We've Moved!!

Our new location is Shoreline RV Park, about a mile from the old park.  We're closer to town but it is a much quieter park.  It's owned by the city and run by a husband and wife team who have managed it for 18 years.  They were sympathetic to our relocating and gave us a great deal for a week in one of their prime locations next to the shore.  This is Jenny's new view from the dash of the motor home.

Hey Janice, does that lamp look familiar?  ;)  

This is looking at the RV park from across the harbor.  Our old RV park is to the right in this picture.

We will be here until Sunday, June 3 then we head to Florence, Oregon for 6 nights.

And on a lighter note...

...here is a picture of us taken in February, 1982.  Ah, the good old days when "drama" meant was my hair going to cooperate that day!  Now, not so much an issue...

Take care!

The shot heard 'round the park...

...was right outside our RV last night about 3:24 AM.  We were awakened by men arguing and fighting, I could hear them bashing each other with their fists.  Shortly after the fight started a gun went off, the guy who fired the gun said he only shot it into the air to break up the fight.  Because of the stillness of the night and closeness of the trailers (yes, I said trailers!) you can hear everything fairly clear.  The fight moved several trailers down from us but continued until the police showed up about 20 minutes later.  The police car parked right behind our car which is right behind our RV.  Front row seat!  Lucky us.  We kept our heads down and tried to keep calm.  Needless to say we didn't get a whole lot of sleep after that.

I now understand why this place is full of really old travel trailers, it is affordable housing.  The monthly rent here is only $400 AND it includes utilities.  Where else can you find that kind of a bargain?  What's happened is people are finding old travel trailers, dragging them here and making them "home."

When we were here 3 years ago we only stayed one night and were so enamored with the view we didn't notice (or forgot about) the condition of the park itself.  Needless to say, we are looking for a place to relocate to until we get to Florence, Oregon next weekend on Sunday.  We paid for the site here when we arrived on Saturday, May 19 for one month.  It was cheaper that way since a week was $200 and we were thinking we would stay for about 3 weeks.  Since then we had decided that two weeks would be enough and had planned on leaving Sunday, June 3rd.  After last night I'm ready to give up the money and move on to somewhere safer.  I'll keep you posted as to our whereabouts.

As Mike said, "It's an adventure."  No shit!

Robert

Monday, May 21, 2012 - Crescent City, CA

The day before we left Mendocino I was talking to a friend on the phone and he asked if we had gone to see the Little River Inn where the movie "Same Time Next Year" with Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn was filmed.  That is one of my favorite movies and I did remember seeing the Inn as we were driving around the other day so we drove back to take a picture.

This is one of the cottages like the one used in the film.  If you haven't seen this film I highly recommend you try and catch it.  It's a great story told over a span of 30+ years.  

We left Mendocino Saturday morning and instead of taking the curvy highway 1 north we decided to take highway 20 over to 101.  Hmm, after driving on 20 we both agreed highway 1 would have been better.  It took a long time to go the 35 miles on 20 because it was more curvy and more up and down than highway 1.  I spent a lot of time pulling over for others to get by me because I could barely go more than 20-25 mph because of the winding road.  It was still a beautiful drive

We arrived in Crescent City, CA on Saturday afternoon about 4 PM.  When we were about 40 miles from Crescent City we passed a motor home that was stopped in a parking lot where cherries were being sold for $1 a basket.  I noticed the two vehicle looked like a friend of ours' jeep.  About 10 minutes later we get a phone a call from that friend asking where we were.  Mike told him we were very close to Crescent City and they said they were also.  Our friend then asked if we had a Bounder with a Honda CR-V as a tow vehicle, Mike said yes and then our friend said he was right behind us on the road!  It was George & Joann Sanford from Tucson!  We knew they were in northern California and we had talked about meeting up somewhere but this turned out to be a great coincidence!  They followed us on into Crescent City and were able to get a site next to us at the RV park where we had our reservation.

That's their Monaco next to our Bounder, the beach is in the left side of this picture

We spent the weekend with them and had a great time, we ate dinner together both nights at two of the several restaurants within walking distance of the RV park.  Fortunately, the weather cooperated on Saturday and Sunday with temps in the mid 60's and lots of sunshine.  

Here's a pic of the 4 of us and Jenny, too!

