{"id":7,"date":"2010-06-05T17:40:10","date_gmt":"2010-06-06T00:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/minniebiz.com\/gmcmotorhome\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2022-06-02T17:38:51","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T00:38:51","slug":"travels","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/minniebiz.com\/gmcmotorhome\/travels\/","title":{"rendered":"Our History with the GMC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[Note: we sold our GMC in October of 2017 after buying what GMCers call an “SOB” (Some Other Brand). It is a Forest River Sunseeker 2400R MBS]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We bought our 1976 GMC Motorhome from Carol’s Uncle Dave and Aunt Sue in the Tampa, Florida area in early November of 2006.  We had flown to Florida from Tucson using one-way tickets and planned to drive the GMC back to our home in Marana, Arizona.  We had no experience with GMCs, only a mutual love of the design and the idea of such a modern looking coach coming out of the 1970’s.  Our experience since then has been to join some GMC clubs and participate in the online discussions in the GMCnet forum so we could find out what was available and what we could expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since that purchase we have had many trips and had many adventures in our GMC that we now call “Barbie” – short for  “Barbiemobile”.  She (our coach) was initially called the Barbiemobile by our neighbor Lynn M. who noticed that it had an uncanny resemblance to the toy coach that her daughters had for their Barbie Dolls at that time.  Turns out that Mattel’s Barbiemobile was actually modeled from the GMC Motorhome which was built by GMC from 1973 through 1978.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will use this blog to keep track of our adventures from now on – the first trip that I kept a journal for was the August 2010 trip that took us through 22 states and 2 Canadian provinces in almost eight weeks from August 1st to September 23rd in 2010.  In order to keep the record straight, Carol compiled a list of all of our trips in Barbie – sorry there aren’t more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a map showing all of the states that we have been through with our GMC (it should include the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) and a list of the individual trips. The trips are listed in reverse order from the most recent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where we’ve been in our GMC<\/b>
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Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of our trips in “Barbie” – most recent first:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

70)August 25-27, 2017 – Bisbee with Bridget and Jae<\/p>\n\n\n\n

69) June 3-17, 2017 – Family and friends visits in Salinas, San Jose, and Shingle Springs, CA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

68) April 28-30, 2017 – Marana Bluegrass Festival in Marana, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

67) April 17-24, 2017 – GMC Western States rally at Pahrump, NV\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

66) March 23-26, 2017 – GMCSJ Rally at Cave Creek Regional Park, Cave Creek, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

65) March 2-5, 2017 – Bluegrass on the Beach at Lake Havasu, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

64) December 1-4, 2016 – GMCSJ Rally at DeAnza RV Resort in Amado, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

63) November 3-6, 2016 – GMCSJ Rally at Karchner Caverns State Park at Benson, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

62) September 27 – October 18, 2016 – Fall GMCWS Rally in Coos Bay, OR (we didn’t make it)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

61) August 29-31, 2016 – Patagonia Lake State Park near Nogales, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

60) June 23-26, 2016 – Prescott, AZ for a Bluegrass festival<\/p>\n\n\n\n

59) May 1-7, 2016 – GMCWS Spring Rally at the Pechanga Casino RV Resort in Temecula, CA<\/p>\n\n\n\n

58)April 2016 – GMCSJ “mini-rally” at the Marana, AZ Bluegrass Festival<\/p>\n\n\n\n

57) March 2016 – GMCSJ Air Show Rally in Tucson, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

56) February 18-21, 2016 – GMCSJ Tombstone, AZ Rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

55) January 22-24, 2016 – GMCSJ Bluegrass Rally at Casa Grande, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

54) November 5-8, 2015 – Bisbee, AZ for the weekend<\/p>\n\n\n\n

53) September 14 – October 9, 2015:\u00a0Colorado, South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona<\/p>\n\n\n\n

52) June 15-30, 2015 – Family visits in California<\/p>\n\n\n\n

51) April 11-18, 2015 – Palm Desert, CA for a GMCWS rally and a birthday celebration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

50) March 16-18, 2015 – Fort McDowell, AZ to take a Segway tour in the desert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

49) February 19-22, 2015 – Willcox, AZ for a GMCSJ rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

48) February 12-15, 2015 – Lake Havasu City, AZ for the Western Winter Blast Pyrotechnics Show<\/p>\n\n\n\n

47) January 22-25, 2015 – Casa Grande, AZ for the Bluegrass Festival and the GMCSJ rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

46) December 4-7, 2014 – Ajo, AZ for a GMCSJ rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

45) November 6-9, 2014 – Prescott, AZ for a GMCSJ rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

44) September 28 – October 17, 2014 – GMCWS rally in Manteca, CA and 49er rally on Treasure Island along with lots of friends and family in between<\/p>\n\n\n\n

43) April 14-29, 2014 – A’s 70th with family and the Spring 2014 GMCWS rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

42) March 20-23, 2014 – Benson, AZ with the GMCSJ Club again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

41) February 2014 – Lazy Days Tucson with the GMCSJ Club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

40) January 23 – 26, 2014 – Casa Grande for the 2014 Agri-Country Bluegrass Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

39) January 16 – 19, 2014 – Lake Havasu, AZ for the Lake Havasu Balloon Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

38) December 5 – December 8, 2013 – Ajo, AZ for GMCSJ rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

37) September 17 – October 12, 2013 – Coos Bay, OR for GMCWS rally and family visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

36) June 29 – July 1, 2013 – Sierra Vista and Dragoon, AZ – visit Steve and Nancy Ferguson and then spend the night at the Triangle T Ranch for fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

35) April 7 – 14, 2013 – Amado, AZ for a GMC Western States rally that we are hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

