HIGHWAY GUYS

090611 DANNY

2011-06-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

11010 - LAST EXIT

2011-01-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

LAST EXIT

January 11, 2011

I apologize for not writing sooner. The past few weeks have been very busy and stressful for me.

What started out as an experiment 7 years ago turned into the adventure of my life.

Without meaning to mimic John Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charlie” or become the poster boy for disabled Rvers, I did both.

My blog started as a personal diary to share with friends, but later took on a life if its own as we met more and more people on the road who encouraged me.

What started on September 11, 2003 as a 5 year mission to travel and explore places many others have gone before made me feel like a cross between Charles Kuralt and Captain Kirk..

Peter was actually the driving force and soul of THE HIGHWAY GUYS, and when he died (April-2008) I felt the adventure die with him, but then a miracle happened and Danny entered my life to breath fresh enthusiasm into me for another two years.

I always knew the day would come when we would have to pull off the highway for the last time.

After a medical emergency and a week in the hospital, December 29th, 2010 was that day..

Neil Sedaka said it best and so simply in his hit song “BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO”.

With the assurance that Danny was going to live out his life in a loving family and home with a big back yard to chase squirrels all day, I sold the Beast, and was transported by my nephew Kurt and his girlfriend Tammy to an assisted living facility in Los Angeles.

My immediate future will include doctor visits, chemotherapy sessions and a very regimented schedule that I have avoided successful for the past 7 years. I anticipate internal conflict in the transition period.

To all my friends, both new and old, on road and off, I want to thank you for making my past 7 years the most happiest of my life. Your contributions, encouragement, advice and assistance had enriched my experience and made traveling easier.
Memories will have to replace reality; new friendships made but alas none of them canine.

For many of you, this may be our last contact, but I will try to never forget you.

For those of you who wish to keep in touch, I will look forward to your continued friendship.

101120 -Bumps

2010-11-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

November 20, 2010
Lake Cahuilla, La Quinta, California
Bumps

On the road, The Highwayguys are always looking out for and trying to avoid bumps or as they are posted in Mexico - TOPES ..
However, I have found that there are other bumps, although small, just as much trouble as the ones on the road.

About 3 weeks ago, during my morning routine, I was scared witless when I noticed that my urine was bloody and I was spiting blood clots out like a gatling gun.

After an emergency medical visit, followed by a cystoscopy with only topical anesthesia, the doctor found a small tumor on the bladder wall.
The next step was a more invasive out patient procedure under general anesthesia for a biopsy of the bump. The pathology report was not good.,,, A high grade malignant tumor.
The next step is another biopsy to determine the amount of invasion of the tumor into the muscular wall. This procedure is to be done in about 4-8 weeks.
Right now, we are in a holding pattern in the Palm Springs area; trying to enjoy the scenery and life style for as long as we can before the other shoe drops.

I haven’t told Danny what’s going on … don’t want to worry him anymore than necessary, but I think he was getting suspicious as we visited different medical offices. He has developed a fondness for nurses and visa versa. He is a real babe magnet.

101010 Redding, CA Re: Bill

2010-10-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

October 10, 2010
Redding, California
Re: Bill

I’m often asked how we chose an RV park to stay at when we are someplace we’ve not been to before.
WE utilize an annual directory, the Internet and when we are really lucky, email from pen pals with suggestions.
AS we approached Redding, we did not have the advantage of valued recommendations.
The directories and Internet listings are like reviewing tourist brochures. They sometimes either glorify or misrepresent or omit certain aspects or conditions.
One condition that I hare a real problem with are parks that are terraced which have inclined roadways. The park we chose in Redding had this layout.

After maneuvering into our space, on exiting the Beast, I realized there was going to be a problem. As I circled around the space, trying to figure the easiest and safest way of overcoming the incline, I heard a voice shouting at me. Bill occupied a space nearby and when he saw me and my walker, decided he was going to assist me. After he hooked up all my support lines, he suggested that I change sites to one near by because it was wider and flatter and had more grass for Danny. The next day, bill knocked on our door to tell me that he had made arrangements with the office for me to switch sites and after relocating; he hooked the Beast up again.
Bill is 62 years old, gray haired and bearded , about 6 feet on a thin frame. He looks older than his stated age, smokes cigarettes and has an occasional cough. He admits to heart disease and respiratory distress and among other meds takes coumadin (a blood thinner), which he is concerned about.

He also revealed that he has a son who is in prison because of drugs and has assumed the responsibility of helping his daughter-in-law care for her 5 children, even though he is legally disabled and on a limited fixed income.

He was well informed and knowledgeable about politics and current events, so we spent some time each day sharing stories and expressing opinions on many topics.

I mentioned the fact that my scooter batteries were almost dead, and had found a scooter store in the next town south that I was going to stop at after leaving this park.

He gave me the name and address of a store nearby that sold all kinds of batteries … I called them and they verified they carried the kind I needed and the price was almost ½ of what the scooter store was charging – even free installation.

Bill is one of many characters I have met and will remember fondly.
A man with a good heart and positive attitude about life, regardless of the circumstances and roadblocks that could bring down and sometimes even destroy weaker people.

The day we left, I wanted to show my appreciation and compassion but knew he would refuse any outright assistance.

I had a baseball cap still in its package that said … DON’T FORGET MY SENIOR DISCOUNT.
I placed it in a plastic bag along with $40 in an envelope tucked inside with a note on the envelope “for your grandchildren”, and hoped he wouldn’t find it till I was miles away. I know he won’t spend a dime of it on himself.

I could not continue to travel without the kindness and assistance of strangers.
It's not often I get to respond with a random act of kindness. This time I did.

100920 - Medford, Oregon -Oregon RV repairs

2010-09-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

September 20, 2010
Medford, Oregon -Oregon RV repairs

The past 3 days are none that I would like to repeat anytime soon.

As Friday night came and went, so did the rain, and it was a healthy storm that kept on giving for the entire weekend. It made us stay indoors most of the time and although I could use my computer for entertainment, it gave Danny cabin fever.

Mid Monday morning, Mark, the mechanic, started to test the electrical system. I was sure that his removal of the anti-theft device was the cause of the problem, but he just grunted and continued checking. Things started to go from bad to worse. He declared that he discovered the basic problem.

Somehow, the belt from the air conditioner had sliced thru a plastic conduit that housed several wires and destroyed them. Of course they were wires that led to the dashboard gauges (speedometer, gas, temperature, etc). There were 8 wires in total that were cut and he and Dave declared that they had never seen anything like it before. I was thrilled.

If that wasn’t bad enough, he also pronounced my alternator dead, and needed to be replaced.

The two of them worked on the repairs the rest of the morning, quit for lunch and then into the afternoon. When they were finished and I paid the bill ($473), I was unhappy and tired. There was no point in hitting the road to look for a place to stay so I decided to spend one more night in the parking lot and set out in the morning. At least the rainstorm had passed and the weather had warmed up with a bright sunny day.
By they way … that coolant leak I had mentioned – turns out it was a potentional problem. A small crack at the petcock valve at the bottom of the radiator. However, Mark put in a small bottle of sealer and told me it would stop the leak and keep me safe for about a year or 2 at which time I should plan on replacing the radiator. Cost of the sealant was 2 @ $1.99 each..

tomorrow I still have to go back to Sprint to pick up my replacement phone and stop at Petsmart for lots of dog food and some doggie treats. He deserves it for being a good boy thru this past ordeal.

100916 - Medford, Oregon

2010-09-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2010
Medford, Oregon

For the past few weeks, we had been staying at a quiet park in Silverton, Oregon, near Salem. It was friendly, well kept and easy to get around and had a great handicapped shower.

Most of the day we scootered around to give Danny his exercise so he can maintain his svelte figure, and with lots of sunshine we could hang out and read or listen to the radio. There were also a couple of interesting locals that always had some stories to tell or comments on almost any topic.
Tim is a retired truck driver from South Carolina, and Leroy was born and raised in Oregon. Both of them loved dogs and gave Danny all the attention and affection he could drag out of them.
Besides having my side mirror snapped off by the 18 wheeler, I noticed that the rear arm of my awning was detached from the side of the RV, I mentioned it to “the boys” and soon after, they arrived at my RV with tools in hand and had it secured quickly.

Moving southward, we made overnight stops in Springfield, Grants Pass and then here in Medford. Along the way, my cell phone (the smart one) started malfunctioning after it uploaded an update (a bit of irony). I found a Sprint store in Medford that did not do repairs, but promised me a replacement overnight. I was feeling good until I got back into the RV and it wouldn’t start. I tried all the tricks but it just gave this small clicking sound. The Auto Club sent out a battery truck and tow truck and by the time they were finished trying and testing, I had bought a new battery (which I needed anyway) and was on the back of the tow truck heading for an RV repair shop. Of course, the 2nd worse time to break down is Thursday afternoon just after businesses close for the day. That was today.
The tow truck left us there to spend the night.

The next morning, the shop manager told me that he was busy, and a mechanic short, so I might be there thru the weekend. Unfortunately, I had planned to get gas and buy pet food (which I was low on both of) after The Sprint store. The generator runs on gas at about a gallon/90 minutes and Danny goes thru a bag of food in two weeks. I was down to 3 days of dog food.
While walking Danny around the area, I struck up a conversation with another RV customer, Mike, waiting for his rig to be serviced. He lived in the area, and we started talking about dogs. One of his dogs had died recently and he was picking up a new puppy at the pound this afternoon. I mentioned that I hoped we didn’t get stuck for the weekend because I was low on gas and dog food, and he told me that he had lots of dog food in his rig and would be happy to help out. I handed him a plastic bucket and he filled it up. Thank you Mike.

About 2 PM, things started looking good when a mechanic approached us and started testing. The general consensus was a bad starter.
After an hour of testing, he announced my starter was good. An anti-theft device that had accidentally been turned on caused the problem. I knew about the device but had forgotten about it when it came to a possible reason for not starting. I was feeling a bit stupid, but relieved. Then mechanic asked me if I ever use it, I said no, and then he suggested that it be removed to prevent future problems. In hindsight, I should have said no, just leave it. Instead I said OK.
As I was heading for a Costco Gas station, I noticed that my dashboard gauges were acting funny – like in spasm, going haywire.. The gas station had long lines and it was late in the afternoon, so I decided to head back to the shop to report my findings.
I got there just after closing and all the mechanics had gone home, leaving just the manager. I had him look at the problem and he told me that it seemed like the battery wasn’t charging and could be the alternator or some other electrical problem. However, he couldn’t do anything before Monday (it is now Friday evening). I didn’t feel safe driving anywhere, so I told him I would be here all weekend waiting for Monday. He did run a power cord from the shop so I had electricity for my computer. Now I was very glad for Mike’s generosity of the dog food. I hope it agrees with Danny.
To top off this sudden, drastic turn of events, the weather forecast for the weekend was rain, rain and more rain, and just as if it was cued, down it came.
Danny sat on the couch, with his head resting at the window ledge, staring at the rain with his furlong, woe is me look. I knew how he felt.

100824 - Woodburn, Oregon

2010-08-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2010
Woodburn, Oregon
On the highway, some hotshot trucker creeps into our lane in heavy traffic just south of Portland and rips off our right front mirror. I tried to run him down but he got away and his license plate was too dirty to read and there were no markings on the side of his truck (18 wheeler). Even if I could have caught up to him it would have been impossible to prove with no witnesses any way. Finding a new mirror is going to be tough.

Later that day, at twilight –a young guy wearing a New Zealand shirt befriended Danny (or visa versa) as we overnighted at a Wal-Mart. He and his friend have been touring the United States for 12 months from coast to coast and were just getting ready to return home this month.
He offered to take Danny for a walk. He seemed OK but after about 20 minutes I was getting a little nervous as the sun was setting. However, 10 minutes later they returned and Danny was tired but apparently happy.

100822 - Gig Harbor, Washington

2010-08-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2010
Gig Harbor, Washington
Since our plans had not been well defined, it was on short notice that I told Mort we were heading his way. Mort Altman and I did our surgical residencies together in San Francisco a long time ago. My timing to visit turned out to be bad because he had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and had undergone Divinci Robotic surgery successfully just a few weeks ago. In addition to that, he had just sold his house and bought another one and was in the process of moving, although he admitted he was actually doing the directing instead of lifting. We spent dinner bringing each other up to date on our lives and events. He took me to this great BBQ rib place.
That was all the time he could spare and I know he was still worn out recovering from the surgery.

While at the RV Park in Gig Harbor, one of our neighbors, Steve, saw us scootering around and offered to wash our RV windows. I thought that was a terrific offer and the next day, bucket and long handled brush in hand, he showed up and scrubbed us clean. He did all of the windows and body in the front and along the sides as well.

I love RV people. Thank you Steve.

100818 - Bellingham, Washington

2010-08-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

August 18,2010
Bellingham, Washington
When we get to the Northwest, we love visiting with my old friend Joe. We both practiced in the Los Angeles area and often assisted each other in surgery. He is now retired in Bellingham with his beautiful wife Penelope.
Unfortunately, she had a family emergency that took her out of town so for a week it was just the boys – Joe, Steve and Danny. We conveniently parked The Beast in Joe’s driveway which served as the guest house. Winning over Penelope Danny can do with one paw tied behind his back but Joe is another story. For this Danny went all out. Nuzzling, and begging and insisting on being petted and responding to commands. Joe even tried to teach him to fetch but he failed like so many before him. We hit a few restaurants (seafood, steak and pizza) and even found a dog park for Danny to run free with other dogs for a while. With Penelope gone, we did miss her excellent cooking and great hospitality, but Joe held up well and we all had a wonderful time.

100801 - Yakama Nation, Toppenish, WA

2010-08-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

August 1, 2010
Yakama Nation RVP
Toppenish, Washington

After a couple of days and about 60 gallons of gas, stopping at Boise and Pendleton, Oregon, we arrived at a campground we have been to before and enjoyed it. The grounds are grassy and well kept and the interior roadways are paved and scooter friendly. There is also a restaurant on the property. It is not actually in Yakima, Washington and for some reason spelled with an “a” instead of an “i”. It is officially Indian land.
Usually when we check in, besides verifying the rate (which was $30/day or $32 with cable), we ask about the weekly rate. Most times campgrounds will offer 7 days for the price of 6. Initially we were planning on 4 or 5-day stay but when I was told the weekly rate was $75 we were surprised and interested. I asked again to make sure I was not hearing wrong since I expected to hear $175. Nope, $75 it was and that included cable. On top of that, my Good Sam discount of 10% brought it down to $67,50 and there was no tax. We are really going to enjoy our week here.

100729 - Jerome, Idaho

2010-07-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2010
Jerome, Idaho>

Our next destination was to be a simple straight interstate drive of about 3 hours.
We slept late, awakened slowly and had a leisurely breakfast. The weather was sunny and clear when we started out a little after noon.

We have noticed quite a bit of stimulus money being spent in the form of highway construction, but mostly in short stretches and signs warning of double fines for speeding in work zones, We rarely had to stop but 45-55 MPH was posted and going slower was a bit relaxing.

As the afternoon dragged on, we had no idea we were heading for the perfect storm. First, we were detoured off the main highway and forced to travel in single file along a partially finished temporary roadway which was defined by orange barrels on our right and red rubber cones on our left, which was all that separated us from oncoming traffic. The space between the cones and barrels might have been spacious for most cars, but for The Beast, it felt a little tight, and traffic was busy on either side.

Soon after being herded to this detour, the sky started to darken prematurely (it was only late afternoon) and soon after that it started to rain. Thunder and lightening were next on the menu, and then the gusty cross winds kicked in.

It was dark as night, with only our headlights for illumination, I could swear that the barrels and cones were getting closer together with each mile as the wind tried to blow us into oncoming traffic. Our windshield wipers were barely keeping up with the storm and sometimes flew across the glass without even touching it. The cars in front of me kept up a brisk pace since the signs suggested 55 mph but I refused to drive more than 45. I was having trouble keeping between the lines and felt like I was running an endless gauntlet. Danny came up front to look out the windshield to see what I was complaining about. He barked once and then retreated to the rear. I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath like “ I wish I knew how these damn seat belts work”.
After about an hour (which felt like 2), an exit appeared and I chose it with glee and relief. There was nothing at the exit, no gas station or fast food place, but I found a spot to pull over onto and just took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Not knowing how much longer the highway construction zone was, I summoned up some courage and forged ahead, back to the highway. The service road was slower and less nerve raking than the highway detour and lasted about 10 miles. I finally had to enter the mainstream gauntlet again and it lasted another 40 miles. As the road became once again a normal 4-lane interstate, the sky lightened and the storm lessened. By the time we arrived at our Wal-Mart de joure, the rain was down to a drizzle and believe it or not (see photo) there was a rainbow over the store. It was a great sight to see and would have made a great commercial.

I turned on the generator, then the air conditioner (it was warm and muggy), and threw dinner into the microwave oven.
I don’t know who ate their dinner faster, Danny or me, but we both stretched out on our beds and took a nap.
I woke up 2 hours later, shut down everything, and went back to sleep. No shopping tonight. Just sleep.

100728 - Afton, Wy

2010-07-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

July 28th, 2010
BeLong Pet Rescue
Afton, Wyoming

Deciding to go to Afton Wyoming so Danny could visit his old home and the woman that raised him to be so smart and handsome was a major decision. Afton is not near any major highway or interstate so the driving is scenic, but labor intensive with lots of hills, valleys, and twisty roads. Nevertheless I decided it was something that should be done.
I had emailed Bonnie that we were coming, but unknown to me; she was having Internet problems and never got the message. The morning of the day we planned on going, I tried calling, but only got an answering machine. I could only guess that either they were away on vacation or something had happened.
I did not look forward to driving 3 hours to arrive at an empty house, but if I didn’t try, I might miss the opportunity. Off we went with positive expectation.
When we arrive at the property, a couple of dogs rushed out to greet us which I took as a good sign, since I knew someone had to be around to take care of them. Calling the house still got me the answering machine.
We sat patiently in the RV and after about 30 minutes, Bonnie came around from the back of the house and greeted us. She explained her computer problems and said she had been spending time with the horses for the afternoon.
Danny immediately went crazy when he saw her and I had to let him out before he made a hole in the side of the Beast trying to get to her.

We spent a few hours talking about Danny, animals and events. Unfortunately, the bad economy leaves little to be spared, and She and Buzz are forced to downsize; selling their ranch for a smaller property and were actually in the process of packing up for the move. It may limit her ability to continue her noble commitment to save orphaned animals, but she has done a wonderful job of it so far, so I believe she has earned her place in heaven.

As we drove away, I noticed the:”for sale” sign and sighed.
It was a 2-1/2 hour drive to our Idaho Falls Wal-Mart boondock de joure, and I wanted to make it before nightfall since my cataracts seem to be getting worse.
I know Danny enjoyed the reunion with Bonnie, I just hope he appreciated my efforts. He is such a great dog and companion; I really wanted to surprise him.
At least he didn’t insist on staying.

Afton, Wyoming

2010-07-29T00:30:00.000-07:00

100726 - Cub River Lodge - Idaho

2010-07-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

JULY 26th, 2010
Cub River Lodge and RVP
Preston, ID.

It has been a while since we made an entry into our travel log but there wasn’t anything to tell.

We spent some time at St George and then Delta, Utah on our way to Willard Bay State Park. The day after I adopted Danny (last year), we spent a week at Willard Bay getting acquainted. It is a well-maintained park with large grassy sites and paved roadways. It also has a great shower for the handicapped. It wasn’t too crowded during the week so Danny got a chance to run and play and stretch his legs. It has been a year since we have been together so it’s our anniversary. Keeping in that mode, I have decided to do something I said would never happen. As much as I felt very grateful to Bonnie and her pet rescue, I never expected to return there. However, we are really not that far away, and the current campsite on our route is within 100 miles so if all goes well, Danny will get to visit his old home. I just hope he doesn’t decide to want to stay.

I also said that we were not planning on doing the Pacific coast this year, but we may still spend some time in Washington and Oregon, just not the coast.

The Cub River Lodge and RV Park is an interesting place. Well off the beaten path, we discovered it by accident. Only 11 spaces, but caters to large groups at its lodge building which has a pool and accommodates over 100 people.

Although we do not pay too much attention to the calendar, it is important to be aware of holidays when it comes to booking campsites. I thought we were safe for the rest of the summer but we were blindsided by Pioneer Day weekend. It is a Utah state holiday, but even though we are physically in Idaho, we are close enough to the border to be involved. In addition to that he following week is RODEO WEEK, so we were very lucky to book a week.
The park filled up quickly with, trailers, ATVs, kids and dogs.

The park owner, Denise, is a bundle of energy. A young woman, youthful and attractive, does a lot of the heavy lifting. When she saw my walker, she sprang into action and had our water, power and sewer lines connected without even asking if I needed assistance.

We met a lovely couple, Lee and Bobbie, who have been here before and enjoy the natural setting and camping life. Lee is a youthful 80 years old and apparently the only health issue is some loss of hearing from his tour of duty in Korea as a sergeant in a heavy artillery unit. Bobbie isn’t much younger but brags of her family of 6 kids, and over 45 grandchildren. They are also major dog lovers and have had many dogs and many breeds in their lives. They took to Danny right away and he reciprocated with enthusiasm. After the war, Lee became a forest ranger and a landscape engineer till retirement. He designed many state and national parks in the area.

Lots of dogs around, some little and some bigger than Danny but he made friends with most of them. One old black Lab mix lives in the area but visited the park during the day. He reminded me of Peter in his last days, walking slow, resting often, but still friendly and appreciative of any attention. Danny liked him and often lay down near him. “Old Timer” would wander from site to site, looking for someone to pay attention to him, and there are always some kids around to pet him when he wasn’t sleeping.

This park was definitely not handicap friendly, with gravel everywhere and rugged roads but “little blue” managed the rough terrain and we had no complaints. However, the battery may be loosing some of its vitality, requiring more frequent charging. May have to search out some replacement.

The weather has been warm daytime and cool in the evening and mornings which made for pleasant sleeping.

We are in another Sprint Wireless Black Hole, so I can’t be sure when I will actually be able to send this out. The last time I spoke with a Sprint rep to request a refund for no service I was told that I am supposed to call them and report my problem as soon as possible to qualify for a refund. I told them that campsites don’t usually have public phones but I did try to find someone with a Verizon or AT&T cell phone so I could call Sprint but couldn’t find one. Not even a snicker from her. No sense of humor.

100610-Pahrump, Neveda

2010-06-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

100609 - Pahrump, Neveda

2010-06-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

June 9, 2010
Pahrump, Nevada
Charleston Peak RV Resort and Winery

One of my favorite parks is this one for a couple of reasons. Firstly it has a terrific restaurant and second there is a lovely rose garden.

