Part of the fun of RVing is the independence you enjoy seeing the world in your rig. There’s nothing like getting up in the morning and taking off down the highway, ready to experience the day’s exciting adventures. Not having to be anywhere specific, not following a rigid timetable—it all adds up to the freedom that comes with the RV experience.
So why, you may ask, does the Good Sam Club offer so many organized group tours and events for our members? If the RV experience is really all about independence and spontaneity, why do we organize tour programs that include planned activities and scheduled stays?
It’s easy to explain. Most of our events—we call them Samborees—are held in conjunction with major festivals and happenings that take place throughout North America. If you’ve ever dreamed of going to the Pasadena Rose Parade, the Calgary Stampede, Now Orleans’ Mardi Gras or Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta, for example, we’ll make sure you have the most fun possible without the hassle.
Rose Parade Samboree guests experience the event firsthand by watching floats being decorated, ringing in the New Year with fellow members at a dinner dance and then enjoying premium reserved seats at the parade. Members attending our Mardi Gras Samboree get to view not one but 12 parades, eat lots of great New Orleans and Cajun meals and even attend their own Mardi Gras ball. And during the Calgary Stampede Samboree, members enjoy yet another parade, not to mention the famous rodeo, chuckwagon races and Canadian hospitality.
NASCAR fans aren’t left out of the mix. In 2010, we’re offering three race events where the action will be loud, fast and furious. At the world-famous Daytona 500 in Florida, we provide RV parking right by turn one plus choice reserved seats for all races. Members can visit the drivers’ garage areas and even walk the legendary track itself—before the races begin, of course! At the Shelby 427 NASCAR races in Las Vegas, we’ll park in our own fenced-in area with 30-amp hookups, and our seats are in the exclusive Dale Earnhardt Terrace for the entire weekend. We round out racing season at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, a great destination for RVers of all ages.
It’s not all about parades and races, though. Members gather in Washington, D.C., for our American Heritage Samboree, and in Nashville, Tennessee, and Branson, Missouri, for some down-home music and fun. In September, we visit New York City, and we’re also going to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture. Be assured that all of our Samborees and tours are led by experienced, hospitable and fun-loving tour directors and wagonmasters.
Good Sam also offers Caraventures, spectacular RV journeys that take members to Alaska, the Great Lakes, eastern Canada, Nova Scotia, New England, Cajun Country, Copper Canyon, Baja and even South Africa! We also accommodate members who prefer to leave their rigs behind and cruise with the club to Hawaii, Alaska, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
As exciting as these destinations are, just about all of our guests agree on one thing—the best part is sharing the experience with fellow members and making new friends along the way.
The RV lifestyle offers almost unlimited choice and flexibility—you can travel on your own and stop when you want and where you want. Or you can get the most from a popular destination by letting Good Sam do the planning for you.
The Good Sam Club has made it easy to find the Samboree or Caraventure that’s right for you. Simply visit the website below and find what you’re looking for by date, location or event type. You can register online or call the 800 number listed with each event to book your reservations. You’ll also find listings of state and provincial events and RV shows.
www.goodsamclub.com/community/eventsandtours.aspx
Sue Bray is executive director of the Good Sam Club, the world’s largest RV owners’ organization. Read previous columns at
www.goodsamclub.com/ highways.