazer provides exclusive news and information for the members and guests of Thousand Trails Family of Resorts. Each issue enhances the recreational lifestyle of its readers through a lively mix of camping and travel features, resort profiles and product features. TRAILBLAZER (ISSN 0747-2293) is published monthly except bimonthly Nov./Dec. and Jan./Feb. by MHCTT Memberships, LP, c/o Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc., Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606. An annual subscription is $20. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to TRAILBLAZER, 2325 Highway 90, Gautier, MS 39553. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement 41461526.

TRAILBLAZER MAGAZINE Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60606 www.trailblazermagazine.net NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS Visit www.trailblazermagazine.net and click on the ‘Subscribe’ tab to easily subscribe online today! PRINTED IN THE USA

THOUSAND TRAILS RESERVATIONS Call: 800-288-7245

Win $50

EACH Issue!

1. Capture a photo of your trip at one of our parks. 2. Share with us at TrailBlazer_photos@equitylifestyle.com. 3. Check out next month to see if you’re a winner.

Winners will receive a $50 American Express® Prepaid Gift Card. Each issue we will select ONE “winning” photo from the submissions received (all submissions must be received by midnight on the last day of the month). The winning photo will be posted on the TrailBlazer website as well as in the magazine. Photo submissions should include a brief description, including location of your photo, your name, city and state and sent to:

TrailBlazer_photos@equitylifestyle.com or mail to:

Equity LifeStyle Properties Attn: TrailBlazer Photos Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 800 Chicago, IL 60606

Emailed photos should be high resolution. Photos are not returnable and become the property of Equity LifeStyle Properties and may be used for publication on company websites and promotional purposes. One winner will be selected EACH month from submissions received. The winner will be announced in a future TrailBlazer issue and on www.trailblazermagazine.net.

Canada: 228-497-3594 Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST

VISIT WWW.THOUSANDTRAILS.COM STARS AUTOMATED RESERVATIONS 800-859-STAR (7827)

ENCORE RESERVATIONS 877-570-2267

VISIT WWW.RVONTHEGO.COM Remember! Thousand Trails members get preferred rates at Encore RV resorts.

▲ Seaside (OR): Canoeing fun with my husband! – Janice Slocum

PICS FROM THE PARKS

▲ Rancho Oso (CA): Beautiful horses at a beautiful property. – Julie Vader

▲ Lake Gaston (NC): Enjoying the water at sunset. – Laura Keiser

▲ Gettysburg Farm (PA): New pet bunnies at the farm! – Christine Leavitt OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

LUCKY WINNER?

WANT TO BE A

Lucky winners,

Shelly & David Statzell from Sacramento, CA

were camping at Oceana when they were presented with a $1,000 gift card! Left to right: David Statzell, Manager Dale Graham, Shelly Statzell, and traveling with their mom, Donna.

Thousand Trails is offering members the opportunity to win a

$1,000 American Express® Prepaid Gift Card To earn entries into our monthly drawing, simply pay your 2017 dues on time and camp at your favorite TT Preserve.

When you pay your annual dues for 2017 in full, you will be entered into our monthly drawing for a $1,000 American Express® Prepaid Gift Card. There will be one drawing/one winner each month from January through December 2017. In addition, once you pay your dues in full, each time you camp at a Thousand Trails Preserve in 2017, you will receive an additional entry into the drawing. The drawings are limited to persons who are of legal age. The drawings will be held at our corporate office on the 10th day after the end of each month. Winners will be notified by mail, phone or in person if camping at a Thousand Trails preserve. The odds of winning will depend on the number of entries, but are not expected to exceed 1:100,000. Winners are responsible for federal and state taxes on the award. You may also enter the drawings by printing your name, address, day and evening phone numbers, and email address on a 3” x 5” piece of paper and mailing it to the Sponsor in addressed, stamped envelope. You are limited to one mail-in entry which must be postmarked by December 15, 2017. This promotion is sponsored by MHC Thousand Trails Limited Partnership, Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.

TECH

TOP CS

RVing is a great adventure and there’s always something new to learn! by Paul and Kerri Elders Shopping for a used RV is just a little bit different than shopping for a new one. When buying a new RV, you have a wide range of makes, models, and sizes from which to choose. But when you’re in the market for a used RV, you may have to work a little harder and spend a little extra time to find your perfect fit. Take heart! Previously loved RV’s are a special breed and you might just find a diamond in the rough. Let’s look at a few quick tips to help you find the bargain of your dreams. Ready? Let’s go! Start by asking yourself what type of RV fits your lifestyle best. Do you want to upsize or downsize? Move from a motorhome to a toy hauler or from a travel trailer to a fifth wheel? Are slideouts important? And, if so, how many? If looking for a motorhome, do you prefer gas or diesel? And if a trailer’s your choice, what size fits your tow vehicle best? Every answer brings you a step closer to your perfect fit. Now that you’re ready to shop, we’ll give you a few handy inspection tips. If opting for a motorhome, you’ll want to review the engine, drive train, and chassis as though it were a used car or truck. Take it for a test drive, checking its pulling power on a grade, the smoothness of the ride, ease of steering, visibility, and braking response. When you return to the area where the rig was parked, park in an adjacent space, and then examine the previous parking area for oil or transmission fluid leaks. Whether buying a motorhome or a trailer, pay close attention to the condition of the RV’s skin, whether aluminum or fiberglass. With fiberglass surfaces, you want to

look for lamination separation, small fractures or fissures, buckling, or seam separations. On aluminumsided rigs, check for small, blisterlike spots. These areas may be concealed by paint, but these small raised areas could indicate corrosion. Check the condition of all tires and wheels. Assure that all wheel and tire sizes are the same, and that the rig’s wheels aren’t bent or damaged. Take a quick look at tread depth and sidewall condition and see if there’s a spare as well as a jack. If the RV has hydraulic jacks, check their operation. Check the exterior storage compartments for signs of damage. Use this opportunity to look at the area under the floor of the rig. Note how the plumbing lines are run, and see if they are securely fastened. Look below all watercarrying lines to check for leakage or damage that could have been caused by frozen lines. Check the condition of holding tanks, and operate the valves of the graywater and blackwater systems to assure that they operate smoothly. It’s a good idea to pay careful attention to the roofline. Look for buckling or irregular shapes, especially around roof penetrations (antennas, skylights, air conditioners, roof vents, etc.) to assure that adequate sealant is in place. Once inside the RV, check the areas where the inside walls meet the ceiling; look for water stains or signs of separation or swelling. Concentrate on areas around air conditioners and roof vents. Open cabinet doors and check for water stains or the odor of mildew or misalignment.

Pay special attention to inside corners and around windows when checking for signs of air and/or water leakage. As you walk around the rig, observe the condition of the floor. If it’s “springy” or gives while you walk, take that into consideration. Check the shower and bath area carefully. Press on the walls of the shower, feeling for any “give.” Look in all closets and closed areas, always remaining alert to the odor of mildew, which can indicate a leaking problem. Check the ceiling area of all closed spaces, also looking for signs of water damage. Check all appliances and lights for proper operation, including the heater and water heater. Check the radio/stereo/TV. Operate the stove, oven, and microwave. Check the water pump for proper operation. Flush the toilet, if water is available. If possible, run the air conditioner for at least 15 minutes, and see how well it cools. Unfortunately, there’s no “sure-fire” way to evaluate the condition of an RV refrigerator. Often, a refrigerator must run for 12 hours or so before you can be certain it is functioning properly. However, if the refrigerator has been running for more than 30 minutes and the freezer portion isn’t cool to the touch, take that into account. Whether you want to upsize or downsize, your perfect fit is just a shopping trip away. Enjoy the shopping process and you’ll find the perfect RV fit that will give you and your family many years of happy travel memories together. Once you make your purchase, remember to ask the owner/dealer for the Owner’s Manual and all other paperwork pertaining to your RV and its accessories. Happy trails! OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

ACTIVITIES

AND

Activities and Events – On-Site

OCTOBER events Every weekend at Thousand Trails and our other RV campgrounds, there are activities and fun for kids and adults of all ages. Check out what’s happening in the month of October and also be sure to download your copy of the 2017-2018 Theme Weekends Guide for a complete listing of activities happening around the country.

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HalloweenWeekend BOO! Get ready to get spooked at Thousand Trails this October!

Farewell Weekends Now it’s time to say goodbye…For some of us at Thousand Trails October is the end of the season. See where to celebrate our farewells… Thanks for a great season at Moody Beach (ME)! Our final weekend is Oct 13-15. Join us at Arrowhead (WI) Oct 13-15 for our closing weekend. Let’s gather at Cherokee Landing (TN) Oct 20-22 for one last celebration with bonfires, hayrides, food, and fun! Decorate your site, trick-or-treat, decorate pumpkins, and ride haunted wagon rides at Gateway to Cape Cod (MA) the weekend of Oct 13 for their last weekend of fun! Bring your costumes and join in for pumpkin carving or site decorating contests during the last weekend of the season at Lake Gaston (NC) Oct 20-22. Let’s go out with a bang at Forest Lake (NC) the weekend of Oct 27-29 for the Spooktacular Halloween Extravaganza to celebrate the end of the season. 10

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Let’s go out with a bang at Forest Lake (NC) the weekend of Oct 27-29 for the Spooktacular Halloween Extravaganza to celebrate the end of the season. Bear Cave (MI) campers will be trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and making scary treats for the Scary Treat contest and getting spooked in the haunted house the weekend of October 6. The folks at Lake & Shore (NJ) will host two frightening weekends of fun Oct 13-15 and Oct 20-22 with haunted hayrides, monster mash, pumpkin paintings, costume contests, and more ghoulish fun. Spook your way through the haunted clubhouse at Hidden Cove (AL) the weekend of Oct 21. We’ll be making fall-themed crafts and Halloween decorations at Lake Minden (CA) the weekend of Oct 20. On Oct 21, don’t get spooked at the Ghost and Goblin Scavenger Hunt. Decorate your campsite at Chehalis (WA) for the Camper’s Creep Out on Oct 28. There will also be a Saturday stroll through “Eerie Acres Cemetery” to the Family Lodge plus food and drinks.

All events, times and dates are subject to change.

Activities and Events – On-Site

Pumpkin Palooza! Celebrate your favorite fall staple…pumpkins! See where to decorate, carve, and eat pumpkins this fall! Oct 7-8 is Pumpkin Madness weekend at Verde Valley (AZ). There will be karaoke, pumpkin carving, pumpkin seed spitting contests, pumpkin soups, pies, cupcakes and anything else you could possibly want from a pumpkin! Bring your favorite pumpkin desserts for a potluck and a pumpkin to decorate at the pumpkin party at Green Mountain (NC) the weekend of Oct 20-22. The folks at Pacific City (OR) will hold a pumpkin carving contest at the Family Lodge on Oct 28. Join us at Rondout Valley (NY) for the Pumpkin Festival Weekend, Oct 28-29. There will be a pumpkin pie eating contest and bring your favorite pumpkin recipe to share with your fellow campers! We can’t wait for all of the pumpkin-filled activities at Circle M (PA) the weekend of Oct 27-29 for Pumpkin Palooza Weekend! We will also be trick-or-treating throughout the campground to celebrate Halloween.

