11-9-09
We came home from Death Valley on Saturday, stayed home on Sunday, and today took off for the Chula Vista Marina and RV Resort.
The Convair Camping Club has their Thanksgiving outing here. The last six weeks I had no hook ups, here we have everything, even cable TV.
After setting up the motorhome I went to the swimming pool. At 4:30 PM we had Happy Hour in the club house. Most members of the group went then to the restaurant next door for spaghetti dinner. We went back to the motorhome. I have a ton of magazines to read. We also watched Two and a Half Men, my favorite TV show.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Death Valley 2009
10-24-09
I made it down to the valley. There was not much traffic so I could take it slow which was good for the brakes.
They opened Texas Springs Campground today. I had to wait until 1:30 PM. The ranger let the regulars, who have been coming for more than 20 years, in first. They always want the same site. Some of them did not like what they saw. The National Park System spent a lot of money on improving Texas Springs. The sites are now level and the washrooms are improved. By making the sites level, there are now terraces and the rigs have to be parked as the sites are laid out. This means not all sites have a view into the valley. I got the site I had for several years and it was easier to level it this time.
They charge $ 4.19 for a gallon of gas her in the park.
10-25-09
It was windy last night and this morning.
Early in the morning I walked up the hill and enjoyed the view from up there. The sun was shining on the mountains, across the valley.
Texas Springs Campground is slowly filling up. So is Sunset Campground, the
campground in the back.
I did some house cleaning today and went to the swimming pool at the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort.
The pool is a flow through pool, fed by a natural hot spring. They use no chlorine in the pool.
In the afternoon I spent a couple of hours with my neighbors, Barbara and George. They are from Maine, very nice people. And their last name is not Bush.
10-26-09
I was up bright and early. At 7:00 AM I was entering Golden Canyon. There was only one young man running up the canyon. Later on and older man passed me running.
I walked all the way to Red Cathedral. Unfortunately one can not take a picture from the distance, and when one is nearby, the picture means nothing. It is still a spectacular sight.
When I left the canyon a group of people entered. They are on a bicycle trip and for a change walked today.
After lunch I went swimming.
Just before sunset I climbed up the hill and took some pictures. My motorhome is still alone at one end of the campground. This will change the next couple of days.
10-27-09
This morning the wind started blowing. I put the chairs and the outdoor carpet away. They were flying every which way.
Before lunch I drove to Zabriskie Point. It is one of the viewpoints in the park.
The wind was still strong.
On the way home I stopped at the ranch, and took some pictures of Old Dinah, the steam tractor, which was not able to replace the 20 Mule Team. The animals were more efficient.
In the afternoon I did my laps in the pool. There were five people in the pool area. I was the only one in the water. I do shower after the swim. This way the water in the motorhome will last the whole stay at Death Valley, and I will not have to move the motorhome..
Most people did not leave their rig today. There will be no campfires tonight, and I will not hear Doreen’s friend singing, down in Sunset campground. They have a jam session every night, and Doreen does not like one of the female singers. Her voice carries all the way up to Texas Springs.
It cooled off at least ten degrees F. That part is nice.
10-28-09
I am getting ready to pick up Doreen tomorrow in Baker. Chappy and Dottie will bring her there. They will stay the night in Baker and then come to Furnace Creek on Friday.
When I checked the tires I found the right rear tire flat. Why I did not notice this before I do not know.
I put the doughnut on and brought the flat tire to the service station. I had picked up a nail.
It was windy all day, better than yesterday though.
My two neighbors, two young girls, decided to stay last night. They did not want to drive in that wind.
They are real white, not much sun gets on their skin. Both have identical rings through their noses, their hair is short, but stands up in the middle and has several colors. One took of her jacket and her arms are full with tattoos. She wears pants while the other girl wears dresses. The one with the pants was yesterday under the motorhome checking for leaks.
The one girl got the motorhome from her grandmother. It is a 1985 class C, and has about 20,000 miles on it. I hope they get a lot more miles out of this motorhome. They seem to be nice girls, they only look strange. They walk, holding hands, through the campground and sit at the campfire arms over each other shoulders.
I picked up the tire early afternoon. They charged me $ 20.00. Everything is expensive out here, no competition.
I changed the tires right there and then went to the Borax Museum. In the inside they have all the minerals found in Death Valley and outside is some of the equipment which was used for mining borax.
Then I visited the one million watt solar facility the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort had build two years ago. One million watts divided by 130 watts a panel means they have about 7,700 panels.
It is a giant facility.
10-29-09
It took me two hours to get to Baker.
I went early because I thought I could go to the library and do some computer work. They have no library in Baker. The place consists of gas stations, fast food places and two little markets, and a few houses.
I had never paid any attention when we came through Baker before.
Two hours I spent at Burger King, eating a Whopper and reading. Then I went looking for milk and a couple of other grocery items. The first store had no vegetables so I went to the Country Market. They had even less. Bananas were 99 cents a banana. I might as well buy the stuff in Furnace Creek.
Chappy arrived at about 9:00 PM. We loaded Doreen’s belongings in my car and took off.
Today we had good weather again. The wind had stopped.
10-30-09
We went to Shoshone for Shoshone Days. The town has only a few houses and there were only a few booths were people sold handicrafts. I had hoped to eat some of the barbecued food, but that will be served tomorrow.
We went on to Pahrump, Nevada. There we went to Walmart to do some grocery shopping.
On the way home we stopped again at Shoshone where the covered wagons and their mules, which will be in Furnace Creek on Friday, had arrived. They will stay there for the night.
My friend Herbert and his wife Elisabeth have arrived today at the Furnace Creek Ranch. They will be staying three nights. Herbert and I served our apprenticeship at the same company. I was one year ahead of him.
I had left a note at the reception and told him what site we are on at Texas Springs Campground. When we came back to the motorhome the note was hanging on the windshield wiper. They had found us.
I went looking for them but they were not in their room.
After trying a few times more I stopped at Chappy’s campsite and talked to him. Gary Price who has the site next to him, overheard me and came over. He told me that a German couple had approached him and asked for Texas Springs.
When I drove back to the motorhome they were there talking with Doreen. We made plans for tomorrow.
10-31-09
Elisabeth, Herbert, Doreen and I went today to Scottys Castle. Doreen and I took the basement tour and Elisabeth and Herbert the castle tour. I always wanted to see what was below the castle.
The timing was perfect, we arrived there and five minutes later we were on the tours.
Our next stop was the Ubehebe Crater. From there we went to the sand dunes and Stovepipe Wells.
It was a busy day.
In the evening we had dinner at our motorhome. Doreen made a Shepherds Pie.
11-1-09
In the morning we went with Elisabeth and Herbert to Zabriskie Point.
From there we went to Dantes View.
We had dinner again at our motorhome. After dinner we continued our conversation about the time we were young boys, learning our trade and continuing our education. Herbert started to work then for Vickers Valve, an American Company, while I ended up in Canada and later Chicago.
Sometimes when Herbert came to Detroit, Vickers headquarters, he came and visited us in Chicago.
Vickers Valve made power steering units.
Elisabeth and Herbert have been several times vacationing in the US. They have been to most of the American National Parks.
11-2-09
This was a day to relax and go swimming. We visited with friends and made plans for the next couple of days.
I saw some WINs, no Shanty Shakers yet. Lois is here and Linda from British Columbia.
Sunset Campground and the two overflows are almost filled up. Here at Texas Springs are still a few empty sites. By Wednesday they will be filled up too.
11-3-09
Chappy and Dottie decided to go to Pahrump and we came along. We met Chappy’s brother in law and wife at the Nugget casino and had lunch there.
We also went to the Super Walmart and did some shopping.
When we came back I tried to do some computer work at the Furnace Creek Ranch. They have changed the free WIFI to $ 24.00 for three days. I went over to the National Park Visitor Center, and their system was down because it was overloaded with all those 49ers using it.
Texas Springs Campground has only a few tent sites open. We are lucky, we have the best site. On one side, the site is closed and on the other side is the water faucet. We have a lot of room.
11-4-09
When I got up I climbed up the hill again and took some pictures of Texas Springs, with Sunset Campground in the back and the moon in the sky.
The Encampment started today. At 12:00 noon we brought two of our chairs to the main stage. They will stay there for the next few days.
From there we went to the Timbisha Shoshone Indian reservation for Indian Tacos. After that we just made it for the 1:00 PM lecture and slide show of: "The Films of Death Valley"
It was very interesting.
At 6:00 PM we went to the main stage for "Songs of the West". It was cowboy music and some yodeling. Kerry Christensen is not here this year. Everybody misses him. He is entertaining people in Texas right now.
11-5-09
Today we went four wheeling up the Cottonwood Canyon. There were 11 vehicles, Jeeps, Humvees, and two pick up trucks.
I rode with Dottie and Chappy. Dottie took her Bronco over rocks and through dry river beds. I am glad Doreen did not come along.
She had a bad fall a few days before she came to Death Valley, and it is now really hurting her. She would have suffered from all the shaking.
Our first stop was at the cave.
We had lunch at the cottonwood grove.
Our tour guide had a flat tire. Bob, one of our Convair friends, stayed with him and helped with the tire change. Bob has a high pressure air tank on board his Jeep and used a pneumatic impact wrench.
When we came back to Stove Pipe Wells the tour guide came to Dottie and asked her about her age. He took a picture of her. I think she will be in the next 49er quarterly paper.
At 6:00 PM Doreen and I went to the Coyote Howl, at the main stage. It is a talent show. Besides the professional entertainers there were some young talented people. Two girls, seven and nine years old, and their mother were really good. One 14 year old violinist was good too.
11-6-09
At 7:00 AM was the Hootenanny Hoedown Breakfast at the golf course. It is an all outdoor affair.
We like Chaparral, a trio, which sing cowboy and western songs.
The other entertainers were also very good.
At 10:30 AM we went to the Visitor Center auditorium for the 60th Celebration Program. Slides were shown from the first encampment in 1949. More people came than they expected and the gas station run out of gasoline. People were stuck for a few days.
We did not attend the arrival of the Wagon Train and Trail Riders.
At 7:30 PM we went to the Ol’ Dinah Campfire for some fine vocals, music and entertainment.
11-7-09
We left Death Valley at 6:20AM, two days early. Doreen does not feel too good.
Her ribbs are hurting now.
This gives us also a chance to join the Convair Camping club, at their Thanksgiving outing, in Chula Vista.
I was gone for ten weeks. The only problem I had, was breaking the heat adjusting knob at the dash board. The motorhome ran fantastic. I was worried at first since this was our first big trip. We only had gone for three days prior to this trip.
I have a little list of things I want to change on the rig.
I made it down to the valley. There was not much traffic so I could take it slow which was good for the brakes.
They opened Texas Springs Campground today. I had to wait until 1:30 PM. The ranger let the regulars, who have been coming for more than 20 years, in first. They always want the same site. Some of them did not like what they saw. The National Park System spent a lot of money on improving Texas Springs. The sites are now level and the washrooms are improved. By making the sites level, there are now terraces and the rigs have to be parked as the sites are laid out. This means not all sites have a view into the valley. I got the site I had for several years and it was easier to level it this time.
They charge $ 4.19 for a gallon of gas her in the park.
10-25-09
It was windy last night and this morning.
Early in the morning I walked up the hill and enjoyed the view from up there. The sun was shining on the mountains, across the valley.
Texas Springs Campground is slowly filling up. So is Sunset Campground, the
campground in the back.
I did some house cleaning today and went to the swimming pool at the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort.
The pool is a flow through pool, fed by a natural hot spring. They use no chlorine in the pool.
In the afternoon I spent a couple of hours with my neighbors, Barbara and George. They are from Maine, very nice people. And their last name is not Bush.
10-26-09
I was up bright and early. At 7:00 AM I was entering Golden Canyon. There was only one young man running up the canyon. Later on and older man passed me running.
I walked all the way to Red Cathedral. Unfortunately one can not take a picture from the distance, and when one is nearby, the picture means nothing. It is still a spectacular sight.
When I left the canyon a group of people entered. They are on a bicycle trip and for a change walked today.
After lunch I went swimming.
Just before sunset I climbed up the hill and took some pictures. My motorhome is still alone at one end of the campground. This will change the next couple of days.
10-27-09
This morning the wind started blowing. I put the chairs and the outdoor carpet away. They were flying every which way.
Before lunch I drove to Zabriskie Point. It is one of the viewpoints in the park.
The wind was still strong.
On the way home I stopped at the ranch, and took some pictures of Old Dinah, the steam tractor, which was not able to replace the 20 Mule Team. The animals were more efficient.
In the afternoon I did my laps in the pool. There were five people in the pool area. I was the only one in the water. I do shower after the swim. This way the water in the motorhome will last the whole stay at Death Valley, and I will not have to move the motorhome..
Most people did not leave their rig today. There will be no campfires tonight, and I will not hear Doreen’s friend singing, down in Sunset campground. They have a jam session every night, and Doreen does not like one of the female singers. Her voice carries all the way up to Texas Springs.
It cooled off at least ten degrees F. That part is nice.
10-28-09
I am getting ready to pick up Doreen tomorrow in Baker. Chappy and Dottie will bring her there. They will stay the night in Baker and then come to Furnace Creek on Friday.
