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Park Our House!
A column by Fran Crawford
Published in Yuba/Sutter Senior News
Ocober 1 1996
Shasta Winnetasca
Shasta Winnetasca is a bunch of nice people who like to get together once a month and do something. That something is meeting at a predesignated spot within 150 miles or so of Redding, California... and then the good times roll!
Getting there is fun too. All the members of the group have Winnebago or Atasca motorhomes and travel to the chosen campground taking along all the comforts of home.
The group consists of approximately fifteen rigs and each fall they set up an itinerary for the following year. Each month, except November and December, is chosen by a member family and they research places to go and events that might be nice to attend. Then they make all the arrangements and reservatons, gather maps and information about the area and are generally in charge of the trip for that month.
Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, on these excursions, they all gather for group meals and camaraderie. The rest of the time they visit with each other, explore the area or attend events and functions which have drawn them to the location.
The Ninth Annual California Prune Festival is what brought these congenial folks to Yuba City in September. The weather was the best and everyone enjoyed all the good music and wonderful atmosphere at the festival.
A special favorite of several of them was the Young Buddhist Association Taiko drum group. And, of course, everyone is always fascinated with prune ice cream... and other prune concoctions.
The motorhome group filled up Travel Home Park on Live Oak Boulevard where they set up to enjoy themselves for the weekend.
At first none of them would cop to being 'seniors' and it took my suggesting that they might be the Redding Liars' Club rather than Shasta Winnetasca to find out that all but several of them qualified under that category.
Although one of the group has been living and traveling in their RV since early summer none of them are actually full timers. They use their motorhomes to travel on weekends and vacations and to things other than group functions, such as dog shows and other special interest events. It is particularly useful to belong to such a club or group, they feel, because it gets you out and using your recreational vehicle. Owning one is quite and investment and it shouldn't just be sitting around unused.
Limiting the group to owners of Winnebago or Atasca units has the benefit letting them exchange ideas and solve common problems that occur. If someone has trouble or needs special information or an extra part on a trip, there is always help available. In 1995 a group of Shasta Winnetasca (you may have noticed those words have such a nice ring I like to say them a lot!) took a trip to the Winnebago/Atasca manufacturing plant in northern Iowa. They showed me an aerial photograph of more than 1400 motorhomes parked in 'zipper' like fashion row upon row in three huge parking lots.
The national convention, there in Iowa, had workshops, craft vendors and continuous entertainment for people from all over. Apparently this goes on each year as the plant facility is set up and ready for such events.
As a full-timer, I am always curious about things people chose to travel with because space in RVs is precious. I like to find out about books, computers, security devices and pets. Books, and televisions, aren't usually much of a problem to weekender/vacationers.
Several members of Shasta Winnetasca said they had computers at home, but didn't travel with them. And only one of them would admit to 'surfing the net'.
Most of the RVers had pets with them. One motorhome contained five dogs... four large and one little rascal. Two of the big dogs were Dobermans... a perfect solution to security problems.
On October 25, 26, and 27, Shasta Winnetasca will be traveling from Redding to nearby Bear Mountain. The organization is looking for some new members and if this interests you, or if you would just like more information about them please call Faith Irwin at 916 275-4923.
Copywrite 1996 -- Fran Crawford