Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Russian River Resort – Cloverdale, a family favorite
September 9, 2009
Heidi and Tim were here for around three weeks, so we’ve been busy. They were here for Jen and Fermin’s wedding, but now they’re back home and I’m sad. . . so, to make me happy, we headed to one of our favorite spots, Russian River Resort in Cloverdale. I downloaded a new program to do my Camping Adventure and am very anxious to use it.
![clip_image002[3]](http://lh4.ggpht.com/_7NHBCgUU9fU/Sq7XUXw4RrI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/iPKLkMZEEX4/s1600-h/clip_image00235.jpg "clip_image002[3]")
We ordered a Satellite dome for our new DirecTV from Allied Trailer and it arrived today. It was way over my budget, but what isn’t? It was a snap to set up in the RV and we have great TV reception.
September 10, 2009
Our favorite spot, #3, at the campground was occupied, so we settled for a spot in the B section. It had no picnic table area so we moved this morning to C69. This is our first time in the C section, and it’s very nice.
After our move and breakfast, we headed to town to pick up a phone charger, I forgot mine, and a few other things.
We took Hattie to the river for a swim, this time we joined her. I took my swim noodle and she wanted to “fetch” it. We had so much fun. It is very hot, so the river felt so good.
September 11, 2009
We ventured out to Boonville today. The last time we did this the road made me sick so I wasn’t real keen on the idea. Either the roads got straighter or my stomach stronger, in any case, it was a nice drive. We had lunch at a cafe in Boonville. The town used to be a huge apple growing area, but the wineries and vineyards have taken over. We did stop at one family run orchard called the Apple Farm. We bought some just squeezed apple juice and some apples.
On our way home, along highway 128, I saw from the corner of my eye and building-in-progress Lone Oak Winery. I said to Carl “I think that’s Larry Ratto’s winery, turn around”. So he did and it was! It is being built by Kenny, Larry’s nephew and will be open in a year. I said to be sure to put us on the invitation list and we will be there. We always think we should see Larry when we’re up in Cloverdale and this is the closest we’ve gotten!
When we got back to the RV we saw another two RVers stressing out trying to set up their Dish. Am I ever glad we got the expensive state of the art one. A guy across the way has been working on his for three days. That would be THREE DAYS without HGTV! Yee Gads!
Hattie is still limping so we try to keep her frolicking down to a minimum, but when she sees the river, there’s no stopping her. Carl and I took her swimming and played “puppy in the middle”, making her swim from me to Carl and back trying to get her stick. Maybe not the best thing for her leg.
We’ve been using the campground showers and I put my toiletries in my plastic Australia bag. While we were at a little shop in Boonsville, I saw a cute canvas bag and I said to myself, that would be great for the shower. It can get wet and would dry in no time. Well, being the frugal person that I am, I decided to make my own. I had a real large kitchen towel from South Dakota, not user friendly, so I used that to make a breathable shower bag. I got out my "as seen on TV” sewing machine and whipped it up. I just can’t wait to shower tomorrow.
September 12, 2009
Well, my new shower bag worked just fine. We decided not to take Hattie swimming today so hopefully, her leg will get better.
We went to the pot-luck luncheon at the clubhouse. It was very nice, although not well attended. We sat with a nice couple, Ray and Pat. That’s why I like to go to these events.
I started to vacuum before Julie and Chris got here and noticed the vacuum, the old green one, was doing a lousy job;well, the belt broke on it. I guess it’s seen better days. Maybe it’s a sign to get a new one!
Julie and Chris arrived at 3ish for a visit. We were planning on going to the classic car show in Cloverdale but opted for chatting and a walk around the park. We went to dinner at the Hamburger Ranch and Pasta Farm. We had such a nice visit.
September 13, 2009
We woke to cool, overcast skies this morning a drastic difference from the earlier part of the week. I only hope I have proper clothes to wear.
There was a pancake breakfast this morning, but I slept way to late, so we settled for cereal. After breakfast we headed to Walmart in Ukiah. I finally broke Carl down and bought a new vacuum cleaner. When we got back to the RV, I put it together and vacuumed my heart out. It works great!
There was a ice cream “social” at the wagon so we stopped by. Nothing to shout about.
Pat and Ray, who we met at the pot-luck, dropped by with a bottle of wine and a platter of cheese and crackers. We had such a nice time chatting, then we headed to Sho-ko-wah Casino in Hopland for their $4.95 prime rib dinner. It was very good, especially for the price. Carl and I each got a players card and had $20 worth of play, which I flushed down the slot machine in record time.
September 14, 2009
After breakfast and a brief visit with Pat and Ray we headed for the upscale town of Healdsburg. It’s a little to upscale for me, I’m more of a Walmart/Kohl type person, but it’s fun to look. We did stop at a deli where they had samples of jams and relishes. We sampled some peach-chipotle chutney, and I think we can save the peach jam we made with a little chipotle added. We’ll seeThe weather is nice and warm today so we took Hattie for a swim at the river. Once there, we decided to keep her out of the water so maybe her leg would heal. She stayed out, well, except for her paws.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Today we ventured to the Ferrari Winery in Healdsburg. We heard from one of the campers here that the gardens on the grounds were beautiful and they were! We found this little frog that still had part of his tadpole tail. How cute is that?
The rest of the day we basically hung around the campground, relaxing in the warm Sonoma County sunshine, walking about the grounds with no particular place to go.
I worked on Annick’s birthday card on my Printshop program. It’s so cute. I can’t wait to print it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The dark tank was full this morning, so, one day before leaving we had to unhook and go to the dump station. Oh well, we knew it would happen sooner or later.
I love my new vacuum cleaner. It really sucks up the pet hair. I don’t know how we could breathe before.
We took Hattie for a swim at the river, us joining in. I spotted a lone crawdad in the water; winner! Glad my toes weren’t in the river.
We’ve been collaring Chado and bringing him outside. He just loves it. We just have to say “wanna go out?” and he’s right there, and we give him treats. We stayed at the campground all day, listening to my MP3 outside. I just love that, and there’s no one around, so I can blast it, sing along and even dance with Carl, he’s always begging.
I went to the lodge to check my email and do a few things that required internet connection. The wifi here is slow so I’ll do whatever it is at home!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Today is our going home day. I have Bonko tomorrow and Annick’s birthday party on Saturday and of course, I have to get back to the gym. Yee gads!
The End
.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Trip to Minnesota - to and fro
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 – First stop Crossroads RV Park, Wells Nevada
As usual, I had a big dilemma. We had plans to leisurely go to Minnesota, leaving sometime at the end of May, early June so we could meet Rosie and Fred at the FMCA Rally. Nakia was supposed to be out of the duplex by the 6th of May giving us plenty of time to clean it and rent it before our vacation. Well, she didn’t get out until the 28th; we got it cleaned and rented by June 6th and headed out a couple of weeks late. Then…Chris will be home June 22nd and I won’t so I’m sad. He said “go have fun Mom, I’ll be here when you get back”. I only hope I can survive.
We left Hayward at 9:00 am leaving Cynthia court in the able hands of Monica and all of our neighbors. We had planned to stop in Winnemucca as our first stop, but there were no more Coast to Coast spaces left at our RV park, so, just a mere 200 miles up the long, flat, straight highway 80, we stopped as Crossroads RV Park in Wells,Nevada. It was perfect for an overnighter. Poor Hattie and Chado, every time we stopped for a break, they said “are we there yet????”
We took turns driving. I slept while Carl drove and Carl clenched his teeth, fists and used his own brake while I drove.
We had chili and leftover Subway for dinner, and it rained. We were exhausted after our 11 hour drive and went to bed early.
We could hear the clackety-clack and whoo whoo of a nearby train during the night. I incorporated it into my dream; Carl got up.
We did not have reservations today, so our goal was to go half way between Henefer Utah and Friday’s campground in Rapid City, South Dakota, quite a haul, but we made it. It rained/poured most of the way, as it has most of the trip. Rosie called and I’m so excited to see her, so excited that I cancelled our last reservations in Kimball SD so we could get to Albert Lea on Sunday. It will be a long drive, like 7 hours, instead of 3 hours, but what would we do in Kimball???
We stopped in Casper Wyoming for the night. Casper is a city made of Tuff Sheds; the stores, the churches, the KOA campground. We bit the bullet and stayed at a KOA because there was nothing else in the area. They did have free WiFi and cable. Yeah! I made a Cornish hen for dinner with mashed faux potatoes and peas. Delicious. I’ve been pretty lazy and let Carl do a lot of the cooking.
Friday, June 12, 2009 – Rushmore Shadows, Rapid City South Dakota (RPI)
We got off to an early start this morning. Carl was up at his usual crack of dawn and I got up at 6:15. AM. We left the park at 8:00, clean and fed.
Well, we know where the deer and the antelope play – highway 90 in Wyoming and South Dakota. But I wonder where the buffalo roam? Carl’s quest was to get a picture of a herd of antelope but they were too far off the highway. The deer, on the other hand, were “sleeping” on the side of the road.
The drive on highway 90 was very pleasant. There were lush green hills as far as you could see. And the dirt was brick red. Beautiful.
We arrived at our campground around 2:00. We had a little snack and headed to a point of interest. We planned on stopping at the wildlife drive thru park, but there was an accident in front of the park, so we instead we ventured off to the Reptile Gardens just down the road. After our visit, we headed to a town we saw on the map, Hayward. How cute is that? We found it but it was only a sign…but behind the sign was the Rushmore Caves, so we went there.
On our way back to the campground we stopped at a cute town called Keystone. We walked around visiting the shops and stopped for a hot dog for dinner.
Saturday, June 13, 2009 Rushmore Shadows, Rapid City, South Dakota
We awoke to warmth and sunshine. After breakfast we headed to Mt. Rushmore. It was very enjoyable, well worth the trip, since we were in the neighborhood anyway.
We stopped at Keystone on the way back to the campground so I could buy a charm and some fudge. The charm is great, the fudge, no so.
We decided to eat lunch at the RV, grab Hattie and find a lake so she could go for a swim. Then, some ominous clouds appeared and within a half an hour we were being plummeted with golf ball size hail. The noise was deafening. Hattie hid under her pillow, Chado hid under the couch, I plugged my ears and Carl took videos and generally enjoyed it. I was worried about dings in the RV and car and broken windows. When it was over, the ground was white with hail. Then it rained/hailed, then rain. Needless to say, we did not take Hattie swimming.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 – Albert Lea Minnesota
Happy birthday Heidi. Today was the most beautiful, clear morning we’ve had. I got up early, excited to get to Rosie’s.
We left Rapid City SD at 9:00. Our plan was to make a direct shot to Albert Lea, but all along Route 90 was advertisements of all the fascinating things Wall Drug has to offer. Well, we/I just had to stop. Wall Drug has been showcased on different TV shows, so it just has to be worth the stop. We stopped. I wanted the free donut for Viet Nam Vets that they advertised o
n the highway, but we couldn’t find the donut shop. Was it worth the stop? Yes. Will I ever go again? Probably not.
We stopped for gas a couple of times and made it to Albert Lea at around 8 pm. Quite a haul.
Yeah! Our first sight was Rosie meeting us on her bike, at the wrong gate. We un-hooked the Saturn, turned around and followed her to the correct entrance. We were lucky to have a very coveted spot, one of the few with electricity and water. I wonder how many people were “mad” at us for our good fortune? Tough!!
The four of us headed out to dinner at Trumbles, but they were closed so we ate at Pizza Hut. Whatever. I was just happy to be with my sister.
Monday, June 15, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
It was a little rough sleeping last night, I guess from all the excitement from yesterday. Rosie and Fred were up bright and early, clean and showered.
All I could think about on our way to Albert Lea was I would find a RV/Car wash and wash our vehicles. Well, low and behold, Fred cleaned the bugs and grit off of our RV, by hand. What a sweety.
Rosie transported us to the Fairground showers then we headed to town for breakfast. We were able to eat at Trumbles.
Carl and I were officially volunteers so Rosie quickly put us to work, not doing much of anything.
We, along with some of the other volunteers, caravanned to the new golf course for a pre-show dinner. The food was questionable, but it was nice meeting the FMCA gang. After dinner, some of us took a pleasure cruise on Albert Lea Lake onboard the Pelican Breeze II.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
This time Carl and I were up bright and early and drove over to the showers. I didn’t want to chance walking because I wasn’t sure of where it was.
We were invited for smoothies for breakfast at Rosie & Fred’s. Delicious! After some running around “volunteering”, Rosie, Carl and I went to the SPAM museum in Austin, MN. The town smelled like spam. It was a fun museum and I bought a can of Spam. I could probably get it at the dollar store, but what the heck, we’re on vacation.