Pahrump is a small, very small, town about 60 miles west of Vegas and north of Death Valley. This time of year the temperature is usually in the 90’s but for some reason, there are gusty winds and cold fronts that are keeping it down in the high 70’s T

The restaurant is classy and chic and looks like it belongs in Beverly Hills. The food is delicious, beautifully prepared and the service is great. The casinos actually helicopter high rollers here for dinner as a perk. However, the prices are reasonable.

The rose garden is along side the veranda of the restaurant and it’s shaded by large trees, surrounding a small pool with a fountain. It’s a great place to sit and read or just meditate. There are many tourists that come to this winery and that means Danny gets lots of attention from the passerbys.

Today, Dan and his wife were wandering the area, taking pictures, so I asked him to shoot a few of Danny and me with my camera. He was very kind and willing and took a few good ones. Thanks Dan.

There is another RV park in Pahrump that I had stayed at shortly after Peter’s death. Terrible’s Lakeside sounds weird but it has a man-made lake with lots of ducks and geese roaming the park and it’s all grass and trees.
We got a site by the lake and I would sit in the shade of a tree reading while Danny watched the ducks as he lay on the grass. Last time I was here I discovered a duck with one foot missing (I called him Hoppy) and was wondering if he was still here. I watched a lot of ducks and asked around but no one seemed to have seen him.
We wanted to stay here a couple of weeks but forgot about Memorial Day weekend, which is one of the most popular days for RV parks. We had to vacate before the weekend so we went back to the Winery for a couple of weeks to pass over the holiday.

The weather has been unseasonably cool, and we have no complaints. Usually, this time of the year has the thermometer in the 90s and so far it has strayed in the high 70s to mid 80s and there is a constant breeze, which is pleasant, but it will be getting hotter very soon.

Having moved back to the Winery RV park, we settled back into our usual routine.
Very often I felt like Bill Murray in the movie “GROUNDHOG DAY:. We get up each morning and do the same thing every day, but it is enjoyable and we do meet different people all the time.
In fact, for a couple of days, Danny had a girlfriend named Penny. She was a neighborhood dog that apparently was bored staying at home so she wandered over to the winery grounds and made friends with Danny. She seemed older than him and about half his size with breed unknown. I let him off leash so they could run and play on the grassy field. At age 2-1/2, still a teenager, Danny seems to have a desire for money and asked for an allowance. I think Penny put him up to it. Anyway, lots of visitors to the winery want to have their picture taken with him (he’s a real babe magnet) and he wanted to start charging them for the privilege. I discouraged that.
However, we read an article on line about scientists that discovered that some dogs were able to sniff urine samples from men and diagnose prostate cancer. Danny figured that he does that all the time and perhaps he could be of service to these scientists – especially since he is already a lab. We are looking into it.

Pahrump is a small town, with a feeling of being a throwback to earlier times.
The RV parks we stayed at did not have cable TV and I did not spring thousands of dollars for a satellite dish for The Beast. Therefore, we usually do not have access to television. Luckily, Pahrump does have a local TV station that actually still broadcasts in analog as well as digital service. The bad news is that the station is called Retro TV because all it broadcasts is old time programs, and I do mean old. I don’t think any of the programs were in color.
I have to tell you that I now an expert on all the oldies but goodies such as Peter Gun, I Spy, The Cisco Kid, Dragnet, Adam-12, Alfred Hitchcock presents and The Jack Benny Show to name a few.

In our last week here, the temperature jumped from the 80s to triple digits and so leaving has become more desirable. Our next stop will be in Utah near St George as we continue north to cooler country.
We were aiming for some places high in the Rockies, but upon discussion with my doctors, I am restricted to lower elevations. We are not planning on the Pacific coast this year but we never make plans that can’t be changed.

100502 - Calico Ghost Town

2010-05-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2010
Ghost town
Calico, California
Southern California is famous for its many amusement parks such as Disneyland, Magic Mountain, and Knott’s Berry Farm . What you may not know is the story behind how Knott’s Berry Farm came to be and where it actually came from.

Calico Ghost Town

Where the Past Comes Alive
By Len Wilcox
When he was a young man, Walter Knott worked the mines in Calico, an experience that stayed with him all his life. Some 40 years later he went back -- and bought the town. Some of the buildings he moved to Buena Park, California, as an attraction to bring people in to his wife's chicken restaurant.
These buildings eventually became the center of one of the most famous tourist theme parks in the world, Knott's Berry Farm. The buildings he left behind in Calico, however, became just as important, to him and the world. He restored the town and created a place where travelers can step back in time to experience the gold rush days, and learn how people lived during this exciting time.
Located on the Mojave desert about 15 miles northeast of Barstow, California, Calico -- which lived a long time for desert boomtowns, from 1881 till around 1929 -- was a rich strike, first of silver then later of borates. Chunks of nearly pure silver came out of the 500 mines that dotted the hills. Eventually, silver ore worth some $86 million was dug out of the colorful hills behind the town. The borate brought in another $45 million.
Calico was a wild place in its heyday with a nice collection of saloons (22 of them), bordellos, restaurants and boarding houses established to service the needs of its more than 1,200 citizens. One citizen was unusual, even in a time and a town full of unusual characters.
Dorsey was a mail carrier. In fact, he was the only 4-legged carrier in the whole US Postal system. He was a black-and-white shepherd dog that had the job of carrying the mail from Calico to the nearby mines. He was a friendly dog, but once the mail packs were strapped on his back, he'd become strictly business. Reportedly, Dorsey's owner once turned down a $500 offer for the dog, saying that he'd sooner sell a grandson.
Calico's decline began when the price of silver fell in the 1890s, but the borate production kept it alive, even through the panic of 1906. While nearby Death Valley mines skinned eastern investors, Calico kept churning out valuable minerals until it gradually exhausted its supply in the 1920s.
A few hardy souls stayed on, keeping the spirit and memory alive, until 1951 when Knott bought the town and began rebuilding it. Using old photos he restored many of the buildings and created a tourist attraction that still thrives today, with more visitors on any day of the year than ever lived in the town when silver was the big excitement. donated Calico to San Bernardino County in 1966, and it operates now as a regional park. Today, numerous shops, an interesting museum, static displays and actors in period costumes bring the past alive for busloads of tourists and visitors With regular gunfights, train and stagecoach rides, restored mining equipment and displays of old household items, it's an interesting town to visitCamping is also available with 261 tent and RV sites 46 offering full hookups.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=njpg5_DHNp4

100501 - Barstow

2010-05-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2010

Barstow, California
Museums and Idle Spurs

RV people are some of the friendliest people on the planet. They are always ready to give directions, make suggestions and advise you where and where not to go, or what and what not to do. If they can't do it in person, they do it on the internet. While cerfing the net sometime last year, I read an article that I decided to print and keep in “My things to do file”. We all have one of those files, right? The night before I travel, I use a function of my Microsoft Streets program to check for places of interest. Since I was heading to Pahrump, Nevada by way of Barstow, I found a Route 66 museum and a Railroad Museum in the same area. Unfortunately the Route 66 museum was closed and the railroad museum was small but free. Something flashed thru my mind (I get that a lot lately) and I searched my to-do file until I found what I was looking for. Someplace in Barstow, there is a steakhouse that has ample parking for RVs and allowed overnight parking for its guests. Now this is a double treat. Usually, if there is a great place for dinner, it means leaving the park and then returning and re-parking for the night which can be annoying and dangerous. Our GPS was aware of the IDLE SPURS STEAKHOUSE, and got us there without a hitch. It was a big restaurant, appropriately furnished and much to my delight there were at least 8 cars in the parking lot. It was just before sunset and the view of the valley out the large picture windows was impressive. While Morton’s of Chicago does not have to worry about the competition, Idle Spurs was an enjoyable experience in many ways. The service was friendly, the steak and all the fixings were delicious and Danny was exhibiting his best manners. Much to the dismay of my waitress, I resisted giving Danny any table scraps but I did have a pocket full of milkbones which he really likes.

I passed on dessert, not because I was being sensible but because I couldn’t even finish my dinner.
We chit-chatted with our waitress and some guests and finally summoned the strength to rise. It was so nice to be able to stroll 50 feet to our RV and settle in for the night without having to drive anywhere.

===========================================

100430 - Redlands RV Repair

2010-05-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2010
Redlands Truck and RV Repair
Redlands, California

Back in November of last year, during the” other season” southern Californians call “Not Summer”, the Beast underwent some major surgery on its suspension. We were told that the alignment should be checked after 500 miles and the inspection would be free. (as if I already didn't pay for it). We spent most of out time in the southwestern area and with warmer weather approaching, headed west for out free checkup. Now I am not saying that a mechanical malfunction can be a good thing, but sometimes it can be fortuitous. The night before our mechanic’s appointment, while boondocking at Wal-Mart, the electric generator failed to start. It could not have failed at a more opportune time.

It turned out to be just a cracked fuel line which was easily replaced and inexpensively too I might add.
Redlands RV is hands down a great repair shop and the employees are terrific people. Shane checked out Beast, watched over the work to be done and kept us informed. He hooked us up for an overnight stay so we didn’t have to drive at night and even made sure our windshield was scrubbed clean (it really needed it). Karen made sure we were comfortable during the day and pampered Danny with treats and kept a water bowl filled for him.

100428 - General Patton Memorial

2010-04-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

April 28, 2010
General Patton’s Memorial
Chiraco Summit, California

This small museum is a tribute to a very large and probably one of the most famous war heroes of our country. Right now it is located east of Palm Springs, on Interstate 10, but in 1942 there was no interstate and this was in the center of the Mojave Desert.

In the earliest days of World War II, when this Nation was thrust into the greatest global conflict the world has ever seen, the War Department realized the necessity for troops well trained under harsh conditions to withstand the rigors of battle over rough terrain and in inhospitable climates. Thus, the Desert Training Center, California-Arizona Maneuver Area (DTC-CAMA) was created in 1942. This simulated theater of operation was the largest military training ground in the history of military maneuvers.

Native Californian Major General George Smith Patton, Jr., commander of the I Armored Corps, was responsible for selecting this site in early 1942. As a native of southern California he knew the area well from his youth and from having participated in Army maneuvers here and in the Mojave Desert in the 1930s.
Patton chose the small town of Desert Center, population 19, as his headquarters. At that time the training base was called "Desert Training Center" and had not yet reached it maximum size. Six months later it was given the CAMA name, and by November 1943, The area chosen in the Mojave Desert was ultimately 350 miles wide and 250 miles deep. On 20 June 1942 the War Department acquired the land from the Department of the Interior by Public Land Order No. 1. The area included several sections in Riverside County, ranging from Indio, California to Arizona and from Las Vegas to Yuma. On May 12, 1942, by announcement of General Orders No. 7, the Desert Training Center was named Camp Young. On January 27, 1943, (the day of my birth) by announcement of General Orders No. 8, Camp Young "proper" (3,279.89 acres) became the Headquarters of the Desert Training Center/California-Arizona Maneuver Area (DTC/CAMA). By November 1943 CAMA had enlarged and included Camp Young, Camp Coxcomb, Camp Iron Mountain, Camp Granite, Camp Essex (later renamed Camp Clipper), Camp Ibis, Camp Hyder, Camp Horn, Camp Laguna, Camp Pilot Knob, Camp Bouse and several bombing and artillery ranges.

General Patton, who was independently wealthy, purchased some commercial radio broadcasting equipment with his own funds and set up his own radio station within CAMA. The station broadcasted music and news most of the time except when Patton wanted to address the troops. He kept a microphone at his desk and another by his bed and broke into the programming whenever it suited him.
Patton's I Armored Corps trained here from April to August 1942 and then departed to participate in the invasion of North Africa which occurred in November 1942.

After General Patton was sent to North Africa, the name of the training center was changed to the California-Arizona Maneuver Area (CAMA). Twenty separate divisions consisting of more than one million men trained here. This was the largest Army base in the world covering some 18,000 square miles. It stretched from the outskirts of Pomona, California eastward to within 50 miles of Phoenix, Arizona, southward to the suburbs of Yuma, Arizona and northward into the southern tip of Nevada. It existed primarily to train U.S. forces in desert warfare for the North African campaign.

When the Allied victory came in North Africa, the need for desert-trained units faded and in May 1944, CAMA was closed.

100427 - Green Acres

2010-04-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

April 27,2010
Green Acres
Desert Center, California

Leaving the Colorado River area, we headed east. There is a small museum outside of Palm Springs that we have been meaning to visit but never did, so we looked for campgrounds near by to stay at.

Green Acres is a small mobile home park in an area of the Mojave called Desert Center and it is appropriately named. It is in the middle of nowhere with a population of less than 20 and the main street consists of a post office, a 24 hour diner and a number of adjacent small buildings decorated with signs such as “Closed” or” For Sale”.

While we did not expect to be greeted by Eva Gabor or Mr. Haney, we were happy to meet the owner of the park, Mary. Originally from New Jersey, she came out west like so many others and somehow became the owner of this mobile home park for the past 40: years . In that period, there was a large population due to the large-scale operation at the Alcoa Mine but that was closed in the late 1900’s and the population dwindled. In fact, the town is so small; you have to drive 20 miles to the nearest gas station.

The population of the park is currently about 6 large mobile homes and a few travelers like us in Rvs.
The weather was good and with lots of open space, Danny got to be off leash every day for an exercise period.

One odd thing. Of all the locations we have been at in the past 6 months -big cities, small towns, desolate and remote areas - this is the only site that my Sprint internet connection registered 6 bars, the best reception I have gotten ever - even better than Los Angeles. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would suspect the government has some secret communications installation hidden out here.

We enjoyed our stay here and look forward to retuning in the future, if for no other reason than to see Mary and listen to more of her stories about her past experiences.

100407 Green Valley

2010-04-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2010
Green Valley, Picacho State Park
Colorado River Oasis RV

Ehrenberg, AZ

6 Years ago, when we were rookie Rvers, we were returning from a Mexican Caravan and stayed at a RV park north of the border.
Two couples that were staying there befriended us and taught us how to play MEXICAN TRAIN.
Briefly, it’s a domino game that has nothing to do with Mexico but is lots of fun for groups of 4-6.

One of the couples, Barry and Maureen (New Englanders), had relatives in Green Valley (Buck and Marilyn) who also took a liking to us. Any time we are in the Tucson area, we make it a point to visit them and spend some fun filled evenings playing Mexican Train.

The park we usually stay at was quite busy this season and we were only able to get a week’s reservation, but we made the best of it. The last time I had been there Peter was alive so this was their first opportunity to meet the new guy, Danny. Of course he charmed them with his sad brown eyes and constantly wagging tail. He actually behaved well most of the time and made some new friends.

There is one other couple we tried to visit there that we knew in Los Angeles, but they had a death in the family and had to be away during the time of our visit. Our condolences to Margie and Murray on the loss of her brother and hope to see them the next time we are in the area.

Knowing that Arizona is closing down its parks due to budget problems, we wanted to make sure we got our “desert fix”. Picacho is a great park and we unwound and relaxed for a few days there.

We are now parked along the Colorado River at one of our member parks. The weather is bright and sunny, warm and dry. Danny looks like he wants to jump off the boat launch ramp into the river but if something happened; I wouldn’t be able to help him so I have to keep his leash tight.

Now that the cold weather seems behind us, we have to think about our summer destinations.

The little blue scooter is holding up well, but my knees and general stamina and endurance are not.

Grocery shopping would not be possible without the market’s electric carts, and Danny would get no exercise at all without the aid of Little Blue. I guess the silver lining is that since I exert much less effort by not walking, my cardiac symptoms have been more mild and less often.

I’ve been trying to teach Danny to Dial “9-1-1” in case I have an emergency, but as soon as the operator come on and asked what the emergency is - he tell her to send cookies.

As usual, we are always open to suggestion for places to visit. Just remember that when someone talks about a beautiful scenic drive, you can bet he or she wasn’t doing the driving. As much as we enjoy the southwest in the winter, we never get used to seeing brown grass, green trees and gravel. Forests, lakes, and level roadways are desirable. Gravel, sand and
Muddy trails are the natural enemies of the handicapped with their scooters and walkers.

We usually avoid the road less traveled (like everyone else). There has to be a reason nobody’s on it.

High altitudes and steep mountain passes causes the Beast to breath hard and slow down so we just enjoy the view.

By the way, speaking of being handicapped – we have Sprint as our cell phone and Internet carrier. Sometimes communications can be prehistoric.
A weak signal doesn’t ring and goes right to voicemail and emails can take longer than snail mail to get.

We don’t use MY FACE or YOUR SPACE or TOOTER. I am registered with all of them but have no idea how to use them nor do I want to. Phone calls, voicemail or sometimes an IM is as good as it gets.

Till next time,

100324 - TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA

2010-03-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

March 24 , 2010
Wells Fargo RV
Tombstone, AZ

The sun is starting to shine more brightly and the evening though still cool; do not pose any threats of freezing The Beast or its occupants. With this encouraging thought, we began to thaw out our hibernating ways and shift gears into a more adventures mode, that of a tourist.

Just a few dozen miles south of us is the popular and historic city of Tombstone. This is the town that made Wyatt Earp and his brothers famous and just saying its name congers up thoughts of the old west.

It is a town that has gone thru the entire spectrum from nothing to infamy to decay and back to life again as a thriving community.

After the civil war, the great migration to the western territories and the West coast was massive and unstoppable. Whenever there was news of a gold or silver mine discovery, the hoards of would-be miners and treasure seekers would shift like the wind in the direction of the precious metal.

“Tombstone was perhaps the most renowned of Arizona's old mining camps. When Ed Schieffelin (SHEF·e·lin) came to Camp Huachuca (hwah·CHEW·kuh) with a party of soldiers and left the fort to prospect, his comrades told him that he'd find his tombstone rather than silver. Thus, in 1877 Schieffelin named his first claim the Tombstone, and rumors of rich strikes made a boomtown of the settlement that adopted this name.”
http://www.tombstoneweb.com/history.html

The population at its height was more than ten thousand. Stores and saloons and brothels and hotels and banks were built quickly to replace the temporary miners tents and shacks and the town become so famous that it attracted theatre companies that usually played Denver and San Francisco.

AS with most western towns of that era, there were two things that usually caused fear and destruction – fire and outlaws. Tombstone had its share of both and it survived both.

In 1881, the famous gun fight between the Clanton family and the Earps took place at the famous OK Corral. While it lasted less than a minute, it took a firm and permanent place in the history of our growing nation.

“The citizenry of Tombstone decided rather than depending on a vanishing mining industry, they would focus their time and energy on tourism and restoration. Truly a Historical American Landmark, Tombstone is America's best example of our 1880 western heritage, which is well preserved with original 1880's buildings and artifacts featured in numerous museums.”

We found an RV park that was situated right at the edge of town, and my little blue scooter was going to get a real test of endurance and performance. The “tourist “ area is about 4 square blocks, and has had its buildings and streets well preserved. The sidewalks are actually boardwalks, but at each street corner, the curbs are cut for wheelchairs and scooters and the street itself is blocked off from automobile traffic. Only horses and stagecoaches are allowed.

Of course we attended the re-enactment of the gunfight, toured the historic buildings and feasted on the western grub of buffalo burgers and cowboy portions of beef ribs.
There were souvenir shops, clothing stores and all things western on every block with lots of tempting items but we proudly resisted the urge to buy that Stetson, or mug or T-shirt.

Danny was having a great time being out in the crowds where everyone wanted to pet him or feed him. The only problem he had was controlling his enthusiasm around the horses.

Even if we were inside a store or restaurant, if a horse or stagecoach or horse drawn wagon went by, he got excited and barked. For those of you who have not met him yet, I will tell you he is a big guy with a loud bark. The good news is that this was an excellent opportunity to exercise some behavioral training and within a couple of days, he had learned that barking at horses was wrong. He still barked once or twice but then quickly would sit down by my side and wait for his treat. I was very proud of him. I don’t know if he will behave the next time he sees a horse, but I always keep a handful of treats in my pocket so I'm prepared.

http://www.cityoftombstone.com/

100314 - St David

2010-03-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

MARCH 14, 2010
St David, AZ

Although the weather is still on the cool side, when the sun is out and the wind is nil, it feels pretty warm. we take advantage of these situations and find a nice quiet spot by the lake and split our time into reading or radio listening. Also, There are some families of ducks and geese that have taken up residence at the lakeside for the season and are fun to watch as they waddle and quack thru the campgrounds. I was surprised at how well behaved Danny was around these birds. In fact, he acts as if they are not even around and ignores them, I was very proud and happy that he did not chose to charge them.

Today, we headed for the lake and Danny pulled me towards a large green bush just off the path. This is usually a sign that he wants to water it so I eased up on his leash and steered the scooter towards the bush. Instead of lifting his leg, he poked his nose low and forcefully into the bush and looked like he might be digging for truffles.
All of a sudden, there was a great commotion inside the bush and he was nose to beak with a large goose that apparently had chosen to build a nest and lay her eggs in the bush. Well, the goose was in no mood to put up with a curious dog that was interfering with her nest warming duties and she made it quite clear that he was not welcome. As soon as I got the picture, I yanked Danny away from the area, tied his leash to a picnic table nearby, and went back to the bush to investigate.

The goose had temporarily vacated the area and I could see her nest with about 6 eggs in it. None appeared to be damaged. She quickly retuned when she saw me hovering around and resumed her position on the nest.

I’m sure Danny’s intention was more curiosity than culinary, but he just had another lesson in life.
Don’t mess with Mother Goose.

100227 - Benson, Arizona

2010-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

Feb 27, 2010
Plato Blanco Lakes RV
Benson, AZ

Dear friends,
As I have said so often in the past, the winter season offers very little in the way of entertaining or interesting material. However, I have found from previous experiences that some of you worry about Danny and me if we fail to “check in” from time to time. Feigning concern at this point will be of no value.

After a pleasant stay in Casa Grande, we headed for one of our favorite places in southern Arizona. The Arizona State Park system is going to be closing many of its parks in the near future because of budget cuts. Therefore, we hurried to savor the possible last time in the near future to enjoy these wonderful areas. Picacho State Park is just off the interstate, but once inside, it is a beautiful and scenic desert. Camping among the tall and old cactus plants and small mountains, it is an oasis in an otherwise congested, noisy and commercial world. The other campers and park hosts and rangers are friendly and helpful in both basic assistance and cultural history.
There are modern facilities for bathroom and showering and electricity at each site.
I have to keep Danny on leash because of the many pointy growths around that he is not familiar with or will not have any respect for until he is stuck, and I don’t want to have to be pulling needles and thorns out of his fur all day.

At sunset, the sky is ablaze with color and shadows and after sundown, the area is practically pitch black with the exception of a few distant, diffused lights from parked RVs with their shades drawn. There is no moon currently, but the darkness here is not fearful or threatening as one might feel in a large city. It is almost mystical and soothing, as a protective covering. The silence is also a strange but welcome aspect to the surroundings, especially to a city dweller that has become accustom to the constant drumming and pulsating of constant noise.