When I checked the tires I found the right rear tire flat. Why I did not notice this before I do not know.
I put the doughnut on and brought the flat tire to the service station. I had picked up a nail.
It was windy all day, better than yesterday though.
My two neighbors, two young girls, decided to stay last night. They did not want to drive in that wind.
They are real white, not much sun gets on their skin. Both have identical rings through their noses, their hair is short, but stands up in the middle and has several colors. One took of her jacket and her arms are full with tattoos. She wears pants while the other girl wears dresses. The one with the pants was yesterday under the motorhome checking for leaks.
The one girl got the motorhome from her grandmother. It is a 1985 class C, and has about 20,000 miles on it. I hope they get a lot more miles out of this motorhome. They seem to be nice girls, they only look strange. They walk, holding hands, through the campground and sit at the campfire arms over each other shoulders.
I picked up the tire early afternoon. They charged me $ 20.00. Everything is expensive out here, no competition.
I changed the tires right there and then went to the Borax Museum. In the inside they have all the minerals found in Death Valley and outside is some of the equipment which was used for mining borax.
Then I visited the one million watt solar facility the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort had build two years ago. One million watts divided by 130 watts a panel means they have about 7,700 panels.
It is a giant facility.
10-29-09
It took me two hours to get to Baker.
I went early because I thought I could go to the library and do some computer work. They have no library in Baker. The place consists of gas stations, fast food places and two little markets, and a few houses.
I had never paid any attention when we came through Baker before.
Two hours I spent at Burger King, eating a Whopper and reading. Then I went looking for milk and a couple of other grocery items. The first store had no vegetables so I went to the Country Market. They had even less. Bananas were 99 cents a banana. I might as well buy the stuff in Furnace Creek.
Chappy arrived at about 9:00 PM. We loaded Doreen’s belongings in my car and took off.
Today we had good weather again. The wind had stopped.
10-30-09
We went to Shoshone for Shoshone Days. The town has only a few houses and there were only a few booths were people sold handicrafts. I had hoped to eat some of the barbecued food, but that will be served tomorrow.
We went on to Pahrump, Nevada. There we went to Walmart to do some grocery shopping.
On the way home we stopped again at Shoshone where the covered wagons and their mules, which will be in Furnace Creek on Friday, had arrived. They will stay there for the night.
My friend Herbert and his wife Elisabeth have arrived today at the Furnace Creek Ranch. They will be staying three nights. Herbert and I served our apprenticeship at the same company. I was one year ahead of him.
I had left a note at the reception and told him what site we are on at Texas Springs Campground. When we came back to the motorhome the note was hanging on the windshield wiper. They had found us.
I went looking for them but they were not in their room.
After trying a few times more I stopped at Chappy’s campsite and talked to him. Gary Price who has the site next to him, overheard me and came over. He told me that a German couple had approached him and asked for Texas Springs.
When I drove back to the motorhome they were there talking with Doreen. We made plans for tomorrow.
10-31-09
Elisabeth, Herbert, Doreen and I went today to Scottys Castle. Doreen and I took the basement tour and Elisabeth and Herbert the castle tour. I always wanted to see what was below the castle.
The timing was perfect, we arrived there and five minutes later we were on the tours.
Our next stop was the Ubehebe Crater. From there we went to the sand dunes and Stovepipe Wells.
It was a busy day.
In the evening we had dinner at our motorhome. Doreen made a Shepherds Pie.
11-1-09
In the morning we went with Elisabeth and Herbert to Zabriskie Point.
From there we went to Dantes View.
We had dinner again at our motorhome. After dinner we continued our conversation about the time we were young boys, learning our trade and continuing our education. Herbert started to work then for Vickers Valve, an American Company, while I ended up in Canada and later Chicago.
Sometimes when Herbert came to Detroit, Vickers headquarters, he came and visited us in Chicago.
Vickers Valve made power steering units.
Elisabeth and Herbert have been several times vacationing in the US. They have been to most of the American National Parks.
11-2-09
This was a day to relax and go swimming. We visited with friends and made plans for the next couple of days.
I saw some WINs, no Shanty Shakers yet. Lois is here and Linda from British Columbia.
Sunset Campground and the two overflows are almost filled up. Here at Texas Springs are still a few empty sites. By Wednesday they will be filled up too.
11-3-09
Chappy and Dottie decided to go to Pahrump and we came along. We met Chappy’s brother in law and wife at the Nugget casino and had lunch there.
We also went to the Super Walmart and did some shopping.
When we came back I tried to do some computer work at the Furnace Creek Ranch. They have changed the free WIFI to $ 24.00 for three days. I went over to the National Park Visitor Center, and their system was down because it was overloaded with all those 49ers using it.
Texas Springs Campground has only a few tent sites open. We are lucky, we have the best site. On one side, the site is closed and on the other side is the water faucet. We have a lot of room.
11-4-09
When I got up I climbed up the hill again and took some pictures of Texas Springs, with Sunset Campground in the back and the moon in the sky.
The Encampment started today. At 12:00 noon we brought two of our chairs to the main stage. They will stay there for the next few days.
From there we went to the Timbisha Shoshone Indian reservation for Indian Tacos. After that we just made it for the 1:00 PM lecture and slide show of: "The Films of Death Valley"
It was very interesting.
At 6:00 PM we went to the main stage for "Songs of the West". It was cowboy music and some yodeling. Kerry Christensen is not here this year. Everybody misses him. He is entertaining people in Texas right now.
11-5-09
Today we went four wheeling up the Cottonwood Canyon. There were 11 vehicles, Jeeps, Humvees, and two pick up trucks.
I rode with Dottie and Chappy. Dottie took her Bronco over rocks and through dry river beds. I am glad Doreen did not come along.
She had a bad fall a few days before she came to Death Valley, and it is now really hurting her. She would have suffered from all the shaking.
Our first stop was at the cave.
We had lunch at the cottonwood grove.
Our tour guide had a flat tire. Bob, one of our Convair friends, stayed with him and helped with the tire change. Bob has a high pressure air tank on board his Jeep and used a pneumatic impact wrench.
When we came back to Stove Pipe Wells the tour guide came to Dottie and asked her about her age. He took a picture of her. I think she will be in the next 49er quarterly paper.
At 6:00 PM Doreen and I went to the Coyote Howl, at the main stage. It is a talent show. Besides the professional entertainers there were some young talented people. Two girls, seven and nine years old, and their mother were really good. One 14 year old violinist was good too.
11-6-09
At 7:00 AM was the Hootenanny Hoedown Breakfast at the golf course. It is an all outdoor affair.
We like Chaparral, a trio, which sing cowboy and western songs.
The other entertainers were also very good.
At 10:30 AM we went to the Visitor Center auditorium for the 60th Celebration Program. Slides were shown from the first encampment in 1949. More people came than they expected and the gas station run out of gasoline. People were stuck for a few days.
We did not attend the arrival of the Wagon Train and Trail Riders.
At 7:30 PM we went to the Ol’ Dinah Campfire for some fine vocals, music and entertainment.
11-7-09
We left Death Valley at 6:20AM, two days early. Doreen does not feel too good.
Her ribbs are hurting now.
This gives us also a chance to join the Convair Camping club, at their Thanksgiving outing, in Chula Vista.
I was gone for ten weeks. The only problem I had, was breaking the heat adjusting knob at the dash board. The motorhome ran fantastic. I was worried at first since this was our first big trip. We only had gone for three days prior to this trip.
I have a little list of things I want to change on the rig.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Eastern Sierra (2) 2009
There was no sun today.
I left Lee Vining at 8:30 AM and 45 minutes later I was at the New Shady Rest Forest Campground in Mammoth Lake.
The campground was designed for tent camping and small motorhomes. There are a few larger sites, but it is difficult to get in those spots.
I tried to do it alone, had to give up though. Finally a pick up truck came behind me. I got out of the motorhome and asked the driver to help me. I picked the right guy. He gave me the right directions and without hitting a tree I backed the rig into the space.
After lunch I drove to Convict Lake. I have been in Mammoth Lake several times but never visited this hidden Gem. A good friend made me aware of it.
Since there was no sun and it was perfect weather for a hike, I walked around the lake. It is a two mile hike.
The storm has not come yet.
10-13-09
When I got up this morning it was snowing. Later it turned into rain.
I went to the hardware store to buy a flat water hose. I need 40 more feet to reach the faucet in the campground, to fill up the water tank. I have two 25 foot hoses and one ten foot. I want the flat hose only for situations like this. A 40 or 50 foot round hose takes too much space.
They had only flat soaker hoses.
I found some plastic screw covers though, something I had been looking for.
My next stop was Vons where I bought some red cabbage. From there I went to the library. When I looked out the window it was snowing very hard.
I took off and went to the motorhome. I had planned to come back later, but that white stuff kept on falling down. Getting stuck away from the motorhome would be no fun. I had the chains in my hand before we went on this trip, they stayed at home. That was not very smart.
Back at the motorhome I cooked the red cabbage and made some mashed potatoes. Doreen had made pork chops and they were in the freezer.
If I get stuck here at least I eat well.
While I took this picture it was still coming down. The picture does not show it.
After dinner I put on my rubber boots and went up the hill. Two of my neighbors were standing there, getting covered with snow. They were debating how to get out of here.
One of them has a Jeep and would be able to go to the auto parts store and by one set of chains.
One motorhome could then leave here with the chains on the wheels, and then they could bring back the chains for the other motorhome. Both of the guys have to go back to work.
I do not have that problem, I have plenty of time.
This is the view I have from my side window.
10-14-09
The snow plow had come through the campground in the night. My neighbors are lucky. They can leave now without chains.
I got up and shoveled the snow in the back of the car. We all are lucky that it got warmer and there is no ice on the roads. The snow fell from the trees and is slowly melting.
The parking lots for the stores are open too. They pushed the snow on the side and then hauled it away.
The road to Lake Mary and to Devils Postpile are closed. I hope they will open them soon.
It was another relaxing day, spent at the library, hardware store, Radio Shack, and a few minutes at Vons.
10-15-09
What a beautiful day that was. All day we had blue sky and the snow is melting. The solar panels are almost free of snow. They are not charging the batteries yet.
In the morning I drove to Bishop to check out the cheap campgrounds. I found one at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. They charge $ 10.00 a day, no hookups of course.
Gasoline is $ 2.85 a gallon in Bishop, here in Mammoth it is $ 3.56.
I also stopped at Crowly Lake. After seeing Convict Lake, I was not impressed.
There was no snow on the ground 20 miles south of Mammoth Lakes.This valley is 3,000 feet lower than Mammoth.
In the afternoon I took the drive to Lake Mary. The snowplow had cleared one and a half lanes. There was very little traffic. I went to the end of the road. People were cross country skiing.
On the way back I saw this couple enjoying Lake Mary and the sun.
10-16-09
I am 30 miles closer to home. Pleasant Valley is located about five miles North of Bishop.
The motorhome is standing next to the Owens River. It is a noisy river.
I went right away into town to check out the library and Wells Fargo. The library has no WIFI. That means I can not send any pictures.
When I came back I walked up to the dam and reservoir. It is a lot warmer here than in Mammoth Lakes. I am wearing shorts again.
Yesterday I had another nice experience. My neighbor told me that she will be going to have her recall done on her refrigerator. Frank Muzzy had sent me an E mail to check whether my refrigerator needs the recall kit installed. I found out that is does.
She told me that Phil Dore of Adventure in Camping had helped her getting her refrigerator going without charging her, and that he still has one kit and would install it. So on my way to Bishop I stopped at his place. He told me that the only kit he has left he promised a lady and he did not know when the new order would come in.
When I came back from Bishop my neighbor told me that Phil had come to the campground looking for me. Her refrigerator had been taken care off by the previous owner and that Phil could take care of mine now.
Late afternoon he came back and when he took the refrigerator cover off he found out that the kit was already installed on my refrigerator too.
He tied down a couple of wires and put the cover on again. I wanted to pay him for his time but he said that "Thanks" is good enough for him. He wasted his time on two motorhomes and did not get angry.
I had already checked where I would have to go, when I get home, to have it taken care off.
If anybody has trouble with their motorhome, when they are in the Mammoth Lakes area, they should call Phil Dore at 760- 935-4890
10-17-09
I went up Bishop Creek Canyon in the morning. First I went to South Lake. Since it is Saturday a lot of anglers were in the water and on shore.
The lake is at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. There was some snow on the ground.
Most of the trees had lost their leaves since they get frost at night.
My next stop was Lake Sabrina. A lot of people were fishing there too. This is a beautiful spot.
On the way down I stopped at Bishop Creek Group Campground and had my lunch.
Back in town I went to the Visitor Center and the adjoining park.
At the library I could not sent a new post. The computer told me that I was not on the Internet. Which was not true since I got my Juno E mail. I have to find a place with WIFI.
10-18-09
Today I went up the White Mountains, to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The White Mountains form the Eastern border of Owens Valley.
From 10,000 feet one has a good view of the snow covered Sierra Mountains on the other side of the valley. Schulman Grove is at the altitude of 10,000 feet.
