Trip 4: Centre Caztel, Saint-Marie, Quebec
Thursday morning found Mark & I huddled at a picnic table, formulating the directions to get a little convoy of Altos to the big rally. The SC instructions suggested that if one wanted to be camped next to a friend, it would be best to arrive at the rally site together...but what about 18 together??? I had found a suitable place to assemble close the destination, and these details were put together and emailed to everyone. This allowed all of us to move at own pace, as long as we made it to the assembly point by 1:00pm.
It was quite a sight to see us all gather on a little rural residential street...perhaps not so unusual for us, but it must have been a curious eyeful for those living on the street. Soon we were on the move in a long convoy line of Altos snaking their way to their destination. We only had to travel a few kilometres, and we all pulled into the rally entrance together. The volunteers must have been surprised to see so many Altos arrive at one time, but it was clear their well organized teams could handle the job of getting us settled in.
It was an amazing sight to see the many license plates from so far away, such as Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, B.C., and from all over the United States…Maryland, Virginia, Florida, California, and also a couple came from Australia.
Each Alto was parked with their doors facing its neighbour, with an empty spot between. All we had to do was pull up, unhitch, and then a pink shirted team would push your Alto into position. They also had a bunch of car floor jacks that were used to level out the trailer as needed, yet another fine idea.
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| the rare yellow Alto |
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| but perhaps not so rare this one weekend |
It was another sunny hot day, and it quickly became apparent that we needed to do something to get us some shade. Steve and I went into full MacGyver mode, using our awnings, poles and guy lines, to create a nice shaded respite between the Altos. Our cheery orange camp mat added to the comfort of the little niche. This effort paid off nicely, as not only did it provide us, and our furry friends a break from the heat, it also resolved the biggest concerns most everyone felt about camping in a parking lot. Soon our little design spawned a flurry of similar work around us, and our row of Altos became that much more liveable.
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| our little square of shade...and boy did we need it |
Altos and caravans continued to roll in, and the lot was bustling with activity. Once we were settled, the meandering and visiting soon started. Lots of new people to meet and chat with, tons of Alto ideas to observe, and I even got to help out a few new owners sort out their concerns.
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| our assembled row |
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| it all started here...and yellow! |
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| Photo Credit: Marc-Andre Gendron |
Safari Condo kicked off the rally with a meet and greet, fuelled by a selection from a local craft brewery, “Frampton Brasse”. They offered a nice variety of beer styles, all very creative and tasty. After the event, many impromptu little gatherings soon cropped up all through the parking lot of Altos. The fun was in full swing.
Friday brought yet another sunny and hot day, so the foldies came off and Dale & I took a little exploring ride around the historic part of Sainte Marie. The town is very scenic, nestled along the Rivière Chaudiere. Naturally, it has a large beautiful church, and as we were right beside it when the noon time bells rang, filling the air with sounds that quite frankly, we don’t have the opportunity to hear often enough. The Beauce region is very entrepreneurial, in fact, the Centre Caztel, the location of the rally, is a collaboration of regional businesses to bring sports and convention activity to the area. There is also a strong local foodie presence, cheeses being a big part of the scene.
Friday evening found a large circle of people gathered outside of our comfy niche, with food, beverages and conversation flowing freely. What a blast!
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| another Gauvreau, an Acadian, and a SC sales rep. thanks for hunting me down at the rally Jessica! |
Overnight brought some heavy winds and rain, which caused a bit of peaking out the windows to see if our makeshift awning was holding up to the task...which it did. An impromptu cheese tasting was arranged in the afternoon at a local cafe/market ‘Les Peres Nature’, with a nicely organized selection of Quebec cheeses. We then did a little grocery shopping on the market side, stocking up for our remaining days.
Lots more visiting in the afternoon, and before heading over to the show, we made the call to pack away the awnings and most of the outdoor gear, and that turned out to be a wise one.
Safari Condo brought in a Beatles tribute band, to perform two shows, given the masses of people to accommodate. Our tickets were for the Saturday show, and this was all happened after the full sit down filet mignon dinner we got to enjoy.
The Beatles show was excellent. Not only did the four guys sing and play well, they were backed by a twelve piece orchestra section. This nicely filled in all the string and horn parts that underly most of the songs. They played for two hours, and it was great fun to hear the Beatles music played live and at concert volume. What a treat.
It rained overnight and into the morning, and we were very glad we did a little pre-packing. The rally wound down with a full breakfast, a wrap up of the Safari Condo year from Daniel & Dominique, and then a steady stream of campers heading out.
A procession of caravans and Altos was headed towards the SC factory in Sainte-Frederic, where more activities were planned, including a self guided tour of the new factory. This was a must do activity for me. Having the opportunity to explore and see how these little gems are produced was not to be missed. There was an offer to boondock one more night on the SC grounds, but a few of us headed instead to a nice little private campground close by, to enjoy the full services, to prep for the drive home.
The factory tour was a highlight for a techie geek like me. I was joined by Annie and Steve, fellow like minded geeks. It was very cool to wander the factory floor, observing Altos that were in a variety of states of completion. This is a very organized undertaking. I know they have been through a few Kaizen process sessions to improve the output production, and the orderly focussed workstations seemed to reflect this.
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| the CNC... |
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| the results... |
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| big details... |
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| little details... |
For those who may balk at the Alto price tag, make no mistake, this is a handmade product, and the quality of materials and assembly reflect this fact. Throw in a strong workforce, full of pride in their tasks and final product, and you have a winning combination. We the owners, get a product that is clearly in the very upper echelons of this industry, which will serve us well in our adventures, and last a very long time. Oh, and let’s not forget the way it seems to keep its resale value...and that’s very rare. All this is worth every penny spent!
We had a nice meal back at the campground, and we all turned in early to get a few extra zzz’s for the drive to head home.
What a blast this week has been. Catching up with old friends, making new ones, hanging out talking travel and Alto, its all been so invigorating, making us want to get it hitched up again for the next adventure.
