While we have certainly met our share of characters, curmudgeons, and the oddities of society, we have also run across some of the nicest people on the planet. Case in point: We spent the better part of our last two days at Klamath, sitting, drinking and otherwise socializing with a great couple from Maine (Joe & Sue) and two wonderful couples from England ... that's right ... England! (Ian & Elaine and Dave & Isobel). Absolutely top notch human beings (not be confused with lifeless drones pretending to be human).
The couples from England, traveling separately, both spend 6 months in the US traveling in their RVs and then the US government forces them to leave the country for six months. That's right! This type of foreigner is apparently not wanted in our country ,.. They don't work here, they just bring their money from England and spend, spend, spend ... but we wouldn't want them staying here ... might be some Anglo conspiracy ... if only they spoke Spanish (sigh). I'm sure some group of legislators would then make a case for them to stay ... and even better, they wouldn't have to spend their money ... no ... they would get to spend our money instead ... and use our services ... and graffiti our cities' walls ... and go to our schools for free ... I tried to convince our English guests to buy Rosetta Stone Spanish and then sneak in through Mexico ... but no go! They made some argument about obeying the laws and acting like good guests in our country, etc. etc. Apparently they are not familiar with how to be politically correct in America ....
So, like I was saying, we enjoyed a few drinks, and had a few meals together, and had a simply wonderful time. If any of you are reading this ... hope to see each of you soon in another great campground soon. Kim & Lynda
Follow the adventures and misadventures of these full-time RVers as they travel the U.S., meet a variety of interesting characters, and comment on campgrounds, destinations, culture, & food.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Tall Redwoods ... The Wide Ocean
What a drive ... beautiful, breathtaking, dangerous, and exhausting! We slipped over to the 101 just north of San Francisco and headed up the coast. North of Eureka is Redwood National and State Parks (The Federal Park Service has partnered with the State of CA Park Service for this one ... works surprisingly well!).
Our campsite is 25 yards from the Klamath River ... It is a spectacular sight. The camp host is an old hippie living in a VW bus. She is helpful, interesting, and serene (pause here for a bit of yoga a deep breath and Nameste). My hair is getting a bit longer ... perhaps she recognized a kindred soul ...
We saw a black bear (it was a brown black bear) just a 100 yards up the road from our camp ... just trotting along and minding his own business ... he ducked into the woods when he saw our jeep. The camp host has quite a few pictures of him ... reminds me of Yogi (Boo Boo are you out there somewhere?).
We took the jeep on a dirt backwoods 4-wheel drive trek to see the best of the coast redwoods. See some our pics from the Stout Grove below. The coast redwoods grow in large forests with thick undergrowth and they remind you of Fanghorn Forest ... mysterious, ancient, and slightly intimidating.
On the way there we just had to stop at the "Trees of Mystery" exhibit with Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe. Pure cheese and tourist chachki ... but we took a picture anyhow ... who can resist big Paul?
Met some really nice people in the camp here ... other full-timers. One couple from Maine and another from England (Stayed in camp over Father's Day and enjoyed a few bloody marys, a bit of wine and cheese, and a great bonfire by the river. One of the characters at the bonfire was a 70 year old pothead ... kept trying to pass the goods around ... he pontificated on all subjects ... someone make this guy the king ... he had just as many ideas as our politicians ... with the same apparent clarity.
Ok here are the promised pics.
Our campsite is 25 yards from the Klamath River ... It is a spectacular sight. The camp host is an old hippie living in a VW bus. She is helpful, interesting, and serene (pause here for a bit of yoga a deep breath and Nameste). My hair is getting a bit longer ... perhaps she recognized a kindred soul ...
We saw a black bear (it was a brown black bear) just a 100 yards up the road from our camp ... just trotting along and minding his own business ... he ducked into the woods when he saw our jeep. The camp host has quite a few pictures of him ... reminds me of Yogi (Boo Boo are you out there somewhere?).
We took the jeep on a dirt backwoods 4-wheel drive trek to see the best of the coast redwoods. See some our pics from the Stout Grove below. The coast redwoods grow in large forests with thick undergrowth and they remind you of Fanghorn Forest ... mysterious, ancient, and slightly intimidating.
On the way there we just had to stop at the "Trees of Mystery" exhibit with Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe. Pure cheese and tourist chachki ... but we took a picture anyhow ... who can resist big Paul?
Met some really nice people in the camp here ... other full-timers. One couple from Maine and another from England (Stayed in camp over Father's Day and enjoyed a few bloody marys, a bit of wine and cheese, and a great bonfire by the river. One of the characters at the bonfire was a 70 year old pothead ... kept trying to pass the goods around ... he pontificated on all subjects ... someone make this guy the king ... he had just as many ideas as our politicians ... with the same apparent clarity.
Ok here are the promised pics.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Stop in Isleton
We wanted to drive from Yosemite to Redwoods National Park in one day ... but that would have been more of a trek than a drive, so opted to stop over for two days in Isleton on the Sacramento River. It was 65F when we left Bass Lake (Yosemite) and 96F when we arrived in Isleton (Heat Miser would love it here!).
The girl at the gate to the park belongs to Hitler Youth. Welcome ... and here is a list of 26 rules ... if you break a rule ... you are out!!! She took our membership card at the gate and we don't get it back until we select a site and report back with the number ... Rule # 1 you vill report back wit de number!
I'm hot .. I'm tired ... and now Teutonic Tille is smiling ... Oh you wanted internet service ... that will be another $5 a night ... oh you wanted 50 amps of electric and sewer ... that will be another $7 per night. We take the sewer and 50 amps for air conditioner ... pass on the internet ... will use the ipad. She closes the gate behind us ... somewhere in the distance panzers can be heard rolling by.
We settle in and go in search of our membership card ... finally find Tille ... she has abandoned her post at the gate and we find her in the commadant's office. Can we ride our Segways? Well, she doesn't know ... after a bit of noise about American's with Disabilities and equal access ... yes Segways will be allowed ... but ride slowly (may run over an old person). We promise to ride slowly and carry Tapioca.
Dinner tonight is at a resort down the road. We split the special (five kinds of fried fish). Actually really tasty. We sleep well and run the air all night. Today is a day for blithering. We do this well.
We have signed up for dinner tonight at the club house (stew is advertised). We arrive at dinner ... a large crowd has gathered (two other people both in their 80's or 90's). We try to strike up a conversation ... they grunt... we talk in return ... they grunt some more. The stew is a thin gruel served over rice to sop up the extra grease ... yum! Finally, another three couples come in. One of them speaks in complete sentences and dinner becomes a bit more pleasant. Picked up some helpful hints. Tomorrow we leave for Redwoods.
Here are a couple of pics from our first night dinner.
The girl at the gate to the park belongs to Hitler Youth. Welcome ... and here is a list of 26 rules ... if you break a rule ... you are out!!! She took our membership card at the gate and we don't get it back until we select a site and report back with the number ... Rule # 1 you vill report back wit de number!
I'm hot .. I'm tired ... and now Teutonic Tille is smiling ... Oh you wanted internet service ... that will be another $5 a night ... oh you wanted 50 amps of electric and sewer ... that will be another $7 per night. We take the sewer and 50 amps for air conditioner ... pass on the internet ... will use the ipad. She closes the gate behind us ... somewhere in the distance panzers can be heard rolling by.
We settle in and go in search of our membership card ... finally find Tille ... she has abandoned her post at the gate and we find her in the commadant's office. Can we ride our Segways? Well, she doesn't know ... after a bit of noise about American's with Disabilities and equal access ... yes Segways will be allowed ... but ride slowly (may run over an old person). We promise to ride slowly and carry Tapioca.
Dinner tonight is at a resort down the road. We split the special (five kinds of fried fish). Actually really tasty. We sleep well and run the air all night. Today is a day for blithering. We do this well.
We have signed up for dinner tonight at the club house (stew is advertised). We arrive at dinner ... a large crowd has gathered (two other people both in their 80's or 90's). We try to strike up a conversation ... they grunt... we talk in return ... they grunt some more. The stew is a thin gruel served over rice to sop up the extra grease ... yum! Finally, another three couples come in. One of them speaks in complete sentences and dinner becomes a bit more pleasant. Picked up some helpful hints. Tomorrow we leave for Redwoods.
Here are a couple of pics from our first night dinner.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
The Big Trees
Returned to Yosemite today to see the Giant Sequoias. The zombie at the gate was gone replaced by a team of retired volunteers, smiling and waving like mad (during the winter they are greeters at Walmart)! This time we headed the short two miles into the park to the Mariposa grove of Giant Sequoias. Many of the mature trees are 1800-2200 years old! They made us feel really young. In "sequoia-years" we live as long as house flies, and are probably as bothersome.
The grove has a surreal, fantasy-like, feel. We expected to see an Ent come strolling into view at any moment. Instead we got Japanese tourists with cameras and a French family with three loud and unruly children ... still surreal, but with comic-book overtones. Nevertheless, we had a great time and Kim added a new hat pin to his collection (in a month or two that hat will weigh 50-60 pounds and will be able to pick up radio signals!
Here are a few pics of the big trees ... remember things in the mirror are, in this case, bigger than they appear.
Scientists are studying the trees to try and understand their longevity. They are resistant to insects and rot and survive a forest fire on average of every 5-20 years (divide into 1800 for estimate of number of survival incidents). They continue to grow and reproduce as long as they live and don't die from old age. They only die when they have become so big that they topple over from the additional weight of snow in the winter. Even in death they continue to endure and do not rot. The roots on the tree below are over thirty feet across (high). It has been down for around 200 years.
After such a hard day, obviously we deserved a bit of relaxation. Who knows what trials tomorrow will bring! :)
The grove has a surreal, fantasy-like, feel. We expected to see an Ent come strolling into view at any moment. Instead we got Japanese tourists with cameras and a French family with three loud and unruly children ... still surreal, but with comic-book overtones. Nevertheless, we had a great time and Kim added a new hat pin to his collection (in a month or two that hat will weigh 50-60 pounds and will be able to pick up radio signals!
Here are a few pics of the big trees ... remember things in the mirror are, in this case, bigger than they appear.
Scientists are studying the trees to try and understand their longevity. They are resistant to insects and rot and survive a forest fire on average of every 5-20 years (divide into 1800 for estimate of number of survival incidents). They continue to grow and reproduce as long as they live and don't die from old age. They only die when they have become so big that they topple over from the additional weight of snow in the winter. Even in death they continue to endure and do not rot. The roots on the tree below are over thirty feet across (high). It has been down for around 200 years.
After such a hard day, obviously we deserved a bit of relaxation. Who knows what trials tomorrow will bring! :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Yosemite
Today we ventured out to Yosemite. By the way, why do we call it "You sim a knee" when it is spelled "Yo see mite"? We came in through the Highway 41 entrance. This is not a popular entrance to the park (probably because you still have to drive 34 miles on a winding road to get to Yosemite Valley (Where all the good stuff is located). The park ranger on duty at this gate is probably being punished for something ... or is an anthropophobe (fear of people). Anyhow, they don't get a lot of business there and she was glad to see us. She gave us the Yosemite newspaper and smiled blandly... She reminded me of a zombie, from Day of the Living Dead. I showed her Lynda's Access pass (the golden ticket for the handicapped ... free entry to all national parks) and she still smiled blandly. I drove off ... there were no sirens so I assumed we were ok to proceed. I think she is still smiling blandly ... and may be for quite some time. Go ahead ... check it out and see if she is still there a few months from now .... a venture into the Twilight Zone (Imagine Zone music here).
Along the back-road route to the goodies, we passed a lot of beautiful scenery running along an idyllic river and we passed one other thing too ... a golf course! Ok, I admit it ... I am not a golfer ... I have played and I stink (although I'm probably still better than Calvin Coolidge who left his clubs behind when he left the White House. But who thought it was a good use of public land that was set aside for its natural beauty to turn a pristine elk meadow into a golf course???? Idiots!!!
Every American should be required to visit the national parks ... to understand the vastness and majesty of the land we occupy ... It will put patriotic blood into the most anemic of us. This is who we are ... this is the sea to shining sea ... this is America the Beautiful ... Wait ... I'm breaking into song!
At this time of the year the snow melt from the high Sierra's is running into the valleys of Yosemite. It is a wonderful sight! Here are a few pictures:
...
Let's talk a bit about Segway etiquette. Lynda & I parked the car, unloaded the Segways and took off for the Visitor's Center ... The Segways are cool! Very Cool! ... They attract a lot of attention as we GLIDE (That's what riding is called in the Segway world) about. So a few words about Segway etiquette. It is not alright to ask how much they cost! (If you want to know call a dealer!) So we were perfectly justified in telling the guy who asked this question, that we had given our first born for them (Sorry Jason!), but not to worry, he was adjusting to his new family quite well! Above is Lynda "gliding" with El Capitain and Yosemite Falls in the background.
Wow! Can you beat this scenery? Half-Dome is in the background ... I got the Half-Dome label pin ... a collection that will fit in the RV!
Along the back-road route to the goodies, we passed a lot of beautiful scenery running along an idyllic river and we passed one other thing too ... a golf course! Ok, I admit it ... I am not a golfer ... I have played and I stink (although I'm probably still better than Calvin Coolidge who left his clubs behind when he left the White House. But who thought it was a good use of public land that was set aside for its natural beauty to turn a pristine elk meadow into a golf course???? Idiots!!!
Every American should be required to visit the national parks ... to understand the vastness and majesty of the land we occupy ... It will put patriotic blood into the most anemic of us. This is who we are ... this is the sea to shining sea ... this is America the Beautiful ... Wait ... I'm breaking into song!
At this time of the year the snow melt from the high Sierra's is running into the valleys of Yosemite. It is a wonderful sight! Here are a few pictures:
Let's talk a bit about Segway etiquette. Lynda & I parked the car, unloaded the Segways and took off for the Visitor's Center ... The Segways are cool! Very Cool! ... They attract a lot of attention as we GLIDE (That's what riding is called in the Segway world) about. So a few words about Segway etiquette. It is not alright to ask how much they cost! (If you want to know call a dealer!) So we were perfectly justified in telling the guy who asked this question, that we had given our first born for them (Sorry Jason!), but not to worry, he was adjusting to his new family quite well! Above is Lynda "gliding" with El Capitain and Yosemite Falls in the background.
Wow! Can you beat this scenery? Half-Dome is in the background ... I got the Half-Dome label pin ... a collection that will fit in the RV!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
First Day Out
We planned on leaving at 6:00 a.m. and managed to get off around 8:30 a.m. The delay was caused by additional sleep! Somehow it really didn't matter. The camp office in Bass Lake closed at 5:00 p.m. and we got in around 6:00 p.m., but we called and they left the information we needed pinned to the bulletin board for us. Found out on the way that the folks in Hesperia installed our lights incorrectly on the Jeep when towing (the two orange turn signal lights come on instead of the red brake lights). We stopped in Bakersfield to try and find someone that could fix this. No luck! So we will try again today in Fresno. We are told this is an easy fix ... we sure hope so ... it seems like brake lights might be something we want.
On the way we gassed up twice. First at the Flying J in Barstow ... This was really nice ... easy in and easy out. The Flying J in Bakersfield is not as nice ... no RV parking ... we left and went down the road to Love's. We used the truck island at Loves ... they aren't thrilled with this, but it was an easy fill up and they had a Subway shop that was great for lunch.
Our first "resort" stop is in Bass Lake. Wonderful! Take a look at this scenery. This will be home for the next week.
On the way we gassed up twice. First at the Flying J in Barstow ... This was really nice ... easy in and easy out. The Flying J in Bakersfield is not as nice ... no RV parking ... we left and went down the road to Love's. We used the truck island at Loves ... they aren't thrilled with this, but it was an easy fill up and they had a Subway shop that was great for lunch.
Our first "resort" stop is in Bass Lake. Wonderful! Take a look at this scenery. This will be home for the next week.
Monday, June 6, 2011
How do we get rid of all that Stuff?
We Americans like stuff! We collect it, hoard it, accumulate it, and store it. We haul boxes of it from house to house over the years, and we forget we even had it ... but we don't get rid of it! Lynda and I are true Americans ... we had our share!
We knew getting rid of it would not be easy. Some of it was even useful and nice, so we decided to get a Pod to store the really good stuff in. After all we might not like being vagabonds and gypsies forever, and it would be really expensive to replace all of it. So we stuffed the Pod like the Grinch stuffed his sled and sent it off to storage ... really ... we only kept the good stuff!
The rest of the accumulation had to go! We pawned off as much as we could on the kids ... unfortunately they are not as young and unaware as they used to be ... so they didn't take very much, and the rest we put in the garage for a garage sale (our first!).
Our two sons came over to help us sell the excess. Garage Sales are a cultural experience. A real slice of Americana walked up driveway. Our son Shane kept telling us not to throw away things that were clearly trash ... he insisted that someone would buy it ... he was right! They bought old ant spray, assorted electrical cords that no longer went to anything, broken toys, and old batteries. They passed on fine china, expensive suits, and dress shirts. They purchased old bags from conferences gone by but turned up their noses at expensive luggage. One person's trash is truly another person's treasure. After everything was said and done here was the result:
We donated the rest to the senior center (two loads fulls) and are now ready to hit the road full-time!
One of the things we noticed when going through our stuff was how often we asked each other how we had managed to accumulate so many absolutely unnecessary and overindulgent things. We have never thought of ourselves as particularly materialistic ... and still don't ... but ... the process of de-stuffing was a philosophical journey that was worth taking.
We knew getting rid of it would not be easy. Some of it was even useful and nice, so we decided to get a Pod to store the really good stuff in. After all we might not like being vagabonds and gypsies forever, and it would be really expensive to replace all of it. So we stuffed the Pod like the Grinch stuffed his sled and sent it off to storage ... really ... we only kept the good stuff!
The rest of the accumulation had to go! We pawned off as much as we could on the kids ... unfortunately they are not as young and unaware as they used to be ... so they didn't take very much, and the rest we put in the garage for a garage sale (our first!).
Our two sons came over to help us sell the excess. Garage Sales are a cultural experience. A real slice of Americana walked up driveway. Our son Shane kept telling us not to throw away things that were clearly trash ... he insisted that someone would buy it ... he was right! They bought old ant spray, assorted electrical cords that no longer went to anything, broken toys, and old batteries. They passed on fine china, expensive suits, and dress shirts. They purchased old bags from conferences gone by but turned up their noses at expensive luggage. One person's trash is truly another person's treasure. After everything was said and done here was the result:
We donated the rest to the senior center (two loads fulls) and are now ready to hit the road full-time!
One of the things we noticed when going through our stuff was how often we asked each other how we had managed to accumulate so many absolutely unnecessary and overindulgent things. We have never thought of ourselves as particularly materialistic ... and still don't ... but ... the process of de-stuffing was a philosophical journey that was worth taking.
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