Stillhowlyn in 2012

Ajo, a Misnomer?

2012-02-24T20:25:00.003-08:00

Let's clear the air, there is no garlic grown in Ajo, the Spanish word for garlic, unless the name refers to the desert lily which is an onion-like plant that grows in the surrounding hills! The Spanish may have named the town using this familiar word in place of the similar-sounding O'odham word for paint (oʼoho). The Tohono O'odham people obtained red paint pigments from this area. That said, you also need to not judge this book by its cover, as in driving by on Highway 85 and letting first impressions rule your stay. Like a lot of small town America, Ajo has its share of for sale signs and closed businesses. However, once immersed in the local scene and scenery, we are totally enamored with Ajo!

This may be true!

Our slice of the Sonoran Desert pie lies on the western edge of Pima County, about 125 miles from Tucson, and we intend to devour our fair share. Parked here on BLM land we have access to hundreds of square miles of jeep roads, forests of giant, gesturing Saguaro and Organ Pipe cacti, soaring peaks and rock formations, sunsets and starry night skys.

On a morning hike to Black Mountain, our site sits amid a forest of Saguaro with the tailings of the old Cornelia Copper mine in the background.

The multiple personalities of Saguaro.

A group hug!

So...let's buckle up, grab the maps, GPS, and lots of water...we're off to tour the neighborhood.

Locomotive Rock is an impressive outcrop that graces our horizon.

As is Ajo Peak...Can anyone else see the Indian Head on the left?

Darby Wells Cemetery is located on Mica Mine Rd., just off the Scenic Loop drive.

A lot of the these photos are taken along the Scenic Loop, a 10.9 mile drive from town over a well maintained gravel road. It takes us through the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Essentially all Sonoran desert plants, for this elevation, are readily spotted on this easy self guided tour.

The Brittlebrush are blooming!

Organ Pipe cacti are plentiful!

Palo Verde tree

I am in search of the "model" for my painting, done by a friend in 2006, of an old, twisted Palo Verde tree somewhere here on Darby Wells Road.

These brightly lit Cholla are deadly. They break off and jump at the slightest movement.

I call these mud hills Elephants' Knees...Any idea what their geological name is?

Isabella Greenway took a floral cross that the employees of the New Cornelia Mining Co. had made for her husband's funeral after his death in 1926 and had it encased in concrete and carried to the top of the highest mountain in Ajo, known as "A" Mountain. The cross is visible for miles. (More on Ajo Townsite, its history and current affairs, when my brain is less overloaded.)

We've gone from rock art in Anza Borrego to can art here in Ajo along the Scenic Loop! It's comforting to know there is an artistic use for shot-up, rusty litter.

Wild poppies are popping up, indicating our wildflower season is commencing!

These folks may be Stillhowlyn, but for now yours truly is in need of bed and book!

See you soon in town....Nighty night!

Ahhhhh-HO!

2012-02-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

As in Ajo, AZ! We've buzzed through here many times over the last several years, usually on our way to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Puerto Penasco, or just taking the backroad to Tucson. We've actually stayed over a night or two...in an RV park. But friends and fellow bloggers keep mentioning Darby Wells Road and the Scenic Loop and the excellent boondocking, night skies, hiking and jeep drives,....why has it taken us so long to experience this beautiful spot in the Sonoran Desert? Especially since boondocking is our thing, and we've been compound bound in Yuma..but no one's complaining.

We drove through town and south to Darby Wells Road, then pulled off, unhooked the jeep, to go look around. There were several pull off tracks but at mile 1.6 we found our spot!

That's the lady with camera in the Sonoran Desert!

A garden of stately, gesturing Saguaro!

This impressive hill captures our southeast view!

These skyscrapers take on a personality in the fading sun to the west!

Gumby is happy!

Yuma...

2012-02-13T13:46:00.000-08:00

Whodathunk we'd get a site at the Escapees KOFA Park here in Yuma, and after just 3 days of boondocking in their overflow area! And a nice site it is:

I need to rake the gravel!

The weekly rental is $90 plus tax and electric usage; $13+ per night...not bad at all for full hook-ups . After 5 weeks of boondocking in the Anza Borrego Desert there are a few benefits to having unlimited water and electricity like....ironing, baking, long showers - maybe every day, equalizing our batteries, and not having to remember to turn off the inverter after watching TV at night.

We have enjoyed the network of SKP Co-op parks for 16 years, supporting the needs of the full-time RVer. These parks depend on leaseholder's volunteering for committees which make the rules and regulations for the efficient running of...well, things. Like proper protocol and behavior while doing laundry. I always forget to read all the signs posted in the various nooks and crannies. There was the time in Benson when I left the door open on a nice day neglecting to read the sign warning of snakes entering through said open door...in the middle of winter. A few days ago I inadvertently put the lid down on the washing machine after using and was chided for not reading the sign. I quickly recovered my witty sense of ~~the ridiculous~~ humor and replied, " I was always taught to put the lid down"...sorry! I've been out of touch too long!

What with trips across the border to Algodones, visits with local friends and family, we have been so busy, and that's a word that doesn't normally describe our rather free lance lifestyle. By family, I mean my deceased ex-husband's family whom I have known since I was 15. Sadly my sister-in-law passed away from a heart attack just days before her 70th birthday. (The symptoms were headache, vomiting, and heaviness in her arms.) A wonderful "celebration of life" was held at brother Jim's a week ago, well attended by so many that knew and loved Sharon. The folks are 90 and 94 and sharp as tacks. Anyone that can maneuver a car in and out of this crazy Yuma winter traffic with quick reflexes, like dad did on our Friday lunch outing, and discusses current world events as well as "before your time" kind of stuff, has my confidence vote.

RIP Sharon Kaye

Super Bowl Sunday was spent with the Panys. We supplied the surf and turf, i.e...salmon and tri-tips, while Beth and Chris did all the work, cooking/preparing munchies and side dishes and barbecuing the aforementioned. And all the clean-up! We know how to play this game, as did the victorious New York Giants...Yay Eli! Now I really like Tom Brady but he's won so many times!

That's Stripey on the wall!

We've been doing a lot of eating actually. Full-time RVer/friend, Al, is also here so we had dinner with him a few nights ago. Sushi in Yuma is not an oxymoron and we had some of the best from, of all places, the fresh sushi bar at the new Fry's Supermarket.

Sushi in Yuma...Yes!

Last night we fixed dinner in exchange for a mini-concert provided by our master oboist friend, Steve. We met Steve years ago in...where else but the Anza Borrego Desert. He has since bought a home here in Yuma and we had been looking forward to Howard's signature rack of lamb and some fine entertainment. Steve performed Mozart's Oboe Concerto beautifully, accompanied by the most amazing surround-sound back-up. After dinner he treated us to a showing of the Oscar nominated movie, The Tree of Life, starring Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. Absolutely mesmerizing cinematography!

Steve performed Mozart's Oboe Concerto..beautifully

I've added a new link to the "Links I Like" feature on the left-hand column of this blog. The addition of RV Service Reviews was prompted by our recent visit to Yuma Diesel Service for routine maintenance on our Cummins diesel engine. The service was professional, knowledgeable and thorough, with very reasonable rates. We would highly recommend.

More maintenance related projects have consumed much of this last week, at least for Howard. A simple drain cleaning resulted in a broken pipe that turned into an all day plumbing repair. This involved Howard, just south of 200 lbs., curled up in a semi-fetal position in our cramped bathroom, working inside of a cabinet that required his elbow to bend at the opposite right angle to which it is accustomed. Then there is the ongoing project of maintaining and repairing the diesel hydronic heater. He has gone thru every test, changed every filter and fuse, bled the line, so it comes down to the PC board which is $500 to replace. However, he has found that if he "taps" on the relays, the heater works fine for awhile. Next we will attempt to replace the relays. All Greek to me but the engineer seems to know what he's doing.

Yes, there was another trip to Algodones this last week so that I could enjoy a shrimp taco and Margarita. Friends, Beth and Chris, joined in the fun. We sleuthed the alleyways and found hidden away in the recesses a treasure trove of Zapotecan rugs from Oaxaca. We had purchased one over 10 years ago while in Oaxaca and sadly it had begun to wear. Here is my beautiful new replacement:

New Zapotec rug

It is time to (1) go on a diet, (2) move on.....

South of the Border...A day in Los Algodones

2012-02-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

We pulled into Yuma, the snowbird capital, and knew the pickins would be slim. Having checked out the Indian reservation parking and the casino, though free to cheap, we would be right in the path of wind-blown sand from the many surrounding dunes. We decided to take our chances on getting a boondocking site at the Escapees KOFA park, $5 per night and crammed in like sardines, until we found out the prognosis from the dentist on Thurs. This is a mighty leap from our acreage in Anza Borrego!

With passports in hand we crossed the border at Andrade, CA, on highway 186 off I-8, into the town of Los Algodones, a community of medical and dental professionals catering to snowbirds and seniors, and self-described to be as safe as Disneyland! We don't need convincing, we love this town.

A typical street corner

We arrived early for my noon appointment as I wanted to check in with the office of Dr. Alma Luna to be sure I was scheduled since all our communications had been by email. There are hundreds of very reputable dentists but I chose Dr. Luna on the recommendation of a friend who had been going to her for many years, plus the good reviews found in the Mexico Premiere Blog's article on Dental Care Across the Border.

With about an hour and a half to kill, we wondered into BEST Optical for a quote on replacing the lenses in my old glasses with my new prescription from Kaiser with progressive, transitional and the new polycarbonate, ready in about 3 hours, a total of $230. Kaiser's charge was $345 with at least a week to prepare and then mail. We also picked up a hundred tab supply of Howard's blood pressure meds for $3.68 and a new leather watch band.

Howard writes a check to BEST Optical

So on to my appointment with Dr. Luna whose office and examining rooms were spotless and the newest in equipment and technology evident. The digital x-rays showed up instantly on the computer screen she worked from showing a broken old filling, a small cavity, and the location of the nerve. Thankfully, a rather large filling did the job for now with a root canal and crown postponed indefinitely. $100 cash please, and thank you very much! I did question the cost of root canal and porcelain crown and was told approximately $600 depending on how many roots were involved. She refers patients to a specialist, Dr. Hernandez, for the root canal. He uses his famous "tooth-cam" for a more precise view of the nerve's path on the computer.

Colorful location in Mextlan Plaza

It is now way past lunch time and Howard is ready for some fish tacos and a cold Corona. I, on the other hand, am numb and drooling so eating for me is out of the question. We chose Restaurante El Paraiso for the outdoor plaza location plus the great music. The fact that it was very crowded surely meant that the food was good...and it was, according to Howard.

Lunch at El Paraiso

Delicious fish tacos

So by 3 p.m. we queued up at the long line to get through US Customs and 20 minutes later were on our way back to Yuma. What a great town and marvelous experience with lots of $$$$ saved! We'll be back next week just for the lunch experience!

Moving on..

2012-01-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

We have mixed emotions about leaving this beautiful location. Facebook friends Bob and Kathie just arrived. We feel like we've known them forever and wish we had more time together. We did manage a moderately strenuous hike up Coyote Mountain, some fun time with blog tutorials, and a "do your own" dinner in the early evening. But...I need to go to the dentist and have an appointment in Algodones, MX on the 2nd with Dr. Luna.

Conquering Coyote Mt. with Kathie & Bob

We celebrated a month of frugality by splurging at the French Corner restaurant last Friday night..I mean the whole enchilada; their homemade chicken liver pate for a starter, coq au vin for Lynda and meatballs for Howard, creme brulee for Howard and Belgian chocolate mousse for Lynda, and a magnificent 2006 Bordeaux, a big red with strong black cherry flavors and an oaky thrust...Sorry I couldn't resist the winespeak!

French Corner Restaurant

Another great hike in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park is Hellhole Canyon. Last Saturday, after that great dinner, we needed to work off some calories. The day was clear and sunny and not overly hot. The 5 miles round trip included some rock scrambling but the palm oases and spectacular views of the valley were well worth it.

Palm Oasis in Hellhole Canyon

We're on our way to Yuma, AZ to find ourselves a home for the next few weeks, visit with local friends and family, and get that dental work done. Written on the fly...as snowbirds do!

Weather or not....

2012-01-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we were bombarded by the Santa Ana winds, the scourge of our desert existence. Everything outside that isn't put away, blows away. Wind blown sand finds every nook and orifice, and driving anywhere, even in the jeep, a dangerous undertaking with palm trees in town bending at the knees, their limbs and fronds serious projectiles. So...we hunkered down with hatches battened!

First, the wind...we can see it coming!

