Don't know for sure the date. I get all confused on dates and time as it means less to me than it ever did.
We are on our journey north again today, got started sooner than usual. California roads are terrible. They are in such a state I would worry about bridges and such especially with the quakes they have. The state is in such financial trouble you can see it every where. But we did our part, we just went thru a toll road we hadn't planned on. The attendent apologized for the fee but smiled for his picture. It was $20 since we were towing a vehicle. The cat and dog in our window seat hate the bumpy roads and after some really bad stretches they look at Leroy with the most disgusted looks.
They do have phones strategically placed along the freeways so you can call for help. I think that is good.
They have gobs of state parks but need lots of volunteers to help. I think the state needs to launch a volunteer campaign and get the people of California enlisted into helping their state. Minnesota did it years ago and called it the 5 hours or 5$ campaign. They wanted you to voluneer 5 hours a week somewhere to help per month or give money each month. They just wanted people to get involved. I think it helped raise awareness if nothing else. But they have definetly set said land for people to use, I give them credit for that. I learned that in California that you can not own the beach. The beach is private only if there is no public access and then only that area. They also have a costal trail from oregon to mexico that either goes on the beach or off the beach a bit, and is in different levels as you go along but you can hike the whole distance of the state. I would love to undertake parts of it.
California as all states definetely has it's good and bad. It's a large state like texas and it would take us longer than we have on this trip to explore it all, so guess parts will have to wait.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
4/25 fri
I compose this thing daily in my head but when it comes to writting it down I don't get it done or it sounds stupid then.
We came up north on fri. We have some problems finding the right camp sites because we are to long or need hookups or etc. I can usually find some choices. When we got up in the Carmel, monetary area I found a place a bit past called marina dunes. We got in late aft so we drove around and cased the joint and then went out for a walk on the dunes. Wrong move for me and I knew it the minute I started out. First off I only had tennis shoes on and with my foot oriblems I should have had my boots on. Then it was deep soft sand and really hard walking. By that nite I couldn't put foot on my right foot. The bones in my feet slip out of place and sometimes they pinch the one nerve that I have had problems with so it's a double wammy.
The next day my foot went right into my walking cast boot. That boot and I are old friends I have spent so much time in it. Glad I brought it along.
We went for a drive down the coast into big sur. that was nice. We didn't go inland. We did however stop at the big sur light house and take a three hour tour which included going up walking one mile and 3800 ft elevation along with many steps, some in the lighthouse kinda narrow. It was a great tour and well worth the time. We met nice people on the tour that we ended up seeing the next day in our travels. I did the whole thing with that dumb boot on.
I went and had a Chinese foot massage (one hour for 28$) but it included head, neck, arms, shoulders, hands, legs, back, as well as feet. It didn't fix my foot but it helped me relax my other muscles.
One day we went on a drive on the 17 mile drive which used to be free when we were here before. We walked around Carmel and bought a snack and took it to the library courtyard to eat it. Leroy took the big dogs to the beach on Carmel where they could run loose for a while.
I didn't get into the consignment stores, and I was really looking forward to that but ran out of time, and the campgrounds were full and we couldn't stay another nite.
So yest we came up the road. If we could have found a place with easy access to the airport Jeff would have come down for a couple days next week but we couldn't. So we ended up coming into Pleasanton and staying at the alameda fair grounds RV park. Not bad, good spot for the dogs, but nothing special and a fine place for overnite.
We are still having trouble with the inverter for the electrical system in the coach part of the RV. Do not buy an all electric RV (that's what we learned). Tho it sounded good at the time. It is stressing Leroy out and we are headed back to Washington where he will talk with his guys and hopefully get it fixed finally. It's a nice cozy little house tho and when it rains and is blustery out it is so cozy and warm.
Leroy does all the driving and doesn't allocate any of it, tho I can do it so by the end of the day he gets tired in these days if travel or driving around touring. He enjoys it but being tired makes you more apt to get stressed about other stuff.
Most parks have wifi so we are saving on our plan a lot, that's good.
Wish I could think of something witty to say but I am tired and it's 11pm and I don't feel very witty.
We came up north on fri. We have some problems finding the right camp sites because we are to long or need hookups or etc. I can usually find some choices. When we got up in the Carmel, monetary area I found a place a bit past called marina dunes. We got in late aft so we drove around and cased the joint and then went out for a walk on the dunes. Wrong move for me and I knew it the minute I started out. First off I only had tennis shoes on and with my foot oriblems I should have had my boots on. Then it was deep soft sand and really hard walking. By that nite I couldn't put foot on my right foot. The bones in my feet slip out of place and sometimes they pinch the one nerve that I have had problems with so it's a double wammy.
The next day my foot went right into my walking cast boot. That boot and I are old friends I have spent so much time in it. Glad I brought it along.
We went for a drive down the coast into big sur. that was nice. We didn't go inland. We did however stop at the big sur light house and take a three hour tour which included going up walking one mile and 3800 ft elevation along with many steps, some in the lighthouse kinda narrow. It was a great tour and well worth the time. We met nice people on the tour that we ended up seeing the next day in our travels. I did the whole thing with that dumb boot on.
I went and had a Chinese foot massage (one hour for 28$) but it included head, neck, arms, shoulders, hands, legs, back, as well as feet. It didn't fix my foot but it helped me relax my other muscles.
