Winter/Spring at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta and the Coachella Valley

1-31-2012 Thursday

Our return to the Coachella and Lake Cahuilla has been welcomed by high winds for several days. With three storms moving in from the Pacific Ocean, we’ve had aggravating wind with each one. Fortunately, we’ve had some terrific days in-between!

As a pastime, we’ve prepared some scrumptious “Hello Fresh” meals. Tonight, we made Terry’s Chicken Piccata recipe, using fresh Meyer lemons, from VV’s tree.  The Meyer lemon fruit is rounder than a true lemon, deep yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe, and has a sweeter, less acidic flavor. Nothing like fresh southern California citrus!

Winter storms from the Pacific have brought some rain to the Coachella Valley and a little rain brings out the green on the mountains and desert. We’re hoping that this facilitates a nice “desert bloom” in February. A “desert bloom” is a climatic phenomenon that occurs in the nearby Mohave and Sonoran deserts. The phenomenon consists of the blossoming of a wide variety of flowers during early-mid spring in years when rainfall is unusually high. A special treat is that we’re near the intersection of the Mohave Desert and the Colorado Desert (part of the Sonoran), each producing unique flowers and colors, due to their elevation differences. The California Desert province is divided into the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, a division based on climate, elevation, and latitude. The Mojave receives less summer rainfall and endures longer periods of freezing temperatures in the winter than the Colorado Desert with its more southern location, lower elevation, and exposure to a summer monsoon rainfall pattern. Precipitation also increases with elevation so that greater plant diversity and abundance can be found in the desert mountains. In addition to the influence of topography, variations occur north to south and east to west across the landscape. So, we’re hoping to compare and contrast the flowers and colors of the two deserts, when the magnificent “bloom” occurs!

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Around the Coachella Valley, we have been busy with our annual health check-ups, work, and special events around the area. The winter-season is passing very quickly and we have already finalized our summer plans. For the summer-season, we’ll be at Ridgeway, a Colorado State Park, located in the San Juan Mountains, between Montrose and Ouray. Our May through September assignment will be revenue management in the Visitor Center and Campground kiosk.

In the meantime, we’re planning a rambling trip over to Colorado. We haven’t decided on the route but we are doing some research on the various options.

One of our favorite February activities is the Empire Polo Club. The Polo Club has beautiful, grounds, landscaping, and facilities. The horses and riders are loads of fun to watch and the games are exciting. It’s just a very festive occasion and lots of fun!

Another Spring attraction is the HITS Coachella Desert Circuit at AON HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. The circuit draws thousands of equestrians to the premier Southern California show grounds, and is a spectacle of outstanding hunter/jumper competition. We enjoy seeing the tremendous horses, tack, rider attire, and of course the extensive vendor offerings. It’s like a county fair of equestrian stuff!

January 2019 in Southern California

Travel Journal 2019

We started off the new 2019 by working at the Lake Cahuilla kiosk. We also completed the new guest-bed that we added to the slide-out. Additionally, we organized and prepared for our two-week trip to Pacific Grove.

On Sat. 1-5, we picked-up Rose at the Palm Springs airport and made final preparations for our Pacific Grove trip. We worked Sat. at the Park kiosk and finished record-keeping for the period.

Sunday 1-6

We hooked-up and headed west to LA where we followed the I-210 (Foothills Freeway), and had a picnic lunch near Pasadena. We then pulled on up to Santa Clarita and Castaic for a night at the Valencia Travel Village. This Park is adjacent to Six Flags and numerous operating gold mines. Originally, Castaic was a Chumash Indian camp, then home of the Tejon Ranch, a stagecoach stop, and later a railroad station. It was also the location of William Mulholland’s, St Francis Dam, an LA Aqueduct impound  lake, in San Francisquito Canyon, which failed (1928) and claimed the lives of over 400 people down the canyon.

Valencia Village, nestled in the canyon, just west of I-5, had large trees, and nice amenities. The RV Park was quiet, clean, accommodating, and a light rain provided for a cozy overnight rest.

Monday 1-7

We cruised over the “grapevine”, north into the San Joaquin Valley, to Buttonwillow, for a picnic lunch. The ”grapevine” is a steep grade in the Tehachapi Mountains between Tejon Pass and the San Joaquin Valley. I-5 bypasses many of the once-winding, narrow sections of road that were the inspiration for a popular song known as "Hot Rod Lincoln".

 The San Joaquin Valley is the southern part of the California Central Valley, among the most fertile and productive soil in the world. The San Joaquin Valley is contained within the Tehachapi Mountains in the south, the California coastal ranges on the west, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the east, and the Sacramento Valley in the north. Referred to as the “food basket of the world”, it produces a virtual smorgasbord of crops. It is just amazing to see the enormity and agronomy of the valley. Descending into the valley, you immediately observe the enormous expanse of the flat valley, nestled between the distant mountains.

Continuing north, we took CA 46 west to Paso Robles, on US 101, and a night at the Paso Robles RV Ranch, a very picturesque park overlooking the Salinas Valley.

Ca 46, at Blackwells Corner, is the site of James Dean’s (1955) fatal crash and is now signed as James Dean Memorial Junction. We popped-in at the local roadside market, which has all things “James Dean”.

Paso Robles is known for its hot springs, its abundance of wineries, its production of olive oil, and almond orchards. Situated in the Salinas River Valley, the area is primarily a wine-producing region and it is worth the trip to experience it. Many tourists come here just to tour and taste the abundant wineries, enjoy the hospitality, comfortable weather, and picturesque, rolling hills. The vineyards literally stretch across the undulating hills as far as the eye can see. It’s worth the trip to experience this unique resort. We enjoyed a quiet, peaceful nights rest among some friendly fellow-travelers.

Tue. 1-8

Continuing north on US 101, following the Salinas River Valley, we stopped for a visit at the San Michael Mission, then continued to Marina, for a 1-week stay at the Marina Dunes RV Park.

The 1797 San Miguel Mission, remains as the most intact of all the California Missions. The sixteenth in the chain of missions, San Miguel was founded on July 25, 1797 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, who was a successor of Padre Junipero Serra, as Presidente of the missions. We enjoyed seeing this special place and it was like going back in time. One can easily imagine what early mission-life was like in the Spanish Alta California.

Marina, California is wonderfully diverse, teeming with options for food, culture, and adventure. On the north side of Monterey Bay, its scenic trails and seascapes afford endless possibilities for fun and exploration, attracting bicyclists, hang-gliders, paragliders, kite enthusiasts and admirers of Mother Nature. Vast stretches of dunes and rolling sand-hills, ethnic cultures and cuisines, and historic and renowned attractions make Marina a perfect destination for our base-camp on the Central California Coast. Marina Dunes RV Park is snuggled in the massive coastal dunes, between the ocean and the Pacific Coast Highway. We had a convenient access trail over to the Pacific Ocean, a beautiful stretch of pristine beach.

We met Jim and Maureen for dinner at the Beach House, at Lovers Point. This spot on the Monterey Peninsula is an enchanted and romantic dining destination and we enjoyed a nice evening together. We made plans for the next day, so we could enjoy the day together. On the Monterey Peninsula, we’re looking forward to exploring Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, and Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Wed. 1-9

We met Jim and Maureen at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, a 3-D field guide of the California Central Coast, showcasing local native plants, animals, geology, and cultural histories. We enjoyed a terrific visit and quality time together. Central Coast “birders” should come here first!

Next, we visited the Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. We enjoyed watching the Monarch’s flutter around the pine, cypress and eucalyptus trees in the Sanctuary. We also enjoyed some bird watching and passed a real fine time together.

Later, we went out to Pinos Point to surf-watch and bird-watch, as the Pacific was crashing giant waves on the rocky point. Very exhilarating and refreshing!

Our farewell dinner was at the Vivolo’s Chowder House, a favorite of locals and visitors alike. Saying goodbye to Jim and Maureen, we were left with warmhearted memories of our Pacific Grove visit with them.