We did have some plans to do a little sight seeing as we drove thru Tucson. There is a toy train museum with large layouts of scale models as well as an old movie set where westerns were filmed, and also a space museum. Unfortunately, boon docking (urban camping) is becoming more differcult than previous times. More cities are making ordinances against overnight RV parking at some of our favorite sites such as Wal-Mart and so we were forced to bypass some of our planned stops.

Benson, Arizona is about 40 miles east of Tucson and a popular RV area for snowbirds.
We stayed at Valley Vista RV Park and got a good spot with a great view of the terrain from our patio. One of our neighbors invited us over for a beer and conversation and we spend some time watching the quall and roadrunners play in the desert.
The weather is a bit on the cool side, with nighttime lows in the low 30s and daytime highs about 60+. The 2nd week here, I came down with a bad cold, sneezing, running nose, and joint pains and the weather turned wet for about 3 days. The rain left quickly, but the cold symptoms dragged on for more than a week. I was of course prepared with Nyquil, Drixoral, tea, chicken soup and lots of Kleenex.

We just moved to a nice campground in the area and will stay here a week. Its got a small lake with stocked fish and no license required. I may try it out with my old relievable Pocket Fisherman.

There are also lots of duck and other aquatic wildlife around and Danny doesn’t understand why they don’t want to play with him.

Unfortunately, there are also javelinas in the area that I do not want him to play with.
(http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_javelina.shtml)
These are a species of boar that recently came from South America to the southwest area and became plentiful. They are medium size porkers with sharp tusks and not friendly to man or beast. Their bite has been known to give humans Rabies.

100124 - Welton, AZ

2010-01-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

January 18, 2009
M&M RV Park
Welton, Arizona

We had a week to layover before checking into our Casa Grande RV resort. I scanned the directory and spotted a park named M&M RV Park.

Now I admit it did get our attention but we had no delusions of being greeted by Willie Wonka.

It is located out about 30 miles east of Yuma, off of IS 10 in a small town called Welton, and I do mean small. How small? .. well 3rd street is the suburbs.

After we were settled in our space, it was a little more clear why it was called M&M.
Every roadway is named M Street, M Ave, M Lane, M Drive, etc.

The dog run is a dirt road that runs along side the railroad tracks. Oh, about the railroad tracks … they are active.

You know how some people like to go to live by the ocean because they like the sound of the waves and birds, ,,, well if you like trains, this is a great location.
Unfortunately, the activity extends into the night as well. When I mentioned the late night trains, Joe told me that they just recently had a victory by getting the trains to NOT blow their horns or whistles at night. Surprisingly, after a few nights, it doesn’t seem as loud.

Around the corner, on old highway 80, “Main Street”, are a few stores within scooter range. A Chinese restaurant, a breakfast café and a pet groomer. I suggested to Danny that he could use a bath and he gave me a dirty look. It took a day or two for him to finally agree to going to the groomers. On Monday we entered the shop and there were two groomers hard at work and about 6 dogs in holding cages.
The receptionist told us that they were very busy and would not be able to schedule us for a week. We were leaving in 3 days. I don’t know if that look on Danny’s face was disappointment or relief, but I was surprised that there were that many animals owners who groomed their pets. This looked like the kind of town where there were more strays than pets. Anyway, we accepted the rejection and left quietly.

The rest of the week was quiet (between trains) but not dry. The storm that started in Los Angeles traveled east to us and while it might have lost some of its intensity, it certainly maintained its longevity. Being housebound affects people and dogs differently.
To start with, I have an indoor bathroom and Danny’s is outside.
Praying for breaks in the rain was not as effective as I hoped it would be. Neither one of us prolonged our “poop walks” any longer than necessary. Next there is the matter of entertainment. I have a computer and DVDs to watch and books to read. Danny just has a window to look out of. I have to tell you that he was remarkably well mannered and easy to live with, despite his apparent boredom.

Thursday January 23, 2010

Given the option, I would have planned today differently. Unfortunately, we have reservations for a park in Casa Grande that we have to keep and that is about 200 miles east – south of Phoenix.

The morning started with a steady rain and strong winds as we unhooked our shore lines. On the highway, the cross winds made driving a physical challenge. With one hand on the speed/brake control and the other on the steering wheel knob, I could have used a third hand. I have learned that it’s very dangerous to use cruise control on wet surfaces. Danny must have sensed the hazardous travel because he went to the rear of the RV and spent most of the trip on my bed.

We seemed to outrun the rain at one point but the winds were relentless. On the radio, strong wind warnings were announced along with blowing dust storms. I figured that with all this rain, there couldn’t be any dry dust or sand left but I was wrong again. About 30 miles to go to our destination, I got a sample of blowing dust. It filled the road like a fog and turned our visibility to just a few feet. For the next hour we would hit sections of clear highway and then suddenly go blind for the next couple of miles.

Once inside city limits, I could see the strength of the wind and was in awe. Overhead street lights and signals were dancing around like kites. Street signs on metal poles were flapping in the breeze like birds ready for flight and the poles were bending like catapults about to launch their signs.

Luckily, the rain had stopped long enough for us to register at the park and attach our lines and hoses, but soon after, it began again in earnest. I noticed on the activities schedule that tonight was Texas Hold’em poker night but this was one game I would have to pass on. I was not about to add wet to the list of tired and hungry.

100106 - Broken Walker

2010-01-06T18:11:00.001-08:00

January 6th, 2010
Pilot Knob RVR
Winterhaven, California

Traveling on the road in an RV has its rewards and enjoyment, but there are also problems unique to this kind of travel.

When things break or stop working, finding a place to get them fixed can be a challenge.

My new rolling walker is really a great piece of equipment and as you can expect, a very necessary item to get around.

As with many mobility assist devices, there are simple methods to adjust the height - simple little silver buttons to push on so that the length of the legs can be altered. Did i say simple? Ordinarily yes ... just push in the button, slide the leg up or down till it clicks into the next hole and bingo, its done.

Unfortunately, after i pushed in the little silver button on one of the legs, it did not pop out. I have no idea where it went but i know where it wasn't and that meant that the leg would not lock in place.

I am currently in Winterhaven, California at an RV park that is remotely located about 12 miles west of Yuma, Arizona.
Fortunately, the product is made by Invacare. This is a company i have had very satisfactory results with customer service issues in the past.

I went to their website and there i was able to look up where their nearest dealer or service center would be located.
According to their info, El Centro, California ... 47 miles away in the wrong direction of my travel was the closest and going east, there was no dealer or service center within 100 miles.

I searched thru the web site for a link to customer service or explain my problem and request assistance but there was none.
Ther website had many categories, so i explored them and found one that was helpful. It was a list of the board of directors of the company and next to the bio of the C.E.O was an email address.

I quickly sent him an explanation of my problem with an apology for having to bother him. The next day i received a phone call from Ken in technical services who was very concerned and discussed the problem with me.He was calling from Elyia, Ohio,where the company is based. We decided that even if he could send me a replacement part, i would not be able to install it myself so he transferred me to customer service. Within 15 minutes, Sarah had assessed the problem and executed a replacement order.She had to search various inventories and found one in Dallas, Texas. I was told that a new unit would be delivered to my RV park by express shipping and should be delivered within 2 days.

This is a company that not only makes a great product, but also knows how to give great customer service. I highly recommend them for your medical equipment needs.

091228 - Yuma, Arizona

2009-12-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

December 28, 2009
Country Club MHP
Yuma, Arizona

The past 2 weeks in Indio was mostly uneventful with a few memorable experiences. Our new friends from Canada, Alan and Mary, who were Danny’s favorite people in Desert Hot Springs, also stayed at our Indio Park so we had many days together.

My luck at the weekly Poker game was not working, but the next evening at dinner I won the raffle which turned out to be a large gift basket filled with a dozen different beers of the world and a whole lot of munchies like peanuts, chips, jerky and the like.

One of our next door neighbors were not new to RVing but recently became full timers. Larry is a retired school teacher. His wife Chris was partially disabled from many accidents and medical problems but was very positive and surprisingly active. One evening they invited us over for a steak dinner. Unfortunately, the weather had become cold early, and had to move the dinner to inside their fifth wheeler and Danny was too big to fit. I save him a piece.

I have wanted to buy a newer Internet connection card from Sprint because my old card does not fit in my newer laptop. Sprint wanted $200 for the USB device unless I chose to change my contract to a poorer version. My current plan has unlimited data downloads. While browsing EBAY, I found the device for $10.49 Plus $10 postage. I just had Sprint activate it (for free) and it’s working fine.
What a deal.
Again, I shouldn’t complain that the weather in Yuma is actually cooler than it was in Palm Springs after seeing the snow in the rest of the country but it’s all relative.

We traveled the day before Christmas and were worried about being able to shop at Wal-Mart, but with great surprise there was not much of a crowd.
Christmas day here in Yuma the Park had a potluck dinner that we were invited to without having to do any cooking. Danny and I had a delicious dinner with 85 of our newest friends.

Tom and Mary befriended Peter and me on our Mexico caravan 6 years ago and we have maintained contact. They happened to be in Yuma the same week as us.

They picked us up and we went to the movies (Up In The AIR) and then had a casual diner afterwards. We caught up on the basics and discussed what RVers always talk about when they get together. It was a great day.

We will be leaving here on the 31st going a short distance to Winterhaven, California. I don’t know but assume they will have some kind of New Year’s eve party.

Till next time,

091205 - Tammy & Kurt

2009-12-06T23:30:00.000-08:00

091205 - La Quinta, CA

2009-12-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

Dec 5, 2009
Lake Cahuilla
La Quinta, California

Most of the modern world keeps track of time with clocks and calendars.
For people like us, there are much superior and more reliable methods like the moon and stars, the sun and the seasons.

It is hard to believe that we have been on the road for more than a year already. It seems like Peter and I were just saying goodbye a little while ago and now it is the winter season again and a young new highway guy, Danny, has taken the place of his late predecessor.

With only a few unpleasant incidences and moments of peril, we successfully circumnavigated the western states, visiting old friends, making new ones and seeing some new sights.

The beast and its owner are a little the worse for wear, but maintain a good attitude and with the aid of some good mechanics and doctors, we will continue on our travels.

We recently made a much-needed pit stop for repairs. The engine-overheating problem was accurately diagnosed by Redlands Truck and RV Center as a faulty fan clutch. I didn’t know I had one and now I know they cost $600 to replace. We also had the suspension beefed up with new springs, tires and a much needed alignment. This should keep us safely on the road for a long time.

We had a delicious thanksgiving dinner with 100 of our newest friends in Desert Hot Springs at one of our member RV resorts.
The weather was warm and sunny as we dined around the pool area. Danny was on his best behavior and was rewarded with a bowl full of turkey hand delivered by the cook.

We have some wonderful neighbors who are very helpful and friendly. Some travelers I had met least year at another place have become frequent dog walkers for Danny. My new little blue scooter is working fine and giving Danny some much needed exercise.

A few days ago we had a visit from my nephew Kurt and his fiancée Tammy. The weather was warm and sunny and we spent the day togrther as Danny worked his magic.

Being a former New Yorker, I always feel strange commenting about winter in Southern California. We never worry about blizzards and subzero weather and seeing snow is an option we chose to avoid. For my friends in the northwest, midwest and east coast, I feel your pain. I love to visit your areas, but I am seasonally selective, and winter is the big No-No.

Our plans for the winter usually keep us south of Interstate 10 in the southwestern portions of California and Arizona. Even so, we still have to be alert to weather changes that drop the temperature below freezing some times. Both beasts (big and little) and myself are sensitive to temperatures below 32 and none of us want our pipes to freeze, which can be painful and costly.

As we will be in a sort of partial hibernation for the season, excitement and sightseeing will be at a minimum therefore our travel reports will probably be infrequent and maybe even a bit mundane till spring thaw. I apologize in advance.

We will probably be in or near the following areas in the next few months:
Palm Springs, Yuma, Casa Grande, Tucson, Benson, Green Valley and points in-between. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding these areas, feel free to write to us.

091020 - California North Coast

2009-10-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2009
Sleepy Hollow RVP
Willits, California

We spent as much time as we could on the Pacific coast to enjoy the scenery and weather. A week at Kamp Klamath on the Klamath River was pleasant and fun. Not many campers was good for Danny because I could leave him off leash and let him run and explore the area. He managed to stay out of trouble most of the time although when he doesn’t respond to my calling or the whistle I get nervous and worried.

The next week we spent in the Emerald Forest, which was really the Redwoods National Park. It was really beautiful among these old giant trees, except when it rained. I haven’t been able to train Danny to wipe his feet when it’s muddy outside or not to shake himself dry when we walk in the rain.

We drive with a bit of anxiety, because although our radiator problem was fixed, the engine tends to overheat when we hit an inclined road. By downshifting and slowing down, we keep the needle out of the red zone and fortunately we have not hit any grade that has been too steep or too long. At least we aren’t leaking anymore.

Sleepy Hollow RVP is not as picturesque as you might want to imagine, but it’s just an overnight stop at a good rate. No cable or WIFI and our phone signal is zero so it will be early to bed and early to rise.

090930 - Crescent City, California

2009-10-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

September 30, 2009
Crescent City, California

Crescent city is a small. Sleepy town just south of the California-Oregon boarder and other then stopping to shop at a Wal-Mart, we had no intention of spending any time there.

As we left the town heading south, about 4-1/2 miles later, the engine started losing power on an inclined road and I spotted the temperature gauge in the red zone. I didn’t see any smoke or steam, but just ahead was a cutout in the road so I pulled off for an inspection.

Once the hood was open, the problem was obvious but unusual. The coolant reservoir (overflow tank) had sprung a leak and loosing radiator coolant fast and hot. With a large crack in the front of the plastic case and I suspect another on the bottom, I guessed that the radiator was running dry and not safe to drive.

I knew immediately that I was going to need a tow truck. Fortunately, I have a good insurance policy that includes RV towing so that was not my first concern,

As I have mentioned frequently in the past, the coastline is not the best area for Sprint cell phone reception and I feared the worst. Calling for a tow would be the challenge.
Inside the beast I had a NO SIGNAL display. Outside, I walked a little north then a little south of the Beast, and to my surprise, a signal appeared … weak but useful. I quickly made my call, giving out my location and status and the roadside assistance operator told me she would locate a tow service and send them out. Right after that, my phone lost the signal. In my years of being disabled, I have learned to be patient and positive and this was a good opportunity to display these qualities. About an hour later (about 4 PM), a big yellow tow truck appeared.
He took us to George’s RV repair in Crescent City, but as we approached, George was standing outside waving us off like a bad landing on an aircraft carrier. He had 2 mechanics sick and would not be about to schedule any repairs. Mike, our tow driver rerouted us to Marty’s Repair shop just as he was closing up. Marty was not very optimistic about fitting me into his schedule either but he said he would do what he could.
With the Beast parked along side the shop, Danny and I walked around and then settled in for the night.

The next day, Brad inspected the engine and radiator, ran some tests and found another leaky hose. After 3 hours, the leaky hose and reservoir container were replaced and we were road-worthy again.

It was now getting late in the afternoon and I decided to go back to Wal-Mart and boondock for the night and travel tomorrow.

I decided to do a little more shopping while I was there (they have electric shopping scooters) and when I came back to the Beast I noticed something dripping on the ground. From the hose connection on the reservoir container, there was a slow but steady dripping ( 3 drops a minute). Quick calculations told me that would be 180/hour and in 10 hours 1,800 drops. It was too late to go back to Marty’s so we settled in for the night again. The next morning, the once full container was almost empty.

Fortunately, Brad made a quick adjustment to the clamp and the dripping stopped.

Just another “topes” in the road of life.

P.S. In Mexico, topes is a speed bump

090927 - Smith River, Oregon

2009-09-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

September 27, 2009
Salmon Harbor
Smith River, California

While at Harris beach, we had an interesting discussion about weather patterns along the Pacific coastline with one of the park volunteers.
He surprised me with the term “Banana Belt” which referred to the area being warm and sunny. He explained that off the coast of northern California and southern Oregon, the air and water currents produce a warming effect in the fall season.

With this new information, we decided that there was no rush to leave the area so we’ll mosey along the coast instead of our prior plans of running to escape any cold weather.

We spent a very uneventful but totally wonderful week in Smith River at a park on the coast with a gorgeous view of the pacific. As we read and sunned ourselves, we could watch fishermen on the shore and in small motorboats hoping for a nibble on their bait.

There was no shortage of people to talk to and Danny could count on lots of attention and petting. Most of the conversations were casual and travel related but there was one that I did not expect to ever have.

A young man (looking about in his late 30’s) struck up a conversation one day about his plans to learn how to fish. It seems that his parents live at this mobile home park as permanent residents. His father recently died and he came from Alabama to live with and help take care of his mom. His dad had lots of fishing gear so he was going to learn how to use it but he claimed not to have a fondness’ for the taste of fish.
He claimed to have grown up in a small cabin in the backwoods of Alabama and was raised on a diet of local animals that he had shot or caught himself.
Sounding like he was the star of a local TV cooking show, he proceeded to describe in detail the preparation of various animals from the hunting to cooking stages and then commenting on their taste and texture. He covered the range from raccoons to possum to rabbit, dear, squirrel and various birds.

I sure hope he develops a taste for fish, just for the local wildlife’s sake.

090922 - Racquet of Death

2009-09-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

Racquet of Death

Every campsite or region has their own variety of bugs and things that are placed on Earth to teach us that man is not as all powerful and in control of as he would like to think. Mother nature has her favorite “pets” that she likes to tease us with and remind us that size doesn’t mattter when it comes to invaders and the home team.

I like to refer to them as “The Insect De Jour”.

We have dealt with ants, spiders, noseeums, bees, hornets, wasps, cockaroaches, fleas, moths and mesquitos – especially the Texas type that are so large they should have numbers on their wings…. but the most common and to me the most bothersome is the fly. I have heard them called houseflies, horseflies, blueflies, shoflies and some other unpleasaant names, but other than size, they all look alike to me. I beleve they have a very short life cycle, but one day is too long for my liking.

. It doesn’t matter if the windows are closed or the screens are in, they manage to infiltrate the Beast and buzz around us at the most inappropriate times in the most inappropriate places.

Years ago I bought one of those battery operated fly swatters – the kind that looks like a small yellow tennis racquet and sends an electrical charge to anything that touches it. Sounds great except for a few points that were not mentioned in the advertisement. First, you have to actually hit the damn fly with the racquet. Of course, you don’t want to hit it when it is sitting on anything valuable or breakable like the TV, computer, glass or plastic items, Danny or myself. Next, you have to keep two buttons on the handle pushed for the circuit to be active at which time a small red light glows. Thirdly, touching the grid when the red light is on will deliver one hell of a shock – and I’m not talking about the sissy kind when you rub your foot on the carpet type shock.

To date, I can report that I have never been able to hit a fly “on the fly’ and kill it. The only success I have had was frying a spider as he descended from the ceiling and a few moths who were definitely slower and I guess dumber than flies. They tend to hang around light fixtures and make easier targets. A mosquito or two and many moths has been cooked in flight, but those damn flies either have better radar or superior aerodynamic skills than their fellow aviators, because they are the most elusive.

Good old hanging flypaper has come to the rescue when I get desperate and overwhelmed. If anyone has any good suggestions for getting rid of flies – please advise – I can’t keep the door closed because Danny likes to go in and out frequently.

090917 - Harris Beach State Park - Oregon

2009-09-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

September 17, 2009
Harris Beach State Park
Brookings, Oregon

We have booked an 8-day stay here so the sites around us get new campers every couple of days.

Yesterday, while walking Danny, our new neighbor commented on how handsome Danny was.

A few minutes later, while we were relaxing at the picnic table on our site, our neighbor came over to as if he could pet Danny. Before I could answer, Danny was at his side begging for attention.

He was currently from Vancouver, but originally from Ontario with large family roots in New York City. Many of which were Irish policemen. He did have a pleasant bough.

He and his wife Alex were traveling the coast but were a bit sad that they could not take their 2 large German Shepard dogs with them. He then asked if he could take Danny over to his site to meet his wife because they so loved dogs and missed their own. Danny was in 7th heaven getting so much attention. We all had a lovely chat about travel and dogs.

This morning I was going to stop by their RV and leave a note but when I looked out my bedroom window, their space was empty. Later, when I took Danny out for a walk, I spotted a piece of paper on the ground and to my surprise it was a note from Alex expressing how much she enjoyed meeting us and wanted us to keep in touch by email.
She apparently did not know we have a blog but she will soon.It is days like these that make life so enjoyable.

090914 - Lifeboat Station Museum pix

2009-09-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

090914 - Lifeboat Station Museum

2009-09-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

Lifeboat station Museum on Oregon Coast

Today we visited the site of a monument to the brave men of a lifeboat station on Oregon’s treacherous and dangerous coast. These men, like firefighters, rushed into danger to save lives of people they didn’t know, at the risk of their own.

From a high tower, 24 hours a day, they scanned the ocean’s coastline for ships in distress from rough seas, bad weather and hidden sand bars and other threatening dangers.

when necessary, they fought the waves to reach ships and survivors thrown overboard.
They used small, specially built boats, that were self-bailing and self-righting, but by no means did that make them safe to use.

in some cases, they would shoot a rope line to a floundering ship from a specially built cannon on shore. With the line affixed to their mast, a transfer sling could retrieve sailors from the ship to shore.

During World War 2, these stations did double duty by watching for enemy aircraft and submarines off shore.

One famous incident involved the Japanese Submarine I-25. This sub was specially constructed to house a seaplane in a water tight hanger compartment under the forward section of the boat which was used for surveillance.

This sub was spotted several times off the Pacific coast but never intercepted.
Stations like these were discontinued with the advent of aircraft and helicopter rescue equipment development in the latter part of the 20th century, however, the bravery and dedication of these special, fearless men who rescued thousands of people from death at sea will long be remembered and thanked for their efforts.

090923-Cape Blanco SP, Oregon

2009-09-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2009
Cape Blanco State Park, Oregon

As soon as the Labor Day holiday weekend ended, Mother Nature changed the rainy weather to warm and sunny;. Some sense of humor she has, huh?

Oregon has one of the best state park systems for RV travelers and we love to take advantage of it. The parks are clean, with well paved roads and RV pads with grassy and tree lined sites with not a piece of gravel to be seen.. Living in a beautiful green forest is a great way to spend the time if you can. The park supplies the electricity and water for $`16 a day and there is a dump station to empty our tanks.

Even after Labor Day, there are lots of people camping, and many of them have dogs. Danny gets to meet new friends all the time and sometimes I just accidentally let go of his leash and let him run around for exercise.

