July 2009
July found the Mid-America Bounders traveling outside their area for the first time. A trip to the
beautiful state of Michigan and the shores of Lake Michigan was great fun for everyone. South
Haven Michigan laid out its welcome mat and MAB made itself at home. To add special flavor to the
area, several guests from our sister chapter joined us for the weekend. While we visited Michigan,
it was only appropriate that an invitation went out to the Michigan O’Bounders to join us. They
responded in numbers and five of there members joined us as our special guests; Stan Zielinski
(President MOB & North Central V.P. elect BOA) & Tina, Bob & Cindy Swan, Luther & Sharon
Marion, Tom & Joanie Savich, Bob & Sue Lammy
Our Michigan rally was a great success. In addition to the MOB, 13 MAB coaches were in
attendance; Rick and Kathy Groves, their granddaughter, Kyra and her friend Bailey, (hosts), Gail &
Joan Scheller, (co-hosts), Paul & Helen Schatz, Tom & Judy Robinson, Bob & Barb Warner, Bob &
Jan Israelson, Joe & Tommie Nash and their daughter, Beth, Bob & Paula Young, Dick and Joan Clay,
Herb & Sue Feltner, Tom Holmes & Carol Anderson, Jim Hall and Jerry & Carol Hardacre.
Everyone gathered in the club house for a traditional happy hour on Thursday and this time a “meet
and greet” was in order as well. The club house and grounds for this rally were beautiful. The
camp-out was held at the Sunnybrook RV Resort where everyone was friendly and helpful. This
resort is just 1 year old and was designed to be an owner occupied facility with campers owning
their own lot. While the real estate is selling, the owners have opened it up to campers in an effort
to draw attention to their resort property.
Friday morning, Joan Scheller prepared two versions of breakfast casseroles that were to die for
along with fresh, local blueberries and raspberries, yogurt and muffins. Following breakfast, we
lined up for a trip to the McIntosh Winery. The McIntosh Winery was not only an active wine
making facility but a productive farm with plush apple orchards and other fruit products for wine
making. The orchard’s owner, Bruce McIntosh, gave us all an old fashion wagon ride around his farm
and gave us all an education on the art of growing apples. Of course no trip to a winery is complete
without a wine tasting opportunity. This trip was no exception. Everyone was welcomed to enjoy as
many wines as they liked and left with a complementary wine glass for a souvenir.
A return to the club house at five on Friday evening offered everyone a pot luck dinner that
featured pulled pork barbeque. Not surprising to anyone, the remainder of the dinner was supplied
by some of the best cooks in the mid-west. At the end of the meal, there was nothing left but empty
serving dishes. What a testimony! Social time and coffee followed dinner and the remainder of the
evening was spent inside due to a few rain showers.
Saturday morning provided breakfast of pancakes and sausage along with a few eggs cooked to
order. More of Michigan’s blueberries and raspberries garnished the yogurt and plenty of orange
juice was consumed. The remainder of the day, participants were free to enjoy the awesome sites
around South Haven. A gorgeous sandy beach on Lake Michigan, historic light houses and a quaint
little town chocked full of unique shopping opportunities.
Our evening out may have originally been perceived as a bowling banquet. Dinner out was provided
by Lakeside Entertainment, a bowling, restaurant and banquet facility on the south side of town.
Dinner was the furthest thing from a bowling banquet however, prime rib and a dish called a “wet
burrito” were the specialty of the house. Jan Israelson was certain that a “wet burrito” was going
to be something really gross but ordered it anyway. She reports it was “great”.
One thing we discovered this weekend is that bounder owners from all over share in similar
passions. Campfires, Bounder motor homes and ice cream. There was plenty of all three here this
weekend. Evening campfires were well attended and regular ice cream runs were very special.
Sherman’s Dairy Bar was enjoyed by everyone and a gathering under the blue cow was a photo opp
of a lifetime. Many said that the ice cream from Sherman’s was one of the best they had every
tasted.
Sunday morning, as always, is a little bitter sweet. It is time to pack up, say good bye to good
friends and new friends and travel home. For some it is an opportunity to continue travels. Several
attendees continued their travels in Michigan and visited other sites and friends in the state before
returning home. We had our last opportunity to gather in the club house, break bread together and
say our good bye’s. All of our rallies are rewarding in their own unique ways. This one was special
to everyone by having the opportunity to meet new friends from the MOB. It was so much fun that
we plan on doing it again. MOB is planning a rally in August 2010 in which we will be invited as
their guest. I think we may have started a tradition.
UPCOMING RALLIES
(Reminder: Rally Fees are $7.50 per person-payable to rally hosts)
August 20-23 KOA Middlebury, IN. 52867 St. Rd. 13 Middlebury, IN 46540 Phone: 1-800-
562-5892, email: kamp@middleburykoa.com $38.33 for 50 amp, $35.65 for 30 amp. Hosts:
Jerry & Carol Hardacre, Herb & Sue Feltner. This is Amish country. If you wish to attend the
Shipshewana Flea Market make your reservations to include Tues & Wed. 50 amp = $38.33, 30 amp
= $35,65Everyone should bring a “wrapped” White Elephant. Driving Directions: I-80/90 Exit
107, south 1 ½ miles on SR 13 – or 4 miles north of Middlebury at the intersection of SR 13 and SR
120.