Friday, January 11, 2019

Our tour plan today began at the Monterey State Historic Park in “Old Town”Monterey, Alta California’s first Capital. The old buildings and adobe houses mark the birthplace of California beginnings to statehood. It was a “walk on the path” of California history!

Next, we toured the “17-mile Drive” in Pebble Beach, one of the most scenic drives in the world. We learned that Pebble Beach is a vast collection of elite country clubs and golf resorts. We admired the rugged coast, ancient groves, stunning ocean views, wildlife, exclusive clubs and spas, and extravagant estates and mansions. Pebble Beach is an iconic championship golf venue, both for its spellbinding beauty, and its inspiring challenge. It is one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen!

We ended our touring with an early dinner at the Fisherman’s Wife seafood restaurant, a cozy spot in Pacific Grove. I couldn’t resist the “fish and chips”, a superb Pacific Coast lunch. Rose and Terry had chowder and seafood entrees that were just as good!

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Today, we visit Carmel by the Sea.

Mission San Carlos Borromeo del río Carmelo or Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, first built in 1797, is one of the most authentically restored Roman Catholic mission churches in California. Located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, it is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. The mission was the headquarters of all Alta California missions from 1797 until 1833. It was headed by Saint Junípero Serra from 1770 until his death in 1784. It was also the seat of the second presidente, Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen, who was in charge of completing nine more mission churches. We got to see where they are interred in the Church. It was good to see this historical Mission after having read so much California history. 

The stunning natural beauty of Carmel-by-the-Sea has inspired artists, sparked romances, and attracted world travelers. Situated on the California Central Coast, just south of Monterey Bay, it gets awesome surf action on the rocky basalt shore. A fantastic destination, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a unique, European-style village nestled above a beautiful white-sand beach where everything is walking distance. From performing arts to hundreds of shops, art galleries, and restaurants, you can do everything or nothing at all. We’re glad we came to visit! At Carmel, we saw the gorgeous beach and charming downtown. Carmel by the Sea was crowded and parking was scarce, so we did some drive-around shopping. We took lunch at a cozy deli, in the Barnyard Shopping Village, just off the Pacific Coast Highway.

Point Lobos and the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is the "crown jewel" of California’s 280 state parks. This is a place that offers stunning views every time you visit! It was very crowded and parking was impossible but we did get to see the beautiful setting. We had another delightful day on the California Central Coast!

Sunday, January 13, 2019

After a nice leisurely morning at the Marina RV Park, we decided to visit the Monterey Presidio Museum, where exhibits lead visitors through Monterey's various stages of military development from the indigenous period which highlights the area's native populations; through the Spanish and Mexican periods; and up to present day. The museum grounds have nice walking-trails, landscaping, monuments, and splendid views of Monterey Bay. Such a remarkable piece of history!

Next, we visited the Monterey Royal Presidio Chapel, the 1794 Cathedral de San Carlos Borromeo. The building, architecture, history, artifacts, and grounds, make it a superb example of early life on the California Central Coast. Loved seeing it!

Finally, we did a self-guided, driving-tour of Monterey and admired lots of interesting places like Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, Aquarium, Lake El Estero, and grocery shopping at Andronico’s.

Another extraordinary day of touring Monterey, California!

Monday, January 14, 2019

Our last day in Monterey included a visit to the Colton Hall, a historical government building and museum in Monterey.  It was built in the late 1840s by Walter Colton, who came to Monterey as a chaplain on Commodore Stockton's vessel and remained to become Monterey's first alcalde in the American Period. Built to serve as a public school and town meeting hall, it’s where California's first Constitution was drafted in October 1849, leading to Statehood in 1850. Colton Hall is an original historical landmark in the City of Monterey, once the capital of Alta California.

A quote from Colton’s book:

“Thursday, March 8, 1849. The town hall, on which I have been at work for more than a year, is at last finished. It is built of a white stone, quarried from a neighboring hill, and which easily takes the shape you desire. The lower apartments are for schools; the hall over them - seventy feet by thirty - is for public assemblies. The front is ornamented with a portico, which you enter from the hall. It is not an edifice that would attract any attention among public buildings in the United States; but in California it is without a rival. It has been erected out of the slender proceeds of town lots, the labor of the convicts, taxes on liquor shops, and fines on gamblers. The scheme was regarded with incredulity by many; but the building is finished, and the citizens have assembled in it, and christened it after my name, which will now go down to posterity with the odor of gamblers, convicts, and tipplers. I leave it as an humble evidence of what may be accomplished by rigidly adhering to one purpose, and shrinking from no personal efforts necessary to its achievement.”

Walter Colton, Three Years in California

We had a late lunch at Rosine's Restaurant on Alvarado Street, serving delicious homemade soups, hearty meals, homemade fresh pies and very tall, sumptuous cakes. It was a fine day and a delectable lunch! We have tremendously enjoyed our week around Monterey, Pebble Beach, and Carmel, the heart of the Monterey Peninsula.

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Saying goodbye to Monterey, we took the US 101 south to San Luis Obispo. Our plan to take the Pacific Coast Highway was annulled due to closures (slides), as a result of a rain-storm. On the 101 we had rain but enjoyed countryside views of the Salinas Valley. We had lunch at Paso Robles and then cruised on down to Oceano and our campsite at Pacific Dunes Ranch, situated in the high sand dunes, along the ocean. The rain cleared but we had strong winds for the remainder of the evening. Our campsite, in huge sand dunes, is adjacent to the Ocean, and close to Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, and San Luis Obispo. Regardless, we had a nice dinner, relaxing evening and a good night’s rest!

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A warm, sunny morning with more rain predicted for tonight, prompts us to plan our day with expedience. With a Mediterranean climate, the temperature remains in a comfortable range day and night. All things considered, we decided to drive the Pacific Coast Highway to San Simeon and visit the Hearst Castle.

The Hearst Castle was very impressive, an imitation of numerous architectural styles that William Randolph Hearst observed during boyhood travels in Europe. The landscaping on the huge property was a garden experience in grand proportions. Appointing American architect Julia Morgan to create his vision, the project went on for many years, with constant changes and additions. It was an awesome sight but odd in many ways, due to the challenge of incorporating the many art and construction objects which he imported from Europe. The Hearst Castle and surrounding grounds are now a California State Park, with the majority of the vast property still owned by the Hearst family. The area is situated between the ocean and the western slope of the Santa Lucia Range, with few opportunities for development, so the original castle and ranch were one-half-million acres along 14 miles of coastline. The castle is located five mile inland, along the mountain ridge. We’re glad that we visited the mansion and learned the fascinating story of the Hearst Castle.

Afterwards, we stopped off for lunch at San Simeon and then enjoyed the Pacific Coast views on our return to San Luis Obispo. San Simeon grew up around an 1869 whaling wharf, which was later improved by the Hearst family. The whaling is gone but a large rookery of Northern Elephant Seals remain.

Along the way, we stopped off at Morro Bay and viewed 581-foot Morro Rock, a huge volcanic rock and historic landmark, just off shore. The rock is a refuge to marine birds and animals and a prominent landmark for ancient mariners and a curious attraction for visitors.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Experiencing better weather today, we grocery-shopped, had lunch, visited San Luis Obispo downtown, Mission, and California Polytechnic State University.

The highlight was (1772) Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, with its historic grounds, architecture, and museum. Situated just east of the Ocean and in the foothills hills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, the area is an enchanting place.

We made a driving-tour of California Polytechnic State University and were impressed with the campus size, scenic location, various Colleges, academic and residence buildings, Greek life, and elegant assembly facilities. The campus is situated in Poly Canyon, adjacent to downtown San Luis Obispo, and is a very attractive landscaping, trees, architecture, and grounds.

We had lunch at In-N-Out, a good California burger place. Today was fun and nice weather too!

January 18, Friday

Departing San Luis Obispo, we drove the Pacific Coast (US101/PCH1) admiring some marvelous views. The surf was high, a result of the recent storm, and this made for an awesome display of the power of the Pacific Ocean. At Santa Barbara, we had a nice lunch and then headed south.