We were hoping for Spam samples at the museum. I guess they only have samples during the height of Spam Season. We were told by the cashier that “Jerry’s Other Restaurant” has the best Spam sandwiches, so that’s where we had lunch.
When we got back to the campground, Rosie busied herself with volunteer duties and I baked cookies. I thought it would be nice to bring them to the hard worker’s at the Info booth. Rosie was so excited with the idea, made a pot of coffee and we made mucho brownies points with the folks at the Info booth.
Party’s over. Back to volunteer work. Carl, Rosie and I put table “cloths” on the craft tables. Now we can officially go to the volunteer dinner.
Dinner was very good, catered by HyVee. We had Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, beans, salad & dessert. And we were able to meet many of Rosie and Fred’s Pioneer friends. Rosie reminds me so much of Mommy.
The rain has been non-stop today. It is a pleasant rain, as rain goes; not cold, no wind.
Later on in the evening Rosie and I took Hattie for a walk. Fred wanted to go to Super Walmart when we got back, so we all joined him, and it was after 9. It was a 24 hour Walmart. Sweet.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
Today is the first official day of the rally so things are buzzing, mostly Rosie.
Today was “Show and Tell” where members showed off their hobbies, collectables and crafts. Rosie showed her coffee roasting beans. Well, I didn’t actually bring one of my hobbies or collectables so my new iron-on Hattie t-shirt was going to be it. Then, around an hour before the show, I decided to go around the campground, Carl taking pictures and make a slide show video. I did it. And it turned out great, if I do say so myself.
Then a little excitement started. There was a severe thunder storm warning announcement over the PA system, everyone was to go under the grandstand. We kind of waited for the storm to start and it didn’t so we went back to our activities.
Carl made pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans and coleslaw for dinner for the 4 of us. It was delicious. It was warm so we ate outside by Rosie and Fred’s rig.
At 6:30 we headed to the “Swine” barn for the evenings entertainment. There was a distant siren heard, then an announcement that there was a tornado warning in the area and to proceed to the grandstand. We did, but the tornado did not come to Albert Lea, although it did land in Austin, just a few miles away. After the all clear, we headed back to the hot, sticky barn to be entertained by the Spamettes. Rosie gave me and her friend Mary, a piece of paper to use as a fan; then she started giving them out to the entire gathering, me being her lovely assistant.
They were darling, singing songs and blam! The electricity went out. Too bad. They were very entertaining, so we went to our RV and had ice cream.
Thursday, June 18, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
Today was very busy. We started by a 7:00 am shower call, then breakfast at the main dining room. Carl and I attended the First Timers meeting. It was boring, uninformative and a waste of our time, but we were the monitors of the seminar aka Rosie’s lackeys.
Next, Carl and I each had a seminar, Computer Safety for me and Fire & Life Safety for Carl. After our monitoring, we had a quick lunch on the run and headed to catch the bus to the Winnebago factory. The Factory tour was kind of boring but I was able to get a good nap on the bus ride back to the fairgrounds.
We were then hurried off to dinner at the Elk’s club. We went there for their fish fry, but I opted for a hamburger. It was delicious.
Back at the ranch . . . we went to attend the nightly entertainment. Carl and I stayed for only a while. I wanted get back to call Heidi and Chris. I was able to talk to Heidi, but not Chris. Boo hoo.
Rosie is so funny. She is just like mommy. I can hear her on her golf cart laughing and being silly from almost anywhere in the park.
Friday, June 19, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
Carl and I both had monitoring duties at 9:00 so we hurried to the showers and then to b-fast. At my seminar, the instructor was late so I entertained the ladies in waiting. Rosie let us off early for good behavior so we had no more seminars to monitor so we were able to check out the vendors. We also ran to the post office to pick up a letter from Monica, but it has not arrived yet. Today the Ice Cream Social, an ice cream sandwich from the Schwann’s truck. It was great. I’ve always wanted something from the Schwann’s truck. We were also given a bag of waffles, some kind of promo, I guess.
I attended the “RV Blog” seminar. They use the BlogSpot website, so I already knew most of the stuff. I now want to start blogging again, as soon as I get WiFi, of course.
Carl and I had bbq from one of the vendors for dinner; Rosie and Fred went to Subway. The entertainment for the evening was The Odyssey. They were great.
I bought Rosie a flash drive and necklace to put our FMCA video on. Good idea if I do say so myself. It will be her birthday and Christmas present for the last 10 years and the next 10 years. I also made her a video of our travels out to Minnesota, the background music is “The Stripper”. It’s so cute.
Saturday, June 20, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
The campground showers only had cold water so I took a shower at Rosie & Fred’s. Our tanks are full, the dark tank is up to the tippy-top.
After breakfast at the clubhouse, waffles, Rosie and I had our beauty makeover at the Mary Kay booth. We had so much fun, laughing with Sondra, the MK lady. Chris called me during my makeover. I was so happy to hear from him.
After our beautification, we headed to the Ladies Tea. I won a very nice painted vase and Rosie won a demitasse cup set in the raffle. We both “won” a melted record with fake flowers centerpiece. Fixed!
Carl and I went to the post office again and I got my letter from Monica. Whew! Then I made some brownies for the Pioneer’s Potluck.
2:00 sharp was the Pet Promenade. I didn’t think Hattie would be able to cope, but she was wonderful. So many butts, so little time. She made the loop in the parade and actually hung around with the other dogs as Rosie awarded every dog with their First Place prize.
I made a video for Rosie’s flash drive of the pet promenade, “Hound Dog” is the music background.
We headed to the Beer Garden for the potluck. If I lived here, I would so be a Pioneer!
Sunday, June 21, 2009 – FMCA Rally last day
Happy Father’s Day.
Everybody is heading out today. We dumped last night, after the entertainment, but will do it again today.
We left Albert Lea at around 10:00, closely following Fred. Our first stop was Cabalas. Now that we’ve been there, we never have to go back. It was nice, had an aquarium. We had lunch at Famous Dave’s, close to Cabalas, then went to the candy outlet for free dessert samples.
Ah. We arrived at Rosie and Fred’s house. It’s an old “barn” subdivided into 6 apartments. Rosie has it decorated so cute. We have a great spot to park, with electricity!
James and his girlfriend Janessa came by. It was so nice to see James. We had a slide show for them, then watched some of James’ strong man challenges on YouTube. We all went to RJ’s for dinner.
Monday, June 22, 2009 – Rosie & Fred’s
Rosie had to go back to work. Boo hoo hoo. I slept until 8:30 then took a shower at the house. Carl, Fred and I had breakfast then I did the laundry, 5 loads. We met Rosie for lunch then went to the post office and the store. We decided to have salmon for dinner, so we went back to Sam’s club later on.
Rosie had an animal control call about some turtle eggs at a boy’s home, so Carl, Rosie and I went to dig them up. We first thought it was a hoax, but viola! There they were, 7 turtle eggs. Carl and Rosie gently removed them from the dirt and placed them in a dirt lined box.
After dinner (salmon, salad after ahi tuna appetizers) we all headed to the pond in the back yard, a death defying trek under a chain link fence, but we all made it, where Fred and Carl relocated the turtle eggs. Keep your fingers crossed.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 – Rosie and Fred’s/ Mille Lac
We called Rosie this morning to meet us for breakfast. Lucky for us, she has a cushy job and was able to meet us. Her friend Carol, who I’ve “known” for years, joined us. It was nice to meet her. When we got back to the barn, Fred washed my car. Fred. You’re spoiling me. Then we headed to Camper’s World and a few other spots to browse.
Carl and I headed to Mille Lac Island Resort and arrived around 6pm. Greeting us was a 6” to 8” turtle. Carl stopped the RV and told me to pick it up but I was too scared. And it could walk pretty fast.
We picked site 180 and 179 is still open. I hope it stays open ‘til Friday.
We took a walk to the lake in the evening and came upon a snapping turtle laying her eggs. This must be the season.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 Mille Lac Island Resort
We’re back to cereal for b’fast. No more eats at the Rally. Carl and I went for a ride around the Lake. We stopped in Aitkin so Carl could get a hair cut. I WiFi’d at a nearby café. I wanted to put my “Visiting my Sister” video on Facebook for the world to see. There are all sorts of little towns and smaller lakes surrounding Mille Lac Lake. We’re waiting until Rosie and Fred get here to do any deep exploring.
Carl hung the bird feeder from a limb of a tree outside the RV. The birds are slowly coming by to eat.
We took Hattie for a swim at the Lake and she was in her glory. There is not much beach area, just mucky shoreline, but we found a suitable spot, actually right by the turtle eggs.
It’s nice to have water, electricity and a dump right at our site, but I wish we had cable. We get one station, PBS, and it’s pretty good. There is WiFi up by the office. It’s a weak signal but I was able to re-check my email. Lot’s of comments on my video. I’m such a dip.
Thursday, June 25, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
We headed to the town of Onamia this morning to go to the grocery store; we’re out of ice cream. We stopped at a very cute store called “Water and Woods” and I bought a cute pair of thongs (shoe type). We took Hattie swimming at the lake.
It’s very sad today. Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet died.
Friday, June 26, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
Rosie and Fred are coming up today, so we stayed close to home. Carl and Hattie went swimming in the Lake. I think Carl had more fun than Hattie.
Rosie and Fred arrived at 1:30ish. We had PBJ sandwiches and smoothies for lunch on our finely decorated table. Rosie brought the two centerpieces we “won” at the Ladies Tea. I hope she remembers to bring them home.
We walked around the campground, showing R&F all the exciting hot spots. Then we drove to the farmer’s market in Isle. Rosie picked up some honey and strawberries. We also went to the Meat store. I got some beef jerky & sausage, planning on bringing some jerky home, we’ll see. Rosie got steak dinner for tomorrow.
Carl made chicken, rice and broccoli for dinner tonight and we had well travelled ice cream for dessert.
Saturday, June 27, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
We slept in today, my usual 8:30, Carl’s usual 2:30, and Rosie & Fred’s unusual 8:00. After breakfast we headed to the Mille Lac History Fest and Rendezvous. It was a group of people in 1850ish period attire. We drove around the lake and stopped at Kosie’s for lunch. Then we stopped at the Grand Casino for a pop. It was so smoky-stinky, we didn’t stay long. We went to the grocery store next door and picked up stuff for dinner. Our last stop of the day was the Indian Museum right across the street from the casino.
Dinner was bbq’d steak, corn on the cob, potato salad and garlic bread. Then we went for a nice walk around the park. Our evening entertainment was playing Mexican Train Dominoes. We had so much fun!
Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
It seems like we do a lot of eating. . . it’s such a social thing. I made pancakes for breakfast. We hung around the campground – took Hattie for a walk/swim at the lake. I’m glad Rosie and Fred could see her in her element.
We decided to go to “town” for lunch. Our first stop was Walleye Dundee, they close at 2:00; it was 2:30. Everything we saw, closed. We came upon the Sunrise Coffee Shop in Isle. It looked open but when we came to the door, the lady said they were closed. Along came her husband and said they were open. He made cappuccinos, she made the sandwiches. It was great.
Rosie and Fred left for home when we got back from lunch. I’m so sad. Now I want to BE home. I only hope I can enjoy the rest of our vacation.
I talked to Chris and Heidi, so that made me happy.
Monday, June 29, 2009 – Golden Eagle Vacationland, Perham, MN
Carl got on the phone and made some reservations for our trip home. Our first stop was only 100 miles away. It is a very nice park, so I want to tell Rosie and Fred about it. According to our itinerary, we won’t get home for quite a while, this weekend or early next week.
I did a load of laundry and we walked around the park. The park is on Big Pine Lake. All the parks are on lakes in Minnesota
We drove to town after our nap. It’s such a cute slice of Americana, nothing like we see at home.
I made a poster for Rosie so she’ll know how popular the centerpieces are!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 -Frontier Fort Campground, Jamestown, North Dakota
We had a shortish drive from Perham Minnesota, relatively speaking. We were battling winds the entire way, so there goes our gas mileage, like it matters.
The campground has small spaces. We were spoiled in Minnesota. There are buffalo on the campground, in a cage, that we visited, with Hattie in tow. Up the road a way, there was Frontier Village, a very cute old western town. We stopped at the village store and bought a North Dakota towel and some native jam and salsa. Down the road was an open area where the buffalo roamed free. There were three albino buffalo, White Cloud, Dakota Spirit and a baby. Something different!
