A New Family Member!

Meet "Esme" below, which means "Esteemed and Loved" in French. Her breed is a Coton de Tulear. Diana wanted the perfect dog for RV travel. After a lot of research, she was located in Santa Cruz. The big question for me was how Zorro would react to having a little female puppy bouncing around in his territory. I am happy to report they are rapidly becoming good friends.



The Coton de Tulear developed in Madagascar, which is now the Malagasy Republic.

This is an island republic located about 250 miles off the African coast in the Indian Ocean.
The Coton de Tulear is called the "Royal Dog of Madagascar" because it was once owned exclusively by the royal family of the island. On the island anyone else found with a dog of this breed in their possession risked being sentenced to death. Due to the original restrictions on the breeding and ownership of this breed, it remains today one of the world's rarest breeds.

Zorro has absolutely no connection to royality. He's just a mutt with a relaxed attitude, except when he spots a cat!

When Zorro first met Esme, his reaction was "What in the world is THIS?"


We will all be setting out on our first MH journey in January. It will be interesting to see how the two interact with each other. They enjoy playing together at home (Zorro is gentle with her) , we will see how it goes once they are on the road with us. I hope to post some 'action' shots from the planned coastal trip.

TSA Official Promotes RV Travel

They say one photo is worth a thousand words. This photo is a good reason to consider taking an RV to your destination if possible.

Soon we will actually hear those words spoken by the government: "Bend Over"

Day Trip Around Lake Tahoe

Having gathered up some family members, 8 of us spent yesterday experiencing a relaxing journey around Lake Tahoe, from Tahoe City to North Shore. The fall colors and light dusting of recent snow made for a fantastic voyage that should be experienced within the creature comforts of a Class A motor home. Below are some photos of why people from all over the world continue to visit this gem..........

Inspiration Point and the Little Stone Tea House

Perhaps the Tea Party was founded on this small island

As you can see, we had the parking lot to ourselves

At first it looked like a storm was settling in

As you can see, we experienced a wide range of weather conditions within the 8 hour journey

 

Tahoe always puts a smile on Diana







Friends Since High School

My good buddy Dave drove all the way from his southern California home to hook up with me this week at Bodega Bay. We had planned this annual event for months, and when the date finally arrived, we could not have asked for finer weather. Mid 70's to near 80 degrees, clear skies, with only a slight breeze.

Dave and I have been friends since our high school days in southern California. He went off to college and eventually law school, while I went for a different educational experience in South Vietnam and eventually into law enforcement.

It took years for me to finally reveal to Dave the reason America went to war....not many know this but Vietnam was poised to invade California. Dave on the other hand insists he went to Berkeley to protest for my right to be there.

Despite the distance from each other, we maintain our friendship via e-mail and phone calls. Of utmost importance however is making sure there is at least an annual visit for some face time. We always have a lot of fun, regardless of the fact that our political view are, shall we say, different. So we get to debate about a lot of subjects, but always with a great deal of respect for each other's view. The mutual respect for each other's opinions is responsible for the duration of this long friendship.

I drove the 5 hours necessary to reach Bodega Bay and he drove the necessary 9 hours to finally land at my camp site that was all set up by the time he arrived. How sweet it is to both be retired from government work!

Below are photos and comments about our time together......

From Grass Valley, I took I-80 to Hwy 37 at Vallejo. Crossing the bridge near the Mare Island turn off got me a little nervous. Traffic was at a stand still for merging to one at the base of the bridge.  For several minutes I sat atop the water crossing. Bad time for an earthquake! Then there is the 'infrastructure' issue....can the bridge support all the weight?? Yikes! It felt good to get back on solid ground.

West end of Bodega Bay

Looking north from Bodega Bay

We were headed to the store for dinner provisions, and I got to thinking.....Venison anyone?

Not far from where we spotted the deer, over looking Bodega Bay

After a good dinner, a warm fire

This photo does not do justice to what we could see. The lights from across the bay 'spiked into the water' or so it appeared, due to the glass-like surface of the bay 

My wife said I could extended my coastal visit an extra day. She is my angel!

 

Where is the fire wood?



Dave usually wins. Next year I'll get even!



I would spend several minutes figuring out my moves, but ultimately fail to prevail
There WILL be opportunities in the future!