I walked the Discovery Trail which is a one mile loop and does go up higher. There are plenty of benches along the way. And I used them.
The Bristlecone trees rewrote radio carbon dating technology. The growth rings of those trees do not lie.
Some of those trees are older than 4,000 years.
Many trees look like they are dead, but there is one live branch.
Last time I was up here, there was a beautiful Visitor Center, unfortunately it burn down last year.
After all that walking I had a hot chocolate, at the Loony Bean Café, in Bishop, and I did my E mail. They have WIFI.
Coming down the hill I saw my little home on wheels near the Owens River.
Next to it are my neighbors in their fifth wheel. The day before yesterday he was setting up the dish for television. He got so frustrated and almost threw the dish in the river.
Finally he went into town and bought a gadget to help him zero in on the satellite.
They run their generator all day and watch television. In the evening they go and make some money. When he told me this I started laughing. The Indian casinos are not better than Las Vegas when it comes to paying out money.
My other neighbors are Curt and Peg. They are nice. They have a real beautiful cat. I have never seen a cat with colorful fur like his.
The cat throws up on winding roads, probably because of his age, he is 18 years old. He walks around outside and does not go very far away from the trailer.
10-19-09
In the morning I went to the Laws Railroad Museum. The towns of Laws does not exist anymore. It disappeared when the mines in the area closed down. Only the railroad depot, water tower and a few buildings are still there. Some of the buildings were brought in from the country side and other towns.
They have displays of a dental office, doctor office and stores from the early 1900s.
When the city of Los Angeles bought most of the land in Owens Valley for the water rights, farming and ranching stopped too. That did not help the town.
10-20-09
For traveling only sixty miles today, I left early. At 6:30 AM I was on the road, heading to the gas station at the Indian Casino. Gasoline is $ 2.85 at the casino, versus $ 3.19 and $ 3.29 at the other stations. Since the tank was only half full it paid to stop there. Later, one has a problem getting a pump. It is especially difficult to get in there with a motorhome and a car in tow. I needed 37 gallons. The 65 gallons in the tank will get me to Death Valley, out of the valley and almost home. With my old motorhome I had to be careful and carry gasoline in cans, instead of paying the high price in the valley.
Five miles south of Bishop I saw a herd of elks, in the meadow, next to highway 395.
At 8:30 AM I arrived at the Diaz Lake Campground in Lone Pine.
Like most of the land in Owens Valley, this park is owned by the city of Los Angeles and leased by Inyo County.
It is a beautiful lake. On one side I see the Sierra mountain range with Mount Whitney, in the front I see part of the lake and the White Mountains, and of course Doreen’s companions, and on the other side the lake.
In the afternoon I went to town. The library, like other Inyo County libraries has no WIFI. Tomorrow I have to get a hot chocolate at the café, and do my blog there.
The park has 200 sites and there are less than 10 rigs here.
Today I bought 1 ½ pound of ground beef and grilled beef patties. One big one I ate with vegetables and a baked potato, two went in the freezer and two in the refrigerator.
10-21-09
This morning I went to the Alabama Hills. Those hills have been settings for about 300 films, mostly westerns.
The Movie Road is a 12 mile dirt road. A small portion of the road was like wash board, most of it was fine.
On the way home I stopped at Manzanar National Historic Site.
At this place about 12,000 people of Japanese ancestry were interned from 1942 to 1945.
It is a very emotional place.
The restored auditorium houses historic photos and displays.
10-22-09
The Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery, near Independence, was my first stop this morning. There were no fish in the hatching basins, only in the pond.
The building and its surroundings is worth the trip. It is a typical European building, with three feet thick stone walls. The building blends in with the mountains.
My second stop was The Museum of Film History in Lone Pine.
The museum has every poster of films made, or part of it made in Lone Pine. There are also cars of the period and pictures of the movie stars, and memorabilia of the making of the movies and its stars.
Some of the stars I never heard of. As a young boy we walked to our neighboring town and saw Hopalong Cassisdy movies. I also remember Tom Mix. I never saw the singing cowboys in the movies, but later heard of them.
Besides westerns, they filmed movies where the action was supposed to be in Africa or Asia, in Lone Pine.
The entrance ticket also included a movie at 7:00 PM and cartoons 30 minutes earlier.
They showed two Have Gun-Will Travel shows. I really paid attention to the area the shows were filmed.
Yes, the action was in the Alabama Hills.
10-23-09
I am getting ready to go down to Death Valley. This afternoon I will get a lot of neighbors. The camp sites on the edge of the lake are marked with "Reserved" papers. The weekend is coming.
At the visitor center I checked out the temperatures in the valley. The highs are: 94 degrees F (35C)
and the lows: 61 degrees F (16C). I can live with that.
I went in town and filled up the gas tank in the car. I hate to tow the car with a full tank, but the price of gasoline is extremely high in Death Valley.
The rest of the day I took it easy.
I left Lee Vining at 8:30 AM and 45 minutes later I was at the New Shady Rest Forest Campground in Mammoth Lake.
The campground was designed for tent camping and small motorhomes. There are a few larger sites, but it is difficult to get in those spots.
I tried to do it alone, had to give up though. Finally a pick up truck came behind me. I got out of the motorhome and asked the driver to help me. I picked the right guy. He gave me the right directions and without hitting a tree I backed the rig into the space.
After lunch I drove to Convict Lake. I have been in Mammoth Lake several times but never visited this hidden Gem. A good friend made me aware of it.
Since there was no sun and it was perfect weather for a hike, I walked around the lake. It is a two mile hike.
The storm has not come yet.
10-13-09
When I got up this morning it was snowing. Later it turned into rain.
I went to the hardware store to buy a flat water hose. I need 40 more feet to reach the faucet in the campground, to fill up the water tank. I have two 25 foot hoses and one ten foot. I want the flat hose only for situations like this. A 40 or 50 foot round hose takes too much space.
They had only flat soaker hoses.
I found some plastic screw covers though, something I had been looking for.
My next stop was Vons where I bought some red cabbage. From there I went to the library. When I looked out the window it was snowing very hard.
I took off and went to the motorhome. I had planned to come back later, but that white stuff kept on falling down. Getting stuck away from the motorhome would be no fun. I had the chains in my hand before we went on this trip, they stayed at home. That was not very smart.
Back at the motorhome I cooked the red cabbage and made some mashed potatoes. Doreen had made pork chops and they were in the freezer.
If I get stuck here at least I eat well.
While I took this picture it was still coming down. The picture does not show it.
After dinner I put on my rubber boots and went up the hill. Two of my neighbors were standing there, getting covered with snow. They were debating how to get out of here.
One of them has a Jeep and would be able to go to the auto parts store and by one set of chains.
One motorhome could then leave here with the chains on the wheels, and then they could bring back the chains for the other motorhome. Both of the guys have to go back to work.
I do not have that problem, I have plenty of time.
This is the view I have from my side window.
10-14-09
The snow plow had come through the campground in the night. My neighbors are lucky. They can leave now without chains.
I got up and shoveled the snow in the back of the car. We all are lucky that it got warmer and there is no ice on the roads. The snow fell from the trees and is slowly melting.
The parking lots for the stores are open too. They pushed the snow on the side and then hauled it away.
The road to Lake Mary and to Devils Postpile are closed. I hope they will open them soon.
It was another relaxing day, spent at the library, hardware store, Radio Shack, and a few minutes at Vons.
10-15-09
What a beautiful day that was. All day we had blue sky and the snow is melting. The solar panels are almost free of snow. They are not charging the batteries yet.
In the morning I drove to Bishop to check out the cheap campgrounds. I found one at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. They charge $ 10.00 a day, no hookups of course.
Gasoline is $ 2.85 a gallon in Bishop, here in Mammoth it is $ 3.56.
I also stopped at Crowly Lake. After seeing Convict Lake, I was not impressed.
There was no snow on the ground 20 miles south of Mammoth Lakes.This valley is 3,000 feet lower than Mammoth.
In the afternoon I took the drive to Lake Mary. The snowplow had cleared one and a half lanes. There was very little traffic. I went to the end of the road. People were cross country skiing.
On the way back I saw this couple enjoying Lake Mary and the sun.
10-16-09
I am 30 miles closer to home. Pleasant Valley is located about five miles North of Bishop.
The motorhome is standing next to the Owens River. It is a noisy river.
I went right away into town to check out the library and Wells Fargo. The library has no WIFI. That means I can not send any pictures.
When I came back I walked up to the dam and reservoir. It is a lot warmer here than in Mammoth Lakes. I am wearing shorts again.
Yesterday I had another nice experience. My neighbor told me that she will be going to have her recall done on her refrigerator. Frank Muzzy had sent me an E mail to check whether my refrigerator needs the recall kit installed. I found out that is does.
She told me that Phil Dore of Adventure in Camping had helped her getting her refrigerator going without charging her, and that he still has one kit and would install it. So on my way to Bishop I stopped at his place. He told me that the only kit he has left he promised a lady and he did not know when the new order would come in.
When I came back from Bishop my neighbor told me that Phil had come to the campground looking for me. Her refrigerator had been taken care off by the previous owner and that Phil could take care of mine now.
Late afternoon he came back and when he took the refrigerator cover off he found out that the kit was already installed on my refrigerator too.
He tied down a couple of wires and put the cover on again. I wanted to pay him for his time but he said that "Thanks" is good enough for him. He wasted his time on two motorhomes and did not get angry.
I had already checked where I would have to go, when I get home, to have it taken care off.
If anybody has trouble with their motorhome, when they are in the Mammoth Lakes area, they should call Phil Dore at 760- 935-4890
10-17-09
I went up Bishop Creek Canyon in the morning. First I went to South Lake. Since it is Saturday a lot of anglers were in the water and on shore.
The lake is at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. There was some snow on the ground.
Most of the trees had lost their leaves since they get frost at night.
My next stop was Lake Sabrina. A lot of people were fishing there too. This is a beautiful spot.
On the way down I stopped at Bishop Creek Group Campground and had my lunch.
Back in town I went to the Visitor Center and the adjoining park.
At the library I could not sent a new post. The computer told me that I was not on the Internet. Which was not true since I got my Juno E mail. I have to find a place with WIFI.
10-18-09
Today I went up the White Mountains, to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The White Mountains form the Eastern border of Owens Valley.
From 10,000 feet one has a good view of the snow covered Sierra Mountains on the other side of the valley. Schulman Grove is at the altitude of 10,000 feet.
I walked the Discovery Trail which is a one mile loop and does go up higher. There are plenty of benches along the way. And I used them.
The Bristlecone trees rewrote radio carbon dating technology. The growth rings of those trees do not lie.
Some of those trees are older than 4,000 years.
Many trees look like they are dead, but there is one live branch.
Last time I was up here, there was a beautiful Visitor Center, unfortunately it burn down last year.
After all that walking I had a hot chocolate, at the Loony Bean Café, in Bishop, and I did my E mail. They have WIFI.
Coming down the hill I saw my little home on wheels near the Owens River.
Next to it are my neighbors in their fifth wheel. The day before yesterday he was setting up the dish for television. He got so frustrated and almost threw the dish in the river.
Finally he went into town and bought a gadget to help him zero in on the satellite.
They run their generator all day and watch television. In the evening they go and make some money. When he told me this I started laughing. The Indian casinos are not better than Las Vegas when it comes to paying out money.
My other neighbors are Curt and Peg. They are nice. They have a real beautiful cat. I have never seen a cat with colorful fur like his.
The cat throws up on winding roads, probably because of his age, he is 18 years old. He walks around outside and does not go very far away from the trailer.
10-19-09
In the morning I went to the Laws Railroad Museum. The towns of Laws does not exist anymore. It disappeared when the mines in the area closed down. Only the railroad depot, water tower and a few buildings are still there. Some of the buildings were brought in from the country side and other towns.
They have displays of a dental office, doctor office and stores from the early 1900s.
When the city of Los Angeles bought most of the land in Owens Valley for the water rights, farming and ranching stopped too. That did not help the town.
10-20-09
For traveling only sixty miles today, I left early. At 6:30 AM I was on the road, heading to the gas station at the Indian Casino. Gasoline is $ 2.85 at the casino, versus $ 3.19 and $ 3.29 at the other stations. Since the tank was only half full it paid to stop there. Later, one has a problem getting a pump. It is especially difficult to get in there with a motorhome and a car in tow. I needed 37 gallons. The 65 gallons in the tank will get me to Death Valley, out of the valley and almost home. With my old motorhome I had to be careful and carry gasoline in cans, instead of paying the high price in the valley.
Five miles south of Bishop I saw a herd of elks, in the meadow, next to highway 395.
At 8:30 AM I arrived at the Diaz Lake Campground in Lone Pine.
Like most of the land in Owens Valley, this park is owned by the city of Los Angeles and leased by Inyo County.
It is a beautiful lake. On one side I see the Sierra mountain range with Mount Whitney, in the front I see part of the lake and the White Mountains, and of course Doreen’s companions, and on the other side the lake.
In the afternoon I went to town. The library, like other Inyo County libraries has no WIFI. Tomorrow I have to get a hot chocolate at the café, and do my blog there.
The park has 200 sites and there are less than 10 rigs here.
