Day 34 ~ San Juan Bautista

We woke up in Pismo Beach this morning to on and off rain showers. Most of the drive we continued to have rain and wind.
After settling in at our RV Park we drove to the San Juan Bautista Mission (1797) and visited the museum and church (1803). The church still has mass on Saturday and Sunday. The buildings are along the San Andreas Fault and were severly damaged in 1906. Between 1976 and 1997 a large portion of the buildings were restored. In 1957 Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" was filmed on the mission grounds.
The sun was shining again but it was so cold we quickly toured the buildings and grounds. Unfortunately we did not take the time to really enjoy what there was to see. We were all anxious to return to the car.
So this is the end of our trip.
I am really ready to get home. We have had many great experiences but it has been so cold. I cannot wait to climb into a tub of hot bubbly water.
So that is all for now, until our next adventure ..........

Day 33 ~ More Pismo Beach

This morning we walked along Pismo Beach at low tide. We collected a few shells and more rocks for our garden at home.
Next we headed North to Port San Luis. In the late 1800s the Spaniards and Portuguese anchored their ships at this location while trading with the Chumash Indians. We ate a delicious lunch on Harford Wharf which was constructed in 1873. The area is very scenic. From the wharf we enjoyed watching the Sea Lions.

Day 32 ~ Pismo Beach

On Monday we left Malibu Beach. The boys walked to the beach and picked a bouquet for me which I displayed in an empty bottle of Happy Camper Cabernet Sauvignon. We then headed for Pismo Beach.
On Tuesday we spent the day at the beach. The boys played in the surf, collected rocks and a few shells. In the afternoon we visited the Monarch Butterfly Grove. Although there were many butterflies, it was amazing to see the historical butterfly count. In 2000 the count at the grove was 270,000. In 2011 the count was 20,000.


Irene decided to drive down and join us and at low tide today we all went north of Pismo Beach to Shell Beach. Surprisingly there were no shells to be found but we collected more unusual rocks. Out on the large rocks we could see harbor seals.


Next we drove further north to Avila Beach. The wind increased and it was very cool. We are enjoying the sunshine but wish we had warmer temperatures.

Day 29 ~ Malibu

Yesterday we arrived at Malibu RV Park. Our RV backs to the edge of a tall cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It rained all night long but we awoke to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. Jackets were required as the temperatures remained cool.

We had another “Getty” day spending the first half at the Getty Villa in Malibu. On the 64 acre grounds is the original ranch home of J. Paul Getty. In later years he turned the home into a museum for his Antiquities Collection. When he ran out of room he decided to build a Roman country house fashioned after the Villa dei Papiri which was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD and thought to be the home of Julia Caesar’s father-in-law. It is part of an ongoing archeological site. Sadly Getty did not live to see his project to completion.

The formal garden is beautiful with statuary including the Greek God Hermes.

In the afternoon we spent the day at a nearby beach. The boys spent hours running and digging in the sand.

Day 28 ~ Rain and more Rain

On Thursday the weather was very stormy. It rained in the morning and really poured in the afternoon. We enjoyed the Aquarium and a nice lunch at Parker's Lighthouse at Shoreline Village. From there we had a nice view of the marina and the Queen Mary.
Today Chig will take the RV to Malibu and I will drive to Kettlemen City to meet Aron & Marianne and pick up Jacob & Jackson. They will join us for the remainder of our trip.

Day 27 ~ The Getty Center

What a wonderful day. We got up to cool temperatures but beautiful sunny skies. Off we headed to the Getty Center, located on 750 acres in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking L.A. and the Pacific Ocean. The center opened in 1997 and was designed by architect Richard Meier. The gardens were designed by California artist Robert Irwin. Most of our day was spent taking audio tours of the different museum buildings housing numerous collections. We also took a docent led garden tour. The Azalea Maze was in full bloom.


Looking out over the gardens, Catalina Island can be seen in the distance.


It is impossible to see everything in one day. The Getty Center will be on our list for a future visit!

