Tallahassee Rally January/February 2008
Tallahassee in late January and early February leads one to expect some marginal weather. Wagonmasters J Rae and Clydie Brown have a special connection that provided fantastic days and forced any rain to the evening hours at the Eastern Zone Spring Rally in Tallahassee January 29 through February 2.
The 12 rigs, plus President Al and Ann Brieger, started the rally with a Tuesday evening grand fish fry courtesy of J Rae and his assistants (some early arrivals). This was just the beginning to an interesting, educational and weight-gaining event.
The tours and visits, all following a 8 am breakfast in the headquarters, a private roomy recreational hall, were not only enjoyed by all but added to their respective understanding and appreciation of the Tallahassee capital and the surrounding area and the areas history.
From the old capital building to the new legislation center of the state to the Supreme Court building J Rae had enlisted knowledgeable and entertaining guides who enlighten all and were more than ready with answers to questions. A highlight in the Supreme Court tour was a visit and brief history lecture from Supreme Court Justice Anstead, who by the way turned out to be a friend of J Rae.
A twist to the normal meals by caterer the Browns had included heavy Hors d'oeuvres each evening except for the fish fry and the closing night potluck. This procedure was augmented by some great lunches. One lunch at the Tallahassee Rotary Club and another at the St. Johns Episcopal Church noon restaurant (the Brown’s church). A tour of the historic church followed with many RVF’rs playing the bells for all of Tallahassee to hear. Even on the ” evening on your own” most of the rallyiers met and snacked at the campground recreational hall.
The home tours of the Goodwood Plantation on Thursday and Friday’s visit to the Pebble Hill Plantation were both an experience in admiration of the opulence enjoyed and some of the hardships endured by the early residents of Tallahassee.
On Saturday, a day with the needed but not forecast sun, the rally group visited San Luis, 17th Century Spanish and Indian Mission. All of the RVFs agreed that any visit to the area with thought of understanding the history of this area should include a day at the Mission.
A wonderful breakfast casserole prepared by Clydie Brown sent the group on their respective ways on Sunday. All pledging to attend the Annual RVF Rally in Missouri, the fall Eastern Zone Rally in Ohio, and the next spring Rally to be held near Gainesville, Florida.
A shock to us all was our President Al, feeling ill, being diagnosed with a minor heart attack and receiving a heart stint at Tallahassee General Hospital. As usual Al and Ann took it all in stride and attended the Friday happy hour before heading back to Texas and getting ready for their next RVF rally.
Jim and Mary Frances Smith were fortunate to sit with Bill Rehbaum. Bill is one of the oldest members of the Tallahassee club and has amassed a perfect Rotary attendance record for 64 years. Plus, Bill informed us he was a member of the RV Fellowship back in 1985. His RV was an Airstream.