We ate dinner at the restaurant at the campground. It was hamburger basket Tuesday. There was a band playing at the amphitheater at the Village, so we gathered up Hattie and headed over. By the time we got there, the band was packing up. The audience was made up of their parents, reminiscent of 9 Windz days. We took a walk on the White Cloud trail. Of course I was afraid of bears or buffalo, but the only thing that attacked was a tick.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 – Rosebud, Montana
Driving through North Dakota, its green as far as you can see, flat and green. Is it fields of crops? Fields of fields? Whatever it is, it's very pretty.
We cleaned up, ate b-fast, and made reservations for July 2, 3, and 4 at Yellowstone. We were lucky to get a spot! We’ll wing it tonight, maybe even a Walmart. It’s all the rage here in the Midwest.
Well, there were no Wal-Mart’s to be found so we pulled off the road in Forsythe, Montana and found a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks campground, Rosebud East Fishing Access Site. No frills, just water hook-up and mosquitoes. Their mosquito’s put Minnesota’s to shame. We drove to town, again, a quaint little slice of Americana
Thursday, July 2, 2009 – Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Today was a long driving day. We left Rosebud at 9:00ish and other than a few “did she say left?” on the TomTom, we made it to Yellowstone by 7:30ish. We stopped in Cody, Wyoming and checked out the Buffalo Bill Exhibit then went to the City Park where they were having a craft/crap fair. We did buy some kettle corn. We got caught in a big drop rain storm and escaped in the Chamber of Commerce and picked up some brochures.
Driving into Yellowstone, we came upon cars stopped on the road. There was a bear sighting. Does seeing people sighting bears count as sighting a bear? That was as close as we got.
Arriving at Bridge Bay, it was a like a scene out of Griswold Family Vacation. Truly, we’ve never seen anything like this in our years of camping. There was the roar of generators, a thick cloud of campfire smoke, piercing car alarms, garbage truck, with tents and RV’s squished together as far as the eye could see. We’re not in Minnesota anymore! And, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone in a “driving” friendly park; no buses and no footpaths. You drive or you fight for your space the road with cars and RV’s.
There was a Ranger program at 9:30, that’s when it starts getting dark, so we gathered up Hattie and our kettle corn and walked up to amphitheater, dodging cars all the way up and back. The program was about Grizzly Bears in the park. Hattie was so well behaved. Actually, all the dogs were.
Friday, July 3, 2009 – Bridge Bay Campground,Yellowstone
We slept good last night. The roar of generators woke me at promptly 8:00, the legal time to crank ‘em up.
Carl made eggs and Spam for b’fast using my collector’s edition of Spam. We took Hattie for a walk to the lake. We have a view of the lake from our campsite. It’s right behind the 50’ C class, the 45’ A class, the pop-up and the 14 tents. Hattie whimpered to go in, but it was much to cold and there were Ranger’s all around, so no off leashing in Yellowstone!
We left the campground at 10ish and headed to Old Faithful. We stopped at the visitor’s center where I bought a Yellowstone towel, a charm of a moose and Old Faithful for my bracelet and a Christmas ornament. We headed to OF, and she had just blown – her next projected eruption was in one hour so we went back to the car and had our picnic lunch, more of a tail gate lunch. We got back to OF in time to see the eruption. I’m sure there are eruptions and then there are ERUPTIONS. We saw the eruption. We then walked the boardwalk around the various geyser
s, hot springs and thermal areas.
There are two main loops around the park, so we did the first loop, we’ll call it the Lower Loop. It was about 100 miles. As we were cruising along, what to our wandering eyes should appear – a herd of buffalo, big ones, little ones, old ones and baby ones. There were hundreds. Carl got some great shots. Now I’m ruined on seeing anything less than a herd of buffalo. So where are the moose and bears?
The weather has been rather cool, with a splash of sunshine every once in while. We could see dark clouds and rain falling in the distance when we were at Old Faithful. When we got to that area on our drive there was a thick layer of pea-sized hail. That’s what we missed!
We did not go to the Ranger Program this evening ‘cause it was wet and cold. Instead we watched Dave and Bye Bye Birdie, two of my favorites.
Saturday, July 4, 2009 Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone
Another good night sleep, at least for me. I again woke to the sounds of generators, now I can incorporate them into my dreams.
We are out of water so skipped showers. After breakfast we headed to the Upper Loop of Yellowstone, this time with Hattie in tow. We stopped at the first point of interest and NO DOGS ALLOWED. I thought I saw lots of dogs yesterday. Well, I did, but not in no dog zones. Our first stop was the Mud Volcano then the Sulphur Caldron, leaving Hattie in the car. There is a distinct odor, eggish, or as I like to call it “a safety zone”. We went to a few more spots then decided to return to camp, eat lunch, dump and fill up with water, leave Hattie and resume our adventure.
We stopped at Lower Falls and Upper Falls and Artist Point in the Canyon Village area of the park. It is known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and is quite impressive. Quite a hike but well worth it.
We came upon more buffalo, or bison as they are called here. Is there any difference? Anyhoo, all they do is eat, sleep and mosie. I could so be a buffalo.
We drove the loop, around 100 miles, although slower than yesterday’s and stopped at various points of interest.
There was a 4th of July parade at the Bridge Bay Marina at 6:30 but shucks. We missed it. That was about the only thing happening at the park that we heard about.
After dinner, yucky salmon that we bought at Walmart, we went to the Ranger Program at the amphitheater. Hattie joined us and seemed to remember going before and all the dogs that were there.
Sunday, July 5, 2009 – Rexburg, Idaho
We both took much needed showers, cleaned up and headed out at 11:00, check out time.
We drove through Jackson Hole, Wyoming – the IT place for the skiing / rafting bunch. It looked like a nice stop, but we just drove by. I’m sure the shops had the usual gifty items I don’t need. We also drove through The Tetons. They are beautiful, 13000’ altitude. We viewed from afar.
Not having a particular place to stay this evening, we checked our books and found an Enjoy America park in Rexburg, Idaho, on the way home. It’s a real dog, no WiFi or cable. Geez.
We set up then headed to town for groceries. It looked like the town was closed for the day. We were in the parking lot of a grocery store and a woman directed us to an Albertson’s. Whew!
I made meatloaf for dinner. Not so good this time. Hum?
We took Hattie for a walk around the park. Not much to see.
Monday, July 6, 2009 – Mtn. Shadows RV, Wells, Nevada
Well, I finally saw that moose I’ve always wanted to see. He/she was in a fenced in area right by the freeway at a local attraction called “Bear Park”. Now my Christmas ornament and charm are of something I actually saw.
Today and Tuesday will be marathon drives. The wind through Idaho is rough. Hattie and Chado are hunkered down, spewing hair all over the place.
We stopped at Wells but opted for Mountain Shadows instead of Crossroads. And, yes, Mtn. Shadows was much nicer, with WiFi, although very tight spaces. I caught up on my emails and we had good phone reception so I was able to do some phone catching up. I also Skyped with Heidi.
I worked on my vacation video ‘til late at night. When I finally went to bed I was serenaded by the local trains. How Carl could sleep through that????
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 Cynthia Court, Hayward
Today started out pretty normal, except the part about me getting up early. We were going to high-tail it home. We’ve had such a carefree time up until today. Poor Carl, he had to fight with the wind to keep the RV on the road, Carl won. The hydraulics on the front slide broke and the slide started coming out. Carl got out the wench for that purpose and stabilized it, Carl won again. The pets were exceptionally stressed today, the wind, the roads, especially our own Hwy 80. Geez, haven’t they ever heard of asphalt? I spent the drive home working on the vacation video and stressing. I just don’t know why Carl doesn’t let me drive.
There’s no place like home, click-click, there’s no place like home.
The End
As usual, I had a big dilemma. We had plans to leisurely go to Minnesota, leaving sometime at the end of May, early June so we could meet Rosie and Fred at the FMCA Rally. Nakia was supposed to be out of the duplex by the 6th of May giving us plenty of time to clean it and rent it before our vacation. Well, she didn’t get out until the 28th; we got it cleaned and rented by June 6th and headed out a couple of weeks late. Then…Chris will be home June 22nd and I won’t so I’m sad. He said “go have fun Mom, I’ll be here when you get back”. I only hope I can survive.
We left Hayward at 9:00 am leaving Cynthia court in the able hands of Monica and all of our neighbors. We had planned to stop in Winnemucca as our first stop, but there were no more Coast to Coast spaces left at our RV park, so, just a mere 200 miles up the long, flat, straight highway 80, we stopped as Crossroads RV Park in Wells,Nevada. It was perfect for an overnighter. Poor Hattie and Chado, every time we stopped for a break, they said “are we there yet????”
We took turns driving. I slept while Carl drove and Carl clenched his teeth, fists and used his own brake while I drove.
We had chili and leftover Subway for dinner, and it rained. We were exhausted after our 11 hour drive and went to bed early.
We could hear the clackety-clack and whoo whoo of a nearby train during the night. I incorporated it into my dream; Carl got up.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 – East Canyon Resort, Henefer, Utah
Carl was already in the showers when I awoke and me soon thereafter. We ate, cleaned up and headed out around 9:00. There is an hour time change, so I’m not so sure of the time.
Driving through Utah on the Bonneville Salt Flats was like driving on the ocean. You could see nothing but the faint outline of mountains for miles around. I took a nap.
The leg between Wells and Henefer was around 4 hours, settling in our campground around 2:00. It’s a very nice Coast to Coast around 12 miles from highway 80. The weather was on and off rain, mostly on so we decided to drive into the town of Henefer, even though we drove through it going to the campground. Well, we soon found out there was no town, what we saw is all there was. The campground is close to a lake but there is no access to it, so… no swimming for Hattie. The little river behind our campsite was too swift to even think of letting Hattie in. We took the downtime to watch the movie “Australia”. It was 3 hours and we never had time to watch it at home.
We did not have reservations today, so our goal was to go half way between Henefer Utah and Friday’s campground in Rapid City, South Dakota, quite a haul, but we made it. It rained/poured most of the way, as it has most of the trip. Rosie called and I’m so excited to see her, so excited that I cancelled our last reservations in Kimball SD so we could get to Albert Lea on Sunday. It will be a long drive, like 7 hours, instead of 3 hours, but what would we do in Kimball???
We stopped in Casper Wyoming for the night. Casper is a city made of Tuff Sheds; the stores, the churches, the KOA campground. We bit the bullet and stayed at a KOA because there was nothing else in the area. They did have free WiFi and cable. Yeah! I made a Cornish hen for dinner with mashed faux potatoes and peas. Delicious. I’ve been pretty lazy and let Carl do a lot of the cooking.
Friday, June 12, 2009 – Rushmore Shadows, Rapid City South Dakota (RPI)
We got off to an early start this morning. Carl was up at his usual crack of dawn and I got up at 6:15. AM. We left the park at 8:00, clean and fed.
Well, we know where the deer and the antelope play – highway 90 in Wyoming and South Dakota. But I wonder where the buffalo roam? Carl’s quest was to get a picture of a herd of antelope but they were too far off the highway. The deer, on the other hand, were “sleeping” on the side of the road.
The drive on highway 90 was very pleasant. There were lush green hills as far as you could see. And the dirt was brick red. Beautiful.
We arrived at our campground around 2:00. We had a little snack and headed to a point of interest. We planned on stopping at the wildlife drive thru park, but there was an accident in front of the park, so we instead we ventured off to the Reptile Gardens just down the road. After our visit, we headed to a town we saw on the map, Hayward. How cute is that? We found it but it was only a sign…but behind the sign was the Rushmore Caves, so we went there.
On our way back to the campground we stopped at a cute town called Keystone. We walked around visiting the shops and stopped for a hot dog for dinner.
Saturday, June 13, 2009 Rushmore Shadows, Rapid City, South Dakota
We awoke to warmth and sunshine. After breakfast we headed to Mt. Rushmore. It was very enjoyable, well worth the trip, since we were in the neighborhood anyway.We stopped at Keystone on the way back to the campground so I could buy a charm and some fudge. The charm is great, the fudge, no so.
We decided to eat lunch at the RV, grab Hattie and find a lake so she could go for a swim. Then, some ominous clouds appeared and within a half an hour we were being plummeted with golf ball size hail. The noise was deafening. Hattie hid under her pillow, Chado hid under the couch, I plugged my ears and Carl took videos and generally enjoyed it. I was worried about dings in the RV and car and broken windows. When it was over, the ground was white with hail. Then it rained/hailed, then rain. Needless to say, we did not take Hattie swimming.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 – Albert Lea Minnesota
Happy birthday Heidi. Today was the most beautiful, clear morning we’ve had. I got up early, excited to get to Rosie’s.