The Oregon coastline is such a joy to experience with its pristine atmosphere. It’s so clean and clear that cell phone and web signals are also absent. At least as far as Sprint is concerned. I have noticed someone talking on their cell phone one day but did not ask them who their carrier was – I knew it wasn’t Sprint.

Our campground is located on a cape of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, high on a cliff. It is appropriately named Cape Blanco (Land protruding into ocean with nothing around it … Blank) It sounds like a great place to build a lighthouse, so they did … back in the late 1800s and it is still standing today. The view from the base of the lighthouse is majestic – did not have the ability to climb the hundreds of steps up to the lighthouse lamp. No handicap elevator.

Unfortunately, the lighthouse does not have a cell phone tower, and so we get no bars on our phone or wireless connection card.
However, like every law of science, there are exceptions and modifications. Just like we thought there was no gravity in space – lo and behold – they discover there is micro gravity – not enough to keep your pants from falling down, but just enough to disprove the absence of.
So, while there may seem to be no signal to receive, every once in a while, I will get a symbol on the screen showing some kind of activity but not enough to use. A couple of times this week I have gotten a message on my screen that I have a new voice mail, but there is no way for me to use my phone to find out what it is. One day, while sitting around reading, one of my phones (I have 2 with 2 different numbers for back up) vibrated and my Treo smart phone had a string of emails that I could read but could not respond to. I noticed that there was the hint of a bar on the screen so I attempted to make a phone call and of course the person I called was not home and I got their answering machine and then the bar was gone again like the breeze that carried it.

090908 - Bandon, Oregon

2009-09-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

September 8th, 2009
Bandon, Oregon

Bandon in one of those little seaside communities you want to stop at to just walk around and enjoy the moment. It boasts having the smallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast, standing just 40feet tall at the mouth of the bay.
“Old Town” is just a couple of blocks along the water’s edge with small local restaurants and shops selling everything from bait to clothing to fudge. It is completely devoid of any recognizable chain or national fast food place.
Unfortunately Mother Nature was unaware that this was the Labor Day weekend and shed rain on and off for most of the long weekend. While it dampen our spirits a bit, on the good side, it kept many tourists away and so there were no crowds to contend with.

There is a lot of road construction going on – I guess it’s being paid for by some stimulus package – and that means lane closures with those pesky orange lane dividers to redirect traffic Sometimes they make lanes a little too snug for RVs and I “tapped one”.
When I got a chance to examine the point of impact, I had a right rear wheel fender flapping in the wind. It Is really more cosmetic than functional; a skirt of fiberglass tacked to the fiberglass body with a few pop rivets. Unfortunately, driving and flapping are not a good combination and if not repaired would probably fall off.
I asked Mike, the park manager if he could take a look at the damage for me and after a quick inspection, he disappeared and then reappeared with a handful of tools. In about 15 minutes he had stabilized the fender with a new pop-rivet and secured a metal brace to the frame. When I tried to pay him for the work he refused.
Another name to add to my thank you Christmas list.

090903 - Lakeside, Oregon

2009-09-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

September 3rd, 2009
Osprey Point RV Resort
Lakeside, Oregon
Having never been to this membership RV Resort, we are always apprehensive and start with low expectations to avoid great disappointment. Unfortunately, there was no reason to be pessimistic. The campground has smoothly paved roads with green grassy sites for Danny to sunbathe on. The sites were pull thru which avoided the treacherous backing in maneuver, and had hooks ups that were easy to use.
A very handicap accessible bathhouse and modern laundry facility made me quite happy.
A final touch was the Pizza Pub, which was a small chicken and pizza restaurant with a liquor license and a comfortable patio facing the lake. Pizza and Beer on the deck facing the lake and small marina is a great way to spend an afternoon and there is always someone around to talk to.

There were lots of dogs for Danny to bark at and make fiends with, especially Larry, a miniature Australian sheep dog. His owner was a lovely older woman, Karin, Swedish, born and lived in the area for many years with her husband Gene. Karin was a retired nurse, and loved to talk and tell stories about her experiences. Gene was a retired truck driver who also could tell some great stories and appeared to be lucky to have a wife who was skilled in nursing care. They currently live in Redding, California and love to visit this area in their trailer.
The morning we left, I found an envelope addressed to Steve and Danny with a note inside from Karin and Gene telling us how they enjoyed meeting us and wishing us safe travels.

090903-Osprey Point, Oregon

2009-09-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2009
Osprey Point RVR

Now that’s the way to travel with your toys.

090828 - The Oregon Coast Highway

2009-08-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 28, 2009
THE OREGON COAST HIGHWAY

When traveling thru the northwest, one area we look forward to seeing is the Oregon Coast Highway.

My usual response to someone who tells me about a scenic roadway is “I’ll bet you weren’t driving.”

Most of the time, scenic roads are winding, narrow, strenuous and stressful to drive and the driver has all he can do to keep the vehicle on the road and his passengers safe. He rarely has the opportunity to turn his head to enjoy the view.

There are a couple of exceptions to this rule and I can think of 2. One is the Cascade Highway across northern Washington and the Oregon Coast Highway.

On a clear, crisp summer day, you can see breathtaking views as you drive around turns in roads cut into the cliffs over looking the Pacific and look down miles of a beautiful beach lined coast.

Other times we are winding thru national park forests that spread to the ocean with lush foliage and century old trees.

Then there are the small towns and harbors that dot the coast with their unique curio shops, diners and restaurants that you want to stop at just to get the flavor and scent of the area. Places like Nehalem, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Cannon Beach, Depoe Bay and Newport.

Unfortunately, today was an overcast and mostly rainy day and it sort of put a small damper on the ride down the coast. From Fort Stevens to our destination of Lakeside is a 220-mile trip, which I miscalculated because I forgot about all the twisted and winding roads thru the forests and small towns which posted speed limits as low as 25 miles in some parts and 35 MPH in many others. When you are driving thru small towns with a California license, it is prudent to match your speed to the posted limits to prevent delays and donations to the local police. Well, the 3-hour trip we calculated actually took almost 6 hours but despite the fog and rain, it still was worth the ride.

As unhappy as I was with the poor weather, I had to feel compassion for the many cyclists that we passed on the highway with their camping gear packs, windbreakers and weatherproof hoods as they peddled on thru the rain.

090826 - GIG HARBOR, WASHINGTON

2009-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 21, 2009
Gig Harbor, Washington

Gig harbor is a beautiful and quaint suburb of Tacoma. The Gig Harbor RV Park is only about 2-1/2 miles from Mort and Nancy’s home, which was very convenient.

Now I’ve been greeted by lots of different kinds of people when arriving at a new park, but today was a first. As I was hooking up the Beast to it’s lifelines, a women with a briefcase (containing a laptop computer) approached me and announced that my site had been selected for a State Census interview. It would take about 30 minutes.
The fact that I had arrived only 20 minutes prior and was not a resident of the State of Washington made no difference. She was pleasant and admitted new to the job and since I had some free time, I consented to the drill. As it progressed, we both were amazed at the silliness of the survey, but we plodded on. Questions such as “how long have you lived here?”: “how many stories is your house?”, . “How large is your property?”; “ what is the annual tax on the property?”. Linda, the census taker, laughed out loud at some of the questions which she answered without telling me what they were and when we were finished I asked her if she was paid by the hour or piece work. Fortunately, it was by the hour. Another example of our hard earned tax dollars at work for a valuable service.I wonder what the results of this interview will have on the overall findings. One can only guess.

Before Linda moved on, my friend Mort drove up and when I told him what was going on, he insisted that a photograph should be taken to commemorate the event.

Just think, had I arrived one hour later I could have missed this opportunity to participate in this important government project.

Mort and I served our surgical residencies together in San Francisco in the late 60’s. It was a great time to be single, male and straight. I was, Mort was married. One of our duties was to take night call and sleep at the hospital (about once a week). Mort’s wife (at the time) frowned on this policy, so I often took his night call so he could sleep at home. Being single it was not much of a problem, unless some sleep robbing emergency occurred, but it did save me a drive into work in the morning

Mort gave us a little guided tour of the area as we drove to his house. It was situated high on the bank of the bay with a breathtaking view of Mount Rainer from his deck.
Danny was quickly introduced to Egan, their 5-year-old white lab, and the two of them ran and played like synchronized swimmers. Nancy exclaimed that Egan was acting like a young pup trying to keep up with Danny.
Mort barbequed some great steaks and we had a wonderful dinner on the deck and reminisced.

Tuesday
Struck up a conversation with our RV neighbors and low and behold Ed grew up in the same area of Los Angeles we are from. HE and his wife now live in Oregon but we had a fun time talking about travel and the things we had in common.

Mort took us and his friend Eric to lunch at Duke’s, a Dockside restaurant on the harbor with a reputation for good food and delicious chowder. I agreed on both counts.

Wednesday
We started out with breakfast at a classic 60’s diner and I had one of the best Spanish omelets I ever tasted. Danny enjoyed his bowl of water.
We spent the rest of the day at the Naval Undersea Museum. Lots of interesting exhibits and Danny and I got to drive a submarine and sink a few ships. I hope they weren’t ours.

Thursday
It wasn’t the Mariner’s but it was close. Mort scored some tickets to a triple A baseball game and the four of us had a good old boys night out (Eric and Jim completed the quartet). We were rooting for the Raineers (the home team) against the Omaha Royals but to no avail. There was no joy in Mudville tonight, but we had a great time nevertheless.

Friday
Mort and Nancy belong Temple Beth El of Tacoma and invited us to join them for Friday night services. Since I had not attended services since leaving Los Angeles I welcomed the opportunity.
This was to be Danny’s first religious experience. The building and synagogue appeared relatively new and modern. The services were reformed and enjoyable with a very talented female cantor. It was a great evening and Danny behaved well enough to be proud of him, he was very quiet and relaxed.

This was our last time together so we said our thank you's and goodbyes and will keep warm memories of this portion of our travels.

090815 - TWINS

2009-08-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

August 15,2009 -Twins

At one rest area, when we opened the door after an afternoon nap, I thought I was looking into a mirror. 10 feet away from us was an almost twin of the Beast, down to the color and shape.
On closer inspection, there were small differences, but they were lost in the overall similarities.

Unfortunately, the occupants did not come out and I did not want to disturb them in case they had pulled in to rest or nap. By the morning they were gone.

090810 - Port Angeles, Washington

2009-08-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

August 10, 2009 - Port Angeles

My old friend Bob had recently moved up here and although I gave him fair warning that we was coming, he stayed anyway. With a couple of RV parks to chose from we went with the more expensive KOA. This park has large and grassy pull-thru sites, which really appealed to Danny. The free cable TV hook-up and WIFI sealed the deal for me.

Our campsite neighbors (Ken and Sherry) have 2 dogs just like Danny – one a 2-year-old white Lab and the other a senior yellow lab.We let them off leash and Danny and Buster (the 2 year old) ran and played for about a half hour until they seemed to tire. The older dog, Cody, although slowed down with arthritis and age, tried to get in on the activities and wagged his tail with delight. Danny seemed to enjoy his newfound friends and playmates and I’m sure he will get to play with them again.

Bob and Robin moved up to this area a couple of years ago, fleeing the hustle and crush of Los Angeles.

We spent a day at their home, which is on a bluff overlooking the Straits of Juan De Fuca. Unfortunately, the weather was quite foggy and so the view was obliterated.

Robin took an instant liking to Danny but Bob, being a cat person and having a fear of dogs, especially big ones, would be a challenge. It only took 2 days to get Bob to actually let Danny nuzzle him and be petted. I was prepared to use hypnosis on him to help him over his fear of dogs but Danny did it without my assistance.

Getting to see old friends is one of the real perks of travel and this portion of our trip was certainly worth it. Unfortunately, Danny and I have lots of time but others usually have a life and work to occupy their time, so after a short visit we had to bid farewell.

Just before Peter had died, I had ordered a refill of his medication for his arthritis and joint pain, and it was delivered after his death. It was non-returnable so I just packed it away till I decided what to do with it. When I saw Cody limping and struggling to play with the younger dogs I dug out the medication and donated it to the 12 year old. I hope it makes his remaining time more comfortable.

090803-PORT TOWNSEND, Washington

2009-08-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

MONDAY AUGUST 3, 2009
PORT TOWNSEND, Washington

Leaving our interstate rest area, we head south to our next destination.

There are 2 routes to choose from. One is by interstate, which is longer but faster, and the other is the scenic route. This time we could not resist the countryside.

In this case, that includes the picturesque islands and harbors of the Straits of Juan De Fuca and Puget Sound. Most roads are 2 lane (one each way) thru colorful and quaint areas like Oak Harbor, Deception Pass, Orcas Island, Friday Harbor, Anacortes, Fidalgo island and Keystone Spit, so the speed limits are low but it gives us time to enjoy the view.

There is a considerable amount of fog rolling in and especially over bridges. We have to be extra careful since many people walk and cycle along the roadside. In some cases the fog is so thick we have to slow to a crawl just to err on the side of caution.

When we are only a mile away from our destination, we reach the ferry site where we’ll have to wait about an hour for the next boat to take us the rest of the way.
Hearing the foghorn and watching the ferry emerge from the fog like a ghost ship is an breath-taking sight and all of the waiting cars, RVs, motorcycles and foot passengers cheer when it comes into view.

The ferry ride is smooth and pleasant and lasts about 30 minutes. We try to track our watery route with our GPS but either the fog or the lack of land seems to confuse it although it does tell us the boat’s speed is 17 MPH. Our destination RV park is close by at the harbor and our site has a nice view of the water.

The weather has certainly gone thru a change since last week when we were in a 95-degree heat wave. Here it’s in the high 60s with overcast skies. The weather is a good backdrop to the area which is a small harbor town hosting a marina filled with sailing ships, one of which is name BLACK BEARD and flies the black Jolly Roger flag depicting the classic skull and crossbones.

This is one of the few RV parks with gravel that I really love and would return to anytime.

090802 - The Washington Interstate

2009-08-02T17:44:00.000-07:00

Washington Interstate 5 rest area
August 2nd, 2009

Just another example of good plans gone wrong.

After leaving the supreme hospitality of Joe and Penelope, our plan was to spend a week at a bayside member campground before heading south.
When making the reservations I was told that the campground wouldn’t be available right away so I made reservations at PLAN B for a couple of days. Then I find out my weeklong reservation will be further cut down because it is a major holiday weekend. Now I have to tell you, I check the calendar pretty carefully for holidays since I was almost stranded for lapse of awareness so I quickly responded with “what holiday?” and was told it was some Canadian celebration. I asked if the campground was really in the United States but my query seemed to fall on deaf ears. We accepted the short reservation but as it turned out, became a blessing in disguise.

When we got to the front gate I was told to find a campsite and then come back to tell them which I had selected. This was a new concept to us and not very comfortable. To start with, it was a large campground with a couple of hundred sites spread out over a large area, and a lot of gravel roadways. I told them I was handicapped and would not able to walk back to the main gate to report my selection but I was waved on so I decided to survey the area. The handicapped spaces were filled and I couldn’t find any sites that were convenient so I drove back to the front gate to ask for assistance.
They quickly dispelled the notion that the management and staff are happy and wiling to be of service in ay way we can.

I was given a few suggestions as to where to look and told that there was no one available to assist me in backing in or recording my site number and reporting it.

I finally found a spot that would allow Danny some roaming room (most sites were side-by-side) but gravel everywhere. We settled in, turned on the air conditioner (it was really getting hot – in the 90s) and took a nap. I never went back to report my selection. We spent 4 days there, struggling with the gravel (the natural enemy of the disabled) and when we left a feeling of relief and joy came over me.

We spent the next 4 days at an interstate rest area. It was much more comfortable than the last campground. Our stay there reminded me of the movie “TERMINAL” with Tom Hanks, where he is confined to an airport lobby.

Danny and I would sit out by the picnic tables and watch the trucks and RVs and buses and cars and their occupants come and go, as we remained the only constant residents. Many of the people would stop and talk to us, of course wanting to meet and pet Danny. Some would engage in interesting conversations. Many Rvers stopped for a break and one or two would spend the night. The truck drivers were friendly and offered greeting both verbally and with hand signals. Some tour buses would stop for bathroom breaks and the tourists would exit speedily and then shuffle back to the bus for reloading. One carload of people even got out, spread out their prayer rugs and prayed to Allah in the parking area.
Danny got to meet a few new doggie friends and I trusted him enough to let him go off leash when the area was pretty empty. He really is a very well behaved and mostly obedient dog.
With plenty of gas, propane, food and water, these “urban camping” days were a pleasant experience – and not a piece of gavel in sight.

090722 - Bellingham, Washington

2009-07-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

7/22/2009
Bellingham, Washington

Joe and Penelope are two of the nicest people and most gracious hosts I know.
We have the pleasure of camping out in their driveway. Its 40 ft wide so we fit easily and it is very convenient and comfortable for us.

Today Danny had a great day. Penelope decided that he should have a bath, so she and Joe got out the soap and hose and towels set up on the rear deck. At first Danny was a bit shy and confused and huddled next to me as they tried to coax him over to the other end of the deck where Joe was holding the running water. Finally he walked over and as soon as he realized it felt good, he just stood still while he got the best bath of his short life.

So far he has behaved very well, being a good guest. Penelope fell in love with him at first sight and Joe took a little longer to warm up to him but finally admitted he is a great dog and has taken on the role of trainer, helping me to teach Danny some new commands. He was doing so well until we went on a sunset picnic to the park.

It was a real challenge for Danny to try and resist running up to and greeting all the dogs that walked by us. Joe offered to hold Danny’s leash for a while and try to teach him some restraint and the polite way of approaching strange dogs. He was doing fine until Danny spotted a big dog coming down the path before Joe could brace himself and as Danny bounded forward, Joe found himself bodysurfing on the grass holding onto the leash. Fortunately Joe managed to regain control quickly but it did take a minute or 2 for the look of surprise to vanish from his face, as well as Penelope’s and mine. Danny is one strong dog and could have easily fitted the nicknames of “Moose” or “Tank”.

We have enjoyed some wonder meals both at restaurants and at the dining room table prepared by Penelope.

The weather has beautiful and warm, but according to many locals, anything over 80 is considered a scorcher and drives people into frenzy. Good thing they don’t live in Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

090714 - Birch Bay, Washington

2009-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Birch Bay, Washington

We are currently roaming around the northwest portion of Washington State in expectation of a rendezvous with friends in Bellingham next week.

Monday we spent the day having the Beast worked on and inspected for some rattling and suspension problems.
The good news is that the broken shower fixture was easily replaced and the rattling was a broken bolt on a heat shield at the exhaust that was also repaired.

The bad news was that the suspension needs work and the leaf springs should be replaced. The cost is supposed to be expensive and also only repaired by special shops. I will have to get more details on this problem.

We overnighted at an interstate rest area, which was very comfortable and safe. Danny enjoyed the natural setting and landscape to explore and decorate.

Birch bay is about 20 miles south of the Canadian border. As we drove along the bayside streets, we could see lots of people walking the beach at low tide, playing, running and exploring the wet beach alongside boats and floating orange ball moorings that sit beached, waiting for the returning tide to raise them.

We chose a small bayside restaurant with an outdoor deck. The weather was cool, high 60s, clear and calm. We tool our time ordering and enjoying a leisurely lunch accompanied by a local beer. After lunch, with a cup of coffee and a good book, I enjoyed the next hour. Danny is not much of a reader and I haven’t found a book he would enjoy so he just put his head between his paws and napped.

Returning to the Beast, settling into the captain’s chair, I turned the ignition key and was surprised with the sound of silence. Not a groan or strain or click or buzz: absolute silence. Not a light of any kind on the dash .

Surprise morphed into panic, which induced an adrenalin rush and increased circulation to the brain.

There is a security device with an ignition shut off switch. It was installed by the original owner but i never used it. Removing a small computer chip from its slot beneath the dash activates the control. In the past, it had been dislodged by Peter when he explored the under-dash area. I confidently reached down to confirm my suspicion and was disappointed to find the “key” chip securely in place. I began to picture the Beast on the back of a tow truck being taken in for repairs.

As I turned the ignition one more time in desperation, I spotted a small button on the dash, just above the steering column. I recalled that it had something to do with emergency starting, so I pressed it, turned the key, and still nothing.
I next tried holding it down while I turned the key, which was uncomfortable in an awkward position, but the engine roared to life. I was pumped.

After letting the engine run for about 5 minutes, I turned it off and tried to start it again and it worked fine. At that moment, I noticed that my headlights were on.

It all came back to me in a flash. Driving up the coast earlier it had been overcast so I turned on my headlights. When I parked, I forgot to turn them off.
I found out that the emergency button draws power from the auxiliary (house) batteries to the starter. Another close call that could have ruined an otherwise pleasant day but didn’t.

090702 - Tall Chiefs

2009-07-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tall Chief RV Resort
Fall City, Washington

This campground is part of our club membership so we’ll take advantage of the low rates and stay two weeks. I was surprised how good the roads were getting to this park. Usually, because they are out of the way, off the beaten track locations, the roads are old and rough.
About 30 miles east of Seattle, the park appears to be a forest and all the sites are surrounded by trees. It gives a great feeling of wilderness and privacy. Many other parks have the rigs parked so close to each other that you can look into each other’s windows. Our space is a little larger than most because it’s a handicap site and Danny has a large “private front yard” to roam (on a long lead) without bothering other campers. Unfortunately, all the sites are back-ins and there was nobody around to help direct me so I managed to knock down the handicap site sign. It was made of painted wood and I now have a foot long brown smudge on the side of the Beast. I will try to clean it off tomorrow.

The place is very spread out and although we are parked right next to the clubhouse, the pool, laundry and showers are quite a distance away. It looks like the little red scooter is going to get quite a workout here.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Tall Chief RV Resort

The weather has been comfortable in the high 70s and no rain. Danny is trustworthy enough to let off his leash to run around a little and get some exercise. He likes to run up to people walking by then stop to be petted. He is good about keeping an eye on where I am and comes running back when I call him (most of the time). There is a “pet pasture” about an 1/8 of a mile downhill from our site. A large grassy area where Danny can run and sniff and P&P off leash. As we started to leave the area my scooter malfunctioned. It acted like there was either a short or bad battery, but I had just charged it up last night. Not being able to control Danny and push the scooter at the same time, I trusted him to stay out of trouble as I got more exercise than I planned on. As I neared our site, a couple of teenagers in a nearby camper walked by and immediately became Danny’s newest friends. They ran and played with him while I schlepped the *#@&* scooter alongside the Beast.

The next day, I started the scooter and it seemed to run properly, but being suspicious, I did not venture very far from home and sure enough, it quit again. This time I was on level ground and the push home was less laborious, but I decided it would be the last.
I disassembled it and stowed it away. My plans for it are not finalized yet, but I am not that fond of it so repairs are not my first choice. For now it will stay locked away like a crazy relative.

