David Hobden
Welcome back to the digital Matterhorn Newsletter (Spring Issue #50). This is now the 5th edition of this “new & improved” format and by all accounts it continues to be a big hit! Please let me or your illustrious newsletter editor, Teresa Weitz, know if you have any recommendations for changes or improvements. Please keep those articles and pictures coming!
I see on Facebook that a lot of you are already out enjoying your Alpine Coaches this spring and getting together with Alpine friends. Please continue to post those pictures and comments on the Alpine Coach Owners Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/AlpineOwners for all of us to enjoy in between newsletter editions and rallies.
Speaking of rallies, we have a full slate of upcoming rallies that promise to be fun and exciting as always. Don’t forget to visit the Alpine SoCal website (AlpineSoCal.com) to stay abreast of all the upcoming events we have planned for the foreseeable future. Hope to see you there :) For those of you that weren’t able to attend the most recent Camp Verde Rally (9-16 Apr), we’re sorry to have missed you but you can catch up on all our rally fun by reading further in this edition of the Matterhorn. Oh, what a great time it was!
For news on the Hobden household front, we plan to leave the homestead in Mesa, AZ to head north for cooler weather in just a few more days. We’ll hang out in Colorado for a while to visit with friends and family, then we plan on making the FMCA Rally in Gillette (18-21 July). Unfortunately we won’t be able to do the pre- or post-rally stuff because we’ll be traveling with my Dad/Stepmom at that time. But I hope to catch up with a lot of you while in Gillette where I plan on volunteering for the golf carts again.
In closing - I know I’ve said it before - but I’d like to remind everyone to tell any other Alpine Coach owners that you may meet in your individual travels about our awesome Alpine SoCal Chapter. It’s all about having fun and meeting new friends to share the Alpine experience. Safe travels :)
Faithfully Yours,
David Hobden
President, Alpine SoCal
Mary Langord/lst V.P. Membership
Hello fellow Alpiners! Joel and I have finally gotten back on the road and are now sitting at our daughter's in Kingston, WA. We enjoyed a few days with our granddaughter in Monterey, and were able to participate in her Annual Wine Club event for Talbott Vineyards. She loves her location and her job and it was truly awesome to see her in action hosting the wine club event at the vineyard. A beautiful location, great wines, and a good time by all. Even had a few of my favorite delicacies as they had an oyster bar set up as well as many other local and delightful food items.
After Monterey we basically made our way to Salmon Harbor Marina and Winchester Bay. Was going to spend a night or two and ended up staying five. Need I say more?
Our primary destination at that time was the Elks in Vancouver, WA to have some work done on our HWH system by Joe Elwell. He came out to the Elks and removed the main computer/control box for our jacks and sent it back to factory for repair. We knew it would be approximately a week, so we visited our family members who live in the area, toured the Rose Gardens, and in general just "laid back." Joe returned as promised (a few days earlier than expected), reinstalled the box, and all systems are as good as new! Yippee!
One Adventure did spoil our time while waiting, though. As all of you know, the Langords can sometimes seem jinxed! Well anyway, long story short, the gardeners hit a few small rocks and managed to take out our driver’s side window! Big bummer! Fortunately All Pro Auto Glass located in Portland was summoned by the Elks and were able to get us repaired with only a three day delay. Highly recommended if you ever need their services LOL!
I just received mail from home and had several members' checks for dues. You know who you are, and I thank you sincerely. I'm hopeful that I will receive the remaining few over the next week or so and that everyone will return to active status. Remember: dues are only $15.00 annually.
We currently have 77 members, and I'd love to see us either stay at that number or continue to grow. We have some excellent rallies coming up and other opportunities for our members to enjoy their Alpines!
Joel and I have missed the last two rallies and we've missed seeing our friends. Hope to see you all in NAPA!
Jim Archer
Website Update and Sound Machines
The alpinesocal.com website is up and running. The change to the updated software early this year has solved a few technical issues. In addition, a glitch with the web host (my story and I am sticking to it) has been resolved as well, allowing users to print again.