Arriving in Los Angeles, we went into our campsite at Hollywood RV Park, made dinner, and spent the evening planning our day-in-LA. Hollywood RV Park is a compact and convenient campground on Balboa, just north of the 101 (Ventura Freeway) and just west of the 405 (San Diego Freeway), in the San Fernando Valley. It’s a good location for visiting L.A.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

In L.A., we visited the Gene Autry Museum and had lunch in Sherman Oaks.

Gene Autry was an actor, businessman, and humanitarian, who fashioned a mission to promote art, history, and cultures of the American West. The Autry Museum, located in Griffith Park, is an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, costumes, textiles, firearms, tools, toys, musical instruments, and other objects. We were very impressed and enjoyed this colossal museum!

Lunch at Marmalade Café was a “full dining experience” with eclectic California inspired food for busy Angelenos. It was sooooo good!

Sunday, January 20, 2019

It’s a cool, cloudy morning in L.A. and we’re having coffee in preparation for traveling back to La Quinta. Deciding which route to take through L.A. depends on the traffic when we get ready to travel. The preferred route takes the 101 to the 5, to the 10, if the traffic is manageable, otherwise we’ll take surface streets Balboa to Victory, to the 405, to the 101/134, to the 210 to the 10. What we did was take was the 405(San Diego Freeway) to the 118(Ronald Reagan Freeway) to the 210 (Foothills Freeway) to the I-10 at Redlands then La Quinta. So, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, especially on L.A. freeway driving!

We had a pleasant drive today, with a nice bar-b-que lunch at Banning. It was good to return to Lake Cahuilla and a warm welcome from our friends and associates. Settling back into our site at Lake Cahuilla, we began to experience high winds from a front moving east. Overnight, we had the highest winds we have experienced in La Quinta. It was unnerving but we had prepared and thankfully had no damage.

1-23-19 Wednesday

After a couple days at the lake, we had an early morning to get Rose to the PS airport. We sure enjoyed her visit and our trip to Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, and the California Central Coast. We had a good time and were sad to see her leave!

Back to our 2018 Winter Home at La Quinta, California

November 2018 at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California

We arrived at the Lake Cahuilla Park on Saturday November 10, and set up on our regular host-site. As usual, the southern California weather is very agreeable and we’re looking forward to our winter in the area. The “snowbirds” are arriving, evidenced by the car-haulers, dropping off expensive cars at the winter resorts. Also, the stores are very busy with snowbird-shoppers. The wealthiest people from the US and around the world flock to their Coachella Valley winter-homes. Many of the gated, winter-resorts encompass multi-million-dollar homes and exclusive golf clubs. Our park is just adjacent the south side of PGA West and, so we’re right in the middle of the exclusive, gated, resort communities, without the high cost of membership. Coachella Valley, also known as “the desert” is home to cities such as Palm Springs, Indian Wells and Palm Desert. Offering a thriving golf scene, natural hot springs, resort escapes and plenty of desert adventures, the region offers snowbirds an idyllic winter escape. And with near-perfect winter weather and over 350 days of sunshine, snowbirds chasing warmth need look no further for a winter haven.

Winter activities plan:

2018 Friday Night “Polo Under the Lights” Game Schedule

5:30 PM Friday, March 9th

6:30 PM Friday, March 16th

6:30 PM Friday, March 30^th

^{HITS Jan 15-Mar 17}

January trip to Monarch Grove Sanctuary, at Pacific Grove

Monterey County Fairgrounds

Address: 2004 Fairgrounds Rd, Monterey, CA 93940

Phone: (831) 372-5863

Sunday, November 25, 2018

We’re glad to be settled-in for another winter in the Coachella Valley. The Coachella Valley is a desert valley in Southern California which extends for approximately 45 mi in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the northern shore of the Salton Sea. It is the northernmost extent of the vast trough which includes the Salton Sea, the Imperial Valley and the Gulf of California. It is approximately 15 mi wide along most of its length, bounded on the west by the San Jacinto Mountains and the Santa Rosa Mountains and on the north and east by the Little San Bernardino Mountains. The valley contains the resort cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert, as well as Rancho Mirage, Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells and Cathedral City. The San Andreas Fault crosses the valley from the Chocolate Mountains in the southeast corner and along the centerline of the Little San Bernardino Mountains. The fault is easily visible along its northern length, as a strip of greenery, against an otherwise bare mountain. The palpable strip of greenery is composed of ancient California Fan Palm oasis and other desert vegetation, thriving on the water, rising from the fault. 

We love to walk, and do it every day. Unlike many of our associates, we avoid driving in the Park, and walk daily to-and-from the office, mailbox, and all around the Park property. The winter weather is very comfortable in the Coachella Valley. Also, Lake Cahuilla, a buffer lake on the Coachella Canal, brings in cold, Colorado River water, providing the Park with a cool, clear, refrigeration source. The 2.5-mile track around the lake is another nice walk.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, a quiet, beautiful Coachella Valley morning, I walked Daisy along the lake and observed yet another curious sight in nature. In the Lake, the White Pelicans were aggressively following the Grebes, as they dove for fish. Upon surfacing, if the dive was successful, the Pelicans mobbed the Grebe fisher and stole his fish. Those huge Pelicans constantly elect this method of fish-stealing but it seems to me that it’s hardly worth the effort. I guess Pelicans just enjoy the chase!

Another regular but special sighting is the “odd couple” ducks. This large, white male and smaller, black female have been a pair for our last three winters at Lake Cahuilla. They’re year-round residents and they never associate with any of the other ducks, nor have they produced any young. We are so glad to see them surviving because last winter, I disheartened a Bald Eagle as he was attacking them on the water. It was a windy day and as the Eagle would attack them, they would deep-dive to avoid his deadly talons. Amid my shouts, gyrations, and banging, I managed to scare the Eagle off. I’m sure he would have killed one if I hadn’t frightened him away. Those ducks owe me!

Also, I observed an albino Blackbird feeding on our green-space, among a small, mixed-flock of Red-winged and Brewers Blackbirds. We have seen albino birds on previous occasions, around the country and it’s always a special discovery.

Additionally, I observed numerous Costa Hummingbirds on the plentiful feeders around the campground. They were, as usual, demonstrating accomplished acrobatic maneuvers, in guarding and dominating “their feeder”. Sometimes I think they spend way too much precious energy on this exertion. They need a migratory plan with scheduled “feeder rights” for all!

Living on the lake, in the campground, we observe things that others are oblivious to. For example, we have a flock of American Wigeons that roost every night on the lake. They arrive every night after dark and depart to their feeding grounds at daylight. Sometimes, with no moon, you hear them go over with no sighting, just the swoosh of their speedy flight. Their comings and goings are so predictable that you can almost “set your watch” by them. Also, we live to hear their soft calls as they roost on the overnight water.

Back at our site in the campground, we are daily perceiving the angle of our sunlight, as it changes over the winter. Our winter-retreat in southern California’s Coachella Valley, is normally November thru March and we have clear skies and consistent sunshine almost every day. The temperatures vary from the daytime 70’s to overnight 40’s, so I like to wear shorts and tee shirts during the day but need a jacket at night. In the mornings, during coffee and television news, I enjoy sitting on the couch, with my bare feet on the carpet, where the morning sun, breaking through the window, gives me that nice warm, comfy feel. By noon, with the clear-blue skies, the sun has warmed-up the area by 40 degrees and then we’re looking for shade. So, we have lots of “snowbirds”, from around the world, trading in those winter jackets and umbrellas for a pair of sunglasses and sandals and enjoying the beautiful winter weather that is the Coachella Valley.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Jan 6- Jan 20 Pacific Grove Trip Itinerary (450 Miles)

Sun 1-6-19 La Quinta to Castaic (165 Miles)

Valencia Travel Village

27946 Henry Mayo Dr

661.257.3333

See: Santa Anita Race Track/Pasadena Rose Bowl

Mon 1-7-19 Castaic to Paso Robles (168 Miles)

Paso Robles RV Ranch

398 Exline Rd

805.237.8685

See: Mission San Miguel Arcángel near San Miguel

Tue 1-8-19/1-14-19 Paso Robles to Monterey (115 Miles)

