Tour of Rainbows End

Today I took the tour of Rainbows End again, today I was with Bob, Molly, and Marty. Every tour starts out on the clubhouse deck, and the story about the founders and everyone else being plugged into the electric pole in the middle of the property.

This is a picture of "that" pole. I'm sure the pole has been changed over the years, but it has always been replaced in the same spot. Now when you drive through that part of the park you have to drive around that pole.




Inside the clubhouse who every is giving the tour tells a little about how the Escapees RV Club got its start. Then you are shown around the clubhouse before walking out a side door leading to the street where the current mail service, and headquarters is located.




Inside the headquarters building and the mail service building you are shown the to part most people see when they conduct business there. Next you are led through the offices and into the mail room. In the mail room we were shown howwe, howwe is the $350,000 sorting machine for the mail service. The name howwe came from Bud Carr when he said "how we going to pay for this".




We were led through more of the mail room where we could see each envelope for each member of the mail service.



Then the tour is led upstairs where the offices for the Escapees National Headquarters are. we all sat around what I guess was the conference table. Mark greeted us and informed us of the political issues that he deals with, and how the Escapees and other RV groups and companies deal with trying to keep the local ordinances from passing the "no overnight parking" laws that keep many of us from spending nights in wal-Mart parking lots.




Most tours Angie Carr introduces herself and talks to the group, as does someone from the Escapees Magazine. Today they were unavailable so Betsy was left with the task of trying to explain a lot more than she normally does.
The trolley car tour is next, you are driven around in an old refurbished trolley car. You are shown the original property that was bought in 1984, and then each other section that was purchased.
The trolley takes you through the entire park so you get the chance to see it all. It also makes a stop at SKP #1's residence. There you can get out and walk around the beautiful water garden. The story we got was Joe and Kay wanted to have a museum and a water fall built as a memorial to them, but decided not to wait until they were dead to do it. So everyone now has a beautiful water garden to see in front of Joe and Kay's house.


Today Joe Peterson came out while we were there to welcome us. He was also asked to tell us a joke, and since we were all new to Livingston he was able to tell one that apparently he has told before here.



Joe was warned of our arrival by their dog Repo. Joe just had to tell us how repo got his name. When they went to pick up their new puppy the owners had to go to their neighbors house to get the puppy, because the neighbors had not paid for the puppy. Thus the name REPO.



Here is another shot of the water garden, it really is beautiful. For me to say that it is beautiful is a lot because I am not a real big fan of gardens.





We then loaded back onto the trolley car and was driven around the rest of the park. We were shown the care center, where the care center volunteers park their rigs, and other parts of the Escapees complex, before winding up back at the clubhouse.

Today there was a thunderstorm coming as we exited the trolley car so everyone hurried to get to where they were going before the rains started. Bob and Molly almost ran back to their rig.
Bob and Molly are being pushed by their kids to hurry back to VA so they left right after the tour. They have a few stops to make before getting back to the kids, but the question, "are you here yet" is heard daily through the electronic leash we all carry called a cell phone.





Be safe Bob and Molly, we will see you soon in MO. are you there yet????