Playing catch-up

The trouble with blogging is that it is an unforgiving mistress.  Miss a day and you feel you are way behind.  I on the other hand have missed nearly a week. A lot has happened in the interim.

We arrived in San Diego on Thursday, April 21st, and checked in at Campland on the Bay. This is a resort on the shores of Mission Bay. What a great place for families.  Although the "camp" spaces are like the stalls of a parking lot, ours was about 50 yards from the beach, which made up for some of the less camping like feel of Campland on the Bay. 

About the time I finished setting up the trailer for a four day stay, middle daughter Laura and her husband Tim and their three boys arrived.  Grandma Jill had her reunion with baby Malachi, which filled a big hole in her heart.  We had Judah and Josiah with us at home for their spring break about three weeks before, but we hadn't seen Malachi since early February, and oh, how he has grown!

Hanging out with the family at Campland on the Bay

Grandma and Laura had a go at table tennis 

Most important of all, Grandma was reunited with her Malachi. 

We explored the campground, and the older boys got very excited about the ice cream shop, and the swimming pools, and the beach, and the ice cream shop, and the arcade, and the ice cream shop...did I mention they got excited about the ice cream shop?

The next day was a school day, so the boys stayed at home with mom and dad.  They had a birthday party to attend after school, so we met Tim and Laura for a light supper and then picked the boys up from the party.  We took them back to the park with us, and they spent the night, after a rousing game night, including UNO and Sorry!

Saturday, Tim and Laura and the baby came over and brought us breakfast burritos from their favorite Mexican restaurant in Ocean Beach. We spent some time on the beach, and then the rest of the family left and took the boys to a Nerf gun shoot out at their Karate Dojo.  Meanwhile, Jill and I did some shopping, including picking up some steaks, which Tim grilled for dinner. They were to die for.

Beach fun with the family.

Even in April, the boys went swimming in Mission Bay. 

I don't think anything on the rest of our trip can top this visit for Jill. Doesn't she look happy?

This shot was taken on the beach about 50 yards form our campsite. 

Judah was savoring his hot dog and French fries. He didn't want to eat them all at once. 

A selfie with Grandpa and Malachi and Grandma. Malachi was having a good time...really he was. 

Although the original plan had been for the boys to stay with us again, mom and dad thought they were too tired and kept them home for some much needed rest. That gave Grandma and Grandpa time to catch our breath. 

Next morning, we met the family at church and had a chance to worship as a family. What a thrill.  We always enjoy the worship service at First Church of the Nazarene.  Pastor Dee gave a very inspiring sermon from Revelation chapter 21. 

Following the church service, we all ended up back at the park, and the boys and Tim had a nice time in the pool.  The boys got ice cream...again...and then we headed back to town for Judah's baseball game.  Later, Tim grilled chicken thighs.  We left the boys dragging themselves off to bed. 

Tim and his boys enjoying the pool. Josiah is particularly fond of 

Malachi and loves to hold him and play with him. What a great "big brother."

Monday was due to be our departure day, but the forecast was for 35 mph winds on our route to Yuma.  We decided to stay an extra day, which seems simple enough, but our space was reserved by someone else for the next four days. Consequently, we had to move two spaces over and reestablish a beachhead, so to speak. 

The change in plans allowed us to catch up on some housekeeping chores and walk the dogs. It also gave us a chance to see the family again. In the afternoon, we drove over to Laura's house and then walked up to Judah's school to bring him home.  Then the race began.  Judah had another ball game to play, and Josiah a karate lesson. We got the boys some frozen yogurt and then walked to the ball park. 

During the game, we grabbed dinner at the snack shack, which served a very impressive lasagna dinner for $6.  We bid the boys a tearful farewell around 8:30 pm and headed back to the park.

Tuesday morning, while I was preparing the trailer for departure, several people stopped by to admire the Retro trailer. One of them was from Vancouver, WA.  He happened to be a friend of a friend of mine. We had quite a rag chew about our friend who built a sailboat in the 1970s and then sailed it around the world. What a small world we live in.


At last, we pulled out and headed for Yuma. As is her wont, Jill became the chief photographer on the trip. We had expected the drive to be primarily through desert, but we learned that along I8 there are some impressive mountains and an amazing amount of vegetation.

As you can see, there were also some amazing rock formations along the way.

The In-Ko-Pah mountains rise to impressive heights.  The highest

 pass we crossed was about 5,100 feet elevation.

More boulders haphazardly piled up.  

