RVing Women's rally offers fun, art June 3-5

On June 3, a number of RVing Women will be rolling into Toppenish, Wash., "where the West still lives in the city of murals and museums." According to American Cowboy Magazine, this eastern Washington town is one of the 20 best places to live in the West.

Each year on the first Saturday in June, the Toppenish Mural Society recruits a group of western artists to design and complete a new mural, which is then added to the town's already impressive collection of 73 murals. An estimated 13,000 visitors drift into town each June to view the live event.

RVing Women, a national organization, provides education and support to single, divorced and widowed women RVers.

A group of RVing Women will circle their wagons at the Yakima Nation RV Resort June 3-5, 2011, to observe the artists as they paint the city's newest mural. Other activities include taking a narrated tour by horse-drawn wagon of several of the murals already painted, touring the Yakima Nation Cultural Center and a potluck dinner.

Other area attractions in the area are the Northern Pacific Rail and Steam Museum, the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge and the American Hop Museum. The remains of Fort Simcoe are about 30 miles south of town.

For information contact: Rally leader Patricia "Beckey" Beckey, (541) 680-1935 or email rvwbeckey@gmail.com.

Camping fees: $35/night for full hook- ups. The Yakima Nation RV Resort is located at 280 Buster Road, Toppenish WA 98948. Information is available at www.ynrv.com.

Registration fee: $40/RVW members, $60/non-members.

For other activities, contact:
RVing Women
P.O. Box 1940
Apache Junction, AZ 85117-1940
Toll free: 888.557-8464
Email: rvwoffice@rvingwomen.org
URL: www.RVingWomen.org

Photos: Top: "The Ruth Parton Story" Women like Ruth Parton helped put Toppenish on the map in the early days with feats depicted in this mural of several panels painted by Lesa Delisi of Cashmere, Washington. Parton rode broncos, performed as a trick rider, and rode relay races at rodeos around the country. She was also inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Bottom: Fred Oldfield, in his second mural for the Toppenish Mural Society, painted a scene from his own past, a scene he once lived as a former cowboy from Toppenish. Called "Christmas at Logy Creek," in this mural, two Indians share their fire and food with a cowboy friend. Courtesy of Toppenish Chamber of Commerce.

'Sisters on the Fly' and their vintage trailers

Maurrie Sussman of Phoenix, Ariz., and her real-life sister, Becky Clarke of McCall, Idaho, are the driving force behind Sisters on the Fly, a unique group of women who love to fly fish, ride horses and caravan with vintage trailers.

It all began in the summer of 1999, when Becky and Maurrie were sitting on a drift boat in Montana.

“We were happily drinking a glass of wine in celebration of catching an 8-pound Brown trout,” recalled Maurrie, “and we thought it would be fun to share this with friends.”

Since then their “sisterhood” has grown to almost 1,900 women ranging in ages from 21 to 88.

“We are average women having extraordinary adventures,” she said.

And many are doing those adventures in lavishly decorated travel trailers, painted with outlandish murals. Some of the RVs are embellished inside and out in a Western theme. A number of the rigs are from the 1950s and '60s and range from 12 to 16 feet. Models include Shasta, Scotsman, Aloha, Airstream, Scotty, Holiday, Aljo, Leigh, Crown and Empire.

“We found it was more comfortable and easier to drag our own bedroom with us,” said Maurrie. “After a hard day driving and having fun, it is pure bliss to fall into your own feather bed.”

There are several Cowgirl Caravan Events on the books for 2011-2012 including campouts in Brokenn Bowl, Okla., York, Pa., and Pendleton, Ore. There is a one-week Cowgirl College set for June 2-9, 2011, in Kaycee, Wy. "This is pure heaven for all cowgirls and I mean pure heaven. You don’t need to know how to be a cowgirl, but it helps if you know the front from the back of a horse," said Maurrie.

For a complete list click here.

You can reach them through their Web site, www.sistersonthefly.com or call (602) 908-0680 or email: sistersonthefly@cox.net. You can join this incredible group of women for an annual fee of $60.

Photo: Sister # 1 Maurrie and Sister # 2 Becky. Courtesy of Sisters on the Fly.
Read more by Julianne Crane at RVWheelLife.com