Jacqueline’s Jaunts

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

05-03-23 Needles to Grand Canyon South Entrance, AZ (232 miles, 5+ hours)

"Not westward, but eastward seek the coming of the light." (Dakota Proverb)1

Windy and cool this morning, but off we went. We normally would not drive as long as we did but wanted four days at Grand Canyon. We all needed gas, so we stopped at a Pilot. The pump we chose was VERY slow and irritating. Of course, it would be us with the slow pump...so annoying. Last in the caravan again.

Back on the road again via Interstate 40 (parallels Route 66) and the worst road we have ever traveled. Do not take this road if you can. Uneven, giant potholes, missing sections, and ruts. Just an awful road. We rattled for miles on end. Plus, the crosswinds were blowing out of control. Tough drive with all that and the Big Rigs passing by. The vibrations broke a piece of trim off the TV cabinet above us and landed in Barry’s lap.

We stopped in Williams for gas at a Maverick station. It was so easy to get in and out of. Once we hit Highway 64, the road was somewhat better. Still potholes and rough, but at least we had a tailwind.

We used our Senior Pass through the Grand Canyon gates and followed the map to our campground. Busy check-in at the campground. We pulled into our site, J65, full hook-up. Barry set up the BBQ and cooked bratwurst and Brussels sprouts for dinner...yummy.

Group meeting after dinner to plan out the next four days. There is much to see in South Rim, and we wanted to make each day count. Everyone was wiped out from the drive, and our bed felt amazing.

1 Zona, Guy A, The Soul Would Have No Rainbow If The Eyes Had No Tears (New York: Touchstone, 1994), p.47.

Friday, May 12, 2023

05-02-23 Bakersfield to Needles, California 5+ hours

"A good man does not take what belongs to someone else." (Pueblo Proverb)1

We stopped to get gas in Tehachapi, and I left my phone in the bathroom. I went back to check, and it was gone... Damn'it!!!! Asked everyone in the place if anyone had turned it in, and of course not. So we told the rest of the group to go ahead and we will catch up. Used the MyFind app to turn it off. Called T-Mobile to suspend my account. I reset important passwords just in case. I felt devastated. We took off and talked about whether to replace it or not. I was not a happy camper.

The drive was harrowing. Over San Bernadino mountains, Bristol mountains (2700 ft.), down through Mojave National Monument, over and down the Sacramento Mountains into Needles. We experienced cross winds most of the drive, which made it hard to drive straight.

I called ahead and found a T-Mobile store in Bullhead City. Once we hooked up, we drove to Bullhead City, passing through California, Arizona, California then again into Arizona, about a 30-minute drive. The rest of our group went for Mexican food. It still was daylight. We passed a resort and a huge casino. Found the store, and took about 2 hours to get everything settled. No dinner for us. By the time we returned, it was 9:00 PM.

We had a light snack. K&J came over to console us, but it did not make me feel better. They said the Mexican food was just OK, and we did not miss anything. Today was a hard lesson for me, and I did not sleep well.

And yes, there is nothing in Needles, California!

[1] Zona, Guy A, The Soul Would Have No Rainbow If The Eyes Had No Tears (New York: Touchstone, 1994), p.23.

05-01-23 From Home to Bakersfield, California

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave" (Dakota Proverb)1.

Departure day. Set up plants, hooked up the jeep to the RV, put bikes on the Jeep bike rack, and off we went. We left around 10:30 AM, about a half-hour behind. Hit some light rain going over Altamont.

The five-hour drive to Bakersfield was easy. We hit a detour to the RV park but made it. Great spot, all three of us together. Now that we are all together, tequila shots to kick off the trip. My proposal for our journey that we all adopted is, "Whoever gets to the next site first hosts tequila shots!"

Barry, Ken, and Roma went to check out the Camping World right around the corner. Barry bought me a little gift, a tiny collapsible bowl. I love bowls, so it was perfect.

Roma gave us our "Destination Is All" t-shirts and sweatshirts. We created a logo, and Roma arranged to have them printed. They came out beautiful.

Jan fed us all lasagna for dinner, and it was tasty. Great catching up with everyone.

[1] Zona, Guy A, The Soul Would Have No Rainbow If The Eyes Had No Tears (New York: Touchstone, 1994), p.29.

Friday, April 21, 2023

2023-04-01 Saturday Pismo Beach and Home

Today is break camp day & driving home. The morning went smooth, pack-up was easy & byes said to J&K before leaving. Quick Burrito for breakfast & we're off.

Barry mapped a Chevron Station in Paso Robles right next to Firestone Brewery, so we thought it would be perfect. We didn't need a pump out since we used the Bananaboys the day before! They are mobile and came to us. Talk about convenient. The cost was $50.00 for full service at the campsite. The guy was great, and Barry had a good conversation about Pismo seasonal issues due to the weather and how he is surviving. Great service.

We pulled into the Chevron-easy access, filled up the RV & were careful to not pull too close to the pumps due to the RV tail swing. Finally, ready to leave, I was outside on the walkie watching progress & all looked good.