While we were walking we came across a boat in the harbor with the name of another friend of ours from Tucson, Cheryl M.  Another coincidence?  

Cheryl, does your husband know about this?

There are also a lot of seals in this harbor, we can hear them night and day.  They are huge seals, too.

May even be sea lions?  Not sure.  

This is the beach across from the RV park.  It's not white sand like we have in Florida but it does satisfy our longing to be near the water.  

Jenny's nose is working overtime here.  

Crescent City was hit by a tsunami on March 11, 2011.  There is a small billboard at the harbor entrance with pictures of before and after.  The tsunami didn't wipe out the town but it did do extensive damage to the harbor to the tune of $32 million dollars.  There are memorials around the harbor in honor of the fisherman who have lost their lives doing what they love.  

This was an interesting wood sculpture of a mermaid. 

George and Joann left today about 11:30 just as it started to rain.  They are going up the Oregon coast for a few days.  On Wednesday, we are planning to drive up to where they are staying to have dinner with them.  George has promised to cook fresh fish for us!  We couldn't get any fresh fish here in Crescent City at the harbor, it's not allowed anymore.  All of their fish is trucked somewhere else.  Even the supermarkets here do not get their fish locally!  A local did tell us of a fish market at the harbor in Brookings, OR near where George and Joann will be staying. 

Friday, May 18, 2012 - Mendocino, CA

We are enjoying Mendocino with its' quaint little town and beautiful countryside.  Yesterday we visited the Pt. Cabrillo Lighthouse and saw seals playing in a cove.  The cove is on the left side of this pic.

The seals were enjoying watching us as much as we enjoyed watching them!

On the way to the Lighthouse we encountered a flock of wild turkeys.  I knew they were in the area because I heard them that morning before we got out of bed.

This is a pic of Mendocino taken from the south side of Mendocino Bay.

Here is a pic of the beach taken from one of the gardens at the RV park.   Red Hot Pokers are all over out here.

This is a pic of some of the lush gardens at the Park.  Anyone have any idea what the tall purple flowering plant is called?

Today we are going to explore Ft. Bragg.  It looks like another beautiful blue sky day, at least until mid afternoon when the fog will start to come in.

Tuesday, May 15 - Calistoga, CA

Today we are in Calistoga, CA at the Napa County Fairgrounds RV Park.  It is located walking distance to downtown and was only $19 a night with Passport America.  Gotta love the bargains! 

 There are only 4 guests in the campground, the RV next to the office is the camp host.

Our week at the 49er Village was exceptional!  The two-night stay turned into 7 nights, thank you, Chuck!  We wanted to see what a weekend was like so we decided to stick around until Monday the 14^th.  On Friday afternoon the RV’s started showing up.  It reminded me of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The Birds.”  Remember how when Tippy Hedren or Suzanne Pleshette would be sitting somewhere and a couple of birds would show up, then a few more, then a lot more, then she was surrounded by them?  That’s how it was for us on Friday afternoon.  By sundown we were surrounded and by noon on Sunday we were by ourselves once again.  Amazing! 

During our stay at the 49er we toured some of the wineries in the Shenandoah Valley.  None of the wineries charge for tasting!  So for the price of gas you could get mighty tipsy, thankfully we had a designated driver each time we went.  Ali made the supreme sacrifice and did the driving while her husband Gary, and Mike & I tasted lots of different wines.  We also purchased way more than we should have.  Se la vie.  It wont go to waste.  (maybe ‘waist’ but not waste)  We did visit the winery where the old vine zin came from and purchased more. 

We left the 49er Village on Monday, May 14 about 10:30 and arrived in Calistoga about 2 that afternoon.  We found the turnoff for the Fairgrounds and followed the signs but as we got to the Fairgrounds I didn’t see an RV Park.  There was a young man and a young woman standing outside the Fairgrounds office so I asked them where the RV Park was.  It was just through the stop sign and about a half block further.  The drive was easy and uneventful but we still took a short nap.  ;) 

After our nap we walked around the town and went in to the Visitor Center to get a walking map of downtown.  We also picked up information on a hike nearby and a geyser nearby.  It seems this whole area is a hotbed of geothermal activity, which explains why we saw so many signs advertising hot springs and mud baths.   