Oktoberfest Beer! Brats! We’ve got your Oktoberfest celebration covered this October at Thousand Trails. Come enjoy free German beer for the adults and root beer for the kids during the Oktoberfest celebration at Wilderness Lakes (CA) on Oct. 7. Bratwurst dinner and pretzels will be available for purchase. Please join us at St. Clair (MI) the weekend of Oct 13-15 for a Bavarianthemed Fall Festival! Dine under the stars at our Bavarianthemed Fall Festival with brats, beer, dancing, games and an Alpine photobooth for Oktoberfest weekend at Pio Pico (CA) the weekend of Oct 13. Join us by the pool on Oct 14 at Palm Springs (CA) and then later on, an evening of brats and ‘kraut to celebrate Oktoberfest. We’ll celebrate Oktoberfest at Lake Minden (CA) the weekend of Oct 13 with a German inspired potluck, a pretzel bar, and bavarian inspired arts and crafts on Friday evening. The Trails Cafe at Chesapeake Bay (VA) will be serving a Bavarian-themed menu, complete with brats, sauerkraut, potato cakes, baked apples, and more the weekend of Oct 13-15. Some events may require a participation fee.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Activities and Events – On-Site

Welcome, Autumn! Changing colors, colder temperatures, cozy sweaters, and hot chocolate…sounds like fall is creeping in! Fall into autumn with craft, games, movies, and pontoon rides at Natchez Trace (TN) the weekend of Oct 6-8. Oct 7-9 is Fall Foliage Weekend at Timothy Lake N & S (PA) and enjoy the changing leaves at our campground. Nearby to Gettysburg Farm (PA) is South Mountain Fairgrounds and host to the National Apple Harvest Festival. We will also be celebrating the delicious, crunchy apple on our preserve! Fall is a beautiful time of the year to watch the changing colors, so head over at Oakzanita Springs (CA) on Oct 7 for an Oktoberfest celebration and beer tasting. Plus season crafts all month long. Fall colors are at their peak the weekend of Oct 13-15 at Rondout Valley (NY). Get back to nature while taking walks on our groomed trails and remember that apple picking season is in full swing!

The Wheels Go ‘Round Whether your wheels are a golf cart, RV, or bike, your chance to show ‘em off are at these fun events at Thousand Trails this October. Take part in the annual Colonial Beach Bike Fest with the folks at Harbor View (VA) on Oct 7. Decorate your golf cart and show some team spirit by showing off your favorite colors for high school, college, or professional team at Green Mountain (NC) the weekend of Oct 13. There will also be a cornhole tournament, bonfire, food, and fun, plus we’ll announce our intramural champions for the season. If you missed the first one, there will be another golf cart parade at Green Mountain (NC), this time to celebrate Halloween, the weekend of Oct 27-29. Decorate your golf cart for the Scary Golf Cart Parade at Chesapeake Bay (VA) the weekends of Oct 20-22 and Oct 27-29.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Activities and Events – On-Site

Costume Contests Get creative and decorate your RV or tent site for a chance to win prizes at Thousand Trails campgrounds this October.

Foodie Fun

There will be lots of scary games, crafts, and activities, plus, the big site decorating contest at PA Dutch Country (PA) the weekend of Oct 20-22. It’s time to get those decorations out. Join us the weekend of Oct 28 at Cultus Lake (BC) for a movie, pumpkin carving contest, plus treats and crafts for the kids. There will be a prize for the spookiest RV decorations! Come to the North Clubhouse at Whaler’s Rest (WA) on Oct 28 for a spooky BINGO event! We will be judging all the decorated sites at noon to decide a winner of the “Best Decorated Site” contest. Come enjoy the perfect weather in Las Vegas (NV) on Oct 31 to celebrate Halloween enter our contests to win some terrific prizes! Decorate your RV or tent at Russian River (CA) for a chance to win prizes for “Best Decorations” on Oct 28.

Virginia is for lovers…lovers of chocolate and coffee! Indulge in s’mores by the campfire, candy bar bingo, and a chocolate dessert cook-off at Chesapeake Bay (VA) the weekend of Oct 6-8. Bring your favorite “mystery” side dish for a Mystery Potluck Dinner Social at Lake Minden (CA) the weekend of Oct 6-8. There will be a mystery prize up for grabs, plus mystery crafts, and a mystery scavenger hunt. Let’s grill some steaks at Medina Lake (TX) on Oct 7. If you don’t want to grill it, our manager will do it for you! Travel with your fellow Thousand Trails neighbors to the town of Waynesville near Wilmington (OH) the weekend of Oct 14 for the Sauerkraut Festival and enjoy over 450 vendors to shop around.

Whether you’re showing off your latest recipe at the potluck or tasting new treats, there’s always a foodie adventure waiting for you at Thousand Trails!

Canadian Thanksgiving Canadian Thanksgiving will be celebrated on October 9 this year. See where to celebrate with your fellow campers! Join us at Mount Vernon (WA) on Oct 7 for our annual Canadian Thanksgiving Potluck! We will be celebrating with our Canadian friends at St. Clair (MI) with ham, turkey, and side dishes that you will provide! Bring enough of your favorite Thanksgiving dish to share with all of us. Join us at La Conner (WA) for a great turkey dinner. We will provide the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, and you will potluck the rest! Dinner will be served at 3pm.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Activities and Events – Local

LOCAL

CALENDAR events

MOODY BEACH (ME) Every Wednesday in October Wells Farmers Market 20+ vendors of local produce, crafts, meats, cheeses, and lots of other farmer’s market goodies. Every Wednesday at Wonder Mountain Fun Park parking lot at 270 Post Road from 1:30pm-5pm. wellsfarmersmarket.org October 14 33rd Annual Harvestfest Live bands; local food vendors; juried and marketplace crafters from all over the country. Kidsfest includes horse and wagon rides, pumpkin decorating, storytelling, and more. Takes place at York beach Ball Field; admission is free. gatewaytomaine.org/harvestfest

WILDERNESS LAKES (CA) Until October 8 SoCal Fair At the Perris Fairgrounds. See website for detailed ticket information. socalfair.com 14

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

October 12 & 13 Pepe Aguilar Concert Ticket prices vary; see website for details. pechanga.com October 21 Ali Wong in Concert Hilarious comedian, Ali Wong, hits the stage. Ticket prices vary; see website for details. pechanga.com October 28 Air Supply in Concert Ticket prices vary; see website for details. pechanga.com

DIAMOND CAVERNS (KY) Every weekend in October Skeleton’s Lair Scream Park Visit the largest haunted attraction in south central Kentucky. Features the Haunted Woods, Haunted House of Wax, Grover Smith Sanitarium, haunted hayride, escape rooms, and more. skeletonslair.com

October 5-7 32nd Annual Rollercoaster Yard Sale This 3.5K Run benefits the Travis Manion Foundation, which was founded to assist the nation’s veterans and families of the fallen in all stages of their personal journey. rollercoasteryardsale.com

TIMOTHY LAKE N & S (PA) October 7-8 Autumn Timber Festival Come see action packed autumn events including lumberjack competitions, blacksmith demos, saw mill demos, chainsaw sculptures, and more. shawneemt.com October 14-15 Pocono Food Truck Festival & Art on the Mountain Bringing you the best of food trucks, art, crafts, and live music of the region. Ticket prices vary; see website for details. shawneemt.com

All events, times and dates are subject to change.

October 14 Holly Point Art & Seafood Festival Enjoy local, fresh seafood and peruse over 60 artists’ booths. Musical entertainment, car show, antique boat show, and museum exhibits open. Parking is free! This is a pet friendly event at the Deltaville Maritime Museum. deltavillemuseum.com

LAKE GASTON (NC) October 5 Full Moon Hike Join volunteers from Lake Gaston Outfitters to hike the trails by moonlight. Please dress for the weather and remember to bring a flashlight and water. ncparks.com October 14 Full Sylvan Heights Bird Park Presents: Moonlight Takes Flight Visit the park for an evening of cocktails, music, and food. A live auction will help support the conservation efforts of the park. shwpark.com

NATCHEZ TRACE (TN) October 21-22 Mid South Barbecue Contest Kansas City Barbecues Sanctioned event. Classic cars, food, century bike rides. hardemancountytn.com

VERDE VALLEY (AZ) October 7-8 Sedona Arts Festival The Sedona Arts Festival showcases 126 juried artists on the campus of Sedona Red Rock High School against the majestic backdrop of Sedona’s red rock. Music, food, and raffle prizes. $10/$15 admission supports arts education in Sedona. sedonaartsfestival.org

October 21 Red Rocks Oktoberfest – Craft Beer Festival Beer tasting from local craft breweries, food trucks, and live music from Naughty Bits and Polka Katzen at the Posse Grounds park in Sedona. Tickets are $15 at the door. Check website for advance tickets. redrocksoktoberfest.com October 31 Sedona 31st Annual Safe & Fun Trick & Treat Merchants around town welcome ghouls and ghosts for treats! Costume contests and community dance performances for free and presented by the City of Sedona. Costume contest in partnership with Uptown Merchants. sedonaaz.gov

LA CONNER (WA) October 21 La Conner Beer Festival – Brew on the Slough Come to Skagit Valley to taste awesome beer and experience the beauty of the Valley at the 3rd Annual Brew on the Slough. Tickets are $25 per person and includes the 10 tastings + a souvenir glass for first 200 to register. lovelaconner.com

RANCHO OSO (CA) October 20-22 Boo at the Zoo The Santa Barbara Zoo transforms for three nights of safe, traffic-free trick-or-treating for monstrous thrills and chills including a “Trick-or-Treat Trail”;“Boo-Choo-Choo” train rides; “Creepy Crawly Encounters”;“Spooky Storytelling”;“Goblin Games” and more. It’s the most popular family Halloween festival in the tricounties area! sbzoo.org

Some events may require a participation fee.

Activities and Events – Local

CHESAPEAKE BAY (VA)

October 21 Los Olivos Day in the Country Join us come rain or shine, for Los Olivos’ most highly acclaimed festival of the year, “Day in the Country”. This special day is a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy country living the way it used to be in simpler times. This event is free to attend. losolivosca.com/day-in-the-country

PIO PICO (CA) October 7 Pacific Beach Fest Pacific BeachFest has something for everyone including a fish taco contest, surf competition, beach volleyball, craft beer, kid’s activities and music! pacificbeachfest.org

Until October 8 El Cajon Oktoberfest Enjoy authentic German food plus a great selection of German beers and liquors. Live entertainment featuring Die Guggenbach Baum, from Baden-Württemberg, Germany; entertaining Oom-Pah band dressed in traditional clothing and playing a variety of German music, just as you would hear in the beer gardens in Bavaria. This event is free to attend. germanclubsandiego.org/portfoliolist/oktoberfest-2017 October 13-15 Fleet Week Sea & Air Parade The best of the U.S. military will be on display and in action during Fleet Week. This event includes cruisers, amphibious ships, destroyers, frigates, submarines, and landing craft in addition to a demonstration of SEAL capabilities, Coast Guard Search and Rescue, a fly-over of contemporary Navy and World War II aircraft, and much more. This event is free to attend. fleetweeksandiego.org

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

▲ Raleigh Beer Garden Photo Courtesy of VisitRaleigh.com

here’s simply never been a been a better time to be a craft beer lover in America. Craft breweries across the country are creating some of the world’s best beers and they are opening their doors – and taps – to visitors who want to enjoy the best of American beers and brewery experiences (from tours to food and much more). The Brewers Association trade organization representing small

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

and independent American craft brewers reported that there were more than 5,300 craft breweries in 2016 and that the nation’s craft beer production increased yet again by 5% during the first half of 2017. “Many brewers are benefiting from on-premises and taproom sales, and recent statebased reforms have the potential to help brewers in new regions capitalize on this growth,” says Bart Watson, the association’s chief economist.

