January 2012 - Acton, CA

Shortly after the first of the year, we moved from our cosmopolitan digs in Palm Springs to Soledad Canyon in Acton, CA.  The site is large with beautiful trees and excellent facilities including two clubhouses, two pools with hot tubs, an onsite store, and lots to do (horseshoes, miniature golf, basketball, and billiards).  Here is a picture of the idyllic setting as portrayed on the park’s site.

Unfortunately, all is not always at it appears.  True, the park does have some really nice facilities.  However, one pool was drained and the other padlocked.  One hot tub was available … for a whole lot of people … I guess we’re just not that friendly, twenty people in a hot tub is not our idea of a romantic evening.  Due to the draught, the river is a dry bed … really hard to fish or raft (reminded me of that Travelocity commercial showing the girl in an empty pool).  Finally, the management of the park has made the decision to turn the majority of the park into an inexpensive trailer park … complete with pool tournaments in the adult lodge… all that is missing is the broken, but flashing, neon sign.  When we checked in January we received December’s list of activities.  When we went back and asked for January’s we were told it wasn’t ready yet … it still wasn’t ready on January 15.  In addition, our contract calls for a daily newspaper and coffee … we were told we could come up to the guard shack and collect the newspaper if we wanted (the security guy said he didn’t have time to deliver it) … there was no coffee.  One regular thing that could be counted on was the blowing of the train’s horn.  This is necessary because the park rerouted their entrance to cross the tracks.  If the park reworked the entrance, the train would not need to blow it’s whistle.  Finally, the guard gate was opened about half of the time … security was a joke!  Too bad Thousand Trails lets an obviously poor manager run their operation here … it really could be a lovely park.

Mainly, we spent our time going back and forth to Apple Valley for doctors appointments and family events.  Here are a couple of pictures from our granddaughter, Kaitlyn’s birthday.  We had a really nice time!  She is eighteen now  … Tempus Fugit!

We did get out to the Exotic Feline Breeding Center in Lancaster, CA.  The cats were very interesting.

We immensely enjoyed attending a Thunderbird Square Dance while there, as well as meeting up with some of our square dance buddies for a delicious dinner at Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant.  After not being able to dance for six months, we discovered we still know how to dance (mostly), but sure don’t have the stamina that we used to.

Lynda and Darlene getting ready to dance

Kim purchased a new Schwinn Cruiser Bicycle at one of the local WalMarts while there because his doctor informed him that this would be a far better exercise device than our Segways.

Professional picture of my new bike

The smog hanging over Los Angeles makes for some really beautiful sunsets!

Taken with Lynda's phone

Taken a few minutes later with the camera.  The better lens of the camera picks up the dust on the windshield