090626 - Toppenish, WA

2009-06-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

Friday, June 26,2009
Yakima County, Washington

Today I think we gave G-D a good laugh. We had plans.

We left out Yakama Indian RV Park heading for Toppenish. This is a small town with a big reputation. The people have been painting murals on their building walls for 20 years and are apparently known around the world. Personally, I never heard.

To get a good view of all of these murals (about 40), there is a horse drawn covered wagon ride that travels around the town for about an hour and gives a guided tour. We were driving thru town, looking for the loading area for the wagon tour when we turned a corner and found ourselves along side it going the opposite direction.
I come to find out that Danny may have an issue regarding horses, because as soon as he spotted the wagon he started barking. He did a similar thing when he saw a horse mannequin in one of the dioramas at a previous museum. Guessing that it would not bea good idea to put him in a horse drawn wagon, we cancelled our planed and
quietly left town. I did manage to view a few of the murals but since there was street traffic I couldn’t stop to take any pictures.

http://www.toppenish.net/

Moving on to our next destination – a new Costco Store in the City of Union Gap.
Our GPS unit had it listed in its database so we confidently followed its instructions and found ourselves in the parking lot of a Costco store all alone. Apparently, this was the old store that had been replaced and of course it was deserted. Now ordinarily I would accept an error from my GPS except for the fact that I had just bought and installed the latest updated software about 3 weeks ago.

Fortunately, using my Palm Treo Smart-phone and with the aid of GOOGLE MAPS mobile – I was able to locate the NEW Costco and even get turn by turn directions to it. It was only a mile away.

Not wanting to challenge Danny too much I decided to leave him home. I fired up the generator, put the air conditioner on high, filled his water bowl to the brim and told him he was on guard duty. He seemed to understand, and when I returned he was smiling and wagging and everything appeared to be as I left it. He is a good boy.
We traveled on to a nearby Wal-Mart where I planned on doing some grocery shopping and then staying overnight. Usually, I waited till after dark when the volume of shoppers decreases and the parking lot empties out. That way I can move the Beast much closer to the front door so I don’t have to push a heavy shopping cart very far to unload it. This particular store was quite busy and the parking lot was still full by late evening. Even waiting till ten o’clock did not matter. This was one popular place. I finally made the decision to take the long walk. Fortunately, an electric shopping cart was available and I did manage to get everything I needed. The long walk (and push) back to the RV was good exercise (I keep telling myself) and when I open the front door, Danny’s happy face and wagging tail cheered me up.

090624 - Yakama Nation, Washingtron

2009-06-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Toppenish, Washington
Yakama Nation RV Park

This RV park is actually on Indian Land, owned by the Yakama Tribe. It may seem corny but in addition to RV Parking and tent camping sites, they actually have large Teepees that are for nightly rentals. They are about 15 feet tall and have a cement floor, which is about 10 feet in diameter. Bring your own air mattresses or cots and sleeping bags and I’m sure it can be a fun experience for a family weekend.

Across the street is the Yakama Nation Cultural Center. A good reason to pull out the little red scooter. The complex is quite attractive, modern and yet very classic in its attempt to reflect the tribal traditions.

The museum was small but very complete in its descriptions and exhibits of the tribe’s history. Unfortunately, they were very strict about NO PHOTOGRAPHY in the museum. There were quite a few diorama of wildlife including bears, mountain lions, smaller furry animals and salmon. Danny was much better behaved around these stuffed animals than he was at the previous museum and didn’t bark once or even attempt to approach them.

A restaurant is part of the complex. It is very attractive and comfortable with an appealing menu. This was Danny’s first experience inside a restaurant. Fortunately it was not crowded and they gave us a table by a window in the corner. He quickly found his “spot”, laid down with his head between his paws and stayed that way thru the whole meal. He was a very good boy.

The scooter was also useful in getting Danny to exercise at a faster pace than his usual walk along side my walker.

The weather has warmed from the 70’s yesterday to the 80’s today. In the early evening, a strong wind came up and started rocking the Beast, and when I looked outside, my walker had been blown about 50 feet away to an empty site. I quickly fired up the scooter, retrieved the walker which was still upright on its wheels and secured it the outside of the RV with a bungee cord. The radio predicted the winds will be gone by tomorrow but for now they are strong and noisy but not threatening.

090622 - The Oregon Trail

2009-06-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

090622 – The Oregon Trail Museum
Baker City, Oregon

Having heard so much, and knowing so little about this famous “ROAD”, I felt obligated to increase my knowledge base. I’m not sure what the difference is between a museum and an “interpretive center” but I’m guessing it is political correctness and not worth wasting time finding out. Regardless, this place is not to be missed, and I’m glad I didn’t.

Perched on Flagstaff Hill, from the Interpretive Center, you can view almost 7 miles of the Oregon Trail ruts which still remain today. From the top of Flagstaff Hill, travelers of the Oregon Trail could see the distant Oregon land to which they were making their way. Dioramas, an amphitheater and living history programs, explain and interpret what it was like to travel the Oregon Trail to a new homeland.

This 23,000 square-foot interpretive center overlooks nearly seven miles of well-preserved Oregon Trail ruts that extend across Virtue Flat southeast of Flagstaff Hill. This arid trail segment, where emigrants fought their way through shoulder-tall sagebrush, tested weary emigrants who had endured four or five difficult days ascending Burnt River. In places, several ruts run parallel, suggesting some teams pulled alongside or ahead of others in the push to reach the Powder River.

But travelers were also greeted with their first site of the Promised Land beyond. From atop Flagstaff Hill, the Blue Mountains beckoned in the distance, assuring emigrants that their long journey from the Missouri would soon end in the long awaited Willamette Valley.

In 1800, America's western border reached only as far as the Mississippi River. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 the country nearly doubled in size, pushing the nation's western edge past the Rocky Mountains.

Yet the wilderness known as Oregon Country (which included present-day Oregon, Washington and part of Idaho) still belonged to the British, a fact that made many Americans eager to settle the region and claim it for the United States.

American Indians had traversed this country for many years, but for whites it was unknown territory. Lewis and Clark's secretly funded expedition in 1803 was part of a U.S. Government plan to open Oregon Country to settlement. However, the hazardous route blazed by this party was not feasible for families traveling by wagon. An easier trail was needed.

It wasn't until 1836 that the first wagons were used on the trek from Missouri to Oregon. A missionary party headed by Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa bravely set out to reach the Willamette Valley. Though the Whitmans were forced to abandon their wagons 200 miles short of Oregon, they proved that families could go west by wheeled travel.
Large-scale migration started in 1843, when a wagon train of over 800 people with 120 wagons and 5,000 cattle made the six-month journey. Amidst an overwhelming chorus of naysayers who doubted their success, the so-called "Great Migration" made it safely to Oregon. Crucial to their success was the use of South Pass, a 12-mile wide valley that was virtually the sole place between the plains and Oregon where wagons could cross the formidable Rocky Mountains.

At an average rate of 11 miles a day and a death toll of about 20%, the trail was littered with discarded belongings, broken wagons, carcasses of horses, oxen and cattle and graves of those who could not survive the challenge.

By 1846, thousands of emigrants who were drawn west by cheap land, patriotism or the promise of a better life found their way to Oregon Country. With so many Americans settling the region, it became obvious to the British that Oregon was no longer theirs. They ceded Oregon Country to the United States that year.

During eight decades in the 1800s the Oregon Trail served as a natural corridor as the United States moved from the eastern half of the continent toward the west coast. The Oregon Trail ran approximately 2,000 miles west from Missouri toward the Rocky Mountains to the Willamette Valley. A trail to California branched off in southern Idaho. The Mormon Trail paralleled much of the Oregon Trail, connecting Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City.

The Oregon Trail was the Interstate 80 Highway of today. We travel it at speeds exceeding 65 miles per hour. Just stop and think what it was like to make that trip in a covered wagon over the Rocky Mountains, the Blue Mountains and finally The Cascades at the rate of 11 miles a day. Of course that would also assume that your horses or oxen or mules were healthy, your wagon didn’t break a wheel and the lack of water and adequate food or disease didn’t slow you down or end your trip.

After leaving this exhibit, I felt foolish for all the times I complained about some traffic or road construction that slowed me down or detoured me from my travel plans. I am in awe of the strength and stamina and courage and determination those pioneers must have had to make such a commitment and follow their dreams against such great obstacles and hardship. These are the people that I have a newfound respect and gratitude for what they accomplished.

090620 - Why I like to travel in my RV like a gypsy

2009-06-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

I just came accross this entry in a blog by the editor of RV TRAVELS.
I could not have said it better -

although as Milton Berle once said when accused of stealing a joke:

"it's not mine now, but it will be later".

Why I like to travel in my RV like a gypsy

I came across a book recently about "Running Away With the Circus." But what it was really about was running away from one's present life and to a new one. Quitting an executive job to take up pottery-making would be an example. Retiring early to go full-time RVing would be another.

When you were young did you ever dream of joining the circus? I did. Oh, I was never serious about it, but I did ponder the idea of drifting from place to place gypsy-style. I have never understood my need to be a drifter.

Some people need to plant roots firmly and then stay planted. I never desired deep roots, but shallow ones that could be easily replanted elsewhere.I know people who love one place. They may try living in different towns, but never feel quite at home until they arrive in a special town where, for the first time, they feel complete. "This is it," they say, and that is where they remain forever.I have never found such a place.

My place has always been somewhere different from the place before. And my house — my very favorite house — has always been my motor-house, the one that allows me to live as a gypsy without being so conspicuous that people think me odd. I like waking up often in a different place, but I especially like it when I awake in such a place in my very own RV's bed.

I believe this is like having your cake and eating it, too.Right now, I'm feeling a bit of what I felt as a young man when I dreamed of joining the circus — of seeing new places and having new experiences. Have you ever stood at the airport and watched a friend's plane take off to a place far away? Did you want to go? Did you feel envy? Did you feel left behind? That's how I feel right now.
posted by Chuck Woodbury at 5/08/2009 07:40:00 AM 4

090617 Promotory, Utah

2009-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Promotory, Utah

The last 5 days at Willard Bay State Park were well spent with Danny and I getting to know each other. He is very smart and energetic and responds to some commands quite well.

With a sense of adventure reborn, we headed to a famous historical landmark in United States railroading history.

After the Civil War ended, the country looked ahead to expansion and travel. That meant traveling from east to west. In the past, the Mississippi River defined the border of civilization and safety for many travelers, because west of the Mississippi was the untamed frontier. The only way to cross it was by wagon train thru barren desert plains and over monstrous mountains and if the natural elements didn’t kill you then there were the Indians to worry about.

The government decided we needed a railroad system that would enable pioneers and settlers to travel across the entire continental U.S.

One crew, staffed by Chinese immigrants started in California and headed east. Starting with about 1,000 workers, the crew expanded to over 10,000 by the time the job was finished. Their most differcult task was boring a tunnel thru a mountain of granite rock. They averaged less than a foot of progress a day but succeeded in building the 37-mile tunnel in a year.

The crew laying track from the east had to contend with the dangers and weather of the frontier and dust storms and Indians killed many.

In 1869, the two crews meet and connected their tracks to complete the first transcontinental railroad. To commemorate the occasion, a golden spike was driven into the connecting piece of track. Of course the gold spike was them quickly removed and sent to a museum for safekeeping and was replaced with a standard iron spike painted gold.

Completion of the world's first transcontinental railroad was celebrated here where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met on May 10, 1869. Golden Spike was designated as a national historic site in nonfederal ownership on April 2, 1957, and authorized for federal ownership and administration by an act of Congress on July 30, 1965.

Click below for train photos and story
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/historyculture/upload/jupiter%202.pdf

This historical site was to represent 2 important moments.

Firstly, it was the first sightseeing event I have chosen to take since Peter’s death and secondly, it will be the first time that Danny will get to appear in public as a service dog in training.

Promotory Point (20 miles west of Corrine) is in the northeastern Utah desert, north of the Great Salt Lake.
The main attraction is the presence of two steam locomotives that are duplicates of the original steam engines that were at the connection ceremony. Though operational, they did not allow guests to ride them as they traversed the landscape to reenact their meeting.

Just another piece and place of history to check off the list.

Danny donned Peter’s old service dog vest which barely fit him as I let out the belly strap to its fullest. Danny is about 85 pounds and Peter was about 60. He was obviously excited and happy to begin a new role in his young life. Aside from some exuberant pulling he performed quite well for his initial outing.

His only fall from grace was his barking when the steaming trains blew their loud whistles and clanged their bells. I don’t know if he thought this was a karaoke session and he was supposed to sing along or he was complaining because the noise hurt his ears.
In either case, the rest of the tour group fully understood his response as most of them held their hands over their ears until the noise of the engines stopped.

Since this is a National Historical site and I am a disabled person, I was eligible for a Federal Access Pass that allowed me to visit the site free. I had a Golden Eagle pass, which I lost, but apparently this new “NATIONAL PARKS AND FEDERAL RECREATION LANDS PASS” has replaced it.

When we start the day, the weather was gray and raining, but by the time we arrived at the venue, the sun was out and the blue sky has some pretty white clouds.

All in all a good day.

090611 - Afton, Wyoming

2009-06-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 11 2009

Willard Bay State Park, Utah

After overnighting at a WAL-MART in North Logan, Utah, I headed northeast to a little town in Southwest Wyoming. If you never heard of Afton, Wyoming, don’t feel bad – neither did I. According to my Microsoft Streets and Maps computer program, it’s about a 70-mile trip on state route 89. From past experiences, I have learned to accept this program for what it is – an estimate and a suggestion for traveling from point A to point B. My first hint that this was going to be a long trip was the fact that I was traveling on a road that while well paved and maintained, went thru lots of small towns and municipalities with speed limits that dropped from 65 to 45 to 35 and then 25 in just a few hundred yards. Between the towns, the road winds thru mountain passes with grades of 6 to 8% (with elevations ranging between 4,000 to 8,000 feet), which is just as differcult going down as up. Going uphill kept my speed to less than 45 MPH and going downhill was about the same to avoid becoming a runaway, out of control on a curvy 2-lane mountain road. Oh, did I forget to mention the weather – rain on and off all day. Ordinarily, I can enjoy a slow drive on a small rural road thru small towns and picturesque country landscape, but today was not one of those days.

I’m sure the question that now comes to mind is “why”? The answer – I was on a quest.

Having lost Peter and being without the companionship of a dog was very depressing. I had no idea the psychological effect would be so drastic and traumatic. I had started to cruise the Internet sites for dog rescue agencies just to be able to associate with adoptable dogs and to read about their history and attributes. When living in Los Angeles, this was how I found Peter. It’s the same as Internet dating, except in my case, more successful. In my search, I read about and viewed photos of hundreds of dogs from the entire northwestern area. Since I did not expect to actually find a “match”, I realty didn’t pay any attention to their actual locations. It was just a way to pass the time … sort of like window-shopping without any intention of ever buying anything.

As I scrolled down the photographs and biographies of dog after dog, I was drawn to a handsome gold lab named Dandy. His write up was well done and appealing. I book-marked his page as I had done to at least a dozen other dogs before him and continued my review. I spent about an hour a day for the next few days “window shopping”, adding dogs to my “wish list”: and each day Dandy’s profile and photo would show up. Not knowing where Star Valley, Afton, Wyoming was and never expecting to go there I looked at a map out of curiosity. I was in Ogden, Utah at the time.

It seemed crazy to even think about driving hundreds of miles to look at a dog, when I wouldn’t drive more than 10 miles for an Internet date. Besides, I had been telling myself that it was too soon to think about another dog.

After a couple of emails back and forth to Bonnie, the owner of the rescue agency that had Dandy, I bit the bullet and committed myself to at least make the trip to check him out.

That 70-mile drive took 3 hours. Bonnie and her husband Rick have a small ranch with dogs and cats and horses and claim to have rescued more than 600 animals over the years. As soon as I met Dandy, I knew he was going home with me. He was well mannered, good looking and paid no attention to the 2 cats that wandered around the living room.

The newest member of the Highway Guys is a 22 month old Gold Labrador Retriever mix, 84 pounds (needs to lose some weight) and eager to please and learn but for now, we are just going to spend a couple of days living together and getting acquainted. Lessons will start in a few days. For some reason, I am having trouble calling him Dandy, so I’m changing his name to Danny. I hope he won’t mind.

090521 - DUCKS

2009-05-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

May 21, 2009
Pahrump, NV
Terrible’s Lakeside RVP

DUCKS

The man-made lake is a great attraction and the center of activity for adults and children who play at the beach area, and swim and boat in the water.

In addition, there is a small family that calls the lake their home and frequent it daily. They are a family of ducks. I don’t know where they stay at night, but in the morning, this group of quackers can be seen wandering the park. They occasionally stop at campsites where they probably have been fed in the past, hoping for another meal. When their tour of the grounds is complete, they head for the lake.

There is one duck called Goldie, who is fawn colored. Most of the boy ducks seem to follow her.
There are a pair of white ducks I call the bandits because of a red band that covers their eyes resembling a burglar’s mask. They seem like a married couple and tend to avoid the main group most of the time.

The remainder of the group of about 5 or 6 ducks appear to be of the mallard type – dark brown bodies and green-black necks and head. They quack and waddle around the park and are so cute I could watch them parade for hours.

I think most of the others are boys but I am only guessing, because I have no way of determining the sex of a duck. In fact, if your recall, when Walt Disney drew Donald and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, the never wore pants. Perhaps he didn’t know how to tell the sex of a duck either.

While watching the group one day, I noticed that one of them was not waddling like the others.
He seemed to be hopping or limping, but he managed to keep up with the group and participated in all their activities.

As they approached the waters edge, some jumped into the lake and some just settled on cool grass under the shade of the trees. I followed “Hoppy” and observed him more closely, curious as to the reason for his unusual gait. At first it was differcult to detect in the grass, then to my surprise, I could see that his right leg was merely a short stump without the large webbed foot that adorned the other leg. but he managed to use his right stump for balance and waddled and hopped on his left foot for propulsion. From its appearance, I am guessing that this was a birth defect although I can’t rule out an accident.

Regardless, I was awe stuck at the adaptability, perseverance and determination that Hoppy had utilized to overcome his handicap and remain an active member of his family.

Either by birth or by accident, we know that imperfections occur to all species, but unlike us humans, in the animal kingdom there seems to be a lack of sympathy, guilt, patronage or charity for the disabled.
They are driven by the need to survive and prosper or be left behind.

I do not know his age or position in the pecking (or quacking) order in the family, but he appears young and strong. I did not see him in the lake but I’ll bet that his one good webbed foot works as well as two when it has to.

This is my first time visiting this park and I don’t know when or if I will ever return, but I will always remember Hoppy and the lesson he has taught me about coping with and overcoming disabilities in life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nYmOoJmZaQ&feature=email

090519 - Pahrump, NV

2009-05-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2009
Pahrump, NV
Terrible’s Lakeside RVP and Casino

This Park was a little bit of a diversion, about an hour west of Las Vegas in the Kingdom of Nye. It sounded like a nice place to stay for some R&R, different from the usual membership parks. It’s built around a large man made lake for boating, fishing and kayaking (none of which I plan to partake of) with lots of grass and trees. This is the kind of park Peter would have enjoyed. The RV sites are nicely paved and easy to hook up to. Of course, the main attraction is the casino and restaurant. No gaming tables, just slot machines, but penny machines so you can spend hours being mesmerized by spinning wheels and flashing lights and not worry about going broke. To be daring there is the option to up your bets to a nickel, quarter or even a dollar, but it doesn’t seem practical or even tempting (although I have pushed my bets to a nickel or dime after wining hands).
The restaurant is small but has the typical buffet as well as tempting steak and rib specials. They are no threat to Morton’s of Chicago Steak House, but if someone else is doing the cooking, that’s where you’ll find me.

The temperature has stayed in the high 90’s, giving the Beast’s air conditioner a real challenge, which it is responding to adequately. The rule of thumb for an A/C is to be able to decrease the temperature by 20 degrees. It makes difference.

The main drawback here is the poor cell phone reception, which also means my wireless web connection, is not working. I even resorted to signing onto a park WIFI service but it turned out to be lousy and I pulled the plug on it. My PDA (Palm Treo smart phone) is picking up most email messages but it cannot display attachments or long messages, and sending email is a real challenge for my numb fingers and thumbs. I will reserve that activity for emergent conditions and hope they don’t arise.

090516 - TIREWORKS

2009-05-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2009
Las Vegas, NV

From Kingman, Arizona thru Laughlin, Nevada to Pahrump, Nevada is about a 200-mile lap with elevations from 1000 to 6000 feet. The weather has really warmed up to the point where we are now complaining how hot it is when the temperature wanders between 90 and 100 degrees. As the road’s angle of ascent increase, so does the strain on the engine, as we are forced to pull into the truck lane with a convoy of 18-wheelers using their low gears to climb slowly but steadily up the mountains. There are times when we can muster some extra power and pass a few trucks but it will not change our arrival time, so we just stay in the convoy.
About 10 miles west of Vegas, while stopped at a red light, a cloud of smoke or steam erupted from the engine compartment obscuring my vision and I knew something was wrong. My temperature gauge was off the dial.
To my right was a small strip mall, out in the middle of nowhere with a Walgreen’s on the corner and lots of empty stores not yet leased.
I figured I could boondock here if need be and at least I was off the road. Opening the hood to survey the problem was not very comforting. The inside of the engine compartment was wet and steam was coming from behind the radiator so I could only guess at the problem. My mental choices were either a broken hose or a hole in the radiator. I also noticed that my coolant reservoir was empty. Of course my first reaction was – oh great, after spending $1,300.00 to fix the generator in Phoenix, (which I think I got ripped off for), the beast is just telling me its getting old too.

I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself down and looked around. Just off to my left was a store call TIREWORKS. They apparently did tune-ups and shocks as well as sell tires, so I did not have any great expectations, but ventured inside anyway.

Behind the counter, Ken was very pleasant and attentive, and had one of the mechanics do a quick inspection. They advised a pressure test of the cooling system to determine a more exact point of damage. Of course I consented.
Eric, the chief mechanic reported that a hose behind the radiator was split but was in a very differcult position to reach. He assigned George to work on removing the broken hose, which took him about a half hour of tedious work.

With the broken hose in his hand, Eric asked me for $20 so he could send George to an auto parts store for a replacement. It sounded a little strange, but I gave him the money.

10 minutes later, Eric handed me a receipt for the hose, which was 15.49 and $4.51 from my twenty.

45 minutes later, Ken called me to the counter, handed me my keys and told me I was good to go.
When I asked about my “ticket” and charges he just smiled at me and repeated, “you’re good to go”.

