2023 Rally – Traveling Supremes

HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS RALLY – APRIL 19 – 26, 2023

KOA HOLIDAY, 838 MCCLENDON ROAD- 501-624-5912/Contact person -Lynn

We are very pleased that we have 9 rigs and 3 cabins rented for our group at this time, but anyone else may come join us. Below is the general DRAFT itinerary which is subject to change which we wanted all TS members to have in order to encourage you to come join us in Hot Springs.

WEDNESDAY – APRIL 19

5:00 PM “Meet and Greet Fiesta” at the KOA club house. We will contact each of you on what to bring.

Wagon Master Steve Merriman will go over the agenda for the week. Duane and Patty Stowe will share details about game night and the music night. Patty will have brochure packets for those attending.

THURSDAY- APRIL 20

10:00 AM – KOA Tour guide, Lynn, will show us around the city with her in depth knowledge.

This is a two and half hour tour in a van that will seat 12-15 people. Please text Lisa at 512-944-4146 to reserve your place. The fee is $25.00 per person which includes the $8 for the ticket up to the mountain tower for spectacular views. If we have more than15 reservations, then another tour will be scheduled.

We’ll lunch at Superior Bathhouse Brewery known for their fabulous homemade root-beer and floats.

The afternoon will be free to explore and there is shopping across the street. Also, points of interest: Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum $10.00, Gangster Museum $14.00, Bathhouse Row for a hot Bath or tour, Garvin Woodland Gardens- $22.00, or do the Walk of Fame Dinner will be on your own.

FRIDAY- APRIL 21

This will be a free day to visit any of the points of interest listed above. Also, keep in mind that this KOA offers a reasonable priced breakfast which you may order on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

At 5:00 PM there will be a salt water fish and shrimp fry in the club house with plates provided. More on this later, bring a drink and your utensils. Duane Stowe will be in charge of “Pickin and a Grinin”.

If you want to share your talent, please let Patty Stowe know by texting her at 361-548-7666. Bring your instruments and voices. It will be fun.

SATURDAY- APRIL 22

Option for breakfast in the club house on your own (you must order) the day is free.

5:00 PM – Games to be announced. You may bring board games and cards. Also, please text Patty Stowe if you want to play 72 to see if there is an interest.

SUNDAY- APRIL 23

Breakfast in the Clubhouse (optional) Order on your own. Free Time to explore, worship or just be,

Evening is free but the Clubhouse will be open if you want to gather to talk, sing, or play games.

MONDAY- APRIL 24

Lunch – 11:30 Purple Cow and free time for touring

TUESDAY- APRIL 25

Dinner at 5:00 PM at Fisherman’s Wharf and time to wrap it up and say our Good Byes! Also will be a time to go over any last minute details about the Tag-Along which follows to Branson.

WEDNESDAY- APRIL 26

Some will travel to Branson for a Tag along. Three nights at KOA to see some shows. (Paul and Tandy have information) Everyone is Welcome, even if you can’t make the Hot Springs Rally.

Safe travels. Steve Merriman

2023 Mardi Gras Rally

Rally Report From: Mardi Gras Rally, Cajun Palms RV Resort, Henderson, Louisiana. (February 16-23, 2023)

What a big surprise it was when we all arrived at our RV Resort to find it being totally remodeled and almost totally empty! They are being bought out by Camp Margaritaville and are spending several million dollars renovating this already awesome place. However, we soon found out that our section held our 11 rigs perfectly and the staff was very helpful keeping us fully satisfied. With John and Romola Laninga staying in a cabin and Marie and Burnel Moreau staying at their nearby home, we ended up with 25 members in attendance! Others included James and Gail Smith, Steve and Lisa Merriman, Pete Minnix, Duane and Patty Stowe, Ida and Les Cook, Jim and Tina Hoover, Paul and Tandy Krugler, Linda and Polk Brian, Larry and Nita Denmon, Raymond and Sandy Frazier and new members, Jerry and Shirley Key.

After our meet and greet with appetizers, we had a Louisiana history lesson given by the Texan hosts, the Smiths. They pronounced all the Cajun and French words with a Texas twang, but the information was all there! We learned how “Acadians” became “Cajuns” and about the Courir de Mardi Gras, which is the original way Mardi Gras was celebrated in France and still is done in small towns across South Louisiana.

Friday took us to Prejeans Restaurant for a fantastic Cajun seafood lunch before all set out for activities on their own in the area. Music by Kent Latiolais Band was enjoyed tonight back at the resort Six String Stage bar.

Saturday the resort provided a Mardi Gras mask-making class as well as a golf cart parade in the morning and one at night with lighted carts. After lunch we met at Vermilionville, which is a living history museum and folklife park depicting Creole and Acadian early cultures. We attended a Cajun Jam session at the Performance Center. It was very enjoyable, and our couples not only danced but sang Cajun songs “in French”!

On Sunday we were treated to our own version of Gumbo, which we cooked in a big pot after “stealing” all the ingredients from club members who had previously agreed to be “robbed”— as this is the way the Courir de Mardi Gras was originally done. Ingredients were then combined and served in a community Winners’ Gumbo (certainly not a Losers’ Gumbo!) with cornbread, bread pudding and King Cake for all! Larry Denmon and Sandy Frazier each found a baby in the cake and received a prize!