If you have not seen it, there is a new section with information for our sister club, NorCal. Those who are members of both clubs, or those traveling who might want to attend a rally up there, can now find the NorCal schedule on our website.
Many thanks to Helena Mazzocco, who at the Pala rally suggested a tour of coaches for those interested in seeing modifications to their coach. Always an expensive thing to do!! I got off relatively cheaply this time.
In addition to the beautiful modifications to their decor, Helena had a sound generator creating a cricket sound. Once I got home, I investigated some sound machines, and bought one. I have been AMAZED at how efficient it has been in covering up background noises. We all know how most campgrounds are close to planes, trains, or automobiles. With this little device I am able to cover up all but the loudest noises (think train horns), allowing us to get to sleep quicker, and sleep more soundly.
If your sleep is affected by background noises, you might want to look into these devices. The one I purchased generates 10 different types of white noise (static), and 10 different types of fan noise. I like the fan noise. It is surprisingly soothing.
Happy travels!
Rechargeable Batteries
I have used a variety of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries over the years, with modest success. One place in particular I have used them with good success is in my remote controls for the TV. I use a "learning" Universal Remote control, which is a great device, except that it eats batteries. The remote in the RV almost always needs new batteries when we start a trip, and when we get home, the home remotes are all dead as well.
Years ago I bought some Low Self Discharge nickel metal hydride batteries that came with a charger. I take the batteries out of the remote, put in the previously charged batteries, and charge the ones I took out. Those go back in the next time the remote is dead, and I start over again. Much easier and cheaper than using an endless supply of alkaline batteries.
Over the years, some of the batteries will not take a charge any longer, according to the charger. So I have started to replace them. While reading some of the rechargeable battery reviews on Amazon, I learned about "smart" chargers versus dumb chargers. Mine of course was a dumb charger, as are most of the "free" chargers that come with a set of batteries. Dumb chargers can often over-charge or under-charge the batteries, leading to premature failure of the battery.
So I bought a "smart" charger. Smart chargers have circuitry that can more accurately determine when a battery is properly charged, and will turn off before the battery is damaged. In addition, many smart chargers also can perform a discharge test, which will determine the capacity of the battery. Many also can perform a "refresh" cycle, charging and discharging a battery multiple times, which can often improve a battery's capacity.
Using my new charger has taught me a lot about rechargeable batteries in my inventory!! A reasonably large percentage of my batteries had a capacity less than 10% of its rating. A set of batteries used in a device is only as good as the weakest battery. Less than half of my batteries had a capacity better than 80% of their rating. All of them were improved by the "refresh" cycle, although many of them were still below the 80% rating.
So my advice to you is if you are using rechargeable batteries, invest in a good smart charger with testing capability. You are likely to have much better results. I bought mine for around $30, so they are not that expensive.
Also, only buy nickel metal hydride batteries made in Japan. Most Eneloop brand batteries for the American market are made there. (Not those sold on Ebay.) So are some of the Amazon rechargeable batteries.
SARC 2nd QUARTER 2018
Debbie Lacy
We would like to extend a great big shout out to Jim & Stephanie Archer, Ed & Donna Matthews, and Jerri & Toni Smith for hosting a wonderful rally at Camp Verde, Arizona. The Matthews and Smiths graciously agreed to co-host the rally at the 11th hour when Ramona Escamilla was hurt in a quad accident and was not able to travel. With all of the last minute changes the rally still went off without a hitch and everyone had a great time.
Jerry & Toni, along with Jim & Stephanie also hosted the Rhododendron Festival Rally in Florence, OR which was a NorCal/SoCal Rally. It was a lot of fun with some great activities.
Below is the rally schedule for the balance of 2018 and 2019.
