The Hi-Desert Rig Runners arrived in their modern day stagecoaches at Banning, CA, Stagecoach Town, USA for the February campout. Gold was discovered on the Colorado River in 1862 and people needed a fast way to get the gold from Los Angeles. They had to come through the pass... Banning. The stagecoach line was called Colorado Stage and Express Line. It ran from 1862 until 1871, the coming of the railroad.

The main event of the weekend was a Digital "Scavenger" Picture Hunt. Teams were selected making sure each team had a digital camera, maps of the local area, a sheet of 23 pre-selected picture opportunities and a list of rules. It has been fun hearing how the teams interpreted the different opportunities and seeing the pictures that were captured. Banning/Beaumont are side by side with only a welcome sign designating you have entered the next town. Beaumont has been dubbed the "Antique Capital" of the Inland Empire. You guessed it... there are lots of quaint shops with antiques from all over so our ladies were drooling as they drove by taking photos but not able to go inside and look around. Looking around can come later. This was a good way to learn about the town, and also learn how to use the digital camera plus the process of putting the pictures on computer as we gathered in the clubhouse and had a training session. Certificates were awarded to the team who gathered the most points to satisfy the 23 picture opportunities, the team who photographed twenty-one of the twenty-three opportunities, and the team with the most unobstructed photos. They were all winners by traversing the town for hidden clues and gathering information about the two towns.

Friday evening was spent playing card bingo with every coach having a bingo. Saturday night we spent the evening playing Pictonary with the men's team doing an outstanding job of out drawing and out guessing the women's team. Wow, it was fun having the men entertain the women for most of the evening to the point our sides were sore from laughing. Guests for the weekend were Denis and Betty LeBrun from Larimore, ND and members of the North Dakota Filckertail State Club. They awoke one morning to rabbit droppings on their patio carpet... I guess the rabbits thought it was a new kind of grass imported from North Dakota. The Gilberson's were surprised when their neighbor, Harold Miller started washing their coach... It turned out he was filling his fresh water tank, the hose got away from him and sprayed the rig... oh well, maybe he will wash it next time. It is sad to say our goodbyes, but we have the hope of gathering again next month.