Marina Dunes RV Park

3330 Marina Dunes Dr Marina CA

831.384.6914

See: Monarch Grove Sanctuary/Monterey Bay Aquarium/Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History/Point Pinos Lighthouse/Asilomar Beach/Cannery Row/Fisherman’s Wharf/Old Customhouse/Colton Hall/Steinbeck House

Seaside 17-mile drive

Carmel-by-the-Sea/Pebble Beach/Point Lobos/Mission San Carlos Borromeo del río Carmelo(Father Serra grave)/Tor House and Hawk Tower/Whalers Cabin/Carmel Highlands

Big Sir Bixby Bridge/McWay Falls/Point Sir Lighthouse/Limekiln SP

Tue 1-15-19/ Thurs. 1-17-19 Monterey to San Luis Obispo (136 Miles)

Pacific Dunes RV Ranch 805.489.7787

1205 Silver Spur Pl

Oceano, CA 93445

Conf# 1801023301

See: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa/Cerro Peak/San Simeon Hearst Castle

Fri 1-18 & Sat 1-19 San Luis Obispo to Hollywood Ca

Hollywood RV Park

7740 Balboa Blvd.

Van Nuys, CA 91406

818.785.0949

See: Warner Bros. Burbank/Mulholland Drive

Sunday 1-20-19 Hollywood to La Quinta Ca (145 Miles)

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Well, here we are, beginning the last month of 2018 and soon ending our 2018 BLOG of travel notes. The year has gone too fast, but it has been fun-filled. January 1^st, 2018 found us at El Paso. Arriving at El Paso, we had a blast with Richard and Helen.

Next, we continued west and explored the desert southwest, then worked the remainder of the winter season at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, California. In April, Rose joined us for a trip to Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Owens Valley of eastern California. Dropping Rose off at Reno, we continued on a nice ramble through Nevada, Idaho and western Montana. In May, we arrived at our summer-season assignment at West Shore State Park, on Flathead Lake, near Kalispell, Montana.

After a terrific summer at Flathead Lake, we rambled a new route through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, visiting Jeanne in Oklahoma. Subsequently, we had a nice camp-out visit with Rose and Cousins Rusty and Marian in Little Rock.

Our next wander of wonders was west through some stunning scenery on new routes through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, arriving back at Lake Cahuilla in La Quinta, California, for our winter assignment.

Monday, December 3, 2018

On our daily walk tonight, we were commenting about day-to-day changes around the park. The sun and moon angles change daily and the progression of the cyclic moon phases are daily apparent. Living in a park campground facilitates a keen observance of the sun, moon, stars, and surroundings. The lake and wildlife are also in a constant state of change. The water level of the lake fluctuates with the inflow from the All-American Canal and the outflow of water to agricultural irrigation. The presence of wildlife changes due to the fluctuation of natural and management conditions. For example, with the bi-weekly stocking of Rainbow Trout, the White Pelicans flock to the lake for a few days, until the easy-fishing slows. The Canada Geese come to the lake when the grass is irrigated and the young tender shoots provide nice plucking. The American Widgeon ducks come at night to roost but spend their days in area sloughs and shallow ponds, for feeding. The Night Herons come after dark and fish around the outflow, especially when it’s running high. The great Blue Herons favor the lake when higher inflows from the canal bring more minnows into the lake. An unusual observation was a Great Blue Heron, using his wings to shade the water, attracting minnows with his tactic. The Bighorn Sheep come down to the lake when the grass is green and tender, and the dates are falling from the palms. It goes on-and-on and makes me wonder if the wildlife watches us in the same way. I’m sure that a common statement for us all is: “What’s for dinner”!

Then, there’s the people. We meet people from all over California, the U.S., and the world. Sometimes we meet repeat visitors and they remind us of previous encounters. On Sunday, 12-9-18, we host the annual Ironman competition and thousands of athletes from around the country and world gather for the Indian Wells Classic. We really enjoy meeting the people and helping them enjoy their time in the Coachella Valley, La Quinta, and Lake Cahuilla. Of course, our camp-host associates are good friends and we look forward to seeing them and sharing information and experiences from our travels and previous camp-host assignments. The majority of our preceding camp-host assignments came from tips, suggestions, and recommendations from other hosts.

Monday, December 10, 2018

Yesterday, the Ironman Triathlon event was held, ending our preparations and work on the race, at Lake Cahuilla. The race description was: “Athletes will start their day with a one-loop swim takes place in the clear waters of Lake Cahuilla. This protected reservoir provides an ideal experience for first-time athletes with a sandy beach start.

The bike course takes athletes on rural roads past a number of palm tree farms before returning through the city of La Quinta into Indian Wells. The flat course provides gorgeous views of the Santa Rosa Mountains while keeping most of the course below sea level. Athletes transition from the bike to the run adjacent to the iconic Indian Wells Tennis Gardens stadium.

The two-loop run course leaves the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens area while traversing over to the Indian Wells Golf Resort. Much of the course winds around the lush course on the cart path before returning to the Tennis Gardens between each lap and again at the finish. The design of this course allows for fantastic spectator viewing at multiple points along the course.”

Over 3,000 athletes competed in the sold-out event with ages spanning from 18-years-old to 80-years-old. Athletes traveled from 47 states and 37 countries to compete in the finale of the 2018 North American race season.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Every day or so, I walk over to the equestrian area, in a cove, at the foot of the Santa Rosa mountains. I’m always looking for wildlife, observing changes, and looking for anything that may need attention. Frequently, being alone and quiet, I have discussions with myself about things that come to mind. I never know where the topic comes from, it just comes to mind and requires thought. Today, the topic was my past general periods, events, and experiences in life. In recounting the general categories, I found myself confusing and correcting my memory, so I decided to write it down for future reference, while I still can. My general overview is:

I was born at Columbia, Mississippi (1947), while my Dad was serving in the army at Camp Rucker, Alabama. I’m not sure why my Mom, sisters, and the new me, remained in Columbia, at that time.

In 1951, we all moved to the family farm in Pike County, Mississippi. I attended grade-school at Progress and High School at Magnolia and had a ”blast”, through it ll.

In the Fall of 1965, I attended Southwest Mississippi Junior College and also started working part-time at the Mc Comb Glass Shop. I soon left college and went full-time at the Glass Shop. Shortly, the Army called for my services. Just days before my draft appointment, I managed to enlist in the Mississippi National Guard and subsequently reported for Basic Training. Sometime in the Spring of 1966, I was injured in an automobile accident and after surgery and during recovery, I terminated from the Glass Shop.

In the summer of 1966, I enrolled at Hinds Junior College. It was here that I discovered computer technology and completed an Associate of Science degree in Business Data Processing.

During my vocation at Hinds, I began working part-time on my first computer job. It was through that job that I met and married Linda, a Mississippi State University alumni and CPA.

Over the next 22 years I worked in Computer Technology in Jackson, Dayton, and Seattle.

In 1978 I began working at Baton Rouge’s Louisiana State University, where I met and married Terry, an alumni of LSU-New Orleans School of Medicine and a Medical Technologist.

Sadly, my Mother passed away in 1983 while I was at LSU.

In 1988, I graduated from LSU and Terry and I moved to Denver where I worked as a systems analyst for Lockheed-Martin Aerospace Services Division.

Sorrowfully, in 1991, my Dad passed away while I was in Denver.

In 1992, we returned to Pike County Mississippi, built a house on the farm, and I worked for the County Tax Assessor, in GIS.

In 2000, I became Instructor at Southwest Mississippi Community College, creating an Associate of Science, Computer Networking curriculum.

In the summer of 2009, I retired from 41 years of computer technology.

In the Summer of 2011, Summer 2012; Terry and I did summer Camp-hosting and worked the next two summers at Coeur D’ Alene Lake, in Plummer, Idaho, returning to Progress, for the winters.

The Fall of 2013 found us camp-hosting, at Amicalola Falls State Park in Dahlonega, Georgia, returning to Progress for the winter.

