This marks the opening day of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) regional rally—Six State Rally on the Red—our first regional rally.  At 9 AM, we hurried to the exhibit building for a quick walk through to see if there was anything we couldn’t do without.  On the way, Kay toured some Fleetwood motorhomes on display.  Other manufacturers were scheduled to exhibit, but the State of Louisiana passed a law last year prohibiting RV dealers from showing or selling RVs at rallies, shows, etc.  The exhibit building had a number of vendors selling services and stuff, none which impressed us greatly.  Most were selling RV parts and supplies at “show” prices that were significantly higher than could be found on the internet.

We had a late buffet lunch at Horse Shoe Casino, free by signing up for one of their casino cards.  As is always the case, the casino itself is smoky, and serves a lot of strange people.  A local comedian entertained rally goers in the evening, and he was okay, but talked too long.  So far, we’re not terribly impressed by the Six State Rally.

It’s time to move on down the road, as rodeo cowboys say.  After getting up and having a cup of coffee, we began readying the RV for traveling to the Six State Rally on the Red in Shreveport.  This included dumping and rinsing the black and gray tanks, filling the freshwater tank, removing the privacy cover on the windshield, and hooking up the auxiliary brake on the Saturn.  We lined up for the two-hour caravan to Shreveport—14 motor homes in all—to be joined by another upon arrival at the Louisiana State Fair fairgrounds in Shreveport.  We departed promptly around 9:30 AM, in a long procession, with just enough space between the motorhomes into which a passing car could find refuge.  It was an unlucky day for any traffic going the same route at the same time, though we traveled at 60+ MPH.  We arrived at the fairgrounds before noon, and obtained our parking spaces on the asphalt parking lot, complete with water and electric (had we known about the water, we would not have filled our freshwater tank).  Setting up was a breeze as we had a level spot.  Kay immediately sought out shrimp po’ boys for lunch.  As this was our first regional rally, we hurried to the exhibit hall only to find it blocked off, then Kay registered us as 1st Timers.  After naps, we joined several other club members for conversation, then went to dinner at  Herbie-K’s, a highly recommended joint, with two other couples.  We all had their famous Shrimp Buster which was among the worst fried shrimp we ever ate.  It had been pounded too thin and cooked too long, tasting more like breaded cardboard than shrimp, making Herbie-K’s a One Time Only restaurant.  Tired from travel, setting up, etc., we opted to spend the rest of the evening in the motorhome.

This is just a short entry before heading to the Six State Rally on the Red.  Today is the last day of the Pre-Rally gathering in Texarkana.  We opted to skip the Perot Theater and Texarkana museum tour, spending the morning catching up on emails, journaling, etc.  Ready to move to Shreveport tomorrow, I hooked up the Saturn, and enjoyed a lazy afternoon.  Dinner was catered tonight, and included catfish, chicken, beans, hushpuppies, cornbread, and slaw; all quite tasty.  We ended the evening playing two games of 31, but neither Kay nor I won.

Kay awoke this morning eager to meet old friends, Jo and Jim, from her Helena, AR, days in the early 1970s.  We drove to their house for coffee at 9 AM, then off to the old downtown Texarkana, AR, United Methodist Church for Sunday school and worship services.  The church was housed in the recently restored sanctuary; a fire had destroyed the old, historic sanctuary a few years ago, leaving the massive post and beam construction and nationally prominent stained glass in ruins.  The restoration was excellent as members said it had essentially had the same appearance as the old building.  The Sunday school class we attended was in a large room, and I was one of only two men without coat and tie; most were wearing suits.  The class was comprised of older members, much like the senior saints class at Twin Lakes Baptist Church.  The room was furnished much as an old Southern mansion, complete with grand piano and sitting room furniture, and eking of old money and affluence.  Having been used to the informality of Baxter County, we were culturally overwhelmed!  After Sunday school, we attended the church service, and it was the first time we had been to an authentic traditional service—what we call “high” church—in many years.  We immensely enjoyed the added ceremony with acolytes, organ, choir, bells, and children, and saw a lady with whom we attended St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock; Arkansas is truly a small town state.

Following church, we ate lunch at Bryce’s cafeteria, a local favorite.  The afternoon was uneventful, and I prepared for the evening seminar on Picasa, Editing and Managing Your Photos, An Overview.

Dinner consisted of filet mignon, salad, garlic bread, and assorted desserts.  These RVers sure like to eat!

We are really enjoying Shady Pines.  The grounds are immaculate, well maintained, and we’re the only red necks in the park.  It could stand a few old cars, BBQ grills, and other junk under and around the RVs.

All the men were anxious for football Saturday today, as the #10 Hogs were playing #1 Alabama.  Rather than watch the game (too much stress), I worked on blogs, restoring lost photos.  Regrettably, the Hogs lost.

Dinner was great tonight—ribs, sour kraut, brats, and fruit salad, and some great desserts.  I’ve gotta diet again!

After a lazy start, we arrived at Shady Pines RV Park in Texarkana, TX, right after lunch.

This is one of the nicest parks in which we’ve stayed, with LEVEL concrete pads and drives, and a large, fully equipped rally room for gathering and meals.  We enjoyed renewing acquaintances and catching up on news since the last rally in Carthage, MO, in June.  Dinner consisted of heavy hors d’oeuvres, and it was very good; my favorite dish was the marinated meatballs Kay prepared.

We’re off to another rally—actually two rallies.  The first is a pre-rally, sponsored by the Arkansas Travelers RV Club, to be held in Texarkana, TX.  This precedes a Return to Rally on the Red, aka Six State Rally, a Family Motor Coach Association sponsored regional rally, in Shreveport, LA.  Having never been to a really big rally, i.e. more than 500 coaches, we though we’d give it a try.

After a couple of appointments, we left home today—Kay’s birthday—headed towards Maumelle Park in Little Rock for the evening.  The trip “down” was uneventful, traveling via Mountain View, Shirley, Clinton, and Conway, arriving at the campground about 2:30 PM.  The US Army Corps of Engineers does a great job maintaining Maumelle Park, and it is one of our favorites, particularly when we have a site on the banks of the Arkansas River. 

Kay had a very nice birthday dinner at Cajun’s Wharf with both Ron and Karyn, and their significant others there; it was great enjoying dinner with family.