We left Rapid City SD at 9:00. Our plan was to make a direct shot to Albert Lea, but all along Route 90 was advertisements of all the fascinating things Wall Drug has to offer. Well, we/I just had to stop. Wall Drug has been showcased on different TV shows, so it just has to be worth the stop. We stopped. I wanted the free donut for Viet Nam Vets that they advertised o
n the highway, but we couldn’t find the donut shop. Was it worth the stop? Yes. Will I ever go again? Probably not.We stopped for gas a couple of times and made it to Albert Lea at around 8 pm. Quite a haul.
Yeah! Our first sight was Rosie meeting us on her bike, at the wrong gate. We un-hooked the Saturn, turned around and followed her to the correct entrance. We were lucky to have a very coveted spot, one of the few with electricity and water. I wonder how many people were “mad” at us for our good fortune? Tough!!
The four of us headed out to dinner at Trumbles, but they were closed so we ate at Pizza Hut. Whatever. I was just happy to be with my sister.
Monday, June 15, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
It was a little rough sleeping last night, I guess from all the excitement from yesterday. Rosie and Fred were up bright and early, clean and showered.
All I could think about on our way to Albert Lea was I would find a RV/Car wash and wash our vehicles. Well, low and behold, Fred cleaned the bugs and grit off of our RV, by hand. What a sweety.
Rosie transported us to the Fairground showers then we headed to town for breakfast. We were able to eat at Trumbles.
Carl and I were officially volunteers so Rosie quickly put us to work, not doing much of anything.
We, along with some of the other volunteers, caravanned to the new golf course for a pre-show dinner. The food was questionable, but it was nice meeting the FMCA gang. After dinner, some of us took a pleasure cruise on Albert Lea Lake onboard the Pelican Breeze II.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
This time Carl and I were up bright and early and drove over to the showers. I didn’t want to chance walking because I wasn’t sure of where it was.
We were invited for smoothies for breakfast at Rosie & Fred’s. Delicious! After some running around “volunteering”, Rosie, Carl and I went to the SPAM museum in Austin, MN. The town smelled like spam. It was a fun museum and I bought a can of Spam. I could probably get it at the dollar store, but what the heck, we’re on vacation.
We were hoping for Spam samples at the museum. I guess they only have samples during the height of Spam Season. We were told by the cashier that “Jerry’s Other Restaurant” has the best Spam sandwiches, so that’s where we had lunch.
When we got back to the campground, Rosie busied herself with volunteer duties and I baked cookies. I thought it would be nice to bring them to the hard worker’s at the Info booth. Rosie was so excited with the idea, made a pot of coffee and we made mucho brownies points with the folks at the Info booth.
Party’s over. Back to volunteer work. Carl, Rosie and I put table “cloths” on the craft tables. Now we can officially go to the volunteer dinner.
Dinner was very good, catered by HyVee. We had Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, beans, salad & dessert. And we were able to meet many of Rosie and Fred’s Pioneer friends. Rosie reminds me so much of Mommy.
The rain has been non-stop today. It is a pleasant rain, as rain goes; not cold, no wind.
Later on in the evening Rosie and I took Hattie for a walk. Fred wanted to go to Super Walmart when we got back, so we all joined him, and it was after 9. It was a 24 hour Walmart. Sweet.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 – FMCA Rally, Albert Lea, MN
Today is the first official day of the rally so things are buzzing, mostly Rosie.
Today was “Show and Tell” where members showed off their hobbies, collectables and crafts. Rosie showed her coffee roasting beans. Well, I didn’t actually bring one of my hobbies or collectables so my new iron-on Hattie t-shirt was going to be it. Then, around an hour before the show, I decided to go around the campground, Carl taking pictures and make a slide show video. I did it. And it turned out great, if I do say so myself.
Then a little excitement started. There was a severe thunder storm warning announcement over the PA system, everyone was to go under the grandstand. We kind of waited for the storm to start and it didn’t so we went back to our activities.
Carl made pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans and coleslaw for dinner for the 4 of us. It was delicious. It was warm so we ate outside by Rosie and Fred’s rig.
At 6:30 we headed to the “Swine” barn for the evenings entertainment. There was a distant siren heard, then an announcement that there was a tornado warning in the area and to proceed to the grandstand. We did, but the tornado did not come to Albert Lea, although it did land in Austin, just a few miles away. After the all clear, we headed back to the hot, sticky barn to be entertained by the Spamettes. Rosie gave me and her friend Mary, a piece of paper to use as a fan; then she started giving them out to the entire gathering, me being her lovely assistant.
They were darling, singing songs and blam! The electricity went out. Too bad. They were very entertaining, so we went to our RV and had ice cream.
Thursday, June 18, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
Today was very busy. We started by a 7:00 am shower call, then breakfast at the main dining room. Carl and I attended the First Timers meeting. It was boring, uninformative and a waste of our time, but we were the monitors of the seminar aka Rosie’s lackeys.
Next, Carl and I each had a seminar, Computer Safety for me and Fire & Life Safety for Carl. After our monitoring, we had a quick lunch on the run and headed to catch the bus to the Winnebago factory. The Factory tour was kind of boring but I was able to get a good nap on the bus ride back to the fairgrounds.
We were then hurried off to dinner at the Elk’s club. We went there for their fish fry, but I opted for a hamburger. It was delicious.
Back at the ranch . . . we went to attend the nightly entertainment. Carl and I stayed for only a while. I wanted get back to call Heidi and Chris. I was able to talk to Heidi, but not Chris. Boo hoo.
Rosie is so funny. She is just like mommy. I can hear her on her golf cart laughing and being silly from almost anywhere in the park.
Friday, June 19, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
Carl and I both had monitoring duties at 9:00 so we hurried to the showers and then to b-fast. At my seminar, the instructor was late so I entertained the ladies in waiting. Rosie let us off early for good behavior so we had no more seminars to monitor so we were able to check out the vendors. We also ran to the post office to pick up a letter from Monica, but it has not arrived yet. Today the Ice Cream Social, an ice cream sandwich from the Schwann’s truck. It was great. I’ve always wanted something from the Schwann’s truck. We were also given a bag of waffles, some kind of promo, I guess.
I attended the “RV Blog” seminar. They use the BlogSpot website, so I already knew most of the stuff. I now want to start blogging again, as soon as I get WiFi, of course.
Carl and I had bbq from one of the vendors for dinner; Rosie and Fred went to Subway. The entertainment for the evening was The Odyssey. They were great.
I bought Rosie a flash drive and necklace to put our FMCA video on. Good idea if I do say so myself. It will be her birthday and Christmas present for the last 10 years and the next 10 years. I also made her a video of our travels out to Minnesota, the background music is “The Stripper”. It’s so cute.
Saturday, June 20, 2009 – FMCA Rally Albert Lea, MN
The campground showers only had cold water so I took a shower at Rosie & Fred’s. Our tanks are full, the dark tank is up to the tippy-top.
After breakfast at the clubhouse, waffles, Rosie and I had our beauty makeover at the Mary Kay booth. We had so much fun, laughing with Sondra, the MK lady. Chris called me during my makeover. I was so happy to hear from him.
After our beautification, we headed to the Ladies Tea. I won a very nice painted vase and Rosie won a demitasse cup set in the raffle. We both “won” a melted record with fake flowers centerpiece. Fixed!
Carl and I went to the post office again and I got my letter from Monica. Whew! Then I made some brownies for the Pioneer’s Potluck.
2:00 sharp was the Pet Promenade. I didn’t think Hattie would be able to cope, but she was wonderful. So many butts, so little time. She made the loop in the parade and actually hung around with the other dogs as Rosie awarded every dog with their First Place prize.
I made a video for Rosie’s flash drive of the pet promenade, “Hound Dog” is the music background.
We headed to the Beer Garden for the potluck. If I lived here, I would so be a Pioneer!
Sunday, June 21, 2009 – FMCA Rally last day
Happy Father’s Day.
Everybody is heading out today. We dumped last night, after the entertainment, but will do it again today.
We left Albert Lea at around 10:00, closely following Fred. Our first stop was Cabalas. Now that we’ve been there, we never have to go back. It was nice, had an aquarium. We had lunch at Famous Dave’s, close to Cabalas, then went to the candy outlet for free dessert samples.
Ah. We arrived at Rosie and Fred’s house. It’s an old “barn” subdivided into 6 apartments. Rosie has it decorated so cute. We have a great spot to park, with electricity!
James and his girlfriend Janessa came by. It was so nice to see James. We had a slide show for them, then watched some of James’ strong man challenges on YouTube. We all went to RJ’s for dinner.
Monday, June 22, 2009 – Rosie & Fred’s
Rosie had to go back to work. Boo hoo hoo. I slept until 8:30 then took a shower at the house. Carl, Fred and I had breakfast then I did the laundry, 5 loads. We met Rosie for lunch then went to the post office and the store. We decided to have salmon for dinner, so we went back to Sam’s club later on.
Rosie had an animal control call about some turtle eggs at a boy’s home, so Carl, Rosie and I went to dig them up. We first thought it was a hoax, but viola! There they were, 7 turtle eggs. Carl and Rosie gently removed them from the dirt and placed them in a dirt lined box.
After dinner (salmon, salad after ahi tuna appetizers) we all headed to the pond in the back yard, a death defying trek under a chain link fence, but we all made it, where Fred and Carl relocated the turtle eggs. Keep your fingers crossed.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 – Rosie and Fred’s/ Mille Lac
We called Rosie this morning to meet us for breakfast. Lucky for us, she has a cushy job and was able to meet us. Her friend Carol, who I’ve “known” for years, joined us. It was nice to meet her. When we got back to the barn, Fred washed my car. Fred. You’re spoiling me. Then we headed to Camper’s World and a few other spots to browse.
Carl and I headed to Mille Lac Island Resort and arrived around 6pm. Greeting us was a 6” to 8” turtle. Carl stopped the RV and told me to pick it up but I was too scared. And it could walk pretty fast.
We picked site 180 and 179 is still open. I hope it stays open ‘til Friday.
We took a walk to the lake in the evening and came upon a snapping turtle laying her eggs. This must be the season.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 Mille Lac Island Resort
We’re back to cereal for b’fast. No more eats at the Rally. Carl and I went for a ride around the Lake. We stopped in Aitkin so Carl could get a hair cut. I WiFi’d at a nearby café. I wanted to put my “Visiting my Sister” video on Facebook for the world to see. There are all sorts of little towns and smaller lakes surrounding Mille Lac Lake. We’re waiting until Rosie and Fred get here to do any deep exploring.
Carl hung the bird feeder from a limb of a tree outside the RV. The birds are slowly coming by to eat.
We took Hattie for a swim at the Lake and she was in her glory. There is not much beach area, just mucky shoreline, but we found a suitable spot, actually right by the turtle eggs.
It’s nice to have water, electricity and a dump right at our site, but I wish we had cable. We get one station, PBS, and it’s pretty good. There is WiFi up by the office. It’s a weak signal but I was able to re-check my email. Lot’s of comments on my video. I’m such a dip.
Thursday, June 25, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
We headed to the town of Onamia this morning to go to the grocery store; we’re out of ice cream. We stopped at a very cute store called “Water and Woods” and I bought a cute pair of thongs (shoe type). We took Hattie swimming at the lake.
It’s very sad today. Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet died.
Friday, June 26, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
Rosie and Fred are coming up today, so we stayed close to home. Carl and Hattie went swimming in the Lake. I think Carl had more fun than Hattie.
Rosie and Fred arrived at 1:30ish. We had PBJ sandwiches and smoothies for lunch on our finely decorated table. Rosie brought the two centerpieces we “won” at the Ladies Tea. I hope she remembers to bring them home.
We walked around the campground, showing R&F all the exciting hot spots. Then we drove to the farmer’s market in Isle. Rosie picked up some honey and strawberries. We also went to the Meat store. I got some beef jerky & sausage, planning on bringing some jerky home, we’ll see. Rosie got steak dinner for tomorrow.
Carl made chicken, rice and broccoli for dinner tonight and we had well travelled ice cream for dessert.
Saturday, June 27, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
We slept in today, my usual 8:30, Carl’s usual 2:30, and Rosie & Fred’s unusual 8:00. After breakfast we headed to the Mille Lac History Fest and Rendezvous. It was a group of people in 1850ish period attire. We drove around the lake and stopped at Kosie’s for lunch. Then we stopped at the Grand Casino for a pop. It was so smoky-stinky, we didn’t stay long. We went to the grocery store next door and picked up stuff for dinner. Our last stop of the day was the Indian Museum right across the street from the casino.