On the opposite side of the road, the rocks seemed to be sharp and jagged 

as compared with the relatively rounded rocks on the other side. 

Eventually, we did find the desert terrain we expected.  And there were lots of wind turbines along the way.

We arrived in Yuma around 3:45 and stopped for gas.  While we were at the gas stop, I checked my "RVParky" app, which finds RV parks in any given area and gives details about facilities and prices, reviews and a link to the park website, as well as directions that link with the map program on my phone. We decided to try "The Palms RV Resort."  Now, I want to tell you, this is a joint!  We stopped at the iron gate and called on the intercom to talk to the security officer about being admitted to spend a few days.  He opened the gate and we drove in and parked where directed. 

We went to the nearest building to check in, and of course, we went into the wrong office and talked to the park administrator. She directed us next door, just ahead of another couple. As we were checking in with our little half ton pickup and 25 foot trailer, they checked in with their million dollar, 45 foot long Prevost motor home. They are parked across the street from us now. 

The first question we had to field was, "What year was that trailer made?" I'm not sure, but I thought I detected a bit of skepticism on the face of the woman dressed in business finery who checked us in, when I told her, "2016." The check in process was quite comprehensive and we came away with a sheaf of papers that reminded me of the stack we signed when we bought our home. All of them were neatly tucked into a cloth tote bag, complements of the establishment.  Included were two card passes that admit us through the front gate and to the pool and billiard room and the laundry facilities.

To be fair, the two ladies behind the desk were quite helpful and friendly. I guess I felt a little under-dressed in my cargo shorts and tee shirt and sandals. We settled in to our assigned space, and then we made a run to Walmart, down the road a couple of miles, for some needed supplies. 

It turns out that the season in Yuma is over for RVers, so the 485 spaces in the park are mostly deserted.  Next week they will turn off most of the wi-fi nodes (that won't be any loss) and most of the street lights. 

After dinner we took the doggies for a walk around the whole perimeter of the park in a balmy desert evening. This morning we repeated the walk in the daylight, before it got hot. Here's what we saw:

This is the area around the club house, which boasts two pools, 

a "world class" shuffleboard area and a "world class" billiard room.

 The whole complex is planted with beautiful flowering plants.

After we walked the dogs and had breakfast, we decided to visit the Arizona Territorial Prison Museum.  The prison was opened in 1879 and was a model prison at the time. Quite a number of evil and nefarious characters were incarcerated there over the 33 years it was in operation. Among them were members of both sides that participated in the notorious "Gunfight at the OK Corral." Another famous prisoner was Jack "three fingered Jack" Laustenneau. He led an uprising and several prison break attempts.

Here are some photos of what remains of the prison, which is now a state park:

This is the guard tower outside the prison wall. It was built over the water reservoir to reduce evaporation.  The water was pumped into the reservoir from the Colorado river, which flows right beside the prison.

The "Sally Gate" was the main entrance to the prison yard.

 This is the museum building which was built on the foundation of the original mess hall.

Jill is standing in one of the yards around the cell block. Inside the wooden doors was a library that was founded by the wife of one of the prison administrators and was highly prized by the prisoners.

The archway on the right was the exit from the cell block into the yard.

This area is the "New Yard" which was built to accommodate a burgeoning prison population. The doorways are cell doors

The old blogger standing in the corner of the 18' walls of the New Yard.

One of the cells off the New Yard.

This cell was quite tall, with a wooden ceiling.

The entrance to the cell.

The Dark Cell was used as a punishment for unruly prisoners. It was carved into the granite hillside, and the only light that entered came through a 10" diameter vent in the ceiling.

The passageway into the Dark Cell.

Told you it was dark!

Another yard, with the Museum/Mess Hall in the background.

This is the gate into the main cell block. Originally the cell block was covered, and the hospital/infirmary was located above it. 

 

The cell block "hallway." 

Six men shared a 9'X9' cell. The bucket is their toilet.  Several of the prisoners were sent to the Dark Cell for failing to empty the bucket at the assigned time. 

Visiting the Arizona Territorial Prison Museum was interesting and a little sobering. The prison housed over 3,000 prisoners in its 33 years of operation, including 29 women, one of whom gave birth and raised a son to the age of 2 years, before she was pardoned.

Eventually, the prison became too small and was replaced by a larger one nearby.  After the prison closed, the Yuma High School burned down and the prison was used as a high school from 1910-1914.  To this day the Yuma High School students are known as the "Crims," short for criminals; a name that was given to them when they defeated another high school in a basketball game.

