Don’t delay. Sign up today.  We hope to see you at the meeting in Lancaster, or on one of the upcoming Caravans. It’s time to play! John

We have a fabulous chapter web site located at www.MonacosInMotion.org.  Stop by and check it out. This issue of Wheels is on the web site and you can view it, or even print it out, in full color. There is even an abbreviated black and white version for those folks with dial up modems. Signup now for electronic delivery of your newsletter, you will get it much earlier and save the chapter the cost of printing and mailing.  Kim Pollock is our webmaster and doing a great job. Kim has an abundance of talent and is putting it to our advantage. Please thank him when you have a chance.

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On September 6, 2005, ten coaches gathered at Mt. Desert Narrows Campground in Bar Harbor, Maine. This was the beginning of a unique adventure. Our Caravan was different than the usual ones.  We extend our condolences to Hoyt and Nancy Highfil for their loss, but we also extend our gratitude for the advance planning they did.  And special thanks to Sandy and Dick Bell for taking the helm of our self-directed Caravan and keeping us all on track. They oversaw all of the details, directions, and provided great resources to the rest of us, who each researched one of our stops. Lucky for us there were nine planned stops.

The first night our Bar Harbor hosts, Connie and Ed Tilman, treated us to a Welcome Dinner. It was great meeting new friends and reacquainting with others. We took a whale watching boat tour the first full day, and had a great naturalist narrating the ride. We were out over 3 hours and saw 13 fin whales and two smaller minke whales. A large school of porpoises swam with the boat on the return trip. We spent the rest of the day exploring Bar Harbor. We took a shore walk that went by some summer homes. On Day Two the group toured Acadia National Park.

Happy Hour at Reversing Falls!

Day Four we caravanned to St. Andrew, New Brunswick, crossing the Canadian border with no problems. Our St. Andrew hosts, Nancy and Jim Sherfey, provided us with lots of information so we could explore the interesting town of St. Andrew. Our campground was right on the Gulf of Maine, near the opening of the Bay of Fundy. We had little time to see the area, but had a chance to do some walking and bike riding. Nancy and Jim arranged for the group to eat dinner together in a restaurant right on the water. We were there as the tide was going out, and we saw sandbars and rock appearing as we ate. The tides move very swiftly on the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in North America.

Day Five we moved on to St. John, NB, further east on the Bay of Fundy. Norma and Don Preston provided us with maps and information. We traveled in small groups to the market places and bought produce and fish. Afterward, we went to the Reversing Falls, the Seventh Marine Wonder of the World. The tidal change creates whirlpools and ripples and eddies as the St. John River and the Bay of Fundy compete, and the river reverses its flow with lots of white water. Some of the group went back when the tide was changing yet again.

Picture of the group at the Hopewell Rocks Intrepretive Centre

Day Seven we continued on to our next stop, Hopewell Cape, NB. Charlotte and Mike Hayes were our hosts and arranged a Ranger guided tour at the famed Flower Pot Rocks on the Bay of Fundy. These are pillars of sandstone and rock with fir and dwarf spruce growing on top. We walked the floor of the ocean at low tide and stood at the base of huge pillars. At high tide (the highest being 46’) the top of the pillars appear as islands. We saw the formations at a fairly low high tide, only 31’, but it was really impressive! We have never seen so many tidal wonders. The Bay of Fundy is Awesome!

Day Nine we were on the move again to Peggy’s Cove near Halifax, Nova Scotia. We were at a campground right on the Atlantic Ocean. That night friends of area hosts Laura and Bob Bernthal came over from Halifax to give us a local viewpoint of the area. The next day many in the group drove the South Coast route of NS, which goes through lots of artisan communities and along beautiful seashore. The fishing village of Peggy’s Cove is built on huge granite boulders. It is a bit touristy, but wandering around the village we saw that the people who live there year round are a hearty bunch. There is a lighthouse on a huge granite ledge. It is very unique because it is used as a Post Office in the summer. I guess September is still summer as it was still open. Nearby we visited the memorial to the Swiss Air flight 111 that crashed off Peggy’s Cove in 1998.