2018
Napa Expo Fairgrounds, Napa, CA September 5-12
Flying Flags RV Resort, Buellton, CA (SoCal/NorCal) October 26-30
2019
Chula Vista RV Resort, Chula Vista, CA February 23-26
Golden Shores RV Park, Long Beach, CA April 26-29
Pismo Coast Village, Pismo Beach, CA September (TBD)
The Springs @ Borrego, Borrego Springs, CA October 17-21
Just a reminder that we are still looking for a Guest Member for the SARC Committee for the 3rd and 4th Quarter of 2018. This would consist of sitting in on our conference calls (1 each quarter) to find out what goes on behind the scenes with the committee. If you would ever consider being a member of the committee and would like to sit in, please contact Bill, Stephanie or Debbie.
RALLY REMINISCINGS
Camp Verde, Arizona
Brian and Diane Enbom
Arrival Date was April 9, 2018.
We came in from Prescott, AZ that morning and were welcomed by Jerry and Toni Smith. They gave us our welcome package. We arrived slightly before 10 AM and the site was not ready for us, but within 10 minutes we were guided to our site for the week. (Distant Drums check out time is 11:00 AM).
After getting the coach leveled and expanded, we had an opportunity to walk Lady and Trusty, our two Shelties. Alpine Coaches kept arriving…. It was nice to see the contingent of Alpines mostly parked together. Our first get-together was at 5 PM for Pizza. Everyone brought drinks (some wine, etc.). Nice selection of pies, and hopefully no one went back to their coach hungry. Good Crispy crust….
Tuesday April 10 dawned bright and early with walks for the dogs and coffee in the coach. The 8:30 AM breakfast, supplied by The Archers and the Matthews, included fruit, juice, bagels and hard-boiled eggs.
A Board Meeting followed breakfast. (Special Secret stuff was discussed!)
Dinner this evening was supplied by Babe’s Roundup Barbecue from Camp Verde. This caterer/restaurant has been in business for 60 years, starting with feeding cowboys during their roundups of cattle in the valley. Fun event, nice people and great stories. Also, great barbecue!
A SoCal meeting followed the barbecue and future rallies were discussed. Those included Oregon, Napa, the FMCA pre-rally, the FMCA rally, and the FMCA post-rally. Quite a lot of driving between the two in Wyoming and the final one in California….
Friday April 13, Stephanie and Jim had to leave for personal business. Ed and Donna Matthews took over their Wagon Master duties. Because there was another Rally at Distant Drums Park of the FMCA Arizona Chapter at the same time as ours, we changed our breakfast spot to the Library at the park. Even though it was smaller in size, it worked out fine. David Hobden announced every arrival in the Library by activating the electronic dart board that was in the room with a musical theme.
Friday was a personal Day. Diane and I went to Sedona. We had flown in several times to the airport there, but the latest visit was 25 years prior. What a change! - very busy, expensive but still as beautiful with the red rock formations. Formations called Bell Rock, The Courthouse, and the Cathedral are still there. Highway 179 has been improved with many round-a-bouts as have many other areas in Arizona. It gives the state a European flair.
The town is very busy with lots of tourists and traffic in their one-way streets that meander in one direction, then a left turn up hill, and then again travelling in the opposite direction one block above the entry route. Limited parking is available. Stories were told of Fred Masino taking his Alpine towing a car through this route while looking at the buildings in Jerome…(would not recommend this!) The town has lots of restaurants, bars and shops. We had lunch at the Mile High Inn and had two great sandwiches… The shops had a variety of artwork and items to purchase that varied from extremely expensive to the downright cheap. Kaleidoscopes were numerous at Nelly Bly’s and very unique.
Dinner this night was a potluck. Three different meat ball dishes, Shepard’s Pie and Rigatoni and meat sauce and others highlighted the good food available, along with fun conversation.
Sunday April 15, breakfast started off in the Library again with juice, fruit, yogurt, bagels, left-over cookies, and more hard boiled eggs.. (I learned that the eggs can be purchased from Costco already hard boiled. What a great idea!)
We went to Cottonwood to hit some antiques shops for Diane and had lunch in a great café there. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for departure on Monday..
Special thank you’s to The Archers, Smiths, and the Matthews for the hard work that they put forth to lead this successful and fun Rally!