During the Great Depression, the prison was used by a number of desperate families for housing. In 1940, it became a museum, and in 1960 it became a state park. 

Rocky...er Sierra Mountain high

Another travel day today.  We had such a good time in Reno that we found it hard to leave, but alas, the road beckons.  We set out around 9:30, heading south on US395, which took us through Reno and Carson City and a number of towns that were much smaller. The scenery was amazing. God certainly knows how to do landscapes...and hardscapes...and blue skies...and weather in the mid 70s...

I just asked Jill what her favorite part of the trip was. She said that it was the fact that every time we crested a hill, there was a spectacular view, and she couldn't get her camera out fast enough.  There were some wonderful views. 

For me, one of the highlights was that our new pickup performs so well. In spite of pulling some steep grades and crossing several mountain passes, the two highest of which were 7,576 feet and 8,138 feet in elevation, the Titan purred along. No signs of overheating either the engine or the transmission. Yes, we slowed down on some of the longer grades, but that was mainly because I have always been one to baby machinery. If I let her rev up to 4,500RPM for long stretches, we could have pretty well maintained our speed all the way. Nevertheless, I was and have been mightily pleased with her performance.

Around lunchtime, we passed through Walker, CA. There was a sign that said "County Park and Rest Area." Perfect, we thought, and I turned where prompted.  Sure enough there was a nice county park...with no parking and no dogs allowed. It was about the size of a large city lot.

Disappointed, we headed out of town, and around a bend I spotted a chain-up area, which oddly enough wasn't being used in the 70 degree weather.  I pulled over, and we all had a "rest." Jill got out some fixin's, and we had roast beef and cheese lettuce wraps for lunch with fresh fruit for dessert.  Very satisfying.

Back on the road, we went about a quarter of a mile and passed a roadside recreation area with parking, restrooms, picnic tables and a stream running by.  Just goes to show you what impatience gets you!

The rest of the trip was beautiful to behold, and we arrived in Bishop, CA about 2:30 and checked into the Highlands RV Park.  The park has great reviews on my RVParky app, but alas they are in the process of repaving most of their drives and parking places, so there is a crew working with a back hoe a couple of hundred feet from us. A little noisy, but when they are done, this will be a wonderful park. We are parked under a shade tree, enjoying an afternoon snack.

And now for the picture show. Mind you all of these were taken by my dear wifey; with an iphone; through the windows; while traveling. Nevertheless, I think you can appreciate some of the beauty we saw along the way.

This one nearly took our breath away when it came into view. Crowley lake is in the bottom of this bowl, surrounded by tall peaks. The panorama stretched to either side making a 180 degree vista.

The interesting filigree on this overpass in Carson City is a series of Old West figures. Very pretty

 We thought this house was pretty impressive. Too bad it has a view of the freeway.

Unfortunately, we will only be staying overnight in Bishop, a cute little town in a kind of a tree-intensive oasis in a broad valley. Tomorrow we move on to Hesperia, but that's tomorrow's story. Jill is getting very anxious to hold our little 4 month old Malachi in San Diego.  Can you see why?

Old cars and sunshine

What a lovely time we had today.  Although neither of us slept well in the middle of the night, the dogs let us sleep late, and we both awoke well rested.  After a lovely breakfast prepared by my beautiful bride, we walked the dogs and then headed for downtown Reno.  More specifically, we headed for the National Automobile Museum.

In 1971, I visited the Harrah's Auto Collection in Sparks NV.  That was the progenitor of the National Auto Museum.  Bill Harrah, of casino fame, began collecting cars at a very early age. His success in the gaming business provided the capital for him to continue amassing a huge collection of rare cars.  After his death in 1978, the National Automobile Museum was founded.  Many but not all of the cars in the NAM came from the Harrah collection. This collection is rated among the top five auto museums in the USA.  It has not changed too much in content in 45 years, but the venue is much nicer than the warehouse format of the Harrah's collection of 1971. It is well worth the $10 admission ($8 for seniors!).

This car was decked out as a Battalion Fire Chief's car. I took this photo in honor of my dear friend Don Clark, whom I will be seeing in a few days, when we get to San Diego.

And an early fire engine for Don's benefit. 

One of our favorite vehicles in the show was the 1921 Model T Kampcar. As RVers, we are always interested in what came before. I guess that is why we bought a Retro trailer, which catches the flavor of travel trailers from the middle of the last century, without the expense of finding and restoring one. 

This is a 1921 Model T Kampcar, precursor to the modern day motor home. No RVer could pass up this photo. See below for a description of this rare vehicle.