Dinner was bbq’d steak, corn on the cob, potato salad and garlic bread. Then we went for a nice walk around the park. Our evening entertainment was playing Mexican Train Dominoes. We had so much fun!
Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Mille Lac Island Resort
It seems like we do a lot of eating. . . it’s such a social thing. I made pancakes for breakfast. We hung around the campground – took Hattie for a walk/swim at the lake. I’m glad Rosie and Fred could see her in her element.
We decided to go to “town” for lunch. Our first stop was Walleye Dundee, they close at 2:00; it was 2:30. Everything we saw, closed. We came upon the Sunrise Coffee Shop in Isle. It looked open but when we came to the door, the lady said they were closed. Along came her husband and said they were open. He made cappuccinos, she made the sandwiches. It was great.
Rosie and Fred left for home when we got back from lunch. I’m so sad. Now I want to BE home. I only hope I can enjoy the rest of our vacation.
I talked to Chris and Heidi, so that made me happy.
Monday, June 29, 2009 – Golden Eagle Vacationland, Perham, MN
Carl got on the phone and made some reservations for our trip home. Our first stop was only 100 miles away. It is a very nice park, so I want to tell Rosie and Fred about it. According to our itinerary, we won’t get home for quite a while, this weekend or early next week.
I did a load of laundry and we walked around the park. The park is on Big Pine Lake. All the parks are on lakes in Minnesota
We drove to town after our nap. It’s such a cute slice of Americana, nothing like we see at home.
I made a poster for Rosie so she’ll know how popular the centerpieces are!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 -Frontier Fort Campground, Jamestown, North Dakota
We had a shortish drive from Perham Minnesota, relatively speaking. We were battling winds the entire way, so there goes our gas mileage, like it matters.
The campground has small spaces. We were spoiled in Minnesota. There are buffalo on the campground, in a cage, that we visited, with Hattie in tow. Up the road a way, there was Frontier Village, a very cute old western town. We stopped at the village store and bought a North Dakota towel and some native jam and salsa. Down the road was an open area where the buffalo roamed free. There were three albino buffalo, White Cloud, Dakota Spirit and a baby. Something different!
We ate dinner at the restaurant at the campground. It was hamburger basket Tuesday. There was a band playing at the amphitheater at the Village, so we gathered up Hattie and headed over. By the time we got there, the band was packing up. The audience was made up of their parents, reminiscent of 9 Windz days. We took a walk on the White Cloud trail. Of course I was afraid of bears or buffalo, but the only thing that attacked was a tick.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 – Rosebud, Montana
Driving through North Dakota, its green as far as you can see, flat and green. Is it fields of crops? Fields of fields? Whatever it is, it's very pretty.
We cleaned up, ate b-fast, and made reservations for July 2, 3, and 4 at Yellowstone. We were lucky to get a spot! We’ll wing it tonight, maybe even a Walmart. It’s all the rage here in the Midwest.
Well, there were no Wal-Mart’s to be found so we pulled off the road in Forsythe, Montana and found a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks campground, Rosebud East Fishing Access Site. No frills, just water hook-up and mosquitoes. Their mosquito’s put Minnesota’s to shame. We drove to town, again, a quaint little slice of Americana
Thursday, July 2, 2009 – Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Today was a long driving day. We left Rosebud at 9:00ish and other than a few “did she say left?” on the TomTom, we made it to Yellowstone by 7:30ish. We stopped in Cody, Wyoming and checked out the Buffalo Bill Exhibit then went to the City Park where they were having a craft/crap fair. We did buy some kettle corn. We got caught in a big drop rain storm and escaped in the Chamber of Commerce and picked up some brochures.
Driving into Yellowstone, we came upon cars stopped on the road. There was a bear sighting. Does seeing people sighting bears count as sighting a bear? That was as close as we got.
Arriving at Bridge Bay, it was a like a scene out of Griswold Family Vacation. Truly, we’ve never seen anything like this in our years of camping. There was the roar of generators, a thick cloud of campfire smoke, piercing car alarms, garbage truck, with tents and RV’s squished together as far as the eye could see. We’re not in Minnesota anymore! And, unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone in a “driving” friendly park; no buses and no footpaths. You drive or you fight for your space the road with cars and RV’s.
There was a Ranger program at 9:30, that’s when it starts getting dark, so we gathered up Hattie and our kettle corn and walked up to amphitheater, dodging cars all the way up and back. The program was about Grizzly Bears in the park. Hattie was so well behaved. Actually, all the dogs were.
Friday, July 3, 2009 – Bridge Bay Campground,Yellowstone
We slept good last night. The roar of generators woke me at promptly 8:00, the legal time to crank ‘em up.
Carl made eggs and Spam for b’fast using my collector’s edition of Spam. We took Hattie for a walk to the lake. We have a view of the lake from our campsite. It’s right behind the 50’ C class, the 45’ A class, the pop-up and the 14 tents. Hattie whimpered to go in, but it was much to cold and there were Ranger’s all around, so no off leashing in Yellowstone!
We left the campground at 10ish and headed to Old Faithful. We stopped at the visitor’s center where I bought a Yellowstone towel, a charm of a moose and Old Faithful for my bracelet and a Christmas ornament. We headed to OF, and she had just blown – her next projected eruption was in one hour so we went back to the car and had our picnic lunch, more of a tail gate lunch. We got back to OF in time to see the eruption. I’m sure there are eruptions and then there are ERUPTIONS. We saw the eruption. We then walked the boardwalk around the various geyser
s, hot springs and thermal areas.There are two main loops around the park, so we did the first loop, we’ll call it the Lower Loop. It was about 100 miles. As we were cruising along, what to our wandering eyes should appear – a herd of buffalo, big ones, little ones, old ones and baby ones. There were hundreds. Carl got some great shots. Now I’m ruined on seeing anything less than a herd of buffalo. So where are the moose and bears?
The weather has been rather cool, with a splash of sunshine every once in while. We could see dark clouds and rain falling in the distance when we were at Old Faithful. When we got to that area on our drive there was a thick layer of pea-sized hail. That’s what we missed!
We did not go to the Ranger Program this evening ‘cause it was wet and cold. Instead we watched Dave and Bye Bye Birdie, two of my favorites.
Saturday, July 4, 2009 Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone
Another good night sleep, at least for me. I again woke to the sounds of generators, now I can incorporate them into my dreams.
We are out of water so skipped showers. After breakfast we headed to the Upper Loop of Yellowstone, this time with Hattie in tow. We stopped at the first point of interest and NO DOGS ALLOWED. I thought I saw lots of dogs yesterday. Well, I did, but not in no dog zones. Our first stop was the Mud Volcano then the Sulphur Caldron, leaving Hattie in the car. There is a distinct odor, eggish, or as I like to call it “a safety zone”. We went to a few more spots then decided to return to camp, eat lunch, dump and fill up with water, leave Hattie and resume our adventure.
We stopped at Lower Falls and Upper Falls and Artist Point in the Canyon Village area of the park. It is known as the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and is quite impressive. Quite a hike but well worth it.
We came upon more buffalo, or bison as they are called here. Is there any difference? Anyhoo, all they do is eat, sleep and mosie. I could so be a buffalo.
We drove the loop, around 100 miles, although slower than yesterday’s and stopped at various points of interest.
There was a 4th of July parade at the Bridge Bay Marina at 6:30 but shucks. We missed it. That was about the only thing happening at the park that we heard about.
After dinner, yucky salmon that we bought at Walmart, we went to the Ranger Program at the amphitheater. Hattie joined us and seemed to remember going before and all the dogs that were there.
Sunday, July 5, 2009 – Rexburg, Idaho
We both took much needed showers, cleaned up and headed out at 11:00, check out time.
We drove through Jackson Hole, Wyoming – the IT place for the skiing / rafting bunch. It looked like a nice stop, but we just drove by. I’m sure the shops had the usual gifty items I don’t need. We also drove through The Tetons. They are beautiful, 13000’ altitude. We viewed from afar.
Not having a particular place to stay this evening, we checked our books and found an Enjoy America park in Rexburg, Idaho, on the way home. It’s a real dog, no WiFi or cable. Geez.
We set up then headed to town for groceries. It looked like the town was closed for the day. We were in the parking lot of a grocery store and a woman directed us to an Albertson’s. Whew!
I made meatloaf for dinner. Not so good this time. Hum?
We took Hattie for a walk around the park. Not much to see.
Monday, July 6, 2009 – Mtn. Shadows RV, Wells, Nevada
Well, I finally saw that moose I’ve always wanted to see. He/she was in a fenced in area right by the freeway at a local attraction called “Bear Park”. Now my Christmas ornament and charm are of something I actually saw.
Today and Tuesday will be marathon drives. The wind through Idaho is rough. Hattie and Chado are hunkered down, spewing hair all over the place.
We stopped at Wells but opted for Mountain Shadows instead of Crossroads. And, yes, Mtn. Shadows was much nicer, with WiFi, although very tight spaces. I caught up on my emails and we had good phone reception so I was able to do some phone catching up. I also Skyped with Heidi.
I worked on my vacation video ‘til late at night. When I finally went to bed I was serenaded by the local trains. How Carl could sleep through that????
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 Cynthia Court, Hayward
Today started out pretty normal, except the part about me getting up early. We were going to high-tail it home. We’ve had such a carefree time up until today. Poor Carl, he had to fight with the wind to keep the RV on the road, Carl won. The hydraulics on the front slide broke and the slide started coming out. Carl got out the wench for that purpose and stabilized it, Carl won again. The pets were exceptionally stressed today, the wind, the roads, especially our own Hwy 80. Geez, haven’t they ever heard of asphalt? I spent the drive home working on the vacation video and stressing. I just don’t know why Carl doesn’t let me drive.
There’s no place like home, click-click, there’s no place like home.
The End
Sunday, April 5, 2009
California, Oregon & Washington Coasts March & April 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009 Russian River Resort, Cloverdale
We no longer will be taking vacations. We now go on trips. And we go on lots of trips.
We met Julie for lunch at Mary’s Pizza in Windsor. She just celebrated her 60th birthday so a party was in order. We had a quick slide show in the RV before we parted ways. I wanted Julie to see the progress of Cynthia Court.
We spent the first night at our favorite spot, Russian River Resort in Cloverdale. Dave and Betty, our favorite rangers were there. Hattie totally recognized the place right as we turned into the park. She jumped up, and couldn’t wait to go outside. She gladly accepted a cookie from Dave and couldn’t wait to get to the river. So, we went to the river first thing.
Carl made left over corned beef for dinner. I was able to Skype Heidi from the clubhouse and later on, Chris. Chris is in Singapore visiting his sister and Tim. Wish I was there.
Sunday, March 22, 2009 At Rivers Edge, Brookings, Oregon
We wanted to get an early start so we showered in the restrooms so we wouldn’t have to dump. Our early is not the same as other people’s early. We left the park at around 10:30 and drove straight through to Brookings, Oregon, arriving at 5:15. Our thought was to stop at Klamath, but our park was closed for the season. The park we settled in is a “Enjoy America” park, it’s ½ price from their regular price. And there are all sorts of restrictions. Half price for us is just fine. The park is very nice and we are at the river’s edge. Before we even hooked up, we took Hattie for a walk and swim. She was so good during the long trip. Chado is always good.
We found a launching ramp for Hattie to swim. She was shivering, but kept going back for more. After her swim, Carl fixed left over pork loin and rice and I WiFi’d. I’m trying to upload a video of Cynthia Court on Facebook, but one of us is having problems.
Monday, March 23, 2009 At Rivers Edge, Brookings, Oregon
We decided to stay here one more day and pay retail, but it’s a nice park. We took Hattie to the rocky beach area for a swim. And was the water ever cold. Then Carl and I went to Brookings to find the post office and a Fred Meyers. I had to mail Heidi her bag-o-magazines. Ouch! Fred Meyers hasn’t changed since the last time we were in the area, but oh well.
I felt lousy when we got back. I think we didn’t stay home long enough between our “trips”, and I wished I was in Singapore seeing my kids. Hopefully, I can sleep it off. We’ll see on Tuesday.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon
We awoke to a much warmer day. We decided to make our next stop Bandon. On the way to Bandon, we stopped at a beach along the coast. Hattie had a wonderful time chasing after sticks and balls in the ocean. And then we had PGJ sandwiches for lunch. We stopped at Old Town Bandon to check out the shops before heading to the campground. We bought some candy at the Cranberry candy store and a quest item, a myrtle wood napkin holder in the shape of a shell. Cute.
