About Me

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I am retired and like to travel by motor home across the United States and Canada. In the winter I hope to spend more time with my WIN (Wandering Individual Network) friends in the California and Arizona desert. I know my trip reports are having too many details, but I am writing them for myself, if anybody else enjoys them, that is fine too.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Dos Picos County Park 2011

10-17-11
We arrived at Dos Picos County Park, in Ramona, at 11:15 AM. We were early, but the ranger on duty let us go to our camp site.
After setting up the motorhome we drove to the post office in Ramona. On the way home we stopped at Subway and got one of their foot long sandwiches for $ 5.00.
When we drove on the road leading to Dos Picos, we saw Frank and Rhonda’s motorhome parked on the side. I slowed down and waved to follow me. They were early too and were waiting for the correct time to enter the park. At this time of the year most sites are empty and the rangers let people in.












The other members of the Convair Camping Club came to the park at about 1:00 PM.
This is Frank and Rhonda’s first outing with the club.
Since most of us have not seen each other for months we had a lot to talk about.
Dotty and Chappy arrived at about 4:00 PM. They came only for the 4:30 PM “Heavy hors d’oeuvres” and Happy Hour. Both of them are taking a bus tour to Sedona in the next couple of days.
As always there was a lot of good food and excellent conversations.
Since religion and politics are not discussed it is a joy to be with the group.

10-18-11
Rhonda, Frank, Doreen and I drove to Julian. No, we did not go for apple pie. We walked through some of the stores. The weather is wonderful now; the temperature is perfect.












For dinner we had: “Cook your own meat”, potato salad and green salad. Some people had steak and there was chicken and sausages on other grills.
After dinner we had the business meeting and then Jon started the campfire. This is always story time.
















10-19-11
Today the group went to the Barona Ranch, at the Barona Casino, to visit their Rose Garden and other beautiful sites.














Doreen stayed at the motorhome. She had stomach pains.
Rhonda, Frank and I followed Jon and Linda. At the casino grounds they got lost and we ended up at the park house. From there we walked to the Rose Garden. We asked the rose garden attendant how to get to the place where we were to meet. He called for transportation to take us there.
The rest of the group was already there and after talking to a worker there we walked to the pond with all the beautiful vegetation around it.














In the evening the hosts provided bratwurst and everybody else brought a dish. For dessert we had root beer floats.
This was a wonderful outing. We parked under giant live oak trees. The weather could not have been any better.

10-20-11
This was not a good day. Doreen woke up at 5:30 AM and wanted to go home. She still had pain.
Rhonda and Frank had left already. They were on their way to Laughlin.
Doreen thought she had an appendix problem.
I went outside and took the flags down. It was still dark and I had a problem with the German flag. I had to leave it in the holder.
We moved away from the camping area and hooked up the car. I came too close to some trees and broke the flag. It was still hanging there, but I could not reach it.
When we came to the highway we could not make a left turn. The traffic would not stop. After a while I made a right turn and we went through Ramona and took highway 78.
By then the flag had come lower and I was able to break it away from the holder.
When we came home Doreen called Kaiser and they told her to go to the emergency room at Palomar Hospital. We drove to Escondido and spent a few hours at the hospital.
I read half of my Will Rogers book.
After the tests came back Doreen was told that she has no appendix problem and she was sent home.
They thought she has a strained muscle .

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Ride for Kids 2011

10-16-11
This day did not start right. I have the motorhome in the driveway and my car was parked on an angle, partly in front of the motorhome.
When I got in the car it would not start. The Diehard battery is only two years old.
I used two sets of jumper cables and joined the car battery and the battery from the motorhome.
The car started and I was able to move the car to the front of the house.
I used Doreen's car for going shopping.
When I came back I started my car again and drove down to Mira Costa College where Gary Magee is participating in the "Ride for Kids".
I gave him my check and we were able to talk for a few minutes. The organization raises money for children with brain tumors, and gives some of the children rides on motorcycles with sidecars.
There were a lot of motorcycles.
On the way home I stopped at Sears where they put a new battery in the car, for free.
Tomorrow we will be leaving for Ramona. It will be only a three day outing.
I am tired of following my WIN friends on their blog. I want to go too.
Several groups are in different parts of the country.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Camino Hills Oktoberfest 2011

10-13-11
Yesterday we had our first Oktoberfest at the Camino Hills Club House.
It worked out fine. A lot of people made some effort to make it a success.
We had sausages, potato salad, sauerkraut and red cabbage. I cooked the red cabbage.
I also got stuck grilling the sausages. They thought, because I am German, I am the right person for the job.
We also had visitors, people I know from the Encinitas Elks Lodge. It was a fun evening.
Doreen could not come. She has a bad cold.









Tuesday, October 4, 2011

San Diego Botanic Garden 2011

10-4-11
Winter has arrived. We had our first rain storm today. It did not rain much, just enough to make a mess.
We went to the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas anyway.
The first Tuesday of the month admission is free. Of course, there were a lot of people. We are not the only cheap skates.
While we walked around the weather was holding up.
The Botanic Garden has a lot new sculptures. They are for sale and have a hefty price tag. The one with vegetation on them are permanent and not for sale.
When we left it started to rain. I gave Doreen the umbrella and ran to open the car. I had the key for my car, and we had Doreen’s car. The Saturns are almost the same color. I got wet.
We went to the Chin’s Chinese restaurant for lunch. They had sent out coupons for two lunches and we had to pay only for one.
The lunch was very good and I dried out.











Saturday, October 1, 2011

Kate Session's Park 2011

10-1-11
Today we went to Kate Session’s Park, in San Diego, to celebrate the life and times of Jerry Davis.
Jerry was a manufacturing engineer at Convair. He was ten years younger than I.
Jeanne and Jerry got married at the park and I can see why she wanted to have the celebration here.
It is a beautiful park. On a clear day one can see all of San Diego and the bay and Mission Beach Park.
Today we had again a marine layer and it was a bit foggy.
At the end of the celebration doves were released.