Today I bought 1 ½ pound of ground beef and grilled beef patties. One big one I ate with vegetables and a baked potato, two went in the freezer and two in the refrigerator.
10-21-09
This morning I went to the Alabama Hills. Those hills have been settings for about 300 films, mostly westerns.
The Movie Road is a 12 mile dirt road. A small portion of the road was like wash board, most of it was fine.
On the way home I stopped at Manzanar National Historic Site.
At this place about 12,000 people of Japanese ancestry were interned from 1942 to 1945.
It is a very emotional place.
The restored auditorium houses historic photos and displays.
10-22-09
The Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery, near Independence, was my first stop this morning. There were no fish in the hatching basins, only in the pond.
The building and its surroundings is worth the trip. It is a typical European building, with three feet thick stone walls. The building blends in with the mountains.
My second stop was The Museum of Film History in Lone Pine.
The museum has every poster of films made, or part of it made in Lone Pine. There are also cars of the period and pictures of the movie stars, and memorabilia of the making of the movies and its stars.
Some of the stars I never heard of. As a young boy we walked to our neighboring town and saw Hopalong Cassisdy movies. I also remember Tom Mix. I never saw the singing cowboys in the movies, but later heard of them.
Besides westerns, they filmed movies where the action was supposed to be in Africa or Asia, in Lone Pine.
The entrance ticket also included a movie at 7:00 PM and cartoons 30 minutes earlier.
They showed two Have Gun-Will Travel shows. I really paid attention to the area the shows were filmed.
Yes, the action was in the Alabama Hills.
10-23-09
I am getting ready to go down to Death Valley. This afternoon I will get a lot of neighbors. The camp sites on the edge of the lake are marked with "Reserved" papers. The weekend is coming.
At the visitor center I checked out the temperatures in the valley. The highs are: 94 degrees F (35C)
and the lows: 61 degrees F (16C). I can live with that.
I went in town and filled up the gas tank in the car. I hate to tow the car with a full tank, but the price of gasoline is extremely high in Death Valley.
The rest of the day I took it easy.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Eastern Sierra 2009
10-2-09
We had a good travel day. The clouds stayed behind us.
We took a little detour and visited Joy and Ed in Richmond, Utah. They are the parents of Vicki Daley.
We usually see them In Death Valley and in Winterhaven, near Yuma, Arizona.
When we unhooked the car at the Elks Lodge in Bountiful, Utah, a car stopped next to us and a couple got out. I heard my name when I turned around, it was little Linda and Bill from the WINs. They are also staying at the lodge.
We treated ourselves and walked to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.
It is a lot warmer here than in Idaho Falls.
10-3-09
We headed west on I-80. After traveling the last five weeks on small highways it is pretty boring driving 55 miles per hour on the Interstate.
We rested at the Bonneville Speedway Rest Area. As far one can see there is salt.
At 11:00 AM we stopped at the Mountain Shadows RV Park in Wells, Nevada. It was a bit early, but it felt right. Then we realized it was actually 10:00 AM. We had entered the Pacific Time Zone.
Last night I had bought a 30 Amp outlet and a box for the 120 volt line from the inverter. So far I used a regular 15 Amp plug. This meant I had to use a reducer from the 30 Amp.
Every time I used that combination I had problems. I had to play with it until it worked.
Nothing changed, I put the 30 Amp plug in the new outlet and sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. There are no loose wires. I give up.
Doreen cooked a big fancy dinner today. It was an easy relaxing day. We had full hook ups, even cable television.
10-4-09
The plan was to go to Reno today. When we woke up and looked out of the window we got a surprise. Doreen took a picture out of the window and I could not resist to go outside and take some pictures.
This is a Freightliner truck, pulling a giant fifth wheel trailer, and on the end a little Smart Car. All three vehicles have the same paint scheme.
It had rained all night, we expected that. But it turned cold in the morning and the rain turned to snow.
When it stopped making noise on the roof of the motorhome I was happy. I had left the sewer hose and water hose connected and it is no fun working on that in the rain. I thought I had gotten a break.
Now, this is another story, snow.
We decided to stay one more day and hope the weather is better tomorrow.This was a day for relaxation. Doreen did a lot of knitting and reading.I made progress with reading my book.
10-5-09
The rain and snow are gone now. The clouds are still there.
It was perfect weather for driving. We ended up at the Desert Rose RV Park in Fernley, Nevada.
10-6-09
I am alone again. This morning I took my copilot to the airport in Reno. Doreen does not feel good right now. Her bladder infection came back and she will feel better seeing her own doctor.
The last five weeks I have been waiting for my new drivers license. My temporary license expires in a few days. Our neighbor missed the letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles. It had arrived at home. Every time I called the neighbor she told us that it was not there.
Doreen will send the license to me now. I will stay here in Fernly until it arrives.
The weather has improved. Today was a sunny day.
For exitement it did two loads of laundry and went to Wal Mart.
On Interstate 80,trucks with three trailers are common. We do not see those in California.
10-7-09
I cooked a big breakfast and then called Doreen to wish her a happy birthday.
At 9:30 AM I took off for Virginia City, Nevada, an old mining town. It is a tourist town now, somewhat like Oatman, Arizona, only ten times larger.
Before I arrived at Virginia City I came through Silver City, and Gold Hill. Time forgot those two places, there are only a few houses left. But around those towns are old relics from the past. There are towers and old run down mining buildings.
Virginia City is alive and many tourists were there.
They have a few museums, including the Mark Twain Museum. He worked for his brother’s newspaper.
The weather is agreeable again, cold at night and in the low 70ties during the day.
10-8-09
In the morning I cleaned the front of the motorhome and gave the car a quick wash with a bucket and a towel. Now the car is white again. I also made a large chicken pasta salad with onions and peas. This will last for a few meals.
I was ready to leave Fernly at 12:00 noon but the post person was late. At 1:15 PM I finally got the letter with my new drivers license, and 15 minutes later I was going South on highway 95A to highway 50 West. At Carson City I took highway 395 South.
This road goes through large valleys which have the Sierras to the West and another mountain range to the East. It is a beautiful drive, with the snow capped mountains, the lakes and the river, which follows the road.
At 4:00 PM I stopped at a small Forest Service Campground South of Walker and North of Bridgeport.
A small river flows through the campground and people are catching trout. One couple had quite a few.
I was told that last night the temperature was 18 degrees F.
10-9-09
It was cold this morning. I had prepared for it and was warm during the night.
I got up, turned the furnace on, and jumped back in bed.
When I finally left my warm bed I turned off the furnace and turned on the catalytic heater. After a while I had to turn on the furnace again, for another half hour, to really warm up the motorhome.
I left Chris Flat Campground at 8:30 AM.
Highway 395 is really beautiful now. The fall colors are just starting, a few more nights with frost and the trees will be covered in gold.
Driving is easy too, there are only a few sharp curves. The Drive down to Mono Lake was steep
I stopped at the visitor center at Mono Lake and stole one picture of the Tufa Towers.
The Forest Service Campgrounds will close on the 12th. I will be staying until then at the Lower Lee Vining canyon campground. It is located on highway 120, four miles West of Lee Vining. The distance to Tioga Pass is 11 miles, and a bit more than two hours to Yosemite Valley.
From the campground I can see the mountains of Yosemite.
A small river winds itself through the camp. Young people in tents camp at the side.
All camp sites have "Bear Proof Food Lockers". They are especially for the tent campers.
10-10-09
It was another cold night. Because it was warm all evening I thought it would be warmer in the night. I was wrong. At 1:00 AM I had to get up and put another comforter on the bed. That did the trick.
After breakfast I packed a lunch and took off for Yosemite National Park.
It took two hours to get to Crane Flat. This included stops at different outlooks and staying within the speed limit, which is 35 MPH and 45 MPH at certain places.
I had not been to Glacier Point for many years, so this became my first stop.
Being on this high mountain and looking down into the valley, and having Half Dome almost at the same height is some experience.
The cars on the road were tiny spots.
My next stop was the valley. Since it is October , there were more people than I expected. But the weekend must have something to do with it. Besides there are many foreign people.
The weather could have not been better.
Tuolumne Meadow is six months out of the year covered with snow. Right now it is snow free. In a few days or weeks it will change.
10-11-09
This morning I went to Mammoth Lakes to find a place to stay for the next few days.
On the way I got off highway 395 and traveled the June Lake Loop. This was a beautiful, pleasant drive.
The aspen and birches are almost in full fall colors. The area near Silver Lake is especially pretty.
In Mammoth Lakes I went to the Visitor Center. I was told that a storm is coming either Monday evening or Tuesday morning. We have blue skies and it does not look like a storm. If I was smart I would move down to Bishop, where it is not as cold at night and they probably will not get much snow.
The Forest Service Campground in Mammoth Lakes will be open until the end of the month.
I checked already the sites and I will go there tomorrow morning.
We had a good travel day. The clouds stayed behind us.
We took a little detour and visited Joy and Ed in Richmond, Utah. They are the parents of Vicki Daley.
We usually see them In Death Valley and in Winterhaven, near Yuma, Arizona.
When we unhooked the car at the Elks Lodge in Bountiful, Utah, a car stopped next to us and a couple got out. I heard my name when I turned around, it was little Linda and Bill from the WINs. They are also staying at the lodge.
We treated ourselves and walked to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.
It is a lot warmer here than in Idaho Falls.
10-3-09
We headed west on I-80. After traveling the last five weeks on small highways it is pretty boring driving 55 miles per hour on the Interstate.
We rested at the Bonneville Speedway Rest Area. As far one can see there is salt.
At 11:00 AM we stopped at the Mountain Shadows RV Park in Wells, Nevada. It was a bit early, but it felt right. Then we realized it was actually 10:00 AM. We had entered the Pacific Time Zone.
Last night I had bought a 30 Amp outlet and a box for the 120 volt line from the inverter. So far I used a regular 15 Amp plug. This meant I had to use a reducer from the 30 Amp.
Every time I used that combination I had problems. I had to play with it until it worked.
Nothing changed, I put the 30 Amp plug in the new outlet and sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. There are no loose wires. I give up.
Doreen cooked a big fancy dinner today. It was an easy relaxing day. We had full hook ups, even cable television.
10-4-09
The plan was to go to Reno today. When we woke up and looked out of the window we got a surprise. Doreen took a picture out of the window and I could not resist to go outside and take some pictures.
This is a Freightliner truck, pulling a giant fifth wheel trailer, and on the end a little Smart Car. All three vehicles have the same paint scheme.
It had rained all night, we expected that. But it turned cold in the morning and the rain turned to snow.
When it stopped making noise on the roof of the motorhome I was happy. I had left the sewer hose and water hose connected and it is no fun working on that in the rain. I thought I had gotten a break.
Now, this is another story, snow.
We decided to stay one more day and hope the weather is better tomorrow.This was a day for relaxation. Doreen did a lot of knitting and reading.I made progress with reading my book.
10-5-09
The rain and snow are gone now. The clouds are still there.
It was perfect weather for driving. We ended up at the Desert Rose RV Park in Fernley, Nevada.
10-6-09
I am alone again. This morning I took my copilot to the airport in Reno. Doreen does not feel good right now. Her bladder infection came back and she will feel better seeing her own doctor.
The last five weeks I have been waiting for my new drivers license. My temporary license expires in a few days. Our neighbor missed the letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles. It had arrived at home. Every time I called the neighbor she told us that it was not there.
Doreen will send the license to me now. I will stay here in Fernly until it arrives.
The weather has improved. Today was a sunny day.
For exitement it did two loads of laundry and went to Wal Mart.
On Interstate 80,trucks with three trailers are common. We do not see those in California.
10-7-09
I cooked a big breakfast and then called Doreen to wish her a happy birthday.
At 9:30 AM I took off for Virginia City, Nevada, an old mining town. It is a tourist town now, somewhat like Oatman, Arizona, only ten times larger.
Before I arrived at Virginia City I came through Silver City, and Gold Hill. Time forgot those two places, there are only a few houses left. But around those towns are old relics from the past. There are towers and old run down mining buildings.
Virginia City is alive and many tourists were there.
They have a few museums, including the Mark Twain Museum. He worked for his brother’s newspaper.
The weather is agreeable again, cold at night and in the low 70ties during the day.
10-8-09
In the morning I cleaned the front of the motorhome and gave the car a quick wash with a bucket and a towel. Now the car is white again. I also made a large chicken pasta salad with onions and peas. This will last for a few meals.
I was ready to leave Fernly at 12:00 noon but the post person was late. At 1:15 PM I finally got the letter with my new drivers license, and 15 minutes later I was going South on highway 95A to highway 50 West. At Carson City I took highway 395 South.
This road goes through large valleys which have the Sierras to the West and another mountain range to the East. It is a beautiful drive, with the snow capped mountains, the lakes and the river, which follows the road.
At 4:00 PM I stopped at a small Forest Service Campground South of Walker and North of Bridgeport.
A small river flows through the campground and people are catching trout. One couple had quite a few.
I was told that last night the temperature was 18 degrees F.
10-9-09
It was cold this morning. I had prepared for it and was warm during the night.
I got up, turned the furnace on, and jumped back in bed.