Today, we did the hike up the hill with Jenny.  She loved the hike and was tired enough when we got back to the RV that we didn’t mind leaving her by herself so we could go see the geyser.  As we walked through the gift shop and out the exit to see the geyser it started erupting.  The guy who took our money said it was erupting about every 5 minutes.  He wasn’t wrong; it went off regularly enough for us to get pictures of each of us standing in front of it and also a video. 

                                                Hiking on the Oat Hill Mine Trail

                                                          Mike in front of the geyser

Extra from 5/5/12

Mikey does get to drive once in a while!

Of course it was wide open country, no traffic to speak of.  

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

We had a great three day visit with Judy & Betty in Gardnerville, NV and left on Monday, May 7.  Our next stop is the 49er Village in Plymouth, CA which is only about 90 miles away over the Sierra-Nevada mountains.  For the short drive over the mountains we did not connect the car to the RV.  Instead, Mike followed me in the car while I drove the RV.  It was a great drive but the only unnerving thing was after we got to Tahoe and headed towards HWY 50 there were signs that said there was a 10-ton limit.  Yikes!  We are at least 13 tons, 14 when towing the car.  I think the reason for the limit was another sign that said there were metal grates in the road.  Oh well, we made it down the mountain and all the way to Plymouth without any problems.

The 49er Village is a luscious, green RV Resort!  There are an abundance of trees, grass, ponds and streams not to mention a whole bunch of ducks and ducklings!  Our site is next to a little stream and a pathway that connects the east side of the park with the west side of the park.  Ali and her husband, Gary, are only about 100 yards away.  We had dinner with them that evening.  Gary prepared tacos with all the fixins’ and they were yummy and a tad spicy!

Today, we will do some exploring around the area and maybe catch a winery or two for a tasting.  I’m hoping to find the Toscano winery to taste more of the great wine Gary served us last night.  It was an old vine zin and was quite tasty!

Site #239, 49er Village, Plymouth, CA

Saturday, May 5, 2012, Gardnerville, NV

Happy “Cinco de Mayo!”  Yesterday (Friday), we made it all the way to Betty & Judy’s in Gardnerville, NV.  We left Salina, UT about 8:30 AM MST and arrived at Betty & Judy’s about 6:30 PM PST.  With the one-hour time difference it was 11 hours total travel time in the RV.  This is not something we will try again, 6-7 hours in the RV is enough.  There were really not a lot of places to stop along the way which is why we opted to drive straight through.  Now we have two full days of rest before heading to the 49er in Plymouth, CA. 

The drive from Salina to Delta was very interesting, we could actually see why they call it “Delta,” there is a lot of water in that area with lots of flies!  You could see them in small clouds hovering over the lakes and over the road.  Drove through a few, what a mess!  It was not just one bug hitting the windshield; it was a whole army of them.  There are also about a zillion mountain passes you have to cross as well.  Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit but it felt like all we did was go up and then down, up and then down over and over again.  Plus, the headwind was horrific, our fuel consumption was noticeable.  At least diesel was not too bad, mostly around $4.10 a gallon.

Once we entered the beautiful Carson Valley where Betty & Judy live the drive was worth it.  What a beautiful, green valley!  At their house, Judy had pulled their rig up so we could park ours behind theirs.  Lengthwise we fit fine, unfortunately, our slide-out is wider than hers so we were unable to get the slide all the way out.  It didn’t matter, we were quite comfortable and didn’t spend that much time in the coach.  Betty & Judy are awesome hosts, they like to spoil their guests and spoil us they did!  We ate well, did some sightseeing and enjoyed their company immensely. 

Betty & Judy's house, you can see our coach on the right.

That's Lake Tahoe!

Where is Mike & Robert?

