Times have certainly been a-changing. Five years ago, who would have thought that gasoline would hit $1.40 a litre or $5.00 U.S. a gallon! It did this past summer and fall, and it was a shock to most of us. We had to stop and rethink everything. Fuel affects many of our favourite activities, and this meant we had to readjust our lives… of course, by Christmas, fuel had gone down to a 4-year low – who would ever have imagined that?
            While the gas prices were high this summer, we decided to stay close to home and explore some of the more interesting local and regional events. In spite of the high cost of fuel during the summer, we had no intention of giving up RV’ing as our motor home is our cottage and we always look forward to our time away with our RV’ing friends.
We went into a “regional touring mode” because we were determined to enjoy our RV lifestyle to the fullest, even if it meant cutting back on our mileage.
            So the planning began. We logged on to our computer and started to check on what was going on in the region. It didn’t take very long before we found lots of things to do and we wouldn’t have to spend a fortune on fuel to get to them.
We found two festivals that we thought would be fun, and since we were not going to be traveling a very long distance, we invited some of our RV friends to come along. It wasn’t long before we had a group organized, and we hit the road to another memorable RV adventure.
            The first festival had a real southern sound to it - “The Canadian Redneck Games”. Now when you say “redneck”, we generally think “Missouri” or “Alabama” or “Arkansas”, not Palmerston, Harriston or Clifford in Ontario, Canada. So with a loud “Yee Haw!” we were off to the Canadian Redneck Games and Festival in Minto.
            We arrived on Thursday, and found a great parking spot right on the Harriston Fairgrounds, the venue for the Redneck Games. Since our little group had grown to include several rigs, we decided to have a Redneck Hospitality Mixer. Karen made-up some Redneck Swamp Juice, a Redneck Wedding Cake and some other specialties for the evening, and this really got us into the Redneck Spirit.
The Festival started on Friday and we were bussed to Palmerston for the Redneck Comedy Show with Casey Corbin as Emcee and featuring Scott Harris and Jeff Leeson. This was really starting to look and sound like Redneck Country!
            The weather was not the best on Saturday, but that didn’t matter, because this weekend we were Canadian Redneckers and rain or shine we were determined to have fun, fun, fun. We started the day by joining everyone for the Redneck Breakfast and the big Redneck Parade through Harriston. We got our lawn chairs and made our way to the parade route, and as we sat down to watch the rain came and turned us all into soggy rednecks. One float had kids with squirt guns, but by the time they reached us, they had given up squirting people because we were already soaked, and so were the kids!
            After the parade the weather let up for awhile and the fairgrounds began to show some life. Happy Johnston started doing his Tribute to Merle Haggart, the Hubcap Hurl was in full swing, and the Little Canadian Redneck games got under way for the kids. We saw a great show put on by the “West Coast Lumber Jacks” followed by the “Bobbin’ for Pigs Feet” but the highlight for us was the “CKNX/CIBU Mud Pit Belly Flop” Contest. This was incredibly funny, but we know we couldn’t do it, so we watched these crazy Canadian Rednecks flopping, tripping or falling into cold and muddy water, we laughed so hard it hurt.           
It wasn’t long before the rain and winds came crashing back and the “Mud Pit Slip and Slide” contest became a “Mud Pit Slip and Slide” featuring guests making their way back to their cars. Despite the weather, it had been a great afternoon of entertainment and fun.
On Sunday, the games moved to Clifford, Ontario, and Mother Nature was much kinder to the spectators and participants alike. The Mud Volley Ball Tournament and all of the other events went on as planned.
            We had a great weekend and we recommend the Canadian Redneck Games to everyone. The Town of Minto has definitely come up with a winner and we wish them all the best in the future.

You say Tomato, I say Tomato…
            Our next regional attraction was the Leamington Tomato Festival in Leamington, Ontario, a town that prides itself on being the “Tomato Capital” of Canada, because for many years the major industry in the town has been focused on producing and marketing this fruit. Leamington supplies Tomatoes to Supermarkets all across North America.
            Long ago, H.J. Heinz held a picnic every year in celebration of the company and the tomato harvest. When Heinz decided to cancel the annual picnic, private individuals sought a new idea to celebrate the unique Leamington culture, and the Leamington Tomato Festival was born.
            Twenty-five years later, the Tomato Festival is one of the highlights of the year within the community and throughout Southwestern Ontario. This is a time when the town and community unite to have fun together, and they invite people from all over Ontario and the nearby communities in Michigan and the surrounding states and provinces to come and enjoy the excitement with them.
The Tomato Festival Parade was great, with floats, bands, clowns and the Shiners with their miniature cars and motorcycles. What a wonderful way to get a festival started. The Fairground was packed with vendors, a farmers market, entertainment, beer tent and the Famous Tomato Stomp. Earlier in the week, they had the Tomato Festival Golf Tournament and the Tomato Festival Pageant. The Tomato Festival is a time when the people of Leamington enjoy the simple pleasures of life with friends and guests from around the world. We had a great time and enjoyed everything and we are certainly looking forward to returning in the future.
            While we were on the way to and from the festivals we were able to buy delicious, fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables at many roadside markets.  Our favorite was a refreshing, yellow-fleshed watermelon. We also went with friends and visited the huge greenhouses in the area.
            There are regional festivals in every province of Canada and every state in the U.S.A. You do not have to spend a fortune to get there, nor do you have to spend a fortune to enjoy the festivals.
This has been one of the shining silver linings inside the recent fuel price cloud… and it certainly opened our eyes to the vast range of activities taking place within a few hours drive of many Canadian communities – perhaps it is time to ask… when was the last time you explored the festivals in your region?
Our motorhome is our get-away to have fun and enjoy the best that the RV lifestyle has to offer. Motorhomes are not gas-guzzlers, as many non-RV’ers may think they are. They are exactly what the mane implies - a Motor Home: a home with a motor in it - our home when we are on the road. We do not drive the motorhome five days a week - we go from point A to point B, and we tow a small car that we use to get around. Our motorhome has provided us with a comfortable and affordable way to see North America, with all the unique and varied natural landscapes.
To the best of our knowledge, we only get one crack at life, and when it is over, it is over. So do your best to enjoy life to the fullest and be proud of who you are – it’s a good time to be proud to be an RV’er.

For Information:
Canadian Redneck Games
Town of Minto
519-338-2511
www.canadianredneckgames.ca/

Leamington Tomato Festival
519-326-2878
E-mail  info@leamingtontomatofeatival.com
www.leamingtontomatofestival.com/

Take care & happing Rving
M.B. & Karen Wilson
Wagon Masters
E-Mail  wagontrains@msn.com