• This design pre-dated the RV craze.
• The body was engineered by Samuel Lambert, Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, makers of Listerine Mouth Wash
• It could seat six adults and provide sleeping room for four.
• It featured a folding table, two-burner stove, eight-gallon water supply and storage for blankets, clothing and food in several lockers.
• It came with a camping set with cooking and eating utensils packed in a small trunk. 

We stopped after the museum visit and did some shopping for necessities that we have either used up or forgotten to bring along. The rest of the day, not much happened, except relaxation; isn't that the point of a vacation, though?

As we sat on the patio, grilling dinner, I looked over at my pickup, and this is what I saw. Art photo, anyone?

Tomorrow is another travel day. Stay tuned to find out where we end up. 

Travel day/picture day

Today was travel day. We moved from the Ana Reservoir RV Park in Summer Lake, OR to the Bordertown RV Park and Casino near Reno, NV.  We traveled in three states today, including California. The drive was lovely and uneventful...except, perhaps, our lunch stop at a California "Rest Stop."

For 66 miles we anticipated stopping to "rest" and have lunch.  Finally, we were there. We came over a rise and around a bend and found...three car parking spots a "rest room" and a picnic table. In order to park, we had to pull over to the side of the road along a guard rail on a downhill and to the right slope.

Jill fixed a great salad, and we sat down to eat.  I realized that in order to enjoy my meal, I would need to use the "rest room."  So, I walked over to the "rest room," only to find the filthiest most disgusting composting toilet that I have ever encountered...and that's saying something! I decided I really didn't have to go that bad.

While we were eating, Jill decided to get something out of the freezer for dinner.  Remember, we are tipped downhill and to the right.  The refrigerator, on the other hand is on the left side of the trailer, and the opening of the doors is toward the front.  Ever heard of gravity? Well, it works.  Jill opened the freezer door (which, of course, is on the top of the fridge) and out came about half of the stuff that was inside cascading out onto the dinette table which is, you guessed it, to the right and forward (read: downhill) from the freezer.  Over went my drink and the salad bowl. My iPhone and wallet were, yes, yes, downhill from the drink; and they both took a hit. Fortunately, I was able to rescue them quickly, and no harm was done.

From there on, we had no mishaps, and we were able to have a good laugh about the whole thing.  So, now we are situated in the Bordertown RV Park and Casino. Very nice. Pictures to come tomorrow.

Okay, so I promised some photos of our previous adventures. They are below. They cover the whole of our trip to date.  I'm very grateful for good wi-fi, so that I can share them.

As we headed up the Willamette pass highway (OR 58), we passed Dexter reservoir. 

Looking up the Willamette Pass highway. I don't know the name of this mountain. 

We stopped at a little rest area along one of the forks of the Willamette River near Oakridge.

  There was snow in the pass, but not on the road. We were grateful for that,  because in the morning before we left home, the road cams showed snow on the roadway. Yikes!

The water remaining on the road became steam in the noonday sun. 

Next to the Ana Reservoir RV Park is a farm with these long-legged sheep. Notice, it's lambing time.

Here's a closer shot my wonderful bride took. 

Here is the Ana Reservoir about a mile's walk from the RV park. Stocked with trout and bass!

I, of course, didn't bring my fishing license or my fishing gear. 

The old blogger got in the memsahib's camera lens 

 This beautiful mare was along the road that leads to the reservoir.

Here is a view to the south from the RV park. Notice the sheep in the middle of the picture, the reservoir in the background, and the back end of our trailer on the right.

A view from our dinette. Unfortunately, the mountains in the background don't show very well.

 

Leaving the Ana Reservoir RV Park, we saw Winter ridge sitting above Summer Lake.  The story we heard was that when John Fremont came out west to explore and map the area, his party found themselves on the top of the ridge in three feet of snow. As they looked over the precipice, they saw the beautiful lake below and named it Summer Lake, while they named the ridge they were standing on Winter Ridge.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Summer Lake resting peacefully resting below Winter Ridge.

 We arrived mid morning on Sunday in Lakeview, OR. Ironically, Jill took this photo

looking back as we were leaving town! What a gal!!

We stopped at the local Safeway parking lot to change a battery in one of our tire pressure monitor sending units. Just above the store is this water tank. The writing indicates Lakeview was founded in 1888, and sits at 4,801 feet above sea level. No wonder I couldn't catch my breath!

Once we were in California, US 395 runs parallel to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

A little Christmas in April!