Watson estimates that, today, more than 80% of America’s population is within ten miles of a brewery. The Boulder, Coloradobased Brewers Association has an independent craft brewer seal that is a widely accepted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. They also organize events like the Great American Beer Festival®, American Craft Beer Week®, World Beer CupSM, and more.

craft breweries

Across the Country by Lynn & Cele Seldon

According to Lonely Planet’s excellent Global Beer Tour, “The global craft beer phenomenon was arguably invented in the U.S., and in terms of coming up with new brewing styles and techniques, the U.S. remains the leader.” Recommending America as the world’s top country for beer tourists to visit, the book’s introduction to America’s craft beer scene continues by saying, “And if you’re lucky enough to be from here, you’ve plenty of

craft beer destinations within easy reach.” But it’s a big country. Global Beer Tour outlines some of America’s regional “styles” as a starting point. These include: frequently fruity and cloudy New Englandstyle IPAs; Florida’s sour fruit beers; the Northwest’s Black IPAs; Southern California’s bitter beers; and many others. According to them, it’s easier than ever to find a craft beer practically anywhere

in America. The book states, “The American craft scene is so dynamic nowadays that just about every city has great beer options, from brewpubs and micros to specialty beer bars and beer-themed restaurants.” Along with recommending specific craft breweries and beers across the country, the extensive USA section of the book features “Things to Do” sections, with restaurant recommendations and more. OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Two other great resources for exploring the American craft brewing scene include another great book called The United States of Craft Beer by Jess Lebow (Adams Media) and a series of “Beer Lovers” books from Globe Pequot Press. The first book provides state-by-state coverage (all 50) of the craft beer scene (including one specific craft brewery for each state, plus other “Around the State” brewery and beer recommendations), while the beloved series features separate books for specific areas in America, including the Carolinas, Virginia, the MidAtlantic, New England, Chicago, Wisconsin, Texas, Washington, and Southern California. Of the growth and quality of craft beer in America, The United States of Craft Beer author Jess Lebow says, “Though beer is brewed all over the world, and the origins of this beverage are far from the shores of this country, it is my belief that in no other place can you find such innovation, such craftmanship, and such a wealth of good beer as is now in America.” The choices in the book substantiate this claim in a big way. Given all of this great guidance, other books, and so many possibilities for exploration, enjoying American craft beers can be as easy as walking around the corner or planning a craft beer-based trip across a region or the entire country. From the east coast to the Pacific Ocean and beyond to Alaska and Hawaii, it’s easy to say, “Cheers!” to American craft beers and beer travel.

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Crack Open a Cold One! Many craft beer fans feel Asheville, North Carolina is the epicenter of the east coast’s – and even America’s – craft beer scene. It’s for good reason. The story of “Beer City USA” began back in 1994, when retired engineer Oscar Wong opened Highland Brewing Company, Asheville’s first craft brewery. Wong’s insistence on high-quality and creative beers made Highland a success and led to many other world-class local breweries, like Asheville Brewing, French Broad, Pisgah, Green Man Brewery, Wicked Weed Brewing, Burial Beer Co., and many more. Today, there are more than 35 breweries in the Asheville area and that number is constantly growing – including national breweries like Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, and New Belgium that have started East Coast operations. Asheville’s beer scene received a major boost in 2009 when renowned beer writer Charlie Papazian conducted his first “Beer City USA” pool. Asheville tied with much larger Portland, Oregon, to share the title and went on to win or tie for first in the poll the next three years. Papazian “retired” the poll in 2014, but Asheville’s reputation was set. Other numbers tell the tale, including a 2016 SmartAsset.com feature on “The Best Cities for Beer Drinkers” that found that Asheville has the most breweries per 100,000 residents of any city in America. Like many beer destinations across the country,

▲ Burial Beer Co. Photo Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

▲ Amazing Pubcycle in Asheville Photo Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

▲ Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium Photo Courtesy of VisitNC.com

▲ Highland Brewing Company Photo Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

▲ Food Trucks at Wedge Studios Photo Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

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▲ Wilmington Brewing Company Photo Courtesy of Brian Lantz

there are varied beer and brewery touring options in Asheville (including popular Asheville Brews Cruise options). The rest of North Carolina features many other great options. Just east of Asheville proper, in Black Mountain, Pisgah Brewing Company (the top pick of The United States of Craft Beer) is a great possibility, including their highly recommended signature pale ale. Further afield, head to Fullsteam Brewery (“plow to pint beer”) in the Piedmont city of Durham, Raleigh Beer Garden (the world’s largest draft beer selection under one roof) in downtown Raleigh, or down to Wilmington Brewing Company, New Anthem Beer Project, and more on the coast in Wilmington. South Carolina’s brewing scene has blossomed more recently, but it has gained national attention with world-class beers from Charleston on the coast to bustling Columbia in the Midlands and Greenville and beyond in the burgeoning Upstate. One great way to explore the craft beer scene in South Carolina is by using the state’s “Satisfy Your Thirst Tour,” with a detailed map, an app, videos, articles, and much more.

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▲ New Belgium Photo Courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com

▲ Dogfish Head Brewery Photo Courtesy of Dogfish Head Brewery

Further south, Georgia and Florida craft breweries are cranking out creative options. Georgia’s SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta and Florida’s Cigar City Brewing provide tasty examples of why these two states are also popular with beer lovers. Another unique craft beer option is available “in” Miami, in that the newest ship of Carnival Cruise Line (the Carnival Vista) features North America’s first craft brewery at sea.

Heading further north, Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery is a must-stop. Perhaps no other craft brewery and brewery founder (Sam Calagione) have had as much influence on American’s craft brewing scene. Sam opened Dogfish Head in 1995 and has been rolling out extremely creative beers ever since. The brewery has become a bucket list destination for craft beer lovers.

Up in Virginia, the craft beer scene in the capital city of Richmond is booming. From long-timer Legend Brewing Company and their classic Brown Ale to newcomers opening frequently in the Scott’s Addition neighborhood and elsewhere, Richmond has become a craft brewery hotbed (including the great “Richmond Beer Trail,” a Stone Brewing outpost, and Mekong – known as “America’s Best Beer Bar”). The rest of the state also has much to offer, including two locations to taste the delectable options of Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company (in Roseland and Lexington), great choices in the Roanoke area, and new Southwest Virginia Mountain Brew Trail.

Like the Mid-Atlantic area, America’s Northeast region has also developed a huge craft beer scene. Many cities and states have seen great growth, with Maine’s Portland providing a perfect example of the possibilities. Portland’s Allagash Brewing Company was the top Maine pick of The United States of Craft Beer for good reason and there are many other options in the city, including Shipyard Brewing Company, Rising Tide Brewing Company, and others. Maine has more than 50 craft brewers and many of them swear by using water from crystal-clear Sebago Lake, just northwest of Portland, which is devoid of iron and hardness – which can plague many brewers across the country.

Of course, many other northeastern states are well worth a visit on a craft brewery tour. Pennsylvania provides an especially interesting option, in that the state was a one-time hotbed of dozens of varied-size breweries. Today, Pittsburgh and beyond offers great craft beers, including the Steel City’s Penn Brewery, founded in 1986 and one of the country’s leaders in the craft brewing renaissance.

▲ Penn Brewery Photo Courtesy of Penn Brewery

▲ Lone Pint Brewery Photo Courtesy of Lone Pint Brewery

▲ Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Taproom Photo Courtesy of Oskar Blues

Like Pennsylvania and several other states, Wisconsin’s longtime large and small brewery scene helped lead to a brewing tradition and today’s craft beer renaissance. The college town of Madison features many great options, including the city’s first craft brewer (Ale Asylum), while New Glarus Brewing Company in little New Glarus has turned into yet another beer geek’s bucket list possibility. The state also has a unique craft beer claim to fame: it’s the home of Random Lake’s AJS & Associates – the largest producer of tap handles in the country. Heading back south, Texas has a huge craft beer scene. From Austin’s Jester King Brewery and Live Oak Brewing Company (top picks of Lonely Planet and The United States of Craft Beer, respectively) to Lone Pint Brewery in Magnolia, the Lone Star State isn’t lonely when it comes to fellow beer lovers. Back up in Colorado, Denver and beyond have meant worldclass craft beers for decades. Denver’s Black Shirt Brewing Co. and Renegade Brewing Co. are top picks for Lonely Planet, while Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont (with an aforementioned Asheville area eastern outpost) gets the nod in The United States of Craft Beer.

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▲ Great American Beer Festival 2016 Photo Courtesy of Brewers Association

Out in California, the craft beer scene is equally sunny. Chico’s Sierra Nevada (also with an aforementioned Asheville area eastern outpost) and Berkeley’s Fieldwork Brewing are Lonely Planet top picks, while AleSmith Brewing Company in craft beercrazed San Diego is the featured craft brewer in The United States of Craft Beer (with well-deserved plugs for Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, appropriately named Bear Republic Brewing Company in Cloverdale, and Stone Brewing Company in Escondido/San Diego, which also has an aforementioned eastern outpost in Richmond, Virginia). Also offering Virginia operations in Roanoke, San Diego’s beloved Ballast Point is also a long-time craft brewing legend in California and beyond.

American Craft Beer Road Trip Resources * Global Beer Tour * The United States of Craft Beer by Jeff Lebow *Beer Lovers guides *The Ale Trail by Christian DeBenedetti

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Portland, another long-time “Beer City USA” favorite, is better than ever it when it comes to craft breweries. Two factors helped get Portland awash in suds. First is that Oregon is home to dozens of different types hops – the flavoring flower of beer – making it easy for local brewmasters to produce fresh hop beers. The second was a progressive Oregon legislature that legalized brewpubs in 1983. Today, there more than 65 craft breweries operating within Portland’s city limits. In fact, four of the country’s largest operating craft breweries are based in Oregon, all with headquarters or outposts in Portland: Widmer/Craft Brewers Alliance, Full Sail, BridgePort, and Deschutes. Proudly known as “Beervana,” Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world. Ranging from large, nationally distributed breweries, to small, yet highly respected, neighborhood brewpubs, these beer experts blaze trails through new innovations and the renewal of long-lost traditions. Operating longer than any other brewery in Oregon, BridgePort Brewing opened its Pearl District facility in 1984, carving a retrofitted brewpub out of a late-

19th-century factory and pouring many a beloved BridgePort IPA along the way. Widmer Brothers Brewing (the state’s largest brewer) also tapped the first kegs of their lauded Hefeweizen that same year, and opened its Gasthaus Pub in North Portland a dozen years later. Also cementing its status as a brewing pioneer, McMenamins has more than 50 locations throughout Oregon and Washington, including atmospheric neighborhood bars, historic hotels, and festive concert venues. Putting a twist on traditional ales, lagers, and stouts, another wave of brewers opened shop in Portland in the 1990s. Veteran microbreweries like Lompoc Brewing, Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, and Laurelwood Brewing not only have many taps to their brewpubs, but also operate multiple locations around town. New breweries continue to open all the time, with a new class having established itself in the last decade. Hair of the Dog has earned high regard with beer lovers for its unusual beer styles. The patio at Cascade Brewing Barrel House is frequently full of beer nuts enjoying distinctively sour, hoppy pints.

american craft beer at sea with carnival cruise

line

Allen noted that the brews were specifically designed with Carnival Vista guests in mind. ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA offers aromatic, floral, and hoppy notes, with passion fruit and citrus overtones, while ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat is an unfiltered wheat beer with flavors of orange and spices. The third beer, FriskyFrog Java Stout, is a take on a traditional stout that’s rich and creamy, with hints of coffee. “It was an honor to be a part of this one-of-a-kind project, and we feel like we created a great variety that is sure to please guests,” said Jon Carpenter, Concrete Beach Brewery Brewmaster. “It’s common for vacationers to want to test out the local beer and Carnival Vista has taken the concept of local and applied it to the decks of their ship."

▲ Carnival Vista Cruise Line Photo Courtesy of Carol Mirante Flickr

ne other unique AllAmerican option for enjoying craft beer actually exists on a cruise ship currently based in Miami. Carnival Vista, the newest ship sailing for Carnival Cruise Line, features the very popular Red Frog Pub & Brewery. The ship’s pub and brewery is a collaboration between Carnival and Miamibased Concrete Beach Brewery. It is the first craft brewery on a cruise ship in North America. Concrete Beach is an Alchemy & Science brand, an independently operating subsidiary of The Boston Beer Company. Alchemy & Science is home to many other craft breweries around the country, including Angel City Brewery in Los Angeles and Coney Island Brewing Co. in Brooklyn. Each of these breweries produce beers specifically inspired by and brewed to be representative of their respective locales. The resulting examples include craft beers like Tropic

▲ Red Frog Pub & Brewery Photo Courtesy of TheGirlsNY Flickr

of Passion, a passion fruit wheat beer from Miami, Angel City IPA from Los Angeles, and Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner from New York. Similarly, Concrete Beach has worked closely with Carnival to create original recipes and source and select the finest ingredients to produce three distinctive craft beers that are brewed and served onboard Carnival Vista. Those beers include ThirstyFrog Port Hoppin’ IPA, ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, and FriskyFrog Java Stout. There are also seasonal offerings, like this fall’s Pumpkin Spice. “We’ve been working for months with these talented partners who have helped us create three exciting and unique craft beers for Carnival Vista and our guests absolutely love them,” says Eddie Allen, Carnival’s vice president of beverage operations, who knows a thing or two about craft beverages.