We spent Day 10 and 11 in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. It was one of the first British settlements in Canada, because of its long inland harbor. There is a boardwalk that hugs the harbor for several miles, sporting lots of shops, restaurants, and historical points along the walk. Some took the “Duck” boat/shore tour. Some spent several hours seeing the many exhibits at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, including a very comprehensive one about the Titanic, which sunk off the Nova Scotia coast near Halifax. Many of the victims are buried there in Halifax. It was a very well done exhibit.

We also spent time in an exhibit depicting a massive explosion of two ships in the narrows of the harbor during WW1, in November 1917. One of the ships was a munitions ship waiting for a convoy to Europe. The resulting fires and concussions flattened a major part of Halifax, and the explosion was felt 200 kilometers away. As rescue and recovery efforts were underway, the city was hit by a record setting snowstorm. The city of Boston sent a ship that was used as a treatment center, and rescue workers. To this day Halifax sends a tree each Christmas to Boston to thank them for their assistance.

Here are our coaches at the Wal-Mart stop in New Glasgow, NS, as we were awaiting Hurricane Ophelia to blow through.

Our plans for our last day in the Peggy’s Cove area will have to be revisited, as we left the shore on the warnings that Ophelia was going to hit as a tropical storm. We all left and headed north and parked the night in a Wal-Mart parking lot in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. They normally do not allow overnight parking, but our leaders got permission because of the weather conditions. We had people driving through looking at these nine (Kathy and Roger Teising had to return home) very large and impressive coaches all afternoon and evening; I think they called all of their friends and neighbors to come see the sight. We had a lot of rain overnight, but no wind.

Day 13, eight coaches (the Sherfeys had a family crisis and had to leave) went on to our next stop, Louisburg, NS. This was our first of three stops on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. We camped at Louisburg Motorhome Park, right on the harbor. The local merchant association owns the park, and there were signs around town welcoming our Monaco in Motion Caravan. We spent the first day exploring the Fortress of Louisburg. The site includes a reconstruction of 20% of the fortress built by the French in 1720-1745. The original footprint was used in most buildings. We took a guided tour and then wandered on our own to visit the many buildings where costumed guides depicting soldiers, cooks, blacksmiths, prisoners, etc., played their parts and told about life in their period. Cape Breton is famous for fiddling and Celtic music. Our campground was next to the Louisburg Playhouse, and thanks to hosts Jobie and Hugh Berry, where we enjoyed two nights of Cape Breton music. The first night we were entertained by two piano players who called themselves 88². They educated us in: faking Gallic singing; singing, stomping and clapping Cape Breton style; and gave us a history of the Celtic roots of music in Cape Breton. They were very accomplished musicians; in fact one is a music teacher. They played classical, jazz, and the music of their two idols, Billy Joel and Elton John. They even played some Jerry Lee Lewis music, full body participation and all. But the heart of the performance gave us an appreciation of the Scottish roots of Cape Breton music. The next night we were entertained by Scumalash - a family of Mom on the keyboard, with Dad and son Scott on fiddles. They continued our education about Cape Breton music.

Day 16 we moved on to a KOA Campground at Seal Bridge in New Harris, NS. We again were overlooking water and the bridge for an awesome view. Hosts Lady Dell and Homer Martin had visited the area before, and had lots of things for us to do. The first day we visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site of Canada in Baddeck. It was very well done, and I learned a lot about Bell. I was unaware of his work with the deaf, and his involvement in flight and hydro-boat development. The second day we drove the Cabot Trail, one of the most scenic drives in North America. There were many view pull offs and points of interest along the way. We would recommend taking two days for the drive to see everything. The next day some of the group drove to tour the only single malt Scotch distillery in North America, while others went back to Baddeck and explored some more. We all met for a great seafood buffet.

Our last night on Cape Breton was spent in Pictou near the ferry to Prince Edward Island. Some of the group visited a full-size replica of the Hector, a three-masted Dutch sailing ship that brought the first Scottish immigrants to Nova Scotia in 1773.