Attendees were:
Jim Anselmino and Reaven Gately, (guests), Jim and Stephanie Archer, Bob and Connie Bowers, Jim and Elaine Ellis, Brian and Diane Enbom, John and Lorraine Foster, Mike and Donna Hambarian, Jim and Sher Haxby, David and Stilla Hobden, Barry and Debbie Lacy, Paul and Katie Lisec, Fred Masino and Marilyn Fogel, Ed and Donna Mathews, Jerry and Toni Smith, Micki Totten and Guest, and Dean and Susan Vargo.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we are soon to be S.O.B’s. Our Alpine will soon go to Jim Anselmino and Reaven Gately. Welcome new members!
Rhody Days Rally, Oregon
Stephanie Archer
Stephanie Archer
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| first place winner |
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| personal guide, Scott Hicks |
A special treat at this rally was having a hometown boy provide invaluable input regarding the town of Florence and the “secrets” for getting the most out of Rhody Days. THANK YOU Scott and Marcia Hicks for the guided downtown tours (complete with photos of downtown from years past), “secret” parking locations, restaurant recommendations, recommendations for best places to watch the parade and to eat chowder, and for being overall ambassadors of Florence.
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| 27-passenger dune buggy |
The rally kicked off Wednesday night with pizza, cookies and a presentation from Scott Hicks regarding the town of Florence, Rhody Days and the following morning’s walking tour.
Thursday was a busy day. After a continental breakfast, twenty four of us went on a one hour, ten mile, sand buggy ride through the Oregon sand dunes while a small group went on an hour’s walking tour of downtown Florence with Scott Hicks. The sand buggy ride was more of a flora and fauna tour of the dunes than a white knuckle, sand in your face ride. Much to my surprise, there are lakes, pine trees, Scottish broom bushes, grass, bear, deer and cougar among the dunes. Our sand buggy driver DID take us down a few 100 foot vertical drops off the side of dunes to keep us awake! I would definitely take another ride on the sand dunes – maybe in a smaller, faster buggy. The scenery is gorgeous.
Thursday evening we gathered for happy hour and exchanged stories of our day’s adventures. Pop’s Carolina BBQ provided Thursday night’s dinner of pulled pork, BBQ chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, and peach & berry cobblers.
Downtown Florence gets busy for Rhody Days beginning at noon on Friday when many motorcyclists arrive. Scott Hicks was kind enough to take those of us who had been on the sand buggy ride the previous day on a walking tour of downtown Florence Friday morning before the bikers arrived. Thanks, Marcia, for coming along to help herd the group through the streets of Florence! For many years, Scott’s dad owned the tavern, movie theater and other buildings in town. Scott told stories of spending his junior and senior high school years in Florence. His sister, who still lives in town, started slug races (there are huge banana slugs in the forests around Florence) as a Rhody Day activity. After the walking tour, the group split up for lunch, sampling clam chowder from several restaurants. Novella’s on the water is the hands down winner for best chowder in Florence! Friday evening we gathered for happy hour and then parted to have dinner on our own.
After Saturday morning’s continental breakfast, folks headed out for a day on their own. Favorite activities included tours of the Heceta lighthouse and drives up the Oregon Coast.
Rhody Day festival activities included a classic car show held in the parking lot of a local grocery store and a rhododendron flower show at the Florence Event Center. There must have been a hundred classic cars on display. Jim was drooling over a blue Shelby Cobra and a metal flake orange Chevy convertible. 
The rhododendrons at the flower show came in every color of the rainbow and in various sizes and shapes. I’d love to plant some in my yard. But they don’t like Southern California’s climate.
Saturday evening we gathered once again for happy hour and then dinner on our own. Several members went to downtown Florence to watch some of the classic cars cruise down the main street.