Day 26 ~ San Diego to Long Beach

On Tuesday we spent most of the day in Balboa Park, the nation’s largest cultural urban park. There are 15 major museums and it is home to the San Diego Zoo. The park was the site of two Expositions. The first was the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition. The second was the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. The beautiful old buildings house many of the museums. The Botanical Building is one of the world’s largest lath structures.


Our next stop was the USS Midway Museum. It is difficult to comprehend the size of this massive ship. It is 1000 feet long and 258 feet wide with a 4 acre flight deck.

Today we woke up to rain as we prepared to move to our next destination, Long Beach. I was sorry to leave the San Diego area.
There were many places we planned to see during our visit. Maybe next time when I am healthier and more energetic.
After arriving at the Long Beach RV park this afternoon, we took a very long walk along the bike path and waterway. Th sun was peeking though. We could see the Queen Mary in the distance.

Day 24 ~ Back in San Diego

What a beautiful 4 days in La Salina, about 30 miles south of Rosarito, Baja, California. We arrived Friday afternoon at the quaint community fronted by the welcoming Cantina. Patti lead us though the electronic gate to their Mexican home and adjoining casita. After entering the courtyard and front door, we were drawn in to the wall of picture windows framing the shimmering Pacific Ocean. Since purchasing their home 4 years ago, Chuck & Patti have extended the back wall and patio. They have also remodeled and updated the casita. We were privileged to be the first casita guests since its recent completion. During our visit we viewed whales and dolphins from the front deck.
Unfortunately, my cold developed into a fairly severe infection and I spent most of Saturday in bed while Chig & Chuck played golf.
Sunday Chuck & Patti took us on a tour of the surrounding coast and beautiful inland valley of La Mission.
We had a scenic return drive home and made it easily across the border.





The pictures below are of the interior courtyard at the Bajamar Golf Resort, the exterior view, Chuck on the course and the ocean view from one of the fairways.

Day 20 ~ Adios!

Tomorrow morning we leave for Mexico for four days. We will be visiting Chig's golf buddy Chuck and his wife Patti at their Baja California home. I am not sure if I will have good internet access so I may not post again until Monday or Tuesday.
We did little today. Both of us had low energy as we recover from colds.
We look forward to our Mexico visit!

Day 19 ~ Pt. Loma

Today we headed to Pt. Loma in search of whales. We both have colds so we wanted to do something simple that did not take too much energy. We drove through Coronado and over the Coronado Bridge then to Pt. Loma. On the way, we passed through Fort Rosecrans and a military cemetery with beautiful views of San Diego Bay.

Pt. Loma is part of the Cabrillo National Monument, a National Park. On the site there is the old Cabrillo Light House and the Cabrillo Monument. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. We went to the visitor's center and walked to the old light house.
As for whale watching? Maybe we were too impatient but we did not see any. A ranger told me the best sightings seem to be in the morning. The picture below was taken from the lighthouse looking towards San Diego and Coronado.

Day 17 ~ San Diego

Sunday was spent packing the RV and getting ready for our return to California. When we returned from watching the Super Bowl, we found our TV, microwave and coffee maker were not working. Evidently there was a power surge that caused the damage. We were plugged in at the end of the line. Two other RV's by ours had damage. Curt & Dawn also lost their microwave. California here I come! I think it is time to go home.

By 9:00 a.m. only a few RVs and Buses reamained. Most were headed back to California. Curt & Dawn left for Tucson, Tombstone and Phoenix before returning to California and the Southern Coast.

Yesterday we arrived in San Diego on the South end of San Diego Bay. It is so nice to be in a regular park with full connections and a laundry room! The weather was beautiful and 78 degrees. We drove to the Itasca dealer to talk about our electrical issues and preventing them in the future. Today we will regroup and try to find a new adventure!

Day 15 ~ Warmer Days

This was a better day! Heater worked. Water worked. Hallelujah!
The afternoon temperature was in the mid 70’s. My kind of day.
Today we went to the Yuma Territorial Prison. It operated from 1876 to 1909. The tour and museum were both quite interesting. The huge guard tower at the entrance is impressive. Prison conditions were less than ideal. The prison was very secure and only had two successful escapes during the years it operated.