Then right on cue, a few days later, the storms from up north arrived to clear the air and settle the dust. We watched as the clouds formed over the mountains and a light rain fell, hardly enough to matter in this drought, but the lights and shadows put on a show and I went chasing rainbows.

Then the rain

Searching for that pot of gold

So now we're back to our beautiful mild, sunny, clear mid-70 days...at least for awhile. Time to go look for The Slot canyon off Highway 78 and do some hiking. We found it OK with good directions on the State Park map, however from the top of the canyon we could NOT find a way down...no, actually getting down looked easy enough, but climbing back out again not so much.

We might be down and can't get up!

The sandstone walls are crumbly and eroding and...well, we chickened out and decided we'd do a jeep drive around the Badlands.

Badlands

But we're on top of the canyon and need to go down a really steep, deep-sandy hill with huge ruts and holes. Howard got out, looked, and said "no problem", then we get to the point of no return and he says "Oh S***"! I am strapped in and wedged with feet pushing against dash (hard to imagine) and eyes tightly shut and clutching the camera and all objects within reach that can become air borne once we start to slide and roll! We slid and fishtailed and after the worst was over I peaked out for a quick shot.

Piece of cake...Not!

Think I'll look now!

After that minor heart palpitation and adrenaline rush, we were just out for a drive...

I think I'll just watch and snap a photo...from outside

Needing a break..

THE END!!

Things...

2012-01-21T17:19:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out my closet, organizing some internet files, and reviewing our book list when I came across a "side note" containing a quote from Tom Robbin's "Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates". This man is both irreverent and brilliant, deceptively funny yet dead serious in confronting the "Big Issues". He writes:

"Things...Things attach themselves like leeches to the human soul, then they bleed out the sweetness and the music and the primordial joy of being unencumbered upon the land. People feel tremendous pressure to settle down in some sort of permanent space and fill it up with stuff, but deep inside they resent those structures, and they're scared to death of that stuff because they know it controls them and restricts their movements."

Wow...That is a mind-bender!

I started thinking about living in our small, confined space, about 300 sq. ft., and the things that are important to us: camera, a lot of electronic stuff, enough clothes, kitchen and bathroom basics, thousands of photos stored on external hard drives and printed in albums, and books galore...though we both have Kindles. Books are our passion and we have a wide range of interests, from fiction to history, science and spirituality. So for us to come across and really like a Tom Robbins's novel is not completely out of character.

That said, I'd like you to see our latest acquisition from a recent visit to Costco:

A must have, right?!

A perfect fit!

This versatile little cube cost $40 and has a whole bunch of storage space inside, plus serves as a convenient side and cocktail table. There are some things.....

It's a good day, when....

2012-01-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

You're hanging out the window at 5 a.m. to catch the sunrise!

Friends come for a visit and neighbors gather..

We hadn't seen John and Karen for a few years and enjoy showing off our mountain.

Neighbors and new friends join us for happy hour.

Karen makes this delicious red onion focaccia bread from scratch, as in yeast-rising dough for starters! The recipe should appear along the right side of this blog...hopefully.

The re-stringing of a frayed and sagging day/night shade goes smoothly. Howard's secret: just lay it out and follow the pattern of the old strings. Our bed is the only surface large enough!

You hard boil perfectly peeled eggs. My method, found in a cooking magazine, is cover eggs with water, bring to boil, turn off heat and cover for 11 minutes. Drain and leave at room temperature until comfortable to handle. There are many variations!

Making for yummy deviled eggs..

We're now ready for some football, cheering the San Francisco 49ers to victory over the Saints!

Our mountains light up in the setting sun!

Palm Canyon Trail

2012-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

After 11 days of boondocking it was time to take the motorhome for a visit to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to utilize their facilities. It was the best $7 we have spent in a long time. Our price of admission not only included replenishing the system's water supply and tank disposal but "all day" day use. Hence, we did our business and drove up to the trailhead parking for the very popular Palm Canyon Trail.

Approaching the state park

Near the "alternate" trailhead

Our hike began at the "alternate" trail leading up to the palm canyon oasis on the south side along the foothills. According to our GPS it adds about a mile round-trip to the posted 3-mile hike and is a bit steeper with more rock scrambling and an elevation gain of about 400'.

Along the alternate trail

Within a short distance we were treated to the rare appearance of the shy Borrego Bighorn sheep, probably a herd of at least 15 or more!

The rams

A few wore tracking collars

We just stood for the longest time admiring these beautiful creatures and trying to get a few decent camera shots, but finally tore ourselves away to continue on the trail as the day warmed up.

Taking a break

.....for a photo op

While most of the rocks we stepped over were placed there by water, some stones were likely placed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s.

After about a mile and a half of climbing and scrambling we spotted the palm oasis a half mile or so up ahead.

California fan palm grove

The skirt of palm fronds protects from water loss

A few years ago there was a massive flash flood that wiped out many of the trees and changed the landscape drastically. Huge boulders washed down from the mountain tops and palms were uprooted and carried downstream, many as far as the campground.

Flash flood destruction

Huge boulders wash down from above

All desert life revolves around water.

Waterfall and pool

We returned much later in the afternoon to our off-road desert site after a full day enjoying $7 well-spent. Our neighbors invited us over for a very happy hour and the full moon provided a spectacular light show!

Full moon rising

Anza Borrego Desert - Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

We're here: N 33 degrees 17.46 minutes, W 116 degrees 17.14 minutes; the first motorhome on Rockhouse Trail, off-road but with a line of sight that provides good internet and phone reception, boosted by our Wilson antenna. We compromise our view (slightly) and our location (closer to S-22) for these perks. One of us is a bit of an addict!

Looking west toward the sunset

East toward the Santa Rosa mountains

Within an hour after we had parked and set-up our chairs and tables, no hook-ups to deal with...remember we're boondocking, I look up from the comfort of my chaise lounge and here come Earl and Gail with Vita, their German shepherd, in their Class-B van bouncing into our driveway! Their plans to spend the weekend at Joshua Tree Nat'l Park were squelched on arrival as the park was full so they turned around and drove here. We are very happy to usher in this New Year with our very good friends!

Preparing for our New Year's Eve dinner..bbq'd steaks

And a wonderful New Year's Eve we had. First, a gourmet feast of NY steaks on the barbecue, asparagus and sauteed mushrooms, salad, a fine Cabernet and Gail's delish cheese cake...how did she do that! Later we sat around a big bonfire sipping fresh-brewed coffee...a couple of us added a few drops of Grand Marnier to ours, then came inside and watched "The Help" on the DVD player, power supply aided and abetted by our trusty generator. The 4 105-watt solar panels keep our 6 house batteries charged quite well but occasionally, especially at night with no sun, we need a little assistance.

There are quite a lot of RVs out here, mostly snowbirds gathering from northern climes, but also a lot of weekend campers from the LA and San Diego areas. In our 15 years of coming here and witnessing the creation of unique camp sites with firepits, even earth ovens, and lots of rock art adorning the landscape, we are still amazed and thankful that folks keep the environment so clean and pristine.

On New Year's morning, before the temps got to daytime highs of 75-80, we were out hiking up Coyote Mountain.

Earl and Gail are properly impressed!

Then, what to our wandering eyes should appear, but a huge serpentine creature, challenging our very survival to fend off imminent danger. Howard came to our rescue!

Howard and the monstrous serpent!

And the New Year begins in grand style!

2012...Here we come!

2012-01-04T15:05:00.000-08:00

Motorhomes don't do well in cold, damp weather, and neither do their occupants. We become moldy and mottled, moody and rather unpleasant. Plus the blue light anomaly has been in place for some time now.....so it's time to leave our dear families and head south to warmer climes.

Our route is pretty much the same: Leaving Sacramento and south on Highway 99 to Bakersfield is an easy first day's drive of about 300 miles. We normally don't pay $35 a night for RV parking but the Orange Grove RV Park lets us pick delicious oranges right from the trees, so we load up bags for juicing.

Our second day's drive takes us to Lake Cahuilla, a Riverside County park in La Quinta, which also happens to be one of our Passport America half price campgrounds, $11.50 per night includes water and electric.

Our two day stay allows for walks and runs (Howard) in the morning, stocking up at Costco for some major boondocking days ahead, and a movie...the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which in our opinion, was amazingly well done, especially after reading all 3 books, and seeing the original movies in Swedish with sub-titles.

So we're off for a short drive down to the Anza Borrego Desert, near the town of Borrego Springs, where we will greet the New Year 2012, and plan to stay until the Santa Ana winds, temps in the 100s, or boredom drive us out !

Our Year 2011

2011-12-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed with another year of travels, our 16th as full-time RVers. We are truly grateful for this lifestyle we so enjoy which allows us to visit beautiful places, meet up with dear friends, and make many new ones along the way. Certainly the best perk of all is the ability to spend quality time with our families in Petaluma, Half Moon Bay, and Citrus Heights; the circle tour as we call it!

This year started out in the Anza Borrego Desert in southern California, where we retreat after the holidays, following the sun and meeting up with fellow snowbirds around the southwest; Sharon and Rodger in Tucson, the Panys in Yuma. This link takes you to our Our Trip Journal 2011 which chronicles our travels during the first few months of this year until we moved here to stillhowlyn's travels on Blogspot.

By the time April rolls around it's time for us to head for the coast and turn north toward Pismo Beach and some quality time with best friends, Edna and Allen (please hold thoughts and prayers for Allen). We were delighted when 8 mo. pregnant daughter Terri, Clint, and Liliana decide to drive down from Half Moon Bay. More Family Time in Petaluma as we all gather for Easter at Norm and Wendy's. In May, the 16th to be precise, we welcomed our newest grandbaby Damien.

June is anniversary month and we celebrated our 17th in Calistoga, the heart of the Napa Valley wine country. We also enjoyed time with new friends Bruce and Phyllis, whom we met at the Elk's Lodge in Petaluma, and "old" friends from Half Moon Bay days, Don and Joan, at their beautiful property in the Gold Country. Our world-traveling grandson Rob just happened to be in Sacramento for a visit with his mom/our daugher Stephanie, with now wife Helga from Romania, where they are currently residing.

After the 4th of July we start out on our summer migration to the northwest. The motorhome always needs maintenance or repairs so a stop in Eugene, one of our favorite towns, is in order. The Willamette Valley is home to some choice wineries so we have our first introduction to Harvest Hosts at Emerson Vineyards. Our Passport America membership brought us to great half-price RV parks in Silverton and Corbett, OR, the latter being along the Columbia River Gorge.

August is our month in and around the Port Townsend, WA area, probably our favorite summer location, with its beautiful views of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Evergreen Coho SKP Park, another organization that supports the RVing lifestyle, provides a perfect location for sightseeing the Olympic Peninsula, especially Hurricane Ridge, and meet new friends, John and Bonnie. But the Main Attraction was our two weeks parked right on the water at the Pt. Hudson Marina in downtown Port Townsend with a bonus visit from Steph, Gary and friends, Laura and Jim! A ferry ride and drive to nearby Bellingham and we enjoy a wonderful day with long-time friends from Mexico days, Hazel and Dick.

The month of September brought us to a new destination, Caldwell, ID, near Boise, and soon to be new "summer home" for our good friends Beth and Chris. Of course, they couldn't have endured without our help and support! We enjoyed so many good meals and great sight-seeing trips; some that were really, really long days, but provided beautiful scenery. Check out Weeks 2 through 4 as well. Perhaps we've found another "favorite" late summer location.

The absolute best and highlight of October was our time in Medford, OR where we celebrated my sister-in-law Gay's Surprise 80th Birthday party, hosted and perfectly planned by my nephews and nieces. All my family came from Half Moon Bay and Petaluma for the first family re-union in way too many years. I am honored to share the same birth day with Gay! Also, while in Medford we met up, but had precious little time with dear friends John and Babs, who had just relocated from Clarkston, WA.

So now it's time to return to Petaluma where we gladly accepted an opportunity to Play House, babysit our 5-year old granddaughter, Christina aka The Bean, have special bonding time with Annie, our grandlab, and enjoy cooking and hanging out with son, Norm, while d-i-l Wendy was on ~~vacation~~ a business trip. Petaluma is a great town, centrally located, with so many fantastic Day Trip opportunities. The Marin County coast is not to be missed, and of course, a Dog Day with Annie in San Francisco...priceless!

