Chama Gathering, Chama, NM . August 26, 2013 – September 3, 2013
Hosts: James and Gail Smith
Although many of us arrived early for this gathering in order to escape the heat at home, our gathering officially started August 26, with a social hour and dinner provided by James and Gail Smith of Green Chile Stew and Cornbread. Our usual home at Sky Mountain RV Resort was as comfortable as always and we love, love, love the owners, Bill and Julia. We have a tent to gather in, with nice lighting, great grilling equipment, and a HEATER, which we needed quite often in the morningsand evenings.
Irby Gamble and James H. SmithOn Tuesday, we had a pancake breakfast provided by Jerry and Hessie Smith. Some of the guys Jessie Smith preparing breakfastleftthen to trek into the woods and cut aspen sticks for Polk Brian and his students to make into walking sticks. The Aspen wood is especially beautiful.
On a beautiful, sunny day of 76 degrees high, they had a nice outing. We had the traditional New Mexico Pot Luck dinner tonight before we were entertained by Earl Gleason, a New Mexico native who sings Cowboy Songs. We sat around the campfire and enjoyed a wonderful concert! We also had a huge buck deer who visited the campground yesterday! On Wednesday, we took a photo op out at the Wildlife Management Area nearby and took our picnic lunch with us to enjoy the view and climate, before driving out into the wilderness to look for wildlife. On Thursday, we had our usual steak dinners at the Cliffview Restaurant near the beautiful Brazos Cliffs.
On Friday we had a great breakfast with homemade biscuits provided by Linda and Polk Brian. Some members went to Lake Heron for a dam tour and we got together tonight at High Country Saloon to hear our friend from last year, Irene Adams, perform. On Saturday the 2013 Chama Studio Tour and Arts Festival took place, so we took it in on an individual basis all day. Several members bought beautiful paintings and jewelry. Tonight we had our annual steak dinner and gathering with friends around the campfire (in the rain, as always!). After a wonderful breakfast buffet at High Country Restaurant and Susie Kercher with Jerry Smith and Ted Kercher in Kercher’s new motorhomechurch, we took an easy Sunday afternoon, capped off with an ice cream Scoopers Party, provided by Lou and Carol Butaud and Les and Ida Cook. Labor Day we had a Champagne Reception at the Kercher’s new motor home, followed by an art display of all the new paintings our members bought!
Some members rode the train from Alamosa, CO to Fir, CO for a concert at the top of La Veta Pass. Others took in the Great Sand Dunes nearby. Shopping, fishing and hiking are always favorites. We shared green Chile cheeseburgers and toured Ghost Ranch and the Monastery, went to Pagosa Springs for a hot mineral bath and many other things. But probably the most important thing we did was welcome THREE new members to our club: Louis and Karen Dumas from Houston, TX, John and Peggy Duran from Boerne, TX, and Jack and Susan Kelly from Sulphur, OK.
Immediately following the Labor Day holiday, some of us left for home and the rest left for the rolling gathering hosted by Ted and Susan Kercher to Cortez, CO, Monument Valley and Moab, UT.
We are still Traveling Supremely!
Gail Smith
Rolling Rally, Cortez, Colorado and Moab, Utah. Sept. 3 – 16, 2013
Hosts: Ted and Susan Kercher
First stop will be in Towaoc, Colorado at the Ute Mountain Casino & RV Park arriving September 3 and departing on September 7. The campground is closed until spring but they have assured us September is not a problem. When we visited the park (right after Chama gathering last summer) there were only a couple of us in the campground. If we have 10 rigs the campground rate will be $20 per night full hookups (if less than 10 rigs it goes up to $25.30 per might) I will update the campground booking information as soon as is available.
Our second stop will be in Monument Valley, Utah, arriving September 7 and departing on September 11. We will be staying at the Goulding RV Park Campground. The campground has been recommended by other Traveling Supremes. They want me to take the reservations for everyone and then when you arrive you will pay the campground fee directly to the park. It is a really busy campground and they will only hold our sites until July 3, 2013 without a reservation. The campground rate is $42.00 per night for full hookups.
Our third stop will be in Moab, Utah, arriving September 11 and departing September 16, 2013. We will be staying at the Spanish Trail RV Park (800-787-2751) also recommended by other Traveling Supremes. If we have over 10 rigs it will be $40 and $42 if less than 10. All spaces will be released by August 11, 2013. Each of you must book your own reservation identifying you are with the Traveling Supremes and ask for Janie if you have any problem (she is the owner and took the reservation). After you book, if you must cancel, you must do so 48 hours prior to our arrival date to receive a full refund. All campground rates given do not include the tax. There are a lot of beautiful sites to see and things to do in these three spots.
2013 Traveling Supremes, Sponsor’s Rally. Rayne, LA October 23 – 27, 2013
Our annual Sponsor’s Rally was hosted this year by Jack and Linda Bruce, assisted by Lou and Carol Butaud, as well as with assistance from the Wellocks and Moreaus. We began arriving in Rayne, LA, the Frog Capital of America as early as Tuesday, although the rally didn’t begin until Thursday evening. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy Prejeans, Fezzo’s, Landry’s and many other restaurants in the area. After several members had problems and conflicts arise, we had 13 rigs in attendance. These included: Bill and Martha Bobo, Irby and Judy Gamble, Ken and Ann Marie Wellock, Linda and Polk Brian, Lou and Carol Butaud (and Carol’s Mom, Ileen), Jack and Linda Bruce, Gail and James Smith, Keith and Uta Bertelsen, David and Deanne Phillips, Burnel and Marie Moreau, John and Deanna Brandon, Les and Ida Cook and last, but definitely not least, Bud and Rosalyn Odom—our friend who has not had a good year, but is improving every day and planning surgery for early next year. She is still the prettiest thing around!