When I finally left my warm bed I turned off the furnace and turned on the catalytic heater. After a while I had to turn on the furnace again, for another half hour, to really warm up the motorhome.
I left Chris Flat Campground at 8:30 AM.
Highway 395 is really beautiful now. The fall colors are just starting, a few more nights with frost and the trees will be covered in gold.
Driving is easy too, there are only a few sharp curves. The Drive down to Mono Lake was steep
I stopped at the visitor center at Mono Lake and stole one picture of the Tufa Towers.
The Forest Service Campgrounds will close on the 12th. I will be staying until then at the Lower Lee Vining canyon campground. It is located on highway 120, four miles West of Lee Vining. The distance to Tioga Pass is 11 miles, and a bit more than two hours to Yosemite Valley.
From the campground I can see the mountains of Yosemite.
A small river winds itself through the camp. Young people in tents camp at the side.
All camp sites have "Bear Proof Food Lockers". They are especially for the tent campers.
10-10-09
It was another cold night. Because it was warm all evening I thought it would be warmer in the night. I was wrong. At 1:00 AM I had to get up and put another comforter on the bed. That did the trick.
After breakfast I packed a lunch and took off for Yosemite National Park.
It took two hours to get to Crane Flat. This included stops at different outlooks and staying within the speed limit, which is 35 MPH and 45 MPH at certain places.
I had not been to Glacier Point for many years, so this became my first stop.
Being on this high mountain and looking down into the valley, and having Half Dome almost at the same height is some experience.
The cars on the road were tiny spots.
My next stop was the valley. Since it is October , there were more people than I expected. But the weekend must have something to do with it. Besides there are many foreign people.
The weather could have not been better.
Tuolumne Meadow is six months out of the year covered with snow. Right now it is snow free. In a few days or weeks it will change.
10-11-09
This morning I went to Mammoth Lakes to find a place to stay for the next few days.
On the way I got off highway 395 and traveled the June Lake Loop. This was a beautiful, pleasant drive.
The aspen and birches are almost in full fall colors. The area near Silver Lake is especially pretty.
In Mammoth Lakes I went to the Visitor Center. I was told that a storm is coming either Monday evening or Tuesday morning. We have blue skies and it does not look like a storm. If I was smart I would move down to Bishop, where it is not as cold at night and they probably will not get much snow.
The Forest Service Campground in Mammoth Lakes will be open until the end of the month.
I checked already the sites and I will go there tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Idaho (2) 2009
9-22-09
We left Waterton at 8:00 AM and arrived at the US-Canada border at 8:30AM. We had to wait 30 minutes for the border to open up. Two female US border officers and two male Canadian officers came out at 8:58 AM and lifted the gates.
We arrived at St. Mary at 10:00 AM and 30 minutes later we were on our way to the Blackfeet Community Hospital in Browning, Montana.
The Emergency Room was not busy and Doreen saw a nurse and a doctor in a short time. The doctor was a young man and very helpful.
He gave her a three day supply of medication and a prescription for her bladder infection. Doreen has not been a happy camper for the last week.
Doreen had to fill out papers, they asked her about tribal associations. We belong to a strange tribe and it is not Blackfeet. This whole area is the Blackfeet Reservation.
Across from the Emergency entrance is a big statue of a horse and Buffalo and Elk.
In 2006 there was a big fire here.
9-23-09
The Johnson’s of St. Mary RV Park has camp sites on a high hill. We chose one of those sites. From our front window we see the mountains in Glacier National Park, and from the dinette window we see mountains and Lake St. Mary. It is such a beautiful sight.
After breakfast we took off for the park. The scenery along the "Going to the Sun Road" is spectacular.
We had again blue skies and just perfect weather.
In the afternoon we took it easy, but did two loads of laundry. While I was running the machines I did my computer work.
9-24-09
Today was a driving day. We left St. Mary at 8:00 AM and arrived at the Elks Lodge in Kalispell at 11:30 AM.
It was a scenic drive along rivers and through forests.
In Kalispell we went to Costco to have Doreen’s prescription filled and to do some shopping. We are now four weeks on the road and had to restock our supplies.
From Costco we went to a large grocery store and bought fruits and vegetables. The prices were a lot better than in small towns.
In the evening we had dinner at the lodge. It was Taco Night and one could eat as much as one could push down the hatch. The shredded meat and ground beef was good. I made myself a tostada and later a taco.
We shared the table with a very nice local couple. They would like to do the same things we do, the woman would like to see the coast. The husband is still working and they have two houses, because they have too much stuff. She can not get rid of her dead parents belongings. So they are stuck.
When Doreen told them that she had to go to Emergency at the hospital in Browning, the woman acted like she could not believe that Doreen came out alive. She had been an inspector for the State of Montana and inspected hospitals. She also dealt with people at the reservation.
We thought Doreen was taken care of very well, and she feels better.
When we mentioned that we take care of most of communication and finances on the computer, they told us that they get so much spam. I told them that I told all my friend not to send me any forwarded junk, nothing political, no jokes, only personal letters. They thought their friends would take offense to such a request.
We had a wonderful evening. To top it off, we have three stations on the TV. Doreen was able to watch Grays Anatomy.for two hours.
9-25-09
We went to the Whitefish Mountain Ski and Summer Resort.
We thought it would be too expensive to take the lift up the mountain. I inquired anyway and found out that it was only $ 5.00 for seniors. When we bought the tickets, the girl asked us whether we were seniors past 70 years. When we said yes we got the tickets for free. I never heard of something like that. Sometimes it pays to be old, other times it is a pain, literally.
The view from top of the mountain was great, unfortunately there was some smog in the valley from the fires in Oregon.
9-26-09
We are on the way home now. From Kalispell we took US highway 93 South.
In San Ignatius we stopped for a while and visited the mission. There are beautiful pictures on the ceiling and on the walls.
We had to climb over the Bitterroot Mountain Range. The motorhome performed well. When we were on top I installed the BrakeBuddy in the car. I had underestimated the height of the mountains and had left off.
When we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Salmon, Idaho, we rested for a while and then went to the Sacajawea Interpretive Center. Sacajawea was the Indian woman who acted as an interpreter for Lewis and Clark on their journey out west.
9-27-09
Beginning at Salmon, highway 93 is the Salmon River Scenic Byway. It is scenic, but very slow.
The Byway continues at Challis with highway 75.
The road follows the curves of the river.
When we came close to Stanley we stopped at an outlook area and the Sawtooth Mountain Range was before us, with the town of Stanley in the valley, what a sight.
We found a Forest Service Campground a few miles south of Stanley.
9-28-09
It was cold last night. When I got up it was 36 degrees F in the motorhome. I ran the furnace for 20 minutes and then turned on the catalytic heater.
In the middle of the night I got two more comforters to keep warm.
We left our little forest campground at 8:30 AM and arrived at North Fork campground at 10:00 AM.
Highway 75 becomes the Sawtooth Scenic Byway South of Stanley.
The Byway runs parallel to the Sawtooth mountain range, through a beautiful valley.
We set up the motorhome and left for Ketchum, which is eight miles to the South.
Next to Ketchum is Sun Valley, the famous ski area. In Sun Valley we went to a fancy shopping mall.
They have two ponds with swans swimming around.
On one store I saw the sign:"Konditorei". I thought I was in for a treat, like torte, but they only had cookies and sweet rolls. When I talked to the lady and told her what I expected she smiled and said: "You sure know how to pronounce Kondidorei".
Our next stop was the Hemingway Memorial. He has a beautiful view down to a golf course.
They have two ponds with swans swimming around.
On one store I saw the sign:"Konditorei". I thought I was in for a treat, like torte, but they only had cookies and sweet rolls. When I talked to the lady and told her what I expected she smiled and said: "You sure know how to pronounce Kondidorei".
Our next stop was the Hemingway Memorial. He has a beautiful view down to a golf course.
Most of the National Forest campground are closed. Half of North Fork is closed and the water shut off.
The fee is now only $ 5.00 per day, we pay $ 2.50 with our Golden Age Pass.
Last night we were alone. Today another rig came in, a couple from the Phoenix, Arizona area.
I forgot to mention that I ran over a dead deer three days ago. It was laying in the middle of my lane and I could not avoid it because there were two cars coming in the other lane.
The motorhome cleared it, but the car is lower and I could feel when the car hit the carcass.
There was blood all over the front of the car. It was a mess and no fun cleaning the poor Saturn.
9-29-09
It rained half of the night. Most of the leaves on the trees are gone now.
We left by car to see the Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho. The falls drops 212 feet in the Snake River Canyon. It is a few feet higher than Niagara Falls. Unfortunately this is the wrong time of the year to see the falls. Farmers and ranchers use the water from the Snake River for irrigation in the summer and deplete the water.
In the spring the falls are full. I bought a postcard and when I get home, will scan it and add the picture next to the picture I took today.
Even with only a few trickles coming down the falls, it is very impressive.
On the way home we stopped at the library in Ketchum for our E mail.
I rained again in the afternoon. This is time for relaxing and planning the next stop.
Our itinerary has gone to the wayside, it changes constantly. We take it as it comes.
In the evening we played scrabble.
9-30-09
We hooked up the car to the motorhome while snow flakes were around us. It was cold.
It had rained most of the night.
As soon as we were south of Ketchum, and out of the mountains, it stopped raining. We went east on highway 20 to Craters of the Moon National Monument. The monument is in higher elevation and we experienced snow flakes again and later rain.
It was difficult to get good pictures. Doreen took one out of the front window and the snow flakes are visible.
When we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Idaho Falls it started to rain real heavy.
10-1-09
We took the Riverside Drive in Idaho Falls. From there one has a good view of the Mormon Temple.
We also did some shopping and relaxing.
Our plans changed again. We will not go to Yellowstone and the Tetons. It suddenly got very cold. Going south makes more sense.
We left Waterton at 8:00 AM and arrived at the US-Canada border at 8:30AM. We had to wait 30 minutes for the border to open up. Two female US border officers and two male Canadian officers came out at 8:58 AM and lifted the gates.
We arrived at St. Mary at 10:00 AM and 30 minutes later we were on our way to the Blackfeet Community Hospital in Browning, Montana.
The Emergency Room was not busy and Doreen saw a nurse and a doctor in a short time. The doctor was a young man and very helpful.
He gave her a three day supply of medication and a prescription for her bladder infection. Doreen has not been a happy camper for the last week.
Doreen had to fill out papers, they asked her about tribal associations. We belong to a strange tribe and it is not Blackfeet. This whole area is the Blackfeet Reservation.
Across from the Emergency entrance is a big statue of a horse and Buffalo and Elk.
In 2006 there was a big fire here.
9-23-09
The Johnson’s of St. Mary RV Park has camp sites on a high hill. We chose one of those sites. From our front window we see the mountains in Glacier National Park, and from the dinette window we see mountains and Lake St. Mary. It is such a beautiful sight.
After breakfast we took off for the park. The scenery along the "Going to the Sun Road" is spectacular.
We had again blue skies and just perfect weather.
In the afternoon we took it easy, but did two loads of laundry. While I was running the machines I did my computer work.
9-24-09
Today was a driving day. We left St. Mary at 8:00 AM and arrived at the Elks Lodge in Kalispell at 11:30 AM.
It was a scenic drive along rivers and through forests.
In Kalispell we went to Costco to have Doreen’s prescription filled and to do some shopping. We are now four weeks on the road and had to restock our supplies.
From Costco we went to a large grocery store and bought fruits and vegetables. The prices were a lot better than in small towns.
In the evening we had dinner at the lodge. It was Taco Night and one could eat as much as one could push down the hatch. The shredded meat and ground beef was good. I made myself a tostada and later a taco.
We shared the table with a very nice local couple. They would like to do the same things we do, the woman would like to see the coast. The husband is still working and they have two houses, because they have too much stuff. She can not get rid of her dead parents belongings. So they are stuck.
When Doreen told them that she had to go to Emergency at the hospital in Browning, the woman acted like she could not believe that Doreen came out alive. She had been an inspector for the State of Montana and inspected hospitals. She also dealt with people at the reservation.
We thought Doreen was taken care of very well, and she feels better.
When we mentioned that we take care of most of communication and finances on the computer, they told us that they get so much spam. I told them that I told all my friend not to send me any forwarded junk, nothing political, no jokes, only personal letters. They thought their friends would take offense to such a request.
We had a wonderful evening. To top it off, we have three stations on the TV. Doreen was able to watch Grays Anatomy.for two hours.
9-25-09
We went to the Whitefish Mountain Ski and Summer Resort.
We thought it would be too expensive to take the lift up the mountain. I inquired anyway and found out that it was only $ 5.00 for seniors. When we bought the tickets, the girl asked us whether we were seniors past 70 years. When we said yes we got the tickets for free. I never heard of something like that. Sometimes it pays to be old, other times it is a pain, literally.
The view from top of the mountain was great, unfortunately there was some smog in the valley from the fires in Oregon.
9-26-09
We are on the way home now. From Kalispell we took US highway 93 South.
In San Ignatius we stopped for a while and visited the mission. There are beautiful pictures on the ceiling and on the walls.