In the Spring of 2014, at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, we began a live-aboard boat cruise of the “Great Loop”. Our cruise ended short, on the Mississippi River, at Savannah, Illinois. 

Back to camp-hosting, we decided to go full-time, we worked the winter of 2014 at the Clark County Shooting Complex, at Las Vegas.

The summer of 2015, we worked on the Pacific coast, at Barview Jetty County Park, in Tillamook County, Oregon. The next four winters have been spent at Lake Cahuilla, Riverside County, Park in La Quinta, California.

Summer 2016 camp hosting at Monroe Lake at Bloomington, Indiana.

Summer 2017 with Kim and Glenn at Seymour and we rambled Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

 Summer of 2018 at Westshore State Park on Flathead Lake Northwest Montana.

November 2018, back to Lake Cahuilla, in La Quinta, California.

To Be (hopefully) Continued:

Friday, December 21, 2018

Making a hobby of researching the story of a State is a perpetual diversion. The story of California’s exploration and settlement is one of the most fascinating that I have encountered. With 2018 winding down, I want to review my California winter 2018 readings on fascinating California history and settlement:

Cabrillo: Explored the Alta California coast (1542-1543) and entered San Diego Bay, Monterey Bay, and navigated and mapped the present-day California coast

Vizcaino: mapped California coast (1602), identified many prominent points and renamed many Cabrillo discoveries

Portola: expulsion of the (1684) Jesuits in Baja California, Expedition, leading Franciscans (1769) to and discovery of San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay,

San Diego De Alcala (1769), the first of 21 missions established by Franciscan padres under the leadership of Father Junipero Serra, was founded.

Jedediah Strong Smith and other trappers (1826) made the first US overland trip to the area

Women Trailblazers of California: a book of past to present women CA pioneers

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

With Terry’s mom in critical condition, she flew to Tulsa (12-22) to be with her mom and the family. Daisy and I have keep the home-fire going at Lake Cahuilla. I have worked our regular schedule in order to avoid any interruption to the overall schedule. In working our regular schedule alone, I have gained a better appreciation of Terry’s part of our combined efforts. I normally work point-of-sale, camper preliminary processing, policy, and public relations, while Terry works computer reservations, campground rules, check-in/check-out, and public relations. Together, we fill-in our time with office management, reporting, accounting, and phone responses.

Alone, I have had to do it all and it made me get reorganized very quickly. You have to wear a lot of hats and respond to unanticipated situations appropriately, proficiently and professionally. It has been a good experience but I will be glad when Terry is back in the office!

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Year-end thoughts:

I agree with the “Joys of Full-time RV Living”. Of all the benefits of living in an RV fulltime, having the freedom to go where and when you want is arguably the biggest one. Being able to say “I’ve seen all I want to see here; let’s move on” at any given moment gives a person a sense of freedom that few people ever gain.

Regardless of where you travel within the United States there are sights to see that you likely will not encounter anywhere else. No two museums or art galleries are ever the same, with the local culture and history being unique to that area. There will always be something new to see or do wherever you travel. For those who love to discover interesting places, getting “off the beaten track” and staying in small towns will provide plenty of unique experiences. And of course the food varies from state to state! We’re often asked about our “favorite State” and having traveled each State fairly extensively, we claim them all as our favorites”. Each State has unique culture, music, food, geography, attractions, and you name it”. We love them all!

The United States of America is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a variety of landscapes from desert to the lushest green valleys, and everything in between. Aside from the scenery within the many National Parks across the country, there are numerous other lesser known scenic spots that are so stunningly beautiful they will take your breath away. As you drive along roads you have never traveled before you will find plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy all this great country has to offer. For photographers there will be no end of great shots to take.

If you consider yourself to be a “people person” and love talking to strangers, fulltime RVing provides plenty of opportunity to meet new people. Not only other RVers, but local townspeople in every place you stop. Striking up a conversation while sitting in a park somewhere is easy to do and is a great way to find out about things to do and see in that area that no tourist guide will mention. Locals are only too willing to share their pride and love of their area, and therefore are a great source of reliable information.

From thick juicy homegrown beef steaks in Texas to freshly caught lobster in Maine and many other local delicacies to tantalize the tastebuds available in every state across the USA, traveling in an RV fulltime allows you to make a spontaneous stop for food that is “to die for” whenever the desire overtakes you. Even if eating out is not in the budget or something you don’t enjoy doing too often, you can still shop in the local supermarket and Farmers Markets for fresh local produce and prepare a great meal in your RV.

City dwellers don’t realize just how bad the air often is in the their city until they head to the beach, mountains, or out into the countryside. Commuters spend hours on fume-ridden freeways, often in bumper to bumper traffic that is crawling along, so that they can sit in a cubicle in an air-conditioned office for 8 hours 5 days a week, rarely able to breath truly clean air.

Fulltime RVers get to enjoy fresh air often as the travel away from the congested areas. Being able to enjoy fresh mountain air, or the salt air at a secluded beach can make a difference to a person’s health as well as making them feel good as they pull that clean air into their lungs.

Friday, December 28

Terry returned to Palm Springs today and I am was glad to have her back. After the airport pickup, we headed back to Lake Cahuilla, so she could get some much needed rest. It’s our anniversary and we intend to celebrate tomorrow.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Today, we had breakfast in La Quinta, bought flowers, and shopped for our anniversary dinner desert. We headed back to Lake Cahuilla for our scheduled work hours and then started working on our “anniversary dinner”. We used the “Hello Fresh” service, where they furnish the ingredients, and recipe, shipped directly to your address. It’s all in the “App”, a really cool way to experience gourmet food, self-prepared, in your own kitchen. It was delicious, loads of fun preparing, and lots to eat. I diced, sliced, chopped, and stirred, while Terry worked the recipe. It was like we had our own cook-show!

Monday, December 31, 2018

Well, it’s the last day of 2018 and it has been a good year. We have enjoyed every minute of it and we have experienced lots of new things. Our travels have been interesting and exciting, seeing new attractions, meeting new people, and visiting and volunteering at some gorgeous parks. We begin 2019 with much anticipated visit from Sister Rose and a picturesque trip to Pacific Grove and Monterey Bay. Can’t wait!

Happy New Year

This concludes our notes on 2018, another tremendous year of RVing!

Fall visits in Oklahoma, Arkansas, travel back to southern California

Sept 30 thru October 14

Spending two weeks with Jeanne has been a nice visit and busy time. Sitting with Jeanne in Tulsa has given Pat and Kristy time to visit Mandy and Seth in Vermont. With Jeanne, we shopped, dined, toured, and spent some quality time at home too. We had some excitement when two tornados passed us.

During our two weeks in Tulsa, I read some enjoyable books on Oklahoma history, notable people places and things, famous outlaws, Indian Territory, and Will Rogers. I visited the Will Rogers Monument and Museum in Claremore and learned so much more about Will Rogers. I also visited the impressive, hilltop Rogers State University campus, overlooking Claremore. We made several trips to the Claremore Indian Hospital, so I took advantage of the waiting-time by touring around Claremore. Jeanne has an Indian card and qualifies for the Indian Hospital services, a valuable benefit for her. The last two weeks have provided opportunity to add to our Tulsa and Catoosa experience.

Upon Pat and Kristy’s return, we had a good visit with them and enjoyed the pictures and narrative from their Vermont-trip. Next, we head to Little Rock for a camp-out visit with Rose and some get-togethers with cousins Rusty and Marian. We’re sure looking forward to all that.

10-15/10-19 (Ride to Little Rock and visiting with kin)

What a terrific visit in Little Rock! Rose met us for a campout at Maumelle Park on the Arkansas River. We played tourist, dined, shopped, and just spent some relaxing time visiting together. It was great to have Rose hang-out with us at the Arkansas River camp. We also enjoyed visits with our friends AND cousins Rusty and Marian. Rusty and Marian are cousins AND “good friends” that we really enjoy visiting!