Suddenly, Barry is 3/4 out of the driveway & the RV STOPPED DEAD! Damn it...driveshaft, transmission? No...the crown of the road is so high, the RV is grounded on the rear on the steel wheels & the front is in the street...but the drive wheels have no traction. So we are stuck-wedged between the driveway & the road and unable to move.

Calls into AAA, and a nice guy stopped and tried to use wood under the tires for traction, but it didn't work. Many people stopped to offer support and amazement, and some stated this happens all the time. Even the local sheriff stopped and stated this is a common thing, but AAA is on the way.

Straddling the dip

Barry called AAA four times, and each time had to explain our predicament all over again. Finally, after 2 hours, a tow truck was en route.....so they said. But then a BIG 350 Dulley pulled up and said, "Hey, want me to pull you out?" His wife jumped out, his buddy got out, she grabbed their snatch-cord, the buddy strapped on the hitch, Barry gave the driver a walkie-talkie, jumped in the RV, took off the brake, and put it in reverse. The Dulley driver said go, and we were pulled out in seven seconds. FANTASTIC. The driver's wife sent me the video she took. She said her husband used to work across the street and did this five or six times a week. Barry tried to give him some money, but he refused and said to just pay it back when we could and we will. In retrospect, we should have checked reviews. Many talked about the same situation we were in. We discovered a yellow sign facing the wrong way to the side of the driveway, "Steep driveway - No RVs or trailers beyond this point." They need that sign facing both directions...stupid!

It should be facing both directions!

We reconnected the Jeep, and we were back on the road. The rest of the drive was easy, even though we had the wind in some areas. We made it home by 6:00 PM, safe and sound. Now to unpack some, have dinner, and relax. We will finish unpacking tomorrow.

Looking forward to our Utah trip next month.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

2023-03-31 Friday Pismo Beach Oceano Campground

Diner History

Our last full day. For breakfast, we went to this diner made from two trains, The Rock & Roll Diner. It was only about 5 minutes from camp. The food was just OK. My French toast had a weird taste, something other than what I liked. Everyone said their meal was just OK. I don't think we will be back. Sad because the decor is fun.

After breakfast, K & J decided to visit Pismo State Beach, Monarch Grove. I wanted to fly my kite later, plus I had a class I needed to attend at 4:30 PM, so we decided to stay in camp. The great thing about being retired is we can change our minds. We decided to drive to the neighborhood above the freeway to see the views, and we were not disappointed. The sky was this beautiful color of marine blue, and the weather was so clear you could see all the way to the horizon. From there, we drove by a triple-wide manufactured home that looked beautiful inside, per the real estate photos. Nice 55+ park but too close to a major shopping center.

We headed back to our RV for lunch. Next off to the beach to fly my kite. We should have paid more attention to signs on the beach, and we parked in an area where we were not supposed to fly kites. One of the rangers stopped to let us know, but he said since it was off-season, we could stay. He also gave us the low down on where to fly our kite. Nice guy. We flew my kite for about an hour. I decided I wanted a giant kite, and we took off to the kite store downtown.

No problem finding parking close to the store. We went in, and I decided I wanted one that was hanging from the ceiling. AND, of course, it was the last one which meant the owner had to take it down for me. He seemed to be happy to do so. I didn't like the black plastic tails, and I bought new nylon tails to switch out. The kite was very colorful and needed colorful tails. It also required heavier-weight string and a holder. Now back to the beach to fly my new giant kite!

We entered through the Grover Beach entrance and drove to the right. We missed a sign that said "No Vehicle Parking," and a very nice woman came up to let us know. As we got into the Wrangler, a ranger stopped to let us know. OK... we got the hint; read the signs. We moved south a little bit, parked, and got ready to fly.

My new kite went up with no problem. Seeing the long 20-foot red and blue tails drifting in the wind was fun. So calming and relaxing to watch. The sky was clear and beautiful, with so many contrails today. Nothing like being retired, flying a kite, and drinking a beer on the beach. We watched kite surfers and marveled at how fun it looked.

New Bigger Kite

The Reynolds texted, "Where are you?" I let them know and told them to bring their kite and a few beers and join us. Ken and Barry flew Ken's kite. Ken has a slingshot kite like the kite surfers use, so it pulls with a lot of wind. Looks too challenging to me. I just want to float with mine and veg out. Great few hours on the beach. We headed back to our RV because I had my class at 4:30. I was so close to not attending...but I knew I would regret it later. Our last day on the beach was such a beautiful day.

The Boys Flying Ken's Kite

Attended my class, got our salad ready for dinner, and headed over to Jan and Ken's for leftover lasagne. Barry was finishing up something and would be over in a few minutes. I had a ceramic bowl with salad and wine in my left hand and can't remember what was in my right. As I went up the stairs into their RV, I lost my balance and started falling backward. My left leg missed the steps behind me, hit the ground about 3 feet below, and tumbled back. I hit a concrete picnic table on my right backside and ribs. The salad went flying, but I did not break anything in my hands. I hit hard, and it knocked the breath out of me. Ken was at the top of the stairs and tried to grab me but couldn't. I can still see the look in his eyes as I fell away from him. By the time Barry joined us, I was sitting on the ground with Caesar salad all over me. He was immediately concerned, and I knew tomorrow would be painful.