We had to climb over the Bitterroot Mountain Range. The motorhome performed well. When we were on top I installed the BrakeBuddy in the car. I had underestimated the height of the mountains and had left off.
When we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Salmon, Idaho, we rested for a while and then went to the Sacajawea Interpretive Center. Sacajawea was the Indian woman who acted as an interpreter for Lewis and Clark on their journey out west.
9-27-09
Beginning at Salmon, highway 93 is the Salmon River Scenic Byway. It is scenic, but very slow.
The Byway continues at Challis with highway 75.
The road follows the curves of the river.
When we came close to Stanley we stopped at an outlook area and the Sawtooth Mountain Range was before us, with the town of Stanley in the valley, what a sight.
We found a Forest Service Campground a few miles south of Stanley.
9-28-09
It was cold last night. When I got up it was 36 degrees F in the motorhome. I ran the furnace for 20 minutes and then turned on the catalytic heater.
In the middle of the night I got two more comforters to keep warm.
We left our little forest campground at 8:30 AM and arrived at North Fork campground at 10:00 AM.
Highway 75 becomes the Sawtooth Scenic Byway South of Stanley.
The Byway runs parallel to the Sawtooth mountain range, through a beautiful valley.
We set up the motorhome and left for Ketchum, which is eight miles to the South.
Next to Ketchum is Sun Valley, the famous ski area. In Sun Valley we went to a fancy shopping mall.
They have two ponds with swans swimming around.
On one store I saw the sign:"Konditorei". I thought I was in for a treat, like torte, but they only had cookies and sweet rolls. When I talked to the lady and told her what I expected she smiled and said: "You sure know how to pronounce Kondidorei".
Our next stop was the Hemingway Memorial. He has a beautiful view down to a golf course.
They have two ponds with swans swimming around.
On one store I saw the sign:"Konditorei". I thought I was in for a treat, like torte, but they only had cookies and sweet rolls. When I talked to the lady and told her what I expected she smiled and said: "You sure know how to pronounce Kondidorei".
Our next stop was the Hemingway Memorial. He has a beautiful view down to a golf course.
Most of the National Forest campground are closed. Half of North Fork is closed and the water shut off.
The fee is now only $ 5.00 per day, we pay $ 2.50 with our Golden Age Pass.
Last night we were alone. Today another rig came in, a couple from the Phoenix, Arizona area.
I forgot to mention that I ran over a dead deer three days ago. It was laying in the middle of my lane and I could not avoid it because there were two cars coming in the other lane.
The motorhome cleared it, but the car is lower and I could feel when the car hit the carcass.
There was blood all over the front of the car. It was a mess and no fun cleaning the poor Saturn.
9-29-09
It rained half of the night. Most of the leaves on the trees are gone now.
We left by car to see the Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho. The falls drops 212 feet in the Snake River Canyon. It is a few feet higher than Niagara Falls. Unfortunately this is the wrong time of the year to see the falls. Farmers and ranchers use the water from the Snake River for irrigation in the summer and deplete the water.
In the spring the falls are full. I bought a postcard and when I get home, will scan it and add the picture next to the picture I took today.
Even with only a few trickles coming down the falls, it is very impressive.
On the way home we stopped at the library in Ketchum for our E mail.
I rained again in the afternoon. This is time for relaxing and planning the next stop.
Our itinerary has gone to the wayside, it changes constantly. We take it as it comes.
In the evening we played scrabble.
9-30-09
We hooked up the car to the motorhome while snow flakes were around us. It was cold.
It had rained most of the night.
As soon as we were south of Ketchum, and out of the mountains, it stopped raining. We went east on highway 20 to Craters of the Moon National Monument. The monument is in higher elevation and we experienced snow flakes again and later rain.
It was difficult to get good pictures. Doreen took one out of the front window and the snow flakes are visible.
When we arrived at the Elks Lodge in Idaho Falls it started to rain real heavy.
10-1-09
We took the Riverside Drive in Idaho Falls. From there one has a good view of the Mormon Temple.
We also did some shopping and relaxing.
Our plans changed again. We will not go to Yellowstone and the Tetons. It suddenly got very cold. Going south makes more sense.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Idaho 2009
9-8-09
After we had emptied the holding tanks, and added some fresh water, we left Burny Falls. I stopped the motorhome and took one more look at the falls.
I was the only person there, which is unusual, but the sleepy heads were still in bed.
We continued on highway 299 until we reached highway 395 North. The first few hours on 395 were fine, but then it got boring. In Oregon the cattle ranches disappeared and all we saw was sage brush. We saw another vehicle every hour.
We passed Alkiline Lake, with Alkaline floating on the edges of the lake.
When it got warmer I tried to get some cooler air from the dash controls.Only hot air came out of of the vents. The knob on one of the controls was broken.
Even the air conditioner blew hot air out.
Now I had computer problems and this problem.
When we arrived at Burns RV Park I talked to my neighbor and he wanted to look under the hood of the motorhome. He knew where the cable for the controls was and moved the lever to the cool position. Now I can set the controls in the morning to warm and in the afternoon to cool. While eating our lunch at a rest area two young men had approached us and asked us for some gasoline. When we are on a long trip I always carry two and a half gallon in the trunk of the car. I gave it to them. My camp ground neighbors help was the pay back.
The RV Park has WIFI and Juno gave me no trouble. I am happy again.
9-9-09
We arrived at Cambridge, Idaho at about 10:00 AM. The plan was, to stay in Cambridge, and travel by car to Hells Canyon.
When I saw the sign: "Hells Canyon National Recreation Area" I changed my mind and kept on rolling.
After traveling three miles on Idaho highway 71, I knew I made a mistake. It is a narrow, winding road, with steep hills. There was no way to turn around.
We drove 26 miles to the Brownlee Dam, on the Snake River. The Idaho Power Company has beautiful camping facilities along the river.
Our camping site at Woodhead Park had water and electricity.
After lunch we drove by car, along the scenic Snake River, to Hells Canyon. It is the deepest canyon in Northern America.
At Oxbow Dam the Park Service has a little visitor center. We watched a movie about the canyon, enjoyed the view, and saw the jet boat arrive.
9-10-09
We left Woodhead Park at 7:00 AM. Doreen drove behind me, in the car, the 26 miles to Cambridge.
I felt better without the car on the motorhome on this narrow winding road.
We continued on highway 95 North.
From Riggins to White Bird the road follows the Salmon River. It is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Unfortunately there are not many spots, along the highway, to stop for pictures.
From White Fish we had to climb a high mountain. I am very satisfied with the V-10 engine in the motorhome. It performs very well.
We stopped on top and the view reminded me of Switzerland. White Fish is nestled in the valley.
The Elks Lodge in Moscow has its own nine hole golf course. We took the site with water and electricity. They have many dry sites along the golf course.
After lunch we looked for Marvin Rudd. He was one of the regulars at Peg Leg Smith, in Borrego Springs. Because of bad eyesight he had to stop driving.
Nobody was home, so we went grocery shopping at Walmart which was almost in Washington State.
In the evening I went again to Marvin’s house and he was at home. We had a nice conversation about Borrego Springs and the snow birds who come every winter to enjoy the Southern California weather.
9-11-09
Today we visited friends in COEUR D’ALENE. Rosary and Leroy used to live two houses down the street from us. Like many other Californians they sold their house and were able to buy bigger homes in other states for less money. They have a big beautiful two story house, overlooking the lake.
9-12-09
We left Coeur D’Alene at 6:30 AM and crossed the border into Canada at 8:45 AM.
This time the Canadian border guard did not ask us whether we had apples. Last time I sacrificed two apples at their refuse can, We had hidden the rest.
The scenery along highway 95 and 93, through the mountains, was spectacular.
We almost had the road for ourselves, not much traffic.
Fairmont Hot Springs has some houses just like in Bavaria, large verandahs around the house and flowers at every window.
We arrived at Lake Louise at 3:00 PM and after setting up the motorhome and some rest, drove to Lake Moraine.
From there we went to Lake Louise and the Chateau Lake Louise.
There were many people, one could hear many languages.
9-13-09
In Germany they have a saying: "When Angel travel the weather is beautiful".
In our situation it fits. We have super weather. During the day we wear T shirts, and at night it is cold. This morning it was 43 degrees F in the motorhome. There was a thin layer of ice on the roof of the car. The windshield was ice free.
I let Doreen sleep late, cooked a big breakfast, and did some little maintenance work around the motorhome.
We went again to Lake Louise and to the Chateau Lake Louise.
From the dining room of the Chateau one has a magnificent look of the lake.
Then we went to the Village of Lake Louise. While Doreen was shopping I went on the Internet, got E mail and did my blog.
The rest of the afternoon we took it easy and enjoyed the view.
In the park they have bridges for animals.
9-14-09
Today we drove the Icefield Parkway to the Columbia Glacier. There one can take tours in a special bus on the glacier.
We left the motorhome at the Icefield Center and went by car towards Jasper..
We had left Lake Louise at 7:00 AM arrived at the Icefield Center at 9:00 AM, set up the motorhome and left for Jasper at 9:30 AM.
We did not get very far. The road was totally blocked. A crew had tried to remove some material from a bluff on the side of the road. They used too big of a charge and took the side of the hill down.
It took three hours to clear one side of the road. We had to wait two and a half hours.
We talked to people and ate our lunch.
Down the mountain were several water falls.
When we finally arrived at Jasper, we took the Jasper Tramway up a high mountain.
Some people walked further up the mountain. The view from up there was fantastic. The color of some of the lakes is turquoise.
We had some soup and a roll at the little mountain restaurant and then came down again.
After a very short visit of Jasper we headed back to the motorhome. We stayed there for the night.
9-15-09
We left the Icefields at 6:45 AM and went back to Lake Louise. From there we took the Bow Valley Parkway to Banff.
This is a narrow, two lane highway, no shoulders. Sometimes the two lanes separate and join again, after a while. All the roads follows rivers.
It is a very scenic drive. Doreen tries to take pictures, because we can not stop on the side of the road.
She took this picture on highway 93.
When we arrived in Banff we got stuck in a small parking lot. We are getting good in unhooking the car, turning the motorhome around and hitching the car again to the motorhome.
We are again in a beautiful National Park. It is located on Tunnel Mountain. Because of construction we had a hard time finding it. We followed an English couple in a rented RV. We finally stopped at a big parking lot and started talking. They got lost on their way out of the park.
We finally got to our destination and what a view we have. We have mountains around us and can look down in the valley.
After lunch we went to the village. Banff is a very beautiful little tourist town.
Doreen went shopping while I went to the library to get on the Internet.
We still have fantastic weather. Last night we thought it was over. It rained a bit but it was dry in the morning.
9-16-09
I cooked a big breakfast and then we played tourist.
Normally we eat cereal and milk, but when we have a lot of time we change the routine.
We went up the mountain to the Banff Gondola. From there we went to The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
This must be one of the biggest hotels in the world. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1880’s to get tourists in this area. It burned down but was rebuilt.
Then we went into town again. Banff has some beautiful parks and everything is so clean. The color of the river is turquoise. The pictures do not show how beautiful it is.
9-17-09
It is tough to leave a beautiful place like Banff, but more adventures are waiting for us. We left again early.
We had planned on staying at the Moose Lodge in Calgary. Unfortunately the Moose lost their lodge. It is now a church, and the Moose are renting upstairs. They have to share the parking lot with the church, there is no room for motorhome parking.
We went across town to a Passport America RV Park, where we pay half price.
After lunch we visited Colin, a WIN friend.
It was wonderful to see him. During the visit it rained. Late afternoon the sun came out again.
9-18-09
We had prepared to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. It is Canada’s Dinosaur Museum.
Doreen got up and did not feel well.
Not very far from here is a drug store. We went and Doreen talked to the pharmacist. At the same time we checked the hours of the clinic next door, just in case.
When Doreen felt better we took off for the Calgary Heritage Park. Here they brought old buildings and stuff from all over the country, similar to the place in Dearborn, Michigan.
Our day did not get any better though. When we got on Beddington Trail, a three lane highway, we encountered construction. From three lanes we went to two and then to one. It took us a long time to go to highway 2. When we finally reached highway 2 and went south, we found the exit ramp to Heritage blocked off. There was an accident.
To top it off, the Heritage Park is open all week in the summer, now only on weekends.
We had planned to go there tomorrow. If everything works out we will go tomorrow to see the dinosaurs.
On the way home we got in another traffic slowdown on highway 2. With the help of the GPS we managed to go around it.
We went home, ate the lunch we had packed and took it easy all afternoon.
We did one load of laundry, and I played around with the TV antenna cables. I finally found the correct cable from the unit which increases the signal from the antenna.
We got only one channel before while our neighbors had five or six. I had used the wrong cable. There are a few more cables in the cabinett, and I do not know what they are used for. One is for the TV outlet in the bedroom.
9-19-09
Today we made it to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta.
The first 30 miles of the 90 miles to Drumheller were kind of difficult. We drove straight into the rising sun and could not see the street signs. I finally used the GPS on voice command.
The museum is located in the badlands, a low valley of the Deer River. It must be one of the largest museum dedicated to dinosaurs. Those creatures come in all sizes, small as a bird and large as a house
One can get lost in that large place.
They have interactive exhibits, movies and talks with an expert.