The beers to be featured on Carnival Vista further build upon a greatly expanded selection of craft beers across the entire Carnival fleet. U.S.-based Carnival ships already serve Concrete Beach Brewery’s Rica Wheat IPA, Angel City Brewery’s Pilsner, Coney Island’s Hard Root Beer, and 1609 Amber. On a regional basis, Carnival ships sailing from Miami feature Concrete Beach Stiltsville Miami-style Pilsner, while Long Beach, California – based ships offer Angel City Brewery IPA and cruises departing from New York City are stocked with Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner. The line also offers beers brewed either locally in homeports or within the homeport state on ships sailing from New Orleans, Galveston, Baltimore, and Tampa, as well as ships that sail to Alaska and Hawaii. Carnival Vista operates six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami and will shift to yearround seven-day voyages from Galveston in September 2018. OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

▲ Alaskan Brewing Company Photo Courtesy of Alaskan Brewing Company

Hopworks Urban Brewery, with two eco-friendly locations, crafts only organic beers and powers its facilities with 100% renewable energy. Upright Brewing, meanwhile, attracts discerning palates with an emphasis on barrel-aging and farmhouse-style beers. In addition, many Portland bars specialize in craft beers from all over the world, alongside dedicated local taps. Apex is a modern favorite, with its sprawling picnic-table-packed patio and 50 taps of craft beers and ciders. Occupying the space where Henry Weinhard’s beers were brewed back in 1860s, Henry’s Tavern is rich in Portland brewing history and boasts more than 100 beers on draught. Featuring 62 rotating taps, The Green Dragon, owned by Rogue Brewing, pours taster trays that amaze, while the lovably raffish Horse Brass Pub, one of the first places to sell Portland micros, serves brews from around the globe, alongside spirited conversation. Add in lots of craft beer-driven tours and events and you have one of America’s top brew destinations. Of course, other states in the Lower 48 all have equally interesting craft beer scenes in cities large and small. And so do Alaska and Hawaii.

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Alaska’s capital city of Juneau features the state’s longest operating brewery, Alaskan Brewing Company, alongside the newer Barnaby Brewing Company, while smaller Southeast Alaska towns like Skagway (Skagway Brewing Company), Haines (Haines Brewing Company), Sitka (Baranof Island Brewing Company), and Ketchikan (Bear Rock Brewing) all have their own craft beer specialists. Nearly two dozen more, such as HooDoo Brewing and Silver Gulch in Fairbanks and Anchorage Brewing Company, provide other interesting options across the Last Frontier. These craft breweries and many more are often enjoyed during an Alaskan cruise or land-based tour of one of America’s most unique states. Out in the Pacific in the Hawaiian Islands, All-American options include: Maui Brewing Company (the top pick from The United States of Craft Beer), Honolulu Beer Works, Kona Brewing Company, Big Island Brewhaus, and Aloha Brewing Company. It’s easy to say aloha, along with cheers, to beers. Given all of these options and hundreds more across the country, the craft brewing scene is better than ever in America. Just be sure not to drink and drive or to appoint a designated driver.

paws ROAD ON THE

Traveling and Camping with Companion Animals

Hello, Jenn! I am looking for a unique, sturdy dog/cat ID tag that can be custom produced and made by a local source. The higher end, Red Dingo, dog tags that I purchased in the past are strong and long wearing but the inscription quickly fades. I need an i.d. Tag that lasts! Any suggestions in your years of travel? Love that you love our pets! Shelly JENN Thank you for your kind words and inquiry to a quality, local/homemade I.d. tag resource. SouthPawDog designs has been created in Bend, (right near the Sunriver Thousand Trails!), by a beautiful talented lady who also loves pets, and is a fellow RVer who specializes in truly unique tags that will be long wearing and cherished. Check out her Etsy – www.etsy.com/shop/SouthpawDog or Instagram page, Southpaw Dog. Enjoy the creative, quality tags homemade with love!

by Jenn Gehr

Jen, At one time you had mentioned a screen option for keeping little pet toes and debris from catching in the RV floor heat registers. Is there any way you can show me with photos how to this, please? My dog’s hind toe was nearly severed off last week when he got his hind toe stuck in between the sharp metal slats. I can see how covering the slats could have saved a very traumatic and costly event from occurring. Thanks, Joyce and Corgi, Benny the Jet JENN Oh, your poor dog, Benny the Jet! And ooohhhh what a sweet name! I’m more than happy to show you how to do this simple DIY screen project. What you need for the job: standard replacement screen from your local hardware store, clear packing or duct tape, Phillips screw driver (either cordless or manual), and a pair of scissors. It’s also a good chance to vacuum once the vent is taken out.

1) Remove floor register and place new screen over the register to determine the rectangular size to cut. Leave enough overhang as though you were going to wrap the edges of a package. 2) Using packing tape (as shown above) or duct tape to secure the trimmed screen edges at each end around the heat registers prior reinstallation. 3) Tighten the screws back into place. The newly fitted screen cover will allow the heat to pass through while keeping anything else from slipping in. For less than $5, this 10-minute DIY project results in a clean look and safe, happy dog feet! I replace my screen covers approximately every 6-8 months so the project is well worth the little effort required. The roll of screen fabric will last for years to come as very little is needed for each floor register. I’d like to thank my dog, Gingerbread, for being the paw model in this photo shoot. Email Jenn your questions and share your pics at TBPets@equitylifestyle.com

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

On The Road

LINEMAN NFLKEITH SIMS

OFFENSIVE by Lynn & Cele Seldon

Whether you spend life on the road for pleasure or work, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to have the comforts of home as you travel the highways and byways. TRAILBLAZER checks in with folks who spend a fair amount of time on the road to see just what makes their home away from home. This month, we chatted with former NFL offensive lineman and GoRVing spokesperson, Keith Sims.

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t’s not every day that you see a 6’3”, 300-pound African-American man and a young family driving around in a Class A, pulling up to a campground for a family vacation. But former NFL footballer, Keith Sims, and his wife and kids are all about not doing the everyday. As a spokesperson for GoRVing.com and with their own RVing blog, Soulful RV Family, they are spreading the message and encouraging others to fall in love with RVing. Sims was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and – after playing college football at Iowa State – he was a Round 2 NFL pick with the Miami Dolphins in 1990. He spent eight seasons as an offensive lineman with the Dolphins and three seasons with the Washington Redskins before injuries cut his career short in 2000. Venturing into the business world after that, Sims opened and operated 16 Dunkin’ Donuts locations. He also got back into football in 2010 as a television and radio commentator for the Dolphins organization.

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Now semi-retired, he and his wife, Tia, and their three young boys have taken to the open road and spend up to 150 days traveling the country and sharing their experiences on their blog, soulfulrvfamily.com, and through their partnership with GoRVing. com. We caught up with Sims before a boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trip to Greenville, South Carolina to view the solar eclipse:

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Do you miss playing football? [Heavy sigh] I think there are certainly times you miss it. You miss the game. You miss your buddies, your teammates, that kind of thing. You retired in 2001. What did you do after that? 2000 was my last season and I retired in 2001. I actually purchased my first Dunkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Donuts in 1999. I had a major injury and it took me a while to recover. But I went into business right from the gridiron.

Was the injury what forced you to retire or were you ready to retire? No, I was having a ball. I was in my 11th year and I was hoping to get to 15. But when I ruptured my Achilles and had some complications, unfortunately, that forced an earlier retirement. You went back to work with the Miami Dolphins office in South Florida in 2010. What do you do for them? I was doing pre- and post-game radio and TV shows. Last year

they had a change in the ownership of the television and radio rights for the Dolphins and the local station took over and went with their own broadcasters. I’m not sure I’ll be doing anything for them this season. How did you first get into RVing? My wife had wanted to get into RVing for a while. She wanted to move around, tour the country, and visit cities and historical sites. And she’s also become a germaphobe in the past few years. So, she saw RVing as a great opportunity and a great way to do both. She could have her own bedroom but still be able to go around and tour the country. It was a pretty good argument. What really kicked it off was that we sold our house in South Florida and moved to Georgia and I was still doing my work with the Dolphins every weekend. I had to travel back and forth and get hotel rooms or rent an apartment. It just made financial sense to get an RV. I could park it down in South Florida during football season, live in it on the weekends and, in the off season, we could travel. How long have you been RVing? We’ve been into it for the past five years. I wished I’d known how awesome it was sooner. And how practical and economical it was. I could have saved a ton of money and used it in the off-season. You are a big guy. Have you had any problems with the size? No. Obviously a Class A fits us best. We had certain requirements. I wanted a kingsized bed, and the shower and bathroom were issues. We bought a used Class A out of the gate. I wasn’t sold on it when we bought it, so we went with used. We had shopped, we had been to shows, and then we went to our local dealer in Atlanta. We test drove a used 2008 Monaco Dynasty on

a Saturday and picked it up on Monday morning, and drove from Atlanta to New Jersey for a weeklong vacation at Jellystone. What are you driving now? We are on our third RV, which is a 2015 43’ Newmar Dutch Star. Do you travel with the family in the summer and school holidays? Our kids are home schooled so that freedom is great. We’re taking a boys-only trip next week to South Carolina for the solar eclipse. You and your wife started a blog, Soulful RV Family. When and why did you decide to do that? We started our blog and our social media presence about 2 ½ years ago. A lot of our friends thought we were crazy. Blacks don’t RV is what we heard. Why do you want to do this? We started going out to campgrounds and, while they were very friendly places, we didn’t see people like us. When I started doing research going into this – because I’m a research guy – I went on every podcast and every blog and I just didn’t see people of color out there RVing. Our tagline is “We’re not the typical RV family.” And we’re not. We’re not 65, we’re not retirees. We’re in our 40s, we have young kids – our kids are 8, 7, and 5 – and we travel a lot.

“

I went on every podcast and every blog and I just didn’t see people of color out there RVing. Our tagline is We’re not the typical RV family.

“

And we’re in a Class A. All those things you’re not supposed to have in your 40s. We wanted to be a resource and encouragement for any minority. We want to help answer those questions that we had. Particularly from a minority standpoint. Is it safe? Do minorities do this? How do you figure it out? Do I get a tent or do I get a pop-up? Do I go Class C, Class A, fifth-wheel? We wanted to let minorities know that they weren’t alone. We wanted to show people how great a life it can be. How it can bring your marriage together, how it can bring your family closer together. What do you think could be done to encourage more minorities to try it on for size? Getting more marketing material out there. Inviting people to join us. Giving them the opportunity to experience RVing. Having more rental programs like Lazydays. Just being around people that participate in RVing. OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Who drives, you or Tia? We both drive. Tia drives 40% of the time. It’s only 40% because I don’t let her drive more. What are a few of your favorite things onboard?

You are now a spokesperson for GoRVing.com. How did that come about? What kinds of things will you do in that role? We were at a campground and water park in Tennessee. We were posting pictures on Instagram and I got a message from GoRVing. com that they loved what we were doing and they wanted to work with us. They said that they didn’t have many shots of AfricanAmerican families and that we looked great and that they’d love to work with us. They understand the vision of getting minorities involved. I’m going to a bloggers conference in Miami as a part of GoRVing and we blog for them. We want to do whatever will help promote the lifestyle to everyone and, especially, to people of color. What’s your favorite thing about traveling in an RV versus staying in a hotel? I’ve had six knee operations and I had back surgery two years ago. One of the beautiful things about our RV is that, if I’m not feeling good, my wife takes the wheel and I get to lie down and relax. The comfort of the travel is just incredible. That’s a real thing with me with my knees and back.