Schedule:
Wednesday at 4:00 PM will be Happy Hour - light snacks for those arriving early.
Thursday line up at 4:00 PM for dinner at Das Essenhaus with antique car show.
Friday Breakfast 8:00 - 9:30 AM
Friday 6:00 PM pitch-in dinner
Saturday 5:00 PM Dinner at Mrs. Hochstetlers (Miller's) Amish farmhouse
Sunday Breakfast- Continental 8:00 - 9:30 AM
September 17-20 Willow Rose Campground, Bridgeton, In. located off State Rd 59 between I-
70 and State Rd 36. Sites are $20 per night for electric and water. Reservations: Please call
Jan Israelson. Your hosts will be Bob and Jan Israelson and John & Ruth Serio.
September 22-25, ++++++++BOA/BU JOINT RALLY++++++++++++++++++
Bethpage Campground, Browns Lane, Urbanna, VA 804-758-4349
See your Bounder Beacon for application and full details www.bethpagecamp.com
October 15-18, Double J Campground, 9683 Palm Road, Chatham, Ill. 217-482-9998 www.
doublejcampground.com Hosts: Jean Zielinski, Dick and Joan Clay
NEWS & CONCERNS:
It is with great sadness we report the death of Ruth Barrett on July 3, 2009. Our sympathies go
to her husband John and family.
Shortly after the June rally, our new members Nancy & Russell Pearson's home burned to the
ground due to electrical issues. At the July rally, our members passed the hat in lieu of our 50/50
drawing. We collected a healthy sum to be given to the Pearsons to help with their loss.
Through the Windshield
Those of us who made it to the July rally received a real treat. The campground was outstanding,
and the hosts set up a great program of things for us. It was great that Jerry and Stan (Pres of
MOB and our incoming Regional VP) have been talking with each other about the 2 chapters getting
together every once in a while. Our hosts invited the MOB to join us, and 5 families made the
inaugural trip. It looks like this may become a once a year thing! That is what Boundering is all
about - finding new friends through our mutual mode of RV travel.
Hope all of you are planning to make it to Middlebury. I still have a couple of weeks to diet so I can
eat a lot of that good Amish cooking!
This is brief, but Judy and I were home for a couple of days after we visited with our son on the
way home from the rally, then off to visit Judy's family in Oklahoma, and now checking out possible
BOA rally sites for 2010. Also, the merger C&B is coming together nicely so maybe things will slow
down soon.
Tom Robinson
North Central Vice-President, BOA
The Presidents Corner
We are still on the road from the July Rally in South Haven, MI. We have been to the FMCA
Convention in Bowling Green, OH. and have been visiting relatives since then. We had a delightful
time with very, very nice facilities at Sunny Brook RV Resort. There were five MOB members that
joined us and as a result we have been invited to be guests of the MOB rally in August 2010 at
Silver Lake near Mears, MI. There are sand dunes galore and many activities to do. It sounds like
it is MOB’s highlight of the season. Carol and I were talking to another MOB member at the FMCA
rally about this event and he said “You don’t want to miss it, it is a beautiful location and lots of
fun.” The dates have not been confirmed yet, but pencil it in on your calendar for the second or
third weekend in August -- - -- 2010.
Carol & I had to leave South Haven a day early so we could be at Bowling Green, OH for the FMCA
convention meetings on Sunday. Therefore, I have not heard what happened at the Michigan rally on
Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, so I will learn it from this newsletter as the rest of those
members who were not in attendance.
Carol & I along with Herb & Sue Feltner will be hosting the August rally in Middlebury, IN near
Shipshewana, IN. If you are at all interested in Flea Markets and have never been to the
Shipshewana Flea Market, then plan to come early on Tuesday and/or Wednesday and visit the Flea
Market. It is one of the largest in the country.
The ladies have many activities scheduled for our enjoyment. It will be quite an enjoyable rally at
the KOA Middlebury Kampgrounds located at IN Highways 13 & 120. We hope to see you all there.
There are several MAB members that we have never seen and several more members we have not
seen for a long time. I hope those of you who fit that category will make plans to join us in August
or one of the last two rallies. We would enjoy seeing you and getting to know you better.
There has been talk of getting together and traveling to the BU/BOA Rally in Urbana, VA. Rather
than trying to keep everyone together in a caravan, we were thinking about picking campgrounds
along the way to meet each night, making it a three day trip. You could travel at your own pace,
stop and see what you want, and have a final destination each night. Delorme Street Atlas calculates
the mileage at 750 miles from Bridgeton, IN to Urbana, VA, divided by 3 days equals 250 miles per
day or about 5 hours each day. I will pick out some campgrounds in those areas and we can talk
about it at the next rally. If you are interested, please contact me at JHard1138@Gmail.com or
765-744-1691 so I know how many to plan for.
Happy & Safe Boundering,
Jerry Hardacre, MAB President
Visit us at www.mabounders.org