After Dave left Bodega Bay, I decided to move south for one more night on the coast. The Golden Gate is about an hour from Bodega Bay, and I decided to explore a little. One must use caution driving a 32' motor home in San Francisco. I had never been to Baker Beach until today.




I gained a different perspective of San Francisco, looking north east from a perch above Baker Beach




I had no idea this museum was here, I found it quite by mistake, just cruising around




Looks like me, working on my next Chess move!



Freedom is not Free

It was a wonderful trip, one that Dave and I will not soon forget. Plans are being laid for next year's reunion. If you have a really good friend you have not seen in quite some time, visit them. Face time is essential, even with all the modern technology that enables us to keep in touch throughout the seasons.



Fleet Week Photos (Sat. 10-9-10)

(See Sept. 26th post on this Fleet Week event for background information)

It was absolutely perfect weather for the Blue Angels' San Francisco performance!

Below is a series of photos I snapped while waiting for the show to begin. When the Blue Angels began, I did the best I could with what I got, which is a very old, cheap camera. For better photos, check out the San Francisco Chronicle

 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2010/10/09/BA9T1FQL6V.DTL&o=0

Photos don't do justice to the show. The sights, sounds and "oh-ah" of the crowds add to the overall experience.

Crowd forming at 9:00 a.m.

Millions of dollars were spent rebuilding this famous Vista Point. The tribute to our military is worth a visit, all four branches of the military are highlighted in granite and marble.

 Getting packed by 11am

By 1:00 p.m. folks were getting anxious for the big birds to arrive

Diana is happy today - she gets to just relax most of the day - a rare event!

"Getting There is Half the Fun!" We are trying to spread the word              

    More goods arriving from China?

Can you stand up in the black car pictured below along side our motor home? Can you shower in it? Does it have a toilet and sink, queen-sized bed, recliner and sofa? Does it have a full kitchen with microwave oven? How about a side-by-side refrigerator-freezer? They are about the same length, but which would you prefer to travel in? The only thing you can do in the black car is sit.

 By 1:00 p.m. the place was packed with hundreds of folks anxious for the show to begin

                     

Absolutely no parking available  

Let the show begin!



Wasting Time with Dumb Thoughts

Sometimes (but not always!) while parked at the ocean, gazing across the vastness, lost in deep thoughts, I can't help but wonder......

Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
Why does "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
Can a cross-eyed dyslexic read correctly?
Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?
Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
Why is abbreviated such a long word?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?
If you are traveling at the speed of light and turn your headlights on, would it do any good?

It is amazing what the feeble mind can come up with when there are no interuptions from telephones, TV, the Internet, etc. etc.

Canadian Border Crossings

This story could apply to anyone trying to enter Canada, regardless of what you are driving.....

According to my most recent edition of Motorhome Magazine, a couple from the state of Washington wrote this letter for publication after being denied entry into that country;

"After two years of planning and saving, we departed from home hoping to cross the border before nightfall. We had all the right papers, our dog was vaccinated and had her papers, yet we were turned away at the border".......

Her husband apparently has a DUI dating all the way back to 1968 when he returned from Vietnam. Apparently a DUI is considered a felony up north.

Business Review: Auburn Gold Country RV Park

                            

Duty called for Grandma & Grandpa Sherman to care of our two grandsons residing in Auburn. Their mother and father wanted to celebrate mom's birthday last Friday night and again on Saturday morning. Since they live in an apartment complex with no room for us to spend the night, we had a decision to make. Commute back and forth for the two day event, or come up with an alternative.

RVs offer options. Not five minutes from their apartment is the Auburn Gold County RV Park. We called Friday morning and fortunately they had a site available. Making the reservation over the phone took less than two minutes.....manager Lenny Shain knows what he is doing! By 3:00 p.m. we were in our campsite and the grand kids delivered. Off the parents went to have their adult fun, while the boys ventured out into the park to enjoy the facilities.

Auburn RV Park is ideal for families because they have so much to offer. The main attraction was the large pool and hot tub. After swimming, they played ping-pong, enjoyed the playground as the evening approached, and then a video in our air-conditioned MH while grandma spoiled them with treats. I recommend Disney's "Cats & Dogs"....very funny!