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My bed! I’ve got a king-sized Tempur-pedic mattress. With someone with back problems, the mattress is very important. We have four TVs but we rarely watch TV. I like watching games but, when you RV, you just don’t watch much TV. I love the shower. It’s nice and big. I just love everything about the RV, so it’s hard to pick just one thing. What are a few of your kids’ favorite things onboard? We don’t have built-in bunkbeds. Which would be really nice with three little boys. But we have a portable bunk bed system called a Kid-O-Bunk, they love that thing. What are some of your favorite meals that you make on the road? My wife makes a wonderful chicken fajita. She puts it all in the crock pot and when we get to where we’re going, we’ve got this amazing dinner. My wife challenged me to go meatless. I’m going on 6 ½ weeks without meat. And going strong. Have you heard of Beyond Meat? It’s all made of plants. She makes a great spaghetti with a Beyond Meat sauce. She also does stuffed peppers and baked ziti. What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you while you were RVing? On our trip last summer, we were going from Jersey City to Cape Cod. The GPS said 120 miles so we figured 2 hours, right? Seven hours later we arrive. It routed us through every bridge through every borough in New York. It was the most terrifying ride we ever had and we thought we’d never get there.

What are a few favorite destinations and why? Orlando. My wife is a Disney fanatic and we have season passes. We enjoy history sites â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DC is phenomenal. We went to Mount Rushmore and that was fantastic. We loved hiking in Acadia National Park. There is so much to see and do in this country. We took the kids to Selma, Alabama, this year and did the commemorative Bloody Sunday walk with thousands of other people. We love incorporating fun, education, African-American history sites, and American history sites. Does your family have any camping rituals? My wife will take them to playground while I set up. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a planner, so I research and plan a lot. We always build in time for fun and the home school stuff. OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Fenton, Missouri

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FALL FOLIAGE FORAYS AMERICA’S BEST LEAF-PEEPING by Lynn & Cele Seldon

f course, fall foliage season means seeing a cornucopia of colors anywhere deciduous trees grow. But, fall also means the crunch of those fallen leaves underfoot, scenic drives, varied festivals (like harvest festivals, apple- and pumpkin-focused events, and more), and much more related to fall foliage season. Leaf peeping is big business across America and many cities, regions, and even states have helpful websites and phone-in hotlines specifically devoted to fall foliage travel.

What Makes America’s Falls So Colorful? Trees put on a show every fall that many leaf-peepers may take for granted, but there’s some serious science behind fun fall colors. According to Howard Neufeld, professor of plant physiology at Appalachian State

University in the mountain town of Boone, North Carolina, trees mean business when it comes to their leaves changing colors and falling. He says, “A leaf is the capitalist side of ecology.” One of Neufeld’s specialties is plant stress and that’s exactly what happens to many trees as they prepare for winter. They preemptively drop their leaves that frost would have killed and, as part of the process, the leaves “change” colors before dropping. Trees and leaves take water from the earth and carbon dioxide from the air, using sunlight to turn the water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose, which helps the trees and leaves grow through photosynthesis using a chemical called chlorophyll (which gives leaves their green color come spring and summer). As fall and winter approach, the capitalist leaves begin living

off the food they’ve stored and the green chlorophyll begins to disappear – replaced by yellow and orange that the chlorophyll once covered. Other fall colors, like red and purple, are caused by glucose being trapped in leaves when photosynthesis stops in certain trees (like maples). The crunchy brown colors of certain trees, like oaks, is a result of tanninproducing waste material left over at the end of the process. Neufeld says the timing of peak fall foliage depends on many factors. Known throughout the region as an expert on fall foliage timing, Neufeld sites temperature (sunny days and crisp nights are best), elevation (from high to low), types of trees, climate change, and more when it comes to finding the perfect time and place for leaf-peeping.

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Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina

Leaf-Peeping Possibilities Across the Country Of course, Neufeld’s North Carolina is well known for varied leaf-peeping possibilities. He says the state has a huge variety of trees compared to other areas across the country, giving fall foliage in the state a patchwork quilt-like appearance compared to large patches of single colors often found elsewhere, where tree variety isn’t as prevalent. With one of the most vibrant and longest fall foliage seasons in the country, the Asheville area is particularly popular for leafpeeping. From driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, with its many colorful pull offs and hikes, to other scenic drives, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, varied fall-focused festivals, and more, it’s hard to top western North Carolina’s Asheville as a leafpeeping destination. The rest of the Tar Heel State also has many options. Neufeld says peak colors start at the peaks of North Carolina mountains (like towering Mount Mitchell) in lateSeptember and head downward about 1,000 feet a week, with the college town of Boone peaking about mid-October, the Asheville area a week later, and then on to the state’s Piedmont region and capital city of Raleigh in November.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which North Carolina shares with Tennessee, is also a great leaf-peeping destination throughout the fall, thanks to varied elevations, trees, and conditions. The Volunteer State’s Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (just a six-mile loop) in the park is best experienced on weekdays, due to lots of fellow fall foliage fans that flock to it on weekends.

“[North

Carolina] has a huge variety of tr ees…giving [the] fall foliage in the state a patchwork quiltlike appearance …

”

Though North Carolina and Tennessee are generally better known for fall foliage, South Carolina to the south also features stunning fall colors. The Upstate (or Upcountry) region of the Palmetto State (the northwest corner) features foothills and mountains bursting with color come fall and the Cherokee Foothills National Scenic Byway (SC 11) provides a perfect way to enjoy it for about 115 miles. To the north, Virginia is equally colorful come fall. The Old

Dominion’s Blue Ridge Mountains and more make for great fall drives, including105-mile Skyline Drive, 217 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway (which continues into North Carolina for another 252 miles), sprawling Shenandoah National Park, and much more. Heading even further north to the New England area, more classic leaf-peeping awaits. Anyone heading to the region for extended leaf-peeping will be wellserved by buying a copy of Lonely Planet’s New England Fall Foliage Road Trips. The book says, “New England is radiant in autumn, when farm stands overflow with freshly harvested produce and leaves sparkle with brilliant bursts of yellow and red.” The helpful book highlights four varied multi-day drives from New York to Vermont and beyond. The drives are: “Fall Foliage Tour” (five to seven days); “Cider Season Sampler” (three to four days); “Connecticut River Byway” (four days); and “Alpine Escapes” (two days). Of course, as with all beloved Lonely Planet books, there’s lots of other detailed information to make these road trips easy to repeat – including lots of “Local Knowledge” insider tips and extensive “Destinations” coverage specifically for Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

Central Park, New York

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Highlands, NY

Every state in the northeast offers up great fall foliage options, with popular possibilities including: New York (the Catskills, the Adirondacks, the Flaming Leaves Festival on Lake Placid, and more); Connecticut (Lonely Planet says the Kent area is consistently ranked among New England’s best spots to head for fall colors); Massachusetts (along with the Berkshires and its Mohawk Trail, Boston Common is a great place to head for urban fall foliage); Rhode Island (the Blackstone valley and routes 1 and 1A between Westerly and Weckford are good bets); New Hampshire (the White Mountains and White Mountains Trail, the Kancamagus Highway, and beyond); Vermont (the Green Mountains and more); and, Maine (with much more than just evergreen pines in Acadia National Park, Camden Hills State Park, and beyond, The Pine Tree State is anything but green come fall). One other great way to enjoy New England’s fall colors is to take a “Fall Foliage” cruise come fall. Many small and large cruise lines and ships offer cruises specifically designed for leaf peeping. Heading west across America, all states have some sort of fall foliage, even if they don’t have mountains or much elevation. From Pennsylvania (particularly the pretty and lush Lehigh Valley) all the way out to the Rocky Mountains, there are always fall colors as you travel westward bound.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

With spectacular fall foliage reflecting off Lake Michigan in four states (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan), the roughly 900-mile “Lake Michigan Circle Tour” was the mid-1980s brainchild of the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Jack Morgan. Though there are similar circle tours of other Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is the only one that lies entirely in the United States. Bisected by a “spur” route that connects Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by ferry service on the SS Badger (providing a possible shortcut for the drive), there’s a Southern Lake Michigan Circle Tour (Ludington to Manitowoc or the reverse) and Northern Lake Michigan Circle Tour (Manitowoc to Ludington or reverse). Beautiful beaches, varied towns and cities, and more await those searching for fall foliage in the Great Lakes region. More than a thousand miles southeast, the Panhandle region of Texas provides a surprising and unique fall foliage spot in America. The possibilities include: Palo Duro Canyon State Park (where the cottonwoods turn a brilliant yellow); Route 287 south of Amarillo (especially from Claude to Memphis); and the Texas Fall Foliage Festival in and around Canadian, which is about one hundred miles northeast of Amarillo. Located along the Canadian River and the Texas Plains Trail, the small town of Canadian is leading the way in rural Texas tourism with events like their fall foliage festival, which is always the third weekend in October.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Of course, when it comes to classic Rocky Mountains and Colorado fall foliage, the namesake trees in the Aspen area immediately come to mind. With evergreens and mountains serving as a background, the golden hues of the aspen leaves shimmering in the wind can be found throughout the region and across much of the state. The 205-mile West Elk Loop Scenic & Historic Byway passes through the pretty mountain towns of Marble, Gunnison, and Crested Butte and showcases acres of aspens and much more. Montana is also picture-perfect come fall. Travelers taking a road trip through Big Sky Country in the fall are sure to come faceto-face with miles of unspoiled beauty and plenty of reasons to pull over and take the perfect fall foliage picture. Fall is a particularly great time to take a scenic drive through Montana, as western larches and aspens turn a beautiful shade of gold and mountain highways curve their way to spectacular vistas. Breathtaking drives include: Beartooth Highway; Glacier National Park’s Looking Glass Road; Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway; Seeley-Swan Scenic Drive; and Big Sky Back Country Byway. The Eastern Sierras region of California features some of the Golden State’s finest fall foliage. Driving Route 395 through the Eastern Sierras shows off some of California’s best fall foliage. Aspens begin showing flame red, orange, pink, and yellow in Bishop Creek Canyon at 10,000 feet in mid-September and peaks from the last week of September through the first couple of weeks of October.

Then, fall colors drop by elevation at a rate of about 500 to 1,000 feet per week, with spectacular leaf peeping throughout the canyon and at Convict Lake, Mammoth Lakes, June Lakes, Virginia Lakes, Lunday Lake, and the Walker River Valley. That means you can dependably enjoy fall color along this drive from mid- to late-September through October at various elevations along Route 395. What makes the colorful displays even more dramatic is that sawtooth, snow-flecked granite peaks rise dramatically above the color and it’s often reflected in the area’s tourmaline lakes.

Aspen, Colorado

Garner State Park, Texas

Pilot Mountain, Montana

Bishop Creek Canyon, California

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

The Columbia River Gorge between Oregon and Washington provides a great introduction to fall colors in the Northwest. In addition, winery country in both states feature the unique fall colors of grape leaves. The Olympic Peninsula in Washington along Route 1 is also quite different from any other fall foliage drive in the country. Starting and ending in the Seattle area, the drive essentially circles the towering Olympic Mountains and sprawling Olympic National Park. Washington may be the Evergreen State, but there are still lots of fall colors to see on this drive. Highlights of the route might include the drive up to Hurricane Ridge for great mountain and fall color views; historic Port Townsend; pretty Lake Quinault, Lake Crescent, and other tree-lined lakes; Cape Flattery; and lots of coastal towns surrounded by colorful wilderness. Of course, there are many other great fall foliage possibilities elsewhere across the country. Some other colorful possibilities includes the Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas; the New River Gorge National River in West Virginia; the Driftless Region of Wisconsin; the Southwestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway near Taos, New Mexico; and truly scenic and colorful Seward Highway in Alaska, a National Scenic Byway down the Kenai Peninsula out of Anchorage. Given all of these leaf-peeping options around America, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a matter of hitting the road this fall.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Multnomah Falls Waterfall, Oregon

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Out Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; About

BEER, WHISKEY, & BOOKS by Annie Berman

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

From the Grand Ole Opry, to the mighty Cumberland River, Nashville is a city whose charm and beauty never fades. Whether it’s their heritage, their artists, or their bourbon, Nashvillians love to celebrate. See where you can join in on the celebration this October when you stay at Natchez Trace RV Camping!