Sunday morning we were treated to another great meal by Pop’s Carolina BBQ. He served scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes for breakfast. The hearty breakfast sustained us as we all headed out to watch the Rhody Days parade. Most folks took Scott’s advice, parked at his “super secret” location and watched the parade from Bay Street, the main street through downtown Florence. Jim and I decided to watch the parade where it started. We were able to sit in our car, out of the wind and watch the parade as it turned onto Hwy 101 (yes, I know, we are party poopers). There were probably 100 entries in the parade – marching bands; equestrian units; the Marines marched along side a troop carrier; the Coast Guard marched alongside a boat being towed by a pickup truck; the Elks, American Legion, Odd Fellows, Lions, and Rotary all had decorated floats; the Shriners drove their little cars down the parade route. Candy, bead necklaces and Frisbees were tossed to the crowd. Hundreds of people lined the 4 – 5 mile parade route. 
Sunday evening we gathered for one final happy hour and to share stories and appetizers with one another. We said our goodbyes that night since many were leaving early Monday morning.Another enjoyable joint rally. Thanks, everyone, for your participation and camaraderie. Looking forward to the next one!
The Real Facts about the Rhody Days Rally
Anonymous Statistician
Many will talk about the wonderful Joint Alpine Rally in Florence Oregon, May 16-21. They may rave about the unique nature of the Odd Fellows RV Park with its own private road onto more than 4,000 sq. miles of National Park Sand Dunes. Others may grouse at the predictable cool/overcast weather, except for 1 or 2 hours a day when all the sun worshipers raced into the open. Yet others may reflect on the quality of our rally schedule that included a 27-passenger Dune Buggy Ride, lots of free time to explore the spectacular Oregon Central Coast, amazing meals, and the unique experience of having an Alpine member, Scott Hicks who lived in Florence during his formative years, as our personal guide to the history of this quaint beach town and the many special events that occurred during the Rhododendron Festival. And thanks to his loyal wife Marcia Hicks who agreed with almost all the information that Scott gave us…
Although they Rant and Rave about these great things, the fact is, this rally was quite unique and one of a kind for a very different reason. We call it the 50/50/50 rare rally participant phenomenon or 555rrpp! This is a rare convergence of separate geographic and cultural entities. It’s a special time, when a small number of survivors of the WRV collapse join and unite to celebrate the long shelf lives of their hardy coaches (except for the SOB’s of course). And it’s one of those gatherings where we further renew and gain new friendships by teaming together among neighbors of the same State with equal representation for all.
Here are the FACTS (if you don’t fact check too closely!):
- The number of Pure NorCal or SoCal Alpine members was equally split: 50/50%
- The number of UnPure members (we mean double-dip members of both Clubs) also equaled 50% of the total attendees
Thanks to our incredible Wagon Masters, Jerry & Toni Smith and Jim & Stephanie Archer. You are true homogenizers of the CA Clubs.
Signed,
Anonymous Statistician
Disclaimer
of Facts: Since this was a Joint Rally between So & No/Cal, our stats
considered only members from one or both of these clubs. Our stats did not consider the 1 ACA and 1
NoWACA members that attended, although they immensely added to the enjoyment of
the gathering😃
MORE ALPINE STORIES...
Gramping in Fort Wilderness
Tom and Patty Dietrich
We traveled to Fort Wilderness in early May to enjoy Disney World with our grandchildren. The 1000 mile drive was uneventful except for Atlanta traffic!
Monday thru Friday, Grandma and Grandpa did our best to keep up with the 8- and 4-year-olds and their 30-something parents. Our daughter had the Disney app that told us where to be and when. It was more like being in boot camp, except we enjoyed the smiles and laughter.
The best ride: Pandora - Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom. That is the closest thing to flying without leaving the ground. Well worth the price of admission.
Second best ride: Soaring in Epcot.
Saturday found us breaking camp headed for home. We drove though Alabama to miss Atlanta traffic.
Fort Wilderness offers some advantages, 90 day fast pass registration (needed to get a fast pass for Flight of Passage), easy transportation and of course Disney cleanliness. We stayed in the 400 loop, but the 800-900-1100 loops look good too. We had chosen the concrete sites to keep the dirt and sand out of the Alpine. We used HiHo Vacations which our daughter has used twice before. Lori at Hihovacations.com sure was a big help for us.Safe travels everyone. Sure hope we can work in a So-Cal rally some day.