I got up, and everyone helped me clean off the salad. Nothing like a little Caesar dressing perfume. I was a little sore but manageable. We had dinner, did the dishes, yakked for a bit, and went home. We both needed to get ready to leave tomorrow.

We picked up a few things, packed away loose items, and went to bed. Up early tomorrow to finish and get on the road. I remember laying in bed thinking about flying my kite and that I would most likely hurt like hell tomorrow. But a great day!

Sunday, April 2, 2023

2023-03-30 Thursday Pismo Beach Oceano Campground

We decided to visit the Pismo State Beach Monarch Grove, and the Reynolds went to Morro Bay. The grove is only about 5 minutes from our campsite. Monarch Butterflies hang (no pun intended) in this area from October to February. We saw a few small ones at the tops of trees, but they were too far away for a photo.

Our walk from Monarch Grove to
the dunes and back

We followed a fast-flowing creek from the grove to the dunes and the ocean. We are still amazed at how much the storms have damaged the beach. Nevertheless, it was a nice, quiet walk while listening to the ocean. Pismo is still a beautiful beach; hopefully, we will visit again.

Next, we decided to drive through some of the neighborhoods around Pismo. We went on the other side of the freeway and drove up into the hills—huge expensive homes with fantastic views. On the way back, we drove through older neighborhoods on the other side of Amtrak's train tracks: some nicely redone homes and some not. Finally, we took W Grand Ave. down to the beach so we could drive the beach, then up Pier Avenue, and back to camp—nothing like driving on the beach.

Oceano Campground to Monarch Grove
and back via the beach

The tide was way out today, and we watched a few kite surfers. The weather was beautiful and very clear.

We had leftover Pizza as a snack and hung out at camp. Barry pulled out the awning so it could dry. The weather report says no rain for the next week, so much for our timing. We ate early; dinner was steak and broccoli for Osos and a halibut fillet for me. After dinner, we climbed into J & K’s jeep and were off to downtown SLO.

We hooked up with Reynold’s friends again, Chris and Liza, at the Farmers Market in downtown SLO. The market is every Thursday except for the rain. We have never experienced a Farmer's Market this large. It went on forever. What a great event. All kinds of vendors, fresh produce, kettle corn, corn on the cob, caramel corn, candles, cookies, edible cookie dough, oils, soaps, peanut butter, and more. All the vegetable colors were so bright. Just unbelievable.

One of the best was F. McLintock Saloon & Dining. They had large BBQs grills outside with beef, chicken, kabobs, and veggies. Just the smell alone enveloped your entire body. The other best food stand was another brewery (I forgot the name) with half-cut cheese wheels under ceramic heat lamps. It melted the top layer of cheese and then was scraped onto a meat sandwich or baked potato. What an incredible idea. We should have eaten dinner here. I was so fascinated that I posted a short video below. We will be back from the end of June to the middle of July and not planning on eating on Thursday nights. Instead, we will head to the Farmers Market in SLO.

Cheese under a ceramic lamp. Doesn't it look amazing!

F. McLintock boys horsing around.

We were home by 8:00 PM and picked up a little since we were leaving in a few days. Tomorrow I will get to fly my new kite. I can’t wait. I am hoping for kite-flying dreams.

On a non-trip related item, we received a text today from Elton, our nephew, with his graduation information from UC Hastings Law school. I'm so upset because we thought his graduation was in June, so we planned our Utah trip in May. I even tried to see if there was an airport nearby so I could fly to San Francisco to attend. We are so proud of him and can't believe it has already been 3 years since he started.

Elton Scott Rushing - Love this kid!

Goofy kid!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Walk to the dunes from
the Monarch Grove

Some kind of ground cover
on the dunes

Fresh water flowing
into the ocean

Cool business logo. If you blow this
up each Octopus arm has a tool.

SLO Farmer's Market and according
to Liza, this is a small crowd.

I want these doors in my house.

Saturday, April 1, 2023

2023-03-29 Wednesday Pismo Beach Oceano Campground

Today was another property search day with K & J, Santa Maria, Nipomo, and Orcutt. We drove through a few gated communities but nothing with room for RV and boat storage. We did see a few lovely older homes with large lots, but the houses need a lot of work.

We ate in Orcutt at Blast 825 Brewery, Brussels sprouts, super tater-tots, steak bites, and onion rings. Don't worry; we did order a basket of fries. We love this place. Great looking brewery. Unfortunately, there were only a few homes to see in this area after lunch.

Long-Billed Curlew

We were home by 4 PM. We decided to walk the campground to stretch our legs. Then we had a last-minute decision and walked to the beach. It was cool and windy, but a great time to be on the beach. Only a few people and lots of birds. Just to hear the ocean and birds was worth dealing with the cool air.

Most of the clam shells were complete