The rally began with an amazing dinner at Chef Roy’s, and although the food was great, it was definitely not for weaklings (the shrimp enchiladas and gumbo were hot with spice!)
Friday we enjoyed a breakfast of biscuits and gravy, sausage, and eggs with green chile sauce furnished by our hosts. We were able to “do our own things” on this free day, except for the Executive Board, who had to meet for their bi-annual decision-making! We had a scrumptious potluck dinner in the Mural Room to finish off a perfect day. The weather was glorious!
Saturday we again enjoyed a breakfast by our hosts of waffles and sausage. Football games seemed to be the activity of choice today, although the women did their usual shopping trips. Some members went to Jefferson Island, the Rayne Country Flea Market, and to photograph some of the hundreds of “frogs” scattered around the city. Our Business Meeting in the evening was preceded by a gourmet meal of pork butt roast, rice and gravy, slaw, beans, pecan pie and cobbler. We elected the following officers for 2013: James H. Smith, President; Carol Butaud, 1st Vice-president/Wagonmaster; John Brandon, 2nd Vice-president; Bud Odom, treasurer; and Gail Smith, secretary. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jim Gauthier and his wife, Jane, our sponsors from Gauthier’s RV in Lafayette, LA were unable to attend.
On Sunday morning, we grabbed a donut and left for home or other destinations, but as always, we plan to be back in Frog City again in 2014! Hope you will join us for the New Year’s Rally at Colfax, LA in late December.
By Gail Smith
NEW YEAR’S RALLY, Colfax, Louisiana. Dec 28, 2013 to Jan 2, 2014
Host: Linda and Polk Brian
As usual, several of our members arrived early at Colfax RV Park, located on the Red River in Colfax, LA. The weather was frigid, but we were able to keep warm by spending lots of quality time with our friends during activities and games. We started off with a “Greet and Meet” featuring fried okra, fried boudin balls and Mardi Gras cake on Saturday night, where we were able to meet our new members, Jim and Tina Hoover from Kingsville, TX. Then we were treated to a Duck Dynasty Supper of gumbo with Anduille sausage, salad and french bread, Rosalyn Odom and Linda Brian’s pecan pies and Martha Bobo’s cherry dessert. The local editor of the Colfax newspaper, Glynn Maxwell, spoke briefly to us concerning the history of Colfax, including the famous riot of 1873. We were told the story of how the whites and blacks fought bravely at the location of the local courthouse to make a point about a contested election (the blacks wanted the Carpetbagger candidate to win, and the whites wanted their Democratic candidate to rule). After 3 whites and 150 blacks died, the Democratic candidate was placed in office and the dead were all buried in a trench which is still there under the courthouse today. A plaque still proclaims that this was the end of “carpetbagger misrule” in the South.
After a breakfast of Spanish Enchiladas, we attended the church of our choice (the Methodists got a “Biscuit Ministry” of biscuits and jelly after service).We had a supper of jambalaya and maque choux (a Cajun corn dish with heavy Native Indian influence), with Charlene and Roger Odom’s bread pudding, and Judy Gamble’s blueberry dessert. We do know how to eat!
An early breakfast on Monday of french toast set the tone for a day of touring in Colfax and Alexandria. We first touring the locks, located on the Red River right behind the camp. We were able to see a boat navigate the locks during our presentation. Then we drove to Alexandria to visit the “Cajun Pawn Shop” of TV fame. We got photos with the “Don”–Jimmy DeRamus. After Chinese food at a local favorite restaurant, we went our separate. Some tried out the fountain made malts and shakes at the local Dixie Pharmacy in Colfax. Some toured Ft. Buhlow Historic Site in Pineville, Ft. Beauregard Training Site in Alexandria, and the Festival of Lights in nearby Natchitoches. The Natchitoches Lights have been drawing visitors for 87 years and were glorious after dark reflected in the Cane River!
On New Year’s Eve we enjoyed Grits, eggs and sausage and toured a 200 year old slave cabin and cannon used in the riots, on the property of Ben Littlepage, another local historian. For our New Year’s celebration, we brought heavy snacks, took photos in small groups and enjoyed the skits and music provided by our fellow travel club members. We have some real talent! We also have some real comedians! It was “a hoot!” Right before midnight (EST) we enjoyed our Dirty Santa gift exchange, where we were way too polite to steal many gifts from our friends, choosing instead to pick an unopened gift and be surprised! It was lots of fun and has become quite a tradition with our TS group.
Sleeping in on New Year’s Day and watching the Rose Bowl Parade and some football was enjoyable. We had “Southern Dinner” of chicken, cabbage, black-eyed peas and cornbread and gave the cooks a well-needed evening off while we enjoyed leftovers as we prepared for the next day’s travel home. See you at Mardi Gras in Rayne, LA!!!!!
Traveling Supremes 