April 16, 2016 pm

Today was rather laid back. We both are beginning to feel the effect of having been under pressure and then having it relieved. The time we spent preparing for our trip required lists and daily tasking and forethought.  We spent much of our last week entertaining friends whom we won’t see for several weeks.

After 33 hours away, we are beginning to unwind and realize that we have no real responsibilities, except to enjoy this incredible opportunity God has given us to see this wonderful country and meet the people who live in it.

We had a nice long chat this morning with a fellow RVer in the park. He and his wife are visiting from Florence, OR and are friends of the park host and his wife. They all moved to Oregon in 1972 after serving together in the Navy.

Later, we made a drive to Christmas Valley, a tiny town about 30 miles away.  We had both heard of it, neither of us had ever been there, until today.  There isn’t much there. The town stretches along a couple of miles of highway and is apparently a hub for a farming community. I am not sure what all they grow, except that we saw a lot of bovines, including some rather impressive looking bulls. I guess cattle ranching may be the biggest endeavor.

What we did find that was fun was a weekend thrift store. Today was their half-off sale, so we picked up a number of books, including a beautiful and brand new NIV study Bible and several books on marriage ministry, plus a J.A. Jance mystery that we have not read before.

We returned to the trailer and had lunch followed by some recreational reading. The old blogger nodded off for a couple of ours, while Mrs. Blogger continued to read. All in all a very unproductive but satisfying day. Tomorrow we will pull up stakes, so stay tuned to see where we end up.

The Grand Adventure Begins

April 16, 2016

Which is better, anticipating vacation or actually going on vacation? We are on the cusp of learning the answer to this age old question.  Having spent the last three weeks madly preparing our home (read: doing chores and repairs about which I have been procrastinating for some considerable time) and packing and repacking the trailer and the pickup, yesterday we launched our Grand Adventure.

For two days the weather in Dallas had been forbidding. Buckets, nay hogsheads, of rain poured down. The wind blew with vigor, and we began to wonder if these were all signs meant to keep us home. Yesterday, however dawned clear and bright. Jill walked the dogs, while I connected the trailer and loaded last minute items (some of which did not make it into the vehicles, I am sorry to say). And so, at 9:16 AM on April 15, 2016 we departed on a journey that we have anticipated, literally, for years.

Heading east on OR 22, we negotiated the downtown traffic in Salem as we wended our way to the I5 freeway.  At last we settled into the traffic and cruised quietly along admiring the green fields and rolling hills of the central Willamette (Will-AM-uht) Valley. The Titan purred along, barely aware of the load she was pulling.

As we passed through Eugene, we waved hello and goodbye to Jill’s brother Bob and his family, who were in the city from Walnut Creek, CA on a tour of the University of Oregon campus. It appears that Jill’s niece, Tess, may become an Oregon Duck, come fall quarter. We were sorry that our schedules did not jibe for a luncheon date or some such.

South of Eugene, we exited I5 and headed east over the Willamette pass highway. Rising to something over 5,000 feet, the pass highway is beautiful as it winds by Dexter reservoir, through stands of Douglas fir, cedar and hemlock. We paused for lunch and a stretch of the legs at Oakridge, in a little park situated on one of the forks of the Willamette, near its headwaters. Through the snow at the pass itself, which blessedly did not cover the roadway, and down the east side we transitioned from the aforementioned conifers into the land of the Ponderosa pine.  At Crescent Lake/Gilchrist, we stopped for fuel and then headed north on US 97.

The last leg of the day’s journey began when we turned off US 97 onto OR 31 and headed southeast through Oregon’s beautiful high desert country. Passing through Silver Lake, we continued through the lava beds and sage brush, until we arrived at Summer Lake, where we pulled in at the Ana Reservoir RV Park. 

This place is a gem. Nestled in a bowl among the snow-kissed mountains, it is altogether different from our home area. All the spaces are pull-throughs, which makes it easy to park the trailer. Most of them have full hookups, which means water, electricity and sewer connection. Having a sewer connection makes all the difference, because it means we can have nice, long, hot showers, without the worry of overfilling the wastewater holding tanks.

This morning, we arose to crystal clear skies and near freezing temperatures, but the air is so dry here that there was no dew on the grass and no condensation on the windows of the trailer. Today’s adventure is likely to involve checking out the petroglyphs that are nearby, and reveling in the beauty of this arid and relatively treeless landscape. Look for my next report as soon as we have a reliable enough internet connection to post to the blog. There will be lots of pictures then.