Our favorite outings were;

Maumelle Park on the Arkansas River

Dinner with Rusty and Marian (Rusty’s good cooking)

Lobster Dinner with Rusty and Marian (Pay-back from last years lobster feast)

River Market

Downtown Trolley Tour

Pinnacle Mountain

Rattlesnake Ridge

Lots of lunches, riding around, and hanging-out with Rusty

Friday, 10-19

We said goodbye to our Arkansas cousins and headed to Dallas. We’re remembering the fun times we enjoyed with Rose, Rusty, and Marian, at Little Rock.

In the Texarkla region, we encountered a heavy rain storm. At Texarkana, we decided to take a site at the St. Michael Dr, KOA, for a hunker-down night. It rained most of the night but we had a good dinner and a comfortable night’s rest. The morning broke sunny, clear, and cool, facilitating a good travel day. We had a nice blt-California style breakfast and headed on to Dallas.

At Caddo Mills Texas, we took a site at Dallas NE Campground, for a nice sunny afternoon and breezy evening. College football was the main pursuit today!

Sunday, October 21, 2018

On Sunday, we moved just west of Dallas, to Traders Village RV Park at Grand Prairie, Texas. Traders Village is a giant open-air market with shopping, rides, food, entertainment, and events. Pickers, Flea Market, and Mercado enthusiasts pack-in every weekend, for bargains, eats and treats, thrill rides, and fun. If you like this stuff, it’s worth the trip to Dallas!

(Monday) From Grand Prairie, we drove into Dallas and took a guided tour. We covered all the attractions on the mini-bus-tour,

Our “Welcome to Dallas Tour” visited the following places:

Founders Plaza   ••   Old Red Court House   ••   John Neely Bryan Cabin   ••   JFK memorial   •• Pioneer Plaza (largest bronze collection in the world) And Convention Center  •• Dallas City Hall (design by I.M. Pei)  ••   Thanks-Giving Square   ••   First Baptist Dallas Fountain Plaza   ••   Deep Ellum  and Farmers Market ••   The Wilson Block (historic neighborhood, Queen Anne/Victorian Style Houses)   ••   The Art District (the largest in the world!)  Loads of Museums and Performing Arts (Symphony Center was stunning) ••   Klyde Warren Park   ••   The City of Highland Park (5th richest suburb in USA, home to many celebrities)   ••   Uptown the McKinney Avenue restaurant district   ••   West End   ••   Dealey Plaza (JFK assassination Point) •• American Airlines Center ( Home of the Mavericks) •• Reunion Tower •• State Fairgrounds and Cotton Bowl •• ••

My favorite was the Romanesque architecture of “Old Red Courthouse” (1892) in Dallas County. The workmanship and craftmanship are exquisite, right down to every minute detail!

We had lunch downtown in the old West End neighborhood. Dallas also offers a Trolley-tour with two-options and it looked really alluring. They’re reasonably priced and give you more flexibility for touring.

On Tuesday, we shopped IKEA, had lunch at Grand Prairie, did some walking-around and sightseeing.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Heading out west to Carlsbad New Mexico, we took US 180, from Weatherford to Snyder, a route that’s like “turning back the clock”. This is an unfamiliar or new route for us, and we’re really enjoying the scenery. Many of the towns are county seats and have grand old courthouses. The ranches retain their historic buildings and every piece of equipment ever owned, can be seen around the barns. This old route traverses the headwaters of the Brazos River, which marks the boundary between East Texas and West Texas. The route also passes through the Palo Pinto mountains, northern part of the “hill country”. The mountains are tree-covered and had nice Fall colors”.  

Willa’s “hurricane rain” fell on us the entire day, all the way. Immediately leaving the rain, we took a campsite at the Snyder Coliseum RV lot. It was basketball night and I was disappointed when they only met at the coliseum to travel to the away-game. No basketball game for me!

Some notable towns along the way:

Weatherford: Known for growing great peaches, Weatherford is also the birthplace and was the home of Mary Martin, a Broadway star, known for her portrayal of Peter Pan. Her son, Larry Hagman, became a TV star, best known as J.R. Ewing on the television melodrama “Dallas”.

Cool: A cool little town

Mineral Wells: Known for its famous mineral wells, the town boomed in the early 19^th Century. The abandoned Baker Hotel is stunning proof of the town’s lucrative past.

Palo Pinto: After Palo Pinto County was created the town was built to become the county seat. It thrived until the railroad bypassed it.

Caddo: Founded on an old Caddo Indian campsite, the town prospered from oil discovery, now the oil boom is all gone, but the old town reflects its former success.

Breckenridge: Lunch at Ernie’s Spanish Kitchen was good. This was a major oil producer in the 1920’s and a railroad town. The “boom” ended but left a historic record in its buildings and main street.

Albany: Attractive county courthouse. Famous for its annual Fort Griffin Fandangle musical.

Anson: A stunning Jones County Courthouse and other historic buildings. Famous for its annual "Texas Cowboys' Christmas Ball".

Roby: The current Roby Courthouse is on the site of two former Courthouses. The town boomed with the railroad and now has declined due to insufficient water.

Snyder: Snyder was a nefarious “trading post/buffalo camp” before Scurry County was created. A statue of an albino buffalo on the grounds of the Scurry County courthouse in Snyder pays homage to the town's beginnings as a buffalo-trading post. Our campsite is at the Scurry County Coliseum RV lot, next to the county’s collection of historic, pioneer buildings. The coliseum is part of Western Texas College. The old town had early railroad and oil success and now a diversified industrial economy makes it less susceptible to cycles of boom and bust. The area also has a huge windfarm.

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Today, a cloudy, cool day, but no rain, so we plan to travel on to Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Some notable Texas towns along this leg:

Union: A rustic arm center, with a gin, store, and school

Gail: The Borden county town and county are named for Gail Borden, Jr., the inventor of condensed milk. Near Gail, we saw a large herd of Pronghorn.

Key: A Dawson County “ghost town” of abandoned building and houses.

Los Ybanez: Smallest town in Texas with a very strange west Texas story!

Lamesa: A picturesque little town! Mainly a large ag center. Several large potash plants nearby. Also has a large solar power array and a large wind farm.

Seminole: The county seat of Gaines County and home to Plautdietsch-speaking "Russian" Mennonites. They’re still around!

We crossed several West Texas counties that are heavy industrial and oil services. At Lamesa, a huge, flat agricultural expanse extends beyond the horizons, in all directions. Cotton, sorghum, hay, wheat, cattle were most predominating.

We bid ado to Texas and Hello to New Mexico.

Continuing west, we noticed the steady rise in elevation. We took a campsite at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, at 4,000-feet. From here in the Guadalupe Mountains, we have a panoramic view of the Chihuahuan Desert and the sedimentary, Permian basin of SE New Mexico and west Texas to the east. It’s good to be back out-west!

Friday, October 26, 2018

A clear, cool, sunny day, just right for a visit to Carlsbad Caverns. After breakfast, we explored the Visitor Center and then explored the cave system. The Visitor Center has an excellent video presentation, very detailed diorama of the cave system, and some excellent graphic displays. This got us oriented on cave routes, regulations and safety, plus up-to-date on cave terminology.

We took the elevator down to the 750-foot level and began the 1.3-mile self-guided tour route. The cave system is an incomparable realm of gigantic, subterranean chambers, fantastic cave formations, and extraordinary natural decorations. Ironically, I remembered the intersection of the natural entrance and Big Room. It was 1953, and I recalled the cold and darkness. (They momentarily killed the lights to total darkness.)  We were so glad that we made this revisit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park!

Saturday, October 27, 2018

With a cool, clear morning and riding on our minds, we left Carlsbad and headed on a route to Meteor Crater, in Arizona. We planned a scenic route, we’ve never traveled, which zigzags across New Mexico. After lunch at Artesia (3380 ft), we headed west across the high desert plains, we then followed up the Rio Penasco River into the Sacramento Mountains. After a steady climb from Artesia to Cloudcroft (8600 ft), we took a campsite at Sugarpine RV Park. Our night in Cloudcroft was cold and the air was noticeably thin. The town was busy with their Halloween festival and hunters (a popular outdoorsman area). This ride today was very scenic on a historic route.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Saturday’s ride from Artesia, in the east to Cloudcroft, on the west Sacramento Mountains summit, was a steady-climb from 3,000-ft to 8600-ft.