Day 20 we crossed over to Prince Edward Island (PEI) on a ferry, which took 75 minutes. We had calm seas, and it was a beautiful day. Our campground in Southport, across the Hillsborough River from Charlottetown, had sites facing the river. On arrival day, there was a freighter docked across from us in Charlottetown. The next day there was a container ship, loading potatoes. Next appeared a very large cruise ship.

Charlottetown is the birthplace of Canada. In 1864 PEI, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia convened meetings to plan joining together in a union. Canada (now Ontario and Quebec) invited themselves to the meeting, and the result was the Confederation of Canada. We visited the Founders Hall and the Province House National Historic Site to learn the history. The Province house is still used as the Provincial legislative meeting place.

PEI is where Anne of Green Gables was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. We traveled to some of the historic sites related to the stories, and a highlight of the trip was attending a performance of “Anne of Green Gables, the Musical.”

Too soon our caravan was over. The last night we celebrated our journey’s end at the Canadian Culinary Institute in Charlottetown. Thanks to John Ham for telling the PEI hosts, Jeri and Bill Desmond, about this treasure. It was an appropriate end to a wonderful trip.

Almost all of our campgrounds had beautiful marine vistas, and we had Happy Hour outside most nights. We spent time getting to know each other, celebrating birthdays, and sharing our traveling experiences. The trip was too short, and I know Bill and I have a Maritime “go-back” list we hope to fulfill someday.

Submitted by Jeri Desmond (Edited and Excerpted from Journals sent to family and friends as we traveled)

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Caravan Leaders: Ed & Connie Tilman

Dates: April 18 to May 3, 2006

Plans are finalized for the April 18-May 3, 2006 Virginia History Caravan II. We'll start at the nice Cozy Acres Campground in Powhatan, Virginia--it's owned by fellow Monaco friends Larry and Jean Daniel--and use this campground as a base for visiting Richmond via bus tours, Appomattox by car pools, and Charlottesville and a winery by bus. The caravan will then move about 90 miles to the great historic town of Fredericksburg, VA. We'll take a trolley tour of the town, tour Civil War battlefields, and car pool to George Washington's Birthplace National Monument. The caravan will then travel about 50 miles to Williamsburg, VA. We'll have passes to the restored colonial area plus access to a new living history exhibit. We'll also visit Yorktown and Jamestown, attend a show at the Music Theater of Williamsburg, and enjoy a wonderful Sunday Brunch at the Williamsburg Lodge.

You'll notice that the caravan travel miles are only about 150--good news with today's diesel prices!!! The caravan is planned for 16 coaches. Here's the current status--7 applications received. The application was published in the Sept. 2005 WHEELS. If you want to join us on the Virginia History Caravan II, send your application NOW! Ed and Connie Tilman 804-513-7274 (cell) 804-598-3068 (home)  

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Caravan Leaders: Kim & Shelly Pollock

Co-Leaders: Wayne & Barbara McCray

September 26, 2006 thru October 15, 2006

Click here for Printed Application or use our new Online Application!

Come join us in the Land of Enchantment for a Scenic, Cultural, Historic and Adventure tour of our 47th state, New Mexico. We will be starting our adventure in Santa Fe. Santa Fe, along with Taos, have evolved to become the second largest art market in the US - only New York City sells more artwork than these two cities. We have several tours and events planned for Santa Fe before we leave to explore Bandalier. We will have a trolley tour of the city, will be visiting several museums and will have optional tours of the Shidoni Bronze Foundry and Sculpture Gardens and Tent Rocks National Park. We will be driving over beautiful mountain back roads to the site of the Bandalier Cliff Dwellings. These historic and well preserved cliff dwellings are unique in the southwest for their setting and beauty. On to Taos, an ancient pueblo over 1000 years old. While there, we will tour the pueblo and see and experience some of the sights in this beautiful art community.