I thanked him although I was not really sure what had just happened, then sought out Eric, gave him a twenty-dollar bill and told him to split it with George, and drove off.

From that corner strip mall to Pahrump is 49 miles of open road thru the desert without any signs of life or service or even an emergency phone box. Had that hose broken any later than it did, I would have been stranded on a desolate road and up the old proverbial dry creek without a paddle or a prayer.

Why and how things happen I have long given up trying to question or analyze.
That corner, that store, those guys – all part of an event you could call fate, luck, chance, accident, destiny or divine intervention. What do you think?

Billings, MT_07

2009-04-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

2009-04-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Highway guys

090417 - Farewell To A Dear Friend

2009-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today we mourn the loss of The Highway Guys’ wing man. Peter was a great companion and good and loyal friend.
He knew my moods and my weaknesses and responded well to them.

His childhood and early years were unknown.
The rescue agency advertised him as a 4 year old Lab mix. It took us 4 years to find out his Breed was Korean Jindo. On his first visit to the Vet, Dr. Winter suggested he was at least 6 years old and now I think he was being kind at that but I didn’t care.

I often told him that if his mother could see him now she would be very proud of him.
He grew up strong and handsome and entered a noble profession.
Peter lived by two rules in life:
1. “Women love a guy in uniform” and
2. “If you’re good looking, you can get away with anything”.

In the short time we had together, we traveled the highways from coast to coast, made many friends, and experienced an adventure most people only dream of. He was always happy, his tail always wagging and very adaptable. Every time the RV door opened, he would have to find a new tree or bush or rock to mark as his, but as long as he knew where his water and food bowl was, he was content. A recent development of arthritis had slowed him down, creating a limping gait and I’m sure some pain, but he never complained and did not give in. He was so macho.

He was more than a travel companion – he was my exercise coach – making sure I got my needed exercise by walking at last 3 times a day, regardless of the weather. I think he especially liked our midnight walks when it was peaceful and quiet with only Mother Nature for a soundtrack. The cooler the weather, the faster he walked – I think he was part sled dog.
He was also my social director – determining where we went and what we did for fun.
He was my protector – keeping the bad guys at a distance but always allowing kids and friendly adults to pet him.
Most of all he was my psychiatrist- listening to all of my thought and ideas – not passing judgment and always offering encouragement and support.

I will miss those warm, inquisitive brown eyes looking up at me every time I was eating or even opening up a jar of peanut butter, expecting me to share – which I always did.

He was a noble beast, who taught me the meaning of unconditional love, total forgiveness and responsibility.
He had seen places and done things that most dogs and many people have not.

He’d been to Mt Rushmore, Disney World, Epcot Center, Kennedy and Houston Space centers.
He had visited presidential libraries and a presidential tomb.
He was interviewed and featured in a major newspaper article. Thank you Robin.
He’d been to the Baseball and Football Halls of Fame.
He’d been to Ben &Jerry’s Ice Cream Plant and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.
He rode a small boat in and out of the harbors and coves of Maine… and a Mississippi Riverboat out of New Orleans.
And attended a New Orleans Mardi Gras and even caught a few strands of beads.
He’d been to museums all over the country and historical landmarks including the site of Custer’s Last stand.
He traveled to the top of a mountain in New Hampshire in a tram and rode a train thru the Great Royal Gorge in Colorado.

One thing he never got to do was fly in an airplane, but he came close by walking thru one. It was the 707 that President Lyndon Johnson used as Air Force One and it had a unique feature – a doggie door for his beagles, which Peter tried out.

He died on Friday, April 17th, 2009 about 5:45 A.M. on the way to the emergency hospital. I can only guess that he ate something poisonous.

The emergency center was 16 miles away. I quickly unplugged our power line, and headed out. Peter was now breathing hard and emitting sharp but weak barks. After exiting the freeway, stopped at a light, I looked back and listened and he was quiet.

I pulled into an empty shopping center parking lot and turned the lights on. He was lying on his side, flailing with his front paws as if he was boxing, and then I saw him expel a little urine and he went still. I lifted his head and cradled it but it was limp and lifeless. I gently laid it back on the floor and stared in disbelief and wept.

There was suddenly no reason to do anything but mourn and cry. Alone in the middle a vacant parking lot we sat as the sun began a new day and Peter would not be part of that day or any other ever again.

I was now faced with the horrible decision of how to dispose of the body. What a horrible word “dispose”..So degrading and dishonorable.

I decided I should cremate him and keep his remains in the RV.

I waited till 8 am and then called a nearby veterinarian about any crematorium facilities nearby. He gave me the name a service in Palm Desert and I called them.

The owner of the company, Desert Dove Pet Crematory Service, Larry, was very kind and told me that he could perform the service today.
We had plans to be in the Phoenix area in 2 days and I wanted to just get away as soon as I could.

Larry was a very warm and compassionate man.
He gently removed Peter’s body from the RV and placed it on a gurney and wheeled it thru the back door of his store. I remained in the Beast. – I could not follow, nor did I want to witness the process. He told me he could have the service completed by the end of the day so we could leave town before sundown. At 5:30 he knocked on the door and presented me with Peter’s remains in an attractive wooden urn, a little larger than a cigar box – and offered his condolences.

I wrapped Peter’s collar around the box and placed it in his favorite traveling spot –under the passenger seat by the small window he would look out of as we drove.

Peter was an inspiration and motivation for me to enjoy life on a daily basis and now his memory will have to fill that role.

The DEAD POOL, consisting of The Beast, Peter and myself, had the smart money on me going first. This bothered me because I worried about who would take care of Peter with me gone. Now there’s a problem I can cross of my list.

I drove to a truck stop just across the Arizona border, gassed up a nearly empty tank, had a silent dinner and went to bed.

A strange thing happened the day he died – the electric generator stopped working – and the water pump started malfunctioning –by discharging water out a valve to the ground.

It was as if the Beast had gone into mourning for Peter by shutting down. I was not able to use my computer – or go on the Internet – or even run the air conditioner or microwave since we had gone on the road and planned on boondocking. It was as if the Beast wanted me to spend my time in thought with a little suffering and not be distracted. I couldn’t write my blog or even use the vacuum to pick up Peter’s shedded hair.

I left his toys and water bowl and food dish in their usual place as a shrine to him for now. I can’t bear to put them away because it will mean that he will never need them again.

You know that I believe that God laughs whenever you tell him your plans:
God must be really laughing now.
..Last month I took out an accident insurance policy on Peter – he never got to use it.
..I order a refill on his anti-inflammatory and pain medication to make his life more comfortable – he doesn’t need them anymore…. He’s no longer in pain
..I ordered a portable folding ramp for Peter to be able to get into high access vehicles – like SUVs and trucks without having to struggle – he won’t need that anymore.
..I ordered shinny new recovery dog tags for his collar – he won’t be getting lost anymore.
..I just renewed his annual dog license – doggie heaven doesn’t require a license.

For the time being, I will stay on the road, visit some friends, spend time in parks and forests where Mother Nature does her best work and reflect on the past 6 years we spent together. April 28th would have been our 6th anniversary.

Without him by my side, the roads will seem a little longer, the nights a little darker, but his memory and good deeds will never be forgotten and his impact on my life made his life a monument to friendship.

090403 Palm Springs Air Museum

2009-04-05T23:20:00.000-07:00

Friday April 3, 2009
Palm Springs Air Museum

We took a brief walk around the park for Peter's benefit and said farewell to some of our friends.
The weather was bright and sunny, but the radio reported high winds in the area and driving carefully in vehicles such as ours was suggested. When you have a vehicle like the beast, Square, flat sided and aerodynamically challenged any good gust of wind can have you changing lanes unexpectedly.
Since we were only going to be driving about 30 miles. We did not feel in any danger, but halfway to our destination. We encounted some very strong crosswinds, and lowered our speed. When we arrived at the Palm Springs Air Museum, we even have a difficult time, opening the RV door against the wind and we were being blown around on the way to the entrance.

We have been to many aviation museums across the country, both large and small, but always find that each one has its own unique and distinctive personality.
The outstanding feature of this particular museum is that practically every world war two airplane in these two hangars are all flight worthy and are frequently flown for holidays demonstrations and special events. They are all completely restored and beautifully painted.

In one hangar there is a diorama of Pearl Harbor, as it was the morning of the attack on December 7, 1941. Along with flashing lights, depicting the various positions of the ships that were attacked, there is a stirring narration describing that fateful day.

Along one wall are models of several types of ships that battled in the Pacific in World War II. One of those models is the battleship Missouri. I have a particular fondness for this battleship, because my father and a “few of his friends” built this ship in the Brooklyn Navy yard. At least that's how he told the story.

Many of the volunteers that run the tours, and dispense copious amounts of interesting facts about each plane are former military pilots with battle experience, and even some from World War II. Their enthusiasm, experience, and talented storytelling contributed greatly to our experience at this venue.

The museum is located on Gene Autry Trail, just south of Interstate 10. I mention this because as we were starting up the engine and listening to the radio there was report of an 18-wheeler being

blown off the road at the intersection of Gene Autry Trail and Interstate 10. In fact, they were reporting that Gene Autry Trail was being closed to traffic because of the high winds and danger. Of course, this was the route we had planned on taking from the museum to our next destination. As we exited the museum parking lot and turned on to Gene Autry Trail. We encounted, severe crosswinds, but no traffic was being interrupted or diverted.
We proceeded with caution, and as we crested the overpass at Interstate 10. We could see the tractor-trailer lying on its side off the road. Needless to say, this encouraged us to drive slowly and carefully.

We arrived at our destination, Desert Pools, Desert Hot Springs, and were assigned a handicap site adjacent to the pool and main building. All of the main facilities such as the card room, poolroom, library and dining room are built around the pool area so access to all activities should be quite convenient. Even inside the park with some sheltering walls and shrubbery the winds remained ferocious, and so all we did was plug in our electric power and called it an early night after dinner. I thought about taking Peter out for our usual late-night stroll. But even he was unhappy with the windy conditions and decided he'd rather stay indoors for the night. Needless to say, this does mean I will have to get up early, because he doesn't like to be cooped up for long periods of time and has a. Particular way of letting his feelings be known ... and I will say no more.

090402- Lake CAHUILLA

2009-04-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

March 30, 2009
Today, we got a new neighbor with a 37-foot Monaco, and four slide-outs
He also has a new bright taxi yellow Hummer and a very shiny and expensive motorcycle.
Jay is a swinging Bachelor, 51 years old, and a full-timer.
He owns the boat concession at the other end of the lake where he rents out small electric powered boats for people to cruise around the lake.
It's a new business for him and he has great hopes for a successful one.
We spent a few evenings sitting around the campsite talking about motor homes, traveling, women, and life in general. Peter took a liking to him, and that bodes well for him.
He is staying at the park through the summer, running his business but I'm sure he won't be bored or lonely. He offered us a free boat ride around the lake, but unfortunately, it would have been too difficult for me to access the boat and I still don’t know if Peter can swim and I’m not going to find out the hard way.

Thursday night, April 02, 2009
This is our last night here, and were getting a send off with a continuous blast of LION wind.
I call it LION wind because it’s ferocious and roars through the campsite.
Since we've been here these strong and blustery winds have rocked us to sleep quite a few nights.
It hasn’t had any adverse effects on the Beast but our neighbor had his new Hummer damaged by the blowing sand causing paint and window damage.
This past week has been very pleasant, with predominantly warm sunny days and cool nights.
Tomorrow, if the weather is nice, and my knees aren't hurting we will try to do some sightseeing at the Palm Springs Air Museum.
Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in a park located in Desert Hot Springs, and hopefully we'll get a spot near the pool and dining room. This Western Horizon's Resort’s claim to fame is its mineral hot pools, which I may venture into.

090329- Maria, Pablo & Aldo

2009-04-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday March 29,2009
Lake Cahuilla,
La Quinta, CA

Another example of friendly people at campsites
Peter and I were doing a little walk around and began chatting with a young Mexican man who was inquiring about Peter and his age and breed, He was walking a handsome young German shepherd named Aldo. He and his wife were a couple of campsites away from us in a tent.
There were no vehicles or obstructions between our two campsites, and as I read and Peter snoozed. I noticed that Maria was cooking and preparing lunch for the two of them.
To my surprise, Pablo came over to our site and asked me if I would like some lunch. I politely refused, and he looked offended, so I told him that it would be very nice if it was no bother for them.
A few minutes later, he delivered a very attractive, pleasant smelling and delicious plate of food, which consisted of guacamole, fried beans and a marinated piece of steak and a couple of slices of bread.
Peter and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal, and with a wave of the hand and nod of the head and a big smile, we conveyed our appreciation and satisfaction.
The following morning, when we awoke and ventured outside for our morning stroll. They had already packed up and left the park

These are the memories of events and kind people we carry with us that bring a smile to our face whenever we need reassurance that this world is full of goodness

090324 - Poker

2009-03-26T23:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday March 24, 2009
Indio

The weather has cooled about 10 degrees to the high 70s and with a mild breeze, it is comfortable.
Tonight was a dinner night and of course our motto is … if someone wants to cook for us, we’ll be there.
With a large juicy chicken breast, spaghetti and vegetables and chocolate cake for dessert, it was a great meal There was enough to share with Peter. He loved the chicken, but declined the vegetables and salad, and of course the chocolate cake is not on his diet.

Following dinner, the tables were cleared and the cards and poker chips came out for a $5 buy in game of Texas hold’em.
Obviously a friendly game, and none of the players appeared to be hustlers or shills, but I lost a few bucks anyway. Peter always wants to play but his does not have a poker face and when he gets a good hand he wags his tail, so he had to settle for Just kibitzing. His major concern was that I not loss any money that would affect his food allowance.
All in all, it was a good day.

090323 - Surcharges

2009-03-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

March 23, 2009

When we first checked into our current RVP (Indian Waters), we were told that there had been a sudden change in campground fees effective immediately. Now we all know that the RV Industry has been hit hard with the rest of the economy in the past few months, and many motorhome and trailer manufacturers have either gone out of business or have sought bankruptcy protection. In addition, many RV dealers and resale lots have closed their doors due to lack of customers. It is only natural that the places RV people go to would also be financially hurt by the lack of new RV owners or the current ones staying at home.

However, the particular company that owns this park, Western Horizons Resorts, has taken a bold step to try to recoup losses in revenue from half empty campgrounds. The current daily rate has been $8. As of March 17, the president of Western Horizons Resorts has decided to raise the daily to $9 and added on a $5 energy surcharge. I can tell you that this does not sit well with the members I have spoken with, but there doesn't seem to be any recourse other than protest. Western Horizons Resorts is a family run company out of Colorado, and it appears the president has a lot of family members’ mouths to feed and is using his membership as his personal bailout fund.
This action seems similar to that of the State of California and the federal government in this time of crisis – raise taxes and squeeze every nickel out of the people who still have some money left, instead of cutting taxes and encouraging more spending at the consumer level. In my humble opinion, if Mr. Luken would lower park fees or offer incentives to new and old members to use his parks longer or more often, he would create more business and generate a good income stream to improve his bottom line.

I suspect this company may soon be added to the list of casualties along side the others in the RV industry that have fallen by the wayside because of the financial crisis and lack of consumer confidence. As for Peter and myself, we will adjust our travel budget accordingly and maintain our lifestyle. So far this will only be a TOPES (speed-bump) in the road.

090317 - St PATRICK'S DAY

2009-03-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Indio

Of course, being Saint Patrick’s Day, dinner was corned beef and cabbage, with redskin potatoes and some kind of green cake that tasted better than it looked.

As we were finding a table to sit at, a couple approached us (Robin and Blaine) and reminded us that we had met at a Washington campground (Soap Lake) 2 years ago. Of course they recognized and remembered Peter and I am always remembered as "that guy with Peter". He has quite a fan club.

Our tablemates were dog lovers but Peter still had a hard time getting them to part with any food.
However, at the end of the meal, there were some leftovers donated to him. He made a mental note of who they were for future reference.

Dinnertime is always entertaining and frequently educational. Everyone has had an experience or lesson to share and even the most seasoned veteran Full timer pays attention. Places to not miss, as well as what to avoid are important points and often written down for future reference. Humorous stories about RV travel bounce back and forth across the table in what might almost seem like a contest of “Can you top this”?

This particular RV Park is very popular this time of year, and although we did make reservation, out site is quite a distance from the clubhouse and pool. Our little red scooter has been very active and useful here. Our previous scooter was dubbed the Batmobile because it was hidden in a cave (lower RV compartment) and could be unfolded and ready for action in a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, that scooter bit the dust last year and its replacement is more differcult and time consuming to set up, but once it is ready it does a good job of transportation for me and exercise for Peter.

090313 - SALVATION MOUNTAIN

2009-03-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

Salvation Mountain

Friday, March 13, 2009

There is probably a long list of people who have done things in the name of God, and although he is no Mother Teresa, Leonard Knight has earned his place on that list.

Leaving our Salton Sea campsite, we headed south on hwy 111 in search of a dot on the map known
as Niland which is at the southeastern tip of the Sea. It’s a tiny town, and as we turn east on Main Street, there are no stores or even sidewalks and 500 feet later we find ourselves “out of town”. From our map, we guess our destination will be about 3 miles into the desert, across two railroad tracks, in the foothills of the Chocolate Mountains.

As we wonder where this desolate road is taking us, we suddenly see in the distance what may be Salvation Mountain. There is a splash of color rising from the drab desert floor and as we get closer, it is indeed all that we expected and more.

The story is that Leonard Knight, a religious and God fearing man, for reasons only known to him, decided he should start painting the hillside as a tribute to God. The various sections of artwork are too differcult to explain, so pictures will have to tell the rest of the story. I took many shots of the same areas from different angles out the window of The Beast, but there were a handful of people walking around and even climbing the side of the hillside to the very top. In fact there are steps cut into the “mountain” for that very purpose. To see all the photos I took, go to

http://picasaweb.google.com/thehighwayguys/SALVATIONMOUNTAIN

At the base of the mountain are a few vehicles, one of which is the Salvation Truck, converted into a small house where Leonard actually lives. Unfortunately, he was not home today. Supposedly, this is an ongoing project with no end in sight, and visitors are asked to make donations in the form of paint. Preferably acrylic.

A camping couple, Frank and Barbara, from Walnut Creek, CA were in the site next to ours at Salton Sea campground. They were heading to Yuma and breaking camp the same day as us so I told them about Salvation Mountain and encouraged them not to pass it up. I hope they found it.

090313 - The Salton Sea

2009-03-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Salton Sea

March 13, 2009

After leaving “The Center Of The World”, we spent a couple of restful days in El Centro, California, which I am told means The Center in Spanish. Hmmmm.

We did some chores that had to be done, some shopping at Costco for those things they have no competition with, including gas. But Of course, we still had to stock up on groceries at Wal-Mart and while we were there it was time for an oil change and lube. They have an express lane for RVs but somehow it took them an hour and a half. No complaints though, that’s how long it took us to shop, and they did a good job of checking everything for fluid levels, tire pressure, fluid levels, etc. The weather has been comfortable at nights, no heater needed but a warm sweatshirt is comfortable, so we decided to boondock it at Wal-Mart.
The next day we set the Garmin GPS for The Salton Sea and in less than 2 hours we were there.
For those of you unfamiliar with this body of water, it is California’s version of Arizona’s Great Salt Lake. Although it is much smaller than the Great Salt Lake, it is the largest lake in California and the salt content is higher than the Pacific Ocean.

History tells us that there had been a basin here for thousands of years caused by the motion of two earthquake faults on either side and it was called the Salton Sink. It had been initially flooded by water from the Gulf of California, which is where the initial salt came from.

Over thousands of years it has drained and filled many times and became a land locked portion of the Gulf. Flooding from the Colorado River has filled it often until the river changed its course. For long stretches of time it has been just a dry salt bed because the evaporation process triumphed over the minimal rainfall.

As One of the world’s largest inland seas, The Salton Sea as we know it today was created by accident when a dike broke during the construction of the All-American Canal in 1905. The resulting 360-square-mile basin became today’s Salton Sea State Recreation Area. It provides a unique desert oasis for boaters, water-skiers and anglers.

It is actually about 227 feet below sea level and seems to have stabilized at that. Most of its water supply now is from agriculture run offs since rain only accounts for about 3 inches a year in the southern California south west desert. A government study resulted in The Salton Sea Restoration Act, which was spearheaded by Congressman Sonny Bono, and a southern area of the lake is dedicated to him known as the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Reserve. In the winter months, millions of birds … over 400 species use the Sea as a stop over in their migration to other areas.

We spent a quiet and peaceful week here, watching people actually catch fish from the shore. Peter thought it looked like fun and a great way to get some free fish to eat, but we couldn’t find a rod and reel he could handle and then there was the matter of a fishing license. He refused to pay for one. The weather was warm and sunny and the sunsets were beautiful. From here we are heading to Indio, but will take a detour to Niland to search for Salvation Mountain.

Till next time,

090313 - Smart GPS

2009-03-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Smart GPS

You know my belief system … there are no accidents … everything happens for a reason…. Well … From Niland to our next RV Park at Indio, we set our GPS and headed north. It was a straightforward route and I wasn’t paying attention to the turn-by-turn directions. As we neared out designation, the GPS told us to turn at the next intersection and so I moved over to the left hand lane and made the turn. Somehow, it did not seem right because I expected to go straight for a while longer so I pulled off the road at the next corner, into a small parking lot with a small white square building on it. Now I had made out a letter to mail last week and expected to drop it at our next campground. As I stopped the Beast to review a map, I noticed that there was a mailbox directly in front of us. As I got out to drop off my letter, I looked more closely at the small white building, and it was actually a local post office. Of course, I was in need of stamps. Coincidence, I think not. Apparently, my GPS knew exactly what I needed and where to go … could it have been reading my mind?

Getting back to the map – it appears that the route our GPS had chosen was actually a good shortcut and I elected to follow its advice. As we got closer to Indio, Peter went over to sniff his bag of dog food and discovered it was less than a ¼ full, which to him was reason to be concerned. He has been insisting that I put an electronic warning device on the bag to alert us when it is dangerously low. I consulted Google Maps on my Palm Treo Smart Phone and found a Petsmart Store nearby and bought another large bag. He was one happy dog.

We finally arrived at Indian Waters RVP and Peter was happy with what he saw out the window.
Instead of the weird green trees (cactus) and brown grass, he was looking at familiar brown trees with green leaves and green grass. He was obviously anxious to get outside to survey the area and search for P-mail.

The park is large, with lots of amenities, including a nice pool, dining room, social room, poolroom and shaded patio when we need to get out of the direct path of the hot afternoon sun. It may not be officially summer yet, but the weather is warm (in the 80’s) with cool nights (in the 60’s). We can live with it.