What impressed me about the park were all the trees, plants and shrubs that offer some privacy between the large sites. I enjoyed walking the grounds, checking out all the other RVs, some ranging towards the $500,000 mark. The park is exceptionally clean, and offers not just the pool and hot tub, but a store that sells essentials, a day room with soft seating in front of a large screen TV, full hook-ups including some with telephone connections, a dump station, free Wi-Fi (exceptionally fast too!) horseshoe pits, a basketball court, fishing pond, laundry facilities, pet walk area, and they sell propane also.

Pizza and Quiznos can be delivered to your site, and even a mobile wash & wax service. Having a problem with your rig? You have the option of two companies who will visit your site for repairs if necessary. Their website has dozens of photos offering a great overview of the park. Many of the sites are paved, which can be a nice change from having kids dragging  a lot of dirt into the MH. While our site did not have a fire pit, they offer a large community fire ring for seating up to a dozen or more campers. This can be a blessing for those who can't handle campground smoke. It appears they even provide the firewood based on the stack I observed at the ring.

With our Good Sam discount offered, we paid a total of $42.00 which is a bargain these days when you factor in all the amenities. Lenny was kind enough to allow us an extension of our check-out time (from noon to 3:00 p.m.) without dinging us for extra cash. You can always judge a campground's character by the way it is managed, and Lenny appears to be a class act. We will absolutely return.

Be sure to check out their website at www.AuburnRVPark.com You will not be disappointed.

RV Toilet Chemicals and Politics

September 22, 2010

LOG NEWS SERVICE — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Aug. 18 vetoed a bill that would have prohibited, industry sources say, the sale and use of the most effective and widely employed holding tank deodorants utilized in toilets on boats and recreational vehicles. Schwarzenegger in his veto message said he was returning Assembly Bill 1824 unsigned because current law already gives the Department of Toxic Substances Control the ability to address the issue of chemical toilet products. “Neither I nor members of the legislature are best equipped to answer these questions. We need science and scientists to undertake this challenge and develop a solution that both addresses the chemical problem and provides the consumer with a product that is both economical and effective for the intended purpose.” AB 1824 by Assemblymember William W. Monning (D-Santa Cruz) would have added six chemicals to the existing list of 19 chemicals that are already banned because they are deemed detrimental to a sewage disposal system. The California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which supported the measure, said environmentally friendly alternatives that do not harm sewage disposal systems are available and work just as well as those Monning’s bill would have banned. Kevin Phillips, vice president of sales and marketing for Thetford — a supplier of sanitation products for recreational vehicles and boats, which had opposed the measure — said that the veto preserves consumer choice.

Blue Angels in San Francisco October 8-9

If you own an RV and want to spend a night in San Francisco FREE then consider the upcoming opportunity to experience a day of Fleet Week in San Francisco.

The following routine has become an annual event for Diana and me. We will leave October 8^th for Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy a great lunch and walk the planks, experiencing all the sights and sounds. You can park a MH free at the north end of the main drag (turn left at the “T” intersection and park on the left side of the street, it is reserved for busses and RVs but spaces are limited).

When the evening arrives, we venture over the Golden Gate Bridge to the vista point on the north end of the bridge. The vista point is an official state Rest Area and you can stay up to 8 hours. It has designated parking for busses and RVs. Small bbq’s are permitted, an ideal ability to help save a buck on your food costs.

We spend the night, and then remain for the day to enjoy the air show. Other than being out on the water in the Bay, this is one of the best vantage points to view the events. 

The Blue Angels perform on Saturday, October 9^th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. with practice taking place on Friday between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

The fog allowed for only a limited show last year, the weather makes the show a throw of the dice sometimes.

After the show, we journey home via Hwy 1/101 north to Hwy 37 where it connects with Vallejo at  I-80.

The only negative aspect of this journey is the 8 hour parking limit. Fortunately, the officials don’t seem overly concerned and don’t go around marking tires because of the volume of vehicles and the nature of this annual event that draws thousands to the area. By 8:00 a.m. Saturday you can’t get into the place but if you arrive Friday night parking is not a problem. The CHP seems to subscribe to the “first come - first served” concept, which demonstrates their ability to be reasonable, all things considered.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. It is truly an experience to watch the jets fly over the rest area. Bring your ear plugs, they fly that close!