Surprise! Surprise! Immediately leaving Cloudcroft, US 82 plunges down to the Chihuahuan Desert, White (gypsum) Sands, and Alamogordo (4336-ft). Descending steep Mexican Canyon, offers fantastic views and thrilling excitement.

We shopped Alamogordo, then continued west, crossing the Organ Mountains at San Agustin Pass (5719-ft) and down to lunch at Las Cruces. From there, we took NM 185 up the Rio Grande to Donna Ana county’s Hatch, and a campsite at Hatch RV Park, right in town. Hatch is the “Chile Pepper Capital of the World”. Thanks to irrigation from the Rio Grande, numerous other crops are produced in the surrounding valley. It’s warm but a nice evening for a stroll around Hatch! In the afternoon, we met the camp-hosts and had a nice chat with them. They apologized for their poor English and I apologized for my meager Spanish. After dark, she came over with a batch of fresh, hot Chile Rellenos, and they were the “real thing”(and they were chile-pepper-hot). A delightful gesture from the young camp-host couple!

Monday, October 29, 2018

After breakfast at Hatch, we went north to Caballo, then took Mew Mexico Route 152 to Silver City. This took all day but what a fantastic route! WE saw desert, ghost towns, Mimbres Mountains, abandoned gold mines, rivers, deep canyons, high, narrow, one-lane bridges, Emory Pass, spectacular rock formations, and the largest, most horrid, pit- copper mine ever. With a surprising variety of tree species, over the fluctuating elevations, we observed a smorgasbord of “Fall colors”.

Paved for its entire route, NM152 winds westward for some 75 miles, across the northern Chihuahuan Desert, the Mimbres Mountains, the Mimbres River Valley and the Piños Altos Mountains southern foothills. It ends at Santa Clara, at the eastern edge of the historic area surrounding the quaint and charming community of Silver City. The drive begins innocuously enough, with a straight segment passing occasional small homes, ranches on a sagebrush prairie. About 10 miles into the journey, we realized that our rig had been climbing and winding gently, but steadily higher. At an elevation of some 5,000 feet, you come to the first of Highway 152’s “S curves”. Now you climb a steep treasure trove of S curves, with panoramic views overlooking your tracks. We love our truck, the gear options and our compression brake! It had hard pulls up and strong pushes down, but effortlessly handled it all.

Our favorites were:

Hillsboro- This community was founded in 1877, when gold was discovered in the Mimbres Mountains, at the southern end of the Black Range.

Percha Creek, which flows between rugged rock walls and the road follows.

Kingston (1882) Black Range Silver mines and the Spit and Whittle Club

Gila National Forest

Emory Pass 1846 (8828-ft) fantastic views

Descending down, along Iron Creek was awesome, and our mountain-air “picnic lunch” near the Kneeling Nun rock formation was pleasant.

Descending down, the ponderosa pines of the higher country have given way to the pinon and juniper trees of the mountain flanks. We were also amazed at the Mountain Mahogany, virtually loaded with their feathery, spiral seeds.

10-30 Tuesday

Following shopping, a good night at Silver City RV Park, breakfast and a hot latte at “Gila Beans”, we resumed our travel west on US 180. A scenic drive, US 180 leads us further along on our unexplored trail. This entire “new trail” for us has presented lots of ancient Native American, Spanish, and early American settlement history. We ended our day at Show Low, in the Bar K RV Park.

Some noteworthy encounters:

Gila: A quaint ranch community with a tiny Post Office.

Gila River: A beautiful tributary of the Colorado River, with deep canyons and radiant Fall colors in the Cottonwoods and Willows. Ancient Cliff Dwellings

Cliff:  a town with Stunning cliffs

Buckhorn: Old west with Post Office and tavern.

Mogollon Mountains on east: Home to the huge Gila National Forest with antient Native American and Spanish history.

Peccary: We spotted several groups of (Javelena or Skunk Pigs) in the mountain washes

San Francisco Mountains on west: (Named by Hopi Mission Friars in 1629) Rugged peaks, deep canyons, and unnamed gulches, enormously scenic and historic.

San Francisco River: This river is a tributary of the Gila River and another very picturesque stream.

Pleasanton: Founded 1882 by Mormon polygamist Jacob Hamblin who had 24 children. Must have been the water!

Skirting the Arizona line: We could see lots of Arizona landmarks long before we crossed the line.

Glenwood: A ranch in 1878 and a “silver and gold” rush in 1889. An old mining “catwalk” built along the rock wall of Whitewater Canyon, remains a major attraction for thrill-seeking hikers. The “volcanic” region yielded rich gold and silver deposits.

Alpine (8012-ft): Founded 1876, in beautiful Bush Valley, settled by Mormons.

Reserve: “Reserve”  Ancestral Pueblo pottery type (black on white) was named for the Reserve area, where it was first found.

Tularosa River: A scenic tributary of the San Francisco River with picturesque cliffs, canyons, and huge, colorful  Cottonwood trees along the riverbed.

Luna: In the 19th century Luna was part of the extensive lands of Don Salomon Luna, and the valley was used for sheep ranching. It briefly was an outlaw hide-away, but was settled by Mormon ranchers in 1883 and subject to Chiricahua Apache attacks until the surrender of Geronimo. The town was named after Don Salomon Luna. The post office was opened in 1886

Viya con dios New Mexico and Buenos dias Arizona!

Springerville: At 7000-ft, they had 4 inches of snow a few days earlier. In a vast round valley, it was named for Henry Springer’s 1876 trading post. The Springerville volcanic field contains over 400 volcanoes within a 50-mile radius of Springerville, making it the third largest volcanic field in the continental United States. Basalt piles are visible for miles around and we saw huge cinder cones too. Both the Hopi and Zuni people still consider Casa Malpais a sacred ancestral place. The ancient people cut a steep basalt staircase, set into a crevice of the high, red cliff wall, which leads to Casa Malpais, at the top of the mesa.

Show Low: With an elevation of 6345-ft, Show Low just recently had a wet, heavy snow. The 1870 town got its unusual name from cutting cards to settle a ranch ownership argument between two partners. The Marion Clark challenge; If you can “show low”, you win! Corydon E. Cooley turned up the deuce of clubs and said “show low it is”. As a tribute to the legend, Show Low's main street is named "Deuce of Clubs".

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

After a night of thunder, lightning, and rain, we departed Show Low and headed to Meteor Crater, west of Winslow. We stopped for lunch at Holbrook and then drove to our campsite at Meteor Crater.

At Holbrook, we were back on a familiar track. The unfamiliar drive from Dallas, Texas to Holbrook, Arizona over the past 8 days) was a real treat and loads of fun with terrific scenery, natural wonders, and fascinating attractions.

We had lunch at Holbrook and talked to some locals. It’s a sleepy little town, but county seat of Navajo County, with a fine courthouse. Holbrook is right on Route 66 and has more petrified wood than we have ever seen. The parks all have collections and Holbrook has a large market selling all sizes of petrified wood. We saw huge, entire petrified trees, from a prehistoric, a hard-to-imagine forest. We admired snow-capped Humphreys Peak (12633-ft) (Arizona’s highest point), some 80 miles distance. We took a campsite at Meteor Crater Park, just west of Winslow.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

From our base campsite at Meteor Crater, we visited the crater. The Visitor Center is an interesting and educational complex, with theater, museum, crater overlook, and great views of the surrounding Colorado Plateau. The massive meteorite impact crater occurred 50,000 years ago and remains an incredible site. We enjoyed the open country, beautiful sunsets, and cool, clear, starry nights.