One day we went on a drive on the 17 mile drive which used to be free when we were here before. We walked around Carmel and bought a snack and took it to the library courtyard to eat it. Leroy took the big dogs to the beach on Carmel where they could run loose for a while.
I didn't get into the consignment stores, and I was really looking forward to that but ran out of time, and the campgrounds were full and we couldn't stay another nite.
So yest we came up the road. If we could have found a place with easy access to the airport Jeff would have come down for a couple days next week but we couldn't. So we ended up coming into Pleasanton and staying at the alameda fair grounds RV park. Not bad, good spot for the dogs, but nothing special and a fine place for overnite.
We are still having trouble with the inverter for the electrical system in the coach part of the RV. Do not buy an all electric RV (that's what we learned). Tho it sounded good at the time. It is stressing Leroy out and we are headed back to Washington where he will talk with his guys and hopefully get it fixed finally. It's a nice cozy little house tho and when it rains and is blustery out it is so cozy and warm.
Leroy does all the driving and doesn't allocate any of it, tho I can do it so by the end of the day he gets tired in these days if travel or driving around touring. He enjoys it but being tired makes you more apt to get stressed about other stuff.
Most parks have wifi so we are saving on our plan a lot, that's good.
Wish I could think of something witty to say but I am tired and it's 11pm and I don't feel very witty.
Monday, April 21, 2014
4/21 mon
We are on the road. Headed north on 101.
I mentioned the tar pits but didn't say what they were. I probably spelled them wrong. They are exactly that, tar pits. They are excavating them for fossilized prehistoric animals. The animals would go in, for whatever reason. They got stuck. The predictors came and attached them but then they got stuck. Birds came to eat all the cario n and got stuck. It is painstakingly exact work, it's been going on forever it seems and will go on however long. They take a pail and lay on their stomachs working a grid recovering bones (fossils), and the microscopic stuff goes in and they check thru that. They reconstruct the skeletons. It is a job I would not want.
In one spot they are working around a pit and there was a cat lounging their with them. They said she was a volunteer (as most of them are) and she was paid in pets. She was so calm, it was really cute.
I also have learned on this trip that Palm trees are not indigenous. They were imported by the Spainards.
We went from the vineyards to now going thru the vegetable region and harvesting is going on, I imagine these are winter crops. Cabbage and lettuce it looks like.
I mentioned the tar pits but didn't say what they were. I probably spelled them wrong. They are exactly that, tar pits. They are excavating them for fossilized prehistoric animals. The animals would go in, for whatever reason. They got stuck. The predictors came and attached them but then they got stuck. Birds came to eat all the cario n and got stuck. It is painstakingly exact work, it's been going on forever it seems and will go on however long. They take a pail and lay on their stomachs working a grid recovering bones (fossils), and the microscopic stuff goes in and they check thru that. They reconstruct the skeletons. It is a job I would not want.
In one spot they are working around a pit and there was a cat lounging their with them. They said she was a volunteer (as most of them are) and she was paid in pets. She was so calm, it was really cute.
I also have learned on this trip that Palm trees are not indigenous. They were imported by the Spainards.
We went from the vineyards to now going thru the vegetable region and harvesting is going on, I imagine these are winter crops. Cabbage and lettuce it looks like.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
4/20n Pictures
I forgot to say that we also went to the Labrea Tar Pits one day. Leroy wanted to go there. It was interesting but Leroy got all the pictures, I was to busy visiting.
We have had a wonderful time in California.
Easter Sunday 4/20
Today we got up late, and couldn't find a church so unfortunately we missed church which makes me kinda sad. We try to hit church wherever we are.
We then went out on a drive in the wine country today. So beautiful. We stopped at a few and I tasted. You pay for tastings now, at least in this state. We also stopped at a combo winery and olive place. I got some great vanilla flavored balsamic vinegar that is good enough to just eat out of the bottle. Leroy got some habanero flavored olive oil.
I will try to put some pictures on since the last picture posting too. Or will after supper. We are having bratwust and couscous and peas. Lovely holiday meal don't you think. My true holiday meal is potatoe chips, fish sticks, mac and cheese and pork and beans. Its what i always ended up having when i was home alone on a holiday when i worked and Leroy and Jeff went to family. Don't know how it started, i like those things and it was probably what i had that was easy and fast so we call that the traditional holiday meal. My coworkers used to ask if i was going home to my traditional meal on those days. So its a family joke.
We then went out on a drive in the wine country today. So beautiful. We stopped at a few and I tasted. You pay for tastings now, at least in this state. We also stopped at a combo winery and olive place. I got some great vanilla flavored balsamic vinegar that is good enough to just eat out of the bottle. Leroy got some habanero flavored olive oil.
I will try to put some pictures on since the last picture posting too. Or will after supper. We are having bratwust and couscous and peas. Lovely holiday meal don't you think. My true holiday meal is potatoe chips, fish sticks, mac and cheese and pork and beans. Its what i always ended up having when i was home alone on a holiday when i worked and Leroy and Jeff went to family. Don't know how it started, i like those things and it was probably what i had that was easy and fast so we call that the traditional holiday meal. My coworkers used to ask if i was going home to my traditional meal on those days. So its a family joke.
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