On The Way to Florence...
Debi Johnson
On the way to Florence three Alpines stopped at the Redding Elks overnight. Bill and Patti Figge, Michael and Teresa Weitz, and Sandy and Debi Johnson were in the lodge enjoying happy hour and as typically happens, we started talking about past adventures. The Weitzes have a trip to Alaska on their bucket list. Sandy started sharing some pictures from the Johnson and Figge’s Alaska trip in 2014. Questions were asked and answered about road conditions, and what damages incurred and how they were handled. Alaska is after all a very remote and vast state. During our trip, the only mishap was a rock that made a hole in Bill’s radiator. Rather than wait for a new radiator to be flown in, Handy-Sandy figured out how to repair the hole using two-part epoxy and a screw! Years later the repair is still in place – if it ain’t broke…!
What were some of the highlights? Scenery, animals, scenery, people, and did I mention scenery and animals and people. They are all priceless memories, as was the stop in Talkenta and the airplane ride around Denali mountain. The views from above are breathtaking and seeing the glacier from above helps to really understand the size and scope of the snow fields and the slide areas.Conversation continued on to when we stopped in Chicken and drove to Dawson. We chatted about the ferry crossing and only one room in town that would allow our small dog, Shasta. But really it was also the only room in town. Well, the five of us shared the room and are still friends!
Back in Chicken (we almost couldn’t get back because the dirt road was washing out), we went to the shopping area comprising three stores, all inter-connected —a bar, a liquor store, and mercantile— and run by the same person. Patti noticed the interior decor of the bar and that is how we learned about the tradition of putting undies in a cannon and blowing them up, then hanging the remains on the walls and ceiling. Someone in our group now has his cotton undies hanging among the ladies’ silkies in Chicken!
One interesting fact is that because of the long summer days with 24 hours of daylight, vegetables grow to gargantuan proportions. There is a coin on this cabbage, illustrating the size of the cabbage:
Here is a link to more information on growing vegetables in Alaska:
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/10/alaskas-giant-vegetables.html
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| 3 Alpines overnighting at Seven Feathers |
The stories continued…..
This one, at our next stop en route to Florence at Seven Feathers, concerns a crock pot Bread and Bake Pan.
We all remember the very first crock pot from the 1970’s. The two color choices were avocado green and mustard yellow, the “In” colors of the era. Teresa had an avocado green crockpot which she finally parted with only two years ago. She said she would have kept it because it still worked, except that it was difficult to clean as it was before Rival came out with a removable crock. Something she kept and still uses in her new crockpot is the Bread and Bake Pan accessory for that old crock pot. At several rallies and get-togethers, she has “baked” her crock pot corn bread.
I decided I wanted a Bread and Bake Pan too!
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| historic downtown Canyonville |
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| the ellusive crock pot bread pan |
Patti and Teresa poked their heads into the antique store. The owner was very helpful. She also mentioned that she had one of those crock pot bake pans inserts come through her store months ago. Then she thought about it and said: You know, I may have one of my own at home in the back of a kitchen cupboard that I would be willing to part with.
We crossed fingers. Information was exchanged and later while at the Florence rally, Teresa received a text to say that a crock pot bake pan was available for pickup!The rest of this happy story is that Bill and Patti, on their way back home to California after the Florence rally specially stopped at Seven Feathers to clinch the deal and pick up the hard-sought-for crock pot bread pan for me. And Michael sighed a sigh of happy relief not to have to visit any more antique stores in future travels!
There are of course more stories and plenty of them to share from years of Alpine travels. Meet up with us along the road some time and find out!
Meanwhile, share your travel stories with all of us – send them along to Teresa who will be happy to add them to the newsletter.
ALPINE FOR SALE
Rick Fisher is announcing that their Alpine is listed on Craig's List:
