AIRSTREAM SWISS FESTIVAL RALLY

 By

Minuet in G (MinnieG)

(a 1979 Argosy (made by Airstream) that loves being on the road again)

Here we go, Folks...

Headed to the Airstream Swiss Festival Rally

in Sugar Creek, Ohio.

On the way there, V and D parked me in 

a RV park right next to the mighty Mississippi River.

WHAT A SPOT!!!

West Memphis, AR

Tom Sawyer RV Park

Remember Longaberger Baskets

Home parties back in the 90's....

online in 2000's

This was the central office for the company at one time.

It is now a hotel.

"Oh, the places we will go"

WBCCI (Wally Byam Caravan Club International)

has a list of people that have volunteered 

to have courtesy parking at their homes.

Vannie and Dave contacted a delightful family

that was on the courtesy parking list.

Waynesville, Ohio

A beautiful home...V and D were invited for dinner...

after dinner the kids enjoyed entertaining with 

gymnastic tricks, basketball, trampoline antics.

Dave said they were treated like members of the family.

Feeling blessed

That beautiful sunset was the icing on the cake

Continuing the journey

Corn fields...corn fields...and more corn fields

Calendar Days

Rolling hills...farm houses...silos...cows...blue skies

In this NE corner of Ohio,

there is not one piece of trash anywhere.

Truly Amazing

The little white church on the hill...

Sounds like a song...

Vannie found it...Author: W. H. Haverfield

🎜There's a spot that is dearest of all on earth,

Its memory dwells with me still;

Tis the place where my parents for long years met,

In the little white church on the hill,🎝

Wilkomin

"Welcome"

Airstream Swiss Festival Rally

58th Rally

Longest running Airstream Rally in WBCCI

Our rally was slap-dab in the middle of one of the 

largest Amish communities in the country.

These buggies were parked at the grocery store.

Dave said he loved the entertainment

 each evening.

Bands, soloists, accordion players

Ernest "Mooney" Warther Museum

Dover, Ohio

Master Carver

Ernest carved the trains through the ages.

There were several houses on the property.

This was the Button House.

Ernest's wife, Frieda, collected more than

73,000 buttons.

Seems like Vannie only took pictures of the arrow head collections.

Fascinating plant featured in the gardens

Amaranth

Leaves can be boiled or cooked in soup.

Seeds can be popped liked popcorn or

ground into flour.

Ernest used exotic woods and ivory in his carvings.

David is checking out a piece of ebony.

Very heavy!

A carving of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train...

Ebony and Ivory

Look closely

Lincoln is lying in state inside the train car.

Another tour was a "get to know" the Amish/Mennonite better.

Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center

It features a huge painting of the life and times of the Amish.

A 10 foot by 265 foot circular mural, called Behalt.

Behalt means "to keep, hold, remember".

A guide explained all the areas.

This is a close-up of one of the areas.

The Rally organizers planned so many tours.

This one to "Pearl Valley Cheese" was "delicious".

Lots of cheese tasting...YUM

Dave is enjoying all the ins and outs of cheese making.

David Warther Carvings

Grandson of Ernest Warther

David predominantly uses ivory.

Instead of craving trains like his grandfather,

he uses all ivory.

His ivory comes mostly from donations.

He has created the history of ships from the

1st Dynasty Egypt to the present day.

Dave created a small fall decoration for me.

I was feeling very special.

Everyone attending the rally thought I was the cutest thing EVER.

Aw...Shucks

...and then there was the day the Amish came to our park.

This guy brought a team of 6 mules...BIG mules.

He attached a hay wagon to the team.

...giddy-up...a hayride

These guys were the stars.

Making apple butter...

in a large copper pot...

...finished product...

The Putt-Putt Ice Cream Maker

A lot of putt-putting...and then there was ice cream...

Yep...dat's it!

The pot on the right was the apple butter pot.

The 3 pots on the left...bean soup.

Lunch and Dessert

Time for the Swiss Festival

Dave and Vannie are getting into character.

There it is!

The world's largest cuckoo clock...

(In the background...not the cuckoo's in front)

Lunch at the Methodist Church

The Parade

Antique Cars lead off.

The Alphorn concert under the traffic light.

The Airstream Rally float pulled by a Airstream B Van.

First Place

$175 prize

Vannie and Dave

Linda and Norm Beu

(NTAC Members)

North Texas Airstream Community

Apples...Apples...Apples

Honey...honey...honey

"Honey", what a great rally!!!

So much hard work by the organizers...

Time to move on down the road...again!

Vineyards replaced the corn fields 

when we crossed the border into New York 

Lake Erie

Farm Houses

Vineyards

The blue dot represents our location

Niagara Falls, New York

Time to get wet!!!