Across the Colorado River in California, the St. Thomas Mission can be seen. This was originally the site of the La Purisma Concepcion mission which was built in 1780 by Spanish explorers. It was destroyed in 1781 by native Quechan Indians. The new mission was built in 1922 to serve the Quechan Indian Nation.

This evening one of the couples traveling with us received terrible news. Their son passed away unexpectedly. Tomorrow they will be heading back to California.

Day 14~ The deep freeze

It has been an interesting two days. Wednesday night was extremely cold with freezing temperatures in the 20’s. The heat in our motorhome did not function as the propane contained moisture that became frozen, blocking the line. We also have an electric heat pump but if the propane portion doesn’t work the electric heat will not function. We were so cold when we got up. Not only did we not have heat, our water was frozen. This is not fun. Oh, did I mention that we are in the flight path for the airbase and have fighter jets flying over from 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.? They fly very low and very fast and are very loud.

After we got up and somewhat thawed, we went to the famous “Yuma Market”. We saw a repeat of many items that were at the RV Tent Show in Quartzsite.

Last night we again had freezing temperatures. Once more, our propane did not function. We did have water. I only wish I had brought heavy sweaters, socks and warmer jackets.

Today I was invited to a ladies luncheon for the “Red Hat Society”. At first I declined but later reluctantly agreed to attend as long as I did not have to sit through any type of meeting or wear any of the red/lavender attire. All of the women were very nice and it was an enjoyable lunch. This was not on my list but if it ever gets there, I can now cross it off.

While I was at lunch with Dawn, Chig & Curt played a round of golf. In the afternoon everyone looked for a small electric space heater for our motor home. Every store is sold out. Apparently we are not the only RV owners with heating problems during this extreme Yuma cold spell.

This evening was a great Bar-B-Q with ribs, beans and salad hosted by the “Bus Nuts”. My previous count was incorrect. There are a total of 32 buses and RVs here.
Most members are from Northern California.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be warmer. I can only hope and pray.......

Day 12 ~ Yuma

We arrived in Yuma on Monday and got settled in. We are staying at the Yuma Fairgrounds, the site of the gathering for the Western Bus Nuts, the group we are traveling with. A majority of the members own custom converted buses or large bus style motorhomes. There are now over twenty motorhomes in our group.
Yesterday our sub-group of 11 went to Algodonas, Baja California, Mexico. We all did some shopping, had lunch and spent an hour in line to get back in to California then drove back to Yuma.
Today we went to the Castle Dome Mine and Museum about 40 miles from Yuma. It was the site of silver mining from 1864 to 1979. The current owners salvaged most of the buildings and added many historical collections to create a ghost town/museum area. Unfortunately the temperature when we arrived at 10 a.m. was less than 40 degrees and very windy. We were all dressed in layers, sweat shirts, hats, gloves and heavy jackets. The high for this chilly day was 55. More of the same is in store for tomorrow.


On the dirt road to the museum we could see a large blimp shaped huge balloon out in the desert. It is an important link in the 'radar fence' along the international border that detects drug-smuggling airplanes.

Day 9 ~ Quartzsite again

Today the wind came up and the skys were cloudy. It is pretty chilly with the wind across the desert.
We headed to town and went to the Celia Memorial Garden. The previously mentioned bookstore owner had a daughter who died at age 8 from a heart ailment. In her memory, the town built a memorial rock garden. Other families have added their own memorials to loved ones on the multi-acre site. Paths wander along the many rock arrangements where we also found a variety of desert plants and cactus.
We next returned to the bookstore and talked with Celia's father Paul. Because of the chill in the air, he was wearing his shirt. Before our picture he apologized that it was just too cold to go without it.

After lunch, we decided we should also check out the town's real estate. We are always looking for an opportunity and we definitely found it here! As soon as we finish negotiations we will send you our new address!

Chig spent a good part of yesterday and today replacing the RV water pump. Curt was very helpful but today the new pump quit working. Chig & Curt rushed back to the RV sale and caught the salesman as he was packing up. The second new pump is now installed and working! Tomorrow morning we are off to Yuma.