34) January 2013 – Saguaro Jetset Bluegrass Rally at Casa Grande, AZ – we had beachfront property after heavy rains – more like a boat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

33)  July 23 \u2013 October 1, 2012 \u2013 East coast visit with kids, grandkids, brothers and sisters and friends in PA, MA, Maine, Wisconsin, etc.  GMCWS rally in Springville, Utah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

32) April 21 \u2013 May 13, 2012 \u2013 GMCWS Rally in King City, visits with Brian and Mark, Las Vegas for Jersey Boys, and Mother\u2019s Day visit with Mom<\/p>\n\n\n\n

31)  March 15 \u2013 18, 2012 \u2013 Saguaro Jetset Rally at Ft. McDowell in Phoenix, and visit with Mom and Pop<\/p>\n\n\n\n

30) March 1 -2, 2012 \u2013 Armand took the RV down to Steve Fergusen\u2019s in Sierra Vista, AZ for repairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

29)  February 23 \u2013 26, 2012 \u2013 Saguaro Jetset Rally in Ajo, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

28)  January 27 \u2013 29, 2012 \u2013 Saguaro Jetset rally in Casa Grande \u2013 Bluegrass Festival<\/p>\n\n\n\n

27)  December, 2011 \u2013 a visit with Steve and Gail, and then the Christmas Saguaro Jetset rally in Amado, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

26) August 5 – October 5, 2011 \u2013 Traveled to Calgary, Canada via Utah, Idaho, and Montana and then headed west to Vancouver and Victoria.  Along the way we visited: Mom & Pop, Scott, Pam and Mike, Peter and Jean, Neil and Brenda, and even Mom\u2019s friends Bill and Myrna.  The trip back was along the west coast down to Sacramento and San Jose, CA for family visits and then to Palm Desert, CA for the Fall GMCWS rally at Emerald Desert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25) April 23 – May 15, 2011 – GMCWS rally at King City, CA and then on for family visits in Sacramento area and then San Jose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

24) April 8 – 10 2011 – Saguaro Jet Set rally at Bisbee, Arizona – annual car show and fun<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23) January 28-30 2011 – Saguaro Jet Set rally at the Casa Grande Bluegrass Festival at the Pinal County fairgrounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22) January 11th – January 20th 2011 – Indio, CA for FMCA area rally, Quartzsite for a quick visit with Dan & Teri, and home via Yuma, AZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21) December 9th – December 12th 2010 – Tubac, AZ to attend GMCSJ rally<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20) October 17th – 23rd, 2010 – Las Vegas, Nevada to attend the GMCWS Fall rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19)  August 1 \u2013 Sept. 23, 2010 \u2013 East Coast friends and family visit in our newly remodeled gorgeoso Barbie!  Read the daily blog<\/a><\/strong> that was written on this trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18)  May 15 \u2013 29, 2010 \u2013 CA trip to visit kids, store and Pismo Vacation to try out 4WD on the Tracker.  A new plywood platform bed and new front curtains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17)  April 9 \u2013 11 \u2013 Saguaro Jet Set rally in Bisbee, Arizona – lots of fun<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16)  March 14 \u2013 March 28, 2010 \u2013 GMCMI in Montgomery, TX – first trip with a tow car, a 2000 Chevy Tracker convertible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15)  Dec 10 \u2013 13, 2009 \u2013 GMC Saguaro Jetset Rally at Beaudry RV in Tucson 70 miles round trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14)  Nov. 2 – 16, 2009 \u2013 CA for usual reasons and to fix Barbie – the transmission was leaking so badly it had to be replaced, and selling Artistic HangUps, our picture framing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13)  Sept 22 \u2013 Oct 5, 2009 \u2013 Pueblo, CO for GMC Motorhome Int\u2019l (GMCMI) convention, Taos  to visit cousin Jamie, and Albuquerque to visit cousin Cynthia and lucked into the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta with Cynthia as guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12)\u00a0 July 18 \u2013 19, 2009 \u2013 Mt. Lemmon with Ted and Allyson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11)  April 22 \u2013 May 5, 2009 \u2013 Usual CA trip and 1 night stop at GMC Western States rally in Palm Springs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10)  Oct. 5 \u2013 18, 2008 \u2013 CA trip for usual reasons and home via Death Valley and Las Vegas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9)  Dec 21 \u2013 30, 2007 \u2013 Christmas trip to CA for the usual reasons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8) Sept 13 \u2013 20, 2007 – Pick up RV in Idaho and visit North Rim, Grand Canyon on the way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7)  July 24, 2007 –  August, 2007 – Big Trip \u2013 supposedly our big East Coast trip but due to Mike\u2019s passing, we went to CA first, then got as far as Jackson, Wyoming before the engine blew.  Drove home and flew to East Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6)  June 25 \u2013 July 1, 2007 \u2013 Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce for 20th<\/sup> wedding anniversary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5)  May 2007 \u2013 California to visit business in Salinas and Armand’s sons and their families in San Jose and Sacramento areas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4)  March 2007 \u2013 Carol’s Mom\u2019s (1 night)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3)  Feb 2007 \u2013 San Diego for winter escape and to visit friend<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2)  Dec 2006\/Jan 2007 \u2013 California to visit business in Salinas and Armand’s sons and their families in San Jose and Sacramento areas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1)  Oct\/Nov 2006 \u2013 Pick up Barbie and drive from Florida to Arizona<\/p>\n

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[Note: we sold our GMC in October of 2017 after buying what GMCers call an “SOB” (Some Other Brand). It is a Forest River Sunseeker 2400R MBS] We bought our 1976 GMC Motorhome from Carol’s Uncle Dave and Aunt Sue in the Tampa, Florida area in early November of 2006.  We had flown to Florida […]<\/p>\n

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