In town Visitors can climb up the 86 feet fiberglass dinosaur, and stand in its mouth.
We still have unbelievable good weather.
9-20-09
It rained during the night. I had hoped it would stop in the morning. It did stop but started again when we were leaving Calgary.
We hooked up the car in the rain. I attached the Brake Buddy when we were at the Flying J gas station, while the car was under the roof of the station.
I bought about 120 liters of gasoline, about 30 gallons, just enough to get us across the border. Gasoline costs about $ 4.00 US dollars a gallon in Canada.
I had problems at the pump with my Master Card. The lady in the store got the pump going. When I came back she told me that my card was not accepted. I went to the motorhome and got my Discover Card. They do not take that card. Doreen then used her card.
It rained from Calgary to Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada.
We arrived there at 10:30 AM. After we set up the motorhome it really started to rain. We can not complain. After all it is late fall.
At 4:30 PM the sun came out and we saw blue sky. We got in the car and drove to the Prince of Whales Hotel. It is located on a hill overlooking the lake. It is closed for the season.
From there we went on the Red Rock Parkway, one of the scenic drives in the park.
We saw several deer and a bear.
We had another encounter with wonderful people.
In the town of Pincher Creek we got lost. We ended up in a neighborhood with small streets. I stopped and waited for a car coming towards us. I talked to the couple and the told me to follow them. They turned around and guided us to the highway. There are more good people than bad ones, unfortunately the bad people get the headlines.
9-21-09
This is our last day in Canada. I paid the camping fees for today in cash. This way I got rid of all my Canadian coins and small bills. I have $ 20.00 left. This I can spend on gasoline.
It was cold in the morning with blue skies.
We took the Akamina Parkway to Cameron Lake. It is a beautiful, scenic road.
The first animal we saw was a young buck, standing on the side of the road, and looking at us. He did not move, we could have almost touched him.
We stopped at the site of Western Canada’s first producing oil well.
On the way home we went to the waterfall.
In the campground are a lot of deer. They leave a lot of presents and one has to be careful and not step in it.
From the motorhome we see mountains on two sides, the lake and the village on the other sides.
After we had emptied the holding tanks, and added some fresh water, we left Burny Falls. I stopped the motorhome and took one more look at the falls.
I was the only person there, which is unusual, but the sleepy heads were still in bed.
We continued on highway 299 until we reached highway 395 North. The first few hours on 395 were fine, but then it got boring. In Oregon the cattle ranches disappeared and all we saw was sage brush. We saw another vehicle every hour.
We passed Alkiline Lake, with Alkaline floating on the edges of the lake.
When it got warmer I tried to get some cooler air from the dash controls.Only hot air came out of of the vents. The knob on one of the controls was broken.
Even the air conditioner blew hot air out.
Now I had computer problems and this problem.
When we arrived at Burns RV Park I talked to my neighbor and he wanted to look under the hood of the motorhome. He knew where the cable for the controls was and moved the lever to the cool position. Now I can set the controls in the morning to warm and in the afternoon to cool. While eating our lunch at a rest area two young men had approached us and asked us for some gasoline. When we are on a long trip I always carry two and a half gallon in the trunk of the car. I gave it to them. My camp ground neighbors help was the pay back.
The RV Park has WIFI and Juno gave me no trouble. I am happy again.
9-9-09
We arrived at Cambridge, Idaho at about 10:00 AM. The plan was, to stay in Cambridge, and travel by car to Hells Canyon.
When I saw the sign: "Hells Canyon National Recreation Area" I changed my mind and kept on rolling.
After traveling three miles on Idaho highway 71, I knew I made a mistake. It is a narrow, winding road, with steep hills. There was no way to turn around.
We drove 26 miles to the Brownlee Dam, on the Snake River. The Idaho Power Company has beautiful camping facilities along the river.
Our camping site at Woodhead Park had water and electricity.
After lunch we drove by car, along the scenic Snake River, to Hells Canyon. It is the deepest canyon in Northern America.
At Oxbow Dam the Park Service has a little visitor center. We watched a movie about the canyon, enjoyed the view, and saw the jet boat arrive.
9-10-09
We left Woodhead Park at 7:00 AM. Doreen drove behind me, in the car, the 26 miles to Cambridge.
I felt better without the car on the motorhome on this narrow winding road.
We continued on highway 95 North.
From Riggins to White Bird the road follows the Salmon River. It is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Unfortunately there are not many spots, along the highway, to stop for pictures.
From White Fish we had to climb a high mountain. I am very satisfied with the V-10 engine in the motorhome. It performs very well.
We stopped on top and the view reminded me of Switzerland. White Fish is nestled in the valley.
The Elks Lodge in Moscow has its own nine hole golf course. We took the site with water and electricity. They have many dry sites along the golf course.
After lunch we looked for Marvin Rudd. He was one of the regulars at Peg Leg Smith, in Borrego Springs. Because of bad eyesight he had to stop driving.
Nobody was home, so we went grocery shopping at Walmart which was almost in Washington State.
In the evening I went again to Marvin’s house and he was at home. We had a nice conversation about Borrego Springs and the snow birds who come every winter to enjoy the Southern California weather.
9-11-09
Today we visited friends in COEUR D’ALENE. Rosary and Leroy used to live two houses down the street from us. Like many other Californians they sold their house and were able to buy bigger homes in other states for less money. They have a big beautiful two story house, overlooking the lake.
9-12-09
We left Coeur D’Alene at 6:30 AM and crossed the border into Canada at 8:45 AM.
This time the Canadian border guard did not ask us whether we had apples. Last time I sacrificed two apples at their refuse can, We had hidden the rest.
The scenery along highway 95 and 93, through the mountains, was spectacular.
We almost had the road for ourselves, not much traffic.
Fairmont Hot Springs has some houses just like in Bavaria, large verandahs around the house and flowers at every window.
We arrived at Lake Louise at 3:00 PM and after setting up the motorhome and some rest, drove to Lake Moraine.
From there we went to Lake Louise and the Chateau Lake Louise.
There were many people, one could hear many languages.
9-13-09
In Germany they have a saying: "When Angel travel the weather is beautiful".
In our situation it fits. We have super weather. During the day we wear T shirts, and at night it is cold. This morning it was 43 degrees F in the motorhome. There was a thin layer of ice on the roof of the car. The windshield was ice free.
I let Doreen sleep late, cooked a big breakfast, and did some little maintenance work around the motorhome.
We went again to Lake Louise and to the Chateau Lake Louise.
From the dining room of the Chateau one has a magnificent look of the lake.
Then we went to the Village of Lake Louise. While Doreen was shopping I went on the Internet, got E mail and did my blog.
The rest of the afternoon we took it easy and enjoyed the view.
In the park they have bridges for animals.
9-14-09
Today we drove the Icefield Parkway to the Columbia Glacier. There one can take tours in a special bus on the glacier.
We left the motorhome at the Icefield Center and went by car towards Jasper..
We had left Lake Louise at 7:00 AM arrived at the Icefield Center at 9:00 AM, set up the motorhome and left for Jasper at 9:30 AM.
We did not get very far. The road was totally blocked. A crew had tried to remove some material from a bluff on the side of the road. They used too big of a charge and took the side of the hill down.
It took three hours to clear one side of the road. We had to wait two and a half hours.
We talked to people and ate our lunch.
Down the mountain were several water falls.
When we finally arrived at Jasper, we took the Jasper Tramway up a high mountain.
Some people walked further up the mountain. The view from up there was fantastic. The color of some of the lakes is turquoise.
We had some soup and a roll at the little mountain restaurant and then came down again.
After a very short visit of Jasper we headed back to the motorhome. We stayed there for the night.
9-15-09
We left the Icefields at 6:45 AM and went back to Lake Louise. From there we took the Bow Valley Parkway to Banff.
This is a narrow, two lane highway, no shoulders. Sometimes the two lanes separate and join again, after a while. All the roads follows rivers.
It is a very scenic drive. Doreen tries to take pictures, because we can not stop on the side of the road.
She took this picture on highway 93.
When we arrived in Banff we got stuck in a small parking lot. We are getting good in unhooking the car, turning the motorhome around and hitching the car again to the motorhome.
We are again in a beautiful National Park. It is located on Tunnel Mountain. Because of construction we had a hard time finding it. We followed an English couple in a rented RV. We finally stopped at a big parking lot and started talking. They got lost on their way out of the park.
We finally got to our destination and what a view we have. We have mountains around us and can look down in the valley.
After lunch we went to the village. Banff is a very beautiful little tourist town.
Doreen went shopping while I went to the library to get on the Internet.
We still have fantastic weather. Last night we thought it was over. It rained a bit but it was dry in the morning.
9-16-09
I cooked a big breakfast and then we played tourist.
Normally we eat cereal and milk, but when we have a lot of time we change the routine.
We went up the mountain to the Banff Gondola. From there we went to The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.
This must be one of the biggest hotels in the world. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1880’s to get tourists in this area. It burned down but was rebuilt.
Then we went into town again. Banff has some beautiful parks and everything is so clean. The color of the river is turquoise. The pictures do not show how beautiful it is.
9-17-09
It is tough to leave a beautiful place like Banff, but more adventures are waiting for us. We left again early.
We had planned on staying at the Moose Lodge in Calgary. Unfortunately the Moose lost their lodge. It is now a church, and the Moose are renting upstairs. They have to share the parking lot with the church, there is no room for motorhome parking.
We went across town to a Passport America RV Park, where we pay half price.
After lunch we visited Colin, a WIN friend.
It was wonderful to see him. During the visit it rained. Late afternoon the sun came out again.
9-18-09
We had prepared to go to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. It is Canada’s Dinosaur Museum.
Doreen got up and did not feel well.
Not very far from here is a drug store. We went and Doreen talked to the pharmacist. At the same time we checked the hours of the clinic next door, just in case.
When Doreen felt better we took off for the Calgary Heritage Park. Here they brought old buildings and stuff from all over the country, similar to the place in Dearborn, Michigan.
Our day did not get any better though. When we got on Beddington Trail, a three lane highway, we encountered construction. From three lanes we went to two and then to one. It took us a long time to go to highway 2. When we finally reached highway 2 and went south, we found the exit ramp to Heritage blocked off. There was an accident.
To top it off, the Heritage Park is open all week in the summer, now only on weekends.
We had planned to go there tomorrow. If everything works out we will go tomorrow to see the dinosaurs.
On the way home we got in another traffic slowdown on highway 2. With the help of the GPS we managed to go around it.
We went home, ate the lunch we had packed and took it easy all afternoon.
We did one load of laundry, and I played around with the TV antenna cables. I finally found the correct cable from the unit which increases the signal from the antenna.
We got only one channel before while our neighbors had five or six. I had used the wrong cable. There are a few more cables in the cabinett, and I do not know what they are used for. One is for the TV outlet in the bedroom.
9-19-09
Today we made it to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta.
The first 30 miles of the 90 miles to Drumheller were kind of difficult. We drove straight into the rising sun and could not see the street signs. I finally used the GPS on voice command.
The museum is located in the badlands, a low valley of the Deer River. It must be one of the largest museum dedicated to dinosaurs. Those creatures come in all sizes, small as a bird and large as a house
One can get lost in that large place.
They have interactive exhibits, movies and talks with an expert.
In town Visitors can climb up the 86 feet fiberglass dinosaur, and stand in its mouth.
We still have unbelievable good weather.
9-20-09
It rained during the night. I had hoped it would stop in the morning. It did stop but started again when we were leaving Calgary.
We hooked up the car in the rain. I attached the Brake Buddy when we were at the Flying J gas station, while the car was under the roof of the station.
I bought about 120 liters of gasoline, about 30 gallons, just enough to get us across the border. Gasoline costs about $ 4.00 US dollars a gallon in Canada.
I had problems at the pump with my Master Card. The lady in the store got the pump going. When I came back she told me that my card was not accepted. I went to the motorhome and got my Discover Card. They do not take that card. Doreen then used her card.
It rained from Calgary to Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada.
We arrived there at 10:30 AM. After we set up the motorhome it really started to rain. We can not complain. After all it is late fall.
At 4:30 PM the sun came out and we saw blue sky. We got in the car and drove to the Prince of Whales Hotel. It is located on a hill overlooking the lake. It is closed for the season.
From there we went on the Red Rock Parkway, one of the scenic drives in the park.
We saw several deer and a bear.
We had another encounter with wonderful people.
In the town of Pincher Creek we got lost. We ended up in a neighborhood with small streets. I stopped and waited for a car coming towards us. I talked to the couple and the told me to follow them. They turned around and guided us to the highway. There are more good people than bad ones, unfortunately the bad people get the headlines.
9-21-09
This is our last day in Canada. I paid the camping fees for today in cash. This way I got rid of all my Canadian coins and small bills. I have $ 20.00 left. This I can spend on gasoline.
It was cold in the morning with blue skies.
We took the Akamina Parkway to Cameron Lake. It is a beautiful, scenic road.
The first animal we saw was a young buck, standing on the side of the road, and looking at us. He did not move, we could have almost touched him.
We stopped at the site of Western Canada’s first producing oil well.
On the way home we went to the waterfall.