We will then motor on to Chama for a full day ride on the historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - the longest and highest narrow gauge railroad in the country. Traversing over more beautiful mountain roads will take us to the Chaco Canyon ruins - the ancient center of the ancestral Puebloan culture. On to Gallup for several days of adventure and quality shopping. It has been said that 80% of all native jewelry passes through Gallup on its way to the other markets. It is a town of over one hundred trading posts and pawn shops where most of the Native American cottage craftsmen sell and trade their wares. And for those adventurous sorts, we have made special arrangements for an optional hot air balloon ride over the spectacular Red Rock Canyon area during our stay in Gallup. The next few days will find us in the El Moro National Monument. We will tour the monument, spend an afternoon at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and then head to the town of Zuni, home of the Zuni Pueblo. While there, we will have a private tour of their famous church, which has been recently renovated. We will also be privileged to visit the homes of a local award winning potter and a talented silversmith. They will demonstrate for us their crafts and will answer any questions we might have. On the way to Albuquerque, we will have a individualized guided tour of the oldest, continually inhabited city in North America – Acoma Pueblo (Sky City).

We will land in Albuquerque just in time for the Tricentennial celebration of this fascinating city. We will spend four days in Balloon Park witnessing the most photographed event in the world - the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. If you have not seen this spectacular event, you are in for a real treat. Where else in the world can you find 60,000 people out on a grassy field at 6 am in the morning long before sun rise eating breakfast burritos and drinking steaming hot coffee? Only at the Balloon Fiesta!

During the days when the balloons are not rising, we will take a couple of side trips to further explore the surrounding areas. One day, we will take the world's longest tramway to the top of 10,300 foot Sandia Peak for lunch and a spectacular view of the 11,000 square mile panorama stretching before us. If you are not yet convinced that this is a of a lifetime, check out our planned route and more information on the Chapter’s web site at www.monacosinmotion.org .

 This caravan will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history, culture, geology and crafts of this true Land of Enchantment! While we will have plenty of free time for shopping, hiking, trekking, relaxing and socializing, this will be an active tour. We have many tours planned and the days are filled with activities. Much of our time will be spent at altitudes between 5000 and 8000 feet. All of the roads have been prerun by the leaders and are suitable for large coaches but many of the routes are scenic mountain two lane roads. There will be some days when we will be driving our toads on dirt roads to reach some of the remote locations.

Applications for the 15 openings will be accepted through February 15, 2006. After a lottery drawing, prospective caravaners will be notified as soon as possible of where they stand on the list. We hope to see you on this unique trip.

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 Caravan Leaders: Les & Wilma Jean Alexander

Dates: September 22nd to October 17th, 2006

Click here for Application!

This caravan will include three fall festivals: two in Illinois; one in Indiana. We will begin in Illinois with the Pork and Apple Festival in Clinton, IL; the Spoon River Festival out of Galesburg and end with the Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville, IN. Between the festivals in Clinton and Galesburg, we will be in Springfield, IL the state capitol. We will tour historical sites as well as the state capital. Several of the sites center on Abraham Lincoln and his term as President.

From Springfield we will go to Peoria for a day of gambling and sightseeing before venturing on to Galesburg for the Spoon River Fall Festival and Scenic Drive. Our next stop will be Bloomington IL touring historical sites as well as manufacturing facilities; then on to Rockville IN for four days of activities related to the Covered Bridge Festival. Tours are available to each of the covered bridges in the area. Total mileage for the caravan is approximately 260 miles. We have included cost of several admissions and/or tours in the registration fee

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December 17, 2005 On November 8, 2005, the ballots for the election of the nominating committee for FMCA run off election were tabulated. The results are:

Myrtle Florence – F127570 – 229 votes
Suzanna Tase – F 51240 – 129 votes

Those now on FMCA nominating committee are:

Gerine Reagen – F101008 – Chairman
Tom Ainsley – F182814 Don Crawford – F11012
Myrtle Florence – F127570 Allen Rein – F214273

Upcoming rallies and conventions:

Monaco International Prerally – March 14-16, 20006 in Lancaster, CA
FMCA International Convention – March 20-26, 2006 at Fairplex in Pomona, CA
International Area Pre-rally – June 30-July 3, 2006 at Camplex in Gillette, WY
Monaco International Prerally – August 8-11, 2006 in Greensboro, NC
FMCA International Convention – August 14-17, 2006 in Charlotte, NC

Wade Myers National Director

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