It was another pretty day and we got our exercise in.
After getting some early work done, I read through and began my review of The Mobile Internet Handbook - 2014 US RVers Edition
You can read my full review here: Mobile Internet Handbook - A Review.
I also sidetracked myself a bit. The other day when we were at MOR/ryde, I picked up the July edition of "RV Pro" magazine.
I paged through, and I was quickly reminded how American the RV industry is - American companies building RVs in America with components produced in America.
Yes, the industry took a major hit in 2007 - 2009, but that may not have been a bad thing for the long-term prospects. Weaker companies and poorly managed companies disappeared or were absorbed by other companies. Talented personnel were gobbled up our they started their own companies.
As we drive around the area now, here in the RV Capital of the World, there are "Help Wanted" signs everywhere, and there was a huge backlog of RVs back in the Spring that needed to be delivered to dealers all over the country. Hopefully, lessons have been learned and the industry won't take the good times for granted and will plan better for future downturns that will inevitably come.
I digress.
What I really wanted to convey was that issue of "RV Pro" had great, short histories of American RV manufacturers and their American suppliers. In a time when it's hard to keep up with which manufacturers make which brands of RV, and who owns who through all the recent consolidations, this synopsis was very interesting and helpful. You might be surprised by some of these tidbits.
And the histories of the suppliers, distributors, and service providers are interesting as well.
Anyway, being cheerleaders for the RVing lifestyle, we just wanted to pass along this opportunity to spend just a little time to get to know the companies that make our mobile lives, in all their variations, possible. Just click on the magazine cover image above.
The evening approached and it was time for our dinner plans. We had made plans with Mark & Dale to try McCarthy's On The Riverwalk in downtown Elkhart. Linda had reserved us a table out on the patio.
The outdoor setting on a lovely evening was a more comfortable atmosphere than we had at the 523 Tap & Grill the other night. However, though the prices were similar and McCarthy's food was good, 523 Tap & Grill wins hands down for food and service. Tonight's meal had a couple of flaws, and the flavors weren't as sophisticated. The service, while pretty good, was nowhere near the level of the outstanding service we had at 523.
But we still had a quite enjoyable meal and talked a lot, probably too much, about RVs and RVing. :)
Back home, it was a pretty typical evening. Tomorrow, we'll be back to making our necessary phone calls and sending emails as we continue to prepare for the Fall Rally. Since we'll be taking five days out to do an RV show in North Carolina before the Rally, we have to make sure we get more accomplished a bit sooner than usual. :)
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