FMCA "Family Reunion" is wrapping up

August 13, 2011
Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI

Well, it was another great week. We picked up quite a few items from the vendors at the FMCA "Family Reunion", and enjoyed our time here in Madison, Wisconsin's capitol.

It was an easy drive on Sunday, heading from Manitowoc to Madison, and Jim and Peggy followed us as we headed South on I-43 to Sheboygan, then west on WI-23 to Fond du Lac, US-151 to I-39 South into the Madison area. They headed for the vendor parking area and we parked overnight in the "holding area" about 5 miles away, then decided to fuel up the Rover. That's when Geri suggested Mexican for dinner and technology (we're in a Verizon 4G area here!) kicked in. She was able to use her phone to find a place right near the Capitol in downtown Madison, then just hit "directions" and "navigate" and, voila, we were eating burritos and enjoying a pitcher of Margaritas. Life is good...

Wisconsin Capitol - no protests or recall elections today, but plenty of homeless people hanging out...

Moonrise over Lake Monoma, near the FMCA Holding Area.

Monday morning we were up early and headed for the Alliant Energy Center before coffee. We were soon parked, getting a prime spot in the first row to the rear of the exhibition building, about 200' away. Most of the seminars and vendor displays are in this building, so it's very convenient.

Tuesday was an off-day, with events not starting until Wednesday, so we did some shopping and generally relaxed. Wednesday, seminars started and the new motorhomes on display opened in the evening. While the newer floorplans are very desirable (most larger coaches have a bath-and-a-half layout with an en suite full bath in the rear), nothing we saw has the interior quality of what we already have. Just as well, since neither of us remembered to buy the PowerBall tickets.

Thursday, the vendor area opened, and by Friday we'd made the obligatory loops through the exhibition center. There are a lot more vendors at FMCA since there are almost 2,000 coaches here (over 2,000 when you count vendors and exhibit coaches). I looked at several things like step covers (very cool in stainless steel) and a replacement sliding tray for one of the bays (great for tool storage) but decided against the big-ticket items. I did pick up an upgraded over-the-air TV antenna and signal finder, and a replacement "stinger" plus a couple of accessories for our tow bar. Geri got into the act as well, getting a stove-top grill thingie, some towel racks, a set of hanging pockets for the side of her seat, and a set of mops (you can't go to a major rally without getting caught by someone selling things with which to clean).

Overall, we got pretty much everything we "needed", which was probably a little more than we expected. One thing I didn't get at either rally was LED light bulbs. They are much more energy-efficient and that helps when we're boondocking, which we do from time to time. Unfortunately, the days of "rally pricing" meaning a good deal are over, I guess. Things the used to be cheaper at rallies now seem priced higher, as if a captive audience is expected to pay more. Things that used to be done gratis, like tow bar maintenance, are now priced at retail for parts. Sign of the times, I guess. Anyway, I'm not paying 2-3 times higher for LED lights that I can buy online and change out over the winter, especially since our two weeks of boondocking at the rallies is coming to an end. End of rant...

So, today the FMCA activities wrapped up. For once, I decided to attend the closing business meeting of the organization (reading of minutes and reports, introduction of newly-elected officers) and, quite to my surprise, we were one of 10 attendees to win the $250 drawing at the end (clearly designed to enhance attendance). Woo-Hoo! Great way to wrap up "rally season"!

We'll finish up our week with a nice dinner of leftover pasta, and finish our travel preparations in the morning. We have an easy drive and a 1:00 PM check-in at our next destination, so we'll have plenty of time to get ready...