This week, members of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International, Inc. Airstream Club Tour parked their silver bullets at SunRoamers RV Park in Picayune and have been enjoying the sights in, what some members dubbed, “a quaint town.”
Wednesday, the ladies of the WBCC, dined at Southern Char for their Ladies Hat Luncheon before enjoying an afternoon of shopping during Picayune Main Street’s sidewalk sale event in downtown Picayune. The ladies wore their finest hats adorned in pinecones and pearls, which correlates to this year’s theme.
Helen Bourgeois serves and the WBCCI’s Region Six First Lady and said people can only be a member of the club if they own an airstream or silver bullet. Region Six spans six states including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and the Florida panhandle.
This brand of travel trailers and motor homes has been manufactured since 1931, she said. Airstreams are unique, Bourgeois said. They are aerodynamic, as opposed to square. They are also made with high-grade aluminum and are a better value for the money, Bourgeois said.
Once a year, the region hosts a rally and this year, the group chose Picayune, because they love SunRoamers and Picayune’s small town atmosphere, she said.
“In these economic times, we don’t need to travel to a larger city,” Bourgeois said. “We need to support our small towns. Picayune has lot to offer and we know it’s not trivial. We enjoy the ambience, beauty, good people, fun and fellowship of being here.”
Jean Dussaut, from Huntsville, Alabama, has been a WBCCI member since 1977. Before suffering a stroke, Dussaut said she traveled nine months of the year.
“We like seeing the country and the airstream is the only way to go,” Dussaut said. “Picayune is really a beautiful little town and SunRoamers is just fantastic.”
Fifteen-year member Jean Ritenour from Cleveland, Tennessee said when she bought her Airstream, she knew it was something she would keep for the rest of her life and would hold its value. She said she is enjoying Picayune’s quaint atmosphere.
Mary Potter, from Satsuma, Alabama, joined WBCCI in 1988 with her husband Ray. Although Ray died 16 years ago, she keeps traveling.
“It’s me and the Lord together,” Potter said. “This is such a good club with nice people and friends for life. It’s just a nice way of life.”
Lois Kalthoff, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, said her friends talked her into buying an Airstream in the mid-1980s. The Katlhoffs were ready to retire and wanted to travel. Everyone in the club is friendly, she said. This is her first time visiting Picayune.
“The people here have been very friendly and easy to talk to,” Kalthoff said. “It’s a place I would come back to.”