So far our only complaint about the park is its size and our location in it. – It is very big and we are far away from the clubhouse and pool. Too far to walk – therefore I must use the scooter. Peter walks slowly due to the heat and the arthritis in his paw joints, but the doggie Vioxx seems to keep him from limping and hopefully reduces pain. When he wants to, he manages to jump up on the bed or the couch if he thinks theres a cookie there or he has the possibility of getting a belly rub.

090309-FELICITY, CA

2009-03-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

March 9,2009

Center of the World

Like I have always said … people are always telling me what to do and where to go. This time, Tom, one of my RV friends suggested that I stop at a roadside attraction called “The Center of the World”. It happened to be just around the bend from where we were camping, and on the way to our next stop. I had seen it on the map but had no idea what it was and didn’t plan on checking it out. I should know by now, that I should be more curious and investigate everything, regardless of my initial impression.

In the town of Felicity, with a population of less than 300, there is a very unusually collection of buildings and structures.

Felicity was founded on 11.May.1986 and is named for a town mentioned in Jacques-Andre Istel's book Coe the Good Dragon.
Monsieur Istel lives in Felicity and serves as mayor of the town

At first glance, two 2 story buildings, one a restaurant and the other a general store, sit on either side of a small pyramid. In the distance is a small church on a hill and in a vast field before it are rows of low granite walls with various inscriptions. The triangular structure is on a grassy area and has a door on one side.
Peter wants to go to the restaurant first (he’s always hungry but usually has no money) but I choose the general store first as I pull firmly on his leash and bribe him with a cookie.. It is an attractive gift shop, not unlike many we have been to and displays the usual collection of touristy knick-knacks and items indigenous to souvenir shops.

I usually gravitate to the postcards and bookracks to find out the main theme of the location and while browsing, the salesgirl asked if I would like to see a 7 minute video describing the area.

As the story goes, some French geological society selected the site that the pyramid sat on as THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. When Peter heard that he had an alternative title that he whispered to me … THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE”,.. but I chose not to repeat it.

"COE the Good Dragon at the Center of the World," now in its 6th edition, led to the 1985 law setting The Official Center of the World at the precise point inside the pyramid at Felicity, California. The French edition was described by famed critic Professor Claude Tannery as "The American Babar."
In 1989, the law was recognized by the Institut Geographique National of the Government of France.
Historic Note: The pyramid was suggested in jest by the author's wife as he wrote the book. "It's in the desert, why not a pyramid?" As men are wont to do, he took his wife seriously . The author built the pyramid, named the town for his wife, and thereafter ran for Mayor.

The rows of plaques (The Museum of History in Granite) represent many historical periods of time as well as organizations such as The history of flight in France and the French Foreign Legion. There is also a piece of memorabilia in the form of a portion of the original spiral staircase from the Eiffel tower. Are you beginning to see a pattern here. To be fair, there is also a tribute to the Korean War Marine Veterans, a row dedicated to the evolution of the Earth’s development of Humanity as well as other themes, with many blank rows with future plans.

I suspect that there were no United States agencies or scientific groups that were interested in this particular geographic wonder and so the French probably saw an opportunity to encore their previous success of the statue of Liberty with this monument.

In fact, scientists at the Geodetic Survey have stopped calculating "centers" due to the imprecise nature of the task. Oscar S. Adams, Senior Mathematician for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, even wrote, "Since there is no definite way to locate such a point, it would be best to ignore it entirely...."

A great international honor was bestowed in 1998 upon the Town of Felicity by Ambassador Jean-Marie Daillet of France – La Medaille des Affaires Etrangeres, the medal of the State Department of France.

Felicity website http://www.felicity.us/home.html

Click to view
http://www.ask.com/bar?q=center+of+the+world&page=1&qsrc=0&zoom=Where+Is+the+Center+of+the+World+Located%7CWhere+Is+the+Center+of+the+United+States%7CWhere+Is+the+Geographic+Center+of+the+World&ab=11&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.deuceofclubs.com%2Frv%2Fcal203.htm

090304 - JIM

2009-03-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2009

In this age of the internet, … the information age, with instant access to almost any subject on the planet and beyond, I am always perplexed when simple questions are asked and the answer is a blank stare followed by “I don’t know.”

We are currently in Winterhaven, California, which is across the border from Yuma, Arizona. In the past month, the change in weather has been remarkable. It seems we were just trying to stay warm at night with our little heater on when the temperature was in the 40’s and now we turn on the air conditioner to combat 90 degrees in the daytime. Although it is supposed to cool down to the low 80’s next week, it sure feels good to be complaining about the heat.

Anyway, since it has been quite boring and our routine consists of sleeping in, going for a late morning walk … a late breakfast and then the afternoon by the pool reading and chatting with our constantly changing new neighbors, we have been desperately searching for some newsworthy story to pass along to you.

During one of our nature walks around the campground I happened to notice a small mound, in a fenced off area near the exit to the park, marked by a small plaque with a painting of a sleeping Mexican which had only one word on it … JIM. As you might expect, it piqued my curiosity. Could it be a grave site of some former camp owner or dweller, or perhaps an old Indian or Mexican plot that for some reason could not be disturbed or moved. No date or reference other than the marker. See photos.

Expecting either some great urban legend or old west cowboy historical story, I began to make inquiries of the local campers and employees. Some were unaware of what I was talking about but the most common expression was the classic “I don’t know”. After more than 20 inquiries, including the camp manager, I seemed to have hit a dead (pardon the expression) end.

Some assured me (although with no grounds or proof) that there was no actual body in the mound, while others seem to share some of my curiosity but not enough to pursue the thought.

Even Peter took some interest in the area for a moment, sniffing and surveying, but alas he too lost interest when the possibility of either food or sensory excitement became non-existent.

With the wealth of knowledge we all possess now from watching all the CSI TV shows, I began to imagine that some form of modern diagnostic equipment should be brought in … perhaps ground seeking x-ray, or ultrasound scanning or some soil sampling device to detect bone calcium, etc … or the ultimate task of exhumation … but alas … I refrained from going public and retreated to my computer to write this brief epitaph to JIM.

I would like to think of this site as the TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN CAMPER. His place at the exit is to extend a greeting of happy trails and safe travel to all who leave the campground and venture forth.

If you ever find yourself at The Pilot Knob RV Park in Winterhaven, off the interstate 8 (Sidewinder exit_#164); look for JIM and offer a silent greeting.

090219-Ladders, antennas and E.D.

2009-02-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

090219-Ladders, antennas and E.D.

I am always amazed at the connection between seemingly unrelated objects or events.

I firmly believe that nothing happens by accident ...everything happens for a reason.

The roof of a motor home is often cluttered with many devices and equipment. Unfortunately, since I am unable to climb a ladder, the Beast’s roof has always been a source of curiosity but never actually seen.

From the ground there appears a cluster of plastic bumps, which are actually hooded air vents. I’m told there are some other vents for other devices such as the sewer system. Some have air conditioners, or heat pumps, satellite dishes and pods for storage. There is also a collapsible TV antenna that is raised and lowed by a hand crank located inside on the ceiling. In its raised position, it resembles a large “T”, and when lowered, it folds down flat against the roof.

Access to the roof (which is actually coated with a layer of rubber) is by a ladder mounted against the rear.

One day while driving I detected the faint sound of some bumping on the roof. I chalked it up to probably airborne road debris and quickly discounted it. Upon arrival at our campsite, I did the usually walk around before setting up and noticed the tip of my antenna extended a few inches over the edge of the roof. This did not seem normal to me.

Now as a point of information – I rarely ever use my roof antenna. Many campsites now have cable TV hookups, and when cable is not available, there is usually no significant signal available so I don’t even try to catch one. Now that I am mentioning things I never use – there is my awning. It is manually operated (the automatic ones are thousands of dollars) and requires more dexterity and balance than I can deliver.
In addition, if a sudden storm or powerful wind were to develop, it would have to be taken in quickly to avoid damage or disfigurement and again I would be at a loss to accomplish that.

When RV repairs become necessary on the road, the biggest problem is choosing the proper repair service. If I must take it to a dealer or repair station, it usually means either making an appointment for an inspection or waiting all day for an estimate and then probably retuning another day for repairs. Of course the worst-case scenario is having to leave it over night which is never acceptable when your vehicle is your home.

Fortunately there is usually an alternative that saves the day – it is the “mobile mechanic”,
These men are the equivalent of a doctor that makes house call. They are usually acquired by asking around. In the past I have had to utilize the services of mobile mechanics at least 3 times and have become a fan.
Besides the benefit of not having to drive the Beast anyplace, they also charge by the hour and are willing to examine and fix lots of small or minor problems that a dealer or shop would charge individually for.

Dave came highly recommended and was a sight for sore eyes. He quickly diagnosed my antenna as having E.D. (erectile dysfunction - see photos) and we discussed my choices. Since I rarely use the antenna and with the new digital television signals starting soon, I decided it was not worth replacing the whole unit, so he simply disconnected the dangling participle.

Now for the interesting part of the story. After he descended the roof ladder, hew reported to me that the bolts that secure the ladder to the roof had become loosened, exposing the holes and parts of the roof that the plates had been attached to. If this damage had not been discovered, the probability of water damage from rain seeping into these holes and exposed roof portion could cause silent but serious trouble to the interior ceiling.

Within minutes, he was back on the roof, drilling new holes and inserting new bolts to secure the ladder and water proofing the area with silicone.

In addition, he removed and repositioned and replaced the water filter (a differcult job working under the sink), replaced a burned out patio light and fixed a loose connection on my back-up light switch..

In reflection – if I had not seen the antenna problem, the ladder and roof damage would have gone unnoticed and I would have probably incurred major water damage and huge expenses later on.
I believe some unseen force was watching over me and protecting me. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
.
And the best part – the total bill was $84.

My hat’s off and a big thank you to Mobile Mechanics everywhere. You guys are the greatest.

090216 - SIGNS

2009-02-15T20:02:00.000-08:00

090216 - SIGNS

Here is another sign that bothers me. It seems to be very popular in the state of Arizona and whoever makes them and sells them must do a very good business because they are everywhere.

Somehow, I would not think that the chamber of commerce or tourist bureau finds this sign to be a positive endorsement of the state. I also find it disturbing that they would built rest stops, bathrooms and pet exercise areas within these areas of danger. I have yet to see a sign that says:

NO POISONOUS SNAKES OR INSECTS IN THIS AREA.

Now that would be something to brag about.

090212 - SIGNS

2009-02-14T03:57:00.000-08:00

090212 – Signs

We just spent 5 wonderful days in the desert. Even though we were in the middle of a vicious rainstorm with rushing winds over 40 miles an hour that rocked the Beast from side to side, we enjoyed the experience and always marvel at the scenery of mother nature.
I discovered that the huge saguaro cactus do not even grow an arm until they are 75 years old and can live to 150. They are so valuable that the police now hide electronic devices in them to track thieves who steal them from state and national parks and sell them on a sort of black market.

On route to our next destination in Yuma, we paused at an interstate rest stop. Peter wanted to check his P-mail and do some geological surveying.

When he saw this sign about a pet exercise area he got all excited, ran back to the RV to look for his Nikes and warm-up suit and realized he forgot to pack them. Now Peter is as health conscious as the next dog and realizes the need to keep in shape. He tries to work out daily and is always asking me if he looks fat in his vest.

We followed the sign to the designated area and were both greatly disappointed. We searched high and low and couldn’t find a treadmill, exercise bicycle or even an aerobics instructor. In fact, Peter wants me to write a nasty letter to the governor about the misleading sign.

090211-Desert

2009-02-11T06:22:00.000-08:00

090208 Desert Shadows

2009-02-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

090208
Desert Shadows

Our last location was a Western Horizon Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona (between Tucson and Phoenix) called Desert Shadows. As parks go, it's large and active. There's a big clubhouse which also serves as the dining room with a full commercial kitchen that serves meals almost every day. The pool area is attractive with an roomy hot tub and nicely landscaped.
A well stocked library, a spacious poolroom for the local hustlers, a crafts room for those inclined to bead making and other trinkets and then there:s the card room. This is one of the most active areas of the park where fortunes are won and lost. Of course, with a five dollar buy in, they are small fortunes. Texas hold’em is the favorite game and there is always a seat for a new player at one of 4 or 5 tables nightly. Besides the dining room this is one of Peter’s favorite rooms because he gets lots of attention and people are always rubbing him for luck. He knows it doesn’t work but he enjoys the petting.
The activity schedule reminds me of summer camp. All day long there is something to do. There is no shortage of people who are willing to lecture on their travels, or the use of cell phones or computers or RV equipment. For the more adventurous, there are day trips to historic and archeological sites and Indian casinos or golf courses. In the evening, there is bingo, local talent entertainment or some other kinds of social events.
The super bowl took place while we were there and of course since it was the Arizona Cardinals playing, there was a large party in the clubhouse on a big screen TV. If you weren’t a Cardinal’s fan, the wisdom of concealing it was suggested. With about 100 enthusiastic fans, combined with beer, wine, hotdogs and hamburgers – it was a fun place to be – that is until the last 2 minutes when the tide changed and the Pittsburgh Steelers stole the game.
The weather has been nice and comfortable but when it comes to discussing it, we are surrounded by people with license plates from Canada, Minnesota, Montana, Washington and many more states that are frozen and snow covered from November to May so we tend to reserve our comments and nod our heads in agreement when they compare Arizona weather to their hometown.
Other common discussions revolve around individual travels and many of our neighbors have been on the road for years as “full-timers”. That means that they usually have sold their home, bought a large RV and live on the road 24/7. Generally they are retired seniors with lots of stories and advice, which we listen to with great interest, and then there are some “younger” couples who have “caught the bug” and decided to get out of town – which reminds me of an Albert Brooks movie called “Lost in America”..
One interesting couple had lived on a boat and sailed the Caribbean for years, and now switched to a land yacht.
From here, we'll camp out in the desert for a while, staying in low altitudes and south of I-40.

08_Christmas

2009-02-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

090124_Arizona

2009-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

January 23, 2009

Dear friends,

Its hard to believe that today marks 2 months since we left home. If you think that you may have missed some of my travel notes, don’t despair – I haven’t written any.

Another fact that may be hard to believe is that in the past 60 days we have only been on the road driving less than a week and have logged less than a thousand miles on the odometer.

In the past we tended to do most of our traveling between spring and fall when the weather tends to be on the warmer side, especially at night. Even here in the southwest, the weather has been colder than usual and the nighttime temps have dipped below freezing sometimes. Below 32 is not compatible with Peter, me or the Beast – from cold toes, noses and frozen pipes. When the weather report for Christmas in Las Vegas is SNOW – we get concerned.

Therefore, we have tended to be less footloose and fancy free by not doing any boondocking (urban camping, blacktop camping) at local Wal-Mart or off road sites. We like to be able to plug into an electric pedestal and fire up our electric heater. We do have a propane furnace that can keep the RV pretty warm if needed, but it really uses a lot of LP and at $3 a gallon, we would rather not use it.

Peter and I have spent most of our time around the Tucson area, visiting with some friends and just enjoying the scenery. We have had some excellent home cooked dinners as well as some hard fought and sometimes victorious games of Mexican Train. ( a domino game that has noting to do with Mexico).

As far as sightseeing and visiting little known and out of the way places, that too has been put on hold.
We usually do that between campgrounds so our road time has been limited.

We plan on heading back towards Yuma next month and then the Palm Springs area and pray for an early spring thaw. Where is Al Gore’s global warming when you need it.

I am suddenly realizing that some of you live in Washington, Oregon, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, so my complaining may seem cruel and whinny, especially since my roots are from Brooklyn – but please remember, once I hit the west coast, I became a weather wimp like most east coast transplants.

Tonight, we are in one of Arizona’s state parks (Picacho), surrounded by the classic landscape of tall cactus plants and lots of other vegetation that resembles scrawny trees and bushes. On the ground is some green and brown coverage that is trying to become grass without success. It's coarse and dry. This has been very confusing to Peter. He has been raised and housebroken on green grass and brown, moist soil.

Even though he has had some bad experiences with those green pointy things, he still gets closer than he should and I constantly have to keep a tight leash to keep him from becoming a reverse porcupine.

As a footnote on the economy, the campgrounds are not as full as prior years and there is definitely less RV sightings on the interstate., but the people that are traveling are happy campers.

I was tempted to make up some good stories to keep you entertained but I’ll hold off on the fiction until I really run out of things to report. Hope it doesn’t come to that – I’ll have to put Peter in front of the keyboard and the last time he tried checking his own email he popped off 3 keys with his long nails.
Till next time,

Thank You Fairyduster

2008-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

It was a pleasure to read about Peter and yourself, what a great idea to have chosen to embark on an adventure like this. I too suffer from one form of Peripheral Neuropathy for a while now. Your journal is probably helping a few people and I'm sure you and Peter will be able to enjoy many more beautiful moments! Thank you for sharing! Have a great holiday season! Posted by *Fairyduster to HIGHWAY GUYS at 9:48 PM
**********************************************************************************

I wanted to share with you this response I received about one of my blog entries.

I occasionally receive notes like this one and each time it give me great joy and pleasure to know that some stranger has taken the time to read and respond to something I have written for mostly my own self satisfaction.

While many have kindly reported that that they enjoy my tales of travel, I find it a form of therapy and catharsis. Favorable comments are just like icing on the cake.

I assure you that when I decided to roam around the country’s roadways, I had no grand illusion of becoming a poster boy for either the disabled or the RV enthusiasts. My mission was small and personal, but I do realize that to some it has become a symbol of motivation and accomplishment. The comments about my decision to travel have ranged from “Brave” to “Stupid” and I take no issue or offense to any of them. I tend to think in terms of adventuresome and challenging.

I readily admit I have made some rather intelligent decisions in my life as well as some awful ones. Their value can only be judged in retrospect. “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” I have been told. Would I have chosen this path if I wasn’t disabled? A moot question since I would probably have been to busy working to think about it.
Remember: we plan …God laughs.
For now, the only direction we can choose is forward … into the unknown, and so forward we will go until we can no more.

Yuma Bound

2008-12-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

Thursday – December 10, 2008

With an early morning wakeup and a chill in the air, we unhooked The Beast from its lifelines, secured all loose items and placed our trays in the upright position. Our pre-flight checklist in hand, we validated our status and prepared for a travel day to Yuma, Arizona.

A nice sunny day and a clear road ahead are good traveling conditions and we arrived at the local Yuma Wal-Mart Super center mid day.
I swear, if these super centers get any larger, they will have to have tour guides to help people get around.
Unfortunately, there were no electric carts available and so we had to rough it. I hoisted my walker into the cart; tied Peter’s leash to the handle and set forth. An hour later, we (Peter makes a great supervisor) were unloading and storing our groceries and then taking a well deserved and needed nap in the back for 30 minutes.

Our Yuma park location is a small, quiet and inexpensive mobile home park with a few spaces for motor homes around the pool area. There are usually some people sitting around the pool so conversations come easy. The owners of the park, Don and Rosalie are warm and friendly people and keep a very clean and tidy park. The first time we ever stayed here, we were told on the phone that there was a pet restriction, which limited dogs to 15 pounds or less. When we showed up, Peter was a big surprise (I never tell anyone on the phone I have a pet – because he isn’t, and it get too complicated to explain about service dogs if they are not aware). Once Rosalie got over the shock, Peter displayed excellent manners and made himself some new friends. Now, each time we stay here, he is welcomed as an old friend.

The Wal-Mart experience (an hour of schlepping) seemed to create some problems with my neuropathy, causing some intermittent sharp sticking pains in my left rear thigh and left heel area. Fortunately, I think my fatigue overcame the pains and I managed to fall asleep with some occasional awakenings.

Did you ever wake up from a deep sleep in the PERFECT position? I mean a position in which you feel so comfortable and relaxed that you are unwilling to move a muscle for fear of ruining the sensation.
That occurred this morning and since we had no plans for the day, I gave in to the “perfect” position and closed my eyes

A Random Act Of Kindness

2008-12-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

A Random Act Of Kindness

What always warms my heart is the attitude and philosophy of the RV community.

I often mention how fellow travelers and campers offer to assist us in many activities such as hooking up our rig, or walking a cafeteria line, but just recently a most unexpected offer was made.

As we sat outside The Beast, reading and enjoying the sunshine, a neighbor approached us and said;

“I noticed that you’re not traveling with a car. I’m going into town to do some grocery shopping, and wondered if you wanted to go with us to do some shopping or just to go for a ride to get away for a while.”
That’s the kind of people that make this world a better place to live in and you find them on the road more often than not.

The Weenie Roast

2008-12-11T17:20:00.001-08:00

The weenie roast

Most of the parks activities are indoors, such as dinners, ice cream socials, bingo, poker night, etc.
The weenie roast is an exception. At about 5 pm, as the sun is preparing to set, 20 of us gathered around a large pit fire, dangling hot dogs on long forks over it. At first, Peter thought this was a great idea and anticipated being the receiver of such fine food. Much to his shock and dismay, the hotdogs quickly disappeared into buns and were eaten. Of course he was not completely disappointed, since I did save one for him.

As the sun set and the desert temperature quickly cooled, the conversation leaned towards individuals telling of their home state and their desire to leave it for the seasons. Most were from the northwest, Washington, Oregon) with some from Canada. There was a couple who had just arrived from Salt Lake City, Utah who reported it was snowing when they left. Now that’s why they call them snowbirds.
Then there was an old timer (looking like Gabby Hayes) from Alaska.
We only knew him as Jerry, a small man with a large gray-white beard who looked about 80+ and in fine health. At his side were a mandolin case and a large bottle of red wine. He opened both, and after a cup of wine (for his arthritis he claimed) he began to serenade us with song after song, which many of us sang along with. Another camper, with lesser talent than Jerry but with much gusto and exuberance, opened up a case and withdrew a saxophone and some sheet music, and proceeded to play his songbook of Christmas tunes, which we all chimed in on.

As time ticked on, the temperature ticked downward and the fire no longer was adequate to supply the heat needed to keep us in the spirit, although I suspect that Jerry’s wine was doing a fine job of keeping him warm as he frequently refilled his cup.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

2008-12-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

Blog 2008
Tuesday – November 25, 2008
Dear friends,

With great anticipation and anxiety, Peter and I have decided to shun most of our worldly possessions and head out for our greatest adventure ever.

After weeks of tossing and dumping and donating the accumulated contents of our life, and with the untiring and continuous efforts and strength of Marci, the task was done.

With a last look back at a bunch of empty rooms that once were our home, we climbed aboard The Beast (our nickname for our RV) and directed him to go forth in search of adventure. Unfortunately, at this time of year, we are relatively restricted to the southwestern part of the US since neither Peter, The Beast nor I like cold weather.

I never feel like we have started out trip until we see our first Wal-Mart. It occurred at 29 miles. A new record for us. We didn’t need to stop … just seeing it was good enough for us.

