Cascadia Member Profile

Name: Barbara J. Nelson

RVW Member Since: 1995

Residence(s): Renton, WA

Born: A small town in Nebraska

Raised: Nebraska until age 9, then Seattle, WA

Schooling: Cleveland High School (Seattle); University of Washington (Physical Education); Brooks Institute of Photography.

Lived In: Nebraska; Virginia; Connecticut; Germany; Santa Barbara, CA; Bremerton, WA; Renton, WA.

Family: Sister lives in Ketchikan, AK

Pets: None, but loves big dogs

Career(s): Currently enjoying a well-earned retirement.

Earlier careers included the Navy, where she was an intelligence officer; the Girl Scouts, where she worked in programs and training; and real estate, where she was an agent and broker working the south King
County area for 20 years.

Hobbies/Talents/Passions: Golf, travel, reading and music.

Obscure Fun Fact: Has played 17,000 games of Free Cell on the computer.

Favorite Accomplishment: Has traveled to all 50 United States.

RVing History: Has been RVing since the early 70s when she bought a
16-foot trailer. Has since owned every style of RV made. Currently enjoying a Class A Itasca Sun Cruiser.

Favorite Trip(s) Taken: No one particular favorite destination. They're
all good, she says.

Next Long Trip: Taking a 3-week trip to China in summer 2006, without the RV, of course.

Most Recent Book Read: Currently reading I Saw Red China by Lisa Hobbs, the story of the first journalist allowed back into mainland
China when it reopened to tourists in the mid 1960s.

Favorite Website(s) That You’re Willing to Admit: Ameritrade,
RVing Women, and the Cascadia site, of course.

Advice: Remember not to drive faster than your guardian angel
can fly.

Barbara at home in the Fairwood area of Renton.

Also of Great Note: Barbara is the "founding mother" of the RVW Cascadia chapter.

While on a trip to Arizona in the late 90s, Barbara walked into the
RVW national office in Apache Junction and offered to organize some rallies.

During the 1999 national convention, an organizational meeting was
held in Enumclaw. Barbara asked for a show of hands of women interested in forming a northwest chapter. With an enthusiastic
response the Chapter was founded. Barbara organized the first two outings of the Cascadia Chapter in the spring and fall of 2000 - a trip
to the Thousand Trails at Leavenworth, and a trip to Harrison Hot Springs in British Columbia.

Encouragement from Barbara Howard convinced her that British Columbia should also be included in the chapter, "because those Canadians are so darn much fun." And so they were. During the 2000 season Bonnie Blossom was elected the first chapter president, and Dianne Pond elected the Events chair.

Thanks, Barbara, for all your efforts in establishing the Cascadia Chapter of RVW!