We settled in at the campground, spot #C26 and went for a walk to the marina where Hattie went swimming and then running in the mud.
Carl made raviolis and salad for dinner. We had those candies for dessert
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Neskowin Creek, Neskowin Oregon
Well, this is Oregon. I tried to sleep in until it stopped raining, but I was getting bed sores, so I got my lazy ass out of bed at 9:30. Hattie came in every once in a while to bug me, but saw I was unbugable and left. What to do, what to do. I keep reminding myself we came for the severe weather, and that’s what we got.
Once I gathered myself, we headed out to our next spot, Neskowin Creek. It was a mud bath. This was a sleep and run park. It did have cute bunnies all over the place. Must be getting ready for Easter.
Thursday, March 27, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, WA
Maggie called confirming our ron-day-vue on Sunday. I can’t wait. We leisurely drove up the Oregon Coast stopping at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Why, oh why? We did buy some smoked salmon for us and for Sunday and chocolate milk in these cute containers that look like gallons but are quarts, for Nils and Finn and some Kookaburra licorice for Alan. He just loves that song.
We stopped for lunch off the road, PBJ, now a family favorite.
We had reservations at Columbia Shores RV in Chinook, WA. We drove up and as it says in the brochure, a “fisherman’s campground”. Well, it wasn’t all that great. The manager was busy so he said he’d check us in in the morning.
We drove to the nearby town of Long Beach to check out a couple of parks. The first one was Pacific Holiday. It was great! Just a hop skip and a jump from the ocean, so we cancelled our reservations at Columbia shores and made new reservations at Pacific Holiday, for two nights.
We went back to park #1, picked up the RV and settled in at park #2. And then took Hattie to the beach. It’s a “long” beach, hence the name and is the type you can drive on.
When we got back to the RV, we broke out the smoked salmon. It was almost as good as Carl’s.
I worked on my video’s from vacations past. Still learning.
Friday, March 27, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
The sound of rain didn’t wake me this morning. That’s because it was drizzle. Drizzle doesn’t bank on the roof of the RV!
I was on my last pair of undies, so it was laundry or go to Fred Meyers. There are washer and dryers in the clubhouse and WiFi, so after breakfast, I set out. It took much longer than I ever imagined. Oh well.
With clean laundry in hand, I headed back to the RV where Hattie was anxiously awaiting my arrival. She knew we would go to the beach. We had a great time. Although it was still drizzling when we started, the weather broke and it was just cloudy and damp. Hattie found some kind of a carcass that she rolled in, uncontrollable non-stop, rolling. My fear was she would bring the stink home. Lucky for us, the carcass must have been buried where she could smell it but it didn’t rub off on her. Good thing. We would have tied her up outside, day and night until she quit stinking.
After our ordeal, Carl and I headed to Long Beach for lunch and to check out the lighthouses. We stopped at Stormin’ Norman’s. It was the usual type of shop, with a cute name. We didn’t buy anything. We had lunch at the restaurant next door, fish and chips for me and clam chowder and salad for Carl. It was OK. I think I would have liked a Filet-o-fish from MickyD’s.
Our first lighthouse was North Head Lighthouse. It looked like a lighthouse. Then Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. It was too muddy to walk to, thus the name “Disappointment” Lighthouse. Then we headed back to the RV stopping at Sid’s Market. Dang, things were expensive there, so we limited our spending.
The RV park is filling up. This weekend is razor clam season, one weekend a year.
Saturday, March 28, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
We again awoke to the sound of rain. Hattie bugged me out of bed so I took her out to go potty. Although it was raining, it wasn’t cold. Still in my jammies, we grabbed Carl and went to the beach to check out the clam diggers. Carl had already gone to the beach earlier, oh well. It wasn’t as impressive as I was hoping, no one jumping with joy as they caught one, so we threw a stick for a while to Hattie then went back.
We decided to stay at this park for two more days so we went up to the kiosk to check in. No prob.
We checked out the area. Our first stop was Oysterville. We found a little shop, but it was the usual candle/souvenir shop. The clerk directed us to the Willaby Oysterville Sea Farm where we bought some oysters (pre-shucked) to bring to the picnic tomorrow. Then we stopped at Okie’s Thriftway Market in Ocean Park. Besides groceries, I was looking for some animal balloons and wanted to check out Jacks. We did. And they did! And they had the under counter mount lid vice. I was in heaven.
The rain hasn’t slowed down much and the wind is blowin’. I went to the clubhouse and checked my email and Facebook. Then I worked on my slideshow videos. Carl does most of the cooking these days. I still do the dishes, so I’m still a valuable asset in this partnership.
Sunday, March 29, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
It howled last night. The RV was rocking so much Carl brought in the slides. I thought the wind would rip the covers right off.
We got up extra early this morning ‘cause we were meeting Maggie, David, Seth, Molly and the boys at a park in Chehalis, around 2.5 hours away. We packed up tons of stuff in the car, blankets, rain gear, electric heater, just in case it was real cold. We even packed up Hattie.
We had the best time. Nils and Finn are wonderful kids and they like me Hattie was a joy at the park. Since the park was pretty deserted, we left her off leash, but she always stayed close to us.
I gave Maggie and Molly each one of the lid vices. Looks like we’ll be headed back to Jack’s tomorrow.
Monday, March 30, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
After breakfast, we headed to Jack’s for the lid vices. I bought the last two. Whew! We also picked up a few other things. The weather is very nice today, cold but sunny.
We left the park at noon and headed to Fort Stevens. It’s a real nice, Oregon State Park. We settled into space 264 then took off to see the sites. We visited the Peter Iredale shipwreck where Hattie got attacked/chased by a collie in the parking lot. The collie was off leash, charged Hattie, Hattie backed up and her head slipped out of her collar and she bolted. Luckily, she ran to the car and the collie’s owner caught it, with Carl’s help. After all that, we headed to see the shipwreck.Very interesting. We walked the beach tossing a stick to Hattie all the way.
Our next stop was South Jetty observation deck. It was a rock wall made between the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
It poured last night. This morning was just the cloudy leftovers. We both showered in the camp showers. We don’t have a dump at our site, so we must conserve water. The showers are very nice and clean, in the Oregon tradition.
After breakfast, we headed to Astoria to check it out. We stopped at the Maritime Museum. It was too expensive so we skipped it. We stopped at the Astoria Column. The murals on the column illustrate events of Astoria’s history from 1792 to 1818. We stopped for lunch and gas and groceries while in the area.
We went back to the park and picked up Hattie and went to the wild life viewing bunker, quite windy, but had a great beach for Hattie to run. Our next stop was the Fort Stevens Historic Military site, but it was closed. We’ll try again tomorrow. Next stop was the Battery Russell. Surprisingly, Hattie seemed to enjoy the walk in an old dark building with lots of rooms. Humm?
We went back to the South Jetty Observation Deck ‘cause it was so windy and Carl wanted to check it out. I stayed in the car.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
We decided to stay one more day. It’s still raining and we decided to drive down to Cannon Beach and other stops going South. We drove through Seaside, a town much like Long Beach, then on to Cannon Beach, a more up-scaled area. We stopped at the visitor’s center then at a coffee/gift shop so I could check my emails and have a cup of coffee. We didn’t peruse the gift shops in the area since the rain wouldn’t let up and I really didn’t want anything. We went back to the RV, picked up Hattie and headed to Fort Clatsop to tour the Lewis and Clark exhibition. Dogs were allowed so that was good, since Hattie had been in the RV all day.
Thursday, April 2, 2009 Edgewater RV Park, Sweet Home, Oregon
We woke to scattered shower, so we left. We had an uneventful drive to Sweet Home Oregon arriving at our destination at 4:30. This is a new park right by a lake. There wasn’t anybody in the office, so we just parked the RV. A while later the manager came up to check on us and give us the WiFi code, whew. We had refrigerator cleanout for dinner. And there are still scattered showers.
I worked on my videos. I’m getting pretty good at it.
Friday, April 3, 2009 Edgewater RV Park, Sweet Home, Oregon
Again, the pitter-patter of rain rocked us to sleep last night. It is a little less rainy today so we decided to stay another day and check out the covered bridges in the area. First stop was the Chamber of Commerce for a map of the bridges. Well, the map wasn’t to scale and we could only find two, but they were very nice.
We took Hattie and stopped at a river along the route for a quick swim. She needed it.
We stopped at Safeway on our way back to the park. I am going to make some brownies. I can smell them already.
Saturday, April 4, 2009 Valley of the Rogue State Park, Rogue River, Oregon
We woke to (drum roll please) SUNSHINE! It was spectacular. We hurried out and headed to the Rogue River. We were able to get a good spot at the State Park.
We had a snack outside, a first for this trip then took Chado outside for a brushing. We brushed him until he got mad.
We’re close to the river, the only drawback is the river is bordered with thick blackberry vines. We asked the camp host if there was a beach anywhere on the river, and he didn’t know. Well, we found one. We tossed sticks to Hattie. The current looked pretty strong, so we didn’t throw it out very far. We then went back to the RV and took a nap outside on the new RV mat. Nice.
We drove into town, City of Rogue River, to check it out. Not too much going on.
Sunday, April 05, 2009 Valley of the Rogue State Park, Rogue River, Oregon
We should have gone home today but since the weather was nice, we decided to stay one more day. Tomorrow for sure. Carl wanted to check our RV campgrounds in the area for future trips, WGAF, and I thought that was boring, so we went back to the campground. I wanted to see some of the sights so I headed out on my own to Jacksonville. I read about it in one of the magazines. Anyhoo, it was an old town, lots of shops. It was a nice outing. Carl and Hattie went swimming on the river. There is a lot of things to see in this area, Ashland, Crater Lake, to name a few, but I think we’ve been away from home too long to appreciate anything in the area.
The End
We no longer will be taking vacations. We now go on trips. And we go on lots of trips.
We met Julie for lunch at Mary’s Pizza in Windsor. She just celebrated her 60th birthday so a party was in order. We had a quick slide show in the RV before we parted ways. I wanted Julie to see the progress of Cynthia Court.
We spent the first night at our favorite spot, Russian River Resort in Cloverdale. Dave and Betty, our favorite rangers were there. Hattie totally recognized the place right as we turned into the park. She jumped up, and couldn’t wait to go outside. She gladly accepted a cookie from Dave and couldn’t wait to get to the river. So, we went to the river first thing.
Carl made left over corned beef for dinner. I was able to Skype Heidi from the clubhouse and later on, Chris. Chris is in Singapore visiting his sister and Tim. Wish I was there.
Sunday, March 22, 2009 At Rivers Edge, Brookings, Oregon
We wanted to get an early start so we showered in the restrooms so we wouldn’t have to dump. Our early is not the same as other people’s early. We left the park at around 10:30 and drove straight through to Brookings, Oregon, arriving at 5:15. Our thought was to stop at Klamath, but our park was closed for the season. The park we settled in is a “Enjoy America” park, it’s ½ price from their regular price. And there are all sorts of restrictions. Half price for us is just fine. The park is very nice and we are at the river’s edge. Before we even hooked up, we took Hattie for a walk and swim. She was so good during the long trip. Chado is always good.
We found a launching ramp for Hattie to swim. She was shivering, but kept going back for more. After her swim, Carl fixed left over pork loin and rice and I WiFi’d. I’m trying to upload a video of Cynthia Court on Facebook, but one of us is having problems.
Monday, March 23, 2009 At Rivers Edge, Brookings, Oregon
We decided to stay here one more day and pay retail, but it’s a nice park. We took Hattie to the rocky beach area for a swim. And was the water ever cold. Then Carl and I went to Brookings to find the post office and a Fred Meyers. I had to mail Heidi her bag-o-magazines. Ouch! Fred Meyers hasn’t changed since the last time we were in the area, but oh well.
I felt lousy when we got back. I think we didn’t stay home long enough between our “trips”, and I wished I was in Singapore seeing my kids. Hopefully, I can sleep it off. We’ll see on Tuesday.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon, Oregon
We awoke to a much warmer day. We decided to make our next stop Bandon. On the way to Bandon, we stopped at a beach along the coast. Hattie had a wonderful time chasing after sticks and balls in the ocean. And then we had PGJ sandwiches for lunch. We stopped at Old Town Bandon to check out the shops before heading to the campground. We bought some candy at the Cranberry candy store and a quest item, a myrtle wood napkin holder in the shape of a shell. Cute.
We settled in at the campground, spot #C26 and went for a walk to the marina where Hattie went swimming and then running in the mud.