By now you surely know we have a Really Big Trip coming up so must get our motorhome in storage mode with the help of our family and friends near Sacramento! We fly from Sacramento, via Chicago, via Toronto, to..ta-da...Barbados, on November 3rd. After two wonderful days seeing Barbados with friends Paul and Dalya, we boarded The Star Flyer for 22 days of sailing to beautiful islands, like the ABC Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

After 2 days at sea we arrived in the beautiful, old colonial city of Cartagena, Colombia, a truly magnificent experience; then another day at sea before anchoring off the San Blas Islands, home of the indigenous Kuna People. Our trip to one of their villages, seeing their beautiful crafts and molas, was special indeed. The piece de resistance, the grand culmination, the top of our bucket list, our Panama Canal Transit was more than our combined imaginations could conjure, even after reading McCullough's The Path Between the Seas.

The Third Week takes us into the Pacific as we sail from Panama to Costa Rica, anchoring off beautiful, uninhabited islands with stops in Golfito and Quepos, before disembarking in Puerta Caldera. We end our month-long journey in Jaco, Costa Rica for a much-needed 4 days of quiet decompression, before returning home to the Bay Area on December 1st.

Now and through Christmas once again is family time as we make our circle tour; Petaluma, Half Moon Bay, Citrus Heights, counting our blessings and counting the days until we once again start the New Year 2012 in our beautiful Anza Borrego Desert....and so it goes! What will this New Year bring? We so look forward to meeting up with you along the way, on Facebook, or in this wonderful blogging community.

May you and your families be blessed with an abundance of peace, prosperity, health, and happiness in this New Year 2012!

Lynda & Howard

Jaco, Costa Rica

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

We said our goodbyes to fellow passengers and crew aboard the Star Flyer and disembarked by tender at Puerto Caldera at about 9:30 a.m. Here we were met by a large group of taxis and van drivers, where we negotiated our fare to Jaco, about an hour's drive south along the Pacific, for a whopping $100 for the 4 of us...too high we later find out!

According to our US State Department, Costa Rica is a middle income, developing country with a strong democratic tradition, with extensive and generally adequate tourist facilities. Jaco is surely representative of a laid-back, bustling beach town that caters mostly to tourists and a weekend crowd of Costa Ricans, characteristic of the 1970s era; nice, accommodating but in need of some maintenance. The locals were all nice and very helpful and Spanglish became the language of choice.

Our condo had been reserved well in advance from Vacation Rentals by Owner. It was inexpensive and had our minimum requirements....bedroom, bathroom, with a kitchen/dining/living room combo. This allowed us to stock some food and beverages and fix a meal, especially coffee, if needed. The owner/rep, Bob Johnson, lived on the premises and made sure we had everything, including free wifi.

The town, beach, and all the restaurants were just a short walk from our place and taxis anywhere in town were 750 colones, or $1.50. Out first night's dinner was at a local sport's bar where we were treated to great Tico food which usually consists of a choice of fish, chicken, or pork with rice, black beans, salad, and fried bananas...and the super bowl of Costa Rican soccer games between the Alajuela and Saprissa teams on large flat screen TVs. The air was electric with the excitement of so many people cheering on their favorite team. A good introduction to the local scene.

The beaches were just OK; not conducive for swimming or overly attractive by Caribbean standards. The surfing apparently is good as there were a lot of kids toting surf boards. We had no desire to do any more sight-seeing and the days were just too oppressively hot and humid to spend much time outside other than early mornings and late afternoons. At 5 pm you could practically set your watch for a major downpour of rain, which usually lasted an hour or so. This was perfectly timed for our walk to dinner!

So we did little but relax, recuperate, read, get caught up on photos and updating this blog, and of course, many SKYPE calls to family. We reflected on this fantastic voyage we were blessed to experience. As good friend, George, said: Another item checked off the bucket list! Amen to that.... Thursday, Dec.1st, we returned to Sacramento and our much-missed little motorhome. Every time we fly we think, never again. Nasty, awful, crowded, sick, and uncomfortable are the adjectives that come to mind. We will be very content to be in our beautiful Anza Borrego Desert very soon after Christmas! In the meantime, we are having a much-needed family fix. Love and best wishes to all...

Around Jaco!

The beach

This beautiful parrot lived in the trees by a restaurant where we dined

Iguana out for a stroll

Haircut with Bob Marley and friends

The town

Week 3: Panama to Costa Rica

2011-11-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

Two weeks may have been enough, though we so looked forward to Costa Rica. Just became tired of socializing, eating, scheduling, confinement...you get the picture! There were many excursions and land tours from our anchorage in various beautiful locations but all were very expensive. The ship's currency is the Euro, so not favorable to Americans. We often found that going ashore and bargaining with taxi drivers was a lot cheaper, and more fun to do on our own. Our last week's itinerary proved to be quite nice in spite of our waning enthusiasm!

Leaving Panama on the southwest Pacific, we first stopped at Isla Iguana, a beautiful little island about 7 km or 4.5 miles off the coast of Panama, a Wildlife Refuge surrounded by palm trees, fine white sand beaches, and crystal clear waters, perfect for snorkeling the coral reefs. There appeared to be a small, private hostel for a few overnight guests. Frigate birds were in abundance and the fishing was said to be terrific.

Ashore for snorkeling on Isla Iguana

The epitome of a cruise photo (says Beth)

Howard in his element

Our next stop was Isla Gamez, one of the many uninhabited islands located in the Chiriqui Gulf National Marine Park, near the border with Costa Rica. The extensive coral reef and mangrove swamps serve as protected areas for leatherback turtles and many species of exotic fish. The beautiful beaches are lined with coconut palms. Our naturalist, Steffi, who joined us in Panama, proceeded to open a fallen coco for us that she found on the beach. She gives talks a couple of times a day on the flora and fauna of our destinations in Costa Rica.

Golfito is a remote and secluded town on the southern Pacific mainland coast, not far from the border with Panama. A major port until the mid 80s, Golfito was the center for the banana growing region, with the United Fruit Company's headquarters being based here. Since its closure the town has suffered from major economic loss but with the advent of tourism, is slowly rebuilding itself.

We looked forward to the day ashore, first just sitting at the marina bar with a beer and free wifi. The ship's wifi is 20 Euros for 3 hours, or about $9 an hour! Next we walked the short distance into town and found a Farmacia for some throat lozenges as I seem to be coming down with a sore throat or something.

We wanted local Tico food for lunch and the pharmacist recommended the perfect restaurante. We had hamburgers and French fries...hamburguesas con papas fritas! Every small Central American country has their own national beer. Here in Costa Rica it is Imperial. In Belize, it is Belikin and in Honduras, Salva Vida.

Picturesque Golfito

Golfito fishing fleet

Nice view from town

All aboard...though this is not the ship's tender

Approaching Drake Bay we seemed to have magically entered the rainy season as we were hit by a deluge. A good reason to stay aboard and while the hours away reading. The groups that had pre-paid "horseback riding to the last frontier" and a hike through Corcovado National Park returned 4 hours later drenched to the bone. Many tender or inflatable trips to shore warn of wet landings, meaning you usually disembark in the water or surf, but this wet landing took on a stronger meaning!

By the time we reached Quepos we almost felt at home, having visited this area and stayed for a week in 2004. Instead of paying the 44 Euros per person, or $120 for the two of us, to visit Manuel Antonio National Park, we just hired a taxi when we got into port: $30 round-trip for the taxi and $20 for park admittance for two. After hiking around for awhile, and yes seeing a monkey...though the photo is blurry, we paid a few extra dollars or colones (500 = $1) for cold Imperials. Oh, and taxi drivers don't let you out of their sight so no worries about him being there for the return trip!

See the monkey?

A taxi to Manuel Antonio..much cheaper than ship tour

Banana plants

The beach at sunset

Please click on Isla Tortugas to get more info on our last stop for snorkeling or a paid nature walk at the private Curu Wildlife reserve. We stayed onboard and began organizing and packing after 3 weeks of being spread out in closets and cabinets, for tomorrow's arrival at Puerto Caldera and our point of disembarkation. We did admire the view of Isla Tortugas where there were many day-cruise boats ferrying passengers to and fro'.

Isla Tortugas from a zoom lens

So dear friends, by the time you read this we will be enjoying 4 days of "decompression" at a condo in Jaco, Costa Rica.

Panama Canal Transit

2011-11-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

The creation of a water passage across Panama was one of the supreme human achievements of all time, the culmination of more than 20 years of phenomenal effort and sacrifice. No statistics of tonnage or tolls can begin to convey the grandeur of what was accomplished, bridging the divide and bringing people together.

We arrived at Colon on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal at about 5:30 a.m., awakened by bright red and green lights flashing in our porthole. Any further sleep became impossible as we were so excited for this day’s experience, transiting the Panama Canal. Our ship was boarded by the official pilot who guided us through the locks, as well as six line handlers, and our very own interpretive commentator who explained history, engineering, and geology, with a little local humor thrown in.

The 50 mile passage between Colon and Panama City, or actually Balboa, took us approximately 9 hours, getting underway at 7 a.m. and arriving at our anchorage around 4:30 p.m. We rose 82 feet in a series of 3 locks, being pulled along by “mules” or small, powerful rail cars, going up to Gatun Lake. Crossing the huge lake took 2 hours, seeing the large dam which controls the water level, jungle-covered islands, and marine traffic both incredibly large to small sail boats. Coming up on the continental divide we pass under the Centennial Bridge, as our entrance into the Pacific side of the divide brings on a deluge of rain.

Lunch buffet is served on deck in the Tropical Bar so we can view the scenery, damp and drizzly though it is. Our early rising makes us very sleepy after lunch and with the rain soaking the sun deck, we retire to our cabin and watch the down-hill ride through the Miraflores locks through our porthole window.

The approach of the Bridge of the Americas, which we have anticipated all day, brings us all back on deck with various degrees of rain gear. The excitement is generated by the fact that our ship’s highest mast is 67 meters tall, and the bridge measures 63 meters at mean tide. Low tide is at 3:34 p.m., EST, and we slow to a crawl as it looms ahead, waiting for the magic time. This is Captain Peter’s first crossing as well, and he teases us with grimaces and hand signs, indicating a crash is imminent. We pass under with maybe a meter to spare!

Surprisingly, we anchor upon arrival outside of the Balboa harbor, with a beautiful view of the Panama City skyline across the bay. We had thought we would be docking alongside a pier since all but 20 of us will be disembarking in the morning and in the late afternoon we will take on another 120 passengers for the trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. This has to be accomplished by tender. We decided not to venture ashore as conditions were very rocky and boarding the tender looked treacherous, at best!

San Blas Islands, Panama

2011-11-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

We spent another full day at sea sailing from Cartagena to the San Blas Islands, some 180+ nautical miles. The San Blas, an archipelago of 365 islands, runs along the Caribbean coast of Panama and borders Colombia and the Darien Province.

About 36 of the islands are inhabited by the indigenous Kuna people, an autonomous territory in Panama. Special permission, granted by the tribe chief or El Jefe, was required for our ship and its passengers to enter and visit the islands. El Jefe and his family came aboard to collect the ship’s fee and present a special display of their culture’s wares and colorful molas.

We were allowed to visit two islands, one for a village experience and one for snorkeling and swimming. The village was named Cartisugdub according to the welcome sign. It consisted of many primitive thatched and framed houses, community meeting places, and even schools. The vendors were plentiful, selling their handmade clothing and molas which are much like place mats or possibly wall hangings, and usually feature bright woven birds or fish designs.

Nothing was negotiable though we bought a pair of molas that seemed of better quality than others we saw, for $20. Photos cost a dollar or two and everyone, including their pet monkeys, will pose for a fee.

It was extremely hot and humid; the first time the heat has really gotten to me. We were quite ready to return to the ship’s air conditioning after about 45 minutes of walking the dirt streets and paying for pictures and admiring the crafts.

The snorkeling trip sounded less and less appealing as the afternoon heat gathered, and we became comfortable sipping a cold Corona. Remember that most of our trips ashore require walking down the steep gang plank and being assisted into the rolling tender for perhaps a 10-15 minute boat ride to our destination! Not always an alluring choice…

Cartagena, Colombia

2011-11-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

After two glorious days at sea, we arrived at what was certainly one of the highlights of this trip...Cartagena, Colombia. This is a blurb from the ship's daily update of ports of call, in this case obviously Cartagena.

Cartagena de Indias is the capital of the Bolivar Province. The metropolitan area has a population of 1,240,000. It is the fifth largest urban area in Colombia. Today the city is a center of economic activity in the Caribbean region and a popular tourist destination.

Cartagena’s walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Hot, sultry, filled with the sounds of music and bright with color and tradition, Cartagena de Indias has been an important port on the Caribbean since it was founded in 1533. Gold and silver left the port bound for Europe, pirates looted the city, and a walled fort grew to protect both shipping and the slave trade. Its colonial charm and the old walled city, the Ciudad Amarullada, with tiled roofs, balconies and flower-filled courtyards, beckons visitors to stroll the narrow streets of to enjoy a weekend getaway.

Cartagena’s cathedral, with its massive exterior, simple interior and fortress appearance was begun in 1575, partially demolished by Sir Francis Drake’s cannons, and then completed in 1602. The Iglesia de Santo Domingo, which is little changed from colonial days, is the oldest church in the city, and like the cathedral, was built to resist invaders.

The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is the largest of a series of fortresses built to protect the city from pirates. A must-see is the tunnel system meant to facilitate supply and evacuation of the fortress.

We joined some friends for our own excursion into the city, as opposed to the ship's tour. Our main points of interest were the old fort, San Felipe de Barajas, and the old walled city. We hope you enjoy Cartagena from our point of view!

Two Days at Sea

2011-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Leaving Aruba, we were two days at sea. Life onboard took on a different perspective; lazy and laid-back, less structured, though there were activities. Not being one for most group things, I found myself joining in the morning aerobics and stretches. There was also mast climbing for those brave souls who, unlike me, are not afraid of heights!

Activities include climbing the mast

Our Captain, Peter Kaaling, had story-telling times where he regaled us with tales of his adventures at sea aboard the Gotheburg, a sailing replica of the 18th century Swedish East Indiaman. It is the world's largest wooden sailing vessel. His journey was almost 18 months, leaving from Gothenburg, Sweden and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, then 5000 miles to Australia where he turned off the engines and swore to sail the entire way…and did. His crew of 80 was a combination of experienced sailors and volunteers. They continued on to China, with stops at Hong Kong and Singapore, then returning to Sweden by way of the Suez Canal, welcomed by thousands of private boats and a hundred thousand spectators on shore.

Captain Kraaling regales us with tales of sea adventures

There was deck golf and water aerobics but mostly, for us anyway, it was grab a lounge chair on the sun deck and settle in for some reading on the Kindle, where we had downloaded a bunch of books before leaving.

A lot of reading on the sun deck

Howard enjoyed the knot tying lessons by Xaverino, one of the line handlers. Phillip, the Cruise Director, always gave briefings on our next port of call…in this case Cartagena, where we will be arriving the morning of Wednesday the 16^th. There was also a modified “man overboard” drill by the sports team.

A modified man overboard drill by the sports team

Phillip, our Cruise Director, briefs us on next port of call

Captain oversees the sail and line handlers

Thus go the days at sea, with a lot of very good food and drink, and nightly entertainment thrown in for good measure.

Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao...The ABC Islands

2011-11-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Bonaire is 50 miles north of Venezuela and the second largest, quietest and least known of the islands of the Dutch Antilles, with Kralendijk as its capital. The island is semi-arid with an 18 mile coral reef that offers spectacular diving. Along the shore strong waves crashing against volcanic rocks and coral have created ridges, unusual lava formations, grottoes, and caves.

Not being divers, we opted for the land tour. Bonaire is covered with mostly desert vegetation, ranging from barren rocky hills and salt mines to green parklands and freshwater lakes with lots of bird-life. The popular Flamingoes were not in residence on our drive, but we did see lots of the Amazon parrots.

We arrived in Willemstad, Curacao in the midst of the Heineken sailing regatta, where a time-out was called to allow the Star Flyer plenty of maneuvering space to make a “u-turn” in the middle of the harbor and dock alongside this beautiful town.

The day was perfect for a long walk, which involved taking a free water taxi across the shipping canal which divides the town into “old” and “new”, to shop and take pictures. The architecture is reminiscent of a Dutch town with its red roofs and pastel colors….very photogenic!

There is a colorful floating market on the waterfront in downtown Willemstad where merchants from Venezuela travel the 50 miles by boat to sell fresh fish and other produce directly from their vessels under an array of colorful awnings. This picturesque location has been one of our favorites thus far, followed closely by Grenada and Barbados.

Sunday, November 13, 2011 we dock in Oranjestad, Aruba. A walk into town quickly informed us that everything is closed, though a few photos were shot. We thought perhaps a taxi drive to the beaches might be in order until the downpour of rain started and continued most of the day. Reading and paying for internet use became the activities of the day.

Oranjestad is the center and capital of Aruba. The official language is Papiamento; sort of a mixture of Dutch, Spanish and English, also spoken in Bonaire. The currency for all 3 islands is the US dollar. Though Holland is part of the European Union the Euro is not used as it discourages U.S. tourism…smart people and good for us. The ship’s currency is the Euro, however.

Rather than upload photos separately, I will link a slideshow to my Picasa album for Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Other albums from this trip thus far can be viewed there as well.

For the next two days we will be at sea, arriving Cartagena, Columbia November 16^th. We will be back in touch whenever possible. Quick updates will be posted to Facebook.

Aboard the Star Flyer: Grenadines and Grenada

2011-11-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

We said our ‘goodbyes’ to the excellent staff of Adulo Apartments. Roger picked us up on schedule for the short drive to the ship terminal near Bridgetown for the 4 p.m. embarkation; a long and hot procedure involving the individual processing of each passenger, 127 in all, including photos for our identification cards. This gave us adequate time to meet several of our fellow shipmates. We are a multi-national group, with an age range average of 50-70, with a few younger and some agile 80+ year olds.

Docked for departure from Barbados

Orientation by the Tropical Bar

The Star Flyer was an impressive sight docked alongside the pier. As we boarded cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were served. We wandered around admiring the casual elegance of the ship’s appointments. Our stateroom is conveniently located on the Clipper Deck, near the dining room, and only one level down from the Tropical Bar and sun-decks. Peter, our cruise director, gave a welcome orientation and introduced the staff.

Dinner is served between 8-10 p.m. There are several courses starting with appetizers, then soup and salads, and finishing with a selection of desserts. Our first night’s entrees included rack of lamb, duck breast, and a salmon fillet. Baskets of bread and bottles of wine were plentiful. It soon became quite evident that the meals were first class and the service excellent and personal.

At 10 p.m. the sail-raising ceremony begins with all hands on deck and the music of "1492" filling the air as the sails are hoisted. Our 22 day voyage aboard the Star Flyer begins as we head out for an overnight sail to the Grenadines. Our room is very spacious, especially by motorhome standards. The head and shower is much larger than we are used to and beautifully appointed. The large porthole offers us a fabulous view of the Caribbean Sea and islands as we pass, though who spends much time in the room when aboard a boat like this!

Raising the sails

Participation not mandatory!

The Grenadines are a chain of approximately 600 small islands, with St. Vincent as the main island. We anchored off Captain's Best Beach on Union Island. Soon the ship's tender started ferrying guests to shore for an afternoon of swimming, snorkeling and water sports.

Arriving Grenadines

Tender takes us ashore

An afternoon of water sports

The Star Flyer presents a beautiful picture at anchor as we head back from shore!

As we weighed anchor, leaving for Grenada, this beautiful sunset presented itself!

A quick note might be appropriate here: not all internet connections are created equal and some are quite expensive, as in the ship's wifi costing 20 Euros for 3 hours, and often quite slow. I would like to go into more detail on island history, especially Grenada, with its lush tropical landscape and spices, and the US involvement in the 1980s...so please click on the link for more information. I will concentrate on uploading photos that we took while on a 2 1/2 hour driving tour, seeing most of Grenada's highlights.

St. George's...the main town

We had a great demonstration at one of the spice farms

Taken from the French Fort Frederick, at the highest driving point

There are many waterfalls...this in Annandale

The Carenage or boat harbor

We're off for Isla Margarita and Isla Blanquilla, islands of Venezuela. I opted not to go ashore for the few hours of snorkeling as my ankles are covered in bites from the sand fleas I encountered on the Grenadines, where the Mangrove trees are famous for harboring this vicious no-see-ums!

Two Days in Barbados

2011-11-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

But first there was the two-day flight from hell; Sacramento to Chicago to Toronto. Wrong direction you say...that would be affirmative. And all flights were delayed so our 11:30 p.m. arrival in Toronto turned into 1 a.m., and by the time we got to our hotel bedtime became 2 a.m....with a wake-up call at 6 a.m. to get back to the airport. The Air Canada non-stop flight to Barbados was quite comfortable and a little over 5 hours making our arrival about 2:30 p.m. local time.

Adulo Apartments

Tropical flowers

Our balcony has a tiny view

Everything was fast and efficient: checking in through customs and immigration, all baggage arrived, a driver procured for our drive to our accommodations, the Adulo Apartments. Here we met up with friends, Dalya and Paul, who had just arrived from Seal Beach, CA, via New York to Barbados on Jet Blue...much more civilized. Our location is quite well-located with easy access to Rockley Beach, numerous restaurants and shops.

Rockley Beach, near our apartment

With a gnarly old tree

A colorful background for modeling Howard's new "Jammin in Barbados" hat

The Adulo staff are very knowledgeable, fun and accommodating. We stocked up on wine and snacks for happy hour, then walked to nearby Shakers, highly recommended, though from the outside you would not be very impressed with either the setting or the alley-like location. The fresh caught fish of the day, either Marlin or Kingfish, was excellent. We went back the following night.

The apartment staff arranged an island tour for Saturday afternoon. Roger, tour guide extraordinaire, picked us up at 1 p.m. in his large air-conditioned van and 5 hours later delivered us back, complete with the most spectacular sunset, and totally overwhelmed with the beauty, history and island facts, and hundreds of photos to edit. Barbados is worth checking out...starting with this link. A multitude of photos to follow:

Banks, the national beer...so good on a hot day!

Several cruise ships in but don't see our Tall Ship!

Lots of old churches

Th parliament building in Bridgetown

The Cricket Stadium

Chattel houses are original plantation workers' homes

Sea inlet at the northwest end of the island

Us and The View, probably the most spectacular scenery of the day

Our guide says these are black-bellied sheep...looks like goats to me!

Paul photographing mushroom rocks on the Atlantic side

This sunset greeted our return

Our tour started from the southwest end of the island and headed north along the west coast through the capital of Bridgetown, then Holetown, Speightstown, and up to the spectacular views at North Point. We continued on around through the cane fields and pastures, dotted with small settlements, on the sparsely populated Atlantic side to Bathsheba and Ragged Point, then returned.

Clicking on Web Albums, above left-side, will bring you to even more photos. We're off to board the Star Flyer....Let's hope for good internet aboard!

Leaving on a jet plane...

2011-11-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

The motorhome is in storage and we have now moved into suit cases for a travel mode of a different sort. Airplanes are not my favorite venue but we have found it often is the only way to get from Point A to Point B. At this writing we are about to leave from Sacramento, CA hoping to eventually arrive in Bridgetown, Barbados, via Chicago and Toronto...that's in eastern Canada! The wrong direction from where we're headed plus it is very cold, like 33 degrees F when we arrive at 11:30 p.m. tonight.

Please note the weather sticker on the right hand side of this blog....That's where we hope to be Friday afternoon. Keep us in your thoughts and send good internet karma. With any luck I'll be able to post pictures here and on Facebook.

A Play Day

2011-10-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

We needed a day off - from what you ask? - and headed for the West Marin coast. The Indian summers of October bring clear, sunny weather and this day was a magnificent 85 degrees with not a hint of the usual coastal fog.

It seemed like a long 20 miles of narrow two-lane from the turn off from Highway 1 at Olema to the light house at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

View Larger Map

But the drive was worth it!

Passing many dairy farms on the way.

The blue of Drakes Bay and green pastures, a dramatic contrast.

One must go down 30 stories of steps to get to the lighthouse!

On the return drive we were rewarded with this herd of grazing elk!

There was a mandatory stop for a short hike at the Bear Valley trail, one of our favorites.

And a photo opp along Tomales Bay at low tide..

And Pt. Reyes Station for a latte and walk-about town where pumpkins were on display.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Now we'll drive to Sacramento and start decommissioning the motorhome, do laundry, clean the refrigerator, pull out the suitcases, make lists, begin the packing.. and get ready for THE TRIP!

Playing House

2011-10-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

A big plus for mobility. We left Medford for Petaluma where we ~~were asked~~ begged to babysit the Bean, aka Christina, the 5 year-old granddaughter, while d-i-l Wendy goes on a 4-day business trip. Son Norm leaves for work at 4:30 a.m. so someone needs to be in-house to get her up and ready for school, cartooned-in, breakfasted, lunch-boxed, and out the door by 8 for the walk to school, with Annie, the slightly neurotic grandlab, tagging along.

A real house...

With a real kid...

Who happens to be our 5 year old granddaughter...

Walking to school with Papa and Annie the grandlab

The line-up outside kindergarten class.

Annie has certain issues that make her a bit anxious!

For instance, the refrigerator that hisses and threatens to eat her and her ball. She won't go near it!

We enjoy cooking in a real kitchen...yes, Brussels sprouts again...

A son who does great bbq'd pork chops and keeps his lawn green.

And a little double bed for the two, make that 3, of us!

Real houses make me slightly neurotic and anxious. They have high ceilings and low floors. The bathroom is soooo far away! The TV remote is too complicated. We are happy to be back on-board the motorhome, getting ready for yet another adventure! It's the mobility thing!

Birthday reunion

2011-10-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

I share the same birthday with my beautiful sister-in-law, Gay Cawthorne, who turned 80 on October 14th. Gay is such a remarkable, talented woman. She is a professional singer, an accomplished artist, and devoted to her large Medford family, friends and church.

Lynda & Gay on their birthday

My nephews and nieces in Medford, OR planned a huge celebration and surprise party for her. This was truly a grand reunion as all my kids and grandkids from Petaluma and Half Moon Bay drove up for the weekend (last). I had not seen my family for 3 months and the cousins had not all been together for many years.

The first event and big surprise was a large family gathering Friday night for a cozy dinner for the 26 of us at a local Mexican restaurant. Gay had an inkling that something was going on but didn't expect all of us. We were all a bit overwhelmed, what with all the introductions (new spouses, new babies, etc.) and catching up to do. So much fun to see all the cousins reunited!

5 yr. olds Ali & Christina..new best friends!

Clint, Kyle & Wendy, Terri

Is that Justin or Jonathan (twins) with cousin Noelle?

Great photo of Wendy & Norm

Kyle with youngest son Randy

My nephew Keith with wife Mindy

Niece Kelly holding 5 mo. old grandson Damien

There were over a hundred people in attendance at the church on Saturday. My nephews, Kyle and Keith, had put together an incredible DVD that was a beautiful tribute to Gay and included so many emotional pictures of the past, with Gay's lovely voice singing the background music. We were all laughing and crying at the same time!

Honoring Gay, on the right

Daughter Terri, nephew Kyle, my d-i-l Wendy

Kyle later hosted a barbecue at his and Wendy's (remember, there are now two Wendy's) house for around 30! Hot dogs, hamburgers and a great Oregon Duck's football game was enjoyed by all, with yet more photo ops!

Gay with her kids, Keith, Kelly, Kim and Kyle

And the "in-laws", Jon, Mindy and Wendy

Three days of fun, food and fellowship. I was honored to share this special day and celebration with Gay and our families. We already have plans to be back next summer for Kyle and Wendy's wedding. Let the good times roll on....

The road less traveled

2011-10-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

After a month, we are mobile once again. Spent two nights at the Bend, Oregon Elk's Lodge. There is a reason they have you check in at the bar. The smell of popcorn and friendly folks beckon you to linger longer, have a drink, sit and chat. Stay for a hamburger and karaoke, of course we did. Thankfully, I did not sing!

Highway 20 alongside the Malheur River, eastern OR

High desert sage brush

We paid another visit to the Columbia Sportswear Factory Outlet to see if there was anything new since we were here a month ago. Of course there was, but we only shopped in the sale racks...such restraint we showed. The departure time for our TRIP is drawing nigh, November 3rd. I have nothing to wear and hate to shop. Where are my personal shoppers when I need them?

Leaving Bend we decided to take a route we've not taken before, see new sights...that's what we do. Highway 20 is an east-west route over the Cascade Mountains, through the town of Sisters, to I-5...about a 120 miles or so. We've done lots of mountain driving in the motorhome, towing the jeep....we're pros! We got to the summit and there was a major fork in the road, with highway 126 going off to the left. Most vehicles took that route for some reason. To us, according to our map, staying on 20 seemed the better choice.

Snow-capped Cascades near Sisters

Sisters, OR

By now it's raining, foggy and the road is getting narrower. There is not another vehicle in sight. We pass three, yes three, caution signs warning of the impending 11 miles of steep 6% downgrade. Too late to turn back, even if there had been a spot wide enough to turn around, which there wasn't. So down we went, praying to the Pac brake gods, as we maneuvered (yes, I helped with my passenger-side brakes) the many S-turns, the falling rocks, the mudslides, with speeds not to exceed 20 mph.

Chains? We don't carry chains!

When I occasionally opened my eyes I did notice the beautiful fall colors of reds and yellows on the trees as they whirred past my window. I let go of my death grip long enough to grab the camera for a few drive-by shootings! What seemed like hours later we pulled into the sweet town of Sweet Home, and civilization. I-5 is just ahead. We made it...Piece of Cake!

Fall colors through the fog

Rock out-cropping...my side of the road, mister!

A blur of colors, or camera shake?

If you've read past episodes you know we're heading back to Eugene to get one of our awnings replaced, yet again. We stayed a couple of nights boondocking at the Valley River Center by the beautiful Willamette River and trails, and a much-needed hike and run. Then a night at Armitage Campground where we got together with friends John and Bonnie, whom we met at the Escapee's park in Chimacum, WA. this summer.

Do yourself a favor and click on this link and you will meet Laurie and Odel and one of their blogs, We Called It Home, where they rate and review campgrounds they've stayed at. We were parked next to these folks at the Bend Elk's and found them and their blogs when just now searching for a link to Armitage. Small world, indeed.

A celebratory week...our 4th and final

2011-10-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Panys closed on their new home giving us a cause to celebrate....though one is never needed when we get together. Chris performed his magic with our favorite duck on the rotisserie.

I made you laugh..haha!

Scrumptious

We begged for a repeat of Beth's delicious Brussels sprouts, the absolutely best. They will definitely grace a holiday table before the year is over now that I have recipe in hand.

The best Brussels sprouts

Housewarming presents were in order for this auspicious occasion. Howard chose a snow shovel for Chris, just in case he doesn't head south before the first snow.

Grumble, grumble....

For Beth, I thought this plaque would be appropriate for the new kitchen.

Yes, a lot!

Enough with this picture taking, let's eat!

Another wonderful evening

Chris hit the nail on the head when he said..."I don't know why we bother to eat out". Amen to that! And there is more.... Howard's birthday on October 2nd. He started his day by running a 12 K. That's about 8 miles!

Looking good!

The Panys joined us later for Howard's famous rack of lamb...yes he had to cook in spite of being the star of the day...with all the yummy trimmings. Chris finally got the green beans he had been asking for, with a few Idaho potatoes roasted along with the lamb. I attempted a cake using the low carb baking mix from Cliff's Country Market. I think a bit more practice and substitutions are in order. Beth's peaches in brandy definitely added to the palate.

The coating is rosemary, parsley, garlic & bread crumbs

Ahh, the presentation with a fine Chianti

An experiment with low carb baking!

I think a few comments on Caldwell and our month here are in order. You've already heard about our scenic drives and our wonderful times with friends and food. But this small town showed us a tremendous amount of hospitality. Just to mention a few:

A call to Camping World in Boise to see if they possibly had a handle for our Dometic refrigerator resulted in the store manager personally delivering it on her way home from work...."it's right on my way"! People actually do this?!

I desperately needed to get some clothes altered before our upcoming trip and found Alterations by Carol. Carol invited me over to her very impressive shop located in her home, took all the measurements, and two weeks later my things were done professionally and inexpensively.

Superior Paint and Glass guided Howard step-by-step in the major stripping, sanding, and re-varnishing of our dining table. They also matched our dashboard and chairs with the perfect vinyl paint to touch up scratches and wears.

And, as mentioned above, Cliff's Country Market, with their great selection of fresh produce, and hard-to-find low carb products. It just so happens that Cliff is a diabetic as well as a baker and needed to seriously alter his diet, thus offering more selections for his customers. We have been following a low carb diet for quite awhile as it works better for us, but often miss out on breads and bakery items. Cliff's gave us lots of normally forbidden goodies!

The entire month of September brought sunny skies and temps in the 80s. Absolutely perfect for dining al fresco and sitting out well into the balmy evenings. And just to top off a near perfect month, Verizon decided to send us blazing 4 G internet....in Caldwell, Idaho.

Yes, we'll be back next year, probably in September, to check on Beth and Chris. We'll also visit many of the beautiful Idaho Power campgrounds and certainly return to the Ambassador RV Park, whose monthly rate of $345 breaks down to only $11.50 per night, with a great staff and amenities.

Now we're off on a rainy day, Oct. 5th, with a busy month ahead...heading back to Oregon.

Week 3..Our month is flying by!

2011-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Beth and Chris, are buying a summer home here in Caldwell. Beth lived and worked here years ago, has family and friends in the greater Boise area, so knows the local turf. We jumped at the chance to join her and Chris on a guided tour of downtown Boise.

Taken from the Train Depot atop the Boise Bench, this panoramic view of downtown and surrounding mountains on a very warm, 95 degree day:

Looking out on downtown

Beth, our tour guide, provides a history lesson

Most of our time was spent at the State Capitol building, admiring the Roman-based architecture and massive amounts of marble used in construction, four different types from various locations. Probably the most distinguishable feature is the dome.


Idaho State Capitol building

When looking upward from the first floor, thirteen large stars and forty-three smaller stars can be seen. The thirteen large stars represent the thirteen original colonies and the forty three smaller stars indicate that Idaho was the forty third state to enter the union.

Starry dome

It just happened to be game day with the top-rated Boise State Broncos playing Tulsa. The fans were out en masse with tail-gate parties in full swing, cheering on their team which, of course, won!

Go Boise State!

There was another very long day with a drive to Hell's Canyon...from the south/Oregon end. We experienced the trip in from the north out of Clarkston, WA last year, only on a jet boat. Much of our drive was "getting there", through the vast river plains, high desert landscapes, and small towns with fruit and/or farming in their resumes. One can't be in a hurry with the essence of peaches beckoning us to road-side stands.

Once we turned off Highway 95 at Cambridge, onto highway 71, the journey became more like a roller coaster, from mountaintop to valley floor, and river's edge. The mighty Snake River begins its tumbling course through North America's deepest canyon, averaging 5280 feet deep. We have lunch overlooking this wild and scenic river; we share roads with cattle. We passed beautiful Idaho Power campgrounds, the Brownlee, Owbow and Hell's Canyon Dams, and several one-lane bridges criss-crossing Idaho and Oregon.

Then we reached the end of the road and had to return! By the time we got to the small town of Weiser it was time to stop and stretch our legs. As luck would have it we stumbled into the Homestead Cafe, hungry and tired. Our appetites were whetted with the Monday night special: prime rib served with gravy over Texas toast, salad, baked potato and fresh peach pie...all for $8.75. We are now fortified for the long drive home!

Week 2...RV projects, day trips, local color

2011-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the RV projects.... The dining/all purpose table, like most of the motorhome, with the exception of the newish flatscreen TV, is 11+ years old. Time to remove, sand and re-varnish.

The beginning.. very messy

Almost done..still another coat of varnish or two

The process is...1) strip with paint/varnish remover, scrap, sand, repeat; 2) stain; 3) apply varnish, let dry; 4) rub with steel wool...and repeat steps 3 and 4 at least 5 times. Then hopefully step 5), rub with very fine steel wool to take off the shiny effect, wax and be done! It is looking good.

In between all this manual labor we manage some great day trips, and I do mean all day with many miles on the odometer. First trip this week was with Beth and Chris to Silver City, an old mining community Beth remembered visiting 35 years ago. Beth drove, much to Howard's delight. There's something to be said for owning a small, uncomfortable Jeep Wrangler!

View Larger Map

The map gives a sense of our route and topography encountered. The drive south on Highway 78 took us through the lush farmland of the Snake River plain. There was a quick stop at Givens Hot Springs to read the historical exhibits and have a look at the hot pools, which looked inviting but bathing suits were required, of which we had none. There were lots of noodles in attendance.

We continued on for several miles to the turn-off onto a gravel road which, for 25 miles, took us through desert-like sage brush and open range, then climbed steeply to an altitude of 6200' with pine trees and panoramic views. We had arrived at the old mining town of Silver City.

The fun begins...

Along the road

Panoramic views

Around Silver City..Note solar panels as the town has no electricity

What you get when you say "don't pose"...at the Idaho Hotel & Bar

The Idaho Hotel was open for business and much to our delight, pies were the specialty of the house, fresh and warm right out of the oven. Howard and I had peach and huckleberry with just a little scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Right out of the oven..and delicious

Next on our to-do list was Saturday's Caldwell Days celebration, which actually took place all weekend. We could not miss the world famous (made the CNN news) kayak races on Indian Creek, which flows through downtown complete with rapids and foot-bridges. The kayaks are made of cardboard and duct tape. The contestants were amazing and the boats ingenious. This was followed by the rubber duck races. See for yourselves...


The yellow spots are rubber ducks! The bird is a statue...I think!

The day was full of fun, food, music, arts and crafts, the Caldwell Cougars marching band, and a great vintage car show.

My 1st car, though not this cute!

Cougar marching band

And there is more.... The all day, 400 mile, 810 hour drive along 4 of Idaho's beautiful scenic byways. The Payette River Scenic Byway took us north from Boise to Banks along Highway 55, where we turned east onto the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway, now following the south fork of the Payette with lots of fast water rapids and deep canyons. At Lowman we connected with the Ponderosa Pines Scenic Byway, which takes us to Stanley. Now we're all the way over on Highway 75 and turn south along the Sawtooth Scenic Byway to Sun Valley and Ketchum.

View Larger Map

Whew...seriously, this was some beautiful scenery but by now I am really tired of pine trees and driving. Even the Aspen along the Wood River in Sun Valley were green as grass, not a sign of fall color. The drive back to Caldwell was extremely UN-scenic, dead into setting sun with gale force head-on winds. Well, maybe not that bad. A few more photos...Until the next trip!

Fast water rapids on the Payette River

Ponderosa Pines and Sawtooth Mountains

A recent wildfire provides colorful undergrowth

The Salmon River Plain

Scenic Sun Valley

Destination Caldwell...Week 1

2011-09-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

We left Eugene with the intention of taking Highway 20 over the Cascades, through Sisters, into Bend for the night...a new route for us. That was not to be. Thanks to the powers of instant communication, we were alerted to wildfires burning along that route. We made a U-turn of sorts, from I-5 heading north to south, and picked up Highway 58 south of Eugene going over the Willamette Pass. This proved to be a bit longer drive but no smoke or fires to worry about.

The glacial Cascades..from the Willamette Pass

The Columbia Sportswear Factory Outlet caught our eye first. We pulled right into the parking lot, MH and all, and went in for some major shopping at very discounted prices. Items normally selling for $50-75 were marked down to $12-15. I was able to get a couple of pairs of shorts, capris, and shirts...though finding ones that weren't too long was an issue. I plan to be taller in my next life!

So we found the Bend Elk's Lodge and despite the fact this is Sunday of Labor Day 2011, the lodge was closed. The RV parking area has 8 sites with water and electric for $15 per night. OK for us...We've had a long day and are ready to just have a drink and a bit of dinner.

Our Labor Day was mostly spent driving 300 miles east of Bend on Highway 20 through lots of small towns and often 2-lanes. We finally arrived in Caldwell about 5 p.m. and pulled into the Ambassador RV Park, our home for the next month.


Ambassador RV Park, Caldwell...Us & the Panys waayyy over there!

Beth and Chris greeted our arrival with both food and drink..and the most beautiful, thoughtful present imaginable. Beth, gourd carver extraordinaire, just finished our very own gourd, a replica down to the most intricate details, of the tall ship Star Flyer, in honor of our upcoming cruise in November. I don't know how she could part with such a work of art but we are very grateful and happy recipients.


Beth's intricate Tall Ship carving

Aft view..International Marine Signal Flags spell out S-T-I-L-L-E-Y

Staying in one area for a month affords us many opportunities. The office has a list of "day drives" from the Boise area. There is much to be said for small towns and a wealth of local activities. For instance, Crookham Seed Company, a major employer in the area and a multi-generational family owned business, hosted a 100th anniversary party here at their Caldwell plant. They not only provided an "up close and personal" tour of their seed production facilities, mostly corn and onions at this time of the year, but also a fabulous buffet-style dinner, free of charge.

Bins & bins of onions

Our tour guide shows how the corn is processed

We are fed a great dinner...Lynda, Howard, Chris (Beth behind the camera)

Howard and the cornstalker

Many exhibits tell the impressive company story

Our social calendar also included a night of culture. The College of Idaho, a nationally acclaimed liberal arts college, presented a Faculty Showcase of art and music. The Jewett Auditorium's superb acoustics heightened the musical scores ranging from classical to blues, and instrumentals featuring brass, piano, cello, banjo/guitar and organ. The variety and degree of excellence provided a wonderful evening.

But now it's time for us to do what we do best. Load up our jeep for an outing. Today's drive features the Leslie Gulch/Succor Creek Scenic Byway, which actually takes place just across the border in Eastern Oregon. We traveled 65 (the brochure says 52) miles of washboard dirt and gravel roads, through rugged canyons with awesome rock formations. At Lake Owyhee we stopped for a picnic, and at Succor Creek Campground we got out to admire the scenery and snap some shots. We had a rare sighting of a California bighorn sheep, certainly a cousin of the ones we often see in our beautiful Anza Borrego Desert, and a late season rattlesnake. Here is a slideshow presentation as the photos were too numerous to display.

Until next week.....

Motorhome karma

2011-09-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

You may recall that a month or so ago we were in Eugene, OR for some service and repairs. One such item included replacing an 11 year old awning over our slide-out (yes, we only have one) that was seriously worn and had recently blown a spring causing it to somewhat collapse! Then when our radiator core blew its top and our repair bill went from $1500 to almost $8000....well let's just say we were a bit overwhelmed and happy to finally be on our way to Port Townsend.

After getting ourselves settled and giving the awning a close-up and personal inspection, then conferring with friends, we came to the conclusion that the workmanship and quality were not adequate or comparable to our other 3 Zip Dee awnings. We had decided to go with a local shop that does draperies, upholstery and canvas, and we have known and done business with in the past...just not canvas.

I sent off an email to Bob Vinson at Oregon Motorcoach Center and he immediately replied to come back anytime and they would take care of the problem. After our great week in Corbett, OR along the Columbia River Gorge we headed back to Eugene. Now, I have to say I love this place. Their degree of highly skilled specialists in all phases of repair, especially on Country Coach motorhomes, is impressive. Most had been with CC 25-30 years before the "decline", then coming here to OMC.

Glen removes the awning

A meeting was arranged with all those involved and the awning fabric sent off to be "re-worked". Next day Glen (the expert) came by to say he would be installing in a few minutes. When questioned he simply replied, "it is structurally sound". We stood by somewhat reluctantly and grimaced and groped for words to express our displeasure as the new version unfurled. Not good enough. As if on queue, Glen lost his grip, the spring recoiled, and his trusty drill tore a large, beautiful hole through the fabric. Did I notice a wink in his eye? Once more the awning will be replaced, but this time from Zip Dee, the manufacturer. Yes, it will take a while, at least two weeks to have it made and shipped, but we are mobile folk.

So we have moved over to a lovely boondock site at a far corner of the Valley River Center Mall, situated alongside the Williamette River and walking trail, with ripened blackberries on the bushes for picking. The security police arrived moments after we parked to give us a 2-day pass, more time if needed, and coupons good in the mall shops. He said be sure to call if we have any questions or concerns as they provided 24 hour security.

By the river & walking trail

River view through the blackberry bushes...and they're ripe!

First on the agenda was a movie at the Regal 15 Cinemas where we were enthralled by Helen Mirren in The Debt. Excellent, 5*****, from us! The morning got us up and on the trail for 4-5 miles. Honestly, everyone in this town is either walking, running, biking, fishing or boating. No one sits still! The day is a gorgeous 80s. We checked out the big Labor Day sale at REI, hoping to find something for our trip. Howard found a great pair of Columbia shorts for $20. Sadly, everything I tried was too long. So I went to Talbot's Petite and found a couple of nice tops on sale; what a joke...women's clothes are such a rip-off. Think it's time for Ross'.

Ladies half marathon this morning, right by our doorstep!

So the plan is to head east and stay a night or 2 near Bend. I need to visit the Columbia Outlet Store and other points of interest. Then on to the Boise/Caldwell, ID area to see friends Beth and Chris. They are house-hunting and may need us to referee and/or console; possibly offer an opinion or professional real estate advice (yeah, right). Plus, this is new territory to explore.

But for now, it's time for some Oregon Duck football! Go Ducks.....

Gorging

2011-08-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Thankfully not the food variety of gorging as we did enough of that our last week in Port Townsend. We are now gorging on the Gorge, it's scenic beauty, fantastic weather, and our great location here in Corbett, OR, right on the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway. The Crown Pt. RV Park could not be nicer or more accommodating. Full hookups, free wifi, laundry practically at our doorstep, and the trees don't interfere with our satellite TV. The half price fee of $15 per night through our Passport America membership is beyond reasonable, especially with no limit on how long we can stay. Most parks have a one or two night limit or exclude weekends, holidays, and certain seasons.

At Crown Pt. RV park...note satellite is clear of trees! Important..

Yesterday was total immersion in this historic gateway into some of nature's geologic wonders! The 22 mile waterfall section of the highway 30 bypass starts here at our Corbett location and takes us to all the dazzling waterfalls and The Vista House at Crown Point which looms over 700' above the Columbia River. The often photographed and painted Multnomah, Bridal Veil, and Latourell Falls provided yours truly with some much needed physical exercise after the aforementioned indulgences, and needless to say the camera got a workout as well!

The famous bridge and falls of Multnomah

Howard at Bridal Veil

Hazy view from Vista House at Crown Point

Back at river level off I-84 Bonneville Lock and Dam forms a connecting link between the states of Oregon and Washington. We did a self-guided tour of all 5 levels, from the observatory on top to the fish-viewing ladder down below. The powerhouse and spillway can now only be toured with a guide.

Spillway at Bonneville Lock and Dam

We crossed over into the state of WA. at the Bridge of the Gods and continued east along the river on Highway 14, through Stevenson and Home Valley, until we reached the town of Hood River, stopping along the way at a popular wind-surfing area.

Wind-surfers on the Columbia River

On our way back across the river for the return home, Mt. Hood graced us with its cloudy presence!

Mt. Hood erupting clouds

We now plan to be here for a week so there will hopefully be more adventures of interest forthcoming!

Road Mode

2011-08-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Road mode is when I sit here in my comfy passenger seat, gazing out our large windshield at the passing scenery, and write a few words. Earlier there was Mt. Rainier soon out of Tacoma, then Mount St. Helens a bit further south, slightly flat on top (haha) and usually in a haze, then most recently Mt. Hood directly ahead as we drive through Portland. I'm also connected to the internet via my Verizon 4G Pantech modem and searching for directions to the nearest, cheapest fuel stop. That turned out to be the Pilot Flying J in Tumwater (earlier), thank you! So you might deduce we are traveling south on I-5.

A two-week limit forced us kicking and screaming out of our water-front Pt. Hudson Marina location in downtown Port Townsend. And since we were unable to get a ferry to Whidbey Island on Sunday due to the crowded weekend schedule, we decided to return to the Escapee's park in Chimacum for a couple of days so we could arrange for a visit with long-time friends, Dick and Hazel, whom we first met 14 years ago near Puerto Escondido, on the southwest coast of Mexico, and now reside (when they're not traveling) in Bellingham, WA.

Hazel just had knee replacement surgery and is doing lots of strengthening exercises to prepare for their mid-October, month long trip to Europe, cruising the rivers of Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland. Due to macular degeneration she is considered legally blind and also had a pacemaker installed a few years back to correct some heart-beat abnormalities....and did I mention both she and Dick are a very young 85, and absolutely refuse to stop.....period!

Ferry for Whidbey Island

Our location at Pt. Hudson Marina

Howard, looking good on the ferry!

So Tuesday morning, we queued up early for the half hour ferry crossing to Coupeville on Whidbey Island, then drove about an hour and a half north to the delightful town of Bellingham, not far south of the BC border. We hadn't seen Dick and Hazel in over a year and had a great visit, especially comparing itineraries of both our upcoming cruises. Our lunch at Anthony's at Squalicum Harbor was both scenic and delicious and offered my first and possibly only Dungeness crab thus far this season. Rusty's boat has sadly been inoperative so our usual crabbing outings did not materialize, though he did come for a visit one day.

Hazel with Howard outside Anthony's, Bellingham. The cane is temporary!

We had to leave a bit early to make the 4:30 ferry returning to Port Townsend. Once again we joined the long line of passengers only to be told that sadly we would not be leaving as planned without a reservation. Oh, and by the way, the 5:15 crossing has been cancelled, so you might be able to make the 6:30 ferry. We did...just barely! We arrived back in Chimacum by 8 pm, just in time to run by John and Bonnie's for a final hug and farewell. Yes, of course we'll meet up this winter!

So dear, where shall we stop for the ~~night~~ afternoon? Wow, we now have blazing 4G internet speeds approaching Portland and our trusty Passport America online guide tells us there is the half-price Crown Pt. RV Park near Corbett, OR, along the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway. We have found our destination for a few days.

A Family Week

2011-08-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

The very best kind... We've had a whirlwind of fun, food, sight-seeing (mostly dog-sitting for us!), and just plain sitting around, watching the views parade by, and laughing and talking...a lot of laughing with friends Jim and Laura in attendance. They are staying at the Palace Hotel in the downtown area. Steph and Gary with granddogs Maci and Riley are parked right across the driveway from us in their motorhome which recently received a complete interior renovation. This is very conducive for all our shared fantastic meals: tri-tip, pork chops, turkey burgers, and salmon, shrimp and chicken on the barbie...different nights of course! Plus a great dinner out at "T's" Restaurant and some super terrific Cabernet provided by Miss Laura, oenophile extraordinaire.

Family fun

Granddogs Maci & Riley

Laura is also a super photographer and Jim is an avid golfer, so there were days photographing at Hurricane Ridge and a couple of golf games in order. Fort Worden State Park was visited often, not just for the fabulous views and obvious history, but the filming of the 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman, then later in 2002 The Ring, took place here. I am going to try to link this to Laura's Facebook album, as her photos are breathtaking. Of course, there were many walks into town and at the uptown market Riley was a hit!

Lighthouse at Fort Worden

Riley's a hit at the uptown market!

We were sad to see everyone leave Friday morning. They have a 2-day drive home to Sacramento and need a day to recuperate before returning to work on Monday. I must admit that we were exhausted and have spent the last couple of days cleaning up but also enjoying our final time here. Friday night was a performance by La Loupiote (don't think this link loads very well), a French family traveling the world performing aerial ballets and acrobatics in the mast and lines of their sailboat. This took place right here in our backyard at the Pt. Hudson Marina!

Acrobatic sailors, La Loupiote

This was followed with a Saturday day and evening of really warm weather, necessitating us to sit out, barbecue once again, drink a little more fine wine, and be mesmerized by yet more views and ship traffic well into the night....well, maybe until 9:30 p.m. We saw the most unusual, lighted contraption that looked like a giant golf ball sitting atop an oil drilling platform being pulled out to sea by some super tugs. The tri-pod had been put away so a photo without camera shake was impossible in the dim light....But, the good news is that I did a quick Google search and found it on internet. Here are a few photos from earlier:

Trawler flanked by cruise ship with Cascades in background

Cruising Mt. Baker!

A bit surreal..turning the corner by Fort Worden

The Main Attraction

2011-08-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

The main attraction of this summer circus of events is our waterfront site here at the Pt. Hudson Marina in Port Townsend, WA. It provides us with the most spectacular views; an ever-changing marine parade of sailboats, power cruisers, ferries to and from Whidbey Island, naval warships and nuclear subs loading/unloading at the Indian Island Ammunition Depot, and a trio of cruise ships en route to Alaska.

Perfect evening for a sail

Clouds & driftwood provide photo fodder

We're parked at one of only two "dry" campsites, meaning there are no hookups for water or electric, for a full two weeks at $20 per night. With this water-front panoramic view we are guaranteed lots of visits from friends stopping by for a few days or just a few hours, and lots of folks meandering by to stop and chat.

A great evening with John & Bonnie (from Chimacum)


Dalya & Paul come for 4 great days

The second best feature is the old Victorian town of Port Townsend being a short walk away, providing us with great restaurants and shops, plus the Rose Theater where we recently saw Crazy, Stupid, Love with Paul and Dalya. We walked into town with John and Bonnie for the very best hamburgers and an authentic chocolate soda at the Nifty Fifty's Diner, and of course, we have been known to drive 10 miles or more for an ice cream cone at the Elevated Ice Cream Co. Now we're just a short walk away!

Nifty Fifty's Diner

Wednesday evening and Saturday morning features the uptown Farmers' Market where we stock up on "just picked" raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, organic veggies and the yummy goods from Pane D'Amore bakery in uptown. I also came home with a bouquet of flowers.

Pane D'Amore bread & goodies..yum!


Flowers for the mobile casita

Oops..Have to stop for now. Family and friends from Sacramento have arrived for a week's stay. Steph and Gary with dogs Maci and Riley are here in their motorhome with friends Jim and Laura staying in a nearby hotel. Our good times are ongoing!

One final note before we part for a few days....After much deliberation and changing of minds regarding our tall ship cruise in November, the check has been mailed. With the recent exorbitant repair bills and uncertain market conditions, we had practically talked ourselves into cancelling. However, we are seldom practical!

A Day in the Life...

2011-08-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

A day in the life of us mobile folks involves flexibility as well as mobility. When Chris and Beth were heading our way and the Escapees Park in Chimacum was full, we just pulled up stakes and met them at the Elks Lodge in Port Townsend, maybe 5 miles away. We would not miss an opportunity to have our great friends close by.

Harry, next door, is a colorful neighbor

The Panys have arrived...yay!

Could not resist Chris with his favorite motto

A day in the life can involve postponing the dishes if another opportunity presents itself, i.e.; Beth suggests a visit to the Naval Undersea Museum. So we pile into "insert name of CRV"...Beth and Chris name all inanimate objects, I'm thinking "Emily" but she may be the GPS, and we drive over the canal and through the woods to Keyport, at the tip of the Kitsap Peninsula.

But this is not Hunters Point!

The Trieste, a manned submersible that reached a record 35,800' on the ocean floor

I say damn the torpedoes..

A day in the life almost always involves very good eating. After a day of sightseeing we stopped at Pedro's Fiesta Jalisco, undoubtedly one of the best Mexican restaurants we've eaten at outside of Mexico. Chris and I had the pork birria, a mouth-watering and tender slow-braised pork shank in a red chile sauce. Howard's carne asada and Beth's shrimp and chicken combo also got rave reviews.

But there is more in the food category.

No sniveling here


The best salmon, salad, veggies & wine!

A day in the life really needs to include some exercise and we all, with the exception of Chris who needs no exercise, managed some long walks along the bike trail or down to Fort Townsend State Park. Howard and I are sticking pretty close to our low carb diet and Beth is doing fantastic on Jenny Craig. A few pounds have been shed, and a few more to go. Just a day in the life.....

Hurricane Ridge

2011-07-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Our base camp for the next two weeks is the Escapees Evergreen Coho Park in Chimacum, WA. It is one of our yearly, seasonal stops and offers nice accommodations at an affordable price.

Clubhouse

When we first pulled in we were parked next to another Country Coach MH and soon realized they were folks we had met at Oregon Motorcoach Center. Bonnie and John have become great friends in a short amount of time. It's always amazing how full-time RVers know each other's life story after a couple of get-togethers.

Bonnie & John, off on a kayak adventure

After several days of "spring cleaning" projects and cloudy, overcast weather the sun came out and we decided to take off for a day of adventure which also provided the most spectacular scenery; a visit to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park was in order.

We traveled from 0 to 5242' on 17 miles of paved road from Port Angeles to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center. Views of glacier-clad mountains crowning sub-alpine meadows of wildflowers awaited us at the summit.

Black-tailed deer grazed on lupine and a buck meandered by in the snow.

We pulled off at all the viewpoints to capture the moment.

Cloud over the Olympics

Our kind of road!

On a clear day; Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

A Service Experience

2011-07-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

A while back I briefly referred to upcoming motorhome repairs which included replacing a leaky slide-out seal and new awning canvas, about a $1500 job, that was scheduled at Oregon Motorcoach Center near Eugene. We pulled into their parking lot a week ago Thursday, got out to unhook the jeep and gazed at gallons of coolant pouring out from under the engine. We optimistically reassured ourselves it was just a hose. The next morning on schedule we vacated the MH as the coach was driven into the service bay.

We love the Eugene area, the town, the University; there just seems to be a vibrant spirit associated with a college community. There are great shopping opportunities, restaurants and movie theaters, not to mention the twice-weekly, huge Farmers' Market. One of our favorite parking places is the Valley River Mall, where we have boondocked in the past, and offers great access to walks along the Willamette River trail.

Great trails along the Willamette River

We were about a mile into our 6 mile hike when the phone rang and I could tell from the tone of Howard's voice it was not good news. We needed a new radiator; parts and labor approx. $6,200! I can't even begin to describe the range of emotions that hit me, but the first was, OMG we'll have to cancel our upcoming sailing cruise from Barbados to Costa Rica on the Star Clipper! I think the next 5 miles was fueled by pure adrenalin as we tried to think rationally. The bottom line is, and I'm sure you would agree, we can't afford NOT to go...period.

Our little home is broken..sigh!

Now that we have accepted the inevitable, we relax and go with the drill. It soon becomes evident that we are dealing with an extremely reputable, highly experienced team of service techs with Bob Vinson at the helm. Dave, our radiator guru, had been with Country Coach for 25 years. There were probably 10-12 motorhomes there on any given day and we met a wonderful group of folks with varying degrees of repair issues; many quite major. Our surroundings were comfortable and accommodating, with 50 amp. electric, wifi for those who needed it, a very comfortable lounge with coffee, snacks, TV and reading material. This is a full service RV center offering everything from engine and chassis work to decorating and remodeling.

And we had fun! Saw two great movies at the Regal Cinema at Valley River Mall, Larry Crowne and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 3D and IMAX. We drove over to the coast at Florence and met our good friends, Don and Joan, for a great seafood lunch at the International C-Food Market. We had the best pizza ever from the Market of Choice in Eugene. We shopped at Target, Costco, and Trader Joe's! We drove around the University of Oregon campus and admired the track stadium.

Florence Harbor

Pizza from Market of Choice, even better than Dempsey's!

U of O track

We do have one pretty item to show for all the money we spent. Millie's Draperies is close by so we had our front privacy drape replaced - it was about time. Millie's also did the canvas for our awning and does much of the upholstering and window coverings for OMC, Country Coach, and other motorhome facilities in the area. They made the window boxes for our coach when it was new 11 years ago! We will soon be recovering our sofa so are beginning to look at fabric choices and will definitely be back here for the work.

Highly recommend!

Of course, I bonded with Bogey!

So now, a week later, we have been welcomed to the State of Washington and are heading for the Escapee's Park in Chimacum until our August 8th date with Port Townsend. My glass is definitely half full!

Silverton, OR

2011-07-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Silverton is one of those small towns we drive into and I immediately think...I could live here! It is just so charming and attractive, with interesting shops, a good assortment of restaurants, old oaks and flowers, much to see and do. For starters we stopped by the Visitor's Center to get maps for a list of sights-to-see in Oregon's Garden City.

I also needed to find out how the town got it's name. It soon became obvious that the local environment was planned by a female Founding Mother, Polly Coon Price, in 1854. Instead of the rigid North-South grid of the township and range system she decided to plan the town around a large old Oregon White Oak tree, locating the town square around it, with Silver Creek flowing several hundred yards to the west.

Davenport's Arabian Quest

Silverton wears its history on its walls. Walking through town we admire many of the 19 murals that adorn the sides of many buildings. This mural features world-renown political cartoonist Homer Davenport who helped elect presidents and expose business corruption. He was born in Silverton in 1864 and worked for the Oregonian in Portland and later newspapers in San Francisco. He is also famous for traveling to Arabia and returning with 27 pure desert-bred Arabian horses.

We spent one afternoon walking the many paths of the Oregon Gardens. There are more than 20 themed gardens the likes of which include the Market Garden, Rose Garden, Pet Friendly Garden...even the Lewis & Clark Garden. The variety, blooms and colors were sensational!

Art and architecture go hand in hand at the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the Pacific Northwest which was relocated at the Oregon Gardens. The Gordon House was built for Conrad and Evelyn Gordon for their farm on the south side of the Willamette River in Wilsonville in 1964 where they lived for 30 years. The house was designed to follow Wright's "Usonian" model, a concept that included an open-floor plan, gravity floor heat, carports and cantilevered roofs with broad overhangs and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The Gordon House

We got a good workout for both the legs and camera at the Silver Falls State Park about 14 miles out of Silverton. The popular trail takes us down a steep incline, behind the cascading 177 foot South Falls, in a mossy lichen-covered grotto, across the creek, with a steep climb back to the top.

Just 4 miles away Mount Angel is a German community in true Bavarian style with a world-class, working Glockenspiel, fine German cuisine (though we did not partake), a Benedictine Abbey and, of course, their own Oktoberfest.

The Glockenspiel

We stayed in town at the Silver Spur RV Park, a half-price, full hookup, Passport America Park. We did loads and loads of laundry, interspersed with side trips to sight-see. Yes, I could live in Silverton for at least 5 days!

Harvest Hosts First!

2011-07-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

We happened upon Harvest Hosts earlier this year at an FMCA rally in Indio, CA. The concept is brilliant and especially tailor-made for RVers. Overnight parking at a vineyard or farm for a very low yearly fee is offered by many member/hosts throughout the country.

As luck would have it, we headed out in need of repairs, with Eugene, OR and Oregon Motorcoach Center as our destination. More on this later. After checking in and getting lined up for work to start in a week, we checked out the Willamette Valley area.

This is where the good karma kicked in and we found Emerson Vineyards in Monmouth, OR in our Harvest Hosts online guide. I called Tom, the owner, and we were more than welcomed. The online map provided "door to door" directions and the drive north along 99W was an easy two-lane, scenic hour or so.

We've arrived!

The countryside

Elliott, the winemaker, working the vineyards

Around the property

Surrounded by a field of orchard grass

Old oaks & wildflowers

Our first reaction, and you can see why, was utter amazement at the location and beauty surrounding us. How could we be so lucky in our first experience and does it get any better than this?

Tom greeted us outside and pointed us to our parking place in a nice, secluded location surrounded by a field of orchard grass, then met us in the tasting room after we got set up.

Tom educates us about the Emerson wines

We're ready!

Horizontal barrels are a good thing!

Emerson Vineyards is a family operation evident on many levels: the namesake is Tom's great-grandfather Emerson Waldo Fisher. Tom and Jane are the owners and live on the estate with Tom acting as business and marketing director, and I might add, social and people specialist. Their son Elliott is the "vines and wines" man, having graduated from the Oregon State University's Fermentation Science program. We mostly saw Elliott on his tractor tending the vines.

Emerson's winemaking philosophy is vineyard-centered. They believe that the key to world-class wines is beautiful, carefully farmed grapes grown in the best possible conditions. If successful the wines almost make themselves; they just take care of them. The wines we tasted were excellent, though the pinots, both gris and noir, were our favorites. The Reisling and Brother Red (named after Emerson's brother, Red!) also got rave reviews from our fellow tasters!

Tom told us that last year was their worse in terms of growing and environmental conditions. The shortage of rain coupled with some very aggressive migratory birds and a crop disease which blew in from property to their east caused their production to fall from 50 tons to 10! This year, if the healthy thriving vines we saw are any indication, will be a very good year.

To top off this very enjoyable experience and these beautiful surroundings, we were just in time for Friday night music at the vineyard. This night featured music by folk singer Larry Kenneth Potts who, coincidentally, is from Petaluma. A good crowd gathered bringing along their picnic goodies with Emerson's wine (of course) and beer available for purchase.

Entertainer, Larry Kenneth Potts

Howard has us all set up!

Having a great time!

The Blue Light Anomaly

2011-07-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

We have this very strange occurrence concerning our electric toothbrush. After weeks of being plugged in to a proper 30/50 amp service, the blue light goes out and the battery discharges. It has become our signal that it is time to leave because as soon as we unplug and are running on the inverter, the blue light returns and the toothbrush happily does its thing. Howard, the engineer, finds this very disturbing and pulls out all his electrical testers. The voltage coming from the inverter is the same as the AC current. The sine wave is true. So in lieu of an explanation we have decided to follow it's lead and head out on the road again!

Fond Farewells!

2011-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

We needed to see the Half Moon Bay family one more time and headed there for the 4th of July. The usual summer fog parted and we enjoyed an afternoon of sitting out in Terri and Clint's backyard, barbecuing tri-tip and enjoying Liliana and baby Damien. We decided against an attempt to see the fireworks over Pillar Point Harbor as Highway 1 traffic was in gridlock mode and the fog started rolling back in around dark.

Precious baby Damien & his binky!

Clint & Daddy's girl!

Liliana in a colorful sandbox

Terri with addition project in background

We are now on our way north on I-5 heading into Oregon. First on the itinerary are repairs: the jeep needs new brakes and rotors, and the slide-out awning needs new canvas and springs; all work much cheaper outside of Cali!

Dog Day Afternoon

2011-07-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

Not intending the usual meaning of the Phrase, nor the 1975 Movie, but a true afternoon with a dog, namely Annie, the Grandlab. It was a beautiful day in the Bay Area, Christina was at Day care, the babies in Half Moon Bay, the teenagers out to lunch, so we picked up Annie for a jeep ride to San Francisco and Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge.


In the wake of the Golden Gate

Crissy Field is an "off leash" dog area as well as a beautiful place to picnic, photograph, and watch the always impressive marine traffic. On this particular day, the America's Cup Oracle 45' catamarans were racing on the Bay right in front of us. What more could we ask for!


These are Oracle, the host/winner boats, practicing...notice the news helicopter!

Friends & Food

2011-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

We love our motorhome and entertaining but sometimes we enjoy access to a very nice, large kitchen where we can bring and prepare food for our friends in their environment, comfortably shall we say. We spend a fair amount of our 'family time' here in Petaluma where we are now blessed to have our own friends. We met Phyllis and Bruce in the Elk's Lodge at a 4th of July shindig coming up on 2 years ago. We connected and have stayed very much in touch ever since.

We decided to keep it simple and brought over some steaks for the grill, my yummy bleu cheese dressing to go on Phyllis' fresh garden greens, potato salad (from Cooking Light), and fresh, white corn on the cob, also cooked on the grill. Phyllis graciously offered her finest Viansa 2006 vintage merlot, provided the best of Sonoma/Marin County cheeses, and a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. Bruce, on the other hand, provided entertainment.

So after a wonderful dinner, Bruce brought out his guitar and shared his latest ditties, soon hopefully to be available on Amazon.com. Honestly folks, his lyrics are brilliantly catchy and his voice so Willy-like! One tune was his rendition of the Christmas classic, Grandma Got Run Over By a Raindeer, only in Bruce's inimitable fashion and words!

I got to thinking, so many of our friends have followed their passions to a professional level; Marty on his 3-D Radio broadcast, Suzanne for her Girl Beat movie production, Beth for her geneaology and family history with gourd art thrown in for good measure, and Bruce for his music and lyrics. Then there's Betty Prange and her photography classes at Yellowstone NP aboard the Yellow Bus, and Soozii, my Facebook friend from Australia's art. And the many blogs I follow which can be viewed along the right side of this page provide really good reading and photos. Talent abounds!

River City...

2011-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Or... Sacramento, CA, is the general location of our recent travels. Most of you know that for a few months during the late spring and early summer, we have family time in and around the Bay Area. World traveler/grandson, Robb and his girlfriend, Helga are visiting mom Stephanie and Gary in Citrus Heights, having recently arrived from Romania, where Helga lives and goes to school studying for her medical degree.

Helga & grandson Robb

When we weren't visiting, we decided to take this opportunity to actually "see" some of the sights of Sacramento, namely the Historic State Capitol Park. I can't believe we've lived in CA off and on all these years and never visited our state capitol, though we have in many other states.


Capitol Building

Capitol Park is considered one of the most beautiful State Capitol grounds in the nation. Covering 40 acres and spanning 12 city blocks, it contains species of plant life from nearly every part of the globe.

The Southern Magnolia is a "notable" tree

We did a self-guided tour of the interior, including the Senate Chambers and galleries of portraits of the former governors. Arnold apparently has been too busy to sit for his. This one of Jerry Brown, after his first governorship, is my favorite.

The first "Jerry Brown"!

Looking down on the Senate Chambers

After our Capitol tour, we headed to Old Sacramento which is situated along the Sacramento River, and a popular tourist destination.

Old Sac

Along the Sacramento River

We decided to take the 40 minute, 6 mile steam-powered train ride, featured at the Railroad Museum.

The steam engine repositioning

Our ride

We passed the golden towers of the Tower Bridge, a vertical lift bridge across the Sacramento River.

Tower Bridge

We waved at cyclists along the way and admired the river traffic. A great way to spend a few hours in between family visits!

Next time!

Our Anniversary Getaway

2011-06-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed Calistoga and the Napa Valley so much last year that we decided to return to celebrate our 17th. Only this time we're down-scaling the wining and dining and spa treatments and opting instead for just being lazy. Plus it's very hot, finally, and the pollen level is high. My usual facial and massage was replaced by a visit to a local acupuncturist who also performs gua sha and cupping with a great neck and shoulder massage. There is definitely something wrong with this picture and it just may be age related, but you didn't hear me say that!

Good to be here!

Howard, on the other hand, has had his celebratory moments interspersed with periods of being left to read his new Kindle. Upon arrival and setting up here at the Calistoga RV park, part of the Napa County Fairgrounds complex and a half price Passport America Park, and whilst pulling down all the awnings for much needed shade, there was a loud crash as the awning over the slide-out blew its springs and came crashing down.

Plastic ties to the rescue????

This, my friends, presents a rather serious predicament; i.e., keeping this monstrosity securely furled while subject to wind shear and movement along the highways soon to come. Plus, to ad insult to injury, the old guy is 11 years old and has suffered rather severe canvas deterioration! So dear Howard is up at 5:30 a.m., before the temps become unbearable, climbing the ladder, up and down, to the roof of the MH, cutting off the old canvas, and securing the "structure" with the aid of a kazillion plastic ties. Do those things really work? I guess we'll find out! I'm also rather sure we'll be spending some time at Country Coach when we get to Eugene in a couple of weeks!! Read that $$$$$$.


Culinary Institute in St. Helena

But there is fun on the horizon, or maybe I should say at sunset, as we have reservations tonight at the Greystone Restaurant, located at the Culinary Institute in St. Helena. We plan to arrive around 5 p.m. for patio seating and good sun exposure on the eastern vineyards and mountains, so there might be a photo op or 5. Thursday night is music in the park. We'll pick up deli sandwiches and drinks and tote a couple of folding chairs for what surely will be a great, laid-back fun evening and good music.

Our view & dinner were fantastic!

A very happy anniversary!

Civil War Asides!

2011-06-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

The Civil War manifested in Sonoma County as a war between two competing newspaper editors. The Sonoma Democrat supported the confederacy and the Petaluma Argus supported the Union. The fierce fighting in print almost led to an actual physical battle after the news of the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865. Several Petalumans rode to Santa Rosa to wreck the office of the Sonoma Democrat. Legend has it that when the small invasion force reached the Washoe House Tavern, half-way between the two towns, they stopped for a drink and never did continue their mission!

Civil War in Sonoma County

Santa Rosa was the site of the only casualty when members of the Union Militia got into a skirmish with a volunteer fire company that had confederacy leanings. Shots were fired and a bullet pierced the window of the Masonic Hall and struck a man causing him to lose sight in one eye. The gunman was acquitted.

Good friends, Beth and Chris, have just completed an RV rally traveling to many of the Civil War battle sites around the country, commemorating its 150th anniversary, 2011-2015. Over our many years of RVing we have visited many locations as well, like Gettysburg, PA, Fort Sumter near Charleston, SC, and Fort Morgan on Mobile Bay in AL.

My hometown of Durham, NC played quite a pivotal role both before and during the war, being instrumental in shaping national compromise to preserve the Union. At the time, people here reflected a microcosm of North Carolina’s ambivalence about secession. Free blacks lived much like their white neighbors, some skilled but most just plain dirt farmers, alongside one of the largest plantations in the South.

Our recent visit to the Petaluma Historical Museum was to see the amazing Smithsonian exhibit, Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes. I'll let the video and slide-show do the talking. Needless to say it was spectacular. We then wandered upstairs and learned all the local Petaluma history, thus the Civil War subject!

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Agave envy!

2011-06-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

There are a number of species of Agave or Century plants, i.e. Aloe and Maguey (think tequila). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, the richness of the soil and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment required for the effort of flowering.

....and it's still growing!

This explains why friends Don and Joan were so surprised when, after years of dormancy, this spiny succulent started growing a stalk at the rate of inches per day. We recently visited them in Ione in the Sierra Nevada foothills or Gold Country as it is known. They have 5 beautiful acres providing us with parking and glorious views, visits by their flock of wild turkeys and the 30 year old horse who resides in the pasture behind us.

Can't beat this!

We also have an ulterior motive; putting the finishing touches on our flatscreen TV installation which was started in January! Don is a former cabinet-maker by profession and has all the tools we need.


We're calling it "done"!

We managed some sight-seeing of the local Amador and Calaveras County towns of Jackson, Sutter Creek and Mokelumne Hill in between the downpours and hailstorms. We also shared some really good meals.

National Hotel in Jackson under renovation

Mokelumne River running wild and rapid!

Local mine tower...this is Gold Country

My only complaint, and it's a big one, is that this entire area is a Verizon "dead zone"; no phone or internet. I finally pulled out the wifi antenna we used in Mexico and...voila...a lone, unsecured signal appeared and I grabbed it out of cyberspace, thus allowing me to keep up with my Scrabble games and Facebook friends!