▲ Jack Daniel’s Distillery Photo Courtesy of VisitMusicCity.com OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Photo Courtesy of Adam Bowie

Nashville Oktoberfest is a free event taking place in downtown Nashville, October 5-7. Celebrate German heritage through the sights, sounds, and tastes of Nashville’s oldest festival and the country’s second largest Oktoberfest! Sample traditional German foods; sip on specially brewed and imported German beers; show off your best schuhplattler steps at the Oktoberfest parade! The festival is free for all general attendees and there are VIP tickets for sale that gives visitors special access to even more festivities.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Photo Courtesy of HumanitiesTennessee.org

There’s nothing like settling into a cozy chair with a big book on your lap, where a story can take you to otherworldly places and engross you in the inner workings of the human mind and spirit. Every year, bookworms flock to Nashville for the Southern Festival of Books, to take their reading experiences to a new level. From October 13-15, festival goers can attend readings, panel discussions, and book signings for free, and may also expect activities for kids and musical entertainment from local artists. All events are first-come first-served.

STAY IN A CABIN AT

NATCHEZ TRACE RV CAMPING

ashville is just an hour and a half drive from Natchez Trace RV Camping. Situated near the water on this beautifully wooded campground, you’ll feel right at home when you stay in a themed cabin at Natchez Trace. Whether you’re a music lover, football fan, or hunting and fishing enthusiast, there’s a cabin here that suits every personality and each features a screened in porch giving you the ultimate front row seat to the magical Tennessee sunsets every night. Natchez Trace is located right off the Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic and convenient highway for travelers. To book your stay in a themed cabin at Natchez Trace RV Camping visit us online.

Photo Courtesy of NashvilleWhiskeyFestival.com

The Nashville Whiskey Festival celebrates one of Tennessee’s greatest traditions - whiskey. This special event hosts over 40 distilleries, giving visitors the opportunity sample some of the state’s and the world’s finest international and American-made whiskeys, bourbons, and scotches. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about Tennessee’s most beloved spirit and interact with the people who cultivate it, the Nashville Whiskey Festival is not to be missed. Tickets range from $50- $150 depending upon the experience you desire.

RVontheGo.com OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Who’s in the kitchen with

TrailBlazer?

October really gives the sensation of fall. The leaves have changed, the air gets chilly and we crave those cozy sweaters and comfort foods. It is also the start of holiday season with Halloween which can mean the beginning of what feels like months and months of endless treats! To help curb excess sweet consumptions I often tell clients three simple rules: 1. Eat plenty of protein! When we get enough protein in our diet it aids in our satiety levels. The more satisfied we feel the less we crave. 2. Remember you can always have that special treat anytime! We often associate holidays with that once a year indulgence but remember you have the recipe to those cookies or that casserole which means you aren’t limited to making it only once a year! Allowing ourselves the permission to have these things throughout the year makes us less likely to overindulge. 3. Eat your veggies first! Fill your plate up with veggies and protein first, eat up and then dive into the cookie platter. Chances are you’ll be full and more satisfied and choose 1-2 treats as opposed to having an entire plateful. For more recipes, nutrition information, and healthy lifestyle tips connect with me over at: refreshednutrition.com info@refreshednutrition.com Refreshed Nutrition @Refreshed_Nutrition

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Creamy Tomato Soup Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 30 min Total time: 35 min Serves 4-6

Ingredients • 1¼ cup chicken bone broth • 1 tbsp. butter • 2 cloves garlic • 1 onion, diced • ½ tsp. pepper • ½ tsp. salt • 1½ tsp. dried basil • 1 28oz. can diced tomatoes • 1 bay leaf • ⅔ cup of whole milk

Directions 1. In a medium pot on medium heat, melt butter and saute garlic and onions until onions become translucent. 2. Add broth, spices, bay leaf and tomatoes. Bring to a soft boil for about 15-20 minutes. 3. Reduce heat to low and remove bay leaf. Then using an emulsion stick or food processor gently puree the soup until desired consistency is reached. 4. Add the milk and stir gently until well combined, then serve!

Fall Spice Doughnuts Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 15 min Total time: 25 min Serves 5

• ¼ tsp. baking soda • ¼ tsp. baking powder • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice

Ingredients

Topping

• 1 cup almond flour

• ⅓ cup coconut sugar

• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. almond milk

• 1 tsp. + ¼ tsp. cinnamon

• 2 eggs whisked

Directions 1. Heat doughnut maker. 2. In a small bowl mix the topping of coconut sugar & cinnamon. Then set aside. 3. Mix the doughnut ingredients in a bowl & pour into sprayed doughnut maker. 4. Remove doughnuts when browned and set on cooling rack.

• 1 tbsp. coconut sugar

5. Once cool dip both sides of doughnut in the topping & serve.

• ½ tsp. vanilla extract • 3 tbsp. maple syrup

Olive Hummus Ingredients • ¼ cup olive oil • 1 15oz. can of chickpeas drained • 2 tsp. minced garlic • ½ lemon juice • 1 cup of pitted olives • ⅓ cup tahini

Total time: 10 min Serves 6

Directions 1. Place all ingredients into food processor and puree until smooth 2. Place in a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve!

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Jambalaya Total time: 40 min

• 2 tsp. thyme

Serves 6

• 1 tso. coriander

Ingredients

• 1 package of chicken or turkey Andouille sausage

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 cup of baby shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)

• 1 package of riced cauliflower or 1 head of cauliflower, riced • 1 red pepper, diced • 1 green pepper, diced • 2 stalks of celery, diced • ½ yellow onion, diced • 3 cloves garlic • ¼ tsp. paprika

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

2. Add the olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and heat until they begin to sweat (about 5 min.).

• 2 cups of diced tomatoes

3. Add the broth, peppers, celery, cauliflower and spices and bring the temperature up to high heat, simmering for about 10-15 min. until broth cooks down slightly.

Directions

4. Add the tomatoes and simmer for another 10-12 min.

1. If you don’t have a package of riced cauliflower, rice your head of cauliflower in a food processor on the shredding attachment.

6. Grab a bowl and serve!

• 2 cups of chicken bone broth

5. Add the Andouille chicken sausage and shrimp and continue cooking until warmed through.

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Acorn Squash Total time: 1hr 10min Serves 2-4

Ingredients • 1 acorn squash cut in half lengthwise • 3 slices of bacon • 1 cup diced chicken breast • ¼ cup BBQ sauce • 1 cup spinach • 3 green onions sliced • 1½ tsp. garlic powder • 2 tsp. onion powder • pinch of salt & pepper • drizzle of Tessamae’s creamy ranch dressing

*The recipe is fastest if you cook the squash & chicken a day or two ahead of time. Then you can just follow steps 4-9.

Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425°. 2. Cut squash lengthwise & remove the seeds. Place the squash face down on a lined baking sheet & bake for 40 min., remove & let cool*. 3. On a separate tray cook chicken for about 12-15 min., remove & dice*. 4. Reduce oven heat to 375°.

6. Scoop out the inside of the cooked squash (saving the shell) & add to the skillet along with the chicken, BBQ sauce, spinach, green onions & spices let cook for about 20 min. on low/medium heat mixing occasionally. 7. While the stuffing is cooking slice bacon into small pieces & add back to the skillet mixing in until well combined. 8. Place the stuffing mixture into the squash shells & bake for 15 min. 9. Remove, drizzle with Tessamae’s creamy ranch dressing & enjoy!

5. Heat bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until slightly crispy (about 10 min.), remove & place to the side.

Pumpkin Applesauce Total time: 50 min Serves 6

Ingredients • 3 apples peeled & diced • ½ cup pumpkin puree • 2 tsp. cinnamon • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice • pinch of salt

Directions 1. Place peeled & diced apples in a saucepan & fill with water to just barely cover them. Let simmer on medium heat until the apples become very soft & water evaporates (approx. 40 mins). 2. Remove from heat & let cool slightly. 3. Transfer the apples to a food processor & add in the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

ASK

RVBILL

YOUR TECH QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Gauge Trouble

Hi Bill, We have a workhorse chassis in our motorhome and we are having trouble with some of the gauges in the instrument panel in the dash. My local repair shop says that there are no parts available for an older Workhorse chassis. He said perhaps he could put in some individual gauges but where would you put them and it’s expensive.

Fortunately, I can help you. I’ve run across this problem many times over the years. There is a company called ultraRVproducts. com and are specialist in the business of repairing instrument panels. Give them a call at 800417-4559.

HELP!, Jesse

Refrigerator Repair

Bill, Our Norcold Refrigerator in our 2000 Winnebago Motorhome does not work on the electric but it functions fine on gas. Most of our trips we have hook ups and we would love to be able to use the electric. Do you think that there’s anything simple that I could look at or repair? Sincerely, Jason

Hi Jack, check to see if there is voltage where the refrigerator is plugged in. A ground fault circuit interrupter controls refrigerator outlets as they are in an outdoor

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

environment. Using a hairdryer or other object plug it into the refrigerator outlet and see if it has power. If it does not, check all of your GFCIs in the coach to see if one of them has been tripped, very often there is more than one GFCI’s in an RV, so check them all. If that does not solve the problem switch the refrigerator to electric after letting the refrigerator completely cool down from the gas function. After the electric has been on for about an hour, check the insulated flue box in the back of the refrigerator for heat, if the heating element is burned out there won’t be any heat. The heating element can be difficult to change, go onto U-Tube and find a video for this process. New elements can be purchased online.

Water Heater

Bill, We have a 1989 Southwind Motorhome with an Atwood water heater. When we light the pilot the burner comes on and heats the full tank of water. When the flame shuts down the pilot goes off with it, we can re-light the pilot and cycle it again with the same result. It has an ITT Jade control valve and the pilot assembly and burner and the front of the water heater is very rusty. Is there anyway to adjust the pilot or clean the pilot to get it to work? We checked into the price of a new water heater and it seems like there are rather expensive. Fellow Full Timers, Jack & Jennifer

Hey RVer’s, I think it’s time to replace your water heater, not just for the rust, but the age of the water heater alone. That particular gas valve had a history of pilot outage because of the electromagnet that was built in to the control assembly was not adequate. By the time you buy a gas valve a burner and a pilot assembly and if the inner tank starts leaking, which it could any minute now. You could wind up spending more than you would for a new water heater not to mention he could still be unreliable because of the rust and the age.

