Reminisce
About the Great Things of Yesterday Wagon Masters’
Style – Close to Home
Over
the years that we have been writing this column, we’ve
always said “you don’t have to go far to see
new places”. Even from our hometown of Brampton,
Ontario we’re lucky to have so many exciting places
to visit within a three- to five-hour drive.
For instance, did you know that only three hours from
Toronto is Jamestown, New York, the birthplace of Lucille
Ball and home of the Lucy – Desi Museum and Gift
Shop? Over a 100,000 fans have visited the Lucy –
Desi Museum, and Wagon Trains was part of the group that
visited in 2005.
Downtown Jamestown proudly showcases large outdoor wall
murals of Lucy from some of her most memorable TV moments.
Our I Love Lucy Rally visited in August of 2005 for the
Lucy Birthday Bash. We toured the downtown area, and visited
the museum that pays tribute to the duo. Here we saw Lucy’s
and Desi’s costumes, awards, personal wardrobe,
the apartment that was their home in New York City, and
the hotel suite they stayed in while they were in Los
Angeles. These sets were moved to the new Lucy –
Desi Museum along with the set that Lucy did that famous
commercial “Vitameatavegamin”.
We also met Diane Vincent who plays Lucy for Universal
Studios in California. The studio let Diane come to Jamestown
for the Lucy Birthday Party to play Lucy. She did a superb
job!
Twice annually Jamestown welcomes Lucy and Desi fans from
around the world for two special festivals (May and August)
honouring the “first couple of comedy”. Celebrations
are family-friendly festivals that center around downtown,
but also include Lucytown tours and other events. We discovered
that Lucille Ball’s final resting place is in Jamestown’s
tree-shaded Lake View Cemetery, where she has been reunited
with her parents and ancestors.
For those who grew-up watching Lucy and Desi, like us,
this was “the” rally to attend. Everyone had
a great time, but at the same time it was also a sad reunion,
knowing that we’ll never see these two again outside
of reruns. They brought so much joy and laughter into
our lives, and that’s something we’ll never
forget.
Wagon Trains hopes to return for the May festival in 2007.
If you would like more information on the festivals, call
1-877-582-9326 or visit www.lucy-desi.com.
FALL RALLY
Wagon Trains held their Fall Rally at the Toronto West
KOA, which is only about a half hour west of Toronto.
Including 40 RV units and 80 people, all of us came to
enjoy the Fall colours, not to mention our trip up to
visit the Halton County Radial Railway on the Guelph Line,
about 10 minutes from the campground.
The Halton County Radial Railway is a full-size operating
electric railway, featuring classic electric railcars
operating on two kilometers of scenic track. It’s
owned and operated by the Ontario Electric Railway Association
– a non-profit, educational organization.
Owning a variety of historic streetcars, radial cars and
work cars, the museum’s oldest railcar in the collection
was built more than one hundred years ago and the newest
in the 1960s.
Your admission ticket is the first step into a day of
fun and a world of history. It’s good for unlimited
rides on all of the cars operating that day, as well as
access to the displays. The Rockwood Station, built in
1912 for the Grand Trunk Railway, is a wonderful spot
to start your day – that’s where we started
ours. One of the streetcars we rode on reminded me of
the streetcars I rode to school on the St. Clair Line
in Toronto! I also noticed that the museum had some of
the subway cars from the Toronto Transit System, it looked
like they were some of the originals that traveled the
Yonge Street Line. We had our very own conductor too,
who toured our group around. Jim Sorensen gave us the
VIP tour, and what a great day it was. For more information
on the Halton County Radial Railway call 519-856-9802
or visit www.hcry.org.
When planning your RV adventures, take a closer look at
what’s around your hometown. After all, you don’t
have to go far to enjoy a good time and a great campground.
Take care & happy RVing
M.B. & Karen Wilson
Wagon Masters
wagontrains@bellnet.ca (Top) |