Carl made raviolis and salad for dinner. We had those candies for dessert
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Neskowin Creek, Neskowin Oregon
Well, this is Oregon. I tried to sleep in until it stopped raining, but I was getting bed sores, so I got my lazy ass out of bed at 9:30. Hattie came in every once in a while to bug me, but saw I was unbugable and left. What to do, what to do. I keep reminding myself we came for the severe weather, and that’s what we got.
Once I gathered myself, we headed out to our next spot, Neskowin Creek. It was a mud bath. This was a sleep and run park. It did have cute bunnies all over the place. Must be getting ready for Easter.
Thursday, March 27, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, WA
Maggie called confirming our ron-day-vue on Sunday. I can’t wait. We leisurely drove up the Oregon Coast stopping at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Why, oh why? We did buy some smoked salmon for us and for Sunday and chocolate milk in these cute containers that look like gallons but are quarts, for Nils and Finn and some Kookaburra licorice for Alan. He just loves that song.
We stopped for lunch off the road, PBJ, now a family favorite.
We had reservations at Columbia Shores RV in Chinook, WA. We drove up and as it says in the brochure, a “fisherman’s campground”. Well, it wasn’t all that great. The manager was busy so he said he’d check us in in the morning.
We drove to the nearby town of Long Beach to check out a couple of parks. The first one was Pacific Holiday. It was great! Just a hop skip and a jump from the ocean, so we cancelled our reservations at Columbia shores and made new reservations at Pacific Holiday, for two nights.
We went back to park #1, picked up the RV and settled in at park #2. And then took Hattie to the beach. It’s a “long” beach, hence the name and is the type you can drive on.
When we got back to the RV, we broke out the smoked salmon. It was almost as good as Carl’s.
I worked on my video’s from vacations past. Still learning.
Friday, March 27, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
The sound of rain didn’t wake me this morning. That’s because it was drizzle. Drizzle doesn’t bank on the roof of the RV!
I was on my last pair of undies, so it was laundry or go to Fred Meyers. There are washer and dryers in the clubhouse and WiFi, so after breakfast, I set out. It took much longer than I ever imagined. Oh well.
With clean laundry in hand, I headed back to the RV where Hattie was anxiously awaiting my arrival. She knew we would go to the beach. We had a great time. Although it was still drizzling when we started, the weather broke and it was just cloudy and damp. Hattie found some kind of a carcass that she rolled in, uncontrollable non-stop, rolling. My fear was she would bring the stink home. Lucky for us, the carcass must have been buried where she could smell it but it didn’t rub off on her. Good thing. We would have tied her up outside, day and night until she quit stinking.
After our ordeal, Carl and I headed to Long Beach for lunch and to check out the lighthouses. We stopped at Stormin’ Norman’s. It was the usual type of shop, with a cute name. We didn’t buy anything. We had lunch at the restaurant next door, fish and chips for me and clam chowder and salad for Carl. It was OK. I think I would have liked a Filet-o-fish from MickyD’s.
Our first lighthouse was North Head Lighthouse. It looked like a lighthouse. Then Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. It was too muddy to walk to, thus the name “Disappointment” Lighthouse. Then we headed back to the RV stopping at Sid’s Market. Dang, things were expensive there, so we limited our spending.
The RV park is filling up. This weekend is razor clam season, one weekend a year.
Saturday, March 28, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
We again awoke to the sound of rain. Hattie bugged me out of bed so I took her out to go potty. Although it was raining, it wasn’t cold. Still in my jammies, we grabbed Carl and went to the beach to check out the clam diggers. Carl had already gone to the beach earlier, oh well. It wasn’t as impressive as I was hoping, no one jumping with joy as they caught one, so we threw a stick for a while to Hattie then went back.
We decided to stay at this park for two more days so we went up to the kiosk to check in. No prob.
We checked out the area. Our first stop was Oysterville. We found a little shop, but it was the usual candle/souvenir shop. The clerk directed us to the Willaby Oysterville Sea Farm where we bought some oysters (pre-shucked) to bring to the picnic tomorrow. Then we stopped at Okie’s Thriftway Market in Ocean Park. Besides groceries, I was looking for some animal balloons and wanted to check out Jacks. We did. And they did! And they had the under counter mount lid vice. I was in heaven.
The rain hasn’t slowed down much and the wind is blowin’. I went to the clubhouse and checked my email and Facebook. Then I worked on my slideshow videos. Carl does most of the cooking these days. I still do the dishes, so I’m still a valuable asset in this partnership.
Sunday, March 29, 2009 Pacific Holiday RV, Long Beach, Wa
It howled last night. The RV was rocking so much Carl brought in the slides. I thought the wind would rip the covers right off.
We got up extra early this morning ‘cause we were meeting Maggie, David, Seth, Molly and the boys at a park in Chehalis, around 2.5 hours away. We packed up tons of stuff in the car, blankets, rain gear, electric heater, just in case it was real cold. We even packed up Hattie.
We had the best time. Nils and Finn are wonderful kids and they like me Hattie was a joy at the park. Since the park was pretty deserted, we left her off leash, but she always stayed close to us.
I gave Maggie and Molly each one of the lid vices. Looks like we’ll be headed back to Jack’s tomorrow.
Monday, March 30, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
After breakfast, we headed to Jack’s for the lid vices. I bought the last two. Whew! We also picked up a few other things. The weather is very nice today, cold but sunny.
We left the park at noon and headed to Fort Stevens. It’s a real nice, Oregon State Park. We settled into space 264 then took off to see the sites. We visited the Peter Iredale shipwreck where Hattie got attacked/chased by a collie in the parking lot. The collie was off leash, charged Hattie, Hattie backed up and her head slipped out of her collar and she bolted. Luckily, she ran to the car and the collie’s owner caught it, with Carl’s help. After all that, we headed to see the shipwreck.Very interesting. We walked the beach tossing a stick to Hattie all the way.
Our next stop was South Jetty observation deck. It was a rock wall made between the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
It poured last night. This morning was just the cloudy leftovers. We both showered in the camp showers. We don’t have a dump at our site, so we must conserve water. The showers are very nice and clean, in the Oregon tradition.
After breakfast, we headed to Astoria to check it out. We stopped at the Maritime Museum. It was too expensive so we skipped it. We stopped at the Astoria Column. The murals on the column illustrate events of Astoria’s history from 1792 to 1818. We stopped for lunch and gas and groceries while in the area.
We went back to the park and picked up Hattie and went to the wild life viewing bunker, quite windy, but had a great beach for Hattie to run. Our next stop was the Fort Stevens Historic Military site, but it was closed. We’ll try again tomorrow. Next stop was the Battery Russell. Surprisingly, Hattie seemed to enjoy the walk in an old dark building with lots of rooms. Humm?
We went back to the South Jetty Observation Deck ‘cause it was so windy and Carl wanted to check it out. I stayed in the car.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 Fort Stevens, Oregon State Park
We decided to stay one more day. It’s still raining and we decided to drive down to Cannon Beach and other stops going South. We drove through Seaside, a town much like Long Beach, then on to Cannon Beach, a more up-scaled area. We stopped at the visitor’s center then at a coffee/gift shop so I could check my emails and have a cup of coffee. We didn’t peruse the gift shops in the area since the rain wouldn’t let up and I really didn’t want anything. We went back to the RV, picked up Hattie and headed to Fort Clatsop to tour the Lewis and Clark exhibition. Dogs were allowed so that was good, since Hattie had been in the RV all day.
Thursday, April 2, 2009 Edgewater RV Park, Sweet Home, Oregon
We woke to scattered shower, so we left. We had an uneventful drive to Sweet Home Oregon arriving at our destination at 4:30. This is a new park right by a lake. There wasn’t anybody in the office, so we just parked the RV. A while later the manager came up to check on us and give us the WiFi code, whew. We had refrigerator cleanout for dinner. And there are still scattered showers.
I worked on my videos. I’m getting pretty good at it.
Friday, April 3, 2009 Edgewater RV Park, Sweet Home, Oregon
Again, the pitter-patter of rain rocked us to sleep last night. It is a little less rainy today so we decided to stay another day and check out the covered bridges in the area. First stop was the Chamber of Commerce for a map of the bridges. Well, the map wasn’t to scale and we could only find two, but they were very nice.
We took Hattie and stopped at a river along the route for a quick swim. She needed it.
We stopped at Safeway on our way back to the park. I am going to make some brownies. I can smell them already.
Saturday, April 4, 2009 Valley of the Rogue State Park, Rogue River, Oregon
We woke to (drum roll please) SUNSHINE! It was spectacular. We hurried out and headed to the Rogue River. We were able to get a good spot at the State Park.
We had a snack outside, a first for this trip then took Chado outside for a brushing. We brushed him until he got mad.
We’re close to the river, the only drawback is the river is bordered with thick blackberry vines. We asked the camp host if there was a beach anywhere on the river, and he didn’t know. Well, we found one. We tossed sticks to Hattie. The current looked pretty strong, so we didn’t throw it out very far. We then went back to the RV and took a nap outside on the new RV mat. Nice.
We drove into town, City of Rogue River, to check it out. Not too much going on.
Sunday, April 05, 2009 Valley of the Rogue State Park, Rogue River, Oregon
We should have gone home today but since the weather was nice, we decided to stay one more day. Tomorrow for sure. Carl wanted to check our RV campgrounds in the area for future trips, WGAF, and I thought that was boring, so we went back to the campground. I wanted to see some of the sights so I headed out on my own to Jacksonville. I read about it in one of the magazines. Anyhoo, it was an old town, lots of shops. It was a nice outing. Carl and Hattie went swimming on the river. There is a lot of things to see in this area, Ashland, Crater Lake, to name a few, but I think we’ve been away from home too long to appreciate anything in the area.
The End
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 05, 2009 Heading home
We are headed back home today, not having an exact plan. The only thing for sure is I have to be home on Sunday for my Little Theater group. I am very proud of myself for not getting home sick like I usually do.
As we readied ourselves for the trip home, I sent Carl off with the garbage and low and behold, we saw a road runner. Meep meep!
We drove until 5:00 and stopped for the evening at Lost Hills RV Park, close to Bakersfield. So close yet so far away. The park is truly used for one night stands. Everyone’s tow vehicle is still attached, no chairs out, no awnings out. And the weather has changed. It’s cold.
We cleaned the RV and got it all ready for our next adventure!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 Riverside Adventure Trails, Fort Mohave, Az
We finally made it to Lake Havasu City and the world famous London Bridge. We didn’t bring Hattie with us because we did not know what to expect. We walked across the bridge and around the area for a while. We ate our packed lunch at the Lake. It was very nice, glad we went, and will cross it off my list.
They had free WiFi at the visitor’s center so I was able to check my email and say hi to Facebook. I received an email from Chris – he plans on staying in Indonesia more than he originally thought. I miss him so much – now both my kids so far away.
When we got back at the RV park, I asked the people at the front office where the closest beach was – it was at the Bullhead City Park, so we grabbed the girl and headed to the park. She was able to run, sniff and swim and had a great time.
I made dinner this evening, Cornish game hens. Not one of my better dinners. And we did a load of laundry. Life.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 Riverside Adventure Trails, Fort Mohave, Az
We do so love the weather here. It’s warm and lovely.
We headed to an authentic western ghost town called Oatman, just 15 or so miles from our RV Park. We left Hattie in the RV because we figured it was no place for her. And we were right. It was a fun little town. Carl spotted $15 in the lot where we parked. There was no one around, so we figured it was ours. We spent it in no time. We bought Carl a coffee mug, Monica a shot glass and me a Christmas ornament. We were entertained with a gun fight in the middle of town and later on, the area’s wild burros came to town. They have learned over the years that the tourists will buy carrots from the local stores and feed them. They are very tame and oh so cute. We ate lunch at one of the local restaurants and shared a buffalo burger. It was pretty good. We went back to the RV for a nap and the check on the pets, then headed to Laughlin, Nevada. Laughlin is a mini-Vegas. I put $5.00 in a nickel slot machine and lost it in no time. That was the beginning and the end of our gambling.
On the list of places we never have to go to again, Fort Mohave and Laughlin are on the top.
We went back to the RV and had dinner and settled in for the evening.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009 Riverside Adventure Trails, Fort Mohave, Az
It took around 1½ hours to get to our next destination, well at least the area. We had the address, but just couldn’t find the park. Finally, I called and they said they were right behind the new CVS store under construction. Still couldn’t find it so we un-hooked and I drove off looking for the phantom RV park. Well, I found it and it was just as she said, behind the construction zone. I went back for Carl and he followed me to the park. The name “Riverside” implies there is a river in the campground but there wasn’t. It should be called “Riverproximity”. And there was no WiFi.