Day 8 ~ Desert Bar

Today the entire group of 17 went to Desert Bar. We also visited one year ago. It is located near Parker, AZ. and is 5 miles off highway 95 via a very dusty dirt road. The bar is only open on Sat. & Sun. Labor Day to Memorial Day. The owner of the bar has created a desert oasis operated by multiple huge solar panels. There is always live music, bar-b-qued food and plenty of beverages. It is a pretty amazing and fun place. Go to this web site to see the history and pictures. http://www.thedesertbar.com/ Seven of our Lake Havasu friends rode their quads and met us there. At 3:00 we left to visit Sacramento friends Roy & Diane. They stay every year in Parker at La Paz County Park. Their site is right on the Colorado River. Tony & Sharon (Sacramento/Lake Havasu friends) met us there and we had great appetizers, delicious margaritas and a very nice visit.
My second morning in the desert was a lot better. Only two to go : )

Day 7 ~

Well here it is Day 7 and my last entry was on Day 2.
We left Desert Hot Springs on Tuesday and headed to Brenda, Az., about 15 miles Northeast of Quartzsite. As we drove past Quartzsite we could see the sea of motorhomes, trailers and fifth wheels parked in every direction. Most of the land surrounding Quartzsite is BLM land and because camping is virtually free, it is attractive to many retirees.
We arrived at Black Rock RV Park in Brenda to find they did not have our reservation. The on-line reservation had not been matched with their phone-in reservations. Eventually it was all worked out.
We had a really nice visit with Chig's first cousin Jack and his wife Pat. Jack will soon turn 81 and is the oldest living Chigbrow. We enjoyed our meals together while Chig and Jack reviewed and improved the family tree documents.
On Wednesday we took a long drive and saw General Patton's tank training area. We then drove to Parker, across Parker Dam and back to Parker along the California side of the Colorado River. We were sorry to leave but hope to see Jack and Pat again soon.
Early Thursday morning we left Brenda and headed to Quarzsite to visit the Oasis Book Store. The owner is a "nudist" and works in a g-string, sock and sandals. He was not working that day but we did find some interesting books.
Later Thursday morning we reconnected with our group out on the desert just West of Quartzsite. Since owning a motorhome we have never "Boondocked". If you are not familiar with the term it means camping for free without services. There is no electricity, no water connection and no sewer drainage. We are limited to using our generator to charge the batteries and our electronics and being ultra conservative with water usage which is limited to the amount stored in our fresh water tank. Last night Chig said he knew he was a "fair weather" golfer but now he is certain he is also a "fair weather" camper. It is an experience we can now cross off our list.
Today we attended the 28th Annual Sports, Vacation and RV Show. We arrived at 9:00 in the morning. It takes place in a huge tent that is approvimately 1/2 mile long and 1/4 mile wide. It was freezing cold. I finally thawed out in the afternoon as the temperature climbed to around 75. It was another interesting, one time is enough, experience. Lots and lots of people and lots and lots of "stuff". I spent $4.00 and Chig spent $20. The vendors will not make their living on us.
Tomorrow we will be off on another adventure!

Day 2 ~ Desert Hot Springs

Today we headed to Desert Hot Springs. On the way we stopped in Redlands to meet two of Chig's Great Nieces, Amber and Darlene. What beautiful and nice young women. We had a chance to get to know them and visit over lunch. Hopefully they will visit us in Sacramento soon.
Next we were on our way to the Sands RV & Golf Resort.
The park is very nice with a beautiful golf course.
When we arrived it was 75 degrees warm! Once the sun sets it gets chilly quickly. Tomorrow Chig will be headed out for a round of golf and I will head out for a round of shopping!

Day 1 ~ January 22, 2011

Well, here we are again. The first day of a 5 week trip. We are traveling with 8 other RV's. We gathered in Elk Grove where we found low level fog. As we traveled South on 99 the fog became very thick. The temperature was in the low 40's until we reached Bakersfield and then the temperature soared to 60! I am confident we will find warmth on this trip! Soon please!

We are spending tonight at Orange Grove RV Park just East of Bakersfield. There are orange trees throughout the park. Management provides long handled orange pickers. We now have a big bag of fresh oranges to enjoy on our trip.