On Monday we attended the Queen’s Parade in Lafayette, and on Fat Tuesday, we went to the King’s Parade. Beads, beads, and more beads! We had a ball and very good weather. Afterward we were entertained by our club musicians while visiting at the Moreau’s home in Lafayette.

This rally became an “Adventurers Contest”, so everyone was given brochures and area info and told to go out and document what they see over the week. Some went to Avery Island (where Tabasco is made), the Longfellow-Evangeline Museum, the 500 year old tree, ate at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf and Atchafalaya Club, the Eunice Mardi Gras festival, St.Paul’s Cathedral, and many more places. Although the Swamp Tours were hindered by weather, the levy on the Atchafalaya River was also interesting. The winners or most adventurous folks were announced on Wednesday after dinner at Crawfish Town. There was a tie between the Merrimans and the Stowes, so they each received a basket containing Movie Night Treats! In addition, the Keys received a prize for being most enthusiastic and taking part in all scheduled events.

On Thursday, we had to go home, but we had a lot of fond memories of South Louisiana and hope to enjoy the area again some day soon!

2023 Hot Springs Reminder!

Traveling Supreme Members, a reminder about our upcoming Hot Springs Rally which is April 19-25th at the KOA Holiday, 838 McClendon Rd. Hot Springs (501) 624-5912. To be able to be parked together, you need to call by March 1 and ask for Lynn and tell her you are with the Traveling Supremes to get the special rate of $40 per site or $70 for the cabins. They will give a full refund (less $5) if you need to cancel within 24 hours, so make plans to join us in the state with the youngest governor in the nation. (Sorry I just had to put that at the end of the message. Linda)

2023 New Years Rally

TS New Year’s Rally Article 4 and last of the series for the New Year’s Rally

Sunday morning was left open for rest since this was the day after New Year’s night celebration and the late hour of 10:00 for us seniors.

Our traditional lunch of cabbage for cash and peas for good fortune, with chicken and cornbread was delicious. A special thanks goes to Lisa Merriman for the pot full of scrumptious cabbage she brought. We had our judging for the “Pea Off” which was very close, one point, they were both good. The winner was new member Sandy Frazier but close second was Sue Kelly, who said she voted for Sandy. I apologize for not getting the picture for Sandy’s award presentation but I was busy counting votes.

After the great meal, we played pool which was located down stairs in the meeting room. We played modified 9 ball, and some had a great time. Others pleasantly played and were good sports, but Patti and Duane had a ball. No not any of us were pros and mostly the women didn’t even know how to hold the cue, including me, but played anyway to show support to their hubby. Winners of the tournament were Jim and Tina Hoover. They were presented a block of wood which had been carved out and had a 9 ball inside which Polk had made. Quite unique. He also had made several of the wooden puzzles we used on the second night of the rally. This is the only time in the history of the club have we had a pool tournament. We’ve done a lot of things but this is a first. Wish more of you had been here to enjoy the good fellowship and fun. Linda

Happy New Year Traveling Supremes…until next time!

2023 New Years Rally

TS New Year Article 2

We’ve had it all so far, under a boil water ban because of broken pipes in the area, our meeting room flooded with so much rain, it also stormed in the night, earlier when Polk and I arrived it was freezing and had to take precautions, and I postponed a tour to Fort Jesup due to a heavy fog. Well, to clarify, I felt obligated to delay the tour until the heavy fog cleared which did cause confusion, sorry about that, but we made it and finished the scheduled portion of the day.

After Fort Jesup, we went to the Depot to get a sneak preview of the future opening of the museum depicting the train route in the area. Afterwards many went to Nichols store and then off to eat Mexican. That evening we played bingo and winners were able to select white elephants gifts, some good and others, well questionable. Anyway we had fun.

2023 New Years Rally…Take 2!

Our New Year’s Rally Report will be sent in several articles, so be looking for them. I intended to be sending them to Web Master Susan each day through the rally but things happened and my computer wasn’t working with our hotspot. This was the least of our worries. Linda

TS New Year Article 1

Rain, Rain, go away, the TS New Year’s Rally wants to play. We persevered and headed out to tour with our umbrellas and had a good time.

We had 16 couples signed up but two had to pull out leaving us with 14 couples attending. Opening night was snack night and time to review and update the agenda and welcome new members, Raymond and Sandy Frazier from West Monroe, plus give out $180 worth of credit cards or coupons given to us by the different businesses we were visiting. Those attending were: Jerry and Hessie Smith, James and Gail Smith, Bill and Martha Bobo, Sue and Joe Kelly, Sue and Joe Moore, Ron and Diane Garner, Steve and Lisa Merriman, Duane and Patti Stowe, Jim and Tina Hoover, Les and Ida Cook, Burnell and Marie Moreau, Polk and Linda Brian and the Fraziers.

We toured the NASA museum in Hemphill, ate at Hemphill BBQ, cancelled a Mudfish Adventure due to the rain and had “puzzle night” which they seemed glad to come to an end. They were good sports and some were able to win prizes of candy bars, so not a bad day. Linda

New Members Sandy and Raymond Frazier from West Monroe, Louisiana