We walked around the park. As usual, the people are friendly but there is nothing to do in this park, so we ventured out to Walmart. I wanted to get a summer dress to wear. They didn’t have anything I liked, so we stopped at Target. Success!
We walked around the park. As usual, the people are friendly but there is nothing to do in this park, so we ventured out to Walmart. I wanted to get a summer dress to wear. They didn’t have anything I liked, so we stopped at Target. Success!
Sunday, March 01, 2009 Colorado River Oasis, Ehrenberg, Az
Today is our last day at this campground. We went to Blythe for groceries and to check out the women’s clothing store next to Albertsons. What? It was closed on a Sunday? Oh well, no new fashion outfits for me.
After the store, we went back to the campground for lunch then headed back to Quartzsite. I eyed a watch the other day and decided to buy it, I did, and is beautiful! By the by, it’s 3:21 pm!
We went back to the river to try our luck at fishing, which there wasn't. Carl bbq’d chicken for dinner. It’s all good
Saturday, February 28, 2009 Colorado River Oasis, Ehrenberg, Az
It was another star-studded evening last night. We sent for a quick walk around the park for Hattie’s last pee of the night.
We decided to stay around the campground today. The park has emptied out quite a bit so we can have the river to ourselves. We went fishing but other than “wow, that was quite a hit”, we/Carl caught nothing.
Hattie went swimming and actually whined when she first hit the water. It was freezing and she doesn’t have much meat on her legs. But. Of course, we couldn’t keep her out. We also did a couple of loads of laundry. I do so love it when Carl changes his underwear.
As evening set in, I started to work on the Chronicles and found Microsoft Publisher so of course I started to put the Chronicles on it. Mine might be better .
Friday, February 27, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009 - Colorado River Oasis, Ehrenberg, Az
I was expecting a FedEx pack from Monica so we hung around the campground, taking Hattie for a walk and I vacuumed. Well, the positively absolutely has to be there wouldn’t be here until 4:30, so we decided to head to the Blue Grass Festival in Quartzsite. As we meandered down the road, I spotted a FedEx truck. We pulled over and I asked the man if my package was on his truck. He said it was on another truck that was due in 15-30 minutes, so we headed back to the campground. We ate lunch then I check the FedEx website and saw it was delivered. Yeah!
Then…we went to the Blue Grass Festival. We walked around checking out all the vendors then sat and listened to some music. It was very enjoyable.
We went back to camp and Carl fixed dinner. I changed our next camping reservations. Instead of St. David AZ, we’re headed to Fort Mohave, AZ, which is close to Lake Havasu. We are using our Coast to Coast membership in this. Then I did my usual WiFiing and worked on the chronicles and my blog.
Then…we went to the Blue Grass Festival. We walked around checking out all the vendors then sat and listened to some music. It was very enjoyable.
We went back to camp and Carl fixed dinner. I changed our next camping reservations. Instead of St. David AZ, we’re headed to Fort Mohave, AZ, which is close to Lake Havasu. We are using our Coast to Coast membership in this. Then I did my usual WiFiing and worked on the chronicles and my blog.
Thursday, February 26, 2009 – Colorado River Oasis, Ehrenberg, Az
We are at the Colorado River Oasis in Ehrenberg, Arizona, right over the California Arizona border. When we first drove up, it looked a little desserted, but turned out to be rather nice.
We took Hattie for a swim at the river after breakfast and after I did my AM Facebooking. I talked with Monica. She checked our mail and is FedExing some stuff.
We planned on heading to Lake Havasu City, 90+ miles away but due to a late start, we decided to do something more local, so I checked for POIs on the Tom Tom. Well, the closed Point of Interest to Ehrenberg, Arizona was the Scandinavian Cultural Center in Winnipeg, Manitoba. What? Well, so much for Tom Tom. We asked at the front office and they directed us to a town called Quartzsite that has lots of street vendors. It actually a flea market. The town is bustling from October to April, then it dies – it’s to HOT. As it was, it was very nice and warm. I bought a out door 9’ x 9’ mat for the RV, some earring backs, and Carl bought some snacks and a T Shirt. The man at the office also told us of a produce market in the area. The directions were: it’s off of 18th avenue next to a pink house. We drove and drove and just when we were about to give up, viola! There it was. Right next to the pink house. It was a small family run farm. We bought some fruit and vegetables and the gal gave us a nice canvas bag ‘cause we drove so far to find them. Nice, huh. We stopped at Albertson’s in Blythe for a few items then headed back to the park.
We again took Hattie to the river for her swim. She’s relentless! I Facebooked. I’m relentless.
Carl fixed bbq’d pork roast. Delicious. Heidi called. It was so good to hear her voice. I worked on Christy’s wedding favor, a wrapper for See’s Candy sucker. It’s very cute.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 – Joshua Trees NP / Colorado River Oasis, Az
Happy Birthday Mommy! We slept pretty good last night. The campground was very quite, so quiet I only brushed my teeth so the water pump wouldn’t’ upset the sounds of nature.
I made oatmeal for breakfast and washed up in the public bathroom. Needless to say, my hair was a fright! I’ll just pretend to be Goth.
We drove to the trailhead for the Oasis and Mammoth hikes, 3.5 miles, one way. It wasn’t the 3.5 up, it was the 3.5+++back. We went about 1.5 round trip, and took lots of pictures.
We left Joshua Trees at 11:30 headed to Arizona for our next leg of this trip.
We arrived at Colorado River Oasis RV Resort in Ehrenberg Arizona at 1:30, 2:30 Arizona time. Yes, they are one hour different right over the border. Arizona does not buy into that day light savings time bs.
It is very hot here, but with a slight breeze, it is very nice. After I checked my email and Facebook, we took Hattie for a walk to the river. The campground is right on the Colorado River, perfect for Hattie. We didn’t bring a ball, so we used bamboo sticks. That was OK, but Hattie likes to chew them up. We went back to the river, this time with her ball. Still forgot the camera. Like we really need more pictures of Hattie swimming after a ball
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
February 21 -24, 2009 Morro Bay, Joshua Trees and Beyond
Thursday, February 19, 2009 – Morro Bay
OMG! I’ve been so busy working on my Facebook page via high speed WiFi internet on my new pink Vaio computer, I shirked my camping chronicles duties. This will be our first long camping trip since I lost my job. But wait, there’s more. When we got home from our last trip (Bodega Bay, February 6, 2009) there was an ad in the paper for the exact computer I wanted, so I ran down to Office Depot, threw down my MasterCard and viola! I bought it. And I bought a MP3 player. I even went so far as to order a DSL line from Juno, which I’ll get when we get home.
The trip was easy, although Hattie did a freak-out and hid under the driver’s seat. What a dip.
We made reservations at Morro Dunes RV park at met up with Carol and LeRoy. This is not one of our club parks, so we had to bite the bullet and cough up big bucks for this place. The beach is right across the street so we first headed out for a run with the dogs; Hattie, Mazie and Amy. Hattie and Amy were in heaven. Amy looked up to her big cousin and followed Hattie into the water.
We went to town for dinner, our Christmas present to Carol and LeRoy. We ate at the Flying Dutchman – fish and chips.
The ocean roared and it sounded just like the soothing sound of the freeway at home.
Friday, February 20, 2009 – Morro Bay
We met up with Carol and LeRoy after breakfast and headed for the beach. Again, Hattie and Amy in their glory. After their fill of salt and sand, we put the pups in our RV’s and went back to town to check out the shops. I found, after much searching, a Morro Bay hoodie. Very cute, kind of a mustard yellow. We had lunch and were entertained by a couple of local sea lions that were begging for food from the fishing boats. They were competing with dozens of seagulls.
I wonder if I can put this on Facebook? I think I might have a Myspace page, so I’ll check that out.
While we were at the beach, Dennis English called and told me he proposed to Mary. I’m so happy for him. Mary is such a nice person. The date will be in 2011. I can’t wait!
We had dinner at Carol and LeRoy’s. LeRoy barbecued a tri-tip. Delicious.
After our visit with Carol and LeRoy, Carl and I settled in for the evening. I must admit, I’m hooked on Facebook and WiFi. Will I ever be the same?
Saturday, February 21, 2009 – Morro Bay / Tehachapi
I WiFi’d in my dreams. We took Hattie for her last romp at the beach after visiting with C&L. “We” cleaned up while I checked driving directions and campgrounds in the Bakersfield area. The weather started out cool and overcast but gave way to sunshine, just as we were leaving.
Well, she did it again. Hattie did a freak out and hid under Carl’s seat. I’m going to have to put up a baby gate! And why doesn’t she go under my seat? Do my feet stink?
We stopped at an Office Max so I could buy an ink cartridge for my printer. What a rip!
We decided to drive until 4:00 and then find a campground. We used the Tom Tom for POI’s, Points of Interest, campgrounds. The closest park at 4:00 in Tehachapi, Indian Hills RV Park. Much to our surprise, there was snow on the ground and it was mighty cold. We self registered and settled in the RV. No walks around this campground. This campground has hookups – water, electricity and TV.
I turned on my computer and it had WiFi, but… you had to subscribe to it, so I opted out. Instead of Facebooking it, I worked on my pictures. I want to keep them organized right off the bat and not let them get out of control. And then I ripped and sync’d some of my RV CD’s on my MP3.
Carl warmed up leftovers from home for dinner.
It rained last night and the wind whipped the RV a bit. It kept me awake, but Carl slept right through it.
Sunday, February 22, 2009 – On the way to Joshua Trees / Indian Waters
I thought the rain last night would wash away the snow, but it’s still here.
We stopped at the gift shop in Kramer Junction, a place we’ve stopped many times. This is at least the fifth time we’ve stopped according to the Chronicles but I didn’t buy anything. Remember, financial diet, unemployed, down sizing, etc. etc.
We drove for most of the day and decided to stay at one of our ROD clubs that was close to Joshua Trees. I called the first one, Desert Pools, and the do not take ROD members without reservations. Then I called ROD direct and made reservations for Indian Waters RV Resort in Indio. We got in! It’s a very nice park, most of the guests are snow birds. They have WiFi here for $2.00 a day. We walked around the resort. It’s huge! It’s very well manicured with lots of activities for the guests.
The weather is nice and warm, a change from the snow we just left. We had steak & broccoli for dinner and watched the academy awards.
Monday, February 23, 2009 – Indian Waters/ Joshua Trees National Park
We awoke to warm and sunny Southern California weather. We both showered in the showers, had breakfast, fixed sandwiches for lunch and headed to Joshua Trees. It was about an hour drive from the RV park. Joshua Trees was as beautiful as ever. Our first stop was at the Cottonwood Visitor Center. We got a map of the area and plotted our day’s activities. We wanted to find a campground that could accommodate our RV. We stopped at the Cholla Cactus Garden. Dogs are NOT allowed on trails, geez, that makes it hard for us, so we didn’t go on the trail, but we did the death defying walk on the other side of the road. There were Cholla droppings all over the ground, little prickly pods that stuck to anything that walked by. At one point I had one stuck to my sock; they only want to go “in”. Then Hattie lifted her front paw and she had some on it. Carl took it off and we quickly left the area. We had lunch at Jumbo Rocks picnic area. Hattie and I did a little rock climbing,really little.
Then we went to Hidden Valley and hiked out a bit but we stayed in the sand and gravel type areas. We found quite a few campgrounds that we could take the RV tomorrow.
We stopped at Walmart in Yucca Valley. It’s amazing how much commerce there is in these desert cities. It hardly seems like they’re even in California.
I quickly downloaded our pictures on the computer when we got back while Carl made dinner, Cornish game hens and asparagus. Chado was so happy to see us when we got home. He was under the couch, one of his favorite hiding places.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 – Joshua Trees NP
We headed, RV and all, back to Joshua Trees. We camped at Cottonwood Springs, spot 4A. There were only a few campers and RVers. We had lunch then headed to White Tank Campground for the Ranger led tour at 2:00. Well, White Tank was a lot further that we thought, so at 2:15, we stopped and went for a short walk. We didn’t have Hattie with us, although she would have had a blast.
We settled in back at our campground and ventured out in our area. We did come upon a small Oasis. Tomorrow we’ll go again and farther.
Carl situated the RV so we would be able to see the sunset, but alas, the clouds interfered. There’s always Cynthia Court! After dinner we took a walk around the campground. By this time the clouds were gone. I couldn’t believe how dark it was, even with thousands of stars in the sky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