In the campground are a lot of deer. They leave a lot of presents and one has to be careful and not step in it.
From the motorhome we see mountains on two sides, the lake and the village on the other sides.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Labor Day 2009
8-28-09
We left the house at 3:30 AM. Carlsbad was still asleep.
At a small shopping center ,in Carpinteria, we had our cereal.
After breakfast, Doreen laid on the couch and tried to catch up on her sleep, while I drove another hour and then stopped at a truck parking area and had a half hour nap. We stopped in Pismo Beach at the Elks Lodge, but they were full, a large camping group had filled all the spaces.
We went to the lodge in San Luis Obispo and got a space with hook ups. Dry camping in 103 degrees F would be no fun. We had to run the roof air conditioner all day. We arrived there at 10:00 AM and after lunch drove to Avila Beach and had a nice walk on the pier. The temperatures at the beach were fine. Ten miles makes a lot of difference. Fisherman were cleaning fish and feeding scraps to pelicans. One pelican had his throat full of fish.
When we came back to the lodge we had an early dinner. Doreen had made a Shepherds Pie. We only had to put it in the microwave oven. The refrigerator and the freezer are packed to full capacity.
We had almost emptied the house refrigerator.
After dinner I went to the pool, at the lodge, for a swim. The whole town seemed to be there.
8-29-09
We had a bad start today. At 6:30 AM we left the San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge. I should have made a left turn on Madonna Street, but missed the turn. So I made a left turn at the next street, hoping to come around the block. The first sign I saw was "Dead End Street". There was a street going to the left before the dead end, I thought I was safe. This street turned out to be another dead end street. Now we were trapped.
We unhooked the car and Doreen guided me into a little driveway. I was able to turn the motorhome and did not have to back up all the way to the other street.
The next little mishap happened after we took off again. The GPS fell off the windshield, but it kept on working and giving us directions.
The rest of the drive was uneventful. People in the Salinas Valley were harvesting vegetables and one could smell cabbages for miles.
In Gilmore we got the aroma of garlic.
After setting up the motorhome at the Sunnyvale Elks we went to lunch with Vera and George, Doreen’s sister in law and brother in law.
I had fish and chips, like every good English man has. After the meal we visited Chris and his family. He is Doreen’s nephew.
The rest of the day we took it easy. It is still very hot.
8-30-09
Today was a driving day. We left Sunnyvale at 5:30 AM and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge at 6:45 AM. The bridge was in heavy fog.
When we came to the other side of the hills we were greeted by blue skies.
We had sunny weather until we arrived in Eureka. There the sun was hiding behind clouds.
I tried last night to sent the new part of my blog, but could not get into Juno.
While being on the computer in San Luis Obispo, Juno asked me whether I would like to upgrade to the newest version. I did it with my computer at home and had no problem. So I down loaded the new version. Now I have to wait until tomorrow and have to go on Claudia’s computer and also make some phone calls to Juno.
We stopped at Caudia’s house for a short time. The grandchildren are growing. Jacob will start first grade tomorrow, and Nicolette third grade.
8-31-09
I called Juno and got the computer problem resolved. They charge $ 1.95 a minute for support.
I also played with the television and found the correct wires for the cable hook up. Then I worked on the digital converter box. I had problems scanning for the channels. I finally figured that out.
Doreen went shopping with Claudia.
It is still cool in Eureka, about 65 degrees F.
9-1-09
Today we drove by car to the "Trees of Mystery".
We left highway 101 for a while and took the scenic coastal dirt road. Unfortunately it was not weather for taking pictures.
The park is located 60 miles North of Eureka, near Klamath. We walked the trails and also went above the giant redwoods in the Sky Trail gondolas.
When we were there the sky was gray, no sun in sight. As soon as we left blue sky appeared.
Yes, they have Paul Bunyon in Northern California. Barbara and Ron just saw him in Minnesota. I saw the Minnesota one in 1959, when I moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Chicago.
On one trail there are wooden figures, made by an artist with a chain saw.
A group of redwoods form a wedding chapel. Weddings are performed there.
On a sunny day one has a very good view to the coast, we had a bit of fog.
Trees of Mystery has one of the best privately owned museum with Indian artifacts.
In the late afternoon I went to Nicolette’s soccer practice. Doreen was all worn out from the walking and took a rest.
9-2-09
Claudia, Doreen and I drove over to Victorian Ferndale, where Claudia and Doreen went shopping while I kept benches warm.
Ferndale is a beautiful little town.
9-3-09
Today we went to the Eureka Boardwalk and Old Town. The weather is perfect now.
Eureka has a lot of Victorian homes. The largest is the Carson House. It was built by a Lumber Baron.
9-4-09
We left Eureka at 7:30 PM and arrived at Ruth Lake at 10:00 AM. The 60 miles on highway 36 were a long 60 miles, a lot of curves and up a hill and down again. We made it though.
Scott, Claudia and the kids came later.
The campground at Ruth Lake is not designed for motorhomes, and it took us an hour to level the rig.
We tried several spots and ended up using the hydraulic jacks and wood.
The kids and I went for a swim. Scott is sick, he takes it easy.
9-5-09
Scott felt better today, but the weather changed. It started to rain.
Doreen and I drove to two Forest Service campgrounds to check them out. They were built for tents and the sites are too short and not level. The campgrounds are beautiful and on the lake.
We also paid the little town of Ruth a visit. There was a community garage sale and we bought two toy trucks for Jacob and a dog for Nicolette. Nicolette gave the dog a hair cut.
We are located almost level with the lake.
Claudia and family were on higher ground yesterday and could not sleep because some young kids had a party until 2:00 AM. Today they moved on our site.
In the afternoon the weather improved.
For dinner Doreen made a big pot of meat sauce and I made a green salad. We had spaghetti for dinner.
9-6-09
There was fog on the lake this morning, what a beautiful sight that was.
Jacob and I walked through the whole campground. I have not seen so many tents lately.
When we got back I cooked pancakes for the whole family.
The sun came out and everybody was happy. At 10:00 AM Scott and I got in the canoe and Nicolette and Jacob were in the inflatable kayak. We pulled them across the lake to a small cove.
Scott builds a big camp fire every evening. Claudia and the kids make smores.
9-7-09
We left Mad River at 7:30 AM and arrived in Red Bluff at 10:30 AM. I do not recommend highway 36 for a shortcut between I-5 and highway 101. The scenery is beautiful, but the curves and hills are not easy to maneuver with a motorhome with car in tow.
We went North on I-5 to highway 299 East.
At McArthur_Burny Falls Memorial State Park we got a camp site for the night.
After a rest we went to the Falls. They are magnificent. Since it is a holiday many people were at the park.
I tried to get my E mail but Juno would not let me on the Internet. The Visitor Center has WIFI
.
We left the house at 3:30 AM. Carlsbad was still asleep.
At a small shopping center ,in Carpinteria, we had our cereal.
After breakfast, Doreen laid on the couch and tried to catch up on her sleep, while I drove another hour and then stopped at a truck parking area and had a half hour nap. We stopped in Pismo Beach at the Elks Lodge, but they were full, a large camping group had filled all the spaces.
We went to the lodge in San Luis Obispo and got a space with hook ups. Dry camping in 103 degrees F would be no fun. We had to run the roof air conditioner all day. We arrived there at 10:00 AM and after lunch drove to Avila Beach and had a nice walk on the pier. The temperatures at the beach were fine. Ten miles makes a lot of difference. Fisherman were cleaning fish and feeding scraps to pelicans. One pelican had his throat full of fish.
When we came back to the lodge we had an early dinner. Doreen had made a Shepherds Pie. We only had to put it in the microwave oven. The refrigerator and the freezer are packed to full capacity.
We had almost emptied the house refrigerator.
After dinner I went to the pool, at the lodge, for a swim. The whole town seemed to be there.
8-29-09
We had a bad start today. At 6:30 AM we left the San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge. I should have made a left turn on Madonna Street, but missed the turn. So I made a left turn at the next street, hoping to come around the block. The first sign I saw was "Dead End Street". There was a street going to the left before the dead end, I thought I was safe. This street turned out to be another dead end street. Now we were trapped.
We unhooked the car and Doreen guided me into a little driveway. I was able to turn the motorhome and did not have to back up all the way to the other street.
The next little mishap happened after we took off again. The GPS fell off the windshield, but it kept on working and giving us directions.
The rest of the drive was uneventful. People in the Salinas Valley were harvesting vegetables and one could smell cabbages for miles.
In Gilmore we got the aroma of garlic.
After setting up the motorhome at the Sunnyvale Elks we went to lunch with Vera and George, Doreen’s sister in law and brother in law.
I had fish and chips, like every good English man has. After the meal we visited Chris and his family. He is Doreen’s nephew.
The rest of the day we took it easy. It is still very hot.
8-30-09
Today was a driving day. We left Sunnyvale at 5:30 AM and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge at 6:45 AM. The bridge was in heavy fog.
When we came to the other side of the hills we were greeted by blue skies.
We had sunny weather until we arrived in Eureka. There the sun was hiding behind clouds.
I tried last night to sent the new part of my blog, but could not get into Juno.
While being on the computer in San Luis Obispo, Juno asked me whether I would like to upgrade to the newest version. I did it with my computer at home and had no problem. So I down loaded the new version. Now I have to wait until tomorrow and have to go on Claudia’s computer and also make some phone calls to Juno.
We stopped at Caudia’s house for a short time. The grandchildren are growing. Jacob will start first grade tomorrow, and Nicolette third grade.
8-31-09
I called Juno and got the computer problem resolved. They charge $ 1.95 a minute for support.
I also played with the television and found the correct wires for the cable hook up. Then I worked on the digital converter box. I had problems scanning for the channels. I finally figured that out.
Doreen went shopping with Claudia.
It is still cool in Eureka, about 65 degrees F.
9-1-09
Today we drove by car to the "Trees of Mystery".
We left highway 101 for a while and took the scenic coastal dirt road. Unfortunately it was not weather for taking pictures.
The park is located 60 miles North of Eureka, near Klamath. We walked the trails and also went above the giant redwoods in the Sky Trail gondolas.
When we were there the sky was gray, no sun in sight. As soon as we left blue sky appeared.
Yes, they have Paul Bunyon in Northern California. Barbara and Ron just saw him in Minnesota. I saw the Minnesota one in 1959, when I moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Chicago.
On one trail there are wooden figures, made by an artist with a chain saw.
A group of redwoods form a wedding chapel. Weddings are performed there.
On a sunny day one has a very good view to the coast, we had a bit of fog.
Trees of Mystery has one of the best privately owned museum with Indian artifacts.
In the late afternoon I went to Nicolette’s soccer practice. Doreen was all worn out from the walking and took a rest.
9-2-09
Claudia, Doreen and I drove over to Victorian Ferndale, where Claudia and Doreen went shopping while I kept benches warm.
Ferndale is a beautiful little town.
9-3-09
Today we went to the Eureka Boardwalk and Old Town. The weather is perfect now.
Eureka has a lot of Victorian homes. The largest is the Carson House. It was built by a Lumber Baron.
9-4-09
We left Eureka at 7:30 PM and arrived at Ruth Lake at 10:00 AM. The 60 miles on highway 36 were a long 60 miles, a lot of curves and up a hill and down again. We made it though.
Scott, Claudia and the kids came later.
The campground at Ruth Lake is not designed for motorhomes, and it took us an hour to level the rig.
We tried several spots and ended up using the hydraulic jacks and wood.
The kids and I went for a swim. Scott is sick, he takes it easy.
9-5-09
Scott felt better today, but the weather changed. It started to rain.
Doreen and I drove to two Forest Service campgrounds to check them out. They were built for tents and the sites are too short and not level. The campgrounds are beautiful and on the lake.
We also paid the little town of Ruth a visit. There was a community garage sale and we bought two toy trucks for Jacob and a dog for Nicolette. Nicolette gave the dog a hair cut.
We are located almost level with the lake.
Claudia and family were on higher ground yesterday and could not sleep because some young kids had a party until 2:00 AM. Today they moved on our site.
In the afternoon the weather improved.
For dinner Doreen made a big pot of meat sauce and I made a green salad. We had spaghetti for dinner.
9-6-09
There was fog on the lake this morning, what a beautiful sight that was.
Jacob and I walked through the whole campground. I have not seen so many tents lately.
When we got back I cooked pancakes for the whole family.
The sun came out and everybody was happy. At 10:00 AM Scott and I got in the canoe and Nicolette and Jacob were in the inflatable kayak. We pulled them across the lake to a small cove.
Scott builds a big camp fire every evening. Claudia and the kids make smores.
9-7-09
We left Mad River at 7:30 AM and arrived in Red Bluff at 10:30 AM. I do not recommend highway 36 for a shortcut between I-5 and highway 101. The scenery is beautiful, but the curves and hills are not easy to maneuver with a motorhome with car in tow.
We went North on I-5 to highway 299 East.
At McArthur_Burny Falls Memorial State Park we got a camp site for the night.
After a rest we went to the Falls. They are magnificent. Since it is a holiday many people were at the park.
I tried to get my E mail but Juno would not let me on the Internet. The Visitor Center has WIFI
.
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