Raleigh RV Show – March 15-17, 2013
If it’s mid-March, it must be time for the annual NC RV Dealers show at the Raleigh Fairgrounds. Even though I ordered and took delivery of our new Rockwood fifth-wheel last July, I still like to look at what’s new. But, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been to so many shows, or the industry is in a lull design-wise, there was nothing really startling to see. Yes, there were a few interesting tweaks, things like fold-up aft storage platforms on trailers and more non-white exteriors. Still, it’s always fun to wander through and check things out, and occasionally whistle at some of the high-end prices. And this time, friend Bob and I were on the lookout for an RV that would be suitable for his spouse who insists on a tub, not a...
Read MoreTucson 2013 – Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show
The normally blue skies in Tucson, Arizona, had turned gray by the time we arrived at our first venue of the annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show, a group of tents arranged in a gravelly vacant lot on Oracle Street near downtown. The sign declared everything to be of Moroccan origin and my first thought was, ‘How did they lug all this stuff here from Morocco?’ We are talking rocks, you know. It was later suggested that their wares stay in this country and travel to various shows in the southwest so it’s not like they have to shlep it back and forth from north Africa all the time. We next visited a hotel, the Hotel Tucson City Center, which was entirely taken over by vendors, both inside, and out around the pool. This was a much more...
Read MoreTitanic: The Artifact Exhibition at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
I’d been meaning to attend this exhibit since it was announced, and I finally got the chance when out-of-town visitors arrived for a week’s stay with us recently. It’s ironic how the need to entertain company can provide the impetus to finally do the things you’ve been meaning to do anyway. Or at least in my world it is. The museum web site describes the exhibition this way: “On April 15, 1912, Titanic, the world’s largest ship of its time, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives and shaking the world’s confidence in the infallibility of modern technology. One hundred years later, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which showcases 200 artifacts retrieved from the wreck site of Titanic, arrives at the...
Read MoreSouthern Ideal Home Show in Raleigh September 21-23
Yep, there was yet another home improvement-oriented show in Raleigh, this one at the NC State Fairgrounds. There are at least four of these shows each year, and it gets tougher each time for me to differentiate among them. But I’m not disparaging them because I still show up at every one, Lord knows, as do a lot of people. And these shows must be productive for the exhibitors because I saw many of the same companies that were downtown two weeks ago at the Home, Hot Tub et cetera Show. This Southern Ideal show at the Fairgrounds was bigger than that one – I counted nearly two hundred-sixty spaces in the Graham Building and over one hundred-forty in the Exposition Center. There were the usual cooking demonstrations, wine tastings (Duplin...
Read MoreHome, Hot Tub and Landscape Show September 2012
This weekend, it was once again time for the semiannual Home, Hot Tub and Landscape Show at the Raleigh Convention Center. Admission was free, although the parking – which usually only averages me a couple of hours – is $7 for all day at the garage across the street. The promoters use a marketing ploy of sticking little 3” X 3” free admission coupons on the front page of the local newspaper for several days leading up to the show. Last time, I collected those little things and carried them with me, only to learn that they’re unnecessary. There’s a box at the door to toss them in, but you can bypass it with impunity. There were all the things you’d expect from an event called “Home, Hot Tub and Landscape Show.” But this time, I decided...
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