On the bike headed for the Tampa RV Show
Needed a ‘Boy-Day’. So (after consulting with my boss), I aimed the bike at Tampa and the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. We are currently staying in Clermont, FL (about 78 miles from Tampa). This was the weekend of the Tampa RV Show so I could knock out two birds with one stone.
The Tampa RV Super Show
This is one of the largest (if not THE largest) RV shows in the country. This thing was massive. We are talking miles upon square miles of RVs and vendors. I was in cowboy boots which were not conducive to a lot of walking, but I hit the areas I am most interested in: Class A motorhomes and RV accessories. The Tampa RV Show itself was impressive as hell. Probably 50 food vendors and a half dozen live bands performing along with magicians, clowns with balloons, one guy on stilts, and thousands of RVs of every shape and size. There was a giant convention hall with nothing but RV accessories. I was the model of restraint in being able to leave without separating myself from my cherished poker stake. I was tempted though.
Tampa RV Show 2 million dollar RV
There was a Tire Minder TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) that I would really have liked for the RV and trailer. It constantly monitors the air pressure in the tires and displays it on your phone or an LCD dash display. (One of my big fears.) The other was a backup camera for the trailer. The RV has one, but it would be nice to know what is going on way back there. And then there were the RVs…
Just Cut the Check!
The super expensive models were kept in an exhibit hall. Some of these sold for 1-2 million dollars. Let’s think about that for a minute. a TWO MILLION dollar RV. Not a house. Not an island. An RV. Some of these monsters were so tall, I have o idea how they would even get under an overpass.
Caught Between A Hard Rock and a Place
Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, FL
After I escaped the Tampa RV Show with my wallet still intact, I checked in at the Clarion (more on that later…maybe) and then hit the Seminole Hard Rock Casino poker room. Or should I say it hit me? The first night I played 2/5 No Limit Hold’em and had less than stellar results. Sometimes your cards just run cold. If that were the only reason I could live with it. But… there is the little matter of having not played in 5 months and in my exuberance, I forgot about 1/4 of the crap in the poker book I wrote. (Now don’t I feel silly?) I played some less-than-premium starter cards and occasionally called some bets that I should have been nowhere near. Add that to some bad luck and I got skinned.
I woke the next morning, reviewed some poker flashcards on my phone I had developed, and ended with a double-up at the 1/3 No Limit table. That helped cut some of the sting of the previous night. But the whole weekend was a wake-up call to never stop trying to improve my game.
All in all, it was a fun weekend. The Clarion hotel recently purchased the Quality close to the casino and even though they tried really hard to be nice (I mean REALLY hard), the room needed a lot of work and the AC didn’t. I was happy to leave.
The ride home was interrupted by a minor technical glitch but one cigar and 78 miles of great riding later, I finally got home.
RVonTheRoadYet.com is a blog to keep our friends and family informed of our latest adventures or misadventures. We are NOT RV professionals, doctors, lawyers, or travel guides. We are a couple of people who have decided to embrace the full-time RV lifestyle of idiots and gypsies.