One last stop for RVers

Whether it's hanging chilies from a side mirror or placing potted plants near fold-up chairs, 75 RVers are calling the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds home for the next week.

The Fleetwood Travelcade Club is holding its final RV Rendezvous in Yuba City from Monday until Sunday, with some guests extending their trips for days on either end. It is the first time the biannual event has been held locally and the first time the travelers, who hail from all over the United States and Canada, have gathered in California in 10 years.

Yuba City residents Mike and Kathy Sexton are enjoying hosting the rendezvous in their hometown, as well as being the go-to authority on all things Yuba-Sutter.

"We get to see Yuba City through the eyes of people who don't live here," Kathy Sexton said.

The weeklong gathering is packed with get-togethers and tours, including a trip today to the capitol and the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, an excursion to Beale Air Force Base on Friday and an outing to Renaissance Vineyard & Winery in Oregon House on Saturday.

"The theme is fun, food and fellowship, and they are doing a lot of all of it," Mike Sexton said.

Other Fleetwood rendezvous destinations have included Farmington, N.M.; Urbanna, Va.; and San Antonio. Formerly Avion Travelcade Club, the brand-specific travel group has been in existence for almost 50 years, but is disbanding this month. Organizers knew they wanted the club's last hurrah to be in California, but deciding where was a logistical and financial challenge, Kathy Sexton said.

"I said what about Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, and Mike said 'Here?!'" she said. "This is only the fifth one we've ever attended and here we are in charge."

For an event 11⁄2 years in the planning, Kathy Sexton said she was pleased the renovations on Plumas and Bridge streets were completed in time for the RVers' arrival. Other attractions include golf in the Sutter Buttes and a bike ride along the Feather River levee system.

"We're quite impressed," said Frank Simon, of Chaska, Minn. "It looks like you are really trying to renovate the city."

When not attending meetings or participating in activities, he and his wife, Bev, walk their golden retriever, Cady, around the neighborhoods and admire the blooming fruit trees. Yuba City will be the Simons' docking point for one week out of their eight months on the road this year.

"It reminds me a lot of spring time in Minnesota, which is still about six weeks away," Bev Simon said.

While in town, the RVers do quite a bit to stimulate the local economy, from eating out to getting haircuts to buying materials for RV repairs.

"I could easily see $150,000 to $200,000 being spent by the group in a seven-day period," said Darin Gale, Yuba City's economic development director. "And that's not even counting how much gas as they fill up and leave the community."

Hosting Fleetwood Travelcade Club's final rendezvous is a privilege, Gale said. And Yuba City is excited for any opportunity to showcase its tourism potential.

"My biggest thing is trying to make sure they know what there is here to do in our community and that they come back," he said.

License plates from around the nation reveal the distant year-round residences of club members' homes-on-wheels, including Texas, Alabama and British Columbia. The lanyards dangling nametags around the club members' necks are decorated with pins from past rendezvous, serving as makeshift RV passports.

Some club members are full-time travelers, others spend a couple months on the road and a few squeeze in a few hundred miles on brief vacations.

Former San Diego residents Carl Swanstrom and Barbara Swanstrom gave traditional living up a year ago.

"We sold our house, put everything in storage and said 'Let's hit the road and see what happens,'" he said.

This trip marks their first time in Yuba City and the greater Sacramento region. Neither realized the extent of its agricultural roots, they said.

"It's so beautiful," said Barbara Swanstrom. "All the people obviously work so hard to put food on our table."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.