Once or twice a year, Cyndy and I attend the Escapees Chapter Seven Roadrunner Rally.
It all started couple of years ago during a return trip from Mexico. Cyndy and I stayed at an Escapees RV Park called KOFA Ko-Op in Yuma, Az. During our stay we met some residents of the park that were getting ready to go to an Escapees Chapter 7 Roadrunner rally out in the desert. They said It would last just a few days and invited us to join them. We did, and it was so much fun we decided to become Chapter 7 members in order to be a part of this semi annual event.
To me its like taking a little journey back in time with out having to sacrifice any of the modern day conveniences. You get the best of both worlds.
March of 2010 was our third Roadrunner rally. It began with a short trip from Yuma about twelve miles on the interstate, then thirteen miles on a side road to a little hand made sign post with the picture of a Roadrunner, and an arrow pointing down a small trail which took us to a small gathering of rigs in the middle of the Arizona desert with no one else around for miles. Just the rigs, parked wagon train style, around a large tent like structure made of a pipe frame and large pieces of canvas, covering the top, back and sides, leaving the front open like a big covered patio. This structure would be the main gathering place, a type of community center, a dining hall, a meeting room, a game room, a place where everyone could hang out, relax and talk about anything and everything.
At one end of this structure is what you might call the chuck wagon with generators for electricity, propane tanks for gas stoves and wooden cabinets full of eating accessories: coffee pots, plastic utensils, paper plates and cups, all the things necessary for preparing and serving the meals.
When it is all put together and everyone has arrived its like a little community in the middle of nowhere that wasn’t there a few hours ago.
We spend 3 nights and 4 days, sharing our meals, our thoughts, our good and bad experiences from the past, and our hopes and dreams for the future.
We play games during the day and cards at night, or just sit around the campfire telling stories.
We also have a sheriff that collects quarters from anyone he catches doing anything he feels is a violation such as not wearing your name badge, or saying a bad word, or wearing what he thinks is the wrong hat, or not wearing a hat. He makes the rules as he goes along and his word is LAW! The money that he collects goes to CARE, which stands for Continuing Assistance for Retired Escapees. The CARE facility is located at the Escapees headquarters in Livingston, Texas.
On the last day we have an auction and a drawing for money and prizes. This is the hi-lite of the rally. Everyone gathers at the community tent to shout out bids for their favorite auction knick knack. The competition is fierce, everyone is joking and laughing in the midst of all the bidding frenzy. It’s great fun and all of the money collected from the raffles and auctions also goes to the Escapees CARE Fund.
We have a Chapter 7 meeting on the last day to discuss old and new business and an accounting of where we stand financially along with elections of club officers if necessary.
For Me and Cyndy the Roadrunner rally is a place where everyone is able to relax and have a good time. Everyone pitches in to put it all together and take it all apart.
When it’s over, we say our goodbyes, and as quickly as this little community appeared it is gone, and the only evidence that it ever existed is a few tire tracks in the desert sand.