New Trailer

Hi Bill, I am interested in your opinion on our new 2017 Open Range Trailer. It has to do with sway bars on an equalizer hitch. On my old 25’ trailer it came with a sway bar set up - so I used it and never traveled without it on. When I picked up the new 35’ rig, there was no sway bar and when I asked the parts guy doing the walk through he said I wouldn’t need it & that it would be overkill. I am not so sure…Maybe it’s just my preconception that one is needed? Or is he correct? Thanks, Tyler

Cracked Tank

Bill, During our last camping trip I discovered a 3 inch long crack in my black tank, yes, all joking aside, it was messy and smelly. It is on the side about halfway up, it was not an issue until the tank level got to that height. I tried to repair it with some caulking and whatever I had on hand but it was futile. Have you got any suggestions? Thanks, Carl and Judy

GOT A QUESTION FOR BILL? SEND AN EMAIL TO AskRVBill@equitylifestyle.com

Tyler, You should always use an equalizing hitch and sway control with a bumper pull type trailer- the bars are not sway bars, they are truly equalizing bars. The sway control unit is separate in most cases unless the bars perform both functions. Good job being suspicious and taking the time to inquire as safety is always first. My recommendation is to buy the Equal-I-zer 4-point Sway Control. They are not cheap, but incredibly effective. You will find different weight capacities available for different sized trailers – 400, 600, 1000, 1200 and 1400 pound hitch

Hi, Johnson Family! We love your neck of the woods for off the grid camping and super fishing along the Duchesne River. Over the years, I’ve repaired literally hundreds and hundreds of holding tanks with great success. You did not mention the type of material the tank was manufactured from, whether it is ABS or polyethylene. Thus, here are your options; If the tank is made from ABS, yes it is basically the same material as the plumbing pipe material. If the crack is not too wide, sand the crack and the area around it with 150 grit sand paper. Next clean the area with acetone, be careful not to use too much acetone, it can eat the material up. Using ABS cement you can purchase at any

ratings. You will need to know what your actual tongue weight is on your trailer. If you go online you can find a way to use a set of bathroom scales and 2 x 4’s to get the tongue weight. If you travel with a full water tank, you will need to fill the tank to get the correct total weight. Round up when ordering the proper hitch for your trailer. If you have any questions, get the tongue weight let me know and I’ll tell you which one to get. If there are any truck scale is available, you could actually way the tongue weight within just a few seconds by disconnecting the trailer from the truck.

hardware store apply several coats to the crack and the surrounding area. If the crack is separated you will need to perform the same process only this time you will use a piece of fiberglass mesh to bridge the gap. There are a couple of companies that make holding tank repair kits complete with epoxy and the fiberglass mesh, but not as effective. If the tank is made of polyethylene, you will need to sand it clean it with alcohol and use one of the holding tank patch kits designed for patching holding tanks, this type of plastic is tough to make anything adhere to. As always, preparation is the key to success. In either case be sure that all of the old caulking and patching material has been eliminated. Best of luck! OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

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Access to Campgrounds in your zone(s)

Park to Park Family Access Reciprocal Network Getaway Cabins Travel Club

*Monthly payment plans available. Up to 60 months to pay. 16.99% APR. 60 payments of $134.05 assuming you purchase the Elite Basic for $5,995 and make the minimum down payment. Sales tax and any applicable fees due at time of purchase. This advertising is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of resort campground memberships. This document has been filed with the Department of Licensing, State of Washington, as required by Washington law. Value, quality, or conditions stated, and performance on promises are the responsibility of the operator, not the Department. The filing does not mean that the Department has approved the merits or qualifications of any registration, advertising, or any gift, prize or item of value as part of any promotional plan.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers can be found on page 65.

ACROSS 1 Alberta (abbr.) 5 Mother of Helen of Troy 9 Serum (pref.) 12 Rich soil 13 Holm oak 14 Pride 15 Babist 16 8 (Rom. numeral) 17 Agent 18 Personification of folly 20 Cloudy 22 Stammer 25 Fiddler crab genus 27 Phrygian god 28 Ember 29 Negatives 31 Thank God it’s Friday (abbr.) 34 Noncommissioned officer (abbr.) 35 Agog 37 Guido’s note (2 words) 38 Port. Timor’s capital 40 100 centessimi 41 Cask 60

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

42 44 45 46 49 51 52 54 58 59 60 61 62 63

Outer (pref.) Hindu title Condition (suf.) Hit Admiral (abbr.) General Accounting Office (abbr.) Fr. month Berne’s river City on the Danube Drove Heddles of a loom Simian Footless Mississippi bridge

DOWN 1 Priest’s garment 2 Haitian voodoo deity 3 Price 4 Mudfish 5 Ember (2 words) 6 Teacher of Samuel 7 Devil (Scot.) 8 Accepted principle

9 10 11 19 21 22 23 24 26 30 32 33 36 39 43 46 47 48 50 53 55 56 57

African savannah Elbe tributary Stringy Air Damp Aid Spore sacs Hale Sponsorship Notched Founder of Troy Gooseberry Foray Amazon tributary Diadem Water (Sp.) Oceanic tunicate Circular turn Symbol of authority Chin. plant Amer. Automobile Assn. (abbr.) Energy unit Prussian spa site

Terms and Conditions for 2017 Referral Promotion from page 2.

Answers can be found on page 65.

Find The Evergreen Tree

Runyon Canyon is a 160-acre, friendly-park The history that is frequent dog of the Beverly Jake Gyllenha ed by Hotel goes al, Justin Timberla Hills a long way and Jessica ke back. Biel Located on Sunset Boulevar dawn to dusk. and is open from hotel has been It d, trails and views has great hiking ready for its the up since it close of LA. came Bronson Canyon in the mid-1900 into existence is actually s. The list of of Griffith Park hotel guests part and because reads once an operatio it was Who of Hollywoo like a Who’s d History and several caves. nal quarry has includes Fred You may recogniz Astaire, Elizabeth one of the Taylor, John e cave openings Wayne, and Grace served as the as it Kelly. Music shot that was fans will recogniz entrance to the the exterior e the Batcave shot of the in the poplar 1960s hotel graces that The Eagles Batman televisio Hotel Californi series. Due album. The n a to its rugged hotel’s Polo landscape, Lounge was the setting Bronson Canyon been used has scenes as well for many movie as a location site years. Many mystery that as some real-life television showsfor surrounded used Bronson Watergate the scandal. Canyon for shots including location The Chateau The Lone Gunsmoke Marmont Hotel and Rawhide Ranger, (which was . originally an The five-mile apartment loop in Mandevi house) was Canyon holds designed not only to lle look history that a piece of Cold War France’s Loire like a retreat in now Valley but also Another Malibu views for hikers. offers panoramic survive earthqua to option for kes, which stars in the seeing one of several The area was done through it has Malibu summits around at least five – like the Brentwo Country Mart Los Angeles major events such used while sustainin Mart, the Malibu od Country missile defense as a Nike damage. The g no Country Mart hotel has a has upscale to detect and site in the 1950s history of Hollywoo shops, eateries intersect Russian d’s bad behavior quaint places and missiles. The and sadly, to grab a cup site has been it is of coffee. preserved with the death also associated and now has several informative Belushi who of funnyman John Two restaura panels detailing died nts of note history. Jennifer the hotel’s bungalow in one of the in Malibu that Garner, Fergie may provide s in 1982. and Josh Duhamel story goes star experien you a that the hotel The ce are Nobu have been spotted all kept and Duke’s. Malibu the secrets hiking in this Both offer inside and area. fabulous heads knew studio ocean views A more child-frie this, promptin and amazing ndly option Cohn, who g Harry experiences. seafood Coldwater is was Canyon Park Pictures during head of Columbia features two which According the 1930s to play areas to Curbed “If you must say and has a little river LA, there are 11 areas get that where you it at the Chateauinto trouble, do There are also runs through it. can see stars getting Marmont.” their daily does have It and a shaded two picnic areas exercise, a positive history walking their arbor and several dogs or playing that many in hiking trails. movies have with their kids. been shot here including Runyon Canyon,Those include For the gussied Academy Awardthe most recent up type of Park, Coldwate Bronson Canyon glamour, consider Best Picture nominee, La r Canyon Park other Mandeville La locales that Land. and may provide Both the Canyon Fire restaurant star sightings Road. and bar are including the open to the public Beverly Hills so you can also known Hotel, enjoy this historic hotel as the Pink Palace, or without being The Chateau hotel guest. a Marmont.

TB_August_20

17_V8.indd

AUGUST 2017 TRAILBLAZER

An evergreen tree is hidden somewhere in this issue. Send us postcard telling us where you found it, and if your card is drawn you’ll win a $25 American Express® Prepaid Gift Card.

Joseph Edge of Xenia, OH

found the tree on Page 21 of the August Issue.

Did you find the tree in this issue? Send your entry (postcards only) to: TrailBlazer Evergreen Tree Two North Riverside Plaza Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.

7/17/17 3:33 PM

For each Eligible Referral (as defined) through December 31, 2017, you will receive a $25 Visa® Prepaid Card. In addition, for each Eligible Referral through December 31, 2017, you will receive one entry in a drawing for the following prizes: (i) Grand Prize is either a trip to Hawaii or a 7 night Caribbean Cruise, valued at $4,000, that includes roundtrip coach airfare for two adults from the continental United States to either Hawaii or Florida, and one hotel/cruise room for 7 nights; (ii) Second Prize is a trip to either Las Vegas, San Francisco or Orlando, valued at $2,000, that includes roundtrip coach airfare for two adults from the continental United States to either Las Vegas, San Francisco or Orlando and one hotel room for 4 nights and (iii) ten (10) Third Prizes waiving payment of the winners’ annual dues for 2018, not to exceed $545 each. The trips do not include taxes, meals, beverages, transfers, gratuities, activities and other personal expenses. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. The drawing will be held at our corporate offices on or about January 7, 2018. The winners will be notified by telephone. The odds of winning a prize depend on the number of entries and are not expected to exceed 1:10,000. For this promotion, an Eligible Referral is a person who (i) purchases a new Zone Camping Pass from us between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017 and (ii) lists you as the referring member. This offer is only for members in good standing of Thousand Trails and its affiliates. Due to legal restrictions, (a) residents of AZ, FL, NV, and PA are not eligible to participate in the drawing and you will not receive an entry in the drawing for purchases made by residents of AZ, FL, NV, or PA, and (b) residents of AZ and PA are not eligible to receive a $25 Visa® Prepaid Card and you will not receive a $25 Visa® Prepaid Card for purchases made by residents of AZ or PA. We reserve the right to extend, modify, suspend, or terminate this promotion at any time for any reason; however, any rewards earned prior to the suspension or termination of this promotion will be honored. Employees of Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. and its affiliates are not eligible to participate in this promotion. All local, state and federal income taxes are the responsibility of the recipient. Accordingly, we recommend that all participants consult a tax advisor about reporting rewards for tax purposes. We will issue the required 1099 to each participant and to the IRS when the total value of awards you are eligible to receive equal or exceed $600 for one year. This advertising is being used for the purpose of soliciting sales of resort campground memberships. This document has been filed with the Department of Licensing, State of Washington, as required by Washington law. Value, quality, or conditions stated and performance on promises are the responsibility of the operator, not the Department. This filing does not mean that the Department has approved the merits or qualifications of any registration, advertising, or any gift, prize, or item of value as part of any promotional plan. This promotion is sponsored by MHC Thousand Trails Limited Partnership, Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606.

Postmark deadline is October 31, 2017 and remember – the tree could be a different color and size. OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

PREFERRED RV DEALERS

Check out member specials on parts, service, and sales by visiting our preferred RV Dealer partners listed here.

