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Prime Times Rogue Rovers By John Darling A merry band of Medford seniors calling themselves the "Rogue Rovers" has found camaraderie, fun and adventure on the open road. Three times a year, about 20 Rogue Valley Manor residents flee the routine of retirement, fire up their recreational vehicles, drive scenic back roads of the West and rally at a campground in the evening for a potluck dinner, games, sing-alongs and a much-relished sense of community. Their destinations in the spring and summer are close by � Indian Mary Park, Crater Lake, Rocky Point and the Redwoods � but in September each year they go for it, launching off to distant wonders, such as Canyonlands and Grand Canyon last year and, this coming September, the Oregon capitol, Mount St. Helens, Lake Chelan, the North Cascades and Grand Coulee Dam. "It gets you away. You see such beautiful scenery and wilderness," said Shirley Winn, called the "wagon master" since the Rovers formed in 1986. Above all, it�s the friendship. We�re a close-knit bunch. When you live together with people parked three feet from you, you have to become good friends." Caravaning a dozen RVs is no snap. First, you don�t caravan, said Winn. You stay in touch by CB radio, but you wander your own way to the designated campground, so as to not clog highways with an RV jam. What to bring for potluck dinners is organized a month in advance by Elva Gerling. And, with word-of-mouth input from members, Winn researches campgrounds and makes reservations months in advance. Elva�s husband, John Gerling, serves as club historian, taking digital photos and writing a trip book, with copies handed out to each member. "We�ve been RV-ing since the early �50s when we had a trailer," said retired Medford orchardist Don Minear, who, with his wife Zee, has learned to take the "rough" out of "roughing it" by packing a microwave oven, two televisions and a queen-size bed into his 30-foot Holiday Rambler. "It�s like a family," said Zee Minear. "In the evening, we sing together, eat potluck dinner, play Mexican trains and rummy cubes." Don Minear adds, "I like the friendship. People at the Manor have come from all over the country and it�s neat to learn where they�ve lived and what they�ve done." Campsite singing is led by Erika Barrows, a retired school band director from Fair Oaks, Calif., who brings her electronic keyboard on trips. While waiting for an opening at the Manor, Erika and her husband, Thor, kept no residence but toured the country while towing their 13-foot Palamino pop-up trailer. Members of the Rovers often go off on their own to golf, hike, boat or visit museums, said Winn. Many bring their cats or dogs to keep them company on the journey. "I love getting away from the routine," said Ginney Carleton, a retired nurse. "Yes," agreed retired aerospace engineer Paul Peterson, "and, when you�re ready, it�s really good to get home." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA