Day 168 - Sunday - Journey's End - For Now!

 It's been almost 6 months since we left Phoenix on our adventure, and today we'll return to  (almost) where we started.  It's over 250 miles from Palm Desert to Paradise RV Resort in Sun City, where we'll spend the winter, and Vicky had planned that we would break the journey with an overnight stop at a wildlife refuge near Quartzite, about 15 miles into Arizona.  However, we start right by the Interstate and it's an easy drive, and by the time we reach Blythe, on the Colorado River, we've decided to go all the way today.

The first order of business on arriving in AZ is to get some reasonably priced gas for the RV.  So we pull into a truck stop just one mile over the border, as does everyone else.  We could have saved more by going further but we're not sure what other options there are, and this one is a big improvement over California prices.  As expected we have to wait for a pump and, not as expected, have an unpleasant experience.

We're driving the RV with the car in tow and are waiting for another RV with tow car to finish filling up.  I've left some distance between us so that cars can get out of the exit, but somebody in a big pickup truck pulling an RV decides we wants to get through.  He sounds his horn but there's nothing I can do.  I ask Vicky to explain things to him, which she politely does.  He responds by saying I should back up (not an option in an RV with a car in tow, as he should know) and then he drives his truck and RV into the space between me and the RV in front!  I'm afraid he will hit one or the other of us, and there's nowhere for him to go.

He still wants me to back up, which I do.  But he has to wait, while I unhitch the car and move it.  Another RV behind me sympathizes, and I do have space to back up our rig, so the unpleasant man is able to get out.  I must confess I'm delighted to see that the RV ahead has already left, so if the man had just been more patient he would have been on his way earlier!  The RV behind pulls up behind me as I fill up (to get off the road).  This means we have to find a place to re-hook up the car, and this place is very busy.  But we manage with no problem.

The rest of the journey is easy, although we hit some (inexplicably) slow traffic as we approach the Phoenix area.  We get to Paradise a little after 5 and the security guard helps us park the RV in the space we chose last Spring.  Once we're settled we feed the cats and then, at Vicky's suggestion, have dinner at Rio Mirage, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants.

This completes the summer of travel.  As you know if you've slogged your way through all my writings, it's had its ups and downs, but on balance I'm glad we did it and am looking forward to next summer.  I will continue the blog though the winter, but I doubt it'll be as exciting as the summer was.  Thanks for following our travels!

Day 167 - Saturday - Palms to Pines Highway

California Rte 74 travels from Palm Desert at an altitude of 220ft above sea level to the village of Idyllwild at 5413ft, in a driving distance of 37 miles.  Much of the drive is through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, which was established by Act of Congress in 2000 as a result of a community partnership, to preserve the area for future generations.

We start at the Visitor Center, viewing a movie that explains why, and how the Monument was created.  National Park videos have been know to put me to sleep, but this one, although 40 minutes long, is fascinating and I see all of it.  There are many hiking trails that would be fun to take, but for today we decide to drive the Palms to Pines Highway, as Rte 74 is known.

We start in the Mohave Desert, surrounded by cacti and succulents, but soon after leaving the Visitor Center we drive (the car) around a series of switchbacks, quickly gaining altitude.  We stop a few times, sometimes to enjoy breathtaking vistas, other times to let people who for some reason want to race along, do so.  Soon the vegetation starts to change.  First some Pinon pines, then juniper and finally into the ponderosa pine country.

At one point we take a 20 mile round trip detour as a result of a very confusing road sign, passing through the small community (and valley) of Anza.  Fortunately I realize our mistake before we reach I-15 which would take us to San Diego!  So we get to see Anza twice, which is quite enough for one lifetime.  The detour was scenic, though.

Back on the correct road we finally reach Idyllwild and stop at the first restaurant we see to get some lunch.  Unfortunately it has just closed, but we're out of the car long enough to realize that in traveling from 220ft above sea level to over 5400ft, there's a considerable temperature drop, and shorts and a polo shirt are no longer appropriate!

We drive into Idyllwild, which turns out to be a cute little "alpine" town and pop into a coffee shop whose kind owner asks us what we want for lunch and offers to direct us to the appropriate place.  We opt for burgers and end up with a chilly walk of a few blocks to the Lumber Mill, only number 9 on Trip Advisor but number 1 for us.  An unpretentious dining room with friendly waitresses and a menu featuring 20 different burgers including the "Paul Bunyan", featuring 5 lbs of meat. ($55, or free if you can eat it all in 45 minutes!)

I settle for the Ortega, cooked medium rare as ordered, and featuring Ortega chilies and pepper jack cheese along with grilled onions, served with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun (at my request) and accompanied by a huge helping of crispy french fries.  Vicky chooses the San Francisco, also with pepper jack cheese along with avocado, lettuce and tomato, on a sourdough bun, along with a decent side salad.

A tent card on the table advertises a luscious sounding creme brulee type dessert which we choose to share, and it lives up to the description.  Thus fortified, we brave the mountain air one more time to return to the car.

Idyllwild is also home to a Thousand Trials campground which Vicky chose not to visit as it looks to be in the greater Los Angeles area on the map.  Since we're here, we drop in and take a drive around.  We conclude that it would be a great place to spend a couple of weeks, but there are two caveats.  None of the sites would be easy to get into with our motor home, and we definitely wouldn't want to drive the RV over the switchbacks we traversed coming up from Palm Desert (although clearly people do!).

Rather than retrace our route we opt for the slightly longer but much faster road, down to Banning and then along I-10 back to the RV park.  This is a little more RV friendly but, as the lady in the resort put it, however you get to Idyllwild you have to rise 5000 feet in 30 or 40 miles so it's going to be steep and twisty.  Vicky is convinced we shouldn't attempt it and she's probably right, but I have a feeing, based on our detour through Anza, that coming from that direction would be less hairy.

Anyway we get back to the cats with no problem and heed their pleas for sustenance,  That is, we feed them!

Day 166 - Friday - More Cats

 There are many attractions in Palm Desert but to us, the highlight is The Living Desert - their zoo.  Earlier this year Vicky treated me to a personalized tour - you get your own guide for the morning and she will take you wherever you want to go.  So we now know where all of their cats are located.

No tour today but we start with a "keeper talk" at the cheetah enclosure.  They feed the cheetahs, literally throwing hamburger meat at them provided they follow instructions.  In this way the food reinforces behaviors the staff can use to help the animals during medical exams and other situations.  The keeper near us accidentally hits one of the cats in the eye with a piece of meat.  This doesn't phase the cheetah at all! 

This done, we take in their wildlife show - not many animals on display but one of them is a serval, another of our favorite cats.   He comes really close to us.  Servals are known for their intelligence and this one clearly has good taste in people!

A highlight of our visit to the other cats is the bobcats.  Part of their exhibit is a little cave with a glass wall.  If a cat is in the cave, you can see it close up.  Well, both bobcats were in the cave and one of them was right against the glass so we had a great view.  Later the cat had moved away, but the two of them were still in the cave, curled up together and washing one another.  Adorable!

A wonderful day with the cats and other animals at the zoo.  And two even more wonderful cats waiting for us when we get home.

Days 164 & 165 - Wednesday & Thursday - Into the Desert

Wednesday is a long drive but we have no problems.  First we add some gas to the RV.  Can't wait to get out of California so gas prices become more reasonable.  Then over to

I-215 and associated freeways, eventually arriving at I-10 East, just at the edge of the Los Angeles area.  Vicky had planned a different route that would have avoided the LA area completely.  But it added a lot of miles to the trip and included 45 miles on something called "Old Woman Springs Road" which doesn't sound like something I want to do.

Fortunately, despite some construction on I-10 we get over the mountain (with its flock of windmills) and into the Palm Springs area with no difficulties.  The resort is easy to find - right by the interstate, near the city of Palm Desert;  Given a choice of 30 amp power with a pull-through site or 50amp with back in, I'm sure you know which one we choose, especially if you've been following this blog.  We don't expect to need the air conditioning so the decision - 30 amp - is really a no-brainer.

Despite the proximity to the interstate highway, it's surprisingly quiet.  We think it's very busy but someone who knows the resort well tells us it's almost empty compared with his previous visits.  I enjoy the pool and pick up another of the "Hometown" puzzles, causing another late evening.

Thursday is a quiet day, although we do go to an afternoon movie.  "The Wife" stars Glenn Close as the devoted wife of a successful novelist.  She has been a devoted wife for many years as her husband's career has taken off, but shares a secret with him.  During the movie he collects a Nobel Prize and she makes a life changing decision.  This is a movie that's definitely worth seeing so I won't spoil it for you by giving away more of the plot.  But Vicky and I both enjoy it and discuss it at length afterwards.  Go grab a ticket while it's still available.

Following the afternoon movie we get ripped off at a restaurant called "The Fix".  Nice ambiance outside until people came to sit at the next table.  This is when we discover that the tables are too close together.  My visit to the restroom becomes an obstacle course.  But the pizza we order is about half the size the waitress described.  3 small pieces of chicken on my half doesn't warrant a price of $13.  My "Iced Latte" might have been better described as an iced coffee.  We're not very hungry but it would have been nice to get value for money.  This didn't happen.

So we return to the cats, Vicky cooks a light dinner and we work on the puzzle.

Day 166 - Friday - More Cats

There are many attractions in Palm Desert but to us, the highlight is The Living Desert - their zoo.  Earlier this year Vicky treated me to a personalized tour - you get your own guide for the morning and she will take you wherever you want to go.  So we now know where all of their cats are located.

No tour today but we start with a "keeper talk" at the cheetah enclosure.  They feed the cheetahs, literally throwing hamburger meat at them provided they follow instructions.  In this way the food reinforces behaviors the staff can use to help the animals during medical exams and other situations.  The keeper near us accidentally hits one of the cats in the eye with a piece of meat.  This doesn't phase the cheetah at all! 

This done, we take in their wildlife show - not many animals on display but one of them is a serval, another of our favorite cats.   He comes really close to us.  Servals are known for their intelligence and this one clearly has good taste in people!

A highlight of our visit to the other cats is the bobcats.  Part of their exhibit is a little cave with a glass wall.  If a cat is in the cave, you can see it close up.  Well, both bobcats were in the cave and one of them was right against the glass so we had a great view.  Later the cat had moved away, but the two of them were still in the cave, curled up together and washing one another.  Adorable!

A wonderful day with the cats and other animals at the zoo.  And two even more wonderful cats waiting for us when we get home.

Days 164 & 165 - Wednesday & Thursday - Into the Desert

Wednesday is a long drive but we have no problems.  First we add some gas to the RV.  Can't wait to get out of California so gas prices become more reasonable.  Then over to

I-215 and associated freeways, eventually arriving at I-10 East, just at the edge of the Los Angeles area.  Vicky had planned a different route that would have avoided the LA area completely.  But it added a lot of miles to the trip and included 45 miles on something called "Old Woman Springs Road" which doesn't sound like something I want to do.

Fortunately, despite some construction on I-10 we get over the mountain (with its flock of windmills) and into the Palm Springs area with no difficulties.  The resort is easy to find - right by the interstate, near the city of Palm Desert;  Given a choice of 30 amp power with a pull-through site or 50amp with back in, I'm sure you know which one we choose, especially if you've been following this blog.  We don't expect to need the air conditioning so the decision - 30 amp - is really a no-brainer.

Despite the proximity to the interstate highway, it's surprisingly quiet.  We think it's very busy but someone who knows the resort well tells us it's almost empty compared with his previous visits.  I enjoy the pool and pick up another of the "Hometown" puzzles, causing another late evening.

Thursday is a quiet day, although we do go to an afternoon movie.  "The Wife" stars Glenn Close as the devoted wife of a successful novelist.  She has been a devoted wife for many years as her husband's career has taken off, but shares a secret with him.  During the movie he collects a Nobel Prize and she makes a life changing decision.  This is a movie that's definitely worth seeing so I won't spoil it for you by giving away more of the plot.  But Vicky and I both enjoy it and discuss it at length afterwards.  Go grab a ticket while it's still available.

Following the afternoon movie we get ripped off at a restaurant called "The Fix".  Nice ambiance outside until people came to sit at the next table.  This is when we discover that the tables are too close together.  My visit to the restroom becomes an obstacle course.  But the pizza we order is about half the size the waitress described.  3 small pieces of chicken on my half doesn't warrant a price of $13.  My "Iced Latte" might have been better described as an iced coffee.  We're not very hungry but it would have been nice to get value for money.  This didn't happen.

So we return to the cats, Vicky cooks a light dinner and we work on the puzzle.

Day 163 - Tuesday - A Train Journey, a Grand Station and Scrumptious Crepes

 Don't think I mentioned it, but there's a railroad line running right past our campsite.  We've seen plenty of these during our travels this summer, but this one is unusual.  It's part of Metrolink, the Greater Los Angeles commuter rail system.  This particular line starts in Lancaster, where we were yesterday, and has a station - Vincent Grade/Acton, only 8 miles from the campground.  It's a 2 hour journey to Los Angeles Union Station, and only $9.50 roundtrip for us as seniors, so today we decide to see the rest of Soledad Canyon (and the LA suburbs) from the upper level of the train.

The first surprise is that there's free parking at the local station, presumably to encourage commuters.  The second is the station itself.  The shelters where you wait for the train are done up like an old western town, labeled "saloon", "sheriff' and so on.  We get our tickets and enjoy a comfortable journey.  It's over 40 minutes down the canyon to the next stop, and it's great to enjoy the views of the steep walls and the curves of the valley without having to worry about driving.  We also have a much higher vantage point from the upper level of the train than even from the RV.  In the middle of the day there aren't too many fellow travelers and, since we love trains, it's a great experience.

After the first hour or so, as Vicky puts it, we're past the scenic part of the journey.  Although, after some featureless suburbs, it's not without interest.  We pass through "Beautiful Downtown Burbank", home of many studios and close to Hollywood.  If you're old enough to remember "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" on TV you'll recognize the reference.

We also pass Burbank Airport which, I'm surprised to find, is officially called Bob Hope Airport.  Since Bob Hope is one of my heroes I'm disappointed that his name isn't generally associated with the airport.

Journey's end is Los Angeles Union Station, known as the last of the great railway stations.  It was built in 1939 by the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads to replace their individual stations, and is an architectural masterpiece.  It's a combination of Art Deco, Mission Revival and Streamline Moderne architecture, with marble floors, tiled walls and huge art deco chandeliers in the cathedral-like waiting room and the original ticketing hall.  The latter is no longer in use and off limits, but we're able to pass through it en route to the toilets! 

We can get a return train in 45 minutes or wait until later.  There's nothing much to see around the station, but the place itself, which also includes gardens, is worth some time.  We find a restaurant that serves French crepes that sound tempting, and enjoy a leisurely lunch in part of the old waiting area, enjoying the atmosphere (including Amtrak stewards grandly announcing departing trains and some bizarre characters passing through) and thoroughly examining the architectural features.

The crepes themselves are amazing.  Mine combines chorizo, shrimp, white cheddar and green peppers in a light, melt-in-your-mouth crepe.  Vicky chooses a duck a l'orange crepe, equally good.  She especially raves over the caramelized onions.  We're so impressed with these that we decide to split a dessert crepe.  We take the suggestion of the waitress and enjoy peaches in a blueberry sauce with real vanilla ice cream.  A suitably decadent meal in a decadent historic structure.

Time to return to the train tracks.  It's now evening rush hour and since this is a commuter railroad we expect it to be crowded.  We have no problem getting good seats on the upper level, although it does get quite full after several stops.  We enjoy watching the sunset over the mountains as we travel through the suburbs, and although it gets dark before we enter the canyon, it's a delightful way to end another day doing something Vicky and I both enjoy.

Back home to the wonderful greeting from Quill and Cosette.  After that lunch there's no need for dinner and so I'm writing this blog post while Vicky has turned in for an early night.  I'm about to do the same.

Our 4 days here at Soledad Canyon have gone quickly.  This is another place we'll be happy to come back to, especially now we know how to get in without breaking any axles on the RV!  Tomorrow we cross into the Mohave Desert, and the end of our summer of travel is only a few days away.

Day 162 - Monday - Cats, Cats, More Cats and a Missing Cat

 Some years ago Vicky took me to the Exotic Feline Breeding Center in Rosamond, CA (also known as "The Cat House") for my birthday.  We both loved it, and since it's only about 40 miles from here we spend today on a repeat visit.

It's a small, privately run institution which, as the name suggests, takes care of, and breeds a variety of unusual wild cats.  You can get (safely) up close with the cats (if they choose to let you).  We spend three happy hours here.  I won't give you the whole list of their animals, just our own highlights.  An Amur Leopard holds a conversation with Vicky.  Tigers make a "chuffing" sound to bond with each other, and this leopard makes one for us.  Vicky is able to keep this going with one leopard for quite a while, much to the disgust of her neighbor, who snarls at us and her.

However, it's Pandora, a beautiful male Jungle Cat, sleek, with a golden coat, who holds the conversation record.  We remember him from our previous visit.  He constantly "talks" sounding like a Siamese cat, as though he's complaining about something.  If you reply to him it encourages him, and of course we do just that, enjoying the interaction with this rare and elegant feline.

Geoffrey's Cat is about the size of a house cat and looks like a very cute tabby.  Again, they are rare, and we're able to spend time with one.  He even speaks to Vicky at one point - a quiet meow.  But the keeper tells us he's highly territorial when she goes to feed him or clean his enclosure.

A highlight of our previous visit was being taken behind the scenes to see Sand Cats, which were kept off exhibit due to being extremely shy.  This was a special treat for my birthday and I don't expect it to be repeated, so we're delighted to find that now Sand Cats, Dune and Shrek, are now on exhibit.  Delighted, that is, until we find that Shrek, who we're told will be in the branches of a tree, is in fact nowhere to be seen, while Dune is hiding in his box, so we can only see one ear.  He does come out at one point but as soon as he sees we're there he's back into the box.  Oh, well, they're known to be shy.

We notice another Sand Cat curled up in a hammock in his enclosure, which is just off the public area.  We can just see his back.  We do stick around for a while and eventually he starts to wash himself so we see other parts besides his back.  Finally, satisfied that he's clean, Solo (as we find out he's called) looks straight at us and I'm able to get a photo.  This incident really makes our day.  If you find yourself in the Los Angeles Area, this place is really worth a visit.  They deserve support for the work they're doing, and if you like cats, you'll love it.  Check out www.wildcatzoo.org

Dinner at a Brazilian Churrascaria in Lancaster - lots of good meat - and back to the cats and the puzzle.  We do finish it, minus the few pieces that are missing, and then spend a half hour trying to find the black cat that must be somewhere in the puzzle, with no success.  I check the internet and it seems other people haven't been able to find him.  Well, we did see lots of cats today and we still have our own loving family members!

Days 160 & 161- Saturday & Sunday - A Time of Puzzles

 We do travel along CA138 which turns out to be a straight road.  We first have a few miles on I-5 going over a low mountain pass, but everything is easy.  The area has had three years of drought, which is evident from the dry scrubland we pass all the way.

This area is called Antelope Valley but a little research shows me it hasn't had any antelope (pronghorn) for many years - and not much other wildlife either!  We eventually reach the Antelope Valley Freeway a/k/a CA Route 14 and take this through Lancaster and Palmdale into Soledad Canyon.

As directed by RV Trip Wizard we leave the freeway on Santiago Road, turning right on Soledad Canyon Road.  It's a cool canyon which, I later discover, was made famous in a Steven Spielberg movie called "Duel", starring Dennis Weaver.  I've never seen it but may want to now.

We pass by Crown Valley Road and come to Bootlegger Canyon Road, where we're told to turn left to get to the resort.  We immediately see this is a problem.  It's a dirt road which crosses railroad tracks and then seems very narrow and un-RV priendly.  We stop before crossing the tracks, unhitch the car and I drive it a little way to see what's happening.  The road names tell me this is the route the GPS wants us to take, but the condition of the road, not to mention the grades, tell me this is not one we want to drive on.  I stop a truck coming the other way and he confirms this is not the way to the resort and tells me which way to go.

I return to Vicky and the cats in the RV and after considering our options we're able to turn the RV and park it safely and then drive the car down the road.  The way the man suggested (if I understood him correctly) doesn't help, so we turn around and take the first turning, which is the other end of Crown Valley Road.  1000ft down the (paved) road, and there is the resort.   I later look at the confirmation and see that the address is on Crown Valley Road.  In future I'll check addresses first!

We get the RV, drive back and check in, finding we're not the first people to be misdirected!  But the resort is down in the valley, and we find a good spot with a full hookup so the day ends well.  We check out the clubhouse and find they have a "Hometown Collection" jigsaw puzzle that we haven't done.  This is one of a series of 1000 piece puzzles by an artist named Heronim.  They feature nostalgic scenes of real places in the USA, and all have a small black cat hidden somewhere in them.  We used to borrow these from the library in Sun City and enjoy them, so we bring this one back to the RV and after a dinner of grilled hamburger and salad we start on the puzzle.

About 1am we decide we should sleep, which we do until the cats wake us up to alleviate their (sic) starvation.  We then spend all day Sunday on the puzzle, without finishing it.  This is a great stress-free day that we both agree we need.

Day 159 - Friday - A Long Journey South

There was a lot of discussion on how we should tackle the over 300 miles we need to travel in the next two days.  At one point I even considered driving it all in one day to give us more time here at San Benito.  But that is a long way to travel with the RV and towed car.

Vicky was initially worried that temperatures in Southern California would still be high and we would need to stop at a campsite so we could use the A/C.  She found a nice place in the city of Bakersfield, about 175 miles from here.  But things have cooled down so that won't be necessary, and when I found that Bakersfield is a city of 360,000 people and we'd be going through it, and not even on a freeway, I pushed for an alternate route.

Whatever happens, we start with 46 miles on CA25.  This is a very narrow and twisty road with some construction.  Vicky drives safely but it takes over 1.5 hours to reach the junction with CA198 where we stop for a break.  I take over for the next 35 miles, which at first takes us up and down steep mountain grades.  Spectacular, but scary!  The road eventually flattens out as we reach the Central Valley again, seeing more fruit trees and other crops, and we reach Interstate 5 where we can safely travel at the California "towing vehicle" speed limit of 55mph.

We've agreed to stay at an RV-friendly truckstop branded TA, a total of just over 200 miles drive for today.  This will leave us only 80 miles or so tomorrow.  We'll follow I-5 to Santa Clarita, then take CA 14 to Soledad Canyon Resort.  Vicky isn't happy about this.  Many years ago she drove her truck pulling a horse trailer through the Los Angeles area and considers it a nightmare.  She's worried that this driving will stress me out.

It's for this reason that Vicky vetoed my other suggestion that after leaving CA 25 we go down US101 and spend the night at a Thousand Trails campsite in Santa Barbara.  While this in itself would be easy, we'd then have been driving across the LA metro area.  I've chosen the Santa Clarita route as we still get off I-5 40 miles North of LA.  However, as Vicky's driving I discover a road - CA138 - that looks straight and will take us over to Lancaster on CA14 without the LA area driving.  We'll come at the resort from the other direction, but it's about the same distance.

So as we pull into the truckstop we're both happier about tomorrow, and despite the hairy driving earlier today the drive has given us no problems.  The place is a nice surprise.  They have a large parking lot for cars and RV's.  The RV spaces are marked and we park in the one farthest from the business area.  We already agreed that we'll eat here, knowing we'll be tired after the long drive.   They have the usual array of fast food restaurants but as we pull in we note they also have a Black Bear Diner.

We discovered Black Bear earlier this year.  They do hearty breakfasts all day, but this time I choose a "bacon cheeseburger salad".  This is a huge salad plate with ground beef, bacon, cheese and onions.  An excellent choice.  Vicky goes with a breakfast item - Shasta Scramble, with fresh fruit.  Back to the RV for a surprisingly quiet night.

Day 157 - Wednesday - A Gem in the Coast Mountains

 Vicky's original plan to get us down to Soledad Canyon by Saturday while avoiding the possibly snowy Sierras was a series on one night stays, mostly at Thousand Trails parks, of which we're members.  The one she'd planned for tonight turned out to be full, so we decide to combine 2 days' journeys into one and drive almost 200 miles to San Benito, which is near the west coast (about 50 miles) in the Coast Mountains.  200 miles may not seem like a long way, but in the RV, pulling the car, it's usually our upper limit.  Plus, rain was again forecast for today.

It's sunny and warm as we set out, about 10:30am.  We're not early risers and since we're only 30 miles from Sacramento and will have to drive though the city, we want to avoid the morning commute time, and we do so.  This makes it an easy drive to pick up I-5 south, which we'll be following for most of the day.

I'm happier driving through the city than Vicky would be.  The only scary moment is when a taxi, who ought to have known better, buts in front of me at the last minute.  Fortunately I can avoid him!  About 30 miles out of Sacramento Vicky has found a gas station with reasonable (for California) prices and it's a Flying J Truck Stop so there's plenty of room for our big rig.

Vicky goes in to use the facilities and returns with hot cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon, a rare treat.  She also offers to drive the next step, thinking me for driving through the city.  We're still in fruit growing country so at first it's an easy drive, but then we find ourselves near the city of Stockton, which I'm surprised to find is a port.  It looks to be 100 miles inland but my map confirms that a series of rivers connect it to San Francisco Bay.

Vicky's more concerned that she's now also driving in city traffic and, after about 25 miles, we're both delighted to be out in the country again.  This is the Central Valley of California, one of the most productive farming areas in the western USA, so it's interesting trying to identify the various crops as we drive south.  Eventually we start to climb a little, leaving the valley to our east, and now we're passing vineyards and fruit growing areas.

Eventually it's time to leave the freeway and head west on CA152 into the Coastal range of Mountains.  We again change drivers, stopping at a small fruit and nut farm.  Vicky gets some almonds and I indulge in chile pineapples (another "Don't knock it till you've tried it!" as they're sweet and hot at the same time).  There's a black and white cat sitting in the yard who walks away when I talk to him, so I apologize to the lady in the store for disturbing her cat.  It turns out that they have a whole family of feral cats and the one I saw is just starting to warm up to the lady after 2 years.  We have a nice chat about cats and continue our journey.  Fortunately our cats didn't see theirs!

This is a new area for us.  We drive up and down the mountains, which are really large hills - nothing in height compared with the Sierras or the Rockies.  But they are covered in something that's gold in color and have a beauty all their own.  Once over the top and down the other side, we see vineyards interspersed with fruit farms.

We turn onto CA156 and then some country roads that connect us to CA25, which we'll be following after we leave here.  Thanks to the long drive today, though, we can stay for 2 nights.  We're in San Benito County where the County Fair starts tomorrow and as we're passing the fairgrounds, a woman decides to turn into them.  For whatever reason, she didn't see my 35 foot RV and pulls in front.  Fortunately I did see her and was able to brake, and equally fortunately nobody was right behind me.  Don't know what the woman was thinking.  Maybe she just wasn't thinking!

Anyway, we're soon ready to turn off on the 4 mile road to the resort, which turns out to be wonderful.  As I said, we're in these golden hills.  Opposite the check-in kiosk is a welcoming committee of a family of deer!  We disconnect the car and drive around to find a suitable site for the RV and see more deer, some delightful ground squirrels of a type that's new to us, and - wonder of wonders - a bobcat!  That's one feline we've never seen in the wild and so this makes our day.

We find a shaded pull-through site and get set up.  There was supposed to be rain today but it held off except for a very light sprinkle just before we arrived, which is a blessing.  Quill, for only the second time, chose to lie on the dashboard as we were traveling through the hills.  Last time she did that I had to turn on the windshield wipers which made her run away fast - she must have thought they we're going to attack her.  So I'm doubly glad I didn't have to use them today.

Vicky is preparing a dinner of grilled chicken and the fresh vegetables we picked up at the farmers' market in Grass Valley while I take our laundry over to the onsite laundromat.  This is when the rain starts.  It's quite heavy for a while, then eases off.

As I write this, I hear steady rain outside but it's snug and warm in the RV tonight and the rain is supposed to stop by tomorrow morning.  We have a special trip planned in the car tomorrow but to find out about it you'll have to come back for tomorrow's post.  Thanks for reading.

Day 156 - Tuesday - Return to Lake Minden

 We couldn't get every reservation we wanted but we've got what we think will be a good route, avoiding the mountains and possible snow.  For today, it's an easy trip, almost reversing the way we came to Lake of the Springs the first time.

We head down to CA Route20 and go west.  This gets us into the city of Marysville, but whereas on the way up we visited Maryville's twin city of Yuba City, now there is no need to do this.  So we get onto US70 which turns into a freeway as soon as it leaves town.  The promised rain hasn't materialized, for which we're grateful.

We take US70 to the village of Nicholaus, where we find Lake Minden RV Resort with no problem, coming in from the opposite direction from our fist visit.  We'd been warned not to go to Lake Minden because of the mosquitoes, but never saw one during our first 3 day visit.  We think this is because we found a spot in the top section, which has the further advantage of being the only one with full hookups (water, electric, sewer) and we're able to do that again.

In late afternoon I take a walk down to the lakeshore and discover almost 200 Canada Geese, who I assume are in the middle of migration.  A few are on the lake but the majority are standing on the beach as if unsure whether the water is warm or not.  In any case, I decide this needs to be shared with Vicky, walk back to the RV and get her.

We marvel at the geese and Vicky suggests we should check out the rest of the resort.  This involves walking down a long lane beside the lake, past California Live Oaks, some grape vines and - you guessed it - loads of mosquitoes!    Now we know what everyone's warning was about!  So again at Vicky's suggestion we retrace our steps after about 100 yards, jump in the car (with windows up!) and tour the resort in that way.

We discover lots of other great RV sites on the other side of the lake, but when we return to this place, which we're sure we will as it's beautiful and also convenient for Sacramento, we'll definitely stay in the upper section to avoid being eaten alive.

A long drive tomorrow, so we retire early.

Day 155 - Monday - The Day of the Deer

 Another quiet day enjoying the foothills.  Cloudy skies today but still comfortable temperatures.  I call the stabilizer company and get instructions on how to put the new spring I had mounted under more tension so it won't wobble and, more importantly, so it will do its job.  Despite the lack of tools I'm able to get it tightened so we'll see how it works.  I feel better about it.

Other than that, Vicky speds some time on her course, and I check out availability of more courses to teach - none available at the moment.  Tomorrow the weather should be OK but after that there are 2-3 days of rain and lower temperatures in the mountains, which is the route we'd been planning to take.  Since there are some passes at over 7000ft that rain might even be snow in some places.  This is not something either of us wants to deal with in the RV with the car pulling behind.  I doubt the cats would like it either.

I've been able to cancel (regretfully) the reservation up at Snowflower near Donner Pass for tomorrow night and we've plotted an alternative route that takes us down the Central Valley of California.  Perhaps not as scenic as the Sierras, but definitely less stressful.  We'll need to get on the phone tomorrow morning to make sure the places we want to stay will be available, but if they are, we'll still be in Soledad Canyon near Palmdale on Saturday, which is where we want to be.

We chat to our neighbors who have an "annual" lease here which actually enables them to stay up to 210 nights per year, although they can leave the equipment here at other times!  We really like it here at Lake of the Springs, and it's an idea we may consider.

One reason we like it is the wildlife, and today they're in abundance.  At one point I'm working on my computer and look out of the window to see a young deer walking down the road.  I speak to him and he stops and stares - for some time.  Of course we're both charmed.  Later go for a short walk and repeatedly see two adults and three young deer, who keep their distance but otherwise seem unafraid of us.

After we get back to the campsite the same family comes right by, out back.  At one point they all go over to a particular tree from which emerges a small grey animal that we later identify as a grey fox.  It and the deer seem to be getting along fine!  This really is a special place and we'll both be sorry to leave tomorrow, but it's time to head south for the winter!

Stay tuned for the next post to find out where we end up going next.