There is a warm and peaceful feeling that comes over me once we away from the city with its traffic, congestion, large buildings with their long shadows and people rushing to get somewhere.

There are simple pleasures to be enjoyed on the road such as the scenery of mountains and fields as far as the eye can see. Hitting a patch of newly paved blacktop that makes the ride so much smoother and easier to drive on. Pulling into a gas station and lining up the pump with the filler tube the first time. Also finding a Valero station with gas at $1.99.

With the weather threatening to be rainy tomorrow, we drove thru to our first destination and arrived at Ehrenberg, Arizona (across the Colorado river from Blythe, CA) at 4 pm. However, we forgot that Arizona does not have daylight savings time so it was actually 5 pm and we got to register just before they closed the office for the night.

This park is a member of our AOR (Adventure Outdoor Resorts) membership so the price is right and it’s a good park except for the gravel – which is the natural enemy of disabled people and their rolling walkers but we will manage.

As we were pulling into our assigned space, a neighbor approached and offered to assist in hooking up which we accepted with great appreciation. With The Beast packed to the gills, our living space is limited but for tonight we will sleep well and work on reorganization in the morning.

Wednesday-November 26th
This morning we awoke to our least favorite sound – rain on the roof. The good news is that we are staying here for 2 weeks so we can sleep in and ignore it. The radio weather report was for rain 50% today. I think that means it only rains the part of the day we decide to go outside. Of course Peter does not like to be cooped up so we did take a brief walk so he could do some exploring and check for P-mail.

Thursday – November 27th
Today, Peter and I had a delicious thanksgiving dinner with 50 of our newest friends. The park is about half full, but the atmosphere and friendliness of the staff and guests is wonderful. Everyone is very helpful when it comes to assisting me and Peter has found lots of people wanting to pet him and offer him treats.
Later in the evening I heard a strange munching sound from the kitchen area and found Peter with his nose deep into the “locked” bucket of dog food. Somehow he and figures out how to pop the latch with his nose and sucked up about 2 days worth of food before I could stop him. Now I face the bucket with the latch toward the wall. I don’t think he will get sick from the extra food but I am sure he will be pooping like a sausage machine for the next couple of days.

Friday – November 28th
The weather finally dried up and the sun should be out for the next week. It gets chilly at night (40’S) and warms to about 70+ by noon. Many people actually use the outdoor pool and it looks funny to see some people in long pants and jackets while others are walking in bathing suits with a beach bag on their arm.
Peter and are have decided to skip the afternoon water aerobics classes.

Saturday – November 29th,
As you might expect, tonight’s dinner was hot turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes, gravy and desert.

How long we will be on the road and where we go are good questions with no firm answers.
Much depends on the health of The Beast, Peter and myself. Hopefully, with proper maintenance and care, we will hold up for a long while, and until then we plan on getting the most out of life by doing what we enjoy.

Summer Trip 2007

2007-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

El Camino Real

2007-10-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

The history of El Camino Real and its bells, is quite interesting. At the same time that the American colonies were rebelling against England, a handful of Spaniards and Mexicans established outposts up the California coast. The first was established in 1769 at San Diego, when they established a fortress and a Franciscan mission. A footpath, called The El Camino Real, or Kings Highway, was created to connect the outputs. Each outpost, called a Mission, was situated in areas where large populations of Indians lived and where the soil was fertile enough to sustain a settlement. As time progressed and more Missions were built, the footpath became a roadway wide enough to accommodate horses and wagons. It was not, however, until the last Mission in Sonoma was completed in 1823, that this little pathway became a real route. From that point, a series of small self-reliant religious missions were established. Each was a day's travel apart and linked by El Camino Real, Overall, El Camino Real ("The King's Highway") linked 21 missions, pueblos and four presidios from San Diego to Sonoma.

The El Camino Real was more than a road in California. It was a chain of Jesuit missions spaced far enough apart so that clergy and others travelers, could reach the next one before nightfall and therefore have a place to eat and rest in safety.

I believe this was the original blueprint for Wal-Mart Super Centers.

071005-Ashland

2007-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

From Cape Blanco, we traveled down the coast to crescent city where we headed inland for Ashland, Oregon. Our friend Miki has an old friend that she wants us to visit, so that’s where we are going.
On a stretch of road from the coast to Grants Pass Oregon, I have named it God’s country because all of a sudden my GPS unit announce that it had lost satellite contact and I was on my own. I figure, when your GPS unit can’t tell you where you are, only God knows.
On the map, it was a healthy, straight road, but in truth it went thru thick forest land and had quite a few curves to contend with. Most of the time we needed to keep our dashboard lights on because the trees kept us in deep shadows.
As we approached Grants Pass, the GPS unit suddenly came to life and guided us to the local Wal-Mart.
After few phone calls, arrangements we made with Herm (Miki’s friend) to meet at a Safeway parking lot, where he picked us up and took us to lunch. Herm is a dynamic guy, loaded with personality and still retaining his New York roots and mannerism.
We had a terrific lunch at a local inn, got the 50 cent tour of the area and then for a treat, stopped at an off leash dog park for Peter to run around and make some new friends. It was really a perfect gift. Peter was very appreciative.
Later that afternoon, we bade our farewells and headed for a local RV park for the night.

070930-Peter's Habits

2007-10-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Peter has developed some new habits that I am not thrilled about and he doesn’t seem to be willing to change. Whenever he enters the Beast, he goes to check his food dish, drinks some water and then goes directly to my bed and makes himself comfortable. Also, as soon as I get out of bed in the morning, he gets on it. I think he got the idea from watching some World War 2 navy movies. Since there was shortage of space on small ships and especially submarines, sailors often had to share sleeping areas. With 3 shifts of duty every 24 hours, when one sailor would go off duty, he would wake up his relief and would then take over his bed. This process was called “Hot Bunking”, because the bed was always occupied and never got cold. Regarding Peter’s new habit - What I am wondering is:… who is keeping the bed warm for who ?.

Next – when we are traveling – Peter’s usual battle station has been on the floor of the passenger seat, looking out a small window at the floor level. He was supposed to looking out for police cars and dog food stores. Just when I thought he was trusting my driving skills (he no longer wears his crash helmet and flack vest), he has now decided he wants to be near the emergency door (the driver’s door).There are only 2 doors on the Beast ( the patio door and driver’s door). As soon as I set the beast in motion, he hurries beneath my legs and positions himself under my seat, nuzzled up against the door. When I try to stop him, he puts up such a fight that I decided it’s better than not knowing where he is or having him walking along the dashboard. Since I drive with my hand controls, I don’t have to worry about stepping on the pedals. Once in a while, I think he likes to scare me by stepping on the gas as he shifts his position, but I just throw it into neutral and wait for him to get comfortable.

070927-Cape Blanco

2007-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 27, 2007

One of the consequences of traveling free style, is that you can loose track of time. Sometimes if it wasn’t for my pill case, I wouldn’t know what day it is.

Therefore, forgetting it was the weekend, we rolled into Newport Bay, Oregon, a charming, seaside town and harbor, not realizing it was Saturday, and quite full of tourists and traffic.
We then tried to get into a local state park, which of course was also filled up. Plan B was to find a nice RVP nearby and wait out the weekend, which we did.

The weather is changing, and from what I remember of my youth on the east coast, I think it is called Fall. Los Angeles seems to be immune to it, but here on the Oregon coast it is getting cool, crisp, and balmy. I think it’s telling me to head south.

Some of the charming areas we have made tourist stops at are Coos Bay and Bandon Bay.
If we could, we would love to stay at every one of them for a few day each at least, but for now, these brief visits and some candid photos to remind us where we’ve been will have to suffice.
Our plan was to stay a few nights at Cape Blanco State Park, which is a point jutting into the pacific. As often happens, we didn’t notice the sign pointing to the campsite so we kept going till we reached the Cape Blanco Lighthouse. We weren’t planning on visiting lighthouses since I can’t climb the many steps on a winding staircase, but this mistake was well worth it. The setting was breath taking and the ocean was beautiful. The park ranger took our picture and pointed us in the right direction for the campsites, and we picked out a nice one: paved, level, and plenty of grass for Peter to lie on. It was a good day.

070923-OREGON COAST 1

2007-09-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 23, 2007

As we bid farewell to the great state of Washington, we enter Oregon and head for the beautiful coastline.

At the most north west tip of the state, just outside of Astoria , is Fort Stevens State Park.
It is large, green, woodsy and handicap friendly. The sites are level and well planned and easy to hook up. Peter is already in explorer mode as he stands by the door waiting for it to open, much like a skydiver waiting for the green light, ready to jump.

Oregon, like many forestry states, is known for their state parks, over 200, and we plan to visit a few more along the coast. Their rates are reasonable and accommodations are comfortable.

After a couple of days at Ft. Stevens, we took a slow scenic drive and enjoyed the beautiful coastline. There were many areas of the coast highway (101) that were great for stopping and enjoying the view (Peter calls these message centers), but some of the small towns were not easy for us to park and stroll. One place in particular, Depoe Bay, “The Smallest Harbor In The World”, seemed like a great place to stop, but we couldn’t find a place for the beast.

The is an obvious absence of Wal-Mart Super centers along the coast but we found a replacement in the form of casinos. They are Vegas-like, but not as large and not about to give Nevada any cause for alarm, but they are RV friendly.

We stayed a couple of nights at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, and enjoyed some buffets and a little gambling. Peter was especially impressed with the buffet when he found out it was all you can eat, and he kept nudging me to go back for more of the beef ribs.

The Evergreen Air Museum was about 40 miles inland (McMinnville), but we were anxious to see its main attraction THE SPRUCE GOOSE. You might recall that it was originally displayed in Long Beach, California, next to the Queen Mary, for a few years, and then was gone. I did manage to see the Long Beach exhibit and it was very memorable, so I was happy to see that it had been resurrected to its former status of spectacular. Its new home is a massive and beautiful hanger with a glass wall to show of the plane in a majestic setting. The hanger is as long and wide as its main attraction, and still manages to display about 100 aircraft on the floor space below it. Pretty impressive.
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Peter met a new friend in the gift shop, Lucia, who has 5 dogs of her own. Peter insisted on a picture with her. What a babe magnet he is.

Halfway back to the coast, we stayed over night at the Spirit Lake Casino. After dinner, I thought I’d try to win some of my money back that I left at the Chinook Winds, but they must have seen me coming. Perhaps the next casino will be luckier.

Flash and Sasquatch

2007-09-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

070915 Washington-NW

2007-09-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 15, 2007

In the past few weeks we have covered a lot of ground.

We stayed at a nice RVP in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Lovely setting, on the lake, with a small sandy beach that reminded me of Marina Del Rey, California.

Soap Lake, Washington

The town is about in the middle of the state and this Western Horizon RV Park is a couple of miles north. The setting is terrific. It is a small park, situated on an outcropping of land that juts into the lake so it seems like you’re on an island. There are lots of trees to provide shade and the roads are paved, a WIFI is set-up (although a little on the weak side) and the weather is comfortable with no rain in the forecast.

All of the staff was very kind and helpful and so we want to thank them for making our visit pleasant.
Linda, the park manager, Volunteer hosts – Robin and Blaine and Laura – activities.

Snoqualmie Falls had a nice OLD RAILROAD museum and across the street from there we stopped in an old fashion barbershop for a haircut for $10 . The best I can say about it is ,,, my hat fits looser and it will grow back.

On the way to Bellingham, we had set our sights on what sounded like a great place to visit:
The Wings of History Museum” in Bellevue.

This we will file under: We will not be fooled again !

We had the place pinpointed on our Microsoft Map Program and confirmed on our GPS unit. As we neared our designation, we became a bit suspicious that we were in middle of a remote residential area. Sure enough`, we had been skunked again.

From now on, I promise to call in advance to confirm addresses, directions and hours.

We stopped in Everett to drop off the Batmobile for an estimate on repairs, but the mechanic was not around so we left it, knowing we had to return south later on and could pick it up.

We arrived in Bellingham on Sept 1 and parked the Beast in an RV park and stayed at Joe’s house in his guest bedroom for the week. What a strange and delightful change to sleep in queen size bed. and Peter did not even share it with me. For some reason, he preferred the floor.

We spent most of the time catching up on each other’s life since last we met and had some good meals and did a little sightseeing.

While running through my address book, I remembered that an old classmate of mine from medical school lived in Seattle. Howard (Flash) Roth, a Canadian, was one of guys I hung out with and without getting graphic (to protect the innocent and the marriages of many) we did manage to have an active social life in Cleveland which was partially obscured by the introduction of alcohol at various times.

We were fortunate to catch him, since he and his wife Kathy were flying to Toronto in a couple of days.
WE arrived at his house, on the fairway of a golf course, had a few beers and went out to dinner as Kathy sat by quietly while we reminisced about our school days and then took turns bringing each other up to date on our past 30 years. It was great. Howard is one of those people who remain distinguishable and recognizable throughout life. You know what I am talking about. You hear their voice on the phone and you know who it is, and when you meet them in person, they look like they did before. He was and always will be “Flash”, a nickname he acquired as an antithesis of his manner.

Since they both had to be at the airport the next morning by 7 AM, we called it an early night, and Peter and I retired to the Beast which was parked in front of their house. When we awoke, they had already departed by taxi and we fired up the Beast as well and headed south.

By the way, we did remember to stop and pick up the Batmobile. I decided not to fix it there, and so we just packed it away in its Batcave compartment.

070809 Clinton, Montana

2007-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Thursday, August 09, 2007
Clinton, Montana

I believe that the town was named long before William Jefferson Clinton even thought of becoming President, but some might say that there is still some commonality.

Each year, for the past 25, at the Rock Creek Lodge, a grand celebration takes place on a small patch of land off the interstate that is dormant most of the rest of the year. Unfortunately, we were too late to participate in the festivities but we did get to take some photos to give you a taste of the party.

We are talking about the Testyfesty http://testyfesty.com/
or as it is commonly known as – The Testicle Festival.
I don’t know much about how or why it got started, but apparently it’s quite popular and it has encouraged many other places to copy it.

Peter was a bit confused about the whole concept, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him what it was all about without having to explain what happened to his.

070809 - Urban Camping

2007-08-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

When We first started RVing, we followed the classical pattern of driving all day, pulling into a RV park at end of day, hooking up our lifelines (water, electric and sewer) and leaving the next day or two. We have come along way in both technique and philosophy.
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At first we were afraid to leave the interstate or park in places that were not official or designated proper. We relied too much on our lifelines and not enough on our self sufficiency potential.

Now we finally understand the real value and the feeling of being free to roam and wander off the beaten track and away from the safety of conformity. No, we don’t park in the middle of fields or on the side of a desolate and lonely highway (well, once we did), but we don’t feel compelled to make reservations or commitments or deadlines unless absolutely necessary.

Some travelers call it boondocking. They usually seek a flat patch of land away from civilization, and rely on being self-sufficient for as long as their water, food and patience holds out. These travelers frequently find the desert of the southwest appealing and they congregate in large numbers to create a sort of mobile community.

Others call it dry-camping, finding a park, lake or forest – usually state or national – and chose spots that are quiet and devoid of people where they can fish, hike, climb rocks, or just commune with nature, and basically be on their own.

We tend toward the middle ground of the two and refer to it as Urban Camping. As we drift from place to place, we have found little use for the traditional RV park on a regular basis. We do make reservations at a few parks in our membership plan and stay as long as 2 weeks at a time and enjoy their facilities and hospitality, but when we are just cruising without any definite plan or destination more than a day in advance, we enjoy the feeling of freedom, knowing we can always stop someplace anytime of the day or night to eat out or prepare a meal, and find a safe place to park overnight to sleep. Places like Wal-Mart Super Centers, Flying J Trucks Stops and Interstate Rest stops offer security and safety. Some cities allow the use of their local parks and parade grounds and some restaurants and museums even allow overnight parking.
I recall one night in a strange town, we became lost while looking for a park, and then it started to rain heavily to make matters worse. We noticed a large church ahead … pulled into its parking lot (which was empty) and stayed the night, weathered the storm, and traveled on the next morning.

We carry about 30 gallons of fresh water plus a built in water filter for safety, as well as enough liquid propane to power our refrigerator and water heater for many weeks. Our generator is strong enough to run our rooftop air conditioner as well as our microwave oven, plus power our interior lights, television, radio, computer and DVD player. Of course we keep a well stocked pantry of canned food and a refrigerator and freezer with more food. Peter makes sure our onboard supply of Kibble is always plentiful. Shopping for groceries, clothing or supplies is as easy as parking and unloading our cart into the Beast. Going to a movie is as easy as pulling into their parking lot and buying a ticket, and with the internet (when it’s working) I can find the movie and time schedule.

The fact that we can save $25 to $35 a night is a good thing, but everything has its price. With the price of gas over $3 a gallon, it could cost us $10 a day to run our generator.

About once a week, we may select an RV park for a night or two to fill our water tank, dump our dirty tanks and enjoy some cable TV and free WIFI Internet service. Sometimes we may even do some vacuuming or laundry.

We enjoy finding museums, ghost towns, oddities and tourist attractions in our path, and sometimes we even go “out of our way” (like we really have a “way”) to satisfy our curiosity.
There are lots of places we have to pass up, like caves, mining tunnels, underground walking tours and places that require the climbing of many stairs or ladders, but we manage to find enough places to keep us entertained.

We’ve crossed rivers and streams on ferries large and small … traversed rivers and canyons over bridges of all sizes and shapes, … ridden trams over mountains and trains through them.

We’ve been in spaceships, battleships, steam boats, motor boats, locomotives and trolleys.

We’ve seen our country from the inside out. From the birth of its origin to the final frontier, from Hollywood, California to Hollywood, Florida, from Portland Oregon to Portland Maine …we’ve traveled the East Coast, West Coast, Mid-West and North-West, and every place we’ve been to we’ve met people with stories about who they were, where they came from, what they’ve done …
And all of them, regardless of they’re current status seemed happy and satisfied with the life they lived.

We have discovered that our country isn’t a place, but a living organism comprised of millions of individuals guided by their dreams and goals who have carved out a civilization from a wilderness that has no rival in the modern world.

We feel privileged to be able to see it from the ground level and want you to see it thru our eyes.
We hope you enjoy sharing our experiences.

070808 Bozeman, Montana

2007-08-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Bozeman, Montana

When one wishes to learn all there is to know about the history of computers, you might think to visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or IBM, or Apple or Microsoft, but we chose to go to the main source

THE AMERICAN COMPUTER MUSEUM in Bozeman, Montana.

A small but complete facility, fully stocked with memorabilia, equipment and historical artifacts to make this museum educational and entertaining. Barbara, the curator, was pleasant, well informed and excellent at giving her presentation.

She also was kind to Peter.

070807 An important day for Peter

2007-08-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

Today was an important day for Peter.
We conducted the ceremony with great care and respect –
The Opening Of A Fresh New Bag Of Kibble.

I cut off a corner of the top of the bag just big enough to let the aroma out but too small for him to get his nose in. Then, with a forceful surge, I sliced open the remaining top while shielding the bag with my body. He always thinks that he’s going to get the eat out of the bag, and gets disappointed when I pour the contents into Peter-proof plastic containers.Nevertheless, the ceremony has become a tradition and we look forward to it each time.

070806 - Billings, MT

2007-08-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 06, 2007
Billings, Montana

Billings is a small town that is all grown up. With a population of only about 87,000, you wouldn’t know it when you drive down West King Ave .
Every known franchise of restaurant, electronics, fast food and merchandise establishment is here like an outdoor mall that extends for miles.

We arranged for a tour from a local company and even though we were the only passengers, they took us on a great guided tour of the historical city and its surroundings. Peter and I are grateful to Rene and Lee of Fun Adventures Tours.

The Rim Rock is a large, flat, low mountain that extends for about 40 miles and protects the city as well as make a great place for an airport.

From the top of the Rim Rock, one gets a panoramic view of the city and it is quite impressive.
Beside the railroad and oil refineries, the main employer is the Medial Center, The Billings Clinic, which is striving to achieve the status of the Mayo Clinic or Scripps Institute.

After our tour, we chose to have a lovely late lunch on the patio of the Rex Hotel, It was delicious and the ambiance and surroundings were lovely.

070805 - Billings, MT

2007-08-12T18:05:00.000-07:00

Billings, Montana

Peter’s Veterinarian – Dr. John Winter comes from Billings, so Peter wanted to stop here so he would have something to talk to Dr. John about on his next visit

We decided to go to the movies today … The Bourne Ultimatum. While sitting in the lobby, a young girl sat nearby and started to talk to us. She was candid about her recent brain surgery which stopped her from having seizures and she was wearing a T-shirt from the Special Olympics.
Her facial expressions were asymmetrical and one hand showed signs of slightly deformed fingers. She spoke well and had a kind and friendly manner. She mentioned that she had recently been bitten in the leg by a neighborhood dog and had become fearful of all dogs. When Peter heard that, he was determined to repair the good name of dogs. I allowed her to pet him, and then gave her a cookie to offer to him. In a matter of moments, Peter had a new friend.

Oh yes, I did enjoy the movie.

070803 - Little Big Horn, MT

2007-08-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Little Bighorn, Montana

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, popularly known as Custer’s Last Stand, was one of the last battles in the conflict between the Northern Plains Indians and whites. Fought on June 25, 1876, the Indian forces, led by Sitting Bull and Gall of the Hunkpapa Sioux, Crazy Horse of the Oglala Sioux and Two Moons of the Northern Cheyenne wiped out the entire battalion of the 7th Cavalry led by General George Armstrong Custer. Although the Sioux and Cheyenne were the overwhelming victors in this battle, it marked the beginning of the end for the Indians; their confederation soon dispersed, and they were forced to move to reservations

We all know the short version of the battle at Little Big Horn where General Custer got whacked. We visited the museum and battleground and there seems to be much more to the story than we have been told.
Apparently General Custer was a very ambitious as well as courageous soldier and had great plans to be all that he could be (i.e. wealthy and possibly the President of the United States). In fact he became a general at the age of 23.
It seems that besides making a few enemies among his lesser officers, he also got on the wrong side of the President when he threaten to expose a scheme the President’s brother was using to steal supplies from the Indians. The President’s brother had been placed in charge of Indian Affairs.

When Custer went into battle with his patrol, he realized he underestimated the size of the Indian tribe and sent a courier back for reinforcements. One of his Majors decided not to send reinforcement, even though he was in earshot of the battle and knew Custer was outnumbered. Major Benteen later claimed that he was unaware of the gravity of the situation and chose not to commit any more troops to the battle.
In 1997 a court of inquiry was held and Major Benteen was actually found guilty of dereliction of duty and refusing to obey a direct order of his commanding general.

Now you know the rest of the story.