31 May 2023 - First Day of the Rally

 

Today was our first official day of the rally,  We started out this morning with full breakfast provided by Alliance followed by a welcome from the Alliance leadership team.  

Rob Boyer opened up the ceremony

Jim Beletti provided an update on the Rally

Rachel Ellis and Donna Walker updated us on the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser

Rachel read information about the Boys and Girls Club

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Bill Martin lead things off with his "Cousin Eddie" impression and a lead-in to Coley and Ryan Brady and their 30 thousand foot view of  Alliance and the RV industry as a whole.  

The room was packed with about 600 attendees

The Alliance team on the stage

After breakfast and the Alliance Team Q&A, we broke up into groups and visited the vendor areas where various products we being promoted.  

Son-in-law Keith participated in the "bags tournament" where he won his heat.  They will compete tomorrow for the next stage.

After that Keith and I helped with a slide ski installation which was being video taped for presentation.  The sun was beating down on us incredibly but we completed all four skis before it was time for dinner.      

Donna, Lindy, Rachel, Doreen and Kelli

Alliance provided an outstanding dinner with grilled chicken, salad and all sorts of entrees.  After dinner we participated in a group picture taken from a drone.  After that we reassembled back into the meeting hall for a bourbon tasting event.  

Tomorrow we have various seminars provided by the vendors and by Alliance.  

30 May 2023 - Repair Work Commences and Registration Opens

 

This morning bright and early a swarm of golf carts hit the streets here carrying Alliance technicians and their tools and repair materials all over the campground.  When everyone registered for the rally they could identify up to three things that they wanted to have Alliance repair here.  I had a slight alignment problem with one side of an awning.  I also had a couple decals that were coming loose.  My last item was the rubber "bulb" seals around my two rear slide-outs were splitting.  

The technicians arrived shortly after 0700 hrs and started on the awning.  My son-in-law Keith is parked behind us and had an issue with his front cap decal.  The team of gals that apply the decals to new Alliance coaches on the assembly line worked on Keith's front cap while my awning was being removed. 

Then they shifted over to mine to repair a decal before my new awning arm was re-installed.

At 1200 hrs registration opened and everyone that is here attending the rally came through the lib=ne and picked up their welcome bags.  Then we served them a pulled pork sandwich, chips and a drink of their choice.  

Son-in-law Keith heating the pulled pork on Blackstones

Long lines but they processed quickly.

Handing out laser-engraved cups made by Mike Ellis, one per family

Rachel and Mike

The Texas Ally's created a "Redneck margarita Machine and it works awesome!  The heart and sole of it is a garbage disposer which grinds the ice.  

So, long day but very successful.  Tomorrow the rally kicks off starting with a full breakfast, opening remarks from Alliance and then seminars and various events all day long.

29 May 2023 - Excellence

 

Memorial Day here at the campground.  Flags were flying high as we remembered those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  My daughter Michelle and our grandson Jon headed back to Oak Creek WI after a quick trip over here.  It was so great to see them! 

 

Michelle and Leia, along with Keith and Jon!

Waving goodbye to Michelle and Jon!

We spent part of the day setting up for the Rally.  Tomorrow we will open the Owner's reception area where the Rally attendees will get their bags full of items and a welcome meal with a sandwich and beverage.   Later we attended a birthday party for Charles and Steve, a couple of our Texas Ally's.  

A huge spread of food for all!

Birthday party attendees keeping cool under the sun shade!

Yard full of Ally's!

The adults buried in technology!

Rachel and Kelli - beautiful ladies!

Later we gathered around the fire and enjoyed some fellowship with Ally's.  Ben Randall, and employee of Alliance RV joined us by the camp fire and we had fun talking with him about the history of Alliance since he has been with them since day #1.  Ben Randall is the real deal, folks, and he truly cares about Alliance and his fellow employees and his customers.  This guy is as sincere as the day is long.  I presented him with a Command Chief coin and thanked him for everything he does for Alliance.   He exudes the Air Force Core Values of Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.  God Bless you Ben Randall!

Tomorrow will be a busy day with registration and all.   Let the Rally begin!

28 May 2023 - Lunch with Daughter Jennifer

 

Today we drove north into Michigan and had lunch with our daughter Jennifer and her family including her husband James, daughter Lindsey and her son Lucas.  Our older daughter Michelle and her husband Keith and son Jon joined us also.  We met at a restaurant and had a great lunch including some gizzards as an appetizer!  We exchanged some gifts including some Mexican vanilla that we brought up from San Antonio and some Lone Star beer also from Texas.  We don't see enough of them and were thankful we were able to get together .

Daughter's Jennifer and Michelle

Grandson Lucas, Grand daughter Lindsey, Nana, Gramps and Grandson Jon

Back at the campground we continued to reconnect with friends from across the United States as the surge of Alliance RV's arrived at the fairgrounds for the Rally. 

Great Alliance friends  with Mike & Rachel, George & Donna, and Ralph & Lindy

 This picture kind of sums it up as we head into Memorial Day, as we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms, both foreign and domestic.  Freedom is not free.   

Photo credit Joyce Piazza Lawrence

In the next few days as the Rally gets rolling we may not post every day, since we will be attending seminars and other events.  Thanks for rolling along with us.  .  

27 May 2023 - Arrived at the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds Campground

 

Today was a great day and involved the shortest travel day of our entire trip!  We departed the Elkhart Campground where we have been camping with many other Alliance RV owners at the "pre-rally" at 1115 hrs and traveled just 18 miles to the Elkhart County 4H Fairgrounds Campground to attend the Alliance 2023 Rally.  What made this travel day interesting and quite a sight to see was the "elephant walk" of Alliance coaches!  

Having served so many years in the United States Air Force it seems only appropriate to refer to this travel as an "elephant walk"!  The term “elephant walk” is a uniquely Air Force term that grew out of World War II and became institutional memory in the new Air Force.  It refers to a close formation of aircraft taxiing en masse before takeoff.  That is the first thing that came to mind when I saw!

Our reflection in a nearby building as we were stopped for a red light.

Many of us in the Owner's Group, the set-up crew and the parking crew needed to get to the fairgrounds and get set-up prior to the hundreds of coaches that start arriving tomorrow.  So we pulled chocks this morning and headed to Goshen!  

  

An aerial picture at the Elkhart Campground taken by a great friend 

and Air Guard comrade Rich Lawrence.  Our coach is the second one up in the middle.

We arrived and the parking crew was ready for us as we were assigned sites and got set up.  We are camping in the northwest section.  

The big ol' brown truck in the middle there!

Utilities in the rear.

A beautiful Alliance Paradigm 390MP with full decoration!

Later the setup commenced.  We set up tables and chairs for the Alliance crews that will be servicing our coaches.  We also set up the registration and check-in area and the Owner's Group where we will be welcoming the Rally attendees and serving them a pulled pork slider, a beverage and some other things.  They will also get their welcome bags there. 

Unloading some of the welcome beverages!

Ralph Lowther working hard!!

This evening we were treated to a lasagna dinner prepared in Dutch ovens along with salad, apple crisp, fresh bread and all the fixin's.

Tomorrow we will take some time off and travel north to meet up with daughter Jennifer Buehner and her family for lunch.  It will be great to see Jennifer, James, Lucas and Lindsey!