Stop#	Date	Place	Nights
1	3-May	Dolores
2	3-May	Salina, Ut	1
3	4-May	Gardnerville, NV	3
4	7-May	Plymouth, CA	7
5	14-May	Calistoga, CA	2
6	16-May	Mendocina, CA	3
7	19-May	Crescent City, CA	21
8	11-Jun	Newport, OR	2
9	13-Jun	Oceanside, OR	2
10	15-Jun	Salem, OR	2
11	17-Jun	Arlington, OR	2
12	19-Jun	Orofino, ID	2
13	21-Jun	Columbia Falls, MN	5
14	27-Jun	Fairmont Hot Springs RV, BC	4
15	1-Jul	Drumheller, AB	4
16	5-Jul	Maple Creek, SK	2
17	7-Jul	Moose Jaws, SK	2
18	9-Jul	Brandon, MB	2
19	11-Jul	Warroad, MN	1
20	12-Jul	International Falls, MN	2
21	14-Jul	Manitowish Waters, WI	2
22	16-Jul	Nohima, MI	3
23	19-Jul	Big Rapids, MI	4
24	23-Jul	Oconto, WI	5
25	28-Jul	Coon Rapids, MN	1
26	29-Jul	Fargo, ND	2
27	31-Jul	Dickinson, ND	2
28	2-Aug	Spearfish, SD	2
29	4-Aug	Cheyene, WY	1
30	5-Aug	Denver, CO	2
31	7-Aug	Salida, CO	2
32	9-Aug	Dolores

Friday, May 4, 2012

We left Dolores at 12:30 yesterday, not quite 10AM like I wanted but close enough.  We were able to dump all the tanks (black & gray) that needed to be dumped and fill all the tanks (fuel, water & LP) that needed to be filled! 

The place where we fueled up is on the north side of Cortez and the entrance into it is kind of dicey.  There is not a real smooth entrance and on my way out the rear wheels dipped into a not so smooth spot and everything in the coach got flung back and forth!  Even Midnight the cat went for a wild ride!  She was in the new recliner/slider and as it came up and went back and forth all I could see in my peripheral vision was one unhappy cat!  Only a few things out of the cabinets hit the floor and several drawers flew open but nothing was damaged or lost.  Whew! 

The drive from Dolores, CO to I-70 was fairly uneventful.  I have been having problems with my right eye lately.  I think I may have scratched either the eyeball or the lid.  Fortunately, I had one of those shades that fit inside your glasses the ophthalmologist gives you after you have had your eyes dilated.  That helped with the glare but my eyes were starting to get tired so Mike took over driving from I-70 to just outside of Salina, UT.  Yes, Mike does get to drive once in a while. 

The park we stayed at in Salina, UT used to be a KOA, obvious by the shape of the office and that it was still listed as a KOA in our 2011 Trailer Life.  Nice little park, lots of pull-throughs so we didn’t have to disconnect the car.  One interesting thing about this place is the abundance of bunny rabbits running around.  Not wild ones, but domestic ones of all colors!  Drove Jenny crazy when we took her for a walk.  Mike took some pictures but none came out.  Dang it! 

We’ll see how far we get today.  Stay tuned!

Butch Cassidy RV Park, Salina, UT 5/3/12

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Last week was a busy week for us here in the Four Corners.  We’re trying to take care of as much “stuff” as we can during the two weeks we are here.  So far, we’ve accomplished a lot including visiting friends we haven’t seen for several months, annual doctor and dentist appointments and getting the coach and car serviced.  In my last update I mentioned the coach was spraying oil out the back of the engine compartment.  (we are a “diesel pusher,” engine is in the rear)  Fortunately, it was just a situation where the power steering fluid and the oil were overfilled at our last service in Tucson.  $89 later the coach is as good as new.  Whew!  On Friday I took the Honda CR-V (our tow vehicle) to the Honda dealership in Farmington, NM for its’ 60,000 mile service.  Ugh, that put a dent in the budget!  But we feel much better about beginning our Summer Tour with both vehicles in tip-top shape. 

We also moved from our friends place in downtown Dolores to our home in the county.  The tenant in our house said we could stay with her if we wanted so we compromised and said we would camp in the driveway.  It’s great being here so we can do the things around the property that need to be taken care of before summer begins. 

This week has been as busy with more doctor and dentist appointments and seeing friends.  Mike was able to get the drip irrigation system up and running plus stain the wood on the outside hot tub and the table and chairs on the deck.  He also put a coat of stain on the front door of our house.  He’s such a good handyman!  Cheap, too! 

The plan is to leave here this week on Thursday morning (tomorrow) and head west to Nevada.  It may take three days/two nights to get to our friends in Nevada.  They live just south of Carson City on the west side of the state.  We have to cross Utah and 99% of Nevada to get to them!  Fortunately, they gave us some tips on where to stay along Hwy 50, known as the “loneliest Highway” in the U.S. 

Until next time…