Sedalia, Missouri. We were snug as aluminum sardines in our tin cans at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. We came in with the Greater Houston Airstream Club, about 35 of us, and there are around 1,400 units total. It’s truly impressive to see! The Rally lasted from October 5 -10.
Sick. I probably caught it on the plane back from Houston. I started feeling sick the day before we left Kansas City, and it hit me pretty hard by Friday the day we were traveling to the Rally site, the night before the Opening Ceremony. To get ahead of it, I called a teledoc and he prescribed me some penicillin. He said to wait a few days and see if it gets better before I started taking it. Cough, congestion, and 102 degree fever put me in bed for the first few days so I started the antibiotic and noticed improvement from there.
FOMO. I hated missing out. I tried avoiding people, sat alone and away from people when I did go out; but once I started feeling better I ventured out a little more each day. First in the evening, then the afternoon and evening, and then all day.
By Wednesday I was able to attend a few more events, and by the last day I participated all day and evening. We put a lot of time, energy, and money into preparing for this rally. I made ornaments and handed them out as “flamingos” while everyone was watching a movie. I feel like I was able to grab the highlights, and I caught a second wind often enough to justify being out of bed.
The Moral. There’s no ideal time for sickness to strike.
Rally Highlights. It was fantastic to see our friends from the Greater Houston Area Club (GHAC) and others we’ve met on our journey. We had the pleasure of dining at one couple’s Airstream, which gave us a chance to connect more personally.
These are some of the memorable moments from the Rally.
VAC sponsored Halloween Dance. VAC is the Vintage Airstream Club, and their party was in the Swine Hall, where the pigs are kept during the big agricultural fairs. Our GHAC group dressed up like characters from M*A*S*H* and gathered together in a pig stall. We wore some custom-printed dog tags and army colored clothes. I was tickled by all the creative costumes dancing around. No food or drinks were served or expected, although they had a cash bar at $8/bottle. We passed on that.
Vendors. We had a great time visiting the various vendors. The solar company came and did a free test on our batteries and solar. They found some issues which we will address in Jackson Center. We also appreciated getting our tanks cleaned by the team from Kleen Tank. Tim went golfing and I stayed behind to watch the process. I learned quite a bit! I will post a video of the process to our YouTube Channel if you want to see how it’s done. It’s quite interesting what they do! I highly recommend it if you have an RV of any kind. In essence, they pressure wash the inside of your tanks and show you how to prevent buildup and mold. (We had both.) In addition, they will give your tanks a “grade,” to let you know how well you are doing. This goes beyond simply dumping your tanks. It’s a maintenance issue.
Bridgerton Tea Party. The Bridgerton tea party on Wednesday was a highfalutin affair. I thought there would be more of a formal “program,” but the atmosphere was lively, and it was a blast seeing all the ladies dressed up while I enjoyed wearing my own Bridgerton-inspired outfit! Our table exchanged stories about the teacup we brought, and it was delightful to hear about the wonderful adventures tied to its purchase. All my teacups are packed away, so I bought one from an antique shop in Sedalia. This made sense because I have been known to collect them whenever we travel.
Hot Air Balloons. Two tethered balloons gracefully floated in front of the sunset, and I was delighted to see them. We had been chosen for the Albuquerque Balloon Festival but turned it down since it was the same week as this rally.
Photography Contest. I was thrilled to discover that two of my photos earned ribbons—first place for flowers and second place for graffiti! I didn’t get to see all the photos on display, but a staff member kindly shared a picture she took of all the boards. With over 400 entries, I felt really proud to have two winners!
Presentations. There were a number of presentations to choose from, and while I had several selected and carefully planned in my schedule, I didn’t attend any until the last day. I did learn about possible volunteering opportunities across America, which provide free camping and other adventures, as well as some organization and design ideas for the inside of our Airstream. I am constantly doing this: organizing, purging, simplifying, collecting, then starting the cycle again.
Aurora Borealis. The last night of the Rally brought us a clear sky and stunning view of the northern lights. I was ecstatic, as it was my first time experiencing them! I saw the pink hues, but unfortunately, the light pollution obscured much of the green hues present in the other photos I saw. It was a Kodak moment to see our Airstream under the northern lights, and I think I captured a shooting star in the photo as well—what a bonus!
A brief review of pros and cons. This is only our second Airstream Club International Rally, so we don’t have a lot to compare it to. A few things were better in Sedalia MO than they were last year in Rock Springs Wyoming, while some things were better last year. This is just our opinion, of course. Rock Springs is in the mountains of Wyoming and it was our first rally, so that may contribute to our fondness associated with it. Their campground had deep gravel everywhere, but the RV slots were separated by small fences giving you a sense of a “small yard.” In Sedalia we were parked on the grass. I liked the grass better (especially since it didn’t rain), but it would have been nice to have a bit more wiggle room between the rigs. Last year we had a few more community meals, or at least it seems like we did. During the farewell party we had a chili cook-off, and that provided an opportunity to sit and eat a meal with our friends. I recall a few other meals as well, including one lunch and some ice cream sandwiches. This year seemed to be lacking in the food area. Not as many food trucks. There were a few good restaurants in town, but I heard some stories about the food trucks that made me want to avoid them. Lastly, they decided to change the time of year to fall this year, which meant fewer opportunities for future streamers to attend. At least one of our group members had a teenager, and he was unable to find the other three teens who were listed as present at the rally. Last year was in the summer, so there were many more young people around the grounds, including teenagers and school aged children. I didn’t bother to bring out my books as I only saw one child and one teenager the whole time we were there.
All in all it was a memorable rally and I’m glad we went. Next year’s Airstream Club International Rally is in York, Pennsylvania. It is in August during the week of our 40th Wedding Anniversary, so we likely won’t go to that one. We are still deciding how to celebrate our special day, so if you have any ideas please leave a comment below! We are thinking about an Alaskan cruise.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!