USA A&L RV Sales TN - Christiana, Johnson City, Sevierville alrvsales.com A Great Outdoor RV Center TX - Canton • agorv.com Affinity RV AZ - Dewey, Prescott, Prescott Valley affinityrv.com All Valley RV Center CA - Acton • allvalleyrvcenter.com Al’s Trailer Sales OR - Salem • alstrailers.com Alpin Haus NY - Amsterdam, Port Jervis, Saratoga alpinhaus.com

Camperland Trailer Sales TX - Conroe • camperland.net

Economy RVs MD - Mechanicsville • economyrvs.com

Campers Inn CT - Union; FL - Leesburg, Jacksonville NC - Kings Mountain, Mocksville, Raleigh NH - Kingston, Merrimack PA - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, MA - Raynham; SC - Myrtle Beach VA - Fredericksburg; GA - Macon, Atlanta campersinn.com

Ellis Travel Trailers GA - Statesboro • ellistraveltrailers.com

Canopy Country RV Center WA - Ellensburg, Union Gap canopycountry.com

Freedom RV WA - Liberty Lake • freedomrvusa.com

Charlie Obaugh RV VA - Staunton • charlieobaughrv.com

ET Quality RV CA - Two locations in Yuba City etqualityrv.com Floyd’s RV OK - Norman • floydsrvs.com

Funtime RV OR - Tualatin • funtimervinc.com

American Family RV VA - Chesapeake • americanfamilyrv.com

Chesaco RV MD - Joppa, Frederick, Gambrills PA - Shoemakersville • chesacorv.com

Appleton Camping Center WI - Appleton • appletoncamping.com

Clear Creek RV WA - Silverdale • clearcreekrvcenter.com

General RV Center IL - Huntley MI - Brownstown, Mt. Clemens, Wayland, White Lake, Wixom OH - North Canton generalrv.com

B&B RV CA - Anderson • bbrv.me

Coastal RV VA - Carrolton • coastalrv.com

Gibs RV Superstore OR - Coos Bay • gibsrvsuperstore.com

Bama RV AL - Dothan • bamarv.com

Colerain RV OH - Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus IN - Indianapolis, KY - Lexington colerainrv.com

Grandview Trailers Sales VA - Bedford • grandviewtrailersales.com

Big Country RV OR - Bend, Redmond • bigcrv.com

Conejo Wholesale Auto and RV CA - Thousand Oaks conejowholesaleauto.com

Hayden’s RVs VA - Richmond • haydensrvs.net

Blade Chevrolet RV WA - Mt. Vernon • bladerv.com

Country Camping Corner NC - Kings Mountain • countrycamping.com

Boat-N-RV NY - West Coxsackie; SC - Ridgeland PA - Hamburg • boatnrv.com

Crossroads Trailers NJ - Newfield • crossroadstrailers.com

Baydo’s RV of Chehalis WA - Chehalis • baydosrvs.com

Braun’s Fun Time Campers IN - Indianapolis • funtimecampers.com

Cunningham Campers, Inc. IN - Jeffersonville www.cunninghamcampers.com

Browns RV SC - McBee • brownsrvsuperstore.com

Curtis Trailer Center MI - Schoolcraft • curtistrailercenter.com

Burlington RV Superstore WI - Sturtevant • burlingtonrv.com

Dunlap RV KY - Bowling Green • dunlaprvcenter.com

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

Gloucester RV Sales & Service VA - Gloucester • gloucesterrv.net

Indian Valley Camper Center PA - Souderton • ivccrv.com Haylett RV MI - Coldwater • haylettautoandrv.com Jeff’s Couch’s RV Nation OH - Hamilton • couchsrvnation.com Keystone RV Center PA - Greencastle • keystonervcenter.com Krenek RV Super Center MI - Coloma • krenekrv.com Lakeside RV Sales SC - Anderson • lakesidervsales.com

La Mesa RV AZ - W. Phoenix CA - Sacramento, San Diego FL - Ft. Myers, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, Daytona Beach lamesarv.com Lux-Liner LLC CA - Acadia • lux-liner.com McKay’s RV & Marine Center ME - Holden • mckaysrv.com Media Camping PA - Media • mediacamping.com Mike Thompson RV Superstores CA - Cathedral City, Colton, Fountain Valley, Santa Fe Springs mikethompson.com Opelika RV Center AL - Opelika • opelikarv.com Open Road RV Center WA - Arlington, Monroe openroadrvcenter.com Out of Doors Mart NC - Colfax • outofdoorsmart.com Patterson RV TX - Wichita Falls • pattersonrv.com Paul Evert’s RV Country AZ - Bullhead City, Flagstaff CA - Fresno; NV - Laughlin OR - Coburg; WA - Fife, Milton, Mt. Vernon rvcountry.com Phillips RV Center MI - Mount Morris • phillipsrv.com PPL Motorhomes TX - Cleburne, Houston, New Braunfels pplmotorhomes.com Princesscraft RV TX - Round Rock • princesscraft.com R.B. Taylor & Sons VA - Lynchburg rbtaylorandsons.com Recreation Plantation RV Sales IL - Lynwood recreationplantationrvsales.com Roadhouse Camper & RV PA - Lake Ariel (Scranton) roadhousecamper.com

RV General Store OK - Newcastle • rvgeneralstore.com

Waterdog RV OR - Dayton • waterdogrv.com

RV’s For Less TX - Bryan • rvsource.com

Welcome Back RV Outlet TX - Athens • welcomebackrv.com

RV Source TN - Knoxville • rvsforless.net

Western Travel Sales WA - Lynden • westerntravelsales.com

RVs Northwest WA - Spokane • rvsnorthwest.com

Wilder RV WA - Port Angeles • wilderrvs.com

RV Value Mart PA - Lititz, Manheim • rvvaluemart.com Safford RV VA - Thornburg • saffordrv.com Sahara RV NV - Las Vegas • sahararv.com Scott Motor Coach NJ - Lakewood • scottmotorcoach.com See Grins RV CA - Gilroy, San Martin • seegrins.com Seguin RV TX - Seguin • seguinrv.com Simi RV & Off Road CA - Simi Valley • simi-rv.com Sky River RV CA - Buellton, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach skyriverrv.com Snyder’s RV VA - Virginia Beach • snydersrv.com Strickland Marine & RV SC - Seneca • stricklandmarineandrv.com Sunbelt RV Center TX - Belton • sunbeltrv.com Sundown RV Center CA - Atwater • sundownrv.com Super Deals RV Inc. GA - Temple • superdealsrv.com TAC Trailer and RV NC - Moyock • tactrailerandrv.com The Trail Center SC - North Charleston • trailcenter.com Tonies RV VA - Salem • toniesrv.com Toscano RV CA - Los Banos • toscanorv.com

Roy Robinson RV WA - Marysville • royrobinsonrv.com

TravelTime RV TX - Sulphur Springs • traveltimerv.com

Russ Dean Family RV WA - Pasco • russdeanrv.com

Vancouver RV & Park Model Center WA - Vancouver • vancouverrv.com

RV City AZ - Huachuca City • rvcity.net

Vogt RV TX - Ft. Worth • vogtrv.com

CANADA Action VR QC - Saint-Nicolas • actionvr.ca Véhicules Récréatifs JD QC - Sherbrooke • vrjdrv.ca VR Depot QC - Vaudreuil-Dorion • vrdepot.ca VR Emond Plus QC - Sainte-Nicolas • vremondplus.com VR Prestige QC - Terrebonne • vrprestige.com VR Souliere QC - Lanoraie, Lavaltrie • vrsouliere.com GO VR QC - Ange Gardien • go-vr.com Horizon Lussier QC - Maryville • horizonlussier.com JCS Entreposage QC - Trois Rivières • entreposagejcs.com Leasure Days RV ON - Ayr, Kingston, Pembroke, Smith Falls, Sudbry QC - Buckingham, Gatineau, Sherbrooke NB - Salisbury NS - Truro leisuredays.ca Le Centre du Vr Victoriaville QC - Saint-Albert • vrvictoriaville.com Roulottes AS Levesque QC - Châteauguay, Saguenay, Sainte-Hélène, Trois-Rivières roulotte.ca Roulottes Remillard QC - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu roulottesremillard.com

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

y l l a Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s R ! e m i T Calendar

CLUB 2017-2018

RVers seeking RVers? Rally clubs from coast to coast love to meet at our destinations. Join in on the fun!

Bounders United (BUTTN)

Northwest

TT SINGLES Central California

Lewis and Clark TTN

If you are interested in attending please contact wagonmaster Yvonne Codde at (209) 207-8184. BUTTN are members who own or have owned a Bounder motorhome and belong to the Bounders United and Thousand Trails NACO.

Contact Jane Davis at (209) 986-1088 or email janedjd@pacbell.net or Judy Rogers at (775) 772-1872 or email fifthwheeler61@yahoo.com.

TTWest/FMCA

Nov. 9-12........................ Ponderosa, CA Members of Thousand Trails and FMCA meet at Northern California Preserves bimonthly. Contact Manny Francis at (415) 606-7596 or email to mannyfrancis@live.com. Reservations are required two weeks in advance.

Rolling Thunder of Texoma

We meet twice a year in the north Texas area. For more information call Dianna Huff at (405) 641-8226 or visit rollingthunderfmca.com.

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

We also have new contact people and email, phone numbers: WagonMaster Daphne Bailey (Oregon) (503) 590-8566, daphnebailey07@comcast.net. Secretary Dottie Michel (Washington) (360) 941-3126, ttnw_sec@yahoo.com.

Oct. 12-16..................Whalers Rest, OR Apr. 16-20........................... Seaside, OR May 14-18..................Crescent Bar, WA Jun. 11-15..................... South Jetty, OR Jul. 16-20..........................Paradise, WA Aug. 13-17........................Chehalis, WA Roger Beausoleil: President Lewis and Clark TTN chapter of FMCA. Contact person, Roger Beausoleil (503) 390-4753 or rogerabeau@msn.com.

TT of Texas/FMCA

Nov. 17-19...................Medina Lake, TX New members must be a member of TTN and FMCA. Contact Connie Farrar at (817) 454-4612 or email to ttnfmcachapter@gmail.com. Our website is: ttnoftexasfmca.com. We also have a blog site: ttfmcaralliesandmore.blogspot.com.

TT Travelers Southern California

Oct. 2-4.............. Oakzanita Springs, CA Nov. 6-8......................Palm Springs, CA Dec. 4-6.............. Wilderness Lakes, CA Jan. 8-10............................ Pio Pico, CA Feb. 5-7.............. Wilderness Lakes, CA Mar. 5-7................ Soledad Canyon, CA Apr. 9-11....................Palm Springs, CA We normally meet the first Mon, Tues, and Weds mornings of each month for coffee and those evenings for potluck and games. For more information, please contact our wagonmaster, Jim Brooks (805)320-2588 or email at willys46@sbcglobal.net.

TTN So Cal Weekenders

Feb. 2-4.............. Wilderness Lakes, CA Mar. 2-4......................Palm Springs, CA Apr. 6-8................ Soledad Canyon, CA May 4-6............. Oakzanita Springs, CA Jun. 1-3.............................. Pio Pico, CA Aug. 3-5 ............................ Idyllwild, CA We are a group of TTN members who meet once a month at Southern California preserves. All ages welcome; we have both working and retired members. No dues, just fellowship. Email: ttnweekenders@earthlink.net

Answers – Crossword puzzle can be found on page 60.

Answers – Sudoku puzzle can be found on page 61.

Wilderness Lakes’ 23rd Annual Tour Monday, January 1,2018

Keep Our Friends Safe

Take a fabulous day trip to Pasadena for the 129th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade.

Our package includes: Continental Breakfast • Grandstand Seats Round-Trip Fare on a Deluxe Charter Bus

only

$140 per person

Make your reservations now! First come, first served (53 seats available) For more information, please call: (951) 679-0863

Adopt -AManatee®

OCTOBER 2017 TRAILBLAZER

On Location

Thank you to all our campers who made memories and participated in #100DaysofCamping at Thousand Trails campgrounds nationwide. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see you next year!

THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON! To book your next stay, call or visit our website.

844.289.6231 ThousandTrails.com

WHEREVER YOU TRAVEL THIS SUMMER STAY SAFE AND SAVE WITH A SKYMED MEMBERSHIP SkyMed members simply call our toll-free number and speak to a caring SkyMed representative

24 SEVEN 365. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Hospital-to-Hospital Emergency Air Transport Vehicle & Vessel Return Visitor Transportation Transportation for Recuperation Nearer Home Commercial Carrier Medical Escort Flights

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Ground Ambulance Helicopter 100 Mile Waiver SkyMed Plus (Pet Return) Minor Children / Grandchildren Return Primary Driver Disability Physical Remains Return

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Escort / Companion Transportation Return Transportation After Recovery Incidental Expense Allowance Organ Retrieval Organ Recipient Transportation Global Emergency Travel Services

www.skymed.com/thousandtrails 800-679-2020

For all your travel needs... We are here for you.

Savings can take you to amazing sights.

geico.com | 1-877-434-2678 | Local Office

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. ÂŠ 2017 GEICO