From the rim observation platforms, we could see Arizona’s Humphreys Peak (12633-ft), Arizona’s highest point, at 70 miles to the northwest. We could also observe traffic, crossing the plateau, on I-40. Remarkably, we could literally watch an 18-wheeler for one-hour, in traversing the flat plateau. That’s a lot of real estate! The desert is wide-open, with no discernable structures. One of the most geologically intriguing features of the Colorado Plateau is its remarkable stability. Relatively little rock deformation such as faulting and folding has affected this flat, high desert. Today was cool, but sunny. Curiously, we were comfortable in the sun but too cool in the shade. The Meteor Crater National Landmark is a fascinating place and we recommend it for a visit!

11-2-18 Friday

Our next stop is Flagstaff for a campsite at Flagstaff KOA, and some Fall shopping and touring. After lunch, we did a walking tour and shopping spree in downtown Flagstaff. We visited the old railroad depot visitor center, right on Route 66, for some local info. Flagstaff is a “history book brought to life”, with buildings, ruins, and roads that tell the stories of Flagstaff’s past. We admired some of the old hotel lobbies, railroad artifacts, Coconino County Courthouse, and numerous landmarks. Nestled at 7000-ft, at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff rewards us with clear air, cool Ponderosa Pine forests, and stunning historic and natural attractions. Great afternoon and evening!

Saturday, November 3, 2018

This morning, we made Chile Rellenos with some of our “Hatch peppers”. Terry used a “casserole recipe” and it came out very enticing and delicious.

Next, we cruised out to Walnut Canyon for some hiking and sightseeing. The canyon is a natural wonder, with its colorful layers of Kaibab limestone, resting on Coconino sandstone, with Arizona Black Walnut trees, in golden Fall color, on the canyon floor. The numerous cliff dwellings, perched high, under the overhanging cliffs, made us wonder how often an ancient Sinagua resident fell, with certain, fatal consequences. After several previous sojourns to Flagstaff, we’re glad we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument.

Sunday 11-4

On a fine Fall day in Flagstaff, we toured the Coconino National Forest Loop and visited Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki Pueblo National Monument. Back in Flagstaff, we celebrated Terry’s birthday with a delicious dinner at Pato Thai Restaurant.

Sunset Crater, part of the 4-thousand square-mile, San Francisco Peaks Volcanic field, was an awesome exhibit of lava, cinders cones, and a Ponderosa Pine forest. We enjoyed the Visitor Center, overlooks and pullouts, in the peculiar lava fields.

At Wupatki, the Visitor Center offered a video, garden, and lots of artifacts depicting the lives of the ancient pueblo dwellers. We walked the trails and admired the pueblos. These pueblos, constructed in the “red rocks” area, are very different from the Walnut Canyon cliff dwellings. The masonry pueblos, built high on the red rocks, were advertising their presence and willingness to trade. Archeologists have determined that they were very successful farmers and traded with other great-distance groups. Their descendants, the Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo people still remain in the area. We had a marvelous day at these National Monuments.

After an early Sunday-evening birthday dinner for Terry, we walked around downtown Flagstaff and then took a tour of the Northern Arizona University campus. Tomorrow we head down to Camp Verde.

Monday, November 5, 2018

If it’s a little too cool in Flagstaff, Verde Valley, just 60 miles south is much warmer. So, we headed south to Camp Verde, and descended from 7000-feet to under 4-thousand. We took a campsite at Rancho Verde Resort, an attractive spot in the Verde River Valley. In the late afternoon, we visited Montezuma Castle National Monument, an ancient Sinagua cliff dwelling, on Beaver Creek. This five-story dwelling, under a white-sandstone cliff recess, about 100-feet above the creek, is the most impressive cliff-dwelling we have seen. The valley, along the creek is shaded by huge Sycamore and Walnut trees. We were glad we went to the site.

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018

With an early start, we left Daisy in charge of the campsite, and headed out on a loop-route to visit Montezuma Well, Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, and Cottonwood. This area is the stunning red-rock country, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Montezuma Well, a gigantic, deep, limestone sink, formed ages ago, is continuously fed by underground, flowing springs. This is also a cliff-dwelling site and the outflow water was used to irrigate the prehistoric farming plots, of the ancient Sinagua fields. The canal ruminants are still flowing with the cool, clear water. We also saw the curious red-winged grasshopper. The Montezuma Well National Monument is a very impressive antiquity!

Sedona is surrounded with towering red-rock formations, where the scenery will “take your breath away”. We had lunch at Sedona then drove up to the vortex, for some great overlook views.

 Oak Creek Canyon, between Sedona and Flagstaff, is a deep canyon, with high precipices and scenic, shady trees along the creek bed. The Fall colors were stunning!

At Cottonwood, we explored the old town and the historic buildings. We enjoyed the geological wonders, Native American culture, and red rock scenery. The red-rock area of northern Arizona is a spectacular place to see!

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Leaving Camp Verde and the Verde Valley, we headed to Prescott and a campsite in the desert at Aguilar. We had lots of ups, downs, and arounds, crossing the mountains, and we were amused at our plastic water bottles crackling, with altitude changes.

Traveling from the Verde Valley to Prescott, we crossed a high desert plain. The grass and plants were mostly brown and dry, except for the green Creosote bushes and Cholla. Crossing the mountains, we came to Dewey-Humboldt, an old gold mining settlement town in Yavapai County. The mine tailings are presently being reprocessed into iron-rich Ironite fertilizer. (Good luck with that!) They also had a successful pioneer gristmill on the Agua Fria River.

Next, we entered Prescott Valley and Prescott. The area was another rich gold strike on Lynx Creek. It’s also another location of ancient Native American ruins. Now, it’s a busy town with lots of everything. We shopped Safeway, then had lunch and headed southwest.

What a surprise! Arizona 89 becomes a 39-mile rollercoaster and scrambler, all the way to Yarnell. It will take you up to some elevations to 5900 feet, through some high desert, twisties, along some high precipices, the Prescott National Forest and some very pretty roadside scenery. At the Yarnell descent, the road is divided, with the westbound on the high track and the eastbound below, on the same slope. Sometimes we could catch a glimpse of the eastbound climb and it was way below us on the same canyon wall. We are often reminded that; lower-elevation mountain ranges often present the steepest, curviest, narrowest, scariest, routes. Very exhilarating!

Making it down to Yarnell, we talked to a local that had some interesting observations to share. The main economy is ranching, mining, and retiree homeowners. On June 30, 2013, the Yarnell Hill Fire destroyed half of the town and killed 19 firefighters. Quail hunting and rattlesnakes are the main topic in November.

Crossing the desert to the McMullen Valley and Aguila, we traversed an expansive, flat plain, with irrigated agricultural fields to the horizons. Melons, vegetables, nuts, fruit, and hay are the main crops. We took a campsite at Morenga Palms RV Park. Isolated, in the desert, we were surprised to find a good company of “snowbirds”, passing the winter here, in the desert. With the Harcuvar Mountains north and the Harquahala Mountains to the south, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset.

November 8, 2018

Thursday morning broke calm, clear, and sunny. We had a leisurely morning and then headed further west to California. At the Colorado River, we crossed the river from Arizona to Blythe, California and took a campsite at Mayflower Park, on the west bank of the Colorado River. We had a nice afternoon and evening at Mayflower, a Riverside County Park. The majority of campers were “snowbirds”, spending the winter at the park. I joined them for an “ice cream social” and heard about some of their winter plans. The majority of the snowbirds have been coming to Mayflower for many winters. Blythe is an agricultural, industrial, and trucking center. The campground is several miles upriver, bordered by vast, flat, irrigated agricultural fields. The campground is gren grass, completely shaded by rows of giant Eucalyptus trees.

Friday, November 9, 2018

At mid-morning, after breakfast, walking and doing some maintenance, we headed west to the Coachella Valley, La Quinta, and Lake Cahuilla Park. Approaching Chiriaco Summit, we encountered high wind gusts from the prevailing Santa Ana winds. We had to slow down for the next 50 miles, down to the Coachella Valley. With moderate winds in the valley, we had lunch, then drove over to the park. After welcoming greetings, updates, and mail, we setup on our winter site and spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening on mail and computer updates. It’s good to be back in southern California!